Chapter 3- Aftermaths

The blaring of the alarm woke both Fitz and Ward up instantly.

Or so Ward thought.

Fitz, in fact, had been lying awake for approximately an hour, just staring at the ceiling wondering how his life had come to this.

There he was, naked, with Grant Ward's musculature sleeping soundly next to him. He could feel the rhythm of Ward's warm breaths on his arm, a constant pendulum of a reminder of what had happened the previous night. Fitz remembered it all as though it was still happening.

Clothes were torn off of bodies like they were poison. Lips, tongues, grasping at every inch of bare, warm skin. Hands touching wherever they could reach.

He remembered gazing at Ward's naked body in awe, lust clouding his eyes. He remembered Ward encouraging him to touch, to kiss, to bite. He remembered Ward filling him up so completely that he wondered how he had gone so long without it, without him.

In the cruel, cold light of morning, Fitz remembered how.

The capsule, the water, the frantic timbre in Jemma's voice. The sight of Ward stood inside the building, just watching the capsule as it floated away, his blank expression fading and fading, getting further away with every dire second that passed.

Ward's eyes blinked open abruptly, robotically, as he too realised where he was and what had happened. "Fitz."

Fitz yawned falsely as he turned to face his lover. "Ward."

"This really happened. I didn't just dream it."

Fitz sighed deeply. "It really happened."

Ward noticed a gleam in Fitz's eye. "You regret it. I knew I shouldn't have…you still don't trust me completely. It was wrong of me to take advantage."

"Ward, you didn't. I gave myself to you. I wanted it."

Ward bit his lip sadly. "Past tense?"

"I…I don't know. What happened last night was amazing, there's no doubt about that. I just…"

"Wouldn't do it again. I get it."

Fitz rolled his eyes. "Okay, stop trying to finish my sentences and maybe I can explain to you what I actually mean."

Ward nodded passively, leaning on his arm. Fitz became fully aware that he was naked, again.

"Before everything happened, I had some very strong feelings for you. I fought them, because you didn't show signs of feeling the same way. When you…pressed the button, it became so easy to hate you. So I did. I ignored everything I felt and focused on recovering, I focused on hating you for what you did. Seeing you yesterday, it brought all of that back up. The…love…and the hate. I kissed you because I wanted to, because I was overwhelmed by how I felt. When we took things further, it felt like nothing could ever go wrong. Like I was invincible. When I woke up, I realised that this can't happen."

Ward took it all in, showing no emotions. Fitz knew he felt things, he just never wanted to reveal them before he was ready. If at all. "Why can't we? Is it…did you and Jemma…"

Fitz grimaced. "No! Oh god no! She's like my sister! I could never…there's no one else, Grant."

"So it's Grant now, is it?" Ward smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Shut up," Fitz groaned weakly. "There really is no one else. It's just…even with everything you told me, we're on different sides. I'm with S.H.I.E.L.D and you're…Switzerland. I don't want to be the one to fraternise. I don't want to be reduced to your source of intel. And when Warner finds out…"

"You're thinking way too far ahead. Warner would never have to find out about us, Fitz. And you're forgetting that I'm not actually an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"You're not an enemy to Hydra, either, though. And that's almost worse than opposing S.H.I.E.L.D."

Ward sighed. "It seems that way. But that's all just politics, Fitz. That's completely separate from how I feel about you. Fuck, how I've always felt about you."

Fitz frowned. "Always?"

"Since I met you, Fitz. I knew what I was doing was going to be that much harder in the long run. Don't let this sound the wrong way, but it was really easy to kidnap you knowing that I was going to be able to see you."

Despite himself, Fitz laughed. "That sounds psychopathic."

"I know how it sounds, it just gave me an excuse to see you. I never said it was healthy. I missed you."

Something inside Fitz told him not to let those words affect him. He tried. Looking back, he could honestly say that he tried his hardest. But Ward's presence there, lying in the bed, looking at him with such honesty in his eyes, was undeniable to him.

"I didn't let myself miss you. I didn't let myself confront what you did and how I felt because I knew it would destroy me. All of that trust and hope I put in you, all of what I felt for you, it would've just been…gone. And I think I'm glad that I can still feel something for you, even after everything that's happened. Despite what you think, I wouldn't have changed last night for anything."

Ward beamed. "Me neither."

"I'm just thinking about what happens when I leave here."

Ward dropped his elbow and lay flat on his back, sighing at the ceiling. "I hadn't thought about that."

Fitz turned to face him, fingers dancing along the muscular chest in front of him, flashing him back to the night before. "You could come with me. Explain your story to the team. They'd be sceptical but I think they could learn to trust you again. Things could go back to the way they were and we could be together."

Ward shook his head. "The team would never believe me. Especially Skye."

"Daisy," Fitz corrected.

Ward eyed him curiously. "Is this you saying that you trust me? Completely?"

Fitz hesitated. "Maybe not 100%, but enough. Enough to think that time will help me get there."

"What changed? Just a few hours ago you were ready to kill me."

"I don't know," Fitz said simply. "I allowed myself room to breathe. Room to stop being so angry all the time. And you…you opened up to me. You did something that I've never seen you do with anyone before. You trusted me with personal information about yourself and I know that took a lot. It shows me that you're in this. So maybe I could be too. Maybe I can finally let this go and just be the person I've wanted to be for so long. There's nothing stopping us now, except for Warner."

Ward shrugged. "Warner isn't an obstacle. He doesn't care about anything another than keeping peace between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra."

Fitz swallowed heavily. "About that. I'm not entirely convinced that that's his ultimate goal. From my experience, nobody interferes in such a way if they only want peace."

"I'm not gonna lie to you, Fitz, I've often thought the same thing. But I'm the one he trusts. If he's going to plan anything, he'll tell me. And then I'll tell you."

"Will you?"

Ward nodded. "You might have to keep it from S.H.I.E.L.D., but yes I would."

"I don't want to keep secrets anymore. And I know you don't either."

"True. I've kept enough damaging secrets for one lifetime."

"What's happening today anyway?"

"Your orientation, I think. Introducing you to the other engineers. That's all Warner told me."

"What else has Warner told you?" Fitz felt a betraying twinge of suspicion shudder through his system.

"Nothing that you don't already know, Fitz. I promise. He doesn't trust me that much."

A beep disturbs the comfortable silence that had washed over the room.

"Huh."

"What?"

"Warner wants to see you. Without me. Why would he want to see you alone? I recommended you for this, I'm your supervisor of sorts. I should be there."

"I'm sure it's fine, Grant. You said he has a use for me, right? He's not going to put me in danger if he needs me to do a job for him."

Ward shrugged. "I guess so. Warner's just…tricky sometimes. He speaks in metaphors and rarely reveals his real agenda. Just be careful."

Fitz swallowed heavily and nodded. He rolled out of the bed, scanning for his clothes. He couldn't remember the last time he was so completely comfortable being naked. Ward certainly wasn't complaining judging by the way his eyes roamed Fitz's skin like he was a snack.

"Stop looking at me like that," Fitz chuckled.

Ward pretended to close his eyes. "Like what?"

"Like you're gonna eat me."

Ward stretched out across the bed. "Well, I just might." He patted the bed next to him invitingly.

Fitz sighed. "If I didn't have a meeting with your boss, I would've been right there with you, Ward." He silently dressed himself, realising that he didn't have any other clothes. He sincerely hoped he'd be able to acquire some new ones, rather than only having one set of everything. He hated reusing underwear, but what other choice did he have? He made a note to mention it to Warner during their meeting. "I'll come back here afterwards?"

Ward shrugged. "I don't know where I'll be. I have patrol duty and I have to check in with tech about their latest weapons test. It can take some time. Depending on what Warner has you doing, you might be busy."

Fitz nodded. "I guess I'll just see you later."

"Count on it."

Fitz waited outside Warner's office, looking up at the security camera in the corner, as if scrutinising. It never hurt to know the locations of the security cameras, Fitz had learned from various stealth and tracking missions with S.H.I.E.L.D..

The door panel in front of him slid open, the guards prodding him forward. As he entered, they rotated and stepped in front of it. The panel slid closed again and Fitz was trapped.

"Ah, Mr. Fitz. Do make yourself comfortable, won't you?"

Fitz ambled forwards, disliking the environment of the office for the second time. It really made him feel uncomfortable but he couldn't place exactly why. Fitz slipped into the chair opposite Warner's desk and he intertwined his hands.

Warner settles into his own seat and crossed his legs firmly. "After our introduction last night, I realised that I neglected to fully elucidate on your role here."

"You wanted my engineering skills for some project, that's the extent of my knowledge on the subject."

Warner dipped his head. "I asked my agents to gather intel on potential engineers that we could use for it and Ward gave your name faster than I could even say 'project'. It's clear he recognises your talents." He smirked.

Fitz blinked. Does he know? That smirk plus the intonation spelled out trouble. "I'm the only engineer that he knows since he was undercover at S.H.I.E.L.D. for years and I don't think Hydra operatives are going to be too willing to co-operate."

"Are you saying that you are?"

Fitz shrugged. "You didn't really give me a choice. Snatching me away from my home is one thing, but using my former…friend to do it was something else. You haven't given me much in the way of positive qualities. Why would I co-operate willingly?"

Warner smiled sickeningly. "That's where the project comes in. What if I told you that this project would help the entire human race?"

"I would say that you're trying to use my good sensibility to manipulate me into helping you with what is most likely a weapon to target someone and put people in danger."

"Wow, Grant really did a number on your trust issues, didn't he?"

Fitz shuffled slightly. "It's not just him, but you could say that."

"What I'm planning, Fitz, is something much less sinister. I would tell you all about it now, but I don't think I could explain on a wavelength that you would understand."

Fitz opened his mouth to argue, but Warner shot him down.

"You misunderstand. That was a compliment which sounded like an insult. I was going to let one of the other engineers explain it to you, so you get the full taste of what you will actually be doing."

"Okay."

"I have to say I'm a tad disappointed in you, Leopold."

"It's Fitz. And why would that be?"

"I haven't seen more from you than noncommittal responses and secret conversations with Ward."

Warner smirked as Fitz's signature deer in headlights expression and stepped closer, so that he was blocking Fitz from the rest of the room, mouth close to his ear. "Listen to me very closely, Fitz. I'm not sure what you and Ward are planning, but it's only a matter of time that I find out. If it's something that could potentially derail my plans, I'll have him executed and you forced to stay here until you die, do you understand?"

Fitz just nodded. Nothing he could say would help in this situation. His snarky responses definitely wouldn't do him any good. Warner turned away.

"Good! Glad we're on the same page once more. Your first session doesn't start for another few hours, so do feel free to explore the facilities. If you'd like, Ward can show you around. You two seemed to be quite accustomed to each other's company."

Fitz tried so hard not to blush, he really did. But to no avail. Warner turned back to him and smirked. That damn smirk.

"You may go," Warner said flatly and Fitz needed no more instruction. He turned on his heel and left the room quicker than he ever had left a room before in his life. The electric tension was enough to bite.

Fitz thought back on his words as he paced down the corridor, the guards switching formation once again.

I'll have him executed.

Fitz shook his head, anger rising in his veins. He made his way back to Ward's room, thinking about everything that Warner knew…or had implied. He implied that knew about Fitz and Ward's entanglement, but didn't know what they spoke about. Did the room have video cameras with no audio? Did Ward know this?

Fitz breathed deeply, washing away his paranoia. He stood out Ward's room and knocked. He didn't know why he knocked rather than walking in, but he and Ward were still reacquainting themselves to each other. It felt like the polite thing to do.

The door opened and it wasn't Ward.

A bright-faced, attractive man smiled back at him. He couldn't have been more than a few years older than Fitz.

"Uh, hello," Fitz mumbled.

"Hi! I haven't seen you around here before. I'm guessing you're Fitz, the new engineer?"

Fitz nodded dumbly. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Jesse. I'm an engineer too. I'm also going to go ahead and guess that you're not looking for this room?"

Fitz found his comfortability and smiled. "You're good at that guessing thing."

"It's a talent. Though I'm not surprised you got the wrong room, they all look the same here and you haven't been around long enough to know their nuances."

"I was looking for uh…Grant Ward's room?" Fitz wasn't sure why it sounded like a question.

"Oh, that's two doors down. Same side. You were close!"

"Oh. Damn it. I'll get that right next time."

Jesse nudged him slightly. "Get you going into Ward's room. He's really something to look at, isn't he?"

And for the third time that morning, Leopold Fitz blushed.

"Yeah, you could say that. Anyway, I'd better go."

"Oh, of course. Don't let me keep you. I'll see you later at your orientation, though. Not sure if this is a spoiler, but I'm assigned to your task station, so we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

Fitz smiled. "I look forward to it."

Jesse parted with him warmly and Fitz slid across to Ward's room, this time deciding to barrel straight in.

Ward was stood by the window, adjusting his tie. He was dressed in a full suit, jacket still hanging over the chair. Fitz shut the door audibly and crossed the room, smirk finding its way back onto his face.

"You're doing that wrong."

Ward chuckled. "No. I'm not."

"Yes you are." Fitz dropped his voice. He grasped the tie in his hands and undid the knot, throwing it to the floor.

"Fitz…"

"You can be a little late, can't you?"

"Actually…"

"Just say yes and kiss me," he breathed, eyes peering into Ward's luscious light brown ones.

"Fuck," Ward whispered and kissed him deeply, square on the mouth. Fitz wrapped his arms around Ward's waist and stepped in closer. Ward held him firmly in place as they kissed. "God, the things you do to me, Fitz. I wasted so much time."

"We both did," Fitz whispered back as he pushed Ward onto the bed, stripping off his shirt.

If Warner really was watching them, then he was going to give him a show.