7939/Just a Normal Evening...

Just a Normal Evening...
Date of Scene:	23 September 2021
Location:	Carter-Sousa Home - Long Island
Synopsis:	After the messy 084 retrieval, Peggy comes home to her husband Daniel and the house on Long Island. It feels like old times, but with a few lovely perks.
Cast of Characters:	Daniel Sousa, Peggy Carter

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Daniel Sousa has posed:
Senior Agent Daniel Sousa is at home having made the long drive back from the Triskelion to their home in Long Island. The drive made him miss when SHIELD HQ was only in Chelsea and not all the way in Westchester county. The smart move would be to sell and buy something in Salem like Bobbi and Hunter had, but this was always going to be home and he only just made it back here, really made it back, without threat of his death hanging over his head, so long drive or no he really didn't want to change a thing. He knew Peg was out on a mission and might be awhile so, he cooks enough for two but puts her portion in the fridge before taking his to the kitchen and putting on a little light jazz as he sits down to eat a report on a tablet beside him, reading between bites.

Minus the tablet and the music coming from a bluetooth set up linked to his phone it could have been any night back home- he stops that thought. No, not home, the past, THIS was home now, and would be for the rest of his and Peg's lives.

Scrolling down on the report, that thought, that this was home now, brings a smile to his lips.

Peggy Carter has posed:
It's a good hour after he's fully settled in for the night that the sound of a car outside can be heard. Peggy's not driven herself home tonight for a variety of reasons, but she's now been dropped off in the driveway and, using the little lock keypad to the garage door, she lets herself into the garage to come in the kitchen doorway. It was the way they always came in when they got home late -- pull the car in the garage and duck in without worrying about the front door.

She's not bothered showering yet, that means she's still covered in a fine bit of dust and debris through her pulled back brown hair and across the bits of her skin that haven't been washed. Her left arm is in a navy blue SHIELD issue sling, it must not be bad enough for them to keep her. or she was just stubborn about the matter. She's trying to be quiet about tip toeing in, just in case he's already asleep, as she slips into the kitchen and does start hunting for food.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
The sound of the car pulling up outside has his him momentarily worried before he sees Peggy step out of it and make her way to the garage. No bad news from the office, the way her arm is held by the sling is noted but he'll gladly take that over the alternatives. Rising he joins her in the kitchen just after she arrives. "Some of that Portugese stew you like in the fridge, and some bagged salad, if you're hungry," he takes in the state of her before adding. "I can warm the stew for you if you want to grab a shower." No questions about the arm or obvious worry besides a once over to make sure she was alright, but knowing Daniel he's just biding his time.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peg doesn't exactly jump as she hears his voice, she should have known he'd be awake, but she does give him a long look and a slightly bittersweet smile. "Oh, darling... I told you to go to sleep if I was back too late." Her heart isn't behind the scold. She's happy to see him, even if she's covered in dust and nursing that arm.

She walks over to him instead of hovering in the kitchen and uses her good arm to tug him into a very immediate, very warm kiss. It lingers longer than a simple good evening. Then she's pulling back and her smile comes a bit softer for him. "But... since you are up, please, warm it up. I'll take the fastest shower and be far more tolerable in ten minutes. I promise. I love you."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"And miss that kiss? Never," Daniel says with a grin when said kiss had broken. "Definitely worth staying up for."

There's a nod about the food, "Got it, go, it'll be ready when you get out, looks like you had a heck of a mission. Can't wait to hear about it," he calls as he gets the food out of the fridge and gets set to heat it for her. Glad to have her home. "Love you too," he adds with a smile over his shoulder.

By the time the shower's done the food is ready and Daniel has it set out in the living room next to where he's sitting, a couple of fingers of one of the better scotches in their mini bar poured and waiting beside her plate.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Just about ten minutes to the dot -- she'd have been faster if she had both her hands in play, but Peggy comes back down with still-damp hair and in nothing but her white cotton night gown. She's got a few scraps and bumps, but over all she looks in decent condition. The worst is the yellow green bruising of her shoulder from the internal injury, and even that must be fairly mild for her to be allowed out and not in some sort of surgery.

She pads barefoot across the old carpeting and into their kitchen, taking in a deep breath of the familiar, warm scent that is his stew in a kitchen that he helped her design. In their *home*. Suddenly, there's something a bit more heavy behind her gaze and smile. "That...smells amazing. I can't remember the last time you... you cooked it in *this* kitchen."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel isn't even timing her... this time, but her arrival brings a smile to his lips as he rises up and kisses her briefly before helping her sit. "Been awhile hasn't it?" he says of cooking in their home. "Felt right, considering I'm here to stay," he says, a contented smile crossing his lips with those words.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A thoughtful, little sigh escapes her lips as she slips up next to him into the kitchen and leans over to press a little kiss to the side of his neck. "This really is a... ridiculous drive from the Triskelion. Almost as far as Delaware. We... should sell it..." Peggy admits, with a tone that says she's thinking the exact same thing he is. They are home and she doesn't wish to sell.

She slides up onto the chair in the little breakfast nook then, reaching her good arm for the bowl of stew. She's not bothered slinging her other arm again, but is being careful not to move it too much. "...but it does feel right here. Stew and all."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Sure," Daniel says in a similar tone, there is no way they're selling this place. "'sides we've still got your quarters at the Trisk, it'll be like the Penthouse used to be when we moved in here, on standby for times when we don't want to make the drive," he looks over smiling. "But I think this is always going to be our home, stupid drive or no, which is fine by me, I just got back here" he says.

His attention goes to the arm, "So, going to tell me about the mission?" he asks, smile still on his lips.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A groan escapes her nose and she rolls her eyes down to her shoulder, before answering by taking a bit bite of the stew then nodding in the direction of the bar in the living room. "Fine... fine. But pour me a whiskey with this. I could use it." She's not dead serious about that, the mission having been annoyingly difficult, not dangerously difficult, but she still could use a drink before considering it.

Once he brings her her whiskey back, Peggy nods for him to take the seat across from her so she can put her bare feet up in his lap. "Well... it might be as bad as I feared. While HYDRA was here, they got a... whole bunch of 084s out. I don't know how many yet. But this one was a strong enough beam to collapse an entire church and crypt around us. It's alright. I didn't fall. Steve caught me... by a wrist." And likely her shoulder didn't like that at all.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
The whiskey is fetched without argument and when Peggy puts her feet in his lap, he resists the urge run a finger down the centre of one of them. He wisely focuses on his food instead.

His food and Peggy's story. "Too much to hope that they didn't put their hand in the cookie jar," he says of the 084s. "Well knowing HYDRA they probably picked all the ones that pack a punch like the ones that toppled that church, so how do we track them all down?"

As for the arm, Daniel takes a sip of his drink. "Glad you're alright," he glances to her arm, "More or less," he flinches when she tells him what happened. "Well good thing Steve caught you but, ouch, can't imagine that was too much fun when it happened."

Peggy Carter has posed:
A quiet grimace crosses her features as he comments on the 084s. As one of the people who worked with her so hard on getting them all put away, they both uniquely know just how bad it can be if some of them get out. "...It was the Q-Ray, that got out... This time. Apparently, they'd been sitting on the other half of the damn thing this whole time. We're lucky it wasn't worse." Peggy isn't one to panic, but she's worried. Very worried. "Jane's heading up the project to track them all down, if you want to give her a hand..."

Then he's mentioning her arm. She sighs, giving a half shrug with the shoulder that still wants to move for the moment, "It could have been worse, and I knew he was there. I... jumped for him. Felt good to fight at his side again. And it was better than tumbling two stories, getting buried in rubble, or cut in half by the beam. Doctors don't think anything is horribly torn, just dislocated, but they'll get pictures once the swelling goes down in the morning." Which means she probably should be in her sling. Oh well!

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"That thing is still around?" Daniel asks flinching at the thought of the Q-Ray being on the loose again. "We really should have figured out a way to /really/ shoot all those things into the sun, rather than just faking it. And I'll definitely talk to Jane about it, got a rank but no assignment yet, so might as well make myself useful."

"Glad Cap was along for a lot of reasons then," Daniel remarks. "I know how much fighting alongside Cap and the Commandos meant to you, must have been good to relive a bit of that again."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Actually... I should put you second on the whole damn thing. If you're up for it, that is? I've put Jane as the lead because she wants to step up, into senior agent territory, and that means she has to be able to lead in the field. But I'm still being pulled a half dozen directions and I can't go on every job with her. You were there for half this clean up, you remember a fair amount of what we put away. You could help her and evaluate if she's ready at the same time..." Peggy's got that energy behind her voice that comes when she's hit upon a good idea she can believe she didn't think of earlier. She watches his eyes, though, trying to get how he really feels about it, especially not being in the lead.

Then he makes that remark about Cap. Her expression goes a bit more serious, watching him even closer, if possible, "...yes. It felt... quite nice, actually. Glad to see some things haven't changed. But... you... You really don't mind? Steve and I working together again? I know both our lives went... different ways. Ways I wouldn't trade for the world. But I also know what people used to say..."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Taking a spoonful of stew Daniel nods, looking up to meet Peggy's eyes when she regards him carefully. "Completely fine with being Jane's number two on this, still getting used to /this/ version of the future, sounds like this is her chance to prove herself and it's a good chance to prove myself as well, first real assignment with this SHIELD, so, I've got no problems with any of it."

The rest gets a soft smile as Daniel reaches a hand across the table to Peg. "Don't worry, I know what they said, did I think you and him must have gotten back together when Abcde first told me Steve was alive? Sure, but seeing where you guys are at now, I don't have a worry, he's a great friend to us both, and besides, after all the chances you've had to be with other people and still chose me, I kinda got the message you may just like me after all for some reason or another," he delivers that last with a warm if teasing smile.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Injured or not, feet in his lap or not, Peggy still has enough core strength and the table isn't that big, that she manages to pull herself across and pull him into another deep, softer kiss. It tastes of his stew and a bite of whiskey now, not blood and dust, but she is never shy in kissing him. He's put up with her tasting of a lot of things over the years.

Finally, though, she needs breath. And a bit more food. "Mm... I love you too. And yes. I will always, alwyas choose you. Always have. Always will. I just... I wanted to be sure. I'm glad you know. Both of you are important to me for... such different reasons. And my life is better for having both of you back in it. God, I'm a lucky woman." She smiles a bit more at that thought, just marveling at it. She can't believe how lucky she is. She adjusts her feet in his lap and settles in a bit deeper.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
As long as it's Peggy he's kissing he doesn't matter what tastes are on her lips he kisses her back with the same depth and feeling as she kisses him, table between them or no. Sinking back with a smile, he nods. "And as lucky as you feel, that you keep choosing me is why I'm even luckier," he says half-teasing, half in earnest. "Love you Peg, and glad you're happy with things, I am too. Our life may be strange, but it's also, just a little bit amazing, it's good to be able to share it with you."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Mm... but now, I want bed. Possibly some asprin. More whiskey... maybe a back massage. Depends how awake you are, handsome." Peggy takes a few last bites of her stew and then gets up, at least polite enough to go put the bowl away in the sink and run some water over it so it's not a mess in the morning. He did teach her a few domestic things well, she was a terror to be with when they first moved in her.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel finishes up the last few bites of his stew with a smile. "Bed sounds good," he says rising from the table to put his dish in the sink. Bowl out of his hands and standing behind Peggy he wraps his arms around her waist and plants a soft kiss against the side of her throat. "Annnd I think I /might/ just be awake enough for all of that and maybe a little more," a beat. "Since you called me handsome."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Her eyes drift shut for a few moments, letting the warm weight of her body lean back against him in a way they could never do before his new leg. At least, not without Daniel already also leaning against something so she didn't knock him down. Now, she trusts him to hold her and tilts her head to the side, baring a bit more of her throat to him and the quiet thrum of her pulse beneath skin.

"Well, I'm certainly not going to call you old man. Married or not, I'v got a good sixty years on you now. Besides. You *are* handsome. And I've missed you. And I drove all the damn way home here so we could share that big bed and even sleep in a little."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
It feels good to have Peggy lean against him like that and be able to keep his feet. Even having the leg for awhile now being here in their kitchen on a night very much like the old days, he felt that difference more keenly. Seeking out that pulse point he kisses it softly, his chuckle at her words warm breath aginst her throat.

"Fair point," he says of the years she has on him, smiling. "Well then beautiful, let's not waste the opportunity," he says of her coming all the way home to enjoy their bed, and if she lets him and taking care of her arm, he scoops her into his arms, another trick made possible by the new leg.

"Shall we?" he asks her with a grin.

Peggy Carter has posed:
There's a shiver that goes through her body at the kiss on her neck which isn't about a massage for her injured shoulder. Peggy lets a small, happy sound escape her throat and she hugs his arms against her waist just a bit tighter. "Mm... Keep that up, and you absolutely won't be sleeping, my dear."

Then she's being scooped up, fully, into his arms and her eyes go a little wide. That's different than just leaning against him in the kitchen, "Daniel!" She yelps, worried and surprised at the same moment. But he's steady. He's got her. And he's walking down to the bedroom. She blinks up to him, impressed. "I... suppose we shall. Lead the way, handsome." She winks at him, wrapping her arms around his neck to balance her body just a bit more, no complaints. After all, they'd both in the bed and enjoying the night in other ways soon enough.