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Explosion
An Agents of SHIELD fanfic by Aisling Yinyr Ngaio
Pairing: Grant Ward x Skye
For what felt like a long moment after the explosion, they remained tightly in each other's embrace, momentarily stunned even though they had expected the detonation that signified the destruction of the Hub's processing center. Breathing heavily, they eventually disentangled slightly to look behind them at the wisps of smoke and fire floating into view, confirming that they've completed their mission successfully, even if they were a little shaken with its results.
He looked back at her, still in the safety of his arms, her lithe body molding perfectly with his, the victorious little smile on her lips dissolving as she focused on his darkening eyes, awareness of their proximity beginning to form in hers.
Ward lowered his head and kissed her.
It was nothing like the first kiss they'd shared in the closet only a few feet away. That kiss had been an impulse, gentle and sweet, and a promise for later. It had been done in the face of the very real possibility that his odds were against him, to give him courage and hope that he would defy those odds. It was a memory he dared only savour for an instant before forcing himself to lock it away so that he might do what had to be done.
This second kiss was neither gentle nor sweet. Their lips met, hard and bruising, as their arms held each other tighter than before. The faint copper tang of blood from his split lip was barely noticeable as they kissed with a desperate passion, the adrenaline from the explosion and his earlier battle coursing through their blood.
He'd faced death every day. He should be used to this by now. Rigging and setting off explosives had almost become second nature to him, yet…
His heart hadn't stopped racing since his whispered plea to her in the closet. He wanted so much more. She made him want so much more.
So he poured all his pent up emotions into their kiss - his inner shields lowered and unguarded for once as he held her closer than he'd ever allowed himself to - with all the times he'd wanted to do precisely this but refrained. He'd wanted to, so many times, especially when she welcomed him back from his field missions, usually safe if not precisely unharmed, with a smile and a gentle little jest that ground him back to reality, making him feel alive like a normal human being again.
How he needed her so.
Finally they were forced to separate when the need for oxygen became dire, especially when the air around them still swirled thick and hot from the explosion mere minutes ago. Foreheads touching, both reluctant to let go, Skye was the first to refocus and say softly, "We have to go."
"Yes," he whispered back, stealing a last kiss before slowly helping her up from the floor and picking up their depleted ICERs.
He didn't hold her hand, nor did she hold his. They only shared one last tender smile before racing down the corridor together towards their rendezvous spot.
Later. There will be later.
- Finis -