Nice Tie

Phil was almost proud of himself as he made his way back through the base. His walk of shame having less affect on his libido when there was no one around to witness it. He opens the door to his office quickly, letting it shut with a soft click while letting out a puff of air, congratulating himself on making it in unnoticed.

"Nice tie" The words are sharp and all too familiar coming out of nowhere causing Phil to jump. He mentally kicks himself for not seeing them there. Melinda is stretched out on the end of his couch, arm draped over the armrest and head laid against the low back of the couch. Her feet resting on the coffee table that has not one but two empty bottles of his best scotch sitting atop it, along with Daisy's gauntlets and utility belt. Which brings him back to the aforementioned girl, who is sprawled out on the rest of the couch, head resting against May's thigh, still fast asleep.

In any other circumstance Phil would find this scene highly amusing (If not a little peeved that they drank all of his scotch), but all he can do is swallow hard. No words are coming to mind so he just stares at his old friend, knowing that she knows exactly what he was up to the night before. May just returns his gaze, unmoving from her position leaned back on the couch, he notices that her other hand is in her rookies hair stroking softly as the younger woman sleeps. He realizes then that Daisy has told her SO everything she needs to know about her six month absence and Phil wonders if anything Daisy could have told her was in his favor. He's leaning more on the negative side when May speaks up again.

"What's the plan here Phil?" She questioned and Phil noticed she's closed her eyes again, not even bothering to look at him. Phil hates that she can read him like this, that she knows so much about him that she doesn't even need to look at him. At the same time he's grateful, her gaze making him feel exceedingly guilty about his prior nights actions and he can't tell whether the guilt has to do with May (because she's the one that left for vacation with her ex-husband six months ago) or the woman that he spent the night with.

"I know what I'm doing" Phil manages to say bitterly as he finally moves, making his way behind his desk and farther away from May. When he turns to look at her again he see's her eyes tracing all of his movements.

"Are you sure about that?" Her gaze is accessing and her tone holds a hint of disbelief.

"You shouldn't listen to everything Dais-"

"Daisy's right" Melinda cuts him off quickly, looking at him imploringly. The looks on her face is almost as if she's begging him for something and he can't figure out what. Finally he realizes the explanation for this current predicament. May must have came into his office last night looking for him only to find it empty. Somewhere along the line Daisy must have joined, the young woman always being extremely perceptive of what everyone else needed must have pulled out the scotch and prattled on about the last six months. Curling up on the couch with her SO and talking, allowing the older woman to sit in silence, giving her comfort but also a distraction.

Part of Phil was angry, so angry that she had the right to pass judgment on his actions. She left him, she was gone for six months. The anger didn't last long though as he quickly moved to berating himself. Melinda May was first and foremost his best friend, his partner, and he had left her out in the cold when she had needed him most. His mind flashed back to his assurances that she needed her vacation, that she deserved it, and that he would be just fine without her. He was mentally kicking himself at the look of pain on his friends face as they continued to stare at each other, he hadn't even asked, he had just assumed she didn't need him.

He knew without a shadow of a doubt though that May wouldn't want to talk about that, she would never want to talk about herself, not now when the window was already closed. Daisy had provided the comfort he hadn't been there to give. His choice in bed partners though, that he's sure she would love to discuss. May closed her eyes again and let out a long sigh.

"I need her to trust me" Phil finally said breaking their silence. May let out a little snort, careful not to disrupt the sleeping woman beside her.

"Since when did you become Romanoff?" The retort only burns something in Phil that he can't put a finger on.

"Since she was interested" Melinda lets that statement fall flat, too many implications could come for a retort and it's one of those things they just don't talk about it. Phi honestly thinks they never will. They both regard each other for a long moment.

"You need to trust me May" As soon as the word trust comes out of his mouth May's stare gets icy around the edges.

"It goes both way's, Phil" Phil sighs, knowing it was going to come back to this. He's disappointed in himself, for leading May to believe that he doesn't trust her after everything they've been through. When she's the one person in the world he probably cares about most. The girl sleeping next to her coming in an extremely close second. They look at each other for a long time again. Apologies are passed back and forth and so is acceptance. Phil has no idea how long they look at each other, whether its seconds or minutes but to him it feels like decades.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Phil" May tells him as she breaks the silence this time. All Phil can do is nod, taking her disapproving look under advisement.

"Me too" He says before they fall into another easy silence. Only this silence doesn't last nearly as long as the others.

"Are you guys going to kiss now? Cause I'll gladly leave the room so Mom and Dad can finally make up, all this fighting is getting old" The words come out raspy and muffled by May's leg but he still hears them from across the room. Both he and May share a look but before Phil could make a comment back (something snarky about Lincoln was his first choice) Daisy was laughing loudly and trying to wiggle away from May's hand that had found its way to her rib cage. Phil just watched both of them with a smile, after everything both women had been through, glad they could still have a moment like this.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Daisy proclaimed, trying to catch her breath as she laughed. May looked up at Phil, one eyebrow perfectly arched in question. Phil scrunched up his face as if to contemplate before shaking his head in an affirmative no, smiling again as Daisy's laughs got louder, only to be joined by May's a few short seconds later. Phil feels his stomach tighten at the sound he hasn't heard in so long. No matter the events of the last few days, he's glad to have his right hand back.

AN: Little break from "Another Road Taken"... Hope you liked it! Thanks for reading!