[2] An Executioner's Requiem | Leo Fitz

21

Nina and Skye sat on opposite sides of the pane of glass between them, with a deck of cards. The cards were a gift from Bobbi, given to them in their quarantine survival kits that she'd dropped off a few hours ago. 

Nina's migraine had faded enough for her to be social without pain, so she'd spent the time since then trying, and failing, to teach Skye how to play Stark's version of blackjack. After the first few minutes, she'd realised that the billionaire had made so many unnecessary rules that the game seemed insane to anyone who didn't grow up playing it. 

"So if I put down an 8, it skips your turn and you owe me a thousand dollars?" Skye asked, utterly confused as she held up an 8 of diamonds. Nina nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah, but if in my next turn I set down a king of the same suit, you owe me twice that instead," she explained, showing her a King of diamonds.

"Damn, is this how the rich live?" Skye exaggerated, setting down her stack of cards and effectively ending the teaching session.

"It's how Tony lives. He's always had money, gives away as much as he can but sometimes he doesn't know what to do with the rest," Nina responded, "it took some getting used to when he adopted me."

"I can imagine," Skye smiled, leaning back on the palms of her hand, "can I ask a question you don't have to answer?"

"Go ahead," was Nina's response, not even hesitating at the idea of someone prying into her life.

"You clearly care a lot about Iron Man and he's legally been your father for years... so why don't you call him dad?" 

"He never wanted me to," Nina answered honestly. She'd been asked that question before and she'd always given the same answer, "Tony was barely in his mid-twenties when he took me in, he didn't know how to be a father or if he even wanted to. He knew my dad and he wasn't trying to be him. He just took care of me. Gave me shelter, food, clothes... anything I wanted really. I'm not saying Tony isn't a father figure in my life because he definitely is and I'm forever grateful for him, but I already had a dad. One that he knew. Tony only ever wanted to be someone I could rely on. My brother. The only problem is you can't adopt someone as your sibling."

"There has to be more to it than that," Skye responded, Nina raising an eyebrow at the comment, "I've seen you with Hunter, even Seven. Family means the world to you, Stark is your family, Nina." 

Skye's words elicited a small laugh from Nina. She'd been giving the same answer for years yet the hacker was the first person to see it as the utter bullshit it truly was. With a sigh, she ran her hand through her hair debating whether or not to tell her the truth.

"My mom left. My dad died. Even though it wasn't his choice it still left a distinct message. Parents... leave," Nina said softly, as honest and genuine as she'd ever been while answering the question, "part of me believed that if I ever called Tony dad, he'd leave as well and as a kid, even now, I knew I wouldn't survive losing him too."

Nina smiled sadly as she finished speaking, expecting to see pity in Skye's eyes. The hacker however proved otherwise as she smiled back, nodding slightly and saying something no one's ever realised Nina needed to hear.

"You're not alone, Nina, you'll never be alone."

The words seemed to knock the wind out of Nina because they were so simple yet so important. Outside of SHIELD, outside of the handful of people she loved, beneath her branding and the knives under her clothes, Nina always believed she'd be alone.

But now she had someone sitting in front of her saying otherwise and for some reason, a part of her believed. 

"Neither are you, Skye," Nina said with a loose smile. She held up her fist, pressing it against the glass. Skye laughed at the action before mirroring it and raising her own fist. When their two fists met between the pane of glass, the two females looked into each other's eyes, sharing a silent moment of understanding.