#jackdaniel

When they got back to the SSR, Peggy and Jack were greeted at the door by Chief Sousa. "Peggy, Jack! How was the chase?"

"Pretty good," Jack replied. "A bullet got me, though. Nicked my shoulder."

Sousa's face turned terrified for a second, but it went away just as fast. He probably thought Jack didn't notice, but Jack hadn't trained for a long time to become a spy for nothing. "Jack, come with me," Sousa said. "I can help you get fixed up."

Peggy opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it. Jack assumed she was going to say that there were medical staff that could've helped Jack, which was true. Why did Sousa insist on doing it himself?

They quickly made it to the Chief’s office, where Sousa pulled up two chairs and sat in one of them. Jack sat down in the other. “Pull up your sleeve,” Sousa said. Jack did.

Sousa got out the medical kit, and he began to patch up Jack’s arm. Jack noticed that he was being uncharacteristically quiet, but he didn’t say anything. After all, maybe Sousa was just jealous that Jack could go out into the field and he couldn’t.

After an awkward minute or so, Sousa finally broke the silence. “You have nice… arms,” he said shyly.

”Um, thanks?” Jack replied, confused. “That’s- yeah. I appreciate it.”

Sousa sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m horrible at this.”

“Horrible at what?”

“I really like you, Jack. Like, I like you.”

Jack’s face turned red. That’s why Sousa had been acting so weird. And at that moment, Jack realized something. “I… I like you too. But weren’t you dating Peggy? I thought you liked her.”

The Chief’s face was a mix of relief and shock. “I did like Peggy. I don’t think she can move on from Steve though. Which, admittedly, is understandable. He has even nicer arms than you.”

And for the first time in a long time, Jack Thompson let out a long, authentic laugh.

——

hope I did good!