Chapter Text
Tony was restless at the best of times, but Steve's pacing was beginning to irritate even him. "Steve, you're wearing a hole in the floor." It came out more sharply than he'd intended, but it had already been a long day, and they'd confiscated Tony's phone during check-in so he couldn't even distract himself.
"Well, I'm sorry, Tony," Steve snapped back, "but I think I'm allowed to be a little bit nervous, here."
Bucky, leaning against the wall, shot Tony a sharp glance and straightened. He stepped into Steve's path, catching his arm and kissing his cheek. "Come on and sit with us," Bucky said, leading Steve back to the bench to sit at Tony's side.
He sat on Steve's other side as Tony caught up Steve's hand and threaded their fingers together in silent apology. "It'll be okay," Tony said, trying for a gentler tone. "Your testimony has a lot of weight, you know."
Steve grimaced. He hated trading on his reputation and public persona for individual gain. "I just hope it's enough weight to tip the scales."
"Nothing else you can do now," Bucky put in philosophically. "Might as well relax while we wait."
Steve drew a breath to respond and Tony elbowed him before he could say anything that he would regret. Steve grunted and then subsided with a sigh, leaning back against the wall. He kept his eyes fixed on the door to the hearing room, as if he could force it to open through sheer strength of will.
Tony loosened his tie with his free hand and leaned against Steve. "How was she while you were in there?" he asked, more to give Steve something to do than because he had any doubts.
"Fine," Steve said briefly, then shrugged. "Calm. Poised. Not sure I like the new haircut."
Tony chuckled. "Image counts in these things," he said, as if Steve didn't already know that. "She needs to look like a modern professional woman. Safe, predictable. Even a little boring."
Bucky snorted, over on Steve's other side. "Peggy wasn't ever boring," he said.
Steve smiled a little. "No, she wasn't." He glanced at Tony. "You think they'll approve her release?"
"I'm not a psychologist," Tony said. "But she hasn't had a violent episode in more than six months, and for the last two months, her reactions and interactions have been on-par with those of a street-safe PTSD patient. They'll probably be extra cautious for her case, of course, because of her past--"
"--and the serum," Steve interjected, scowling.
"And whatever bastardized version of your serum that they gave her, yes," Tony agreed, "but the serum works in her favor, too. You remember those MRIs they keep taking of her brain, right? The physical damage has been healing in ways that a baseline human simply couldn't. And the reversion of the brainwashing went very well."
Bucky leaned forward to look past Steve. "How do you know all that?"
Tony snorted and rolled his eyes and didn't answer, which he considered answer enough.
Steve understood. "Tony, if you've jeopardized Peggy's chances at freedom by snooping into files you weren't supposed to see--"
"Relax, will you please? Have a little faith in my ability to--" Tony broke off because the door was opening.
Steve bounced to his feet, his shoulders tense and his back military-straight. Bucky and Tony exchanged glances behind his back as they stood, too.
The first to emerge was Dr. Tucker, the head psychiatrist for Peggy's case. The nation's preeminent expert in psychological conditioning, Tony had lured her out of retirement almost eighteen months ago to oversee Peggy's deprogramming. She walked with a cane, her curly hair a silver-white halo, but her chin was held high and her face shone with pride. She came straight to Steve and patted at his chest, since her arthritic shoulder prevented her from reaching higher. "She did it," Dr. Tucker said.
"She's free?" Steve said, his voice soft with disbelief.
Dr. Tucker shook a finger at him. "This is a hospital, not a prison, son," she said. Behind Steve's back, Tony fought a losing battle with a smirk; Dr. Tucker had been born in the last years of World War II, while Steve and Bucky -- and Peggy -- had been fighting in Europe.
"Yes ma'am," Steve said quickly. "I just meant--"
Dr. Tucker smiled and patted his chest again. "I know what you meant," she said. "And yes. It'll take until tomorrow for the paperwork to clear. She's expected to continue keeping her appointments with her therapists, of course, but the board feels she is ready to re-integrate with society."
Steve put his hand over hers and pressed. "Thank you, Doctor," he said, voice thick with feeling. "Thank you for all you've done."
She snorted indelicately. "Peggy did all the work," she said. "I just helped her over the rough patches." Her gaze fell on Tony, and she grinned wider. "And I've been well-compensated for my time."
Tony laughed. "If you expect me to argue, you may be waiting a while."
"I'm not so foolish," Dr. Tucker chuckled. She extracted her hand from Steve's grip to shake Tony's hand and pat Bucky's arm. "I'll be in touch," she promised, and turned to limp with slow dignity down the hall, trailing a pair of assistants and a cluster of associate doctors.
In their wake came Peggy. She was dressed in sober blue and white, the empty left sleeve -- she had voluntarily surrendered the mechanical arm in her second month -- neatly pinned up. Her short, modern hair was meticulously styled, and her makeup subdued and modest. "Captain," she greeted Steve. She almost never used his name.
"Peggy," he returned. "Congratulations."
Her dark eyes searched Steve's face for a moment, then looked past him at Bucky, and then to Tony. "Can I offer you gentlemen some tea?" she finally said, as if it was any other visiting day of the last several months.
"Of course," Steve said, playing along. He offered Peggy his arm, but Bucky stopped him, his expression grave.
"I'll see Peggy up to her room," Bucky said. "Why don't you two stop in the cafeteria and pick up some of those cookies she likes. Give us a few minutes."
Peggy's eyebrows rose curiously, but Tony's stomach knotted. "You sure about this?" he asked softly. "You don't have to--"
"I do," Bucky said. His eyes, when they met Tony's, were frightened but resolute. "I have to."
Steve nodded. "Okay. We'll be along in a little bit, then." He curled his hand around Bucky's neck and pulled him close for a gentle kiss. "You're a good man, Buck."
Steve's confident poise lasted exactly as long as Bucky and Peggy were still in sight. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Steve slumped with a sigh.
"Stop pouting," Tony chided. "She's getting out. It's a good thing!"
"Yes," Steve agreed. "But what if Bucky telling her triggers some kind of--"
"Steve," Tony interrupted. He grabbed Steve's hand and tugged him down the hall toward the hospital cafeteria. "They'll be fine."
"You know that, do you?"
Tony grinned, deliberately cheeky. "Of course. I'm always right."
"You're always an ass," Steve returned, but the tension in his face relaxed somewhat.
"Slander!" Tony gasped. "Lies and slander. Sometimes I'm asleep!"
"I'm pretty sure you're an ass even when you're asleep," Steve said, "if we can count the way you hog the pillows."
"Slander and lies," Tony repeated, smiling. "Come on, soldier. I know you were too nervous to eat breakfast this morning, and we're well past lunchtime now. You could use a snack."
By the time Steve had tucked away enough food to make up for his missed breakfast and lunch, a good half-hour had passed. "Do you think it's safe to head back up now?" Steve asked, balancing a tray of coffees and a bag of assorted cookies while Tony paid their bill.
"Probably," Tony said. "It's a pretty simple story, really, if he doesn't get bogged down in the details."
He'd known this moment was coming -- Bucky had broached the idea with him and Steve weeks ago, when the hearing was first scheduled -- and thought he'd prepared himself for every possible reaction, from pat disbelief to hot rage to crushing despair. Steve had gone through all three when Bucky had finally explained, some six months after the three of them had begun dating, just before they'd officially all moved into Tony's penthouse suite together. There were still nights, occasionally, when Steve held Bucky desperately tight, as if afraid the timestream would suddenly decide to revert.
But when they opened the door to Peggy's room, Tony froze in shock. This was not a reaction for which he had been prepared.
Peggy was sitting in her chair, with Bucky kneeling gracelessly at her feet, his head in her lap. He was shivering, possibly sobbing, though he was making no sound, and Peggy's long fingers were combing soothingly through his hair.
She didn't stop when Tony appeared, though she looked up at him, and then to Steve at Tony's shoulder.
The tableau held for a long moment, none of them willing to break it. Finally, Peggy looked down, tightening her fingers to tug gently at the hair at the nape of Bucky's neck. "All right, James," she said, gently sympathetic. "Time to pull it together and have our tea."
Bucky looked up and Tony saw that he had been crying, eyes bloodshot and face streaked. "Yes'm," he managed, and sat up back on his heels, dragging his sleeve over his face.
Tony took the food and drinks from Steve and carried it to the tiny rolling table where Peggy's tea kettle and cup were already waiting. "Did you get my molasses biscuits?" Peggy asked him.
"Of course," Tony said, taking the paper coffee cups from the carrying tray and setting them out. Behind him, Steve had crouched beside Bucky, and they were talking in a low murmur that Tony couldn't make out. He reached into the bag of cookies and produced Peggy's with a flourish, setting it on a napkin beside her tea cup. "I would never forget your order."
"Well, sometimes they run out." Her eyes flickered past Tony so quickly that if he hadn't already been watching her, he might not have noticed. "Life is full of joys and disappointments, and often you don't know which is which. If they hadn't run out of my shortbread that once, I'd not have discovered these, after all."
Tony edged around the table to take his usual seat on the side of the bed. "You were pretty grouchy about it at the time, though," he returned.
"Was I?" she asked disingenuously, pretending not to remember. "But you took care of me anyhow. You're a good man." Peggy patted Tony's hand, then picked up her teapot to pour. "Pass the sugar, dear, would you?" When Tony handed it to her, he found himself caught in her gaze, warm and all-too-knowing. "You've taken good care of these boys for me," she said softly. "Thank you."
"It's my pleasure," Tony said. He waited for Peggy to finish stirring her tea, then said, "There's room for you in the tower, if you want it."
She cocked her head, not quite smiling. "I could make a joke, there, about Stark men, but it would be a poor return for your noble intentions, I fear."
Tony grimaced. "I don't know exactly how noble they are, but I know Steve would be happy to have you close at hand. And Bucky, too, I think."
Peggy looked at them, still huddled close together on the floor. It looked like Steve was starting to bring Bucky around and cheer him up a bit. "It might make James and the Captain happy," Peggy said delicately, "but I don't think it would suit me." She turned back to Tony. "Please don't think I begrudge any of you your happiness. But if I were there, I would inevitably be drawn into your lives. Perhaps even end up joining your little band of superheroes."
Tony grinned at her. "You'd make a fantastic superhero," he opined. "Especially if you'd let me build you a new arm. Bucky'll tell you, they get better with every iteration."
"Once you're past the learning curve," Bucky interjected, climbing to his feet and offering the metal hand to help Steve up.
Peggy was smiling faintly, amused, but shaking her head. "No. Maybe someday. But not now." She brushed her knuckles lightly down Tony's cheek, an apologetic caress that reminded him of his mother. "I'm grateful for the offer, Anthony, I truly am. But it would be too easy to lose myself again in your house. Too easy to confuse the future I'd imagined in the past with the past that dragged me unwillingly into a future I'd never dreamed of."
Tony took a breath, and nodded as he let it out. He captured her hand and lightly kissed her knuckles. "I understand. But if you ever change your mind--"
"I'll not hesitate," she promised.
"Peggy," Steve said, "you don't... Are you..." He shifted on his feet, uncomfortable and awkward. "Peg..."
"It's my choice, Captain," Peggy said. Her tone was firm, almost sharp, but her eyes were soft. She let out a soft breath that only Tony was close enough to hear, and her gaze never left Steve as she patted Tony's arm. "You and James give us a moment, dear."
Tony hesitated, but Bucky reached over the table and snared Tony's hand. "Yeah, come on," he said. "Steve got to stuff his face already; now it's my turn."
Tony let Bucky pull him up and steer him from the room, muttering reflexively about super-soldier appetites destined to drive him to bankruptcy. As soon as they were out of earshot, though, he wrapped an arm around Bucky's waist. "You sure this is a good idea?"
Bucky didn't try to pretend not to understand. "Yeah. She could always see right through him, even before they blew him up like a pufferfish. It's one of the reasons I was so jealous of them, back when. She'll straighten him out, never fear."
"Mm." Tony leaned into Bucky's side a little as they waited for the elevator. "Did she straighten you out, too?"
Bucky closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. "I... think she did, actually."
"What'd she say?"
Bucky cast Tony an amused look. "Nosy, aren't ya?"
"This is not news, babe. What did she say?"
Bucky huffed, capitulating. "She asked if I'd known what would happen, and I said no. And then she asked if it was in my power to change it, and--"
"You'd better have said no," Tony said, tightening his hold on Bucky's waist.
"One of these days," Bucky murmured, leaning up to kiss the top of Tony's head, "you're going to believe us when we tell you we're not going anywhere."
"I live with a lot of noble, self-sacrificing idiots," Tony pointed out, "and I'm in love with the two biggest idiots of the bunch. It's an ongoing concern."
Bucky draped the metal arm across Tony's shoulders. "You're just as bad," he said. "Of course I told her no. Thor said he couldn't get the thingamajig back."
Tony felt a prickle of fear ease. "Then what?"
Bucky shrugged. "She said if it wasn't my fault and there wasn't anything I could do about it, then there wasn't anything for me to be sorry about, and that she didn't blame me. But if..." His mouth twisted, and he swallowed hard. "But if I needed to hear it, she forgave me. That's when I started blubbing."
"Can't say I blame you," Tony said softly. "You've been carrying that guilt a long time, Buck-o. Almost two years, now."
Bucky sighed as they made their way into the cafeteria. "I guess."
When Bucky had finished his meal, they made their way back up to Peggy's room in companionable silence. As they turned into Peggy's corridor, Bucky paused, frowning. "Do you hear music?"
Tony did, as a matter of fact, just the faintest hint of something brassy and slow, too muffled to make out more. Bucky's hearing was better than Tony's though, and his lips curved with something that looked like relief. "C'mon," he said, almost whispering, and tugged Tony the rest of the way down the hall to Peggy's room.
Through the window in the door, they saw Steve and Peggy standing in the tiny space in the middle of the room, dancing. They waited, watching, not wanting to interrupt, but then the song came to an end and Peggy deliberately dropped her hand from Steve's shoulder and stepped back.
Tony still hesitated, but Bucky reached past him to open the door. "You romancing my man again, Carter?" he asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.
"Just collecting on a long-overdue promise," Peggy said. She laid her hand on the side of Steve's face and stood up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "But I think it's probably time for you gents to take your leave. I've got my packing to do, after all. Big day tomorrow."
"We'll send a car when you're ready," Steve promised, reaching behind him to catch Bucky's hand. "Take you wherever you're going. Let us do that, at least."
"If you insist," Peggy said. "Don't fret; I won't be going far. You'll see me about." She kissed Bucky's cheek, and then Tony's. "You boys take care of each other," she commanded.
"Always," Tony said, even as Bucky tossed her a saucy mock-salute and Steve dipped his head in a half-bashful smile.
They were crossing the threshold, hand in hand in hand, when she said, "Ca-- Steve?"
Steve stopped and looked back. His face betrayed no strong emotion, but his hand in Tony's trembled. "Yeah, Peg?"
"I'm glad you finally found the right partners."