˗ˏˋ romanogers oneshots ˎˊ˗

his dogtags

"Natasha, I'm going to see Peggy and-" Steve stops midway in his sentence, shaking his head and sighs. It was a bad idea to bring the girl he was slowly falling in love with to see his first love from the past that was now old and frail and on the verge of dying. 

"And?" Natasha looks up from her book and raises her eyebrows. "Damn it, Rogers. Finish the bloody sentence." Bloody? Shit, that was too British. And it was a bad idea to act British in front of Steve, since she had picked up 'Britishness' from Peggy Carter herself. Natasha knew Peggy but Steve didn't know that. When Natasha had first joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and was taken under Nick Fury's wing, Peggy had been the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Peggy's experience with one of the girls from the Red Room back in her time at the SSR had led her to believe that Natasha actually had good intentions and had managed to convince her to stay. If not for Peggy Carter, Natasha would have been dead or killed. 

"I was hoping you could come with me. She's slowly slipping away and I don't know what to do and you're the only one I trust and-" Steve rambles on. 

"Yes," Natasha says, taking a look at the page number and closing her book. Steve looks at her in shock, confused as to why she would agree that fast. 

They arrive at the resident where Peggy was staying and Natasha bites her lip, holding back a little, deciding whether to tell Steve. Would he be mad or sad or hurt or troubled or-?

"Steve, you came back," Peggy whispers from the bed. 

He smiles at her, with a twinkle in his eye. "Couldn't leave my best girl behind."

"And you brought someone," Peggy says before erupting in a coughing fit. 

Natasha pours a glass of water and hands it to her. 

"Natasha?" Peggy says in surprise. 

"The two of you know each other?" Steve looks confused, lost. His usually sharp blue eyes swirl with confusion. In that moment Natasha longs to cup his face in her hands and whisper everything will be alright because he just looks so vulnerable and lost. Her little lost boy. 

"We go way back, I'll explain later," Natasha says, looking up at Steve. 

Peggy smirks at Steve,"Excuse us for a moment, I have something to tell Natasha in private, please." Steve steps out of the room. "Top drawer," she says and Natasha pulls open the drawer slowly. "Black box," Natasha hands Peggy the box. Peggy smiles and opens the box. "Now, close your eyes and give me your hand," Natasha follows her orders. Peggy places something cold, metallic in Natasha's hands. She feels a chain; a necklace or some sort? "Good, now open your eyes and your hand."

Natasha's eyes widen when she realises what's in her hand. Steve Rogers' dog tags. "Aunt Peggy, you kept it all these years. But Fury thought-"

"Fury thought he had lost it? I had it all along my dear. After all these years, I still have it with me. But I'm afraid my time is running out. I wanted to leave them in capable hands, and you, are my best candidate. I wanted to pass it on to a girl who was worthy of his love. I moved on and he needs to do the same. I trust you will keep it safe." Peggy says with a knowing smile. 

"Steve and I are just friends, nothing more. You should give it back to him." Natasha says, attempting to return the dog tags to Peggy. 

Peggy pushes her hand away gently. "If there's anyone worthy of possessing these, it's you. You will give it to him when the time is right. I know Steve hasn't said anything yet but he really likes you. These days when he visits me all he rambles on about is you. You're his special someone even though he may not realise it. And when he does, maybe then you give it back to him."

Steve's head pops in the doorway with a worried look on his face. "It's a new mission, I'm afraid we have to go right away. I'm sorry we couldn't stay long today Peggy. But I'll bring Natasha again the next time if you like." Peggy smiles and nods. Natasha stands up, squeezes Peggy's hand once and leaves with Steve, the dog tags safely fastened around her neck. 

"So? Tell me about you and Peggy," Steve says as he starts the engine. 

"When I first came into contact with S.H.I.E.L.D., I was sent to assassinate Fury. Barton stopped me and brought me in for questioning. He was going to kill me but couldn't because of protocol and Director's orders. The Director at the time was Peggy Carter and she happened to have some experience with Red Room victims and we got along pretty well. She found my sweet side and coaxed me into joining S.H.I.E.L.D. I did join S.H.I.E.L.D. and Fury took me under his wing and treated me as his own daughter. I had never felt so much love in my life. S.H.I.E.L.D. became a home, a family. When Peggy retired and moved here, Fury would take me to see her and I always come to her for advice on everything. She kept secrets well, from everyone." Natasha says, leaning on the window.

"Oh," Steve manages. "How old were you?"

"Seventeen," Natasha replies, subconsciously touching the dog tags. 

Steve notices and side eyes her. "What's that? Peggy gave you something."

"You'll find out in due time. For now, eyes on the road soldier. I don't want to die before the mission starts." Natasha teases as Steve sighs. 

His dog tags around her neck would later keep her safe in the years to come, with Natasha unknowingly touching them whenever she felt her emotions overwhelm her and it would by some strange voodoo magic or miracle, calm her down. It also acted as some sort of memory of Peggy, even after she had left. Then the Civil War had split the team and Natasha had still kept the dog tags around her neck in hope of getting Steve back. When the pair reunited in Russia with a kiss, Natasha had finally shown Steve the dog tags and he had told her to keep them, as a reminder of his love for her. They eventually got married in a courthouse in Vegas, without rings but with the dog tags, fast and furious style. Peggy was right, there was something after all. The spark turned into a flame and their love for each other only grew each day, the dog tags serving as a reminder of how it all started. 

A/N: damn my active level on wattpad just went bleh. anyways life update we won the oral presentation. and also taylor dropped a new album so i'm busy mind cleansing with it so i don't think i'll be writing as much. but also its the holidays so i might read a lot more. this was inspired by someone's moodboard about steve rogers on insta with dogtags. and then i thought of tasha wearing it as a necklace because people do that if their lover is a soldier.