"Grant. Grant. Grant!"

The Shield Agent startled awake. His heart was pounding and it felt like someone had busted him upside the jaw. He half rolled quickly trying to find a source.

"Easyeasy." A voice soothed.

Grant looked up. Caleb was watching him with those two damn honest blue eyes.

"I was just a nightmare. You're safe."

A nightmare? Children had nightmares. What was his about? … Oh … That time. That mission. That guy. Grant shook a bit and felt a hand touch his shoulder. He flinched wishing he had left his shirt on. The bed depressed as the huge blonde sat down on it.

"Did you know that?" Caleb asked ghost his cool fingers along Grant's hot shoulder blade.

"Know what?" Grant choked out trying frantically to regain his control.

The awakened agents on the bus were fussing too,awakened by his own waking, but he tuned them out. Grant rolled to a sitting position pulling his knees up a bit to put a little space between him and the other man.

"Did you know you have nightmares a lot?"

Did he know? He never woke from them. They wouldn't let him rest while he slept though. He just stared blankly at the Angel. He didn't know?

"Yeah." The blonde sighed from his place sitting on the bed. "I didn't think you knew. A lot of people don't, but I can tell."

"How?" Grant's voice cracked just a bit.

Caleb cocked a brow. "I can see it. You carry a ton of tension, probably from gritted teeth, in your jaw."

He sighed as Grant showed his confusion. He reached a hand up slowly like he was trying not to spook the Shield Agent. One hand closed gently around Grant's throat. He tried not to pull away. Caleb traced the tendons under his jaw bone.

"Right here." Caleb whispered.

Grant swallowed. The hand started to rub soft circles on his throat. His eyes closed slowly. Unconsciously, he leaned into the contact, rolling with the soft, comfortable motion. All of the air left his lungs in a deep rumble. Embarrassed, Grant pulled back quickly.

Caleb huffed a laugh. "How about an ibuprofen?"

Grant nodded. The blonde stood and stepped out.

"Coulson." Grant hissed angrily into his earpiece. "I need out."

"What?" The man on the other asked extremely confused. "You just got there. Are you in danger?"

"I mean out, out." He glanced worriedly at the door keeping his voice down. "I want out of this mission. I'm getting in too deep."

"Deep is what we need."

"No." They could hear him shaking his head violently. "I'm becoming too emotionally attached to this mission. I need to leave. Send Skye in here or something."

"I wouldn't mind meeting Mr. Heartbreaker." She put in helpfully.

"Emotion is what we need." Phil retorted.

"No! Damn it." Grant snarled. "Shield said any emotion and I could back out. It's in my contract."

There was a click. Grant knew exactly what it was. The recorder was off. No one was listening but the team there on the bus. There was no Shield or shield for him.

"Agent Ward, Shield can't hear you. They won't take care to save you. No Big Brother here now. This team needs you to stay there."

"You don't understand." Grant was having a hard time not yelling. "The last time"

Grant cut off. The door reopened and Caleb came in holding two orange pills and a glass of water. He simply walked right back to his place on the bed. Grant went silent. He took the offered pills and swallowed them down.

"Roll over." Caleb made a circular motion with his hand.

"Huh?" Grant stared with confusion hugging one of his knees.

"Do you trust me?"

How could you not trust someone whose heart was so pure is was written on their face? Who wore their intentions on their sleeve and all it said was "do good." Who was just … nice. You can't generate any cause to. Grant nodded a bit.

"Then lay on your stomach."

The shirtless Shield Agent looked him one last time then rolled putting his face in the pillows and exposing his bare back.

"How long ago was that mission Agent Ward?"

Coulson was speaking but Grant couldn't have been paying less attention. Caleb was running a hand up and down his heavily muscled shoulders, pressing a bit harder each time.

"How long has it been since someone just accepted you unconditionally like he does?"

Both hands started rolling with their palms at the base of his neck. Grant stretched to let Caleb get deeper.

"I think you went just as far and maybe even more than we needed." The old agent was still talking.

Caleb started kneading his shoulders and the same low rumble came from Grant's throat. He couldn't find the energy to be concerned about it. He just felt tired. How long had it been since his shoulders relaxed?

"I think you went and fell in love with him."

Grant felt himself being rocked to sleep and everything else just faded from vision.