A/N: promptfic: "pillow talk"

Post Avengers. Possible spoiler for future films? Rumors have it...

setting: a small, sterile medical room, time indeterminable

(sound of a door closing slowly, footsteps, the scrape of a chair against the floor... pause, then a throat clearing)

"Hey. Phil. Phil, that's... that's your name, I know that's your name, Agent still fits, you're the perfect Agent, but... Phil."

(a long pause)

"What you did... I saw the security feed. Well, I had Jarvis break in and stole it, but that's not the point, the point is – that was brave, Phil. Still think you were an idiot, trying to stop Loki all on your own but – brave."

(pause)

"See, sometimes brave's not the best thing though. It got you skewered. You're lucky to be alive, you know that? I thought you were dead. We all thought you were dead. Fury told us you were dead. He says you told him to, and much as I hate it I can actually kinda see you doing that, the whole 'something to avenge' thing, but not saying anything afterward? That was shitty. We still wouldn't know if Jarvis hadn't still been spying around the network. Believe me, ol' Nick's gonna pay for that one, maybe not today, but he's gonna pay. Soon as you're stable and awake and all that we're gonna bring you to the Tower and SHIELD won't get their paws on you for – well, as long as you want I guess. Nat and Clint, they don't wanna let you outta their sight for years I think. Pepper too. I guess it's your choice though. When you have a choice. Just glad you're gonna get a choice... You know."

(pause)

"I guess Fury didn't do all bad. The Council did worse. You know what they did? They tried to nuke New York, Phil. New York! We were just getting the situation under control, sure there's a few billion in damage to the city but people were alive and safe and those assholes decided they had to nuke New York! You might wanna reconsider your job when you wake up. I mean, Fury himself's not all bad but he's hardly all good either. You know that whole Phase Two thing, you know that started this. Thor said messing with the Tesseract's probably what got the nasty-and-scalies' attention and I'm inclined to agree with him. I know my dad studied it too, but studyin's not the same as hooking it up and seeing how big a hole you can blow in the universe. Just saying. And that Council, something's gotta be done about the Council. Taking all my willpower right now not to just fly up to every one of their secret lairs and aim a missile up their asses just to see how they like it – I know where they all live you know, Jarvis tracked the signals from the war room. I could do it. I know I shouldn't but I could. Probably would if it wouldn't cause so much trouble for everyone else. Y'know this looking out for a team, not just yourself thing? Sometimes it's a downer, know what I mean? Sometimes it's great – cooler than I thought it'd be – but it's complicated too. Gotta think about so many things now. And Pepper and Steve, they can both give you this look, you know the look, makes you feel like you've sunk halfway through the floor when they think you've done wrong. So I can't. Still want to. I think Nat would help me. There's another reason for you to wake up, Phil, you gotta talk us out of stuff. 'Specially Nat. She won't listen much to anyone else. Just sayin'."

(pause... shift of weight in chair... throat clearing)

"Guess what I'm trying to say is we really need you. Fury stood up to 'em in the end, he's hiding everyone's locations right now, except mine obviously, but you know that can't last forever. We're gonna need to stand up together one of these days. I think we'll need you for that. You and Pep, you're the crafty ones, you're downright sneaky. With words and stuff, I mean, Clint and Nat are the really sneak-around ones, but – you know what I mean. So we're layin' low till you're back on your feet. No hurry there, take your time and do it right. But when you are, Phil – when you are I think we're gonna make the Council real sorry they tried to nuke the Avengers."

(pause... sound of a gentle pat over a blanket)

"Just get better, Phil. We'll look out for you till then. We don't abandon our own – heh, that's something right, me being part of a we? You'll get a laugh outta that. But we don't. We won't. Don't worry, just get better, okay? ...Okay. Go ahead and get some more sleep. I gotta get outta here before somebody figures out their security codes got scrambled."

(chair scrapes when moved, footsteps move away... pause for a moment)

"See you around, Phil."

(the door opens, then closes quietly)