“What I was trying to tell you was that that was my reenactment of a teenage girl.” He began to go back to work unloading all of his boxes and mumbled towards Skye to get out his knife. What was in these boxes anyways? He hoped Coulson didn’t get someone’s boxes mixed with someone. And yet…
Turning around, Coulson told Skye to keep an eye out. “Remember, if you find anything weird - just tell me and I’ll handle it. Some boxes may have been mixed with mine.”
“Teenage girls out there are making energy storage devices and discovering game-changing medical breakthroughs. They can be so done with everyone as much as they want to,” she said, voice a mix between scolding and affection. The pocket knife Skye got from Coulson’s desk opened with a menacing click, and she took on the first box, raising her gaze to meet his when he turned around. “Sure, Coulson. May have been mixed with yours. We’ve all been there.”
“You don’t think I know how to use technology? And hashtags scare me, by the way.” Putting his hands on his hips, he sighed. “I am so done with everyone.”
“Don’t do that ever again for the sake of - well, everyone,” she said, bewildered but endeared by Coulson acting like an embarrassing father. To further distract him from his newfound love for over-the-top acting, Skye looked around the office, spotting a few boxes yet to be unpacked. “Do you need help with anything? I wouldn’t normally offer, but I’ve got nothing illegal and problematic to do today, so I figured I might as well.”
“No, I am not joking. There’s even a section about coming back to life, if you’re into irony.” Rolling his eyes, he stated, “The hallway thing isn’t in the code book. I just wanted to know because…reasons.” He turned around and continued to work with his gun. Open the chamber, insert bullet, and save it for later.
“And the reason why I memorized that book was because you once told me if I could remember something other than Captain America facts then you would give me ten bucks. That was two years ago, Skye.”
“We’ve probably violated it,” she let out a dry laugh at the thought of what the section could’ve possibly said, but it was short-lived. “Did you want to get the security footage from the hallway cameras? Come on, I’ve taught you better than this. It’s the 21st century, Coulson - people filmed it, put a filter on it and posted it on Instagram. Just go search for the hashtag hot for teacher and you’ll get it for whatever reason you might need a video like that.”
“And that is what you chose to memorise? Wow. I was hoping to stir you from the complete geek path, but that’s not happening.”
“Yes, of course. Why haven’t I noticed the posters of Cap and me wearing a Captain America wristband? I’m so dull in my mind these days, you know becoming old and all.” He smiled at Skye when she explained about Jonathon stripping. “But, um, you do know that it was a way of sexual harassment in the SHIELD Academy code book of page 89, section 12? Besides, were you guys in a hallways?”
“You’re joking, right? If you aren’t, I’m very concerned you have the exact page and section memorised, because why would you know that so well, huh?” Her laughter got cut short when he mentioned the code book, instead being replaced by a confused tone and an equally confused expression to match it. “This makes no sense. What does the hallway have to do with it? Coulson, you are getting old.”
After she let go of their small hug, Coulson slightly pouted his lips. But it soon faded when Skye backed up some known facts about him being ‘tough’. “Those cards are one-of-a-kind, if you didn’t know! And at least my suits are well-pressed and not Louis Vuitton.” He playfully shoved shoved Skye’s shoulder. “But well played for letting a fellow professor strip. Must’ve been eye-candy for you.”
“Oh, I did. Know how? Because you’ve told me countless times.” A wave of relief washed over her when she noticed the significant mood change he’d undergone and, of course, the pout he gave her when she let go. If it weren’t before, hugging Coulson more often was now on her mental to-do list. “I was more interested in whether he’d go through with it than in the stripping itself, but I can tell you that he was jacked. Overall, seven out of ten. His technique was poor.”
He stood frozen as she hugged him out of the blue. But for some reason, it felt comforting. After a couple minutes, he decided to hug back by placing his arm around her back while rubbing it. “I’m so glad no one can see us.” Coulson whispered in her ear. “Or else our tough reputation could be damaged.” He feigned a small laughter and continued the awkward hug.
Breaking into a small smile as she felt Coulson loosen up, Skye made sure to tighten her grip on him one last time. “Oh, yeah, because you’re known for being tough. The notorious Captain America enthusiast and avid card collector Phil Coulson, who has everyone cowering in fear of his well-tailored suits and excessive coffee consumption. How scary,” she retorted and then freed him from the hug, simply to see his reaction to what she was about to say next. “I wouldn’t be too afraid of losing my street cred. After all, I might’ve made Jonathan strip in front of the whole campus, so everyone will only be talking about that for the next few weeks. We’re safe.”
Coulson finally put down his gun and rubbed at his temple. “It’s all this pressure that’s on me to keep this school going. SHIELD and Hydra are already at a secret war and I somehow have to shop this with a bunch of educated agents and probably some Hydra at our ‘side’.” He air quoted side and kept on ranting shortly. “I really don’t know how to teach except winging everything. You’ve seen me with a gun, right? Especially a laser beam.”
“It’s taking me a lot of effort not to be offended, so now that you’ve finally put your gun down, I’m just gonna -” she didn’t finish, instead taking a few sudden steps towards Coulson and wrapping her arms around his neck before he had time to protest. “Though you obviously can’t see through my calm and collected exterior, I’ve been winging everything since you first threw that bag over my head - thank you for that, by the way - and I’m fine. You’ve got this. Just give them guns and tell them to shoot the ones that look shady.”
Chuckling once more, he took the gun from her hands and took a loose cleaning rag from his desk while shining it. Leaning on the desk, he kept on talking to her. “Of course I had, three and a half cups of coffee because I’m too stressed out to teach anyone anything.” Coulson sighed and continued to shine and glance at his old revolver. “If only May was here to give me that slap of hers.”
“Oh, wow,” she sighed out, eyeing him carefully. His actions were too self-destructive, even for Coulson, and she couldn’t deny she was concerned. “What’s up, AC? Anything I can do to help you get through today? I mean, I won’t slap you unless you ask really nicely and even then probably definitely not, but you get the gist.”
