This short ficlet was inspired by a GIF set of Steve's compass with Peggy's picture in it. for the most part it is Steve/Darcy (since they're my OTP) but there is definitely allusions to Steve/Peggy :)

Its also posted at AO3 under my name there, Melifair. If you'd like to see sneak peeks of current and future fics and general fandom fun, you can find me at melifair . tumblr . com :)

(Also, to anyone reading that is following my story Figure Drawing. I am currently 3,700 words into chapter 5! It's getting there, I promise! And I think you'll really enjoy it when it's posted! ;D)

Darcy has seen it before.

The compass.

So she knows its significance. And she's also pretty sure that outside of her, no-one else knows about it.

Except maybe Coulson.

That man fanboy's harder than most teenagers. But that's beside the point...

When she first met Steve, he'd been pretty closed off. Still, she decided to make it her own personal mission to get to know him, become his friend. Because dear sweet sanity, she couldn't stand the fact that the damn bitch-ass universe left him a dejected mess of loneliness.

Even when they'd become pretty friendly - at least beyond cursory greetings at SHIELD headquarters - he liked to keep almost everything about his life to himself.

Of course he would talk about general things, like what type of food or music he liked, but when topics ventured too close to personal for his comfort level, he clammed up fast. So it took a lot of persistence on her part to get under that mental wall he built in his head. A LOT.

And she was damn good at being persistent.

It was only by happenstance that she even knew the compass existed, much less how important it was to him.

They were hanging out at HQ again, after going to see his first 3D flick (which he was really stoked about...prattled on animatedly about it afterwards too) when a few of the mid-level agents on duty at the time, brought in several boxes that were labeled as property of Captain Rogers.

Most of it was pretty run of the mill. Belongings that had been collected after he'd gone missing in the ice.

Upon their inspection of the contents, he smirked at a shirt or two. Hummed at a few books. And furrowed his brows at things he forgot he'd even packed in his mission bag.

So his reaction to seeing the compass, after she'd picked it up and saw the picture of the beautiful woman on the inside, was by far the most passionate reaction he'd outwardly expressed towards anything relating to his past life.

She'd guessed that he hadn't been expecting to ever see it again.

It wasn't until a week later, that he apologized for snatching it from her and leaving her without a word, to wonder what she'd done wrong.

It was also then, that he started to open up, started to let her in.

By telling her about Peggy.

The woman that had made a home in his heart. That had seen him when no one gave him a second glance, and saw him as the same man when everyone and his brother couldn't get enough of him.

He told her all about the amazing woman she was. Even asked her for her help in finding where she was laid to rest. Though he didn't need to ask for her to go with him when they did find her. It was an simply an unspoken thing that had her there right by his side.

So it got to her. Made her choke up and all that...when she saw the compass on his night stand that evening while he was in the shower - a year and a half later.

It was open.

And Peggy Carter's timeless expression looked back at her from the old weathered photo pressed to the inside lid. Just like the first time she saw the image of Steve's first love.

But on the opposite side...where there should have been cracked glass and a bent needle permanently lodged north of northwest...was a picture of her.

From her and Steve's first outing. To Coney Island, where she insisted they go in one of those stupid photo booths.

He kept it all this time.

Made a place for her picture in his compass. For her, in his heart.