Cold as Ice

Chapter Seven

Season One, Episode Eleven: The Magical Place

I sat in Skye's bunk, a book in my hands but my mind was elsewhere. Even though it had only been a few days, ever since Ward had been shot, and we had rushed him back to the bus to get stitches, it seemed as though he was avoiding me. A few weeks ago, I would have relished in the fact that Ward didn't even want to be in the same room as me, but now I found myself growing more annoyed each time he would avoid me. When I would enter a room, he would leave. If we were walking towards each other, he would go out of his way to take a different route. It was little things, but it was enough to hurt each time.

"Earth to Melanie." The thoughts in my mind subsided when I noticed Skye trying to grab my attention. I looked up at her with a questioning gaze, causing her to roll her eyes. "I asked how your book is."

"Oh." I paused for a moment, looking down at the book in my hands before looking back up at her. "It's good."

She gave me a knowing look, shutting her computer slightly before focusing all of her attention on me. "You've been on the same page for the last ten minutes."

"I'm a slow reader?" I spoke, but it sounded more like a question.

"We both know that's bullshit, Mel. What's on your mind?"

"Don't ask questions you already know the answer to."

Skye knew me like the back of her hand. She was the closest thing I had to family at this point in my life, so she knew my tells, and at times it was like she could read my mind. Given the smirk on her face, I knew that she knew the reason my mind was elsewhere. I watched as Skye's smirk grew into a smile before she spoke.

"I just want to hear you say it."

"I'm not saying shit."

"Say it."

"Skye, drop it."

"Just admit what's bothering you and I will."

A deep sigh left my mouth as I closed the book in my hands, setting it off to the side. "Fine. Ward has been avoiding me, and I don't know why."

As soon as the words left my mouth, a chuckle came from Skye's. I furrowed my brows in annoyance. It took her a moment to compose herself but when her eyes met mine, a more serious look appeared on her face. "You've got the hots for our supervising officer." I reached my arm out, gently punching her in the shoulder, causing her to give me a look of mock pain.

"So what if I do."

"He's a specialist, as he likes to remind us at every opportunity, I don't know if they're the crush-worthy type."

"I know." I leaned forward, my elbows on my thighs as I stared at her. "Hence why I haven't said anything about it. Besides, I don't want to screw with the team's dynamic."

"Even if you don't want to own up to crushing on him, at least talk to him about avoiding you."

I nodded my head slowly. I didn't want to tell Ward that I had the equivalent of a schoolgirl crush on him, but I at least wanted to salvage whatever shred of friendship we had developed since Skye and I had joined the team. The thought of going back to how things were in the beginning didn't sit well with me.

"Okay, I will." Skye smiled slightly at my words before focusing her attention back on the computer in her lap, while I returned to my book, trying to keep the thoughts of Ward from creeping in once again.

An alarm went off through the bus, no doubt due to whatever Skye had been doing on her computer for the duration of us being in her bunk, and only moments later, the team was at the door as it opened.