AN: Veeeery quick...I promise you'll have some feels regarding this chapter, so if you feel the need to review in shouty capitals, I totally understand. lol enjoy!

Their relaxing evening watching movies and eating pizza became a habit over the next week, though Soraya insisted on making homemade meals(pizza), telling him it was healthier and a treat they could have once a week.

The other nights she cooked him dishes she had grown up with after he had expressed how much he loved her mom's cooking. Joy had stopped by a few times to see how Soraya was doing, as had her mother and father.

He had never had parents like hers, he realized. They were truly interested in her; how her day had been, what books she was reading, how she was feeling. In turn, they were interested in him and on more than once occasion her parents took him aside to thank him for caring for her.

He had been more than happy to tell them that it was her who cared for him and was in effect, saving his life. What he had done for her was what anyone would do.

At least that's what he told himself.

As he watched Soraya slip an earring on, her eye caught his and they shared a warm smile. He had finally managed to make plans with one of the friends he had fallen out of touch with and had made arrangements for them to have dinner.

His friend Mark was planning on bringing his girlfriend, and after some deliberation, Ward asked Soraya to come with him. When she had agreed, he told Mark he was bringing a friend, not choosing to elaborate.

Glancing over her once more, his gaze lingered on the length of her legs that were exposed, her green sweater dress coming to mid thigh. Her long dark tresses hung around her shoulders, softly curling into waves he wanted to touch.

She smiled knowingly at him as she leaned in to adjust the collar on his polo shirt, her breasts brushing against him softly.

"You look beautiful," he told her, his voice rough from desire.

Her dark eyes stared up at him as she adjusted the collar once more. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself," she murmured, smirking wryly.

He laughed sharply and ran a hand over his hair, "Well, shall we go?" he asked, holding out his arm to her. She grinned and nodded, looping her hand through the crook of his arm, her fingers warm against his skin.

The drive to the restaurant was quick, by the time they arrived the sun was slipping below the horizon, painting the sky a brilliant shade of magenta.

Ward spotted Mark towards the back of the restaurant, a stunning dark skinned woman sitting beside him. As Soraya and he approached he felt her hand squeeze his arm and he glanced down, smiling encouragingly at the nervous look on her face.

Mark and his girlfriend, Rachel, stood to embrace them, laughter and warmth quickly enveloping them.

Hours passed as they ate and talked, relearning their friendship.

"So, what happened to you man?" Mark finally asked

Ward ducked his head for a moment and then grimaced, "There was a lot happening with my family and the company." He glanced over at Soraya and hesitated for a minute before continuing, "I was also addicted to pills and drinking way too much," he revealed.

Mark's brows shot up, "No shit? Geez man, I'm sorry. How are you doing now?" he asked, his gaze running over Ward rapidly.

"Better. I've been clean for almost four weeks now. It's hard, but it's worth it," he told his friend. He glanced at Soraya and gave her a grateful look, his hand squeezing her knee under the table.

Mark noticed the look but decided against saying anything; if his friend didn't want to talk about his relationship with his companion, he wasn't going to push.

"I'm glad to hear that man. I know some of the other guys were wondering what happened to you. We're thinking about playing rugby tomorrow morning, you want to come join us?" he asked excitedly.

Ward nodded, "I'd love that. Text me the details," he encouraged his friend.

They talked for another hour before parting, their friendship back on solid ground.

Soraya sat in the bleachers watching as Ward and his friends slammed into each other, shouts of encouragement and groans of pain echoing across the park to where she sat. She couldn't contain her grimace as an absolutely enormous man knocked Ward onto his ass.

He looked over to her and lifted a brow, smirking faintly as he picked himself up and she waved, smiling encouragingly. The sun was warm overhead, despite the faint autumn chill that had invaded the air, and she relaxed under its' steady rays.

When Ward scored the next point she clapped and whistled, grinning as his teammates dog piled onto him. They wrestled on the ground for a moment before clambering to their feet, dusty and dirty.

She grinned and sat, laughing softly at the idea of his corporate colleagues seeing their distinguished and impeccably dressed coworker covered in mud, his hair in disarray.

"He's a good player. He should be careful not to get injured, that would be a shame."

The sound of Bakuto's soft, familiar voice behind her sent a chill down her spine. Without turning to look at him she hunched her shoulders and snapped, "What do you want?"

Bakuto clucked his tongue softly, "Is that any way to greet the man who holds your fate and the fate of those you love in his hands?"

Soraya's hand tightened into fists as her stomach twisted. "Hello Bakuto, what can I do for you?" she asked politely between gritted teeth.

"Ahh, that's better! It's good to see you looking so well; I was worried you had been severely injured."

She bit back a loud scoff and turned it into a cough. "I'm fine. What can I do for you?" she asked again, less polite this time.

"We'd like for you to get to know someone. Her name is Colleen Wing."

"Why would I want to do that?" Soraya asked sharply.

"Because she's dating Danny Rand, and she's got important information on him, along with secrets of ours. We need to know where she's going and when," Bakuto replied softly.

"I thought your organization was everywhere. Why would you need me to help you?"

"Because with Danny's money and capabilities, she can act covertly and get out of this city with the information we need. We simply need you to ask Danny if he knows anyone who can teach you self defense. He should lead you right to her," Bakuto told her.

"Fine."

"You have three days. If you haven't made contact with her by then, there will be a problem," Bakuto warned.

"I'll do it, don't worry," Soraya snapped.

"I have no doubt. This time if you fail, it won't be you who pays the price. It will be someone you care about."

Soraya stiffened and turned to look at him, anger rippling through her. When she glanced behind her though, Bakuto was nowhere to be seen. She scowled and turned back at the gleeful shouts coming from the field.

Ward and his teammates were grinning and pounding each other on the back, apparently having won. She struggled for a moment to grin in an appropriately excited way, her stomach flipping as Ward and his friends approached.

"Did you see that last goal?!" Ward exclaimed, a flush on his dirty cheeks.

She nodded, lying. "You were great!" she declared, smiling warmly at him.

"Shit, he didn't do anything!" one of the men declared, nudging Ward's shoulder with a large grin.

"If I hadn't passed you the ball we wouldn't have won," Ward replied, grinning back at his teammate. A round of loud agreement went up through the group and Soraya laughed genuinely.

"Who's hungry?" Soraya asked, "I'm cooking!" she stepped down off the bleachers to stand beside Ward.

He glanced down at her and shook his head, "You don't have to do that," he told her softly.

The men surrounding him disagreed loudly, startling a laugh from her. "It's fine! I bought stuff to make chili," she announced to loud groans of hunger from the men. "There will be cornbread too!"

The team quickly agreed to meet at Ward's apartment, eager to be fed. As they drove back to his apartment Ward talked excitedly, a smile painted on his face. Soraya watched him smile and talk, fear clenching her stomach.

Bakuto wouldn't hurt him…would he?

As she stirred the chili and inhaled the scent of the cornbread the doorbell rang. Ward skidded down the hall, his hair damp from the fast shower he had taken. She heard loud greetings in the hallway and a moment later half the team trouped in, still dirty.

She noted that some of the men carried six packs and glanced at Ward, meeting his eye for a moment before turning her attention back to the food. The fridge opened beside her and she watched out of the corner of her eye as Ward pulled out a sparkling water, cracking it open while his friends opened their beers.

Pride shot through her and she gave him an approving smile when he glanced at her. Ward sidled up next to her and peered into the pot of chili, sniffing appreciatively. "When's that going to be done?" he asked.

She laughed softly and shook smoked paprika over the chili, stirring it in slowly. "Ten more minutes. Which is when the cornbread will be done," she told him.

He nodded and a moment later when his friends shouted to him from the patio grinned at her and went out to join them. When the doorbell rang again she went to open it, smiling brightly at Mark and Rachel.

"They guys are out on the patio," she told them, mildly surprised when Rachel joined her in the kitchen.

"It was really nice of you to offer to do this," the other woman said softly.

Soraya smiled at her and shook her head, "I love to cook. I'm actually a nutritionist, and a small time cook, so I enjoy feeding people good food," she revealed.

"Well, can I help with anything?" Rachel asked, looking around for something to do.

"Can you get out the scallions and chop them?"

Rachel nodded and went to work cutting the scallions, falling into an easy conversation with Soraya.

"So, how long have you and Ward been together?"

Soraya choked and cleared her throat, "We're just friends. I've been helping him with his addiction recovery," she murmured.

Rachel lifted a brow, "That's awfully generous of you," she replied probingly.

"It's uh, actually my job. I'm a personal recovery specialist."

"Wow, that must be a tough job," Rachel said, sounding curious.

"It can be. But Ward is doing an amazing job," Soraya replied, pride flushing through her.

The timer for the cornbread went off, cutting off their conversation. Soraya set the large tray of bread onto the trivets and lowered the heat under the chili. "Will you let the men know the food is ready?" she asked Rachel, washing her hands and drying them.

Rachel nodded and went to the patio, waving at the men. There was quickly a stampede to fill bowls and take pieces of bread. Soon mouths were full and groans of appreciation filled the room.

Soraya filled her bowl and took a slice of cornbread, leaning on the wall beside Rachel, grinning as she listened to the men talk. After a few minutes the large group went back for seconds, all of the men exclaiming how good the food was.

"Man Ward, I don't know where you found this woman, but you are one lucky man!" one of the men declared to Soraya's chagrin. He grinned at her, "Aww don't flush darlin, I'm just trying to pay you a compliment!"

She flushed and murmured her thanks, secretly wishing she could sink into the floor and disappear. It was one thing for her clients to appreciate her food and the work she did for them, to have a stranger think highly of her was another.

"You're right, I am incredibly lucky to have met Soraya. Without her I would still be higher than a kite and well on my way to OD'ing," Ward answered, shocking the group with his honesty. When he looked up at her from his spot on the couch it was obvious how much he cared for her.

She smiled back softly, her heart pounding in her chest. As the men turned to other topics she grew tired of standing and tugged a pillow out from beside Ward, tossing it onto the ground to sit on.

A few of the men objected and offered her their seat, but she refused, leaning back against Ward's leg and the bulk of the couch. As the afternoon wore on Ward's hand found its way to her shoulder, gently squeezing every once in a while, sending small thrills of pleasure through her.

She knew she was slipping further and further over her carefully drawn lines, but when Ward's fingers brushed against her neck, she didn't really care. She found herself leaning into his touch, her head resting against his knee and her eyes drifting half closed.

For the first time in over a week she felt relaxed, comfortable and safe. As people began to leave she forced herself to her feet and distributed hugs, a warm, happy feeling spreading through her as the men teased and smiled at her.

She had a few good friends in the city, but this was new to her, being part of a group. Ward hovered lightly behind her, bidding his friends goodbye until the apartment had emptied of everyone but them.

When she turned she found that Ward was staring down at her, an indescribable expression on his face. After a long minute of gazing at each other without speaking he reached out and took her hand, murmuring softly for her to come with him.

Her heart was in her throat as they settled back onto the couch, his arm wrapping around her shoulders to pull her close. He tugged a blanket over them and flipped the tv on to a show they had started watching together.

It occurred to Ward that he was cuddling with Soraya, something he had never really been fond of in any of his previous relationships. He also realized that the women in those past relationships had been vapid, shallow, and consisted of nothing more than a generic beauty and an ability to fuck.

Soraya was something else entirely; intelligent, kind, generous, soft spoken when she wanted to be and possessing of a sharp tongue when she needed. As she laughed at something on the show he glanced down at her and smiled faintly, a warm content sensation spreading through him.

He never wanted to end this he was beginning to realize; he wanted every day to be like this.

Soraya woke some hours later, her cheek pressed against something that was both firm and warm, a heavy presence around her waist, trapping her. Inhaling sleepily she fluttered her lashes open and came face to face with Ward's chin, his face turned to the side as he slept.

She realized abruptly that they had fallen asleep on the couch together and Ward was spread out beneath her, his arm around her waist, holding her tightly against him. Flushing at the realization that she had further stepped over the professional lines she pondered how to extricate herself from this situation.

Ward made a soft noise in his sleep and his arm tightened around her waist, drawing her tighter against him. Soraya huffed and closed her eyes; it was an even worse situation because of how much she was enjoying being this close to him.

She carefully looked at her watch and frowned, it was past midnight. Perhaps if she closed her eyes she would go to sleep again. Damn the situation and the consequences, she was tired.

Resting her cheek back against Ward's chest she slid the blanket covering them higher around her shoulders and closed her eyes, inhaling the delicious scent of Ward's cologne.

She listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat and sighed, wishing they could stay like this forever.

The sound of an alarm, high pitched and running on a continuous loop pierced Soraya's consciousness. She sat up abruptly and looked around confused. Why was she in the living room?

A glance down instantly reminded her—she and Ward had fallen asleep on the couch together and had apparently never made it to their own beds. He stirred beneath her, the alarm rousing him to wakefulness.

She wanted to get up but his large body had her trapped against the back of the couch and if she tried to climb over him she worried she would hurt him. His sleepy gaze landed on her with a soft smile that made her insides melt.

Was this what it would be like to wake up together?

The thought flashed through her mind and she instantly flushed, glancing away.

"Looks like we both slept well," Ward commented lightly; reaching up to touch the marks on her face from his shirt.

"I guess so," she replied softly, her gaze still averted.

Ward made a soft noise and rolled away from her reluctantly, standing and stretching so his shirt rode up, revealing a small expanse of muscular stomach that left her dry mouthed with desire and breathless.

Untangling herself from the blankets she scurried a few steps away from him, "Gym this morning?" she asked finally glancing up at him.

He frowned at her, "Are you feeling well enough to do that? What about your ribs?" he asked, gesturing to her torso.

"They still hurt when I exert myself, but I was planning on keeping my workout light," she responded softly.

He nodded and ran a hand through his hair which had fallen in an attractive disarray around his face. "Be right back," he murmured, turning and shuffling towards his bedroom.

Soraya quickly hurried to her room to change, her ribs and back sore from sleeping on Ward in the limited space she had on the couch. A few minutes later she joined him in the elevator, their ride down to the gym a quiet one.

They spent an hour in the gym during which she lifted weights lighter than she normally did, trying to keep her body strong without exacerbating her ribs. She was only able to jog on the treadmill, the continuous motion making her ribs ache.

By the time they were back in the apartment she was sore and blinking at the burning sensation behind her eyes, trying not to let tears of frustration form. Her head ached badly and as she stepped into the shower she clutched her ribs, wincing as they ached.

It took her longer to dress than normal, her limbs tired and weighed down with pain. She grabbed her painkillers from the bathroom counter and spilled them out onto her bedspread, carefully counting how many she had left.

If she didn't have to take painkillers she didn't like to. Years of her work had taught her how easy it was to get addicted, even to something that was prescribed by a doctor for practical reasons.

She frowned, she was short two pills.

She didn't like the first thought that popped into her head.

Ward hadn't been showing any signs that he was using, and the idea that he would steal from her made her heart clench in an entirely unprofessional manner.

Sighing, she gathered up the pills and decided that the only way she would know if her suspicions were true was to ask him, however much she didn't want to.

The sounds coming from the kitchen told her where to find him, her reluctant footsteps carrying her to him, a sick, heavy feeling in her body. When he looked up from the stove where he was making them both breakfast and smiled brightly at her the sick feeling redoubled.

She couldn't manage a smile back; her heart was beating too hard. The pill bottle tapped down against the counter, the sound somehow ominous to her. His eyes darted to it for a moment before flitting to her face, a confused expression crossing his face.

She cleared her throat, unsure she would be able to speak through the thickness in her throat. Swallowing hard she pressed on. "I'm missing two pills."

Her voice was a whisper but Ward still recoiled as if she had shouted. Hurt and betrayal stained his face, his shoulders hunching as though she had slapped him.

"You think I took them."

It wasn't a question, and his voice was flat as he stated it.

She didn't want to answer. She didn't want to be doing this at all. Didn't she trust him?

"All I know is that two of my pills are missing. I want to give you the opportunity to tell me if you took them."

Her mouth tasted bitter at the accusation she was pushing his way, but if she didn't she would truly be failing him.

Ward glared at her.

"I didn't take your pills. I don't need them or want them. I thought you trusted me."

Hearing her own thoughts tossed back at her made her flinch.

Her next words came out harsher than she intended.

"You're an addict Ward. It's a reasonable thought."

He stared at her for a moment before scoffing loudly and turning away, his shoulders rigid with anger. He tossed aside his spatula and turned off the heat under the skillet, anger simmering under his skin.

"Of course. It doesn't matter that you know me or that I wouldn't do anything like that to you. It all boils down to the fact that I'm an addict. I guess that means you'll never trust me."

His voice was harsh with emotion and when she made a soft noise, opening her mouth to speak, he shook his head and stormed out of the room, leaving her staring forlornly after him.

Ward had refused to speak to her as he left the house that morning and as it approached mid afternoon, she realized he wasn't coming home like he had been. Stifling the anxiety building within her, she called Joy.

"Soraya, hi!"

"Hello Joy. I was wondering, can you put me in touch with Danny?"

There was a momentary pause before Joy spoke, sounding hesitant.

"Why do you need to speak with Danny?"

"I understand from some things Ward has told me that he's a master of karate. I'd like to learn some self defense techniques."

"He knows kung fu, not karate, but sure I'll send you his info."

"Great, thank you."

Joy paused again, hesitating over a question.

"Soraya? Is everything okay? Ward came into the office today pissed off and has been a dick all day."

Soraya swallowed hard around the lump in her throat before she could answer.

"We had an issue this morning, but it'll be okay. He's still sober."

Joy made a soft noise of interest.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"No. Just make sure he eats lunch, will you?"

"Sure. I'll talk to you later Soraya."

Soraya murmured a polite goodbye and hung up, tossing her phone on her bed. Things had been going so well with Ward's recovery, and now this. Her phone beeped and she picked it up, sighing in relief when she saw Joy had texted her Danny's contact information.

With no small amount of hesitation she called him. The phone rang until she thought it would go to voicemail and then suddenly he answered.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Danny?" she asked politely.

"Who is this?" he replied suspiciously.

"Soraya Ebadi. I'm a friend of Joy's."

He made a soft noise and his tone relaxed.

"I've heard Joy talk about you, how are you?"

"I'm okay. But I was hoping you could do me a favor."

"Oh?"

"I'd like to take some self defense classes, and I was wondering if you knew anyone that could help me."

"I could teach you," he offered, "Why do you want to learn?" he asked.

"I don't know if you heard but I attended the charity gala with Ward awhile ago and got pushed down the stairs. He suspects it might have been a jealous ex," she lied carefully.

"Huh, okay. Well, I can start with you today around 5pm," he offered.

"Do you think maybe you could give me the name of a female teacher? I'm just more comfortable with a woman," she explained.

There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. "I've got someone in mind who can help you," he told her. "I'll send you her information and you two can talk before she makes a decision. If you strike out, I'd be happy to help," he offered again.

"Great, thank you Danny."

He brushed off her thanks and told her he had a meeting to get to before hanging up.

Soraya pushed open the balcony window in her room and sat down, watching as the city pulsed with life beneath her. She was working for the Hand now, and she didn't see how she could possibly break free.

Soraya carefully practiced the punches Colleen had showed her, moving slowly from the dull burning sensation in her ribs. She had explained the situation to Colleen and they had agreed until her ribs were better they would stick to the basics and move slowly.

When Colleen had agreed to work with her she had felt dueling emotions; worry that she was placing the other woman in terrible danger and relief that she had been able to accomplish what the Hand wanted.

Never in her life had she been so beset by anxiety; nearly every day she worried herself into a headache, scared that something was going to happen to her parents, Ward or Joy or Danny and now she was worried about Colleen.

When they had finished after nearly an hour and a half she found herself sitting on the mats next to Colleen, talking about their lives. Soraya told her how she had met Joy and Ward, and how she was worried she was falling for Ward.

To her surprise Colleen just laughed and told her to go for it, that if anyone deserved to finally be happy it was Ward. The fact that it would be crossing a bunch of professional lines and could be potentially devastating to her heart was beside the point according to Colleen.

"You'll never get what you want if you refuse to even try," she had told her.

Soraya thought about that a lot on her walk back to Ward's wondering if she wanted a future with him, or if she was going to continue to hid behind her professionalism and lose an opportunity to fall in love.

Her feet stuttered and she felt someone bump into her, their snarled curse barely touching her.

Fall in love?

Where in the world had that come from? She barely knew Ward, and he knew next to nothing about her! She shook her head at her foolishness and began walking again, her mind racing.

After what had happened between her and Ward this morning she couldn't even imagine him wanting to speak to her, let alone anything more than the relationship they already had.

If they still had one…God…everything is so messed up!

What would happen if she decided to leap, changing their dynamic and possibly falling more for him? It was entirely possible that after this morning everything between them would be ruined. She was spiraling and she knew it, but she couldn't stop it.

Panic flooded her as she walked into Ward's building, her stomach churning. How was she going to fix things with Ward? How could she keep being his care giver if she had feelings for him?

"God, what the hell am I doing?" she whispered in the elevator, pacing the small floor, her chest tight with anxiety.

By the time she stepped off the elevator she felt short of breath and nauseated with fretfulness. She hurried into the kitchen and splashed water on her face, trying to take deep even breaths to calm herself.

Wiping her face off she exhaled slowly and opened her eyes, a startled gasp escaping her when she saw Ward standing by the counter. He lifted a brow a faint smirk on his face. His hand slipped from behind his back and set her pill bottle on the counter.

"Count them," he murmured.

She stared at him, her head spinning and her stomach turning with worry until she thought she was going to puke. Her hand shook as she reached out to open the bottle, terrified at what she might find.

The pills scattered across the counter and she slowly gathered them up, counting them as she deposited them back into the bottle. Her fingers trembled as she deposited the last two pills; two pills more than there had been before.

Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him, confusion rippling across her face.

"I found them in your bathroom; they had fallen under the tub which is probably why you didn't find them. I've seen you drop the bottle a couple of times while you were still stiff and it occurred to me that they might have fallen somewhere in your rooms. It only took an hour to find them."

Guilt tore through her so hard she felt tears burning in her eyes and she struggled to breathe through the pain in her chest. Her tenuous control on her emotions snapped at the thought of how she had failed to trust Ward and she began crying, tears streaming down her face as she turned away, desperately trying to collect herself.

She didn't notice that Ward had walked up behind her until his arms were wrapping around her and turning her into his chest. She struggled against him for a moment, trying to push away until she finally collapsed into him.

Ward laid his cheek against her head, gently rubbing a hand over her back, making soft soothing noises. When her tears finally subsided she pulled away and wiped her cheeks, flushing as she glanced at his tear stained shirt.

"I ruined your shirt," she whispered brokenly, tears threatening again.

To her surprise Ward laughed and shook his head, his large hand cupping her cheek and jaw, his thumb brushing against her skin gently. "It's just a shirt and it's hardly ruined. Why are you crying?" he asked softly, his eyes warm and intense on her.

She dropped her gaze to his chest and shook her head. She couldn't talk about this with him. Not when her problem was him and her feelings for him.

His fingers nudged her chin, forcing her to turn her eyes up to his. The concern and the worry in his eyes made it all the harder for her not to cry and she blinked rapidly as her eyes filled again.

"What's wrong?" Ward whispered, stroking her cheek softly. When she shook her head and refused to answer he tapped her chin with his thumb, "Hey, come on. I've told you all my darkest thoughts, you can't possibly have something worse than murdering your undead father," he teased.

Soraya laughed sharply, wiping at the tears that had fallen, her smile weak. "I can't tell you," she whispered brokenly.

"Whatever it is, I promise it'll get better. Just tell me," he encouraged.

Never in her life had she been this scared. If she opened her mouth and told him what was going through her head she was terrified her life as she knew it would be over. If she didn't do this job and help people, she didn't know who she was. If she told Ward how much she cared for him though, it could all come crashing down around her.

Her chest fluttered with anxiety and she shook her head, unable to speak.

"Is it something I did?" Ward asked softly.

She scoffed and ran a hand through her hair, "No. It's me," she whispered. She searched Ward's face, looking for some indication of what to do, her heart thrumming in her throat.

He frowned at her; he could feel the tension coming off her in waves. What could possibly be scaring her this badly?

Bakuto.

His stomach dropped at the thought and he gripped her arm tightly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Did he hurt you again? What happened?" he demanded, his blood thrumming faster in his veins.

Soraya stared at him in confusion, "He?" she murmured, shaking her head, completely lost for a moment.

"Bakuto," Ward spat the name like it was a bad taste in his mouth.

Her eyes widened with realization; he thought Bakuto had done something to her and that was why she was upset. Shaking her head she lifted a hand to his chest and squeezed reassuringly, "No, it wasn't him…though I did see him the other day at your rugby game and he threatened me again. He threatened to hurt the people I care about…" she murmured.

She hesitated for a moment and swallowed hard, "He threatened you." The words were possibly the hardest she had ever spoken and they stuck in her throat for a moment.

Ward stared at her, confused. So what if Bakuto had threatened him? It wasn't like he hadn't encountered the man before. He knew what he was capable of.

He threatened to hurt the people I care about….he threatened you

The implications of her words sunk in slowly, spreading through him until his entire body was numb. He blinked rapidly, trying to concentrate, trying to understand.

Did…did she care for him?

It simply wasn't something he had ever expected her to do. He had thought she might like him, might worry about him, but at the end of the day he didn't believe that he could gain the affection of a woman like her.

He certainly didn't deserve it.

Ward shook his head slowly, a frown pursing his lips. "I…why?" he whispered, barely able to breath as he locked eyes with her, desperate to hear her answer.

"Why…why do I care for you?" she whispered back, confused.

He nodded, his heart racing as he waited for an answer.

Soraya swallowed hard and took the plunge, consequences be damned.

"I care for you because it is my job." At the look of disappointment on his face she squeezed his arm, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "I care for you because you are a man who has been abused, neglected, scorned and has somehow managed to rise above that to become someone who is deeply caring, kind, and a wonderful man."

She exhaled shakily and continued, "I care for you because you are so smart and I see how it hurts you to be thought of only as Harold's son, as though you aren't a man in your own right with brilliant ideas. I care for you because you are haunted by the vile lies and distortions your father placed in your head about your own self worth. I care about you because despite these things, you are an incredible, flawed, kind hearted man and you've hidden that kindness from others for far too long."

Her eyes shone as she spoke, her voice gaining confidence as she went on. Ward stared at her, thunderstruck.

"I care for you because you are handsome and impeccably dressed, but you don't hesitate to get into the mud with your rugby friends," she said, laughing softly.

"I care…because you make me happy," she whispered, finally falling silent.

Ward stared down at her, his heart pounding in his chest. Unsurety froze him in place, too scared to move for the longest time as their eyes remained steady on each other.

Soraya carefully lifted a hand and slid her fingers along his jaw, the stubble there brushing pleasantly against her skin. Ward inhaled sharply at her touch and a breath later his fingers were furrowing through her hair, lifting her chin towards him, his mouth settling on hers hesitantly at first.

Soraya leaned into the kiss, her fingers curling around his neck, stroking against the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Ward pulled away for a moment, his breath shaky and his eyes closed as he rested his forehead on hers.

"You make me happy too," he breathed, shaking his head softly, a faint smile on his lips. His hand on her waist squeezed and drew her closer. "I didn't know I could be this happy," he confessed.

Soraya's breath caught in her chest at his soft words, her heart nearly breaking at his confession. His next words shattered her.

"You make me whole," he whispered brokenly, his eyes opening to stare earnestly at her.

She nodded and leaned in, kissing him fervently. Blood pounded in her ears, every nerve in her body like a live wire. Where his hand skimmed under her shirt to brush against her skin, it burned.

His lips devoured her, insistent and yet somehow gentle. When they broke apart again they were both breathless, their hearts pounding next to each other. Soraya struggled to open her desire hazed eyes, smiling softly up at him.

"You make me whole too," she whispered.

Ward let out a small shuddering breath and pulled her tightly to him, burying his face in her neck as he trembled. Soraya's arms wound around him, holding him just as tightly.

They clung together, letting the world fall away.

You make me whole

AN: Welllllll...how is everyone doing? Hit me up in the comments!