#for doctorhelena

[littlereyofsunlight]

I'm late!

Sorry, @doctorhelena for the belated Steggy Secret Santa gift! I'm still working on the rest, but I've got the beginning polished up and ready to share ...

I loved receiving your letter to @steggyfanevents/Santa: "here are some general ideas of things I particularly like (applicable to either fanfic or fanart!): - stories (or fanart) set during the war - AUs with Steve present during the Agent Carter timeframe - AUs in general - friendship and found family - secret relationships, but also Peggy and Steve getting teased about each other - shared adventure, working together to achieve a goal - banter - Peggy being badass and Steve loving it - hijinks and terrible ideas - the Howling Commandos, Howard, Phillips, the Jarvises, Angie, Rose, Natasha, Bucky, Sam, Tony, Pepper, Thor - Bernard Stark, Howard's flamingo"

I had a lot of fun pulling a few of these elements together to come up with this story. Hope you enjoy!

Peggy bit the inside of her cheek as they arrived at Howard’s Beverly Hills home. He'd assured them of their privacy when he’d offered this house as a place to lay low while the news of Steve’s return blew over. It was their best option—she just hoped this really was the place to wait it out.

The driver handed over their bags to Steve, who took them with a warm smile, despite his obvious exhaustion. Peggy noted the way weariness seemed to have settled into the laugh lines at his eyes, the crease on his forehead that never quite went away now, the perpetual, if slight, downturn his mouth had. She shook herself from her reverie, reminding her wandering, maudlin thoughts that she’d never thought she’d get to see his face again, let alone watch him age. 

She rubbed at the simple band on her left ring finger. While Steve’s miraculous return had certainly caused a stir, it was the news of the wedding that had turned the press rabid.

Peggy looked at Steve. Steve looked at Peggy. There was, not for the first time since he’d returned, the feeling of uncomfortable tension between them. “Well,” Steve said, his voice congenial, “I’m fifty-percent convinced he’s not going to out us.”

Peggy nodded. “I might go as high as seventy-five percent, just knowing how well Howard pays.” 

“He sure is doing us some favor.” Peggy found his tone inscrutable. This was a new development, since his return. The small lines on his face and, sometimes, the wrong-footed feeling that Steve was referencing something from where—when—he came from.

She shifted her purse strap higher on her shoulder. The California sun was hot, and Steve’s suit hadn't fared well on the transcontinental flight. She didn’t feel particularly fresh, herself. “Shall we go in?”

He inclined his head. “I take it you know the way.”

Biting back the sharp retort that flew into her head—this wasn’t the same callow Steve who’d suggested fondue was some kind of lewd act, after all—Peggy was acutely aware of Steve behind her as she strode up the front walk to Howard’s ridiculous mansion. The lawn was just as green and well-manicured as when she’d last been, two years ago. Peggy supposed Howard thought stuccoed walls and wrought iron details made the place stately, but she’d always found it cozy, despite its size. And of course, the pool made it especially appealing. She looked back at Steve—at her new husband—and thought idly of just how secluded the pool really was. She felt a flush come over her that she couldn’t blame entirely on the heat.

“Howard played host when I was here working a case with …” She fumbled for words as she reached the front door and dug into her purse for the key Jarvis had arranged to have messengered to her back in D.C. “Ahem, well … there was a scientist, I’m not sure I’ve had the chance to tell you about this one.” 

Peggy’s mind raced. What exactly was she going to tell him in this moment about the escapade with Whitney Frost? Her flirtation with Jason Wilkes? Her dalliance with Daniel? Not exactly honeymoon talk. “Well, another time,” she finished inadequately, feeling suddenly quite tired. Opening the door, she stepped inside. The heat of the day hadn’t touched the cool tile entryway, and she sighed in relief. Peggy ushered Steve in after her and, with a final look back at the expanse of lawn and the eight-foot wall beyond it that encircled the property, she firmly shut the door and locked it.

“Alone at last,” she said, with a genuine smile for her new husband.

***

Steve took in the immaculate Spanish Colonial Revival details of Howard’s house. He’d visited Tony’s home in Malibu, once, before he rebuilt it. The setting had been spectacular, and the house had certainly gone out of its way to provide unobstructed views of the ocean, but all that glass and space had left it feeling empty. 

Now, Steve wondered if it had been a reaction to this place and to Howard’s preferred style. There was dark, ornate woodwork, plush, heavy furniture and warm colors everywhere Steve’s eye landed. Light spilled into the vestibule from arched windows stretching above the front door. The tiles were an inviting orange, with a Moroccan motif bordering the floor. A staircase of dark risers and wrought iron lead, Steve presumed, to the bedrooms on the second floor. Beyond the stairs was a hallway into the back of the house, and to the left of the foyer Steve saw a study filled with bookcases and leather club chairs. 

He suddenly became aware of Peggy’s eyes on him, her expression expectant. “Nice place,” he observed blandly. She raised an eyebrow, and he noticed, not for the first time today, how impeccably turned out she was. Her honeymoon suit crisply pressed, hat set just so, red, red lipstick looking freshly applied even with the transcontinental flight they’d boarded that morning. Steve knew his jacket was creased to hell and his collar had lost its starch—he was out of practice keeping his clothes up to this time’s standards, that was very clear. 

And, he realized through his musings, there was a frown beginning on his wife’s incredibly beautiful face.

Steve reached out a hand, pulled her in close. “Did you say something about being alone?”

He was relieved when she melted against him immediately, her hand coming up to cup his cheek. “One hears that’s how newlyweds are supposed to spend their time, alone together,” she teased, her eyes soft as she looked at him. He’d been flagging on the drive from the airport, looking forward to a nap when they arrived. But now he couldn’t resist kissing her, pressing her fully against him, reveling in how her lush curves fit against his body. 

“Good thing I cleared my schedule,” he murmured as they broke apart. She removed her hat and set it down on a table just to the side of the door. He let his hand roam down her shapely backside, knowing there were layers of nylon slip and girdle beneath the lightweight wool of her skirt. Maybe a nap could wait. Would she let him peel her out of each layer slowly this time? 

Peggy rewarded him with a laugh before she leaned up to kiss him again. “I have a few items to add to your itinerary, darling.”  

He wasn’t sure how long they spent, pressed against the door. Long enough for the shadows to change, lengthening over the stairs. Peggy’s stomach rumbled and Steve laughed. “Some things never change,” he said, a smirk on his face. 

“Do people in the future not require nourishment at regular intervals?” Peggy quipped, smoothing her skirt back down. “If I’m hungry, I know you’re famished,” she said.

Steve dragged her hem back up a few inches. “I could eat.”

Peggy arched an eyebrow at him, her hand around his wrist. “Focus, darling.”

“I would be very focused.” He saw how her eyes darkened and her breath came just a bit quicker. He brushed the tips of his fingers against her thigh, keeping his touch light. 

Her grip tightened and she exhaled. “Steve.”

He angled his head and let his lips graze the shell of her ear. “Peg.”

She sighed again, turning her head to kiss him firmly. “Lunch first.” She punctuated the imperative with a quick nip at his bottom lip. 

“Is that an order?” he teased, chasing her lips as she pulled away.

Her eyes sparked at him as she put both hands on his chest. “It is indeed, Captain.” She stepped back out of his arms. “But if you find us provisions, you have leave to resume your mission after your wife’s been satisfied.”

Heat spread through his chest at that word. His wife. He couldn’t keep the goofy smile from taking over his face, even as he sassed back at her, “I’ve been trying to satisfy my wife this whole time, Mrs. Rogers.”

Peggy laughed as she took up her small suitcase, shaking her head with a smile that echoed his. “I’ll go freshen up. The kitchen’s back through there, and I expect Ana Jarvis will have left plenty in the larder.” 

“Ma’am, yes ma’am.” He resisted the urge to pinch himself as he watched her walk up the stairs. All the ways he’d struggled with the decision to find her, after everything that had happened to him—he’d nearly talked himself out of even trying to have this a dozen times. But somehow, Steve was here, with Peggy, and everything felt so right. 

Even if they were technically on the run from the press.

Steve ventured to the back of the house, where the well-appointed kitchen was indeed stocked with food. Steve couldn’t remember if he’d ever learned when frozen french fries had been invented, but apparently it was before 1949. There was a box of those plus a few cans of Minute Maid concentrate in the freezer, along with a wealth of tupperware, all labeled in neat Palmer script with the contents and instructions for thawing and reheating. Steve whistled at the display and selected a stew to thaw for dinner later that evening. 

There was a note taped to the fridge, and Steve scanned it quickly.

Peggy, my dear—

I’m desolate that I cannot offer you my heartfelt congratulations in person, and that my inspection of your illustrious gentleman will have to wait until Edwin and I return from our visit. Please help yourself to anything; I have arranged for more groceries to be delivered on Tuesday. 

E says I must warn you that Bernard is suffering from some tropical malaise. But as sardines seem to cheer him up, I admit to being skeptical of my husband’s theory.

Affectionately yours,

Ana

Steve couldn’t remember who Bernard was supposed to be. But Howard had assured them both that his staff would give them their privacy while they stayed at his home, so Steve assumed the fellow would have to get his sardines elsewhere. 

In the fridge, Steve found basic sandwich supplies. For his part, he was still a tiny bit sad that sriracha wasn’t yet a staple in American cupboards. Thinking of sriracha made him think of being on the run with Sam and Nat. Instead of shoving the memory aside, he let it wash over him. Two years of running that grief group had been good for many things, of course. But certainly, an unintended benefit was how it had prepared him to leave it all behind and return to Peggy. 

Steve took the stairs two at a time, balancing the sandwiches, two glasses of water and a package of Oreos in his hands. He found Peggy down the wide hall, in a spacious bedroom with a private attached bathroom and a Juliet balcony overlooking Howard’s tree-filled side yard. She was still occupied in the bathroom, so Steve set down the food on one of the nightstands and pulled the inner lace curtains closed over the inset windows in the balcony doors, leaving the heavy velvet drapes open. The diffuse afternoon light that filtered through turned the room a cozy orange. By the time Peggy was done, he’d unpacked their suitcases into the closet and dresser provided, and stowed the bags underneath the giant four-poster bed. 

She’d changed out of her suit entirely and had on her robe, her hair unpinned and falling softly to her shoulders in mahogany waves. “Sandwiches!” she said, and clambered up onto the bed beside him. 

“Oreos, too,” he pointed out, delighted at her excitement over his extremely basic offering. “You were right about Mrs. Jarvis keeping the kitchen stocked. Which reminds me,” he fished the note out of his trousers pocket, “she left this for you.”

***

Peggy read the note quickly, mouth full of roast beef, and then tucked it under the water on the nightstand. Ana must have dictated it, as it wasn’t in her handwriting and she and Jarvis were on a trip to Europe, visiting cousins of Ana’s who had settled in the Netherlands after the war. 

Steve had eaten a sandwich of his own, as well as several chocolate biscuits, and then he’d gotten up to hang his own suit and change into pajama pants as Peggy finished her own meal. Though it was three hours later by her internal clock, Peggy felt a bit of a thrill to be in her nightclothes in the daylight. She watched as the muscles beneath his white undershirt flexed with his movements, his physique somehow even more impressive now than when he’d first gone through the transformation of Project Rebirth. Peggy was grateful for all that had transpired to bring Steve back to her. She was grateful that the man he was now was with her in this time. She felt suddenly such a swell of overpowering love for him, she was happy to be sitting down as it hit. “Steve,” she managed, hearing the emotion thick in her voice.

He turned back to her, concern clear on his face. “Peg?”

She shook her head, smiling through the rush of feeling. She aimed for sultry when she spoke and tossed her hair behind her shoulders. “You have leave to resume your mission at your leisure.” She toyed with the tie on her robe. 

Immediately, his eyes darkened and the concerned dip of his brows smoothed over. A hint of a smile played at the corner of his mouth. “Is that so?” Peggy nodded, unknotting her robe so she could let the neckline fall open. As Steve realized she had nothing on underneath, she watched his breath deepen and his hands clench at the suit he still held. “Remind me where we were?” he teased.

Peggy licked her lips eagerly. “I seem to recall you promised satisfaction.”

Steve tossed the suit behind him, ensuring it would truly need a thorough pressing before he could wear it again. He prowled back towards the bed. “Did you have anything particular in mind?—”

Before Steve had even finished the question, there was a loud crash on the balcony, accompanied by a sound Peggy could only describe as a goose attacking a chalkboard. Steve immediately closed the distance between them, pulling Peggy off the bed and positioning her behind him. The sound came again, this time accompanied by some shuffling and … flapping? 

Peggy slapped a hand to her forehead. “Bernard!”

[beautifulwhensarcastic]

“Break!” Peggy declared, stopping mid step. 

Steve, a step or two in front of her, halted immediately. He turned to her, a quick scan of her whole body to make sure there was no need to worry.

Peggy was bent over, hands on her knees and her breath slightly wheezing. Otherwise she seemed fine; if perhaps a little disheveled, but that was mostly due to the wind that lashed at their faces as they ran down the hill. 

“Everything okay?” Steve asked, walking back to her. 

“Yes, perfectly fine.” Peggy answered, still out of breath. 

After a moment, she straightened. Her face was flushed - exertion and wind to blame for that. A few ringlets of her hair escaped the tight ponytail, sticking out in various directions, some stuck to her sweaty forehead.

To Steve she looked beautiful, as always. 

“Turn around.” Peggy pointed at Steve with her index finger and made a circular motion. 

“Why?” Steve’s eyebrows drew in confusion, at the same time he turned his back to her, peeking at Peggy over his shoulder as she stepped closer. “Do I have something on my back?” 

“Not yet.” He thought he heard a chuckle in Peggy’s voice.

A second later and she jumped up, bracing her hands on Steve’s shoulders and wrapping her legs around his hips. 

On instinct, Steve quickly reached back, hands gripping Peggy’s thighs and helping her secure her weight on his back. She squeezed his sides with her thighs and propped herself up. 

“We can go now.” She announced, pressing her cheek to Steve’s. 

“We were supposed to be jogging.” Steve snorted. 

He changed his hold on her thighs, making it easier for the both of them to carry her weight. Though for Steve it made little difference. He could carry Peggy in any position. He’d carry her to the top of the world, if she asked him to. 

Which he told her one evening, when he was feeling extra sappy as they laid in the little backyard behind their house, cuddling on a blanket and stargazing. 

Peggy laughed then and brushed a kiss on his jaw. She said they have enough adventures in their lives and she’d rather have him hold her against a wall when they feel impatiently needy. 

“You wanted to go jogging.” Peggy corrected Steve. “I decided I want a doughnut.” 

“Which we were supposed to get at the end of our run.” He pointed out. 

“So you better end your run quickly, because I really want that doughnut.” 

Steve shook his head and chuckled. He didn’t break into a run, though he could do it even with Peggy clinging to him like a monkey. He set a brisk pace, but limited it to walking. 

“Instead of promises of carrying you to the top of the world, I should simply vow to take you to any bakery you wish.” He joked, grinning at the elder couple they were passing, who had to hear part of their conversation because they exchanged knowing looks. 

“That’s why I married you.” Peggy tightened her hold around Steve’s shoulder and pecked a sweet kiss to his neck. 

“And the guys were warning me about the dangers of never satisfying a wife. Idiots.” 

“Well, things may get dangerous if you don’t get me that doughnut

 a little gift for @doctorhelena for finishing her workout challenge 💪💞

[invidiosa]

the wonderful @doctorhelena tagged me to explain how I picked my URL.

Many many many years ago when I joined the XF fandom and started posting fics, I needed a penname, so I chose Circe Invidiosa which is the title of a JW Waterhouse painting and my user icon there. It roughly translates to "envious Circe". There was already a Circe in the fandom who didn't post fics but was very active with commentary so I always used the "Invidiosa" part to distinguish myself. And it stuck because I decided my fic site would be called invidiosa as well and I still have the site to this day. When I started posting fics for a different fandom, i used a variation of invidiosa and started calling myself Invida (which is my main user name on AO3 and my pseud is Circe Invidiosa) because I thought I needed keep the fandoms separate. But when I joined tumblr I decided I'd just get back to basics with Invidiosa. And there we are.

Tagging @lilydalexf, @thatgirlnevershutsup, @lone-gunwoman-of-the-week, @51kas81, @leucocrystal, @typingtess, @fairweathermyth, @bowiecadmium and anyone who wants to tell us about their usernames.

[agentmintea]

@doctorhelena tagged me to explain how I picked my url!

When Agent Carter S2 came out, I wanted to change my url to reflect how significant that fandom was to me (and my blog) while keeping a reference to the Carmilla fandom (my "original" tumblr fandom), so I came up with agentkarnstein.

In 2019 I decided to standardize my usernames across different platforms, and I didn't want anything fandom-specific, so I settled on agentmintea ('mintea' being a funky way to spell my name) for ✨aesthetic✨ reasons as well as username availability reasons. I still think of the 'agent' as a subtle nod to Peggy Carter (my beloved) and it lets me feel like people are calling me by a code name :)

Tagging: @sadieb798 @captainjimothycarter @mithrilwren @slurmsmackenzie11 @wanderingbasilisk @chilioilgirl @glitter-garbage and anyone else who frequents my notes (I see you :3c)

[imxthexhandler]

Hey, it's your long-lost Steggy Secret Santa, and I've finally finished part 2 of your gift! I've posted Chapter 1 of 6 today, and will be posting the chapters once a week, every Wednesday. I hope you enjoy, and I'm really sorry for the delay!

@doctorhelena: Aw, thank you so much! I have book club, so I'll check it out either when I get home tonight or tomorrow. I'm sure it's great! <3

[eliza49-7190]

One line, one fic

Rules: pick any 10 of your fics, scroll somewhere to the mid point, pick a line, and share it! Then tag 10 people.

I was tagged by the wonderful doctorhelena

Here are lines (okay, sometimes more than one) from the middlish of each story.

1.

Mid-week Mornings at the New York Bell Company and Summer Evenings in Manhattan

(An Agent Carter fic)

From chapter 2 of 3:

One or two agents still resented having been knocked out by Peggy’s fists – and the occasional, frisbeed dinner plate – but the prevailing attitude towards her fighting prowess was one of self-deprecating approbation: the humorous refrain, ‘Or we could just send Carter,’ was often heard in the bullpen when an assignment demanded maximum manpower.

2.

A Safe Community for Modern, Female Professionals

(An Agent Carter fic)

From chapter 3 of 5:

Startled, Angie realised that she had read by accident half of the first paragraph, and that this was a private thing of Peggy’s that she had no right to (just like the flunky shouldn’t have been handling Peggy’s pretty, satin nightie).

3.

An Unexpected Detour on the Way to Saving the World

(An Avengers: Endgame|Agent Carter fic)

From chapter 6 of 12:

Steve waited patiently, and Tony took the opportunity to announce his right to the seat next to the driver: as a kid he had always asked to ride up front with Mr Jarvis, and now that he was a fifty-three-year-old, flying superhero with a time machine, no one got to tell him that he was too short and he belonged in the back. (Besides, he wanted to leave the backseat free so that Cap could sit next to Peggy.)

4.

A Somebody I'm Longin' to See

(An Agent Carter fic)

From chapter 3 of 5:

The idea of Angie patronising Eve’s on Greenwich Avenue, and the idea of her ‘liking girls that way,’ revisited Peggy often in the weeks that followed. It felt like a confusing, entangled concept, intriguing and unsettling at the same time.

5.

Answering the Call

(An Avengers: Endgame | Steggy fic)

From chapter 1 of 1:

Whilst in 2023 no one would give a second thought to an unmarried woman having a man to stay with her in her home, he knew that in 1949 this was definitely not the case. He did not want to risk Peggy’s reputation for the sake of his own, selfish comfort.

I’ve run out of finished-and-posted Agent Carter / Captain America fics, so here are two from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fics (the first of which also draws on CA:TWS)

6.

Secrets Told and Kept

(An Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Maria Hill | Philinda fic)

From chapter 2 of 4:

Maria was too reserved, too little accustomed to flirtation, to feel at ease with either flagrant deception or seduction (although Agent Brett Morris did once reassure her, during their mercifully short partnership, that she ‘definitely had the equipment.’) But this type of play-acting was in any case best suited to brief ambushes, what Fury dubbed the ‘Peggy Method,’ of ‘fluttering her eyelashes, then beating people with a chair.’

(So I’m cheating a bit here, because this isn’t quite the middle, but I thought people likely to read this post would appreciate the Peggy Carter reference.)

7.

An Appropriate Reprimand

(An Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fic)

From chapter 1 of 1:

Skye, a veteran of many childhood misdemeanours and punishments, raised her chin defiantly. Jemma, a veteran of consistent top-of-the-class performance, screwed up her face in terrified anticipation.

Sticking with posted fic rather than wips, here are a couple of little bits from my two completed Jane Austen fics

8.

The Trials and Triumphs of the Unmarried Sister

(A Persuasion | Pride and Prejudice crossover fic)

From chapter 4 of 7:

Miss Bingley was not to be pitied. Georgiana Darcy might be an heiress with thirty thousand pounds, but she was also a mere chit of a girl, who was so artless as to wish for nothing more than the approbation of her older brother, and so simple as to consider herself fortunate to be marrying a clergyman.

9.

Miss Elliott at Home

(A Persuasion ‘missing chapter’ fic)

From chapter 1 of 1:

Here he seemed struck by a sudden thought, and he looked around the room, then lowered his voice. “And bye the bye, Frederick, I think you might consider yourself fortunate in time, that the young lady, whose name I never recall, did choose the other fellow. For we sailors must seek out a wife who will look before leaping, and who is not so flighty that she will regret the life of the sea once the deed is done. And I’m afraid we can have little use for ladies who jump about and break their heads – however pretty their faces may be!”

10.

So number 10 is a total wild card. It’s from the very first fanfic I ever attempted, which I never finished or posted. It literally goes back decades. This is an X-Files fic, effectively a season 8-AU, in which Mulder still gets abducted, but Doggett is in denial about having some kind of psychic abilities: he keeps getting flashes from Mulder’s and Scully’s past/ memeories, which he doesn’t want and can’t control, whilst he’s working with Scully investigating Mulder’s disappearance.

This isn’t even really from the middle, but hey, it’s unfinished, so who’s to say where the middle is? I am including this mostly because I think I’m more likely to get abducted by aliens than ever finish writing this story, so here are several lines of dialogue, which are very unlikely ever to the light of day otherwise!

From Untitled X-Files WIP, consisting of 4, equally unfinished chapters:

“Oh, come on, Mulder: reincarnation, ghosts, walk-ins, vampires, zombies?  You must envisage having a pretty busy schedule in the afterlife.  I don’t know how your soul is going to fit it all in.”

He grinned appreciatively.  “Vampires don’t have souls, Scully.  Don’t you watch Buffy?”

She half-smiled.  He watched her in the dim light of the car.  “You’re not really worried about my immortal soul, are you, Scully?  Because, you know, you’re a Roman Catholic and I’m a half-Jewish atheist with a propensity to embrace a wide variety of Dark-Age superstitions without rationale or consistency.  Somehow, I don’t think we’re going to get to spend eternity together.”

“Why would you say that?” she asked softly.

If you are still here, thanks for reading this post. I had fun putting it together, so thank you for the tag from doctorhelena, whose stories I love. ❤️

(Tagging some people and anyone else who reads and wants to do it!)

[theawkwardterrier]

WIP Sunday

Tagged so very kindly by my wonderful meme bestie @lavellenchanted 🥰🥰 Here's a bit of the OL fic that I've been working on and that I'm mad about working on!

“Now that we’ve established my credentials, are you comfortable removing your shirt, soldier?” she asks, finding it easy to fall into the manner of address that saw her so well through the war. He lifts an eyebrow at the term, but doesn’t comment. “Aye, I trust my tender self to yer ministrations, Mistress, if that’s what ye mean. But I might need a bit o’ help with my shirt.” His good hand gestures to his opposite shoulder, and his smile is fading along with the light which had entered his eyes. There are plenty of patients she’s had who would have done better with a response that was stern and reminded him that he didn’t need mollycoddling, or with joking about to chivvy him from the mood he was sinking into. But some instinct, beyond the knowledge that she has built from experience, makes her do something else entirely. “Take your time,” she says gently. “I’ll help where it’s needed.” He does manage to bare himself most of the way, and not altogether terribly slowly. The trouble comes, as they both knew it would, with his injured arm. His mobility is such that he cannot twist his arm to reach up and remove that sleeve; perhaps at night he shakes it off, or has a comrade who will help him, but he doesn’t seem interested in putting himself on display in that way, and she doesn’t want him to. Instead, as he stops with the shirt draped over half his body, she makes her way around him, making certain that he can hear her movements, that she touches him gently along the back of his neck first so he can sense where she will be aiming next since she isn’t certain whether he has full feeling in his shoulder and doesn’t want to startle him. She doesn’t say anything as she eases the sleeve away from his skin, no small talk or even evaluatory questions, nothing about his shoulder or the deep scarring that she finds across his back. Jamie, however, speaks without her having to ask. It’s a terrible story, despite the calm with which he tells it: a Redcoat captain, an attack on Jamie’s sister, a crowd which watched him being viciously whipped for crimes that he hadn’t committed — including his father, who died thinking that his son had died first, and in such pain. During the war, she saw other nurses grow attached to patients, staying at a certain bedside hours after their shift had ended, singing a favorite song to dull the pain, even placing a kiss on lips breathing their last. Nothing close ever happened to her; not, she thinks now, necessarily because of Frank, but because she was better able to wall herself off and keep from true connection with the soldiers and partisans and innocent civilians who she treated…or maybe because none of them was the right one. For a barely-breathing moment, she can imagine bending and laying her cheek against the scars, letting him know that while she might have not been there to heal him then, she is here now. Beneath layers of fabric and padding, her stomach rumbles — only hunger, to be certain, signaling the hours since she finished the last of Nan’s bannocks in the cart, but a reminder of the care that she needs to take now. No foolish mistakes, not when she isn’t only protecting herself. “And how did this come about?” she asks, placing a delicate finger on the raised arch of his shoulder joint. As much as she is striving to bring herself back to that vaunted professionalism, her voice is still soft.

Tagging my buds @flyinghome-againstthewind, @smashing-teacups, @frasers-of-my-heart, and @doctorhelena, plus anyone else who wants to share some WIP fun!

[userpeggycarter]

to @doctorhelena (insp).

[randomfoggytiger]

so, since i consider you our resident season 8 expert, i have a question for you. i'm re-watching season 8 and i have made up my mind to like doggett, and i *am* warming up to him, but somehow i still find him difficult to connect to. he seems like a really good guy though. honest and loyal and dedicated. but i can't get beneath the surface with his character. do you happen to have any thoughts on him? anything at all. i don't even need detailed meta or anything, i'd be happy with bullet points of whatever positive things about him come to mind.

I LOVE Doggett-- have since my first watch through.

Here's the thing about Doggett: he's a real, true skeptic.

Mulder wanted to believe, Scully was afraid to believe, Skinner secretly believed; but Doggett? 1 +1 = 2; and if the math adds up to 3, he'll acknowledge, outright, that something's fishy. That doesn't mean, however, that a missing agent always known for instability, insubordination, and insurrection = abducted by aliens, because that is the stupidest explanation he's ever heard of. And Doggett's a man who hears a lot of stupid stuff in his line of work. But while Mulder will confront and Scully will glower at a difficulty, he keeps his thoughts to himself. Safety through circumspect behavior.

He lets people in quickly and keeps them there permanently. He's kind in his friendship; and curious, and inclusive. He fits into the Scully era basement because he has Skinner and TLG to bounce off of when she can't-- or won't-- let him into her confidence. He treats others fairly and above board: he doesn't play games under the table, and he tries to make allies out of enemies.

Part of Doggett's circumspect behavior includes personal privacy: he wants to know about Scully's pregnancy because it affects their job. Knowing all the facts will enable him to fully protect his partner-- the military and police force instilled and drilled that philosophy-- and Scully's lack of transparency frustrates then worries him. While he rails at Mulder for digging into Luke's tragedy (because Mulder A. wasn't a friend B. didn't have his trust and C. was poking into personal affairs without permission and without proper authorization-- i.e., he was violating Doggett's personal boundaries), he still swallows the oversight, lets Mulder shoo him territorially away from Scully, and even reaches out to Mulder for advice after his blowup and their tenuous reconciliation.

I also like that he watches NASCAR on the weekends and has a trellis on his front porch (post here.)

These three fics sum him up beautifully to me: kittenscully's home run, Ruuger's Fire and Ice, and doctorhelena's Something In Between. The first brilliantly demonstrates his behavior to and friendship with others; the second briefly explores the conflicted powerlessness he feels with Mulder's methods; and the third shows what it'd look like if he worked alongside Mulder and Scully for a short "scenes-in-between" case.

[geekynerddemon]

Happy Holidays @somewhereapart

I hope this is good enough to be a phone wallpaper. I also hope this isn’t too nsfw for tumblr. It was. Here is where you can see it.

In my head Steve or one of the Howlies found the mistletoe and brought it back and stuck it at the door of their favorite supply closet (like the one from @doctorhelena ‘s story The SSR Supply Closet Crisis). Then Steve and Peggy were there while the office was pretty empty while everyone was in a pub or spending the holiday with a British family (that was a thing apparently) and one thing led to another and here we are.

I wish everyone health and happiness for the new year.

Thank you @steggyfanevents for organising this lovely exchange.

[themculibrary]

Steve and Peggy (Steggy) Masterlist 3

part one, part two

Ain't Love a Kick (ao3) - roboticonography M, 33k

Summary: Steve wakes up after the crash to find his life has changed dramatically - the main change being, he's married to Peggy Carter.

A Lot of Issues (ao3) - linascribbles T, 66k

Summary: Peggy Carter is a Fashion Editor at Sakaar magazine. She’s used to juggling egos, drama queens and ridiculous assignments from her boss all the time. She's even used to dealing with gorgeous six foot blonds on the regular. But none of that really prepeared her for Steve Rogers, his fumbling charm, or the gorgeous way he blushes.

Steve Rogers is a graphic designer who only models to make ends meet. New York is the perfect city for that, but just as NYC's fashion word is prolific, it is also... bizarre. In his line of work Steve's gotten used to losing significant chunks of his dignity quite often (He has a photo album about it, lovingly curated by the one and only Bucky Barnes), but maybe, just this once, he could avoid making a mess of himself in front of that beautiful model on this shoot. No such luck.

Certain I'm Yours (ao3) - Spacecadet72 G, 1k

Summary: Steve wasn’t suspicious, at first.

The Howling Commandos are less than subtle in their attempts to matchmake Peggy and Steve using a gift exchange.

church bells ring, carry me home (ao3) - mybestgirl T, 18k

Summary: A how-to guide on getting Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter married: step one, bachelor party. Step two, wedding. Step three, honeymoon.

Coffee Talk (ao3) - indiefic G, 1k

Summary: Jack Thompson is sick of Peggy Carter thinking she can do whatever she wants.

Don't Miss a Moment (ao3) - agentofvalue T, 40k

Summary: The war has been over for years. After five years, Steve even came back from the dead. Peggy married him and that should be the happily ever after. But, they are still Captain America and Agent Carter. With them, nothing ever goes according to plan. Not even impending parenthood.

I Just Keep Falling For You (ao3) - BuckyWithTheGoodHair86 G, 10k

Summary: Steve is starting to make a habit out of unexpected falls and sticky situations. Fortunately, Peggy always arrives in time to get him out.

In Bourbon Veritas (ao3) - doctorhelena T, 3k

Summary: There were actually two beds. Peggy just didn’t seem interested in getting in the other one.

International Incident (ao3) - linascribbles E, 112k

Summary: Peggy Carter rose through the diplomatic ranks in the midst of the Incident and in her short career already stablished herself as a skilled and well-connected negotiator. Stationed in the Washington DC embassy, she's right on the front lines of the fallout of Project Insight. Governments get purged, new and unexpected doors open, and Peggy Carter is nothing if not resourceful.

As she gets plunged into a world of spies, mad scientists and superheroes, familiar faces start to pop up. Particularly one pesky Captain America, who seems to have no idea what international law entails and considers country borders mere suggestions.

in the heat of battle (ao3) - littlereyofsunlight M, 42k

Summary: “After this is over,”—and wasn’t that everyone’s favorite pastime, here in relative safety, playing After the War as though one could even pretend to make plans for a life, as though this blasted conflict hasn’t already completely changed everything in this world, forever—

Peggy Carter has always been a fighter.

Just In Case (ao3) - captaindoritoes G, 2k

Summary: Hope you enjoy this a bit of angst, a bit of comfort fanfic - four times Steve and Peggy share a kiss, just in case it’s their last one. Their love language is touch - in this essay I will -

Letting Agent Carter In (ao3) - cadkitten E, 4k

Summary: Steve is still learning to draw the human form and when he finds the perfect solution in his head, he's not sure he can actually ask for it in person. But he'll be damned if he won't give it a try.

Pin Curls (ao3) - SomewhereApart T, 3k

Summary: Peggy Carter has imagined how she’d feel at the return of Steve Rogers a hundred different times. Still, she's unprepared for the reality of him, standing on her porch on a Sunday afternoon.

She Wanted (ao3) - TriplePirouette E, 3k

Summary: Peggy wants to eat Skinny Steve alive.

The Shops on Shield Street (ao3) - fluffernutter8 G, 5k

Summary: Running a small business is already hard enough without someone trying to sabotage things.

Time and Again (ao3) - Beshter N/R, 163k

Summary: When an insane man who claims he can travel through time appears out of nowhere, Peggy Carter agrees to go with him to save the world, little expecting the strange new life she'd be stepping into on the other side.

We Still Talk (ao3) - roboticonography M, 9k

Summary: Newlyweds Steve and Peggy take a holiday to get away from it all - but the great outdoors might hold more challenges than they bargained for!

we were born to be national treasures (ao3) - meidui G, 1k

Summary: “I’m back,” he chokes out artlessly into her shoulder, into the soft dark waves of her hair and the spiced floral of her perfume. He stopped believing he would ever get to go home after the war a long time ago, or that there would ever be an after the war for him, but—

“Right on time,” Peggy whispers, her voice shaking, and Steve’s next breath breaks on a sob.

Where poppies grow (ao3) - beautifulwhensarcastic T, 1k

Summary: The night preceding the procedure Steve can't sleep, which leads him to a surprising, touching discovery.

you can count on me (ao3) - sokovianaccords (thesokovianaccords) N/R, 5k

Summary: A Christmas mission for Agent Rogers and Agent Carter brings some things to light

[buckywiththegoodhair86]

The Steve and friends memes continue! (Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.)

(Last one comes with a shoutout to @doctorhelena!)

[bulkyphrase]

Steggy Rec List

I meant to have this done at the beginning of the month in time for @steggyfanevents' Steggy Month but...that didn't end up happening ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It is still April though! Please enjoy some of my favorite fics about Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers, my favorite canon couple.

A Second Chance At Keeping Him Safe by @buckywiththegoodhair86 (Teen And Up Audiences, 69,126 words)

Summary: Peggy always wished there was more she could have done to save Steve. Then Howard finds the Valkyrie, and somehow, miraculously, Steve is still alive in the wreckage. But when Steve wakes up, they realize that not all of him survived the crash. He doesn't remember anything. At all. But Peggy wanted another chance to keep him safe and now she's got it. And she's not going to fail this time.

Fraternization by @doctorhelena (Teen And Up Audiences, 3,424 words)

Summary: As if Carter and Rogers weren’t bad enough separately. Phillips is getting too old for this.

More below the cut!

Coffee Talk by @indiefic (General Audiences, 1,435 words, No Archive Warnings Apply)

Summary: Jack Thompson is sick of Peggy Carter thinking she can do whatever she wants. Also available as a podfic read by blackglass

Mind the Gap by @indiefic (Explicit, 27,106 words)

Summary: Set in 1974. Peggy is the fifity-five year old director of SHIELD and Steve's been found and thawed out. The series started as a drabble on Tumblr. Chapters have been updated so they are in chronological order.

Midnight Oil, Weaponized Aphrodisiacs, and Other Ignoramus Inventions by @indiefic (Explicit, 8,416 words)

Summary: General McGuinness stole one of Howard's more sinister inventions, Midnight Oil. Now the toxic compound is on the loose and America's golden boy has been exposed. Agent Carter to the rescue.

Twice Shy by justanotherStonyfan (Explicit, 13,976 words)

Summary: "What can I get you?" he said. "Hmm," she said, deciding what excuse to use as she pressed herself full-length against him in the darkness, as she slid herself upright beside him and pressed cool fingers to the center of his chest. "I'm…." She drew out the words, as though she were still considering what to tell him, what justification was needed, and Steve kept his eyes closed. He knew she could see him regardless of the lack of light. "…thirsty?"

6th and Williams by quigonejinn (Teen And Up Audiences, 1,453 words)

Summary: An hour passes, and so does the rain.

The Struck Bell by quigonejinn (General Audiences, 1,426 words)

Summary: Jean Grey inside Steve Rogers's head.

The Next Guy by @roboticonography (Teen And Up Audiences, 11,460 words)

Summary: "It’s the one subject that’s never open for discussion: Peggy’s grand love affair with Captain America. It’s not exactly a secret—in fact, it’s become something of a legend within the SSR. Everyone and their dog has a version of the romantic tale, pieced together through third-hand eyewitness accounts and wild speculation. There’s only one person Daniel wants to hear the story from, though, and she ain’t talking."

No Other Man by @roboticonography (Mature, 11,391 words)

Note: This is a sequel/companion to the previous fic

Summary: Peggy looks after a defrosted Steve during his recovery. But there are things she hasn't told him...

All Day, Every Day by @roboticonography (Mature, 21,143 words)

Summary: Steve is on his mission to return the Infinity Stones when his quantum suit glitches, and he finds himself sliding sideways through alternate realities, encountering different versions of himself. None of whom are particularly happy to see him. Can he do this all day? Time will tell!

if this is home by Siria (General Audiences, 17,145 words)

Summary: Steve keeps waking up in the wrong place.

Everything Old is New Again by Siria (Teen And Up Audiences, 8,460 words)

Summary: So maybe a job as an SSR desk clerk wasn't as glamorous as punching out Hitler more than two hundred times, but it still put a roof over Steve's head and food on the table.

[invidiosa]

Get to know you meme

I was tagged by the lovely and patient @doctorhelena and I've been tagged in similar memes by @randomfoggytiger and @steggyisimmortal (sorry it took so long everyone!)

last song: Homesick by Noah Kahan

currently watching: Silent Witness S10 (not entirely sure I like it but there are a lot of episodes so it's good for background watching), Resident Alien, rewatching Toast of Tinseltown, Mystery Files

three ships: currently: Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, Veronica Mars and Logan Echolls, tie between Alex Hardy and Ellie Miller or Duncan Hunter/Jimmy Perez (depending which moody detective show appeals to me most any given day)

favorite color: Blue

currently consuming: Tea (it has gone cold but I can't be bothered to get up and make more)

first ship: probably Laura Holt/Remington Steele (me = ooooollllldd)

relationship status: married

last movie: Barbie

currently working on: am I currently working on WIPs if I haven't written anything? I'm thinking about them, but mostly about how I haven't written anything for them. So nothing?

Tagging: @lilydalexf, @lemonistas, @lone-gunwoman-of-the-week, @rozf, @leucocrystal, @agent-troi, @thatgirlnevershutsup

[rohirriiim]

hi, this is pfeiffer! my account malewifesteverogers got terminated for no reason :( I’ve contacted support already but it might take a while for them to take any action. feeling helpless, i've moved back to this account where i plan to stay <3

i'm also still tracking #usereme

tagging some people below to spread the word:

@userpeggycarter @djarin @widowkills @spellfuls @sersi @rose-nobles @rosamndpike @chrrispine @doctorhelena @arobarbie @jamescarstairs @robin-buckely @rileykeouhg @emilybluntt @nessa007 @nick-nellson @buckleysevan @buffysummers @fadeintoyou1993

[doctorhelena]

Doctorhelena's Steggy Week 2024 Roundup!

A week late, here's my roundup of my contributions for this year’s @steggyfanevents Steggy Week!

Day 1 (Tropes and Genres): There Is Only One Bed, and a Bernese Mountain Dog is In It (Fanart: Peggy and Steve in an unexpected standoff with Ana Jarvis's dog.)

Day 2 (Headcanons and Meta): From the Notebook of Captain S.G. Rogers, U.S. Army, 1945 (Fanart: Steve's notebook has a lot of sketches of Peggy sleeping in weird places.)

Day 3 (AUs and Crossovers): Teach My Feet to Fly (Fanfic and Fanart: Peggy Carter, a world class ice hockey player learning to figure skate as part of a Canadian reality show, has an iron-clad rule about never, ever dating a teammate. Which means that she'll simply have to get over the ridiculous attraction she has to her new figure skating partner, Steve Rogers.)

Day 4 (Outsider POV): Not For A Million Bucks (Fanfic: Jack Thompson didn't particularly want a front row seat to this show, but oh boy, he's sure got one.)

Day 5 (Inspired By): Stardew Steggy: Cross-Stitch Edition (Fancraft (cross-stitch): A cross-stitch version of @roboticonography's Stardew Steggy drawing)

Day 6 (WIPs and Updates): A Stutter in Time, Chapter 18 (Fanfic: 1945 Peggy Carter appears in Tony Stark’s lab, and immediately throws a wrench into everything.)

Day 7 (Free Day): Late Night Fondue (Fanart: Captain Carter and Skinny Steve on a date in Lucerne.)