Office Hours, Saturday

[screwyoumarvel]

Anyone looking for Steve would find a sign on his door redirecting them to the art classroom, where he'd pinned up some of the pieces the students had done so far, so their guests could see their work. Tony's blobs of color work was even represented, even if his lack of artistic skill did give Steve almost physical pain. How could someone who was so good at drafting a design be so bad at drawing a straight line?

Steve was at his desk with a box of pastries from J,GoB and a fresh pot of coffee, ready to greet anyone who stopped in, and hoping his own guest would stop lurking about the island generally being Buckyesque and stop by at some point, too.

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[doesnotfondue.livejournal.com]

Peggy hadn't been lurking about the island avoiding anyone - thus missing out on the opportunity to have her name used as an adjective. She was only barely over the idea that Howard was making things up just to make her mad, and now she wasn't sure what to do.

Besides, as it turned out, standing outside the doorway to Steve's classroom staring at him as if she wasn't sure whether Christmas had come early or the entire world had just been blown to pieces.

[screwyoumarvel]

Steve noticed someone standing there and started to say, "Hello, miss, can I--" before his brain caught up and he realized who it was. "Peggy."

The Peggy from his memories, not the elderly woman with a faltering mind and a whole life without him. Ouch.

[doesnotfondue.livejournal.com]

Howard had been right: he did look a little different. And older. Much older.

Ingrained composure saved her from dashing in or making a scene; Peggy stepped into the office after another moment, and attempted to collect her thoughts.

"Howard... really wasn't lying, then," she said. Logical observations were a good place to start. "You're supposed to be dead."

Now that sounded harsh even to her own ears.

[screwyoumarvel]

"I know," Steve told her, sounding a little sad. "It's...probably best if you just think of me that way, really."

[doesnotfondue.livejournal.com]

Peggy stared at him for a little while more. "But you're alive," she said, sounding... almost brisk, for all her shock. "How are you alive?"

[screwyoumarvel]

"I can't tell you that," Steve said. God. It was times like these he wished he could get drunk. "I'm from a different universe, and a different time, and I can't tell you that. It might not even be true for you."

[doesnotfondue.livejournal.com]

"But I saw you--" Her voice did finally crack. "I heard you," she corrected herself, "Go down into the ocean. I don't understand."

Only about half of Howard's explanation about this place had made sense, if that much.

[screwyoumarvel]

So that was different. "I know. I know, and I'm sorry, but I can't...I can't do anything about it." And if she knew that he'd wake up still young and strong fifty years in the future, when she herself was old and grey...well. It wasn't information Steve really thought she needed.

[doesnotfondue.livejournal.com]

She finally managed to stop staring, and pursed her lips. "I think that's the first time I've heard you say a thing like that, Steve."

[yeeedawgies.livejournal.com]

Even if it was just art class, Robby was hardly going to just ignore the opportunity to check up on his daughter's classes. He knocked on the doorway, then strode inside.

"Mr. Rogers?" he guessed a bit hopefully. Yes, it had taken a few maps for him to find this room.

[screwyoumarvel]

"Yes, hello," Steve said, smiling almost gratefully at a guest who wasn't a ghost from his past. "Can I help you?"

[yeeedawgies.livejournal.com]

"I'm told you're one of my daughter's teachers," Robby said, extending a hand for Steve to shake. "Robby Stewart."

[[Hi, notif I never got! OMG I am so sorry.]]

[screwyoumarvel]

"Pleased to meet you," Steve said, giving Robby a firm handshake. Like. Really firm. "You must be Miley's father."

[yeeedawgies.livejournal.com]

Very firm. Hmm. Since Robby's job consisted mostly of meeting Hannah Montana's costume designers and makeup guys, he'd come to appreciate a good firm handshake.

"That I am," he said proudly. "How's she doing?"

[screwyoumarvel]

"She's doing great," Steve said. "She really seems to be enjoying the class so far."

[yeeedawgies.livejournal.com]

"That's what I like to hear."

He liked to hear anything that didn't have to do with Miley dancing during an exam as a study tactic, how about that?

[screwyoumarvel]

That seemed reasonable. "She's not a bad artist, either," Steve said, gesturing to one of the paintings on the wall. "This is one of hers."

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

Oh, Steve. You had 40's all over your office now. Just learn to deal with it.

"Still alive, I take it."

[screwyoumarvel]

"That would seem to be the case," Steve said. "I take it--" his voice caught. "I take it Peggy is here for you?" Since when the hell was Peggy friends with Howard Stark? Maybe it had happened after he was frozen. Or, again, different universes.

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

Since Howard Stark was awesome. And filled the void of 'No Nick Fury in the 40s' to form SHIELD.

"And Dugan if he's stopped by to make sure I haven't completely lost it."

[screwyoumarvel]

"Peggy and Dum Dum," Steve said, his voice flat and almost disbelieving. Then he sighed and said, "Bucky's around here somewhere. It's like old home week." Only way more awkward and painful.

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

"...Barnes?" Howard was just going to stare for a moment. "Where you're from must be awfully different."

[screwyoumarvel]

"Maybe not as different as you might think," Steve said cryptically. He thought about telling Howard about Bucky, thought...maybe he could save him, at least. Or it might not even be true in Howard's dimension and wind up provoking a war with the Soviet Union. Who the hell knew. "The whole situation is very complicated."

[doyoufondue.livejournal.com]

You and your cryptic future knowledge.

Howard shot him a look. "How complicated?" Considering everything that had happened so far...

[screwyoumarvel]

"Decades and international relations complicated," Steve said. "As far as you're concerned, for your universe...it's better to just think of us both as dead." He felt ill, like he was condemning Bucky, but...he just couldn't know. He prayed he was doing the right thing. None of it showed in his face, though. He looked a little sad, but mostly calm.