A craving for burgers

Summary: Daisy miscalculates and stumbles on Phil while she goes to buy a quick lunch.
Notes: I started it when we got the first promo, attempted to combine it with a byebyehiatus prompt, and then slowly plowed through it, hence why it's up now. Feels a bit rushed, the ending.

He had been craving for a good burger all day.

They had been sent to invastigate those strange deaths – bodies bloodied with burn marks popping up all over the city – and they had reached another dead end.

Coulson sighed.

"The Director is going to have a field day." Mack said, in agreement.

"He can come to the field and do the invastigating if he doesn't like our job. I never thought I'd say I miss being the boss. At least then we didn't have a constantly fake-smiling disapproving boss expecting results on the spot." he mumbled.

Mack patted him on the back.

"I hear you."

Phil hummed.

"And I had a plan."

"About being director?" Mack asked, as they walked towards the SUV.

"Go one more year, then offer the mantle to Daisy."

"Director Johnson." Mack said. "It has a nice ring to it." he grinned. "Well, since we're done here partner, what do you say we head back?"

"You go on ahead. I want a burger." Phil said. "I've been craving one all day."

"Well, the Director won't be happy with you."

"Whenever is he?" Phil smirked.

Mack shook his head.

"See you later, then."

They parted ways and Phil headed towards DJ's Burgers – his favorite – and desides to sit there for his late meal.

It's early evening, and the burger house was almost full, only a table in the back free and he sits down, facing the door.

DJ~~~~PC

Daisy had become a regular to DJ's in the past six months of keeping Inhumans and her team safe.

She knew Phil and Mack had been in the city looking up about those deaths, and she had hid it out, until she saw the SUV had driven by. She didn't expect to bump into anyone – she didn't want to, the point of leaving and not looking back was to keep him safe – so she went to get herself one of his burgers, the only way she allowed herself to feel close.

She enters, places her order, looks around for a seat and freezes as her eyes meet his.

DJ~~~~PC

Phil had looked up when he heard the door open, reflexedly, and nearly dropped his burger when she walked in.

He sees her see tum, how she freezes up. He stands up and waits for her move.

(He hopes she'll sit down and eat with him, he's missed her and her voice and her eyes and her face and everything that makes her Daisy, so damn much – the gritty low quality security footage was not enough. Could never be enough.)

DJ~~~~PC

Daisy contemplates taking her meal and bolting, when he stands up. There's no way she can leave without it becoming a scene now and she wants to resent him for this, but she knows he didn't mean to, she knows he was trying to tell her that she can sit with him, if she chooses.

(She can't resent him, because she's missed him too much, his kind eyes and words, his soft hands and his warm embrace.)

She decides she will risk it.

She goes to him.

DJ~~~~PC

"Daisy." her name a sigh of relief, like it's a miracle she is really here.

"Phil." his name a smile of sad longing.

They eat in silence, enjoying the other's precence, basking in the warmth of each other's company.

"I missed you." he tells her after she finishes her burger.

"I missed you, too."

"Can...can we walk?" he asks her, hesitant, like he doesn't think she'd want to stay any longer.

"Yeah, okay."

He pays for their meals, and leads the way to the door.

They walk for a bit. Daisy stops suddenly.

"Daisy?"

"Are you here to arrest me?"

"I'm off the clock." he shruggs. "Besides, I think it's wrong to arrest your friends for trying to do the right thing."

"Oh."

Phil opened his arms, inviting. Daisy made a choking sound and let herself fall in his embrace.

"I really, really missed you, Phil."

He held her tightly.

"The feeling is so mutual." he said in her hair.

"I thought you had gone back to the base. I didn't expect you'd stay behind for a burger." she said, her voice muffled by his jacket.

"I have been craving one all day." he said lightly. "It was a good thing I did come here for one, too. I got to see you again in seven months and a half."

Daisy's hold on him tightened.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I know you're trying to keep people safe. I'm sorry I can't help." he said softly, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being in my corner."

"You once told me that we were in the dark together. It might have seem that we had lost each other for a while, but I think we're together again." he said. "Even if we are physically seperated."

"I just want you to be safe."

"And I don't want you to be alone. I wish I could be there for you, and if it's not me, that you have someone to have your back." he replied.

"It's enough to know you would still want to."

"Hey. Of course I want to. Nothing could make me to not want to. I know you."

"How can I deserve you?"

"You? How can I deserve you?" he shook his head.

"How long can you stay?"

"Not too long." he said saddly.

"Then, let's make the best of it." she smiled a little.

DJ~~~~PC

They end up in her van.

"You went back to living in a van, I ended up living on Zephyr1." he said, as they sat down in the back.

"You live in the Zephyr? Why?" she frowned.

"I don't like the new Director and he doesn't like me much. Thinks I am not trying too hard to catch you." he said with a sad laugh. "Mack knows how hard I try. But if you don't want to be found, what more can I do?"

"And yet, today you found me."

"I'm off the clock and this was really an accident. I wasn't looking for you."

"Maybe you should stop trying to find me to find me. Maybe I will find you."

"You always do, don't you?" he smiled softly, cupping her face, resting his forehead against hers.

A strangled sound escaped her lips, a cross of a chuckle and a sob, as she threw her hands around him and held him close in a tight embracehe returned.

Daisy pulled back a little, before quickly kissing him.

He froze.

"Phil?"

He didn't answer, only leaned in to kiss her.

Daisy sighed in their kiss.

"I thought..." she started after a few moments.

"I'm sorry. You surprised me. I didn't know." he said, a little breathless. "I..."

"Shhh. It's fine. Now you do." Daisy smiled.

"I do and I return." he said. "So that you know too."

"I do."

"God, I am going to get in so much trouble." he beamed at her, like the prospect of getting in trouble was the best thing that could happen to him.

"Because of me? Phil. I am so sor–"

He cut her appology off, by quickly kissing her.

"Never ever apologise." he said, running his hands through her hair. "You are worth so much more than getting a talking to for letting you escape. Not that anyone will find out about today, but."

"And what if they pull you from my case?"

"As if that'll stop me." he smirked. "They'll just have to let me keep doing what I was supposed to be doing."

His phoned buzzed once. Text message.

They looked caught.

"Stay safe and don't let anyone catch you." he said, leaning for a kiss.

"You know me, Phil. If I don't want to get caught, I won't." Daisy replied.

"I know. Just let me be your worrywart." he sighed.

Daisy chuckled and kissed him again.

"Go. Before you get us both in trouble." she teased.

"It would be so worth it, though." he said smilling almost wistfully, as he got off the van. "I hope to see you again."

"Stay in a hotel again and you will." Daisy told him, following him out.

"It's a date." he nodded and with a final kiss he left.

The director wasn't pleased with him being late – Phil isn't a kid – but he didn't do anything more than the expected speech of professenionalism and responsibilitty and how Coulson used to be a shining example for agents to follow compared to his fallen-from-grace status lately.

Coulson couldn't care less. He heard it all before, when he was more or less accused of not trying to arrest Daisy, of not doing enough.

Well, there was no way he would now.