They lay beside each other, not saying a word. Silence filled the air. In their heart, they both knew they slipped during the previous argument. They told each other how much they still care. It's hard to pretend anymore.
They were almost comforted by how familiar this seemed, how they used to lay beside each other after sex. Of course, this was the first time in a government vehicle after their divorce, but not their first time in a car.
Bobbi was the one to break the silence.
"How many times does this happen?" She asked when they regulated their breath after their shared heated moment. What just happened was wild and intense, but not entirely out of expectation. Maybe part of them knew they saw it coming the instant they reunited with each other at the Playground.
"I don't know." Hunter answered. "I lost count at about twenty-eighth time, which was two years ago, when we're still a couple."
Angry sex was like their thing. It always happened in their marriage. And now, even after their divorce.
"Do you think we ever got a chance to sort things out properly? And by "properly", I mean not having sex afterwards."
"I thought sex is our solution to every argument." He switched to that flirting tone that he knew Bobbi liked.
Bobbi sighed. "Right, maybe that's why our marriage failed."
"Sex was the reason we're divorced? You're missing the point."
"Just for once, Lance, please, can we talk without trying to get the last word?" Bobbi said. "And you're missing the point. I mean we never really sort out our problem, and that's why our marriage failed."
"The problem is that I don't know if you're manipulating me the whole time. For all I know, you could be using me as a potential ally for one of your evil secret plans." Hunter said, trying not to sound bitter.
Bobbi almost wanted to roll her eyes if he wasn't that serious. "Give me some credit, Lance Hunter. Do I look like the type who would marry someone to manipulate them?"
"You certainly do." Hunter said
There was a second of silence, and Bobbi said slowly and solemnly, "Lance."
They stared into each other's eyes, like they're trying to read minds. And they were. They both knew that they were the person who knew each other the best in this world. They're so in sync and they knew it.
Bobbi knew that he didn't mean to be petty towards her, or try to oppose everything she was doing. She knew deep down that he acted like that out of self-protection, because he never really trusted her, but he had fallen for her and could never "fall out of love". He had to defense himself against any deception she might have pulled up on him. What he doesn't understand was she never intentionally lie to him, she has always been honest with him. She needed him to see that.
Lance was lost. He had seen how she could manipulate people to get what she wanted. Bakshi was just one out of many examples. He knew she could get people to do exactly what she needed them to, and he couldn't be sure that she wasn't doing that to him. Her victims never know that they were tricked. Yes, she was that skilled. He knew that in her point of view, he was dead easy to manipulate, simply because of the fact that he was in love with her. That's why he panicked and started to get paranoid, and then divorce happened.
"Apologies, Bob." Lance put his hands up into a surrender posture.
"Apologies accepted. Though stop trying out the demonic hell beast thing, or any other insults that could possibly come up in your sarcastic British brain." Bobbi tried to sound as casual as she can, pretending that she wasn't hurt by his words. Turns out it wasn't exactly a difficult task, given that the fact she had been undercover in Hydra for months.
Despite she understood the way he acted around her, she didn't appreciate the way he talked about her. Demonic hell beast? Pretend to like anything? Argue a man into suicide? She was once his wife, for crying out loud, so that definitely hurt.
"Okay." Hunter softened.
"And Lance…" Bobbi hesitated.
"Hm?"
"
"Will you ever trust me? I want a real answer." Her voice is getting lower.
"As I've already said, I don't trust you, but I'll never stop wanting to." His heated warm brown eyes stared directly into her icy blue eyes.
"I know you're scared off by my skills as a spy, right? You're afraid that I did the same to you as what I did to those people." She decided to approach the subject directly.
"Bobbi, can we not…" Hunter started to protest.
"Nope, listen up." Bobbi interrupted and realized her tone might be a little harsh, so she softened. "Just answer me, yes or no?"
Hunter remained silent for a moment, probably considering what he should say.
"Yes, you could say so." He answered.
Bobbi took a deep breath. "Lance, I've spent quite a huge part of my life in deception, mind games, and life and death. You are, or were, the one of those few things in my life that wasn't consist of these, and I'm not gonna ruin that in a thousand years. Just give me some time, and credit, I'll prove it to you."
Hunter was stunned. He hadn't been expecting this, her little speech and all. He lost all his witty comeback when it comes to sincere confessions, other than arguments, from his ex-wife.
"What for?" is the only coherent sentence that he could form.
"Maybe we could be friends again." She attempted at a smile.
"I'll need to sleep on that." He knew he wasn't in the right mind to give a response.
"Sure you do." She said. "Let me know when you've made your decision. And now, I think we should leave before anyone gets suspicious."
"Right."
She sit up on the backseat of the car, still naked, attempting to find her clothes. Hunter also did the same thing.
"We left it outside the car, did we?" Hunter said, raising an eyebrow.
"I think we do." Bobbi replied. "I hope no one saw it."
"I don't think anyone's gonna walk on us, anyway. There aren't many people left in base. Everyone's on mission."
"At least you could have chosen my bunk, or yours." Bobbi said as she picked up her clothes. "Why stick with the most dangerous choice?"
"It's not like you objected." Hunter retorted while dressing up. "Besides, it's not the first time in a car, and I know you liked it."
Bobbi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I liked it, and you don't."
They both dressed up quickly, and left the garage. They were walking in the corridor when they came across Simmons.
"Bobbi, Hunter," Simmons said with a bright smile. "Here you are. I was wondering where you two have been. "
Bobbi and Hunter resisted the urge to exchange a glance, because they knew one glance will give them away.
"We had something to discuss." Hunter said.
Simmons didn't seem to be suspecting his words. "I just wanted to tell you two that Bakshi is stable, and he will probably wake up soon. Bobbi, don't push him too hard this time, okay?"
"Okay, I'll make a point of not pushing him. Thank you, Simmons." Bobbi said. Maybe Hunter and Simmons were right, she shouldn't push him that hard. She couldn't afford one more miscalculation.
"It's nothing." Simmons said cheerfully. "Well, I should probably go back to work, there's something up in the lab that I had to finish. There're other agents monitoring Bakshi's vitals and making sure he won't escape."
"Go back to work, Hunter and I won't be disturbing you." Bobbi said.
"See you." Simmons turned and walked towards the lab.
Bobbi waited until Simmons was out of sight, and asked Hunter, "Do you know anything about her and the other genius scientist who got a brain trauma, Agent Fitz?"
"What? I wasn't aware that you are into gossip." Hunter replied.
"I'm not gossiping. I'm concerning about a friend."
"Friend?"
"Simmons and I become friends after I got us both out of Hydra. Turns out she studied biochem."
"I assume you two must have quite a lot of stuff to talk about."
"Yep. But she won't tell me much about Fitz, only that they shared a history and were best friends for years."
"So you're digging intel from me? You could've asked Simmons herself."
"I'm not digging intel, and I don't want to scratch her scars."
"I only joined the team after the Hydra attack, so I don't know much. Why don't you ask the rest of the team?"
"I prefer asking someone whom I'm more comfortable with."
Bobbi knew that she slipped, once again. But Hunter pretended not to notice.
"All I know was they were best friends since they were in S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. The Hydra psycho named Ward who is on the run thrown them down into the ocean. Fitz risked himself to save them both using some kind of science theory, resulting in his brain trauma. We were sort of friends, I mean, we did work together to get away from a mid-air plane explosion. He told me that he had a crush on a girl who doesn't feel this same way he does, and I'm sure he's talking about Agent Simmons."
"I see," Bobbi paused, "Do you think that they could be the same again? I mean, after all that they've been through, and they clearly care about each other."
"I don't know. Some couple genuinely cared about each other, but the past just haunt them too much to work out the entire relationship." Hunter said slowly.
"Maybe that's true, but I think they'll least try to repair the relationship, right?" Bobbi asked, looking straight into Hunter's eyes.
"I think they'll." Hunter answered, looking at Bobbi with intensity burning in his eyes.
"And when they do, I hope for a happy ending." Bobbi said. She didn't break away from his stare.
Later that day, the agents who were on mission were back in the Playground. Coulson inspected Bakshi's status, and didn't say anything about Bobbi's interrogation. The two teams exchange information that they got, have a brief meeting, Coulson set the course to the city that they've discovered, and the exhausted team went to rest.
It was late and Bobbi was alone in her bunk when there's a soft knock on the door. She opened the door, and wasn't shocked to see Hunter standing there.
She gave him a smile. "What's up?"
He returned the smile. "Hm. I think I've got an answer for your question, if you may let me in."
"Come in." She said.
Hunter walked in her bunk, closing the door behind. Her bunk was neat and tidy, with a few personal belongings.
"So what've you got to say?" Bobbi asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"About your earlier request, that we should learn to trust each other again…"
"Hm?" Bobbi said, waiting for him to complete his sentence.
"I think we could try it out."
"Great." Bobbi said with genuine relief. For a second she thought he was gonna say no.
"And…" Hunter said, lowering his gaze onto the floor. "I'm sorry, Bob."
This surprised Bobbi. "What for?"
"Everything. I'm sorry I insulted you. I'm sorry I got all paranoid on you."
Bobbi seldom get to see him come undone, apologizing for his own mistake. Both of them were not the type to apologize.
"No, Lance, it's okay. I totally get it." Bobbi took a deep breath, tried not to get too emotional, but it was an emotional moment.
Hunter stepped closer to Bobbi, slowly pulled her into an embrace. But the height difference makes it almost impossible for him to hug her tightly, and they both burst out laughing at it.
The atmosphere between them changed instantly into a light and relaxing one.
"Why do you have to be so tall?" Hunter asked, faking a frustrated tone.
Bobbi laughed. "So you won't slip out of my fingertips."
"You know my wits, I could." Hunter said flirtingly.
"No you couldn't." Bobbi insisted.
This is the moment. The moment that everything seems as happy and serene as before. They could sense the feelings bubbled up inside them, as if they've go back in time, the time when they first met, clicked, and fell in love. Images of their first meeting burned in the back of their mind. The sexual tension between them was thick.
Their hands find each other without even realizing it. Bobbi closed her eyelids, feeling all kinds of emotions that she didn't know she could feel again. She felt a sense of familiarity, and a mixture of feelings, good ones, in the air. Hunter smiled, he had no idea how much he missed this until it happened. They couldn't let go of each other and he knew it.
Without further hesitation, their lips locked. This time much slower, gentler. Their clothes were on the floor within a minute. If you asked them, it was one of the best nights they spent together.
Morning light shed through the curtains, bringing on a new day. Bobbi and Hunter woke up and dressed up. They walked their separate ways to the regular meeting at eight every day, pretending that they didn't spend the night together. They weren't already for the rest of the team to find out about them.
No one got suspicious about them, of course. The regular meeting went on. Coulson talked about the city that they were heading to, and all kinds of Hydra threats they could be facing. They couldn't do anything until they reach the city, so the team is safe and sound for now.
Bobbi went to inspect Bakshi with Simmons, and Hunter was with Skye to do some filing.
After they make sure Bakshi was stable and awake, Bobbi and Simmons headed down to the lab.
"So, Simmons, I've heard about you and Fitz." Bobbi said hesitantly, testing the waters. "Hm, I don't mean to gossip or anything. It's just that I'm concerned about you. I hope you don't mind."
"What do you know?" Simmons asked.
Bobbi said carefully, "That you and him were best friends for years before Ward threw you two into the ocean."
"Yes." Simmons said. "I appreciate the concern, really. I don't mind you knowing it. It's just I couldn't form my thoughts into words when it comes to Fitz."
"And also," Bobbi cleared her throat. "I hear from Hunter, that he likes you?"
"Yes, that." Simmons said, her eyes dimmed. "I knew."
"And from what I gathered while spending time with you, I daresay you feel the same way."
"Bobbi!" Simmons blushed, looking at the files scattered on the desk.
"I knew it." Bobbi smiled. "You two gotta sort out your own problems, okay? Talk to him. You have to do it before it gets too late."
"I'll try." Simmons said.
"And I'll have you back." Bobbi said.
"Cheers." Simmons said. "It's good to have you as a friend. And, how's it going with you and Hunter?"
"What about me and him?" Bobbi asked.
"You're not telling me that you and him discuss about work in a car, right?" Simmons asked.
Oh hell, busted. Bobbi thought. She closed her eyes in embarrassment.
"So you knew." Bobbi said.
"I'm not that stupid, although I didn't applaud the choice of venue." Simmons said with a smirk. "How's it going? Back together?"
"Hell no, we're not making the same mistakes again. We won't leap the big step. We're working on trusting each other." Bobbi said. "And for God's sake, he chose that, not me!"
"Not a couple?" Simmons raised her eyebrow.
"Definitely no." Bobbi answered with strong certainty.
