chuju | psl;

[ It's painful to see the evidence of what society has done to the incredible man in front of her. Deep down, she'd hoped that it wasn't quite as bad as what she'd seen before at the bar, but it's clear now that it's not just the men who have treated him with such disdain. It's infuriating, really, and chases away any embarrassment she'd been grappling with.

Leaning forward, she crosses her arms on the table, not caring if it's not the 'proper' thing to do for this time period. Timeline be damned, she's not going to sit there and let him feel like he's less because he survived something horrible. ]

Someone like me? You don't know a thing about me, Agent Sousa. [ Her words are firm but quiet, commanding his full attention without being scolding or condescending. ] Why would you think I wouldn't give you the time of day? You're intelligent, resourceful, and clearly more than capable if you're working for the SSR. Is it because of your leg? [ She shakes her head and tries to keep the anger out of her expression — she mostly succeeds. ] My father lost part of his arm in the line of duty. It didn't make him less of a man, it made him more. He's stronger because of what he went through and anyone who doesn't see that in you too is an idiot. So please don't presume to know who I would and wouldn't choose to spend my time with.

[ He opens and closes his mouth several times while she's speaking, and finally, he just shuts his mouth again and lets her talk. He didn't want to turn the conversation back around to his personal feelings of inadequacy, because no one really wants to hear someone get down on themselves, but it's something of a knee-jerk reaction after years of people telling him he won't amount to anything.

And perhaps even worse than that are the people who pay attention to him out of pity or even charity. He doesn't want to be pitied, when there are so many others out there who have it much worse.

He stares at her for a second or two, noting the way she just leans on the table with her arms resting on the surface, and he thinks, not for the first time, how she's unlike anyone he's ever met before. It's almost as though she's ahead of the times, as ludicrous as that sounds. ]

Sorry, I know: I don't know you at all, and it's not my place to tell you anything, let alone how you should act or think, but-

[ He feels bad now, because he fell prey again to that loop of thinking that he's not good enough to deserve someone's attention and time because he's not whole anymore. ]

Your father sounds like a great man. And, uh, sorry if this is saying too much, but you're pretty great too.

[ And therein lies the problem; she is pretty great, and he just feels woefully inadequate next to her. His accomplishments are what they are, but accomplishments don't make the man, and unfortunately, he clearly hasn't shaken off his insecurities and gotten them to stop hounding him.

But does he even dare try to interject some humor at his expense here? ]

Bet you've never ruined a date in less than ten seconds.

[ His compliment unsettles those nerves within her, rattling them around again because she hadn't been expecting it. This was about him, not her, and she's not used to people thinking that sort of thing about her. Not like this, anyway. She's a good SHIELD agent and an incredible hacker, but to have someone saying that to her when he's viewing this like a date...

That doesn't happen anymore. She's too broken for anyone to bother looking past the pieces to see who she is underneath them. Yet, here they are, and she gets the strangest feeling that he's trying to see those hidden parts regardless of her own expectations.

But then he has to go and say that.

Leaning back away from the table again, she lets her hands fall to her lap and tilts her head slightly to the side, as if considering something. But then she just smiles, amused at this whole thing, and there's more than a hint of flirtation in her response. ]

Agent Sousa, didn't we just discuss how you shouldn't assume you know what I'm thinking? That includes whether this date's been ruined.

[ Honestly, he was beginning to feel a little dejected and definitely down, because he knows that was a big misstep on his part.

He very nearly withered just a bit under her chastisement, although he tried his best to keep from looking too crestfallen.

But then she's smiling, and unless he's missed his guess, there's some notes of flirtation in her words and her tone, and try as he might, he can't stop himself from perking back up, almost like a puppy would in anticipation of receiving a treat. ]

I know, I've gone and done it again, I'm sorry.

[ He hesitates, and almost without thinking, he reaches for one of the sugar packets that she left in the container and starts spinning it around between his fingers. ]

So, uh, can I ask you what you're thinking?

[ That change in him is plain to see and she's glad of it. That hint she'd seen before of his emotions is something she hopes to never see again. He deserves to feel good about himself, to know his own value and to feel valued for who he is. If she can be part of that...

Nevermind that she shouldn't be.

Her eyes watch that sugar packet for a moment while she considers her answer, then she shrugs and her smile widens. ]

I think you're still doing pretty okay. [ She takes a deep breath and lets it out in a huff, her smile turning a bit sheepish as she admits a piece of truth. ] And I think I'd gladly let you walk me back to my place after this — if I knew where that was. I just got into town today and I'm still figuring things out.

[ To be quite honest, the Daniel that's all bashful smiles and shy charm is much more him than the one who sometimes feels like his experiences have rendered him damaged goods and no use to anyone, at least as far as relationships are concerned.

That is partly why he threw himself so wholeheartedly into his work with the SSR, because that way, at least he still feels like he's doing something meaningful.]

I'm glad to hear that. Really.

[ There's a part of him that's still waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it means something that she's still giving him a chance. ]

And I'd like that, but-

[ Now he looks at her nervously, as if he's too afraid to make the suggestion that's just occurred to him.

It crosses the lines of propriety just a bit, but he figures if it's just until she lands on her feet again, there's no harm in it.

... In theory. ]

[ Honestly, Daisy's still waiting for the other shoe to drop too. It's ridiculous, the Chronicoms have all moved on in time and there's no way he can be an LMD, and she's certain he isn't Hydra, and yet...

Well, there is precedent, after all. Her life has never been anything considered easy and life keeps through her one curveball after another. So while she knows he's a solid human guy, there's still some tiny part of her tucked into the shadows that worries. ]

But...? [ She frowns in confusion, not understanding where his train of thought is going. ] Huh?

You don't have to say yes, because this is crazy, even for me.

[ A voice in his head is telling him not to do what he's about to do, but he plows on ahead anyway. ]

I got an extra room I'm not using. There's plenty of room so you won't have to worry about anything, and I won't disturb you at all.

Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking, getting such a big place when it's just me, but you're welcome to it.

[ And now she can call him ridiculous and shoot him down. It's fine. ]

[ He takes her by surprise, again, and she finds herself staring at him in stunned silence, a look of incomprehension etched upon her face.

She shouldn't do it. She shouldn't even be sitting here with him, let alone flirting and talking about possibly seeing him again, but she absolutely shouldn't be thinking of staying with him. Nevermind the potential for royally screwing the timeline, it'd be like going deep undercover for every hour of the day. Sure, she's gone undercover for missions before, but always just a few hours and with an end in mind. This would be neither. It could be days or weeks until she finds somewhere else to go.

Some part of her wants this, though. Desperately. Because deep down, she's scared, and the only thing that might have a hope of keeping at bay the terror of being truly alone is the promise of having someone with her who she can trust. She still won't be able to let her guard down completely with him, of course, but...

It's the only light she has in this darkness. She has to take it. ]

I, uh... Thank you. [ She stares at him for a moment longer, then blinks rapidly and almost physically shakes herself out of the stupor. Her fingertips find their way back to the sugar packets, moving one, then another, rearranging and straightening almost without thought. ] I mean, thank you, I'd appreciate the help.

[ He shouldn't be doing this, shouldn't be making this offer, because they're complete strangers, and going into this with her will surely set people's tongues wagging.

But the truth is, he's just as desperate as she is. His rented apartment is too big, too quiet, and truthfully, he's lonely. That's part of what names this so dangerous, because he's acting out of desperation and not logic. ]

You're welcome. I just know if I was in your position, the help would mean a lot.

[ And then a thought hits him. ]

Do you have luggage somewhere?

[ Logic has no place in their world, it seems. If it did, she would have realized the mess she was setting herself up for long before this moment.

Luggage. Of course he'd notice that she doesn't have any with her. Normally, people who arrive in town have things they brought with them, at least some sort of bag with a change of clothes and a damn toothbrush. She doesn't even have a purse, keeping everything in pockets because she hadn't wanted to worry about losing track of it in a fight.

She opens her mouth to say something and then closes it again. Attempt number two goes much the same, and it's only the third try that succeeds. ]

No, I don't. [ Keep it simple, Johnson. Wait and see what he has to say before making it more complicated than it needs to be. ]

[ Her answer isn't that surprising. If she had any, he figures she would have it with her, so it's both telling and not that she says she doesn't. ]

You're just full of twists and turns, huh? I mean, it's none of my business, but I have to say, you're pretty mysterious.

[ But his smile gives away the fact that he's only joking. Does he wonder what her background really is? Sure. Is he going to ask? Not a chance. ]

Gotta say, though, it's kind of odd you just turned up without any belongings. Sure, I don't know how long you plan to stay, but most everyone who passes through here has something with them.

But never mind, it's not my place to question you. It's your business, plain and simple.

[ They're not in the SSR offices, and she's not a suspect: she's a person, just like him. ]

[ He might be joking, but how long will it be before mysterious becomes frustrating? How long before he has to have answers and won't stop digging for them? This won't be able to last more than a few weeks, at best, so she steels herself for the task ahead of figuring out this new life she's been dropped into.

Alone. ]

I would tell you everything if I could. [ Again, a version of the truth seems safest. Easier to remember, less work to craft into a lie that's believable. ] What I can tell you... is that I'm waiting. I don't know for how long. I was told to lay low until it's safe for my team to be together again, so that's what I'm doing. It could be weeks or months or...

[ She can't say it. She can't put into words that she may never see them again and that part of her life might be over forever. It hurts too much to put those words out into the world. ]

[ If he could turn off his investigative side, he would. Especially because he's been where she is before. And of course, he knows what it means to not be at liberty to talk about certain things. ]

Look, I know what classified information means, and that there's stuff you can't talk about. It's none of my business why you're here or how long you're gonna be staying, but I figure since your team's not here, and you don't have a place to stay tonight-

[ He shrugs. ]

And hey, if it turns into weeks or months, I've worked with wor- I mean, there's been tougher situations. [ Another thought occurs to him then. ] Can you get a letter or something out to your team letting you know where you are?

[ He just accepts it. She's spun a tale of half-truths and secrets and he just accepts that there are things she can't talk about. He hasn't asked her for proof or credentials, he's just...

It's impressive, honestly. He's following his intuition and trusting her when he has no real reason to. Would she be able to do something like that? He's offering her help she desperately needs and asking for nothing in return. It's ridiculous how amazing he's being.

How are the women of his time so damn stupid to not see what an incredible man he is? ]

I'm not sure, but I'm going to try. [ It's something she's been considering at the back of her mind, actually. NYC is a big, sprawling city and she won't have any way of know if Z-1 shows up, just like they won't have any easy way of tracking her down. But that's something that can (hopefully) wait until tomorrow.

She's quiet for just a moment before leaning forward again, her arms on the table, one outstretched between them but only making it partway, like she's reaching for him but not quite. ] Thank you, Agent Sousa. Really.

[ The thing is, he probably should have asked for her credentials at the very least, but he also knows that stories have a way of falling apart if the ground they're built on isn't solid. So, he's not planning to try and poke holes in her story, trusting that time and circumstance will eventually reveal the truth, whatever that is. If it turns out that she's a double agent or something like that, the truth has a funny way of working itself out.

Sure, some folks might call him naive and too trusting, but he's seen enough to know that time will mostly always tell.

And the women of his time can't see past the false leg and the crutch, or the fact that he pales in comparison to other flashier gentlemen. He lacks the classic movie star looks that make girls weak at the knees, and just because he tends to believe that looks aren't everything, that really isn't a popular thought by anyone's standards. ]

Well, I got paper, envelopes, and stamps, so they're all yours. Tomorrow, though.

[ For now, they've got their dinner waiting for them that got dropped off by the waiter while they were engrossed in their conversation. It'd be a shame to let it get too much colder. ]

You're welcome, uh- [ He realizes then that he's not sure what her proper title is. Agent, most likely, but she did say she's a liaison, so maybe that's not what she prefers to be called. ] Ma'am.

[ It slips out while he's still thinking about what to call her, and even as he's reaching out for her halfway extended hand, that red tinge from earlier is making another appearance. And to make matters slightly more embarrassing, when he sees that her outstretched hand stops before fully reaching out, he stops in return.

So now he's sitting there with his own halfway extended hand, not sure if he should reach the rest of the way and take her hand or not, knowing he must look quite the fool. Maybe it's his tendency to second-guess himself that turns people off. ]

[ And how easily her story can fall apart... One wrong anecdote, a slip from misremembering a lie, referencing something from the future — and that's not even considering that she'll have to hide what she is. The last thing she needs is the SSR finding out about Inhumans decades before SHIELD learned of their existence.

The women of this era are idiots. Sure, Sousa may not look exactly like the movie stars of this time, but he's not at all unattractive, and more than that, he's a good man. Looks can and do fade, but having someone at your side who is loyal and kind with a strong moral compass? That's the dream. Maybe not when she'd been younger, but now? She'd give anything to find that person. The Fitz to her Simmons.

She knows they should eat their food. It smells incredible, and it's never good to let pasta sit for long, but she's also noticed their hands on the table, and the way he's addressed her. And it's a ridiculous notion, but something tells her this moment is important. For what or whom, she doesn't know, and it doesn't matter. Her hand crosses those inches to wrap around his, giving it a gentle squeeze as she smiles affectionately. ]

Call me Daisy. [ The smile turns playful, even mischievous as she adds: ] And technically, it's Agent.

[ It's such a small gesture, but when Daisy wraps her fingers around is, a smile spreads across his face unbidden. It's such a silly thought, but he can't help but view it as some kind of acceptance, almost like the kind of acceptance between two children on a playground agreeing to play together. Obviously, that's not what this is, but it still means a lot to him that she'd just move past his awkwardness and hesitation so smoothly as if it never happened. ]

Daisy. [ His smile widens just a fraction. ] Nice name. It, uh- Well, it makes me think of springtime. And meadows.

[ And hopefully she doesn't think him a complete fool for voicing that thought. ]

Guess I could compromise and go with Agent Daisy, if you like that better.

[ Is he joking? Most likely. But he's trying to keep his tone semi-serious now, so as not to give that away. ]

[ The way he smiles... She could see that every single day and not get tired of it. Some part of her hopes that she can give him cause to smile like that again while they're together, and that he'll continue to have cause for it after she's gone.

Springtime and meadows. No one's ever really said something like that before. But then, everyone on her team had preconceptions of her, having either known her as Skye or a higher-ranking agent (or the Destroyer of Worlds). He just knows her as this, though. Just Daisy. Mysterious and surprisingly awkward when someone is genuinely complimenting her. ]

No, no, I uh— Daisy's just fine. [ That bit of awkward slips out and she fights back her own blush that's threatening to turn her into a tomato. Laughing slightly to cover up her sudden bout of nerves, she pulls her hand back and gestures to their food. ] This smells amazing, we should probably eat, right?

[ There's not a lot to smile at in his line of work, so he just takes the opportunity whenever he can, and values it that much more.

And maybe that line of his sounds like something from a bad romance movie, but he means every bit of it. And if she's turning into a tomato, well, he's right there with her. But he wants to have it known that she's a very cute tomato. Not that he'd ever say as much aloud. ]

Truthfully, I hoped you'd say that. Agent Daisy is kind of a mouthful, and not formal enough for a fellow agent. [ Not that the formality is always required, but there's a line between it and being casual. That's all he means. ]

Yeah, of course, it would be a real shame to let it go to waste.

[ And having said that, he reaches for his fork, intending to dig in; after letting her have the first bite, of course. ]

[ She is not a very cute tomato, she looks absolutely ridiculous. (But she would be all kinds of flustered if he ever did say it out loud.)

The first bite is very thoroughly enjoyed, as are the second and third bites. Her meal is eaten with gusto since she honestly can't remember the last time she'd had more than half a cup of coffee between missions to keep her going. Has she even eaten a full meal since everything with Izel started? Probably not. It's been a hellish few days.

Her food is gone in record time, she hadn't even stopped to say more than two words to her date, and if she were anyone from this time period, she'd be ridiculously embarrassed by the display. Seeing as she's from the future though, she's only a tiny bit embarrassed. ]

[ Honestly, he's enjoying watching her eat. There's something to be said for watching someone who's enjoying what they're eating. He tries not to make it so obvious that he's watching her, but he's just pleased to see that she's liking the fare in front of her.

She finishes much sooner than he does, but even with his on-and-off staring at her, he manages to keep pace. But now that they're both done, he's not sure how to proceed. ]

So, uh, looks like you enjoyed that.

[ She didn't really notice him watching her while she ate; if she had, she would have been a lot more self-conscious. But afterward, when she finishes her water while he takes his last few bites, she thinks that maybe—

But it's better not to think about that. Because they can't really do this.

That blush tries to creep back over her cheeks at his comment and she smiles with a bit of embarrassment. ] I did, a lot. It's been a rough couple of days, I don't think I've had much more than coffee and a peanut butter sandwich in a while.

[ Truthfully, they're both on dangerous ground, because they can't be doing this, shouldn't be doing this, and yet here they are. It feels like it's too late to back out now, however. ]

Yeah? I've had those days, more often than I care to remember. And for some of them, there's just time for a cup of coffee, forget about a sandwich.

[ More accurately, multiple cups of coffee, but he knows that's not a healthy diet by any means. ]

I get it, you probably can't talk about it because it's classified, but...

[ He's just leaving an opening for her if she wants it. He expects that she'll politely turn him down, though. ]

[ She's had those days too. Subsisting on coffee and an hour or two of sleep grabbed whenever she could manage, all of them exhausted but powering through because if they didn't, there was nothing standing between a world of innocent people and whatever latest threat had risen to destroy them. SHIELD is the front line, their job is to protect those who need it — it's why she feels so helpless now, when she can't do the one thing she's meant to. ]

Not specifics, no. [ She looks down and shakes her head, quiet for a moment while debating what she could say, and her fingers absently find those sugar packets again, moving one and straightening the others. ] We were in Mexico just a few days ago. One of my team — she was my SO actually — but she was, uh... hurt. We almost lost her. And then things got really bad.

[ She can still feel the guilt and terror that flooded through her while she held May in her arms, believing she was losing the only mother she had left. ]

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