I woke slowly and calmly the next morning. No resounding alarms, no Peggy shaking me to within an inch of my life as I fought against her, clinging to the warm confines of me bed as if my life depended on it. I glanced at the clock noting how early the hour was. It was currently 07:30am, thirty minutes before my alarm was set to sound. A quick scan of the room, the unoccupied bed and the delicate scent of Peggy's daily fragrance in the air, told me that she was already up. Probably off barking orders at a group of terrified recruits on an early morning run. The small window behind me was open a crack, allowing a cool breeze to creep in and sweep across the room, carrying the quiet voices of the soldiers and the delicate songs of the birds in the trees. I closed my eyes with a smile, dropping back onto the pillow and stretching out my tight limbs in preparation for the day ahead of me. Eventually, I slipped out from beneath the covers and shut myself away in the small bathroom, taking my time to thoroughly clean my body and face before focusing on my hair. As I wasn't going to be doing much practical work today I opted to leave it mostly down, just pulling the front away from my face and pinning half of it up, whilst the rest of the soft curls fell freely, sitting just below my collarbone.
I paused for a moment, assessing my face in the mirror before deciding that perhaps even a little makeup couldn't hurt. It was something that had seemed so irrelevant before I'd left England, but had now become a part of my life I sorely missed. Whilst I was appreciative of the opportunity I'd been given, I was markedly less appreciative of the sorry state I looked in most of the time. However, stiletto heels and a full face of makeup was hardly practical in this environment, and something I had been forced to wave goodbye to if I hoped to receive any sort of respect from the men around here. I opted for not much more than a slick of red lipstick and a small coat of mascara, pleased with the way a simple dash of makeup had made my lips look fuller and my eyes wider, revealing just a hint of the real Evelyn. My outfit choice was limited, with very few options offered whilst at the barracks, so I chose to keep it simple with a maroon skirt that pinched in at my waist and flowed to just below my knees, paired with a white blouse. I switched out my drab brown heeled brogues for a slightly prettier pair of burgundy ones to match my lipstick. I exited the bathroom, pausing for a moment in front of our floor length mirror to assess my appearance. A smile stretched across my lips as I straightened my skirt and adjusted my blouse, taking a few steps away before quickly backtracking and popping open another button with a smirk to my reflection, finally pleased with my perfected look. I swept my curls back over my shoulder, my smile replaced by a frown, that was quickly accompanied by an uncomfortable fluttering sensation in my chest as I attempted to convince my brazen inner voice that I had dressed nicely for myself and not, as my mind was suggesting, because I would be spending the day in the company of Howard. Even if I had dressed nicely because of him, it was just because I wanted to look good and feel confident when stepping into a new environment, not in the hopes of any romantic nonsense. Howard was insufferable and I had no interest in impressing him with anything other than my knowledge and mechanical expertise.
You keep telling yourself that Eve. I quickly shook myself from my thoughts when I spotted that my bedside clock was now displaying that it was 08:50 am. Clearly, I had taken a lot longer to get ready than I'd realised, but thankfully I had noticed with enough time to get across the camp to the entrance where I'd be meeting Mr Stark. I clambered over my bed, snatching up the small purse that hung on the bed post before sparing one last glance at myself in the mirror, straightening myself out one more time, then turning and hurrying through the door.
It took me no more than five minutes to get from one side of the camp to the other, my journey time decreased thanks to the shortcuts through buildings that Peggy had introduced me to. Despite only being here for two days, I'd mapped out the barracks in my head quite successfully and was able to easily find my way around already. My step faltered for less than a second as I rounded the corner, a shining maroon convertible Chevrolet standing proudly by the entrance gates, with its owner leaning equally as proudly against its side. Trust Howard Stark to turn up in such an outlandish vehicle, and one that would certainly ruin my hair at that. I laughed internally as I approached, careful not to let it show as I realised that I had unintentionally matched the colours of my outfit with the car, a coincidence I found most amusing.
"Good morning Eve." He greeted with a wide grin, a nod of his head and a wonderfully chipper attitude.
"Good morning Howard," I returned his greeting in like, my eyes scanning over his slightly more casual than usual attire, his jacket removed and slung over his shoulder revealing a grey shirt, maroon tie and suspenders. I laughed again, this time out loud as I realised that it wasn't only his car that I had unintentionally matched.
"That colour suits you," he commented with a wink, gesturing towards the varying shades of red that adorned my body, as though he had read my mind, "much more than that drab olive they have you all wearing around here."
"I must say that I wholeheartedly agree." I laughed in response, pointing towards his tie, "it suits you too... and the car." I turned towards the automobile, inspecting its shining paint and beautiful craftsmanship.
"She's gorgeous." I remarked, running my hand over the chrome detailing along the door, my attention focused on the vehicle rather than my company.
"Isn't she just." He replied quietly whilst, I noticed out of the corner of my eye, keeping his gaze locked on me. I turned my attention back to him, offering a shy smile in an attempt to mask the nervous fluttering that had erupted in my stomach. Silence fell in the space between us as we quietly watched each other for what felt like an eternity but must have only been seconds, before I broke the silence with a quiet cough.
"Shall we?" I suggested, twisting my purse strap in my fingers awkwardly.
"Of course." He grinned, appearing completely un-phased by our uncomfortable moment of silence and coolly swinging the passenger door open for me. He stepped back with the door, waving his hand and gesturing for me to take a seat, which I did with a quiet word of thanks. He closed the door gently behind me before circling the front of the car and hopping into the driver's seat, bringing the engine rumbling to life and pressing down on the pedal, sending us speeding out of Camp Lehigh's gates and off through the winding country roads.
As I had predicted, the open top of the car wasn't being especially kind to my hairdo, forcing me to wave hair away from my eyes and mouth frequently throughout our journey, much to Howards' amusement. I still had no idea where we were going or what we were doing, with only his very brief explanation yesterday to rely on. I knew he needed help with a problem, however, that problem and its location were a mystery to me.
"Where are we actually going, Howard?" I mumbled my query, removing yet another strand of hair that had wisped its way into my mouth, making me regret choosing to leave it down today.
"You'll see when we get there." He offered no real answer or explanation, sparing me only a quick glance and a particularly devilish looking smile.
"I swear to god Howard if we end up anywhere near your bedroom and its beautiful window views I will not be held responsible for my actions..." He barked out a loud laugh at my comment, keeping his eyes on the road as he composed himself.
"Oh, I don't doubt that Eve," He quipped, shooting me a brief yet dazzling smile before turning his attention back to the road. "But don't worry, I'll save that for another time." I groaned, exasperatedly brushing my hair from my face and sinking back into my seat, resigned to the fact that I would probably never get a straight or even moderately serious answer from this man.
Gradually the fields began to diminish and the country roads widened, alerting me to the fact that we were leaving the countryside and entering the city. I rose slightly in my seat as I realised where we were heading, the towering buildings rising slowly over the horizon as we got closer. My sudden peak in interest and excitement elicited a small smile from Howard, which I happily reciprocated.
"New York." I stated simply, to which Howard cheerfully nodded.
"The city that never sleeps," He muttered as he too admired the tall buildings. "The most beautiful city in the world." I huffed at this, raising an eyebrow and falling back into my seat.
"I'd have to beg to differ, I think you'll find that London holds that title." I argued, defending my home city proudly. Howard simply raised a sceptical eyebrow towards me followed by a frown.
"It has its perks, but wouldn't exactly call London 'beautiful', nothin' like New York." He remarked, motioning towards the fast approaching city with an air of pride about him.
"London is very beautiful!" I exclaimed, pretending to take offence to his sour words about my city. "Just in a slightly more... unconventional way." He seemed less than convinced by my words, chuckling at my feeble attempt at redeeming the city's image.
"Last time I was in London, a crazy drunk nearly took my head off!" I couldn't contain my amusement at this news, finding it all too believable and unsurprising that he would do something to elicit that reaction.
"Yes well, that's what happens when you frequent dance halls and flirt with the pretty brunette who already has a man." I remarked, making an educated guess as to why someone may have wanted to take a swing at Howard. He breathed out a laugh, a devious smirk stretching across his lips.
"Actually, if I remember rightly she was a blonde." I swatted him on the arm, sinking back into my chair with a wide grin plastered on my face, allowing us to fall into a comfortable and cheerful silence as we approached the city.
I had found myself silently retracting my earlier argument as we'd sped through the long city streets, winding through the tall grey buildings that reached into the sky. It might have been noisy and a little smelly, but New York was certainly beautiful, and whilst London was, mostly, my home and I loved it, it couldn't hold a candle to the busy city before me. I'd spent most of the journey focusing on the sights around me rather than where we were going. Considering I'd never been to New York before I wouldn't have had the foggiest where we were going anyway, even if I had been paying attention.
We'd mostly fallen into silence since entering the city, with Howard focusing on manoeuvring the busy roads whilst I marvelled at the sights around me. Every now and then he'd make a small comment or point out a place of interest, which mostly ended up being places he had encountered a beautiful woman or an angry man. However, every now and then he would point to a location, offering a tidbit of information about himself and his family, which I found to be far more interesting. I realised that I actually knew very little about the man beside me, apart from the scandals and successes that I'd read about in the papers. I was surprised to learn that his father had made his living selling fruit, which Howard had divulged as he pointed towards a small side-road that was home to a long row of market stalls. His comments ceased after I'd offered him an especially irate glare following a far too in depth retelling of an encounter he'd had with a particularly fiery red-head. He had quickly apologised, turning his attention back to the road as I turned mine back to sightseeing. I did, however, notice his eyes stray from the road once or twice, flicking over in my direction when he thought I was engrossed in the sights. I'd simply chosen to ignore him, silently praying we'd make it to our location soon so that I could escape from our close proximity for a little while.
It wasn't much longer before we turned off the main roads, heading away from the bustling city centre and onto quieter streets. A tall building loomed ahead of us, slightly less run-down than the others surrounding it. A large metal plaque over the front door displayed the Stark name, alerting me that this would most likely be our destination. The car slowed, coming to a stop right in front of the building as Howard promptly killed the engine. I leaned forward, scrabbling around at my feet to find my bag which I had thrown down there earlier, my fingers finding the strap just as my door opened. I climbed out of the vehicle, offering Howard a polite smile in thanks before heading towards the entrance.
"Miss Moore," he addressed me with a grin as he reached past and swung the door open, allowing me to enter before him.
"Why thank you, Mr Stark," I responded in like, allowing myself a small chuckle as I moved through the doorway, my heels clicking on the hard stone floor beneath me. A small desk sat to the right of the entrance, an incredibly bored and uninterested brunette perched behind it whilst she focused on the crossword she was puzzling over, her other hand twisting through the tight curls that hung at her neck. She slowly glanced up, taking little interest in us and briefly looking back down at her paper before doing a quick double take. A look of stunned horror flashed over her face before she quickly composed herself, immediately leaping to her feet with a wide grin.
"Mr Stark," She greeted her boss enthusiastically, leaving me to groan internally as she batted her eye lashes, smoothing out her skirt and twisting a curl around her finger. "I wasn't aware you'd be dropping in today."
Howard paused for a moment and I could practically see the cogs in his brain working overtime.
"Donna!" He clapped his hands together with a proud smile.
"Dianne." She corrected, her hand falling from her hair as she fought to keep her smile on her lips.
"Yeah, of course, that's what I meant," I raised my hand to my mouth, attempting to subtly cover my smirk to no avail, earning a brief yet fierce glare from the woman. "Agent Moore and I have some important work to do today, so if you could see to it that we're not disturbed I would be very grateful."
"Of course, Mr Stark." She offered him a tight smile and cast a lowered glance at me before dropping back down into her chair and turning her attention back to her puzzle. I was startled slightly as Howards' hand came to rest on the small of my back, directing me towards the doorway to our left. I obliged, pushing the door open and stepping through as I still fought to contain my giggles, practically feeling the insulted receptionist's eyes burning holes into my back. Once the door had closed behind us, I playfully slapped Howards' arm, finally releasing my laughter.
"You are truly awful," the frown on my face wasn't nearly as convincing as I would have hoped, the corners of my lips tugging upwards in amusement.
"Aw c'mon Eve I can't be expected to remember every girls' name." He defended weakly, continuing to lead the way to our destination.
"Oh, goodness no, I'm sure there are far too many of them for that," I commented quietly, my attention more focused on the space around me, though I didn't fail to notice the dejected frown that furrowed his brows. "Although you've managed to remember mine so far, so that's something." He chuckled at that, holding another door open as he gestured for me to go through.
"Ah well, you're not just 'every girl'. I'm sure I'll ever forget about you." He responded with a wink, pausing to unlock the large doors that now stood before us.
"Oh Howard, you do know how to make a girl feel special." I fanned my face dramatically before placing one hand over my heart and using the other to wipe away an invisible tear. He rolled his eyes at my little show, shoving open the now unlocked door and marching through, allowing it to swing shut before I could enter. I heard his quiet chuckle as I huffed out a breath, pushing the door open myself and following him into the room. He ignored the few choice words I offered him, instead busying himself with turning on the lights.
"Oh, pipe down Eve," I crossed my arms over my chest, trying but failing to hold my mask of irritation as he shot me a truly heart melting smile. "I gotta show you something." He took my hands in his, leading me further into the room and towards something very large and covered in a dust sheet, peaking my curiosity as I considered what could possibly lay beneath.
"This is a very important part of Project Rebirth," He announced, grabbing the sheet and ripping it off to reveal a large metal chamber with a small glass window on the front, "At least, it will be once I work out what's wrong with it."
I examined the machine with a renewed interest and excitement, running my hands over the cool metal as I inspected every inch of the device. Howard watched on in amusement as I marvelled over the contraption like a child in a toy shop.
"You made this?" I asked curiously as I continued my close inspection, "What's wrong with it?"
"Yes, designed and built myself," He clapped his hands together, proudly scanning over his work with a smile, "and I have no idea, I was hoping you could tell me." I ceased my inspection to glance towards him, an eyebrow raised in expectancy.
"You're going to have to give me a little more information than that..."
He grabbed my hand, leading me around to the front of the machine where the door sat, open just a fraction. He indicated for me to watch as he reached towards a lever, pulling it forcefully down as he observed the door. It began to swing shut, the small gap disappearing as it closed. The noise that followed had me grimacing as the metal groaned and screeched, attempting to seal the door before giving up and allowing it to swing open once again. I chewed my lip thoughtfully for a moment before turning to Howard.
"Well... the door won't shut." I stated very obviously, my collected expression holding as Howard remained silent, blinking at me in exasperation.
"Yes, I had worked out that much myself. I was hoping you might offer a bit more insight." I dropped my mask at his tone, descending into laughter as he watched me in disbelief.
"Let me take a look at it, I think I know exactly what's wrong." He seemed sated by my words, rolling his eyes as he waved a dismissive hand at me, allowing me to get on with what I had to.
It didn't take me long to find the source of the problem, and though Howard didn't look overly comfortable with me picking apart his creation, he stayed back and allowed me to work. I quickly realised that perhaps a skirt and heels hadn't been the best choice for today, though in my defence, I hadn't been expecting to spend my day on my hands and knees, pulling a machine to pieces before re-assembling it. The issue was a long but easy fix, and I found myself sceptical about how Howard could have missed it himself. It had taken me most of the day to rectify the issue with complete and utter certainty. Most of this time Howard had spent either peering over my shoulder or avoiding my stern glares and orders to stop peering over my shoulder. I released a sigh, pulling myself to my feet and grabbing a cloth to wipe my hands. I waved for Howard to join me, removing the last smudge of oil from my fingers before dropping the rag onto the table beside me.
"Try it now," I instructed, and Howard quickly complied, pulling the lever once again and watching in anticipation. The door swung closed, as it had before, the locks falling into place as it sealed tightly shut. We watched with bated breath, waiting for the same grating screech that we had heard earlier, yet it never came. The locks remained in place, holding the door steadily closed. I released a quiet hum of appreciation at my work, resting my hands on my hips and shooting Howard a satisfied smile.
"Evelyn Moore, you are truly amazing." He praised, rushing forward to inspect the door and confirm that it was sealed shut and safe for use.
"Well yes, that is correct." I confirmed, brushing my hair off my shoulder with a sigh, matching Howard's grin.
"What the hell was wrong with it?"
"Hydraulic Cylinder Drift," I explained simply, to which he nodded thoughtfully, "the piston seal was leaking, meaning it couldn't complete the process and seal the door. It was actually very simple I'm not sure how you missed it." He ignored my last comment, throwing an arm around my shoulder and squeezing me in a one-armed hug. I frowned at his closeness, never really being one for hugs, though I allowed his arm to stay where it was, finding myself in no rush to remove him from me.
"This is cause for celebration!" He exclaimed, leading me away from the machine before releasing me and reclaiming the sheet that had covered it earlier. I watched on as he concealed his precious creation, patting the cold metal on the side as if he were praising a pet dog. "You deserve proper thanks for your exemplary work today."
"Oh...? And what might that entail?" I queried, beginning to feel sure that I wouldn't be keen on the answer.
"You and I are going to dinner," He seemed proud of his idea, certain that I would feel flattered and jump at the chance of dinner with him, "my treat, of course."
"I'm not exactly dressed for dinner," I complained, directing his gaze towards my outfit and the greasy marks that still stained my skin. He laughed at my disheartened expression, banishing my concerns with a quick wave.
"There's a bathroom down the hall where you can clean off your hands, and as for your outfit, I think you look beautiful and perfectly dressed for dinner." I fought against the warm flush that had spread through my cheeks, allowing my hair to fall over my face as I focused my attention down at my skirt. I flattened out the fabric whilst I composed myself, finally looking back up at an expectant Howard. He watched me silently, patiently waiting for my response. I eventually breathed a sigh, resigning myself to the evening ahead.
"Where is this bathroom?" My answer confirmed my agreement and left Howard with a pleased grin, which I swiftly ignored as I followed his directions out of the room and towards the bathroom. I took much longer than I needed, making sure to scrub any signs of dirt off my skin before ensuring my hair and makeup were perfectly in place. I topped up my lipstick, fiddling with my curls once more before deciding I couldn't put off the inevitable any longer and exiting the bathroom. I was met with the smirking face of Howard, who promptly offered his arm and led me back towards the reception. I ignored the sour looks we received from Dianne as we passed, her attention homed in on my hand which linked with his arm. Deciding to stir the pot just a little more, I shot her a smug smile over my shoulder, batting my eyelashes for good measure, finding myself thoroughly amused by the way her scowl slipped only to be replaced by a displeased awe. I didn't think Howard had noticed my childish display until we were both seated in the car and he shot me an incredulous yet entertained look.
"If I have to find a new receptionist now, I hold you entirely to blame." I gawped at his comment, unable to hide my laughter.
"Oh? You don't think it might have anything to do with the fact you called her by the wrong name?!"
"Not at all, my natural charm makes it hard for people to hold a grudge," He shrugged, ignoring my increasing laughter, "You, however..." I attempted to slap his arm, however he anticipated my reaction this time, scooting in his seat and causing me to miss, instead hitting the back of his chair.
"You're extremely violent, you know that?" He laughed, turning back in his seat and starting the car's engine.
"I am aware, and you'd think that fact would prompt you to be a little nicer to me." I answered, shooting him my most threatening glare, which was quickly swept away by a grin as he feigned fear. I sat back in my seat, taking a deep breath to make up for the oxygen I'd lost whilst laughing so hard, the car jolting underneath me as we pulled away from the curb.
"That would be no fun at all." He quipped, his voice quiet as a smile crept onto his lips.
The restaurant was quiet, offering us a wide choice of tables to occupy. I suppose with a war going on, there weren't many people taking a night off to go out to dinner. I still felt slightly under-dressed for the occasion, yet Howards' presence somehow managed to quell my discomfort, helping me to relax. He was ever the gentleman, making sure to pull out my chair for me before I sat, and handling the task of ordering our drinks for us before handing me a menu. I grimaced slightly as I perused the options, noticing the less than savoury prices beside them, which didn't go unnoticed by Howard.
"Order whatever you like Eve," He reassured with a gentler than usual smile, "without you, Project Rebirth would be at a standstill, you deserve a treat." I allowed myself a small moment of pride, smiling at my accomplishment before pulling my bottom lip in between my teeth. I chewed at the skin as I scanned the menu, eventually making a decision and hesitantly relaying my order to Howard, which he then relayed to our waiter. We sat in silence for a few minutes, me sipping at my drink whilst Howard watched me, a curious edge to his expression. I made eye contact over my glass a couple of times, shifting under his gaze before I placed the glass back down and sighed.
"Why are you staring at me?" I asked with a frown.
"Am I not allowed to stare at a beautiful woman?" He responded with a smirk, to which I rolled my eyes and raised a disbelieving brow. He chuckled, realising my scepticism. "I'm just trying to figure you out, Evelyn Moore."
"What is there to figure out?" I asked, not expecting the honest answer he had given me, having become used to his jovial comments.
"A damn lot it would seem," He laughed, resting his arms on the table, "Tell me, how did you end up learning five languages?" I laughed, shifting into a more comfortable position and cocking my head in thought before replying.
"Well, English is my first language, as you know, but when I was around nine years old, a boy joined my class who spoke only French. As you can imagine, he had trouble communicating so, little Eve took it upon herself to learn his language in an attempt to understand. As it turns out, I had quite the knack for languages, and after learning one, couldn't seem to stop myself." Howard remained silent, listening intently as I explained myself. "Once I'd mastered French, I went looking for something a little different, and ended up learning Spanish, which is a beautiful language, but I got bored of it quite quickly as I found it so easy. That's when I started learning Russian." He perked up at this, raising his eyebrows in interest and disbelief. I breathed a laugh, understanding his reaction. "Russian proved to be much more difficult, however it only took me a couple of years to master it. I hadn't intended on learning another, but when the war started and we were tasked with intercepting German codes, I thought it might be handy to know what I was reading."
He watched me in slight disbelief, that same glint of pride in his eyes that I had seen when I defended myself in Colonel Phillips office a few days earlier. I shrugged my shoulders with a smile, waiting for a response now that I'd finished speaking.
"You decided to learn Russian because you found Spanish was too easy," He repeated what I'd said with a quiet laugh, "You sure are somethin', Eve." I raised a brow with a smile, assuming that the something he was talking about was a good thing, and meant as a compliment.
"And what about your mechanics? Just woke up one morning and decided to fix the toaster?" His comment forced a laugh from me, but it quickly died down as memories began to flood my mind. I picked at my nails anxiously as I considered what to say, not entirely sure I really felt like telling him the sad truth right now.
"My brother was a mechanic," The words had tumbled out of my lips before I'd had a chance to finish considering them. His smile faltered as he noticed my hesitance, sending me a look that told me not to say anything I didn't want to. Unfortunately, my mouth had already bypassed any thought processes and before I knew it I was continuing.
"My father taught him everything he knew, and after we lost him in the first war, Charlie clung to it. I suppose it was something that helped him to feel connected like he hadn't completely lost him. Obviously, as a young girl I wasn't encouraged into mechanics, but seeing how it gave Charlie some sort of peace, I decided I wanted to feel the same. I bothered him for weeks before he finally relented," I paused, chuckling slightly at the fond memory before continuing. "We spent hours in my dad's old workshop, Charlie teaching me everything he knew. Turns out I had a knack for mechanics too. It didn't help me feel closer to my father, not in the same way it did for Charlie, but it gave me a connection with my brother that I hadn't had before. I suppose that's what made me love it." I paused then, my brain finally catching up with my mouth as I realised I'd most definitely let far too much information fall from my lips. I cast a worried glance towards Howard, yet I didn't see surprise in his eyes, or even pity, just understanding.
"Your brother sounds like a great guy." He offered, to which I responded with a sad smile.
"He is..." I began, before correcting myself, "Was."
"Was?" Howard asked quietly, anxious to press me but noticing how the atmosphere around us had sunk with my words.
"He was stationed in Corregidor," I began quietly, a flash of sudden understanding in Howards' eyes, "killed in action. I received the letter just before I travelled to America." He didn't respond immediately, taking a moment to allow me silence to grieve such a recent loss.
"I'm so sorry Eve," He reached across the table, placing a gentle hand over mine in an effort to comfort me. I focused on our hands for a moment, feeling the warmth of his skin on mine, the way it made my own tingle under his touch. I sucked in a deep breath, closing my eyes as I composed myself, opening them to meet Howards' eye. I didn't speak, feeling as though "Thank you" wasn't a sincere enough response, yet not knowing what else to say. So instead I send him a small smile and a nod, relaying my thanks without having to utter a word. Our peace was quickly broken by the presence of our waiter beside us, who placed our food on the table with a few quiet words before hurrying away. We spent the rest of the meal mostly in silence, though not the kind of silence that makes you uncomfortable and anxious. It was more like a silence between old friends, the kind of friends who didn't need words to communicate, but could simply feel what the other was feeling. We did maintain a light conversation, though we avoided any deep topics, sticking mainly to simple questions and answers about ourselves, favourite colour and the like. Howard even managed to utilise his quick wit to coax a laugh from me a couple of times, lightening the mood considerably. I had let out a particularly loud laugh when he had suggested that he would take me dancing one day, a thought I was thoroughly amused by. While I was definitely one for dancing, I refused to ever give Howard Stark the satisfaction of thinking I would go on anything that even remotely resembled a date with him. A thank you dinner between friends seemed to have boosted his ego quite enough for me. I didn't want to see what an actual date would do.
The drive back to Camp Lehigh was spent in much the same way, mostly silence. The sun had long sunk below the horizon by this point, leaving us to manoeuvre our way through the country lanes in darkness. I didn't mind this though, the journey seeming much more enjoyable now that stars were scattered in the darkness above us, the moon lighting our way. I lay my head back in my chair, tracking the constellations as I hummed, reciting a quiet lullaby my mother had sung to me and my brother as children. It had always filled me with a sense of calm, allowing me to forget any worries. I glanced over at Howard, whose eyes were focused on the road ahead. He spared me a quick look before resuming his driving, a smile playing on his lips that was so faint it was barely noticeable. Yet I noticed it. A similar smile crept onto my face as I turned away from him, continuing to hum my song as I watched the bushes and trees fly by.
Before long, we were pulling back in through the gates of Camp Lehigh, rolling to a stop as the engine cut out. I straightened in my seat, twisting the strap of my purse in my lap as I waited for Howard to round the car and open my door.
"Let me walk you back to your room," He offered, less of a command like it had been the previous night, and more of a hopeful suggestion.
"Even if I said no I'm sure you would anyway." I commented, beginning to walk away from him in the direction of my room.
"It's like you've known me my whole life." He laughed, falling into step beside me. We crossed the Camp slowly, taking the longer route with the excuse that we didn't want to wake anyone by cutting through the buildings at this hour. It took us slightly longer to reach my building than it taken me this morning, both of us coming to a stop outside the doors. I turned back to face Howard, a strong sense of Deja Vu hitting me as we stood in the same positions as we had the previous night. I picked at the hem of my shirt sleeve, once again unsure of how I should take my leave.
"Thank you for dinner Howard." I settled with a simple thanks, followed by a friendly smile.
"You're welcome, thank you for helping me fix the chamber." I nodded at his response, noticing how he shifted slightly on his feet.
"You're welcome." He grinned as I repeated his words before silence fell between us again.
"Well... Goodnight Howard." I dismissed myself, turning to leave before pausing at the door as he called my name.
"Eve wait," I turned back towards him, waiting for him to continue. "What would you say if I asked you on a date?" His usual wall of confidence was up, a cheeky smirk on his lips as he waited for my answer. Though there were cracks in his wall, like the way he shifted on his feet, or picked at the loose thread on his pocket, betraying flaws in his façade of confidence. I breathed out a laugh, defiantly crossing my arms over my chest.
"I would say in your dreams Howard Stark." He gave me the reaction I'd expected, a deep laugh and a wide grin.
"I thought you might say that," He nodded, swinging his jacket over his shoulder and sticking his hand in his pocket. "But I'm not going to give up on asking until you say yes." I rolled my eyes, suppressing my grin as I turned away from him.
"Goodnight Howard." I offered a wave over my shoulder as I pulled the door open and stepped inside, allowing it to swing shut behind me.
"Goodnight Evelyn." His quiet response slipped through the door before it closed, coaxing a small smile from my otherwise composed expression.
I opened the door to my room as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb Peggy in case she'd gone to bed early. No such luck of course. She sat in bed clutching a book which she promptly flipped shut as I entered. I grimaced as I noticed the clock on her bedside read 10:45 pm. A bit later than I'd expected to get back.
"Nice day Eve?" She asked innocently, with a not so innocent smile on her face. I decided that I wouldn't let her attempts to embarrass me work, turning and sending her a polite smile.
"Lovely day, thank you," I replied, throwing my bag down on the bed and slipping my shoes off, "Got lots of important work done, it was very productive." She raised a dubious eyebrow at the lack of detail in my re-telling of the day as I grabbed my night clothes and retreated to the bathroom.
"Howard didn't cause too much trouble then?" She called out through the door that I'd left open.
"Nothing I couldn't handle." I replied, focusing on cleaning my face and unpinning my hair before changing. I returned to the bedroom, receiving a look from Peggy that said, "I'll find out all your secrets eventually", and I didn't doubt it. However, I chose to ignore her stares, offering a cheerful good night before hopping into bed and pulling the covers up to my neck. I received a good night in return before the lights were flicked off, plunging the room into darkness and luring me into a deep, and not so dreamless, sleep.