A/N: BETTER LATE THAN NEVER RIGHT? Ok a few things: 1) I honestly wasn't expecting so many requests! lol Due to that, I'm currently not going to take any more, until I finish the ones I've got. Sorry. :/ 2) These won't be in chronological order. I'll just be working on whatever one my muse seems to favor. 3) I'm sorry, but don't expect this to be updated as often Redemption was. My muse is really off and on lately and with school coming up and all the issues associated with that, my stress level is slowly climbing lol. Also, most of the things you guys requested are so freakin' fluffy and I've never felt fluff is one of my strong suits lmao. :P Anywho~
Prompt(s): Asking for Skye's "hand," proposal.
On My Way
"So don't believe it's all in vain
Cause I'm on my way, on my way
The light at the end is worth the pain
Cause I'm on my way, on my way"
Ding. The middle-aged clerk behind the desk looks up as Ward enters. He removes his sunglasses and offers a polite smile as he reaches the desk. "Excuse me, but"- he pulls out a piece of paper from his pocket and unfolds it –"when did you last see this man?"
The woman eyes the paper thoughtfully, before recognition shows on her face. "He checked out a couple hours ago. Why?"
"Just want to ask him a few questions." He shrugs nonchalantly and tucks the paper back into his pocket. He goes to question the woman more, but is distracted as his cell phone rings. "Just a moment." He fishes the phone out of his pocket as he exits the hotel, glancing at the hustle and bustle of the people around him, before putting it to his ear and answering.
"Hello?"
"Hey, how's the search going?" Gayle's voice asks and he raises an eyebrow.
"Fine."
"That's good." There's a note to her voice that implies she didn't call to discuss the mission. He sighs.
"What is it?"
There's only the slightest hesitation on her end. "So, you know how you've kind of been thinking about proposing to Skye? And how you had sort of jokingly said I should bring the subject up to her and analyze her reaction?"
He's instantly wary. "Yes…?"
"Well, I may have done just that."
"What?" he demands as he feels his stomach drop. This is just great.
"Relax. I directed the conversation so that it came up naturally and I was subtle about it. She doesn't suspect a thing."
He lets out a breath and massages the bridge of his nose. "How bad is it?"
He can practically see her rolling her eyes. "What did I say about pessimism?" He doesn't respond, because that's irrelevant and he's really more concerned with the answer to his question. She provides as much a moment later: "She's open to the idea, I can tell you that much. She hasn't really given it much thought, actually. She's going with the flow."
He feels some tension leave his shoulders. That's a good sign, right? He opens his mouth to ask as much, but his eyes suddenly land on a familiar face. It's familiar, because it matches the face on the piece of paper he's been showing around. His focus narrows, pushing everything else aside until later. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later." He hangs up before she can respond.
When he exits the car and his feet touch down on the Bus's ramp, he's tired. He'd spent all day chasing a terrorist with suspected abilities. The man had been caught, though, so he figures it's worth it. He glances around, seeing only Fitzsimmons in the lab. He walks up to the room and taps his knuckles against the entrance to gain their attention. They turn and smile at him.
"Hello, Ward" Simmons says at the same time Fitz speaks.
"How'd the mission go?"
He shrugs. "Fine, caught the guy." He eyes the device they're messing with questioningly, before deciding not to ask. "Where's Skye?" She's usually the first to greet him whenever he returns from a mission, or just being away in general.
"Upstairs" they both respond in sync. Ward nods, giving them a small smile.
"Thanks." They nod and smile back, before turning their attention to the mysterious device. He watches them for a moment longer, before turning and heading up the stairs. He reaches the living room area and pauses at the sight before him. Skye's asleep on the couch, laptop on the coffee table in front of her and Captain curled up on top of her legs. His exhaustion is instantly forgotten and he feels every ounce of tension leave his body. He stares for a moment, memorizing the image, before Captain's head suddenly perks up, noticing him. It's but a second later when the dog's jumping off the couch and bounding over to him. He smiles and kneels down to greet the dog. "Hey, boy." He looks up as Skye stirs, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Ugh" she groans, before blinking. Her warm eyes meet his and she gives a dazzling smile. "Hey."
He smiles and stands up, giving Captain one last pat before walking over to her. "Hey." He sits down on the couch as she sits up and he leans over to give her a kiss on her temple. She closes her eyes when he does so and gives a hum of approval.
"How'd the Waldo search go?" she questions, taking a moment to grin at Captain as the dog comes over and nuzzles his way under one of her hands. Ward rolls his eyes lightly at her joke and her grin stretches.
"It went fine" he says simply, watching as she stretches before running a hand through her hair.
"I'd ask for details, but you look exhausted." He shrugs and glances away for a moment to scratch Captain under the chin. "Do you want to watch a movie or something before dinner?"
He really wants nothing more than to curl up with her on the couch and relax, but, looking at her now, he knows there's something he has to do instead. A part of him wants to just ask her right here and now, but he has to do this right. So, he arranges his features to look casual. "I need to talk with Coulson first." He swallows. "Debrief and everything."
She nods, before glancing around. "Alright, he's in his office, I think."
He nods, but doesn't go to get up yet. He stares at her, noting the sleepy quality still on her features and the slight case of bedhead she has. "I love you."
"I know" she says lightly, grinning smugly, and he chuckles, before leaning forward and capturing her lips with his. She responds automatically and soon his hands are on her waist and hers in his hair. He lays her back down on the couch and they pull apart a moment later, slightly breathless. "You should go talk to Coulson now, or else we're going to end up traumatizing the dog… again." He laughs, before quickly pecking her nose and earning a giggle. He then swiftly moves to his feet, looking down at her.
"I'll be back" he says and she nods, grinning at him. He looks at her for a moment more, before turning around and making his way to Coulson's office.
During the short walk, he rehearses everything he wants to say. His nerves grow with each step, but he forces himself to keep walking. If Coulson didn't approve of him being with Skye, he's sure the man would've made that clear years ago. But still, Skye isn't the only one who has come to see Coulson as a father figure. Somewhere along the way, Coulson's opinion had suddenly meant more to him than that of a lot of others.
He pauses in front of the office door. He takes in a breath, holds it, then lets it out, before knocking on the door.
"Come in" Coulson's voice says a second later. Ward swallows, before opening the door and entering the office. He shuts the door behind him and that's when Coulson looks up from what Ward assumes is paperwork. The man gives him a friendly look. "Ward, I heard the mission went well?"
He nods, standing and hesitating in the middle of the office. "Yes, sir."
Coulson nods as well, eyes returning to the paperwork. "I was thinking we'd just discuss it over dinner."
Ward swallows. This is it. "I came here to talk about something else, sir."
Coulson's brow furrows and he eyes him for a moment, before gesturing to the chair across from him and pushing his paperwork aside. Ward hesitates only slightly before sitting himself in the chair. He has Coulson's undivided attention now, and that only seems to make his nerves worse. The silence stretches a bit, and Coulson simply continues to watch Ward, nothing but well-practiced patience on his face. Ward swallows once more, and briefly wonders where all this saliva is coming from.
"I love Skye" he blurts eventually. He instantly berates himself for being such an idiot, but Coulson simply appears amused.
"I hadn't noticed."
Ward shifts in his seat. He really should've rehearsed this better beforehand. "What I mean, sir, is that I would like your permission"- he takes a deep breath –"to marry Skye." Coulson's face is completely unreadable and Ward almost wishes the ground would open up and swallow him. He can't and won't back down, though, so he rushes to make his case: "I know I'm anything but perfect and I know Skye deserves the best and I'm not it, but she chose me and I can't disrespect that. And Skye sees you as a father and I want to do this right, so-"
"Grant." He instantly cuts himself off when Coulson speaks. The man appears slightly amused at Ward's nerves, before he heaves a sigh and looks at him seriously. "I can't give you my permission,"- he's about to berate and tell himself he shouldn't be surprised, but Coulson gives him a look that tells him not to jump to conclusions –"because the only permission you need is Skye's. What I can give you, though, is my blessing. And you have it."
Ward blinks. "Really?"
Coulson nods, grinning slightly. "May already gave you 'the talk.'" Ward remembers. Vividly. Coulson stands up, adjusting his suit, and walks around the desk. Ward follows, standing as well. Coulson claps him on the shoulder, smiling. "I'd say welcome to the family, but you've been a member for a while."
Ward swallows thickly as he feels a small, grateful smile coming to his face. "Thank you." Coulson just gives his shoulder a small squeeze and that tells him everything he needs to know.
He spends the next couple weeks brainstorming. He wants it to be special and unique, because that's the least Skye deserves. The others help him, because it's not long before everyone on the team knows except for Skye. Well, he hopes except for Skye. If anyone- Simmons, most likely –had spilled the beans to her, he would probably never know. While he's grown quite skilled at reading her over the years, she can still keep a secret when she wants.
He eventually settles on a plan, and it seems to meet approval from everyone else, so he figures it's not too terrible. Unfortunately, it requires him to wait for a mission involving the Bus. The team had been mostly grounded lately, often doing their own things in the new SHIELD base in New York. SHIELD and the government had reached an agreement a few years back, allowing SHIELD to no longer be classified as a terrorist organization, so long as it never reaches the magnitude it had once had. So, they operate and train from the single base, only using the other headquarters Fury had left when needed for missions.
Ward talked with Coulson, though, so he wasn't surprised when the day after, the man announced a last minute mission to Los Angeles. The others were surprised, but caught on quickly. Skye was, therefore, the only one surprised when Coulson said they had arrived early and had some downtime. She didn't question it much, though, which Ward was thankful for.
"Are you ready?" Ward asks, glancing around the living room area. He and Skye are the only ones in the plane, the others having gone off to do their own things.
"Yeah," she says as she reaches him, and he meets her halfway as she leans up to place a quick kiss on his lips, before grinning. "Don't be surprised if I keel over, though. Simmons, Gayle, and May had me running all over the place today." He smirks, amused. "Where'd you say we were going, again?"
"Dinner" he says simply, smirk not fading. Skye rolls her eyes and lightly hits his chest.
"Idiot." He grins and goes to kiss her again, but she playfully dodges. He watches as she goes to exit, raising an eyebrow.
"Where are you going?" She stops and turns to him, giving him a questioning look.
"To the car?" He grins slightly.
"C'mon" he says, gesturing his head toward the opposite direction and holding out his hand for her. She continues to give him a questioning look, but walks up and takes his hand anyway, entwining their fingers. He leads her through the plane, lips twitching into a small, amused smirk as he feels her questioning gaze the entire time. He squeezes her hand slightly, as if to comfort his own growing nerves, as he stops in front of the interrogation room door. He turns to her, to see her glance between him and the door, a single eyebrow cocked ever-so-slightly in question. "It was either this or the alleyway." He gives a small shrug and scratches the back of his neck, giving a small smile that comes out more nervous than anything else. "I figured less chance of being interrupted here." He doesn't give her a chance to respond, instead, opening the door and standing aside to let her enter. Her hand releases his as she walks ahead and he hears her suck in a breath.
"Whoa" he hears her breathe out as she gazes around the room. There are twinkling white light strung across the ceiling. The table's got an elegant white tablecloth over it, along with two plates of food. A vase filled with Skye's favorite flowers sits in the middle, and there are petals from those flowers scattered across the table. Ward's eyes never leave her, though, and he swallows as she turns to him. "Did you do this?"
He shrugs lightly and glances around the room. "The guys helped me set it up earlier. Trip cooked the food." He gestures to the table. "The girls helped come up with the look. I think they saw something like it on TV once."
He doesn't notice her moving closer until she's suddenly right in front of him and her hands are on either side his face. He offers no resistance as she brings his face down for a slow, soft kiss. When she pulls back, there's a smile on her face that he can't help but return. "I love it. Very romantic, Mr. Ward. What's the occasion?"
He swallows and takes a step forward, letting the door close behind him. "Um." He clears his throat slightly and wonders when the last time he had been so nervous was. He knows she loves him- he's stopped trying to figure out why –and that she wants to be with him, but she would be within every reason to reject marriage. Perhaps she isn't ready, or she just doesn't like the idea in general. Also, despite how confident he is in their relationship now, there's always the looming fear that she'll reject him in the back of his mind. "I was wondering…" She gives him a questioning look, but her smile doesn't fade. He takes a deep breath and vaguely realizes his hands are shaking. Facing enemy fire? No problem. Proposing to the woman he loves? His heart is racing.
He slowly gets down on one knee.
He doesn't take his eyes off her, watching as her smile fades and her eyes widen as she slowly realizes what's happening. He slips the ring box out of his pocket and she sucks in a breath, one of her hands going to cover her mouth. He doesn't know if that's a good sign or not.
"Skye-"
"Yes!" she blurts and he blinks. "Yes!"
He stares for a moment, surprised, as he processes her response, before a wide grin stretches onto his face. "Really?"
She nods quickly, wiping at her eyes, which are growing moist. "Yeah- wait, no! I'm sorry. Ask."
His brow furrows, confused. "What?"
"I didn't let you ask. Go ahead and ask."
"Oh." He can't help but let out a chuckle as he shakes his slightly, before reconnecting their gazes. "Skye, will you marry me?" He opens the ring box to reveal the ring. It's simple, nothing too fancy, but he'd still spent a few months' wages on it.
"Let me think about it." He raises an eyebrow and she laughs. "Of course, you dummy!" He grins widely, before plucking the ring from the box and slipping it onto the correct finger. He then stands up quickly, wrapping his arms around her waist and connecting their lips, before lifting her briefly and twirling her around. He sets her down and rests his forehead against hers. He can't seem to get the smile off his face. He doesn't want to get the smile off his face.
"I love you."
He smiled only stretches and she nudges his nose with hers. "I love you too." He wants to freeze this moment and live it forever, though he knows that's impossible. Still, he can certainly prolong it. It's a few minutes later when Skye speaks again. "Grant."
"Hm?"
"The food's going to get cold."
He laughs.
"I'll be there the moment
You come out in white
Cause I'm on my way, on my way"
A/N: When I wrote "Skye, will you marry me?" I may or may not have let out a wistful sigh jsyk. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it! I'm not the best with fluff, but, y'know, oh well? :P Review please? :3