InsaneJournal

Sometimes they had drinks in the lounge or the observation deck. Other times there was a need or desire for privacy. So today Phil had set out the bottle of scotch in his quarters, and had convinced his roommate to be elsewhere. Really, Harry Potter was persuadable. There had been a lot of arrivals and departures and the liaison office had been busy - but they didn't really have a chance to chat. Not about some of the newer arrivals at least.

Phil smiled when the door chimed and opened. "Come in," he said, indicating the scotch on the table, along with some dessert he'd taken from the mess hall.

Before making her way to Phil's quarters, Peggy had changed into something more comfortable, a dress that she had picked up on Earth this last time they were there, something a little more reminiscent and comfortable of the clothes from her time period. She'd found it in a vintage shop, though she knew there was no way it was actually three hundred years old. She smiled as Phil opened the door and welcomed her in.

"Where's your roommate?" she asked, glancing around. To be honest, she had been a little disappointed to see that slot fill with the new arrivals as she perused her liaison information.

"I convinced the savior of the wizarding world that there was plenty to explore on the ship and reconnect with his friends and family," Phil said with a smile. "And I promised I'd give him the room when he needed it."

He couldn't help but take her hand and spin her around before pulling her close for a kiss. "You look amazing."

Peggy wasn't entirely sure what Phil meant by that except that he knew his roommate's source material. She filed that away for later to ask about. It didn't need to be a topic of conversation now. At his twirl, kiss, and compliment, she blushed but smiled. It wasn't as full of a smile as she might have given last week - a lot had happened in the past few days with the arrivals and departures after all - but it certainly wasn't forced. "I just thought it might be nice to wear something that doesn't feel like a uniform," she admitted to him, though the traveler liaisons didn't have to adhere to any uniform policy. It was more that she tended to wear the same thing every day, and it usually wasn't a dress like this.

"It's lovely. Impractical for a uniform but aesthetically pleasing." Phil motioned for her to have a seat. "So, how are you doing? Seems the nebula has been pulling a lot of people from your timeline."

Ah, so there it was. "From what I understand, both Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes were actually pulled from your timeline," she said as she sat. Semantics, maybe, but a true statement nonetheless.

"Perhaps, but I never met Barnes. I know his story though but I died before Rogers found him. And there's also Howard…" Phil poured them each a glass and passed one to Peggy as he took a seat. "People like Steve Rogers don't come along every day. I guess what I'm saying is that if you'd like to pursue something with him now that you have a second chance with him here, I'd understand."

Peggy looked at him as she took the glass from him and nodded. "Thank you, I appreciate that. I haven't had a chance to speak with Steve much at all yet, so I don't know where we stand in that respect." She sipped her drink for a moment and hesitated, only briefly. "I'm enjoying getting to know you, Phil. I don't want to stop that just because of a what if or a what might have been."

"I am too, I just-" Phil paused, swirling the liquid around in his glass, thinking of Audrey and Rosalinde. What would he do if either of them showed up here? "I know that sometimes our chances and opportunities are cut short. And I don't want to stand in the way of an opportunity like that."

Phil gave her a smile and reached out to squeeze her hand. "Believe me, I'm enjoying this, and no matter what, I count you as a friend. And if you decide to pursue things with Steve, well, we can still have drinks and get to know each other, just with less kissing I imagine."

Peggy couldn't help but think back to that dance she and Steve had never gotten around to sharing. All the things that might have happened in their lives, had he not taken that plane down. Was this a second chance? It wasn't the first time Steve was here, and that time didn't move them forward. What's to say this would? Or anything would?

She squeezed his hand back. "How's this," Peggy began, "how about I tell you, up front, if anything changes once I talk to Steve. But until then, I don't want to assume anything will. After all, for all I know, tomorrow morning both you and him could be gone."

Phil nodded - after all, it was best to pick your battles with Peggy - and took a sip of his scotch. "That sounds acceptable." Perhaps it was the years he had spent idolizing Steve, but he still felt he would gladly step aside with no regrets if Steve wanted to pursue something with Peggy. You know, my roommate promised not to be back before breakfast."

She tilted her head to the side. "Is that an invitation to spend the night?" she asked, knowing full well it was. If so, then yes, I'd like to."

He couldn't help but smile. "It is, but whether we drink and trade stories, play scrabble or move to the bedroom is up to you."

She pursed her lips together. "Does that mean you have Scrabble here? Because I'm very good at Scrabble." Peggy set her drink aside and shifted closer to him. "Phil," she said, leaning in to kiss him slowly.

"I have no doubt you'd kick my butt at Scrabble." Which made him think the they should organize a games night for the travelers. Might be something that people would be interested in. He was about to mention it when Peggy kissed him again. His hand ran over her hair, pulling her close.

"Peggy.. I .. before we.. I have to ask something and it's a little strange. The arm on or off?"

She was distracted by the kiss, his hand in her hair, and barely registered his question for a moment before pulling back and blinking at him. Her gaze dropped to his arm and then she looked at him again. "Do you have a preference?" she asked.

Phil glanced down where his shirtsleeves were rolled up, the metal band where his flesh met the prosthetic arm, his fingers tracing over the metal. "This one is the best model I've had, sensations and dexterity and all... " There were times Phil even forgot it wasn't his arm. Until the phantom pain started. He looked back up at it. "It's more normal with it on, I suppose. Nowadays, I usually only take it off to sleep or shower or for a tune up."

She smiled lightly and let her fingers dip against the part of his arm that was still flesh. "I don't mind either way so it's really up to whatever you're comfortable with. You can leave it on if you'd like," she said.

Phil eyes focused on her fingers and he reached over and unlocked the prosthetic, taking it off and setting it on the table next to the scotch. "I don't think we'll be needing any of its special features tonight.. But if it gets weird, just let me know."

"I will," Peggy assured him, glancing at it for a moment before turning her attention back to Phil. She smiled at him. "I don't know if I've ever really told you how glad I am to have you on board," she said. "Especially all of your help with the liaison program. I thought I was starting to get burned out."

"It can be overwhelming. And I'm sure the organizationational tasks can be overwhelming and not in the same way as the SSR. I'm sure a desk job isn't quite what you're used to." Phil tucked a stray curl behind Peggy's ear before leaning in and kissing her slowly. "I thought we weren't going to talk about work tonight."

She lingered into the kiss and laughed lightly. "You'd be surprised. The SSR's suggestion for my role at the New York office was secretary, not field work," Peggy told him. "Not that I let that stop me." She moved her hands along his shoulders and pulled herself in closer to him to kiss him again.

Phil chuckled. "Did you tell them where they could stuff that suggestion?" he teased before kissing his way down her neck. "Will you stop me if I try to take off this lovely dress? Or is that allowed?"

Peggy had certainly made an impact on the opinion that she ought to be a secretary, she thought, remembering all too well everything that had happened over the last few years, before she came here. She laughed and leaned her head to the side. "If you don't do so, I'll take care of it myself," she told him.

"While you're certainly capable, I'd prefer to do the honors," Phil said with a smile as he kissed her neck and his hand went to the zipper of her dress.

"Good," Peggy said with a smile, pushing her hair, which had been growing longer than she usually kept it, out of the way to give him better access. She glanced back at him over her shoulder, a light blush spread across her cheeks.