Behind Blue Eyes

07

Bucky sat in silence as he tried to forget what had happened to him.

Steve, after talking to some of his fellow soldiers, watched his friend for a moment, then joined him as people sang There's a Tavern in Town.

"See, I told you," Bucky said. "They're all idiots."

"How about you ?" Steve asked. "You ready to follow Captain America into the jaws of death?"

"Hell, no. That little guy from Brooklyn who was too dumb not to run away from a fight. I'm following him. But you're keeping the outfit, right?"

"You know what? It's kind of growing on me."

The singing in the bar ceased as Peggy and Essie, in a tight-fitting, deep-red dress and a blue dress, walked in. "Captain."

"Agent Carter. Essie."

"Ma'ams," Bucky greeted.

"Howard has some equipment for you to try," Peggy told Steve. "Tomorrow morning?"

"Sounds good," Steve replied.

"I see your top squad is prepping for duty," Essie said with a teasing smile.

"You don't like music?" Bucky asked, looking at Peggy.

"I do, actually," Peggy answered. "I might even, when all this is over, go dancing."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"The right partner." Essie and Steve shared a smile. "0800, Captain."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve said. "I'll be there."

Bucky, referring to Peggy's comment, said, "I'm invisible. I'm... I'm turning into you. It's like some horrible dream."

"Don't take it so hard. Maybe she'll come around." He turned to Essie and offered his hand. "May I have this dance?"

Essie nodded, accepting his offer.

As they danced, Essie said, "Steve, I don't know how or why, but I have a feeling something will go horribly wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't explain it. I just... I just know."

They stopped dancing and he took her hands. "Essie, I promise you I'll do my best to prevent anything."

She nodded. "I know you will."

---

The next morning, Steve entered a base and noticed a blonde woman and said, "Excuse me. I'm looking for Mr. Stark."

"He's in with for Colonel Phillips," the woman, Lorraine, replied absentmindedly turning to look at Steve. She smiled. "Of course, you're welcome to wait." She held up a newspaper which showed the article about Steve saving the little boy. "I read about what you did."

Steve leaned against a table awkwardly. "Oh, the... Yeah. Well, that's, you know. Just doing what needed to be done."

Lorraine stood. "Sounded like more than that. You saved nearly 400 men."

"Really, it's not a big deal." He clasped his hands, resting them in front of him.

Lorraine walked towards him. "Tell that to their wives."

"I don't think they were married."

She smirked. "You're a hero."

"Well, that depends on the definition, really." He really wished she'd back away, as she was making him uncomfortable and he was a married man.

"The women of America, they owe you their thanks. And seeing as they're not here..." She pulled him behind a bookcase and started kissing him.

Steve pulled away and frowned at Lorraine just as Essie said, "Captain!" Essie called. "We're ready for you, if you're not otherwise occupied."

"Essie, wait," Steve said. "Essie, that's not what you thought it was."

"Then what was it?" she asked in a hurt tone.

Peggy walked up and nodded. "I reiterate; what was it?"

Steve turned to Peggy. "What about you and Stark? How do I know you two haven't been fondue-ing?"

"You still don't know a bloody thing about women." She walked away, followed by Essie.

"Fondue is just cheese and bread, my friend," Howard told him.

"Really? I didn't think..." he trailed.

"Nor should you, pal. The moment you think you know what's going on in a woman's head is the moment your goose is well and truly cooked. Me, I concentrate on work, which at the moment you and your men do not get killed."

Howard held up a shield. "Carbon polymer. Should withstand your average German bayonet. Although, HYDRA's not going to attack you with a pocket knife." He gestured to Steve's shield. "I hear you're kind of attached."

"It's handier than you might think," Steve said.

"I took the liberty of coming up with some options." He lifted one up. "This one's fun. She's been fitted with electrical relays that allow you to..."

Steve noticed a circular shield and picked it up. "What about this one?"

"No, no, that's just a prototype."

"What's it made of?"

"Vibranium. It's stronger than steel and a third of the weight. It's completely vibration absorbent."

"How come it's not standard issue?"

"That's the rarest metal on Earth. What you're holding there, that's all we've got."

Peggy and Essie walked up and the latter asked, "You quite finished, Mr. Stark? I'm sure the Captain has some unfinished business."

Steve held up the shield. "What do you think?"

Essie, still angry with what had happened between her husband and Lorraine, picked up a gun and shot the shield. Steve held it up for fear his angry wife would shoot him. Peggy had an amused smile at the angry woman.

"Yes," Essie said. "I think it works."

Steve lowered the shield and stared at her with wide eyes.

Essie walked away.

Steve moved closer to Howard and handed him a paper. "I had some ideas about the uniform."

Howard took the paper. "Whatever you want, pal."

He nodded, then ran after his wife. "Essie, wait."

Essie narrowed her eyes. "If you want to be with another woman, have the decency to say it to my face."

"What? No, why would I want that?"

"Oh, I don't know. You tell me."

"Essie, there's no one else I want. She came up and kissed me. I pulled away."

"So you didn't-"

"No! I would never hurt you like that."

She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for overreacting."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I'm sorry that happened. If I'd've known..."

"Steve, it isn't your fault either. You pulled away after she made a move on you."

"Are we all right?"

"We're all right."