Chapter 11 is finally here, apologies for the delay... its been a busy-busy 10 days trying to finish packing up and closing the house! This is my final chapter from India though, the rest will follow after I reach Cali on Tues... but until then, "Thank You!" to my ever-so patient readers: Wolfca, firerosedreamer67, byLunaA, mynameisagent, Ace, Precious Heart Beats, tptrek, 3 guest reviewers AND my new readers - shoeychocolatXD and Gallifrey Byrned! Wow... that's a lot! hahaha... presenting to you, not just Skye & Coulson's "First Date" but a little something else as well, one more 'first' prompt got filled in this chapter itself! Enjoy! ^_^
Snowflakes were still falling outside as Lola made her way through the streets of New York City which was covered in a blanket of snow all across town. A white winter had been predicted and this breathtaking view was proof of that as Skye stared out the window in the passenger seat, marveling at the wondrous sight all around with her eyes wide open and a smile bigger than she even knew she was capable of; taking in everything, no matter how small the details - if it was the tiny flecks of snow settling on a cafe umbrella on the sidewalk or the way a little girl was running around in circles, laughing and jumping in the snow as her parents walked behind her and even the frost covering the glass of their windows, but most of all, Skye was very much aware of the way her boyfriend kept stealing glances in her direction every several minutes or so as he drove them past Times Square and all its brightly lit colorful buildings. Turning her gaze away from seeing Madame Tussauds go by and the Disney Store, Skye focused her attention on him again hoping this time she would be able to make it last for more than just a minute. He was dressed similarly to her, all wrapped up in a bundle of warm jackets and scarves, but underneath all that she could see the woolen black turtleneck sweater he wore and wondered how it was that while she looked like a plushie stuffed toy in her layers and layers of clothes, Coulson managed to look even more handsome than he was. Sighing deeply as she huffed at the thought, she heard him chuckle when he saw her go back to watching the outdoor sights but didn't say anything to her just then.
He was being extremely secretive about the whole ordeal and had barely said a word to Skye when they had set off from Boston that morning except to tell her that since it was just them, he figured it would be nice to finally return to New York if she didn't mind. With no particular holiday destination in mind, she had jumped at the idea without a second's thought and they had reached their hotel in the late afternoon. Booked into two rooms as S.H.I.E.L.D. always did for their agents, they had spent the next several hours unpacking, following which, Coulson had knocked on her room door and merely suggested she dress up warmly and meet her in the lobby when she was ready. That had been a half hour ago and in spite of her consistent questioning, he simply asked her to trust him in reply to where they were headed. If only he had chosen to wear something other than that black turtleneck, Skye figured she wouldn't have needed to keep staring away from him while they were on their way as a distraction because it was ridiculous that she was getting flustered... by his really well toned arms and chest and those hands of his which weren't even hidden with gloves. Groaning inwardly as she blushed even in the warmth of Lola, Skye couldn't help but turn her giggle into a big smile, knowing it was obvious that her reaction to seeing Coulson in winter clothes definitely turned out to be typical of how girlfriend's usually reacted. There it was again. Girlfriend. Boyfriend. Those words had flitted through her mind every now and then in the past week since she and Coulson had finally said "I Love You" to each other and yet... to Skye, it was more of a formal technical term really... because she was sure that what she had with Coulson was more than just something that needed to be labeled, and even if it had to be then she figured 'partners' would fit them best. Yes, that felt right to her. He was her equal, her partner, her friend... her lover.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Coulson asked as he finally decided the suspense of his surprise had settled in nicely with Skye not pressing him for more details.
"I was just wondering..." Skye started to say in a soft whisper "That..." She reached out to place her hand atop his that was on the gear before beaming when she saw him react to the tone of her voice, "Maybe we should..." Teasing him was a new thing she had discovered but she did enjoy it.
"We should...?" He gently slowed down as they reached a signal and dared to look at her knowing he would see the mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Stop driving around the city and actually get to where we're supposed to be going!" She exclaimed in a single fast breath, sounding more impatient about this so-called 'surprise' than anything else.
Hearing Skye complain only made Coulson grin as he understood that she was probably running out of ideas to guess where he was taking her. And so he decided that perhaps it was time he revealed his plan to her; after all, this was their time together without the team hanging around and having a chance to be off the Bus and on a holiday.
"And here I thought you were enjoying yourself taking in all the scenery of New York City around you Skye." Was all he said at first, turning to West 50th Street where the Radio City Music Hall approached.
"I was... I mean, I am... but I thought we were going somewhere." Skye said to him, stressing on the last word, hoping she would get an answer out of him at last.
"We are going somewhere specific." Coulson reassured her, before continuing, "In fact, we've already reached our destination for tonight." Saying so, he gestured to the place ahead of them and watched as Skye realized where they had parked.
She couldn't believe her eyes at what she was seeing from inside Lola and so, unbuckling from the seat, Skye stepped out of the car and just stood transfixed in the same spot. They were at Rockefeller Center now and standing in the middle of a giant podium was the famously majestic Christmas tree that towered over at almost a hundred feet in height, covered in thousands of tiny lights and other decorations, topped with an enormous shining star. The area around the tree was surrounded by equally tall marble angel statues with raised trumpets, a dozen gold reindeers pulling a sparkling bright red sleigh and of course, countless number of tourists and families all gathered around clicking pictures and talking animatedly about how this year's lighting ceremony had been simply spectacular! Coulson walked over to Skye and slid his arm around her waist as they began walking towards the crowd together.
"This was the surprise you've been talking about? The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree! I... I don't think I've ever seen something so beautiful in my life before... I just really amazing to actually be here and oh... wait, where are we going?" In all her ramblings, Skye hadn't noticed that Couslon was leading her closer and closer to the Christmas tree but now that they were in the midst of everyone else she could truly see the grand monumental attraction for what it was. Magical.
"You didn't think I was just going to bring you here and leave?" Coulson smiled as he weaved through the people, holding Skye's hand until they reached an empty spot with a good view of the tree. "We're here to make some new memories." It was only then did she see a bag that he carried with him and from within, he pulled out a camera which was part of his antique collections.
Seeing that camera in his hands and the smile on his face, Skye couldn't help but laugh as she finally understood what this all meant and she let the excitement rush in, cherishing the wonderful feeling of being able to have an entire night with Coulson to enjoy... as well as the next several weeks until Christmas time.
"It's a date!" She stated happily as Coulson clicked a quick picture of her randomly before she noticed him but she did and immediately began to pose in different silly ways, facing near the tree mostly because it just had to be a part of this.
"Well actually... part of a date." He elaborated in between a couple of snaps and then was surprised when Skye grabbed the camera from his hands and started to take pictures of him.
"There's more to this?" Skye shouldn't have sounded surprised but she was... and curious to know what else he had planned for the night. "Are we going for a candlelight dinner afterwards?" She asked him, wondering if he was going to take her on a typical romantic date, excited at the prospect of not knowing what exactly to expect from Coulson.
"Not quite. I was thinking of something a little more private and special." There was a twinkle in Coulson's eyes as he dropped another vague hint about what the next part of his surprise entailed, knowing Skye would be intrigued to see where the night took them.
"Okay... vague much A.C?" Pausing for a moment, Skye decided that since they didn't seem to be in any rush to move on from here, she would use this date as an opportunity for some very special memories.
It took her only a minute to spot what she was looking for and by then Coulson caught on to what she was planning to do; he watched as she walked over to a middle-aged lady in her late 30's and after a quick explanation, Skye rushed over to where Coulson stood and within moments, the two of them were having their pictures taken by the polite woman who was kind enough to click a handful for the couple. Just as the last picture was being snapped, acting on an impulse, Skye quickly stood on her tiptoes to kiss Coulson's cheek and was elated when she saw that the picture turned out perfectly. She thanked the lady as she went to retrieve their camera who offered her a compliment before she left.
"You two make a wonderful couple, he's very lucky to have someone as lovely as you my dear." She may have noticed the age difference between them but knew when she saw two people in love and that was all that mattered the most in the end.
"Thank you. I'm lucky to have someone special like him too." Skye admitted with a smile, unaware of the fact that Coulson had heard her, but when she turned around after the lady had left, she found him gazing at her and knew he did hear what she'd said.
"Are you ready for the rest of our date?" He asked, holding out his arm for her to take as they left the main Center and walked across the complex towards 5th Avenue.
"You're not going to tell me where it is are you?" Skye didn't need to know the details because what was important to her was that this first date had started off on such a great note that she couldn't guess what else was there, but she knew it would be something special.
"Nope. Just wait for a few more minutes and you'll see for yourself when we get there." Coulson spared a quick glance at his watch and saw it was almost 11 o'clock which meant things were going according to plan. "I promise it will be worth your time." He added when he felt her nuzzle closer to him, leaning in for some warmth.
"I know it will be, this has already been a perfect date." Skye sighed as they walked past the Channel Gardens that she had heard about but really didn't feel like visiting at this late hour on her first date with Coulson. "We're not going to the gardens are we?" She wanted to be sure they were skipping that.
"No, not the gardens; but we are close." Just ahead of that was where Coulson pointed to and for the second time tonight he saw Skye's amazement flickering across her eyes when she saw a familiar building known to everyone at the Rockefeller Center.
"Isn't this supposed to be closed for the night?" She was slightly puzzled at the sight of seeing locked doors as they approached nearer, not sure of what Coulson's plan entailed.
"It is; but I happen to know the janitor who works here and as a special favor to me, we're getting private access to the place tonight." Coulson explained as he led her to the glass doors and knocked twice.
Skye was stunned by the surprise when it started to dawn on her what this meant; Coulson had brought her to the Rink! Of all the places in New York City, this had not been on her list of places she would have guessed as the venue for her date with him. The fact that he had gone through the effort of making this happen and actually being able to keep it a secret from her without spoiling anything made Skye feel like her heart was filled with this immense emotions of happiness and excitement at this prospect. By now, a young man dressed in a uniform had arrived and unlocked the door, ushering them inside quietly and exchanging a few quick words with Coulson before leaving himself. Still holding his hand, she walked with him through the main entrance of the lobby which was dark all around but the moonlight provided enough shine for them to see where they were going. Past the corridor, only a few minutes later, they reached the main ice-rink which was dimly lit specially for them.
"Wow." Skye breathed out in awe as she stared at the vast field of ice in front of her, empty and silent and yet oddly peaceful at this late hour.
"I'm guessing the 'wow' means you like it?" Coulson smiled in her direction, they had stopped at the counter where all the ice-skating equipment was stored and set his bag down there, never leaving his gaze on her.
"Like? No! I love this! I cannot believe I'm actually here right now... It just feels so surreal, I've never had a chance to come here before but... wow... are we actually going skating?" Turning to see that he was watching her all along as she spoke, Skye blushed a little, thankful it was mostly dark here.
"Yes. We're going ice-skating; so grab us a pair of skates and I'll just take care of one last surprise in the meantime." He gave Skye a quick kiss on her cheek before taking the bag towards a snack bar across the rink and left her wondering what was left after this?
First the photograph session at the Christmas tree and now ice-skating alone in the middle of the night, just the two of them and apparently a third surprise would follow, Skye stood where she was and closed her eyes, wanting to cherish this moment, this hour and this night. She had always known Coulson was an old-school gentleman and romantic by nature, but their first date was turning out to be so wonderful and amazing that she couldn't help feel like this was how things were always going to be with them from now onwards. For a second, Skye felt both happy and afraid; because everything seemed to be something out of a dream and she couldn't believe that this was really happening to her. That she was here with Coulson tonight... free of all other worries in their lives, for a while it wasn't Agent Coulson and Hacker Skye, they were simply two lovers who were spending time together just like everyone else did. Shaking her head out of all thoughts and determined to truly enjoy herself, Skye quickly gathered up two pairs of skates and some protective gear before meeting Coulson halfway at the benches.
"I don't think I got us both the wrong sizes because it is possible that I did but..." She started to say as she held out one pair of skates to him, "Umm... I should warn you that I have no idea how to skate. On ice or off." It was probably one of those things Skye hadn't really shared with anyone cause it didn't seem to be important but now that they were here... she didn't want to ruin Coulson's idea of a perfect date night for them.
Taking the skates from her hands to put them aside, Coulson took both her hands in his and made her sit down so that their knees were touching as they faced each other. Without saying a word, he brushed a strand of hair that had come loose from under her pink beanie and then said something to Skye that she had not imagined she would ever hear.
"I don't know how to skate either." Of course he had to smirk that devilishly handsome smirk of his as he confessed the truth to her, "So why don't we think of this as our first time learning how to skate together?" They had both successfully managed to slip the skates on and fasten them properly already and now Coulson knew he was going to rely on her as much as she would rely on him to actually get down to the ice.
Skye couldn't help but laugh when she heard the idea and figured there was no better time like the present to learn something new and couldn't have asked for a better companion to share this with. Her laughter echoed across the rink as it bounced off the walls causing her to wince as she realized it was a little too loud. Standing up with a decent balance, she and Coulson walked towards the ice step by step holding hands and once they reached the brink, she stopped suddenly. There was no need to be worried about this, skating was something that seemed logical enough, it was basically gliding on ice and if she started off with a few baby steps of walking then it would be safe. With Coulson by her side this would turn out to be more fun than terrifying; even so that slight hesitance on her part wasn't lost on him because he picked up on it and decided to take the first step onto the ice. Letting go of her hand to walk out, Skye saw him maintain his balance with ease and less shaking, observing every step he took to get used to the feeling before turning around slowly in small stomps and slid over to her, holding both hands out for her to take.
"I'm not..." Shaking her head, Skye thought maybe she should back away and possibly not turn the date into a disaster if she injured or embarrassed herself but Coulson must have read her thoughts.
"Skye, trust me. I will never let anything happen to you. Take my hands and we'll just spend a little time on the ice together okay? Not more than a few minutes. Come on, I know you can do this." He reassured her as he saw the nervousness pass her face and waited until she had taken the first step before gently guiding her further away from the railings.
"I can do this. I know I can. There's nothing to worry about... ah!" Skye was walking slowly and seemed okay for the first ten steps until she slipped and flung her arms around Coulson as he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Wow, that was close!" She exclaimed with a shaky laugh as she felt her legs wobble, trying to find the balance again.
"Relax, you're doing just fine." Coulson decided to try something to help Skye reach the other end of the rink with ease, "I think you should focus on keeping your eyes fixed on me and not staring down all the time. It should help." He was shaky himself but since they were side by side, both had equal support from each other.
"That shouldn't be too hard to do." Joking about the suggestion but seriously taking it up to try, Skye managed to gaze at Coulson while he walked with her and stopped looking at the ice below as they reached the center in a few minutes.
Once the two of them had walked all the way to the other end, Coulson figured the next step was to try and get some skating done, mild gliding across the ice was the next thing that came after walking or so he assumed. Skye looked determined to see this through and so they both started off slowly with a light kick of the blades to get them in motion, with one arm stretched out for balance, she felt her heart beats finally slowing down and thought maybe this wasn't such a scary thing after all. The pace seemed normal enough for a beginner, but just then, feeling that exhilaration flowing through her veins as she noticed the cool air on her face and wondered if flying would be similar, Skye couldn't help herself as she picked up the speed a little more and tugged on Coulson's hand to follow her.
"Do you want to go for a lap around once?" He could see the calmness settling in as she adjusted to her skates and tried to remember that his balance was improving as well, but his attention was solely on her.
"Sure, we can try!" Skye giggled as she let go of his hand and waved her arms carefully, seeing if they both could do this alone.
"Skye! I don't think you should go too fast yet. You've only just started..." Coulson began to say, sounding a little worried as he watched her go ahead of him, wobbling about but staying upright for the most part until...
"Oh! Oh! PHIL!" Skye nearly screamed when she reached the turn and couldn't quite catch her balance at the curve, but in that split second when she thought she was going to fall down, Coulson rushed up and caught the sleeve of her jacket.
After that, Skye didn't remember that she was standing on ice but spun around as fast as she could and buried her head in his chest as she took deep breaths trying to bring her heart rate back to normal. Coulson was hugging her to him and trying his best not to chuckle because she was safe and even if she fell it was perfectly normal. Still, he didn't say anything to her for several minutes until something registered in his mind.
"You just called me Phil." It was more of a statement and not a question but Coulson did feel Skye raise her head to look up at him.
"I guess I did." She admitted sheepishly, wondering why in that second of irrational fear over falling on ice she had used his first name.
"Hmm... I think I like the sound of that as much as I like it when you call me 'A.C.' Skye." Coulson knew they both were remembering the first time she had called him Phil, but between then and now, a lot had changed with them and it seemed perfectly normal.
"Really? Are you sure about that?" Skye wondered if he was just saying it because he didn't want to tell her not to call him that again, but also thought about how it sounded on her lips as well.
"Yes of course I'm sure." Hearing the doubt in her voice finally did make him laugh and by now he had slowly guided her towards one of railings as they talked.
"Okay... Phil... I'll try to remember to use it more often." She smiled and then was aware of the cool steel on her back and realized he was cornering her into a dead-end.
"Good." He wasn't paying attention to her words because even though he was glad she called him Phil again, right now he had other thoughts on his mind.
Bending down to kiss the part of her neck which wasn't covered by her leather jacket collar, Coulson sighed as he let himself free in that moment with Skye who was definitely okay with the sudden change of plans. She moaned softly when his lips grazed that soft spot under her ear and melted into him as her hands found their way to his hair and whimpered the second he started to pull back without a warning. Skye didn't let go of her hold on him but met his gaze and saw the desire in his eyes; the need for more was overwhelming her time and again but they both knew that rushing into anything so soon was not what they wanted so she closed her eyes and relished in the memory of this experience. It was only then did she remember Coulson's comment about a third surprise.
"Wasn't there something else you had in mind for tonight?" She asked, thinking if he had forgotten about the bag which was lying on the snack bar. Whatever was inside seemed important to him, even though she didn't know what it could be.
"Yes, as a matter of fact I did." Coulson kissed the tip of her nose as a way of saying thank you for reminding him, "Let's get back to solid flooring and I'll tell you what's next." This time he slid her arm around his waist and headed off the ice.
In less than ten minutes, they both had removed their skates and protective gear on their arms and knees before walking to the bar. Coulson grabbed the bag and led Skye to the benches once again. She sat down patiently and waited to see what surprise was hidden inside, watching as he pulled out a thermos from within as well as a small cardboard box with napkins taped to it.
"What's this?" Skye had a feeling she knew exactly what Coulson's last surprise for her was but still wanted to hear it from him.
"This. This is our midnight snack. Some hot chocolate." He gestured to the thermos as he pulled out two paper cups, "And cake!" Opening the box to reveal a pastry in a 'voila' attempt, Coulson went on to explain, "I know we didn't get a chance to really eat a proper meal for dinner, but I figured some solid food and a warm drink might help?" For a second, he wondered if he should have gone for wine and sandwiches or something else but seeing the way Skye's face lit up, Coulson knew she was perfectly fine with this.
"Oh yes! I can't ever say no to hot chocolate! And when there's cake too then that's all I need!" She was thrilled to see that he had put together a mini-picnic of sorts for them and loved the surprise just as much as she loved the others tonight.
"Well then, cheers to you Skye." Coulson handed her a cup of cocoa before raising his own to hers.
"To us." She added and then took a sip, noticing that even after all this time in a weather like this, the hot chocolate was pretty warm.
Once she had finished her first cup, Skye turned to the cake and picked up a plastic spoon to take a bite, but changed her mind at the last minute for she leaned forward to feed Coulson the first piece with her own hand. This was what it was like to be on a date with the man she loved; there was still a nagging thought in the back of her mind and so she decided to speak up.
"I have to ask, Phil... how did you manage to come up with all these ideas for our first date? Was the rink your plan all along?" Maybe he had taken advice from the others beforehand but set it all up himself.
"Sort of. I did have a little help from one of our friends, but its not who you're thinking of." Coulson added when he saw Skye start to ask if it was Jemma, "My initial plan was to either bring you here or take you to the Empire State Building but since that's too common... Fitz was the one to suggest seeing the Christmas tree as well. The midnight picnic idea was entirely mine though."
Skye was about to say something in reply to hearing Coulson mention Fitz's name but noticed that something was missing just then. The cake was finished and their hot chocolate may have been a quarter full, but once she shifted the food stuff on the bench closer to her, she stood up and walked over to his side where he was leaning against the wall and settled down in front of him with her back to his chest; Coulson immediately wrapped his arms around her stomach as she rested her head right above his heart and knew that this was probably something he didn't think of earlier.
"There. Much better." Skye sighed in content as they sat there for a while longer, not thinking about anything else; they would go back to the hotel eventually but for now, it was just the two of them resting here.
"Much better indeed." Coulson whispered softly as he kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes too, this was the only important thing. Him and Skye. Together.
Well. I think that was a fun date! What say? Lol... I should point out that I haven't ever seen snow in life (yet!) although maybe visiting the Alps when I was 3 yrs and discovering chunks of ice might count? Or not? Plus I haven't either gotten a chance to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree in NYC on any of my previous trips, I don't skate at all so everything was just part of my imagination and inspiration from pictures! Until next weekend or maybe 10 days later... sayonara everyone! "First Times" is going on a temporary hiatus while I'm traveling and recovering from jet-lag! xD
