"Hey Coulson!" Daisy called as she ran to catch the director.

He paused momentarily to allow her to catch up before proceeding with her by his side.

"I'm kind of busy right now Daisy, so if you could make it quick," Coulson said, finger swiping rapidly across the screen of his tablet.

"Uh yeah sure," she replied hooking an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "See I was thinking, we don't really have much holiday cheer around the base so... I thought maybe we could throw a party to celebrate New Years? It would really help to boost morale and allow everyone to relax a bit because it's been pretty hectic lately and we don't have any imminent threats at the moment and-"

"Yeah ok, just don't let it get too out of hand," Coulson stated cutting her off. Daisy stood gaping at him, mouth opening and closing in shock.

"Really?" She asked looking slightly confused and thoroughly shocked. "Because I had a whole list of reasons prepared for why we should have a party and you've only heard like three!"

"Yes, just try and keep it discreet, we don't want to be noticed," Coulson continued still focused on his tablet.

"Well ok then," Daisy stopped allowing him to continue walking by himself. "That was weird... And easier than expected," she muttered to herself.

"So I heard that somebody's throwing a party," Hunter drawled as he entered the kitchen.

"Yep," Daisy confirmed happily. "And that also means that everyone will be required to dress up for the occasion, which means wearing something more than at shirt and jeans."

"I hope that rule isn't meant for only the fellas then," Hunter said leaning on the counter. "You ladies should have to dress up too," he nodded his head for emphasis.

"Yeah well the memo said that everyone had to dress nicely," Mack interrupted as he walked in grabbing a bottle from the fridge.

Daisy smiled at him with a nod as he joined them by the counter.

"If you need a hand with anything just give us a shout hey tremors?" Mack said unscrewing the cap from his bottle. "There's plenty of hands around here to help you with planning and setting up if you need it."

"Thanks partner," she smiled with a tilt of her chin.

"You're letting Daisy have a New Years party?" May asked quizzically as she strolled into Coulson's office without knocking, focused on the phone in her hand.

"Yes," he said absently as he continued to flick through the files on his desk.

"You do remember what typically happens at shield parties don't you?" May asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hmmm... But technically this isn't shield anymore, it's a new organisation. Therefore the parties would not typically be the same."

May scoffed lightly at his response, settling down on the edge of his desk.

"She even set a dress code you know?"

"Wow, maybe I was wrong. Exactly the same as the old shield parties!" Coulson mocked.

"Guys have to wear more than a 'tshirt and jeans' it says," May went on ignoring Coulson's sarcastic comments. "Girls are obligated to wear something with a skirt 'ie dress or skirt', fabulous," May deadpanned.

"Come on May, you look good in a skirt," Coulson teased, poking her good naturedly with his pen. She sent him a glare poking him back in the shoulder.

"Hey!" He cried poking her back in the thigh. She smirked back at him and poked him the shoulder again. His eyes narrowed slightly as he poked her thigh once more, and soon he found himself waging an all out poking war with one Melinda May.

"You're such a child," May huffed once they finally stopped.

"Says the woman that just engaged in a poking war," Coulson retorted playfully. May just rolled her eyes at him suppressing a smile at their childish antics. It was good for Phil to loosen up a bit sometimes. He'd been working so hard lately and it often left him tense and irritable. The weight of the world really did bear down on his shoulders, and though he tried not to show it, it did come through every now and then as he worked himself to the bone.

"I think a night off would do you good," she spoke up, voicing her thoughts.

"I've just got a lot of work to do and-"

"And even you need a night off every once in awhile," she interrupted. "Phil you've been working yourself too hard lately. You're distracted, you barely sleep or eat and you've been holed up in your office for the last week. You need to have some down time. Even if it's just for a night," she looked at him meaningfully. "It might even help clear your head and give you a new perspective," she stated indicating the file in his hands. It was a tricky case and one that he was having trouble solving.

He placed the file on his desk and stood up from his chair to face May front on.

"Ok," he conceded. "One night."

May nodded in agreement, happy to have secured the small victory. She was worried about his wellbeing, but it was difficult when he had such little regard for it.

"Argh! I'm so excited!" Daisy exclaimed to Mack as she flitted about the roof making last minute arrangements.

"It's gonna be great tremors," he replied with a smile, tucking his hands away in the pockets of his trousers. "You did a great job with the organising."

She smiled back at him and took a minute to admire their handiwork as they stood side by side. They'd decorated the very large roof of the building with assorted lanterns and fairy lights, even having a bonfire near the middle with chairs placed around the area and tables set up with food and drink. There was a speaker system set up and she had a whole playlist done up for the night.

"Whew," Hunter whistled as he came up with Bobbi. "You certainly did a good job with setting up the place, I'll give ya that," he nodded, greeting everyone before heading off to the punch.

"I'd better go and make sure he doesn't spike it," Bobbi said after Daisy commented on her dress. She was wearing a lovely deep blue dress with a lace overlay and sleeves.

"We did good," Daisy smiled punching Mack in the arm playfully.

"And the parties only just getting started," Mack stated as more and more agents began flowing through the door.

"Coulson!" Daisy called as the director stepped onto the roof. "Glad you could make it."

"Yes, well May didn't really give me much of a choice tonight," he said with a somewhat sheepish grin. "You look lovely by the way Daisy," he complimented. "The purple suits you."

She beamed at his words, so happy that he actually came. "Thanks AC."

"Uh have you seen May tonight sir?" Mack asked looking around a little, often when it came May and Coulson, if there was one there was usually the other.

"No I haven't," Coulson replied pleasantly. "But she'd better show after she made me come. I'd hate to have to-" he stopped mid sentence as the woman in question made her way through the door onto the roof. May looked stunning in a deep ruby red dress with a scoop neck and three quarter sleeves. Her skirt swayed gently as she walked, brushing against her thighs, the wind blowing the few wisps of hair that had escaped her up-do.

"You wanna pick your jaw off the ground AC?" Daisy teased enjoying his reaction to May's appearance. To be honest she too was also shocked by May's completely different look. She looked lovely in a dress, providing a change from her regular tac suits and badass leather jackets.

"Imma go get us some punch," Mack said awkwardly, looking for an excuse to leave. He didn't exactly want to be around when Coulson and May started to do the "eye thing" again, it was disconcerting and uncomfortable for those watching, at least in his opinion.

"I'll come too!" Daisy piped up, eager to leave Coulson and May alone together. She was hoping that maybe with all the good will and celebratory vibes, that perhaps those two would finally bite the bullet and as Hunter had so eloquently put it on the past, 'just bang already' or kiss or even just admit their feelings for one another. Everyone already saw those two as a unit, and no matter what anybody says, May and Coulson were considered the 'mum' and 'dad' of the team.

"May," Coulson said with only a slight lingering of surprise in his voice as she approached.

"Phil," she replied with a smirk and slight tilt of her head. "No tie," she stated with a raised eyebrow and a small smile drinking in his appearance. He was dressed down for the occasion actually, having ditched the tie to wear a simple dark grey suit with a blue shirt, the top few buttons left undone.

"Yeah, someone told me that I look better without it," he smirked watching her amused expression.

"Can't imagine who would say such a thing," she replied dryly, hiding the grin that so desperately wanted to escape.

"You look beautiful Melinda," he said sincerely, looking her in the eye. "It's a beautiful dress and the colour looks lovely on you."

May was glad for the lack of bright lights on the roof as it provided enough shadow to prevent anyone seeing the slight colouring of her cheeks. Men had often complimented her looks before, but the way Phil said it made her feel special, and some other emotion that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Thank you," she said quietly, tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear. "You don't look too bad yourself," she added with a small grin.

He chuckled at her words, glad that he had allowed her to persuade him to have the night off.

"Fancy a dance?" He asked gesturing towards the dance floor that had been set up.

"I wouldn't want to upstage the others," May said with a smirk and a glint in her eye.

"One dance," he said sighing his hands in his pockets and swaying slightly from side to side, a mischievous look on his face.

"One dance," she sighed taking his hand as he held it out for her.

"Oh my god!" Daisy exclaimed excitedly slapping her hand on Mack's arm. "Look at May and Coulson!"

"Huh, what they're dancing?" Mack asked confused. What was the big deal?

"Exactly," she replied eyes alight. "He's gonna make a move tonight. Betcha, betcha twenty dollars he makes a move tonight." She said confidently.

"Alright, I'll take your money," Mack said grimly.

"People are staring," May said quietly as she and Coulson moved together on the dance floor, her hand in his as his other hand rested on her waist and hers on his shoulder.

"Well I'm the director," Coulson replied with a false cockiness.

May scoffed lightly, a smile twitching at the corners of her lips.

"You're not that important," she mocked.

"You wound me," he said dramatically, earning himself a signature Melinda May eye roll.

"Everybody's watching now," May hissed in his ear. "I blame Daisy. This was probably her doing."

He chuckled lowly at her discomfort at being the centre of attention.

"Ahh the conspiracies! Might as well give them a show then?" He suggested before twirling her across the floor then spinning her into him, her back snug against his chest.

"I hate you," she growled, sporting a murderous glint in her eye that would probably get Coulson into a lot of trouble had they not been in public.

"No you don't," he said calmly. "You like me."

"No I don't," she said flatly.

"Lil bit?" He asked sounding slightly worried.

"Lil bit," she admitted with just a hint of a smile.

"Somebody's spiked the punch I think," Coulson said as he returned to May with said punch.

"Hunter," she stated as if it was an answer in itself.

"Should have guessed," Phil said with a nod of his head. "Though I'm surprised that it's not you."

She looked at him with her eyebrows raised.

"We'll Miss Queen of Pranks," he continued. "I do remember a certain shield party where agents ended up quite heavily inebriated because a certain agent decided that it would be amusing to watch the effects of two bottles of whiskey being added to the punch bowl."

He looked at her with a tilt of his head as he saw a small smile appear on her lips as she reminisced over some of her antics during her early days as a shield agent. Her eyes sparkled in the moonlight and her hair looked as dark as the night sky. He licked his lips wetting them, as he watched her staring up at the stars. She looked absolutely gorgeous and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.

"Any New Years resolutions?" She asked breaking him from his thoughts.

He pondered the question for a moment, seriously thinking about his answer.

"No more regrets," he said finally, voice low and soft.

"No more regrets," she repeated after him, liking the idea.

"No more regrets of how I should've handled some things or what I shouldn't have done." He expanded, blue eyes locking on brown.

He could hear the others beginning the countdown, in the background. Ten. Nine. Eight.

"No more regrets on what I should've done or said," he said, voice becoming lower as he stepped closer.

Six. Five. Four

"No more regrets about us and all the opportunities that we let slide past," he almost whispered, raising a hand up to cup her cheek as the other gently twined with the fingers of her left hand. She looked at him with an unguarded expression in her eyes, hoping he would do what they had been too afraid to do in the past. To cross the lines that they had so carefully put in place and become more than just partners and friends.

Two. One.

"Happy New Year Mel," he whispered softly, forehead resting upon hers.

"Happy New Year Phil," she replied, eyes fluttering shut as their lips finally met in a kiss long overdue.

Fireworks lit up the sky, raining colour into the darkness as the new couple kissed and Mack slapped a twenty dollar note into the expectant palm of Daisy with a shake of his head.

A/N

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think, or if you have any other prompts that you'd like done. You can also follow me at hardcore-evil-regal on tumblr and send me a prompt or whatever, I post a lot of philinda and anything Melinda May related. Anyway please let me know what you think, comments always make me feel nice and then I write more ^_^