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“Mama! I got candies!”
Jemma smiles at her two year old son as he runs toward her. She’s fully convinced she will never see such an adorable Iron Man for as long as she lives. Though Simon keeps stressing to her, “Not cute, Mama, it cool!”
Grace follows behind her brother at a more leisurely pace, dressed in black pants, a black long-sleeved shirt, and a black vest over top. She keeps telling the people giving out candy that she’s a secret agent, but when her family asks, her answer rotates between Miss Maria, Aunt Melinda, Aunt Bobbi, and Miss Sharon.
She’s chattering away to her father, and when Jemma turns her gaze to her husband, she has to bite her lip and shift her attention to her tiny daughter in the carrier. “Who told him Indiana Jones was a good idea, hm?” She bounces a bit as she speaks to Hadley. “Does he know Mummy at all?”
The answer is yes, of course, which means the costume he chose wasn’t a mere coincidence, but a very deliberate decision. At least she talked him out of the firefigher costume. Dear god.
He’s eyeing her in return while still managing to talk to Gracie. She can’t imagine how a spiderweb costume with a ‘Hadley spider’ strapped to her chest could possibly get him to make his bedroom eyes like that, but lately, she can get him riled up just by standing near him.
With the new baby, it’s been awhile. (She knows exactly how long, almost to the hour, but no one has to know that.)
“More candies!” Simon exclaims, trying to catch up to the ninja turtles that are Eli and Emery (Leonardo and Donatello, respectively) at the next house. Grace follows after them, and Grant stops beside Jemma to kiss the top of Hadley’s head.
He skims his fingers against his wife’s hair and along the back of her neck, and Jemma is both surprised and slightly embarrassed at the sound that echoes from the back of her throat. Grant’s eyes widen just a bit and he takes a half step toward her before shaking himself and following the children down the sidewalk.
Jemma doesn’t realize she’s ogling his departure for a good minute or so.
“Dude. What is going on with you tonight?” Skye asks, her red and white polka-dotted dress swishing around her calves.
She looks adorable in her dress, yellow flats, and mouse ears, and Jemma wishes she’d thought of that. She’s not certain Grant would have been nearly as great a Mickey as Fitz. And she is quite enjoying the view of the pants Grant chose.
Skye waves a white-gloved hand in front of Jemma’s face. “I’m sorry, was I interrupting? You seem to be in deep conversation with your husband’s ass.”
Jemma covers Hadley’s tiny little ears on principle and continues staring unabashedly. “Having a moment. Don’t be rude.” She turns to her friend abruptly. “I need you to take the kids tonight.”
“What? No way, Miss Spider!” Skye starts backing away like Jemma is going to pass off the baby and run. “You’re insane if you think I’m doing that. I’m hesitant to take my own children home with me! And you want me to add a six year old, a toddler, a 5-week old infant and all that candy? No. Nuh-uh. Nope.”
“She’s six weeks old.”
“Not relevant right now.”
Jemma sighs. “Skye. Hadley’s six weeks old today.”
“I do not get what you’re trying to-…” She grins suddenly and Jemma barely resists the urge to roll her eyes. “Oooh. I see. Doc advised six weeks before gettin’ down and dirty and you obeyed down to the day. Oh my god, this is glorious.”
“Skye-”
“No wonder you’ve both been so grouchy lately.”
“Yes, ignoring the fact that we have a newborn in the house-”
“You just want to nail him so badly, don’t you?”
Jemma hadn’t noticed Fitz sidling up to them, but he squawks at what he’s overheard and immediately turns the other way.
“Maybe we could not discuss this while trick-or-treating with our children in public.” Jemma says through gritted teeth.
Skye doesn’t seem to care. “Can’t you just put the kiddos to bed and be really quiet?” She bursts into laughter at the look Jemma gives her in response to that question.
“Could you please, please, please, just do this for us? Just for a night?”
Looking in Fitz’s direction with a slightly concerned expression, Grant chooses to make his way over. “What’s Skye doing for us?”
Jemma’s entirely distracted from the question by the path of warmth his fingers are making on her back. She can feel it through the fabric of her dress, feel sparks of heat even though he isn’t touching skin. Yet.
Skye’s making a face that neither of them see because they’re busy looking at each other. “Keeping your children over night. Only because I’m afraid you’re going to start going at it right here in the middle of our neighbors’ driveway. And don’t make eyes like that over your baby. It’s weird. She’ll be scarred for life. If she isn’t already.”
Jemma is beaming widely and Grant is nibbling at her neck.
“Okay, okay, chill out, you damn rabbits! I don’t want to be scarred either!” Skye yelps with the fiercest glare Jemma has ever seen from someone wearing Minnie Mouse ears. She reaches forward and unhooks Hadley from the carrier, settling the baby gently in the crook of her elbow. “Poor little sweet pea. Tell mommy and daddy they’re gross.”
“We just restocked the emergency bag at your house, so there should be enough milk in there for the night.” Jemma says quickly, barely maintaining her footing as Grant tries to tug her away. He pulls her hair tie out so her curls fall against her shoulders. “There’s diapers in there too, and pajamas, and don’t let them have too much of that candy, and make sure they brush their teeth!”
Skye waves them away and tugs Hadley’s hat down a bit more. “Go away and get busy, you weirdos. And don’t bring it up with me ever again. I don’t wanna know.”
They disappear around the corner and mostly, Skye just hopes they make it to their house.
Fitz herds the kids down the driveway and toward the next house, Simon sitting up on his shoulders. He leans over to kiss Hadley’s cheek and then looks at Skye. “Where are Jem and Ward off to? There’s still fifteen minutes left to trick-or-treat.” He says at the same time Simon yelps, “Aunt Skye! I got candies!”
“I see that, buddy. That’s a lot of candy.” She says to the little Iron Man before turning to her husband. “Well, my love, it’s been six weeks since H was born.” She pats his cheek affectionately. “Just be glad we picked the house down the road instead of right next door.”