"Scenes directly after the well." SKYEWARD- tensions

The barman rang for last calls at the bar as Skye emptied the last drops of the amber liquid from her glass and less than gracefully stepped down from the barstool. "Thanks for the ear Mr. barman, you the dude" she slurred leaving a hefty tip on the counter before finding her way out to the lobby.

It had been 2 hours since ward had left sitting at the bar with only herself for company. Ok, so he wasn't willing to share right now but hey, she'd made progress right? And ye, he may not have entirely forgiven her for the whole rising tide miles fiasco but he was definitely using less of his hate face and she was pretty sure she even saw a smile or two tonight and god knows she hadn't seen one of those in a while. All things said, tonight went pretty well she thought as she stepped into the empty elevator and pushed the cold steel button.

"Man that whiskey packs a punch," she muttered feeling unsteady as the elevator made its way up to the third floor.

She was the room opposite wards, "how about you just go in there and ask him what his problem is?" She asked herself a little more loudly than she had antisapated, she was kind of glad that the elevator was empty. " Come on Skye, you may as well ask Mr. funmachine while you still have the bottle... she paused a moment "Oh please, face it, the only reason you could go in there right now is cus you drunk the bottle! And like that's the real reason you wana go visit Mr. Six-pack anyway" she muttered. "God that stuff was strong, I must sound like a crazy person"

Truth be told she'd been having this internal battle long before she'd started the bottle, she just couldn't make her mind up on him, ward. How could someone so...frustrating be so intriguing? On the one hand he stood for everything she was against, he was a narrow minded, thinks he's better than everyone, taskmaster who enjoys nothing more than to watch her sweat...literally, like 50 push ups sweat. And then there's the other side, protective, selfless, mysterious, and sweet even and ok so it didn't really hurt that he had a face that coulda been carved by angels...and the body to match.

Skye shook her head as she let her brain churn over the conflict in her head "Ok Skye fantasy over, you have nothing in common, he is everything you hate and you cant spend more than ten minutes with the guy without wanting to pick a fight. All that and he is your S.O. That settles it, no more Ward thoughts," she uttered decidedly as the elevator doors opened.

She made her way down the hall to her room. When she reached the black lacquered door she hesitates a moment wondering if she should knock on the door opposite, still a little off balance she raises her hand and let's it hover a moment and inhales deeply, before thinking better of it and moving back to her own door.

She fumbles in her black clasp bag in search for her key card "goddam stupid thing" she exclaims as hears the click of the door up ahead, that she was pretty sure lead to Mays room and in glancing up she saw a tall familiar figure slip silently out into the hallway pulling the door shut behind him.

"Oh god, shit, key..key" Skye whispers to herself as she frantically rifles through her bag in desperation.

"Skye?" Came Wards voice as he stalked up the hallway to where she was.

"Oh hi Ward, I didn't see you there."

"What's are you doing up so late?" he said looking a little nervous and almost embarrassed

"I could ask you the same thing Mr...but I won't, cus that your business not mine" god this was painful she thought desperately still rifling through her bag trying to avoid eye contact. He must know she saw him right? but seriously Ward and May. What the hell?

Oh god she wanted nothing more than to evaporate right that second, she felt sick, her heart was beating so hard that she was pretty sure it was gonna burst from her chest at any given moment. And Ward, well he was just standing there like some dumbstruck idiot, she thought trying to swallow back the newly formed lump in her throat, she could feel the threat of tears prick the backs of her eyes as she swallowed, 'oh god, no don't cry, not in front of him, god where's the damn key when you need one!'

Grant felt a little embarrassed with Skye standing in front of him, her keen eyes asessing in his disheveled appearance as she rifed through her bag. He knew what it must look like, him leaving May's hotel room and at this godforsaken hour? What was he gonna say though 'I'm sorry Skye but I thought I'd reject your offer of company in favor of Mays because I don't think I can trust myself with you? Oh and I'm also still trying to work out how to deal with the fact you betrayed us…me?!" Ye right, cus that's not gonna be a awkward conversation. Still he had to find something to say.

"Look Skye, that was not what you think, I was just.."

"Oh god don't explain," she cut in " it's totally cool, I mean you an May? Who woulda thought ey? she babbled nervously, "Anyway whatever it's none of my business so really don't worry 'bout it"

"No honestly we were just talking"

'Till 3? Ye right' thought Skye.

"Look ward if your worried I am gonna blab to Coulsen then don't, honestly your love life or sex life or whatever, is none of my business! And I really couldn't care less" she said trying not let lump in her throat effect her ability to speak.

"Right, ok" Ward felt a slight stab at her last words.

He was sure he saw a glimmer of hurt flash across her features but she had quickly corrected them to display her usual perfectly flawless smile and he couldn't be sure.

"Crap I must have left my key at the bar" Skye said finally giving up the hunt in her bag.

"Well the bar will be closed now, and I don't think there is anyone on the front desk..." Ward thought carefully about what he was about to say next "I guess you could stay with me?" He knew instantly he would regret the decision, this was exactly what he had been hoping to avoid when he left her at the bar that evening. He knew spending the night with her would be torture one way or another.

Chapter 2

Skye checked herself before giving her answer, at this point she would rather spend the night in the hallway but she had a feeling that wouldn't be an option. She plastered on her best smile " Agent ward are you trying to get me into bed?" She drawled in her best southern accent! Tying her very best to mask the pure agony she was feeling in that moment.

Grant rolled his eyes in response to her childish tease and let out a low uncharacteristic chuckle before swiping his key card across the lock.

He opened the door and stepped aside for Skye to move passed him, her soft hair brushing against his shoulder as she entered wafting the sent of coconut in his direction god this is gonna be a long night he thought.

"Hey Skye, I don't mind taking the floor if you want the bed" he said gesturing to the tiny space beside the rather large kingsize.

"That's ok, this things big enough for the both of us" she said sitting down on the tightly sprung mattress. "Beside I'm the one who's roomless I would feel pretty bad kicking you out of your own bed" she smiled "and don't worry I can keep my hands to myself" she said teasingly.

Grant sighed uncomfortably at the prospect of sharing a bed with Skye, he looked up and down the bed calculating the possibilities of physical contact during the night and let out a sigh of defeat.

Skye made her way to the bathroom and helped herself to the free toothpaste and hand creams, "hey Ward I'm gonna need to borrow a t-shirt" she said walking back into the bedroom only to find a half dressed ward with a t-shirt hanging halfway over his head. "Oh god, sorry" she said turning to go back into the bathroom.

It's not like she hadn't seen ward shirtless before, in fact it had only been a few hours since the last time, but there was something different about it when he was standing in boxers by a bed in what felt like a ridiculously romantic setting. "Pull yourself together Skye" she told herself. Most other nights she would pray for a situation like this but not now not after tonight. But what if she was wrong? maybe he was telling the truth? After all he had no reason to lie to her? She still couldn't help feeling a mixture of pain and jealousy when she thought about it. She pushed her thoughts to one side and re entered the room.

"Here" he said pulling the t-shirt all the way off and passing it to her, I don't have a spare one, I hope you don't mind?!" He said his cheeks coloring a little.

"Not at all" she replied hastily turning to the bathroom to change, when she returned in his oversized t-shirt and not a lot else, she felt naked, oh god this was a bad idea she thought as she slipped into bed next to a shirtless Ward.

Despite her feelings of anger towards him, she couldn't help but feel a little warm sensation at the pit of her stomach and a slight ache as she listened to his quiet breaths.

Grant felt her warm presence slip between the sheets next to him.

"Well goodnight" she said awkwardly trying to find the space furthest from him, her eyes fluttered drowsily as she felt herself slip into a deep slumber, she was still angry at him but at this point she was not gonna let him have the satisfaction of knowing that.

Grant knew there was no getting any sleep tonight, the remnants of adrenaline from the days events were still coursing through his vains as he lay wide awake and stared at the hotel ceiling, the soft sighs of Skye's heavy breaths his only the only sound to fill the room.

He watched the her chest rise and fall with the soft intake, and felt his own breath catch in his throat. This was gonna be a long night.

Chapter 3

Grant was rudely awakened to a knocking at his door at 6:30am. "What the hell?" This was supposed to be a rest day, he immediately became aware of someone else's presence. Skye's tiny form had entwined herself (most likely subconsciously) during their sleep that night. The knock came again and this time was followed by a voice. "Ward, it's Coulsen, are you up?"

"Shit" ward exclaimed springing from his compromising position and waking Skye up in the process. "What the hell Ward?" She muttered drowsily as he pulled his arm from under her.

"Get down and hide Coulsen is right outside" he whispered through gritted teeth.

Immediately panic rose in her chest and she dove under the bed just in time for Ward to open the door.

"Sir?"

"Morning Ward, I've just been contacted by headquarters, we have another 0-8-4 on our hands, be ready to board the bus in 30 minutes" he paused a little glancing behind Ward noticing the familiar looking pink top and jeans strewn over the back of a chair. "Oh, and if you happen to see Skye this morning, do let her know." He said with a brief ominous smile

"Yes Sir" Grant replied his cheeks coloring a little before closing the door and exhaling deeply.

"Do you think he knew?" Came a whisper from behind the bed.

"You can get up know" he said pulling her to her feet rather unceremoniously.

"Whoa? What's with attitude Mr.?" Skye said rubbing her wrist where he had pulled her up.

"What do you think Skye? This isn't some Joke" he said almost vehemently chucking her pink top at her "get dressed we don't have much time this morning"

"Wait a second...let me get this straight. You are angry at me? Why? Because you think Coulsen suspects you are sleeping with a member of your team?" She glared before continuing "we'll that's pretty rich considering you ARE sleeping with a member of your team. All the while I am the one who will be wrongly accused in all this, I am the one who's NOT sleeping around" she said stripping from his t-shirt and marching right up to him. "Here" she said shoving the t-shirt into his bare chest with as much force as she could muster! She squared up to apparently completely unabashed by the fact they were both standing there half naked "so if anyone has a right to be angry it's me!" She said prodding her index finger into his bare chest as her fiery eyes met his.

Grant felt a surge of anger, amongst other feelings stir at the pit of his stomach, her finger still buried in his chest, he wrapped his hand around her wrist and swung her into the opposing wall with force and pressed himself against her.

"I am not gonna tell you again, we TALKED nothing HAPPENED" he said feeling all the rage he had the previous day coursing through him as he pinned her down.

"Ward listen to me, you are hulking out on me. Ok, I need you to calm down" she could see that strange glow in his eyes that he got the previous day when holding the staff. "Please Ward...Grant? It's me Skye" it was not often she used his first name, he had heard the slight tinge if fear in her voice as she pleaded with him to snap out of it. Immediately the rage in his chest subsided and he found himself inches from Skye's face.

Her breath was warm on his skin and he could feel the fast rise and fall of his chest beneath his own.

"Skye I..I'm sorry I don't know what came over.." He trailed off breathlessly still maintaining his current position

"It's fine, I shouldn't have pushed" Skye replied almost as breathless as Ward, his hands were still pinning her wrists to the wall and his firm torso was pressed so closely to hers that she could swear she could feel his heart hammering against his chest.

Looking up into his rich brown eyes, she felt herself lips being beckoned upwards. Leaning closer Grant began to close the remaining space between them just as there lips began to part there came another knock at the door. They sprung apart immediately, Skye suddenly noticing her embarrassingly under dressed form grabbed her pink Top from the floor and covered herself.

It was Mays voice that came this time " 10min warning, if you're not up and in the lobby before 0-700 hours the bus leaves without you..." She paused "both of you"

"Well that answers my previous question" Skye rambled, as she hiked her jeans up her leg.