#agentsofchallenges

Of course- Lincoln loved his job, he loved putting his powers and his knowledge to good use, he loved helping people and he loved that he could do it all alongside the woman who gave his life a new meaning not too long ago- but sometimes it was nice to get away from secret underground bases and long poorly-lit hallways and go somewhere… normal . Not that a week-long undercover mission in Iceland in an attempt to retrieve an inhuman artefact was was anything close to normal. But Lincoln would take it. Anything to wake up basking in the golden sunlight with Daisy’s arms wrapped cozily around his waist like she didn’t want to let go even in her sleep, anything to watch her chest rise and fall peacefully- not a single trace of worry on her face. It wasn’t really like her to sleep in— it wasn’t really like her to sleep at all . It was rare- this tender moment of pure tranquility- and if the scars and seemingly never-healing bruises on her skin were anything to judge by- Daisy Johnson would never cease carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.. But at least right now, just for a moment, in his embrace- she could relax. And it made Lincoln’s heart swell..

As the sun rose higher, light seeped through the blinds flooding the room reaching Lincoln’s forearm and warming Daisy’s back along with the corner of her cheek- but she didn’t seem to be too bothered, only letting out a small huff and cuddling closer to him. Lincoln couldn’t suppress the smile feeling her small breaths tickle the crook of his neck where she’d decided to hide from the imminent sunlight, searching for some sort of shelter to prolong her sleep for just a little longer… Unfortunately she wasn’t so lucky- with the cheap hotel blinds struggling to suppress the glimmering sun rays- light slowly reached her face making her shift around uncomfortably, and her eyes finally fluttered open..

           “Good morning.” Lincoln greeted her, voice raspy with sleep. His gaze caught hers, lingering, mesmerised by the gold caught in Daisy’s deep pools of brown, and for a moment he wondered how anyone could look at that— look at her and think she could possibly be human? From the way the loose brown waves framed her face to the way her cheeks turned soft pink from the warmth of their bodies flush against each other, to the tip of her nose that he so eagerly wanted to kiss.. - Daisy's beauty was ethereal, and it took Lincoln’s breath away every time.

           “Hmph..” Daisy grumbled with a pout drawing the covers closer to her face, closing her eyes again in a last attempt to return to the sweet sleepy bliss of a few moments ago,

           “You’re gonna have to get up at some point you know,” Lincoln teased, reaching his hand up to tuck a few stray waves behind her ear, gently resting his hand on her cheek as he brushed his thumb along hints of a scar, “Inhuman artefacts await.”

           Daisy huffed out a sleepy giggle, “You couldn’t even try to sound enthusiastic..?”

           “I was enthusiastic!” He scoffed defensively, then with some fresh honesty in his voice: “There’s nothing I’d rather be doing, Daisy. Really.” Daisy’s stomach fluttered, warmth spreading through her chest and tugging at the corners of her lips,

           “You’re a sap, you know that?” She grinned leaning in, letting their noses brush, “And yet..” she shook her head, fingers tracing his chest. “I can’t seem to stop loving you..”

           “Guess you’ll just have to love a sap then.” He quipped with a cheeky smile,

           “Guess so.”

And finally Daisy leaned in letting their lips meet for a soft, lingering kiss.

If someone had asked her to define happiness right then she’d probably tell them it was this- the tenderness of Lincoln’s lips against her own, warmth embracing them as they lay wrapped around each other smiling into their kisses, the morning sunlight caught on the tips of his eyelashes, the childlike innocence in his eyes, the love … And there was never a time she’d been more certain- despite the fights and threats and evil, despite the enemies and scars and past faults creeping up on them, despite the inhuman artefacts and what-not they’d retrieve or not retrieve in the end...

                                      They’d always figure it out.

This late at night no one's out, and her only companion is the blowing wind and the snow dancing across the empty sidewalk. She stops in front of the office building, looking up at the glass. A few light's are still on, but they're not the one she wants. She walks on, crossing campus, heading down the athletic field. It's windy, but clear and even this close to the city, there are a few stars. It's too civilized for it to be beautiful, but there are other things to find beautiful here.

She shifts her skates on her shoulder, wiggling her toes in her boots to keep them warm. It's an odd place for a meeting, but it suits them. Bobbi sits on the frigid bench and removes her boots, lacing her feet into her skates with clumsy, cold fingers.

A small figure in a dark jacket skates on the far side of the rink, gliding through a spin. Her dark hair fans out under her hat as she spins, glies out of it and then spins again. Bobbi's read her file and she knows Melinda can skate, but she's never seen it before. She's so graceful, like a little dark bird, sailing over the ice. Standing up slowly, Bobbi stows her boots under the bench and pulls back on her gloves.

She skates okay, it's all about balance and precision, knowing where her body is in space. She's good at that. Melinda makes it beautiful, smooth and sleek, and even the sound of her skates is a whisper over the rink.

Bobbi skates out to the middle, turns, tests herself, then follows Melinda, watching her throw herself into a spin.  Melinda spins faster and faster, pulling her arms in, then bending back and Bobbi can't help laughing.

"What?" Melinda stops, skating over, smiling with the stars shining in her eyes. "What's so funny?"

"You're an ice queen."

That makes Melinda snort.

"In a good way," Bobbi promises, extending her hand. "You own this."

"I did make the Academy flood the field."

"See?"

Melinda rolls her eyes and pulls Bobbin into a lazy arc, taking them both through a figure eight on the ice. Melinda pulls her in and they twirl together.

"It's so peaceful."

"I love it. I hated it for awhile as a kid."

"Oh?"

"Too much falling."

"Bet it hurts more now," Bobbi jokes

Melinda rolls her eyes again. "I could help you find out."  She releases Bobbi's hand and turns, facing her down as if they're about to engage in some kind of ice battle (that Bobbi will absolutely lose).

Instead, Melinda skates back, grinning, standing on the very tip-toes of her skates, tugging Bobbi down and they kiss, soft and slow and Melinda's mouth is both warm and cold. They drift across the ice, wrapped in each other.

When the kiss breaks, Bobbi gasps for breath and Melinda skates away, laughing. They chase, Bobbi has longer legs, but Melinda turns so quickly that it's going to end badly with both of them in the snowbank.

Well, Bobbi in the snowbank, Melinda standing over her laughing and helping her up. Bobbi brushes snow from her pants, trying to get it all off before it starts to melt and really it's so cold that it's the dusty kind of snow that just comes off.

It's still all over her and Melinda doesn't have any snow on her. Bobbi can fix that. She lifts Melinda up, scooping her up fast enough to toss her into the bank along side the rink and then it's chaos. Melinda twists, shifting her weight and they're both in the snow now, wrestling and laughing, trying to keep their dangerous skates on the ice away from each other.

"It's so cold," Bobbi says, laughing as she shakes snow out of her coat.

"It's winter."

"I don't usually get so intimately acquainted with winter."

Melinda gets to her knees, then stands, brushing snow off even though she's covered, as if she's been dusted with sugar. "Maybe I need to find a way to warm you up."

Bobbi stands with less grace and walks on her skates, wobbling a little, to her boots. "I'd appreciate that."

They take off their skates sitting together, arms touching, hands nearby and Melinda squeezes her hand before they put their gloves back on.

Well, Melinda has mittens and Bobbi's jealous.

"Should have worn mittens."

"Yeah," Melinda teases her, throwing her skates over her shoulder. "They're better."

"I know that now."

"Then don't forget it."

Bobbi shakes her head. "If my fingers weren't too cold to make a snowball I'd--"

"Wrong snow," Melinda says. She picks up a handful and demonstrates how it just crumbles instead of sticking. "Gets down your coat just fine."

"Yeah, felt that."

"Won't make a ball though, terrible for forts."

"You built snow forts?"

"Sure, didn't you?"

"Never had enough snow," Bobbi says, slipping her arm through Melinda's. "Not all of us lied in frozen Pennsylvania."

"I liked the Alps best, actually."

"Oh?" That Bobbi can work with, file away and hang onto until they need a trip somewhere.

"Not the skiing so much, just the way the buildings were, going inside for wine and hot chocolate."

"Can help you with two of those things."

Melinda tilts her head. "My apartment's just this way. I promise I have wine."

"Won't alcohol just make me colder?"

Melinda reaches up and pulls Bobbi's head down closer. "Uh-oh, then I'll have to warm you up."