Work Text:
It's absolutely ridiculous, you know that. Absolutely. Your best friend and room-mate is literally the world's best at fixing computers. But that doesn't stop you going back to your local Geek Squad every time your computer breaks. Which is often, because you're purposely downloading every single dodgy program you can come across, and opening every single shady file that gets sent to your email.
All because of one pretty girl in a white shirt.
It's especially ridiculous because other than a few smiles, the girl has hardly acknowledged you, or even seemed to have noticed how often you're turning up to give over your laptop into her care.
Probably because she spends an inordinate amount of time making out with her boyfriend. Once again, horribly attractive - tall and dark and mysterious - just not your type. You think he probably also works in the shop but you can't be sure because he doesn't seem to do anything except hang around the girl, whose name badge tells you is called Skye. And probably because you've never had the courage to say more than a few words to her.
But the next time you go the station is completely deserted, and all her attention is focused on you. She beams at you, and leans forward, and you tell yourself that it's her job to look interested when a customer turns up. She gestures at the laptop under your arm.
"Back again, are we?"
So. She has noticed.
"What have you downloaded for me this time?"
You blink.
"You say that like I'm doing it on purpose." You hope you sound at least a little like you aren't lying.
"I know you're doing it on purpose. I looked you up and you sound like you're pretty much the most intelligent person I've ever met-"
"Well," you break in, but she raises an eyebrow and you shut up.
"Intelligent people don't download this amount of crap by accident. Especially not if you live with someone who, by the sounds of it, would be the second most intelligent person I'd know, and also happens to be an engineer."
You look down at your feet, and shuffle awkwardly.
She reaches over and tugs the laptop from your hands, and boots it up. As soon as it's logged in, the desktop is immediately bombarded with a million pop-ups, and when Skye clicks on one of them the entire screen gets very bright and then very dark and then cuts out. She looks up, an almost pained look on her face.
"How could you do this on purpose? It's such a nice laptop!"
She reboots it and plugs something in, and then turns back to you, chin in her hands.
"You're here so often because you like someone, right?"
"W- what? No." Good one, Jemma.
She turns round and taps at the laptop offhandedly. "So who is he?"
He. Of course she thinks it's a he. It's all anyone would think.
"They're... They're in a relationship."
If Skye has noticed the lack of pronouns she does not mention it.
"So that's why you look so worried," she screws up her face, deep in thought, and it is adorable. And then she seems to experience a moment of realisation and you brace yourself for it and-
"It's Ward, isn't it? You don't have to be worried I'll be mad, because we're not a thing any more. But also you're far too good for him. He's a douchebag, as it turns out. An attractive douchebag, but a douchebag all the same."
"It's not Ward." It comes out in a rush.
"Oh. Good," she pauses. "Good, I guess."
They are both silent for a second and then she lets out a long breath.
"I guess I should probably actually fix your laptop, huh? It'll be ready in a couple hours. I won't be here but I'll leave it with Miles."
You smile weakly and turn away. Maybe you should stop purposefully sabotaging your own laptop.
--
When you go to get it, you're pretty sure this is the last time you'll be coming to the store.
And then you get home and open it up and there's two sticky notes on the screen. One with a phone number and one with:
I figured out who it was.