You keep turning my life around
Summary: Six moments through the times and life of a history professor and a superheroine.
Notes: Title from A Great Big World's "Kaleidoscope". Different prompts from Tumblr - they're in italics. The nicknames Claire uses, 'Shakes' and 'Fidget', are from the online rpg of the same name.
1.
"Incidentally, run for your life."
Phil Coulson didn't have the chance to follow through the suggestion, as the woman grabbed his arm and pulled him after her.
"What?" he asked breathlessly.
"I may or may not have angered a hate group." she said airily.
"What?" he asked incredulous. "Why? Who are you? What do I have to do with anyhting?"
"Well, they don't like me, I don't like them, they keep hurting people, Quake, you were about to come face to face with an angry mob." she answered.
"Quake?" he looked at her in awe.
"A fan?" she grinned.
Before he could answer angry shouts were heard from behind them.
In a complicated manouvre, Quake had turned around, one hand outstretched behind him, the other wrapped around his waist. Shouts of surprise came from behind them and then suddenly, he was forced to bent his knees.
"When I say jump...Jump!" she called.
On autopilot right now, Phil did as asked and they were landing on a rooftop moments later. Quake let go and he slid down, breathing hard.
"You ok?" she asked, leaning beside him.
"Yeah. Yes, I am ok."
"The name's Daisy. Daisy Johnson."
"Phil Coulson. Should you be telling me your name?" he frowned.
"I know you'll keep the secret." she grinned. "Something about your vibrations..."
Phil stared at her for a moment, then looked back down at the mob, that was scattering.
"Watchdogs." Daisy said from behind him. "Not a fun bnch, I can tell you."
"Yeah...I think I got that. What's their beef?"
"Like I said, they don't like me. Well. They don't like Inhumans and Mutants and Meta-Humans, but I have a special place in their hate-filled hearts." she shrugged.
"Now what? He asked.
"Now, I take you to your place, so you can have your quiet life back and I keep doing my thing." she said.
She led him to his appartment by rooftops.
"Thanks." he said, as she escorted him to his window. "Uh...since you looked out for me...if you need anything..."
"I know where you live." she grinned. "It was nice meeting you, Phil Coulson." she said before juping off and landing perfectly on the ground with the grace of a cat.
2.
It was the knock on his window that pulled him out of his almost stupor, of poring over and correcting tests for hours. He looked around, only to hear the window open.
"Help me." a voice said. A voice he'd recognise anywhere.
He dashed to the window, worried. He hadn't heard nor seen her in a little over two months.
"Oh my god, what happened to you? Get inside!" he asked, worried, helping her get inside the house.
"Met new friends." she joked, caughing up blood.
"Why are you bleeding?!" Phil was (very close to) having a panic attack by then, and seeing the blood sealed the deal. "You need to go to a hospital."
"No."
Phil sighed.
"Do you know anyone, do you trust anyone to patch you up?" he asked.
"Claire Temple. My phone..." she said, weakly.
"If you die, I'm gonna kill you." he said, as he searched for her phone in her pockets.
A weak chuckle was all he got, and as he fished her phone, she passed out.
"Shit, shit, shit." he chanted, as he pressed 'call' on Claire's number.
A long suffering sigh, greeted him.
"Between you and the other four self-sacrificing martyrs, I can hardly get any sleep anymore. What did you do now?"
"Ah...I don't know. She just appeared out of my window and passed out. She's bleeding."
"Who are you?" the voice asked, biting.
"Phil. Phil Coulson. Can you help her? I am only a history professor; I am a little out of my depth here. Please." he said, in clear panic.
Another sigh came from the other end.
"Give me your adress."
3.
Claire Temple was a young woman, about his height, with black hair and eyes. She took one look at Daisy and sighed.
"Help me move her to a bed." she said. "What shit did you get yourself into, girl?" she mumbled as she got Daisy's feet.
Phil silently took her arms and led them to his bedroom.
"She's going to be ok, right?" he asked,worriedly.
"Yeah, she'll be fine once I'm done with her. Go prepare her a lot of food for when she'll wake up, though. Shakes here needs a lot of food. Trust me. She ate me out of house and home the one time I found her at my doorstep."
Phil practically ran out of the room to follow through the woman's suggestion.
Claire sighed.
"Well done, Shakes. You found your Fidget." she said.
A little over half an hour later she walked out of the room.
"How's she?" Phil asked immediately.
"Easy there." Claire raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know she had a close friend."
"We...We met about two months ago. We haven't seen each other since. She was chased by Watchdogs and I was about to walk into them. She thought to give me a lift." he said.
"So, this is your second time you see her? Shakes must like you a lot."
"Shakes?"
"She told me to call her that. Didn't want me to know her name at first. Then I told her I was already playing doctor to four vigilantes already. Her secret was safe."
"Are you a doctor?" he asked, handing her a cup of coffee.
"Mmm. This is good coffee." Claire said, taking a sip. "No. I'm the night swift nurse at the Metro General. And I will be late if I stay any longer. Let her sleep." she told him, heading for the door. "See ya around, Phil." she waved, as she left. "Take care."
"Thanks. You, too." he said to the door. "I'm pathetic." he sighed to himself.
4.
A few hours later a groan from his bedroom alerted him to Daisy waking up.
He rushed in, a tray in his hands and entered the room.
"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, setting the tray on the bedside table. "Daisy?"
She blinked up to him and a slow, sleepy smile appeared on her lips.
"Phil..." she said in a low voice, closing her eyes.
"Hey." he smiled shyly.
"Hungry..."
"Claire warned me you'd be. I brought you food. Think you can sit up for it?" he said in the same soft tone.
"Yeah." she yawned. "You're a lifesaver." she said, taking the tray.
"That's Claire. I am just following the doctor's orders."
"You called her, though." she said.
"What? And leave you to bleed out on me? Nuh-uh." he shook his head.
"You were worried." Daisy said, surprised.
Phil frowned.
"Well, of course I was. We may have met only once, but that doesn't mean I won't worry for another human being. Especially when they are practically bleeding to death on my couch."
"Thank you." she said quietly.
"Anytime." he smiled at her.
Daisy smiled back.
5.
"Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"
Phil Coulson was staring at Daisy a little scared. They had been meeting for quite a while, getting close, to the point they had started dating/kissing. They even managed to out on dates a couple of times. They generally prefered to stay in at Phil's, though.
So, coming back from school, to find her here – his heart stopped for a second at the concept, him having someone to return to, Daisy having him to return to – was an unexpected joy, but he wasn't prepared for the visual./this.
It's just...he's scared. She is amazing and he's just a teacher.
"Yes, Phil. There is a reason." she replied, shaking him out of his thoughts. "You're avoiding this," she gestures at her and the bed, "for some, most probably, stupid reason. Like, I don't know, you think you're not enough." she said.
"I..." he started. "Daisy." he sighed.
"We haven't said it, Phil, but I do. You know I do, don't you?"
"I know. I do, too." he said softly, sitting on the bed and cupping her face.
"I know." she grinned. "Now, coome here?"
Phil smiled a little, as he undressed and went to bed, to her.
6.
"I'm going to need you to put on some underwear before you say anything else."
Daisy pinched her nose and shut her eyes, because having a serious conversation with him at this moment was nigh impossible.
They had been together for a little over six/three months now – she thinks, she kinda lost time with Phil's pampering – but never before had anyone breeched the subject. They had said 'I love you' to each sometime during their first two weeks – Phil stating it first, because she needed to hear it, to know it was true and not her idea – but after that, they didn't say anything else.
"OK." Phil said, standing up and pulling his boxers on, as she threw on his shirt.
He smiled at her sight.
"Phil, be serious. You just suggested we get married."
"I did. I love coming home to you. I love being the one you come home to. I would very much like it to make it more official. If you want, too, of course. This is pretty amazing." he said.
"Phil, you've known me for a few months. Are you sure?"
"Yes. I've given it a lot of thought. I tried already once to get married, but she wasn't the one."
"And I am?"
"I never before felt so happy with the thought of coming home to someone. I sure enjoyed being with my previous lover, but not like this, not like you. With you everything seems better, deeper, brighter. I love feeling like I can do something for someone else, care for them, be a better person for them, because they deserve someone who will treat them with all the love and care and pamper them silly. I want to be the one who showers you with all the love this world could give and then some." he said earnestly. "And, I think, I wasn't ready for that then. But I am now and I would love it if you wanted to, too."
"Just to be clear, you're asking to marry me."
"Yes, Daisy Johnson, I am asking you to marry me. Do you need me to go down on my knee? Because I will totally do it." he said, coming around the bed to stand before her. "Just don't expect a ring right at this moment. I hadn't planned I'd propose to you today."
Daisy smiled, charmed.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, bringing him closer, and kissed him.
"So, is this you asking me?" she said against his lips.
"Daisy Johnson, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. You changed my life from the moment you appeared. Will you let me be your husband?" he asked, in between kisses.
Daisy kissed him, hard.
"Yes, you dork. Yes." she said, smiling.
~The End~