Thaw

Eight

Agent Hill could count on one hand the number of times she had seen Agent Coulson smile in the past six years. He'd always been vaguely pleasant, but ultimately had a no-nonsense, cut-and-dry professionalism that suited her just fine. Hill's demeanour was similar. She did not want a relaxed work environment, she disapproved of joking on the job, and she avoided developing friendships at S.H.I.E.L.D.

So the fact that Coulson had had an enormous grin on his face for the past three days was beginning to damage her calm.

As he walked onto the Helicarrier's bridge to address Director Fury, she purposefully didn't look at him so she wouldn't feel forced to reciprocate with a tight-lipped smile of her own. But she did stay within earshot. She had learned that while she was Fury's right hand on the ship, Agent Coulson was his eyes and ears on the ground. There was no one he trusted more.

"I will be heading over to Ms. Stark's momentarily," he said quietly, to the point where Maria had to strain to hear. "Shall I bring those updated files to her?"

"Not yet," replied Fury. His eyes stayed fixed on the tablet in his hand. Coulson nodded and made to leave. "Oh, Phil?"

"Sir?"

"Don't forget to take your trading cards."

"Yes, Sir." Maria hazarded a glance as the agent started down the hallway. He's walking so briskly, she thought. Good God, is he whistling?

_____

"Tony, Phil is here to see you."

"Who?"

"Phil Coulson."

"Uh, no. His first name is Agent."

"Shall I send him up?"

"Wait, Pepper, why are you greeting people at the door? This isn't Walmart."

"Tony," sighed Pepper exasperatedly.

"Alright, alright. But you come up too." Tony closed the multidimensional hologram she'd been working on, locking her latest project down. As Pepper and "Agent" entered, Tony was pouring a variety of liquids into a martini shaker. "What'll you have, Phil? If that is your real name," she finished with false suspicion in her voice.

Coulson chuckled. Tony almost dropped the shaker. "Good grief, it learned to laugh."

"Tony," Pepper chided again.

"Alright, alright, Pep. Here." She came around the bar and handed Pepper a glass. "Cranberry martini with a twist." The gorgeous redhead smiled, but put the glass down on a small end table."I'm still on the clock."

Tony pulled a face, and turned to Coulson. "So am I," he added. She turned away muttering good-humouredly. "You two obviously never met Jack," she teased. "He was a very dull boy."

"I've come to get a progress report on Captain Rogers," Coulson said as he and Ms. Potts sat down on a sectional. Tony fiddled at the bar a little longer and came to join them, G&T in one hand and a handful of blueberries in the other. "Well," she said as she popped one into her mouth, "He's got an A in Phys-Ed, and another in English, but only a C in Math, and he's bombing German."

"Ms. Stark, please," the man sighed, and Pepper rolled her eyes. Tony grinned impishly at them both. "Report your analysis of Captain America's mental and emotional health status." All at once the grin dropped into a frown. There was a sadness that flickered in her eyes, one that Coulson had never seen before and Pepper had seen countless times. There's more to her than anyone gives her credit for. He observed her closely as she became partly lost in thought. A long pause followed, and Potts rose. "Maybe I will have that drink."