7439/Partners as Always

Partners as Always
Date of Scene:	19 August 2021
Location:	Peggy's Quarters, The Triskelion
Synopsis:	A drunk Peggy and Daniel celebrate Daniel's return to duty once some old worries are out of the way.
Cast of Characters:	Peggy Carter, Daniel Sousa

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Peggy Carter has posed:
The party actually lasted a bit longer than either of them thought it would, but with no disasters to cut it short, it was genuinely nice to just have a night off with several of their colleagues. Now, Peggy's leading him slightly tipsily back down the hallway towards the Chief's quarters she has here. Definitely a little bigger than the rooms back at the Playground, and they've not only gotten a bit of space because of her rank, but there are 'double' suites for couples. It means the place is practically a roomy apartment in compare. She's also certainly had a few to drink.

"Mm. I did... not expect the first night you were reinstated as an agent, and on your new leg, for you to be half carrying me home. Or am I helping carry YOU home, Agent Sousa?" She teases him gently.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel had throughly enjoyed the party even if it left them staggering down the hall, smelling of whiskey and the cigars that came ut at the end of the evening; a spectacle for any agents still up and not manning some station for night shift.

"Well, Chief" Daniel says taking a moment to size up the situation. "I think it's a little of both," he says with his arm over her shoulder and her arm around his waist. He looks around the corridor with it's many identical doors leading to the various sleeping quarters. "We sure this is the right hallway?"he asks her. Whiskey was good for many things, but navigating was not one of them.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Uh...I'm... yes. Oh goodness, you haven't really... Been here, have you? Oh yes. Come, this way, I've got it!" She insists. Though it does take her swiping over three different doors, the third time is a charm, "No, this one. Most definitely." She insists, leaning against the wall as much as him. And, sure enough, it is. The door swings open to their spacious quarters. "Welcome home, Agent. Well...our home if we don't feel like driving back out to Long Island. It needs a bit of... Us in here. But it is nice." Plain and modern, a queen sized bed, two desks, little sitting area with a fake fire place, a single floor to ceiling window that looks out over Manhattan. It's not too bad a home at all.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Not unless we count the Framework," Daniel says looking around the place, while Peggy fumbles with the key card lock until the door opens.

"Definitely," he agrees about the personal touches. "But it's not underground and it has a bed, I can't really complain." He steps inside looking around before he's forced to lean on the wall for support. "Okay you were definitely half carrying me," he informs Peggy before making a lurching progression to the bed, where he sits down hard happy to be off of his unsteady feet. "Think you can make it?" he asks her. He puts his arms out. "Catch you if you can make it this far."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Oh, you lush. I have been far more sauced and made it home to bed without you, my darling." Peggy teases him with a happy little laugh, shutting the door behind her and leaning there as she kicks off her high heels. That will help a lot. She's still in her old SSR uniform with her soft, frothy curls and red lipstick. Her cheeks are just flushed with whiskey and the happiness of the night. Slightly unsteadily, she makes her way over to him.

"Mm...did you have a good night, my dear? It was a well deserved one. I should have stayed sober. Carried you home properly. Then everyone really would be talking."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Laughing, Daniel says "Well, I'll believe it when I seet it Carter," he teases watching as she kicks off her heels, smiling at the look of her in her old uniform complete with curls and lipstick. "I did," Daniel says with a nod. "I really did, feels good to be useful again, to be back in SHIELD."

Laughing again he decides, "That kiss at the ceremony gave them plenty to talk about. If they weren't already talking after a couple of those nights at the Playground," he reasons a bit of colour coming to his cheeks at the memory.

He lifts his arms a little higher as Peg teeters closer to the bed.

Peggy Carter has posed:
As she watches him lift his arms, though she was mostly fine making it, she happily collapses forward into his grasp so he might catch her and pull her up onto the bed. He will actually have to use muscle to do it, she trusts him not to do a full fall, but she's drunk and happy. It's a good collapse into his grasp. "Mm... darling, if they went to SHIELD Academy, they all know we're married. This should NOT be a scandal. They are just a bit more... stiff nowadays, about couples being in charge of each other in the field. I suppose they might have learned that from us too." She confesses with a little laugh.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel oofs as he catches Peggy and pulls her onto the bed with him chuckling and leaning over to steal a brief kiss. "That's true, sort of weird to have our lives being taught at the Academy," he remarks idly, the rest has his eyes dancing with amusement. "No clue what you mean," he says. "We were perfect agents and never let out feelings get in the way of the job," he says with a mostly straight face, before nodding at touch more seriously. "So, guessing I'm not going to be reporting to you like the old days?" he asks.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The stolen kiss is returned with a longer, deeper one, all words forgotten for a few moments as Peggy wraps herself up around him and lets her skirt hike up a little as one knee laces itself between his knees. Finally, she comes up for are, a little flushed and content for the kiss alone. They'd need to remove their suits soon or risk them getting so wrinkled they'd need dry cleaning.

"Mm...no, I fear not. I mean, I am Chief. I can get away with certain things and no doubt will. But there needs to be at least one other commander who isn't me on a mission. If we have the luxury. If not... it's SHIELD. We'll do what needs be done." She gives him a little wink. It won't be too different from old times.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel replies to the escalation with pleased noise and lingers in the kiss until the need for air demands they stop. He keeps close though, his head leaned against her shoulder at first when he listens to her works but lifting as they go on, catching that wink, "So standard operating procedure then. Do what we do and worry about how people are going to react later?" he asks. And to think he was once Mr. By-the-Book before Peg came along. "If so I think I can live with that, even if we're not officially in the same chain of command, I've missed working cases and going on missions with you," a smile then, "As much as we might let our feelings mess things up, we were a damn good team."

Peggy Carter has posed:
A chuff of a laugh escapes her throat as he comments that they will do what they will. "Goodness, Daniel Sousa. What have I done to this proper, ny-the-book, obidient soldier? You were quite the perfect agent before I showed up, you know that. Pressed cuffs, collars, and all." Peggy teases him, fingertips now reaching up to gently shift his suit jacket back off of his shoulders so she can toss it over the edge of a chair near the bedside. At least they can save his suit from being mussed.

"But yes, standard operating procedure, for us, at least. And I've missed you too. But this wasn't me. You earned it all on your own. Half the reason Steve issued the promotion. This wasn't my doing at all. it's all you, darling."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"He learned to live a little," Daniel reply, "It was needed to keep up with this agent I was partnered with, stubborn, too brave by half, good though, but don't tell her I said that," he grins down at her, letting the jacket be slid off of his shoulders and tossed to safety. "And my collars are still pressed," he says looking at his shirt, the crisp collar having wilted a little, "They just have a bit more lipstick on them than usual tonight," he says, nodding for her to sit up some so he can help her with her jacket.

"I know," he says pausing with the jacket buttons to look Peggy in the eye, "You wouldn't coddle me like that, you let me earn this and I appreciate that, it feels good to know I still belong in SHIELD." He'd been worried, he hid it well, but it had been there and noticeable as he worked his way through the certs that there'd be something he'd fall short on and he'd be benched.

Peggy Carter has posed:
It's not until that last moment that Peggy realizes fully how much he'd been worried. Her head tilts to the side, sitting up straighter so he can undo the golden buttons of her jacket and shift it back off of her shoulders. "Oh, my darling... were you truly that worried? I knew you'd manage it. Especially with that new leg. But even before that, you were out in the field, pushing through every day on your OLD leg. There was no way you weren't passing. I just... I needed you to know it was you."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel removes the jacket and tosses it to join his across the room. "A bit, yeah, I had faith in my leg and myself, but a lot of it was those memories from the Framework too, and I wasn't sure how much I could count on them, they get fuzzy sometime, either way, just didn't want to be on the sidelines anymore. I missed being your partner at work and feeling a part of SHIELD. Life felt a whole lot more empty without those things in it."

Peggy Carter has posed:
While tipsy, Peggy knows when things are serious. She listens to his worries, letting him get the weight off his chest as her fingertips come up to gently trace up across his cheek bone and then just settle on the side of his face. "Even if things had gotten fuzzy. Even if you needed to study more... you would have managed it. I *know* you. I had not a single moment of doubt you'd be back at my side in the field again. And here you are, first time." Peggy leans over and up for a softer kiss. "I couldn't be more proud of the man I married, and the excellent agent he's always been."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel leans into that touch feeling relief from the closeness and for letting go of the nerves that had plagued him before now. "Thanks, I needed to hear that I think," he tells her softly. "I wasn't going to give up but with as weird as things have been I wasn't sure I had my feet under me," he smiles as she mentions him passing on his first try; He allows himself a little pride at that. He returns that soft kiss, putting his hand on her cheek in turn. "Thanks Peg, it means a lot to be that man, and to know you have that faith in me," he says before he lets himself grin. "Though I am being a total wet blanket right now aren't I? Have my wife happy and a little drunk in our bed and here I am worrying about something I already passed," he kisses her again. "I'm sure we can think of a better way to carry on the celebration."

Peggy Carter has posed:
A deep, warm laugh escapes her lips at the last bit of commentary. "You aren't being a wet blanket. You are being my dear, loving, serious, pressed collar husband who carries the world on his shoulders a bit too often," Pot and kettle, but probably one of the reasons they are married. "But now you can set that world down. And yes, you do have your lovely, slightly tipsy wife here, very awake, in a nicer bed than we have at the Playground. I suspect the celebration isn't quite over..." With that, she pushes forward, tipping him down and backwards onto the bed as she presses him into a far deeper kiss that is nothing about reassurance. It's their turn to celebrate in other ways, as is proper between husband and wife. Not that they will necessarily be near so proper about it...