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“It’s six o’clock in the morning," Mack burst into the comm room aboard the Zephyr. "You’re not having vodka." He threw his tablet on Daisy’s desk. Well, it looked more like a mini bar now with dirty shot glasses, a half-empty bottle of cheap vodka, and red plastic cups.
“Who died and made you Dad?” Daisy slurred her words. “Oh right,” her face crumpled. “Coulson did.” She poured another shot but misjudged the amount and alcohol overflowed on her desk and keyboard.
“This isn’t healthy,” Mack looked around for something to wipe up the mess, and seeing nothing, took off his jacket. It needed washing anyway.
“Look around us,” Daisy snorted, pouring him a shot. “Is anything in this place healthy?” She picked up her shot glass and handed Mack his. “Cheers!”
Mack’s heart sank as she knocked the drink back, before settling in her chair, and hugging herself.
She must be worn out, Mack realized, as her eyes fluttered shut. She hadn’t slept since Coulson’s funeral.
He pulled up a chair, and gingerly sipped the vodka, coughing at the sharp burn. How could Daisy drink it? He sighed, as he watched her, with the dark circles under her eyes, and rumpled hair.
“Mack?” Daisy’s mouth trembled, and her eyes were still closed.
“Yeah, Tremors?”
She bit her lip. “Don’t leave me,” her voice broke. “Please.”
Mack couldn’t swallow, couldn’t breathe. He moved his chair closer and clasped his hand on hers.
“I’ll stay," he rasped, "get some rest.” He knew full well she was thinking about people disappearing from her life, and the heartache that came with it. He squeezed her hand. “You can’t leave me, either. You gotta stop drinking like this.”
“It hurts so much,” she sniffled, scrubbing her face as tears rolled down. “I want it to stop hurting.”
“Come here, Tremors,” Mack’s eyes were shining with tears. “I miss him, too.”
Mack held Daisy as she grieved, first with soft cries to heaving sobs that wracked her body, and left her spent. And Mack, he broke down and cried too. He had to be Director now, and make Coulson proud. They held each other, friends forged in fire, and from that day, Daisy allowed herself to mourn, and started drinking less, while Mack blossomed into his new role.
Coulson would be proud.