Title: Big Dumb Hero
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skye/Grant with Jemma
Summary: Skye takes care of Grant while he's sick and he lets some secrets spill.
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: Written for a tumblr prompt.
"ARE YOU INSANE?"
Skye pulled Grant back into the cabin they were holed up in and shoved him in front of the fire. In his arms he held a shivering puppy and they were both soaked through from the rainstorm outside.
"It needed help," he said through chattering teeth.
Skye ignored the tears on her face and began stripping his clothes off.
"What are you-"
"You can't sit in those you're going to catch hypothermia," she scolded. She loved that he was always saving strays but he was recovering from a cold and running out into a storm because he heard a dog whimpering wasn't the smartest thing to do. They had a fancy SUV; he could have driven and coaxed it into the car or been smart enough to put on a raincoat. He was the stupidest, most stubborn person alive and when he got better she was going to kill him.
"Just want to see me naked," he chattered and she rolled her eyes. She'd already been there and done that but he didn't need to know it.
"Here," she threw a quilt over him and picked up the shaking dog. "Come on, darling; let's get you a hot bath and a towel. And you, in the shower, now, hot water, then I want you back in front of that fire," she barked before tending to the dog.
They were on a stupid mission pretending to be a married couple and she would go insane if she was his wife. He'd caught a cold and he was a huge baby. She'd tried to take care of him but he'd refused to even admit he was sick so she'd given up and let him be miserable. He was a grown man who could take care of himself.
The dog on the other hand…
Skye made him a little bed next to the fire and fed him the leftovers they had on hand. There was a rescue shelter Grant liked because they were a sanctuary and didn't kill animals and she'd call them in the morning. She glanced over to find him shivering under all of his blankets and she frowned.
"You're burning up," Skye muttered as she pressed the back of her hand to his forehead.
"I'm fine."
She rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen. There wasn't much on hand because their cover was only expected to last a few days but she found a can of soup and threw it into the microwave. She sat next to him on the sofa and held the bowl near his face.
"Open."
"You're not feeding me, I'm a grown-"
"OPEN!"
She was not in the mood for this crap. When she'd been living in her van she'd seen how easily people died because of simple colds and flus because they weren't able to take care of themselves. She wasn't going to let him get sicker because he was stubborn.
"Now, or I swear I will find a way to IV this into your body. You need the nutrients and the heat and I don't care how much of an ass you want to be I'm going to take care of you so deal with it, Ward."
"I can feed myself," he muttered and she fought the urge to shove the bowl into his hands.
"Fine, then do it, I'm going to get ready for bed."
She stormed off after handing him the soup. Why was he such an idiot? She would love to have someone give two shits that she was sick. She was used to taking care of herself but it would be nice to have someone else do it. He was such a robot. Next time she was asking for Trip to be her partner, at least he wouldn't be a big baby about everything.
It didn't help that she still had feelings for him and she wanted to take care of him. She thought that through everything he would have changed a little but he was still a jackass. The only thing that could get him to show emotions these days were dogs. Maybe they should keep the damn thing, get his humanity rolling again.
When she returned to the living room he was on the ground, snuggling with the dog, and shivering. Skye frowned and leaned down to check on him. He was drenched in sweat, which would be great if he was sweating out whatever was making him sick, but he was on fire. She suspected he'd only gotten himself sicker by playing the big dumb hero.
"Oh, Grant…" she shook her head and tried not to cry. She was worried about him and angry because he'd done nothing but push her away since rejoining the team and maybe if anyone else had been on this mission with him he'd have allowed himself to show some weakness and take care of himself. And he was an idiot for putting himself in a position to get worse.
She pressed a cold towel to his forehead and ran it over his face, cleaning up the sweat. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his forehead, wishing she could carry him to bed so he'd be more comfortable. "You're an idiot," she muttered as she pulled the towel away.
Grant whined in protest. "Feels good," he mumbled and Skye hated how much just two words from him could break her heart.
She pressed the towel to the back of his neck and a moment later she could hear the rhythmic sound of his breathing, signaling he was fast asleep once more. She sighed and curled up next to him so she could keep an eye on him during the night.
The next morning she reluctantly sent the dog on his way to the rescue. Coulson would never allow an animal on the bus and none of them actually had their own houses so she didn't have a choice.
She checked on Grant again and he looked terrible.
"Skye, he just needs rest-"
"No, Jem, he looks like…dead," Skye whispered into the phone.
"We can be there in a few hours and I can administer some fluids but if he's that bad he may need real medicine. Take him to the hospital if you have to, under your cover names."
"Like he'd let me do that." She'd created deep covers for them right down to false medical records so that wouldn't be a problem. It would be getting him into the car and into the hospital. But with the way he was still shaking and sweating, maybe she didn't have a choice.
"Lie to him and tell him we've arrived early and you need to meet with the bus in a disclosed location."
"That…could work…" Skye was surprised. Jemma wasn't usually one for lying. In fact, Skye was surprised she hadn't thought of it first.
"Get him there sooner rather than later."
"Right, I'll see you in a few hours."
She hung up and was glad to see he was finally on the couch. She knelt down and pressed her hand to his cheek. "Grant," she whispered. He was still burning up; even he couldn't be this stubborn. "We need to go get you some medicine, okay? And some more soup and maybe some juice. Can you get up?"
"You," he muttered. "Just you. All I need."
Skye froze and felt her heart jump into her throat. He was delirious. This was the fever talking.
"I need you to get up so I can help you to the car, okay?"
"No one's ever taken care of me 'fore," he whispered, breaking her heart.
No wonder he refused to her help, he wasn't used to it. God, she was an idiot sometimes.
"Well, I'm going to keep taking care of you and in order to do that we need to get up, okay?"
She wasn't sure how she pulled it off, but she got him off the couch, threw his arm around her shoulders, and walked him to the SUV. She got him into the backseat, so he could lie down, and before she shut the door he took her hand weakly.
"Never stopped," he muttered.
"Grant, shh, try to sleep," she whispered not sure what he was rambling about in his fever haze but he needed to keep his strength not waste it on trying to talk to her.
"Love you, Skye. Always."
She fought down the panic she felt because she knew this was just the fever talking. Or maybe it wasn't and if that was the case she wasn't going to hold him to anything he said right now. So she leaned down, pressed a kiss to his forehead and said the words she never said to anyone because she was so used to losing everyone who was important to her. "I love you too."
Two hours later she sat by his side in his hospital room, trying not to cry. The big stupid oaf had caught pneumonia and while she was sure he'd be fine, seeing him hooked up to things was too much for her. The next time he had even a sniffle she was tying him down and force feeding him oranges and soup.
"Don't worry; your husband is going to be fine."
Skye glanced up and sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "What?" Oh, right, they were undercover. "I mean…it doesn't look like he will be."
The nurse smiled as she checked his temperature. "The antibiotics are already working. His temperatures down and he has some more color. "
"She means I'm not dying, if that's what you're worried about."
Skye looked to find him watching her and she threw her arms around him in relief. "Don't ever do that to me again! You stubborn jackass!" She shoved away from him and wiped her eyes angrily.
"I think she was worried," the nurse teased.
"I don't know why, she doesn't even like me."
Skye glared at him, he was going to blow their cover but the nurse seemed to think they were just bickering. "I don't know about that, Mr. Brown, I think she may love you."
"Not as much as I love her," he said as he met her eyes.
Shit, he remembered.
The nurse finished checking on him and left them alone after a few minutes. Skye awkwardly glanced up to find him still watching her and cleared her throat, trying to find words.
"Are we going to talk about this?"
"Nope," she answered. "Not until you're not dying."
"I'm not dying now."
"But you could be. And you're contagious and if we have this talk there might be kissing. And I already got enough of your germs last night."
He grinned and reached for her hand.
"I think I can live with that."
She smiled and squeezed his hand. "I still think you're an idiot."
Grant smiled and closed his eyes. "I love you too."