Philinda: Love Lifeline

A step back

-Spoilers for season 5-
—
Melinda's face was blank.

"....Then we kissed. We opened the bottle of Haig for a new beginning.." Phil finishes telling Melinda about her LMD.

Melinda's face was still blank. She looked like she were about to say something but she stopped herself.
"What threw you off? How did you know it wasn't me?" She asked him
"A... series...of events.." he said
Melinda nodded and tried to forget that he kissed her Life Model Decoy.

"Let's just take a step back.. then when it feel right we open a new bottle." He said, and smiled.
Melinda nodded again.
"So.. about all of this robot stuff, I think it's really getting to Mack. You think so?" He said, jokingly and laughed with Melinda.

Melinda suddenly stopped laughing and paused.

"Would you.." she corrected herself "If it,"
She paused
Coulson drew his attention to her
"If it were me..would you kiss me?"She asked.
He didn't answer and she asked another question.
"If it were me, would you drink Haig with me?"
She asked him.
He sighed. He either felt bad or the answer was 'no'

"Right. So..... you'll kiss my model, but you won't even dare to kiss me."

Melinda was hurt but she hid it.

Phil stopped her words.
"No, that's not what I'm telling you. I'm not saying that at all." He said, in a calm voice.

"But you did. You did, Phil." She was upset and he could hear it in her voice.

He looked down at his feet. He paused, and hesitated. He looked at her sideways and tilted his head.
Then he leaned in and kissed Melinda May.

"See? I told you that's not what I said." He smiled at Melinda and she chuckled.

"A step back?" She asked

"Maybe it's for the best.." he said. He knew May's LMD wasn't the reason he wanted to take a step back.

He needed to tell Melinda that he was dying, since ghost rider.

"Melinda, I don't want to to.." he paused "you can't love me. Not now." He said

"Phil, what's going on?" She asked.

He took in a deep breath and paced slowly, looking at his feet.

"Coulson answer me." She ordered

"Melinda I'm dying." He finally said.

"What?" Her jaw nearly dropped.

"..since ghost rider." He added.

Melinda's face went pale.

"There is no cure. So I don't want you to tell the team—" Melinda cut him off
"I'm telling the team." She said sternly
"No, Melinda." He calmed himself "Melinda, I don't want them to go search for a cure that can't be found." He said
"You say 'team' .. why would you keep something like this from your team—your family—"
"Melinda." He put his hand on her shoulder.
Melinda gave him a stern look
"If there's any chance of saving you, I'm willing to take if." She said.
"I'm not giving up. Not this time."
Phil hugged her, and she hugged him back.