Of Possessiveness and Insecurities
When they first met – when they first started dating –, Grant's personality was so dominated by his seriousness, focus, and "get the job done" attitude, that Skye would have never thought that he'd make a big goofball of a boyfriend who considered her both his biggest accomplishment and his greatest treasure, and who sometimes went a little overboard with declaring their relationship.
But he was. And it drove her up the wall sometimes.
It first became painfully evident when they made the Playground their permanent base, and Coulson's new recruits – old S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and mercenaries alike – started arriving. Skye'd never forget their first encounter with Lance Hunter.
It was early morning when he, along with Idaho and Agent Hartley, first rolled through the hangar doors, and Grant – as senior specialist – and her – kinda-sorta field agent (still) in training – were their welcome wagon in Coulson and May's absence. Introductions went quickly – it turned out that Hartley and Grant had already done a mission together years ago (when he was still a rookie, and Hartley promised her a couple of nice anecdotes about that), and Idaho was more interested in where he can find the kitchen than anything else. But Hunter's gaze settled on her for a moment – maybe a moment too long –, studying her from head to toe before he extended his hand to her.
"Hello, love," he drawled in his heavy London accent as he shook her hand. "Lance Hunter, at your service."
This was the moment when Grant kind of snapped, and stepped forward.
"Grant Ward, specialist," he introduced himself, all but grabbing Hunter's hand in a handshake that seemed a bit firmer than absolutely necessary. "And she's Skye," he pointedly slipped an arms around her waist, pulling her closer (something he never did in front of strangers), "my girlfriend."
"Agent Skye," she corrected him with narrowed eyes, but didn't pull away (she was annoyed by his Neanderthal-level possessiveness, but not so much to make a scene).
"Okay," Hunter said, not missing a moment of the exchange, but acting unfazed, and maybe even a bit amused. "Pleased to meet ya. Lead the way?"
Skye would have even let the incident slip if it happened only one time – but no, Grant seemed to repeat this little performance, this overdone declaration of their relationship almost every time a new guy arrived at the base who just seemed to realize that beyond being an agent, she was a female.
But around the sixth or seventh occurrence, she figured it out – Grant was insecure. He was actually, honestly afraid that if any of the guys made a move on her she's leave him for them, so he made it abundantly clear that she was off the market. At first, she might have been a little angry about it; but after she lamented on it a little longer she came to the conclusion that is was actually kind of endearing – that no matter how amazing he was, how many demons of his past had he defeated, he was still afraid that he wasn't good enough for her (and it made her heart bleed a little for him).
So she came up with a little plan to reassure him that she was to stay.
Although they hadn't been sharing a room officially yet (she was afraid Coulson's heart couldn't bear it such a short time after the whole HYDRA deal), they spent most of their nights together, sometimes sneaking in after the other went to bed. That night she put on her sexiest lingerie (which, admittedly, wasn't that sexy – she'd been thinking about updating her collection for a while, but with being on the run she hadn't really had the chance), and slipped into his room.
He was already in bed, reading, the room only illuminated by his bedside lamp. She slipped into the room – his eyes found hers immediately –, closed the door quietly behind her, then shed her robe, letting it fall to the floor, suddenly standing in front of him in nothing but in almost-but-not-exactly matching lacy panties and bra. She saw his pupils dilate and a smirk appearing on his lips as she sauntered to him, and, with more confidence than she felt, grabbed his book, tossed it behind her, straddled him, and kissed him hard.
"Not that I'm complaining," he said a little breathlessly once they pulled apart, his hands caressing the curve of her waist, "but what did I do to deserve this?"
She went for another kiss before answering.
"Nothing in particular," she said, kissing along his jawline. "Being you." Her nose slid down the column of his neck. "I'm just showing you that you're it for me." She nipped at the juncture of his neck. "That I'm not going anywhere." She pulled his earlobe into her mouth. "So you can stop trying to intimidate all the guys." She reached down between them, palming his growing erection. "Because you have me forever," she breathed the last part into his ear.
As soon as she said that something flashed in his eyes, and the next moment he flipped them over, his lips and hands attacking her with fiery passion.
"God, woman, I love you," he said before kissing her, while simultaneously trying to push her bra down to free her breasts.
He didn't say much else that night, and from then on, he didn't try to verbally discourage other guys from even talking to Skye (although he did leave other marks on her to get his point across).