The way Steve's face softened at her promise to always be there was proof enough that he didn't think she was being too serious. Moments like these, he had a hard time believing he could be this lucky. He let his hands settle on her lower back, keeping her pressed close as she reached up to trace the bruising around his eye. The skin was sensitive there, tender to the touch, but he didn't flinch away from her.
"I believe you did," he agreed, unable to keep the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth at bay. He was torn for a moment, between whether it would be better to duck down and kiss her right then and there, or wait until they at least made it to the couch. In the end, his impatience won out, and he brought his mouth down to meet hers. There was nothing too heated about it, not yet, but it was maybe more demanding than the previous kisses they'd shared. Maybe it was because there had been a moment during their texted conversation that Steve had been certain Peggy was going to tap out. That she was going to decide this - Steve - was too much to deal with, and she'd be better off without him. It had seemed so horribly possible, and even if Steve had been proven wrong on that front, it had still left him feeling needy - a man with a parched throat, dying for a sip of water.
He curled over her, so she wouldn't have to lift up on her toes too terribly much, and his hands ran the length of her back, up and down in sweeping motions. Every time Steve touched her, he couldn't help but marvel at how delicate she felt, despite the fact that he knew she could pack a punch if she so desired. When he broke away from her mouth, his breathing had already picked up, and his lips felt pleasantly swollen and sensitive. It made him wonder how it might feel to press them to the smooth skin of her neck; without a word of warning, he did just that, sweeping her hair to the side so he could mouth at a spot just below her ear, then sliding lower to suck gently at her throat - though not forcefully enough to leave a mark. He hoped. He didn't exactly have a lot of experience when it came to hickeys, so it was entirely possible his calculations in this respect were just a bit off.