Chapter Text
Ward looks around the place, keeping his gaze relaxed as if he was simply admiring the ambience. Three exits. One out back. Their target was seated towards the middle of the restaurant, sequestered in a booth with his guards placed at nearby tables. He counts six of them.
“They keep looking this way. The guards.”
“Well, loosen up then. Don’t be so Men in Black.”
“I’m not.”
“This is supposed to be a date. And you look like you have a stick up your ass.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Relax. Don’t be that Ward. Be Grant, on a date. We’re on a date, celebrating.”
“I’ll bite. What are we celebrating?”
“How typical of you to forget.” Skye smirks. “It’s our thirteen month anniversary, babe.”
“Thirteen?”
“Half-truths.”
“So you do listen.”
“I always listen. After all, I am girlfriend extraordinaire.”
“Course you are, sweetheart.” He chuckles, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Have we got a name?”
“Antonin Bodrov. Arms dealer.” Fitz replies.
“What does he want with?”
Ward shrugs. “Who knows? Have we got anything?”
She leans back into the seat, holding her phone between them. His fingers curl around her shoulder, thumb caressing her skin.
“Nope. Nothing to link them.” Skye says. “They’re thorough.”
“Keep doing whatever it is you’re doing.”
“Got it.”
xxx
“Skye,”
“Hmm.”
His face is closer than she expected, noses almost touching. His hand cups her jaw, thumb tracing her bottom lip, tugging it slightly. Skye feels her heart race, watching as his eyes dart to her mouth. He leans forwards, lips almost brushing hers.
His eyes lock with hers, they’re darker than she remembers.
“Grant,” she breathes.
His mouth slants over hers, hands sliding into her hair to cradle her head.
“They’re gone.” Jemma chirps into their comms.
Skye’s panting as she looks at him with wide eyes. She retracts her hands from his shirt, placing them in her lap.
Ward clears his throat, “Copy that. Leaving now.”
What the hell just happened? Her fingers are shaking as she runs it through her hair – that Ward had mussed whilst kissing her. Ward had just kissed her.
Not a forehead kiss. Not a cheek kiss. Her lips. He’s just kissed her. Except it was more. Oh God. They’ve just made out.
Shit. That was a really good kiss.
“Skye,” Ward says, “Ready?”
She nods. She’s not even sure she can speak without sounding like Minnie Mouse right now. Ward takes her hand, laces their fingers together as they step outside.
xxx
“About today – what happened – it’s – when we were – the kiss.”
“Yeah, it’s fine.” Skye closes her eyes, willing her voice to be normal. “The kiss. It’s fine. Our covers. Just got caught up in everything. We would’ve been blown if – yeah it was tactical.”
“Tactical, that’s it.”
“They were walking past us. And like you said, they were already suspicious looking at us and everything. We had to. Kiss, that is. For our covers. So we didn’t give anything away.” Stop talking.
Ward nods, looking more and more like a bobblehead.
“Nope. No problem. Couples who have been together for thirteen years – months!” Why is she still talking? How is she still talking? “People that have been together for thirteen months kiss. Thirteen months is a long time!”
“Yeah. Yup. That. So are we good?”
“Of course. Uh huh. We’re good.”
“Okay. I was worried –”
Skye laughs nervously. “What? Why would you – there’s no awkwardness here.” SHUT UP.
“Did you want to use the,” Ward asks, motioning to the bathroom.
“Yes. I was going to brush my teeth and wash my face because I’m going to bed.”
“That’s good. Me too, I’m going to go to bed too.”
“Okay.”
“Okay. I’m gonna go now.”
“Night, Grant – Ward. Goodnight, Grant Ward.” Skye says, punching his shoulder as she walks past.
“Night, Skye.”
Skye enters the bathroom, waits for 5 seconds and peers into the hallway. The moment his bunk door closes, she runs for Fitz’s.
xxx
“Can we help you, Skye?”
“Fitz, get out. I need to talk to Jemma.”
“Oi! This is my room.”
“It is important!” She whisper-yells. “My mind is about to explode.”
“Use Simmons’ room then.”
“Not possible.”
“If I am being ejected from my room, I’d like to know why.” He crosses his arms, expression defiant.
Skye rolls her eyes, “We cannot talk in Jemma’s room because her room is next to Ward’s room and he cannot hear what we are going to talk about. Now, get out!”
“Fitz, please.”
The Scot pulls himself off the bed, grumbling under his breath. Skye slides his door close with too much force, causing Fitz to yell.
“Now, Skye, what has got you all ruffled?” She asks, watching as the girl paces small area.
“Ward and I kissed.”
Jemma’s eyes widen, mouth open and closing. “When? Today – during the mission?”
Skye nods. “Yes.”
“Was it like a little kiss?” She motions with her thumb and forefinger. “Just a quick peck? Like when your Nan forces you under the mistletoe with Cousin Alfred?”
“His tongue was in my mouth. And then my tongue was in his mouth. There was tongue!”
Jemma gasps, “No.”
“I know.”
“What happens now?”
“Nothing. It was a fake kiss so we didn’t blow our cover.”
“This is not nothing! Skye, you have been –”
“I know, Jemma. I realize that.”
“I’m sensing a but.”
“But he was worried I’d take it the wrong way. Like it might mean something more.” Skye groans, falling face first onto Fitz’s bed. “So I just ranted – I could not shut up about it.”
“What did you say?”
“The gist of it was that it didn’t mean anything. I think that’s what I said. Words were just flying out of my mouth.”
“There, there,” Jemma says, gathering Skye’s hair in her hand. “I’m sure you two will work this out. After all, you’ve known each other for years, you grew up together –”
“Do you know what the worst part is?”
“Go on then.”
“I always figured that I’d let it go once I realized how gross it is because we’re like brother and sister. And kissing your brother would be totally gross, I mean I wouldn’t know but I assume because God, you’re related. You’d have to be super fucked up to be okay with making out with your brother. And kissing Ward was not gross. Oh my God, this is like some form of incest isn’t it?”
“Skye, you and Ward are not related. We’ll do a DNA test first thing tomorrow, if that’ll offer you some peace of mind.”
“That’d be nice. Thanks, Jem.”
“Now. May we discuss what is important?”
“Sure.” She mumbles into the bed.
“How was it?”
“It was so good. 11 out of 10. Like I always figured he’d be a good kisser but I was not expecting that.”
“Oh.”
“I’m ruined.”
“That you are.”
Skye groans.