What Does It Stand For?
Summary: Daisy is curious about Coulson's name.
A/N: Somehow I always end up turning the confession-in-front-of-everyone into a romcom. (It's Hunter's fault.)
Self-prompted with this idea from a friend from Tumblr; 'I want Daisy to ask Coulson what the "J" stands for and him not telling her and her calling him "PJ" until he does?'
You have no idea how much time it took me to decide on what 'J' stood for.
"Hey, Phil."
Coulson looked up from his report.
"Daisy." he smiled.
"I have a very important question to ask you." she said seriously.
"Shoot." he set his pen down and gave her all his attention.
"What does the 'J' in your name stand for?"
"Why so curious?"
"I'd like to know. I've been through your file, but it didn't say. It wasn't on your social files, either, and I went through them to erase us."
"Hm."
"So?"
"It could be just that; J."
"Phiiiiil! Is it embarrassing?"
"I don't know. Is it?" he smirked. "By the way, here you go, boss. I finished with my report."
"Fine, PJ."
xxxx
Coulson takes it in stride.
A lot of their agents look at them, every time she calls him 'PJ'.
"Like 'pajamas'?" Hunter asks once.
"No." Daisy looks at him as if he's crazy, "As in 'Phillip J-something-or-other'."
"Oh!" Hunter smiled like it was Christmas, "First name basis, huh?"
"Oh my God, Hunter." Trip groaned from beside them.
xxxx
"Hey, PJ, it's movie night, wanna join us?"
"Who's 'us'?"
"Bobbi, Hunter, the Koenig Squad, Mike, Piper, Will and me. Mack and Elena are otherwise occupied and so are May and Andrew. Davis went to see his family. Akela is a maybe. Joey's on a date. Trip and Sharon are on snacks and beverages, they should be getting back any minute now."
"That's quite the gather-up."
"So? Will you join us, PJ?"
"Can't see why not." he shrugged.
"Make room, guys!" Daisy shouted, "PJ's in!"
"This is not work-place behavior." Billy (?) said.
"Off the clock." she replied, pulling Coulson after her and making him sit beside her.
Once they were all comfortably settled, Trip and Sharon walked in with bags, and started distributing the snacks and drinks, like early Santas giving out presents.
Once Coulson got his own pack, he turned to Daisy.
"Planned ahead." she shrugged.
xxxx
"Hey, PJ? You up for a mission?"
"Sure, boss."
xxxx
"Daisy, you need rest."
"Sure I don't, PJ."
"You're coming down with a cold."
"No, I'm not!" Daisy exclaimed, only to sneeze right after.
"See?"
"Ugh, fine. You're in charge for the next couple of days, PJ."
"I'll try not to blow the base apart." he smiled at her.
xxxx
"PJ?"
"Hmm? Oh, hey Daisy."
"Come on, you need to rest."
"In a moment. I need to finish this."
"PJ."
"You've been calling me that for far longer than I expected it to last."
"You never told me what 'J' stands for."
"Is this your way of an equivalent exchange?"
"This isn't Full Metal Alchemist, PJ." she chuckled.
He smiled up at her.
Daisy sat beside him.
"No, I'm not calling you 'PJ' to get you to tell me. Well, not anymore. Never had a best friend I could give them a nickname. And you seemed ok with me calling you that, so…"
"I don't remember anyone giving me a nickname like this. Everyone just calls me 'Phil'."
"Is 'J' difficult to pronounce?"
"No. It's…well, it's Jonah."
"That's not a bad name."
"It is not good either if you realise at the age of twelve that your mother named you 'friend of horse', after a Disney Prince no less, and 'dove'."
Daisy coughed beside him.
"See? Even you are laughing!"
"Not at you!" she exclaimed, laughing.
Coulson stared at her.
"My Prince." she grinned at him, bowing her head.
Coulson groaned.
"I shouldn't have told you that."
"No, no, no. You absolutely should have and I am happy that you did."
"Look, can we go back to you calling me 'PJ'? That was a good nickname, can we keep that?" he asked pained.
Chuckling, Daisy leaned close and pressed her lips close to his.
"As you wish, Prince PJ." she got up with a smile.
Coulson, watched her go, beet red.
Then, a thought and he suddenly stands up and goes after her, catching up at the hallway that leads to the bunks.
"Does that mean you'll be my princess?" he asks, not caring much who hears.
There is a pregnant pause, as a head or two popped out of their bunks.
"Ooooh!" Hunter makes a mock-scandalised face.
"Did he just…?" Mack mumbles as Elena chuckles, soundlessly, beside him.
"Wouldn't you be marrying up?" Piper asked, "Since she's the Director and all?"
Daisy turned to look at him, eyebrows raised in surprise.
"You…did you…"
"I thought you knew." Coulson realised suddenly.
"You didn't know?" Hunter wondered aloud, "With me telling you to kiss and make up? How you two reminded me of an old married couple?"
"You compared them to us, Lance. That's hardly an 'old' married couple. And we weren't a couple at the time."
"Hence 'old'."
"Is it really the time for an intellectual competition?" Daisy asked, "I am having a mental breakdown here at the realisation that Coulson's been in love with me for a while."
"Wait until you realise Coulson had no idea you're in love with him." May's tired voice said.
"Wait, neither knew?" Trip asked.
"Are we done? I want to get back to sleep."
There was a moment of silence, before heads quickly disappeared and doors closed. No one wanted to be on the receiving end of May's punches in the next morning's training session.
"You didn't know?" Daisy and Coulson asked each other. Both shook their heads, smiles appearing on their lips.
"So, now what?
"Oh, I don't know Prince PJ. What do you want to do?" she smirked.
"Something tells me you do have an idea that I will love."
They burst into silent laughter, Daisy reaching for his hand, leading them to her bunk.
xxxx
"Good morning, Daisy." Coulson walked in the office, two mugs in his hands.
"'morning, PJ." Daisy smiled, leaning close for a kiss, "Thanks for the coffee."
"Anything for my Queen."
Daisy snorted in her coffee.
"Too much?" Coulson grinned.
"Maybe a little."
"I'll work on it." he chuckled.
"So long you don't call me that in front of the others, I think I could get used to it." she teased him.
"As you wish, your majesty." Coulson bowed.
"Oh, my God, PJ!" Daisy laughed, pulling him by the shirt down for a kiss.
"When's the wedding?" Hunter asked, walking in on them.
"You are not invited."
"I'll just gatecrash, then." the Brit shrugged, "Anyway, this came in." he handed Daisy a piece of paper.
Daisy sighed.
"Gather the others. Time to save the world."
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am." Hunter saluted and went to call the team.
"Bad?" Coulson asked.
"Huge annoyance, more like." she sighed.
"There goes our quiet morning, huh, your majesty?"
Daisy snorted.
"Yeah, seems like it, my prince."
"Are you going to have a royal wedding? Do we have the funds for that?" Hunter walked in.
"You're still not invited." Daisy shook her head, "And what funds? Are we getting paid? PJ?"
Coulson shrugged.
"We barely get by to support SHIELD. If you have any extra savings, Hunter, you're welcome to plan your own wedding."
Piper snorted, while Hunter gaped at his bosses.
"Rude." he said finally.
"Alright, everyone." Daisy got up, and the others stood straight, "We got a job to do."