"I was always tougher than I looked. She and Erskine knew that when I was in boot camp. The serum worked in its own way. Perfect health and accelerated healing. I was better off than most of the guys that were out there fighting." Pausing, he gave her a wry grin. "She didn't pull her punches but she knew I could take a beating even before the procedure. She knew I'd grown up getting beat up in alleys. Even at her worst she was kinder than the neighborhood bullies."
The smile wavered slightly before he forced aside his reaction to those words. He knew how to hide his feelings. Both Peggy and Natasha had trained him but he'd never been able to keep things from Peggy. Especially when they had dealt with matters of the heart. "The right partner. I hope she believed she was lucky. I put her through so much... she didn't deserve that and neither did you."
At least the team was a safer subject even if some of it would probably shock her. "A new team that Bucky and I lead. We're called the Avengers." Tony's description came to mind and he chuckled softly. "'Earth's mightiest heroes according to Stark but he likes to exaggerate." Realizing that he had surprised her with the compliment, Steve gave her the patient look that he used when training new recruits. "You of all people should know that there's more to someone than how they look."
It was probably lucky for him that she had closed her eyes since he wasn't sure what his expression would have shown her if she watched him. Grief. Hope. Uncertainty mingled with guilt. This wasn't his Peggy. Her Steve had been a different man and it was wrong for her memories of him to be the reason for the chance that Steve had dreamed of for years. "Are you... are you sure? I'm not him."
He knew he didn't see her just as his best girl. She wasn't. That Peggy was back home, decades older than him. The memories of her were something he cherished and would never tarnish. But he also knew that she would be disappointed if she didn't take the chance that was offered. She had always wanted his happiness.
"Peggy, I..." Swallowing hard, he tried to ignore the hope that he'd almost given up on, knowing that he couldn't give in to it immediately. They were each similar to people who had been lost. It wouldn't easy. If she even was suggesting what he assumed and it wasn't wishful thinking on his part. "I would be honored to have a second chance wherever that it might lead."
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The smile wavered slightly before he forced aside his reaction to those words. He knew how to hide his feelings. Both Peggy and Natasha had trained him but he'd never been able to keep things from Peggy. Especially when they had dealt with matters of the heart. "The right partner. I hope she believed she was lucky. I put her through so much... she didn't deserve that and neither did you."
At least the team was a safer subject even if some of it would probably shock her. "A new team that Bucky and I lead. We're called the Avengers." Tony's description came to mind and he chuckled softly. "'Earth's mightiest heroes according to Stark but he likes to exaggerate." Realizing that he had surprised her with the compliment, Steve gave her the patient look that he used when training new recruits. "You of all people should know that there's more to someone than how they look."
It was probably lucky for him that she had closed her eyes since he wasn't sure what his expression would have shown her if she watched him. Grief. Hope. Uncertainty mingled with guilt. This wasn't his Peggy. Her Steve had been a different man and it was wrong for her memories of him to be the reason for the chance that Steve had dreamed of for years. "Are you... are you sure? I'm not him."
He knew he didn't see her just as his best girl. She wasn't. That Peggy was back home, decades older than him. The memories of her were something he cherished and would never tarnish. But he also knew that she would be disappointed if she didn't take the chance that was offered. She had always wanted his happiness.
"Peggy, I..." Swallowing hard, he tried to ignore the hope that he'd almost given up on, knowing that he couldn't give in to it immediately. They were each similar to people who had been lost. It wouldn't easy. If she even was suggesting what he assumed and it wasn't wishful thinking on his part. "I would be honored to have a second chance wherever that it might lead."