"How could I blame you? It's all my fault. If I hadn't handled the Red Skull incident properly, I wouldn't be in this situation. Peggy, I'm sorry I missed our date…" Steve Rogers said, his eyes red with deep regret, his head bowed.
"Yes, you still owe me a dance. If you had come back safe and sound then, things would probably be completely different now, wouldn't they?" said Peggy Carter, looking at the old man beside her.
"Peggy, who is this?" Logan frowned, glancing at the old man next to Peggy Carter. He didn't know if it was just a figment of his imagination, but he'd always felt the old man's aura was somewhat reminiscent of Steve Rogers.
"He…" Peggy Carter paused for a moment, as if she didn't know how to explain the old man's identity.
"My name is Steve. I took Captain Rogers' place because I look a bit like him, and I looked after Peggy," old Steve smiled, nodding his head and explaining in a soft voice, "I was there when Logan came to find Peggy. So seeing you so ageless was overwhelming. I never imagined someone could live so long without aging…"
Logan, after carefully observing old Steve, said, "Steve? You really do look like Steve. You two have quite similar auras..."
"Yes, if Steve hadn't been by my side all these years, I really don't know how I would have gotten through all this…" Peggy Carter smiled, her eyes shining brightly as she looked intently at Steve Rogers.
"Steve, I've built a life for myself. I hope you can leave the past behind and enjoy your new life too. After all, it's your destiny to emerge in an era like this…"
"My destiny?" Steve Rogers frowned, a momentary look of surprise in his eyes. For a moment, he didn't quite understand what Peggy Carter meant by her words.
"It's alright. It's just sad that Peggy's legs aren't very useful right now, otherwise she could still do that dance she used to do and fulfill one of your wishes…" Old Steve, sitting next to him, nodded quickly and said with a smile.
No sooner had Old Steve finished speaking than the door to the room was kicked open with a loud "bang!" Logan was already standing there, his steel claws extended, staring intently at the door. A young woman, somewhat resembling Peggy Carter, entered. Her name was Sharon Carter, she was Peggy Carter's niece, and she had always been tasked with protecting Peggy Carter's safety.
"Captain America? Wolverine?" Sharon Carter burst in, pulled out her gun, and pointed it at Steve Rogers and Logan, recognizing their identities. Sharon Carter knew it was probably a misunderstanding, so she lowered her gun somewhat sheepishly.
"Sharon, you're still in such a hurry!" Peggy Carter smiled, nodded, and said softly, "Right, this is Steve, the Captain America I often told you about. And this is Logan, an old friend of your Auntie's back then. However, I'm not so sure about the Wolverine title…"
"Since you're all here, I'll prepare something for everyone to eat! Believe me, my food is quite delicious!" Old Steve said, laughing.
"It's alright…" Steve Rogers subconsciously wanted to stand up because he suddenly felt the illusion of being a third person, or perhaps it wasn't an illusion at all, so Steve Rogers instinctively wanted to leave.
"No problem, it's just a meal, it won't take long…" Old Steve smiled, nodded, and said hospitably, "Please sit down for a moment, I'll be right back!"
Seeing Old Steve enter the kitchen, Steve Rogers, momentarily unsure how to refuse, opened his mouth and could only manage to nod in agreement. But Steve Rogers glanced around at the furniture and surroundings, his gaze suddenly fixed on a nearby easel. Furthermore, the painting on the easel looked somewhat familiar to him.
This situation brought back memories of Steve Rogers' youth.
Steve Rogers, subconsciously, asked the older Steve, "Steve, do you paint too?"
"Yes, I make a living painting. It was my childhood dream. If it weren't for the war, maybe I could have achieved it much sooner…" Old Steve's heartfelt voice brought back some memories for Steve Rogers.
After a long time, Sharon Carter saw Steve Rogers and Logan off from the apartment because both elderly men were feeling a little sleepy after dinner. Steve Rogers couldn't even remember how he left or what had happened at dinner; he couldn't recall it exactly.
But Steve Rogers and Logan didn't know that the two elderly people in the apartment hadn't gone to sleep after they left. Instead, they watched their silhouettes disappear behind the thick, one-way glass.
"Steve arrived much earlier than you said…" Peggy Carter said in a low voice, her gaze slightly shifting away.
"Yes, I wasn't expecting you to come so early. But that's normal, after all, this world is so different from the one I'm in. I even suspect I went to the wrong world after returning the Infinity Stones…" Old Steve shook his head with a bitter smile and, looking into Peggy Carter's eyes, said, "But seeing you, I know I can't leave here again!"
"This has to be different. After all, Logan wasn't in the story you told, and Logan and his friends weren't in the future alien battlefield you traveled to. But it's clear Logan joined the Avengers, and if that war really comes, he certainly will…" Peggy Carter stroked old Steve's hand and said, "But that shouldn't concern us anymore, after all, we're both old."
"Yes, my wars are over. The remaining wars will be theirs," said old Steve, sighing and nodding with a smile.
Peggy Carter suddenly looked up, met old Steve's gaze, and asked, "Steve, will you really go back to another time and be with another me?"
"Yes, every Steve will meet their own Peggy Carter, and together they will live a happy, fulfilling life!" Old Steve said, looking Peggy Carter in the eyes with a serious expression.
"Then I felt relieved…" Peggy Carter smiled happily and hugged old Steve tightly. At that moment, Peggy Carter was completely relaxed.