The Shield

Summary: After a successful mission, Daisy and Phil unwind together, while watching a show.


It's their first mission together in a while.

After space and almost dying again, after finding Fitz and removing the couple from SHIELD, after May not wanting to come back.

Daisy didn't try to convince anyone to stay or not be fired. Those days, where she was trying to save the world alone with her team against her every move have made her close off from really wanting to be close to them.

He understands why.

She is still friendly with what's left of SHIELD, of course, it's Daisy, but you won't catch her hanging out with anyone after the mission.

And then came this mission, Mack partnered him with Daisy, or Daisy with him would be the accurate description, where they had to go and save a kid from Watchdogs.

They work well together – as they always do – and they have the young girl taken away from harm's way, Phil holding her in his arms while Daisy quaked the hate group to their asses.

"Hey. Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"She's so cool." the girl replied staring at Daisy over his shoulder.

"Yes. Yes, she is." he chuckled, happily. "She always was, even before becoming Quake. I always wondered what she saw in me to think I was cool." he told his charge in a cospiratory whisper.

Daisy catches up to them as he neared the Quinjet.

"Where are we going now?" the little girl asked.

"Somewhere safe. Make sure you are well. And then, we'll find your family."

"Will they be okay?" she asked.

"Yep. Another team is looking for them right now, so it shouldn't be long before you are reunited."

She nodded.

Phil sits down next to her, holding her hand. Daisy smiles. Then something catches her eye and she kneels before the two.

"Hey, is that a Steven Universe shirt?" she asks.

"Yeah."

"Who's your favorite? I love Garnet. She's an amazing leader and she is very caring, despite looking so serious."

"Connie. Because she can use a sword and she is really nice."

"Do you want to see a nice trick?" the girl nodded, "Phil here can create Steven's shield."

"For real?"

"Sure." Daisy said, "Here, let me show you."

Phil watched amused as Daisy took his hand in hers and worked on it before motioning to him to bring out the shield.

Doing as he was told, not wanting to disappoint his young audience, he pulled up his shield, which now looked completely different from what he was expected to see. It was pink, with a rose theme in the middle.

"Wow."

"Pretty cool, huh?" Daisy grinned. "He's the Steven to my Connie, really."

"Can you fuse, too?"

"Not in the litteral way Steven and Connie can."

"Oh, like Greg and Rose, then."

"Yeah, more like them." Daisy nodded.

A few hours later, after making sure their charge wasn't harmed and her parents arriving to get her – it was both fortunate and unfortunate she had gotten lost when the Watchdogs had found her – Daisy found Phil admiring his new shield.

"How did you know?" he asked her, once she sat down next to him.

"I may or may not have watched a couple of seasons." she grinned.

"Yeah? Is it good?"

"Phil, it's a cartoon."

"So?" he shrugged. Daisy grinned.

"Yes, it is good." she said, "You'll like Pearl, I think, and connect with Amethyst quite a bit."

Phil hummed.

"Well, I'll tell you who you remind me once I've caught up." he grinned.

"Bring tissues. Seriously. It's a real tearjerker."

"How do you – Robin?" Phil realised.

"She loves it. Says I remind her of Steven." Daisy smiled.

Phil smiled.

"Do you want to catch me up on it?" he asked, sounding almost shy.

"I wouldn't mind doing a rewatch." she smiled foftly.

Later that day, a knock on his bunk door surprises him.

"Come in!" he calls.

Daisy pokes her head inside and smiles.

"You up for a Steven Universe marathon?" she asked. "I brought the tissues." she waves the box.

Chuckling, Coulson gets up and invites her in. They settle in on his bed, his laptop on his legs, the tissues between them.

They watch and watch and before they know it, it's past midnight.

Phil glances at his watch at some point and...beams. There's no other word for it.

"What?" Daisy smiles back, his happiness contagious, his vibrations rubbing off on her.

"Happy Birthday, Daisy." he said, leaning closer and pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead.

"Is it...?" she asks, leaning over him to look at his watch. "Oh, it is. Time flies, huh? Thank you, Phil."

To his surprise, Daisy leans closer and presses a quick kiss to his lips. He sighed, content.

"I should be the one handing pressents," he sighed, "not you."

"What are you talking about? That was a pressent to myself. You'll have to wait for your pressent, mister."

"Of course. My sincerest appologies for the misunderstanding." he said in a mock serious tone. "May I give you your first pressent?"

"Appology accepted." she grinned. "Yes, please."

Coulson leaned towards her and kissed her, his right hand coming up to cup her cheek, his thump lightly carressing it.

He pulls back, watching her as she slowly opens her eyes, matching soft, content smiles on their faces.

"That was a really nice pressent."

Coulson smiled.

"I have a lot of really nice pressents to give you today." he promised, his lips barely touching hers. "Lots of really nice pressents." he closed his eyes and filled the almost nonexistant gap.