entrancelogs | You're under arrest

Who: Officer Stephen Smith (Phil Coulson)
Where: Around town, mostly the police station, community college, diner and his own home
When: Throughout the event.
Rating: PG
Summary: Maybe he's Phil and maybe he's Stephen.
The Story:

Officer Stephen Smith tries to focus on what he does have in life. Even after losing his late wife, he's still got his beautiful daughter to be proud of. He has friends and colleagues he wouldn't trade for anything and a steady job that he's proud of.

He spends more time at the station than anywhere else, even his home, but he can also be seen quite regularly at the community college where his daughter teaches and the local diner.

He's not unhappy and that's why even once his memories of being Phil Coulson return, he goes about his day the same as always, but extra mindful and with a spring in his step.

Maybe he's Phil and maybe he's Stephen. Neither of them would be disappointed with the other, but it's bittersweet because he can't help thinking he'll lose something either way. Still, he goes about his day, doing his job and seeking out his friends just as always.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's early - much earlier than they normally encounter one another during the day, as he typically has work and she has school and it's usually afterwards their paths cross, when the day has been particularly aggravating or trying and they just need someone to kick back with. She's always been grateful to have him next door, always appreciated his understated wit and observant quips about the people they shared this strange little town with. He'd always made her feel safe, being tucked away so close next door, someone there to rely on if she ever needed it.

It was something she was craving now, when her head felt like it was going to split apart. She's barely slept - no more than a few snatches and the rest she'd tried to drown with a bottle of wine, but even that was seeming to have no effect tonight. This morning. She's not admitting when she started or stopped trying to use that particular coping method.

Needless to say, when she wanders over to his door in the morning, waiting at least until the sun peeks over the horizon to disturb him, she's not looking her best. But considering that both sets of memories - or, at the very least, the two strongest of the ones that have all suddenly emerged on her - feature him as a steady foundation to fall back on, it doesn't feel at all odd to find herself at his door, waiting for him to answer her knock.

Stephen's been up about an hour. Having showered and dressed, he's just sitting down to coffee when he hears the knock and he sets his paper aside.

Things have been so jumbled that he thinks it could literally be anyone and he just hopes that it's someone looking to talk and not a more immediate emergency.

He's already spoken to Julia and his partner Jeremy, but Natalie hasn't shown her face yet, so he's not particularly surprised when he opens the door and it's her. There is some relief, though. He's shut himself in a little, but there's a part of him that's felt drawn to her since these memories came back.

It's as if she and Jeremy are at the center of it somehow in his mind. Or are they Natasha and Clint? He's not even sure.

"I just made coffee."

Holding the door open for her, he flashes a small smile that he hopes is reassuring.

"Ahh, the magic words," she answers, her voice adopting a teasing note as she returns his smile, although hers is noticeably tired this morning as she slips into his kitchen at his invitation. It's as familiar to her as her own at this point, but there's a part of her consciousness, in the back of her mind, that glances around with a wholly new assessment, taking in everything around her with both interest and caution.

It's a strange feeling, and the assessments that part of her mind makes about a perfectly innocuous room is a little bit disconcerting. So she distracts herself with taking a seat at his kitchen table and glancing over at him with a serious look.

"I think there's something wrong with me."

Ah, definitely the sort of talk that needs coffee. At least, he'll need coffee for it and he suspects she could use a cup herself. Depending on how this goes, he can always offer to make her breakfast, too. There's always been a little part of him that likes to take care of his people.

Once they move into the kitchen, he pulls out two mugs and pours them both before bringing them to the table to sit opposite her. The milk and sugar are already there for her to take if she likes and he takes his own--one spoonful and just a little milk.

"What is it?"

You're under arrest

the 28th

no subject

no subject

no subject