Skye easily let Jemma fall into her routine. As it turned out, it wasn't only on Skye's first day that Jemma also ate lunch at the deli. They never actually said they were meeting each other there, but every day when Skye showed up Jemma was sitting at the same table by the window and Skye joined her. Sometimes they talked, sometimes they didn't. Skye still hadn't managed to question her about the meaning of the woman's tattoos, which she'd observed in more detail.
The birds across her collarbone weren't the only images on her body. There was an armband on the upper arm that the birds seemed to fly away from, but the design was a little hard for Skye to understand. It was almost like a chain made up of what Skye could only describe as pretzel-like triangles. A dove very similar to the ones on Jemma's collarbone was on the inside of her right wrist. Skye had also discovered one day that Jemma was wearing her hair in a bun that there were three swirls, connected in the middle, on the back of her neck just under her hairline.
Skye wasn't surprised that Jemma had several tattoos, she obviously would because of her profession, Skye was only surprised she didn't have more. Though she had four, they were placed in a way that made her seem subtle and gentle, unlike what Skye had assumed about people who held tattoos before.
Because Jemma had been at the deli every day since Skye started working at the florist, she was a little perplexed when her friend wasn't there. Skye figured that she was probably just running late or something, so she got her sandwich as per usual and sat at their table, but after twenty minutes she was starting to get worried.
Of course, Jemma not being here might not mean anything at all. Skye had only been sitting with her for two weeks, so it may not be entirely unusual for Jemma not to spend her lunch break here. Skye wasn't even sure that Jemma would let her know if she wasn't going to be here. She didn't know whether she would classify them as friends or just acquaintances.
Another ten minutes went by before Skye decided to see what was up. Without conversation to keep her mouth busy, she'd actually finished her sandwich long ago, so there was no point in staying, especially if she didn't think Jemma was going to show up.
The walk back to the florist and tattoo shop was lonely and quiet without Jemma by her side to babble about a tattoo she'd done recently or ask her questions. There were few people out, the air had started to get chilly just as Skye had gotten her new job and that day was a particularly cold one. Skye hadn't needed a jacket before, but she was starting to change her mind as she rubbed her hands against the sides of her arms to prevent her goosebumps from getting any worse.
She still had a few minutes left before she had to be back from break, so Skye slipped into the tattoo parlor before she could stop herself. She hadn't actually been here since the first day, but it still looked the same. The little bell jingled above her head and her eyes scanned the room for Jemma, but she was neither at the front desk or her station near the back of the building. Her friend, Fitz, was there however. She'd heard about him from Jemma, and apparently he wasn't actually a tattoo artist himself, he just did the books. Apparently he was as weary of needles as Jemma thought Skye was.
"Can I help you?" He asked. Skye almost laughed at the thick Scottish accent and the way it was just how she'd imagined it. He also looked like the person Jemma described, he wore a button down shirt and his curly hair was very well kept. As organized as he was, he was currently writing in a log book, presumably the details of the customer currently wincing under the tattoo gun of a tall blonde on the other side of the room. When Skye saw him, she flinched for him, but quickly brought her attention back to Fitz.
"Yes, um... I'm a friend of Jemma's, is she here?" Skye asked. She was just curious, that was all. At least she told herself that. She didn't know what to think about the possibility that she was very concerned about Jemma not showing up to lunch or that she no longer wanted to spend that time with Skye.
"You must be Skye!" The blonde piped up, and Fitz raised his eyebrows in question after looking Skye over again. Skye couldn't help it, she blushed and shifted her weight to one foot again. Clearly Jemma had been talking about her with her coworkers. The blonde one put her attention back on her customer, but it was obvious that she would be talking to Skye again if she finished soon.
"Uh, No, Simmons isn't here." Fitz said hesitantly. Skye's heart fell a little bit and she was concerned, Jemma worked weekdays, but she couldn't deny that she was a bit relieved that Jemma hadn't just decided to ditch her.
"Oh." Skye said, disappointment lacing her voice. "Why not?" She tilted her head to the side a bit and waited for an answer.
"I'm afraid she's got the flu. She's stuck back at our apartment." Fitz told her, still eyeing her curiously. He seemed to notice the way Skye was feeling and she didn't really like it. The flu, though? She tried to think about energetic Jemma struck down and tired, but she just couldn't. At least there was a legitimate reason she hadn't come to lunch, and it wasn't like she could have let Skye know. They hadn't exchanged numbers yet, but Skye was planning to now.
Skye caught her lower lip between her teeth and nodded, much more satisfied now, but then her mind went back over Fitz's words again. The way he'd said that... he said "our" apartment. Did Jemma live with this guy? She hadn't mentioned that, so Skye had assumed they were just friends. Her heart hammered in her chest now, and there was a sudden pang she hadn't been expecting. Skye dreaded the telltale signs of another crush, and she hated that she seemed to like someone who was so clearly taken. Jemma was still sick, though, and she was at least starting to be her friend, if nothing more. She was sick, and Skye wanted to help.
"I'll be right back." She said, making a gesture with her hands that somehow said stay put, even though Fitz wouldn't go anywhere. She rushed back to the flower shop and put together another vase of daisies. It was the only flower Skye knew Jemma really liked. Quickly, she scribbled a little get well soon message on one of the cards lying around the counter and stuck it in between the flowers before hurrying back to the tattoo parlor next door.
"Can you give these to Jemma the next time you see her?" Skye asked once she'd arrived again, holding the flowers out in front of her. The blonde from before eyed her with a small smile and Skye tried to ignore it. It was like the woman in the back could see right through her.
Fitz wasn't exactly clueless either, and Skye wondered if the flowers would ever actually make it to Jemma if he suspected that Skye was hitting on his girlfriend. She had to try though. The response she got was a huge surprise and was much more than Skye had been expecting.
"Actually, do you think you could give them to her yourself?" Fitz asked. Skye's jaw fell slack and she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. What did he mean, and why would Fitz just let Skye go give Jemma flowers like this? Hopefully he just assumed it was because Jemma was sick, and it was, but maybe it was a little more than that too. "What?" She questioned.
"You see, I told her I would go check on her in a little while, just slip out of work for a bit, but I forgot that the owner was coming to see how the place was doing today and I can't get away. Maybe you could do it for me?" Fitz explained further, suddenly digging around in his pocket. Skye was perplexed. Fitz was asking her to go to Jemma's apartment, Jemma and Fitz's apartment.
"I guess I could do that." She blurted out against her better judgment. What was she thinking? She'd only met Jemma in the deli a few times, was it really appropriate for her to just show up at her apartment?
"Great." Fitz smiled, finally finding what he was looking for. He tossed a key in Skye's direction and she barely managed to shift the vase into one arm in time to reach out and catch it. "It's the apartment building just down the street, it's the only one there, so you shouldn't have an issue. Ours is 2B." Fitz told her. Skye couldn't believe the guy was giving her his address and his key, Jemma must have spoken very highly of her for him to trust her like this.
"You can just stop by and make sure she's doing alright, make her drink some water, maybe get her to take some medicine if she hasn't." Fitz instructed her, and it sounded like he was giving petsitting or babysitting instructions in Skye's opinion, and it was strange. She just nodded and backed out of the parlor though, not missing the strange look that passed between Fitz and the blonde.
It wasn't until Skye returned to her own workplace and Trip gave her an annoyed glance that she realized that one, she was late, and two, she was supposed to be taking her shift now as well and really shouldn't be running over to Jemma's apartment. The key felt like it was burning a hole in her palm, though, and she really wanted to make sure Jemma was alright.
"Can you cover for me? Just half an hour, I promise." Skye begged.
"This is about that girl, isn't it?" A smirk was on his face now, there was no doubt that he also knew what was going on in Skye's head.
"She's sick and I'm going to check on her, that's all." Skye said righteously, causing Trip to laugh a little harder. "Trip, I'm serious!" She complained, and her friend finally stopped chuckling for long enough to give her an answer.
"Go on, get out of here." He waved towards the door, almost like he was shooing her. Skye gave him a gigantic smile and turned to look back at him over her shoulder as she left.
"Thanks, I owe you one!"
The walk to the apartment building was short, Jemma must have an easy commute, Skye thought. It only took a few minutes out in the cool afternoon air before she reached the front of what she presumed and hoped was actually where Jemma lived. It wasn't hard to find her way to the second floor, and Skye only realized just what she was doing once she found the door with the little rectangle at eye level stating that this was apartment 2B. She wasn't exactly sure what she would find inside, and she had to remind herself that it was just Jemma. The two of them had gotten pretty casual in their conversations at the deli, Skye was no longer intimidated when around her.
Jemma could be in there expecting her boyfriend to get home and take care of her, but she was definitely going to get a surprise. Skye wasn't a boy, but she hoped she at least covered the friend part. Finally, she raised her fist and knocked on the door, wanting to let Jemma know someone was here before she just walked in, even though she had the key Fitz had given her.
It was a good thing he had, because after a few moments and another round of knocking, nobody answered and Skye started to worry. Her hand was a little shaky and it took a few tries to get the key into the lock, but eventually she wrangled the door open and slipped inside. Her nose was flooded with the scent of Jemma, which was a nice mix of lavender and jasmine.
"Jemma?" Skye called out into what looked like an empty apartment. She didn't fail to notice how completely organized everything was. Books were straightened on shelves and not a single object was out of place. It almost made Skye smile. It was so Jemma. Or maybe it was Fitz. Skye wasn't sure, but the thought definitely wiped the smile of her face.
Skye almost missed the little ball under the blankets on the couch that had just looked like a pile of pillows, and she would have without the small groan in response. Skye nearly jumped out of her socks when she realized that Jemma was right there, but she quickly got over it and moved to kneel next to the couch.
"Daisy?" Jemma questioned woozily. Skye chuckled and pulled back the blankets enough for Jemma to be able to see and recognize her face. Even when she was sick, Jemma was still very pretty.
"Hey there." Skye greeted her quietly. "I brought you flowers." She grinned, setting the vase on the table on the side of the couch by Jemma's head. There was a framed picture of Jemma and Fitz there, and it made Skye's stomach turn a little bit, but she ignored the feeling.
"Thank you." Jemma said, looking confused as she pulled herself from restless sleep. "But why are you here?" She asked, pressing a palm against her temple, probably to ease the pain of a headache. Skye felt like she melted a bit when she saw how miserable Jemma looked, but she tried not to let it get to her.
"Fitz sent me over here to check on you. How are you feeling?" Skye asked. She didn't wait for Jemma to answer before pressing the back of her hand against Jemma's forehead. She definitely had a fever, that was for sure. The young woman was burning up, and it made Skye frown.
"Like I got hit by a very large automobile." Jemma slurred, and Skye couldn't help but laugh.
"That bad?" Skye brushed a few strands of hair out of Jemma's face without thinking, but quickly retracted her hand when she realized what she was doing. "I can get you some water, meds, anything you need." Skye told her, willing to do whatever Jemma wanted to make her feel better. Jemma made some gesture that seemed like a yes, so Skye pulled herself to her feet and found the kitchen.
She had to check a few cabinets- which were also very well organized- before she found the glasses and she filled one nearly to the brim with water. Skye wasn't a doctor, but she knew people were supposed to keep hydrated to fight off sickness. There was a plastic container on the coffee table in front of the couch, only half-full with small pills.
"Open up." Skye finally told Jemma nervously with one of the tablets in her palm. She was well aware that Jemma was probably perfectly capable of taking the pill on her own, but she still felt oddly protective and wanted to do this one small thing for her.
Jemma obediently opened her mouth, and Skye dropped the pill onto her tongue, grabbing for the glass she'd set down right after and raising it to Jemma's lips. Jemma eased herself up enough to take a short drink before she dropped back down into the pillows.
"Thank you, Skye." Jemma practically hummed it, and her eyes were closed with either exhaustion or content. They opened a few seconds later as Skye mumbled something about it being no big deal, and Jemma hauled herself into a sitting position.
"I wish I could be more of a host and offer you something to drink." Jemma sighed and looked up at Skye, who had finally sat down on the couch next to her.
"You're crazy." Skye laughed. "You look like you're on your death bed and you're worried about the etiquette for having guests." She joked, but the look on Jemma's face wasn't exactly what she had been going for. "I mean, you don't look terrible, you're beautiful, I just- nevermind." Skye tried to correct her mistake, but it didn't feel like she was doing any good.
"It's fine, Skye." Jemma chuckled, retrieving the glass from the nightstand and taking a few sips. "You could get sick if you hang around here, and shouldn't you be at work?"
Skye rolled her eyes at her. "There you go again. Don't worry about me, you just focus on getting better." After letting her hand hang in the air for a few seconds, Skye let it fall on Jemma's shoulder and squeezed lightly.
"I can't consciously attempt to-"
"Jemma." Skye quirked one of her eyebrows, knowing that the girl was about to go off on some rant about why focusing on getting better wouldn't actually do anything for her. "Are you hungry? I'm not a great cook, but I'm sure I could whip something up for you." Skye offered, trying to get Jemma's mind off her current state.
"Oh, no, you've already done quite enough, Skye. I seem to have lost my appetite anyway, but thanks for the offer. That's very kind of you." Jemma said quietly. Skye felt a little disappointed that she didn't have a use anymore, but what was she expecting? She already felt like she'd overstepped her boundaries in coming over like this. "And thank you for the daisies." Jemma smiled, and all of Skye's worries dissipated.