Crossing the Line
Coulson looked up from his work when he heard a soft knock at his door.
"Wheels up in 10" May said from the doorway. May waited for a response, but Coulson just looked back at his paperwork. Figuring he wanted to be left alone May turned to leave.
"You're late." He said easily, but she sensed tension in his voice.
"We will take off right on schedule." May replied, stepping back into his office.
"That's not the point." Coulson snapped. May raised an eyebrow. As Coulson stood and walked around his desk he said, "Everyone was supposed to be back by 8. It's almost 9." He rested against his desk and clasped his hands in front of him. "Everyone was here at 8, except for you and Agent Ward."
May stood a little straighter with her hands behind her. She looked down before looking back at Coulson. "I don't know why Agent Ward was late. I took the long way back. I -"
"Staggering your timing?" Coulson guessed.
"Clearing my head" May said slowly.
"You expect me to believe that, Agent May?" He spoke as if he was interrogating a suspect.
May took a calming breath. "Yes, sir, I do."
"So you weren't with Agent Ward last night?"
May rolled her eyes. "We are not talking about this." She turned to leave.
"Agent May, we are not done here." Coulson raised his voice.
May stopped and slowly turned. "He left my room around 1am. I don't know what he did after that." She looked Coulson in the eyes. "What happened to trusting me?"
"What happened to being responsible?" He shot back.
May opened her mouth and closed it, unsure how to respond. She couldn't count how many times she had been reprimanded by commanding officers, but never once by Coulson.
Coulson knew he was taking his anger and frustration out on May and it wasn't fair, but he couldn't stop himself. The last few days were rough on the whole team. They were all bruised in some way. He made the decision to get rooms at the local hotel for everyone so they could relax before flying out for the next mission. They deserved a night of room service and king sized beds. Coulson opted to stay on the BUS.
The last thing Coulson expected was to still be awake at 2am thinking about May. He knew that if she were on the BUS she would either be in the cockpit staring out the window or doing Tai Chi. He knows her well enough to know that she doesn't sleep easily after a mission like they had completed, even though it was a success. He would take comfort in knowing she was close. He might have even sat silently with her.
However, May opted to take the hotel room. It was just after 2am when Coulson realized he couldn't hide a small fact from himself anymore.
Ward had the one thing Coulson wanted more than anything, the thing Coulson denied himself.
Simply put, Coulson was jealous of Ward.
Coulson couldn't blame Ward, though. The younger agent had an opportunity to sleep with 'The Cavalry' and he took it. Who wouldn't? Coulson knew that Ward cared for May and that May cared for Ward, but their relationship was purely physical, stress relief.
However, what Coulson wanted more than anything was more than just a physical relationship with May. He wanted everything she had to offer; mind, body, and soul.
Every once in a while, throughout their history, Coulson would find himself looking or thinking about May. Anyone with eyes knew she was beautiful, but very few knew who she really was. Sure she was the 'The Cavalry', but she was so much more than that. Coulson had no doubt that she knew him better than anyone else. He was also more than certain he knew her better than anyone. Which is why if he had to make an educated guess, he would say she buried her feelings long ago.
Of course, they had had plenty of opportunities to do what May and Ward were doing. Coulson knew this and May did as well. Neither of them were blind. But they also didn't want to jeopardize the bond that they carefully built over the years.
And now here they were standing in his office staring each other down, walking the thin line between personal and professional. A line that they at some point silently agreed never to cross. Coulson saw a flash of hurt in her eyes that quickly turned to anger.
"What happened to not letting your clear disregard for the rules get in the way of the job?" Coulson growled, almost stalking toward May. "You are getting sloppy." Coulson stopped directly in front of her, crowding her personal space.
May didn't step back. "Why does it bother you so much?" May yelled, her eyes burning. "I get that it's against protocol, but I can tell it's more than that! Why do you -"
Quickly cutting off her yelling, Coulson grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his. The fragile line that they toed for years, decades even, was finally crossed. She tried to resist at first, but found herself melting into him. As quick as it happened it was over.
"Don't play dumb, Melinda." Coulson said as he pulled away. He rested his forehead against hers. "You know why."
And with that he left her standing alone in his office.
END.