The cave in

Summary: Even in vacations, Phil finds himself attracting trouble.
Notes: This is another old story and I almost lost it once, too. Takes place after the 'Six Months Later' scene from S3's finale, but before S4 aired.

"What are you doing here?" a voice asked, incredulous. "I mean, I knew it was you, but I was willing to believe I was feeling things, because it's been too long since I last saw you, but a cave in? For real?"

"Daisy?"

"Do you know anyone else who can swift boulders without making this worse?"

"No."

"Are you ok?" she asked, frowning.

"My leg." he winced.

"What were you doing here?" she asked again, after she made sure the entrance wasn't going to close again, and moved closer.

"If I told you that I really wasn't doing anything, would you believe me?" he sighed.

"I would give you the benefit of doubt." she shrugged.

Phil Coulson sighed again and leaned against the wall.

"I'm on leave. Forced vacations. I was bored." he said, finally, when he realised Daisy wasn't going to say anything until he told her everything.

"And taking a look inside caves in the middle of nowhere is your version of fun?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Do I look like I am having fun?" he he asked dryly.

Daisy looked him up and down and Phil almost blushed at her scrunity. Almost. Two hours burried alive with no way of calling for help and getting out, would do that to you.

"Nope." she said. "But you do look better since I last saw you." she shrugged.

"From staring at the ceiling of the hotel room to sitting in the restaurant all day, it seemed a better idea to wander about. What are you doing here?"

"Inhuman." Daisy shrugged.

"Great. You're on the job, but I have to go on vacations." he grumbled.

Daisy raised an eyebrow at that.

"What happened, Phil?" she asked, sitting down beside him.

"I came this close being taken off your search party." he sighed, closing his eyes. "I wish the President hadn't legitimised SHIELD. At least, not now." he said. "I could help you until this whole thing was under control and you could come back home with no problems. Then..." he sighed.

Daisy patted his shoulder.

"It's alright, Phil."

"It's not. You're gone. How can anything be alright?"

"But I'm right here now."

"And the rest of the time that you aren't? I want you here all the time, but you can't, not until SHIELD, the whole world, is safe for you again."

"Do you miss me, Phil?"

"Every second." he admitted. "The others think I finally cracked." he chuckled humourlessly.

Daisy stood up, pulling him to his feet.

"Enough of that. I need you in there, because I trust you. I will come back home, when I am ready, you know that right?"

"Yeah, I know that." he nodded.

"Good. Can you walk?"

Phil put pressure on his left leg.

"Yeah. I'll be limbing for a couple of days, though." he frowned.

"I can do something about that." she smiled. "But once we're back at your hotel. You will want to be sitting for it." she said.

The walk back to the hotel was slow, because Daisy didn't want him to put too much pressure on his leg, not until she could check it fully. Phil didn't have much energy to argue with her, even though he did try to tell her it wasn't too bad and they could speed up a little.

Once inside the room, she led him to the bed.

"Here we are. Now, let me have a look at that leg." she said softly.

Phil raised it on the bed and watched her as she raised a hand over it. A moment later he felt a sort of buzz and he sighed, as the muscles relaxed.

"Tell me if it hurts?" she asked, looking at him for a moment.

"Hums and tingles, but it doesn't hurt." he said with a sigh, as the vibrations returned.

Daisy nodded once.

A couple of minutes later she took her hand away and Phil sighed, the muscles of his leg really relaxing for the first time since then.

Suddenly a hand cupped his face and Phil opened his eyes, never realising when he had closed them.

"Daisy." he sighed.

She gave him a small smile.

"Hey." she said quietly. "I thought you had fallen asleep."

A shiver run through him. She frowned and made to take her hand off him, but he stopped her, placing his hand over hers.

"It's from TAHITI. At some point, in the memory I ask if I fell asleep."

"Phil...I'm sorry."

"Hey. It's ok. It's not your fault. I never told you. I actually, I don't want to tell you. It's not something I'd feel comfortable knowing you'd be thinking about. It's not pleassant."

"I wouldn't expect it to be pleasant."

"No, it's not that. I would prefer you to think of our good times, rather than that."

"Think of them like something to...?"

"Look forward to." he said. "Our good times."

Daisy cupped his face in both her hands and rested her forehead against his. She drew a deep breath.

"I missed you." Phil whispered.

"Me, too."

"I want you to come back home with me, but I don't think it's time. Not yet." he sighed.

She smiled saddly.

"You'll wait for me?"

"No matter how long it takes." he promised.

"I am so glad you came into my life."

"That's my line." he chuckled.

"You are?" she drew back to look him in the eye. "Glad to have met me?" she asked, surprised.

"So, so much." he replied immediately, seriously. "Come here." he smiled softly, drawing her in his arms, until they were practically cuddling on his bed. "How about you staid with me until my vacation is over?"

"How long?"

"Two weeks."

Daisy looked up to his smirking face and chuckled.

"Won't you tire of seeing me and my face for so long?" she teased.

Phil sighed dramatically.

"I guess I will have to manage to bear you and your face." he said. Then, he quickly pressed a kiss to her temple. "I would love to spend more than these two weeks with you, you know that right?"

"I know." she said, tiredly, stiffling a yawn.

"Sleep." he whispered softly in her ear. "I'll order us dinner when you wake up, I promise."

"Love you, Phil." she smiled, already half asleep.

"Love you, too, Daisy." he smiled.

He waited for her breath to even out before he, too, let himself fall asleep.