❛ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ

❛  it's because he feels too much.  ❜ ❛  again, less thinking than feeling.  ❜

[shcrd]

grant & jemma.

Jemma hasn’t let go of the pull up bar, she’s hanging on it when he decides to stay in the room after walking in; she just started so it’s not difficult to stay there for a few seconds before slowly pulling herself higher with a roll of eyes and a “Ward” of warning - and then he speaks and she bursts into a laugh and has to drop down, back on her feet, biting it back too late. 

“Get out. I’m calling your S.O.”

          arms cross over his chest, shoulder leaning against the doorframe as he watches the scene in front of him with a tilted head and lips quirked up in a smile. he had intended to get some work---out done himself. as a matter of fact, his phone is strapped around his bicep, wireless earphones stuffed in his pocket for that very purpose. but he can spare a few more minutes watching if this is what he’ll be seeing.

          it’s not even a joke that he’s watching her. his eyes are appreciative, admiring the way the clothes she’s wearing, tight and figure---hugging, wraps around her body like a second skin, revealing shapes and curves her otherwise baggy outfits have hidden from his brown orbs before. but what soon distracts him, funnily enough, isn’t even the way her previously hidden and thought as non---existent muscles ripple as she drops from the bar. it’s the ring of her laughter, a sound very rarely heard these days, that is more musical than any track he meant to listen to from his phone. from there, it’s easy enough to engage her in conversation to attempt to keep her in a better mood, to keep the amusement on her features, to let the smile in her eyes stay.

          ❛ yeah, vic doesn’t really ogle other women that are working out. if you want me to grab more audience for you, i can get hartley. she’d have a field day, discovering this. ❜          

[shcrd]

gerard & cat.

“Would you chill,” she sighs, poking at one of his dimples with a finger, because he’s so worried and for what? “I just fell. I was making pasta, and I dropped things and I tried to clean things and I slipped and dropped more things, whatever. I’m simply too advanced as a being to cook for myself, my body rejects it. You don’t ask a computer to send smoke signals.”  

          ❛ but apparently, the computer still thinks she should send the smoke signals, ❜          he scolds, fully aware that this isn’t something that he really does. after all, he makes so many mistakes that he trips over them at every turn. he’s got no right to talk about others’ mistakes. but he still does it. it’s totally not going to sink in, knowing cat, but if it can, even a little bit, keep her from possibly placing that other arm in a sling of its own, it’s worth the effort. ❛ you’re supposed to be very smart, a genius, but you can be very stubborn sometimes. ❜          

[shcrd]

lance & jemma.

“Oh, they’ve got nothing on you,” she jokes, but there is still so much affection there, it’s obvious she’s not even trying to poke at his lack of powers - she has none either, after all - and she knows he’s trying hard to make this easier for her too. She wraps her other arm around his neck when he leans closer to kiss her, and her heart gives a painful squeeze because he has no idea of how much missed he is, and not even just by her. The team was just not the same after he and Bobbi had to leave.

She has told him part of the story to help him catch up, just a quick list of facts: Hive came back, Lincoln died, Daisy went rogue, they built LMDs to protect people, well, Fitz did, the LMDs obviously turned because Radcliffe lost his mind because of an alien book, the Framework, the team disappearing. Very simple, no details. Heartbreak implied but not shown.

“I’d talk about how missed you are, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to not cry, and that wouldn’t help. I can’t spend the next few decades with tears on my face, that would be dramatic even for me.” She smiles, or tries to, but then turns her head to press a quick kiss to his lips, and then another, and another, little pecks, before kissing their corner and then his cheek, eyes squeezed closed as she fights back the pain. “Keep an eye on magazines, alright? If you aren’t here when I get back, I’ll write letters again.” Of course she should also let go of him and go get Enoch, but she wants to steal a few more seconds just like that. There is so much she wants to say, because she didn’t think she’d get the chance to see him again but he’s here, and now it’s all stuck in her throat. It sounds too much like a goodbye.

          he tries, he really does. in fact, it’s one of the hardest things he has to do ------------ keep his mouth shut and not speak of the pain that’s wrecking him on the inside. and he almost wins, he almost manages to keep the chains around his heart, to keep it from struggling and escaping through his throat to lay itself on jemma’s hand for her to take to where and when she’d be. he almost manages to not tell her the state of his heart due to her impending absence. but then she keeps kissing him. light and quick kisses, yes, but her lips press upon his again and again, and it’s as though she doesn’t want to go. even though it’s possible that she’s merely being playful, it’s not how he takes it.

          so, it still happens. despite his attempts to hold back. the next second, he’s holding her face with both hands, digits cradling her jaw. his lips land on hers, and the movements of his lips tells of the words his voice cannot utter. it’s a plea hidden behind actions, a beg for her to stay. he knows full well he cannot ask that of her, not when their friends need her, not when the seer herself, little robin, has spoken of what the future requires. so he begs with his actions, shows her even not in words what the time they’ve spent apart has done to him. he was not supposed to feel that way. it was supposed to be just sex, just for fun, but somewhere, along the way, he broke the rules, and now... apparently, this is his punishment, and he couldn’t keep from her the suffering he is now enduring for it.

          he’s an expert in waiting, his past experiencing having shaped him, prepared him for such moments, and if he was able to wait for something so uncertain, for the unstable love his ex---wife had for him when he knew deep down it was possible that he was waiting for nothing, that she might even really try to get back home to him, he surely would be able to wait for her now.

          ❛ i’ll stay here. i’ll be here. i’ll wait for you. i just ask that you... try your best to get back to me, yeah ??      i’ll wait however long it takes, ❜           he says when the need to pull away arises, just when he can no longer ignore the burning in his lung for breath. there’s a pang in his heart that makes its way to his voice, breaking his speech, betraying the pain that is tearing him apart. his hands keep a hold of her face, their foreheads pressed together ; his eyes shut tightly, keeping reality outside. ❛ i’m pretty good with that, waiting. just as long as... there’s something i’m waiting for... ❜          

[shcrd]

gerard & cat.

“Why, because when I get injured I have pretty people like you to tend my nearly lifeless body.” Back of her hand to her forehead, she looks pained for a moment before her eyes dart back to his face, mischievous glint and small smile curling her red lips, “I think I might need mouth-to-mouth soon.”

Her smile widens, and she only glances down for a moment to see what else he’s doing with her wrist, “Also, hon, I fell on my arm. Stop touching it or I will roll a newspaper and hit you on the nose with it.”

          had she not just hurt herself and if this had been a normal day, he’d have rolled his eyes at her antics. it’s now become a natural reaction, a fond one, when he responds to her statements this way. this time, however, he only has worry on his face, concern glinting in his blue eyes.

          ❛ if you wanted to eat home---cooked meals, you should have told me. or jemma. or grant. ❜          he’s not that good a cook. to be honest, he can only manage fried food. apart from that, he’s as useless as she is. but at least her safety wouldn’t be endangered. ❛ what did you even do ?? ❜          

[shcrd]

grant & jemma.

Jemma briefly considers the doability of going back to her cell and lock herself in, because she just attacked Ward with a kiss - and yes, he kissed back, and it was really good, and she felt far too comfortable doing it - and he’s predictably asking for an explanation right after that but she doesn’t have one. Or maybe she has too many, and none of them feel completely right. And God, she’s not sure but there is the possibility that she might be harboring a bit of a crush, which she really wants to be simply physical attraction, that’s fine, he’s hot, but it feels like more than that. It’s one of the most terrifying thoughts she’s ever had, and she has been questioning her sanity just the night before.

But damn it, she’s so happy to see him, and she feels safe, and surely he can help her find the rest of the team if they aren’t with Ward already, waiting for her. “I’m sorry, I got… carried away, I’m just so… relieved you found me…” she whispers in shock while letting go, tongue darting to her lips and still feeling the ghost of his, “Did you find the others? Oh, I think there is something sketchier than expected here, I’m in solitary confinement and they are about to take away everything I have too, but there never a talk about government or deals, I was interrogated by the same people about where I think my team is, not trialed, and I know US prisons aren’t concerned with inmates’ rights but they have to follow some laws or they’d end up in trouble too. No one here is following any protocol…” So if he’s thinking of pulling a regular fake lawyer routine, he has to rethink that. Also possibly focus on that subject and never question the previous one again.

          it’s believable and logical, the reason she gives him for the kiss. after all, he guesses it has been a while since she’s been in the company of anyone other than the people from this facility ------------ something that very much pisses him off. however, he has no explanation as to why his heart stings at the thought that that’s... all there is behind the kiss. it’s a good thing that he’s not left to ponder too long on it or to even look as broken up over it as his face could be (  judging by how expressive he always is )    as he’s mostly still distracted, staring at the way her tongue swipes over her lower lip, reminding him of how good it felt to have hers pressed against his mouth, and making him very much aware of how much he wants to do it again.

          ❛ nobody can really follow protocol when laws that were made before don’t fully apply on the situation anymore, ❜          he says, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. ❛ this is a private facility, they’re holding you in. blue raven ridge. under the care of the armed forces of the u.s., but the government hardly involves themselves anymore. they just... assigned general hale to oversee your situation and everything is under her judgment and guidance.  ❜          grant, admittedly, wasn’t fond of general talbot, but as annoying as that man is, he’d choose him over hale any day. talbot is transparent, hale is too shady and unstable for his tastes.      ❛ she’s not here at the moment, which means... it’s the perfect time to get you out.  ❜                

[shcrd]

lance & jemma

She doesn’t know what guides her to pull the next move, but it’s likely the way he holds onto her hand that makes her reach out for him again, this time giving his cheek a loving stroke, feeling the familiar stubble beneath her palm and letting her fingertips delicately trace his jawline.

He’s so sweet to her, Lance Hunter, always ready to crack a joke, to defuse tension, to voice disagreement whenever there is, but with her he’s become more open with time and has shown how affectionate he can be, how supportive, how much he really wants to help all his friends, loyal to the very end. It makes her feel very better about the world, even just a little. He definitely makes her feel softer too, which is very odd.

“Yeah, they can’t survive without me,” she jokes, her tone making clear she’s playfully bragging to avoid a more serious conversation, but her voice still gentle. She has to go save them, but since they all have their memories interact, she has to wonder if they actually need her help of all things. She doesn’t doubt Hunter would come to her, without thinking too much about it. “Hey… if I save them tomorrow, who’s going to keep the world safe today?” her hand stops at his chin, holding it in a way that she has probably no right to do, “I wouldn’t trust it with anyone else.” She smiles, but her eyes are full of love in that moment, not only grateful for his help but for the mere fact he’s okay, he’s alive. And she wouldn’t trust the world with anyone else.

“Look after Robin too…” she adds, and looks away, trying to lighten up again, “When we are back, first chance to take a break we get, I’ll contact you again and we’ll go to Seychelles. Or another beach, I’m not that picky. Take a nice long vacation with a lot of sunbathing in it.”   When she’s back, if she’s back, he’s probably going to be back with Bobbi for a while, but one can never be sure.

          eyelids soon flutter close, urged by the content and the safety that her touch blesses him. his heart squeezes in the cages of his chest, overwhelmed by the multitude of emotions she always seems to incite from him ; this time, what reigns above others is the longing he already knows will drown him the moment she steps into that chamber. and when she tells him their friends can’t survive without her, a voice in the back of his head, one ringing with yearning, whispers, just as determinedly :    but how about me ??

          it’s a crazy thought, he knows. even as she held his face, her eyes dancing with fondness for him, the emotion so very bright in her brown orbs, so open like he has never experienced before ; he knows it’s ridiculous of him to want to ask that question. they aren’t together. they’ve slept a few times, yes. they’re friends, yeah, but the world needs her, her friends need her, the friends that have been her family long before he infiltrated it. and compared to the world, compared to the family she’s gone through hell and back with... who is he ??

          still, the question remains for even though he has survived these past months, the past year, without her, at least then, he had knowledge that she’s still somewhere in the world, doing what makes her happy. this time, it’s different. they wouldn’t even reside in the same time anymore. when she awakens next, he’d be long dead. that thought alone is enough to break his heart all over again.

          ❛ oh, i don’t know. maybe what’s left of the avengers ??   spider---man ??    scores of superhuman people that are far more powerful than me in their sleep ?? ❜                    he smiles, trying his hardest to remain optimistic, straining to keep the conversation light. ❛ i’ll take care of robin and her mum, though. that little mission, i believe i can handle, ma’am. in the mean time, try not to miss me too much in the future, i know how distracting it can be when i’m being missed so hard. ❜          unable to help it, he moves forward, pressing a kiss on the corner of her lips, light but lingering.       ❛ try to find out for me if i do, indeed, become a legend in the future, will you, love ?? ❜          

[shcrd]

grant & jemma.

@shcrd

Jemma is starting to wonder if she imagined some of it; not always, but at night, when trying to fall asleep, the skeptical words from the people who are questioning her, the looks between them, like she’s insane, make her more than a little uneasy. All she has is the fact that she’s real, and that what she went through is real, even if she doesn’t understand how she lost the team. She can’t lose that certainty. She also can’t lose hope, even if she can’t bloody find them from there, she can’t lose hope again because she did it once before, and she’s trying so hard to figure out what happened, what she must have missed - and thinking of Maveth, and the last time she was stuck in a small area, and her cell is starting to feel like her new permanent living condition, and she’s sincerely afraid of going crazy even if she is reminding herself that it’s all real and that she can’t give up. Because she’s all alone, and tired, and scared.

It takes her five seconds of seeing Grant Ward’s cocky walk while he plays lawyer to feel like she’s being charged up again, returning back to life, and she stands up, her heart full, the sight of his stupid face the best thing she has seen in so many months. Even the Framework one had nothing on him. They bickered but it wasn’t the same. He has the pleased smile on his face, he knows he did good, she has no doubt that the rest of Phoenix will break her out of there with him, and Jemma is moving before even realizing it, just throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his in a firm kiss.

          it’s relief ------------ of the fact that, oddly enough, there are no surveillance cameras, microphones or two---way mirrors in this interrogation room they’ve brought jemma in ------------ that lands before realization does, the latter being impeded by the confusion that’s grabbing at his thoughts and throwing them back in the air before his fingers can catch them as he feels jemma’s lips on his. for a moment, he wonders if this could have been part of the cover somehow, if this was a ploy to make their story believable ; but as fast as the thought comes, it’s being thrown out the window. first and foremost, the limited way in terms of communication that she has found during her imprisonment means that he was in charge of the story they have. second, implying a physical relationship between client and lawyer would be counterproductive to their goal of being as convincing as they could in their professionalism. in short, time passes by and his lips move of their own accord, responding to her kisses just as fervently as she blesses them to him, and he is no closer to finding out a logical reason for her actions, not even until he has to pull away, in an attempt to chase his breath.

          ❛ hey, ❜           he starts, chest heaving, swollen, stinging lips parted as he stares at her face, confusion marring his features. ❛ what’s that for ?? ❜            only a few minutes ago, he had a plan, carefully---crafted and well---thought. but now, in that moment, split second that he stares at her, his mind comes up blank.

[shcrd]

lance & jemma

@shcrd

Jemma has resisted reacting in stupid ways from the moment she saw Hunter until now, after the little crazy adventure they had that made her remember just how much she misses him and the light he brings in her life. And apparently he and Bobbi aren’t together right now, so she’s not being a horrible person if she takes his face in her hands while he sits on a sleeping bag and kisses him. Well, she’s not being a horrible person who is kissing an ex something that is dating a friend, for sure, but she’s still kissing someone as a potential goodbye before he knows that’s what it is, so she’s not being honest either.

Enoch has given them some privacy, but the cryo-freeze chamber is there, reminding her of what she has to do. She just needed a moment - Hunter has the sweetest face right after being kissed - and now she has had it. “I’m going to get to the future taking the long way. That’s a cryo-freeze chamber, I’ll be asleep and Enoch will wake me when it’s time. Then we’ll find our way back and stop the extinction event.”

          a smile upon his features, a glint of happiness in his eyes, bliss etched on the lines of his face and the arch of his eyebrows as his lips pull up ------------ those are the proof of the intense emotions churning in his chest. it’s like a dream, the whole thing. from the moment he came to her rescue, like a knight in shining armour ------------ admittedly a role he doesn’t usually play with his relationships, considering the fact that the longest commitment he’s had was with someone who isn’t really a damsel in distress that needs saving ------------ to the whole adventure they shared together. yes, it was wrought with despair and hopelessness and reminders that the odds, once again, are not in their favour, but the fact that they are together once more after so long spent apart are more than enough to keep him in high spirits.

          but as it always is with every dream, this one also needs to end ; and, like all others, the act of waking up leaves a bitter taste on his tongue as soon as reality settles back into his bones, seeps back into his memories, reminding him of how big the possibility is that this might just be the last time he ever sees her.

          he almost refuses to let go of the bliss he holds in his heart, almost fights to keep their little bubble from bursting, but the drive in his attempts are soon quickly extinguished the moment her mouth opens and out comes pouring the bitter reality.

          ❛ ‘course. got to save their arses, right ?? ❜          this time, when his lips quirk, tightness settles on the lines, showing the reluctance he’s being crippled with ------------ the reluctance to let her go because, well, he’s only just got her back. where is the fairness in that ??        ❛ gotta keep the world from exploding to bits. ❜          his words echo with acceptance of the goodbye, and yet, his hand wraps tightly around hers, like a vice, as if his body refuses what his mind dictates and opts to listen to the beats of his heart instead.   ❛  you sure i can’t come with you ??         couldn’t we, say, just squeeze together in there ?? ❜              even as he says the words, he knows full well there’s no other way, but even so, he tries. even if not to truly accompany her due to its impossibility, but even just to make her smile one more time. ❛ we wouldn’t take that much space together, anyway, eh, sweetheart ?? ❜          

[shcrd]

cat.

@siinfvl    @ Gerard

When Gerard walks in her apartment, there is still water and tomato sauce over the wall, the broken plate and big pot still on the floor with spaghetti all over, and also over the stove, which is also dirty with water; there is a broomstick laying near the wall, and she has her left arm in a slig. “Hey, sweetheart! I tried to cook today! Want a slice of pizza?” she asks, gesturing at the boxes on the coffee table. “Jemma already came and went.” 

          it's as though he has walked into a battlefield with how much destruction surrounds him the moment his feet step past the threshold. there's splatter all over the wall, sauce and water, various stains also smudged on the counter and the stove. but the most incriminating piece of evidence is the sling that cradles cat's arm. with what he knows about her, there's only one reason why this could have happened, so before she even says it, he already knows.

          ❛ oh, no, ❜           is the automatic response that slips past gerard's lips, his eyebrows now furrowing in concern as his feet bring him to cat. ❛ why did you cook ??    you know that's deadly for you. ❜         he gently cradles her wrist in his hand, checking the damage, his tongue clicking in disapproval. ❛ what's the point of you actually having money to pay for people to cook for you if you're still going to do this ?? ❜        

[shcrd]

grant & jemma.

“I just… needed the ride, what…?” she laughs again, and really, she’s holding his face again, curling up just a little because he keeps embracing her more and more, pulling her closer, so she might as well just stay there.

“Nooo,” she drawls, shaking her head to make them rub their noses together a bit longer, “We can wait. Maybe around… eleven, mid-day? And since you invited yourself, I’ll use your help too. Reaching high shelves and pushing the cart when it gets heavy. You are hired.” She tilts her head and started pressing kisses on the same spot of his neck, giving little sucks as well, nibbling, the way he knows at this point she does even simply as a happy past-time. “And you are always so warm, even shirtless…” she remarks appreciatively, and then, since they are being weird, openly weird, she murmurs: “Want to know something silly?… It’s why I always roll us around so much. Because… when we are having sex… I favour being on top. I get to touch more…” and in fact, she’s kissing his neck again, but then she stops to nuzzle again, “But when we aren’t, we are resting, I like when you are on top, because you are warm… and because I like the weight.”  

          ❛ i know. you always need a ride from me, ❜          he replies, and the amusement on his face and the smirk on his lips suggest that he's not talking about a ride from his car, but a different ride completely. he just couldn't help it. ❛ but it would be boring inside the car. you don't really expect me to just sit there, waiting for you ?? ❜          and when she brings up the help she needs in reaching high shelves, he nods in agreement and lifts one of his legs to curl over hers. ❛ yes, you have tiny legs. you need my help. ❜          

          his words soon trail off in a contented hum, however, when she begins pressing kisses along his neck, a slight shiver shaking through him. his head tilts, giving her more access, more freedom for her kisses. he's distracted by those as he listens to her talk, feeling more relaxed, sinking into the mattress further, his posture relaxing and, in turn, wrapping around her more snugly. ❛ do you want to roll over ?? ❜          he ducks his head for a moment to be able to press a kiss on her forehead. ❛ i do like it when you're on top. obviously. as i'm sure you know by now. ❜           he gives her a meaningful look with a smirk. ❛ but i like it when you roll under me too. ❜          as he speaks, he keeps playing with the hem of her undershirt, idly and affectionately brushing his fingertips along a slice of her skin. ❛ not for possessive reasons. but because... i feel like i'm able to protect you more and keep you safer when i have you in my arms, when i have you completely covered. like... they'll have to go through me first before they even touch you. ❜          

          he gets distracted for a moment as he speaks, focusing more on the honesty blooming in his chest at his words. but something sinks in right then, one that makes him look into her eyes as he continues. ❛ not that i don't think you can't protect yourself. you clearly can. i used to think i always have to protect you. years ago. but... clearly, now, you've gotten stronger, strong enough to take care of yourself. but... sometimes... it just feels good, you know ??     to have that certainty that... if time comes when you get tired of... looking after yourself, i'm here. i can take care of you. i can protect you, still, even after... even after everything that has happened, even after what i've done before... i can still do something to make sure you're going to be okay, that you'll be safe. instead of harmed. ❜          unbidden, the memory from years ago flashes and plays behind his eyelids. he remembers again the anger, the determination in her eyes as she convinced fitz not to open the door of that pod, one that soon morphed into fear as she screamed while the pod ejects. once before, seemingly a lifetime ago, he harmed her. now, he'll do anything he can to keep her safe instead, to keep her protected. the thought, the sudden reminder, brings a tightness in his chest, a squeeze that glosses his eyes with emotions, blurring his gaze with a thin sheen of unshed tears.

[shcrd]

grant & deke.

“Joke is on you, because where I come from the Kree made sure no one could have an offspring to begin with,” he retorts.

Honestly, it stings that he’ll never have biological children, but is that going to stop him from throwing it around when needed to potentially make someone else uncomfortable? No.

“And I know elves aren’t real, they are like… sharknados.”

          his expression crumples into a mix of suspicion   ( because, really, he could never tell when this new guy is serious or he's having another word vomit that he should just ignore  )   and incredulity at the fact that he's just said something as heavy as having children and turned it into a means to up him. now, grant is not really one to be affected, especially since he doesn't believe he'd ever have kids. but seriously, who does that ??

          ❛ 'joke is on you' ??   seriously ?? ❜          he couldn't help but reply, his face disapproving.  ❛ you're an idiot. ❜        he was the one trying to make a joke, and in the end, he couldn't even deal with the one the other man gave. with a shake of the head and a pinch of his fingers on the bridge of his nose, he drops it, all the while thinking how he can never deal with this kind of humor. he couldn't handle it with jemma. apparently, he couldn't handle it from deke either. ❛ who told you sharknados aren't real, anyway ?? ❜          he attempts to change the topic, thinking that would be a better track of conversation than children between two man who can't biologically have them and one that doesn't think he'll ever have them. less possibility for accidental insensitivity that way.

[shcrd]

grant & jemma.

[text: idiot] whenever you want

Literally, because she’s going to her bunk now, putting the flower into its vase and on her desk, so she can look at it when doing her paperwork. She hadn’t expected a Valentine’s gift, but then, they have been acting so coupley for two people who officially are ‘only’ hooking up that maybe she should have. Maybe they are more in the 'seeing each other’ area, even if it’s not official. It just happened. She’s weirdly okay with that.

He asks her if he can come now, and she realizes he must have been still debriefing. She expected him to be getting home already.

[text: idiot] I’m in my bunk. If you can stay the night you can take me to my place too, if not just come over here. [text: idiot] I’m so happy <3 thank you!

          it's as though gerard no longer exists, same as the rest of the room, as he eagerly types out another reply to jemma. fortunately, the other man doesn't seem to mind ---------- only shaking his head and walking out the room after having figured out that he is mostly non---existent to his boss anyway.

                                             [ text : jemma ]     i'm on my way.

          his gaze stays on the last text, his smile widening as a surge of warmth rushes in his chest upon finding out how happy that simple gesture has made her. along with the pride, he feels excitement, giddiness at the thought of seeing her smile because of him. with that eagerness pumping through his veins, he hurries out of the briefing room and towards the locker room where he has kept his duffel bag. not to change out of his tactical suit, but to fish out the box of chocolates he decided to keep there.

          he had decided earlier not to leave it along with the rose, just in case she doesn't want it. just in case she'll find it weird for him to be leaving her gifts like these when they aren't even supposed to be doing this as two people only hooking up. but with how happy the single rose has made her, he wants to give her more reasons to smile. soon after that, he's beelining towards her bunk, as fast as he could while still acting as normal as possible, all but running the rest of the way.

          the knocks come in three fast raps on the wood. with the box of chocolates hidden behind him, he turns the doorknob and opens the door slightly, just enough to peek through. and the moment he finds her, his smile widens, eyes crinkling at the corners in happiness as he melts. ❛ hi. ❜        

[shcrd]

grant & jemma.

“Baby,” she says with an open sweetness that is close to pity, and her finger gently draws a line over the back of his hand; it’s so big and warm, it feels nice to even just have him touch her abdomen, “That’s going to happen anyway, suck it up.”

She grins, all kinds of amused, and normally she’d either move closer or on him, just for a little, over his blanket. Instead, inspired by his touches, even if he’s too tired for anything more than what they did, she pulls at the blanket to move underneath, and instead of curling against him she rolls him over, she straddles his naked body underneath, makes herself comfortable and hovers over him, bent arms and hands at each side of his head. “I actually find you hot with shirts on too. I like the way they follow your muscles and how I get to take them off, it’s like unwrapping a gift.”

           it's ridiculous how a touch as simple as her fingertip dragging along his skin can raise goosebumps along its trail even as she continues to ignite fire in his veins. when with her, it's as though he's never had a woman in his bed before. he's always so eager to please, always yearning for the sounds she makes and the way she can bring his whole body to life with just a single moan. he's always so mesmerized by her beauty, by the lines on her face, the shape of her body, as though he's never seen another woman as beautiful before. he wants her so much, all the time that it doesn't even matter how exhausted he already is.

          in fact, when she rolls him over, her legs draping on either side of him as she straddles him, a moan is stolen from his throat. as his calloused palms move of their own accord on her hips, he bites on his lip, brown eyes roaming her face as she leans close, gaze inevitably dropping to her lips. ❛ you're one to talk about hot, ❜          he begins, voice low once more as his hands move underneath the shirt she wears. even though his exhaustion, as he lifts his hips up from the bed, pressing against hers, seeking her warmth, his manhood makes a valiant attempt. he twitches against her a couple of times as his hands roam her back underneath the loose shirt, a moan of appreciation wracking through him once more as he traces the line of muscles on her arms and back, but stays limp. still, the limitations of his body does not stop him from appreciating her.

          his hands move all over her body then, moving from one place to another after lingering awhile. he begins on her back, index and middle finger teasing the dimples beneath her spine while he squeezes her bum lightly, before trailing upwards, following the line of her backbone, kneading the tight muscles around them and proceeding to press against the muscles on her shoulder blades, tense as she props herself up by the arms. he, then, reaches her arms and he runs his fingertips over them, wrapping around her limbs and running up and down. ❛ you're so beautiful, ❜          he breathes, palms up and down her biceps, and presses their foreheads together. ❛ you're driving me crazy. you've already out---sexed me, yet i still want you. ❜            he couldn't help but pull her down for a kiss, hard and bruising, his cock still fighting a losing battle between them, as he moves his hands around her waist once more, bringing them up until his fingertips are teasing the underside of her breasts. ❛ you're the real gift. ❜        

[shcrd]

grant & jemma.

The giggles are still there even as he kisses her palm, a strangely affectionate gesture that only makes that warmth inside her grow; he looks happy too, like he’s really enjoying the silly moment, there is no limit getting crossed there apparently, not with affection, not with laughter. And then he says a month is too long, and that also feel odd, an admission that doesn’t sound like he’s talking about sex.

It’s like something shifted and she can’t help but think this is him opening up to her. Was the sex that good he lost control of himself? But he’s acting so gentle, he looks so relaxed, so boyish, and her heart feels like being squeezed when he says he missed her. “Oh,” she murmurs, and then, in a disarmed, even delighted tone, because she can’t really control her emotions about this, about any of it, “Alright, then I’ll stay.”

Her fingertips stroke his cheek because he kind of pushed his face into it - cuddly of him - and her smile widens, head turning to kiss the first spot she can reach, which happens to be his cheek as well, and Jemma tilts her head back to see him, “I need you to pass me my phone so I can call in sick, at least for the morning. Or… just stay like this, I’ll roll on you.” It sounds ridiculous and as soon as she says it she laughs again, “But you…” she taps on his nice twice, amusement and endearment growing then, “Director Ward… Will have to give me at least a ride to the mall because I need to do my groceries today or I won’t for another week, if I’m even that lucky. Work has been crazy lately. Deal?”

          the happiness that blooms in his chest at her agreeing to stay is not the kind that one feels when it's simply sex that's involved in the equation. the excitement that shines in his features all of a sudden, at the thought that they can spend longer time together is characteristic of a bond that is stronger than one forged by pure lust alone. but whether he realizes this or not still remains to be decided at a later time, especially after he shuts out every thought nagging in the back of his mind, telling him he should consider the repercussions of not only his actions, but his words as well. instead, he lives in the moment, makes the most of the small bubble he has convinced her into staying in with him longer.

          ❛ yeah, sure, we can do your groceries together, ❜          he agrees without even thinking twice about it. in truth, she can even just do her paperwork at home, with him watching her as she does it, and that would still be time well---spent, time worth all the effort of convincing her to stay. then again, he didn't really have to put much effort into convincing her. huh. ❛ what time do you need to do your groceries ?? ❜           all the while, he's moved his arms from partially draped over her, to completely enclosing her in his embrace, fingers clasped together on the small of her back. ❛ do we need to go now ?? ❜          he leans closer, nuzzling their noses together, eyelids fluttering close. he's still shirtless, the air should have rendered him cold, but with her pressed against him, with her smiling at him that way, with her nuzzling closer into his embrace as though there's nowhere else she'd like to be, warmth is all he feels. warmth and the feeling of safety and utter contentment. ❛ or can we stay longer ??      i like where we're at. ❜      

[shcrd]

grant & jemma.

Jemma smiles as she gently puts the rose in her bag, careful not to ruin the flower and just have the stem in it, and looks for something to use as a vase so she can put it in her bunk.

[text: idiot] you can have a dozen kisses too. [text: idiot] you can have all the kisses you want. The rose is beautiful. [text: idiot] you really are a babe

She looks up, for a second wondering if people can tell she’s radiating happiness and also amusement; she hasn’t written the word ‘babe’ before, it makes her giddy.

                    [ text : jemma ]     of course. the flower has to fit the recipient.                     [ text : jemma ]     when can i claim the kisses, then?

          the smile stays on his face as he taps a reply. a big chunk, if not all, of his attention is focused on the text, so much that it's obvious to everyone, even to those holding the debrief that he's truly not with them. case in point, he doesn't even notice when the debrief is done, the dismissal being issued soon after. and when grant looks up, surprised, ❛ it's done ?? ❜         it's gerard that responds to him, most likely because the head of communications with shield is far too polite to respond to grant.   ❛ they can take a hint, grant. they know you're not listening anymore. ❜      

          ❛ what ??      of course i'm listening. ❜          he argues, even pocketing his phone for a short time, an attempt to prove his point.

          ❛ of course you are. for now. because you already replied to her. ❜          gerard raises an eyebrow, confident that he's correct in his assumption, and before grant can even respond, he waves a hand off.  ❛ it's fine. they just said we have to file paperwork for what happened, which bea already volunteered for. ❜        

          the specialist blinks, confused as to how he misses all that, but his phone beeps another time, with a third message, and the moment he fishes his phone out and reads   'you really are a babe'   his smile climbing back on his features, the conversation is over.

                    [ text : jemma ]     can i come over right now?

[shcrd]

grant & deke.

✎ = speaking in a different language @siinfvl​

What language is that?”

All he has heard in his life is English. After all, the only survivors in the Lighthouse right after the world blew up were Canadians and Americans.  

“Are you swearing? Can you teach me?”

          ❛ it's the language of elves, ❜          he says, face a mask of feigned seriousness, even though he just gave him the details of his breakfast in russian. ❛ and i have just placed a curse on you that will affect not only you but your possible offspring. ❜           his head tilts to the side, facade blank of any expression this time, eyes devoid of emotions. ❛ if you don't shut up. ❜       

[shcrd]

grant & jemma.

It’s undignified, how Ward has simply lifted her off the floor a couple of inches with his arms around her waist, and she - Jemma Simmons, which even he claims to be creepy sometimes - has dissolved in giggles, falling back into bed with that absolute idiot who looks so proud of himself while she half-heartedly struggles against him, still holding her brush to apply blush. 

”Come on!” she laughs, and his lips land by accident on her cheek, and then again because she’s laughing more and that means squirming and probably ruining whatever plan to seduce her he had, at least for the time-being. She feels a strange warmth in her chest, not remembering the last time she felt so light when living in the moment; not distracting herself with sex, not enduring pain or being bored or determined to follow through with a plan, just laughing and feeling okay. 

For a moment there she’s so overwhelmed with gratitude that she can’t hide the surge of affection she feels, even as she exasperatedly says “Fine!” and then playfully brushes his nose with the brush and chuckles, there is softness in her smile, and in the touch of her hand against his cheek, “You are so annoying.”

          it's considered uncharacteristic, for him to  want more than what he's allowed to. for the longest time, that is the golden rule that he's lived according to ---------- he's not allowed to want more than what he's given. and in this arrangement that he has with jemma, it's very clear that the rule should be applied.

          they're not together, this much is clear to both of them. they have sex on the regular, but not because it's their way to show affection to each other, unlike how he believes it works for most relationships. it's their distraction, their small bubble of respite from the crazy lives they live. this means he should not be asking her to stay longer than she can. he shouldn't even be staying the night in her place. he absolutely should not be stopping her from going to work that day.

          and yet, there's a heavy weight that settled on the hollow space in his chest as he watched her get up from bed that morning, getting ready to go to work, to leave him behind like she always did, free to just lock the door behind him when it's time for him to leave. the weight remains settled on his shoulders even as he takes his shower, and the moment he sees her on her vanity, applying make---up, getting ready for the day without him, the weight turns into an ache.

          he doesn't try to decipher what it means knowing that if he does, he wouldn't know what to do with it. so, instead, he turns into playfulness the longing that's already bubbling in his chest at the mere thought that it would probably take another month before they can be together freely, to do what they want, spend time together without worrying about the others finding out, without always looking at the back of their shoulders for anyone that might see. before he can think twice about it, he has already approached her, whispering,  ❛ i think i can convince you to stay, ❜         even without having formed a plan yet as to how he's going to do that.

          coaxing her back into sex might work. it might even help that he's already shirtless, only wearing his pants, hair still wet from the shower. he's not blind to his effect on her, and exploiting that would have worked. only, he soon forgets about that plan after he has playfully lifted her up, and a round of giggles wracks through her.

          he feels his heart melt in his chest at the sound, the beautiful ring of happiness in her laughter, and he realizes then why he misses their time together this much. it's when she's with him that he hears her laugh this freely, without any weight to it, nothing dragging her mood down, nothing weighing on her happiness. he doesn't linger on what that might mean. instead, just relishes in the fact that he can make her laugh like this. it's the best achievement he's managed for a very long time now, after all.

          ❛ you like it when i'm this annoying, ❜          he whispers, a mere brush of his breath against her cheek that forms into words. they've tumbled backward in bed again, with him on his back, her cushioned between his body and the bed, her hand on his cheek. a light smile settles upon his lips, contentment shining in the browns of his orbs as he looks at her, eyelids heavy, as he turns his head and places a kiss on the center of her palm. ❛ stay... ❜          the words tumble from his lips as he presses his cheek further into her warm touch, his arms still around her frame, pulling her against him, proving how much he doesn't want to let her go.  ❛ a month is too long of a wait for us to only be able to spend a few hours of the night together. ❜           and if it means anything that he seeks her affection right then, nuzzling his nose against her cheek, lips brushing her jaw lightly, he doesn't linger on it either.  ❛ i missed you... ❜