#but i've been thinking about the mall scene with catws ever since what if...? dropped

[bisamwilson]

34 and whatever pairing u want if u are still taking prompts :D

hi anon! thanks for the ask <3 #34: things you whispered in my ear (from this list) a bit of catws redux peggynat on this sunday night!

Peggy had learned to be a bit of an optimist during the war.

It was more out of necessity than anything, really, a way to keep her head afloat and her mind from straying into too many of the overly realistic negatives it tended to latch onto, but it was also partially a natural consequence of both knowing and loving Steve Rogers and his unflappable ability to keep going through anything at all.

Until he couldn't anyway.

That had, admittedly, put a bit of a damper on her optimism.

She finds it flagging even more now as she puts on her best fake smile and nods at the rather intrusive genius bar employee who got a little overly enthusiastic when Natasha had told him they were researching destinations for their honeymoon.

"OMG!" he'd said, as if that was any shorter than just saying the full phrase, clapping his hands together with a oddly heightened nervousness Peggy's not quite sure what to do with. "How long have you been together? Are you wearing a dress? Is she wearing a dress? Are you both wearing dresses? I'm totally an ally!"

She finds herself wishing he was less of an enthusiastic one, oddly enough. "We haven't quite sorted out the details, given we are still researching here, but your support is appreciated--" she squints down at his name tag, "--Adam."

Adam smiles with all his teeth and, despite the fact that she'd become a literal fugitive and had watched a quasi-friend, quasi-coworker die in the last twenty-four hours, she thinks it might be the most off-putting thing she's seen today. "Of course! Well, I'll, uh, let you two get back to it. Let me know if you need anything else! Love is love!"

Peggy smiles again and hopes it manages to reach her eyes before turning back to Natasha. "Do you have everything we need, darling?"

Natasha grins and grabs her hand, pulling her out of the Apple Store and into the main section of the mall. People are milling about in every direction; Peggy hopes they provide more cover than the glasses and cap that Natasha had given her earlier, but she thinks there's only so much that can truly distract from a 6'2" woman roaming around a random shopping mall.

She spots the first agent at the same time Natasha does if her tighter grip on Peggy's hand means anything.

She lets herself be dragged towards the escalator, keeping her head down and her posture more slouched than she's ever allowed. Natasha stops on the step just above her, putting them slightly closer to equal stature, and leans in as close as she can, exaggeratedly turning her gaze to the SHIELD agent on the opposite escalator before darting back to Peggy, all without moving the rest of her face.

"You should kiss me," Natasha whispers in her ear, and it runs a chill up her spine.

Logically, she knows it's a distraction tactic. She'd used it herself on occasion, when she was out in the field as a spy before she'd taken the serum.

Logic doesn't seem to make her heart beat any slower, nevertheless.

She bends down to kiss her despite hearing her own heart in her ears. She tastes like the cherry chapstick Peggy's found that Natasha tends to favor, and a few seconds' worth of a kiss is enough to make Peggy think she might favor it, too.

"First kiss since 1945?" Natasha asks as she pulls her towards the exit at the bottom of the escalator, hand still in hers despite the fact the ruse is unnecessary now.

Peggy raises her eyebrows as she hops in the seat of the car they'd "borrowed." "I'd wager that means I'm in need of a bit of practice?"

Natasha waggles her eyebrows. "Practice makes perfect, Peg."

Peggy laughs, but it comes out as little more than an exaggerated puff of air out of her nose. "Jersey first, Widow. Then perhaps practice. I've always liked to save the sweeter things for last."

Natasha just grins.

#lmao sorry anon bet you weren't expecting peggynat when you said any ship #but i've been thinking about the mall scene with catws ever since what if...? dropped #and this was a perfect opportunity #is peggy still in love with steve here? absolutely. and this could fuck up the peggynat HOWEVER #i personally think steggynat is the perfect solution #anyways @the what if writers hire me for steggynat purposes and steggynat purposes alone #peggynat #peggy carter #natasha romanoff #marvel #what if...? #mak writes #ask #anonymous #peggy carter x natasha romanoff #captain carter #black widow #natasha romanoff x peggy carter #peggynat fic #peggynat fanfic #peggynat fanfiction