There’s a little smile on his face, one that reflects CONTENTMENT toward seeing a familiar face. He’s taking a rest on the nearest CHAIR, just trying to clear his mind a BIT now that things have dwindled. It’s good to have a MOMENT of tranquility, even if it’s just for a few SECONDS. Bright eyes look at her; focusing as they acquire a vivid shade of ORANGE. It’s something barely noticeable at DISTANCE, but it’s there; gaining an IN-DEPTH examination. 

“————y’already know, don’t you?” Malachi CONCLUDES. Not that he knows for sure, it’s just that…she seems very CONFIDENT about the whole ordeal. “That little smile, yer lips are twitching. Ye know. Ye just want ta TRICK me.” He playfully says, grinning. 

    It happens more often than most would think, the downtime that comes in their line of work: when they aren’t dodging bullets and accomplishing their assigned duties  —  but there’s a lot of travel, and with travel comes with twiddling thumbs. Having someone there there to catch quips always helps dull the monotony. She settles into one of the seats, affording her what small comfort made available before raising her brow at his accusation.

fitz   knew  how  weird  it  was  for  him,  seeing  kara  in  the  flesh.  after  going  to  a  fake  grave  site  for  two  years,  holding  his  wife  tight  against  his  side,  feeling  nothing.  it  hadn’t  been  because  he  didn’t  miss  her,  he  just  knew  that  she  wasn’t  actually  there.  it  had  been  a  hole  in  the  ground  for  their  team  to  throw  their  grief  at.  he  couldn’t  imagine  how  weird  it  was  for  her,  as  if  no  time  went  by  at  all.  to  her  they  had  been  together  only  days  ago.  he  could  remember  the  last  time  he  saw  her,  hugging  her  as  she  left  for  her  leave.  telling  her  to  have  a  safe  flight.  he  had  sent  her  a  meme  with  a  monkey  after  she  had  boarded.  

she  looked  just  like  she  had  five  years  ago.  was  she  technically  younger  than  him  now  ??  how  did  that  work  ??  he  didn’t  understand  it.  time  was  a  funny  thing.  “ i  wish  i  could  explain  it  all.  “  he  murmured,  sighing.  he  reached  over  to  hold  his  infant’s  small  foot  in  his  hand,  smiling  softly.  “  don’t.  you  do.  you  have  a  home  with  us,  if  you  want  it.  we’ll  figure  it  all  out,  i  promise.  “  it  probably  wasn’t  a  promise  he  should  have  made.  he  didn’t  know  if  he  could  keep  it.  that  was  field  agent  day  one  stuff,  not  that  he  had  ever  actually  passed  his  field  assessments.  

“  you  have  me.  jemma.  daisy.  this  little  monkey.  your  family.  “  Fitz  wished  he  could  give  her  something  to  explain  the  last  five  years.  it  would  make  it  easier  than  him  trying  to  figure  out  exactly  what  to  say.  the  things  that  he  prioritized  may  not  be  what  she’s  looking  for.  “  is  there  anything  i  can  do  ??  any  questions  i  can  answer  ??  “  he  had  tried  to  tell  her  the  most  important  things,  but  he  knew  there  was  still  so  much  that  she  didn’t  know.  “  anything.  “ 

“I could be a live-in babysitter.” The suggestion is made only in jest, although she could think of much worse an occupation. With the dissolution of the S.H.I.E.L.D. she’d once known, she can’t help but contemplate her options: choosing to see the more positive side, she makes a mental note that without the distraction, she could finally finish up that dissertation she’d been putting off. Perhaps she could live that normal life she’d always planned for herself  —  before New Mexico, before DePaul and S.H.I.E.L.D. But she doesn’t regret her past choices; without such mistakes, she would never have met Leopold Fitz, and that’s a friendship she’d relive it all over again for.  “You’ve done enough,” She’s quick to assure him, partially because she doesn’t want to be a weight upon his shoulders: she can’t help but remember that he had just dropped seemingly everything to fly to all the way New York; bringing along his small daughter as irrefutable proof of the time she’s lost. “Really, it means a lot that you came...”