[ The idea behind taking things slow is to avoid the mistakes he made when he and Linda had struck up a tentative friendship after he returned home. He pushed things too fast because he felt so alone in a world that didn't remember him, and the pressure became too much for her and shattered whatever fragile connection they had managed to develop.

It's a different sort of complicated with Skye, but he knows enough that asking her to give or share more than she is ready for will only lead to the same result. Being able to separate his issues due to everything he's been through from them is a necessity, or else whatever they have will come crashing down faster than, well, him.

Slow means letting her set the pace, and if he's keeping up like he thinks he is, it sounds like she wants to speed things up just a bit. ]

What, holding hands isn't together enough for you?

[ The amusement that accompanies the question is a clear sign he's teasing. Because as nice as the feeling of her fingers curled snugly around his is, it's not enough for him either at the moment. Lifting his free hand up, his amused expression shifts into something a little more wanting as he brushes his knuckles across her cheek ever so gently. ]

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the part where we kiss.

[ His confidence may be growing by the second, but he's not quite ready to take a leap without making sure they are on the same page. ]