This is a one shot I found in an old writing notebook and it was finished so I decided to type it up real quick and now off to bed I go. It's been such an exhausting day.

Love Is A Game of Battleship

"You made it." She said with a soft smile pushing the drink she poured over to him.

"Yeah." He replied taking his seat and avoiding her gaze.

"Why'd you change?" She questioned with a smirk, sipping her scotch. Ward released a small chuckle into his glass and shrugged. "I brought something for you." She smiled hefting a small container onto the table. Ward couldn't help but truly laugh when he realized what the game was. "An all natural, no electronics version to ensure n cheating."

"Hey, you were the one cheating!" He defended with a grin.

"Set up Ward. It's time for me to sink my S.O. to the bottom of the ocean." Skye said with a grin at her joke.

"Don't…don't do that. No. That was a terrible joke." He grimaced.

Skye laughed and took the blue plastic container and began to set-up her unsinkable fleet. Ward cleared his throat nervously and took the red to begin his set-up.

"So what did you mean earlier?" Skye asked.

"What?" Ward asked momentarily confused

"You said-"

"Oh right. Yeah I…I…I um, I'm not too good at this." Skye just smiled understanding and nodded, encouraging him to continue on. "Me too. Just try. G1."

"Miss." He replied. "Do you see me as just your S.O.? Juliet two."

Skye looked up to him with a smile and answered, "No. I see you as my friend and partner in crime. Oh and miss."

"Nothing else?" He asked with a glance.

"Maybe. A2."

"Hit." He replied with a groan putting a red peg on his submarine.

"You never answered my earlier question." Skye commented.

"Foxtrot twelve."

"Miss. A3."

"Hit." He said again putting yet another peg on. "Echo six." He countered.

"Miss." She grinned. "So, Ward, what did you mean?" She repeated getting serious and trying to meet his eyes. Ward looked down in his glass and knocked back the rest of it swishing around.

"I was afraid." He burst out. Skye looked at him confused. Grant Ward was never afraid. "Do you know why I slept with May? Because it was easy. No strings, no emotions, no nothing. With her if I messed up it wouldn't break my heart. I don't care about her the way I care about you. If I mess up with you…" He trailed off swallowing.

"Grant…" She replied reaching out to place her hand over his, a small smile on her face.

"It was so easy for me to shoot that guy because I believed whole-heartedly that he was the one who was going to hurt you again. The thought of anyone, especially me, hurting you…it's un-bearable Skye. I watched you almost die and I wasn't even there. With you I feel something and that scares me because I've never felt something like this before and I have no clue what I'm supposed to do. I don't want to do something to hurt you." He confessed meeting her eyes, his pain and worry clear.

Skye got up from her stool and moved into his personal space. "Then don't. You take it slow and steady, one day at a time. I'll teach you what to do. Don't be afraid." She said with a soft smile, squeezing his hand. A grin erupted and she said, " You're Agent Grant Ward and you can kill fifteen people with your pinky." She spoke, imitating him poorly. Ward laughed and shook his head. "Now is when you're supposed to kiss me." She whispered with a grin.

Ward put his hand on her hip and pulled her closer. For just a brief moment their lips touched and Skye felt happy until it all began to drift away and the numbers 2:31 glowed bright red, blinding her eyes.

A single tear fell down her face. For just a moment she had believed everything happening and she had felt joy. But now the moment was gone and she didn't know what to feel. Images of Ward standing alongside Raina and Garrett appeared and she once again felt empty as she re-lived him choosing Garrett over her. More tears began to fall and she longed to go back to her dream where things made sense and she was happy. "Come back to me." She whispered before closing her eyes to try and return to her happy dream.

The End

So what did you guys think?