English Novel
C164 Cougar
C164 Cougar
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-Red Room Base-
An hour earlier…
The dim light in Peggy Carter’s bedroom cast a warm, intimate glow over the space. Nestled beneath the soft covers, Peggy rested her head on Steve Rogers' chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath her ear bringing a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in years. Her eyes were half-lidded, her mind drifting in the blissful haze of the moment.
Steve’s hand traced lazy, soothing patterns along her back, and she couldn’t help but smile, her fingers lightly brushing against his side.
The room was a pleasant mess, with clothes scattered around from the impromptu reunion, but Peggy couldn’t care less. For now, everything was perfect.
But as she lay there, a flicker of doubt wormed its way into her thoughts. It was a familiar doubt, one she’d tried to push aside but couldn’t quite banish.
"Steve," she murmured, her voice quiet and almost hesitant.
"Hmm?" Steve’s hand paused for a moment, then resumed its gentle motions.
Peggy bit her lip, steeling herself before continuing. "Is this really okay?"
Steve’s brow furrowed slightly, and he looked down at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
"This," Peggy said, gesturing vaguely between them. "Us. I know we’re the same age, technically, but… you haven’t aged since you were frozen, and I…" She trailed off, her voice softening further. "I look like I could be your grandmother."
For a brief moment, Steve just stared at her, processing her words. Then, to Peggy’s surprise, a chuckle escaped his lips, and he shook his head in disbelief.
Peggy looked up at him, a mix of confusion and vulnerability in her eyes. Before she could say anything else, Steve leaned down and captured her lips in a deep, tender kiss. The unexpected gesture caused Peggy’s thoughts to scatter, and for a few blissful moments, she lost herself in the warmth and certainty of his embrace.
When Steve finally pulled back, he met her gaze with a smile that was both loving and reassuring. "I love you, Peggy," he said firmly. "Old or young, it doesn’t matter. I just want you. I wanted you in 1942, and I want you in 1993 too. Nothing is going to change that."
Peggy’s heart skipped a beat at his words, her breath catching in her throat. For a rare moment, her usual stoic demeanor gave way to a flicker of vulnerability as she looked up at him. "Really?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.
Steve’s smile turned mischievous as he repositioned himself on top of her, his strong arms bracketing her on either side. "It seems I have to prove it to you with actions since words don’t seem to be enough," he teased, his voice dropping to a playful murmur as he leaned in closer.
Peggy’s heart raced, and she felt a thrill of anticipation at his words. But just as their lips were about to meet again, the shrill ring of a phone cut through the intimate atmosphere like a knife.
"Ugh…" The spell was broken, and Steve hesitated, glancing toward the source of the noise—a brick-sized cell phone perched on the bedside table.
Steve made to pull away so that Peggy could answer it, but she quickly pulled him back down to her, shaking her head. "Leave it," she murmured, her voice laced with frustration. "I’ll deal with it later."
But the phone continued to ring, its insistence growing more and more irritating with each passing second. The mood was thoroughly ruined, and Steve sighed, giving Peggy an apologetic look. "Just answer it, Peggy. It could be important."
Peggy groaned, knowing he was right. She reluctantly reached over to the bedside table, picking up the clunky device. With an annoyed and frustrated tone, she answered, "I don’t know who this is, but you’d better have a damn good reason for interrupting me..."
On the other end of the line, Peter’s voice came through, sounding far too casual for someone who was supposed to be in trouble. "Hey, Peggy. So, uh, funny story—I’ve been arrested."
Peggy’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, her annoyance quickly shifting to intrigue. "Arrested?" she repeated, the corners of her mouth twitching upward in amusement. "How on earth did you manage that? With all your abilities, I figured escaping some cops would be the easiest thing in the world. Why are you calling me? Just break out or something. I’ll handle the aftermath later. Just… don’t kill anyone, alright?"
There was a brief pause on the line before Peter answered, his tone resigned. "There were some... factors that made getting arrested the best option at the time. Trust me, it’s not as simple as it sounds."
Listening in on the conversation, Steve raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued. He leaned in slightly, catching snippets of the conversation. "Who got arrested?" he asked quietly, directing his question to Peggy.
Peggy held up a finger, signaling him to give her a minute as she continued the conversation. But Peter, who seemed to have overheard Steve’s voice through the phone, immediately asked, "Wait, was that Capsicle? Did he wake up?"
Peggy’s eyes widened slightly in surprise, feeling a bit flustered as she glanced at Steve, who was still waiting for an answer. "No, no one’s here. It’s just me." She denied, unsure how to explain her current situation.
Peter clearly didn’t buy her excuse. "Uh-huh, sure. Look, I can explain everything later. The point is, I need you to make a call or two and get me and my friend out of here. The sooner, the better."
Peggy leaned back against the headboard, her curiosity deepening. "A friend, you say? And what makes this friend so special that you couldn’t just Jedi your way out of this mess?"
Peter let out a frustrated groan. "Can we save the questions for later? Just please, get us out of here. I’ll tell you everything once I get back..."
But to Peter’s dismay, it seemed he had piqued Peggy’s interest even further. A mischievous smile tugged at her lips as she made up her mind. "No, I think I’ll come down there myself. Hang tight, Peter. I’ll be there soon."
Before Peter could protest, Peggy ended the call, leaving him to stew in his frustration on the other end of the line.
As she set the phone down on the bedside table, Steve, who had been watching her with a curious expression, asked, "Are you leaving?"
Peggy nodded as she threw the covers off and began to get out of bed, reaching for her clothes scattered around the room. "Yes, it seems I have to go bail someone out of jail."
Steve watched her for a moment, then stood up and began dressing himself. "I see... Do you want me to come with you?"
Peggy paused as she slipped on her blouse, then glanced over her shoulder at him with a teasing smile. "Actually, I was going to ask if you’d like to meet the boy who brought you back to me."
Steve blinked in surprise, the realization of what she meant sunk in. "So, he’s the one responsible for all of this?"
Peggy nodded as she finished dressing and reached for her cane. "Yes, so, are you coming?"
"Yeah, let’s go bail him out." He nodded, hopping out of bed and reaching for his clothes.
[Insert picture of America’s a*s here]
“…” Peggy watched him, her eyes glued to his naked backside as he bent over. ‘God, I need to thank that kid one more time…’
————
“Who’s in charge here?” Peggy stormed into the precinct, Steve at her side.
The police officers, who had been going about their business with their usual indifference, suddenly found themselves straightening up, casting curious and uneasy glances at the pair.
Peggy's commanding presence was enough to stun anyone into silence, and it was clear that she was not someone to be trifled with.
Ignoring the gaping officers who didn’t answer her, Peggy’s sharp eyes scanned the room, immediately zeroing in on Peter, who was sitting in a holding cell with Mikaela still asleep on his lap. “?”
Without a moment's hesitation, Peggy started striding across the precinct, her heels clicking against the floor with each determined step.
As she approached the threshold that only officers were typically allowed to cross, one of the younger cops nervously stepped forward, trying to maintain some semblance of protocol. "Ma’am, I’m going to have to ask you to stop—" he called out, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
When Peggy didn’t even slow down, he reached out to gently grab her arm, hoping to redirect her without causing a scene. But before his hand could make contact, Steve appeared beside Peggy with the fluid grace of a seasoned soldier, blocking the officer's path with a single step.
The cop froze in his tracks, his hand hovering awkwardly in the air as he took in the sight of Steve’s imposing figure. There was something familiar about the man in front of him, but he couldn’t quite place it.
Soon enough, Peggy reached the cell where Peter sat, her eyes quickly assessing the situation. Peter looked up at her with a grin, though there was a hint of exasperation in his tone as he said, "It’s about damn time you showed up."
Peggy ignored his comment, her eyes instead locking onto Mikaela, who was still peacefully asleep on Peter’s lap, wrapped in his jacket. A knowing smirk tugged at the corners of her lips as she arched an eyebrow. "So," she began, her voice teasing, "this is your ‘friend,’ huh? You two look quite... friendly~"
Peter let out a resigned sigh, knowing exactly where this was going. This was precisely why he hadn’t wanted her to come in person.
But then, as Peggy continued to smirk at him, Peter’s expression suddenly shifted. An evil glint appeared in his eyes as he noticed Steve stepping up beside her. If Peggy wanted to play, then he was more than ready to join her.
Before Peggy could react, Peter’s face transformed into a mask of exaggerated embarrassment, and he spoke loudly enough for everyone in the precinct to hear. "Grandma, I can’t believe you brought your boyfriend here with you! I told you it’s so embarrassing! What if my friends at school find out? He’s not even half your age!"
The officers who had been watching the scene unfold suddenly went rigid, their eyes widening in shock and disbelief as they processed Peter’s words. Peggy’s eyes widened as well, a mix of surprise and horror flashing across her face as she realized what Peter was doing.
"You little sh*t—" Peggy began, but Peter wasn’t done yet.
He placed a hand dramatically over his forehead, continuing his act. "I mean, I get it, Grandma, you love him, but I’ve already told you, I’m not calling him Grandpa! He’s only a few years older than me for god's sake!"
Steve, who had been quietly observing the exchange in confusion, finally caught on to what Peter was doing and couldn’t help the amused smile that spread across his face.
Peggy, on the other hand, was torn between wanting to beat Peter to death and finding the situation utterly ridiculous.
The officers in the room were now whispering among themselves, exchanging bewildered looks. The young cop who had tried to stop Peggy earlier was staring at Steve with renewed confusion, his brain working overtime to process the absurdity of what he was hearing.
At the same time, a group of female secretaries huddled together in a corner, giggling as they whispered amongst themselves. Their eyes darted toward Peggy and her young companion, their expressions turning scandalous as they pieced it together.
She was a cougar!
Finally, just as Peggy opened her mouth to put an end to Peter’s antics, the Police Chief came marching out from his office, his expression one of annoyance and curiosity. "What’s going on here?" he demanded, his authoritative voice cutting through the tension in the room.
Peter immediately stopped his performance, flashing a smug grin in Peggy’s direction before leaning back against the cell wall with a satisfied look on his face.
Peggy, still struggling to maintain her composure, sent one last withering glare at Peter, "You’re lucky I owe you so much, or else I’d leave you here to rot." With that, she spun on her heel and stormed over to the Police Chief, her steps firm and filled with purpose.
Before following Peggy, Steve turned to Peter, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "You know she’s gonna get her revenge for that, right?"
Peter, still leaning casually against the cell wall, returned the smile, clearly unfazed by the warning. "Yeah, yeah, probably," he said with a shrug. "But it's good to see you up and running, Captain."
Steve's expression softened with gratitude. "And I hear I have you to thank for that."
Peter shrugged again, his tone more sincere this time. "Peggy’s my friend. I just wanted to do something nice for her."
Steve’s smile grew warmer, the respect he felt for the young man evident in his eyes. "Well, you have my thanks," he said, giving Peter a nod of appreciation before turning to catch up with Peggy.
Meanwhile, Peggy had already reached the Chief, who was still standing dumbfounded outside of his office.
She pulled out her Shield badge, flashing it with an air of authority. "Peggy Carter, Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division," she introduced herself, her tone leaving no room for questions or doubt.
“?” The Chief, still processing the whirlwind that had just entered his precinct, barely had time to register what was happening. “W-what…?”
She didn't wait for an invitation and instead brushed past him, entering his office as if she owned the place. "Come inside and close the door behind you," she ordered, not even glancing back to see if he was following her command.
The Chief, clearly out of his depth, could only stare at her retreating form, a mixture of confusion and indignation flashing across his face. This entire situation was unfolding too quickly for him to keep up.
Just as he was about to gather his wits, Steve stepped up beside him and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I’d listen to her if I were you," Steve advised with a calm, almost sympathetic tone. "She can be quite scary when she’s angry."
With that, Steve followed Peggy into the office, leaving the Chief standing alone, still trying to process everything. The realization that he was dealing with forces well beyond his pay grade finally seemed to hit him, and with a defeated sigh, he turned to see every cop in the station watching him.
Embarrassed, the Chief barked at the other officers, "What are you all looking at?! Get back to work!"
As the other cops scrambled back to their duties, the Chief reluctantly entered his office, closing the door behind him.
Inside, Peggy had already seated herself at his desk, in his chair, looking every bit the commanding officer she was. Steve stood beside her, his presence imposing yet calm.
…
Back in the holding cell, Peter watched all of this unfold with an amused smile. “I should get arrested more often…” He muttered.
But then, a soft voice interrupted his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. "What was that about?"
Peter turned to see Mikaela, who had woken up during the commotion he made. She was sitting up, rubbing her eyes sleepily, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity.
“And… was that Captain America?” she asked, uncertain.
“Uhh…”
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