[ She has lost a lot, granted. But she had already lost a lot even before ending up where she is now. It's not as if she ever expected to be truly free from the grip that HYDRA had on her, which is likely why she had plunged herself deep into the water. Give her liberty or give her death - that's how it goes, right? And given her options, death had seemed like the only choice.
And what better way to die, what better place to end it all than the same place as he?
Because even before HYDRA, even before she had lost her freedom entirely, had turned into their new experiment, their test subject for whatever monster they were trying to create, Peggy had already lost a lot. She had lost Steve, and she would like to say that she is a wholly independent woman, who would go through life standing by herself on her own two feet, but given the chance, she would have gladly left it all behind just to see him alive again.
And now, she has. In the midst of the panic, the grief, the exhaustion, the overwhelming feeling that washes over her like a great tidal wave is sheer, unadulterated happiness.
She doesn't just cry, she wails openly, as if all tension unfurls from her in loud bursts, and choked sobs as she tries to inhale in-between. His arms are wrapping around her and she only feels herself shattering even more, face buried into his chest, her hands moving up and clinging weakly to the front of his shirt.
His hold is tight but it's just perfect. He's solid and real and this is how she knows it's happening. This is how she knows it's him. ]
I'm sorry. I tried to-- to fight, but... [ She sobs again, blinking her wet eyes, and more tears rolling down her cheeks. ] I couldn't. I was so... so tired. I just had to get away, I had to.
[ She's not even aware of what she's apologising for. She just needs him to know that she tried to resist, to the very last of her strength. ]
no subject
And what better way to die, what better place to end it all than the same place as he?
Because even before HYDRA, even before she had lost her freedom entirely, had turned into their new experiment, their test subject for whatever monster they were trying to create, Peggy had already lost a lot. She had lost Steve, and she would like to say that she is a wholly independent woman, who would go through life standing by herself on her own two feet, but given the chance, she would have gladly left it all behind just to see him alive again.
And now, she has. In the midst of the panic, the grief, the exhaustion, the overwhelming feeling that washes over her like a great tidal wave is sheer, unadulterated happiness.
She doesn't just cry, she wails openly, as if all tension unfurls from her in loud bursts, and choked sobs as she tries to inhale in-between. His arms are wrapping around her and she only feels herself shattering even more, face buried into his chest, her hands moving up and clinging weakly to the front of his shirt.
His hold is tight but it's just perfect. He's solid and real and this is how she knows it's happening. This is how she knows it's him. ]
I'm sorry. I tried to-- to fight, but... [ She sobs again, blinking her wet eyes, and more tears rolling down her cheeks. ] I couldn't. I was so... so tired. I just had to get away, I had to.
[ She's not even aware of what she's apologising for. She just needs him to know that she tried to resist, to the very last of her strength. ]