Chapter Text
He had 24 minutes left.
Only 24 minutes.
All of a sudden, she was in his doorway. He wasn't surprised. He should've known.
"You ok?"
He had no idea who he was anymore.
But she was here. She was here and she cared if he was ok.
He gave her a smile. "15 minutes."
She nodded.
"I need to show you something."
He was pretty sure she'd never held his hand. Now, she'd grabbed it, walking down the corridor, she'd just grabbed it, like it was the most natural thing in the world. It felt like her hand belonged there.
She stopped in front of the glass window facing the bottom floor.
She let go of his hand, and went up to the window, turned her back to it and crossed her arms. "Look."
He did look. At her. Damn, she was pretty. She'd kick his ass if she'd known he'd used 'Melinda May' and 'pretty' in the same sentence. He crossed his arms too. "Why are we here?"
She rolled her eyes. Very subtly, yes, but he could read her tells. She gestured towards the window. "Just look."
He walked closer and looked.
And he saw.
They were all there.
Daisy, Simmons, Fitz, Mack. Elena. They were sitting with their backs against the wall, bottles in their hands, laughing together. Fitzsimmons were holding hands.
His team. His family.
It didn't feel like they were his anymore.
He turned away. "What's your point? That they're gonna be fine without me?" He tried to smile. "Because believe me, I know."
Melinda tensed up, a frown on her face. "What are you talking about?"
He tried smiling again. "In..." He glanced at his watch. "...8 minutes and 23 seconds I won't be their director anymore." Her face was filled with pity. He hated that. "No, don't feel sorry for me. I'm not needed like I used to be needed." He shrugged. "I'm not needed at all. It's ok. It's how it's..."
She grabbed his arm, anger shining from her eyes. "My point was, that look at them, see them being a family, and..." He took a breath to say something, but she grabbed him harder and looked so pissed he swallowed his words. "And you did that. You made them a family. You made them belong." She reached out a hand to wipe away the tears he hadn't even noticed had started to fall. Her voice turned soft, the anger melting away from her. "You did that, Phil. You." He grabbed her hand and smiled, for real this time. "So did you. We did it together." She smiled back. "Yes." Then she turned serious again. "And that's exactly how we'll continue this next chapter. Together."
Before he could stop himself, he'd reached down and kissed her cheek. When he got up again, he could tell she was a little flustered. He smiled, tugging a loose strand of her hair away. "Thank you, May. For everything." His hand stopped on her nape. Her eyes were big and full of questions. They stared at each other, neither of them letting out single breath.
It was like something shifted between them, just then. Like the universe had changed course. Like the air they breathed had filled with something unknown that made it difficult for the air to enter his body.
She looked like an angel.
Her hand was still on her skin. She hadn't moved. She hadn't forced him away.
He really shouldn't push his luck.
But then again, when it came to her, he'd always been an idiot.
He took a breath. "Melinda, I..."
His phone buzzed in his pocket.
And just like that, the spell was broken.
He quickly pulled away from her, feeling heat rise to his cheeks. He checked his phone and grimaced. "Sorry, he's here. I need to..." He gestured to the door. She'd tensed up. The armor was up. She nodded. "Go." He nodded back, if a little hesitantly, and after sending her the question his heart was screaming and seeing her avoiding his glance, he turned towards the door.
He stopped in the doorway and turned to her again. He couldn't leave like this.
He swallowed nervously, feeling the sweat breaking out in his hands, and prayed to some God his voice would come out steady. "We're fine, right?" He needed to know. He needed her right now. He wouldn't be able to have things be awkward between them right now.
She took a breath, her eyes meeting his. "Phil..."
He bit his lip and scratched his neck. "I know. But I need you."
She took another breath. Her eyes were glossy. She shook her head, arms squeezing tighter around her. "Phil, please, please don't..."
Of course she didn't want to hear this. Of course she didn't want his lame love confessions and his 'feelings' dumped on her. She was his best friend. He was about to screw up the most important relationship he had, just because he dreamed about kissing every inch of her body.
He was the definition of selfish.
He cleared his throat. "No, I just mean that I need you as a..." His heart was bleeding in his chest. "I need you as a friend." Upon hearing the word 'friend', she instantly became more relaxed. Of course she had. He smiled at her. "Do I have that? Do I have..."
"Yes." Her answer was quick and without doubt. "Yes. You do."
He smiled again. "Good. I'll be fine, then."
She smiled too. "Go."
He nodded and was out the door in three seconds, leaving his stupid dreams and his shattered heart behind, with her, where they belonged.