The first time they say I love you :)

It was times like this the two agents could hardly believe they were actually so lucky. Lying together in bed, the pale moonlight cloaking them, and a comfortable silence in the air. They were exhausted, sore, frustrated and every emotion in between from the day's work, but none of that mattered once they were in each other's arms.

Peggy nuzzled herself closer into Daniel. He grinned at her need for close contact. It was something he would have never suspected from her, but Peggy Carter was always full of surprises. He gave a gentle kiss to her soft hair.

"Good night Amada," he said softly. But as he gently stroked her arm, he could feel she wasn't completely relaxed the way she normally was before she fell asleep. "Peggy, you okay?"

"More than okay Daniel," She nodded.

"Just thinking?"

It wasn't as if they were strangers when they started to see each other, but there was more you learned about a person once you really spent some time with them. And the more time Daniel spent with Peggy, he began to recognize the times she was in her head. Sometimes he would try to pull her out, get her to talk about whatever was on her mind, but other times he just let her be. She wasn't a child afterall. She had the right to know when she needed some time alone. This felt like one of those times, so he just gave her a gentle peck on the forehead and prepared to fall asleep.

"I love you."

It was so soft Daniel almost missed it, but on the other hand, it was clear as day.

I love you.

Peggy Carter, the most incredibly smart, beautiful, strong, mind blowing woman on earth loved him. Daniel Sousa.

And even though he didn't quite understand why she was with a man like him, he was very happy she was because he was head over heals in love with her too.

"You don't have to say it back if you're not-"

"I love you!"

While Peggy's was soft and unassured, Daniel had practically yelled his proclamation from the rooftop.

Peggy couldn't help but laugh at her sweet man. He was a battle hardened federal agent, but at times he reminded her of a lovesick schoolboy. She loved that. She loved that every time he looked at her, there was that dopey lovesick look in his eyes. Peggy didn't know what she would do if that look ever went away.

"Sorry Peg," Daniel laughed. "It's just...woah. I never thought a dame like you would say something like that to a schmuck like me."

"Dainel," Peggy playfully scolded. "You are the finest man on earth. It's me I'm not quite so sure deserves you. I can be a difficult woman to love if you haven't noticed."

Neither one of them were sure if they were just seeing it in her because it was a stereotypical British attribute, or if years of not being able to be fully herself around others had led to Peggy being used to being closed off and guarded with her emotions. Daniel was just the opposite when it came to romantic relationships, perhaps because his large family had always put their emotions out in the open. It was easier for Daniel to tell Peggy what was on his mind and to let her see the more vulnerable side in him. It wasn't easy, especially when it came to his leg, but easier.

Peggy was really trying though. She knew the relationship would last if she never let Daniel really see her. It wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be. Daniel, her sweet Daniel, made letting herself be loved incredibly easy.

It made her think of the song that was playing the first time they had danced on their first date. She had led a cautious and clearly nervous Daniel onto the dance floor as they swayed to Nat King Cole's crooning voice. She remembered listening to the words and letting them sink into her as Daniel held her. The man was right, she told herself in that moment, the greatest thing she would ever learn was to let herself be loved by the man who had miraculously walked into her life.

"Maybe a little difficult, but it's worth it to be in love you," Daniel smiled.

"When did you start?"

"Start what?"

"Start loving me?"

Bless this woman and how direct she could be. Daniel hadn't been expecting that question though. Try as he might, he couldn't remember not being in love with Peggy. She had changed his entire world and for the life of him, he couldn't remember a time where Peggy wasn't the center of his world. She was everything to him. How had he lived without her?

But he tried. He closed his eyes and tried to think of the exact moment when she had turned his brain to mush and made his heart feel like it was going to burst out of his chest.

"The first time I looked at you," He finally said.

"Daniel," Peggy scoffed. "I wouldn't have pegged you as someone so foolish to believe in love at first sight."

"It wasn't that you were incredibly beautiful," Daniel shook his head. "That certainly didn't hurt things though. But that moment when I saw you in the office and you looked into my eyes, I was a goner."

"Why?" Peggy's voice wasn't playfully scolding as it once had been. As cliche as it sounded, she was starting to realize how serious Daniel was.

"You looked at me."

"That's all it took?"

"No Peg, you looked at me. You really looked at me," he said softly.

"Oh."

"I wasn't expecting you that day in the file room. Jack said a new agent, Agent Carter, needed my help in the file room. He failed to mention it was a stunning woman. Probably wanted me to make a fool out of myself."

"Shocking," Peggy rolled her eyes, but she was hanging on his every word now.

"And there you were. You looked at me and my crutch. I waited for whatever sympathetic look you were going to give me and my stomach felt tight. You, this stunning woman, was going to look at me with that pity that I hated. But you never looked at me like that. You just looked me in the eye and asked what bumbling idiot had been in charge of the filing system because it was a bloody mess."

Peggy smiled at the memory as she snuggled closer into his arms. She listened to his heartbeat as his sweet words filled her with a sense of calm she had never known before.

"That's when I loved you. You had me hooked and sunk before I ever got to say a word."

"Oh Daniel," Peggy whispered. Daniel finally looked down at Peggy. Even in the moonlight, he could see her crying.

"Peggy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset," he said softly as he wiped away her tears.

"I'm not upset," Peggy shook her head. "It's just… that's when I fell in love with you too."

"Really?"

"You had this look in your eyes Daniel. And even now, I couldn't tell you what emotion was on your face but it was nothing I had seen before in so long. It wasn't that look that made me feel dirty all over. Yes, I could tell you were surprised to see me, but you didn't look at me like all those other men did. And then you spoke to me. You actually spoke to me like I was a human being and not your kid sister or your plaything. You asked how you could help. I knew you were special in that moment."

"Well then," Daniel smirked. "I guess we have Jack to thank for bringing us together."

"Not on his life!" Peggy groaned.

Daniel just smiled as he turned over to his side and let Peggy curl into him. He held her as he listened to her breath became more steady and he knew she had finally fell asleep.

"I love you Agent Carter," he said as he drifted off to sleep as well. "For as long as I live, I'll love you."