Prompt from Anonymous: Daisy is drunk and talks about her shitty childhood and how much she misses her only childhood friend (Matt Murdock) and May is listening to her the whole time.


May didn't mean to eavesdrop. She was walking past the common room, on the way to her bunk, when the drunken laughter of two people reached her ears. At first she was just going to scold them for being stupid and irresponsible, but just as quickly as the laughter reached her, it was silenced and replaced by a conversation that had her cold heart shattering.

"What was your childhood like?" It was Simmons asking. May couldn't see who she was talking too from her spot in the hall, but she found herself hoping it wasn't-

"Shitty," Daisy replied bitterly. May inwardly swore. She'd only heard Skye-urm Daisy?-talk about her childhood a handful of times-one being way back before Hydra when they were dealing with Hannah and her poltergeist situation-but every time she heard her, this indescribable ache consumed her. Sometimes she wondered how Daisy turned out as amazing as she did. She should have stepped in and ended the conversation. She didn't and Daisy continued.

"The orphanage was a horrible place. I actually don't even know where to begin to describe it. There were just so many things wrong with that place. The entire place was filthy and smelled of mold. The food was disgusting. Every meal we had resembled lumpy oatmeal, just with different colors. They didn't have enough clothes for us and most of it didn't fit. They didn't have a lot of soap either. Most nights we were bathed with just cold showers. They saved the little soap they did have for the babies and the little kids since they were the ones that usually got adopted. But overall, I think the worst part was bedtime. We weren't read nursery rhimes or sang lullabies like most kids. Bedtime was not a warm, loving experience. I always tried to fall asleep immediately. I didn't want to be awake when they started."

May took a step closer to the door right as Simmons asked "when what started?"

"The screams." May felt her stomach churn. The silence that followed was deafening.

"How did that place not get shut down?"

Daisy sighed. "The nuns were good at hiding and clean up. Every time there was an inspection, they made everything-including the kids-presentable."

"None of the kids spoke up?" Simmons' voice was so soft that May had to strain to hear.

"We were kids and the nuns convinced us that no one would believe us. I remember Sister Jane telling me, the one time I threatened to say something, that if I opened my mouth, the inspector would just laugh, and once he left, I'd be severely punished. And just for emphasis, she hit the back of my hand as hard as she could with this thick, wooden paddle when I wasn't looking. I never threatened that again." May felt her blood boiling. These women were meant to protect and nurture these children and instead they terrified and abused them. They let these kids sleep in their own filth without a second thought. She made a mental note to demand time off when she saw Coulson next. St. Agnes Orphanage had no idea what was coming.

"I'm sorry Daisy." She could hear more drinks being poured. "To surviving shit." Simmons tried to sound enthusiastic, but failed. Their glasses clinked together before they downed the burning liquid.

"There was one good part. Matty." May could hear the smile in Daisy's voice when she said the name.

"Matty?" Simmons echoed.

"Yeah, Matt Murdock. He was my first and only real friend in that place. All of the kids sort of stuck together, but it was more out of necessity. Matt was different. He was special. He arrived at St. Agnes after his father was murdered. He was withdrawn and closed off at first. One day, when we were playing outside, I heard some girls taunting him."

"Why would they taunt him when you all tried to stick together?"

"Because he was blind. He was blind and they thought it was funny to tease him because of it. The nuns weren't watching, obviously, so I went to interfere. When I got to them they had taken Matt's walking stick. He was on his hands and knees feeling around the ground for it. The girls that took it were standing five feet away from him laughing. That's when I lost it. I ran towards the girls and tackled them. It was three on one, but I was scrappy and fought dirty. Hair pulling, scratching, biting, you name it, I did it. It didn't take long before they ran away crying. I helped him up and gave him his stick back. We were thick as thieves after that."

May stepped into the common room, but went unnoticed by the two agents. They were sitting at the table, with an empty bottle of Tequila in between them, facing each other. "Whatever happened to him?"

Daisy was silence for a moment before giving Simmons a sad smile. "I went to a foster home for about two weeks. When I returned to St. Agnes, he was gone. I never saw him again. There was nothing good in my life after that. Not until I finally ran away. I've never once regretted my decision to leave. It was easy too. I went to school, hid in the bathroom until the first bell rang, and then simply walked off of campus. No one batted an eyelash and no one came looking."

Simmons swallowed thickly. "I'm so sorry Daisy."

Daisy just shrugged, drank her last shot of Tequila, and replied. "It's in the past. I have a family now. I'm okay."

Before Simmons could reply, Fitz walked in. "Wow…you two drank all of it?"

Simmons snorted and raised her empty shot glass. "Bloody hell," Fitz muttered as he made his way to the agents. "Let me get Simmons to her room and then I'll come help you Daisy."

"I'll take Daisy." All three of them snapped their heads in May's direction as she made her presence.

"Mayyyyyyy!" Simmons said loudly. "How long have you been there?"

May didn't answer her. Instead she looked at Fitz, who immediately help Simmons up and led her to the exit. May put Daisy's arm over her neck and wrapped one of her own arms around her waist. Neither one of them said anything as she lead Daisy back to her room. It wasn't until Daisy was sitting on the edge of her bed before she muttered "thank you."

"I'll be right back with a glass of water and some aspirin. You'll need it in the morning." Daisy nodded but said nothing. She was pulling her shirt off when May left the room. When she returned, she let out a deep sight. Daisy had barely gotten one arm out if the shirt before passing out.

May set the water and aspirin on the bedside table before working on undoing Daisy's shoes. Once her shoes and socks were off, she sat her up and pulled her shirt the rest of the way off. As she worked on undressing Daisy, she couldn't help but let her mind wander into dangerous territory.

She saw Daisy or Skye or Mary. Whatever name she was going by at the time. She saw an innocent little girl in clothes that were too big, dirt on her face, and matted hair. She saw a sad smile and haunted eyes. She saw heartbreak in its truest form. That of a sad little girl, lost to the world. She could feel the tears of despair prickle her eyes. Get it together May.

Somehow, in the struggle to keep her sitting and taking her shirt off at the same time, Daisy wound up leaning against May. Her head was resting on May's chest, directly over her rapid heartbeat.

May remained frozen for a second as unfamiliar feelings coursed through her veins. She closed her eyes and took a breath, trying to compose herself. Hesitantly, May lifted her hand to run through Daisy's short hair. She found herself wishing she could give Daisy something no one else had ever even tried to give her. The world. But was it too late?

With tears running down her cheeks and a quivery lip, May gently laid Daisy in bed and tucked her in. She sat on the edge of the younger agent's-who was far more than just an agent to her-bed and proceeded to softly sing every lullaby she could think of.

With her left hand holding Daisy's right hand and her right hand stoking Daisy's face tenderly, Melinda May sang for the sad little girl that stood invisible to the world.


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