Is this a cotton mouth or copperhead??? (North Carolina)?

The eyes don't sound like a cottonmouth, unless you're saying the line thru the eyes was a slit pupil. Juvenile cottonmouths do have a mixture of browns, golds and black but become primarily black as they get older. There are several species of water snake that mimic's the colors of both the copperhead and cottonmouth. They also can appear to have a triangular head especially if they are in defensive mode. Cottonmouths are quite robust in the body. Very thick and somewhat stubby. Copperheads are destinctive in that they have hershey kiss markings down their sides.