After two days of unpacking both with and without her super cute neighbour, Skye can finally say she moved in. She's made it. Her house still smells like fresh paint and it smells like the cold, because her windows are open twenty-four seven in order to get that paint smell out. But it's home.

She got her desk set up in the back near the window, the Hulk mug standing next to it. She grins foolishly, remembering the way Jemma looked every time drinking from it with a smear of paint on her cheek. It made her heart flutter, but it also made her a tiny bit sad. She had moved in, but that would also mean that she wasn't exactly sure when she would see her again.

It takes her another two days before figuring that she really misses the woman, and strangely enough she also really misses Sarah, with her bubbly personality that is so alike her mother. She'll go over there tonight, she decides; see if Jemma would maybe like to hang out.

*

Skye doesn't make it that far, though, because when she's emerged in coding, working on some project for Shield and drinking lukewarm tea from that same Hulk mug, she doesn't hear the doorbell ringing the first time.

"Shit," she mutters and double saves before stumbling to the door and pushing her glasses into her hair that tumbles over her shoulder. She mutters another shit when she realises she's been slacking around in her Shield sweatpants and a white t-shirt. Not exactly presentable, but it's too late now.

"Hello, Skye!"

"Uhf, Jesus. Careful, little Avenger. Hey."

Sarah has torpedoed herself against Skye and has her arms wrapped around her leg, clutching on tightly. Jemma shoots her one of those apologetic smiles that come with Sarah's interactions, but Skye just grins stupidly.

"Hi," Jemma says, dragging her eyes up to meet Skye's.

"I was gonna come over tonight, but you beat me to the punch. Or to the porch."

Jemma laughs and Skye smiles. She'd do anything to hear that laugh more often. Maybe not running at eight am, but she'd come close.

"Oh? Okay. Well, yes. Sarah has something to ask you, really. That's why we're here."

"And what's that, hm? I'm totally going to beat your ass with double Dutch this time, if that's what you're here to ask," Skye asks the little girl while carefully extracting her from her leg.

Sarah shakes her head fervently and Skye quirks an eyebrow before sitting down on the step, meeting her eye level.

"What's it then?"

"Skye, do you want to come to my birthday? It's tomorrow."

"Tomorrow, huh? I'll have to check my schedule," she says with a quasi-serious face and winks at Jemma when she pulls out her phone, but she doesn't even unlock it. "Yeah, no duh. I'll be there, silly! What time does it start?"

"Two." The smile Skye receives from her is priceless and Jemma ruffles the little girl's hair.

"Thank you," she mouths to her but Skye shrugs with one shoulder.

"Do you need help with preparations or anything? I don't know how many kids will be there, but I was going to come over anyway, and since you helped me move in – I might as well return a bit of the favour."

"Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you."

"Say eight?"

"Perfect."

"Alright. See you tonight then, Jem."

"Let's go, Sarah. You'll see Skye tomorrow. Your grandma is waiting. See you tonight, Skye."

Skye watches them until they pull their front door shut behind them.

It's exactly one to eight when Skye pulls on one of her plaid blouses, grabs her phone and leaves. It's exactly eight o' clock when she rings the bell with a pack of beer in her hand and a little present for Sarah in the other, so it'd be there waiting for her at breakfast. Skye had always liked to get presents at breakfast, so she figured this might be a nice surprise.

"Skye, you made it." Jemma smiles warmly and steps aside to let her in, but before she knows it, she's wrapped in one of Skye's arms and drawn flush against her in a comfortable hug.

"Hi. Absolutely. I brought beer. I hope that's okay."

"Yes, that's fine. Perfect, actually. Okay, so I'm done decorating the living room, that's all out of the way. Sarah is with my mother, so she won't be of any help, but she also won't be much of our concern. All that remains is the cake."

"I see you left the best bit for last."

It turns out that Skye's way of making a cake is a whole lot different than Jemma's, but together they manage to whip up a damn good batter. Skye earns a scowl when she nudges Jemma's elbow while she's pouring chocolate chips into the batter. Skye just grinned, dipped her finger in the batter and licked it off her finger.

"You know..." Skye starts when she squats down in front of the oven and peers through the window, "this is going to be really awesome. Oh! Are we going to decorate?"

Jemma is standing beside her, the heat of the oven radiating against her thighs, whisking up some icing. Skye leans her body against the side of her leg gently, her eyes not leaving the rising cake.

"Yes. Can you come up here?"

Skye groans dramatically when she pushes herself upright, pretending the strain in her thighs is too much and Jemma chuckles. "Weakling. Here, taste this."

She holds out her hand, a drop of icing on the tip of her finger and Skye swallows hard. The tingling she had felt in her stomach the entire evening might as well have become a butterfly rave party, but she smiles anyway before gently taking hold of Jemma's wrist and putting the finger to her lips. She swears she can Jemma gasp quietly, a raging blush spreading over her cheeks.

They don't know exactly who initiated the kiss, who closed the gap between them or whose throat the first soft moan escaped from, but it happened nonetheless. Skye tastes like icing and beer and laughs softly when Jemma's sticky fingers travel along her jaw to gently cup her face. Their teeth clink from smiling too much and Skye wraps her arms around the smaller woman's waist, pulling them flush together. It's slow, soft, wet and sticky. It's perfect, really.

"I really like you," Skye whispers with their noses against each other and Jemma presses a single kiss against her lips.

"I really like you, too."