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Daniel drove the familiar route to Violet’s house. He was finally going to pick up the last of his things, something he had been putting off for weeks. Peggy was back in New York; they hadn’t really talked about the future, and he wanted to close this chapter with Violet before they did. He had hardly spoken to her since the night Peggy was hurt – the night she figured it out.
Violet deserved so much better. Even before Peggy arrived in Los Angeles, he was never completely there for Violet. Of course, he didn’t realize that until it was too late.
It would have been better if he had run away from New York with a broken heart like everyone had thought. But that wasn’t entirely true. He had run away – Violet could always read him too well – but because he was afraid.
He and Peggy had smiled and flirted and supported each other against their coworkers. He had thought – hoped – that they could be something more, but he was patient. He knew she was still grieving Captain America. Then, when they’d figured out she was working with Stark behind their backs, he had been so angry he could barely see. That was when the fear crept in, and it did not dissipate when they found out she was telling the truth.
Daniel knew he had fallen for her – just as surely as he knew being with her would be as intense and unpredictable as she was herself. Peggy was like the sun: just too bright to look at and too strong to try to tie yourself to. What he felt for her was just too much for him to handle.
So he had run. He took the chief position in Los Angeles and fled away from Peggy’s gravitational pull, trading her in for the less intense California heat.
And he had met Violet. She reminded him of Peggy a bit at first, the way she didn’t take shit from anyone, but soon he separated them in his mind. And he had fallen for her too, there was no question about it. She was strong and funny and fearless, and they probably would have had a very happy life together, had Peggy not come in.
He should have heard the bells tolling on his and Violet’s future as soon as Peggy arrived. They had fallen into old habits as they worked together. She didn’t flirt with him like before – she respected Violet far too much to do that – but it was clear she wasn’t over him. And as time went on and Peggy got herself into dangerous situations and nearly died several times, he began to realize he wasn’t over her either
(Looking back, he wondered if he had proposed to Violet because he was ready to marry her, or to try to prove to himself he had moved on.)
And Violet, ever observant and never one to beat around the bush, had looked at him and said, “Well, I think you’re in love with her. Aren’t you, Daniel?”
He hadn’t been able to say no and she hadn’t gotten angry – even though she had every right to.
Daniel parked on the street by Violet’s house and took a breath before stepping out and walking up to the door. He knocked and heard her steps come down the stairs. He could tell she was wearing her work shoes and hoped he hadn’t interrupted her while she was getting ready for work.
“Daniel,” she said, when she opened the door, not entirely surprised.
“Hi,” he said.
Her face was deliberately neutral, so he couldn’t tell if she was sad or angry.
“I’m just here to get my stuff,” he said.
“Right, yeah.” She stepped aside and he entered the house. “I’ve got most of it in a box in the living room.”
It’s not much. A couple of books, a jacket, a watch. As he went through it, he found a few keepsakes – tickets from shows and movies, prizes won at fairs. Violet wasn’t the type to keep stuff like that, but she knew he was.
Violet entered the room with a laundry basket on her hip. She put it down and handed him a small pile of clothes. “I think that’s everything.”
He took it gently and placed it in the box. “You didn’t have to wash them,” he said quietly.
She shrugged. “I was doing laundry anyway.”
Daniel nodded. “Right.”
He picked up the box and was about to leave when Violet said, “Wait.”
He stopped.
“We never really talked after, so I’m just going to say my piece and then you can go,” Violet said, jaw set.
“Alright,” Daniel said.
She took a breath. “You weren’t honest with me, not about why you left New York, or about Peggy. That wasn’t fair to me, and I think you know that.”
Daniel nodded.
“It wasn’t fair for either of us, really. Because Peggy came here and she was in love with you and she didn’t know about us, and she handled it better than I ever could’ve. She was never anything but nice to me.” She shook her head. “So I get it, she’s great. I can’t dislike her, no matter how much I might want to.”
Daniel was quiet. If he hadn’t deserved her before, he certainly didn’t now.
“So, I hope you two figure it out.” Her eyes glistened. “Genuinely.”
“I –” Daniel started.
Violet shook her head. “I don’t –” She sighed. “You can go. I don’t need to hear your apologies. I know you didn’t mean to hurt anyone – hurt me – but you still did. I know you’re sorry, but I don’t really wanna hear it.”
Daniel swallowed and nodded. “Goodbye, Violet,” he said.
“Goodbye, Daniel.” She followed him to the door and closed it behind her. She listened to his steps down the lane, the sound of the car door opening and closing, and then him driving off.
Violet looked over at the spot the box had sat in the living room and tried not to break down. She had been finding things of Daniel’s around the house in the days after they had broken it off and had found it helpful to have a place to put them. The box had sat there for a few weeks, slowly filling up. The room felt emptier without it now and even though she knew it was a good thing, she still missed it.
She tried not to think about Daniel leaving things at Peggy’s place. They would start collecting little reminders of outings they’d been on, and probably missions they’d gone on together.
Peggy had dropped by the day before she left for New York – with a noticeable tan, and Violet deliberately did not let herself think about Peggy sitting on a beach or beside a pool with Daniel. Peggy said she was there to say goodbye and a final thank you for helping her, but it was also a bit of an apology.
They talked a while about not being taken seriously at work since they had a fair bit in common on that front. Violet had been telling Daniel the truth: she quite liked Peggy. If the circumstances had been different, they could have been close friends. But, as things stood now, that seemed unlikely.
“I don’t blame you for any of it,” Violet said, finally.
“You don’t,” Peggy said cautiously.
Violet shook her head.
“Because you’re allowed to be angry with me,” Peggy said. “I wouldn’t begrudge you that.”
“I’m not angry at you.”
After a pause, Peggy asked, “When did you know?”
“When he brought you here when you were injured,” Violet said. “It was as clear as anything.”
Peggy nodded. “Well, thank you again, Violet, for everything.”
“Of course.” Violet smiled. “Feel free to drop by whenever you’re back in town.”
Peggy said she would, but they both knew she wouldn’t. Violet waved from the porch as Peggy drove away and doubted that she would ever see either Peggy or Daniel ever again, at least intentionally.
Violet took a deep breath and looked around the room again. They had both gotten their closure with her, and now that the box was gone, it was time for Violet to find hers.
Violet deserved so much better. Even before Peggy arrived in Los Angeles, he was never completely there for Violet. Of course, he didn’t realize that until it was too late.
It would have been better if he had run away from New York with a broken heart like everyone had thought. But that wasn’t entirely true. He had run away – Violet could always read him too well – but because he was afraid.
He and Peggy had smiled and flirted and supported each other against their coworkers. He had thought – hoped – that they could be something more, but he was patient. He knew she was still grieving Captain America. Then, when they’d figured out she was working with Stark behind their backs, he had been so angry he could barely see. That was when the fear crept in, and it did not dissipate when they found out she was telling the truth.
Daniel knew he had fallen for her – just as surely as he knew being with her would be as intense and unpredictable as she was herself. Peggy was like the sun: just too bright to look at and too strong to try to tie yourself to. What he felt for her was just too much for him to handle.
So he had run. He took the chief position in Los Angeles and fled away from Peggy’s gravitational pull, trading her in for the less intense California heat.
And he had met Violet. She reminded him of Peggy a bit at first, the way she didn’t take shit from anyone, but soon he separated them in his mind. And he had fallen for her too, there was no question about it. She was strong and funny and fearless, and they probably would have had a very happy life together, had Peggy not come in.
He should have heard the bells tolling on his and Violet’s future as soon as Peggy arrived. They had fallen into old habits as they worked together. She didn’t flirt with him like before – she respected Violet far too much to do that – but it was clear she wasn’t over him. And as time went on and Peggy got herself into dangerous situations and nearly died several times, he began to realize he wasn’t over her either
(Looking back, he wondered if he had proposed to Violet because he was ready to marry her, or to try to prove to himself he had moved on.)
And Violet, ever observant and never one to beat around the bush, had looked at him and said, “Well, I think you’re in love with her. Aren’t you, Daniel?”
He hadn’t been able to say no and she hadn’t gotten angry – even though she had every right to.
Daniel parked on the street by Violet’s house and took a breath before stepping out and walking up to the door. He knocked and heard her steps come down the stairs. He could tell she was wearing her work shoes and hoped he hadn’t interrupted her while she was getting ready for work.
“Daniel,” she said, when she opened the door, not entirely surprised.
“Hi,” he said.
Her face was deliberately neutral, so he couldn’t tell if she was sad or angry.
“I’m just here to get my stuff,” he said.
“Right, yeah.” She stepped aside and he entered the house. “I’ve got most of it in a box in the living room.”
It’s not much. A couple of books, a jacket, a watch. As he went through it, he found a few keepsakes – tickets from shows and movies, prizes won at fairs. Violet wasn’t the type to keep stuff like that, but she knew he was.
Violet entered the room with a laundry basket on her hip. She put it down and handed him a small pile of clothes. “I think that’s everything.”
He took it gently and placed it in the box. “You didn’t have to wash them,” he said quietly.
She shrugged. “I was doing laundry anyway.”
Daniel nodded. “Right.”
He picked up the box and was about to leave when Violet said, “Wait.”
He stopped.
“We never really talked after, so I’m just going to say my piece and then you can go,” Violet said, jaw set.
“Alright,” Daniel said.
She took a breath. “You weren’t honest with me, not about why you left New York, or about Peggy. That wasn’t fair to me, and I think you know that.”
Daniel nodded.
“It wasn’t fair for either of us, really. Because Peggy came here and she was in love with you and she didn’t know about us, and she handled it better than I ever could’ve. She was never anything but nice to me.” She shook her head. “So I get it, she’s great. I can’t dislike her, no matter how much I might want to.”
Daniel was quiet. If he hadn’t deserved her before, he certainly didn’t now.
“So, I hope you two figure it out.” Her eyes glistened. “Genuinely.”
“I –” Daniel started.
Violet shook her head. “I don’t –” She sighed. “You can go. I don’t need to hear your apologies. I know you didn’t mean to hurt anyone – hurt me – but you still did. I know you’re sorry, but I don’t really wanna hear it.”
Daniel swallowed and nodded. “Goodbye, Violet,” he said.
“Goodbye, Daniel.” She followed him to the door and closed it behind her. She listened to his steps down the lane, the sound of the car door opening and closing, and then him driving off.
Violet looked over at the spot the box had sat in the living room and tried not to break down. She had been finding things of Daniel’s around the house in the days after they had broken it off and had found it helpful to have a place to put them. The box had sat there for a few weeks, slowly filling up. The room felt emptier without it now and even though she knew it was a good thing, she still missed it.
She tried not to think about Daniel leaving things at Peggy’s place. They would start collecting little reminders of outings they’d been on, and probably missions they’d gone on together.
Peggy had dropped by the day before she left for New York – with a noticeable tan, and Violet deliberately did not let herself think about Peggy sitting on a beach or beside a pool with Daniel. Peggy said she was there to say goodbye and a final thank you for helping her, but it was also a bit of an apology.
They talked a while about not being taken seriously at work since they had a fair bit in common on that front. Violet had been telling Daniel the truth: she quite liked Peggy. If the circumstances had been different, they could have been close friends. But, as things stood now, that seemed unlikely.
“I don’t blame you for any of it,” Violet said, finally.
“You don’t,” Peggy said cautiously.
Violet shook her head.
“Because you’re allowed to be angry with me,” Peggy said. “I wouldn’t begrudge you that.”
“I’m not angry at you.”
After a pause, Peggy asked, “When did you know?”
“When he brought you here when you were injured,” Violet said. “It was as clear as anything.”
Peggy nodded. “Well, thank you again, Violet, for everything.”
“Of course.” Violet smiled. “Feel free to drop by whenever you’re back in town.”
Peggy said she would, but they both knew she wouldn’t. Violet waved from the porch as Peggy drove away and doubted that she would ever see either Peggy or Daniel ever again, at least intentionally.
Violet took a deep breath and looked around the room again. They had both gotten their closure with her, and now that the box was gone, it was time for Violet to find hers.
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