Hello, dear readers. This fic has finally found a beta, we thank Wriewygs for kindly offering to help with the editing. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did when I wrote it. Hugs
SHIELD's Academy, founded so many years ago, guarded several sacred traditions that were passed on from generation to generation. Some were dignified and filled with honor, but others could definitely make people's blood boil and hearts break.
Such as this one.
Melinda May had just finished training in the gym. It was a Friday night and very few people remained. Melinda liked that gym quite a lot. Being far from the dorms, it was never too crowded and she liked her being able to concentrate without people interrupting. She had quite a reputation, to tell the truth, so she drew too much attention: Badass, unbeatable in combat, brilliant, intimidating, deadly elegance, and the list went on and on. Nobody messed with her.
But some weren't so lucky. Stupidly, people believed that if someone couldn't make others unconscious with single punch then they were just weak. Sadly, more often than not, people who were strong in the mind suffered this prejudice.
As she was preparing to leave the gym, actually turning lights off everywhere, she heard muffled screams somewhere. Adrenaline rushing through her veins, all senses up, she approached the sound carefully and slowly made her walk to the boys' bathroom. She quickly gazed around to ensure she wasn't been seen, and nimbly entered the place.
The sounds grew more desperate as she came closer to the last cubicle, and after skillfully undoing the lock, she opened the door cautiously.
She found a young man only dressed in his underwear, tightly attached to the toilet with an intricate net of tape. From ankle to neck, the tape was immobilizing him and a handkerchief in his mouth kept him quiet. The guy looked at her thoroughly embarrassed. His face went painfully red and he shyly averted his eyes upon seeing her.
-Oh, boy. What have they done to you?- she said deeply saddened. She could actually feel her heart melting, and that was not easy to accomplish.
Melinda started to carefully remove the tape. It took quite a while, the tape had adhered to his skin and body hair. She didn't want to hurt him.
Once she freed his hands, he removed the handkerchief tightened in his mouth.
-Thank you- he said quietly.
-Oh, I'm sorry. I should have started with the hanky.- Melinda said apologetically, as she kept undoing the tapes around his torso and arms.
-It's quite alright.- He said.- You've done more than enough.-
She looked at him then. His eyes were blue and as he smiled at her, a twinkle appeared in them. Melinda couldn't help but grin back a little. He seemed like a nice guy.
-What's your name?- she asked as she continued her task. The boy grimaced for the chest hair being pulled.
-Phil Coulson.- he said painfully.
-Sorry- Melinda grimaced too.- I'm…-
-Melinda May- he said promptly, and looked at her bashfully. – Everyone knows you.-
May snorted, but finally removed the last piece of tape.
-Thank you so much for this.- He said as he stood up and his joints cracked painfully. He started moving around to try to lose all the strained muscles.
-Who did this?- May asked. They slowly left the cubicle, as Phil tested walking again.
-Guys from Operations. I'm in Comms, you know. Didn't want to go to a party, became irresistible target for being an idiot.-
-That's outrageous!- May raged, as they started looking for his clothes all over the dressing room.- how could they do this! They should be thrown out of the Academy!-
Philed sighed; and finding his pants in a dark corner, he put them on.
-Well, people with enough strength and courage to be in Ops are kind of priceless.- he said undisturbed, as she handed him a shoe she had found in the bin.
-I'm in Ops.- May said angrily.- our purpose is to protect, not humiliate.-
-Well, I'm glad you think that way.- Phil grinned slightly her way, as he tied the shoelace balancing on one leg.
Ten minutes later, they found his shirt on the top of some lockers. Phil intertwined his fingers to make a step for May to place a foot. Raising her, he tried to stand still and keep her stable as May struggled to reach the item.
-So, why didn't you want to go to the party?- May asked huffing, trying to stretch as much as she could, but barely grazing the shirt.
-You'll laugh at me.- Phil said sweating. He prayed that he wouldn't let her fall.
-Try me.- May answered, taking a further risk by standing in her tiptoe and swinging precariously. Thankfully, she grabbed the elusive shirt right there and was able to go back to the ground.
-Well- Phil began, slipping the head through his shirt.- to tell you the truth, it's my grandma's doing.-
He smiled at her for a second as they resumed the search for his other shoe.
-How come?- she said, disentangling his belt from an indoor tree and handing it to him.
-I was just fifteen and my mom and I went to see her, she was very sick. She passed away few days later, actually.-
May froze a second. He smiled at her calmly.
-I'm sorry.- she whispered uncomfortably, unsure of what to say.
-No worries.- Phil said, looking under a toilet's door.- but she said something that left a mark. She said that in everything we see, there is union. If we see an orchestra, there could be a lot of musicians and lots of different instruments and they still have to work as one, become one heart. I've always loved music, you know.-
May finally found the other shoe in an empty and forgotten locker. Phil gratefully placed it on his foot and tightened the lace.
-She said that once I started working, I'd see how every institution seeks to form the perfect team, well balanced; people with different abilities that, working together, become one.-
-Funny that now as an agent you truly will be working on a team just like that.- May said. They had to keep up the search, for they had realized his watch and wallet remained missing.
-I know, right?- Phil laughed.- Anyway, she said that a couple works just the same. Two different people that decide to get together and become a perfect team, an orchestra of two that sounds harmonically.-
May raised her eyebrows.
-That's deep.- She said, impressed.
-Quite a lot, I think.- Phil shrugged, finding his watch in a window and subsequently putting it on his rightful place, right on his left wrist.
-Grandma told me that building that perfect union takes time and effort. Communicating, losing battles sometimes, getting to truly know the other… that's not easy. Even if they loved each other, sometimes they'll be at each other's throats or in pain 'cause they hurt each other with some mistake. But gaining that connection is the only way of being happy in a relationship.-
May then got to him and gave him the wallet she had found behind the towel cabinet. All of his IDs had been vandalized, of course. Phil smiled gratefully, nonetheless, and placing it in his pocket, they started to finally walk out of the dressing room. His clock announced they were fifteen minutes away from midnight.
-Anyway.- Phil continued.- She told me that marriage was about union of souls, and that a body union was meant to be a reflection of that. It's not about calming an urge; it's about expressing a connection that already exists.-
Phil smiled bashfully, not daring to meet May's eyes, who continued silently by his side.
-Call me a sap, but I wouldn't want to miss out on that connection over going to a party where the only purpose is getting laid with someone I wouldn't even know. I don't think it would be as pleasant as being with a wife I love.- Phil said, only then daring to quickly peek at May.
Melinda just continued walking quietly beside him, deep in thought. She stopped then and turned to face him with a strength and elegance earned by years of martial arts. Crossing her arms at her chest, she squinted analytically at him.
-So, they kidnapped you, bullied you and pulled a horrible prank on you, just because you hold onto something you believe is right.- She raised an eyebrow when Phil shrugged.
-I guess… hadn't seen it that way.- he smiled shyly.
May felt the corner of her lips rising in a tiny, almost imperceptible smile.
-Then, I guess you'll be one hell of an agent someday.-
Phil chuckled.
-Hope you're right.- he said.
They resumed the walk towards the dorms. Phil insisted in escorting her to her room.
-So, what can I do to thank you?- Phil asked.- I could even have a cup of your favorite coffee ready for you every morning for the rest of the year.-
Melinda wrinkled her nose.
-Thanks, but no. I hate coffee, love tea.-
Phil's eyes perked at that bit of info.
-But I can get my own tea.- May said with a knowing smile. Then she added seriously.- You don't have to pay me anything. Actually, take it as a make up for the other Op dudes' stupidity.-
-Thanks, but I'd still like to thank you some way. You could have let me there alone all night but didn't- he said happily.
-Unless you know some way to achieve the impossible and make me pass the next History test…- May then saw his face light up.
-You, my dear lady, don't really know how lucky you are right now.- Phil smiled broadly, eyes twinkling madly.- meet your resident bookworm.-
She could kick ass in the gym, but no one beat him on the library.
Perfect team.