A/N: So, I"ve been ridiculously busy with work but I'm finally back to one job rather than two so I'll have more down time now for writing. Thanks for your patience and I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.

Chapter Twelve

"Now if I were jello where would I be?" I muttered to myself humming as I scanned the contents in the sparse fridge. Pursing my lips neatly together I flipped open the lid to the butter tray gasping in delight at the six-packaged snack packs.

"You know Agent Coulson and his pudding," warned a stoic female voice from inside the shadows of the pale kitchen light.

I slammed the door shut then spun around to see Agent May leaning against the frame of the doorway. My entire body went straight then froze. Her face remained impassive as she bumped herself off of the wall then walked toward the small counter. She slinked onto the barstool, her leather uniform shined under the dim light.

"I was-I was looking for Jemma," I blurted out.

Agent May's dark, thin brows barely rose though I was certain they had moved. "I know Agent Simmons is rather small but even I don't think she could fit inside the butter tray," she kept her voice even and I wasn't certain if I should laugh or explain myself further.

I chose the latter. "I couldn't find her and realized I hadn't eaten and I wasn't-"

"Relax," my commanding officer interjected. My lips collapsed into one another as she continued to stare at me with her unreadable expression. "Eat all of them, I don't care. You've had a rough day."

"I-uh-" I glanced to the fridge, returning my twitchy smile back to Agent May. "Maybe later."

She nodded, moving the conversation forward. "You were looking for Agent Simmons?"

"Jemma, yes, I mean, Agent Simmons." I nodded, keeping my smile firm despite the dull ache that brushed along my jaw line. Carefully I shrugged off the top of my robe. The silk fabric slid like water down my arm pooling at my elbow to reveal the pink, scabbing burn mark. "While Agent Ward and I were running from the crash I was struck by burning debris," I explained.

Agent May leaned forward, her face pulled together though her gaze remained fixed. She abruptly pulled back, then shrugged. "You have ointment on it," she noted, "you'll be fine."

I clasped onto my robe then tugged it up to my neck covering the pink mark. "Um, thanks. So, where is Jem-Agent Simmons?" And the rest of them for that matter? I still wanted to talk to Skye.

"A field mission," Agent May simply replied, standing. "Get some sleep. We have a lot of cleaning up to do tomorrow."

I nodded, quietly thanking her as I passed. Without looking I rushed back to my room deciding I could look at the files that Skye had left for me until she returned. Maybe she had found something on Freya, and I desperately needed to take my mind off of...well...everything.

I entered my room, shutting the door behind me with the heel of my foot, then walked to the small dresser where Skye said she had left a few files inside the top drawer. I pulled it open, surprised to see more than just a few. There was an entire stack of manila folders that shoved my socks all the way into the back just to make room. Smiling to myself I grabbed all of them, flipping through the stacks counting how many there were: 22.

I plopped the files onto the small coffee table that sat in front of a teal, suede loveseat that I melted into with a sigh. My hands spread the folders out across the table, thumbing through the names until I found a thick one with a name neatly scrawled in permanent marker: Agent Bailey Strohm. My fingers instantly danced upon the pages, eager to see what Skye had found.

I exhaled loudly, pulling my brows together as I quickly thumbed through the pages. Most of it was encrypted or blacked out revealing little information. Was this all she could find? Was there more? I set the folder down, skimming through the others to see if they were connected. Most of the remaining files were newspaper clippings about Black Knight and his attacks, and a few articles about Dr. Nathaniel Garret. Nothing that was of any substance at the moment. My attention returned to the files on Bailey Strohm reading over what wasn't blacked out.

It was all things I had gathered on my own. She was an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. that went rogue after she killed another Agent. His name was blacked out but I knew it was Ward's partner. The one that he never really talked about. Grunting in frustration I tossed the papers down, catching Grant's name partly covered beneath the blacked out lines. I leaned forward, picking up the page and held it to the light trying my hardest to decipher what was written.

"This is ridiculous," I huffed, rising to my feet then stormed out of my room deciding that it was time to confront Ward about Bailey.

I wasn't allowed my secrets when it came to Loki. Why was he allowed any? Well, not anymore. I deserved to know who she was and what happened. I deserved to know why she called those men to attack us and why they blew up the jet that was coming to pick us up. I deserved to know why he protected her even though she had shot him years ago leaving him to die. And yet, I was the untrustworthy one because of a tall, dark mistake from my past.

My fist pounded hard against Ward's bedroom door. "Grant," I called out, kicking the door with the toe of my foot, "open up. I know you are in there. We need to talk right this instant." I banged against the door again, huffing loudly, "Grant!"

"Yeah?"

I spun around, exhaling a large puff of air, ready to go off on Ward when I froze. He stood in front of me, shirtless, with a towel tossed over his shoulder and a toothbrush that hung loosely from the side of his mouth. My eyes roved over his chest, staring at each muscle that looked photoshopped on. I swallowed hard, tearing my stunned gaze from his abs, bringing them slowly up to his lips, then finally to his eyes, the earlier anger finally returning.

I shoved the crinkled paper against his naked chest, releasing it as his hand brushed on top of mine. "What..." I exhaled slowly trying again, "Why is your name blanked out on this file? What aren't you telling me, Grant?"

Ward kept his focus on me for a few seconds before dropping his gaze to the paper in his grasp. He scanned what little pharases were left untouched, furrowing his thick brows together. "Where did you even get this?"

"It doesn't matter where I got it," I told him, though I knew he already knew that it was information Skye had gotten for me. "What aren't you telling me Grant?"

"It's in the past," he started, taking the toothbrush out of his mouth.

I shook my head, tearing the paper out of his hand and clenched it tightly at my side. "No," I hissed, shaking it in front of his face. "No more it's in the past bullshit. You made me tell you about Loki, even though that was all in my past, so spill. Start talking right now."

Ward didn't respond. He didn't even hesitate. He stood in front of me, his lips tightly pursed together and his brown eyes remained hard. I swallowed, feeling the tears prickle at the corner of my eyes, wishing that they wouldn't spill. I wanted to make a point, not look like a jealous woman that felt scorned because he was keeping secrets about a past lover.

So, I confronted him. "Why would you trust her like that? She left you for dead and killed your friend and yet you still entrusted her. And look at what that got us?" I pointed at his gunshot wound that was underneath the towel. "You were shot again by her for crying out loud! Why do you insist on protecting her still?" Again, Ward remained silent. I huffed, shaking my head, "Why can't trust me when I have never given you reason not to!"

The tears were flowing freely now. "I have never done anything to hurt you. I made my mistakes, but I owned up to them, and I moved on. How dare you act as if I am some undercover spy when you won't even tell me anything about your ex-girlfriend that tried to have us killed."

I was beginning to think that Ward was just a statue and I was yelling at an empty headed piece of art. "Forget it," I finally said, turning on my heel. "Don't follow me," I warned without looking back even though I knew Ward hadn't intended to.

Storming through the hallway I took a detour through the kitchen grabbing the six-pack of jello before heading back to my room. In the corner of my eye something sparkled in the faint light of the open fridge door. I glanced behind my shoulder, noticing a glass with a few drops of a clear liquid that pooled at the bottom. My brows tugged together, and I let the door shut behind me, walking toward the glass to put it in the sink. Coulson was such a stickler about messes, I was surprised that he hadn't sensed it and started yelling at everyone about leaving glasses on the counter. Without even so much as a coaster beneath it.

The strong scent of vodka hit me hard and I held the glass away from me as I dropped it inside the sink. Who was drinking vodka? Coulson was more of a whiskey man, Agent May never so much as allowed us to see her swallow let alone eat or drink anything and everyone else was gone. Was Ward drinking? Did Bailey's betrayal shake him enough to drink? Not that I cared, I decided, walking back to my room. I definitely did not care.

"You know, when I saved Ward's life a few months ago," boasted Fitz to Jemma, his start to any conversation for the past three hours, "we actually had bad guys shooting at us." Skye looked over at the skinny engineer, twisting her brows together as he continued, "this field mission is just a picnic," his Scottish accent rang thicker than usual as he squinted his gaze to stare at the beach. "I mean, this is just garbage duty"

"I don't know why Agent Coulson even sent us out. I'm a biochemist. What do I know about solving mysteries," whined Jemma, kicking up sand with her white sneakers. Her brown eyes suddenly lit up and she jumped in front of Fitz, grabbing onto his shoulders she cried, "oooh, it could be like a game of Clue. I've always been rather good at Clue."

Skye crossed her arms against her chest and stared out at the plane wreckage and body bags that scattered across the sandy terrain. An engineer, a biochemist, and a hacker went to the beach, there was a punch line in there somewhere. It was after all a giant joke that any of them were there. Their skills relied on computers and fancy lab equipment. None of them knew the first thing to solving a mystery or searching for evidence, despite Jemma's extensive experience with Clue.

It would have left Skye just as confused as Fitz and Jemma as to why Coulson sent them instead of Agent May to investigate the crash site if Skye didn't already put two and two together.

Coulson wanted them out of the jet. It was as simple as that to see. Why an engineer and a biochemist weren't able to figure that much out but a high school dropout could was a question for another time. The real question wasn't why they were playing field agents but why Coulson wanted them out of the way?

Typically, Skye would do everything she could to find out why. She hated secrets, especially where she may or may not be concerned. It was why Skye joined The Rising Sun all those years ago before S.H.I.E.L.D. had taken her in. But, she had a feeling that whatever Coulson didn't want them in on had to do with Loki. Whatever Loki was involved in she wanted to be far away from.

Jemma strutted across the sand toward a group of local police. Fitz followed after, but Skye stayed behind, turning toward the coroner. He was a chubby, stout man with a red face buried beneath a golden beard streaked with white. His bulging blue eyes barely looked up at Skye as she joined him.

"Any idea who any of them were?" she asked.

The coroner briefly glanced up from his paperwork, shaking his head as he scribbled down some notes. "Criminals don't usually carry identification on them," he grunted in his thick, Norwegian accent rang between them.

Skye nodded, squinting her eyes at the several body bags that had been neatly lined up while they waited for the wailing sirens in the distance to arrive. "By any chance were any of them female?"

The coroner jerked his head up, giving Skye a strange look, before pointing to the second bag on his left. Skye thanked him, then made her way toward the bag. She knelt down, inhaling slowly as her fingers grazed against the zipper. Dead bodies weren't exactly her thing, but she had to know if it was Bailey Strohm in the bag or not. Her trembling fingers skimmed along the metal teeth, pulling the bag back to expose a large body built like a man, with high, distinguished cheekbones and cropped black hair.

Skye sighed, zipping the body bag up, then wiped her sandy hands onto the thighs of her jeans. She stood up, squinting at the damage around her. Jemma and Fitz were collecting samples, gasping at anything they found. Skye shook her head, spotting a wooden shack up on a small hill. She took one last look at the debris, then decided a pretzel sounded better to focus her attention on instead.

It, of course, was swarmed with police, asking two blonde teenagers questions that Skye couldn't understand. Maybe Hayden was right. It wouldn't kill her to learn another language. Jemma and Fitz knew several between them, and even Ward knew a handful that proved to be useful. Skye scrapped her bottom teeth against the inside of her lip. What did she know? A few computer skills and already exposed secrets? If Coulson didn't pity her he would have probably sent her on her way months ago. It didn't make sense to keep her around, the only person that ever asked for her help anymore was Hayden.

Speaking of Hayden, her phone vibrated against her thigh, with a surprising text attached. Normally, Skye would have been interested in the fact that Hayden had guy troubles. But, when that guy was Loki Laufeyson it made her stomach turn. She quickly texted her response, hoping Hayden didn't know Loki was on the jet just yet. Then like a brick to the face it hit her. Coulson wanted them of the jet to keep the tension low. Once Hayden saw Loki who knew what hell would break loose. If any, and that made Skye worry.

Hayden was a smart girl, smarter than most. But, Skye knew all about making bad decisions because of a guy. She knew it all too well, she frowned at herself, slipping her cellphone into her pocket. However, none of the bad decisions in her life killed thousands of people in the span of a few days.

"Skye Brody?" Skye spun around, unable to place a name to the face who spoke. He was a tall man, muscules protruded from underneath his plain, dirty, tee. His dark hair hit at his thick shoulders, it was neatly tied back, hanging off his upturned collar of his leather jacket.

Skye looked him and down, folding her arms across her chest. He didn't look like he belonged at all. "What's it to you?"

The man chuckled. "He said that you would say that."

Skye felt her forehead tug together. "He who?"

"Miles," the man simply replied.

Skye took an involuntary step back. Her head titled to the right as she glanced down at the beach where Fitz and Jemma looked to be arguing over something they found. Licking her lips, Skye forced a smirk, "and what did Miles want?"

"To give you a message," the man simply replied, taking a sudden step forward. Skye met his step with a step back of her own. He snorted, placing his hand to his chest, "it's harmless," he told her, slipping his fingers into his jacket then extended his hand for her to shake. Skye pressed her hand against his palm feeling a smooth, glass bottle fill her palm. The stranger widened his smile, shrugging as he pulled his empty hand away, "relatively harmless, anyway."

Skye remained silent, tightening her grip on the small bottle. The man nodded once at her, then left, slipping away into the crowd of curious onlookers behind the yellow tape. Her fingers uncurled, revealing a vial filled with a thin, green liquid. She frowned, holding it up toward the gray covered sky. The liquid splashed against the sides, filtering the clouds above in a faint film, like algae.

He's crazy if he expects me to take this without knowing what it is, Skye scoffed to herself, pocketing the vial. She would have Jemma do an analysis once they got back to the jet. Skye stopped herself short, looking to the beach. Jemma waved to her, and Fitz glanced up from his paperwork, waving Skye over to where they stood.

If she had Jemma do an analysis she would wonder where Skye had gotten the vial. Skye could lie to her, but there was the off chance that Jemma might actually help if she told the truth. It wouldn't be the first time that Skye convinced Jemma to join in on her antics. If it concerned a member of the team then Jemma tended to be more than willing to help. She even went as far as tazering Agent Sitwell, one of her S.H.I.E.L.D. superiors, just to obtain classified files for Skye. It worked out in the end, but if it wasn't for Coulson cleaning up their mess who knows what sort of trouble she and Jemma would have been.

The glass vial felt heavy against her thighs, a conscious weight pulling her down. She couldn't drag Jemma into this. Not this time. Coulson wouldn't be able to forgive this one if Skye were to be found out. The last time she dallied with Miles and the Rising Sun, Coulson put her on lockdown, going as far as making Skye wear a bracelet that kept her from operating electronic equipment. He obviously had no idea how hard it was to keep from instagramming what she had for lunch that day. But, Skye wanted his trust, she wanted the team's trust, and jumped through hoops to get that bracelet off. No, she couldn't drag Jemma into this mess, not this time.

"Come in," I called out sifting through the files that Skye had given to me. I barely glanced up to see Ward shuffling inside, carrying something with both hands. Curious, I did a double take, watching as he closed the door behind him with his foot, adjusting two glasses and a bottle of wine or champagne so that they didn't slip from his loose grip.

Ward walked to where I sat at the small coffee table. Even though there was a couch in front of it I had opted to work on the floor with my files spread out all around me, cascading from the table like a waterfall of papers onto the floor where I sat cross-legged and already in my pajamas. If I wasn't so caught up in what Skye had discovered I would have been embarrassed at my disarray state.

Setting the glasses and bottle onto what little room was left on the coffee table, Ward sat down and picked a file up. He briefly read the title, his face a mask of emotions, hard to understand what he was thinking, as always. At least with Loki he wore his emotions on his sleeve, and even when he remained impassive there was always a glint in his green eyes that would unlock how he really felt. But, not Ward. It was like looking at a statue. A very attractive, artistically carved statue.

Swallowing hard, I looked away from him returning to my work. "Did you know that when you concentrate you stick out your tongue to the side?" pointed out Ward. I glanced up at him, sucking my tongue back into it's place. The tip was dry enough that I had been sticking it out for a while without even realizing it. Loki always liked to point it out too. Ward smirked, "it's cute, don't worry."

I glared, setting my pen down. "Are you still under the effects of the love spell?"

"No," Ward promised, tossing the file in his hand down onto the table. "You were there when the Aaby's said as much." He reached for the bottle of what I guessed was wine after all, and twisted the cap off with ease.

Geeze, could he never take a joke? He was always so serious, even when he was relaxed. I chewed on my bottom lip for moment, wondering how I kept finding myself with these men that obviously were damaged in some way or another. Couldn't I just be attracted to someone who had a closet cleaned of skeletons and wasn't involved in a world where monsters were just another part of the job description? Was that really so much to ask?

I wouldn't have to constantly dance around my feelings then. Which, would be a nice break for once. With Loki I never knew what would set him off, and he was an expert at putting me down. Any emotions I had were just weak, Midgardian feelings that he didn't have the time or patience to deal with. Whereas with Ward it seemed as though he had no emotions and it felt as if he didn't understand that other people did.

"How's your shoulder?" I finally asked to break the quiet tension after noticing Ward wince as he twisted the cap back onto the wine bottle.

"I tried to find Jemma to look at it but she and the others are on the field. May says it'll heal just fine," he explained, "but I'm supposed to take it easy so it can heal."

I couldn't help but hide a smile as he rolled his eyes at the word easy. Ward never took anything easy. If Coulson sent him on vacation he would probably spend the entire time in a gym or at the shooting range.

"How's yours?" he asked, pointing at my arm.

"I tried looking for Jemma too," I admitted, barely looking at my make-shift bandage, "but I couldn't find her so I cleaned it up the best that I could." I shrugged. "It'll be fine."

Ward handed me the glass of a deep, red liquid the color of the tree leaves in Asgard. I stared into the glass, watching the liquid slosh around the container, frowning at the thought. I tried to keep Asgard from my mind, a distant memory of a lifetime long ago. Yet, it seemed even the smallest thing would trigger my thoughts to the godly place. My concerns had to remain on Earth, there was too much at stake to let them flit away to another world. A world where I didn't belong.

On Earth I had my family, my mother and Sully who waited for my visits home. I had friends and a career, people that cared. On Asgard there was nothing but bad memories of Asgardians who didn't want me there and Asgardians who tried to have me killed. No, I suppose it wasn't all bad, I thought to myself taking small sips of the lukewarm wine, after all I had befriended Thor and the Warriors Three. Even Lady Sif and Frigga, Loki's mother, had somewhat warmed up to me.

But, those were times passed. An adventure left to a diary tucked away in my suitcase. Nothing to dwell on, not when I had so much in front of me that I didn't have before.

I looked up at Ward. He was poking through the files, nursing his drink. What was he doing here anyways? Did he come to talk? To look at the files? To finally discuss that stupid kiss that I kept thinking about every time I looked at his lips.

I looked at his lips. Dammit.

"I know you're upset with me for not telling you about Bailey-I mean, Freya-sooner," he finally said. I blinked, realizing that I had been staring much longer than I intended. "I didn't think she would be an issue."

"I think issue is an understatement. She tried to have us killed," I replied, deadpan. Not to mention that she shot you, I added to myself. "We could have been on better guard if I had known about your history with her."

"It wasn't your concern at the time," he defended, his thick brows knotted together.

"Grant," I firmly looked him in his dark eyes, searching for any clues that he actually cared about what I had to say, "we are partners, whether or not you like it. If you can't trust me to tell me what is-"

"Bailey is my younger half-sister," he blurted out.

I exhaled loudly, deflated at his confession. "You're...that..." I shook my head, moving my lips like a fish out of water. I swallowed hard, gasping for words like air. "Your sister?"

Ward nodded, downing the rest of his drink, the ice clanked hard against his teeth and the glass. He set the empty glass down, leaving water rings on the coffee table. My eyes flickered to the water spots, keeping myself focused on the matter at hand. I could scold him for not using a coaster another time.

Ward never talked about his family. Once Skye hinted that he came from an abusive one, though she said he never explicitly said so. I didn't know the story, I didn't know anything about him to be honest. I didn't even know he had siblings.

But, Freya...I mean, Bailey, was his younger sister? I studied Ward, his dark eyes glued to the empty glass on the table. There wasn't much family resemblance. Bailey had pale features, whereas the only thing pale about Ward was his emotions. I never would have guessed they were siblings.

If their appearances didn't give it away their surprise to see one another didn't either. There was nothing friendly, or familiar about the way they treated each other. I would have thought they were complete strangers until they started yelling at each other about past mistakes. Past lovers sounded much more believable than siblings.

"We enlisted into S.H.I.E.L.D together, trained together, went on field missions together, and then one day she shot my best friend and left me for dead," he revealed, pouring himself another glass, though he only continued to stare at the

contents of his drink. "I don't know why, never found out why, and she had gone missing since then."

"You didn't want to ask her?" It would have killed me to not know why sibling had betrayed me. I had no sister or brother of my own but just the thought of my younger cousin Thomas, who had always been more like a brother than a cousin to me, betraying me the way that Bailey betrayed Ward was agonizing. How did he not demand her to explain herself when he saw her again?

"She wrote once," Ward replied, as if that had fixed everything between them. "It's not something I want to get into," his sullen stare flickered to mine, his hollow cheeks flushed, "not right now. I just..." he hung his head low, plunging his face into the palm of his hands, "I couldn't pull the trigger then, I couldn't do it now, I won't be able to do it in the future..."

"Grant," I quietly started, shifting where I sat on the floor.

Ward dropped his hands to his lap. "It wasn't because I didn't trust you that I didn't tell you," he sincerely spoke, adding, "not about that anyways." Of course, only where Loki was concerned. "I just figured if any trouble came up I could handle it."

"Well, you did a fantastic job with that," I retorted, tasting the sarcasm that built itself up in the back of my throat. It was a little harsher than I had intended but I was still mad he hadn't told me before. "I know I'm not the strongest, or the fastest person ever and I know you're better in a lot of field work than I could ever hope to be but I'm not entirely useless."

"You've never been useless, Hayden." I felt my jaw freeze. "Look, Mrs. Aaby explained something to me about the love potion after we found out what it was."

When he didn't continue right away I raised both of my brows high. Ward sighed heavily, setting his empty glass on the table. When he matched my gaze I could feel my face light on fire under the spark of his hard stare. Suddenly I felt small, smaller than I had felt in a long time, afraid of the boot that could crush me with just the weight of his words.

"The love potion only works on those where feelings were previously hidden," he quoted. "I know you're not useless, I know you're not weak. You've never been someone that I thought couldn't handle yourself in any situation that you find yourself in. I mean, you're one of the smartest people I know, and you've contributed more to this team than I ever have. I'm just a guy whose really good with a gun.

"And when you were added to our team I was surprised to see that those rumors that you weren't S.H.I.E.L.D material were just rumor in the end. I should have told you about Freya and her betrayal and that she would probably do it again. I shouldn't have thought that I could handle the situation on my own if it were to arise. You're part of this team for a reason, Waltham, and I should have trusted that judgment. Coulson hasn't steered our team wrong yet."

I exhaled heavily, unaware that I had been holding my chest. What was he trying to say to me? Was his goal to unnerve me? Because it was working. I felt completely undone, drowning in a sea of manila folders and papers, unable to swim to the surface where Ward waited for me to gasp for air. Instead I was choking, spitting out the acidic pain that drowning caused that lodged itself into my chest.

Why confess all this to me now? I wish I was on the couch. At least then I could slump into the cushions and loose myself in the leather. Instead I was left to sit on the floor, feeling as if I was stripped naked and thrust under a spotlight where Ward was the only face I could focus on.

"I just-I came to say I'm sorry," he finally said after I was unable to reply. "I shouldn't have underestimated you. And I won't again."

Ward stood up, reaching to gather his drink. If it was the hour for confessions then I wasn't ready for him to leave. Not yet. Not when we still had so much left to say. I reached out, grabbing his wrist to stop him from picking up the wine bottle. Ward stilled at my touch, his veins at his wrist jumped beneath my fingers.

I made a lot of mistakes in my life. A lot that left me hurt and alone. Some that left me completely destroyed on the inside. And others that I wished I could forget. If this was a mistake then I had never felt so right about something that was wrong.

I released Ward's wrist, rising to my feet. The shock still ran through my arm as I helped him gather his things. It was late anyways and I still had a lot of work left. Impulsiveness wasn't my forte anyways.

"Thanks for the drink," I awkwardly smiled, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"I figured after a day like today we could both use one," he shrugged, "besides I owed you one," he winked, gathering the glasses as I picked up the wine bottle. I handed it to him, catching my breath as our fingers brushed against one another.

Impulsiveness lead to great tragedies. It was a classic trope. Shakespeare used it often, movies loved to paint it as a free-spirited trait, but I knew that it wasn't something to dwell on. But as our fingers lingered at the simple touch I felt my eyes drag down to his lips.

My arms wrapped around his neck, my legs awkwardly bent over the coffee table between us as my mouth landed on his. Ward was quick tok respond, as he was to everything, and he accepted my kiss with parted lips, his breath hot against my face. The glasses in his hand clattered to the floor, his now free hand pulled me over the table, wrapping my legs around his waist as he fell back onto the couch.

I dropped the wine bottle to the cushion beside us, laughing into his kiss as we landed with a soft oomph. I could feel Ward's smile tighten against my lips as one of his hands tugged at the back of my hair, tangling his fingers into my ponytail until the strands were free from their elastic prison. My hair tumbled down my shoulders in heavy waves, wrapped around Ward's hands as he pulled it to the side of my neck, trailing his pinky along the sensitive skin.

My lungs felt as if they were about to collapse. I could hardly breath beneath the pressure of his kiss. I pulled away, gasping for air. Ward's lips dragged to my collarbone as he released his grip on the back of my head and moved his hands to my hips. I scored closer into him, pressing myself against him so that he sunk deeper into the couch.

"Should we slow down?" he asked, his lips still on my skin.

I glanced down, suddenly aware that I was completely straddling him. I exhaled loudly, swallowing hard as I stared into his eyes, the fire still burned as he looked up at me. My hair fell into my face, toppling onto his chest. I watched the strands brush back and forth against the cloth of his shirt deciding that it would look best on the floor.

"I think-" I think I've done enough of what people expected me to do and not enough of what I wanted that slowing down wasn't option that I wanted to take. Exhaling unevenly, I reached down and carefully trailed my fingers along the bottom of his shirt, inching it up to expose a strip of bare skin. "I think this should come off," I finally forced myself to say, feeling my face grow hot as the words trickled from between my teeth.

Ward leaned forward, grabbing his shirt from the back of the neck and pulled it off in one quick swoop. He tossed it across the room, pulling me back into him before it landed on the floor. My eyes instantly fell to his chest, my fingers stretched against his skin. I could feel his breathing slow as his chest plummeted beneath the palm of my hand.

"Fair's fair," he growled, slipping his hands beneath the plain tank meticulously peeling it off. I lifted my arms, inhaling sharply as his fingers trailed along the inside, brushing back down to my hips.

I leaned forward, pressing my naked chest against his, barely brushing my bottom lip against his chin. The small prickles of a five o'clock shadow rubbed against my skin. Grant pushed his fingers into the bone of my hips, flipping me onto the couch flat on my back. Mid-gasp he pulled me down so that he could bend down and firmly press his lips to my neck.

His hands felt rough against my skin, they were hard-working hands, hands that weren't afraid to get dirty if needed to be. They trailed down my side, gently brushing along the curves of my skin. I felt my breathing slow, my veins pounded against my neck, beating with every kiss he placed. I turned my head, catching his mouth with mine then dug my hands into the back of his hair, gripping at the soft, thick locks.

"Maybe we should move to the bed," I suggested.

Ward said nothing. He wrapped my legs around his waist then tossed my arms around his neck. I clasped on tightly, trying not to cringe as he stepped on the spilled case files, knocking the papers out of the folders. It didn't take long for my mind to become distracted.

The bed wasn't exactly soft or plush but it was much more comfortable than the couch had been. Ward laid me on my back, carefully unbuttoning my jeans then pulled them off in one sudden movement. A light breeze brushed over my bare skin, making the tiny hairs stick up. It became rather apparent to me that I was practically naked, wearing nothing but floral printed underwear that Loki had once teased me for by calling them old lady curtains during one of his many rifling excursions inside my suitcases.

Ward didn't seem to mind them. He was more focused on taking them off than anything else. His fingers looped around the leg holes, the silk was soft against skin as he slowly slid them down my legs. My heart began to pound hard against my chest, expanding as I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what was to come.

However, it didn't. Ward leaned down, placing his lips gently onto my own, digging his hands into my hair. I kissed him back, cursing at myself for the way my bottom lip trembled. There was a surprising tenderness to the way that Ward held me, the way that his fingers wrapped around the strands of my hair, the way that his lips would briefly push against mine that they felt like the kiss of a ghost.

Ward moved with precision of a man who knew what he was doing. His fingers made light work of our remaining clothes and they instantly fell to my body, caressing my skin so that goosebumps flocked to the surface. I swallowed hard, stifling my moans, afraid that Coulson or May might hear us. While fraternization was discouraged it didn't stop many agents, but I didn't want it to be a topic among discussion. What happened behind closed doors happened behind closed doors for a reason. Sounds included.

So, I buried my face into his shoulder, breathing in a mixture of sweat and faded cologne. His lips brushed against my neck, his calloused hands pressed on the small of my back, lifting me into him and off of the bed. Grant's lips pressed hard into mine, cutting off a moan that trickled between my teeth. I exhaled loudly into his mouth, trying to remind myself to keep quiet.

It didn't last long. I wrapped my hand around my mouth, gripping hard as my other hand dug into Ward's back, my nails buried deep into the blade of his shoulder. He grunted, holding onto me as I felt my screams reverberate inside my palm, trying to escape through my clenched fingers. Grant rolled off of me, panting hard as I felt my body melt onto the bed, heaving my chest up and down as I glanced over at Ward.

His eyes were closed, with one hand against his moving chest. He blinked his long lashes, slowly rolling his eyes over to me. I felt my throat tighten, the heat of the moment cooling off as my body temperature rapidly fell. Quickly, I sat up, refusing to look at Ward as I started to pick up my clothes off of the floor.

"Hayden?" I stilled at the sound of his voice, clenching onto the top of my flannel pajamas. "Are you okay?"

Slipping my shirt over my head I started say yes, but found myself saying no as my gaze met with his. "I"m just a little confused," I admitted. Grant waved me over and I walked back to the bed, sitting beside him as my fingers twirled the buttons on my shirt.

Grant grabbed my hand, tugging me into him. He pressed my head gently against his chest, and gently began to brush at the strands of my hair. I felt my heart quicken at his surprisingly soft touches, closing my eyes as I concentrated on the sound of his breathing.

Loki's long legs draped along a leather chair, his fingers danced along the pages of a book that he hadn't read a single page of. His mind was far too preoccupied to focus on the lines of words written in Midgardian tongue. He had been seated for almost four hours, dangling his foot from side to side as he silently awaited for Astrid to wake from her trance. She sat in the middle of a circle of stones, drawing their energy to her to see into the past.

He didn't know the capabilities of Astrid. She hadn't told him much about her abilities but she had ensured him over and over that she could do anything that he asked. So, he had asked her to find the Ebony Blade, and find it she promised. He knew it would be time consuming, but not so boring. After spending months in a glass prison the silence was grating.

Loki slammed the book closed, dropping it hard on top off the metal end table beside him. His glaze slid to Stark, who was on his electronic device, flicking his finger against the screen while muttering to himself every so often. Agent Coulson and his female companion stood off to the side, stoic and mannerly, with their hands neatly folded in front of them with their beady eyes set firmly on Astrid. In the four hours that the seer worked no one had dared to speak to one another.

It was just as well, Loki had nothing to say to any of them, but it didn't ease the boredom that crept into his bones like a dead winter in the still of the night. He stretched his limbs, extending his fingers like that claws of a cat. inhaling deeply Loki began to clear his mind to focus on his core; a technique he was once taught under Frigga's studies meant to center your energy, strengthening ones magic.

As a child it seemed tiresome and he often found himself bored sitting in one place for too long. His disdain for the practice continued well on throughout the years until he was far into manhood. Loki carried it on his shoulders through the time when Midgardian's believed that a man in the sky pulled a blanket over the sun turning the day into night following him until he was sentenced to remain in Asgard after attempting to rule a throne he was meant to sit upon as was his birthright. He spent his days watching, no, feeling his magic drain from him until one day he woke and it was gone.

He had been in the gardens, making his way into the woods to meet with Karnilla when he spotted Frigga tending her roses. It was one of those rare days after Odin's death that she wasn't locked up in her room. Loki stopped in his tracks, watching the thin woman brush her spider-leg fingers against a thick, red petal of one of her flowers. It wilted upon her contact, and Frigga instantly pulled away.

She had often told him during their many practices that magic was internal. It flowed deep inside, invoked by emotions that could be in turn contained. Instead of channeling the energy into an outrage of meaningless words or tears that prickled in the corners of heavy eyelids, Frigga told him to focus that energy on finding his center instead, to strengthen the magic within. It was all balderdash, but even the desperate pray to gods they did not believe in. Near the end Loki was no different.

It took watching Frigga alone in the gardens tending to the dying garden that wilted at her bitter touch to see the truth of his words. Magic was indeed far more powerful when connected to ones soul, and so he fled to his chambers to channel his energy just as she taught him. For weeks on end he would practice, hoping that some glimmer of luck would be bestowed upon him and his magic would not fade. Lady Luck was a scorned woman, her lips never brushed his own. She turned from him, and too his magic with her.

Every so often, Loki would focus on his center- despite having no magic to pull-for practice when his magic returned. The thing about meditating was that it was typically done in silence. It was rather hard to concentrate with a woman screaming notes that could have broken the windows around them.

Loki remained still, his gaze dancing around the room. Tony pulled his hands up to his ears, his drinking glass casualty dangled from his fingertips. The two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents sprang forward, Coulson extended his arm to reach for Astrid's shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Loki coolly warned, knowing full well that Coulson would not pay him any heed.

The balding agent gave Loki a look that said he knew what he was doing then clasped his fingers around Astrid's shoulder. The screaming ceased. The woman agent pulled Coulson's arm back, waiting for Astrid to move. Tony slowly dropped his hands from his ears, leaning forward in his seat.

"What's happening?" asked Stark, setting his glass down at his feet. He stood up, stepping over the half-empty drink to where Astrid sat in her circle of stones.

Loki stayed put, reaching for another book from the pile beside him. He tugged it into his lap and began to nonchalantly flip through the pages. "I warned you," was all he said.

Astrid snapped her eyes open, the blank gaze stared up the ceiling. She slowly rose, Coulson and his female companion stepped back. Tony sat tall in his chair as Loki continued to skim the words printed neatly across the pages of his book. He waited for Astrid to speak, ready to feign an uninterested air about him as she told them of what she saw. He froze his fingers on the page he was about to turn then turned his attention to Astrid.

He slid his feet off of the chair's armrest and onto the floor, the book in his hold clattered beside him. His eyes sank deep into his sockets, his spider-leg fingers locked together. Astrid remained quiet, her milky gaze unblinking, the makeup around her eyes smudged inside the corners. She spread her arms wide, like the broken wings of a bird ready to fly.

This was what Didrick had tried to warn them about. His sister was not strong enough for the task ahead of her. Astrid could not handle the seeing powers, she was lost in another's eyes.

"What do you see, Astrid?" Loki finally asked, cutting through the thick tension that filled the room.

Her milky gaze turned to him, her pallid complexion appeared bleached to the bone. "I see..." her voice was distant like she was in another realm speaking to the room telepathically. "I see Hayden."

Loki jolted toward the blind seer, grasping her by the shoulders. Why was she seeing Hayden? What did that mean? Astrid was spying on the Dark Knighthood, how was she seeing Hayden? Did they have her? Was he too late? Was it possible the amores did something to her?

"That's impossible," muttered Coulson. Loki dragged his attention from Astrid to the short, balding man. "All you need to know is that Hayden is safe," he pointedly told Loki, pursing his lips tightly together.

"I see Black Knight." Everyone fell silent, returning their wavering gazes to Astrid once more. "He is kneeling before me." Slowly Astrid reached forward, placing her hand on Loki's shoulder. She gasped at the touch, crumpling instantly upon contact.

Loki caught her in his arms, gently setting her down onto the ground. He brushed her braid out of her face, the color in her cheeks began to return. Loki rose to his full height, crinkling his nose at the sight of her limp body sprawled against the floor. Fixing his robe Loki stepped over her body.

Tony rose from his seat, placing his hand on Loki's chest. Dragging his gaze from Tony's knobby fingers Loki stared the Midgardian nuisance square in the dark circles that masked his eyes. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To get something to wet my tongue. I am parched and it has been a long day," he answered though he didn't have to run anything by any of these creatures. "Do you care to hold my hand to make sure I do not get lost?"

"Just stay out of trouble," Tony warned, plopping back into his chair.

"I usually do," he smirked, striding out of the room and into the hallway. Kitchen first, then maybe he would take that tour no one thought to offer him.

"This is going to be weird, isn't it?" I frowned, brushing out the knots in my hair. A blinking blue light caught my attention. I set my brush down then I reached for my phone off of the nightstand noticing that I had three unread messages from Skye.

The most recent one read: you're not answering and that's not a good sign. I'll stop by your room as soon as this...the message was truncated. I clicked on her name, pulling up the entire conversation.

"Everyone thinks I'm the pessimist?" asked Grant, slipping his legs into his pants. He walked over to the bed, pulling me onto my feet then wrapped my arms around his neck. "What will make this weird?" His hands gently slid along my hips around my back. "The only thing that will make it weird is if we make it weird."

"That's the thing," I started, biting down on my lip to stop myself from talking.

Wasn't it an unwritten law that you didn't talk about where a relationship was headed after sex? It was sort of spontaneous even though Ward did admit he had feelings for me. What if it was just sex, a one time thing? What if Grant thinks this is going to be a friends with benefits situation? Oh god, I panicked, I really should talk to Skye about this first.

"Hayden." I blinked, registering an amused smile scrawled across Grant's face.

"So he smiles," I teased.

"Only when there's something worth smiling for." Ward reached down, brushing my hair out of my face, tugging it gently behind my ear where his hand rested. He leaned forward, parting his lips slowly, and I stood on my tip-toes stretching to meet him when a knock sounded at the door.

"It's Skye," I gasped, attempting to whisper as I untangled myself from Grant's hold. I briefly glanced down at the unread text messages on my phone. "What do we do?"

"It's Skye. She's smart but...you know," smirked Grant, buttoning the top of his jeans. He grabbed his crumpled shirt from off the ground, tugging it over his head as he went to answer the door.

"No," I hissed, my face felt as if it had been bathed in the flames of the sun. Holding my breath I diverted my gaze to the unread text, bracing myself for Skye's shrieks even though Ward didn't think so I knew she would no doubt put two and two together.

I take it Coulson told you about Loki, huh? My head started to spin. Loki? My eyes darted across the bright screen. Whatever you do don't sleep with him. He's here on some bad news we should steer clear from.

It was like a car accident, everything fell into a slow motion perception, blurring as the cars crashed head on. I slowly looked up from the text unable to say a word as Grant opened the door, pulling the bottom of his shirt down over his exposed six pack. I saw the slender figure clad in rich shades of green before Grant had the door wide open.

My heart stopped before it bolted against my chest, feeling like a ball in a pinball machine as it ricocheted back and forth inside its cage. A tall, thin man stared at Grant, his pallid face a slate of stone. Dilatorily two virid eyes flashed from Grant to where I stood, meeting the twisted ends of a smile that I did not miss. It was a smile I had never been fond of, and it was most definitely not the smile I pictured in my head that he would greet me with.

His smile made my heart skip a beat, turning my stomach not with butterflies but with a sudden wave of anxiety. In my doorway to a room aboard a S.H.I.E.L.D. issued jet, thousands of feet in the air, a place where I never once dreamed to see him again, stood none other than a man well deserving of the title, Loki, the God of Mischief.

Reviews

kieekaa: There will be plenty of Ward and Loki to come. And now they're will be even more mwahaha

Blondie: I hope you weren't a fish out of water for too long. Sorry for the long wait but hopefully I'll be able to have more time to write now. And thank you, I try really hard to make her feel like a real person.

Sunstreaker's Mistress: I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I enjoy writing Tony and Loki together so much and I intend to it more as well, it's just too fun not to take advantage of. Skye is really interesting to write as well, and I love her dynamic with Hayden. I couldn't kill off Coulson and when they brought him back in Agents of Shield. Plus it gives me a lot of ammo for him to use against Loki and sarcastic quips are my favorite to write lol

BookLovingPersonR.B.L: Sorry for the long wait! I hope to update much more often now that I have the time. I hope this chapter was worth the wait (:

titaniumalloyman: They will honestly most likely stay at about this size since there is so much to get into now that the story is moving forward. Thanks. That means a lot to hear that people are enjoying it especially after all the people who were complaining about it. I don't write happily ever afters, not without some trouble to get there first.

bretagne18: Thank you so much! Seriously. I am glad people are understanding what I'm doing here. I definitely don't want to write an easy story. I want there to be obstacles and tribulations for them. They have to deserve each other in the end. So thank you. And Coulson was explaining to her that Skye, Jemma and Fitz had left for a field mission.

Xeczion: Thank you (: and of course! You took the time to read and review, the least I can do is say something back. They really do! It makes it all worth it in the end, even if it is frustrating to get there, but that's life. Sorry for the new tease (: I promise not to make you guys wait a month for an update.

SnapeFanatic1: Thanks! They'll most likely stay at this length, at least for a while with so much about to go on now that the story is really going to progress. Yeah, I really intended to take a break but everyone was so nice and understanding. And there are the readers who don't deserve my bitterness or annoyance.

Oh yes, that's going to be fun. It did take a while, but I want to make this journey without magic tough for Loki. And, I really hope that in the end it all will be worth the wait for you guys.

vicvic221: I hope what was coming next was just as glorious as you imagined. I'm really nervous to be honest. I'm glad you enjoyed Skye so much. I really do enjoy writing her, and she isn't just a filler character, her point will come even though I feel like it already has built so much but whatever, bitterness aside lol she is fun to write and I like getting into the hacking and snooping with her. And yes, she will be on the fence with Loki for a while, which is needed, since I swear everything else I read besides yours everyone is all over Loki.

Oh I am SO excited to really get back into Black Knight and his storyline. I definitely want him to be a lose cannon, and hard to predict. I want to give the team a chase for sure. His loyalty is to himself and only himself. (: Well, if you need new spoilers just lemme know haha