The Worst Possible Timing
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A/N: For the anonymous prompt on Tumblr: "Jemma/Skye prompt. Jemma is distraught over Fitz's health and him reveling his feelings for her, that she doesn't return. She is talking to Skye about all of this and accidentally lets it slip she has her own feelings for Skye."
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"You wanna talk about it?" Skye was sitting on the bed, her expression kind.
Jemma realized she had been pacing, though the small room was hardly an ideal location for that. But now that she didn't have to be calm for everyone, now that it was just her and Skye, she felt the thin layer of her control splintering like ice on a February pond. "It's just...everything's so complicated now!"
Skye nodded slowly. And it's not like things hadn't been 'complicated' for quite a while, really. "Did you want to maybe sit and tell me about it?" She patted the bed beside her.
Jemma twisted her hands together in front of herself until they hurt, shaking her head. But Skye at least had some experience with romantic relationships—even if the recent ones had ended very badly—so maybe she'd be able to help. Finally, Jemma blurted, "Fitz is in love with me! He told me before—just before, and…he thought he was going to die, and I love him too, I really do, but...it's just not the same…I don't..."
"You're not in love with him," Skye finished for her.
Nodding, Jemma sat heavily on the bed beside Skye, then leaned forward, arms resting on her knees. "I feel like such a terrible person. He's a good man—he's my best friend and we know each other better than anyone, and… He saved my life; he was willing to die for me."
"Hey." Skye put a soothing hand on Jemma's knee. "What part of that makes you a terrible person?"
Jemma shook her head miserably. After a short pause she whispered, "I just feel like I owe him."
"Owe him? What, like he saved your life so now you have to fall in love with him?" Skye shook her head, her long hair moving across her shoulders. "That's not how it works, hun; you don't ever owe anyone anything like that."
"Well, I suppose not," Jemma agreed with a watery smile. "I mean, I saved your life—the circumstances were different of course—but I don't expect you to—" She slapped both hands over her mouth, horrified, then realized doing so was probably far worse than finishing that sentence would have been.
"Jemma?" Skye's smile was confused but encouraging.
All the blood that had run out of Jemma's face was returning and bringing more with it. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I'm really terrible at everything, aren't I?"
Skye smiled a little lopsidedly. "Well, obviously not everything; I'm alive today—and so are you—because you're a brilliant doctor and scientist."
Jemma laughed a little, quiet and uneven. "Well, all right, but at this: relationships, people, interacting. How else could I mess everything up so badly? My oldest friend is in love with me, but I'm in love with someone else, and—I wasn't ever going to say anything, and this is probably the worst possible timing."
"Jemma." Skye's expression was soft when Jemma stole a glance at her. "Are you telling me you're in love with me?"
Jemma nodded, tears welling fresh and unwelcome in her eyes. "It took me a while to figure it out—I've never been in love before." Had never expected to fall in love with a woman either, and it wasn't that falling in love with another woman was wrong, but it was just so much more complicated. "And I don't—I don't expect—"
"Oh, sweetheart," Skye said, stroking Jemma's hair, "you need to breathe. It's okay; it really is. And you need to breathe."
Jemma tried to obey, telling her lungs to cooperate as she finally came to the realization that Skye wasn't angry, and that they could still be friends even now. It was an incredible relief and Jemma found her herself slumping against Skye's side while the other woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders and made gentle hushing noises.
"You're right about it being bad timing," Skye said after Jemma's breathing had mostly returned to normal. "We've both been through some pretty majorly traumatic things lately, so it's probably not the best time to be jumping into a relationship for either of us, but...I need you to know that I'm not against the idea. At all." She offered Jemma a warm smile, her eyes shining. "I like you too. You're cute and funny and brave and brilliant, and I can honestly say that I've never met anyone I'd rather be with."
Jemma couldn't help the bright smile that spread across her face as she looked at her friend. It didn't solve anything, really. Fitz was still in a coma, and no one knew if he'd even wake up much less make much of a recovery, Ward was evil, and the world was in chaos. But she felt hope. Maybe things—at least some things—could get better.
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A/N: This fic is part of my "Let me write something for you" Marvel prompt request on Tumblr.
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