A/N- I changed the cover btw, I somehow like this more :) Enjoy the chapter!

"No, Eve, come on, this is not fair, I'm begging you! I thought I was your best friend!" Steve begs for mercy, but the only thing that runs through my head is Howard's voice. Steve's strength quadruplicated, your strength just doubled. Let's see if I can beat him.

"Sorry, Stevie, but I don't have another choice. This is gonna tickle a bit now." I shrug, starting to produce a harmless amount of electricity in my hands. My eyes meet his, our looks are determined and serious. "I have to win this bet!"

With those words, I electrify him a bit, weakening him and using the opportunity to push his arm on the other side of the table. He groans desperately, his hand runs down his face as the Howling Commandos roar with joy and laughter. I stand up and put my arms proudly in the air while I let out a victorious laugh. "I won arm-wrestling! You owe me three bucks now, Rogers!"

"I knew that Eve would win, ha! Jones, you owe me a beer!" Dugan shouts enthusiastically and his friend rolls his eyes.

"That's not fair! She used her powers!"

"The bet was Captain America against Voltricity! So everyone who bet on Steve, including Cap himself, has to pay the next round for us now!" Dum Dum announces, causing half of the Howling Commandos to groan. I chuckle at the noise that we cause in the pub and glance at Steve.

"Don't worry, you weren't an easy competitor." I nudge him playfully, patting his wide shoulder. "And I mean, I could just win because of my abilities. Nonetheless, I'm sort of expecting the three bucks now."

"Alright." He sighs, handing me my prize. "Although I actually just need to give you two since you already have one."

"Hilarious pun." I roll my eyes playfully but then I spot Peggy entering the pub with a breath-taking dress. Nudging Steve with a smirk, I nod in the brunette's direction who is currently receiving the attention of most of the guys. "Guess who's dressed pretty for you."

"Hm?" He turns around and his eyes widen at the sight of Peggy as he swallows nervously, taken aback by the girl he clearly has a crush on. Standing up from his chair, he quickly adjusts his tie and leaves hastily. "Be right back."

"Take your time!" I call out and stay at the table while the rest of our team enjoys the beer. Our mission succeeded again, which is why Colonel Philips let us go to the pub as our reward. Life's never been this easy and joyful for me, barely any problems disquiet my mind. My eyes land on the door that gets opened by Bucky with flowers in his hand. I smile brightly and he finds me among the crowd, walking towards me as my heart thumps faster with anticipation.

"For our two months anniversary." He greets me with a kiss that leaves a familiar flutter in my stomach behind. I can't help but giggle slightly at his romantic gesture. "And this is just the beginning."

"They're beautiful." I look at the red roses and the smell of the flowers surround us, even though the sweaty stench of alcohol and men blankets them. "In comparison to the mess that you always leave in our room."

"Hey, don't complain! I'm not the one in this relationship who keeps stealing the shirts of the other one." He smirks which I return with a tilted head. In fact, I love wearing his shirts a lot because they just smell like him, like home.

"I don't think you would fit in to my shirts. And you sadly have to wait for my gift, it's not done yet. But I promise that the waiting is gonna be worth it!" I have worked with Howard on a telephone, so he'll be able to call his family more instead of waiting weeks for a simple letter. It took us nights because I barely have spare time, but I just want Bucky to be happy and will do anything to achieve that.

"I didn't even expect a gift. I thought you'd sing for me which would be even too much for my heart to handle." He places his hand dramatically over his heart and I shake my head, laughing slightly.

"Dork." I put my arms around his neck after placing the flowers on the table and standing up from the chair.

"Your dork." He smirks, giving me a peck on my lips as his arms slowly move to my lower back. Before it can lead into more, we get interrupted by Howard who rushes into the pub, not even caring that he interrupts us.

"Eve, I need you right now, emergency!" He shouts to drown the noise from the pub and I sigh, sinking my head for a second. Bucky's mood changes within a second from happy to pissed as he lets unwillingly go of me.

"What is it?"

"Classified." Howard answers, referring to Bucky's presence which he notices as well. My boyfriend groans and I sigh for a second time.

"Can't that wait? We're celebrating our anniversary." I try to convince him. "And you can tell us right here, I'd end up telling Bucky anyway."

"No, it can't, it's also gonna take the whole night." He insists. "It's about Hydra. Now come on. I wouldn't urge if it wasn't important."

"Are you serious, the whole night?!" I tilt my head and Howard already leaves the pub, assuming that I'll follow him anyway which I unfortunately have to do. Turning around to Bucky, I glance guiltily at him. "I'm so sorry, but I have to go. I know it's our anniversary and I'm sure you planned something great but- "

"Eve!" Howard calls from outside, making the situation worse. I grab my coat and put it on before saying goodbye to Bucky.

"It's fine." He mumbles between his clenched teeth, faking a smile that is filled with cold, his hands are balled to fists. His anger is clear to see. "Have fun with your amazing Stark. Again."

"Bucky..." I mutter, sighing but my name fills the air again. Cupping his face, I give him a quick kiss on his cheek before heading to the exit. "I'm really sorry, okay? I love you and I'll make it up to you again, promise!"

He stays quiet and I swallow, trying to ignore the sharp pain that stabs my heart when he doesn't return my I love you. I pause, not completely leaving the pub yet and just staring at Bucky who glances at the ground like he would be about to freak out. I've seen him furious and mad before but never at me.

"Come on, Eve!" Howard urges and comes back to the pub, grabbing my hand and dragging me out.

"This better be important." I warn him as he keeps tugging me back to the SSR facility, half glaring at him. "Or else I'm gonna burn your stupid mustache with my bare hands."

***

"Where were you yesterday?" Steve asks during breakfast, looking rather worriedly at me because my head is lying on the table. I'm just too tired because of Howard's problem yesterday which took really the whole night to solve, looting my sleep. "Bucky was annoyed the whole time and the party wasn't as fun as before."

"I had training with Howard." I lie tiredly and try not to feel too guilty about Bucky. The truth is that the government told Howard that Hydra was close to stealing the Manhattan Project which he got blamed for. I helped him to clear his name by having a long discussion with our beloved government, then he commissioned me to search in the next Hydra facilities for plans of the atomic bomb.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this but... Bucky planned something really beautiful for you. He booked the piano of London's opera to let you play and sing a bit."

"You're not really making me feel less guilty, Steve." I sigh and I'm aware that my excuse sounds like I would've ditched Bucky for a simple thing like that but I can't tell them the truth. I promised Howard to keep his secret.

"Sorry, but it's just... I don't know, it's weird to see Bucky like that. Did he greet you this morning?"

"He slept in his room." I groan into the table, feeling the need to smash my head in frustration against it. That's not a good sign at all and I have no idea how to solve that.

"Ouch." Steve unnecessarily comments, pulling a face. I lift my head, picking the fork into my food like a bird and glancing miserably at the table. "You two should talk before it turns into a real fight."

"Do you know where he is?" My head rests on my hand and he shakes his head. Howard walks towards us, joining us at the table.

"Thank you for yesterday." He sighs tiredly, sitting down next to me. It seems like he hasn't gotten any sleep at all. "You basically saved me. I would've been screwed."

"Why that?" Steve asks curiously, frowning slightly.

"He needed some electricity for his experiment." I hide the truth and immediately sit up straight when I see Bucky enter the cafeteria, glancing hopefully at him. He catches my look but reacts rather disappointed and turns around to leave again. "Bucky, wait!"

He doesn't listen and keeps walking away from me, ignoring my calls. I stand up and follow him determined. Bucky's never been really mad at me, just the one time before we both went to war and it concerns me like hell. "Bucky, wait, come on, please don't be mad!"

"I'm not mad. I just wanna be alone right now." He mumbles offended, still keeping the distance between us and I groan and grab his arm, pulling him to my direction and making him stop walking away.

"Look, I'm really sorry that I ditched you, okay? Steve told me what you planned and I am really, really sorry that I ruined this. But please don't be mad at me." I apologize and pray that he's gonna stop walking away from me like I was a disappointment.

"It's not the fact that you ditched me, it's the fact that you ditched me for him!" Bucky gets louder and runs his hands through his hair. "I just can't stand seeing you two together and how he was just sitting next to you, it makes me wanna punch him! Haven't you noticed how he looks at you?"

"Wait, what?" I scrunch up my face and arch an eyebrow, cocking my head to the side. "Does that mean you're not mad but... jealous? Jealous of Howard?"

"Of course, I am! You spent months with him and now you're close with him, much more than I prefer!" He answers frustrated and I don't really know how to react. I've always thought that his jealousy was only a joke, nothing serious but it apparently is. "I just avoided you because I didn't want you to see me pissed and immature like that."

"You're jealous of Howard?" I try to refrain from laughing because the whole situation is suddenly ridiculously hilarious for me.

"Don't make fun of me!" His face slightly reddens of anger and embarrassment. "I'm serious, it bothers me like hell."

"You're truly adorable." I burst into laughter and cover my mouth with my hand, being relieved that he's not mad at me. "Howard and I are just friends, trust me. Stark is too much of a whore to like me and be serious about relationships."

Bucky sighs, still not really convinced and letting me enjoy my amused laughing. "Haven't you seriously noticed the way he looks at you?"

"Nope. And do you know why?" I take a step closer and grin whimsically, placing both hands on his shoulders as my eyes bore into his. "Because you're the only one I look at. Because I love you, no matter if you're jealous or not. I'm yours and you never have to worry that this could ever change."

His facial features finally soften and he lets out a deep sigh, quietly groaning desperately before he glances at me intensely. "I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

"You can be lucky that you're handsome." I tell him jokingly and smirk as he pulls me into a hug and my head rests on his chest, listening to his soothing heartbeat. His arms hold me tightly and his smell dazes my mind as usual, it feels so right to be in his arms.

"I'm sorry for being such an immature jerk." Bucky runs his hand slowly through my hair, stroking it carefully and softly while he buries his face slightly into it. I smile into his chest, being just glad that the problem is solved.

"Are you also jealous of Howard's mustache?"

"Oh, just shut up."