No Bother
Title: No Bother
Author: Diane
Entry: 07
Fandom: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Pairing: Grant Ward/Skye
Rating: Teen Rated
Genre: Romance
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing!
Spoilers/Warnings: This takes place after episode 1.03 “The Asset”.
Word Count: 1,075
Summary: “So you thought you'd come and bother me instead?”
Author's Notes: This has been written for The October Writing Challenge.
“Skye?” Ward stared at the brunette sitting cross-legged in the center of his bed dressed only in a purple camisole and a pair of black sleep shorts. “What are you doing in here?” He had only stepped out of his room to grab a drink and couldn't have been gone for more than a couple of minutes. It was taking all of his willpower to keep his eyes trained on her face and not let them roam all over the generous expanse of olive skin that was on display.
“I'm bored,” she told him. “Everyone's asleep except for May and since she seems to prefer being alone I didn't want to bother her.”
“So you thought you'd come and bother me instead?”
A playful smile crept onto her lips. “Something like that.”
“It's pretty late and we've got another long day ahead of us tomorrow. You should probably go and get some rest.”
Her fingertips traced the stitching on his dark blue comforter. “You're so predictable, you know that?”
Ward shook his head. “How so?”
“I knew before I even came in here that you'd probably say those exact words.”
“Why did you come in here, then?” he said, giving her a pointed glare.
Skye shrugged. Unlike Agent Ward, she let her gaze wander all over his gorgeous body; her nostrils flaring slightly at how his grey T-shirt stretched that little bit tighter across his torso when he folded his arms, causing the muscles in his biceps to flex. It didn't matter whether he was wearing a suit or just a pair of jeans and a simple T-shirt, he always looked smoking hot. “I told you, I was bored and I figured we could maybe hang out for a while.”
“Skye...”
“Never mind,” she told him, getting up from his bed and moving towards the door which he was blocking. “I'll get out of your hair.”
“I...” He ran a hand through his slightly mussed hair. “You don't have to go,” he said, circling his fingers around her wrist.
“It's fine.” His touch sparked something inside of her and was making her think things she shouldn't. “I wouldn't want to interrupt your reading.”
“Am I that transparent?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“Maybe a little. Though, considering your nose always seems to be buried in a book... it doesn't take a genius to figure out that's what you were probably planning on doing.” Taking a step back, she suppressed the disappointed groan she could feel bubbling up in her throat when he dropped his hand from her arm. “I'll, uh, see you in the morning.”
Ward didn't move out of her way. “Why did you really come in here tonight?”
“I told you.”
“I'm not buying it so tell me the real reason.”
Her mind rewound to earlier that day and her heart started pounding in her chest. “It doesn't matter,” she replied, her voice soft.
He could see that it did matter and as stoic as he had been trained to be, he knew it would most likely help her to talk about whatever was bothering her. “Tell me.” He inwardly cringed at how gruff he sounded and he knew he deserved the glare that flashed across her pretty features.
“I was scared, okay!”
“Skye, I'm—”
“Quinn pointed his gun at me and I was scared!” she cut him off. “When his guys came in to tell him there had been a security breach I was being all cocky and the next thing I know he whirls around aiming his gun at my chest.”
Ward saw that she had started to shake and he hesitated for a brief moment before he took a step forward and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her firmly against him. When she rested her head on his chest, he unconsciously smoothed his fingers over her hair. “You seemed okay earlier... during the debrief.” The sensation of her hands skimming up and down his back, albeit over his T-shirt, was almost his undoing and it was taking everything in him not to moan.
Skye smiled though it didn't quite reach her eyes. “I was trying to act tough.”
“I'd say you did a pretty good job there, Rookie.”
She tightened her hold on him when she next spoke. “He had me by the throat and then... the gun was pointed at my face.”
“But you managed to get it off of him and then get away. Just keep that in mind.”
“Yeah,” she murmured. “I should've paid more attention to you during training, maybe then he—”
“You won't hear me arguing with that,” he interrupted, a teasing tone in his voice.
“I'll try harder,” Skye promised.
“All I... we're asking is that you try your best. That's all you can do.”
As she continued to rest against his hard, warm body, she could feel her eyes falling shut. His strong arms were wrapped around her and, thanks to him, she felt safe and secure for the second time that day. She couldn't help feeling that she'd sleep a hell of a lot better if she could crawl into bed with him but she knew that wasn't going to happen.
“I'd better get back to my bunk,” she said, reluctantly drawing back from him. “Thanks... for, uh...”
“You don't have to thank me,” Ward told her, “but you're welcome. Part of my job as your SO is to listen to you when you've got any worries or—”
“Yeah, I get it. Don't forget, it's also your job to be a pain in my ass,” she said, her half-smile taking the sting out of her words.
Ward smirked. “I hadn't forgotten.”
Placing her hand upon his, she lightly squeezed his fingers in gratitude. She was aware that it would take a while for the memory of having a gun pointed right at her to fade but, for now at least, she felt a little bit better and might actually have a chance of getting some sleep.
“Later, Agent Ward.”
He watched as she quietly slipped out of his room and once the door had closed behind her, he whispered, “Later, Rookie.”
Fin