#2 Late nights at the Playground (S2/S3ish)
Coulson had discovered very quickly that there was always somebody awake during the night at the Playground. He loved walking around the base at night, through the quiet halls it helped calm his nerves and relax after stressful missions but over time he started to notice others around the base as well. May sitting down at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in hand or Fitzsimmons still in the lab working. More recently though it's been Skye, (no wait… Daisy, he was still getting used to that change.) who could normally be found in the kitchen attempting rather badly to make Mac'n cheese or some other comfort snack.
He knew the reasons they were all up because he shared them too. For May it was dreams of Bahrain, Fitzsimmons the storage compartment under the ocean. For him it was closing his eyes seeing Loki and the blinding pain of the septer tearing his heart. It was a sort of unspoken understanding on the base that the red rimmed eyes and shaky walk were never commented upon.
He was more worried about Daisy though, her long lived dream of finding her parents had come crashing down upon her already heavy shoulders. Seeing her up at 2am shakily eating chocolate, sobs still wracking her body, slight tremors rocking the base as her control slips, pained his heart. She was still so young, he saw it everytime he looked at Fitzsimmons or Daisy, remembering how innocent their eyes looked (specifically Simmons) when they first boarded his Bus. He'd learned their habits, Daisy had always been a night owl, even on the bus he'd see the light of her bedroom still on into the wee hours of the morning. She'd stopped staying up as late once May kicked up her training starting with Tai Chi at 4am so to see her up late now was concerning.
Walking down the halls this evening all was quiet until he passed the kitchen, cuss words streaming from it in Daisy recognizable voice. He couldn't let it slide again tonight, Daisy needed someone to talk to and he'd be dammed if he didn't offer. The sight that greeted him in the kitchen was a very very burnt grilled cheese sandwich and Daisy standing over it still shaking and looking disappointed with herself.
"So I see May's been teaching you to cook as well." He jokes, alerting her to his presence.
Daisy jumps at his voice and whirrels around to face him, gaunt faced, wet eyes and slightly pink tinged cheeks with embarrassment.
"Oh… Hey AC, yeah I ummmm… I was trying to copy your famous grilled cheese sandwiches. Didn't turn out so great." She mumbles.
Phil leans against the doorframe trying to give her space, "I can teach you if you want?" He offers, not commenting on her appearance even though it's worrying him.
"Sure. Please." Daisy agrees.
Coulson moves into the kitchen and grabs his favourite Captain America apron and starts pulling out bread and hands the cheese to Daisy to cut out pieces. They work in silence for a bit Daisy's hands still shake a bit and he can feel the slightest quakes rattling the cupboards as her control slips every once in awhile. Coulson's so tempted to break the silence and get to the bottom of what's bothering her but instead he chooses to let her break the silence, she will when she's ready.
"Do I get to know the secret ingredient then?" Daisy asks.
"Only if you can get into Fury's Toolbox."
Daisy snorts at that "OHhhhhh come on AC! Also really, that's where you keep your recipes? In the secure box of S.H.I.E.L.D super secrets?"
"Yup and I'll let you know one other thing." He says secretly pleased Daisy laughed. He walks over to the fridge, pulls out some mozzarella and tosses it to her.
"The secret is actually that I'm just magic."
Daisy laughs again, her voice is still thick from tears as Coulson puts the sandwiches on the grill.
Once the cheese is gooey and Coulson's stealthily added his secret ingredient they both tuck in at the table. The tremors have stopped and Daisy's much calmer than she was. Now all that was left was to get her talking. Halfway through her sandwich she finally talks.
"I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"It's two am and your here making me grilled cheese instead of sleeping. I probably woke you up, and…. I.. I lost control again." She stumbles.
Coulson keeps eating knowing that that's not the main thing she's worrying about. Daisy's voice is quavering as she continues.
"After Jaying, Cal, Tripp… Why do you still want me around? It's all my fault." She chokes out.
Coulson's heart breaks for his young agent, after more than two years with the team she still believes they'd throw her out, turn their backs.
"Oh Daisy no, no, no. We all want you around ok? We want you around for being you, Fitzsimmons, May, Bobbi, even Hunter. They all want you around because they care about you. Not because you do things for them, not because you don't anger or frustrate them, they care about you because you're kind and badass and everything else that's wonderful about you." He tells her desperately trying to get it into her head.
"I had a foster family once, maybe number 7 or 8? Anyways, they ummm took me in because I was cute and they wanted the perfect kid, but not the baggage I came with, while out for dinner with them I…I had a panic attack about something in a previous house. I screamed, knocked stuff over stuck in my flashbacks. They yelled at me to stop, I couldn't calm down, I was only 9. The next day I was back at Saint Agnes."
She's quiet for a minute, then
"I ALWAYS get sent back." Sobs start to rack her body again.
Coulson's eyes got watery as he watched her break down, thinking about her childhood, astonished that people could treat a child like that.
"Daisy. Look at me please." He waits until her brown eyes made contact with his own. "Just because Jaying and Cal made bad decisions
and Tripp died and you were there doesn't mean you squeezed the trigger or intentionally did any of that. None and I repeat none of that is your fault and even if it was we will never kick you out, you're stuck with me Daisy Johnson. I care about the wonderful intelligent young woman in front of me and that's NEVER going to change. Do you trust me?"
Daisy sniffs again "I really do."
"Good then come here." He stands up and opens his arms out.
Within seconds Daisy is practically tackling him with a hug and is clinging to him, sobs and sniffles still ravaging her body. He wraps his arms around her tightly, his heart swelling with happiness. "Thanks." She whispers and then pulls away, going back to her grilled cheese and he happily follows her lead.
Thanks for reading! Hope the characters weren't to OC. This is my first fanfic.-Megz