Come home.
A/N: This is really weirdly angsty - or as close to angst as I could write - coming from me. There is some lightness to it, but I think I kept it low? Post 3x17 and a very, very late upload. (Also AU now.)
He doesn't know exactly how this came to be. The last few days were a blur. He knows he followed her, sending the others to make sure HYDRA was occupied.
And there was Hive, wearing Ward's face, looking like he expected him to come.
"Coulson. So nice of you to join us. Skye, here, was telling me so much about you. I had Grant Ward's perspective of you, of course, always getting in his way, a mirror of himself. It was enlightening to see you through hers."
"Her name is Daisy." he gritted his teeth.
Hive smirked.
"Kill him." he said as he got up and left the room. "He is probably going to say something disgustingly sweet trying to save himself. Humans, always trying to sweet-talk their way out of death."
Daisy walked up to him and lifted her hand. Phil could feel the vibrations start hurting him.
"Daisy?" he said, a little out of breath. "It's ok. You're doing great. You'll be fine."
"Shut up, Coulson."
"I still regret it, you know. Leaving alone at the Retreat. I couldn't do anything, yes, but at least you wouldn't have to be alone. And when you had that vision of me shooting you? I was so desperate to make sure it didn't happen, because I knew, if it ever came to this, I'd rather die than hurt you." he said. "Every choise I made about SHIELD, about our team, about me, was only to make sure you'd be able to change the world without distractions. Everything I did, I was only trying to support you. And I failed a lot of times. This is one of them. Because I trust you. And I always will."
The attack lessened in ferocity.
"Just...come home safe." he wheezed.
Suddenly he pitched forward, the vibrations stopping suddenly and he fell...in a pair of arms.
"Oh, no." a voice said. "Phil? Phil, are you ok? Talk to me. What did I do?"
"Skye..." he sighed in a whisper.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm here, Phil. I'm so sorry. I couldn't break free earlier. I'm so, so sorry."
He looked up, breathing heavily and reached to wipe her tears.
"Please, don't cry." he said quietly. "Not for me."
"Jesus, Coulson! I almost vibrated you apart!" she shouted angrily.
"And then you didn't."
"Hive...We have to stop Hive."
"Yes. But not today. Today was to get you back home safe. Hive isn't important. You are." he said, still trying to catch his breath. "You're really strong, you know that?" he added, half-jokingly.
Daisy choked out a laugh, her hand covering her mouth.
"Let's...let's get you...home." she said, helping him up.
Phil sighed and leaned on her.
"I missed you." he said softly.
"Me, too."
He hummed, closing his eyes, letting her lead them.
"Should you be trusting me so much?" she asked him.
"If this is my downfall, I am glad I died believing in you. I just really hope you won't blame yourself later. I don't want you to do that, since I'd never blame you."
Daisy stopped halfway through the corridor and turned so she'd wrap her arms around him. Phil returned the embrace, wincing a little at the pain.
"Maybe we should get you looked up, first." Daisy said, guiltily.
"That wouldn't be a bad idea."
Daisy kept walking, carrying him down the hall. It wasn't too long before they came upon Mack.
"Tremors. You ok?" he asked walking up to the two of them, taking Coulson's right side.
"Been better." she admitted.
Mack nodded.
"Well, we all have a bad day at work." he said.
Daisy nodded, trying to hold back the tears.
On the flight back, Daisy locked herself in the pod and then went straight to the containment room, never saying a word to anyone.
It was late night when the door opened and Coulson, bandaged and bruised, walked in pushing a cart.
"You didn't get to eat anything all day." he said.
"Why are you here?" she asked, moving away, as if distanse would protect him. "What if I am still under his sway?"
"Fair warning." he nodded. "I didn't listen. It's on me." he said. "You need to eat, Daisy."
She sat down on the couch and watched as Phil laid the table for two and sat beside her.
"Simmons says that I'll be fine in a few days. It's mostly bruised bones, rather than cracked. You must have been holding back a lot."
"I wasn't aiming to kill. Just make you pass out from pain. It'd look like you died. Enough to confuse him. He was so sure I'd kill you, he didn't take my bag." she smiled. "The crystals and that Kree thing are in there."
Phil smiled at her, impressed and awed.
"Then, we still may have a way to end Hive without putting you or Joey or Elena in danger."
"Lincoln?"
"Off active duty. He attacked Alisha. He's at the Cocoon." he said.
"He hurt Alisha? Why?"
"Apparently, she wasn't going to help him get you back." he frowned. "You can't force people face something that scares them and Alisha was deathly afraid of Hive. She told me a few things about him, though. Asked me to be extra careful when we face him. She is helping Simmons make something to counter his ability."
"Why are you here?" she asked again, more softly now, almost afraid of the answer.
"Because I left you alone last time. And while I can't change the past, I can learn from it and not make the same mistake."
"Coulson..."
He smiled softly and let his hand rest on her shoulder for a moment.
"I'm so sorry. For everything." she said.
"Hey. You don't have to apologise for anything. It wasn't your fault."
"But..."
"No buts." he shook his head. "I know you, Daisy. And I trust you. And so does the team. No one is blaming you for what was done to you."
Daisy let her head fall on his shoulder.
"You're too good."
"No. I am just trying to be there for you." he said softly.
"Thank you."
"It's butter and honey." he said out of the blue.
"What?"
"My grilled cheese secret recipe." he said. "Butter and honey."
"Why are you telling me...?" she looked up at him. "Oh, Phil."
He smiled.
"It's very important to me that no one else knows. It was my father's recipe in the first place." he said in conspiratory whisper.
"You are the best thing that ever happened to me." Daisy said.
"Likewise." he said with no hesitation.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"No. Thank you." he shook his head.
"Why won't you just accept my thanks?" she asked amused.
"Being by your side isn't something that requires thanks. It's the right thing to do. It's really the least I can do."
"Then, thank you for bringing me food."
"That I can accept." he smiled.
He stood up and gathered their plates and made to leave.
"Hey." she called out softly.
Coulson stopped and turned.
"Could you...stay? For a while?"
"Yes." he said. "Just, let me push this outside?" he nodded at the cart.
"Yeah, sure." she nodded.
A moment later he was back and sat beside her again. Daisy laid down, her head on his lap, as she got comfortable.
"Daisy?"
"You called me Skye." she said. "Earlier."
"I did? I'm sorry."
"Mmm." she shook her head. "You can call me that. It sounds like home from you." she said softly, closing her eyes. "Besides, I always wanted a nice nickname."
Phil smiled down at the sleeping woman. He let his hand rest on her shoulder for a moment. He made to move away, but Daisy had grabbed his leg, making moving nigh impossible without waking her. He swifted a little to get comfortable, before he, too, closed his eyes and fell asleep.
~The End~