"Ward." She managed to say.
He looked at her, and caught glimpse of pain, incomprehension and even, love.
"Please." He took a look to her body -to her pretty badly bruised and beaten up body- but he also knew that he couldn't let her go. Not now. Pain was written all over her face, and he couldn't help but feel guilty. He, after all, was the reason she was enduring all of this.
"Make it stop," she implored him. "Grant, please."
He was crying. He could feel tears streaming down his cheeks, silent and salty tears making their way to his chin. He had to watch her broken look, begging for him to pull the trigger. To pull the trigger of the gun he's been holding up to her head as she was laying on the ground.
He shouldn't be crying. He was Grant Ward, he had already killed before, even killed in cold blood a few times. But this time, it was different. He knew it. She wasn't just an enemy, not just a potential threat he had to take down. She was Skye, the annoying hacktivist he has come to love.
"Just do it, Ward." Garrett said from behind. "Even she is asking for it."
Ward was torn in two between his loyalty to his SO and his love for his rookie.
"Come on, kid. All you have to do is to pull the trigger."
He took a look at Skye once more. Then it hit him.
Since the beginning, he'd been thinking she was asking for him to kill her, to finally end her painful existence at this moment, but he was wrong. All she wanted him to do was to stop Garrett.
"Ward, are you going to do it, or do I have to kill that bitch myself?"
And then Ward realised that he could think everything he wanted, the only thing that mattered to him was Skye. He didn't owe anything to Garrett, he had already paid for his debts a long time ago.
So he pulled the trigger, but the bullet didn't hit the hacktivist.
John Garrett fell to the ground, clutching his chest as a scarlet stain appeared on his polo.
"Why?" He croaked.
Ward didn't have the time to answer as his former SO released his last breath.
That was the end. The Clairvoyant was dead.
Ward sank to his knees. Suddenly, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder and turned around to see Skye, ready to pass out but smiling softly to him.
"I'm sorry." He said.
He didn't know why he said it, he just truly felt like he owned his rookie the truth.
"I know."
"I should never have done this. And Fitzsimmons, they are dead because of me. Leave Skye, I have one last thing to do."
He pushed her aside, and looked at the gun that was still in his hands. Skye followed his gaze and her whole body seemed to wake up.
"Ward." She called him. "Grant, look at me."
When he finally looked at her, she cupped his face in her hands.
"I. forgive. you."
He didn't seem to understand at first, then his eyes lighted up as he realised what she just said.
"You- you forgive me?"
She nodded slowly.
"But I'm a monster Skye. All I've ever done was lying. And when I couldn't lie, I killed. Don't you see? Don't you see the monster in front of your eyes? I'm not a good person, Skye."
They were both crying by now.
"I can't let you die, Grant."
"I'm going to spend the rest of my life in a cell. I'm never going to see the sun ever again."
Skye breathed deeply and closed her eyes.
"There may be a way, Ward. I promise, I won't let you down. You were manipulated by Garrett, he's the one who made you do all of this. You'll find redemption, Grant. And then we will figure out a way to work everything out."
He blinked slowly, then took her hand in his.
"When did you become so wise?"
Despite the situation, she laughed lightly.
"I really don't know," she answered simply. "But I don't think it really suits me very well."
The two of them stopped talking, just gazing into each other's eyes, searching for comfort. It was far from over, they both knew it. But right now, they just wanted to enjoy their proximity. And suddenly, they closed the distance between them, locking their lips in a passionate yet soft way. All the tension they felt, they put it into the kiss. They only pulled apart when oxygen was needed.
"Skye, I-"
But he didn't had to finish his sentence, though, as his eyes were screaming his love and his need for the hacktivist.
"We will work things out, I promise."
And they stayed like this for a moment that felt like ages, before the S.H.I.E.L.D team showed up and arrested Ward, who was very cooperative and didn't pull up a fight.
It was far from over, and they both knew it. And even if they had a long road before them, it was still better than anything.
okay guys, first i apologize for any mistakes, but english isn't my first language
i'm thinking about continuing this, making it a story but it would be a ward redemption story and i feel like they are a lot of them already so i don't know, i'll think about it i guess