The Choice

Confession

They held each other for what felt like hours, squeezing the life and absorbing the love from each other. Its been too long since they've been this close, especially touching and holding one another. They were partners, best friends, and lovers. There was so much to talk about and it seemed like there wasn't enough time, as if it was running out quickly. It was late at night when Daniel had arrived home, so rather than speaking the unspoken, they pull apart and rest their foreheads on one another, staying close.  They fall into bed in each others arms, facing the other as their eyes drift asleep. 

In the next morning Peggy wakes she smells breakfast waif through the air. She smiles fondly before rising out of bed and finding Daniel in the kitchen. She laughs and embraces him from behind, kissing his cheek. She may not see it but he smiles to himself at her touch and affection, happy in this moment with her here with him. As she sits down he kisses her temple and places a plate of pancakes and bacon in front of her. Things are better between them,more so than when he left,but both know not everything has healed. They need to talk. 

"Daniel." Peggy says, her voice hesitant quiet. "There's something I need to tell you, but I need you to promise you will not, under the circumstances, jump to conclusions or think horrible thoughts. I love you, you need to know that."

As she says this Daniel's anxiety grows. He doesn't know what to expect from her but nods nonetheless. They needed to air out what was going on between them.

"The man you saw... what you think you saw wasn't what you thought. Nothing happened, I could never-"

"I know, Peg." He says, hearing her voice crack was enough for him to feel the defeat. 

"Daniel... Steve is alive. He came back." At this her chief still all movement, she's not even sure he was breathing. Daniel stays silent for some time, so, she takes his hand and not know what else to say. But what she doesn't expect is Daniel's words that come next, and they break her heart.

"Do what makes you happy Peggy. I don't want to get in the way of you true love." He squeezes her hand and puts up the plates.

She stutters and tries to say something in response, but he tells her she should go and get ready for work. Peggy sighs, knowing he was right, and leaves his house. Now wasn't the time to argue. Daniel needed time to digest what she had confessed, and they both needed time to think of what to do next. 

As Peggy enters her house with a deep sigh, she leans against her now closed door. She needed to get ready for work and yet her head wouldn't stop spinning. All her thoughts would do is swirl with What to do next? How will we fix this? What does Daniel think about all of this? How will Steve react? But as she thinks this the man himself emerges from the couch. 

"Peggy?" He stands groggily and makes his way over to her, sleep still apparent in his features. 

She swallows the lump in her throat as he gets closer, she really did not want to have a conversation with him of all people at the moment. So rather than allowing him any room to speak she wills a smile upon her lips before strides to her bathroom. What she hadn't realized was slamming the door and slumping against it, tears falling faster than she could stop. Everything seemed like it was against her, she was fighting a loosing battle and it seemed she could do nothing about it.

All she had was time, and that was not something that was on her side.

As Peggy falls to the ground, hugging her knees to her chest, she starts to register a much larger body tugging her side, causing her to lean back. It took a few moments for her to realize Rogers had come into her room while she was dazed. She has no idea how long she stays there on the ground, Rogers near, as she releases all emotion, pent up aggression, and sorrow.

Soon enough Peggy settles down, her tears drying against her skin. Steve notices and leans down to kiss her cheek, but instantly she pulls away and moves to stand, clearing her throat at the to fill the silence. 

"Maybe you should stay home, Peg." He finally says, noting her tense form.

"No." She says with as much determination as she could muster. She opens her door again to gesture he leave. "I need to go to work." 

Steve knows its a loosing battle to push any further, so, he walks away. Peggy  shuts the door and locks it quickly as she steps back to shower. 

Her heart hurt and mind conflicted. Steve has told her what he could about how he ended up there, and more so why. He said he loved her and she repeated the sentiment, hence the kiss as the danced, but she loves Daniel as well. They're much more intimate, involved, and have grown so much more. With Steve its like another life, a different world from the past coming to her present life, and with Daniel she sees everything she never knew she wanted. Marriage, children, and a happy life. A life outside of working herself to the bone to prove her worth. Daniel helped her see she didn't need to prove anything, he always did. 

Peggy doesn't know what to do.