A little bit of everything Multi Fandom Imagines Book Three

Failure to communicate - Part 1 - Phil Coulson x Reader

New character time again. I have neglected Phil for too long. But not anymore. Hope you enjoy.

(Y/n) cringed as she heard her name called out. The other agents around her stopping whatever they were doing, so that they could see her reaction.

"Agent (Y/l/n)." The all so familiar voice called out again. (Y/n) rolling her eyes and sighing, before she turned around to look at the owner of slightly irritated tone.

She didn't know what she had ever done to make Phil Coulson dislike her so much. Hill had always told her to not take it so personally. That Phil could be a little cool sometimes. That perhaps their personalities just clashed. But (Y/n) did take it personally. She had seen what the agent was like with others. She had seen him be compassionate and encouraging. Seen him take on a kind of father like status with some of the younger agents. Yet when it came to her, everything was different.

(Y/n) had always prided herself on being a good agent. Her ability with weapons set her apart from her peers. Her intelligence, cunning and cool temperament, had brought her to Director Fury's attention. She had even rescued two fellow agents when a mission had gone wrong. But it appeared, as far as Phillip J. Coulson was concerned, that if anything went wrong, it was due to her. Even if she wasn't involved, it was still somehow her fault. And it was getting to the point that (Y/n) was getting sick of it. Getting sick of being complained at. Of being blamed. And even though Coulson was a senior agent, if he was going to berate her in front of all the others, then he was going to get it both barrels. Right between the eyes.

"Yes sir?" (Y/n) finally replied. Glaring straight into his eyes. The younger woman readying herself to tell him exactly what she thought of him.

"You will report to my office in ten minutes................."

"Oh, planning on blaming me for something else, are you? But why bother doing it in private? Everyone here knows that I am your scapegoat for everything that goes wrong around here. For everything that ever goes wrong on a mission. So, why don't we just cut out the need for the rumour mill to start turning, and you say what you have to say to me in front of everyone? Why don't you just get it all off your chest here and now. Tell everyone what a terrible agent you think I am. How I shouldn't be sent on certain missions. Or even better, why don't you just have me transferred. That way you don't even have to look at me. But no, you won't do that, because then you'd have to find yourself another whipping boy, and then you would be able to blame me for inconveniencing you with that too." (Y/n) growled. Determined to get everything off her chest, before she even let Coulson open his mouth. And if he didn't like it, then she would go to the director and plead her case. Get a transfer to anywhere so that she no longer had to look Phil's face.

For a moment, a shocked hush fell over all those present. In fact, the whole of S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters seemed to be in a state of stunned silence. No one present able to believe that the usually calm and controlled (Y/n) would come out with all that. That she would talk to Coulson like that. But she did, and she had. And now, all eyes turned to the senior agent to see what he would say in reply.

"You will report to my office in ten minutes, agent (Y/l/n)." Phil merely stated again. The air between he and (Y/n) now so think that everyone was sure that it could be cut with a knife.

"Fine! Ten minutes!" (Y/n) hissed, before mockingly saluting, and turning to leave. The other agents all coughing uncomfortably, as Coulson turned his attention to them. Not one of them wanting to get on his bad side, if he decided that (Y/n) wasn't the only one in the firing line.

"Well, that went well." Hill said, as she strode up behind Coulson. The two making their way to Phil's office.

"What do you have against (Y/n), Phil? She is an excellent agent. She's smart, can think on her feet. She never steps a foot wrong on missions, yet you still act like she's the worst thing to happen to the agency." Hill enquired, as she made her way into the office behind him.

"She takes too many risks. She puts herself in danger and sacrifices her own wellbeing................"

"What? Is that it? Are they the reasons that you treat her like you do? Seriously Phil. If I didn't know better, I would think that you were describing yourself. You really need to give her a break. Because if you don't, she will be going to Fury and asking for a transfer. And I wouldn't blame her. Though if she does, we will be losing one hell of an agent." Hill interrupted, shaking her head as she looked at the man that seemed to be more interested in the papers on his desk than anything that she was saying.

"Fine, Phil. Do what you want." Hill added, shaking her head again before turning to leave the office.

Phil dropped the papers back to his desk, a heavy sigh leaving his lips, as the door slammed behind Hill. It wasn't that he didn't like (Y/n). It wasn't that he didn't know that she was one of the best agents that they had. It was more that she was all that and more. She was, to put too fine a point on it, perfect. Phil had always been a dedicated company man, which had left him no time for other interests or a wife and family. But as soon as he had met (Y/n), his mind had begun to wander to such things. To dating, a relationship. To love. And he had found it all a little, well, a little unnerving. She was younger than him by a number of years. She was beautiful. And he had seen how the other male agents would look at her. Seen how well she seemed to interact with one or two of them in particular. And he had decide that he was too old to open up his heart. Too old to start acting like a lovestruck teenager. Too old for heartbreak. The agent knowing that perhaps he had pushed her away too hard. That he had become too cold towards her. Too harsh. But he also knew that he got annoyed at her because he hated the idea of her getting hurt. Hated the idea of possibly losing her. Hated her putting herself in harms way. And all those things had made the exquisite agent believe that he disliked her. That it had sent her the wrong messages. But for once in his life, he didn't know how to fix it. Though the reason that he wanted to see her, might allow him to fix that.

                                                       >>---------------------------------<<

(Y/n) made her way to Coulson's office. More than prepared to continue her verbal beating of the senior agent. She knew that perhaps she shouldn't have done it. When she had first met Phil, she had taken an instant liking to the older man. He was quite handsome. Old fashioned in some ways, yet that only seemed to make him more a gentleman. And he had the funniest, driest kind of wit that she had ever come across. (Y/n) sometimes wondering what it would be like to be romanced by such a man. To go on a date. To feel the wind rushing through her hair, as she sat in the passenger seat of his 1962 Chevrolet Corvette that he had inherited from his father. The bright red Lola always calling to her whenever she saw the old vehicle. But when he had become cold towards her. When he had begun to treat her as the go to girl for anything that went wrong. (Y/n) had realised that the handsome agent, was too devoted to his job to be interested in a woman like her. That perhaps he really just didn't like her.

With a heavy sigh, (Y/n) raised her hand and knocked on the door. A loud "ENTER" making her groan. The agent pushing her way into the office, where she expected the worst.

"Please take a seat, agent (Y/l/n)." Phil told her, gesturing towards the chair on the other side of the desk. The older man not even bothering looking up from his paperwork.

"Look. If you are going to shout at me for what I said earlier, I would rather stand......."

"You are going on a mission." Phil interrupted, as he finally turned his attention to her.

"A mission? Are you sure that you can trust me? Are you sure that I won't ruin it?" (Y/n) scoffed, crossing her arms firmly across her chest.

"Director Fury, believes that you are the best agent for it." Phil began, as he got up from his chair. (Y/n) feeing a sense of vindication of her skills, at hearing that the director himself had chosen her.

"You and another agent will be going to Rome. We have received information that Hydra is after an artifact that is held in the Vatican. The two of you will journey to Italy, posing as a couple on their honeymoon, taking in the museums and churches, the whole tourist thing. The mission is to make sure that Hydra does not get their hands on the devise. That if they even try, you will ensure that they regret it." Coulson explained, as he handed the file to (Y/n).

"Fine. And who is the other agent? Who is the lucky man?" (Y/n) enquired, as she opened the folder. Her eyes growing wide, as she heard the senior agent say one word.

"Me."