#reader1007

Peggy heard a knock on her door and rose from the file she had been reading for an hour.

“Hey Carter! Wanna join us for drinks?” Elena asked from the doorway. She had been trying to get Peggy out of her office for weeks now, and maybe, tonight, she might win.

Work had been hectic. The two women and their colleagues had been planning and writing a proposal for a coming meeting between the 10 biggest economical countries of the planet, and they already knew they would not agree to half of it. But here they were, like every night this month, working tirelessly. Peggy knew all too well what she was getting herself into when she agreed to work on this proposal, but she did not expect her colleagues to question everything she wrote. Elena was always on her side, they shared opinions on most things, but those newbies, all fresh and barely coming out of college, kept questioning the skilled ladies. They knew their work, they knew the countries involved inside out, they knew their subject more than these kids ever would, and it was infuriating and tiring to have to explain the words chosen, the things left unsaid.

“Who’s us?” Peggy mumbled.

“Bobbi and Trip are coming too. We’re meeting Mack at his friend’s bar.”

“Ooooh!” Peggy whistled, “I haven’t met him yet!”

“And you can, if you get out of here and come with us.”

“That is a compelling argument.”

“Her friend, she makes killer burgers.”

“Okay, I’m coming!” Peggy said quickly. She had become a fan of those American burgers, and Elena knew it. She needed to get out of the office anyway, or she was going to lose her mind.

“Here, have a drink. You’ll feel better.” Steve’s voice was low, matching the dim lights of their apartment. He held a glass of Peggy’s favorite wine in one hand and his shield in the other. The last time he had seen that look on her face, the shield had been the only thing protecting him from certain death…probably. He could even see the glint of a gun on the coffee table, which, while not an unusual occurrence, was enough to give him pause.

Peggy sighed, running her fingers through her hair, disturbing already-disheveled curls. She opened her mouth, and then shut it quickly, rubbing a hand over her face in distress. That was the sixth time she had started to speak only to keep quiet, and Steve found it extremely unsettling. He had seen Peggy in many different states over the years they had known each other, but he had never seen her quite like this before–she certainly never had trouble sharing her thoughts with him before. Hence the wine and the shield–Steve didn’t know where he currently stood, but he figured that one of the two would help him try to discern what was wrong.

Peggy glanced briefly at the glass of wine and let out a mournful sigh. Steve’s shoulders dropped slightly in relief–she wouldn’t be shooting at him for an as-yet-unknown offense–and he moved quickly to her side, settling himself carefully on the couch, the shield resting next to the arm of the sofa. He handed Peggy the glass, which she took gingerly, two fingertips barely holding onto the stem. She swirled the wine gently three times, then placed it on the coffee table next to the gun.

“I can’t,” Peggy replied, placing her hand on Steve’s thigh. She took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”

Steve stared intensely at her hand–bright red nails against blue denim–as the words swirled around in his head, comprehension still out of reach. Peggy squeezed his thigh gently, which pulled him out of his stupor. His head popped up, making her jump. “You’re pregnant?” he all but shouted, the words tripping over the huge grin taking over his face. 

Peggy tilted her head forward in an approximation of a nod, and Steve tackled her to the sofa, pressing kisses all over her face. She started giggling in spite of herself at the rasp of his stubble against her cheeks, but as Steve pulled away slightly, eyes brimming with joy, she sobered again.

Perceptive as always, Steve sat up and pulled Peggy into his lap, smoothing her hair away from her forehead. “You’re not excited. Is this happy news?”

Peggy rubbed the space between Steve’s eyebrows, where his skin creased with worry. “It is definitely happy news, darling. I was absolutely ecstatic when I found out.”

“Then why are you so worked up? And what’s with the gun?”

‘I was overthinking things, I suppose. I was so excited about a new baby, and then I started thinking about what it would mean to raise a child, and how difficult it would be to keep that child safe, especially since Lord knows we both have our fair share of enemies.” Peggy tilted her head with a wry grin. “Besides, any child of ours will have a reckless streak that will make both of us look like wilting flowers in comparison.”

Steve sighed, the truth of Peggy’s worries a heavy weight on his shoulders. He placed his hand on his shield, the cold metal a comfort as he thought about the dangers awaiting their new family. He gave himself a mental shake–this was a time for celebration, the worries could be dealt with later. He clasped Peggy’s hands in his own and pulled her off-balance, so that she was fully pressed up against him. Peggy’s breath caught at the unexpected motion, and Steve grinned. “Listen, Peg, we have plenty of time to have this conversation. And we will have it, I promise. Between your skills and my shield, we’ll have the safest baby in the whole world. But right now–God, Peggy, we’re gonna be parents!”

Peggy returned the grin, his enthusiasm infectious. “You better be this excited when I’m nauseous and craving pickles at 3 am and breaking your hand when a contraction hits.”