You knew it was a bad idea to ride along with the team today. You knew it. But, of course, all Fitz had to do was flash that smile and those soft eyes and you agreed. Maybe it was for the best, and you thought that it could be that you were meant to be there to keep him safe once the moment was upon you and a choice had to be made.

"Agent (Y/L/N), what's your position?"

"I'm on the south side of the roof, but I don't have eyes on the target," you whispered back. "Fitz was on the ground on the north side but he hasn't reported in."

"I'm just about there, hold where you are," Daisy broke in, and you could hear her panting breaths as she ran to meet him. A minute later, she was back, "I don't see him, (Y/N). You sure you have the right coordinates?"

"Yeah?" You searched your mind for your last conversation just to be sure, but he clearly said that he was heading to the north side of the complex. "Fitz? Fitz where are you?" you called out, but didn't get a reply. "I'm coming down there."

"No, you hold where you are, Agent," Coulson replied. "I need you there for the vantage point, and Daisy has the ground covered. Understood?"

You shook your head and replied with a groan, "yes, sir." Kneeling down onto the loose gravel of the rooftop, rocks pinched and dug into your knees even through your uniform, but you didn't feel them. Your focus was on finding Fitz; if he said he was going to be there, then he should have been there. His calculations required a very specific location and very specific timing, and any variance would jeopardize capturing an inhuman that the team had been following for months.

Peering over the ledge of the building, you heard a scuffle and a covered yell just below that quickly drew your attention. It was your boyfriend, trying to take on the remarkably strong inhuman by himself rather than just calling for backup like a normal person would do.

"Always trying to prove something," you huffed. "Daisy, he's engaged the target. I'm going down there before he gets himself killed."

"No, (Y/N), I can go, just hold your position!"

"Not gonna happen," you mumbled, standing again and taking a final look down. The man had him in a hold with his arm around his neck and his body pinned so that he couldn't move. Daisy was still too far away, and if you didn't move quickly, it might be too late. You closed your eyes and visualized your landing point, materializing seconds later behind the man, shocking him enough to release Fitz and turn to you.

"Where did you come from?" he asked, looking bewildered at how you had gotten so close without him noticing. "No matter, I'll just kill you first. Women are easier."

"(Y/N), run!"

"Calm down, Fitz, I've got this," you smiled back. "This won't kill you, but it ain't gonna tickle either." Reaching your hand out just enough to connect with the inhuman, you sent a shockwave through him and knocked him sufficiently unconscious with a few violent tremors. You gave him a few swift kicks in the side to be sure that he was out before applying the cuffs to his arms and legs and hoping that they would be strong enough if he awoke before you could get him to containment.

"See? Piece of cake."

"What...what did you...how did you...?"

"Seriously, you need to relax. We can talk about it when we get back to base."

"Yeah, okay," he panted, rubbing the sting from the redness that had grown on his neck from his near-strangulation. "But how..."

"Fitz, I'm about to get in some pretty serious trouble here, okay? We can talk later," you snapped, reaching down to take the man's bound hands into yours. "Maybe grab his feet?"

"Right! Right...yeah, feet...I've got the feet," he agreed, breaking his stare, though he quickly returned his focus to you once he began to lift the man from the ground. "You never told me that you have powers, (Y/N). Are you one of them?"

"Them? Meaning what, exactly?"

"No! No, no, no, I didn't mean that in a derogatory fashion, I just meant not exactly...human."

Daisy came around the corner and saw the two of you holding the man by his hands and feet, stopping to take part in your conversation. "Inhuman? Or something...other?"

"Oh my god, you guys, can we please finish this at home? I'm other, okay? Other." You dropped your end of the man into the van, allowing Fitz to push him in the rest of the way. He was still unconscious, but you decided that it would be best for you to ride with him in case he woke during the trip. You hopped up into the back of the vehicle and sat on one of the benches, clumsily securing your safety harness while Daisy and Fitz looked on, their faces full of expectation and questions. "I'm (Y/N) of Asgard," you huffed, completely fed up with the stares, "or Jotunheim, depending on who you ask, I suppose. I'm the daughter of Loki and Lorelei, who I believe you may have heard of. I wasn't exactly planned, and when things were getting a little too heavy in the family, Uncle Thor helped me to come here. There, are we satisfied-"

"Oh, I'm not satisfied at all. Not even close," Phil replied with an angry glare, taking a stand behind the other two. "And I think you and I need to have a few words when we get home."

~~~

"When, exactly, were you planning on telling me about this?" Phil barked at you, his voice echoing in his office and into the hallway. You could see shadows behind the frosted glass and recognized one of them as Fitz. Even as a shadow, he looked upset.

"When I thought it was important to do so, as it is now."

"After you were forced to, you mean."

"Same difference."

"You think this is a joke?" he asked quietly, and his voice dropped to a monotone and deeper octave. So much so that you felt the shift in the atmosphere around you, and for the first time, Phil actually made you a little bit nervous. He stood from behind his desk and crossed his arms tightly, taking very purposeful steps to close the space between you, planting his feet in place with only an arms' length distance. "You know that your fath- that Loki and I have a...a history."

"I'm aware, yes."

"Then how could you go all this time, on my team, and not tell me who you were? I fell like you've been lying to me, (Y/N)."

"Sir," you sighed, taking a small step back that he quickly filled in with his own push forward, "I wasn't lying to you. I was omitting details that I didn't feel to be important at the time. I had never planned to use any of my powers here. Honestly, I don't even want them. But then Fitz was in trouble, and I had to do something. What would you have done?"

He wanted to be sympathetic and you could see it in the subtle changes in his expression; he had dealt with so many others who had said the same thing to him, other members of his team, even. He couldn't treat you any differently on that reasoning if he wanted to maintain the trust he had worked so hard to build with everyone.

"Okay. I get it. I probably would have done the same if our roles were reversed," he relented, finally backing away to lean thoughtfully against his desk. His hands clasped in front of him and he sat quietly, almost as if to study you and trying see you in another light now that he knew more. "We'll need to run you through the intake and cataloging process. I'll have Simmons get started right away."

"Actually, Fitz is quite capable-"

"Yes, I could definitely be-" Fitz broke in, peeking his head around the edge of the door frame.

"Completely inappropriate for this, I agree," Phil halted you both, shaking his head in disapproval.

"Right, sorry, sir," you nodded, dropping your gaze to your feet. "Listen, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. It was a mistake and I accept responsibility and whatever reprimand you choose."

"Well, hell, (Y/N)," he chuckled, "you just sucked all the fun right out of it."

You perked up at his change in tone and the new levity in the situation, unsure if he was trying to throw you off or if he was genuinely enjoying himself. "Sorry, what?"

"If you're just going to roll over without an argument, what fun is there for me?" With a small push, he shifted away from the desk to walk back around it, dropping himself into his seat with an audible groan. "Go on, we're okay. I know why you didn't want to tell me. But (Y/N)," he paused, pointing at you with a completely serious expression again, "I don't ever want to see your father anywhere near the team, this base, or me. Understood?"

"Believe me, sir, I couldn't agree with you more."