A.N. Here's another...Jemma getting that black eye mentioned in chapter 1 after she wakes Skye from a nightmare...
XX
Despite the fact that it keeps her from sleeping, Jemma absolutely loves working in the lab at night. Everyone is in their bunks asleep and the plane is usually coasting on auto-pilot to some destination or another and it's quiet.
Jemma is humming along to a song playing softly on the stereo nearby. It's something Skye gave her, a thumb drive full of music. Skye had called it a modern day mix-tape, which made Jemma grin. She still remembers the way Skye blushed when she handed it over. Neither of them said it, but it had been exactly four weeks since the first time they slept in Jemma's bunk and shared a few kisses. Things had progressed from there. More nights were spent together cuddled in one of their beds and their kisses had progressed into PG-13 territory.
At the time, Jemma didn't mention it the significance of the date. She didn't want to scare Skye away with talk of being her girlfriend, so she just went with it, determined to be easy-peasy, but if she's honest with herself, she really wants to make things official.
The more she gets to know Skye, the more she realizes their resident hacker is really a big softie on the inside, and she is quite sweet and funny. She always seems to go out of her way to do something to make Jemma smile, and she always seems to find a way to touch her, each time Jemma feeling it from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
Skye's touch certainly does something to her.
The sound of someone rushing down the spiral staircase snaps her out of her thoughts, a worried expression coloring her features, because who would be up so late?
The lab door slides open and Fitz barges in, pointing behind him, up the stairs. He's got his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "Skye needs you."
Jemma's blood suddenly runs cold and she drops everything in her hands and runs past Fitz to the stairs.
She's out of breath by the time she reaches Skye's bunk, where Ward is standing looking worried and a little uncomfortable.
"What is it?" Jemma pants, bending slightly to catch her breath.
Ward frowns a bit and points at the closed door. "We heard her yelling for you. And I know sometimes she doesn't always sleep with…a lot of clothes on."
Jemma is grateful, because the last thing she wants is the two boys getting an eyeful of the girl she's in a (sort of?) relationship with. She gives them both a tight smile and reaches for the door. "I think I can take it from here."
The guys both look relieved and just as she's about to pull the door open she hears Skye's voice. "Jemma!"
Jemma tugs the door open to find Skye sitting straight up in her bed, breathing heavily. She reaches out to place a hand on Skye's arm, but the moment Jemma touches her, Skye lashes out, swinging her arms wildly, and one swinging fist collides with Jemma's face. Hard.
"Ah!" Jemma cries, and it seems to snap Skye out of her dreamy haze. Both hands rise to her face and she grits her teeth as pain pulses through her face.
"Jemma?"
Skye's voice sounds so scared that it breaks Jemma's heart a little, but her face is throbbing. She turns her back to Skye, not wanting to make her feel bad for waking up from a bad dream and accidentally hurting her.
There's a rustling behind her, and she flinches when soft hands slowly begin to turn her around. Jemma resists at first, her eyes are tearing involuntarily and she can feel her face swelling and she really doesn't want Skye to see her like this.
"Jemma, are you okay?" Skye asks softly, her voice gravelly from sleep. "I'm sorry. You just surprised me."
Jemma sniffles and swipes at her eyes as Skye finally gets her turned around. "I'm fine."
Skye's face crumples once she gets Jemma turned around, and she slowly reaches for her hands to pull them from her face. "God, sweetie, I'm so sorry." She cups Jemma's chin in her palm to tilt her face towards the light and she winces. "We need to get you some ice."
As Skye studies her face, Jemma uses those few moments to take Skye in. Her eyes are still wild and scared, but she seems grounded and determined to help Jemma for the time being.
"What were you dreaming about?" Jemma asks softly.
Skye's eyes snap to hers and she stares at Jemma for a few long moments. Finally she shakes her head and her drops her hands. "Nothing." She reaches out for Jemma's hand to pull her from the bunk. "Come on. You need ice."
But Jemma is more worried about Skye than herself in this moment, and she remains where she is, causing Skye to draw back to her. "Jemma?"
"Sweetheart, tell me what you dreamed about that scared you that badly," Jemma requests softly.
Skye stares at her for a moment and shakes her head. "I just need a minute. Can I please take care of you first?"
Jemma chews her bottom lip for a moment before she finally sighs, nodding her head, and allowing herself to be pulled towards the kitchen.
They're both quiet as Skye busies herself retrieving an ice pack from the freezer and cracking it to activate it. She shakes it up and wraps it in a towel before approaching Jemma, who's leaned against the counter.
"Up you go," Skye says quietly, patting the counter behind Jemma.
Jemma hoists herself up rather gracefully and Skye moves to stand between her knees, pressing the ice pack to her eye carefully.
"You were working?" Skye asks softly, finally noticing that Jemma is still in her clothes from earlier.
Jemma nods absently. She winces as the ice pack is pressed to the side of her face.
Skye catches her expression and frowns, biting her lip to keep herself from crying, but Jemma can see the tears swimming in her eyes.
Jemma closes the distance between them and presses a lingering kiss to Skye's lips. She meets her gaze as they pull back. "It was an accident. I'm fine. I swear."
Skye doesn't really look convinced. "It was Vegas."
Jemma's heart is suddenly in her throat when she realizes that Skye is revealing the source of her nightmare. "Oh, Skye."
Skye swallows hard, her head dropping, unable to hold Jemma's gaze. "Only they took you instead of me, and the team didn't save us."
It was a mission that went wrong. They were called to Vegas to flush out a team of thieves ripping off Vegas casinos using their powers. It was an undercover mission, and Jemma had insisted that she and Skye be paired together. After what happened with Quinn, she wasn't letting Skye out of her sight.
Like very few missions, they were somehow made rather quickly and Jemma and Skye had been kidnapped, and both of them had been beaten pretty badly. Then the leader of the thieves decided that he was going to help himself to Skye. Things had nearly gotten very bad when the team showed up to rescue them, and despite the fact that they'd only suffered bumps and bruises, both girls had a difficult time getting over it.
"Skye, look at me," Jemma coaxes softly, reaching out for her hand.
It takes a moment, but dark eyes meet hers, and they both hold the gaze for a few moments, content to know that in this moment, they're both safe.
"It was just a dream," Jemma whispers. She pulls Skye into her, hugging her tightly for a moment. "We're both safe. The team found us in time. And my eye will be just fine."
Skye pulls back enough to search her gaze. Whatever she seems to be looking for, she finds and finally nods.
"Good." Jemma slides off the counter, sliding her body slowly along Skye's as she does and she pulls the other girl's body into hers. "Let's go to bed." She feels Skye sigh heavily against her body and then a dark head nods against her cheek.
XX
When Jemma opens her eyes the next morning, she finds Skye wide awake, staring at her. Jemma smiles sleepily, but regrets the movement immediately, and winces at the pain in her face. She notices Skye's brow pinch into a deep frown and her eyes are suddenly swimming with tears.
"Stop blaming yourself," Jemma whispers, reaching out to place her palm on Skye's cheek. "It was an accident. I certainly don't blame you."
"I hit you, Jem," Skye rasps, her voice breaking. "I hurt you."
Jemma reaches out to wrap Skye in her arms. "I'm fine," she murmurs into Skye's temple.
She lets Skye cry it out in her arms and she whispers soothing words to her the entire time, trying to ease her guilt.
When Skye finally pulls her tear-stained face from Jemma's chest she takes another long look at Jemma and pokes her bottom lip out in a pout. "Your face looks terrible."
Jemma smiles at this because the tone of Skye's voice indicates that the hacker has forgiven herself enough to make a joke about it. "Why thank you, sweetheart. You always know just what to say."
The corner of Skye's lips twitch just enough to consider it a tiny smile and it makes Jemma's heart radiate with a loving warmth.
"Jem?"
Jemma gazes down at Skye, waiting for whatever it is that has Skye looking more than a little freaked out.
Finally she opens her mouth. "I want you to be my girlfriend."
Jemma literally can't help the tiny squeal that escapes her throat, and it makes Skye laugh.
"That," Skye says, punctuating the word with a kiss, "was adorable. But so not even an answer."
"Yes!" Jemma cries and she throws herself into Skye's body, smiling when Skye hugs her close.
Skye hums appreciatively and rolls so Jemma is lying fully on top of her. "Good." She reaches up to sweep Jemma's hair away from her face to press their lips together. "I got tired of waiting for you to ask."
Jemma giggles. "I was waiting for you to ask."
"Either way," Skye murmurs as she ghosts her lips across Jemma's jaw. "I think we should celebrate."
Jemma emits another adorable squeal when Skye bites down on her neck. "I think you're right…girlfriend."
"Awww," Skye coos playfully, rolling them again so she's hovering over Jemma's beautiful prone body. "That was so adorably nerdy."
"You can celebrate alone if you'd like," Jemma grumbles playfully, poking Skye in the side and making her squirm.
Skye laughs. "Alright, alright." Her eyes grow serious, and darken as she studies Jemma looking flushed and beautiful under her. "Now, hush, while I make out with my beautiful girlfriend."
Jemma decides right then that she really likes the way that sounds.