They filed out of the pub one by one with heavy hearts. Coulson stood for a moment on the curb watching his agents knock back their tequila shots, Bobbi with tears in her eyes and Hunter with a face he couldn't quiet read. After a moment he turned and walked down the streets of Downtown Los Angeles.

He slowly slid his hotel key in the knob and pushed the door open and smiled softly when he was met with May perched on the nightstand and bottle of whiskey in her hand.

She said nothing as she pours them each a drink while he shrugged of his jacket. She walked over to him, holding out a glass. He eyed it for a moment then took the offered alcohol.

"It was thier choice... but if there was another way..."

"There wasn't." May cut him off then took her shot.

He could read May like a book. To the naked eye her stone cold tone and hard face was as if tonight hadn't affected her but he knew better. The slight way the corners of her mouth turned down, the way her brow was slightly furrowed; he knew she was feeling the hurt of not being able to say goodbye as well.

He gulped down his shot and welcomed the burn "We lost part of this unit tonight. They're gone."

"They are alive. " she stated as she poured more drink in thier cups.

Coulson sat on the bed and kicked of his shoes with a sigh "I don't think anything is holding Mack back now."

"If he can't see passed the big picture then he should leave."

May sat beside him, this time nursing her drink. He swirled the amber liquid around.

"If you could do it all over..."

"No. I wouldn't change a thing."

"You wanted a family." He looked over at her.

"So did you." She paused to polish of her drink "It may not be typical but we have that now."

He nodded and finished his drink as well "You have always been my family, Lin."

May let a soft smile make its way to her lips. They sat in silence, holding their empty tumblers until May got up to bring the bottle over. She poured them another round and sighed.

"I don't know what's worse. Death?... or knowing they are alive and never being able to see them again."

"Death." May knocked back her shot "I could handle knowing you were alive somewhere. At least then I'd... I already know what it was like to think you were dead."

He noticed her voice crack and put hand on her thigh "I'm sorry about that."

She let out a sarcastic chuckle "You didn't know what was happening, you were dead."

"Yeah, but the program... that was me."

Again they sat in silence.

"He apologized."

Coulson looked over at May and waited for her to elaborate.

"Hunter, he apologized for what happened and... and I didn't...I told him we weren't friends. He doesn't know that I forgive him."

He slung a arm over her shoulder "Yes he does. You sending him off told him that."

More drinks were poured and downed and poured again.

"They'll be okay. Right?" She asked as she slid a finger along the rim of her glass.

The insecurity was the alcohol talking, he knew that.

"I'd like to think so. Yes."

"'Kay, good."

His body felt warm, again he knew that was the effect of alcohol. He eyed May as she slowly closed her eyes "Stop staring."

He smirked but didn't look away as he took the bottle from between her knees to serve them another round. They eventually finished the bottle and moved on to the mini bar in his room. Soon May had kicked off her boots and Coulson had undone his top buttons of his shirt. They sat with thier backs against the headboard of his bed and drank straight from the mini bottles they had looted from the fridge.

"I should go check on the kids." He mumbled.

May rolled her eyes "Not like that you're not. You're drunk."

She reached out to grasp is wrist and it lit up up at her touch, her eyes widened until her brain realized it was his synthetic hand.

"It looks so real sometimes I even forget."

She tried to pull her hand back but he took it in his and intertwined thier fingers, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Make me a promise."

May tore her eyes away from where there hands were now connected and looked him the eye.

"Promise me... when this is all over... that we finally give THIS a try."

She pulled her hand back "No."

His heart sank further into his chest.

"Because this will never be over. There will always be a new threat... if tonight has taught me anything it's not to put off any chances we should take. But to take them while we can."

Her words were rushed and breathey and slightly slurred but he heard what she was saying loud and clear. He had a goofy grin on his face when she got to her knees and put a hand to his cheek.

He leaned in to close the distance but paused centimeters from her lips and silently asked permission just in case the alcohol had him reading this all wrong. She gave the slightest nod and that was all the encouragement he needed to close the minimal gap between them.

Her lips were soft and she tasted like honey and whiskey. He let out a groan when her hand gripped the hair at the back of his neck. They sank to the bed and surprisingly she let him take control. He had her on her back with her hair splayed aross his pillow and he pushed back in order to take in this moment. She smirked at him and tugged on his belt, her lips rosey from his kiss.

May pulled his shirt from his pants and he slipped his hand under hers to feel the heat of her skin. Things were moving fast and yet time slowed when they met lips for the second time.

A loud knock on his door brought them crashing back to a sobering reality.

"Sir? Jemma and Daisy are wasted and Fitz isn't far behind." Macks voice called through the door.

Coulson touched his forehead to hers and let out a soft sigh. He should have known that May and himself wouldn't be the only ones looking to bottle for help tonight. May smirked and rolled from under him, adjusting her top.

"Duty calls."

Coulson let his face fall to the pillow that now smelled like May and mumbled something then turned his head to call out that he would take care of it.

May slipped her boots back on and stood, looking down at him "Which ones do want?"

"I'll wrangle Fitz...and Mack. He sounded like he was one shot away from passing out."

Coulson tried to make himself look proper before opening the door and looking his shoulder "But we are going to finish what started."

May rolled her eyes as she passed him "Promises, Promises."

He watched her walk to the room Daisy and Jemma shared and open the door, chuckling to himself when both girls rushed through the door, both talking a mile a minute. May ushered them back into the room but spared a glance towards him with a smile and a shake of her head before closing the door behind her. He let out a sigh and walked to take care of business with his other agents. Thier team, no... family needed them tonight. He knew it would take a while before things were back on track for his little family unit but he made a promise to himself that no matter what, they get through this and any other obstacles that came thier way.

DISCLAIMER: I own none of the Marvelverse...sadly.