Chapter Text
They disembarked the next morning, Phil fighting a hangover and Daisy suffering quite the headache. The train from Yichang to Guilin was fast, speeding through the countryside and tunneling through mountains. Daisy and Phil fell asleep while May sat up, looking out the window. Melinda loved the views of the rice paddies and fields of yellow rapeseed, better known as canola, as they flashed by. Occasionally the train would stop in a village, and Melinda would strain to see the faces of the people.
Somewhere, her family’s roots had originated here in Southern China. Somewhere, her great-grandmother was buried beside her great-grandfather. Somewhere, she would find the village her mother told her about, the village her grandmother fled from during the Second Chinese Revolution, carrying Melinda’s mother, Lian, as a child to the sea. Melinda’s grandmother paid for herself and her small family to take a boat to America, where they struggled to begin a new life. It had been hard, but Melinda was living proof that they made it.
Lian had told her so many stories as a child, legends to live up to. Make your ancestors proud , Lian would tell her, Don't let this failure stop you from trying again .
Now Melinda could pass down those stories to Daisy. They could live on, not through biological ties, but through her love for her student. No. Daisy was so much more than a student. She was Melinda’s daughter, and if her ancestors did not agree, well, too bad for them.
Melinda looked over at Daisy, who was moaning and groaning as she dealt with her headache. Melinda shook her head at the girl, “I told you not to drink so much,” Melinda softly whispered, and Daisy’s forehead fell on the acromion of Melinda’s shoulder.
“Ugh,” Daisy groaned, and May reached up, moving Daisy off her shoulder and holding the girl’s head in her hands. The palms of May’s hands squeezed Daisy’s temples. Relief flooded the girl’s face, and May rubbed slowly in small circles. “That's nice,” Daisy said, closing her eyes again.
“We will be in Guilin in about an hour,” Melinda softly told her, and Daisy leaned back, falling right into sleep.
Wrangling two hungover adults through Guilin proved harder than Melinda expected. She paid a hotel man waiting at the station to take their bags back to the hotel they had booked.
They ate lunch at a reserved table in a local restaurant. The moment they walked in, Phil froze. “Our mission in 1991. That was here!” Phil said.
“Undercover. No exit plan. Armed traffickers of powered beings. We didn't know they were called ‘inhumans’ at the time,” Melinda confirmed.
“Wait, you guys have been here?” Daisy asked as they were seated by a waiter.
“Yes. Melinda had to seduce a couple men to bug them but it was still a disaster,” Phil said, thinking back.
“I made out with a couple members of the Chinese Mafia, injected some micro trackers, and that was it,” Melinda said, “Then Phil and I got caught, thrown into that cave, remember? They sealed the door and you thought we would starve to death. Luckily, I had some concealed ammo and we used the gunpowder in the bullets to blow the lock.”
“Director Stoner knew it would happen, too,” Phil added.
“How long were you two in the cave?” Daisy asked, weirded out at the idea of May having to seduce the Chinese Mafia.
“Two hours max. It was meticulous, but we had to work quickly. They’re limestone caves, and that means they're wet. Water doesn't make for detonable gunpowder.” Phil said.
“Oh as if you helped me at all. You were half drugged and moseying about trying to suck off some poor virgin stalactite,” Melinda rolled her eyes and the waiter set down a menu for them.
“I did not ,” Phil glared playfully at her, “I was thirsty. You were the one that made that bad joke,” Phil corrected.
“It was funny at the time,” May smiled at the memory.
“You sound like the most chaotic team SHIELD had,” Daisy was laughing to herself at the story May painted.
“Oh, you've never even heard the stories of Clint and Romanoff,” Phil said and the way May’s eyes agreed, Daisy decided that she needed to hear the stories.
They lapse into a relaxed silence, Daisy occasionally pressing her thumbs to her temples and checking the time before she could safely take another ibuprofen. They ordered bottled water and three bowls of the restaurant's signature noodles. Daisy took a picture of the flower arrangement on the table.
The vibe in this town was so much more culturally rich. She feels like she's in true China. Here are the real people, not chosen by the government to look good to the Americans. Here are people providing for their families and living their lives. Here is true China.
When their food comes, Phil digs right in, complaining about his hangover nausea that had prevented him from eating earlier that morning. Daisy and May soon follow him, and Daisy notices that her skills in using chopsticks properly have significantly improved. Phil still drags stray noodles against his chin, and May shakes her head, reminding him to use his spoon to cup the flyaways.
The noodles are different than the ones Daisy was used too. They have this pepper-like stuff sprinkled over them in dark specks and they're really freaking addicting. Daisy decides this restaurant earned its stars fair and square.
That afternoon, May, Phil and Daisy squish into the back of a Rickshaw and a local man cycles them out to the cave park, and they pay him along with a hefty tip. The cave’s entrance is in the back of the main building, and Daisy is distracted easily by the new things they sell. Unlike most of the other stores they had visited, this store carried more authentic items. People here thought nothing of the term ‘home-made,’ and Daisy buys fifteen pairs of hand-made earrings way cheaper than at home.
They pay the fee to enter the cave, walking the marked path and staring at the colored lights. The place is lit like a rainbow with every filter imaginable projected on the walls of the cavern. Daisy touches the wall. It's wet, just like Coulson and May said.
“Do you think you could find the cave you two were dumped into to die?” Daisy asks cheerfully.
“No. We had bags on our heads. I lost count of the steps somewhere around the fortieth right turn.” Phil told her.
“This isn’t weird to you?” Daisy asked, turning to hold a rail as she walked down the steps deeper into the well-lit cave.
“What, the colors?” May asked, her eyes looking at the ceiling where lights projected blues and reds that dyed the deposited rock into a rainbow.
“No, being in this cave,” Daisy elaborated.
“Not really. We've been to places from missions before,” Phil told her, snapping a picture of the cave walls.
The trail eventually comes back around up into the muggy air, and May and Daisy’s hair has long fallen limp as the younger woman fans herself with her hand.
“Shall we go shopping, or shall we go check into the hotel?” Phl asked them.
“Hotel. I need a shower,” Daisy insists.
Even along the way, Daisy stops to buy a grass-woven fan from an old woman who held her wares as she hand-wove them, braiding the edges of a new one. Daisy shares it with Coulson and May, who are grateful. They catch another Rickshaw, taking it back to the city, where they were able to hail a taxi.
Daisy once again told Coulson he didn't have to pay for expensive hotels, but he reminded her that he had a few paid vacations from SHIELD that he never collected, so it was fine. They nodded to the bellhop standing at the door, and went inside to the nice, cool air conditioning. May was able to ask for their luggage and tip the staff who handled it while Daisy explored the grandiose lobby. She found a pleasant little sitting room off to the side, and she discovered that the hotel had a pool.
Daisy wandered further while May checked them in, and she turned a corner to find a small shop. Heading inside, she gasped. Inside were bargain items. Slightly flawed cloisonne vases and scarves. Hand-made jewelry and paintings on both canvas and silk. Rogue teapots with missing dishes and the occasional stuffed Panda. But then she saw it. Hiding in a back corner was a carved wooden box inlaid with abalone.
Pulling out the list of things to do that Lian had given to Daisy, the girl smiled at all the checkmarks and completed missions, and there at the bottom was one last request, ‘Bring something nice back for me! - Lao Lao’
Daisy smiled. Lao Lao . " Maternal Grandmother ."
Lian would like this, She thought, striding over to the intricately carved box. She picked it up. The box seemed old fashioned but in a beautiful way, ornate and elegant. It was about the size of a shoebox. Lian would probably store tea in it.
“Two hundred Yuan,” The woman watching the store said to Daisy.
She blatantly hissed at the price, setting it down as if she would leave it behind. May had taught her how to bargain, and Daisy wasn't taking any prisoners.
“One hundred ninety.” The woman tried again.
Daisy traced her finger over the cover as if saying goodbye. She looked the woman in the eye, “One hundred twenty.”
The woman shook her head as if offended. “You know quality, you pay one hundred eighty.”
She's going by tens, is she? Daisy thought, and picked the box back up, “I will give you one hundred and forty. No more.”
“One hundred Fifty .”
“Deal.” Daisy smiled, pulling out her wallet, happy to have worked the price to one she liked. Daisy handed the woman the box, having also learned from May to never hand over money until you held the product in your hands.
The shop employee nodded, and crossed the room to the cash register, ringing Daisy up and packaging the box into a protective shell of newspaper and bubble-wrap.
“ Xie Xie! ” Daisy called behind her, carrying her newfound treasure back out to the lobby, finding May waiting for her.
“Where’d you head off too?” May asked, pulling her backpack strap further up her shoulder.
“I just found a gift for your mom.” Daisy told her, tucking the package under her arm and grabbing the handle of her rolling suitcase, following May to an elevator, May choosing the floor.
“If you want to go street shopping tonight, this is your last chance. Tomorrow is the river boat tour, then we take the train to a town in Hunan,” Melinda said.
“Is it the one…”
“No, Daisy. We didn't want to make this trip sour. We’ll just pass through Hunan, then take the flight back to Shanghai.” Melinda led her down the hall and to a door where she knocked, Phil opening up the room for them.
Daisy claimed the shower almost immediately, and May told Phil that the pool had a hot tub, and that's what she needed; a good hot soak.
Phil twisted to crack his back, sitting up on their bed, “So should I dig out the swim trunks or…”
“You can join me if you want,” Melinda shrugged, “I have a red bikini and-”
“Consider me convinced.” Phil interrupted, getting up to rummage through his suitcase.
Melinda changed right there, dropping her shirt, pants and bra on the floor and putting on her bikini top. Phil changed just as quickly, pulling an extra T-shirt over his head and wrapping a towel around his waist over his swim trunks. Melinda put on a sundress over her bathing outfit.
It's just when they close the door behind them when the two of them hear Daisy open the bathroom door, then slam it back shut with a loud, “AWE HELL NO!” May can't help but laugh at the idea of Daisy walking out to see their clothes and underwear on the floor.
“She really thinks we’re a couple of teenagers who can't get enough of it, huh?” Phil snorts, pressing the button to hail the elevator.
“I don't know why, it's not like we’ve been trying to embarrass her this whole trip,” Melinda shrugs.
“We have the rest of our lives to get at it, together,” Phil adds when they step out into the lobby, turning the corner to find the door to the courtyard pool. They swiped their keycards and went inside. It was late afternoon, and several kids splashed in the shallow end, their parents scrolling at their phones on the sidelines in lounge chairs.
Melinda set her stuff down on a chair on the other side, eyeing the vacant hot tub. Phil followed her wordlessly, watching her pull the sundress up over her head. He bit his lips.
“You like the red?” She asked with a smile.
“You in red always makes me think…” Phil looked at her when he paused, “I know it’s a little early for wedding planning, but if you wore a dress, would you like it to be red? Y'know…”
“Because of my heritage?”
“Yeah,” Phil nodded.
“I don't know, I thought you would want me in white,” Melinda tied up her hair.
“I want you to be happy. Even if you wore black, it wouldn't change the meaning of the day,” Phil corrected.
Melinda shook her head, “Come on, We don't have forever.” With that, she steps toward the hot tub, and tests the water with her toe before climbing in. “Phil?” She asks. He’s staring at the water like its poison.
“I…” He stumbles, “I think I’ll sit to the side…”
“You don't have to take off your shirt,” Melinda softly tells him, “If it's about the scar, it’s okay to be self-conscious.”
Phil maintains eye-contact with her as he comes closer and finally steps in to sit beside her in the steaming water. Melinda grips his thigh underwater. His t-shirt sticks to his sides, the white fabric exposing very little.
“Now relax,” Melinda leans back, submerging to her shoulders as the jets massage her back.
Phil watches her until he too succumbed to the glorious hot water, finding a comfortable place. He closes his eyes and Melinda reaches out a hand to his face, turning him toward her. “If you really think I don't like your scar, and that’s why you're covering it…”
“I’m not in my prime, Melinda.” Phil says, “I've aged.”
“It’s okay, everyone will just assume you have money,” Melinda jokes, but Phil says nothing, his face hardening.
“Hapless tourist, gorgeous wife,” He says coldly.
“ Phillip Coulson .” May forcibly takes his hand, and lets him know she's serious. “I love you the way you are. I hate what happened to you, not your scar from it. The idea of you dying makes my heart hurt. I don’t put my hand over it so I don't have to see it, I do that because I want to protect you and let you know I love all of you,” Melinda said sternly.
He just stared at her. “That was a lot of words,” Phil said.
“And this is why I don’t do sweet ,” Melinda deadpanned.
Phil broke into a smile, splashing her before grabbing her shoulders and pulling her toward him, and in a swirl of water, she was pressed against his chest, his arms wrapped around her. “You absolutely do do sweet,” He whispered, his chin resting on her. He leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
“I do not,” Melinda responded.
“You're doing it right now,” Phil replied softly.
Melinda hums against him, her arm running up his side, coming to rest at his neck, “I love you,” She whispered.
“I know,” Phil breathed back.
“Y’know, I thought I’d find you here, once I finally realized that I wasn't under siege, stuck in the bathroom until it was safe again,” Daisy appeared at the side of the hot tub.
“What?” Phil asked, “I’m sore.”
“That's what a bathtub is for,” Daisy rolled her eyes.
“We can't both fit in that hotel bath,” May said with a smile, leaning back.
“I mean…” Phil turned to look at them pointedly. Melinda elbowed him.
“Anyway, I’m going out to find supper, if you two would like to join me, I’m getting pizza.” Daisy said suddenly.
“Pizza? We’re in China ,” May reminded her.
“So? I haven't had American food in two weeks!” Daisy argued, plopping down onto the lounge chair, next to May’s towel and cover-up. She refused to notice Phil’s hand dip into the water, and she decided not to acknowledge May’s little jump.
“Stay safe,” Phil called after her, and Daisy headed off, leaving them behind.
“You wanna get room service?”
“Sure.”