InsaneJournal

Phil had his PADD as he made his way through medbay, giving the standard welcome speech to the new arrivals and handing them their PADDs and answering any of their questions. It was routine, but Phil was good at setting them at ease and getting the information he needed. He pushed back the curtain and pulled up the next file.

"Hello. I'm Phil Coulson with the Traveler Liaison Office of the USS Enterprise. A rupture in the space-time continuum has brought you here to the year 2264…" Phil looked up from the PADD to the person in the biobed and his heart practically stopped in his tracks. It couldn't be, could it?

Waking up on the Enterprise had been… interesting… for Melinda , to say the least. Part of her wasn't entirely certain that this wasn't another of AIDA’s games- the Framework world was all too fresh in her mind for any other thought to bubble to the surface. After that Hell, where she was a loyal and dedicated agent for HYDRA, she wasn't willing to take anything at face value. Not until she had a chance to talk to her team.

Then Phil was there. Right in front of her, giving her what seemed like a well-practiced speech about the situation in which she found herself. It was almost comforting, the way he stopped speaking mid-sentence. Melinda could count on one hand the number of times she could remember that happening. But as much as she tried to hide it, there was no ignoring the way the tension of her Fight or Flight Fight instinct eased in her hands, her shoulders, her face. Phil Coulson was the one person in any possible universe, real or imagined, that she would not fight. She couldn't. She refused to.

Melinda took a deep breath. “Do you need to finish the spiel, Phil, or can you just give me the Cliff’s Notes version?”

The breath he hadn't known he'd been holding was let out slowly as his lips quirked into a smile. Not a doppleganger then. That was a relief. And a May from a world that knew him. That was a start.

"Hey, it's a good speech. All the info, none of the bullshit." His hands flew over the PADD, entering Melinda's information from memory. "Welcome to the USS Enterprise. We're in the future. Captain Kirk is in command - new Kirk not the Shatner Kirk. Some sort of the nebula pulling folks in from all sorts of different universes here."

He tucked the PADD under his arm. "Indulge me for a moment, May. What's the last thing you remember before coming here?"


Hm. May, not Melinda. It was a formal setting, though, so she could see why he’d pick that address as opposed to something more familiar. Still, it was a little concerning. After everything that they’d just been through, she’d thought that maybe there was a chance at something more than their working relationship or the friendship that had been built upon it. So holding back a little was likely in her best interest. She could confess this small deception later and though he might be hurt, Phil would understand. She hoped.

“... Taking a leap of faith,” she said, referring to leaping to what could have possibly been her death in an attempt to leave the Framework, but she’d let him make any assumptions he wanted to.


Phil raised an eyebrow in response. Trust May to be as vague as possible. "We've had quite a few of those over the years. You might need to be more specific." The corner of his mouth twitched upwards in a smirk. "Just trying to get a sense of timeline… people don't always come from the same time and place.."


Well, that explained a little of the lack of intimacy. If he was from a different time and hadn’t lived through that experience, then there was no reason for him to call her anything other than May unless they were off duty and drinking where he would occasionally let a Melinda slip out. Still, she didn’t want to put her foot in her mouth.

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

"This isn't an interrogation, Melinda. No need to turn the tables on me. I've been here for months. Before that, it was coming back from the framework." If she didn't know what that meant, well, it wasn't that big of a spoiler. "Daisy's here. And the Avengers. Jemma was here for awhile. So was Ward."


“I remember the Framework,” she said after a moment. That wasn’t a lie. She wished she didn’t, but that entire life was there and she remembered more of it than she ever wanted to. “Leaving… That was the leap of faith I was talking about.”


Phil nodded. "Hell of a few months back home, eh? Luckily I think I can manage that bottle of scotch. Stocked up on our last shore leave.”

He took a seat next to the biobed. "Since you don't want the speech, any questions?"

Melinda shook her head, looking around the medbay for a moment before turning her attention back to Phil. “You can say that again.” That’s when she really began to process all that he’d said. He’d mentioned Ward- she had to assume it wasn’t the Framework version of the man.

“Ward…” She arched a brow at Phil. “You punch him in the face?”

"No. Didn't kill him, either… just pitied him really. Kept thinking what if Hand had found him in our world. Or you or me. Kept a close eye on him though." Surveillance was one of those things Phil was good at. "This isn't like the framework, though. This is real."

“Should have punched him.” Heavens knew Melinda wanted to. Repeatedly. With something that would do some damage. In the Framework, Ward had been as big a thorn in her side as he had been out of it. She’d distrusted him, distrusted his relationship with Daisy, thought he was a traitor to the cause. While some things probably would have been better if Victoria Hand had found him (or Phil, because mentoring wasn’t something she didn’t know if she’d ever be entirely comfortable doing), some things were constant. Grant Ward would always betray the people who trusted him.

But then her expression grew dark, that already weak inner light dimming just a touch more. “The Framework felt real. Was real. “

"Daisy insisted I give him a chance. I told him I killed him in his future though so that was a fun conversation." Mostly he'd avoided Grant because while he could be civil, he couldn't be friendly.

"You're right, though. Probably should've punched him." Phil reached out a hand and covered Melinda's with it, something that he normally wouldn't do. But this was his other half and he'd fought like hell to get her back. And always would. "I know. Believe me. I know."

If there was anyone who would understand how Melinda felt in the wake of everything they’d been through, it would be Phil. He hadn’t been wrung through the same wringer she had, but it was close enough. And if Phil said this was really real… Well, she’d trust him. For now. Until she got the lay of the land for herself.

She twisted her hand so she could grasp his, squeezing it tight. She could feel the rhythm of his pulse, faint but there below the skin, and it gave her more comfort than she wanted to admit to. It wasn’t like them to be physically demonstrative, but maybe he needed it as much as she did in that moment. Maybe it was the start of something new. Then again, maybe he was just being himself and taking care of his agents in any way he could.

“You stocked up on Haig? They still make it?”

He squeezed her hand back, so much still unsaid between them. "Couldn't get Haig, but I did manage to buy a few cases of Macallan. Should do in a pinch."

That squeeze went a long way toward calming that part of Melinda that wanted to fight her way out of the medbay and down the corridor until she found some way, any way, out. “Macallan’ll do.”

"I'm just glad I was able to find halfway decent scotch. Not the same when you're sipping something blue." He made no move to let go of her hand just yet. He knew this was a lot to take in. "You'll get your weapons back. They'll assign you to quarters here - probably with roommates, fair warning. But you can do get a job here with tactical or security.. Whichever you'd prefer. Unless you'd rather go for pilot."

The roommate situation wasn’t ideal, but Melinda would deal with it. She always did.

“I’ll have to think about that.” She wanted to see how things aboard the ship worked before she made that sort of decision. Tactical or security sounded better- more action, which she wasn’t exactly looking forward to, but she’d be freer to ensure his safety. That was going to have to be her priority. She’d let Phil Coulson down once by not having his back and he’d died because of it. She wasn’t going to let that happen again.

“How long have you been here?”

"Of course. No rush on finding a job, I just know how you get bored easily." A small smirk. A stir crazy Melinda May was never a good thing.

He sighed, thinking about his time here, the minor scuffle he'd gotten into… all the stardates running together slightly. "A few months now. Got to see the Earth of the future."

Melinda huffed a small almost-chuckle that was more a loud rush of air than anything else. But her lips twitched into something that nearly resembled a smile, and she knew Phil would see it and see that she did appreciate how well he knew her.

“Future Earth can’t be that great. You couldn’t get Haig.” She squeezed his hand again, her free hand joining the two already clasped together.

"Maybe not, but seeing Starfleet Command was kind of cool." He grinned like a schoolboy. Sure, it hadn't been like going back to WWII and seeing Cap in his prime but it had still warmed his little fanboy heart. And then there had been the date with Peggy Carter. He'd have to tell her about that at some point as well.

He put his prosthetic hand on top of their joined hands, the sensation still odd. "I let Tony Stark work on my arm. Not sure if that was a colossal mistake."

Of course he would nerd out over Starfleet Command. Phil could be the coolest, calmest person on the outside, but two decades of knowing him, working with him, had shown her exactly how excitable he was on the inside, and damn if that grin didn’t remind her painfully of one of their early missions, before she had met Andrew, when she was a different woman and he was a less-experienced man. But this wasn’t the time to get lost in those types of memories, when the UST between them could have choked anyone else in the vehicle.

“I wouldn’t let Tony Stark work on a sandwich,” she snorted, shaking her head. The man was a genius, but also a pain in the ass.

"I know how to handle Stark. You just have to know where his weaknesses are," Phil said with a smile. "Besides, without Fitz, he seemed to be a decent substitute."

He moved his prosthetic arm and gave her a smile. "Good news is there's a decent gym here, so you can continue to kick my ass on a regular basis. Though Thor's here now too. And I'd pay money to see you take him on."

Melinda’s smile grew larger and more genuine at the mention of Thor. She might seem like little affected her but she was a woman and had a pulse and the God of Thunder had arms that she could only describe as ‘dreamy’. “I definitely want to see that gym once the intake process is done.”

Phil shook his head and laughed. "I don't understand it. Even Sharon was starting to fawn over him when he arrived." Okay, so maybe he was exaggerating a bit. "Once I finish up with you here, you're free to go. I could give you the nickle and dime tour if you want."

Melinda shrugged, smile growing into a genuine grin. She didn’t know if she could explain it either, at least not in a way that he’d be able to truly understand. “I’d like the tour. Especially since I didn’t get the speech.”

"Hey now, I offered you the speech and you refused it. I'll have you know I give very good speeches." Phil squeezed her hand once more before getting to his feet and checking his PADD. "Well, it looks like you've been cleared by medical, so you're free to go once I sign off. "

He gave her a grin. "Come on, let's show you around and get you settled. I just need to let Peggy know."

Melinda nodded and pushed herself off the biobed, taking a moment to steady herself. This was a lot for anyone to absorb, but it wasn’t like she had to do this alone. Phil was there, and Daisy. Ward wasn’t. It would be an adjustment, not having the rest of the core team- Mack and FitzSimmons and Yo-Yo. She imagined the Keonigs would have a field day.

“I’m not going anywhere without you.”

Phil felt his heart skip a beat at that and held Melinda's gaze. He'd never expected for him and Melinda to have a chance. There had been a moment… and then there had been Andrew and Audrey. Not to mention the thing with Rosalind. There was always something. Even now. He had gotten here before her and well, now he was dating Peggy Carter. "Alright. Let's get you your tour and then some scotch." Which seemed enough time to figure out how to tell the woman he loved… well.. To tell Melinda that he was dating Peggy Carter.

Melinda nodded toward the partially opened curtain, that smile still in place for the time being though it wasn’t as broad and open. That smile was reserved for certain people, people who she knew she could trust to be vulnerable around. People like Phil.

“Lead the way.”

---

Let's do the time warp again…

After giving Melinda the full tour of the Enterprise, which included spending time showing her the armory and the training facilities. There were the general things as well. Phil seemed at ease on the ship, as familiar with it as if it was the Zephyr. He stopped at the door to his quarters and led her in. He had a roommate now, but thankfully Harry wasn't here at the moment. He went to one of the cabinets, pulled out the bottle of Macallan and two glasses. Each glass got a hero's pour before he passed one to Melinda.

"Well, that's the Enterprise. She's not the Zephyr, but she's not bad." He raised his glass. "To us."


Melinda took the glass and with it came the soft smile that was the result of spending time with people she cared about, even if that time was spent walking the length and breadth of a ship that seemed to be half the size of Rhode Island. The exertion of walking all that way in heels (God, she hated heels) was welcome after being cooped up in the medbay for so long. “She might not be one of ours, but she’ll do in a pinch.”

She raised the glass toward Phil’s until she heard that satisfying clink. “To happy reunions.”

Phil matched her smile, clinking his glass against hers. "Indeed." He took a long drink of the scotch and sighed, trying to figure out how to tell her what was on his mind. "Melinda… "

Melinda was mid sip when she caught the sigh. Phil wasn’t someone who sighed just for the hell of it, so it was clear to her that something was bothering him. She slowly lowered her glass, watching him carefully. “... Phil.”

"Don't Phil me. It's nothing bad - well, not like the I'm dying or anything - not anymore than usual, at least. It's just… awkward." There were things left unsaid between them. That's how it had always been. That and spectacularly bad timing. "It's just… well, I'm not sure how to say this… but I'm seeing someone…"

That hurt, more than Melinda had any right to feel hurt by it. Mostly, she thought, because it was just… bad timing. It was always bad timing. First, neither of them had been wanting anything serious, because they had their careers to think about. Then she’d met Andrew. And Phil had never said anything, never been anything but happy for her and supportive, a good friend. The best friend. And, in time, he’d found someone to be serious about as well, and she was happy for him too, because he was amazing and he deserved that happiness. But then life happened. She lost Andrew, not once, not twice, but three times, and Phil had lost as well. And after dealing with AIDA and the immediate fallout of what that homicidal bitch had done, Melinda had started to think that maybe, just maybe, their timing was finally improving. Based on the way Phil had broached the subject, she suspected that he might have felt the same way. But she was wrong. Their timing was as awful as it ever was.

Melinda was careful to keep her expression steady. He didn’t need to feel guilty or responsible for her feelings. She turned toward the sofa and took a seat, sipping again. “Really? Anyone I know?” Hopefully a little levity would distract him from seeing the little things that shouted out her disappointment.

If he were anyone else, he would have missed it. The hurt and disappointment behind that steady expression. But he wasn't. And Melinda was like an extension of himself. It was why they had come to work so well together. Anticipating each others' needs and moves. He wasn't sure whether to join her on the couch or not. They hadn't had time to work out what they were after AIDA. And everything that had happened with the LMD was still fresh in his mind. Guilt nagged at him.

"Peggy Carter," he admitted, eyes flickering down to glass of scotch for fear they'd reveal too much to Melinda. After all, he wasn't wearing his sunglasses now.

Well. That got a reaction from her. Melinda’s brows shot up toward her hairline in surprise and she had to watch him, really, carefully watch him for a very drawn out moment. That wasn’t a name she’d been expecting, but she knew him well enough to know that if he were given the chance to get to know Director Carter in her prime that he would jump at it. His goofy, nerdy, history-loving self wouldn’t allow him to do anything else. That he got to know her well enough to feel a romantic interest in the woman was also no surprise. She’d seen him in action enough times to know that admiration often led to something more with him.

But with as disappointed as she was at another missed opportunity, Melinda wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she let Phil feel guilty for being a normal person with normal person feelings for once in his life. She didn’t know a lot of things, like where they were headed, but she knew that she loved him and that his happiness was more important to her than her own.

“I’m guessing she’s not a nonagenarian here,” she said after a handful of seconds. She swirled the scotch around in her glass, watching it rather than watching him. “And I assume that you know that no matter what age she is, she could eat you alive.”

"No, she's 28." Which was a far cry from his own 52 years and he fully expected Melinda to tease him about robbing the cradle. But he couldn't meet Melinda's eyes. It hadn't felt like a betrayal before, but now that Melinda was here, he felt torn. He'd offered to step back from Peggy with Steve's arrival, but he couldn't ask Peggy to do the same. They'd agreed to see how things played out.

"Apparently I have a thing for women who can kick my ass." Which was saying something, given that Phil could still hold his own in a fight.

Later, when things weren’t as raw, she would absolutely tease him about that age difference. Twenty-four years was a long time and there was only so much that common interests and talents could do to bridge that gap. But for now, Melinda only had one question. And for once, she didn’t hide her feelings when she asked it. Because he deserved to see, or at least hear, how she felt.

“Are you happy?” The words were soft, far more vulnerable than she’d ever meant them to be, but it was too late to take them back. As long as he was happy, she could set her own feelings aside and be there for him, her friend, the best friend she’d ever had, and she could let that friendship be enough.

Happy. It was perhaps the hardest question she could have have asked and Phil had no idea how to answer that. A week or two ago, it would have been simpler. He had found a way to make himself useful aboard ship and he was happy with Peggy. But now, with the arrivals of Steve and Barnes and now Melinda… well, things had gotten very complicated very quickly.

"I don't know how to answer that," he admitted. "She makes me laugh and smile. She understands what our life is like…"

His finger traced the rim of the glass. "But she's not you. "

Melinda’s heart stopped for one frightening, painful, wonderful moment. Hope and possibility bubbled up from somewhere around the ball of hurt and anger and self-loathing that had been her constant companion since the incident in Bahrain. And for a second, she thought that maybe it wasn’t too late and this wasn’t yet another missed opportunity. But he was still involved with someone else and Melinda wouldn’t put him in the position of leading a double life. She wouldn’t be that person. Phil had to make that choice himself, whatever it was, and square his things away. After that… who knew what would happen?

She stood, setting her still half-full glass on the coffee table, and walked to Phil’s side. He wouldn’t look at her and she wanted him to see her for what she had to say. Gently, she took his glass from his hands as well and set it beside hers. When Melinda turned to face him again, she grasped both of his hands in her own.

“Phil,” she said softly, trying to catch his eye. “I want you…” She took a deep breath, screwing up her courage. “... to have everything you want out of life. And I want you to be happy, wherever that is.” Another beat and part of her wanted, so badly, to close that gap between them and finally satisfy the curiosity she’d held at bay for so many years by kissing him, but she didn’t. “But no matter what, I’ll be here. I’m not leaving you again.”

It was funny how her two hands could feel so different, one in his actual hand and one in the prosthetic. It was tempting though to close the distance, to kiss her like he'd kissed the LMD of her.

"Melinda… don't make promises you can't keep here. We can't control if we stay or go.." His eyes were full of sadness when he met hers, the eyes of someone who had lost too much.

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it.” Because that just wasn’t who Melinda was.

She should step away. She knew she should. But with the look in his eyes, heartbreakingly sad, she couldn’t bear to. So she took a shuffling half-step closer. “And I mean it, Phil. I won’t let it happen.”

Phil moved his hand - the one that was still his own flesh and blood - and cupped her cheek. "Don't." He closed his eyes and let out a soft breath. "I don't want to lose you again, not so soon after getting you back. But Jemma was here, and we lost her.."

His thumb stroked her cheek before he pulled back, refilling his glass of scotch and taking a long swig. "Happy ever after just doesn't seem the type of thing people like us get."

Melinda needed a moment once he pulled away, closing her eyes as she gathered herself. She could still feel his fingers, her skin tingling in his wake. And she wouldn’t deny that she was more than a little disappointed that he’d backed off… but it was probably for the best. No matter what they had between them, he still wasn’t free to act on it if he wanted to.

She turned and picked her own glass back up, throwing back the rest of the amber colored liquid. The burn was a welcome change as it consumed the lump forming in her throat. “Happy ever after is for children. I’m talking about happy right now.”

He refilled her glass automatically before topping of his. Because drinking was easier than dealing with emotions. He took a few hasty sips of his scotch before running a hand over his hair. It would have been easier if they'd done this in the gym, admitting feelings in between punches.

"I don't know. I'm not sure happy is even possible for folks like us." Because right now, he couldn't think about happy, just about how complicated his life had become.

“Oh, that’s a load of bullshit, Phil.” Because she couldn’t accept the idea of a Phil Coulson who didn’t believe in the possibility of a brighter tomorrow. No, she wouldn’t accept it. “Why would you think that?” She was about to ask him what the hell had happened then something he said sunk in. About losing Jemma.

Melinda knew how important the team was to Phil. With as secretive as their lives had to be, it wasn’t exactly easy to settle down and for the both of them, the team was as close as they were going to get to having a family. However, something not being easy didn’t make it impossible. It just meant a hell of a lot of work and understanding.

“I don’t believe that and I don’t think you really believe that either.”

"Because of everything we've gone through." He set his scotch down and crossed his arms. Defensive Phil 101. "Because I gave my life to SHIELD and even after I was brought back, it was too late with Audrey. And then there was Rosalind until Grant murdered her and then-" Phil stopped short.

And then there was you. When he'd been so swept up in what might have been, in the possibility of a 'them' that he hadn't recognized it hadn't been Melinda until too late. He could never forgive himself for that.

"A few weeks ago if someone had asked me that, I probably would have said yes - or as happy as I could be here. Making the best of a shitty situation. And yes, my fan boy heart squealed at the chance to work with Peggy Carter in her prime. But happy? I don't know what that is anymore."

There were too many regrets, too many mistakes in his life. He unscrewed the prosthetic and set it on the table before going to sink down on the couch. It was like coming back from the framework again - multiple truths, multiple lives lived. He rubbed at the stump of his arm, feeling more tired than he had in awhile. "Our timing sucks."

“Yeah, it does,” she said with a sigh. Melinda couldn’t deny it. It did. Pretending otherwise would be a mistake. And she’d be lying to herself if she didn’t acknowledge the thought that maybe it sucked for a reason. Maybe the two of them as more than friends, more than a team, wasn’t meant to be.

She joined him on the sofa, turning toward him with one leg tucked beneath her. She slipped her glass on the coffee table, completely uninterested in finishing it. She could see how heavy things were weighing on him, and she didn’t blame him for feeling defeated. If you couldn’t confide things like that to your best friend, who could you confide them to?

“Maybe you need to take some time and figure out what happiness is for you, Phil.” Melinda was going to go ahead and ignore whatever it was between them for the time being. They’d been doing that for years, so doing it for a while longer was no skin off her nose. And if doing so helped him, if it made his life easier, then she would continue to ignore it indefinitely, because that was what real love was. It was putting the other person’s needs before your own. “SHIELD isn’t here. You have the luxury of living your life the way you want to live it for however long we’re here. Maybe you should take the opportunity and put yourself first for a change.”


Phil gave Melinda a wry smile. He knew what would make him happy - Melinda and SHIELD. Having his team back together and safe. Seeing FitzSimmons back together and happy. That was the crux of the matter - his happiness was built on seeing his team happy. Which is why he knew he would be tempted to end things with Peggy if it meant things would be easier for Melinda.

"Not sure I can do that. Team comes first. Always." It was what made him a good leader - being able to put the team and the mission ahead of his own needs. But it meant his own needs often took a backseat. He was okay with it.

Melinda reached out, the touch to his shoulder gentle and concerned. “You’re part of the team, too.” Because he was, the most essential part. They’d had team members come and go- Bobbi and Hunter being the most obvious ones, but others like Joey and Yo-Yo as well. The common thread through all iterations was Phil Coulson. There wouldn’t be a team without him. There wouldn’t be a SHIELD without him.

“Give yourself just one day where you let yourself be the most important thing in your life. I think you need it.”

Phil managed a chuckle before giving Melinda a wry smile and leaning his head back against the couch. "Easier said than done."

It wasn't in his nature to be selfish and experience had taught him that it didn't work out for him. Hence it was better to focus on everyone else. Like Melinda. And Daisy.


Melinda just shook her head and sighed. Phil Coulson was the most stubborn person she knew. Including her mother, which was impressive. She absently caressed the shoulder she was touching with her thumb, an echo of his earlier movement, while she watched him carefully. He wouldn’t prioritize himself, and she honestly wasn’t surprised by that. It just wasn’t in his nature. And as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t make him do it, either. So, really, she only had one avenue of recourse.

“If it will make your life easier, Phil…” This was horrible. She didn’t want to say it, but she had to. Better to know now that it really wasn’t going to go anywhere than to wait. Rip the bandage off. “... We can just ignore whatever this is.” It would suck, and her expression showed exactly what she thought of it, but she would do it. For him. If it was what he wanted.


"Because that's worked so well for us in the past," Phil commented snidely before gulping down the last of the whiskey in his glass. They'd ignored the thing between them for years, but now that they'd acknowledged that there was something between them, it seemed impossible to go back to what they had been there before.

Melinda rolled her eyes, leveling her gaze at him. “Well, what do you suggest we do then?”

"I don't know." Admitting not knowing was almost like admitting failure for Phil. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Things were now infinitely more complicated than they had been a day ago. "I need to talk to Peggy."

Phil turned to Melinda, meeting her gaze and giving her a look. "No matter what, I'm glad you're here. Place was too quiet without you."

The borderline annoyed look on her face eased as soon as he said he was glad she was there. “I’m glad you’re here too.” And she was. If she was going to be kidnapped to the future by an interstellar cloud, there was no one she’d rather be there with.

Melinda stood, the hand still on his shoulder trailing along his arm as she pulled away. “I should probably go.”

He covered her hand with his own, out of habit? Longing? Desire? The reason didn't really matter. "Melinda…" He wasn't sure what to say to get her to stay… to make things right between them. He wanted to reassure her that it would be okay.

He knew she could get stuck in her head, internalizing everything - just like he could. "Don't…" Don't what? Don't go? Don't pretend? Don't brood? "Don't be a stranger, all right? I'll see you in the gym at 0600?"

She grasped the hand that covered hers for a moment before she closed the gap between them. Melinda bent down and pressed a kiss to Phil’s forehead. Things were- Not weird. Not normal. Different. They were different between them but different wasn’t necessarily bad. Time would tell if this different became the new normal. “I’ll see you in the morning.”