"I try." Coulson's response was automatic, and he shook a little dust from his tie before giving up entirely. He still liked the desert more than Starksitting, but not by much.

He didn't respond to the latter part of Barton's teasing, but he took a slow breath so his hands stilled and his features were neutral again long before the first car pulled up. He gave Barton an assessing look and considered arguing, but in the end he just nodded. "Come on then, let's get back to work."