The thing about Skye

She doesn't like being touched.

Skye doesn't like being touched. It took years before she got used to Miles enough to allow him casual contact. She met him just after she ran away at 16 and he was 19, and she was 19 herself when she eventually fell into bed with him.

Miles never pressured her. Even if she was willing, he never would have touched her until she was of age.

Skye doesn't like being touched, so she wasn't any more endeared to Shield when they put a bag over her head and manhandled her out of the safety of her van.

When Skye joined, it went unsaid that she didn't like physical contact. She tolerated training with Ward with gritted teeth. She understood that it was for her own safety, but it made her extremely uncomfortable, skittish, and fall back to sarcasm as a defense mechanism to hide her unease. She's gotten into many skirmishes and fights as a kid (and in her time on the streets)- she knows how to throw a punch- but it's difficult to get over his intense and judging eyes boring into her back

After her first undercover OP, and him protecting her- shooting the soldier right behind her- she becomes more comfortable with his instructions. He doesn't, didn't, like her, but he protected her.

Jemma is the first person on the bus Skye willingly touches. After almost dying and jumping out of a plane without a parachute, Skye can barely contain herself when she sees her friend again. She barrels into her without a thought and almost sobs in relief from the feel of her, alive, in Skye's arms. She's not used to people she cares about almost dying. She's not used to having people she cares about.

Jemma gasps loudly with a surprised, "Oh!" when Skye collides with her, but she's quick to return the hug when she recognizes what's happening. Skye's discontent with touch is unspoken, but not unnoticed with the people on the bus as they grow closer. So, Skye hugging Jemma draws attention from everyone.

Coulson is the next person Skye willingly touches. It's during one of his 'mandatory team bonding' nights that take place when there is no mission. This particular event is movie night, and she's huddled on the couch between Jemma and her superior, and despite being surrounded by people, Skye feels so very comfortable and safe. She feels safe with these people. So, after a long day with not much time for naps, Skye nods off and her head drops onto Coulson's shoulder.

He stares at the side of Skye's sleeping face, wide-eyed, for several long minutes before very carefully going back to the playing movie. He does his best to remain still so as not to wake her, and it works until Fitz climbs up from the floor to go make more popcorn.

Being an extremely light sleeper, Skye naturally wakes up. She's embarrassed at first, but Coulson hesitantly just pats her hand and tells her to go back to sleep- she deserves it (they all know her sleeping habits by now).

Skye is surprised when her automatic recoil instinct doesn't make an appearance, and, testingly, she lowers her head slowly back to his shoulder. Her skin doesn't crawl, so she relaxes against him and closes her eyes again. She doesn't go back to sleep, but she enjoys the comfort of human contact.

(She secretly craves it as much as she hates it).

Fitz is next to gain casual touch from their youngest team member, and then Ward.

May is last because, for the longest time, Skye is convinced that the stoic woman hates her.

She learns eventually, though, that that's not the case at all.

One morning, instead of ignoring Skye's presence as she gets ready for Tai Chi, she looks up at the consultant.

"Would you like to join me?" She offers.

Skye is more than willing. She's tried to mimic the moves in private several times, but it always feels awkward and she falls over.

Skye nervously takes up the spot next to the Specialist, and falls into the first pose she's watched May fall into every morning for months.

She starts out okay, but the longer it goes on, the harder the poses become, and soon Skye is struggling.

She startles the first time May touches her, hesitantly, and Skye stares down into her eyes. Slowly, she leans into the guiding hands, and May fixes her posture and form with whispered words and light touches.

Skye does Tia Chi with May every morning after that one. After that, everyone mostly forgets about the fact that Skye doesn't like to be touched. She does it so freely after those first few hesitant ones.

It almost becomes strange if she's not touching one of them. She's fallen asleep on all of them at least once, and it becomes common for her to sneak hugs from anyone willing. Jemma, Fitz, and Coulson are the main victims, but they don't mind.

It never fails to bring a smile to their faces.

Daisy doesn't like being touched. Even more so after the mother she's been searching for her entire life tries to suck the life out of her.

Daisy doesn't like being touched, except by the people she trusts implicitly.


A/N: Let me know what you think, please!

~Silver~