Take me home
Summary: As always, he was there for her. Even when she least expected it.
Notes: An idea I worked on during August. Title from Cash Cash's song of the same name and story lowkey inspired by it.
Daisy was sure she would die.
She needed to do this, help her mother's people, her people, follow her footstep's and become the leader Raina had seen her become.
And now, she was hunted down by her friends, by SHIELD and Coulson was the one leading the search.
(She gets nightmares of that vision Charles gave her, of Coulson shooting at her, from time to time. They never did talk about it either, did they?)
So, rushing to help the guy with fire-skull was what she would do.
She never expected the Hellfire.2 Creepy Upgrade, to turn on her.
"Your soul reeks of guilt." he said, in a deep voice straight out of hell – Sister McKenna would be questioning her need to joke about Hell at a moment like this.
Suddenly shots echoed in the darkening alley.
And she knew, without a doubt, without her powers, she just knew.
Because it had already happened once. He shot once again before, covering her. He always did that, in different ways, had her back.
"Phil..." she breathed out and then everything started getting dark.
When she came to, she was in a bed, in a hotel apparently, her quick scan of the room wielded a tray on the bedside table and a note on a hotel-logo-ed piece of paper.
'I'll be back in about an hour. Talking to Robbie. He seemed pretty upset about almost drowning you in unneeded guild in his spirit's of vegence path of, well, revenge. I had to explain a few things about you first, of course. And me. And why I shot him. He's pretty chill about it now.
P.S. Eat your food, Fired Skull drained you quite badly. I feared I was too late again. (I feel like this is my pattern with you. I am almost always too late. I am sorry, Sk-Daisy.)
Phil.'
Daisy smiled.
Even on paper.
Somehow, Phil calling her 'Skye' every once in a blue moon, when there was an extra high stake at hand, felt like coming home in a way. It's not the name, no. It's really frustrating that he keeps slipping up, more than a year later. It's the way he says it – same as her reclaimed name – like her safety, herself, is the only thing that matters to him, asking her to come home safe.
She had to wonder, if he meant the base or himself. She wants to believe he meant himself.
The door opened and she looked up.
"Daisy..." a sigh.
"Hey, Phil." she smiled.
"Did you eat yet?"
"I just woke up. Read your note." she waved the paper at him. "Fired Skull is chill?" she chuckled.
"Hush and eat." he said embarrassed.
"Does anyone know I'm here?"
"No."
"No?" she frowned. "You've been chasing me for a year, Phil."
"I can't take you home. Not yet. Not unless I am sure it will be a home for you, too. And that we will be protecting Inhumans and gifted people like regular humans."
"Phil?"
"You asked me to take you home, when you were passing out." he said in a small voice.
"I am home now." she replied, just as softly.
Coulson looked up at that, surprised by the admission.
"Daisy?"
"I thought you meant yourself." she said. "When you asked me to come home safe."
"I..." he started. Then frowned.
"You didn't?"
"I am not sure what I meant at that point. You were walking to a really dangerous situation that would very well had lead to your death – at my hands, no less! – I just needed you to stay safe."
"I think I am always scared I will lose you. One way or another." Daisy said.
Phil shook his head.
"No, Daisy, never." he said. "I could never...It's you. You are important to me."
Daisy smiled a little at that.
"You are important to me, too." she said, "Always had been."
"Daisy..."
"Tell me about Robbie."
"Told him you'll call him. Got his number in your cell. I also saved my number in your memory under 'human guy', just to be safe." he said, handing her phone back. "He doesn't think he is Inhuman – there wasn't a cocoon when he got his powers."
Daisy took it and looked at his contact name, humming at the information.
"You weren't kidding." she mubbled.
"What, you thought I wouldn't do it?" he crossed his arms. "I am offended. I got you under Mary S. P." he grinned, showing her his phone.
"That's horrible." she cringed.
"I know. No one will try to find out who Mary is, right?" he said, taking his phone back.
"Have you updated your hand?" she asked suddenly.
"No, not since you last tinkered with it. I wouldn't want them to do anything and use it as a way to track you if something like this happened." he said, shaking his head.
"Can I?"
He took it off and handed it to her.
After a thorough check she attatched it back in its dock at his arm. They looked startled at each other, at the natural way she did it, at the intimate gesture. He raised his hand and cupped hes face.
"I missed you." he whispered.
"Me, too. God, Phil, I missed so much." she said, drawing him in a tight embrace.
"You're okay, you're okay, you're okay." he said over and over, just holding on to her like a lifeline.
"You are chasing me, Phil. Why? What happened?"
"I am not the Director anymore. SHIELD got legitimized again, we became public. And I am dead." he said. "And I figured if it was me who caught you, we might be able to make them understand you are a hero."
"I am not a hero, Phil Coulson." she said seriously
"You may think that you aren't, but those you saved will disagree." he said.
"Why do you always try to tell me I'm good?"
"Because you are. You are good. And no matter what anyone else says, I will always say that you are the best person I ever had the honor to time."
"Even when I steal from a bank?" she smirked.
"Malick's money; I can hardly call that stealing." he said with a shrug.
Daisy smirked. Then sobered.
"If there was a way to stop someone but there was a chance I'd die, what would you do?"
Phil looked at her in thought.
"I would follow you. And then we'd figure out a way to get out alive." he said finally. "I did it once already. I just got delayed and didn't make it in time."
"San Juan." she whispered in fear. "That's why you were the one to get me out of the city? Because you were already there? Because you had already followed me?"
"Yes."
"Stupid, stupid man. What would have I done if you died?"
"At that moment I thought you were dying yourself, so I..."
"You didn't want me to die alone? You wanted to find me in the afterlife to keep me company?"
"I didn't want you to be alone. I never want you to be alone. You've been alone for too long. I figured if I could change something, just one thing, this was going to be it. I was going to be there for you even after this life."
"Why?"
"There's no reason I can articulate. I dont understand it well myself. I just feel drawn to you."
"The Kree blood?"
He shook his head with a smile.
"I thought about that, too." he said. "When I was carving, that's what I kept as an excuse for not telling you. What if my kree blood triggers yours? But I realised I was drawn to you before meeting you."
"Before...?"
"Your voice. Your mind. I listened to your podcasts." he said with a smile. "The Rising Tide was my mission on the side, until after New York. You guys were so careful with hacking us at first. After New York, after Fury brought me back, he put me in it completely, until I asked for something a little more challenging, where I would feel I did a difference." he said.
"It's not the Kree." she said in relief. "Wait. You listened to my podcasts?"
"You were pretty vocal about us, too." he smiled, proudly. "Did you ever find out anything more about those projets you listed on our first conversation?"
"The day you kidnapped me? No, why? What should I have I find out?"
He smirked at her.
"The one in charge of them, maybe?" he asked, smug.
"The one in...It was you, wasn't it? I just called on SHIELD's bullshit using you and your missions."
"It was a bit flattering, actually. There you were, brilliant and using it, knowing my best missions."
"Dork." she grinned, pulling him in her arms again, tumbling them down on the bed. "Now what?"
"I don't know." he said in her hair. "I like this moment. You and me and no one or nothing else demanding us pick a side."
"I like this moment, too."
"Then let's prolongue it. We don't think about what's next."
"For how long?"
"Until I am forced to smuggle you out f the hotel." he said.
"A.C. are you helping known criminals?" she teased.
"No, of course not. I am aiding a superhero." he smirked.
"Phil..."
"You're my superhero, Quake. I am definitely buying your action figure once it is out."
Daisy laughed, burrying her face in his chest.
"Oh, Phil...You are going to wait for that. For quite a while."
"It's going to be worth it, though. I am willing to provide with suggestions over the design, too. For the action figure and the superhero suit." he said, enthusiastically.
"You got a thing with superheores?" she asked, eyebrow raised at him.
"I am a dedicated fan, thank you. But the truth is, I got a thing for just one of them. She is very hard to spot, you know, really ellusive that one. And a lot of people think she's some sort of second rate vigilante or a rogue. Can you imagine?"
"Nooo? For real? People are so weird." Daisy played along.
"I know, right?" he beamed. "Anyway, I've been trying to catch a close glimpse of her for over a year now."
"Why the interest in her, though?"
"Can you keep a secret?" he stage-whispered.
"Of course, agent Coulson. Your secrets are safe with me." she said with utmost seriousness.
"Why, thank you, agent Johnson." he smiled. "I know her, you see."
"Quake?"
"Yes. She is a very brave, inteligent and selfless person."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. She is pretty much the best."
"A.C..."
"Whatever happens, I am always in your corner." he said seriously.
"I don't want to lose you." she whispered.
"Hey. You won't. Not if I have any say in the matter." he promised.
"What if you die, if you get killed because of me? What if you die for me?"
"Well, I love you enough to want to live, so, there's that." he half-shrugged.
Daisy smiled a little and pressed a kiss to his lips.
"I love you, too."
"You do?" he asked breathlessly in awe.
"Yes." she smiled.
She pressed her lips to his and he sighed in the kiss. He run his left hand through her hair, and drew back to smile at her.
Suddenly his phone rung. He groaned and pulled it out.
"It's Mack." he said.
"I'll be quiet." she promised.
"Yeah." he asnwered. "OK. I'll meet you there." he hung up. "We are meeting in the alley I picked you from. Something about Watchdogs scortched by chains." he smirked.
"Time to smuggle the vigilante then."
"Here." he gave her a key. "I have a safehouse, here in L.A. It's got a parking and I recently stocked it. I don't spend much time there – I am afraid the Director wants Mack to be able to find me all times and I wasn't going to reveal where my personal little peace haven was. So, you need to hide, or rest, or both, or whatever, go there. No one knows about it."
"Phil..."
He kissed her, then pulled them to their feet, and snuck her out of the hotel.
"If they ask...?"
"I met Mary." he smirked.
Daisy punched him playfully.
"I knew I shouldn't have told you about that name." she groaned.
"You really shouldn't."
"I hate you." she petulantly.
Phil chuckled and kissed her. She kissed back.
"Go." he said softly. "I'll see you around, yeah?" he kissed her again. "I love you."
"Love you, too, human guy. I'll keep in touch." she promised.
They both turned to go in defferent directions, both looking back at the other, until Phil turned a corner and they couldn't see each other anymore.
~The End~