Author's Note: Two new Skyehunter fics are up since I posted the last chapter. Perhaps my diabolical plot to spark interest in this pairing is working! ;)
Skye's face flushed beet red, and she snatched at the box of tissues, which she had set aside at some point, to mop the tears and snot off her face."How - how did you...?"
Hunter answered simply, "I heard something."
Of course. His room was the closest to the lounge. Of course he would have heard.
Skye sat up, trying not to care that she was an absolute mess. She flicked the last of the tears from her cheeks and forced a self-conscious laugh. "How is this not weirding you out?"
Hunter shrugged. "I've been a private military contractor for the last seven years," he said matter-of-factly. "I was military for five years before that. Not everyone is the unflappable Agent May, with the supernatural ability to bury every emotion without a trace." His eyes met hers, and she saw understanding in them. "Everybody has their breaking point."
The tears started welling up in Skye's eyes again, and she hated that Hunter was seeing it. "My breaking point seems to be lower than everyone else's," she said bitterly. That was it. She hated that about herself.
He shook his head. "You're sensitive," he said quietly. "You feel deeply and you connect to people deeply. That's a difficult quality to have in this kind of work. It's not necessarily a weakness."
Skye stiffened. "But it is a liability."
Hunter shrugged again. "Only if you let it be." He caught her eyes again and said frankly, "You'll do more damage trying to be May when you're not May than you will by acknowledging how you're wired and learning to deal with it."
Skye nodded. He had a point; Melinda May was Skye's idea of a perfect SHIELD agent, and Skye wanted to be just like her. But maybe there were some things about May that she really couldn't become. Forcing it might do more harm than good. And she did have some strengths that May didn't have, she supposed. At least she could muster up a more convincing laugh undercover.
...How did Lance Hunter understand so much about her?
Deep in thought, Skye became aware that at some point, Hunter had begun gently rubbing her back. Suddenly, she was *very* aware of the comforting gesture - more so than she wanted to be. The heat of his proximity made her pulse quicken.
Stupid hormones, or pheromones or whatever, she thought fiercely. I am not dealing with you tonight.
They sat quietly for a few minutes, Skye fighting a battle in her head and Hunter staring off into space. She abruptly remembered that she had woken him.
"I should let you get back to sleep," she said suddenly.
Hunter was bleary-eyed. "Probably," he agreed. "After all, you never know whose life I'll be called upon to save in the morning. Have to be at the top of my game." He grinned cheekily.
Skye made a face at him. That man.
As Hunter got up to go, Skye said quietly, "Thank you."
He turned around and gave her a half-smile. "Any time."
"Hunter?" They were still looking at each other.
"Yeah?"
"How do I keep it from becoming a liability?" Skye realized briefly how bizarre it was to be asking for advice on emotional issues from Lance Hunter. But he had been in the business for a long time. And he did seem to know what he was talking about.
He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think what you did tonight is a good start," he said slowly. "If you can't bury your emotions, you have to get them out somehow. That way, they don't keep eating you up inside."
Skye nodded, and smiled weakly in thanks. He nodded and held her gaze for a beat before turning to head off to bed.
As he disappeared down the hall, Skye found herself wondering how Lance Hunter dealt with his emotions.
Author's Note: I think that between Hunter's walls and Skye's wounds, a relationship between them would be slow to develop. If you're enjoying the story, tell me your ideas about where it should go from here! I have some ideas but wouldn't mind more. :)
I had these three chapters written when I began posting, so subsequent chapters may come out more slowly. But since there is interest, I will keep them coming! Thanks for reading, favoriting, following, and especially for reviewing!