Happy Holidays to everyone! I wanted to type something up for one of my favorite times of year! I just love it so much and this is a quick little fluffy fic of Robbie and Daisy because I love them a lot. I'll hopefully be updating the one-shot collection soon, have a few fics I need to write and I should be having more free time in the future. Hope you all enjoy and happy holidays!
New York City in the middle of December was always somewhere Daisy wished she could be. It was almost like a fantasy in her mind when she was younger. Watching those classic Christmas movies, NYC was always at the heart of them and every time she saw it, she wished more and more she could experience it. The lights, the sounds, the snow gracefully falling through the air. Whenever she thought of Christmas, those were the images that came to her mind and the smile they would bring to her face was one of true happiness.
She tries to bite back that smile as she walks along with Robbie on the sidewalk outside of Central Park. Coulson had asked them to deal with a target that was a little tricker then some of the usual agents could handle. Not an Inhuman, but an overpowered man who tried and failed to shut the power off all over the east coast. Blackouts seemed to be a popular trend with bad guys these days.
The mission was over quickly with the two of them working it. Robbie acted as a distraction, lighting equipment on fire seemed to not be helpful to the man, and Daisy came in for the attack.
It was an easy knock out. She had expected to be brought immediately back to the base for a debriefing, but as she talked to Coulson she could see a playful smile growing on his face.
"So when should we expect a pickup?" She asked as they sat in their hotel room, her laptop screen taken over by Coulson.
"Tomorrow morning seems like a good time for you right?" Coulson replied.
Confused, she tilted her head slightly, "Tomorrow morning is fine...but I thought you'd want to bring us in before…?"
The older man shrugged, "Well, we don't need the debriefing until the afternoon. Plus," he stopped, smiling at her, "You deserve a little break. You mentioned something about wanting to visit NYC right?"
She blinked, stunned into silence. A smile tugged at her lips but she fought it back, "I...may have mentioned that. We'll be ready by tomorrow morning," she paused, "Coulson...thank you."
As they walk along the sidewalk, Robbie grumbles into the scarf that covered the lower half of his face. She groans internally, was he going to do this the whole time?
"You are bundled up to the nines, how are you still cold?" she asks, raising an eyebrow to him.
"How are you not cold?" he replies, muffled slightly by the scarf, "I'm made for LA, not New York City in the dead of winter…"
"Well, it's not my fault that we had a target out here," she retorts, waving an arm through the air slightly, "Besides, now we can enjoy an authentic holiday! How great is that?"
"I'm good with my fake holidays with warm weather, thank you very much."
She sighs, shaking her head, "I'm shocked that a guy who has the ability to control fire is somehow so cold, you big baby."
He turns towards her, an eyebrow raised, "Baby? Really? We gonna go there chica?"
"Hey, I'm not the one complaining about the weather!" she tugs on the beanie on his head slightly, "I even got you a hat, that should keep you warm!
"Well obviously not."
Rolling her eyes, Daisy looks around. The streets are filled with bustling people and the stores are all lite up. They weren't kidding when they said New York City never slept. Something catches her eye, a little coffee shop across the street, and she stops dead in her tracks. Grabbing Robbie's arm, she starts to drag him, "Well! Before we walk through the park, let's get some hot chocolate. That should warm you right up."
Trying to catch his footing, he let's her lead the way, "Any excuse to get out of this bitter cold…"
"You're so dramatic…" she deadpans, though a smile tugs at the corner of her lips.
The coffee shop is small and cramped with people, but it feels homey. It has books lining the back wall as high as the ceiling and tables are that look like something out of an old timey movie. She orders them two hot chocolates, "Don't you try and pull out your wallet Reyes, I got this one!", and they walk back out into the cold air. She breathes it in and sighs happily, closing her eyes. This was exactly what she pictured when she would dream this up as a child. It was perfect.
Robbie takes a sip of his own drink and watches Daisy out of the corner of his eye. Aside from some quiet moments with her team, this was probably the happiest he had ever seen her. He hadn't known her long, but Robbie had formed a bond with Daisy. He could trust her, depend of her when he needed support. In their time working together, he had come to care about her. It had been so long since he had someone else to care about aside Gabe. It was strange feeling.
When she asked him to come out into the city with her, he was going to decline. Cold weather wasn't something he felt like dealing with. But he saw the joy in her eyes, had heard the excitement in her voice hidden underneath her business like tone. Something about being in the city made her happy and she wanted him to join her in that. How could he say no?
Seeing her now, the snow falling lightly around her, smile stretching across her face, Robbie was happy he didn't decide to stay inside. It wasn't often when he got to see her smiling as much as she was now. It was a good look for her.
She loops her arm through his, walking across the street, "So! We gotta walk through Central Park, it's a staple of going to New York City!"
"In the cold? Really?" he grumbles, taking another sip of his drink.
"We are gonna walk through it and you are gonna like it," she replied, lightly elbowing him in the side, "let the hot chocolate keep you warm."
With the sun down, the light's that were on the tree's glowed brighter within the darkness. They lit up the path way they walked on, illuminating them in a faint warm glow. It felt magical. Daisy gazed around, giddy laughter escaping her a few times. This was exactly how she imagined it. Different company then she expected, but it wasn't hard to tell that Robbie was enjoying himself as well. She could see the hints of awe in his face as they walked, which made her happier. It was rare when she could find something that generally shocked him.
"This is so picture perfect, can you believe this?" she asks, letting go of his arm and twirling a few feet away from me, "I've always wanted to do something like this."
He watches her, struggling not to smile. Seeing Daisy this happy...he couldn't describe it. But he felt a warmth in his chest that wasn't there before as he watched her. What was going on?
Coughing, he looks around their surroundings, "It does look really nice, the snow is a good touch."
"And the lights!" she exclaimed, "I mean, you see them in LA but with the snow, and the cool air, the people bustling around…
"I'll give you this...I do feel more in the spirit then I do when I'm in LA. It's got," he pauses, gesturing slightly with his hand, "it's got that feeling you know?"
Grinning, she loops her arm through his again, playfully tilting her head, "Even the lights of NYC can get the scary ol' Ghost Rider to get in the spirit."
He snorts, "Funny."
They walk over a small bridge over a creek, Daisy shrugging her shoulders, "I try to be," she stops, looking over the view, "Wow this is so, and the buildings are lite up too…," she whips out her phone, sliding the camera to appear on her phone, "I feel like such a tourist." she grumbles, slowly turning to capture the entire picture.
"It's beautiful...send me that picture? Gabe would love to see it." he asks, taking a finally sip of his drink. Gabe would kill to get the chance to be out here. He always did want to travel when he was older, see the world a bit more.
"Of course!" she replies, sliding her phone into her pocket, "I would never deprive your brother of such a lovely view. He knows you're out here right?"
Nodding, he leans back slightly, "Yeah, yeah...I stopped keeping secrets from him. He's on a school trip, kid is on the debate team, and they got this this in San Francisco for a few days. So he's not home alone."
"Debate team?" she questions, crossing her arms, "That's not surprising, I can see Gabe really exceeding at that," a smirk appears, "He has to deal with you, so debating shouldn't be a problem."
"Hilarious," he deadpans, rolling his eyes, "Groundbreaking really."
She raises an eyebrow, "You doing puns now? Really?"
Walking past her down the bridge, he turns back to her, a smirk of his own on his face, "You're one to talk, queen of awful puns."
Well that was uncalled for. Playfully, she she puts a hand to her heart, "I'll have you know, my puns are A+ material. Don't you diss them."
"You can keep dreaming chica."
The smirk grows on his face as he talks and she has to restrain herself. When he did that, she could feel her heart start to race slightly. It wasn't her fault, Robbie just had a nice smile. Or smirk.
Huffing slightly, she walks down the bridge towards him and punches his arm lightly, "Whatever carrot top," she countered, pointing in a general direction, "We still have a park to walk through, let's keep up the pace."
Daisy loses track of time for how long they've been in the park. They continue down the same path, the different types of lights surprising her each time. The chill of the air began to nip at her a bit more, but she paid it no mind. Unconsciously, she leaned into Robbie's side more, trying to find warmth anyway she could. How was he cold when even through his coat she could feel heat radiating off his skin?
Eventually, they find themselves looking over the ice skating rink that they use in the park each year.
"You ever skate before?" Robbie asks, watching the groups of skaters slowly make their way across the ice.
"I tried it once or twice," she replies, shaking her head slightly, " let's just say I ended up falling on my ass a lot."
A short laugh escapes him, "Really? You?"
"Before SHIELD, I was not what you called "athletic"."
They stand together in silence for a moment, a thought crossing Robbie's mind. Daisy never mentioned her time before SHIELD, and if she did, it was very rare and quick. How much did he really know about her?
Eyes not moving from the rink, he asks; "What did you do before SHIELD? "
"Travelled a lot, never really settled you know?" she shrugs, her eyes catching a small family sliding across the rink. A small smile forms on her lips, "I was a hacker before SHIELD, that's how I got on their radar."
He blinks, surprised, and turns down to look at her, "A hacker?"
She looks up at him, smirking, "How did you think I got all that info about you after the first time we met?"
Shrugging, his eyes meet her's, "Thought you were just a weirdo."
She bites back a laugh, rolling her eyes, "And you're the normal one here?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course," he replies, the smirk growing, tapping his chest with his hand, "Totally and completely normal. Nothing strange here."
The laugh escapes her, Daisy shaking her head. They stand together in silence for a few moments, the echoes of laughter from the rink filling the air. It was peaceful, up here above the crowd. She couldn't ask for anything better and glancing over to Robbie, she was happy he was here with her.
Having left the park, they started to make their way back to the hotel. The sidewalks were still crammed with people, from tourist taking in the sites to citizens rushing to get home. It was a chaotic scene, but having lived in LA, Daisy was used to it.
She's jerked back suddenly and almost loses her footing. 'What the hell?'
Looking around, her eyes land of Robbie, who's eyes are focused on something else. Following his line of sight, she turns and is met with what looks to be a book store. What had him interested in the book store?
Leaning slightly into him, she tugs on his arm lightly, "See something?"
He blinks, broken from his thoughts, and looks down at her, "It's nothing," he says, eyes darting back to the window then to her, " just saw something that reminded me of Gabe."
Blinking, surprised, she glances back at the window. She grabs his hand lightly, she can feel Robbie jump, and she drags him closer to the display. Looking over the books, her eyes land on one about astrology. She pokes at the glass and glances up to him, "Gabe interested in space too?" she asks, smile tugging, "He's got a lot going on in that head of his."
He stuffs in hands in his pockets, a quiet laugh escaping, "Every since we were little, he loved space," he recounts, "We had this kaleidoscope and every night he would drag me out of bed to look through it," he pauses, thinking for a moment, gazing down at her, "We still have it, I think it's in his room."
"That's so sweet," she replies, looking back at the book, "Well, why don't you get him the book for Christmas? I'm sure he'd love it!"
"Yeah…," he trails off slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips, "I was gonna get him something else, but this would be nice."
The bookstore is cozy and reminds Daisy of the coffee shop they were in a bit ago. It was nice, finding small little shops like this still in business in such a large city. She walks through the store slowly, trying her best to move through the groups of people. Robbie had gone ahead to buy the book, much to her delight. Gabe would love it, though she was sure he would love anything Robbie got him. Her heart warmed up at the thought of them spending the holidays together, their small family being able to relax with one another.
Passing by a shelf, she stops, something catching her eye. Pulling it from the shelf, her hand grazes over the leather bound cover, worn but still in good condition. She flicked through the pages and found them blanket, confused for a moment. 'It's probably a journal…' she thinks. Closing it, she goes to put it back when another thought struck her. This would be perfect for Coulson. He always loved stuff like this and she had heard him mention wanting a new journal.
Sneaking off to the front, she found Robbie checking out in the line and he waved her over. Quickly, she got the journal checked out, Robbie looking at her and the book with a bit of confusion.
Walking out of the store, she holds the wrapped journal up slightly, " We're doing this secret santa and I have Coulson." she explains.
Realization washes over his face and he nods, "Oh well he'd love that, he seems to be into all that old timey stuff."
"Right?!" she replies happily, stretching her arms out, "That's what I try to tell him…"
Daisy points out buildings and other things as they walk down the sidewalk. They pass Rockefeller center, the crowds within the square packed. Quickly, she pulls out her phone and puts her arm around Robbie's neck, pulling him down. She snaps a quick picture of the two of them, the tree in the background and shows him in the photo, "Spontaneous photo, you had to know it was coming!"
He rubs his neck, pretending to be annoyed, "You could have given me a warning…"
They continue down the sidewalk towards their hotel. The air was getting colder and colder by the second and Daisy hitched her scarf up closer to her face. She could barely feel anything, but the night had been worth it.
"I'm happy we got to go out tonight, this was really nice…" she says, looking up at the sky, "lucky for us that target didn't cause too much of a stir."
He watches her, expression unreadable, "Yeah, it was easier to take care of than I thought...but yeah, aside from the cold, this was nice."
A thought crosses her mind, Robbie smiling with Gabe in their small home, and she turns to him, "Do you and Gabe have any plans for Christmas?" she asks, a small hope pulling at her heart.
"We just kind of hang out, make dinner together, watch some movies," he lists it off casually, shrugging slightly, "it's nice to just sit back and relax you know?"
A small sad smile appears on her face, "Yeah that sounds nice."
His eyebrows furrow, confused by her tone, "Are you doing anything?"
Her gaze drifts off ahead, a sadness coming over her, "I've never really had a set tradition with Christmas," she mutters, "moving around a lot you know?"
The thought troubles Robbie, though he didn't know why. His eyes don't leave her, noticing her eyes glossing over. His frown deepens, "Not even with SHIELD?"
Shaking her head slightly, her head turns towards him, "Things have been chaotic the past few years, we have little things but nothing too crazy…."
An idea pops into his mind, so quickly he almost missed it. Would it be too much to ask? They had just began to get to know one another. Would she even want to?
It never hurt to ask.
"Well…" he pauses, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "You could always...come by my place, hang out with Gabe and I. It's nothing too special but it's nice."
Her heart jumps. Stopping at the door of the hotel, she turns, almost bumping into his chest. His eyes are looking in the other direction, like he's nervous. Robbie nervous? There was always a first for anything. A warmth came over her, trying to process what he had asked her.
"Really?" she asks, almost breathless, "You wouldn't mind?"
His eyes meet her's and she finds understanding. A genuine warmth, someone reaching out to her. It was small, but in this moment, it meant the world to her. Daisy had just begun to reopen herself to her friends, to allow them back in. To help heal the open wound that had been there for months.
This was something new though, something she couldn't explain. But it was something she liked.
He ducks his head slightly, trying to hold back a smile, "No, of course not...but it's up to you."
Her eyes don't leave his and she finds herself grasping for his hand. He finds hers, entwining their fingers together. It's warm. And safe.
"I would love too...thank you Robbie."
