The mornings, that's what Grant loves the most. He no longer has to wake up early, but he still does. Getting out of the bed though… that's another thing entirely. This is where he belongs, right next to the person that he loves more than anything in this world.

When he watches her sleep all the bad things go away, his past, his family, Shield, Hydra, John… it's just her, Skye. He still has a hard time believing that this is real, that Skye chose him. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night paralyzed by fear, thinking that he'll reach for her and she won't be there. She always is.

So, every morning is like a reminder that this happiness won't go away, that they both chose to have a life together and will never let anyone take it from them.

She's sleeping on her stomach, with her face to him… or the little portion of it that's visible under her messy hair and her bangs… she's got bangs now.

To be honest… Skye isn't exactly the most graceful creature in her sleep. While she likes to cuddle when they go to bed… it doesn't last long until she is asleep and starts moving and kicking and taking all the sheets for her.

Not like he can do anything about it. She sleeps like a dead person.

Sometimes she even mumbles some unintelligible words… and it sill makes him smile and his heart beat a little faster, and his hands ache to touch her. Grant never knew what loving someone would feel like, he didn't even have that with his family, but whatever love is… it's just like this.

He moves his hand to remove the hair from her face and Skye wrinkles her nose, tries to move away from him and hide her face against the white pillow.

"Good morning, beautiful" He says but gets nothing in return but a groan. "Skye" He moves closer and turns on his side to face her.

He's also enjoying the view; following the curve of her naked back until the barrier of the sheets cover her body. The fabric is still thin, and he can admire the shape of her ass and legs under it. Grant was never the kind of person to sleep naked, but he was getting used to it. Skye likes it, and he's not going to start complaining about that.

His gaze moves back to her face when she mumbles again, this time he hears his name.

"Are you awake?" He asks again, and this time she moves and frowns, sighing deeply before opening her eyes.

And there, for a split second, he reads in her expression the same thing that he feels every morning. It's just when her eyes meet his that they light up and bring a smile to her lips, erasing all the fears. She sighs again and then smiles, like she needs to be reassured that he's still there and when she finds him everything's good again.

"Hi" She says.

"Hey" Grant replies and finally moves his hand to her lower back. He pulls her closer to wrap her body in his arms and Skye takes the opportunity to move her leg between his.

She smirks at him. "Look who's very happy to see me," She teases, moving her finger to trace his jawline, enjoying the scratch of his stubble on her fingertip. Grant is smiling, but his eyes have gotten really dark, not his usual golden and his hand have started to wander south.

He finally captures her lips with his, rolling them over to be on top of her. Her hands go to his shoulders and her legs to each side of his hips.

"And you didn't like to sleep naked" She teases against his lips, feels him smiling even with her eyes closed. "It makes everything so much easier"

"I'm going to do everything to you" He replies, moving his lips to her neck, nibbling her skin and earning a soft moan in response.

Her body is warm and welcoming. They both move and touch in perfect sync and the way she breathes his name makes him burn with desire. There's no anticipation, no foreplay. He's rock hard and she's ready for him and Grant pushes inside her slowly, pressing his forehead against hers and biting his lip to suppress a moan that builds in his throat as he slides home.

When he opens his eyes Skye is smiling, her eyes clouded with something dark and mischievous.

"What?" He asks huskily.

"Nothing"

Her voice is like silk, soft and low and so sexy and Grant clenches his jaw.

She doesn't break eye contact, doesn't want to miss a thing because Grant looks at her in a way that no one ever did before. It's desire, sure, but it's also something stronger. It's love, need, urge, and complete devotion, which still scares her a little. He loves with everything he's got. He loves with his entire life.

She doesn't know if that's right, if she's ever going to be able to give back as much as he gives to her. She doesn't know if what she feels is enough in comparison.

She reaches down and grabs his ass. "Come on" She moans. "I need you. I love you, Grant"

He sets a slow pace. There's no rush. He has her until she decides otherwise. But maybe he's lucky enough and she'll never leave. He knows that she loves him, that no one ever cared as much as she does, and he's willing to learn how to love her back and give her everything.

His hand moves to her breast and his lips are back on her neck as she wraps her legs around him, trying to move faster.

"Skye" He repeats her name like a prayer, angles his hips just the right way until her nails dig on his back and her breathing feels erratic.

It's not going to take much longer. He knows her body. He knows how it feels and how it sounds.

He thrusts into her faster, buries his face against her neck and presses his sweaty body against hers. Skye loves the contact, the friction.

She holds onto him, pulls his hair and moans right next to his ear; she bites him and cries his name. He feels so fucking good and she's very vocal about it. The words she whispers to his ear drive him to the edge, desperate to take her with him.

It's sudden and powerful. She stops moving and cries loudly. Her head falls back against the pillow and her body arches. Grant can finally follow. He lets himself go and it's incredible. He feels like he can't breath or think just push inside her hard one more time as he comes with her name on his lips.

He only comes back when he feels her fingers on his hair.

"Holy shit. That was amazing," He says, still trying to catch his breath.

But then Skye chuckles. She doesn't say anything, she's just laughing. Of course he raises his head to look at her.

"Sorry" She says with a smile "It's just that you always point out how amazing it was" She says but he still looks concerned "I mean it was. Like… " She gestures with her hands like her brain was exploding and makes the proper sound to go with it "It's just… I… I feel very happy right now. I hope you know that" Her hand cups his cheek and he finally smiles.

He pulls out of her and rolls them over so she can be on top of him, surrounded by his arms.

"I want to ask you something"

"You gonna propose?" She teases and Grant blushes and for a second there her stomach feels empty. It's not that, it's… too fast? It's… - would it be that bad?

"First things first" He says. "I want… well, I want us to live together"

She looks around and founds. They're in one of his safe houses. "We kind of already do?" She says.

"We're still on the move. I mean it would be nice to settle some place, like get jobs and normal things"

"You want us to get jobs?"

He chuckles "I want normal. We can grab everything I have stashed over the years. It's more than enough to start, if you want that"

"Jobs and a house and a cat and-" She stops "all that stuff?"

Grant just nods.

"I never had that," She adds, avoiding his eyes "Never had normal. But I couldn't do it with anyone else"

"We can think about it"

"There's nothing to think," She says and her eyes meet his again. "I already chose you"

His smile takes away that odd feeling in her stomach. Moments like this make her feel like they can actually make it.

"And if we have to go and grab everything that means we're going on vacation. That's a plus" She adds and then kisses him.

It might actually work.

"Ok" He says against her lips "we have a lot of planning to do. But let's have breakfast first"

"Oh yes. I'm starving"

He kisses her palm. "Stay in bed"

Grant grabs a pair of sweatpants and goes to the kitchen. They don't have much in the refrigerator but it'll do. He hasn't even started when he hears the shower. It's a small apartment, enough to lay low. Nobody should find them here.

That's why he picks a gun when someone knocks on their door.

The place is silent. He only hears the shower running and the eggs frying on a pan.

"Hello?" A voice calls on the other side of the door. "I'm looking for… Skye"

Grant grips his gun, takes the safety lock off. It's a man. He knows Skye's name. Why? Is it should? How did they find them?

"I'm… alone. I mean no harm. Are you there?" The man says and knocks again.

It's better to be done with this. This could attract unwanted attention. So Grant aims the gun and decides to open the door.

When he does he finds a man, just a man wearing an old suit.

"Where is she?" The man asks. He's unfazed by Grant pointing a gun at his head. He stares at Grant and his expression shifts from friendly to… scary.

"Who are you?" Grant asks.

"Are you Grant Ward?"

"How do you-"

"I'm her father. Don't you have a t-shirt or something?"

The silence that follows let the two men hear how the shower stops.


He gets another text from Skye, but this time he answers.

"What?" The man asks. Grant managed to convince him to get out of the apartment. He quickly grabbed some clothes and ran before Skye could get out of the shower.

He texts her that he had to go to grab groceries.

"Hey. I'm talking to you"

They are in the nearest coffee place. Some people stare at the man's appearance. "You can't do this. How did you find us?"

"It wasn't easy. Raina… we are close. I 've been following you"

"It's impossible"

"She told me about you, but I didn't expect… Is there something you want to talk to me about, son?"

"What?" Grant frowns. "Look. You can't just show up like this" His phone rings.

"Is it she?" He asks and his eyes look brighter, like he's too excited. Grant nods. "Please, answer. Put her on speaker"

Grant's about to protest but then the man speaks again. "I swear I'm not going to say a word. Please"

He sighs and hopes that Skye doesn't say something… inappropriate. He didn't expect to meet her father like this. Hell, he never expected to meet her father. But he kind of wanted a normal life, and being intimidated by his girlfriend's dad might be as normal as it can get for them.

He sighs and answers the phone.

"Hi"

"Where are you? You know you left eggs in the pan? You killed our breakfast"

"I… I forgot. We don't have milk so I had to go out"

"Babe, is everything ok? Can you talk?"

"Yeah. It's fine." Grant looks at the man and he looks light he might start crying. "It's… just the… we need to talk"

"Grant, are you ok?"

"I am. But something happened. Just hold on a second" He turns off the speaker.

"No, wait." The man begs

"Let me talk to her first, ok?" He says and the man reluctantly accepts.


They go back to the apartment and the man wipes the sweat off his hands on his pants. He's almost shaking, mumbling unintelligible words, like he's rehearsing a speech.

He convinced Grant to stop to get flowers and also made him pay for them and then some food. Insisting that Skye sounded hungry.

Food is probably the last thing in her mind right now.

She's waiting in the small living room, gets up when the two men enter to the apartment.

"Hi. My- my name is Cal" He offers her a hand after wiping it again against his leg. "I… I've dreamed with this moment so many times" His voice breaks as he speaks and his hand shakes.

She still can believe it. Grant tried to explain on the phone but he sounded as shocked as she is right now. She hesitates but takes his hand.

"Skye"

"Not exactly" Cal smiles and takes the flowers from Grant. "Your name is Daisy, like the flowers. And you are as beautiful. Gosh, even more" He doesn't fight the tears anymore. He offers the bouquet and Skye takes it.

"Thanks" She swallows the nod in her throat "Do you… want to sit?"

"I'll take this to the kitchen" Grant says with the bag of food in his hand and then leaves them.

She sits on the couch and Cal takes a chair. She appreciates that he keeps his distance.

"You look so… normal"

"What were you expecting?" He smiles.

"I thought you were dead"

"Oh" Cal looks down. "Almost. You see, I've done bad things. I'm not the man that I used to be and now I know that I'm just a terrible disappointment. But if you give me the chance, maybe you can get to know me. I'll tell you everything. I'll explain to you why it took me so long, so please let me"

"I've been searching for you my entire life" She says and looks at him. "I guess I might at least do that"

Cal almost jumps in his chair. He's like a kid high on sugar, can't be still and looks way too excited. It's kind of cute in a way, she thinks.

"Great. This is the Best. Day. Ever. I never thought that we would…" He smiles "Yay" Then he looks to the kitchen. "So, he's your boyfriend?"

Skye smiles "Yeah. You could say that" Cal frowns, so Skye adds "Yes. He is my boyfriend"

"And is it serious?"

"It is" Her eyes meet Grant's and he smiles at her. "It's very important"

"Alright. So let me buy you kids dinner. We can go, get to meet each other, you know… be traditional"

"Oh…" She looks at Grant.

"I thought you would feel more comfortable if he joins us, right?" Cal adds.

"Yeah. It's a good idea"

"Fan freaking tastic! I'll make all the arrangements. Are you hungry? Grant's got food"

"I'm ok"

"We have so much to catch up on. I want to know everything. I'll make up for every single day. But Grant made me promise that I would give you space to process things. Is that ok?" He asks and Skye nods "Great! That's great. Right? Well…" He stands up "Maybe I should go now" He awkwardly pats her arm, trying not to get too close, which takes a lot of effort.

Grant joins Cal until he leaves and closes the door and leans his back against it, crossing his arms. Skye's still sits in the couch.

"What the hell just happened?"

"I don't know. And I don't know how he found us. He said it was Raina" He joins Skye in the couch, wraps his arm around her shoulder to pull her to his chest and then kisses the top of her head. "How are you feeling?"

She ignores the question and just says the one thing that's in her mind "Do you think that my mother is alive, too?"

Her voice breaks and she finally starts crying against his chest. That definitely answers his question.

"Why didn't you ask him?"

"I'm afraid of hearing it. If I don't know it's still possible" She sobs "But I'm also afraid to hope" She places her pal over his chest, feeling the steady beating of his heart. "I don't want this to change our plans"

"My only plan is to stay by your side. No matter what"

And it feels like she relaxes a little bit so he moves her to his lap, completely wraps her in his arms.