Disclaimer: I make no claim to own Agents of SHIELD. I'm just taking the characters out for a spin. (And can you blame me? They all look so sad recently.)
Melinda watches Trip half-carry Skye out of the room. She's making a valiant effort at walking on her own, but she's been half-asleep since Washington. She'll probably be out before her head hits the pillow.
Koenig is watching too, wide-eyed and likely a little miffed at being dismissed by Skye. Once they're out of sight, he looks to Melinda. She only shrugs and Koenig lets the matter go, knowing if May's not interested in disciplining Skye for her careless attitude, it's not gonna happen.
"He wants to see you," he says.
Not that he has much of a choice about seeing her, but it's nice to know Phil's not trying to put her off. She makes for the stairs.
"Actually," Koenig calls.
Melinda balances her arch on the edge of the first step. If he thinks he can stop her from going up…
But Koenig doesn't look worried or nervous. He's smiling. "He's in Garage E."
Melinda rolls her eyes and heads for the lower levels. Garage E is one of the few areas of the Sandbox Coulson willingly goes to without a work-related cause. She may roll her eyes around the others - and even around Phil - but the truth is, she's glad he goes down there. Lola's the only thing in his life that isn't part of the mission and if that means he spends a few hours a week washing her and tuning her up, far be it from Melinda to complain.
She's surprised to find the lights in Garage E down low. She can see Lola, all alone at the center of the room, and someone sitting in the driver's seat but she can't make a positive ID from this angle.
"About time," Phil says, twisting his head back to see her. "How was Seattle?"
She relaxes somewhat now that she knows it's him and begins walking around the passenger side. There's something attached to the doors, blocking any view of the side mirrors. Whatever they are they look like they came from a junk yard.
"Crowded. What are you doing here?"
He leans across and pushes the passenger door open. "Waiting for you."
She raises a brow but gets in anyway. "Are we going somewhere?"
He gives her a serious look that doesn't for a minute look convincing. "You really think I'd forget your birthday?"
She feels a smile threatening to show itself and pushes it back down with a cold reminder. "My birthday was last month."
"Yeah, well, it took Fitz a little longer than expected."
He twists around, reaching into the back before he's even done saying it. Whatever he's busy with gives them both time to shrug off the reminder that one of their people still hasn't - likely will never - fully recover from HYDRA's uprising.
A cardboard bucket appears in front of her face. Phil shakes it a little and she takes it, allowing him to go back to digging through the back. The bucket is warm and inside is an ungodly amount of popcorn. Before she can say anything, Phil's sitting back up. He has sodas and Red Vines and chocolate covered raisins.
"Food?" she asks, wondering if Phil's lost his mind even as she trades the popcorn for the raisins. "In Lola?"
"Special occasion. Don't tell Skye. She'll want to take her for pizza on her birthday."
He grabs a tablet from the dash and the lights go down. Tiny pinpricks of light appear on the ceiling.
"Seriously?" Melinda asks.
Phil only shrugs. "Gotta create the right mood."
"And what mood is that exactly?"
He smiles. God, it's good to see him smile again. He hits another button. Bright light shines off the garage door in front of them, looking like a distant screen. Sound pours out of the devices attached to the doors - speakers, she realizes now. Just like an old fashioned drive-in. He probably even had someone dig them up at one of the last standing in the U.S.
"The Court Jester," she says fondly and settles into her seat.
"One of the best."
It's a long movie so they run out of food and drinks somewhere around the middle. He tosses the trash towards the edge of the garage and, from the sound of it, actually makes the shot and gets it all in a garbage can.
He spends the next twenty minutes accidentally-casually running his elbow into her arm or brushing his hand against hers. Finally she just grabs his and holds onto him in the dark.
By the time the movie's done she's leaning into his chest with his arm around her shoulders. They both pretend to be asleep as the light fades.