"But when she passes, I smile but she doesn't see"

This is him thinking. Happy reading!

My heart raced as I saw the tip of her stylish red hat from over my newspaper. It had been same old same old at the office, until, once again, Miss Carter had to walk by and make my heart skip a beat. I acted nonchalant as always and offered her a smile, momentarily looking up from my work expectantly.

She proceeded to walk past me, not even noticing my smile.

Well, that was unusual. She would always say "hello" or at least nod but lately, she had been extremely preoccupied with something. My heart sank.

But I brushed it off and went back to work.

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I remained on the same page for 10 minutes but my eyes never registered what I was reading. Needing a break, I harbored a little peek at Miss Carter. She had a pensive look on her face as she finished her work. The light from her window illuminated her strong features and made her look even more beautiful, if possible.

"No woman is going to trade a red white and blue shield for a silver crutch. "

The words echoed in my head. However, that didn't stop me from admiring her from afar. I always wondered how she could be so pretty, yet deadly at the same time. No wonder she earned the affection of Americas most beloved and good looking hero. However, he had been taken away, just like Hiroshoma, just like my leg, and just like her lost utility. Everyone knew that this woman had once been crucial to the war effort. Unfortunately, there was no more need for war heroes, especially the female ones.

I sighed loudly. Yes, the war had taken everything away. Believe it or not, I had once been considered handsome, attracting the eyes of every female in a room whenever I entered. But now I could barely even walk into a room let alone entrance women. That had quickly humbled me, and I found out how cruel the world could truly be to those who lost something in the war. That is why I sympathized with Carter because we were both treated as outcasts.

At least we had something in common.

Which is why it really pissed me off when my coworkers treated Carter like they did. She deserved so much better. I had heard of her great bravery and accomplishments as the first woman in the regiment while on duty, and had been awed by her skills.

I hoped dearly that others could see how useful, selfless, and brave this woman was.

Why did I have to have feelings for this unattainable woman, feelings that would never in a million years be returned? Perhaps the war had affected my mind as well as my leg. I felt like banging my head on my desk. But, I reasoned, what little chance I had with her would go down in an instant if she saw me acting like an idiot. Before I could self deprecate myself further, the woman who occupied my thoughts rose and made her way over to my desk.

She spoke in her curt, accented voice: "I finished the papers for the boss. Please turn them in for me when you get a chance. I'll be leaving early today." She placed the papers on my desk and was about to walk away but stopped.

"Good day, Sousa."

I listened to the click of her heels until they became faded into silence.

I smiled to myself softly. She actually acknowledged me. What a surprise! I was seriously beginning to think that she had forgotten my name.

However, I realized I had a long way to go to crack this woman's heart. But maybe, just maybe, she would see past the silver crutch and see me as a man.

Well, what do you think? (all 3 readers lol, this fandom ((I think it's called that XD)) is relatively new)All credit to Marvel, Stan Lee and whoever else will sue me if I claim these characters as my own . Oh and also to Astrud G. and Stan G. for the lovely song "The Girl from Ipanema" It's cool being one of the first fanfics! I love Agent Carter and Captain America but this Sousa character is starting to grow on me 3. Thank you to thegirlfrommod4A for inspiring me. Check out her fic "Coffee and a Crutch" its really good! Thank you!