Bobbi and Lance Hunter got together when they were sixteen. She'd just won her volleyball game, and he'd waited after to congratulate her, but went about in the most ass-backwards way, and they started bickering before Bobbi closed the gap between them and they'd made out furiously for a few minutes before her parents came out. She'd been able to pull away before they saw, and slipped her number to him.

They'd broken up about a thousand times, but always found their way back to each other. Junior Prom had been a turning point. They'd been fighting – Hunter didn't want to go at all – but when he'd shown up with flowers and an apology, they'd gone together and entered a more stable period of their relationship for a while.

They had been a bit of a high school power couple. They weren't mushy or anything. They did win Prom King and Queen their senior year. They did not win Most Likely to Get Married, which pissed Hunter off and caused him to pick a fight with the yearbook editor, even though she had no control over it.

Bobbi knew that college would be hard, though. She'd be going off to a university on one side of the country, and he'd be going to college somewhere, well, more in the middle. At least he wasn't going back to England, or anything.

Her first year at college went fine. She and Hunter made it over the first bumps of a long-distance relationship. Her roommate, Skye Coulson, ended up being one of her best friends. Her bio lab partner, Jemma Simmons, also became one of her best friends.

The summer was rough, though, because she'd been so used to not being with Hunter that being with hi for three months straight led to a lot of bickering.

Moving into her apartment with Skye and Jemma the next fall was almost a relief.

She made the mistake of telling Skye that when they were a couple of beers into the night.

"Dump him," Skye said.

Bobbi fixed her with an even look. "Skye."

"What?" Skye asked, taking the final sip from her bottle. "I told you last year and I'll tell you again now, you can do better."

Bobbi shook her head. "You don't understand."

"Don't I? I cut Miles loose when I realized we were barreling down a crash course," Skye said. "Hurt like a bitch, but I did it, and I'm better off for it."

Bobbi smiled. "Hunter and I aren't on a crash course. He's a good guy, Skye."

"Mhm, yeah. That's why he asks you if we've made out yet every time he calls."

Bobbi cringed. She really hoped Skye hadn't remembered that.

"Look, I'm a big girl. I can handle myself. If it ever comes down to that, you know I'll let him go. But it's fine. We're fine."

Skye shrugged and got up, heading towards her room. "I know, I know. Just giving my two cents."

"You give everyone your two cents. You keep riding Jemma's ass about dating Fitz," Bobbi said, running a hand through her hair.

Skye poked her head out of her bedroom door, glaring at Bobbi half-playfully. "You want them together as much as I do. I heard you talking to Jemma about it. You're not innocent, Morse!"

Long distance was harder this year, Bobbi quickly learned. She was still trying to decide between a biochem or criminology major, and her science classes were a bitch. Any down time she had was spent with her friends or working out, which meant calls to Hunter were squeezed in when she had five seconds, or answered hazily when he called her at 3 am, which she didn't always appreciate.

She did appreciate the effort, though.

"Lance, I gotta go," Bobbi said, balancing her phone and her textbooks, and her grocery bag as she tried to find her key to get into the apartment.

"Hang on, I didn't tell you the best part!" Hunter said. Right when she was about to crumble, the door opened and Jemma stood there, smiling, and ready to grab the groceries.

Bobbi mouthed a quick 'thank you' and stepped into the apartment. "Can't I see the best part when I catch up on DVR?"

"Alright, alright. But I'll call you later. I want to hear about how the Chem test went."

"It was a bio test, but it's a deal. Love you. Bye," Bobbi said and hung up.

Jemma was putting away the groceries and smiling to herself. "Don't say anything," Bobbi warned playfully.

"Me? I wasn't going to say anything," Jemma said innocently. They both chuckled, but then Jemma's smile faded. "Does he know? About the stress?"

Bobbi shrugged. "What? No, he doesn't want to hear about that."

"Bobbi, he's your boyfriend."

Bobbi had never been good at wearing her heart on her sleeve. Even with Hunter. Especially with Hunter.

"I've been coping on my own just fine, thanks. Speaking of coping, it's time for my run, I'm gonna head to the gym."

Jemma waved her off and Bobbi was gone.

She found her treadmill, put in her earbuds and got to work. She tried not to think about school or Hunter or anything. Each time she did, she was increasing the speed without even thinking about it. She didn't even really realize it.

That was, until her old knee injury acted up for a second and she almost went flying off of the treadmill. Almost. She had enough grace simply to stumble, and even that wasn't so bad, as someone caught her.

Breathless and sweaty, Bobbi stood up, pulling out her earbuds to face the person who caught her.

"I am so sorry," she said as she turned around.

She was used to looking down when she spoke to people, but she found herself actually having to look up to talk to the guy who'd caught her. He was tall. And very well-muscled. He looked like he could bench-press a small hatchback.

"Hey, it's fine. You okay?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. Old knee injury plus a high speed. Not a good combo. It's what I get for not paying attention," she said.

He nodded, smiling a little, like he was kind of laughing at her, but not in a mean way. It was surprisingly nice.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so hard on yourself," he said.

"Nobody gets anywhere by taking it easy," she replied.

He laughed, shaking his head. "I didn't say take it easy. There's a line between not pushing yourself and just beating yourself up.

Bobbi gave him a look as she reached for her water bottle. "I love getting life advice from random strangers at the gym."

"A random stranger who just saved you from further injury," he corrected, but not in an annoying or harsh way. It was conversational. She wasn't used to that. "I'm Alphonso Mackenzie. Mack."

He extended his hand and Bobbi reached out to shake it. "Barbara Morse. Bobbi."

Mack smiled, let go of her hand, which had almost been dwarfed by his, and made his way over to the equipment he was going to use. Bobbi had already been running for an hour so she'd figure she'd call it night.

Bobbi mostly forgot all about Mack. It was only 'mostly' because his oh-so-sage words of wisdom kept popping into her mind when she'd work out.

She was doing a kickboxing workout in the back about a week later when the door opened and he stepped through.

"Oh, sorry I didn't – Hey. Bobbi, right?" he said, once he realized it was her. Bobbi paused her workout.

"Yeah. Alphonso," she said, just to watch him cringe, which he did. She smiled then and added, "Mack."

"I've never seen anyone come back here before. I thought I was like the only guy who came back here."

"Same. Guess we were both wrong," Bobbi said. "Sometimes running isn't enough. Gotta beat out my stress. Boxing. Kickboxing, whatever I need."

Mack nodded. "I understand the feeling. The punching bag isn't a great opponent though."

Bobbi made a noise. "That's an understatement."

"I'd offer to spar with you sometime, but if you fight like you workout…" he trailed off with a one-sided grin that was driving her a little insane.

"You'll get a better workout, then."

"Fair point."

"Another day, though. I should be heading back to my room. I have a lab report due in two days," Bobbi sighed.

"Engineering?"

"Biochem. Maybe. Criminology doesn't wanna let me go," Bobbi said with a soft laugh.

Mack nodded, starting to wrap his hands. He was going to stay and box, of course. Bobbi almost wished she could linger.

"I was kinda hoping we could get you on our team," he joked.

"You're engineering?"

"Mechanical."

He probably had a couple classes with Fitz then. Well, depending on what year he was.

"I really should run," she said.

He waved her off and made his way to one of the punching bags. "Go. Get that lab done."

Bobbi nodded and grabbed her stuff. "We will spar at some point, though."

"Mhm, let me know in advance, so I can make sure I can recover from getting my ass whooped, okay?"

Bobbi laughed and headed out of the gym, smiling to herself.

"Bob. Bob, are you even listening?"

Bobbi blinked, remembering Hunter on the other line. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I just spaced out for a second."

There was a sigh. "It's alright," he said. He paused. "Is everything okay over there? You've been really wonky lately."

"Yeah, yeah it's fine," she said. She remembered Jemma nagging her about opening up more. "It's just, I'm drowning a little. Testing out of Bio 100 last year seemed like a blessing but is biting me in the ass a this year. The level I'm at is way harder. If Jemma wasn't there, I think I'd be going insane. And even that's hard because I may be a damn good student, but she's a prodigy. Maybe I should just be a criminology major."

"If that's what you want," he said casually. Now he was the one half-listening.

Bobbi rolled her eyes. "Lance."

"What?"

"You prod me to talk to you, and when I do, you don't even listen?"

"I know that tone," he said, and Bobbi was about to retort but he kept going, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to space out. It's just a hell of a lot harder to actually connect over the phone, you know?"

Bobbi softened again. "Yeah, I do know. It sucks."

"It does suck. Maybe I can come up for a weekend soon, " he said.

Bobbi leaned back in her bed. "That'd be nice. I'm not sure when will work because I'm so busy, but that'd be really nice."

"Oh, screw busy. We'll make time. We need this. Skype sex does not help all that much."

Bobbi smiled, though the compliment felt a little off. She had to agree, though. Skype sex did not cut it. As for 'making time'…it was impractical, but a nice idea. "Sounds good. Love you."

"Love you too."

She hung up and rolled over.

"Is there a reason I came home to find you eating ice cream out of the carton and reading trashy magazines? I thought that was reserved for emergencies."

Bobbi looked up at Jemma, feeling humiliated.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Jemma looked at her sternly.

"Don't tell Skye. I don't want to hear it. But this visit…it was rough, Jem."

Jemma nodded sympathetically.

Hunter had found a time to come up. It hadn't been a great time for Bobbi, but she knew that he was making sacrifices to come up, so she could make a few as well. They'd immediately jumped into bed. And then, well, then they'd immediately started fighting.

"I, uh, overheard some of your…discussions," Jemma said delicately.

Bobbi laughed harshly. "That's a way to put it. I don't even know what we were fighting about half of the time."

"I overheard one about a taco stand, one about him not trusting you with the biology tutor, and another about how everyone's needs are not being met. Oh, and another about him leaving wet towels on the floor."

"God, most of those are so idiotic! We're so idiotic. This is just like high school all over again," Bobbi groaned, dropping her head into her heads. When she came back up, she just shook her head. "Every time we broke up in high school, it was horrible. He'd call me a hellbeast. To everyone who would listen. Even those who wouldn't. We'd bicker when we were together, we'd bicker when we weren't. And then, eventually, we'd bicker so hard we'd have sex and wind up together again."

Jemma furrowed her brow. "Sounds like an interesting cycle."

"It's not a cycle. It's a rollercoaster. I just thought we were past this, you know?" she said, taking a shot of fireball. "And it's not like the sex is fantastic, you know? Like it's good. It's really good. Sometimes it's great. But I'm just as capable on my own."

"Are you sure that's-"

Bobbi sighed. "It's not important. And it's good, like I said. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just tense. He left on bad terms. I hate when that happens. I just wish I could talk to him."

Jemma nodded and helped Bobbi clean up, which Bobbi really appreciated. When they were done, Bobbi headed back to her room to go pass out.

She opened her laptop and Skype dialed Hunter once she knew that his plane would've landed.

His face appeared on the screen and she felt relieved. He didn't decline.

"It's late, Bob."

"I know. I just, I had to talk to you."

Lance nodded and they just stared at the pixelated image of the other for a while.

"I wish you were here," she said.

Hunter ran his hands over his face. "Me too. I don't like how we left things, Bob."

"Me neither. Do you think I like this? I wish…I wish it were easier."

"We'll find a way. To make it easier. After everything we've been through, I know that much," he said.

After 'everything'. It was a lot of time, but it wasn't a lot of life. But she nodded anyway, feeling relief swell in her at his words. He was her home base. It was complicated, but he was familiar, and she loved that about him.

"We always knew this was going to be hard."

"I know," he nodded. "Love you, Bob."

Bobbi smiled. "Love you too."

"Fitz? You here?" Bobbi was walking through the engineering labs, looking for Fitz. He'd asked her to print some things for him, for an experiment proposal, and now she couldn't even find him. Great. Not like she had her own things to do. "Oh come on," she muttered, and almost walked straight into Mack, which was quite a feat since he was so tall.

"Bobbi."

"Mack." She said. "Sorry. What are you…oh, engineering. Right," she said.

Mack nodded. "Yup. You looking for Turbo?"

"Who?"

"Leo Fitz?"

Bobbi burst out laughing in spite of herself. "Yes I am. I have papers for him. You call him Turbo?"

Mack shrugged. "It's a habit. His work is in workshop C. There should be a folder on the door. Down the hall."

Bobbi nodded and walked a few doors down and dropped off the papers. When she turned around, Mack was still in the hall.

"You and Fitz ever work together?" she asked.

He shrugged and walked back into his workshop space, and Bobbi followed.

"From time to time. He's a damn prodigy," he said, looking over a schematic.

Bobbi gave a knowing nod. "Yeah, I'm surrounded by those," she said, rolling her eyes.

Mack turned his head to look at her, quirking an eyebrow. "That almost sounded like you putting yourself down."

Bobbi folded her arms, half-defensively. "I'm not. I know I'm smart as hell," she said.

"Uh huh."

"I do. Doesn't mean that it doesn't suck to have to put in twice as much effort as them," she said.

Mack grunted and walked over to what looked like an engine. "I know the feeling. Wrench, please," he said. Bobbi handed him the wrench and hopped up on the counter. She really should've been going. Then again, she didn't have anything really urgent. And it wasn't like Mack seemed to mind.

The labs seemed empty. Who else was going to hand him wrenches?

"You still have not let me spar with you," she said.

He laughed. "Call me a coward."

"Oh come on. I've seen you in action. You're not bad. A bit slow, your reaction time could use some work, but you've got a lot of power behind you. You could probably knock someone out in one hit," she said, teasingly.

"You've been watching me box, Morse?"

"Checking out my opponent."

"Mhm." Mack said, but when he stood up, she could see he was just giving her a hard time. "So, how do you know Turbo? Also, I need the wire strippers," he said.

Bobbi nodded and handed him the tool as he passed her back the wrench. "Friend of a friend last year. Now we're kind of in the same…cluster of friends, I guess. And he's a good friend to have. Even if he does eat most of my food."

"He does that to you too?" Mack chuckled. "I learned a looong time ago to hide my snacks."

"Yeah, well, it's hard to hide my whole kitchen when he comes over," Bobbi grinned.

Mack laughed, low and deep. "I do see how that could be a problem."

He stood up then, setting down the wire strippers. "Well, I'm done for the night. I'm gonna head out and get a drink. Want to come?"

Bobbi hesitated.

"I'm not asking you out," he clarified. "And the bar doesn't card."

"How did you-"

"Just a guess."

Bobbi nodded. Yeah, she could use a drink. "Lead the way."

She hopped off the counter and followed Mack outside. That was the good thing about school in the city – everything was close by.

"You still stuck between biochem and criminology?" he asked as they walked.

"Yeah. It keeps me up at night sometimes. It feels like I'm deciding my whole life, which I hate," she said.

"Understood. They don't have to be mutually exclusive fields, though. They could work together."

"True," Bobbi said. "But I'd rather eat my own foot than double major. Biochem is hard enough on its own."

"What about a criminology minor? It's possible, and more manageable. It's just an idea, though. I can't solve the issue for you," Mack said. He stopped in front of the bar and held the door open for her. "But I can help."

"I appreciate it," Bobbi said, leading the way into the bar. They sat at the bar, towards the corner, where it was just them, and the bartender.

"Bulleit rye, on the rocks," Mack ordered, sliding the money across the bar. Good to know he had good taste in alcohol. She'd hated the shitty alcohol that freshman were forced to deal with. Good thing Skye made them all fakes for sophomore year.

"Make it two," Bobbi said, smiling, and the bartender. Their drinks were slid across the bar and they clinked their glasses together.

"To a new friendship," Mack said.

"To future sparring partners."

Mack rolled his eyes, but it was exaggerated. A joke. The kind that spoke to Bobbi. She wasn't sure where Mack had come from, but he was just the person she needed lately.

"So you literally fell into this guy's arms, you keep running into him, you get a drink together, you guys spar now, he's nice, you said he's attractive-"

"Only because you were beating me with a pillow until I said what he looked like!" Bobbi interjected.

"Whatever," Skye said, waving her hand. "Point is, you aren't hooking up with him? Are you crazy?"

"I have a boyfriend," Bobbi reminded her, flipping through a magazine. Skye grabbed another slice of pizza, rolling her eyes.

"And you know how I feel about Hunter."

"Skye," Jemma interrupted. "You and Bobbi might have different ways of approaching this. She has a boyfriend, you have a rotation."

Skye coughed on her pizza. "I don't have a rotation!"

Jemma and Bobbi exchanged a look. "Lincoln on Mondays and every other Friday. Trip on Wednesdays and Sundays," they said in unison.

"That doesn't prove anything! Besides, we're talking about Bobbi. At least tell me what his name is!"

Bobbi shook her head. "Oh no, I'm not telling you that. You, with that information? Who knows what you'd do."

"You do like him though, right? Not just as a friend?" Skye asked.

"I don't know! No, probably. I'm with Hunter. I love him. I can just be friends with a guy. In fact, I've never been friends with a guy first, so I'm used to separating friends and boyfriends," Bobbi said defensively.

"We know, Bobbi," Jemma said, giving Skye a pointed look. "I'm honestly just happy you have someone you feel like you can talk to about your stress and stuff. Besides us obviously."

"Bob, I love you so much, you're amazing."

Bobbi blinked her eyes, looking at her phone. "Hunter, it's 3 am. I have class in five hours," she said groggily.

"I know but I just had to tell you how bloody much I love you."

His words were slurring. It was three am. He was calling to tell her he loves her.

He was drunk.

"Hunter how many beers have you had?"

"A lot, but that doesn't matter. I love you. So much," he said, sounding sleepier by the moment.

Bobbi sighed, rolling over into her back. "I love you too."

"You don't sound like you love me too."

"I do."

"Do you?"

"I wouldn't be with you if I didn't love you," she said, perhaps a little too firmly. He let out a snort. He was upset.

"Or maybe something else funny happened. Either way, she was relieved because he didn't complain any more.

"That's nice," he said. "I wish I was with you right now. I'd kiss the hell out of you."

"Mmm, no you wouldn't," she said, smiling. "You'd taste like Natty Light, I wouldn't let you anywhere near me."

"Well, that's just rude."

"I've gotta go, Hunter. I have an early class."

Hunter let out a noise that sounded a lot like a whine. "Oh, skip it. It's just one class."

"It's one of my hardest classes."

"Bob-"

"Say Goodnight, Lance."

"Goodnight Lance."

Bobbi rolled her eyes and hung up before burying herself under the covers again, praying that she could get more sleep before her class.

"I declared my major."

"Is this the time to talk about that?"

Bobbi ducked a hit from Mack, sweeping her leg, but he jumped over it.

"What, can't talk and spar?" she asked with a smile. He pushed her up against the wall, looking down at her. Bobbi felt her chest rise and fall as she panted. She ducked his reach and spun around behind him, landing a few hits.

Mack rolled his eyes, jabbing a few times. Bobbi feinted left and when he fell for it, swept his leg again, and Mack went down.

"Damn, Bobbi."

She smiled, helping him up. "Told you. You're slower than I am."

Mack shrugged, tossing her a towel and a water bottle. "So what'd you decide? I know we talked about it last time we sparred, but you still seemed pretty indecisive."

"Biochem major with a criminology minor. You were right. They're not mutually exclusive."

Mack pulled her into a hug. A warm, sweaty hug. But she didn't feel like it was gross. After all, she was sweaty too.

"I'm proud of you. That wasn't an easy decision."

"Thank you. Not everyone felt that way," she said.

Lance. Lance didn't feel that way. He'd said. 'Are you sure you can do both?', granted it was followed by 'because I know how stressed you are, and it would be rotten if it got worse', but it still felt shitty. He did congratulate her when she declared. No, he was good. Supportive.

"Well, I'm in your corner."

"And I appreciate it. My roommates are throwing a tiny party as celebration. I know you don't know them and it could be weird but would you want to come?" she asked.

"Are your friends a bunch of idiots?" he asked, half-joking.

"No more than normal."

"Then I'll be there."

Bobbi smiled. "Thanks, Mack."

He nodded, and Bobbi felt, for the first time in a while, like she could just relax.

"What'd you get?" Bobbi asked, looking at the alcohol that Skye had bought.

"Tequila for shots, just in case. Corona."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Skye."

Skye shrugged. "No prob. Oh! And Jem and I got a cake."

Bobbi smiled. This was fun. She was going to have a good time. Fitz was already on the couch, with a massive bowl of pretzels in his lap as he and Jemma talked about some paper they both had just turned in. Skye was setting up the bar.

Trip and Lincoln were both on their way. Skye was lucky they both got along and were good guys who were fine with a 'friends with benefits' relationship.

"What time is your guy getting here?"

Bobbi rolled her eyes. "He isn't 'my guy', Skye."

"You know what I meant."

Bobbi nodded, fishing around for a pretzel from the bag that Fitz had nearly emptied. "Mack should be here in like half an hour."

Skye stopped cutting limes for a second. "Mack? What kind of name- wait. Mack as in Alphonso Mackenzie?"

Bobbi furrowed her brow. "Yeah, how do you know Mack?"

"Mack is my TA. He's a first year grad student."

Bobbi frowned. "Mack is your TA? How the hell does he put up with you?" she asked smiling. "Is it gonna be weird for you, partying with your TA?"

Skye shrugged. "Nah. He's pretty relaxed in class, too. He doesn't take shit, but he's not a hardass. Besides, he's only the TA, not the professor."

Lincoln and Trip arrived, interrupting their conversation.

"Last one to declare, huh, Bobbi?" Lincoln asked.

"Hey, she gave us a reason to have a party, you should be thanking her," Trip said, pulling Bobbi in for a hug.

"Yeah, Lincoln, listen to Trip," Skye said, slinging her arms over both Trip and Lincoln's shoulders and steering them out of the entryway and into the apartment.

Bobbi was about the join them when there was a knock on the door. She opened it and saw Mack standing there.

"Hi," she said, smiling.

"Hey." He lifted up a bottle of bourbon. "Happy Major Declaration?"

Bobbi laughed. "You didn't have to…but I'm so glad you did," she said. "Oh, um, before you come in, quick disclaimer: We just had the realization that you are the TA for one of my roommates. Is that going to be weird for you?"

Mack shrugged. "Don't think so, who is it?"

"Skye Coulson?"

Mack laughed. "Oh that trouble maker. No, Tremors and I should be fine."

Bobbi cocked her head. "Tremors? How is that even applicable? And how do you have nicknames for all of my friends?"

She stepped aside to let him in, closing the door behind her, but they both hovered in the entryway.

"She kept knocking shit over first month, so she became Tremors. And I have nicknames for everybody," Mack explained. Bobbi almost laughed. Yeah, she could see Skye doing that.

"Not me."

"Bobbi is already a nickname."

Bobbi had to give him that. They walked into the living room, where the beer had already started flowing.

"Everybody, this is Mack. Mack, this is everybody. I believe a few of you already know each other," she said, looking at Skye, and then at Fitz.

"Hey Teach!" Skye called, waving. Mack laughed and Skye crossed the room, handing Mack a beer. "Is this breaking like 600 school rules?" she asked.

Mack shrugged. "We're all students, right? And I'm not providing you with the beer."

Skye clinked her glass against his. "And this is why you're the TA and I'm the student."

There was a clinking sound as Jemma stood up, tapping a knife against her beer bottle. Bobbi rolled her eyes affectionately.

"Now that everyone is here, I would like to propose a toast. Bobbi had a lot of stress lately, but she overcame it and she's going to be utterly brilliant. And because of her, we get to all get together during this hectic time of year! To Bobbi!" she said.

"To Bobbi!" they all said. Mack reached over and squeezed her shoulder, smiling. Bobbi returned his smile.

He didn't drink his beer though. She had a feeling he was waiting for the bourbon, and she did not blame him.

"So how did it never come up that you're a grad student? And a TA?" she asked.

"I was just thinking the same thing. I guess I figured when we went out to the bar, it seemed obvious that I was older than you, but it's only a three year difference, and I was a Junior undergrad when I turned 21, so I guess I could've just been a junior or senior," Mack reasoned. "Anyway. Let's redo it all. Bobbi Morse, nice to meet you. I'm Mack, I'm a first year grad student here, did undergrad here too, getting my masters in mechanical engineering. How's that?"

Bobbi smiled. "Very good."

"Hey Mack!" Fitz called from across the room, waving an xbox controller in the air. "Come play! Trip and I are just settling in."

Mack looked down at Bobbi. "Go. You know you want to," she said.

He laughed and walked over, sitting down on the couch next to Fitz and shaking hands with Trip as they met.

Bobbi was alone all of two seconds before Skye and Jemma appeared on either side of her.

"I do not want to hear it."

"He is very aesthetically pleasing, and I'm leaving it at that. I know you love Hunter, but it did need to be said," Jemma said.

"I'll grant you that," Bobbi admitted.

"If I'd known it was Mack you were talking about this whole time I would've pushed you so much harder. The guy is great!" Skye said.

"I'm not going to date your TA, Skye," Bobbi said. "Besides, I'm not even looking for a new guy."

Skye nodded, raising her hands defensively. "Alright, alright. I'll start to back off," she said. Then she smiled, looking in Mack's directions. "Have you seen his arms, though?"

"Skye!" Bobbi snapped.

"You're behaving horribly, Skye…but you are completely right about his arms," Jemma admitted.

Bobbi dropped her head into her hands and walked away, going to find Lincoln.

An hour or so later, Mack appeared by her side as she cut up some more limes for people's corona. He slid the bourbon bottle towards her. He was hovering in a spot that was to her side, but also right behind her. He was warm. Comfortable.

"Should we break into this?" he asked.

She smiled, turning around to face him. "Could not have asked at a better time," she said. There was a loud cheer from where Fitz and Trip were playing FIFA. "It's getting loud in here. Follow me," she said.

She led him through Skye's room out of one of her windows and onto the fire escape. It was a nice view of some of the campus, and also the city, and a park. They sat out there as Mack got the bottle open. He passed it to Bobbi who took a swig.

"You sprung for the good stuff," she said, passing it back.

"Yeah, I stopped buying cheap alcohol as soon as I became legal. Don't love drinking straight out of the bottle, but hey, it's not a habit, so who cares."

She smiled, leaning back against the brick wall of the building. "I should've known you were a grad student. You're refreshingly adult. Not boring. Or stuffy, but you just…you're not in high school," she said.

Mack gave her a look. "None of us are in high school."

"Mentally, some people are."

"I have no idea what you're ranting about, just so you know," he said, passing her the bottle.

"It doesn't matter," she said, taking a sip. "I've had the same boyfriend from high school, you know. He goes to a different school. Kind of wish he could've been here tonight. I think you two would get along. On the other hand, we wouldn't be alone out here, and he talks a lot, so this is nice."

"That's impressive that you two managed to stay together," Mack noted.

"It's hard. But I like to think it's worth it," she said.

Mack nodded. "I respect that."

She smiled. "Thanks. Skye doesn't. Love the girl to death, but I keep having to hear how she wishes I would dump him."

"Huh." Mack rested back against the wall as well, resting his hand on the neck of the bottle, right over Bobbi's. "Well, I'm definitely not Tremors."

"Yet another reason for me to keep you around."

She flexed her hand under his, settling it, enjoying the warmth and softness of his own

"You sound terrible."

"I'm sick, you could show a little compassion," Bobbi grumbled into the phone.

She was bedridden. Thank god her one class on Friday was cancelled, because she did not want to get behind, and now she had a whole weekend to wallow and try to get better.

"I hate being sick," she muttered, and closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning.

"Well, let's just count our stars I didn't decide to come up this weekend. That would've sucked," he said. "We both know I'm not the best caretaker in the world."

Bobbi laughed. "More like the worst. You never come near me, jerk."

"Germs, Bob. Germs!"

"Well, I do wish you were here," she said, not sure if she meant it.

"I don't."

"Hunter!"

He sighed and Bobbi chuckled. They said their goodbyes and hung up and Bobbi got ready to curl up and feel like crap for the rest of the weekend.

Jemma came in with a mug of tea before she left for her last class of the day.

Then Bobbi was alone again, wallowing in her illness.

There was a knock on her door again and she rolled over onto her stomach, groaning. "Come in."

She expected Skye, but Mack walked in, with a bag from right aid. She smiled lazily and pushed herself up on her elbows.

"Hi. I'm dying."

"Hey. You're being dramatic."

Bobbi shrugged. Mack sat on the edge of her bed, digging around in the bag. He pulled out some Gatorade, some nasal spray. "Fever?" he asked.

"Don't know."

He reached over, resting his hand against her forehead. His hands felt cool. Soft. "Doesn't feel like it, so that's good. I've got Nyquil, Dayquil. Cough drops. Two spare boxes of tissues. Oh, and some advil for your head."

"You didn't have to do all that," she said, reaching her hand out for the Gatorade. Mack smiled, resting his hand over hers.

"I wanted to," he said simply. "Besides, we have a sparring date Monday, can't have you calling in sick on me, Barbara."

She hated that name. It wasn't quite so bad when he said it, though.

The hand that was on hers tightened slightly, pulling her up so she was sitting. He handed her some Dayquil. She remembered being in high school and avoiding having Hunter, or other guys, see her when she was sick. But she didn't care anymore. She'd grown up. She was just happy she didn't have to deal with this alone. She swallowed the medication and laid back down.

"Thanks for taking care of my sorry ass," she said, smiling a little.

Mack laughed. "It's no trouble. And your ass is not sorry."

"Mhm."

"Get some sleep, Bobbi. I'll check in on you tomorrow."

Bobbi nodded and let her head drop back down to the pillow. God, she was exhausted. She couldn't wait to recover.