Title: I Will Shelter You From the Storm
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skyeward with Kara
Summary: In which Skye overhears Grant comforting Kara after a nightmare and realizes she can't keep lying to herself about how she feels.
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: Tumblr prompt 'Skyeward + Ward Papa Bearing Kara'. I actually started this before that clusterfuck episode so we're going to ignore that whole fake Skyeward scene okay.
Skye wandered down the dorm hallway, too wound up to be asleep. It had been going on for months; she had too much energy from her new powers. She usually worked at the bag in the gym until she wore herself out and tonight was no different.
She took a swig from her water bottle, longing for a shower so she could slip into bed and hopefully get a few hours of sleep before more head-shrinking with the doc.
Skye rubbed at her neck as she rounded a corner and froze when she saw the glow of light spilling from the room three doors down from hers. It took her a few seconds to remember Ward's was the room across the hall so she didn't have to worry about seeing him. With a sigh she moved to her room but when her hand made contact with the knob the voice that haunted her dreams ran through the air, sending chills down her spine.
"No one's going to get you here, Kara. I promise."
"They found me once, Grant…"
"Shh."
May was right; her curiosity was going to be the death of her someday. Skye crept closer until Ward and Kara came into view. Kara sat up, clutching her knees to her chest while Ward sat on the edge of the bed, one hand on her knee.
Kara stared up at him, eyes red, blinking away tears.
"The therapy isn't helping; I don't want to keep going."
Ward sighed and gave her a 'look'. "You have to; the deprogramming can't happen overnight. You'll be better soon."
"And then we'll go after Bashki?"
Ward pulled away guilty.
"You promised!"
"He's in prison, Kara! Where he belongs."
"I don't care; I want him to suffer the way I did!"
Ward ran a hand over his face, exasperated. "Kara, we can discuss this in the morning, just try to get back to sleep…"
Skye had noticed the way he hovered around Kara since they'd joined the team but she didn't know the dadding was so intense. And it was…Skye rubbed a hand over her chest, telling herself it didn't matter how it made her feel it didn't change anything.
Kara shook her head and toyed with her comforter. "I just keep dreaming about that room…"
Ward placed his hand over hers. "They're just dreams. And I'm right across the hall…I'll even stay if you need me to, okay?"
Kara looked away, embarrassed, and wiped her eyes. "I don't think your girlfriend would like that."
"What girlfriend?"
She glanced back at him with a knowing smile. "The cute one with the bangs; don't lie to me Grant, I see the way you look at her. She's the one you love? The one whose name you used to call out in your sle-"
"She's not an issue."
Skye didn't know if it was the knowledge that he'd been dreaming about her or the anger in his tone but her heart ached for a different reason entirely. She pressed her back into the wall and took short, deep breaths to calm herself before the hall began to shake.
"Everyone knows you love her, Grant…It's okay. And I don't think she likes me much, she hasn't spoken more than two words to me since we got here."
"That's because I'm always with you and trust me it's me she hates; she shot me, remember?"
He was so wrong Skye had to stifle a chuckle. Or maybe it was a sob because she was close to tears. She'd never stopped loving him. Sure, she did hate him and she had shot him but it had been for his own good; he would have just followed her down to that temple the way Trip had and then she would have lost both of them.
If she truly hated him he wouldn't be here right now.
She didn't completely trust him and she couldn't forgive him but Skye didn't think she could ever hate him, not really.
"Maybe you should just tell her…You're a good guy, she'll see that."
Grant sighed loudly. "Kara…just…I'm not going to discuss this with you. Try to sleep and I'll see you in the morning?"
"See, you don't want your girlfriend to get the wrong idea," she called after him teasingly.
"Goodnight, Kara," Ward grumbled in his best impression of an irritated big brother.
And that's what he was; her big brother looking out for her.
He hadn't been able to keep his baby brother safe but he was doing his best to keep her safe. It didn't erase anything but it gave Skye hope that maybe the guy she fell in love with was actually in there somewhere and well…that was something, wasn't it?
God she was weak when it came to this idiot.
The door to Kara's room clicked shut and the hallway went dark, leaving only the soft glow of the overhead lights to illuminate the shock on Ward's face when he came face-to-face with Skye.
She watched him for a brief moment before pushing away from the wall so she could grab him by the back of the neck and pull him in for a kiss. The second their lips made contact Ward moaned into her mouth and slid his fingers into her hair, pressing her into the wall.
Skye slid her hands over his chest and broke the kiss, finding the fuckstruck look on his face both familiar and amusing.
"Tell me, do you only put strays to bed or do disgruntled girlfriends get the same treatment?"
"I..." he blinked in surprise. "What?"
Skye smirked; ducking her head as she took his hand led the poor boy back to his bed where she curled up against his side, letting him hold her and stroke her hair.
"Skye…"
"Shh, we can talk in the morning," she whispered, glancing up to find him watching her. She leaned up to press a kiss to his lips before pressing her ear against his chest and wrapping her arms around his middle. "I just want to sleep," she confessed, finding the sound of his heartbeat soothing.
"Okay," he whispered, kissing the top of her head and relaxing.
Skye trailed her hand over his side and felt the scars from where she'd shot him. She pressed a guilty kiss to his skin and hugged him tighter, nestling her head under his chin.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, meaning it.
Grant buried his lips in her hair and held her closer. "I'm more sorry."
And for the first time in a long time Skye went right to sleep and slept better than she had in months.
