Ever since she got back, Fitz and Skye- Daisy, Daisy, Daisy- have kept their prudent distance. It’s not that they have been unattentive or uncaring: only that they know she had been alone for so long that overcrowing her will do her no good. There are certain things that only time- and a healthy amount of therapy- can fix. At her request, Fitz has also stopped sleeping by her bedside every night. She is determined to keep herself afloat, without needing him there to fight away nightmares or to remind her how to breathe properly. Maybe it’s not the wisest decision she has ever made, but she won’t go telling him, telling them, that. Being strong starts with deciding to be strong, isn’t that how it works?But there is only so much of that ideal that can still stand when she is alone at night, looking at the ceiling and feeling every second sliding of her skin, thick as years. A big part of her recovery has been about getting used again to the abundance of overwhelming stimuli, but a small part has also been about re-learning how not to be alone and that now she doesn’t have to do everything all by herself anymore.So, instead of keep on suffering all by her lonesome, she gets up, goes on tiptoes to Fitz’s bunk and punches in the code she knows by heart. “Jemma?” Skye- Daisy’s voice welcomes her, and she smiles. She chose Fitz because chances were higher to get him on base than Daisy, but she is so very glad that they are here together. “Are you okay?”“Um, yes. I just…” She inhales and exhales. There is an extra difficulty on having to ask for what she needs- she has never been good at that, not even before Hell-, but her heart rate decreases with Fitz’s cologne floating to her nose and Daisy with bedhead looking at her with soft eyes. “I need a hug.”Daisy pushes gently on Fitz’s back; he turns around 45º degrees but keeps on snoring quietly, and Jemma’s heart is overwhelmed with fondness. There is an open space on the bed now between her and Fitz, and Daisy pats it invitingly. “Come here.” She climbs into the bed carefully to not wake up Fitz. It is easy to snuggle against his back, all of him warm and soft. Daisy drapes her arm around her waist, her hand finding Jemma’s stomach, and pushes herself close as she can go, surrounding her with their combined body warmth. It could be smothering, but it’s soothing instead. “Is this okay?” She murmurs softly on Jemma’s ear. “Yeah. Yeah, it really is.” For the first time since she came back, she feels finally home.