A/N: Originally posted on my tumblr as a response to an ask prompt.
After May walked away from Ward, Skye moved over to him. "Hey, Grant," she said, using his first name for a sense of familiarity and companionship. "How're you doing?"
He spun and swung at her, just like he had at May, but she wasn't as fast at dodging. She jerked backwards as his fist impacted her cheek, making a low noise of pain, and put a hand to her face.
"Idiot!" he exclaimed. "What the hell do you think you're doing sneaking up on me?!"
She kept her hand over the bruise blossoming on her cheek and stared at him, swallowing hard. "You just punched me and you're calling me an idiot? Nice," she said. "I just wanted to check on you and make sure you're okay!"
"Do I look okay to you?" he growled. "I get it, you're team sister, the one everyone's supposed to spill their guts to, but I don't trust you, because last time I checked, you betrayed us to your damn boyfriend, right when I thought we were getting somewhere with you. So why don't you take your treachous team cheerleader attitude elsewhere?"
She swallowed and didn't move away from him, no matter how much she wanted. "I didn't betray you, I believed in him and I trusted him, I didn't... think he-"
"Bullshit, don't give me that," Ward spat at her, rounding on the punching bag and begining to lay into it again. "If he'd asked for the weaknesses of everyone on this team and to get them all into the same room, you would've told him and thrown a party."
"I wouldn't," she breathed. "Ward, I wouldn't've, not if I'd... I'd never betray you."
He punched the bag hard enough for the chains to make scary snapping noises. "You already did." He looked around at her. "Why the hell would I ever talk to you about anything when I can't trust you? I tell you anything, it goes to the Rising Tide and then the whole world gets to know all my secrets.
"I wouldn't do that to you, Ward, I swear," she murmured.
"Just get out of here," he snapped at her. "I don't want you, I don't want your support or your so-called friendship. I'm sick of hearing you speaking, I'm tired of hearing you breathe, so just get out!" He shouted the last bit and she reeled back, swallowing hard, then she turned and disappeared back to her bunk.
She said it was okay. She plastered her face with makeup so no one would know, because it wasn't him and it wasn't his fault, and she didn't want him to get into trouble for something that happened in the line of duty, but every time she looked at him she winced internally. She stood on the other side of Simmons and Fitz, she took a place by May's side, she stuck by Coulson. She made up excuses not to train.
Simply put, she kept her distance from Ward.
He noticed quickly but didn't say anything for a few days. He figured that, even if she had forgiven him as she said, she deserved her personal space.
But after two weeks it was enough and he went looking for her, eventually finding her in the lab, talking to Simmons.
He stepped into the room, then stopped and backed out again, leaning against the wall outside and listening.
"...because I couldn't be trusted," Skye finished. It seemed to be the end of the story and he swallowed.
Simmons was quiet a moment before she said, "Skye, that's awful, I'm so sorry. A belt?"
He could hear the shrug in Skye's voice. "Sometimes."
"So that's... why you know how to..." Simmons swallowed. "I didn't know."
"I wouldn't even have told you if you hadn't smudged it," Skye said. "I don't exactly broadcast it. They didn't trust me and anything I did that they didn't like..." She shrugged. "Can I have my compact back now?"
Ward swallowed. No wonder she hadn't forgiven him. He wouldn't've forgiven him either.
He slipped away quietly.
Skye opened the door of her bunk and swallowed when she saw Ward standing there. "Hey, 'sup?"
"I wanted to talk to you," he said. "I... wanted to apologise again, for the things I said and the... bruise."
She shrugged. "No big, I told you."
"No, it is," he said. "I know you've been pulling away, I heard what you were telling Simmons earlier and..." He hadn't realised how much her forgiveness meant to him. "I just want to apologise again, properly."
She watched him for a moment and leant against the door. "Yeah?" she said. "Because I don't remember you apologising the first time, I remember a half-assed sorry that I didn't think you meant, because I know you don't trust me, Ward. I get it, all right? You don't have to apologise for that. Punching me was a bit far though."
He winced and met her eyes. "I do trust you, Skye," he said, and he was surprised when he realised it was true. "I trust you with my life and if I wanted to tell you, I'd trust you with my secrets. I know you're not going to go blab them all to the Rising Tide. And I meant it when I said I believed you when Coulson thought you were the leak that was actually Miles. And I was right, because you weren't the leak yet. You hurt me, a lot, but I still trust you. You earned that back.
"And I really am sorry, for the things I said that I didn't mean, and for the punch."
She didn't take her eyes off him. "You mean it?" she said. "Every word?"
"Every word," he said, returning the stare.
She narrowed her eyes. "Make me a sandwich."
"...what?" he said.
"Prove you mean it! Make me a sandwich!"
"How does... what?" he said.
"I'm hungry and I like watching you cook," she said, shrugging. "Make me a sandwich."
A tiny smile quirked his lips. "Come on then," he said and turned away. She trailed after him and a bigger smile appeared when she couldn't see it. "We good?"
"We're good," Skye agreed and let him lead her into the kitchen.