I awoke to a strong sense of excitement and eagerness for what was sure to be an amusing day ahead, a sentiment that was shared between Peggy and me. We dressed quickly, both disregarding our standard issued uniform today as we climbed into trousers and cargo boots. The both of us had been called into Colonel Phillips office for a quick discussion the previous evening, arranged to inform us of a slight change in training plans for today. While the usual sergeants were still available to oversee the recruits, the Colonel had decided that he would prefer for Peggy and me to lead the training today, due to our experience and abilities in this particular area, specifically mine. Of course, we had gladly accepted our orders, looking forward to facing the reactions of the recruits in the morning. We were ready in record time, Peggy's hair pinned into an intricate and tidy style at the back of her head, whilst I opted for a more natural style, the front of my hair pulled away from my eyes and pinned into a tight twist, leaving the other half of my curls to fall messily onto my shoulders. I reasoned that it was likely going to end up a mess anyway, so I might as well not bother. I slipped my arms into my jacket, fastening the buttons down the front before shooting Peggy a smile. She followed my lead, buttoning her own jacket and heading to the door as I tailed her.
She offered me a grin as we approached the recruits, her hands clasped together behind her back as she sucked in a deep breath, scanning the men before us with a twitch of her lips.
"Would you care to do the honours?" She asked me as we approached.
"Oh absolutely," I chuckled, throwing my shoulders back and lifting my chin, picking up my pace as the recruits acknowledged our arrival. "Recruits! Attention!" My voice commanded, effectively herding the men into line where they waited quietly and patiently for their orders. I nodded appreciatively at their quick response to my instruction before politely allowing them to stand at ease.
"Todays' training is going to take a slight change of pace to previous days. Unfortunately, it will be just as strenuous, but it will also take at least a small amount of thought. I know this may seem daunting to some of you, having not accessed your brains for a while, but I trust you will all put in just as much effort as you have so far." The men all listened curiously, a few rolling their eyes at my jab yet still interested to find out what was in store for them this morning.
"Today we will be focusing on hand-to-hand combat," A few of the men perked up at this, most likely reminiscing on the various bar brawls they had engaged in. I quickly moved to correct their thinking. "This isn't going to compare you socking some fella in a back-alley bar while you're buzzed off your favourite booze. We want you to be better, smarter, and far more dangerous than that. Which is why you lucky boys have been assigned the SSR's most highly trained in hand-to-hand combat to teach you all you need to know." This comment elicited hushed yet excited whispers, both Peggy and I biting back our smiles as the men considered who might be training them. One man caught my attention as he stepped forward.
"Agent Moore, ma'am," He addressed me formally as I turned to face him, meeting the eyes of Steve Rogers, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Might I ask who it is that'll be training us today." I narrowed my eyes playfully, his logical mind jumping to the correct conclusion long before any of the other men.
"Of course, Rogers, you're looking at them," I replied simply, raising an expectant eyebrow as the men behind him fell into silence. He simply smirked, nodding silently as he fell back into line.
"I'm sorry ma'am, but are you saying that you will be training us today?" Another one of the soldiers asked warily, the rest of the men waiting expectantly for my answer.
"Is there a problem with that soldier?" I queried, crossing my arms over my chest and cocking my head to the side with a smile.
"No, not at all..." He hesitated, his gaze falling from mine as he wrung his hands together. "I just think most of the men here might be opposed to fighting a woman." He spoke as respectfully as he could, offering a small shrug before adding, "We wouldn't wanna hurt you."
I breathed a laugh, stepping forward and clapping a hand on his shoulder as I looked past him, addressing the men who watched on from behind.
"You needn't worry about Agent Carter and I. In fact, I can say with great certainty that we are far more competent fighters than most of you here." I received a few raised eyebrows and mumbles of disagreement at this, only fuelling my determination more.
"Hodge!" I called, motioning for my least favourite recruit to approach me, not missing the way he had loudly bragged about his long list of successful brawls earlier. "How about you show me what you can do since you seem to be so very confident in your abilities."
He hesitated uncharacteristically as he approached, stopping two feet or so away from me as he eyed me warily. "Ma'am...?"
"Hit me, Hodge," I ordered simply, "Or, try to. Please don't hold back."
He glanced back nervously over his shoulder at his comrades behind him, receiving only small shrugs and looks of defeat. Clearly, as much as he liked to talk a big talk, and very obviously hated me, the prospect that he might actually succeed in physically hurting me had him nervous. He turned back to me, sighing as he fell into a fighting stance, holding his fists up in front of him as he prepared to strike. He threw a half-hearted punch in my direction, which I batted away with an exasperated sigh.
"What did I say, Hodge? Don't. Hold. Back." I spoke slowly and with command, noticing how his jaw clenched as I spoke. He huffed out a breath, raising his fists before him once again as he squared his shoulders. This time he threw his weight into the punch, launching his fist towards me with renewed strength and purpose. I smiled at his effort and the nervous shifting of the men behind him. Unfortunately, the power behind his punch made little difference to its effectiveness, only serving to throw him slightly off balance as I stepped to the left, his fist sailing past me. I grabbed his wrist, twisting his arm uncomfortably as I swept my leg towards the back of his calves. My grip on his arm had thrown him off balance, meaning one fell swoop of my leg was all it took to send him crashing to the ground. His arm was still firmly grasped in my hand as I dropped to one knee beside him, using my free forearm to press down on his throat, successfully pinning him and leaving him at my mercy. He could do nothing more than stare up at me with wide eyes, still stunned by my actions and how easily I had taken him down. I remained professional, fighting off my grin as I arched an eyebrow at his stunned form.
"Unfortunately, Gilmore, you're dead." I sighed, releasing him from my hold and climbing to my feet as I offered him a hand. He took it gratefully if with a little embarrassment, allowing me to tug him to his feet before brushing off his uniform and no doubt attempting to re-piece what was left of his dignity. "If a hundred-pound woman can do that, imagine what a German soldier could do."
A slow clap from behind caught my attention as I twisted towards the source of the noise. I groaned internally as I noticed a familiar face approaching.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side Agent Moore," Howard grinned, shoving his hands in his pockets as he smirked at me, shooting a quick wink. "Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might have a quick word?" I bit my tongue, fighting the urge to kick him before turning back to the recruits.
"Join with a partner, Agent Carter will take it from here," I instructed, nodding quickly at Peggy as I avoided meeting her eye before turning towards Howard, my steps quick yet controlled as I hurried to get this over with. He strolled casually behind me as I put enough distance between myself and the recruits to keep our words private, turning to face him once I deemed us far enough away. I watched him expectantly, waiting for him to break the silence between us and tell me what the hell he wanted. He remained silent, eyeing my outfit with an amused smirk as he reached out his hand, brushing away a blade of grass that had somehow ended up tangled in my hair during mine and Hodges' scuffle. I rolled my eyes, waving away his hand with a huff as I rested my hands on my hips.
"Howard." His name on my lips caught his attention as his eyes flicked away from my body and back to my eyes. I widened my eyes at him, shaking my head as he finally opened his mouth to speak.
"So, have you put any more consideration into my offer of dancing?" I glared at him in stunned silence, shaking my head as I ground my teeth.
"You interrupted training to ask me to go dancing with you?" My irritation was plain on my face, further confirmed by the way I practically spat out the words.
"No, but I thought what the heck, I'm nothing if not persistent." His response didn't surprise me, only managing to irk me even more.
"Yes, I had noticed," I groaned, earning another smirk from him as he lounged back against the building, his hands casually rested in his pockets. His blasé attitude was grinding at me, leaving me eager to get back to training and as far away from him as possible.
He reached out to me, taking one of my loose curls in his hand and twisting it gently around his finger as he observed it with a thoughtful smile, his hand brushing my collarbone in passing.
"Your hair looks pretty like this. You should wear it loose more often." I frowned with a grumble, batting away his hand and ignoring the way he rolled his eyes as I shot a quick glance over my shoulder to see if anyone had noticed his actions.
"Howard, what do you want?"
"I wanted to pick your brain on something," He explained, eliciting a raised brow and a look that told him to continue. He sure knew how to catch my attention. "Perhaps over dinner?"
My narrowed eyes gave him all the answer he needed as he chuckled quietly, raising his hands in acceptance of my refusal. Though as he said, he was nothing if not persistent.
"How about we compromise with a few drinks instead?" He suggested, noticing my resolve crumble as I considered his offer, if for nothing more than to end this interaction.
"Fine, if I say yes will you go away?" I barked in exasperation, a smile lighting up his face.
"I won't bother you for a moment. It'll be like I don't even exist." He promised with a hand raised in pledge.
"If only." I groaned, accepting the arrangement and turning to leave.
"Aww c'mon Eve, you don't mean that. You'd miss me too much." He called after me as I continued to walk away, shaking my head as a smile crept onto my lips. As much as I wanted to deny it, he was right.
"I'll pick you up this evening around seven." He called out once again, causing me to cringe at his loud announcement that the recruits, and Peggy, surely would have heard. I waved a dismissive hand in acknowledgment as I returned to the recruits, all of whom were heavily engaged in their training. Excellent, now I had to spend yet another evening with Howard Stark. I argued that this was becoming far too frequent for my liking, but a voice in the back of my mind refuted my claims, noting the way my heart beat just that little bit faster when he looked at me, and how I had already planned in my head to wear my hair down later. Damn my emotions.
The rest of the days training went well, most of the men picking up our instruction quickly and easily. Some had needed a little extra direction, which Peggy and I gladly offered, taking them step-by-step through the best ways to handle and respond to each different attack. I had to admit, I had enjoyed fighting with the men much more than I probably should have, a sentiment I could tell was mirrored by Peggy. Once they'd finally loosened up about the fact they were fighting against and being trained by women, the recruits had improved exponentially, throwing themselves into the training with just as much vigour and dedication as we could have hoped for. I smiled as I noticed Hodge successfully carry out the same maneuver that I had earlier, bringing his opponent to the ground with ease, a satisfied smirk on his face as he noticed me nod approvingly in his direction.
I glanced down at my wrist, turning to Peggy and tapping at my watches face to indicate the time, to which she nodded in agreement. My attention returned to the recruits, holding my hand up to signify that they should stop.
"I think that's enough for today," I called out as they dropped their fighting stances, catching their breath as they turned to face me. "Every one of you has done exceptionally well today, I'm very impressed." They all appeared surprisingly pleased by my rare show of commendation, something which I didn't too often award.
"Don't forget what you've learned today, it could save your life." I paused before focusing my attention on one recruit in particular. "Hodge, come here." He approached me, slightly less anxiously than earlier, yet still carrying a hint of caution in his movements.
"I'd like to give you a chance to redeem yourself after your spectacular failure earlier," I explained, and a smile flashed across his lips, clearly much more confident than he had been a few hours ago. I batted my eyelashes, brushing my hair off my shoulder with a smile. "If you can sweep me off my feet, I'll allow your weekend pass to extend into Monday."
He laughed at my suggestive choice of words, the prospect of an extra day off training far too good to miss out on. He nodded in agreement, taking a small step back before falling into a fighting stance. I slipped my jacket off my shoulders, flinging it away from us and quickly mirroring his movements. I grinned at the tense silence that had descended on the group, all watching on in anticipation as they waited for one of us to make the first move. As I had nothing but patience, and Hodge was a brute of a man, he attacked first, predictably swinging his fist at me which I lazily dodged. I released a low laugh as he swung back around to face me.
"You're going to have to do better than that."
My words sparked something in him as he rushed forward, managing to grasp my wrist as I held it defensively in front of me. He twisted it in his grip, bringing my arm behind my back in an attempt to pin me in place. Luckily, I was far nimbler than he had anticipated, turning expertly and ducking under his arm, successfully freeing myself from his hold and delivering a quick elbow to his stomach. He grunted as I knocked the air out of him, stalling only momentarily before returning to our spar.
He threw another punch at me in the same way as he had earlier, prompting me to grab his arm and attempt the same take-down. Unfortunately, it seemed that over the last few hours, Hodge had grown some semblance of a brain, anticipating my response. He easily dodged my leg, turning my advantage back on me as he spun in a far more calculated and graceful way than one would have ever expected a man of his size and stature to be capable of. Somehow, he managed to slip from my grasp, my arm becoming trapped in his strong grip as he swept his leg under mine. I toppled backward, landing on my back with a hard thud, the wind knocked out of me as I spluttered out a cough. While I was stunned by how he had actually managed to take me down, I was immensely pleased by how much he had improved in such a short amount of time. Of course, it wouldn't have been so easy for him if I hadn't gotten so cocky. Though my failure didn't bother me as much as it may have normally.
I heard a few gasps from the recruits as they observed me in my position on the ground. Hodges' eyes had grown wide, his success overshadowed by the fear that had washed over him in that moment. My expression of shock quickly dissipated, replaced by one of amusement as I barked out a laugh, coughing slightly as my lungs grasped to reclaim the air that had been knocked out of me as I hit the ground. I practically felt the relief leave Hodge as he noticed my amusement, gladly taking the hand he held out for me and allowing myself to be hauled to my feet. I clapped a congratulatory hand on his shoulder, sending him a wide grin before offering my hand. He accepted my gesture with a firm shake before releasing my hand and taking a small step back.
"Well done." I praised quietly.
"Thank you, ma'am." He responded proudly, clasping his hands together behind his back with a respectful nod.
"If you all fight like that, the Germans won't stand a chance." I practically beamed, a sentiment which the recruits mirrored as their anxieties over my safety waned. "I think you've all earned a break. The rest of the afternoon is yours to do with as you please." A few appreciative cheers and rounds of laughter spread amongst the soldiers, all grateful to be granted a welcome rest. "Get out of here before I change my mind." I called out to them, receiving a few 'yes ma'am's' and sincere nods of thanks. I watched them leave before turning back to Peggy, who watched me with an arched brow.
"What's going on Eve, not on your A-game today." She smirked as I approached her. I frowned, reaching up to rub at my aching shoulder, rolling it slightly to relieve the ache from where I had landed on it.
"He got lucky," I grumbled, my faux annoyance soon breaking as I allowed myself a small smirk. She threw her head back in laughter, squeezing my injured shoulder as I winced.
"Ah of course, so it wasn't to do with the fact your mind is elsewhere? And by elsewhere I mean stuck on Howard Stark." I narrowed my eyes at her comment as she batted her lashes at me innocently, a smirk playing on her lips. "Come on let's go get something to eat and you can tell me all about what Stark wanted earlier." I groaned, having forgotten the fact that it was arranged for Howard and I to have drinks later, a piece of news I wasn't at all eager to tell Peggy about.
"Perhaps it won't be as terrible as you think," Peggy suggested hopefully, her face not quite conveying the same certainty that her voice did. "There's always a chance he actually does just need your help with something..." I shot her a dubious look, not convinced.
"And he couldn't do that in a professional setting?" I inquired, chuckling at the way Peggy's face contorted as she shrugged her shoulders. I turned to face the mirror, pulling my brush through my hair before smoothing out my curls. I'd pulled a small piece of hair from either side of my face, twirling and securing them into perfect barrel curls. I admired myself for a moment, biting my lip as I fiddled with a curl that hung loosely over my shoulder. I twisted it around my finger in the same way as Howard had earlier, recalling the quick flutter of my heart whilst his hand had ghosted past my collarbone. Every minute I spent with him on my mind successfully chipped away at my resolve, my arguments for why I couldn't stand him growing weaker day-by-day. It wasn't that he had done wrong by me. In fact, he had been nothing but wonderful to me since the day we had met. Yes, he had flirted and teased me mercilessly, which was beyond irritating. But his actions hadn't been anything more than the playful advances that you would expect from him, never pushing me into enduring anything that he thought might upset me. Whilst I wasn't about to declare my love for the man or hop into bed with him, perhaps I could afford to loosen up a little. After all, I could use another friend around here. My train of thought was cut off as I spotted Peggy in my reflection where she leaned over my shoulder.
"Here," She handed me a small golden tube, a kind smile on her lips. "You're not Evelyn Moore without a splash of colour."
I nodded in agreement, gratefully taking the tube from her, removing the cap and twisting the base. I applied the ruby lipstick carefully and to perfection, rubbing my lips together before popping them apart. My mouth quirked at my reflection as I looked up to meet Peggy's eye.
"How do I look?" I asked, blowing her a kiss.
"Like you could rule the world." She responded, pulling me to my feet and holding me at arm's length, scanning my outfit. I'd spend far too long pouring over the limited clothes I had, eventually settling on Peggy's choice. It was an emerald green button-up dress with a floaty skirt which fell to just below my knee, and a small bow which fastened at the collar. She nodded in approval before brushing my shoulders and stepping back with a proud smile. "My little Eve, all grown up."
I frowned, turning away from her and grabbing my coat and bag from where they lay on the bed before slipping my feet into a pair of dark brown lace-up brogue heels. My watch told me it was 6:50 pm, and knowing Howard that meant he would already be waiting patiently outside. If nothing else, you could always depend on him to be on time. I slipped my arms into my coat, slinging my bag over my shoulder and heading for the door.
"Enjoy your date," Peggy commented as I passed, wiggling her eyebrows and sending me a suggestive wink.
"It isn't a date." I sang with an annoyed smile, narrowing my eyes at her over my shoulder. I breezed through the door, allowing it to close behind me by itself.
"Give him hell!" Her voice carried through the gap in the doorway before it closed, clicking shut behind me and muffling her entertained giggles.
"Howard Stark," I smiled as I addressed him, approaching where he stood with an air of confidence. I paused a few steps away, watching him through my lashes as I rested one hand on my hip. He clearly hadn't noticed me approaching before I spoke as he jumped to face me, quickly recognising my voice and shooting me a dazzling grin.
"Evelyn Moore," he spoke slowly, dragging my name out on his lips as he shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered towards me. He paused before reaching me, his eyes scanning the length of my body with a quirked eyebrow. The soft sigh that floated from his lips sent a chill through my bones and I swallowed thickly as his eyes met mine. "You've never looked more beautiful."
I didn't even try to fight the blush that flooded my cheeks, unable to avert my gaze despite my emotions showing clear as day on my face. I didn't mind him seeing this time, and that fact seemed to please him to no end. I suppose allowing myself to enjoy his company wouldn't bring the world crashing down around me.
"Thank you," my gaze fell momentarily as my lips twitched into a smile, "You don't look so bad yourself, just..." I started, reaching out and grabbing his tie before straightening it and smoothing it back into his waistcoat. "Perfect."
If he was surprised by my uncharacteristically bold act of affection, he didn't let it show, simply slipping his hand into mine and directing me to the car. I climbed in, making myself comfortable as he carried us away from the camp, once again. We spent the beginning of the ride engaging in quiet conversation, nothing too in depth, just general chit-chat. Eventually, we faded into silence, not feeling the need to talk as we simply enjoyed each other's presence. I watched Howard's fingers as they tapped rhythmically against the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road apart from the few times he glanced over at me. His eyes drifted over as I watched him, doing a quick double take before a grin spread across his face. I sat up in my seat, narrowing my eyes as he chewed his lip to fight his smile.
"You wore your hair down." He stated simply, flicking his gaze in my direction as I diverted my eyes from his, a smile pulling at my lips.
"I did," I replied quietly, watching him through slightly hooded lids. He said no more, just nodded gently, a knowing look on his expression. He knew as well as I did that I had worn my hair loose because I knew he liked it that way. Not that I would ever admit that out loud, as admitting it to myself was a big enough step in my book.
The rest of the journey flew by, the sun dipping below the horizon and giving way to the silver glow of the moon. I'd always loved the stars, spending many a night lounging in my childhood garden with my family.
"Don't you think the stars are beautiful?" I muttered, more to myself than to Howard, though he regarded my words with a quick glance out of the window.
"Yeah, I suppose they are." He replied with a shrug, "Don't get to see much of them from the city." I frowned, glad I hadn't spent my childhood in the middle of the city, the lights blinding the sky and masking the stars.
"You can see them perfectly from my garden back in England." I divulged, Howard's raised brow pausing me for a moment.
"Wait, I thought you lived in London?" He queried glancing over at me for an answer.
"I didn't grow up there, I grew up in a small town in Wiltshire, on a farm in the countryside."
"You? A farm girl?" He seemed amused by the revelation, casting a disbelieving glance in my direction before turning back to the road with a quiet hum. "Learn somethin' new every day."
"We used to sit together on the grass during summer nights, my mother and father, my sister, my brother and I. We'd point at the constellations and my father would tell us their names. He knew them all without fail, though I suppose he could have been making their names up for all I knew. Either way, it always fascinated me. If ever I was upset or had argued with my siblings, I'd look up into the stars and remind myself of how terrifyingly small we are, and how silly my problems seemed in the grand scheme of things."
"Do you miss it? England? Your home?" I dropped my head to the side, offering him a sad smile and a nod.
"Every day. Sometimes I look at the sky and pretend I'm back there, but it's never the same."
"Perhaps I could visit someday? You could show me how the stars look from your garden." He smiled, his eyes briefly leaving the road as he studied me.
"Perhaps." I agreed, already enjoying the thought of laying in the cool grass beside him, naming the constellations as he intermittently cut in with sarcastic comments. We fell into silence once again, my focus returning to the stars as my mind wandered.
It wasn't long before the car was rolling to a stop and we were climbing out, heading towards a nearby bar. Thankfully for my sanity, it wasn't a noisy bar, full of drunken brutes and loose women. It was reasonably quiet as we entered, most of the patrons engaging in polite conversation as they sipped at their drinks. I followed quietly behind Howard as he led me to the bar, ordering two drinks without bothering to ask my preference. I didn't mind though, gratefully taking the drink from him and allowing him to direct me to an empty booth, sliding into the chair opposite me as I took a sip of my drink. I raised a brow at the fruity cocktail he had ordered for me, rolling my eyes at his obvious assumptions about my tastes as a woman. I eyed the whiskey in his own glass, much preferring to have that rather than this blended fruit monstrosity.
"That was terrifyingly impressive earlier, by the way. I don't think I've ever seen a woman fight like that." Howard commented, referring to what he'd witnessed this morning between myself and Hodge. "Makes me wonder what else you can do with those hands." He winked, his mouth pulling up into a lopsided grin, probably hoping his suggestive comment would reduce me to a blushing flustered mess. Unfortunately, I wasn't planning on making it that easy for him.
"Perhaps I could show you someday," I replied, my expression conveying just a hint of flirtation as I glanced over at him through dark lashes. My elbow came to rest on the table, a strand of blonde twisting around my finger as my lips twitched into a smile. "if you're lucky."
He didn't allow even a hint of surprise to gain place on his expression, seeming quietly impressed by my quick and collected response. I sipped at my drink as we watched each other carefully.
"I believe we make our own luck." I smiled at his confident reply, leaning back in my seat as I considered the man across from me. What on earth was I getting myself into? I quickly diverted the topic of conversation, curious to discover what it was he had so urgently wanted to talk to me about.
"You said you wanted my help with something?" I asked, arching my brow in expectance.
"I did," He smiled, placing his glass back on the table and rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "What's your opinion on beards? I was thinking I might try and start a new trend. I know they're not considered especially dignified but I figured if anyone could make them fashionable, it's me."
I frowned at his response, plastering a thoughtful expression on my face before crinkling my nose in distaste.
"No, no beard," I replied simply, before leaning forward on the table. "Now, what did you actually want to talk to me about." He grinned, resting on his elbows as he leaned closer.
"You don't miss a thing do you, Moore." I smiled sweetly with a nod, resting my chin in my hands as I waited for him to fill me in. "I want your opinion on a new venture I'm considering."
"You want my opinion? Why?" I frowned in confusion, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back in my chair.
"Because you're an incredibly smart woman and I value your opinion above all else." I was slightly taken aback by his sincere confession, the corner of my mouth quirking up in a smile.
"Go on."
"You ever been to Montenegro?" My face remained expressionless as I simply blinked in response. He nodded in understanding. "Right, stupid question. Anyway, did you ever hear about my flying car?"
"The one that can't actually fly?" I confirmed and he frowned, a pout on his lips.
"Yes. That one." His defeated tone elicited a laugh from me, which I quickly bit back, waving an apology as I urged him to continue. "Well, a possible future associate in the Bay of Kotor has made me a great offer that might help the idea progress in a slightly more successful direction. They wanna work with me on somethin' big Eve, but it's a risky deal, and I don't know what to do." I considered what he'd said for a moment before frowning.
"You know I have absolutely no experience with business Howard, I don't know if I can offer you the best advice here." I shrugged apologetically.
"You don't need business experience, I just need your honest first impression from what I've just told you. I need that expert female intuition of yours." He practically pleaded, reaching across the table to place his hand over mine. I dropped my shoulders, blowing out a puff of air as I thought.
"Well you haven't given me much to go on, at all, but I suppose... do you trust this possible associate?"
"Not one bit." He replied quickly.
"Is he smarter than you?" I inquired with a small smirk.
"Not even close." He grinned, an expression I quickly mirrored, twisting my hand where it sat beneath his and closing my fingers around his palm.
"Then what do you have to lose?" My answer seemed to be what he was looking for, his concerns sated as he nodded thoughtfully.
"Is that all you wanted?" I asked, curious as to why he had dragged me all the way here for a conversation we could have had back at camp earlier. He took a breath, a slight flicker of worry in his eyes as he observed me carefully.
"No. There was something else." I waited patiently as he seemed to turn over his word in his mind, considering what he would say before he spoke. He took much longer than I had expected to form a sentence, clearly battling with his own mind to find the right words.
"If I agree to this deal, I'm going to need help. I can't do it alone." He began slowly, taking in my response as he spoke. "I'm going to need a partner, an associate of sorts."
"Howard, what are you asking?" His ability to skirt around the topic was causing me some confusion. I furrowed my eyebrows as I attempted to decipher where he was going with this.
"I want you to work with me. Now, I do just fine on my own most of the time, but even I make mistakes. I can't afford to make mistakes with this one, and I'm confident that would never happen with you by my side." I took a moment to absorb his proposition before I replied.
"You want me to be your associate?" I asked slowly, the idea seeming even crazier now that I repeated it back. "Why me?"
He frowned at my question, running his hands through his hair with a sigh.
"Why not you? Your intuition is always spot on, you're so unbelievably clever and you're not afraid to tell me when I'm doing something stupid. You know how I can be, once I get an idea in my head I can't stop myself. I need someone who isn't scared to stop me."
"So, you want me to babysit you while you work, so you don't screw things up?" He groaned at the way I'd misinterpreted his badly phrased words, clasping my hand between his and capturing my gaze with the most sincere expression I think I'd ever witnessed grace his features.
"I want you to work alongside me, as my partner. My equal."
"Your equal." I muttered, repeating the foreign phrase as I tested it out on my tongue.
"Is that so hard to believe?" He chuckled, releasing my hand and giving me a moment to think. "You wouldn't have to do anything just yet, it's going to be a long time before anything's set in stone. But I just wanted to let you know well in advance. Give you some time to think about it, get used to the idea." I nodded silently, his words replaying in my head as I attempted to comprehend the unbelievable offer he had just made.
"What would this partnership entail?" I don't think he had expected me to reply so soon, my words bringing his gaze flicking back up to meet mine.
"Completely equal division of power on all decisions made concerning the Montenegro deal. Your opinions and ideas hold just as much weight as mine. 50/50 stakes in any deals made, and nothing gets done without the others approval." I nodded in understanding, chewing at my lip as I considered the effect accepting this offer would have for me. On the one hand, it would be an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity and I was stunned and flattered by the idea. On the other hand, it would mean working closely side-by-side with Howard on a near-daily basis. Though my recent acceptance of his annoyingly charming ways meant that the second factor didn't hold nearly as much weight as the first when it came to my decision.
"Okay. Why do you want to do this?"
"Because I think this would benefit both myself and Stark Industries. A strong, smart woman is exactly what my company needs to bring it into the future." Our eyes remained locked, both studying the other as I turned the idea over in my head. The silence dragged on for a few minutes, Howard running out of things to say whilst I battled with my subconscious over whether to accept his proposal.
"You don't have to make any decisions right away, of course, you can sleep on it or..." He quickly began to explain, but I cut him off before he could finish.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay, I'll work with you." This time it was Howard's turn to fall into stunned silence. Either he hadn't expected me to give him an answer this soon, or he hadn't expected me to accept the offer at all. He took a few moments to collect himself, turning over my simple response in his mind before a wide grin stretched across his lips. He held his hand out to me across the table and I quickly slipped my hand into his with a firm shake.
"Miss Evelyn Moore, welcome to Stark Industries."
Please remember to review and let me know what you think about the story, the characters etc. All the love! - E.H.