Title: A moment in time

Author: thousand_miless

Rating: T

Summary: Phil patches Melinda up when she gets stabbed in TRACKS and they have a moment.

A/N: I only just started watching Agents of Shields and half way through the season I started shipping Coulson/May. The moment in TRACKS, when Coulson patches May up, I find so very interesting. Especially in the episode Seeds where Coulson hardly reacts to May when she tells him she's sleeping with Ward. Yet with Ward he gets angry and possessive even. Patching May up becomes this special moment which Wards ruins. And in Yes Men Coulson is angry with her about it again. Anyway this is how I would have liked that scene to be. I have a weak spot for Phil Coulson.

A moment in time

Patching each other up is what they had been doing for many years. Neither one would ever explicitly ask, but it had become their routine. For him it had always been about comfort. As long as he could patch her up, he could make sure she was okay and she was still with him.

So here he was ready to patch her up again. It pleased him that Ward was nowhere to be seen. Clearly she had dismissed him. With his hand on her back her guided her to the table and though he wanted to help her on it, he didn't. The look in her eyes said enough. She still needed some distance. He made sure his hands didn't tremble when he touched her skin. He needed to stay professional. His eyes did drift though. Her skin was flawless and couldn't help his eyes from lingering on the swell of her breast. That tight tank top accentuated her beautiful figure.

"Phil." She said softly, all too aware of his lingering eyes. She felt exposed, vulnerable even and when he got like this, she was more likely to give into her feelings for him. But she couldn't.

Guiltily he nodded and got back to gluing her wound back together. Usually he was stronger than this, usual he could resist the temptation that was Melinda May. It was something he'd become very good at, but not now, not this moment. It had been too long since he'd been this close to her. He longed for her, had longed for her for many years now, but lately he hadn't been able to push that longing aside anymore. It was a constant on his mind. Now being this close to her, didn't make it any easier. Closing the last bit of her stab wound Coulson put the glue and cotton sticks back on the table.

He put his hands on either side of her on the table and took a shuddering breath. His eyes still focused on her wound.

"I'm fine." She tried to reassure him.

"You were lucky." He countered, finally looking at her.

She glared at him. It wasn't luck. She was good at what she did. This stab wound was nothing. She watched him raise his right hand and gently caress the skin around her wound before stilling his hand on her skin, right below it, on the swell of her breast. Now it was her turn to take s shuddering breath. She looked at him. His head bowed, he was solely focused on her wound and she couldn't see his eyes. If she could, she would know what was going through his mind. She could always read him. She guessed he was still reassuring himself that she was in fact okay and she let him have his moment. Not only for him, but for herself too. It had been too long since she'd been this close to him. She could feel his body heat, could smell his aftershave, feel his soft breath on her skin. It wouldn't take much to lean forward and be more or less wrapped up in his arms.

To others he might have seemed lost in thought, but he wasn't. He was completely focused on the woman in front of him. Her long neck, exposed because she'd swept her hair to the other side. The gently rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took, the slight smell of citrus from her body wash and that damn stab wound that reminded him once more that he could have lost her. Without any real thought he started to caress her skin with his thumb. Her shiver, made him pause.

"Did I hurt you?" He almost whispered before continuing his caress.

"No." She said just as soft. He still didn't look at her and she didn't like it. She didn't understand what this was. This was no longer about him reassuring himself. His soft caress felt nice, too nice and he needed to stop. Because if he didn't she might lean in, put her head against his chest and revel in the feel of being in his arms. It was an urge she couldn't give in to, not even around him.

The silence between them continued, just like his soft caress and by now Melinda let herself enjoy it. He wanted to get closer to her, but he couldn't. Her legs prevented her from doing so. He leaned forward until he could put his forehead on her shoulder. Now it was his breath that caused her to shiver and Phil smiled a little. He was glad to know he could still affect her. He was glad it was him here with her instead of Ward.

He had no claim on her. He knew that all too well. Didn't mean though that his feelings didn't exist. When May had told him about her and Ward, he'd remained calm. There was no use in getting angry. That never worked well with her. So he'd stayed business like, an easy escape for him. He guessed his reaction, or maybe lack of reaction, had surprised her. He'd managed to put it to the back of his mind after that conversation. That was until Ward had wanted to talk about it. That's when his jealousy and anger had been too strong to remain professional. No, Ward didn't know how to treat her right. Ward didn't know her tells, the way her eyes spoke, the way a small shrug could mean she was upset. Ward didn't know her like he did. They'd been friends and partners for many years now. He and May had a history together. They had shared highs and lows and through it all both knew the other would always be there.

Ward didn't deserve her. Ward could never love her like he did. Yet Ward wasn't a coward and he was. He still wasn't sure if he deserved her. Melinda May was special, she was the best of the best and she was gorgeous. After all these years she still made his heart skip a beat and her mere presence was enough to calm him down no matter what situation. Still part of him hoped that he was a good enough man to deserve her. Only one person knew the answer to that question that he didn't dare ask.

"Phil?" May finally asked. She needed to know what was going on.

"I can't lose you, Melinda." He whispered against her skin, his forehead still on her shoulder. His hands were no longer still. His left hand hand started caressing her arm, from her wrist to her upper arm and down again and his right, his right hand grabbed her left and toyed with her fingers.

Removing her hand from his, Coulson feared she was about to push him away. Instead she put her hand on the nape of his neck and caressed his skin. "I'm not going anywhere." She reassured him.

That's when he decided to throw caution in the wind. He tilted his head to the left and brushed his lips against May's neck. Surprised that she didn't push him away he repeated his movement and it delighted him when the hand on the back of his neck tightened. Finally lifting his head from her shoulder he wanted to lean back, to look at her, but her hand on his neck prevented him from doing so. She guided him towards her until his forehead touched hers.

"We can't." She whispered, her eyes closed.

He cupped her face in his hands. "I know." He paused until she opened her eyes. His breath caught in his throat when he saw the turmoil in her eyes. Never one to really share her emotions, he felt honored that she didn't hide them from him. "I wish..." He wished for so much but before he could say it, her finger on his lips silenced him.

"I know." She repeated his words.

Shifting, she made room for him to step between her legs and he did so immediately. Holding her eyes with his he waited for any objection from her side, but there wasn't any. He would give himself this, give them this one moment before reality would come to knock them around again.

"Melinda." He whispered before he closed the distance and brushed his lips with hers. He kept his touch light, his lips kept brushing hers. He knew if he were to deepen the kiss, he wouldn't be able to hold back, wouldn't be able to stop and he knew he would have to stop. But even this, just the mere brush of lips was enough to make his heart beat wildly in his chest and his stomach to flutter. He loved this woman. He let his hands slide from her face, down to her shoulder, down her arms, before he settled them on her hips to pull her slightly closer.

As he was about to pull back, to avoid getting lost in her, yet he was pulled back in when her heard her soft whimper. It was his undoing. He could never deny her anything. No matter what or when, he would always give her his everything.

One of her hands had grabbed his tie to hold him close. Still their kiss wasn't rushed, nor did they deepen it. They brushed their lips against each other and as he caught her upper lip between his he heard that soft whimper that he already loved. She retaliated by catching his lower lip between hers a moment later, nipping at it with his teeth. That's when he knew he really had to stop them. He was about to lose control and that wasn't something either of them could afford. Not at this very moment. With one final touch of his lips on hers, where his tongue just barely grazed her lips, he pulled away.

He looked into her dark brown eyes and saw the love and desire he was sure were just as evident as his. "We need to get back to work." He carefully put the gauze over her wound and together they slid her tank top strap back in place. Placing one final kiss on her shoulder he stepped back.

It was then that Ward disturbed them and confronted them with the reality of their situation. His hand lingered on her leg, as his eyes lingered on hers. She nodded at him. This would have to wait.