Title: White Horse
Chapter 01: Skye
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skye/Grant with some Mel/Phil
Summary: Grant returns from an eleven-month mission to find everything's changed.
Warnings: Cavity-inducing fluff.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: This is so cute and that's all I'm going to say.

A small whimper escaped Skye's lips as the sudden assault of sunlight interrupted her sleep. "No, too early," she grumbled. Didn't these people know what a rare and miraculous thing sleep was? Or how hard it was for her to come by these days? She needed her rest too.

Skye didn't care if duty was calling she was staying in bed.

"Go away, dad," she muttered as she pulled her pillow over her head and began to drift back into that sweet, sweet land of rest.

The bed shifted but Skye was so far gone she didn't even notice it. A moment later the pillow was gone and she whined loudly. She felt someone's hand on her forehead, pushing her hair away from her face, and she knew it wasn't her surrogate father's.

With a loud groan she opened her eyes to find it was mom staring down at her. She at least had the decency to look sorry for waking her.

"Sorry, baby girl, but something really important has come up."

Skye chuckled to keep from bursting into tears. "Of course because God forbid I get more than an hour of sleep, right? I'm not a machine, you know, I can't do eve-"

"Trust me, you'll thank me later."

She lifted one brow before snorting. She doubted it.

Skye shoved off her bed and threw her hair up into a loose ponytail. She didn't bother with a robe or slippers. The team had seen her in less than one of Grant's t-shirts and booty shorts and she was too goddamn drained to change.

Could a person die from fatigue?

She was sure she was going to find out sooner rather than later.

She followed May down the stairs of the house she shared. It was everything she'd ever wanted; comfortable, remote, beautiful, and most importantly it was home.

"This better be good, mom, because I have about fifteen minutes until-"

Skye froze on the bottom step and took in the sight in front of her. Coulson stood in the entryway with a grin on his face and behind him stood-

"Hi, sweetheart."

"Grant!"

Skye flung herself at her husband and clung to him like one of Fitz's damn monkeys. He hugged her back tightly and she buried her face in the crook of his neck and let herself cry. He'd been gone for nearly a year on an undercover mission and being away from him had literally been hell.

"I missed you too."

Skye couldn't even speak to tell him he had no idea what she'd been through since he'd left. Instead she let him carry her to the sofa where she kept her arms around his neck as she kissed every inch of his face.

"Come on Phil, let's give them some privacy."

Skye turned and got up to hug her dad tightly. "Thank you," she whispered, knowing he was behind this.

"Don't thank me, his mission is over," he whispered as he kissed the side of her head.

"Just in time for him to come home today of all days?"

He grinned. "Sometimes life works out that way."

Skye smiled and kissed his cheek. "Your present is upstairs; you're welcome. And happy-"

He shook his head. "Later, I think there are more pressing matters."

She nodded and hugged him again. A moment later she and Grant were alone and he was pulling her back into his lap and oh no, there was no time for that. Sure, it was long overdue but maybe after she'd slept a good three hours.

Skye pressed her hands against his chest and turned her head with a smile. His lips landed on her neck and she was so exhausted she actually giggled. "Come on, there's something I need to show you upstairs."

"I like the sound of that-"

"Grant, stop," she squealed as he wrapped his hands around her middle and went for her neck again.

"I'm serious!"

He flipped her onto her back and pressed her into the couch. "I haven't seen my wife in eleven-"

"Grant," she warned, giving him the serious eyes. He tried to counter with the puppy eyes they weren't going to work. She was no longer capable of being manipulated by cuteness.

He sighed and buried his face in her neck. "Fine," he grumbled before sitting up.

Skye smiled and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Later."

"Yeah," he asked happily,

"Oh definitely," she promised as she took his hand and led him up the stairs.

"God, you're beautiful. I forgot how beautiful. I'm never leaving you again," he whispered as he grabbed her from behind once they reached the landing.

Skye rolled her eyes. "I told you later."

"It is later," he replied as he kissed her ear.

"If you're this worked at least I know you weren't seducing dames in the name of espionage," she teased.

He squeezed her before turning her around so he could cup her face. "I'd rather blow my cover and die than ever do that to you," he said seriously and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Calm down, 007, I know that," she pulled him to her and kissed him the way a man needed to be kissed after being separated from his wife for so long. Skye was lucky enough to need two hands to count all of the people she loved enough to die for and he was one of the two she would also kill for. She knew he felt the same. She wasn't worried about him betraying her in any way ever again; if he did May would destroy him.

As she pulled away she took his hand, which still held his wedding ring. His covers now always included being a widower so he could avoid women throwing themselves at him (he was such an idiot as if that stopped them). She led him towards their bedroom. "Close your eyes."

"See you keep telling me 'no sex' but-"

"Shut up," she said as she covered his eyes, knowing he would peak, he was such a big child sometimes.

"Did they tell you I was coming home? Or have you had a present waiting for me?"

Skye bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. "Who said it was a present?"

"This is a classic Skye move. This is what you do to me on every birthday. Is that what it is? A late birthday present?"

She smirked. "Let's just say it's a surprise and leave it at that."

Skye led him through the door without either of them tripping over anything and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. This was happening? She knew it had to someday but….she took a deep breath and rose on her toes to put her lips next to his ear. "Now, remember, keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them."

"Whatever you say, wife."

"And remember that I love you?"

"Not as much as I love you."

Skye chuckled. He had no idea how true that was about to be. She released him and took a few steps forward. Skye leaned down and picked up the thing she'd worked so hard on since he'd left. She slowly let out a breath before turning to him.

"Okay, you can open them."