Enough introspection. Lets get to the two of them interacting, shall we? As usual our heroine is self confident, direct, and to the point.
Sorry it's a little short. When I'm posting as I go it's harder to make the chapters equal lengths!
XXX
Daniel hadn't been snooping in her desk - he really hadn't. He had been looking for a specific file that he was certain she had on her desk earlier. In the process of rooting through her top drawer he had uncovered a photo that made him furrow his brow and take a second look. It was a photo of Steve Rogers before he'd been treated with the serum. Daniel had seen a version of this photo before and it had amazed him then as is amazed him now. The transformation was truly remarkable. He knew - everyone knew - that Peggy had worked with Captain America. It was in all the files. What wasn't in the files, but what everyone suspected anyway, was that she had feelings for him. Who wouldn't?
Daniel had never met the man in person - although he had heard that his very own squadron had been rescued once from behind enemy lines by intelligence gathered by him - but from everything he knew about him it wasn't a surprise that Peggy would have been interested in him. And from everything Daniel knew about Peggy, it wasn't a surprise that he had been interested in her. Peggy was beautiful, of course, but she was also smart and capable. She intimidated the other men in the department and they reacted by ramping up the misogyny. At least that's what Daniel hoped. It was a toss up, though, as to which would be worse - that they treat her that way because they were intimidated, or that they treat her that way because they really thought a woman couldn't do the job.
That was how Peggy caught him - leaning over her open desk drawer, deep in thought, with a framed photo of a skinny Steve Rogers in his hand.
"Agent Sousa," her voice was sharp and very British. She was angry. "Is there something I might help you with, or should I leave you to continue rifling through my personal effects?"
He turned to her with an embarrassed look on his face. He set the photo immediately back into the drawer. "I'm sorry, Peg - Agent Carter. I was looking for a file that I thought you might have." She continued to stare at him with her arms crossed and her eyes slitted in anger. "It was terribly wrong of me to disrespect your privacy and open your desk. I apologize and I promise that it will never happen again. I'm very sorry."
His honest and open words disarmed Peggy, as did the expression on his face. He looked legitimately ashamed. Her arms fell to her side and her mouth gaped open ever so slightly. It gave Sousa enough time to make his escape, which wasn't particularly quick considering that he had to arrange his crutch and limp away. Not exactly a smooth exit.
He sat at his desk and stared intently at the files in front of him but wasn't reading a word. He was busy berating himself for being an ass. When he ran out of choice words for himself he started to wonder about that photo. Why did she have that photo? Why not one of the numerous photos of Captain Rogers taken in his physical glory. Peggy entranced Daniel - he finally admitted it. He'd tried to ignore it for the months that they'd worked together but he couldn't ignore it any more. Any girl more interested in pre-serum Steve Rogers was a girl worth getting to know better.
But would she be interested in getting to know him better? He'd hardly ever let himself dare to hope before, but maybe this time it was worth a little risk? Maybe she wasn't just pretending - maybe she really did think of him as a friend. But would she care about his leg? Was she still stuck on Steve? Would she want to go out with him? Where could he take her? Not dancing. He had enough of a sense of humor about himself to smile ruefully at that thought. Definitely not dancing.
His mind was reeling with these new thoughts - thoughts he hadn't allowed himself to entertain ever before. Somehow knowing that she kept that photo in her drawer made him think that she was a different sort of woman. Maybe the sort of woman who could be interested in a guy like him.
His mind was still racing when he was suddenly startled by a voice speaking to him. Her voice.
"Daniel," not Agent Sousa. Daniel. He looked up. "I was wondering if you'd like to join me for a cup of coffee after our shift ends tonight." She smiled and her face was unreadable. He gaped at her, momentarily unable to form syllables with his mouth.
Suddenly he found his voice.
"That sounds great, Peggy. Thanks."
Did his voice sound as strange to her as it did in his own ears? He'd been going for casual but wasn't sure if he'd achieved it. He thought that he must not have mucked it up too badly as her response was only to smile broadly - a smile that he didn't know if he'd even seen before that left him speechless once more - and say "lovely," and then turn and walk back to her desk.
Sousa sat there motionless, following her with his eyes as she walked back to his desk. What on earth had just happened?