A/N: Soo.. That last episode. Anyone else have their heart shoved down their throat by Ward? I know I did. This chapter could be an opening to a kind of closing story arc. So, I was wondering. Do you guys want me to write a longer story, or do you want me to wrap it up soon. If I do a longer story, there'll be a misson in there. If I do a shorter one… well, you'll find out in the next chapter. I know I want to have at least one mission in there somewhere. The difference is if you want more details about it, or if you want me to skip straight to the end part. I could write a mission, but it wouldn't me the main SkyeWard event. It would only be build up. The main event will be a bit dramatic, but bear with me, I promise not to go totally OOC on you guys.
It's strange, she decides, to wake up to someone else's breathing. Someone else's heartbeat. Consciousness whispers to her sleep addled mind, but she puts it off. Because something is tugging gently at her scalp, and it feels good. Like a massage, but not. Tug, tug, tug. She opens her eyes. Sunlight trips over itself to collapse on the carpet, and she's leaning against something warm. There's something gentle pressing to the top of her head. She's only halfway there, a bleary image of Ward's closed eyes and a barely there grin filtering through her mind as she turns her head. She copies the smile, and reaches up, pressing her fingertip against his nose.
"Hello," she says.
Her reply is a yawn-ridden, "Hey."
"Still tired?"
"Not really."
"Feeling better?"
"A bit."
"Hmm."
She lifts herself onto her forearms and extracts herself from the burrito of blankets and comfort and Ward.
"Where're you going?"
"There's this interesting thing called clothing, Agent Ward."
"I know Rookie, but it's early."
"The sun's up."
"So?"
"Who are you and what have you done with my S.O?"
"Skye, seriously. I know you're tired."
"But Waaaarrrrrd, the sky is awake, so I am awake, so we have to train."
"Stop quoting Frozen and come back to bed."
Her eyebrow quirks, making him roll his eyes.
"Not like that Rookie."
"Oh no, I know exactly what you meant."
She smiles, one of those secret smiles that he doesn't see very often when they're alone, and he'd be damned if he'd ever seen it with the team around.
"Really though Ward, I gotta go."
She turns towards the door and slides her hand along the wall panel. It opens softly, and the image of Coulson, fist poised to knock, pulls them straight, Ward out of the bed, and standing to attention.
"Skye," he says, the fist falling to his side but never unclenching, "What are you doing in here?"
"Just, getting Ward up for training."
"Really? In your pajama's?"
AC can see right through the meager lie, but Skye still smiles and replies, "Well, all due respect to Agent Ward sir, but he does need more time in the morning nowadays."
"Huh. I see."
Coulson slides his eyes from the tall man to the hacker.
"We've got a mission. Get changed. Debrief in ten."
"Yes sir."
She slipped past Coulson and headed to her bunk.
"Sir-"
"Don't start with me Ward. You've broken protocol in this instance before with May. I know what the two of you had ended. I know that you may have feelings for Skye. But this team, it's her family, her first family. She needs to be able to trust us, so if you hurt her, let me be very clear when I say that you may find my hand slips while you're standing on the cargo ramp, and it would be a very long swim home. Am I clear?"
"Yes sir."
Coulson lets his icy gaze hang over his specialist for a moment.
"Get dressed."
Little bit of Daddy Coulson laying down the law for you guys. Sorry I haven't updated in so long, I know that it's annoying. I've been trying, truly, but things have been busy and I have been more than a little blocked. But hey, I did it, yes? As always, reviews are perfection, and I'll try to update sometime within the next couple of weeks. Might be hard, with the semester almost over and all the big tests coming up, but I promise something.
Love you guys!
SlayGal