Indiscretion

At about the time everyone forgot what the purpose of the work party was, after the typical pleasantries and were made and food ate, became the exact moment Peggy was glad she brought Angie along as her plus one. The formalities wore off after a while and she always found herself stuck between the men she worked with and their wives. The women were refreshing to speak with but after a while questions would come up that she had no way to answer appropriately. The men, she had enough of them during the day and she didn't need the added lack of sobriety. Angie however was quick to pass her a glance at any off-kilter comment or to divert attention with a colorful answer that never really answered any of their questions.

"Oh I don't think we've made spinsters of ourselves yet," Angie grinned over to Peggy.

"Hardly," Peggy responded, looking the other woman over. It was obvious the two of them shared a secret, but the ladies around the table assumed it was a joke or knowledge of which man the other was fond of or even stories of various lovers. Certainly none of the ladies around the tables or the men at the bar thought the pair's possible mystery lovers were each other.

"Carter!" She looked up to see Thompson waving her over to the bar. Peggy excused herself and made her way over. He handed her a glass. "It's that time again, drink up."

"I'm starting to think you're trying to get me drunk, Thompson." Peggy said as she carefully took the glass, sizing it up. Every hour it was drinks for the entire office and from the looks of it she was starting to see why they were all encouraged to bring along a plus one.

Jack leaned against the counter. "I'm trying to get everyone drunk, no discriminating," he pointed, "it's tradition."

"And is sticking our heads in the toilet the next morning tradition as well?" She downed the drink in an instant as the unspoken rule of the night dictated.
"Only the weak ones. Like Reids over there," he nodded across the bar to an agent slowly being coaxed home by his wife. Peggy watched for a moment before glancing back at him.

"How come you're the only one who came alone?" She asked. Even Daniel, who rarely went to these sorts of things, had brought his younger sister along.
Jack shrugged. "No one to bring," he had to shout to be heard, "War buddies don't live around here, Sister's married, Nephew's too young," he pointed his glass at Peggy, "don't have any roommates."

She looked over to Angie who was animatedly chatting away, and from the looks of it, trying to give the other women advice. Roommates. She almost laughed. A truth that hid a truth. It almost made her mad. All the other agents were able to kiss their girlfriends or wives while the best she got was generally close proximity. And maybe it was the dim lighting or the song playing or the alcohol in her system talking, but she was going to do something about that.

Peggy crossed over to Angie. She placed one hand on her shoulder and the other at her side and muttered, "come with me," in her ear.

The ladies, Angie included, likely assumed they were going to the restroom or retiring for the evening. It had taken all but a quick look to figure this out. She had picked up the skill during the war. Peggy drew Angie away from the party. When they passed the bathrooms, Angie glanced over at her. "Are we leaving?" She asked, "Something happen with Suspenders?"

On this side of the room the wall came out at an angle by the buffet table, enough so that if on the other side they would be concealed from the rest of the party. Peggy checked around, spotting no one. She caught Angie's arm and took them behind a nice-sized potted plant. "I just thought we could use some time away," As she spoke she took Angie's hands in her own. She placed a small kiss on her lips.

Angie kissed her back, moving her hand up to cup her face before drawing back. "Just a little time away?" she murmured.

"Mmhmm." Peggy stepped forward, pushing Angie back against the wall with her hands on her hips.

Smiling ear to ear, Angie pulled back again. "We're in public, you sure about this?" She asked more for Peggy's benefit. She couldn't care less if a bunch of suits caught them, but being that Peggy had to work with them every day, well, they didn't need another reason to put her low on the food chain.

Peggy nodded, "I'm sure."

-—-

Jack crossed the room. He wasn't going to admit it, but he was starting to feel the effects of his drinks. Most of the food left out at the buffet table had probably started to go bad but he had spied a few rolls still sitting out. It wasn't much but it would soak up some of the alcohol in his system.

What he spotted in the corner of his eye made him stop. Was that Peggy Carter over there? He thought she and her friend had left. He did a double take. Who the heck is Carter kissing?

It took him a moment to register. Her friend.

Her roommate.

Oh.

He backed up right into Sousa, nearly knocking him over.

"Watch it Thompson, had too much already?"

Jack gave him a dazed look before shaking it off into a thin smile. "Nope, I'm good. What are- Where are you going?"

Daniel gave him a weird look. He pointed over to the buffet table. "I was just going to grab something quick before I go." He made a motion to head over but Jack grabbed his shoulder.

He shook his head. "You don't want any of that, none of it's good after sitting out that long." He saw the look Sousa was giving him, like he really must have had a bit too much to drink. "just checked myself."

The other agent eyed him over, but shook his head. "Alright, I guess I'll have something when I get home."

"Sounds like you have a plan." He watched to make sure Sousa really left and let out a breath of air. Slowly he moved back to the bar, taking a stool where he could watch the other end of the room, calling out an agents name for drinks anytime one of them wandered too far in that direction.

From his position he was likely the only one who saw the two women leave, arms linked together all smiles and rosy cheeks.

-—-

"How was that party last night?" Daniel asked, lingering around her desk as she came in the next morning.

Peggy couldn't get the smile off her face from last night. "I had a wonderful time." In retrospect things easily could have become a right mess, but the knowledge that it didn't only made the memory that more delicious.

"You did?" He asked, sounding skeptical. It wouldn't have sounded so strange if she hadn't spent a good portion of the night looking utterly bored.

"It was a nice change of pace," she responded. Peggy looked down at the files on her desk, indicating a sense of finality to the discussion.

"Carter!" Thompson jerked is thumb for her to follow him out in the hall. Peggy glanced up at him, annoyed that she hadn't even sat down today before being called out. She shared a look with Sousa before dropping the file on her desk and going out to meet him.

"What could you want already?" Peggy asked in the hallway, a sharpness in her words that she tended to save up for him. Lord knew no work had been gotten done overnight.

He didn't answer; just lead her into the interrogation room. Curiosity piqued, she crossed the room and peered through the glass. The room was empty.

She straightened her back, steeling herself and putting up her walls. "What is this?"

"I should be asking you that."

She searched his face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Last night," Thompson started, "What were you thinking?"

Peggy leaned back, realizing what he was referring to. Her heart raced and her blood ran cold. She blinked and started towards the door. "That's none of your business."

He caught her by the arm. "Oh yes it is, I spent my night trying to make sure nobody else saw you."

She glared at him, shirked from his hold and stepped back. "I never asked for-"

"Don't pull that crap Carter." Thompson cut her off. "This isn't one of those things you can just say to hell with what anyone thinks."

"Your opinion doesn't mean much to me."

"Not my opinion." He shook his head, jaw set. "I couldn't care less what you do in your own home." Peggy shifted her gaze. "You know it too. There's nothing to prove here."

"Yes, because people can't mind their own business."

"I'm not saying this to be a jackass, you need to be careful."

"I don't need your protection," Peggy snapped.

They glared at each other in a bitter heated silence. It wasn't the first time he had incited her anger or she his and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

"Look, where do you think this is going to go?" Thompson said, his voice low. "There's no place for it. There's no moving forward for that sort of thing. You think if people saw you last night they'd laugh it off saying 'that Peggy Carter, always trying to be one of the boys' and move on?" Peggy rolled her eyes at that. "People lose their jobs over things like this. If the Chief saw you, then what would you do? You're actually a good agent and I don't particularly want to lose a good agent because of whether or not they happened to kiss their roommate."

She didn't have anything to say. Peggy mentally cursed Thompson's ability to both say something offensive and sort of kind in the same sentence. Instead of any witty comeback usually sitting at the edge of her lips she narrowed her eyes at him, said "I'll keep that in mind," with a trace of sarcasm and moved out the door.