I'm Not Her (StevexReader) Pt. 2/2

“Are you sure you want to do this?” you asked Steve gently. “If it’s too soon then we can wait till next week….”

He shook his head at you, staring straight ahead at the retirement center in front of him.

“No….it’s about time I did this anyways.”

You put a hand on his shoulder and stood on your tippy toes so that you could place a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll be at the front desk if you need me, okay?”

He nodded and smiled weakly before the two of you walked inside. You stayed by the front desk, sitting on one of the chairs provided while Steve went to go talk to one of the receptionists. He looked very nervous but you had hope that Steve would be able to do this. He had always talked to you about visiting her and now it was his chance.

“Um excuse me?” Steve called the receptionists attention.

“How can I help you?” she asked.

She was a woman who looked to be in her early forties with thinning brown hair and soft grey eyes. When she saw Steve, you could tell how surprised she was. It wasn’t every day that a super hero came by to a retirement home. Though she remained composed and talked him normally.

“I was wondering if there is a Miss Peggy Carter here?” he asked hopefully.

The woman looked even more surprised. You could tell that she was piecing the information together and figured out that Steve was here to finally talk to Peggy after all these years.

She smiled sweetly at him and said, “Yes actually. Right now I believe she’s in the parlor in the back. Just go straight down that hall and you’ll find it.”

Steve listened as she pointed out her directions and he thanked her before leaving the desk. He looked back at you and smiled as if to say, “Well this is it.” You smiled back and made a shooing motion with your hand to encourage him even more to go talk to her.

He took a final deep breath and before you knew it, Steve was already half way across the hall and had already taken one step through the door.

~~~~

When Steve stepped through the door, he felt like his feet had been suddenly glued to the floor. He had no idea where to look or who to even ask where Peggy was. He looked around and saw various residents of different ethnicities. Some of the residents kept to themselves while others talked and laughed happily with others.

He felt out of place here but then he overheard people that were talking about their time in World War Two and then didn’t start to feel so out of place. It was like he had taken a step back into his own time. Sure it wasn’t the same since almost everyone here was sixty years and older. But the more he looked around, the more comfortable he started to feel.

He took a few more steps inside and looked towards the back to see if he could find her. An old man who was sitting on one of the couches by the entrance got Steve’s attention.

“Is there someone you’re looking for young man?” he asked.

“Actually there is, sir,” Steve said. “I’m looking for a Miss Peggy Carter.”

“Ah Peggy!” he exclaimed happily. “She’s sitting over there by the window where the bookshelf is. Say…you’re Captain America aren’t you?”

“Why yes I am, sir,” Steve smiled.

“I knew it. Peggy talks about you all the time to her niece, Sharon. I heard that Sharon might join this SHIELD place so keep an eye out for her.”

“Will do sir, thank you,” Steve grinned before leaving.

He didn’t know that Peggy had a niece now but if she was going to join SHIELD, it should be interesting to work alongside her if he got the chance to see her. He looked towards the windows and his heart almost stopped when he saw Peggy sitting by the window, using the daylight to read a book. He was starting to get nervous again and even thought about backing out. However he knew that he needed to do this. Not just for him, but for you.

When Steve approached Peggy, he didn’t know what to say at first. She hadn’t noticed him yet and he was wondering if a simple hi would be enough. In his mind it wasn’t. Years had passed by and he had always thought about this moment but not until it actually happened today did he realize he didn’t know what to say.

“Are you just going to stand there or are you actually going to say hi?” Peggy said suddenly, a smile on her lips and her eyes still on the pages before her.

“Oh!” he said. “Hi Peggy….”

“Hello Steve,” she said as she closed her book and looked up at him. “It’s been a long time.”

It really had been a long time. She looked very different now. Her hair was no longer an auburn color but light grey and due to her age, she had wrinkles on her face. She looked frail but Steve knew that she still had her fighter spirit. Her lips were painted black instead of red; the color he was used to seeing her with. She wore a simple attire that was all purple. The outfit was a blouse with a long skirt that reached her ankles and a comfortable robe over that.

“Yes and I’m sorry for not visiting before, I really wanted to but I just couldn’t find the courage to do so,” Steve told her. He felt like he was giving her nothing but excuses.

“It’s alright, Steve,” she said. “I know how tough this must be for you. When I heard that you were still alive and well that you were like this, still looking like a young man, I knew that it would be difficult for you to adjust to this world.”

Steve grabbed a nearby chair and sat down next to her. “I admit that it was difficult and I’m still learning about everything today but I have someone who is willing to teach me.”

He smiled to himself for a moment, thinking about you and how worried you probably were for him right now.

“Is it a girl?” Peggy teased him.

“Uh yes…” Steve blushed.

It was strange for him to be talking about you, his new love, to a woman he used to love so many years ago. He wasn’t sure where his feelings stood exactly but the more he talked to Peggy, the more he felt like he was moving on.

Peggy laughed at Steve’s shyness and said, “So now I really have to ask…”

She leaned in to whisper the words Steve just knew she was going to ask.

~~~~~~Extended Ending~~~~~

“So how did it go?” you asked with optimism in your voice.

“Good,” Steve nodded. “We talked a lot and I found out that she has a niece named Sharon Carter who’s probably going to join SHIELD.”

“That’s great!” you beamed. “So how do you feel about all of this? Did you happen to get some closure?”

“I did actually.” He turned to you and took your hands in his. “Now…do you forgive me for what I did? I’m deeply sorry for everything I put you through and I feel so grateful that you did this with me. I guess what I’m trying to say is…I don’t want to lose you.”

Hearing those words just made your heart melt. In retrospect, this wasn’t exactly Steve’s fault. But now that he had seen Peggy again, you were sure that something like this wouldn’t ever happen again. So you answered in the only way you knew how: throwing your arms around him and plating a kiss on his lips.

He felt like the happiest man in the world when you forgave him. The two of you were now walking down the streets of New York hand-in-hand. You were asking questions about what had happened during his visit, now wishing that you could have seen her yourself.

“So did she ask you about me?” you asked with a teasing smirk.

“In a way, she did actually,” he grinned.

“What’d she say?” you asked curiously.

“Well…”

Peggy laughed at Steve’s shyness and said, “So now I really have to ask…”

She leaned in to whisper, “So Steve….did you finally find your dance partner? Is she the one?”

“To be honest ma’am…I think she’s the one I’ve been waiting my entire life for.”