[Prologue Of The War] – A Friendly Conversation

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Unbeknownst to her, Ian was bubbling with excitement inside, as he realized that his hunch was correct. 'It's Peggy Carter!' he thought to himself, as he looked at the elegant, brown-haired British agent.

As the two of them sat there, an awkward silence descended upon them like a heavy fog. Peggy and Ian had just been through a harrowing experience, and now they found themselves at a loss for words. They sat there, in front of each other, not knowing what to say or do next.

But then, just as the silence had become almost unbearable, a medic appeared on the scene. She quickly assessed the situation and went to work, tending to Peggy's injuries first and then Ian's. With a gentle touch and a reassuring smile, she skillfully cleaned and bandaged their wounds.

After the medical attention was complete, the medic turned her attention to the pair before her. Sensing their discomfort, she broke the tension with a warm and friendly demeanor. She offered directions to the refreshments section, where they could find some sustenance and take a moment to collect themselves.

Ian thanked the medic who had tended to his injuries. With a sense of relief, he made his way toward the refreshments section. Upon entering, the sounds of clanging pots and pans filled his ears as he observed the chefs bustling about in the kitchen, expertly preparing food for the attendees. Two waiters moved gracefully, setting tables and chairs with precision and care.

Ian settled into a chair and looked through the menu, finally settling on a light dinner. He was ravenous, and within minutes, his meal arrived. The aroma of the freshly prepared dish wafted up to his nose, tantalizing his senses. He dug in eagerly, savoring each bite.

As he ate, he became aware of someone sitting across from him. Looking up, he was stunned to see Peggy, a smile on her face as she ate her meal with relish. For a moment, Ian was frozen in disbelief.

Ian forced himself to maintain a calm and cordial atmosphere as he sat across from Peggy. Though he felt a twinge of discomfort at the memory of his daughter's tears during the movie they had watched together, he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on his meal.

Despite his efforts, Ian found it challenging to eat with Peggy so close by as memories of the film replayed in his mind. With a deep breath, Ian took another bite of his meal, trying to focus on the flavors and textures rather than the emotions swirling within him.

Ian and Peggy sat in silence as they ate their meals until suddenly Peggy's voice broke through the stillness. "Are you a spy?" she asked, her tone lighthearted and playful.

The question caught Ian off guard, and he took a large bite of his food, only to choke on it.

* COUGH *

* COUGH *

He coughed and sputtered, frantically reaching for his glass of water to clear his throat. Gasping for air, he looked up to find Peggy smirking at him mischievously.

He shot Peggy a confused frown. "Why do you think I'm a spy?" he asked.

Peggy ate with poise and grace, her gaze fixed intently on Ian. "Your file is quite impressive," she remarked. "Medals in marksmanship and precision, among other things. But the file never mentioned perfect marksmanship and precision. So, I have to ask again: are you a spy?"

Ian sensed that Peggy was testing him, and he shook his head in response. "No, I'm not a spy," he replied firmly.

"Everything I've accomplished is a result of hard work and dedication."

Peggy's smirk was evident as she responded sarcastically, "I've been in the army twice as long as you have and still haven't achieved such perfect accuracy. So, tell me, is it just hard work and dedication? Could I achieve it too?"

Ian felt himself growing increasingly annoyed with Peggy's persistent questioning. He reminded himself that he had only been a fan of her movie persona and thought, 'They were right - never meet your idols.' Ignoring her sarcasm, Ian decided to inject some humor into the situation. "If you want my secrets, you'll have to pay me for them," he quipped. "I can't just give away priceless advice for free."

Peggy let out a snicker and made a snarky remark. "Why, didn't your parents give you enough?" she asked.

Ian stopped eating and looked at her with a stoic expression. "I don't have parents," he stated plainly.

Peggy was taken aback by Ian's revelation. She quickly realized that she had crossed a line by making fun of something she didn't fully understand. "I'm sorry for your loss," she offered, feeling genuinely remorseful.

Ian forced himself to keep a straight face as he corrected her assumption. "No, they aren't physically dead, just emotionally absent," he clarified.

Peggy was confused and sought a further explanation. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Ian took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. "They abandoned me," he said plainly.

Peggy was surprised and felt ashamed for making light of a sensitive topic. "I'm sorry for the rude comment earlier," she apologized.

Ian let out a laugh, surprised by how quickly Peggy had gone from snarky to apologetic. "It's alright," he replied with a smile.

Peggy's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she realized the weight of her previous words. Attempting to redirect the conversation, she asked, "So, where did you grow up?"

Ian took a sip of his juice before answering, "Manchester."

Peggy was surprised and inquired further, "You're from England?" Ian nodded, causing Peggy to feel more at ease with him.

Feeling proud of her own English heritage, she switched to a British accent and stated, "I'm from Hampstead."

Ian caught on and changed his accent before scoffing, "That's a rich people area."

Peggy was taken aback by his comment and grew defensive, "No, it's not."

Ian noticed her frustration and decided to tease her a little, causing a smile to spread across his face. "Yes, it is," he replied with a grin.

As the conversation between Peggy and Ian continued, Peggy found herself growing more at ease with him due to his playful and relaxed demeanor. The topic shifted from their personal lives to the discrimination that women face in the workplace. Curious about Ian's thoughts on the matter, she posed a question that had been on her mind, "Were you disappointed when you found out that your partner was a woman?"

Ian could see where the conversation was heading and replied calmly, "No, I wasn't. To be honest, you fought better than most soldiers I've seen. I don't care about the gender of the person I'm working with as long as the job gets done right."

Peggy smiled at his response, "I know many men who would disagree with you on that."

Ian shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't care if they agree with me or not. I have my own opinions, and they have theirs."

Peggy and Ian chatted amiably as they walked down the hallway, their conversation ranging from work-related topics to their interests. Despite their differing backgrounds, they found common ground in their mutual love for  Hollywood thriller movies and their shared passion for investigative work.

After a while, Ian suddenly realized that he had not yet asked Peggy for her name. He felt embarrassed but decided to play it cool and make a joke out of it. "We have been talking for quite a while, and yet I still don't know your name," he said with a grin.

Peggy laughed at his remark and gave him a friendly pat on the back. "Don't be sad," she teased. Extending her hand towards him, she added, "Peggy Carter."

Ian took her hand and shook it firmly. "Ian Westbrook, but you already knew that," he replied with a smile.

The two of them chuckled at their light-hearted banter, enjoying each other's company as they continued their stroll down the hallway.