I have contemplated becoming a hermit.
"I have contemplated becoming a hermit."
Coulson gives Daisy a sympathetic look. The level of attention that she's getting as 'Quake' just keeps growing, and it's getting to the stage where she can't appear in a public capacity without being mobbed, more or less. The crowds are mostly positive, thankfully, but SHIELD is always kept exceptionally busy at these events maintaining a close watch on people in case someone who's violently opposed to Inhumans in general, or Inhuman SHIELD agents specifically, turns up with ill intent.
"How about we take a few days off after this?" he suggests. "I'm sure the Director of SHIELD would agree you've earned it."
She chuckles, and he smiles back, pleased to have amused her. "Hmm, not sure," she says in a faux-thoughtful tone. "Hey, Director, can Phil and I take a few days off after this circus?" She adopts a silly falsetto. "Yes, okay, Agent Johnson. You've earned it."
He laughs. "You don't sound anything like that," he says.
"No one sounds like that, Phil – well, not unless it's a guy who's just been assaulted in the nuts." He winces, and she laughs. "Sorry," she says perfunctorily. He shakes his head. "Anyway, yeah, a few days away sounds like a great plan – provided no one decides to storm the barricades."
"Good," he says, then adds, "I thought we might go to the Retreat – it's not exactly a hermitage, I know, but – "
"It's pretty isolated," she finishes, then nods. "Yeah, that's a good idea, Phil. Can you start setting it up while I'm in with the Senator?"
"I can," he agrees easily. He leans in and presses his lips lightly to hers, then pulls back and grabs his tablet as she looks up a few moments before the door opens and the Senator's aide arrives to escort her.
"See you later," she says, and he nods, giving her an absent smile as he focuses on arranging things so that Daisy can get a few days of peace and quiet. Since she took over as Director of SHIELD some three months ago, following Jeff Mace's death in the Framework, life has been non-stop and frantic, and she has more than earned some time off. It will also be the first time off they've had since becoming lovers just a month ago, and he can't deny that the idea of having Daisy all to himself for a few days during which he can feed and pamper her is especially appealing.
He's deeply (and selfishly) grateful that she doesn't really intend to become a hermit: he needs her, and far more importantly, the world needs her too. But as he hears the crowd outside chanting her name, he has considerable sympathy with her longing for peace and quiet. He pulls out his cell to call May and ask her to prep the Quinjet for their trip to the Retreat: he can't give Daisy a hermitage, but he can give her a few days of solitude at least.