i.
Daniel Sousa is having one of those days, so he can't say he's entirely surprised to see a woman he doesn't know sitting at his desk, reading through his files, and looking for all the world like she belongs there. He thinks, for a moment, that he may have made a mistake and entered the wrong office, but a quick glance confirms it is in fact his name on the door, which now makes her the third stranger who has managed to infiltrate what was once the most secure SHIELD base in the western United States.
She ignores him completely and he's not sure if he's more annoyed or impressed by her blatant disregard at being caught in the act. She's a professional, that much is clear, and he begins wondering what exactly he's gotten himself into that would result in someone like her knocking at his door. Or rather, forgoing the knocking altogether and making herself right at home.
He'd like to say that he regains his composure, that he remains calm and unfazed by her presence, but that would be a lie.
He's far from calm and he is definitely fazed.
He'd like to say that he doesn't notice how attractive she is, that his interest is purely professional, but that's not true either.
He notices.
He's interested.
And perhaps in another life, they'd meet under better circumstances and he could do this differently, but in this one, she's still an intruder who's trespassing and he's still got a job to do. Duty calls, and all that, so he demands an explanation, but if his tone isn't quite as sharp as it should've been, he pretends not to notice.
Who the hell are you?, he asks.
What he means is, I wouldn't mind getting to know you.
...
Daisy Johnson is having one hell of a day, if she's being perfectly honest, so it doesn't really surprise her when she finds out that Coulson and Simmons have blown their cover and need an extraction. Nothing ever went smoothly under normal circumstances at SHIELD, not that normal ever meant anything to them to begin with, so it would be too much to hope for things to actually start going according to plan given their current state of affairs. But perhaps she spoke too soon, because she makes it onto the base without any complications and into Agent Daniel Sousa's office without any trouble, and that's when she starts to think her luck may be changing.
She doesn't know much about the man other than what she's read and heard from Coulson, but one look at his office tells her everything she needs to know. Tidy, organized, with few personal effects – a by-the-book kind of guy who's dedicated to his work. A little boring, perhaps, but there's nothing wrong with that, especially considering the absolute goldmine of intelligence housed within these four walls. She takes a seat at the desk, starts snapping photos of every file within reach, and waits for him to arrive.
It doesn't take long before she feels footsteps coming down the hall – he's punctual, of course he is – and then the door swings open. She hears him take a quick breath before asking her to identify herself, and when she finally lifts her head, the first thought she has is that his picture really didn't do him justice. She lets it linger in the back of her mind as she hands him her card, watching him intently as he reads it.
He has kind eyes, she realizes. They make his whole face softer, somehow. Gentler.
The history books never mentioned that, and now that he's standing in front of her, asking her for answers, she finds herself wondering what else they left out.
We know all, she replies with a smile, even about you, Mr. Sousa.
What she means is, I wouldn't mind knowing more.