Silly, Romantic Gestures, Part II

Skye is not a big fan of knocking – Grant hasn't yet completely figured it out whether she does it with other people as well, or if it is a privilege reserved only for him, but it doesn't change the fact that she is rather fond of simply barging into his room, without any kind of warning.

"I'm back!" she announces, throwing his door open with total lack of finesse before all but skipping to his bed where he's reading a book, and plopping down on the edge of the mattress. She doesn't even have to say a word – he already knows something is up. Still, grinning and shaking his head, he picks up his bookmark from the nightstand, places it between the pages and puts down his book, devoting his complete attention to her.

"Welcome back," he leans forwards and steals a kiss. "And how did the mission go?"

Calling it a mission is a bit of a stretch – she spent the day with May and Trip getting supplies ('a glorified grocery run' she called it, and he had to agree with her to some extent), but he is learning how to take things lightly, and joking about things like this is light, right?

Skye bits into her lip, clearly to keep herself from grinning (it's not exactly successful), running her gaze around the room.

"Great. Even managed to sneak in some of that candy Fitz likes. Oh," she adds almost as a second thought, although he has a feeling she's rehearsed this conversation in her head about a dozen times, "I almost forgot – I got you something, too."

His eyes widen a bit in surprise.

"Skye, you really shouldn't have…"

"But I did. I had to reciprocate your super corny gift," she says, shaking her wrist, making the tiny, silver key charm on her bracelet sways. (He just can't keep the grin off his face at the sight of it.) "And I saw it, it reminded me of you, so I got it – it was the same way with you, right?" she continues, slipping the strap of her bag off her shoulder and drawing it into her lap, reaching for the zipper.

He'd lie if anybody asked, but his heartrate actually goes up a notch in anticipation.

But before she would actually tug on the zipper, Skye stops and looks him square in the eye.

"Close your eyes!"

"What?"

"Close your eyes!" she repeats, before letting her shoulders drop a little. "It's not wrapped, and it would be… such a letdown to simply hand it to you. So, please, close your eyes! And don't open them until I tell you so!"

Grant smiles and shakes his head at her childish – adorable – request, but complies, letting his eyelids drop.

"Did you really close them?"

"Yes."

"How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Skye…"

"Okay, okay… Hold out your hands!"

He does, then in the next moment he hears her bag being opened, then the rustle of a plastic bag, before something soft is placed in his hands.

"Alright, you can open 'em," she says, and he obeys.

The first thing he sees is Skye, sitting opposite of him, biting her nails, looking all kinds of excited to see his reaction to her gift; only then does he turn his gaze down – and then lets out a laugh.

In his hands lies a black T-shirt with a silhouette of a dog and the inscription I like big mutts and I cannot lie in blueand white on it. Amused by the ridiculousness of her gift, he leans forward, silent laughter shaking his body. Only Skye would… Oh, Skye…

His love for this woman knows no bounds, really.

"Do you like it?" she asks almost shyly after a few seconds. Instead of answering her with words right away, he places the T-shirt on the mattress, then reaches for her, drawing her close, and giving her a kiss.

"I love it," he breaths before diving in for another kiss, a longer, more passionate one this time, one that leaves both of them panting. "But my gift is still cornier."

Skye pulls her eyebrows together, scowling at him, although the fact that her hands are sneaking under his shirt while she does that dampen the effect of it a little.

"It's not like it's a competition."

"But I still won," he teases while leaning forward, seeking her neck with his lips – but before he could reach her, he is tackled to the bed, and Skye is crawling on top of him.

"Oh, you…! Game on, Terminator!"

Needless to say, his new T-shirt is not the only piece of clothing that ends on the floor that night.