#i usually dont like doing gut stuff but maybe making it a different color helped ! it was actually fun to render it :DDD

[fraternum-momentum]

Day 5: Food Play / Candy Gore

[queerdraws]

HELLOOOO I hope you've had a good day :D I was just wondering how you end up with the colours for ur compositions :O? Are you the type to use a lot of colour adjustment layers (multiply, overlay, etc) to get at a satisfying hue, or do you just eyeball directly from the colour wheel? I remember you saying for one of ur pieces that u eyedropped directly from like,,, a dead corpse of some animal XD but i assume that isnt ur process for everything hahaha. Do you use a lot of references for the specific vibe you wanna convey?

ANYWAYS keep up the amazing work!!!

YOOO!!! I didn't recognize u at first omg (p.s. ty!)

The way I made the zolu playlist drawings isn't my Usual drawing / coloring process but I formed some sort of Strategy for it

Actually I think sharing the literal refs I used for each image would be fun and maybe demystify the art process

Pics below cut! 😊

I mostly eyeballed from the colorwheel. I think I only used color adjustment layers on Chikai and Around the World to get a soft glowy effect in the clouds. BUT!! I'll frequently play around with adjusting the colors through the hue/saturation/luminosity sliders, or I'll go in to Tone Curve and play around with the levels until things are looking how I want. Especially for backgrounds

I also colorpicked from ref photos (like you mentioned w the lion eating a carcass). I GENERALLY tried to avoid overly referencing any one pic, but Simple song and Around the World were the two worst offenders 😓

---Color Choice---

I went by pure gut feeling at first while listening to the song, how the instruments sounded and what color they were

And then after that, I'd try and refine it a little more by Overall Vibes (making it feel more Glowy) (adjusting how colors interact w eachother like toning down a too-saturated color or making skin tones warmer or cooler to contrast w the background)

And then i gathered references n either colorpicked from them or I used them as vibe inspiration as i was painting

---More General Color Stuff...?--- This section is riddled with over-explanation.

-> To make a color stand out as Really Saturated, I surround it w neutral colors, esp contrasting ones (e.g. if I want a red to pop, I put it next to a cool gray)

-> if the overall painting is really warm (like, everything seems cast in a warm light) and i need to have a specific cool-tone color (like green), I take one of the warm colors and drag it a ways Towards the cool color I need (so , colorpick a red, and drag the slider until it's on yellow) and then desaturate it a lot. I then test that color on the piece and see if it Looks green. Same goes in reverse (cool-tone paintings that need a warm color) So, Like...for example: Zoro's hair is some really weird colors.

-> I try to limit eyebuzz (places where two colors meet, where the hue [tone] is different, but the brightness [value] of the color is almost exactly the same. Basically, if you made everything grayscale, you dont want two grays of the same color right next to eachother [or, you want to do it intentionally?]) (called eyebuzz bc at really high saturation, two colors of the same value almost vibrate next to eachother)

(Sidenote: I think "eyebuzz" mustve just been a term my high school art teacher used bc i don't see any relevant results for it on google... there's probably a more professional term for this lol)

Examples:

I esp try to limit eyebuzz between foreground and background objects

I know some artists are intense enough about contrast that they toggle grayscale on n off as they're painting. I just kinda eyeball it.

-------

This ended up really long again oh my goddd I think those are the main things on my mind when choosing colors...?

Hope this is helpful 😅

[lucky-bucky-boy]

DR: so like,,my ass is also single this valentine's but could i have a best friends to lovers with Peter parker and you realising you're in love love while doing something innocous? Thank you!

I'll be single but I'm spending it with my little sister and also helping my uncle surprise my aunt so 🤞 it'll be somewhat fun

//

Routine, the same thing every week. The same place, the same food, the same company, and the same goal. Every Friday, 7:30 pm at Aunt May's apartment, Thai food from down the street, Peter in footie pajamas, and his newest Lego set between the two of you.

This week was the Hogwarts castle, Peter rambling on about some of the crime he had stopped throughout the week as the two of you sifted through pieces scattered on the floor. Nimble fingers plucking tiny bricks, the neutral colors of this set adding a slight challenge as pieces blended together. The occasional pause of plastic shuffling as one of you took an bite of the half forgotten food, leaning over to feed the other a bite as well.

Ten years, if not more, of this. Attached at the hip, each other highlighting and complimenting the others personality. Even through bickering and fights, anger and disappointment this did not fail. No matter sick with the flu or high off of adrenaline from a date, this right here, this never talked about weekly arrangement was a set in stone must.

Peter always looked so stressed at the beginning of the night, the past few months even more so. The obligations of a typical teenager topped with the weight of not just the neighborhood anymore, but the whole world. It made him age up quickly, much more aware and mature now, but somehow he still managed to be so sweet, innocent, and hopeful.

"Thank you," his voice cut through your thoughts, tone much more sincere and soft.

"For what?" You mused, "Putting up with you for over a decade?" The tease was playful, leaning over to steal a bite of his food you swore you didn't like but always ate half of.

He huffed out a small, almost nervous laugh, smiling shyly. "No - I mean yes but that's not why I said it. I wanted to say thank you for listening to me. You don't listen to file reports like Mr. Stark, or like Ned will listen because he thinks its exciting. You just - I don't know," he shrugged, picking at the Lego's half heartedly as a distraction, "When I talk to you about this stuff it makes me feel better. You're listening to listen, not to get something out of it. So, yeah just, thank you."

Your chest warmed with adoration as you gave him a look mixed somewhere between a pout and a smile, "Petey! Dont get all sappy you're gonna make me cry." The whined slipped out as you through a random lego piece at him.

He chuckled, this time more full and true, "it's not my fault you cry so easily!" He defended, "You cried while rewatching Frozen last week."

"Hey! It's not my fault true love makes me overwhelmed."

He laughed more, shaking his head and diverting his attention back to the instructions laid next to him. "Yeah yeah, let's get back to work before you end up falling asleep on me again."

Despite Peter focusing again, you couldn't help but watch him, the feeling in your chest growing and quickly turning into butterflies in your stomach and a warmth spreading throughout your body. The image of leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his lips quickly played in your head, eyes going wide and hands becoming clammy the second the weight of that thought registered.

"I love you," The words practically fell out of your mouth, anxiety rolling through you as you waited for his response, only half hoping he'd think it was the usual 'I love you's the two of you would exchange.

He looked up at you, looking slightly confused and almost as if he registered there was a different tone to those three little words this time around. "I love you, too." Peter's gaze lingered on you for a moment before going back to his pieces.

The next few hours were spent almost timidly, continuing with the normal agenda of a Friday night but with an air the just made every decision unsure. Just as the two of you settled on the couch to finish the night with a movie, Peter excused himself to his room, the anxious feeling rising even more.

He returned a few moments later, both hands behind his back an looking even more nervous than he normally did. You watched as his Adam's apple bobbed, nibbling his lip as he shifted some, standing a few steps away from where you still sat.

"Okay, so I originally planned on doing this but than I got nervous and chickened out last minute before you got here but then - I dont know maybe I'm reading this the wrong way but I have a feeling and Aunt May and Mr.Stark keep telling me to go with my gut," He rambled on, shifting his weight back and forth.

"Peter," you kept your voice calm, a small smile on your lips as you sat up, leaning forward some, "take a deep breath. Just tell me what it is."

Peter took in a deep, albeit shaky breath, and gave you a nervous smile. "Okay, alright. I know its late and theres only what? An hour or two left of the night? But I figured it be better late than never and I dont want to wait until next year and possibly miss my opportunity- and okay, alright I-" he took another deep break, finally fully looking at you as a sense of someone akin to relief took over him, "Will you be my valentine?"

As he said the words he moved his hands from behind his back, on hand holding a bouquet of sunflowers and roses, and the other holding a gift bag filled with so much stuff it looked like it might explode.

Shocked washed over you, eyes going wide and jaw slacking some. "I- uh- yes, Peter. Of course."

He moved to you before you had a chance to shift, sitting next to you and handing you the flowers, letting you look at and admire them before handing you the gift bag. Sitting the bouquet on the table, you opened the heart covered bag to reveal and assortment of your favorite candies, a jewelry box that had a necklace with two linked heart (which Peter happily put on you), and a card.

As you grabbed the card, you noticed he shifted some, the anxiety rolling off of him in waves again. You couldn't help but send him an slightly amused look before opening the card.

The card was covered in glitter and hearts, and you were sure that Aunt May helped him pick it out. Opening up, you read the cheesy saying printed inside, smiling to yourself as your eyes fell just below the print to see Peter's hand writing, your look turning to that of pleasant shock.

"I love you, too."

[creacherkeeper]

pride prompt: non binary Fitz

much thanks to @agentcalliope for the header! 

so this is still definitely nb fitz but it also turned very much into an exploration of fitz and daisy’s relationship in 2a, which like, i dont know how it happened but i also shouldve seen it coming. but yes lots of daisyfitz ahead! and gender presentation explorations! 

~3500 words 

read on AO3 

The knock on her door is quiet. Nervous, Skye thinks. Thekind of knock where you’re not sure it was even meant to be heard.

She sets her laptop down, brushes back her bangs (whichshe’s still getting used to, always tickling her forehead), and answers thedoor.

Fitz isn’t looking at her. He’s staring down at his hands,which are clasped in front of him, wringing anxiously. Skye is surprised he’shere, but pleasantly so. It’s been a while since he’s sought her out like this.If it were a mission, May would’ve gotten her, so she’s sure this is somethingpersonal.

She smiles at him, though he doesn’t look up to see it.“What’s up?”

“C-Can I- um—” He waves his hand. “Talk? Talk to you.A-About something.”

A niggling of worry growing in her gut, Skye nods, andscoots back from the door. “Yeah, of course. Come on in.”

Fitz enters cautiously, and hovers in the middle of theroom. He seems too nervous to even shoot a look of distaste at Skye’s mess, andthat’s how she knows something is wrong. Usually he’ll at least make a comment,the standard joke about a tornado sweeping through, or laugh as he shoves herstuff to the corner of the bed. But he doesn’t. He just stands there.

Skye tosses some of her clothes onto the floor, and thenpats the newly-tidied bed, taking a seat herself propped against the headrest.Fitz sits, scratching a fingernail idly at a spot on his pants, not looking ather.

Things have been different since his injury. And especiallysince Jemma had left. He’d grown isolated, and Skye doesn’t know who to blamefor it. It seems cruel to blame him, though that’s the easiest option. Shouldshe blame herself? Surely, she must have had some part in it. She’d tried, ofcourse. She just didn’t know how to act around him anymore. And no matter whatshe did, it seemed like the wrong answer.

She tries to act like nothing’s different. But it is. Thingsare different. And she doesn’t think either of them know how to cope with that.

And Jemma’s back now, which hasn’t seemed to fix anything.Not that Skye thought it would, she’d just … hoped, maybe foolishly. Hoped thatsomething would change.

“What’s up, Fitz?” Skye asks, going for a light tone, unsurehow it lands.

“Um.” Fitz scratches at his cheek, eyes aimed at the floor.“Y-You know I’m- uh- nonbi- non …”

“Nonbinary?” Skye guesses.

He nods quickly. “Right. Nonbinary. I-I’ve just beenthinking- um- thinking lately … If- Had I not told you … you would-wouldn’thave known.”

“Yeah,” Skye says. “I didn’t guess until you told me.”

“Right, ‘cause you can’t …” Fitz motions to himself.

“Can’t what?”

“Um—” He closes his eyes, brows furrowing, and motionsagain.

Skye waits for him to continue. She never knows what to doat times like this. Does she wait? Does she try to help? Sometimes he just getsfrustrated when she guesses, because sometimes she can only guess wrong.

“Tell!” he finally finds, eyes popping open. “You can’ttell.”

“Right. Okay.”

“And I- I- I think …” He gives a short, frustrated sigh,eyes finding the ceiling.

Skye waits, mouth twisting, but he doesn’t seem like he’sgoing to continue. “Do you … want people to be able to tell?” she asks.

Fitz snaps, then points to her, nodding. “Yes, that.”

“Okay.” Skye nods, thinking for a moment. “You mean you wantyour clothes and stuff to reflect it?”

Fitz nods again.

“So we’re finding your aesthetic.”

“Um—” Fitz reaches up to tug on his ear. “Y-Yeah.”

Skye smiles. “I can work with that.”

-

“Okay, try this on.”

Skye tosses the garment at Fitz on the bed, and he jerksback before it lands on his head. He takes it and holds it out in front of him,face screwing up.

“Th-This is …”

Skye props her fists on her hips as she waits for him tocontinue.

“A dress,” he settles on.

“Yes, I know.”

“It’s …”

She raises an eyebrow.

“Girly.”

Skye rolls her eyes. “Kind of hypocritical for you to begendering clothing right now, isn’t it? And anyway, we’re just, you know—” Shemotions with her hands. “-throwing stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks.You dress pretty masculine right now, so I figure we go to the other end andwork our way back.”

Fitz just stares up at her, so she huffs.

“Just try it on. This isn’t going to work if you resist meat every turn.”

“Fine.”

Fitz stands, slipping off his oversized, grey cardigan andletting it fall to the bed. He starts to unbutton his shirt, but struggles withthe buttons as his hands shake.

“Do you need—”

“No.”

“Okay,” Skye says, stepping back. She busies herself at hercloset, rifling through clothes that she’s not really looking at, just to takethe attention off of him.

Eventually, she hears him drop his shirt on the floor, thenhis pants. She doesn’t turn around as he pulls the sundress over his head.

He mumbles something.

“What?”

“S’tight.”

She turns. There’s a bright blush on his cheeks, and helooks away from her, picking aimlessly at the fabric of the dress. He’s right,it’s tight on him, but he’s not that much taller than her, and the dress stillgoes to his knees.

“It is a little tight,” she says. “It’s the biggest one Ihave, though. Jemma might have another one, though I doubt it would be anybigger. We could ask her—”

He cuts her off with a quick shake of the head.

“Okay,” she says easily. “Well, anyway, it’s just to get anidea. It doesn’t really have to fit.”

He keeps looking down at the floor. Slowly, she walks overto him, puts her hands on his shoulders, and steers him in front of thefull-length mirror.

“What do you think?”

He peeks up cautiously, giving himself a slow up-and-down.He looks away again, and shrugs.

“You don’t like it.”

He swallows, and shakes his head.

“Well, that’s okay. We’re just trying stuff out.”

“Ca-Can I …?” He waggles his hand.

She waits for him to continue.

“Um- Take- Take it off now?”

“Of course.”

He raises his arms and grabs the back of the dress’s neck,and Skye swats his hands away.

“Not like that, you’re gonna stretch it. Here, raise yourarms.”

Fitz glares suspiciously at her in the mirror, but slowlyraises his arms above his head. Skye gathers the bottom of the fabric in herhands and smoothly pulls the dress up and slips it over his head. The blushhasn’t left Fitz’s cheeks.

“Alright, before we try something else, we’re getting thenail polish.”

Fitz’s nose screws up. “But i-it- it smells.”

“Oh come on, you big baby, just try it. If you don’t like it,we’ll take it off.”

Fitz lets out a short sigh, but doesn’t object further. Hegoes to pick his shirt up off the floor.

“Do you want to get nail polish on your clothes?” Skye asks.

He blinks back at her. “No?”

“Then don’t put your shirt back on yet.”

“It’s freezing.”

“Then get under the covers.”

Fitz goes and slips under the covers on the bed. Skye takesher makeup box out of her bottom drawer and starts digging through it, hummingtunelessly. She narrows it down to two colors, then turns with both of themdangling from her fingers. She laughs when she spots Fitz huddled on the bedwith the covers drawn up to his chin.

“Well, that’s not gonna work.”

Reluctantly, he drops the covers to around his waist.

“Okay, which color?”

Fitz looks at them both, and shrugs.

“Seriously? You have no opinion?”

His mouth twists, then he shakes his head.

Skye groans dramatically. “Alright, fine. We’re going with‘Purrfectly Plum’.”

She grabs a towel and drapes it over his legs, which arecrossed beneath the covers, drops a book onto the towel to set the polish on,and then plops in front of him. She grabs his hands and tugs until he holdsthem in front of him, then unscrews the cap.

She works slowly, applying the polish carefully around hishands’ soft shaking, taking a while to finish the first coat. For a while theydon’t speak, and she wonders if he’s just trying not to complain about thesmell, or if he really has nothing to say. Or if he has too much to say. Shefeels like that sometimes.

She should probably ask him what prompted all this. Ask himwhy he was worried about this now, when he’s never brought it up in the past.When he never seemed to worry about how he dressed, how he came off to others.Ask him why he came to her about this, when he could’ve gone to Jemma. Sheshould’ve asked him a lot of things.

What she says instead is, “I’ve missed you.”

Fitz starts, and Skye steadies his hands.

She glances up at him nervously, and then starts on paintingthe second coat. “I mean … I don’t know. I miss hanging out with you. We don’treally do it anymore.”

“I’ve …” He trails off, and Skye can tell he wants to fiddlewith his hands, but he doesn’t. “I’ve … been here.”

“Yeah,” Skye says. “I know.”

“You’ve been here.”

“I know,” Skye says again, brows furrowing. “It’s just …”

“Different?” he supplies.

Skye’s eyes dart up to meet his, and he watches her for along moment before looking away. She continues looking at his face even after,eyes trailing over the curve of his cheeks, the dark slash of his eyelashes.

She doesn’t know how to respond, doesn’t know what she’smeant to say. If she’s meant to take it as an accusation or not. Did he mean itlike that, or does she just feel like it was? It’s exactly what she’s beenstruggling with, how she’s been struggling around him, laid out on the table.Things are different, now. He’s different. But maybe she is, too.

Instead of saying that, she clears her throat, goes back topainting his nails, and says, “After this I’m putting some makeup on you.”

After a moment, his lips quirk up, just a little. “Alright.”

“Maybe just lipstick or something.”

“Okay.”

She finishes off the last nail, and then starts blowing overthe polish. He jumps, and she can’t help but laugh.

“Th-That’s cold.”

“Yeah, it is. It’ll dry in a few minutes. In the meantime,I’ll pick out a lipstick.”

She lays his hands on the towel, and gets up to go throughher makeup box again. He waits patiently as she goes through it, hmming andhawing over her choices. She walks back over to them to hold a few up to hisface, shakes her head, and goes back. Finally, she settles on one, not toobright, a pink not unlike his own cheeks when he blushes. She sits before himon the bed again, uncapping the tube, and reaches out to take his face in onehand.

He jerks back, startled, and she sighs. “I’m gonna smudge itif you move.”

“Sorry,” he mumbles, and stills.

She steadies his face with a hand on one side of his jaw.“Open your mouth.”

He parts his lips slightly, and she shakes her head.

“Nuh-uh. Into an ‘o’.”

She demonstrates, and he follows suit. She carefully appliesthe lipstick, his stubble scratching lightly at her palm.

“Okay, all done. Now go like this—” She rubs her lipstogether.

He rubs his together as well, and they come apart with asmall pop. “Feels weird,” he says.

“Yeah, it will for a bit. You’ll get used to it. Now I think… hmm … I’m thinking a little mascara? Then I’ll be done, and we can take itall off.”

“O-Okay.”

“I mean with those eyelashes you barely even need mascara, Ijust want to see it.”

She fetches the mascara, and puts that on him as well. Aftershe’s done, she leans back to admire her work, as he blinks his eyes openslowly.

“I have to say, you look pretty damn good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Come look.”

She drags him off the bed and over to the mirror. He staresat his reflection, brows furrowing.

“Here, you gotta—” Skye curls her fingers over her jaw,tilting her head up pensively. “-go like that. Show off your nails.”

Fitz copies her, then snorts.

“What?”

“S’weird.”

“Yeah?” she stands on her tiptoes to see over his shoulder.“Not a makeup person, then?”

He shakes his head.

“That’s fine, we’ll take it off.”

“Maybe—” He stops, lips pursing.

“Maybe …?”

“W-We could- uh—” He waves his hand. “Keep this?”

“The polish?”

“Yeah. I-If you want.”

Skye drops back down to the flats of her feet, eyebrowsdrawing together. “This isn’t about what I want, Fitz.”

He turns to face her slowly, hands twisting together.

“We’re doing this for you. To find something you feelcomfortable with. This isn’t about me.”

“Y-Yeah,” he mumbles, looking away.

She watches him for a few long moments, but he doesn’t lookback at her. “Do you want to take the polish off?”

Slowly, reluctantly, he nods.

“Okay.” She shrugs. “We’ll take it off. No big deal.”

She sits him at her desk with a packet of face wipes and abottle of polish remover, and heads back to her closet to find the next thingto try. She can’t help but look back at him, though, watching silently as he removesthe nail polish with his unsteady hands.

-

They try a lot of things. A lot of tops, a blazer, oneskirt, some hats. They go through a lot of Skye’s wardrobe. Her personalfavorite was the flannel jacket and the beanie, but she could tell Fitz hadn’treally been comfortable with anything they’d tried. Some things were betterthan others, but nothing felt quite right to him.

Fitz has flopped onto the bed in his boxers, staring glumlyup at the ceiling. They’ve been at this for a while, and they’re both gettingfrustrated. But Skye has an idea.

“Okay, come here,” Skye says.

Fitz doesn’t move.

“Just one last thing.”

With a heavy sigh, Fitz hefts himself up and plods over sohe’s standing in front of her. She angles him so he’s in front of the mirror.

“Okay, close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

He gives her a look, but complies.

“Arms up.”

Again, he complies, and she slips something over his head.

His arms drop, and then he freezes, feeling the cable-knitunder his fingers.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Slowly, his eyes open, mouth popped open just a little. Hestares at himself in the mirror, and she stands behind him, then leans up soshe can rest her chin on his shoulder, watching his expression.

“How about that?” Skye asks.

“Th-This is …”

“Yours? Yeah. I stole it while you were in the hospital andnever gave it back.”

He finds her eyes in the mirror, a question on his face.

She shrugs against his back, hands coming to fist in theback of the sweater. “It was comforting. Reminded me of you. I wear it to sleepsometimes.”

His eyes trail back to the mirror, and he stares at themboth. Skye wraps her arms around his waist, and watches them as well. It feelsgood, being so close to him. Him letting her be close. She’d missed it. She’dmissed it so much.

“Fitz,” she says softly, after a minute. His gaze meetshers. “Do you … Are you …”

He watches her steadily.

She gives a short sigh, trying to find the right wording. “I’mnot really sure how to ask this,” she admits, “but … are you actuallyuncomfortable with the way you are, or do you just feel like you should be?”

Fitz stills, and then pulls away. Skye lets him. He walksaway a few feet (not able to go much further in the small room), turns back,mouth gaped, hands wringing. He looks at her, looks away.

“I-I’m not sure how … how t-to answer that.”

Skye watches him, and marvels at how young he looks, in thebig, blue sweater and the starry boxers, his hair sticking up because of howmuch he’s been running his hands through it, his eyes just the slightest bitwatery. She watches him, and feels young, too. Too young to be dealing withthis. Too young for them to have gone through so much. Sometimes she feels likeshe’s older than anything. Older than the bricks in the base they call home,older than the big oak tree at the entrance, older than the dirt it grows from.Sometimes she feels old, ancient, and weary.

But right now?

She feels small. Impossibly small. Young and fragile.

She can’t help but ask, “Is this … just about the genderstuff?” because that hadn’t been all she was meaning, and they both know it.

Fitz sighs, long and tired. “Kind of? I- I guess.”

She waits for him to continue, and eventually he does.

“I- I feel … like—” He swallows harshly, and quickly raisesa hand to banish a tear from his eye. “I f-feel like … Like I’m not … enough.”

“Not nonbinary enough?” she asks.

“Yeah. B-But … not … anything? Enough? Not enough. N-Not-Not … good enough.”

“Fitz.” It escapes as a whisper.

“A-And I … I’m different,Skye.” He spreads his arms, as if showcasing it. “I am, I’m- I’m differentand … and everyone can see it, b-but … I feel like …”

Skye blinks back the sting of tears, knowing it’s not thetime or the place. This isn’t about her, it’s just time to listen.

“I feel like …” His arms drop. His hands bunch up in the fabricof his sweater. “Everyone can see it, but … they can’t- they can’t see me.”

Skye draws in a breath, pushing her lips together. She nods,and swallows, working to keep the tears out of her voice. “I’m sorry.”

He gives a sad smile, staring down at the floor. “Yeah.”

“I’ll do better.”

Fitz’s head jolts up, eyes wide. “I’m- I’m not … saying it’syour fault—”

“I know,” Skye says. “I don’t care whose fault it is. I’lldo better.”

Fitz stares at her for a moment, then looks away, handcoming up to scratch through his hair.

“You don’t deserve to be feeling like that, Fitz.”

“I …” He bites his bottom lip, thinking, and then pulls offthe sweater, shoving it back at her. Skye blinks at it. “You- You can- um … keepit. You can keep it. If … If you want.”

She takes it from him, hugging it to her stomach, and nods. “Thanks.”

“Thanks for … for- um—” He motions to the clothes that arespread on the floor.

“Of course.”

He nods, and then picks up the pants he’d worn in and pullsthem back on. He slips on his button-up and starts trying to button it,managing two with shaking hands before he stops. “Can you—”

“Yeah.”

Skye moves forward and quickly buttons the rest, and thenthey both stand there, not really looking at each other. After a moment, Fitzleans forward and pulls her into a hug.

Skye buries her face against his neck and squeezes him hardenough that she feels the air leave him in a whoosh. But he doesn’t complain.He just hugs her back, breathing in the smell of her shampoo.

They separate after a few long seconds, Skye alreadymourning the loss of his warmth, and Fitz heads toward the door. He pulls itopen when Skye speaks.

“Do you want to watch a movie tomorrow?”

Fitz pauses, the door cracked, and looks back over hisshoulder. “Ca-Can I pick?”

“Anything you want.”

He smiles, just a little. “Deal.”

And then he’s gone.

Skye sits on the bed, holding the sweater between her hands,and feels like maybe, despite all the rejected clothes lying on the floor,despite the face wipes caked in makeup, despite the sweater that was his andthen hers and is now still hers … she feels like maybe they made progress. Andthat’s good enough for today.