So, I've had this chapter for almost a week now. I figured I'd let you guys read it, to compensate for the amazing and yet heartbreaking season premiere. (I was... happy... to know that most of the points I've mentioned on my fanfiction, Thoughts of an atheist, were accurate with Ward's state, so yay for me.. not really. I'm so broken because of that bastard).
Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.
Skye is 7-years-old
Smile
It was Skye's seventh birthday. She didn't expect anything but was surprised. May felt a little bad about not buying something for Skye, no matter how insignificant it was. When they arrived home, May walked over to the kitchen to prepare Skye's favorite meal while the girl walked to her bedroom to do homework. May hadn't a said a word about her birthday so far and so Skye expected nothing. She knew she couldn't get her hopes too high about Melinda; she wasn't that kind of person. It wasn't that she was bad; Skye just didn't believe she'd ever get her a present. She knew May was struggling with something and so, instead of wanting things for herself, Skye just wanted May to be alright again.
The agent chose none of the gifts, she simply agreed on them. She asked one of the agents that worked in the office with her to give her a tip on what to buy. The man had a daughter the same age as Skye, and he was crazy for her, so he was up and current as to what children liked. Getting some ideas from May's description of Skye's personality, the man recommended that May buy her some candies and an object that showed her affection for Skye, but that also poured on the girl some sense of responsibility, of adulthood. His suggestion was a wristwatch.
May bought an analog wristwatch. She believed that that one would be good for Skye. The rubber strap was yellow; in fact the whole watch was yellow except for the round-shaped bezel, the crown, clock hands, and the case that were made of steel. The wristwatch's dial was also yellow-colored, with two black x-marks and a large smile, turning the drawing into a smiley face, and the numbers were in white. As for the candies, sweet tooth May chose Laffy Taffy's. She remembered that those had corny kid's jokes, and Skye would probably like to read (or at least attempt to as she was still a first grader) them.
Skye was lying face up on her bed, crossed-legged, reading a book, the lamp over the bedside table was on. May stood by the door for a while, watching her read a book, whispering the words as best as she could to herself.
"What are you reading?" May said as she decided to finally walk into the bedroom.
"Ugh, homework," Skye grumbled, "Mary had a little lamb." She frowned, asking, "Who has a lamb as a pet, anyway?"
"Mary, apparently." Skye didn't find it funny. "Come on, dinner's ready. I made lasagna."
"Ooh, lasagna! I love lasagna." The girl excitedly closed the book, sitting up on the bed. "Wait, did you really make it?"
May looked away for a while. "I bought it and put it in the oven, but yes, there's lasagna."
Skye jumped from bed and May let her go, not following after her immediately. She heard the girl letting out a squeal once she found a wrapped box on the table. May got up and met the overly-excited Skye in the kitchen.
"Is this for me?"
"People get presents on their birthdays, don't they?"
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Skye squealed, wrapping her arms around May's waist. She hadn't even unwrapped her gift and she was utterly happy already. "I though you didn't know my birthday or that you wouldn't get me anything."
"Open the gift, will you?" May asked, slightly uncomfortable with the sudden display of affection.
Skye was extra clumsy with excitement. The wrapping paper was ripped into tiny pieces, falling on the kitchen floor, before the box was revealed.
"Oh, I got a watch! I like it, but I can't read time."
"You'll learn." May helped her strap the watch onto her wrist.
After returning to her seat and looking at the watch several times, marveled with the new object, Skye noticed there was something else. "Laffy Taffy's!" she said after getting rid of the remaining wrapping paper, revealing a package of assorted bite-size candies.
"After dinner," May warned.
Skye put the package aside and the two had dinner. Behaving like an ordinary child, right after she swallowed the last bit of lasagna, Skye ripped the candies' package open and started sorting through them for her favorite flavors. In the meantime, May washed the dishes in the sink behind her.
Between chewing on a candy, Skye read from the candy wrapper, "What a-ni-mal b-br-ea-aks the l-la-aw? Uhm, what is it, Melinda?" Skye insisted, but May didn't answer. "A cheetah! Answer this one," the girl begged, unwrapping another candy, "What is a g-ghost's?" she hesitated on the word but carried on before letting May take a look of the wrapper, "fa-vo-ri-te fo-oo-od?"
"I don't know," May answered, much to Skye's happiness.
"Boo-berries."
Skye was in fits of laughter, but May couldn't comprehend why. She didn't feel like having any emotion at all. Besides, the jokes were corny, simple word puns. But Skye was happy, so that was what mattered.
"You have to laugh, Melinda," Skye said sadly.
She was determined to make Melinda May laugh at one joke, no matter how much it'd take. They had moved to the living room now, and Skye ate candy after candy until she felt extremely sick. The last thing May saw was Skye rapidly getting up from the couch and running to the bathroom. The agent found the girl kneeling on the floor, puking in the toilet bowl.
"It's okay," May said, holding back Skye's hair with one hand and rubbing her back with the other.
Skye was silent for a long time, sitting on the bathroom floor with a disgusted expression stamped on her face.
"Feeling any better?" May's voice broke the silence.
The girl shook her head and wrapped her arms around her belly, hoping that her stomach pain would be gone. May held Skye in her arms so that she could brush her teeth and get rid of the nasty taste lingering in her mouth.
"Can I sleep with you today?" Skye asked. "Just today, I promise."
May sighed and carried Skye to her own bed. Once the agent pulled back the bed sheets, the child climbed up on the bed and lied down. May rested down next to her. Skye crawled up and snuggled into May's embrace, even though she hadn't given any space to do so. Somehow, Skye found a way to nestle against May's body.
"Will you grant me all my birthday wishes?"
"I'll try," May answered her.
"Then I want you to smile," the kid said quietly.
May swallowed dryly and tried to hide the sadness in her voice, "That's an impossible wish, Skye."
Silence settled in the bedroom. May wanted to push Skye away because there was a big feeling of closeness that she wasn't used to. But the woman couldn't simply because Skye could shred her heart and yet make her feel good. There was so much of Coulson that she saw in Skye that instantly could make her feel… happy…
"Can you read this one for me?" Skye asked, showing May that she still had a Laffy Taffy wrapper in her hand.
May took it and read it for her, "How do you say 'that's not right' in Chinese?"
"I don't know," Skye shrugged.
"Sum Ting Wong."
Despite still feeling sick, Skye giggled a little. "How do you actually say 'that's not right' in Chinese then?"
"Nà shì bùduì de."
Skye spent some time trying to repeat the expression, and May tried her best to teach her the right pronunciation of the words. In the meantime, Skye had mimicked May, kicked off her shoes, and kept on asking her, between yawns, to teach her more things in Chinese.
"How do you say 'I like you'?"
"Wǒ xǐhuān nǐ."
Skye nodded her head and was silent for a while. She shifted in the bed to make herself more comfortable, but before closing her eyes, she tugged on May's shirt sleeve. Once she had her attention, she said, "Wǒ xǐhuān nǐ."
"Wǒ yě xǐhuān nǐ," May answered back, offering a sincere smile.
"You said you like me too, didn't you?" Skye mumbled, almost asleep.
"No," May put on her straight face again, try to deny it, "I said for you to sleep."
Skye giggled in her sleep, not believing May, and babbled, "Yeah, 'k… g'night."
May slowly slipped under the covers as well. She didn't dare to move; she feared that if she moved, that different yet heartwarming feeling inside her would disappear. May found no better position to sleep in than to have an arm around Skye. The girl was completely tangled on her, her head resting over May's stomach, one arm falling over her thigh and one of her legs around hers. Soon the two were sleeping.
Next chapter will feature an OC that will be important to the course of this story. I'll give you further information on that person on the following chapter. Chapter 14 will feature the science babies aka Fitzsimmons and Clint Barton. Hope you guys continue to be around. Leave me a review telling me what you've liked about this chapter.
