Skye knows his name now. It was on the sheet.

Grant Ward

She has his name in her mind for the next week.

And during one particularly boring shift, Skye kept saying his name out loud, just the get a feel for it. (She definitely didn't use his last name after her own name, no. That would be stupid, and childish.)

Whenever she thinks of him, she has this weird feeling in her stomach. She guesses it's true what people say, it feels like there are butterflies in there.

But when she arrives for her afternoon shift on Friday, the day Grant Ward is supposed to pick up his phone, her co-worker, Miles, tells her that he was already here.

Disappointment floods her and she spends her whole shift being grumpy.

Afterwards, she decides she needs a drink. Fitz and Jemma are talking again, so they will probably be at the bar. Skye had told them, she wanted to stay in today, but now.. well, she needs a drink.

„You should have just asked him for his phone number." Fitz says, somewhere around there third round of drinks.

„Fitz, his phone was broken." Jemma replies, before Skye can.

„Oh, right." Fitz mutters.

„I'm gonna go get a refill." Skye says, still feeling grumpy. „Do you want something?"

„We're good." Jemma says quickly.

Skye walks up to the bar, leaning against it.

„You're quick today." The bartender, Lance, says, giving her a flirtatious smile.

„Yeah, I had a shit day at work." She just shrugs.

„Another vodka tonic coming right up then." He says dutifully and fills a new glass for her. "On the house."

"Thanks." Skye looks around, while Lance works and freezes when she sees, who is looking right back at her.

„Grant." She whispers, not loud enough for him to hear. (She isn't even sure, if she meant for him to hear.)

He looks just as surprised to see her here, but with a quick word to his friend, he comes over to her.

„Fancy seeing you here." Skye says and somehow the bad mood, that has plagued her all day, is gone.

„I could say the same thing." Grant replies.

„There you go, Skye." Lance interrupts the intense way Grant was looking at her.

„Thanks, Lance." Skye replies.

„Come here often?" Grant asks her, his eyes back on her.

She smiles sheepishly. „Yeah."

„Skye.." He says and she loves the way Grant Ward says her name. After a few moments, Skye realizes that the two of them are just staring at each other, not talking.

He licks his lips and she can't help but follow the motion. When she looks back into his eyes, he smiles.

Skye feels hot all of a sudden. „Uh, so, um, how's your phone doing?"

He chuckles at that and Skye decides right there that Grant Ward's chuckle is the nicest sound, she's ever heard. „Fine."

„That's good." Skye says. „Well, it was nice meeting you, but I need to get back to my friends." She wants to kick herself for saying that, but what else is she supposed to do? Ask him to ditch his friends and make out with her? (It doesn't really sound like a bad idea.)

„Oh, yeah." Grant replies, and looks like he's just remembering that he wasn't here with Skye. „Me, too."

„Bye." Skye says and makes her way back to Jemma and Fitz.

„Who was that?" Jemma asks, when Skye sits down.

„Grant Ward." Skye says and she swears, she didn't mean to make it sound like a dreamy sigh.

„He does look as good as you said." Jemma says. And then she gasps and slaps Skye on the arm. „What the hell are you doing here? Go talk to him!"

Skye leans away from her. „No, he's here with his friends."

„So?" Fitz asks. „So are you and you've done nothing but talk about him or pout all night."

„Well, I like him. He's just interested in my capabilities to fix his phone." Skye says and even as she says it, her mood plummets again.

„They are leaving." Jemma says. An hour has passed and Skye has finished her fourth drink. She feels a pleasant buzz and spent the last hour thinking about just going back to the bar and kissing Grant Ward.

„Honestly, Skye." Jemma says, looking over at her. „If you like him so much, why don't you just ask him out? What's the worst that can happen? He says no? He stops coming to you with his phone problems? At least you'll have an answer."

She slumps further into her seat and sighs. „I don't know, Jemma. I'm tired."

„Me, too." Fitz agrees.

On Tuesday, Grant Ward comes back to the store.

He smiles as he walks up to her and Skye can't help but stare at him. „What happened this time?"

„Cracked screen." He says in defeat and hands Skye the phone. „That'll be another week." She warns him, resisting the urge to let go of the phone and grab his hand.

„I figured." He says, and fills out the sheet Skye gives him.

Jemma's voice comes back to Skye, while she watches him bend down a little to scribble on the paper. „If you like him so much, why don't you just ask him out?"

Usually Skye has no problem being bold, but something about him makes her hold back. Maybe it's the way she feels, when they look at each other.

„Skye," He says and Skye's eyes snap back to him. „I was thinking-"

„Do you wanna go on a date?" Skye says, no the words burst out of her mouth. "With me, I mean."

His eyes widen and then he smiles. „I was just about to ask you the same question."

„Really?" Skye asks and the butterflies in her stomach go wild. „Well, in that case, I'd love to."

„Me, too." He says and Skye laughs.


A/N: cross-posted on ao3 under the same pen name. Come find me on tumblr.

Reviews are like the feeling you get when putting on your glasses after staring at your computer screen for hours.