your heart was glass (i dropped it) [jackdaniels]

your heart was glass (i dropped it)

Looking back, it was the thirteenth of December 1945 when everything began to fall apart. Margaret Carter blew into the office like the flurry that swirled outside, shaking snow out of her dark curls.

"I'm here to see Chief Dooley," she said, looking around the bullpen.

"Looks like Dooley finally hired me a secretary like I asked," Jack said.

"The hell do you need a secretary for?" Krzeminski asked.

"For the paperwork on all of my cases and arrests." Jack turned in his chair to look at Peggy. "Hope you're a fast typer."

Daniel shot Jack a look and said, "He's in his office." He pointed at the office in the far corner of the room.

Peggy smiled and stopped at his desk on her way over. "Thank you." She held out her hand. "Peggy Carter, originally SOE."

"Daniel Sousa," he said. "And that's Jack Thompson, he's a dick and you can ignore him."

"At last, something familiar," she said with a smile.

"When did you arrive in the States?"

"This morning," she said. "I wanted to get things settled here before I got, well, settled in." She glanced at Dooley's office. "Well, thank you, Agent Sousa."

Daniel nodded. "Agent Carter."

Jack sauntered over to Daniel's desk as she walked away.

Daniel leaned back in his chair. "Secretary, really? Way to give her a good first impression."

Jack grinned. "I was joking. The impression I wanted to give is that I am a funny and charming guy."

Daniel shook his head. "You're a remarkably unpleasant person."

"And yet."

Daniel's face softened into an almost-fond smile. "And yet."

And that was all they could say, really, when at work or in public. It was a relationship of unspoken words, stolen looks and secret touches, always on the lookout. It was equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

It began not too long after Daniel had started at the SSR. He had been at Red's, which he had heard was a place he could be comfortable in his exploration, and had seen Jack across the room. While Jack's first thought upon seeing Daniel was something along the lines of Score! Daniel immediately assumed that Jack must be undercover and fled out the backdoor.

The following Monday, Daniel avoided Jack as much as he could until he was finally cornered in the file room.

"You going to Red's on Thursday?" Jack asked casually. "Beer's half off if you wear something red."

"I, uh." Daniel cleared his throat. "I'll have to see."

"Think about it." Jack winked and left the room, leaving Daniel to eventually decide that this would be a strangely elaborate way to arrest him.

So now, here they were, staying over at each other's places, staggering their arrivals to work, and generally sneaking around.

"I wish you were easier on her." Daniel was lying in bed, watching as Jack got ready for the day.

Jack rolled his eyes in the mirror. "That's what you're thinking about right now?"

"I was thinking about work. You know Dooley isn't right about everything."

"I am well aware that Dooley's not right about everything." Jack's voice was grim.