A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've written anything to publish in this collection. I just haven't been having any short story ideas recently.
Skye was working on her computer in the BUS lab, waiting on her two favorite British science lab nerds to come down from breakfast.
Fitz was the first to make it down that morning, immediately walking up to her when he walked into the lab. She liked to think it was because she was special, and meant so much to him, but in reality she knew it was because she'd usurped the corner of his lab bench where he stored his latest project when he wasn't working on it, so if he wanted to get to it to pull it out to work on, he had to walk up to where she was sitting. But it still made her feel good, so she still did it every morning, and he had yet to complain about it, always giving her a friendly 'hi' again, even though he'd just said 'hi' to her in the kitchen thirty minutes before at breakfast.
And this morning was no different.
"Hi, Skye," he said brightly in his delectable Scottish accent. "Anything interesting this morning?"
"Not particularly," answered Skye as she watched him pull out his invention and tools. "Some financial records, way too many social media posts, and some Shield databases — no actual hacking, which is the fun stuff."
She let Fitz start working on his project for a few minutes, keeping half an eye out for Simmons entering, before saying casually as she continued looking at her computer screen while really looking at him in her peripheral, "You know, Fitz, if you don't hurry up and ask Jemma out on a date, I'm going to."
"If one of you two don't hurry up and ask me out, I'm going to ask both of you and you're going to have to share, instead of one of you getting me all to yourself," mumbled Simmons under her breath, having walked into the lab unnoticed by either of them while Skye was speaking to Fitz.
Fitz and Skye both turned to stare at her.
Glancing sideways at Fitz, Skye asked, "Did she just say what I think she said?"
"If it was that she wants to date both of us, I think so," answered Fitz, still in shock.
"That's what I thought it sounded like," replied Skye. After a few seconds, she added, "But just so we're clear, I said that bit about me asking her if you didn't just to make you hurry up and ask her out on a date, and stop wasting your time looking at me — I didn't think she actually swung my direction."
"Do you swing your direction?" asked Fitz in genuine curiosity.
"Wanted to try it once for a long time now, but never ran across a girl I was willing to try it with," answered Skye.
"Then maybe we should take Jemma's suggestion," said Fitz. "Skye, would you be interested in going halfsies with me on Simmons?"
"I can hear you two, you know," came Simmons' voice from across the lab. "And no one's 'going halfsies' on me."
"But you're the one who said it!" exclaimed Fitz.
Simmons rolled her eyes. "I said that you're going to have to share my time and attention, not 'go halfsies on me' — there's a difference."
"To-may-to, to-mah-to," said Skye, waving her off. "The real question is, are you actually serious about dating both of us? And if so, what does that mean for Fitz and me?"
"Well that seems like your problem, not mine," answered Simmons. "And the answer is yes — I'd agree to date both of you at the same time, if you asked together."
"Fitz?" said Skye.
"On actually both dating Jemma at the same time, or what we'll be if we do?" asked Fitz.
"Yes."
"I haven't been trying to flirt with you because I'm bored," said Fitz, before quickly clarifying, "I mean to say, I like you, Skye. So I'm not opposed to dating you as well, while we both date Jemma. And I think that would simplify what's already going to be complicated relationships, as well, if we're all dating each other equally. And I don't know about you or Jemma, and you'd obviously both have to be okay with it, but when it comes to snogging, and making out, and eventually — well, you know, if it makes it to that point, I'm certainly not opposed to trying to do any of it with both of you together, even though I have no clue how to do that well. Of course, to be honest, I don't know how to do it with just one of you, either, but Jemma at least will make sure I know real quick what I'm doing wrong and how to do it better."
"Oh, I'm all for three-way sex," replied Skye, before looking across the lab and asking Simmons, "Jemma?"
"I may or may not have researched possible positions for two girls and a guy together," mumbled Simmons at her shoes, refusing to look up from where she was staring at her feet, pasty freckled face blushing slightly.
Fitz and Skye both rolled their eyes at this — they really should have expected no less.
Looking back over at Skye, Fitz said, "If you're okay with it, Skye, I am all for all three of us dating each other at the same time, and together I guess."
"We should actually clarify that," cut in Simmons from where she was still standing on the other side of the lab. "Because there's a difference between a three-way relationship, and three two-way relationships going on at the same time, as subtle as it may seem now."
"I assume you have a suggestion," said Fitz.
"Not so much a suggestion, as — well, I just don't want any of us feeling like they can't have time alone with one person, that they have to include both partners in everything," answered Simmons. "I guess what I'm thinking is, I don't have any problem with three-way anythings, from dates to sharing a bed to eventually sex, but I also want us to be comfortable doing any and all of those things with just one partner without feeling like we need to get permission from the non-included partner, or even necessarily tell them that we're doing something without them. Not that any of us will necessarily actually do that a lot, I'm all for telling if you want to, but I think it needs to be on the table, and we all need to know and be okay with it happening. That none of us will get jealous if they don't get invited on a date, or walk in on the other two snogging and aren't asked to join in, or ask one or both partners to sleep in their bunk with them just to learn that the other two have already asked each other and want to keep it just the two of them that night — all without any explanations or defenses if they don't want to give any. And on the flip side, that we'll be comfortable doing something with just one person if that's what we feel like, and not feel pressured to have to include both every time."
"Completely makes sense," replied Fitz. "Although that brings up the issue of sharing beds, especially all three together, as our bunks on this plane were barely made for one person, and certainly not three."
"I don't mind cuddling close with one person in my bed, especially as AC keeps it pretty cool on this plane, but three just honestly isn't going to work with our current sleeping conditions," added Skye. "Also, I wholeheartedly agree with what you're saying, Jemma. Sometimes girls just need a night alone, and sometimes I'm going to want that cock all to myself."
"Skye!" exclaimed Simmons scandalized, shaking her head in disbelief, before saying, "But addressing what you said about our beds being too small, I have some ideas I've been thinking over to solve that, but nothing ready to go yet. But one possibility is making a nest in the supply closet down here, though that's still pretty cramped, and another is turning one of our three bunks into nothing but bed, and moving that person's clothes into one of the other two bunks, but that gets a little complicated, too, so I'm not sure yet. And both of those would require Coulson's permission. But we'll figure something out — we always do."
"Speaking of sleeping together, how are we going to handle starting that?" asked Fitz.
"I think it should be up to each couple when they feel comfortable doing it, though if someone wants to personally start with both partners together, they're free to ask," answered Simmons. "But I do think we should have a set time before any of us starts, just to make sure we've actually started building relationships on love and caring about each other, and not just sex. Maybe say a month, unless someone has an objection."
"Fine with me," shrugged Fitz.
"I'll have a hard time holding out now that I know what I get to look forward to, but I'll manage," smirked Skye. "But kissing should start immediately, specifically you two right this very instant to make this relationship official, and then each of you me, in whatever order you like."
Fitz looked over at Simmons to see what she would think of this suggestion, but Simmons was already on the move. She crossed the lab in just a few short strides, grabbing Fitz's head in her hands and pulling it down to plant her lips hard on his.
When she had finished thoroughly snogging him, she stepped back and said, "God, I've been wanting to do that for a long time." As Fitz stared at her in surprise, she nodded towards Skye and said, "Fitz, you should go first — neither Skye nor I have ever kissed a girl before, so that could take a few tries for us to become fully comfortable with our technique, and there's no reason for you to have to wait on us to learn."
Still shocked to learn that it wasn't just him who'd been wanting to kiss his best friend for far longer than he'd ever admit, Fitz turned to where Skye was still sitting in her chair, and lowered his lips to hers. When they had finished, Skye stood up and took a step towards Simmons, cupping the British girl's cheeks gently as she put her lips on a girl's for the very first time.
Pulling back several kisses later, she smirked, "Different, but definitely not unpleasant. I think I could be persuaded to try that again sometime — soon."