Chapter Text
- Guess I Never Had A Love Like This
“Is it possible that you can never listen?!” Ward yelled at Fitz, in the lab they were trapped in, with corrupted federals blocking the entrance “It’s all your fucking fault”
”Keep the heid and don’t yell at me!” Leo yelled back.
The two were yelling at each others like two beasts. They were assigned together on a mission in San Marino, at the border of Italy. There were suspects of Hydra sentinels in San Marino City, who stole an Asgardian tesseract from the city’s underground.
So, after six hours flying over the ocean and Europe, they landed in the countryside, making their way in San Marino, finding a path under an old church. And then, there. In a Hydra laboratory, tied back to back while being threatened with guns at their temples.
”If you listed, now we would not be here” Fitz explained “I told you not to be impulsive and not to kick the guard”
”Me?! Me? Impulsive? Fucking clean your mouth”
”STOP FIGHTING!” Skye yelled through their spy bug “we are at the border with Montemaggio, resist ten fucking minutes without killing each other”
Ward sighed and leaned his head to Fitz’s, letting out a sigh “and I thought you were the super trained, big, bad, secret agent” the youngest spit out like venom. It was entertaining to see Grant scalding “I’ve been in this team for three months and I guess I am far better than-“
”Then show me how to go out, damn!“
Fitz closed his eyes and thought about a way out, then he had a genius lamp “do you still have the perfume sample in your pockets?”
”Yes” he answered confused “why?”
”These idiots made the knot too loose, if I am fast enough I can jump and throw the perfume on the lamp, it will cause a short circuit, enough to distract them and run away”
”I don’t know if that’s the dumbest of smartest idea you have ever had”
”Trust me, agent Ward”
Fitz stretched his hand behind his back, checking into Grant’s pockets and take the perfume, getting in position to jump “cover your eyes, there will be sparks”
Ward tilted his head forward as Leo jumped out the rope, fast enough not to be shot. The lamp started to burn and explode, and one of the guards let his gun drop, so Grant took advantage of the situation, stealing the gun and running away from the lab they were trapped in, running with no precise direction.
They stopped when they saw the light above them, Ward made his way through the iron ladders and open the manhole, finally escaping the sewer system, through the astonished looks of the citizens. Well, maybe seeing two men escaping from the sewer line was not that usual
Somehow, they found their teammates right in front of them, rushing into the black Jeep immediately.
”Oh my God, we did it?” Fitz asked, astonished, with his eyes wide opened.
”We did it. Thank you” Grant offered, with a soft voice, watching his panting mate.
”I’m sorry to stop your beautiful yet disgusting exchange of affection, but... the tesseract?” Skye questioned, with her hands on her hips.
”Alright the tesseract” Leo started, watching everything with a forced smile “the tesseract...”
”I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!” Grant shouted right in Leo’s face “you had ONE SIMPLE mission! How could you-“
”Enough” Melinda spoke, interrupting Ward, who swallowed hard “it’s not the end of the world, don’t be so hard on him. Do you at least remember where you left it? We can send-“
”No” Coulson broke off “that tesseract is a fake”
”What?” was the word on everyone’s lips. It was not questionable. Fitz and Grant were sent on a suicide mission in San Marino and then heard that it was just a skit. How funny?
“Agent Hand called from the Hub, the real one was found in Aspen, so I guess you can have a free night”
Leo sighed in relief and tilted his head backwards, closing his eyes and smiled, he had not had a free night in months. Then Coulson continued “Also, go take a shower, you smell really really bad”
Leo nodded and got up, making his way to the shared bathroom. In the shower he heard someone coming in, so he had to stop his “world tour” and once he was outside he gasped as he saw Ward, sat on the sink waiting for something.
”W-Ward, if you wanted to take a shower-“
”No” he blocked him “I was actually looking for you”
”Couldn’t you wait for me to get out?” He whined, taking a towel and covering himself “so? Why were you looking for me?”
”I really am sorry for how I behaved today”
”Oh, wow! Grant Ward is apologizing, which Saint do I have to thank. Oh, wait, I guess they cast a spel-“
”Fitz” the older man called “please”
“I’m just saying that is such a rare event”
”I know, and I really feel bad for how I treated you”
”Which part? You calling me my work a sabotage or you thinking I am dump and good at nothing?”
”Both”
”I’m not mad at you, Grant, but was it really really necessary putting me down that way?”
”No” he whispered “that’s why I wanted to apologize. Also I know your TV is not working, you can come to my bunk if you want. We can watch The Big Bang Theory”
Fitz sighed and turned his back to Grant, saying with theatrical voice “I really, really, am hurt for how you treated me today, and I don’t know if it would bring me pleasure-“ he interrupted and turned his head, seeing Ward with a disappointed face, so he let out a big smile “you believe everything, agent Ward” he said, walking to him and slapping his shoulder “give me a minute to dress up and I’ll be in your bed”
Ward walked to the door “that’s not hiw I pictured it, but it’s fine”
Leo let the bunk door slide and came inside Grant’s private area, sitting on the bed, leaving the bottle of gin on Grant’s desk.
”I thought you were mad at me for real” Ward said, with a smirk printed on his face “and it’s my pleasure to see that you brought alcohol too”
”I think we deserve it” the blond man smiled “with S.H.I.E.L.D. falling down we are each day nearer to be unemployed”
“So let’s be unemployed and alcoholic?”
Fitz smiled and took off his shoes, laying next to the taller man “do you trust Garrett and Triplett?”
”I undoubtedly trust Garrett, but that Triplett... Can’t stand him” the older one said, watching Fitz in the eyes.
The Scot took a deep breath and asked “do you think we are doing the right thing?”
”Leo...”
”I mean, do you think it’s right to... uhm... date? If that’s what we’re doing”
”Why?”
”Have you seen us today? You are so protective”
Grant let out a giggle “what’s wrong with being protective?”
”Nothing! Nothing. It’s just... You think I’m a dumbass”
”Oh, don’t start again”
”Just because I look soft it does not mean I am good at nothing“
”I never said that”
”Still you act like I am one. I am a full grown man, although my babyface-“
”I love your babyface” he smirked, placing a kiss on his lips “and there’s nothing wrong with the way you operate”
”I guess so” he muttered, stretching his arms around his chest.
”Is there a way I can make up to you?”
”Only one” he whispered in his ears “you promised Big Bang Theory, so...”
”Is a TV program more interesting than me?” He asked with an upset tone “and I thought I loved you”
”I know”
”Is I know all you have to say? I showed you my heart and you just say I know?”
”Yes Agent I am superior and y’all suck, does it burn that much?”
”You broke my heart” he whispered “I will never be the same”
”You’re such an actor” then the young Scot looked at Ward in the eyes “I love you too”
- Hit Me Harder Than I Ever Expected
The crime was consumed. After Victoria Hand’s death the S.H.I.E.L.D. went straight and inevitability toward its downfall. Her death raises doubts about the possibility of a mole, or even more moles, inside SHIELD’s system.
Everybody doubts everyone.
Ward had the simple mission of escorting Garrett to the prison, but when Hand offered him a gun, he did not hesitate to shot her and her men, freeing John Garrett.
As it was not enough, on the very same night, the SHIELD prison was assaulted and broke in. Weapons were stolen and prisoners gained back their freedom.
Grant had all the time to think about it, and possibly draw back, but he did not. He could and he accepted blindly. Everything Garrett said was gold to him, and it conditioned most of his life choices.
He grew up as a sociopath, unable to feel, unable to love, that’s why he was there, because he was not able to regret, only pleasure from the pain.
”I saw you and the little boy. Did you catch feelings?”
”N-no, sir”
”You didn’t seem quite sure”
Grant took back his breath, knowing what was coming. Garrett’s fist, exactly, straight to the stomach, making him fall on the ground.
”Are you sure?”
”Yes sir!”
“I’m afraid we have to mask our meeting. It will have to look like a fight. Get up, now!”
When Grant returned the Bus, he masked everything, he got in a fight with Garrett and killed him with two shots in the head. That was the story he told the rest of the team. They believed him, also they did not have a choice. It was easier for them to think that the threat was erased once for all, and Grant’s aspect was even more convincing.
Fitz, in particular, was bothered by how bad-looking was his teammate. They fight must have been really hard, and he could not imagine how much pain he had been through to protect them.
They wanted to see him as the hero that sacrificed himself for their own good. But the Bus was not safe enough for them, they had to move to Providence, where Eric Koenig was waiting for them.
Providence was Nick Fury’s secret base in Canada, only Fury and very few specialized agents had the pass to enter it. But Fury was dead and SHIELD was slowly downfalling, so Coulson felt authorized to bring his team there, although Koenig was not happy about it.
Once there, they were separated and each one of them went through the polygraph test, and, unexpectedly, everyone succeeded, included Grant Ward.
Right then Coulson ordered the presence of FitzSimmons with him, so it would leave May, Grant and Skye in Providence.
”Grant” the blond Scots called, as he saw his boyfriend hid behind a wall “I’m leaving, do you want to come with us or-“
”No, I’m fine, I’ll wait for commands here”
”Be safe” Leo whispered, biting his lip, waving at him.
All Ward did was nodding, but he thought it was for Garrett. He knew what he did for him in the past, and maybe he was still shook. He did not know that the Grant he just greeted was the REAL Grant. He showed no emotions or even regret for what he did.
The image of deception.