The first time May tells Coulson she loves him

Lucky last chapter! I've really enjoyed writing this story and I'm sad it's complete but I hope you have all enjoyed reading it!

I thought this was very appropriate for the first time May tells Coulson she loves him. To me, it makes sense that the only place she would feel comfortable telling him is in her own sanctuary, a place she feels like she has full control. After chapter three when May whispered it, I liked that in this chapter she actually says it with confidence.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing and I hope you enjoy the last chapter :)


May slowly awoke as the sun started to come through her curtains. She went to stretch when she felt the weight around her bare waist. Turning over carefully, she couldn't help but smile at Coulson peacefully sleeping.

Lightly running her fingertips down his chest, she traced all the scars she found, silently remember being there when he received a few of them. She moved down his stomach, lingering on a particularly nasty scar just above his right hip, remembering the night one of their informants had stabbed him.

She smiled at the intimacy of her exploration. Over the years she had always found comfort in tracing his scars, it reminded her of all they had been through, all they had survived and that there was someone just as damaged as she was. However this was the first time she was studying him in her own bed, in her own house, far away from the protection of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Placing her hand on his heart May moved closer, carefully curling into his side and resting her head on his chest as his arm instinctively wrapping around her and pulled her close. The anxiety she had felt the previous night when she invited him over after their latest mission debriefing was long gone.

Closing her eyes, she listened to the sounds of the rest of the world beginning to wake up; no desire to get up and join them just yet.

She felt him begin to wake some time later. He tensed before realizing where he was. Twisting towards the bedside table to check the time, he ran his hand up and down her arm resting on his chest, her eyes still closed.

"How long have you been awake?" he said groggily, still not completely awake.

"A while." She felt him nod, his hand still running patterns on her arm. May thought he had fallen back asleep when he spoke again.

"I like your place, it suits you."

"I don't usually have people here."

"Well then I feel special." May couldn't see the smile on his face but she knew it was there. "S.H.I.E.L.D gave us the weekend off."

"Mmm."

Coulson sighed as May remained on his chest, her eyes still closed, either oblivious to what he was saying or choosing to ignore it.

"We could go into town."

May finally moved. Raising her head she rested her chin on his chest, looking into his eyes.

"That's if you're not busy." He added.

"I'm not." She said with a shiver, her change in position making her cold. She placed a light kiss on his chest when she felt him draw the blankets up over her bareback.

"What do you want to do there?"

Coulson shrugged. "We could go to those strange markets you love so much" he said, causing May to raise her eyebrow at him.

"You hate that place."

"It's growing on me."

May rolled her eyes, "You're a terrible liar."

"So is that a no?"

"Hey if you want to come with me to the markets I'm not going to complain." May said laughing.

With a shrug, Coulson tried to brush it off saying, "They remind me of Thailand and we both know how much I love Thailand." Shaking her head with a smile, she looked into his eyes, affection clearly showing there. Tilting her head to the side she raised her hand to his face, running her thumb down his jaw before resting it on his lips.

"I like having you here." She said, her face now inches away from his. He broke out into a massive grin. She slowly moved forward, her lips just barely touching his as she ran her fingers through his hair, feeling the mood change between them.

"I love you." She said, a smile breaking out over her face. She didn't know what possessed her to say it. Perhaps it was the feeling of domesticity she was getting from the morning, or the happiness she was experiencing lying here in her bed with him, or perhaps it was because she had wanted to tell him for a while now. Whatever the reason she couldn't help but laugh at the surprised look on his face; it was obviously not what he had expected her to say.

Rolling them over, he pinned her down with the weight of his body, his hand intertwined with her own above her head while the other rested in her hair.

"I think we should give the markets a miss today." He said as she felt his lips attach to her neck.

She couldn't think of a better way to spend a Saturday morning.