A/N: Sorry for the delay once more – this story was not cooperating with me at all. I started writing it twice yesterday, and scrapped both versions. Maybe this one will work.

Man's Best Friend

"Missy, no!" Skye hissed at the big golden-coated dog, who was so happy to see her mistress home that she almost knocked Skye over – and coming very near to send the grocery bags in her arms flying – in her enthusiastic jumping. Skye frowned at the dog; she had been all for it when Andrew suggested they got a dog – a sort of therapy animal to help Grant process his past traumas. Hell, she even backed up the idea that they should get one from the shelter. And okay, she might have fallen in love with this crazy mutt, too. But damn it – technically she was Grant's dog, and it was high time he taught her some discipline.

Putting the grocery bags on the counter with a little bit more force than necessary, she turned out of the kitchen, bellowing "Grant!"

The man in question poked his head out of the living room right away.

"Yes?"

Skye didn't answer; simply stood in the hallway, an impatient grimace on her face, as Missy circled around her, her tail waggling, trying to jump on her.

"Oh," he said, stepping out to the hallway, and grabbing the dog by her collar. "I swear I have been working with her," he said earnestly, leading Missy into the living room. "I really have – come, I'll show how much she's progressed." Skye stood there for a moment longer, hesitating – she had other stuff to do, really, like unpacking the groceries, and writing that report Coulson had realized today that he needed for yesterday, but then Grant's tentative, pleading "Skye?" got her moving.

Once in the living room Grant made her sit on the couch, told her to get comfortable, then called Missy, and the two of them started their little show.

Skye had to admit, Missy was a lot more well behaved with Grant than with her. He obviously knew something about how to train dogs (but then again – he had trained her, and she had been a lot more difficult than an overeager dog), because Missy needed no more than a simple sign from him to know what to do. To one wave of his arm, Missy sat, rolled over, gave a five, and even jumped up, putting her front paws around Grant's waist.

So, okay, they were cute. Adorable even, from Missy's floppy ears to Grant's dorkish grin. So adorable that Skye couldn't stop herself from forgetting her annoyance, and start grinning and clapping when to a swirl of Grant's hand, Missy turned around, as if chasing her own tail in slow motion. And she couldn't help but laugh out loud when the dog even made a little bow towards her.

"Okay, you won," she told Grant after the bow, grinning wildly. "This dog is a freaking genius. Now of only you could get her to listen to me a little bit…" she said, standing up from the couch, but Grant stopped her.

"Wait!" he said. "Sit back. There's one more trick we'd like to show you."

Skye grinned at him cheekily, but did what she had been told, and watched as Grant crouched down next to the sitting dog. Grant glanced at Missy, then at her, some unreadable light dancing in his eyes.

"Close your eyes!" Grant told her suddenly.

"What?" she chuckled.

"It's just… I need you to close your eyes for a moment. Could you, please? For me."

Skye let out a little sigh, but let her eyelids drop, and raised her hands to cover her eyes. She could hear Grant take a deep breath, along with Missy's panting and the rustle of clothing. Then a moment of silence, before she heard Missy's steps on the floorboards, her claws clinking against the wood. Finally, a whispered command ("Sit!"), and then Grant saying, "You can open them now."

And she did, a smile in the corner of her mouth, and at first she had no idea what she should be seeing – Missy was sitting right in front of her, alright, and–

Damn it.

Double damn it.

Now she could see it, and honestly, she had no idea how she hadn't noticed before.

There a little object resting in the ridge of Missy's snout – a little, sparkling object.

A ring. A diamond ring, to be exact. A diamond ring that couldn't have been anything, but…

"You are honestly proposing by using our dog as a wingman?" she blurted out in surprise.

Two steps from her, Grant stood up from his crouch, and although she could see that he was trying to keep his expression calm, the slight flush creeping up his cheeks gave him away.

"I thought it would be cute?" he said, trying to sound confident, but his sentence ended up more like a question in his sudden shyness.

Skye didn't know whether she should laugh or jump up and hug and kiss the living daylight out of him. So she decided to do both.

Snatching the ring from Missy's nose before she could drop it, Skye leaped from the couch.

"Oh, come here, you… you…" she stuttered, looking for the right word, closing her fingers around the ring. "You beautiful dork!" She said at last, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling herself up so she could kiss him. Stunned into stillness for a moment, he didn't react, but then kissed her back with the same passion.

"So?" he said a little breathless when they pulled apart. "What do you say?"

It was not nice, she admits, but she just couldn't stop herself from teasing him a bit.

"I don't know… I mean you haven't even exactly asked. And this ring is not even my style…" Seeing his face tighten and panic rising in his eyes, she decided to take mercy on him. She laughed out loud. "Of course I'm gonna marry you, your idiot!" And then kissed him again.

Missy, as if she knew what was going on, let out a loud, happy bark, giving them her blessing.