-Later That Night-

Eddie drains the contents of his fourth mug. He hated the taste of beer, actually alcohol in general.

The bar was alive with people celebrating things and getting even happier with liquid courage in their veins, one man was even playing a piano while some people sang along.

"How the hell are you not even a little woozy?" Bucky asked as he finished his sixth mug. Eddie shrugged, not telling Bucky his mugs were full of root beer.

"I don't know, guess I have a high tolerance or something."

Bucky burst out laughing, which effected Eddie into laughter.

Steve was in another part of the pub to tempt some former hydra prisoners to join the Howling Commandos; aptly named after Eddie learned many soldiers picked had Drill Sergeant Howler for basic.

Eddie and Bucky were sitting in a different room of the pub, having a drinking contest which was mainly an excuse for Bucky to get blind drunk. While Eddie wasn't a mind reader, he grew up in the depression era and knew when a man was trying to bury some pain or unpleasant memory.

Eddie thanked the bartender when he was handed another mug of root beer, Bucky was already on his seventh mug of beer.

Eddie smirked, "What did you miss most about being with the Allies?"

The man gave him a drunken smile, "Oh it's the little things, listening to someone play a piano, sitting in a bar relaxing, having a beer." The slightly red-faced man let out a drunken laugh, "I would normally be on the floor by now, but I guess I missed beer that much." Eddie laughed with the man and took a sip from his mug.

Eddie looked up to see the super solider return, "So do we have a team?"

Captain America nodded, and smiled, "Yes, we do."

Bucky nodded as if there was ever any doubt, "I told you, they were all idiots."

Steve smiled and turned to his childhood friend, "How about you? You ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?"

Bucky took a sip from his drink, and didn't miss a beat, "Hell no. That little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from the fight. I'm following him."

Steve patted Bucky on the back and smiled, while Eddie looked at the two men horrified, "You two are from Brooklyn? Shit, I was just starting to like you."

The three men shared a laugh, as the team in the next room started singing, after a while, Bucky glanced over at a nearby poster, it was advertising an event for war bonds sales, with Steve wearing his original costume, "Please tell me you're gonna keep the suit to."

Steve looked at the loose-fitting uniform, "You know what? It's kind of grown on me."

Suddenly the singing died in the other room. Eddie turned to the door, to see what was wrong, and a smile grew as his heart started beating faster.

Agent Carter was standing there in a very nice red dress, he swallowed a bit. The woman smiled a little at his nervous demeanor, "Captain."

The super soldier kept his wits about him, "Agent Carter." As the woman walked towards Steve, Bucky stared at her, he mumbled, "Ma'am,".

Eddie was still sitting as she stood in front of Steve, she spoke in her usual professional tone, but there was an added flirtatious flare, "Howard, has some equipment for you to try out, tomorrow morning?"

Steve quietly replied, "Sounds good." Carter looked at the beer in Eddie's hand and then glanced at the other room where the rest of the team was getting drunk, "I see your top squad is prepping for duty."

Bucky smirked and elbowed Eddie as he casually tried to flirt with the woman, he was still pretty tipsy, "What? You don't like music?"

Agent Carter looked back at Steve, which only made Eddie feel more annoyed and pettier, "I do actually. I might even, when this is over, go dancing."

Bucky clearly wasn't going to give up, "Well what are we waiting for?"

Eddie clutched the mug in his hands incredibly hard when she spoke next, "The right partner." The man didn't notice his eyes got slightly brighter for a split second.

Peggy and Steve stared into each other's eyes for a split second too long until the woman finally turned and walked out of the room, "0800."

Steve nervously looked at his shoes, as the beautiful woman walked away, "Yes ma'am, we'll be there."

Eddie felt a pang of sadness as that stray voice whispered in his ear: Talk to her.

'She likes Steve' he thought back.

: Doesn't mean she matters any less to you.

Eddie got up and began to head after her and barely caught Steve and Bucky's back and forth, "I'm invisible. I'm turning into you. It's like a horrible dream."

"Carter." Eddie calls out. The agent turned to see Eddie as he approaches.

"Hello, private Kent, anything I can help you with?"

Eddie's tongue was dried to the top of his mouth, "I was…Do you…Can I walk with you?" Agent Carter squished her lips together in thought. It felt like eternity before she finally replied, "Sure."

Couples and military personnel made up the pedestrians around them. Eddie was always a step behind Carter.

Finally Eddie said something, "I never apologized for blowing up at you couple of weeks ago."

"I'm sorry about that." Eddie continued trying his damnest not to look at his feet as he talked, "I…I have no excuse for how I acted."

"You were sad for your friend." Carter finally sad.

"Yeah but you were only trying to help." Eddie said. A group of soldiers on leave drunkenly collided into him. It took a while to detangle himself from them. Carter stood on the other side waiting for him.

"Sorry about that."

"Why are you apologizing so much?" Carter asked.

"Because I want to change and after the colonel chewed my ass out, I realized I let so many people down by letting fear hold me back and I probably let you down too." Carter didn't reply as she was looking down at her red shoes. They were now walking side by side.

"If you weren't in the army, what would you be doing?"

Eddie was surprised by the question but answered anyway, "If there wasn't a war?"

"Sure." Carter said.

"I'd think I like to travel." Eddie answered.

Carter tilts her head to encourage him to continue. Eddie looked up at the starry sky, focusing on his favorite constellation the little dipper, "I was thinking maybe Nepal, or maybe Brazil, if any of the science fiction books, I read had any inkling of truth maybe going to another planet."

Carter stopped walking making Eddie almost trip. He looked back to her seeing her eyebrow was raised in amusement. "You like science fiction stories."

Eddie bit his lower lip, 'I just revealed I'm practically a child. He meekly answers, "Yeah and I even read some of those Captain America comics now and then."

Carter tittered.

"I know, I know I'm a child."

Carter shook her head, "It's alright I read some of those mags as well."

"Really?" Eddie asked a bit shocked.

Carter nodded, "So you'd be the first man on Mars."

Eddie smiled and took a step closer to Carter. "Yeah, and I'd take you with me, so you can be the first woman on Mars."

"I wouldn't mind just having a rock from Mars." Carter said.

"Alright, when I go to Mars, I'll bring you a Mars rock."

Carter looked at Eddie seriously. "You swear."

"What?"

"You swear that one day when you go to Mars, you'll bring me back a Mars' rock."

Eddie raised his right hand. "I swear."

Carter smiled then nodded before resuming the trek to her abode.

"What about you?" Eddie asked as he matched her pace.

Carter said, "I'd like to be a diplomat or the first lady Prime Minister of Britain."

"Wow politics, so you'd be trading one fight for another." Eddie teased.

"If you can't tell I like to fight for justice in any way I can."

"Well if I learned anything from bootcamp I know better than to get in your way."

Carter shook her head, "I can't believe I let that pig enrage me like that."

"Enrage? You were the paragon of Zen." Eddie said, "seriously your face was like a statue, I had no idea his words had any effect until you punched him."

"That's what I mean, not punching Hodge; which was quite enjoyable, just that his words had an effect on me." Carter explained.

"I think I understand." Eddie said. He really did for as long as he could remember he's been trying to suppress so many emotions and questioned his every thought and action. It was a struggle to maintain this honest freedom.

"Really? You know what its like to be a female in a man dominated field where they expect me to be a secretary or a nurse."

"Well I guess not, but before I came here I worked with a lot of women in the bullet factory and saw the fierce joy of some of the wives of working outside the home."

"Seeing something and experiencing it are two different things…"

Eddie bit his lip feeling like an idiot. 'This is what happens when you try.' He thinks to himself.

"But thanks anyway." Carter finished.

They arrived at Carter's place. Carter walked up the porch steps to her door.

"Carter." Eddie said as Carter opened her front door.

"Yes."

"Thanks for being my friend." Eddie exclaimed.

"I'll see you at 0800 tomorrow." Carter smiled before she went inside. Eddie felt the jealousy in his chest evaporate, it would return he knew but at least he did something.