This was a one shot but I had an idea for a sequel and this was born. I'm planning one more with Skye pregnant.

I saw 1x17 and I have tentative hope. I like Ward more now (sucks what they did) but still not with Skye.

Enjoy...

"Is this okay?"

"You know that I've never really been to Tahiti."

"I know but…"

"Its fine...don't you like it?" he didn't look at her but Skye instinctively knew that it was important she answer this question right. Already she could see the muscles in his shoulders tense in anticipation.

"Sandy beaches, you and nobody we know for miles. What's not to love?" She laid her head back on his chest and wondered how the hell she'd managed to end up here with him, when both had hurt the other so much. It'd been a miracle they had decided to go out to dinner after that year apart.

"Skye?"

"Hmm."

"Are you really okay with…this?"

Skye raised her head and stared at him in disbelief. "Phillip Coulson, if you're asking what I think you're asking, I swear I'll hit you."

He gave her a thin smile. "No I mean-"

"You aren't getting insecure on me are you?"

"I mean the lifestyle; being part of S.H.I.E.L.D, being on their radar and knowing what we know."

"Better that being in the dark, besides we have our group so I'm good if you are."

"Nothing fazes you."

"I wouldn't say that."

"I would."

"But you know that's not true. Hey um...you said nobody knew we were here, right?"

"That's right." She shifted off him and he sat up so that she was shielded.

"Then why is Tony Stark waving at us?"

"What?" This time he stood up and looked around him. "Where?"

Skye remained seated but added an extra layer of sun block. "By the bar with Pepper, though she looks uber uncomfortable about it." The Starks being here meant being on the beach longer and Skye had no intention of spending her honeymoon sunburned.

"They couldn't make it to the wedding, this vacation was their present."

"Oh," Skye glanced down at the red Iron Man bikini she was wearing, Coulson had hated it on sight but he'd a hard time saying no once she put it on. "That explains so much."

By this point, Coulson and Tony had spotted each other and the brash billionaire was dragging his lovely but clearly embarrassed wife with him.

"Phil, what a pleasant surprise," Pepper genuinely tried to smile but the obvious annoyance with Tony was bleeding through the greeting.

"Pepper, it's nice to see you also. Skye this is Pepper and Tony Stark."

"Phillip was telling me that this was your present." Skye said noticing the very wide smirk on Stark's face at her attire but focused on the stately redhead. "It was very nice of you guys."

"It was the least we could do," Pepper said smiling.

"Wow, so this is the bride. Now I'm really sorry we missed it." Tony said eyeballing Skye. "Phil, you dog. Didn't know you had it in you."

"Tony!"

"It's okay Pepper, it's nothing new." Coulson replied forestalling the obvious apology that Pepper was trying to utter. "At this point I'd congratulate Mr. Stark if he could come up with something original."

"I'll give it a try." He said to Coulson but winked at Skye, who just grinned. "So Skye is it? How long did you know our agent before he seduced you with his paperwork? Or was is his witty dialogue, what do you two talk about?"

"Spy stuff and hacking into rich people's bank accounts."

"Ah, a girl after my own heart."

"I don't think so, Mr. Stark."

"No worries Philli. Too young for me but hey to each his own."

"I am so sorry, I should have known, I really should have. Not that he is not generous because he is but it also usually for his own amusement." Pepper apologized.

"I've noticed." Coulson replied.

"By the way the suit looks amazing. Can you do a little turn just to see if I got the specs right?"

Skye did as instructed, it earned her a glare but she had to admit that jealousy looked good on her Phil. Tony didn't fare any better. "I'm so angry and embarrassed that I can't even reprimand you."

"You're right she is awesome." Skye said to Coulson as he pointedly handed her his towel.

"Excuse me?" Stark said peering at the girl, who was apparently as much of a smart ass as he was.

"Phil told me you were awesome." Skye said to Pepper. "Now I know why."

"I have never used that word." Coulson corrected.

"Okay so he said you were a marvel, exact words, between you and me I was a little jealous."

"Thank you. She is very charming," Pepper told Coulson.

"She is and I assume he has his qualities." Coulson replied.

"You realize they are now talking about you as if you were a tool."

"Said the robot to the computer," Skye retorted.

"I really, really, like her." Tony said to Pepper. "We should do this more often."

"Thank you, I like you too." Skye replied not seeing the rolling of eyes behind her and Tony.

"Well it was nice to see you but we are definitely not going to bother you anymore." Pepper said tugging on Tony's sleeve. "Skye, it was nice to meet you."

"Same."

"But Pep, I barely got to say anything," Tony whined.

"I know. We'll schedule something when they're not on their honeymoon."

"Okay, nice seeing you Phil."

"Goodbye, Mr. Stark."

"Hey kid, go easy on the old man. You know what I'm mean."

"Bye, Tony." Skye waved.

"Don't encourage him." Coulson said quietly.

The next day, Skye wanted to break in the new black bikini, which Phil so generously bought her. Okay so he technically disappeared her Iron Man one and he bought her a new one because she threatened to go skinny-dipping, which he totally believed and she would never do, at least not in public and not without him in tow.

Phil was supposed to join her but he had some meeting, he swore it wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D related, and she promised him she'd still go because he didn't want her coped up in their room.

She was going to wear it and stay in, room service and wi-fi was all she needed and would have done just that if she hadn't spotted Stark relaxing below in one of the spa cabanas.

She hurriedly put on her wrap and grabbed her key and towel.

It looked like his massage was just getting started but Skye did not want to miss this opportunity to poke the brain of someone who was just as tech crazy as she was.

She loved Coulson but sometimes when she tried to explain some new way around a firewall he'd either stare at her blankly or make her simplify it so he could understand and would end up with him lost and she frustrated.

His massage was over when she approached so he sat up to greet her. "How was the wedding night?"

A waiter bearing the most garnished presentation of orange juice in crystal glasses, she'd ever seen, appeared out of nowhere and handed her one.

Skye took a long drink, "that depends on what you want to hear."

"Is he breathing?" Tony asked.

"It was close but he would have gone happy."

"Oh really. Eww, I cannot believe you said that." He said it with one of his trademark cocky grins, which eased the nervousness Skye had been hiding but that Stark had apparently seen.

He took his own drink and led her to an elaborately arranged breakfast table where he noisily chewed through a muffin he'd just grabbed, "do you have any idea the amount of imagination that died picturing that scenario?"

"You asked."

"I know." He swallowed the piece and took a seat. "You know Pep is always telling me I have a big mouth."

Skye took a seat as well, "I'd have to agree, where is she by the way?"

"Meeting Phil for brunch."

"Should I be worried?"

Tony shrugged, "nah, he's too nice for her."

"I could see that," she said taking a hot croissant. "How they'd meet by the way?"

"Aren't you up to date on all things Coulson?

She shook her head, "he doesn't like to talk about events before New York. I respect that."

"Don't blame him. Things were different for everybody then."

"Do you get nightmares?"

He studied her, "if I did?" She picked at the bread nervously and Tony had the uncomfortable feeling that this was the first time she was talking about this to anyone. "I do, all the time."

"How do you cope?"

He put down the muffin and stood. "I used to tinker, a lot. I never slept and when I did all I could see was stars and death and Pepper's face and never being able to…I started not sleeping but then I'd get these panic attacks."

Skye laid her food down too but she didn't stand. She just watched him pace back and forth. He stopped and looked at her. "And now?"

"Now I try to sleep but if I can't I lay quietly and listen to Pepper breathe, I count her breaths and I calculate how long it takes her chest to rise and expand between them. I watch to see if she is having good dreams and if she doesn't-"

"You wake her, same here."

"Nobody tells everybody everything." He pauses like he really needs her to get it and she does but Coulson and she aren't everybody. She's a 0-8-4 and he's Coulson and they've both infused with alien stuff. It's different for them.

"You really care about him, don't wait until the next nightmare. Lie down and let him count your breaths, let him hold your hand. Whatever will help him feel better. Don't force him to sleep because you want him to. Tell him you're there even when you're not awake."

"Will that stop them?"

"No but it makes them bearable. Now enough of this mushy crap, on a scale of one to ten, ten being best you ever had, what number is old Phil?"

"I'd say…"

"Tony!"
"Skye!"

"Busted," she said.

"No kidding." He turned away from her and greeted their significant others. "How was brunch?"

"I cannot believe this, what is wrong with you?"

"Just harmless talk, Pep."

"Harmless?"

"You're an eleven if you're curious,"

"Oh please."

"And that is my cue, thanks for the talk." Skye said edging around the still arguing couple.

"Anytime kid and this conversation is not over," he winked and she have him a thumbs up.

They excused themselves with a promise of meeting up for dinner as long as Tony behaved himself.

"Not likely," he'd shouted and Coulson literally had to drag Skye away from giving him a high five.

"Really?"

"He asked, I was trying to be polite."

"There are times when it's better to be impolite."

"But it was great answer."

"I'm sure it was," Coulson replied.

"It was. You want to know?"

"No."

"Yes you do." She said slipping her arm through his as they walked back to their hotel room.

"No I don't." he said firmly.

"Your loss."

Several days later Tony Stark got a message through Jarvis.

Mr. Stark, Tony.

There isn't a high enough number for Phillip.

Skye

"My kind of girl Jarvis."

"Excluding Mrs. Stark, of course."

"Figure of speech."

"Yes sir."

"Jarvis make sure you also send a congratulatory basket to Agent Coulson."

"There is no fixed location for him."

"Send it to Fury; he'll know how to find him."

"Will I be hiding this from Mrs. Stark as well?"

"Yup."

A few days later when the bus landed at HQ, Agent Maria Hill, bearing a rather large fruit basket with some questionable fruit shapes and a Pepper Potts Barbie that had been altered to look like Skye, greeted Coulson.

"I see that Skye has made a new friend." Coulson remarked upon further inspection of the contents.

"You should see the card." Hill said barely able to maintain a straight face.

Good luck, Phil

You're gonna need it with a girl like that.

See you this Friday at 8:00.

P.s. Fury says he's not you're damm delivery service; pick up your own gifts next time.

"Thank you, Maria. You can keep the basket."

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go have a very long conversation with my wife."

Hill watched him walk up to the hacker, who spotted the basket, turned tail and ran."Fifty bucks, she makes him go to that dinner with Stark."

"You have yourself a bet." May said taking an apple.