So, shortly after the Season 4 finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I tried to convince my husband to draw a B Squad comic panel for me. He agreed, started, and then life happened and he never got further than a partial sketch of Davis and Prince.
Well, then Max Osinski (Agent Davis) was announced as a guest for The Ultimates (for which I had bought a ticket), so I talked my husband into finally finishing the comic panel (with a slightly more up-to-date text that the amazing @agl03 helped come up with), so that I could let Max sign it.
And then Briana Venskus (Agent Piper) got announced as a last-minute guest!
So, now, I not only have this amazing comic panel, created by my amazing husband, but I also have it SIGNED BY TWO OUT OF THREE PEOPLE PICTURED!
Hello Anon, I finally found time to write you a short fic. I hope you enjoy it.
Davis’ day off
[1000w, or read on Ao3]
Davislooks up from his newspaper and sets his coffee cup down on the table when hehears the doorbell ring. His eyes wander to Mindy, whose head is buried in amedical journal of sorts.
“Expectinganyone?”
Mindyscoffs, reaching for her own coffee cup and taking a sip before putting it backdown on the table. “Nope.”
“Ugh.”Davis folds up the newspaper and slams it on the table in annoyance, shakinghis head. “I swear, if this is work, I’m gonna—”
“—rushout the door and help save the world as usual,” Mindy remarks dryly withoutlifting her eyes from her article, a teasing grin on her lips.
Davisfurrows his brows, glaring in his wife’s direction, before heading to the frontdoor. He looks through the peephole and quietly groans. “You gotta be kiddin’me.”
Heexhales sharply before opening the door, staring sternly at Piper and Prince,who both have wide, fake grins plastered to their faces.
“It’s myday off. Unless we’re hours away from actual extinction, I don’t want to hearabout it. And if that’s the case, Imight want to spend those final hours with my wife rather than you guys.”
Piperopens her mouth in pretend shock. “First of all: Where’s the love? And secondof all: Relax. There’s no immediate threat to the world that we know of.”
“Great,have a lovely day then,” Davis replies, attempting to swing the door closed,but stopped by Piper’s boot in the door.
“We’renot here to ruin your day off, Davis. We’re here to make it better!” Princelooks over Piper’s head, his lips still pulled into a wide grin and his eyessparkling mischievously.
Davissquints, his eyes wandering between his two colleagues.
“Who isit, Zach?” Mindy’s voice calls from the living room.
Davisturns to look down the hallway. “The most annoying—”
Butbefore he can finish his reply, Mindy waddles out of the living room, pressingher hands into her lower back and pushing her pregnant stomach forward. “Ohhey, guys!”
Reluctantly,Davis opens the door wider again.
“Mindy,most beautiful pregnant woman alive, voice of reason, talk some sense into yourhusband, will ya?” Piper calls past Davis, seemingly unimpressed with thedaggers shooting from Davis’ eyes.
Mindy stops next to Davis, snaking her arm around herhusband’s waist. “That depends. What does S.H.I.E.L.D. need him for this time?It is his day off, you know, andwhile he’s admittedly a grumpy bum at times, I’m quite fond of his annoyinglittle tush.”
Davis jumps slightly when Mindy’s hand wanders down andpinches his butt, earning her a wide-eyed glare from her husband and suppressedchuckles from Piper and Prince.
“S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn’t need him,” Prince remarks.
Davis gestures at his two colleagues. “Then what the fuckare you here for?”
Piper pokes both hands through the door, gesturing atMindy’s midsection. “Davis, your unborn child can hear you!”
“She’s right, Zachary,” Mindy exclaims dramatically,protectively wrapping one arm around her stomach, but not quite managing tohide her grin.
Davis groans, dropping his head back slightly before lookingat Mindy, Piper, and Prince. Slowly, he raises both hands, extending his middlefingers in the air. “Well, it can’t see me yet, can it now?”
Next to him, Mindy begins to snort violently, while Piperand Prince fare slightly better at suppressing their laughter.
Once they’ve calmed down, Piper straightens up, exhalingsharply. “Alright, dude, here’s the deal: It’s our day off too and Davis D.Davis here is making an appearance soon—”
“You don’t know it’s a boy,” Prince tries to interject.
Piper looks over her shoulder at Prince. “I’m telling youit’s a boy and I’m gonna win the gender pool, alright? Now shut up and let mefinish, Prince!”
“For the record, whether it’s a boy or not, we’re not namingour child Davis D. Davis,” Davis remarks dryly.
“Yeah, yeah, we’ll see about that,” Piper waves him off.“Now, where was I? Right. It’s our day off. Baby Davis will be born soon.Prince and I aren’t exactly experts in the baby department, but we’re excitedfor you two, so we wanted to take both of you shopping today, so you can picksomething out for Mini-Davis that he/she could actually use, rather than Princeand I going nuts trying to find a gift we can both agree on.”
“Awww.” Mindy smiles widely. “That’s so sweet, guys.”
Davis stares at Piper and Prince wide-eyed, his mouth gapingajar.
“What do you—?” Piper begins, but is silenced when Davissuddenly lunges forward, pulling both her and Prince into a tight hug.
“Awww. Zach, you old softy,” Mindy teases her husband.
Davis slaps Piper and Prince on their backs before releasinghis hug. He straightens up, clearing his throat and trying to keep hiscomposure.
“Alright. You can join my day off.” He waves his indexfinger back and forth between his two colleagues, before pointing at himself.“But I’m driving!”
Piper grins one-sidedly. “Hope you drive better than youfly.”
Davis’ index darts forward, stopping just short of Piper’snose. “One more remark like that and you’re not coming!”
Mindy grabs her jacket from the hook, patting Davis on theback. “Nice job practicing your stern Daddy tone, Zach. Now, let’s go and getDavis D. Davis something cute.”
Davis slumps his shoulders, before grabbing his jacket andkeys, shooing everyone out the door, and calling after his wife. “We’re notnaming him Davis D. Davis.”
Piper’s head shoots around, wide-eyed. “It’s a boy?”
Davis’ chin drops to his chest. “Fuck.”
He looks back up, glancing at his wife, who smilesencouragingly. Davis lets out a heavy sigh. “It’s a boy,” he confirms.
“Yes!” Piper exclaims, jumping up and down in the frontyard, while Prince tilts his head to one side, furrowing his brows andmuttering a disappointed, “Man!”
“Few artists have influenced the sound and trajectory of popular music more distinctly, or touched quite so many people with their talent. As one of the most gifted and prolific musicians of our time, Prince did it all. Funk. R&B. Rock and roll. He was a virtuoso instrumentalist, a brilliant bandleader, and an electrifying performer. ‘A strong spirit transcends rules,’ Prince once said -- and nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative.” - Barack Obama, President of the United States.
His music and his spirit live on!!! Pass the word...
(Photo: Prince looking out of his Paisley Park studio complex. Sorry I don’t have the photog’s name.)
