Sept. 9, 1940
Becoming an Agent of the S.S.R. proves very easy when one of its most stellar officers vouches for you.
Still, it is a painfully skeptical Colonel Phillips who hands over the badge and uniform to Henry once his registration into the organization is approved. "I'm trusting you on this one, Carter, but he don't look like much," he stated bluntly to Peggy who stood to the side, not even bothering to lower his voice in a vain attempt at secrecy.
Henry narrowed his eyes but didn't speak up, deciding not to take offense; it was obvious the Colonel was simply trying to rile him, see what he would do, but he wasn't going to be playing the American's game. He had far too much on his plate already, thank you.
Peggy raised her eyebrows, a confident smile lifting her lips. "I can assure you, sir, Doctor Morgan is a valuable asset we cannot afford to let slip past us. I will take full responsibility for him, you have nothing to worry about," she said.
Philips pursed his lips, casting another blank, vaguely suspicious glance at Henry, before nodding at Peggy, who saluted, with Henry mimicking the action as their superior stalked out of the room and started barking orders at people.
Henry let out a breath as the door closed, smiling at Peggy gratefully. "I could practically feel his disapproval. Sharp man, that one."
Peggy didn't return the smile, her face a mask of cool, professional indifference now. "Be careful what you say and how loudly you say it; there are ears everywhere around here. If I didn't know any better, I would have drop-kicked you to the floor for saying such suspicious things in my H.Q.," she said, narrowing her eyes and glaring at him in reproach.
Henry's smile slipped, and he nodded to her, a bit uncomfortable. This was the first they'd been alone together in nearly eighteen hours, after a long and grueling interrogation to prove he was not, in fact, a spy for the Axis – the S.S.R. took security quite seriously – and then a quick evaluation of his skills both in the field and in the hospital. In all that time, they'd barely spoken a word to one another, and combined with the bombings yesterday neither of them had slept in about twenty-three hours.
They were both exhausted, mentally and physically, and now it seemed his only ally was starting to allow her fatigue to show.
"Is there anywhere we could get a few hours of sleep around here, Peggy?" he asked gently as she lifted a hand to rub at her head, evidently starting to suffer a headache.
"There is a small barracks on the main level, not far from here," Peggy admitted, blinking heavily but shaking her head stubbornly.
Henry grabbed his new uniform then paused, gallantly offering his arm to his companion. "Then might I suggest we catch an hour or two of sleep there? I could drop off my feet at any moment." Honestly he felt fine; he'd gone much longer without sleep, nearly a week last time he'd been forced, but he had no wish to repeat such a thing, and Carter looked like she could definitely use a break.
Peggy snorted, moving forward but not taking his arm, instead going past him, pushing the doors open and walking out into the main lobby of the S.S.R.'s headquarters, leaving Henry to trail after her quickly like a lost puppy. "I can't imagine a man like you fainting, Morgan. Although I have to admit, the sight would be rather comical; would you like me to carry you off as the knight in shining armor?"
He smirked, not bothered for once that they were garnering the attention of a few distracted underlings who weren't rushing about in a panic. "Well, if I'm to play the part of the fainting damsel, it seems only right that the one who can so easily break my nose would be the knight."
"Who ever said it has to be a 'damsel' to faint?" asked Peggy, who had stopped short to stand with hands on hips and glare at him, looking genuinely offended, and Henry mentally backed up a step as several spectating men sniggered.
"Ah, no one, really; however, the term 'damsel in distress' is the most common way of putting it…" Peggy's glare just kept getting darker, and Henry mentally cringed at the hole he'd dug himself into.
Straightening up in an almost regal position he remembered from years ago, back when he was the son of an important man, and said, "If I have offended you, Agent Carter, I am very sorry. It was not my intention. I've known of plenty men who have fainted, for a variety of occasions. One could not handle the smell of rotten eggs; another couldn't stand the sight of a drop of blood on the floor. I've heard a man shriek higher than any woman I have ever met when he saw a spider. When I was growing up, plenty of the older boys still cried if they were left alone in the dark. Men are completely capable of fainting and screaming at the same things women do; generalizing the actions to women was crude and deplorable, and I did not mean it."
He would have bowed, maybe, as tradition insisted and his training reminded him to, if Peggy had not stared at him, wide-eyed and a bit put out. "Ah," she muttered, "Apology accepted, Morgan, but you didn't need to get so formal for it. A simple 'sorry' would have done it."
But he could tell by the slight upturn of her lips and the faintest hint of pink on her cheeks meant she was well and truly flattered by the apology, whatever her arguments against it.
"True enough, Carter, but if this partnership of ours is ever going to work, I can't have you angry at me for a moment of male stupidity, and you can't have me walking all over your pride simply because of your gender," he admitted with a shrug, once again moving to follow after her to the barracks.
That got him a full-on smile, and she abruptly looped her arm in his and tugged, practically yanking him off his feet despite her apparent drowsiness.
"You know, Morgan, once one gets past the 'male stupidity', you're not so bad, despite your questionable usefulness in the field," she chuckled, obviously meaning it as a sort of half-compliment.
He grinned from behind her, still being led about, except now he had a leash. "Working with you, I have a feeling the 'male stupidity' won't last long, Agent Carter."
"That it won't, Agent Morgan. Welcome to the S.S.R., by the way. The badge looks good on you."
A/N: No matter how gallant and awesome Henry is, as a male who grew up in the early 1800's, he would be used to a very sexist way of thinking; therefore, I believe it sensible that he had a certain someone (in this case, Peggy Carter) to show him how to treat a lady. But don't worry; I have no intention of making this a Henry-Peggy romance. I suppose you could read it that way, if you wish, but that's not what I'm going for; they'll just be partners in crime. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Bye~!