These are the Hands of Fate - Steve Rogers x OC

Twelve: You Know You'll Always Know Me

July 17, 2021

Steve's old room had been transformed into something of a guest room since they'd packed up his things and carried them down the hall, turning what was once Maggie's room into their room. The bedding had been replaced. The art that was on his walls had been taken down, replaced with generic prints that almost reminded her of a doctor's office, as they combined their décor and created something of a gallery in their new quarters. It had only been six months, but it was hard to remember a time where she hadn't awoken without him by her side.

There'd been no need to visit the typically empty room but, this week it was serving its purpose to house Poppy as she came to visit Maggie so they could belatedly celebrate the blonde's thirtieth birthday. Natasha and Steve had come to adore Poppy almost as much as Maggie did, so when she'd asked if it would be alright to have her stay with them for a brief period as she transferred labs, they'd easily agreed.

A pillow flew across the bed and Maggie ducked out of its flight path, allowing it to smack the wall behind her and fall to the floor with a dull thud. Poppy's tea green eyes were wild as she hissed, "And you didn't tell me!?"

With a huff, Maggie grabbed the pillow from the floor, giving it a quick fluff, and replacing it on the bed with the rest of the plush cushions as she rolled her eyes, "I swear to god, Pops, if you don't keep your voice down..."

Apparently, their tried-and-true routine of waiting until they were together again in person to spill all of their pent-up drama was negated when one of them got almost-proposed to. In her defense, she hadn't breathed a word of it to anyone since that winter morning, but Poppy was always the exception.

Poppy shot her an irritated glare as she hung up another blouse, "He's in the living room, he can't hear me."

Maggie flopped down on to the bed, watching as her friend moved about the room and unpacked; though she was only staying for a week, she'd packed as if she was moving in permanently.

"The serum enhanced his hearing so—"

"God, what I'd give to run labs on that man." The blonde sighed with a forlorn look towards the door.

"Please stop talking about experimenting on him." With an incredulous look, Maggie took a page from her friend's book and chucked another throw pillow at her as she continued firmly, "He's my boyfriend, not a guinea pig."

Rolling her eyes, Poppy picked up the pillow and tossed it back to her friend who tucked it behind her head, "Still, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it wasn't actually a proposal." Maggie pursed her lips, her eyes trained on the ceiling as she carefully continued, "It was...a pre-proposal."

"A pre-proposal?" Her typically chipper voice was flat with doubt as she halted her actions.

Maggie was doing what she did best, by reframing the situation to rationalize it. To compartmentalize it. To tie a neat bow around it. "He wasn't asking, technically. He was just...asking if he could ask."

Hanging up the last blouse from her bag, she zipped the now-empty suitcase, slipping it under the bed before lying beside Maggie. The mattress sagged, shifting them closer. "And you said no?"

"No!"

"Mags, not saying 'yes' is basically saying no." Poppy sighed, resting her head on the brunette's shoulder as she began, "Answers to questions like that are always a dichotomy—"

"Please don't bring dichotomies into this." Maggie grumbled, hugging a pillow tight to her chest as she continued staring above, absentmindedly counting the ceiling tiles.