The thing about Skye
She forgets to eat.
She doesn't mean to. It's just, well, Skye forgets. Simple as that.
Skye's food has always been tightly regulated. In the orphanage, in foster homes, when she was on the street with limited money. She's used to always being hungry so, it's easy to forget that she now has access to food whenever she wants it- just down the halls of the Bus, in the little kitchenette that's still nicer than any Skye has ever had access to.
The cabinets and fridge aren't even padlocked.
The team eats together at least once every day. Coulson and May take turns at cooking. Sometimes Fitz does, or Ward, but Coulson is the main cook. Supper is at nearly the same time every day, but Skye still sometimes forgets, so immersed she gets in the dark web. Every time someone has to remind Skye by coming to look for her, she's wholly surprised.
Skye loves eating dinner with the team. There is always an abundance of food. Enough for everyone to go back for seconds if they want it. Even thirds if they're truly hungry. Everything leftover goes into the fridge for anyone to eat the next day.
(Skye hasn't ever gotten up the courage to eat any leftovers the next day, even if she remembers that she's allowed to eat whatever she wants from the kitchen.)
Things are different at the Playground. The team eating together becomes a rarity unless they happen to be in the kitchen at the same time.
And Skye, well, she still forgets.
It's May, weirdly enough, that takes notice. It's not that she noticed that is weird (May is the most observant person Skye has ever met), it's that she… well, decides to do something about it.
"Have you eaten today?" a harsh voice asks from above Skye, and she doesn't even lift her eyes from the streams and streams of code racing across her screen.
"Um," she utters absently. "Depends. Is today still Thursday?"
"Skye," comes May's authoritative voice that demands full attention.
"What?" Skye glances up, briefly, before a sudden firewall demands her full awareness to get around.
May sighs. "Skye, it's Saturday."
"Oh," Skye utters, still not really paying attention. She's gone longer than that without eating before. Hell, the nuns made her go longer on a weekly basis with how often she got in trouble. She hasn't even started getting dizzy yet.
"And you missed two training sessions with me," May continues.
"Sorry."
It's quiet for a few seconds, and Skye almost forgets that May is even standing over her until her laptop is suddenly snapped closed on her fingers.
"No!" Skye gasps, jerking her head up to stare at her mentor with wide eyes, "I was almost there!"
"Is the world going to explode if I don't let you open your laptop in the next ten minutes?"
"Well, no-"
"Then eat," May demands, plunking a plate down in front of Skye. It has an already made sandwich on it and a side of Skye's favorite chips. She stares at it for a moment, blinking blurrily down at the offering, before slowly removing her fingers from between her laptop and clearing her throat.
"Thank you," Skye mutters softly, and maybe she should take a nap, too, because her hands are shaky and her eyes are itchy.
"Yes, well…" May shifts uncomfortably, before turning on her heel and leaving.
A wide smile tugs at Skye's lips.
After that, May forces Skye to at least have tea with her every morning, and shoves a plate of food into her face periodically throughout the day.
Skye doesn't think she's ever eaten so much in her life, and starts to feel guilty about the amount of effort May goes through to make sure she does. She also feels really good. And embarrassed.
So, Skye… tries beating May to the kitchen and making her lunch for a change.
"What happened in here?"
Skye freezes, breath hitching, as she turns to see Coulson standing in the entrance to the kitchen/lounge area. Just behind him, May hesitates as she takes in the mess of the kitchen with an expressionless face.
"Um…" Skye's chest flutters (like a nest of hornets) all the way down to the tips of her fingers, where she shakes her nerves out. "I tried… I thought… Of course I'll clean it up-"
"This all for you?" May asks, finally moving around the Director.
"For you actually," Skye mumbles, suddenly feeling very silly (why would May want some immature thing Skye slaps together over the carefully crafted meals May seems to somehow breathe into existence with the ease of everything else she does). "But, I don't think I did it right, so I'll just-"
"Thank you," May says, tugging the plate with the misshapen sandwich closer to herself before Skye can manage to swipe it away to hide from view.
"You don't have to-" Skye begins weakly, but she's once again interrupted from her self-deprecating spiral- this time by Coulson.
"Ooo, is that other one for me?" He asks, striding forward eagerly and reaching for the other plate Skye had prepared. May slaps his hands away.
"Don't be a buffoon. That's Skye's, obviously; make your own."
Skye flushes a deep red, and her chest grows really warm, too. "I, um, I could make you one, if you want. Sir."
"That would be amazing! Thank you, Skye," he beams at her, and Skye bites back a smile as she pulls down another plate and some more bread.
When she's done, they eat in silence for a bit.
"You know," Coulson broaches after a while, wiping his hands clean on a napkin, "If it's something you might be interested in, I could teach you to cook."
"I," she blinks wide eyes at the man who has been very busy since they arrived at the Playground. "I would really like that."
May sighs deeply from the other side of Skye. "I'll help, too, so you at least have a few healthy options to choose from."
Skye feels really, really, warm, and her throat is closed up, so all she can do is smile widely in response.
A/N: Please review!
~Silver~