[ CLOSED ] he's in the army now, blowin' reveille

[revlon]

Who: Peggy Carter (revlon), Steve Rogers (starspangle), Claire Fraser (nineteenfortyfive)
What: Vintage folks meet their fellow golden oldie roommates.
When: Arrival at Olympia.
Where: House #29.
Warning(s): N/A

[ It's been a long trip. Not as long as some marches she's embarked on during the war, not by half, but it was nearly as treacherous and just as exhausting for simply going in blind. She's a woman who likes to know what she's getting into — she's certainly capable of handling it if she doesn't, but it's a new world and a new life. Not a new country. Now it's a new city.

She's given a patch at the entrance despite her firm refusal.

Hello! My name is
PEGGY CARTER!

I am in House #29!
Are you my housemate?

It's absurd. It lists her hobbies as guns, codebreaking, and crosswords in the most cheerful manner possible and it's not precisely discreet, either. But there's nothing for it. She's whisked off into a tour group before she can find anyone else she knows and deposited at her new home without preamble. It's not what she expected, not after Thesa. But beggars can't be choosers.

She opens the door with some measure of wariness. She doesn't know if her roommates are here before her — she doesn't even know who they might be — but she investigates the place all the same. Is anyone home? ]

Comments

[revlon]

[ She raises an eyebrow sharply. Her own weariness is making her temper a little shorter than usual; and although she isn't outright angry with him, her tone is a touch more firm than it ought to be for such a mild conversation. ]

Do I seem like the sort of woman who doesn't know her own mind, captain?

[america]

No, ma'am.

[ He'd never ever accuse her of that. Not unless he had a death wish. ]

[revlon]

Then it's settled.

[ She studies him for a moment then exhales loudly, gesturing. ]

Have a seat. I'll make us some tea.

[ Because she and Claire ran down to the shops earlier today and when you put two Englishwoman in an apartment, you're bound to have some tea. ]

[america]

[ Steve does as he's told, finding a chair to settle himself into while Peggy goes about doing what the English do.

Even if he's not a big fan of tea, the last thing he's going to do is refuse a cup. It could help with the nerves anyway, right?

Conversationally: ]

Do you think it's random, the way they put us together in this house?

[revlon]

[ Her back is to him when he asks that question, her hand stilling for just a heartbeat on the kettle's handle. The thought had crossed her mind — this is far too specific to be coincidental. And although Darma's voice whispers in their dreams, somehow Peggy doubts there's any influence to be had down here, otherwise she'd assume it was a kindness bestowed on the pair of them. But she can't be certain. ]

What do you think? [ It's cheating, to answer a question with another question. She fills the kettle and sets it on top of the stove, then starts to arrange the cups and tea tin. She takes a breath and turns back to face him, leaning back against the countertop. ] Have you heard of others being placed together?

[america]

I haven't exactly had a chance to check up on everyone's living situations yet. [ he admits with a shrug. Mostly he'd been shuttled towards his own living quarters by the slightly-more-than-necessary pushy welcoming committee here. ] But I can't imagine we were put together purely by chance.

They could have had some idea of our histories together, figured that maybe it'd be an easier transition if we got through it with people we were familiar with.

[ He's glad for it, anyway. It's a little awkward, sure, but Peggy's familiar to him in ways most of the others here aren't. It makes this whole thing a little less terrifying. ]

[revlon]

If that were the case, then Bucky would be here, too.

[ She does know Barnes is alive, now. And more than a little worse for wear. She doesn't know the particularities of it all, not when they've barely had any time to themselves, let alone time for reunions. But maybe that's another theory as to why she and Steve have been put up together. Making up for lost time? Would the people in charge be so sentimental?

Would she?

God, she never thought she'd have this. Not one second, not five minutes, not the rest of however long they're here. During the war, they could only ever think as far as the next day — the future was a dangerous fantasy to entertain when the fighting got so bleak. And now that it's here, in a way neither of them anticipated, it's a lot to take in. ]

But it's a good theory. [ She pauses, studies him quietly from across the way. ] The Natha have been shockingly kind since we've woken up. Maybe we shouldn't be too surprised that their generosity's extended this far. I've wondered how much they could possibly know about us, our lives, but this...

[ Peggy hesitates a little. It's so intimate, what they were on the edge of in 1945. No one really knew, outside of their circle of Commandos and Colonel Phillips. She doesn't know what to make of it or if she's reading too much into it and saying any of that out loud seems — silly. ]

[america]

[ Well, there is that.

Bucky.

Steve hasn't had the chance to question the Natha Orbiters for their rooming choices, but Bucky's absence feels very present and very real. He briefly wonders where his best friend ended up, but he can - at the very least - rest assured knowing Bucky's in one of these houses somewhere, safe. Alive. Himself(-ish). ]

We can only trust that their kindness goes without some kinda price we can't pay.

[ Which is about all Steve can really hope for at this point; hope that the Orbiters brought them to this planet with good intentions, hope that their words and promises are true. It's an old, familiar record at this point, but Steve finds himself repeating himself anyway, maybe to keep himself in check more than anyone else.

He shakes his head.

Moving on ... ]

But whatever the reasons might be, I'm glad they put us together.

[ Can he say that without feeling stupid? Likely not, given the way he averts his eyes for a moment, feeling less like Captain America and very much like Steve Rogers, scrawny little runt from Brooklyn. But he does mean it.

Even being around Peggy is like - well, it's a quiet excitement and comfort he's not ready to let go of. ]

[revlon]

[ She can't hide her smile at that, although she does duck her head a little. Wherever they may stand with one another, there's no denying how pleased she is to be here with him at all. And it does warm her heart to see the shift in his own expression, the honesty and openness in it — he's grown so much older in ways beyond the physical, she can see that. But to catch a glimpse of the man she first met on the training grounds of Camp Lehigh... Well, they may not be who the other remembers, but parts remain.

Softer, ]

I am, too. Having you here makes this all seem a little less overwhelming.

[ That lingers for a moment in the air between them. She looks like she wants to say more, but then the kettle whistles and she jumps. Peggy clears her throat hastily, turning to fix the tea. ]

[america]

[ The sound of the kettle's cry seems to shatter the moment, bringing them back into the reality of their shared space on a foreign planet neither of them could ever even heard of.

Steve shifts in his seat, straightening as he waits and watches for Peggy to finish with the tea.

He forcefully pulls their conversation back to business, even if a part of him can still feel her words, warm around him. ]

You think we'll see more of those pods opening any time soon? There were a lot of them up on that ship.

[revlon]

[ Peggy fusses with the tea. It's simple, but she and Claire had gone down to the market earlier and had come back with the basics — milk and sugar. They're English, for Christ's sake. Tea is about the only thing right now that can make this apartment more of a home.

Peggy brings their mugs over, setting one down in front of Steve. She remains on his side of the table, electing to sit on the edge of it just alongside him than across. Their legs could almost touch. ]

There were, [ she agrees, blowing softly at her steaming mug of tea. ] Do you mean, are we in for another meteor shower? God, I hope not. [ That was a mess. ] Is there anyone you're hoping to see? Or — not to see?

[america]

Guess I thought I'd see a few more of us out there.

[ Steve nods gratefully as she sets his mug before him. He'll let it cool off for a moment or two before taking a sip.

Instead he shifts a little more comfortably towards Peggy so that - yeah, their legs really could almost touch. ]

Friends from home. Team-mates. But I am glad not to see a few faces.

[revlon]

Teammates? Heavens, [ she remarks with a quiet smile. ] Did you want more trouble on your hands than us and Barnes combined?

[ It's a joke and it isn't. God knows that if it's trouble anyone's after, it's Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter. Bucky's just the poor soul with enough sense on his shoulders to not go charging off half-cocked. Or maybe they've all grown up and changed. Maybe that was a war a lifetime ago and not who they are now.

Maybe maybe maybe. ]

Imagine if the Commandos were here. [ Her smile softens, turning a little more towards him. Her ankle brushes his calf with how she's sitting on the table and she leaves it there. ] Is your new team anything like our boys?

[america]

Some of them are. Sam Wilson, Scott Lang. Good guys, good sense of humour.

[ Steve's expression looks momentarily far-away, but he shrugs before he can let the nostalgia carry him too far from now.

He picks up his mug but doesn't take a sip of his tea just yet. ]

Nothing and no one will ever replace the Commandos. Those men were some of the best I've ever fought with.

[revlon]

[ She looks down at her tea, still smiling. ]

They still are, [ she says after a moment. Peggy glances askance at him, eyes alight. ] They were kind enough to join me on a mission in Russia last year — that is, 1946. [ She laughs. ] Dum Dum was the same as ever. With his bourbon and a cigar without a care in the world.

[ She pauses, then adds in a gentler voice, ]

He'd asked me to consider joining them, you know. And I was tempted, for a moment. I wasn't getting any respect at work, I'd had to argue my way into joining the team to Russia to begin with. Being with the boys... It was nice. To have that shared life experience. [ Peggy inclines her head. ] But I had work to do in New York. Still — you're right. There's no team like the one we had.

[america]

[ Steve likes hearing about Peggy's life, knowing what she did after his ship had crashed and he was quite literally put to sleep.

It's a small thing but it makes him feel just a little closer to her.

He lifts the cup of tea to his lips and takes a sip. ]

Peggy Carter, one of the Commandos. You know, I can see it.

[ But, all the same, he knows what Peggy's work in New York consisted of. He knows the legacy she'd left and the good that came out of it. SHIELD wouldn't exist without her. ]

[revlon]

[ She raises an eyebrow at him, amused. ]

I was practically an honourary member by the end of the war. I just didn't have a nickname like half of you lot did. [ She huffs out a laugh, her smile pulling at the corners like it pains her to say this next thing. ] Although Dum Dum did try to christen me with one.

[ Are you ready to hear it, Steve? She looks him dead in the eye. ]

"Miss Union Jack."

[america]

[ Steve chuckles, nodding as though he's assessing the name and giving it his approval. ]

Captain America and Miss Union Jack. Surprised that one didn't catch on. I never did see any Miss Union Jack comic books around.

[revlon]

[ She rolls her eyes, but it's good-natured. She takes a sip of her tea before replying, ]

Don't you start. Did you know Howard was trying to make a motion picture based on a comic book? [ She tuts and it's clear how absurd she finds it. ] Ridiculous.

[america]

Sounds like a Howard thing to do.

[ Should he tell her that those kinds of things exist now?

Or did ...

Modern day Earth was a very strange place. ]

Probably could have made millions if he succeeded.

[revlon]

He's making millions regardless. [ She pauses, then corrects herself, ] Made.

[ Her smile twists. ]

If he ever wakes up, he won't like having to start all over.

[ She probably knows more about the early days of his life than Steve does. Howard grew up in the Lower East Side, the son of immigrants (as many Americans are) with little means. He worked his way up. It took time and effort and while she has no doubt he'd succeed here, the reset might be a painful reminder. ]

[america]

No, I can't imagine he will.

[ It's tough for anyone having to start all over again, starting from the (near-)bottom for some. He might not know Howard as well as Peggy does and he wouldn't presume to think so, but that much he can guess with accuracy.

He had his own jet, his own company, endless amounts of money most likely, and inventions and ideas that were truly incredible. Having none of that here would likely be a struggle. ]

He'd have us though.