Hello, I'm baaaack! I am so very sorry it's taken so long for the story to be updated but a lot has happened since then and well, I guess its best to finish up with the bad news first before the good? I just wanted to say that after this is finished, I won't be writing any more Coulson/Skye stories and that includes "Unknown Origins" temporarily! It's hard to explain, but let's just say that I've lost the inspiration and motivation to continue... the terrible writer's block didn't help either! I know your feedback will always be there and they reviews are always so positive but don't feel sad, I might just come back in a while with new stories because if there's one thing I know, the idea's are plenty! Think of it as a temporary break maybe, but it could be a long one... I've had my Supernatural fic on hold for a year and half now, but I'm going to finish "First Times" soon! That's a promise! I decided to omit 2 chapters of Skye's birthday and Coulson's birthday so that I could tie everything up faster... after this, there's only two more left! I do hope you all will stay with me until the end... everyone who left reviews for the previous chapter - Wolfca, byLunaA, Ace, firerosedreamer67, the guest reviewers and my new reader SeverusDmitri18! Thank You and all the others as well! Without any further delay, here is Skye & Coulson's first Valentine's Day celebration together! Enjoy! ^_^
Disclaimer: Haven't done this in a while but it's important - 99% of the French dialogues have been copy-pasted from the Richard Castle book, "Frozen Heat" and I don't own that, just the idea of borrowing those lines because it fit in the story!
The snowfall had finally settled for the morning, leaving a white carpet of snowflakes blanketed all across the city as visitors, tourists and citizens alike continued with their usual routines in the bustling hours of the day - fresh smells of bread and croissants and eclairs wafted through the bakery shops, street vendors in the marketplace called out to the passerby's, the melodious tunes of music from performers filled the air and everywhere, couples walked together hand in hand as they laughed and enjoyed the sights and kissed each other under the sunlight that was finally starting to shine on this winter morning - this was the city of Paris, the city of lights and the city of love. In the midst of all this, outside the famous Louvre Museum, standing by a bright red corvette also known as Lola and holding a bouquet of flowers was Coulson. He had only been waiting for a few minutes before he noticed his date arriving, nearly out of breath as she carried a few shopping bags but still looking as beautiful as ever. Skye was dressed warmly in a red trench-coat, keeping with the tradition of this special day.
"I know, I know, I'm late!" She exclaimed once she stopped and leaned against Lola trying to catch her breath, "Sorry, it was the morning rush at the flea market and everything good was already disappearing by the time I got there! Can you imagine, early morning in Paris and people have finished their shopping. I mean, I know today is probably one of the busier days than usual but wow... it was unbelievable!" Skye didn't realize that she was starting to ramble but noticed Coulson grinning at her when she paused for a breath.
"It is Valentine's Day, I guess that is how everyone is today. And you're not late, I got here a little early and decided to wait for you; we still have a few minutes before the tour begins." Coulson said as he handed the flowers to her, a mix of red roses and pink peonies.
"Thank you, these are lovely Phil." Breathing in the lovely scent of her bouquet, Skye almost forgot that she had to leave all her bags inside the car, including one which had a gift she'd bought for him.
"This is just the first of many gifts for you. There's a lot more from where these came." He knew that Skye didn't mind the typical roses and chocolates and teddy bears but because this was their first valentine's day together, Coulson wanted to make this extra special for her and so decided on only flowers. For now. He had a few surprises in mind and even though they had the whole day ahead of them, he just hoped the final plan would go smoothly.
"Really? That's definitely one way of getting a girl curious, but you're not going to tell me what these other gifts are yet, are you?" Skye was curious to know more but also enjoyed the giddy happiness she'd been feeling since waking up in their hotel room only a few hours ago.
"That would ruin the fun of a surprise filled day for us wouldn't it?" Was all Coulson said to her, as they headed across the street to the museum.
The two of them had been in Paris only for this weekend, having arrived on Thursday night with the rest of their team who were on a mission of their own but perhaps had managed to find some free time today. Skye knew from Coulson that the others had been put up in different hotels all across the city so that each of them could spend some time with their respective partners and thanks to Tony, they had found themselves checked into the Washington Opera Hotel. It was famously known as being a private townhouse to Madame de Pompadour when she lived there in the 18th Century; and the quaint suite was perfect for a Paris experience. In the two days since reaching here, Coulson had taken Skye to see all the famous sights - the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Place Dauphine, Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe and together they even walked through the gardens at Le Palais Royale which was located next to their hotel. And for Valentine's Day, Coulson had proposed a slightly similar plan to Skye that morning at breakfast at Café de Flore; he wanted to balance their day between visiting famous landmarks with recording all of their moments and memories in more ways than just pictures. Instead of elaborating on the details, Coulson had merely told her to meet him outside the Louvre after she'd finished her shopping at the Marché aux puces.
And so here they were, strolling through the grand museum and taking in the magnifique sights of all the paintings and sculptures in each gallery and exhibit; from the Passage Richelieu to Carrousel du Louvre passing through the Porte des Lions and ending up at the Tuileries Garden when it was close to noon. Energized by all the excitement of seeing everything that the museum had to offer and clicking pictures after pictures, Skye was completely ecstatic throughout the trip.
"Wow, that was... just... breathtaking! I cannot believe I've finally been inside the Louvre!" Beaming brightly as she walked past the fountain located at the center of the Gardens, even though there was snow all around, the place was bustling with tourists and Skye couldn't help but marvel at how different, fresh, magical this city made her feel; it was as if the air around them had come to life and helped spread love everywhere. This truly did feel like a place they could call Heaven on Earth, no matter how cheesy it sounded, for it was true.
"You said that yesterday when we went to Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe the day before that." Coulson noted, knowing full well he was only teasing her; seeing Skye so happy and free from all the worries that came with their lifestyle, it was something he always wanted to see and given how much they'd gone through in the last month itself, he knew that there'd be happy times for them as long as they were together.
"Yes, well this is my first time in Paris. Actually, it's the first time I've ever been outside of America before, so let me have this moment." Skye pretended to scoff before she continued, "So where to next?" She asked him, wondering if perhaps they would have a chance to see the Eiffel Tower before heading back home tomorrow.
"Next up on the list of tourist attractions to visit would be the Sacré-Cœur Basilica and then we'll break for lunch." By now, they'd reached Lola and Coulson also noticed a slight snowfall starting, but he wasn't worried that it would change any of their Valentine's plans for the day.
"What about our gifts?" Gesturing to everything that was gathered up in a pile on the backseat, Skye wondered for a brief moment if she had found the right present for Coulson.
Surely after spending so much time with him, she knew that he was a man with an eye for antique and vintage items, someone who appreciated the beauty of anything and everything rare. Her mind did wander off to the thought of messaging May for a second opinion but then she realized that Ward was most likely treating her to a romantic day in Paris as well; maybe even had taken her to the Eiffel Tower already. Jemma would be busy doing her own thing with Fitz too and Trip was probably enjoying the single life and meeting young Parisian women. Skye knew that they were all going to meet up the following day for some last minute shopping in the morning and at the Palais Garnier Opera House later in the evening, so she decided to go with what her instincts had told her when she found Coulson's gift.
"How about we exchange them at lunch? I thought we could try a new restaurant today, there's a wonderful little place Pepper told me about when I spoke to her earlier; it's called "Brasserie Lipp" on Boulevard Saint Germain." Coulson already had his gift for Skye with him in his jacket pocket but wanted to wait for the right time when they had a private moment together.
"It sounds lovely. I've been meaning to ask Phil, how is Pepper doing now? I hope it wasn't anything too serious." Skye had been thinking about all their friends back home; the Avengers had been busy ever since the previous month, there was still plenty of work to be done for them - HYDRA bases to be discovered and dismantled, rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. together, reinventing themselves, saving the world one small step at a time. And in the midst of that, if their personal lives changed even a little, she knew that they would all work together to make it work.
"She's much better, Tony and Natasha have her confined to bed-rest for a few days now and that's definitely helping. And I think, considering the lecture she gave me for taking you on a romantic weekend to Paris while we also had a mission, Pepper is going to make a full recovery and fast." Remembering that he'd had to calm his old friend down in the middle of their conversation and remind her that even the slightest of stress wasn't good for her, Coulson couldn't help but grin when he realized that this was normal and imagined what it was like for Tony.
"That's good to know. I'm glad she's going to be okay." Smiling at him, Skye found herself getting lost in her own thoughts again as she dreamed about what it would be like in the future, with her and Coulson.
A short 20 minute drive later found them in Montmartre where the Basilica stood tall and majestic atop the hill. After having parked Lola at a safe spot, Coulson and Skye walked up to it; from the outside, the monument was grand in its shining white glory, there were three major domes, and the statues of King Saint Louis and Joan of Arc being visibly clear as they got nearer. Once they were inside however, both of them felt an instant rush of peacefulness surrounding them; there was a serenity that was hard to describe but as they passed the other people inside and took in the beauty of each and every pillar crafted there, gazed at the brilliance of the mosaic mural on the ceiling, Skye knew that this was one of the best places she would ever visit in her life and was glad she had Coulson by her side. Even though photography was not permitted here inside the chapel, she was determined to make sure that the others came here to witness this wonder personally. They stayed there for a while and even exchanged a few words with other tourists who had come from all over the world, before heading back towards the restaurant.
"This is quite nice isn't it?" Coulson commented as the waiter led them to a private booth inside the restaurant and said he would return in a few minutes to take their order's; leaving two glasses of water and some bread for the table.
"It is; and you know what? I have noticed that most of the restaurants here are like tiny cafe's but each one is so different than the other! I like it better than eating inside those big hotels, this is what life in Paris should be about." Skye beamed as she scanned the menu, wondering how she would decipher all the dishes that were written in French.
"Why don't I order something for the both of us?" He had noticed Skye biting her lower lip as she tried to make sense of the menu and smiled; this was one of the different things about this restaurant - everything was written and spoken in perfect French.
"I think that's best. Otherwise I'll end up ordering dessert for appetizers and soup for main course!" She exclaimed with a tiny laugh, "You seem to understand what's written here better than I do anyway." Skye was curious though; was Coulson going just order lasanga and eclairs for them?
When the waiter returned with a pen and notepad, she got her answer and was completely amazed by what happened next. If she didn't know any better, Skye wouldn't have believed that the man sitting across the table from her really was Phil Coulson.
"Bonjour monsieur, je voudrais deux petits plats, s'il vous plait. La salade de frisee et apres les pommes de terre a l'huile avec les harengs marine. Merci." It was perfectly flawless fluent French and Skye literally had no idea what Coulson had just said.
"Oui monsieur." And taking the menu's away, the waiter left the two of them alone once again.
"What was that?" Skye blurted out when she finally realized what had just transpired in front of her eyes, even if she was still processing it all.
"What was what Skye?" Confused by the question, Coulson leaned forward and took her hand in his, wondering what she was talking about.
"That!" Waving her hand and gazing at him in awe, "You... you just ordered lunch for us... in French! And I'm guessing it was a real, proper lunch and not something like croissants!" She was pleasantly surprised. And then some.
"Oh. I see what you mean." He hadn't really found a chance to actually speak in French a lot in these last few days; save for the basic stuff, Coulson had let Skye try her hand out whenever they needed to talk, with the help of a dictionary.
"Well?" She raised an eyebrow at him and waited for Coulson to elaborate on this; in the past year and a half that she'd known the man, Skye had only now realized he could speak French?
"Well... nothing, I just... I learned French when I came here to France a long time ago; it was part of my training. I don't use it all the time because we don't really deal with people who speak the language in our field of work." Coulson explained, remembering the first time he'd visited this country and even Paris; it really was a lifetime ago.
"You've been here before?" It shouldn't have been too surprising to hear Coulson mention having traveled to places as exotic as Paris, but since was part of S.H.I.E.L.D. it meant that he probably had seen the world.
"I came to Paris with Fury on my... third mission as an agent. It was all about work then. I never really got a chance to see the city... until now." Coulson replied as he reminisced about the old days of being a field agent and how much things had changed since then.
"So I guess this is a first time for you as much as it is for me then." Skye was all about finding the positive side to things because she knew that Coulson probably would be thinking about his past and wanted him to know that it was important they were here now, in the present, together.
"Yes, it is. And speaking of which, I think instead of waiting until later, I should give you the first gift." Coming out of the reverie, Coulson gave Skye a knowing smile and cut straight to the point.
"Technically isn't this the second? I'm counting the flowers as one." She teased, knowing that the number of gifts didn't matter, she just felt lucky enough to have this day all to herself with Coulson.
Letting out a laugh, Coulson didn't say anything to Skye just then; he merely removed a familar looking velvet box from inside his jacket pocket and placed it on the table between them. He hadn't gift wrapped it or anything because he knew that she would recognize what it was instantly.
"Isn't that..." Skye stared at the box for a second before picking it up and turning it around in her hands, remembering the last time she'd seen this.
"Open it and see for yourself." Was all Coulson said to her. This was something important to him, more so in the gesture of making things more official than the gift itself.
Skye did as she was told and when the box was open, she saw what was inside. The silver hair-comb that he'd given to her on that night of their undercover mission together several months ago. The very same one which was an antique heirloom that had belonged to his mother. Glancing up to see him watching her, Skye smiled as she understood the meaning behind this gift; what was once just an item that had been temporarily used to their benefit was now a precious part of her belongings. There were no words needed in that moment, but before she could let her emotions get overwhelming, Skye grabbed the bag she'd taken from the car which held Coulson's gift and hesitated only for a second; this was the one and only thing she could manage to find and even though the number of gifts didn't matter to him, there was a tiny split second fear that maybe he wouldn't like this.
"Thank you. I love it." Smiling brightly as she closed the box and kept it near her, Skye reached out to hand her gift over to him. "I got something for you as well, nothing too special or big really... I just... I thought you might like it." She was starting to get a little nervous but feeling his fingers on her hand, Skye knew it was too late to pull back.
"I'm sure I'll love whatever it is Skye." Coulson didn't doubt for a second that Skye's taste in gifts and noticed that she hadn't bothered to wrap hers either.
Pulling out the items from inside, for there was more than one thing, Coulson was taken aback when he saw that Skye had somehow managed to find three books for him. And not just any books; these were first-edition copies of Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare and Kurt Vonnegut. Antique would be an understatement to describe them... rare was the better choice of word. It may have been an interesting combination, but to him, it was like finding the missing pieces to his collection of books.
"How did you ever manage to find these?" Surprise colored his voice as he wondered at the chances of Skye coming across so many different books... at the flea market of all places in the city?
"Well, I know I said that my shopping was done at the flea market this morning... but not all of it." Skye started to say, "I stumbled upon this really tiny bookstore while I was leaving, the name was in French obviously but something about it just seemed so special; and since I hadn't found the perfect gift for Valentine's Day for you I thought I'd check it out. There was a sale to buy any 3 books for the price of 1 if you can believe that! So I searched around and discovered these."
"Wow... that is quite amazing Skye. These are perfect obviously. I love them all, thank you." Coulson was touched by the gesture, just knowing that Skye had done her best to find the right gift for him meant a lot and these were an unexpected but wonderful choices. He would cherish them and find the best place in his collection when they got back to his office on the Bus.
Just then, their food had arrived and much to Skye's delight, she was glad to see it was simple and yet elegant in the form of salad, some potatoes and fish. For the next hour, Coulson and Skye chatted about the places they'd already visited while on their trip and discovered they had forgotten something. Luckily, since there was plenty of time and no specific other destination in mind, she was adamant they try and finish seeing an important part of the city. After lunch finished, taking Skye's suggestion very seriously, Coulson drove them towards Tianmen Square where Point Zero was located. They'd missed out on the opportunity to catch it when visiting Notre Dame the previous day since there ended up being a tiny work-related emergency for them, but now they were here at another iconic landmark in Paris.
"This calls for a picture!" Skye laughed as she and Coulson made their way over to a stone engraving located on the street.
It was a small circle, divided into four sections with a sun that was located in the middle; the words 'Point. Zero. Des Routes. De France were written in each of the four halves.
"Okay, okay. Stand right there..." Coulson had started to say since the camera was with him, but Skye tugged on his hand and pulled him close to her.
"Together." She said, "I want only one picture here, you and me." Skye knew they'd clicked pictures together before, but right now in this moment, for no special reason, she wanted this.
"As you wish." Giving her a kiss, Coulson asked one of the people passing by to take the photo and when that was done, they lingered there for a moment longer, just staring at the world around them while they stayed where they were. A moment frozen in time.
Since this had proved to be the shortest visit of their day, Coulson suggested to Skye that they take a break from all the sightseeing and simply take a walk through the streets of Paris and see if they found something else to do. And so, for a half hour, they made their way through the avenues and spent their time discovering all sorts of new things; there was a musician playing the violin in a garden and having stopped there to listen, Skye had ended up being pulled into the center when her enthusiastic clapping had caught the Frenchmen's eye. She was embarrassed but tried to dance when the music picked up again, although it was only when she felt Coulson join her for a quick twirl and dip, did Skye actually find herself enjoying that impromptu moment. Afterwards, it was Coulson who found himself in a surprisingly sweet situation when a young girl selling flowers offered a rose to him; she couldn't have been more than 8 years old and her basket was still full. Without thinking twice, Coulson had bought the entire bunch of flowers and bent down to recieve a big hug and a kiss on the cheek from her. Skye had accepted the second bouquet with a laugh and gave him a picture of the moment she'd managed to capture on camera.
"It's time for your next gift Skye." Coulson announced when they'd reached the end of Place du Tertre, where the main sight to see was street artists busy at work, creating portraits of people who were already gathered there.
"A painting?" She was certainly finding that today was going to be full of surprises which she hadn't been expecting; the idea was too romantic for her to have even dreamed of but for Coulson, it was perfect and Skye did like the idea very much.
"Not just any painting." He remained very secretive about this next gift but the twinkle in his eyes told Skye that he had something special in mind.
It wasn't until Coulson had sat her down on a stool in front of one of the artists there who stood ready with an easel and paints on a palette did Skye realize that he meant the gift was to be a painting of herself! It took them a little while, neither one sure of how much time had gone by exactly, but the artist had managed to capture the sunset behind Skye as the perfect backdrop and when it was done, she had nearly screamed in surprise at how realistic and gorgeous the final piece had turned out. Since this was a very delicate gift and needed time to dry, Coulson told Skye that he'd leave it safely in Lola and said they would return to the car after spending the next part of their special day by taking a walk across Pont Neuf, where the Seine River was flowing under the bridge.
"A sunset stroll is really romantic if you think about it." Skye commented as she noticed the snowflakes floating down, there'd been relatively little snow during the whole day but now, she didn't mind that it was back to the way they'd experienced it in the morning.
"Anything with you is romantic. I know that." He replied back, seeing her smiling all day long had brought a smile to his lips; Coulson was happy when he knew that Skye was happy.
"Hmm... do you now? Well... if you ask me, I know that speaking French is very romantic. It is a beautiful language." She alluded to the instance from earlier that afternoon when hearing Coulson talk in perfect French.
"Yes, and so are you... ma belle cherie." If it was up to him, Coulson would always compliment Skye in any and every language that he knew.
"And you make it sound so sexy too." Winking in his direction, Skye rested her hand on his chest with a knowing look in her eye; she could listen to him all day long if he spoke beautiful words to her, it wasn't hard to understand their meanings.
"Merveilleux." Coulson whispered in her ear before he kissed Skye.
Night had fallen across the city and with it came the lights; at every corner and junction of the streets, Paris seemed to come alive with the twinkling baubles and underneath the starry sky during the winter, it looked even more magical than ever. Having finished another extravagant but simple meal at the Bistrot Au Bougnat at Île de la Cité, Coulson and Skye were now strolling arm in arm over the footbridge, towards Lola. She had been their constant companion throughout their trip and was perfectly suited for Paris; and now, Coulson was taking Skye to somewhere very important which would possibly turn out to be life-changing for both of them. The traffic had picked up a little since evening and so it took a while, but they had so much to talk about whilst waiting to reach their destination that Skye didn't even notice where they were until Coulson parked the car almost a half hour later. Without saying a word, he got out of the car and came around to open the passenger door for her and watched as Skye took in their surroundings with wide eyes and the reflecting lights from overhead casting a shine in them; even now, after a busy day of fun and excitement and lots of walking around, he noticed the beauty of this amazing woman by his side and so much more. He was truly lucky to have her in his life.
"Oh. Wow." Skye was literally standing frozen on the spot with the car door still open as she stared dumbfounded at the sight in front of her. Or rather above.
After spending a good three days in Paris, they were finally here. At the heart of this marvelous city was the biggest, most famous, most wonderful thing ever... the Eiffel Tower. It was colossal to say the least and lit up all the way to the spire making it look as if was bathed in gold. For a few minutes, Coulson merely watched Skye as the feeling sunk in that she was really standing at the foot of this monument, knowing that she could sense his gaze on her.
"Shall we go inside?" Offering a hand, Coulson was not surprised when Skye suddenly broke her reverie as she spun around and flung her arms to hug him unexpectedly.
"This is so amazing! Thank you so much for making this Valentine's Day so special Phil." She couldn't really contain her bubbling thrill even if she tried to. "I cannot believe we're going to see the Eiffel Tower for real. This is... it... oh my god, I don't even know what to say. Yes, let's go!" Without waiting for him to say anything else, Skye might have actually glided across the snow-ridden streets towards the entrance.
In the few minutes that it took them to reach the main observation deck near the very top, Coulson couldn't help but wonder if he had almost made Skye speechless just by showing her that they were at the Eiffel Tower, then maybe what was coming next would surely do the trick. He had only a second's opportunity to check his phone and see the messages that were flashing there indicating that everything was in place. And everyone. It was time. Once the elevator dinged and Skye got out, Coulson followed her and focused on what was coming for them... the last surprise of this night.
"Well, what do you think?" He asked her once they walked around the area; the crowd wasn't too much but everyone still chatted with each other in heavy french accents mostly.
"I think this is the best way to end our first Valentine's Day together." Sighing deeply in content, Skye rested her head against his chest as she took everything in. "A perfect night." She added, even though the words didn't need to be said.
"Who says this is the end?" Coulson grinned as he placed a kiss on her head. "There still is one last surprise left." He knew a little teaser wouldn't hurt, after all, there were only a few minutes left.
Hearing the playful tone in his voice, Skye furrowed her brows and glanced up; the moment she did however, something caught her eye. There, across the other side of where they were standing. Blinking away the strong lights that were definitely stronger now that it was closer, she thought that she noticed Ward with Jemma. Shaking her head clear, Skye looked again and saw that no one stood there.
"One more? After all the gifts that you've given me today, I can hardly imagine what's left Phil." Skye brought her gaze back to Coulson who had been watching her intently but didn't say a word and his face was a perfect neutral expression; and yet, she couldn't shake this nagging feeling that he was up to something.
"I just... I wanted to take this opportunity to make a special day out of today for the both of us. I know that days don't matter, special or not, a festive occasion or otherwise, but what can I say? I'm old-fashioned." Coulson was being very mysterious and secretive now, but Skye couldn't pinpoint what was going on in his mind.
"And that's just the way I love you." She decided that whatever he had planned, she would just wait and see it when the time came; in the meantime, Skye chose to simply live in this moment of standing atop the Eiffel Tower in the arms of the man she loved.
"Right then, shall we?" Offering his arm to Skye, Coulson walked with her towards the outer-side of the observation deck where people were gathered about, using the telescopes to look at the scenic view of Paris from this height or merely enjoying the cool weather on this winter's night.
"Oh! This is really beautiful isn't it?" Skye still felt as if this moment was completely surreal; being atop the Eiffel Tower and seeing the entire city shining down below was something magical in its own way that may have been hard to explain but could easily be felt.
"Yes, it really is." Coulson may have noticed what Skye was looking at but his whole attention was focused on gazing at the woman by his side, he hadn't even turned away from her for a second.
While she was waiting for one of the telescopes near by to get free, Skye's eyes wandered around the place again and once more she found herself seeing something that didn't make sense to her; a couple of yards away, she was sure that the two people standing at the far corner of the deck had to be Trip and May... but if the entire team was gathered here then why had they not seen her or Coulson yet? Unfortunately for Skye, the moment she blinked to let her eyes adjust to the cold breeze, when she glanced back to where she thought her friends were, no one was there.
"Skye?" It was only when Coulson's hand touched her shoulder did Skye break away from staring in confusion at the empty spot and turn to him. "Is everything okay?" He asked, cupping her cheek with one hand.
"Huh... oh yeah, I'm fine. It's nothing." How was it possible that she'd seen almost all of her friends in these last few minutes only for them to have disappeared instantly?
"Are you sure? You seem worried." Coulson knew when Skye was in deep thought,and judging by the expression on her face, she did have something on her mind.
"No, no at all Phil. I'm not worried... I just... I thought I saw Ward and Jemma earlier when we got off the elevators. And just now, someone who looked a lot like Trip was standing over there at the corner with May; but if they are all here then why can't we see them?" Skye replied, wondering what was going on.
"Really? Our whole team is here? I haven't seen anybody yet... but this place isn't as small as it looks... maybe they are around somewhere." He did take a moment to check for himself to see if he spotted anyone but the crowds were filled with no familiar faces.
"Yeah, maybe." Shaking her head clear from this, Skye remembered that she was here to enjoy their last stop of the night with Coulson and pushed all other thoughts from her mind. "Come on, let's go and see what all the fuss over these telescopes is about." Taking his hand, she led him towards one of them and almost immediately found herself taken aback at how breathtaking the sight was through the lens.
Skye could feel her hold on Coulson even as she gazed at the city from up above, but when she felt a push as if from nowhere, Skye found that she'd been separated from Coulson and he wasn't anywhere near her. Spinning on the spot as she searched through the crowds for him, she noticed someone familiar walking past and this time, she wasn't about to let them disappear. In a few brisk steps, Skye caught up to the figure and reached out to grab a shoulder to turn him around.
"Fitz!" Exclaiming happily as she recognized her friend, Skye hugged him as she felt the worry decreasing slightly; if he was here then maybe he could help her find Coulson. "What are you doing here?" She asked him.
To her surprise however, Fitz didn't say a word but instead raised a finger to his lips and gave her a big grin as he gestured for Skye to follow him. Puzzled at his behavior, she wasn't sure what to do but then noticed that there was something in his hands which she couldn't see... and wherever he was headed, could be where Coulson was. Not to mention that maybe someone would explain to her what this mysterious aspect of that night was supposed to mean. Skye knew that something was up but she had no idea what it was. Yet. And so, walking behind Fitz through the crowds, she tried to think of all possible explanations but nothing made sense!
"Can you at least tell me where we're going Fitz?" Skye tried to question him again when she realized that they were just going from one end of the observation deck to the other, the only difference being that there were lesser people on this side.
Before he could say anything to Skye, she suddenly noticed that they weren't alone; about ten feet ahead of them, Ward, May, Trip and Jemma materialized from the crowd and lined up next to each other, holding something in their hands as well. As if on a silent cue, Fitz hurried over to join the group and left Skye standing alone, staring at her friends with a frown on her face.
"Guys... what's going on?" It was as if she felt a thought trying to speak up and tell her what this all meant but for some reason, Skye still hadn't figured it out.
By now, some of the people who were loitering there stopped to watch the next few moments unveiling itself, without saying anything at all. Skye was about to take a step closer to try and shake some sense into any and all of her teammates when she saw them start to do something. Under the lights surrounding them, she could make out that each one was holding onto a sign of sorts and while they were initially turned away from her, one by one, they were flipped around as Ward, May, Trip, Jemma and Fitz revealed the message written there - Skye. Will. You. Marry. Me?
The reaction was almost instantaneous, but not from Skye; all the couples and children and elderly people who stood there gasped in surprise and started murmuring to each other excitedly as they understood what was going on. Skye on the other hand, had mouthed the words as each board showed one word at a time, and when she reached the last part, her eyes widened in surprise when she felt the message getting processed in her mind. This was a proposal! Her hands flew to her mouth as she understood what was going on at last but the surprise was not over yet; emerging from behind their friends, Coulson strode forward to where Skye was standing. He was holding onto a tiny velvet box as he got down on one knee and took her hand in his.
"From the moment I first met you in that van in Los Angeles, I knew you were different. Special. Important. Unique." Coulson started to say as he met her gaze and never broke contact as he went on, "You were someone who everyone thought would just be involved in our work for a little time but even before I realized it myself, I knew that you were going to become a part of our lives and that's what happened. You've been someone who has challenged me at every step of the way, someone who has trusted me without question, someone who has stayed by my side no matter what came our way, someone who I cared about from the very beginning. When we met, I was different too; I'd had my heart torn apart and remade again, but it was you who helped me heal, you were the one who saved my life, you believed in me when even I didn't believe in myself, you showed me things I'd never seen before and you made me want to be a better person and not just for me, but for you as well. The first time we kissed, you ran away. The first time we said "I love you" was inside a van. This time, I hope things are going to be different for us. You've been a friend, a partner, a companion, a lover... and I know this must seem very sudden to you, but I've never been more sure of anything else." He paused for a second then as he opened the box to reveal a diamond ring nestled inside. "Will you, Skye, do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Silence hung all across the entire floor of the Eiffel Tower as every single person gathered there waited with bated breaths; having heard the entire speech from Coulson, there was not a dry eye in the whole area. Jemma had buried her face in Fitz's neck as she beamed happily listening to the words that she knew came from his heart; May was holding onto Ward's hand tightly, and even Trip was looking impressed. And as for Skye... the moment she'd seen Coulson kneeling on one knee, she steeled herself to hear every word he had said to her and with each sentence, her heart beats had quickened and she was vaguely aware that her eyes were tearing up in happiness. The moment he'd said those last words to her, Skye completely froze up. She couldn't believe that Coulson was asking her to marry him! And yet she could, because this was the man she loved and could see herself spending the rest of her life with.
"Yes! You're supposed to be saying yes right now Skye!" Her mind was literally yelling out loud in a happy glee, having thought of all these things in the span of several seconds, but to her surprise, Skye found herself speechless. Gazing into his eyes, she saw all the love that Coulson felt for her and started to nod her head in reply.
"Yes. Yes!" Finally finding her voice, Skye couldn't stop the tears that started trickling down her face, "Yes!" She exclaimed again.
And then, the silence was finally broken as everyone erupted in a huge, loud round of applause from all sides. There were shouts of joy, screams and cheers all around! Hundreds of people over there and every one of them had just witnessed Coulson proposing to Skye; they themselves had momentarily forgotten that this was happening on the Eiffel Tower on Valentine's Day, but amidst the excitement as everyone shouted congratulations to them, their 5 friends rushed forward and enveloped the couple in hugs! People were still clapping and commenting about what they'd seen when another surprise found its way there - the sky was filled with lights as fireworks exploded in the air, casting a brighter glow across the city; a brilliant radiance of greens and reds and golds glittered all over them and at last, Skye and Coulson stood face to face with each other; without saying a word, he slipped the ring on her left hand finger and grinned as he bent down to kiss her.
"Je t'aime." It was a soft whisper in her ear when they broke apart for a breath and even though Skye didn't know a lot of French, she knew what this meant.
"Je t'aime." Instead of three words and eight letters in English, this was two words and seven letters in French, but the meaning was the same. I love you.
That's riiiight! It's time for a wedding! Any suggestions for a honeymoon destination is welcome... I won't be writing that chapter but I'm a little blank on where to send them... now that I am back to writing again, I should finish up before Oct ends! Reviews? Thoughts? Comments? xD