Without word, Ward bent down, scooped Skye's limped form in a bridal style and carried her to the nearest couch. He sat down with her in his lap. He could feel her hating him and herself, for curling into his arms instead of pushing him away. Whispers of whys and hate in between sobs only resolved him to tell her the whole truth.

He didn't say a word but only held her securely in his arms. He held her in his arms, as if he was holding on to his last breath, not saying anything until the last sniffle left her.

Finally, when he felt Skye making a move to escape from his hold, he gently tightened and enfolded her to him again. A tender palm cupped her jaw and coaxed her to look up at him. He let his eyes feast on her beautiful features, keeping them to his memory, as his thumb traced her soft skin and supple lips. If whatever he was going to say will only make her turn away further from him, he wanted to able to remember his touch on her.

"I know how forgiving you are," Ward tightened his hold on her when squirmed against his touch. "No, please. Listen to me," he pleaded.

"I'm not going to use that against you or misuse your forgiving trait," Ward continued. "I just need to tell you the truth. I won't hold it against you if you don't forgive me. But I just need you to listen to what I have to say. About us."

Skye searched his eyes for a long time before finally giving him a small nod.

"Thank you." Ward replied with a small smile and he let her moved off his lap to sit beside him instead. They both turned to face one another on the couch. Skye reached for a cushion and hugged it to her bosom.

"Talk," she said.

Ward didn't know where to start. Everything that he wanted to say was priority to show her his sincerity. He let the silence stretched as his mind became a jumble mess.

"You don't know where to start do you?" Skye finally said.

"No."

"Fine. Then answer me this," Skye replied. "Why the need to protect me, before this? Why not just give me up as soon as you know who I am?"

"Because I did the one thing that I shouldn't have. Something that Garrett knew about. The something that was not meant to be."

"And that is?"

"I let you get under my skin. Even before we met. Garrett used that as a means to keep you in sight all the time. Because he knew my loyalty to him and my instinct to protect will keep you safe until the time comes."

"So all this while you were just doing your job?"

"You didn't make it easy," he tried to make it light bit he didn't see any humour reflected in her eyes. "I tried all I could to not feel anything for you. I thought I could keep my distance and not let you get to me anymore. Let me do my job. Be the soldier that I'm supposed to be."

"What changed?"

"You broke down my walls. You made me talk of things that I never want to ever talk about again."

"Like?"

"My brothers."

"That was all true?"

"Yes."

"What else?" Skye asked.

"You made me feel betrayed."

"Look whose talking."

"I deserve that." Ward gave out a small smile. "It was not so much as you working with the Rising Tide. I felt betrayed by what you had with Miles. I didn't see that coming."

"What are you saying?"

"I was jealous. And I tried to use that as a way to keep you at a distant."

"So, what are you telling me? You were hating me for real?"

"Yes. And I hated you more when you saved me and Fitz from that mission. I didn't want to feel that I owe you. I really wanted to just do my job and able able to finished what I was ordered to do. But you made it so difficult."

"What was so damn difficult about maintaining your loyalty?"

"He ordered you shot."

"And that was my freaking fault?" Skye rolled her eyes.

"You almost died."

"Ahhh! Right. They would have taken away your brownie points for not living up to your motto of 'Protect the Company's Interest At All Fucking Cost!'" Skye shot a sarcasm accompanied by a disgusted smirk.

He exploded.

"WRONG SKYE!"

"OH YEAH!? THEN WHAT THE HELL WAS KEEPING YOU FROM DOING YOUR JOB?" Skye tossed the cushion to the floor and jabbed his chest with her finger as she hissed, "It certainly wasn't us screwing our brains out that was keeping you - "

Skye was suddenly flat on her back and her senses assaulted by his lips coming down on hers. He was relentless as he kissed her fiercely with all the pent up emotions and desire locked in him. Ward parted her lips with assertive demand. He plunged his tongue into her mouth and continued his arousing attack that was breaking down Skye's defenses.

He took possession of her resistance and replaced it with surrender when his kisses suddenly turn soft and tender. His thumbs tenderly drew a path down the side of her neck before letting his lips left hers to trail down her arched neck. Only when Skye moaned and her hands pulling on his short hair in silent pleading for his lips again that her relented and claimed her lips in another searing kiss.

Ward was fast losing control and knew he had to stop or their next step will forever complicate their unfinished talk. He knew he had to tell the real truth.

"I fell in love with you."

Ward's breath mingled with her equally panting one when he told her the truth.

"I can't fight what I feel for you anymore."

His eyes were blazing with desperation and ferocious need for her to understand when he lay his heart out to her.

"I don't want to fight it anymore. I don't care what happens to me. But I need to keep you safe. Not because of who you are but what you mean to me."

A tear slipped down his cheek.

"That is the reason why I'm doing all that I can to protect you. I knew Nash wouldn't harm you. Couldn't harm you. But the thought of you being hurt made me murdered him in cold blood. Even Garrett wasn't expecting that.

"That's how much you mean to me. He knows. That's how he is manipulating me. I won't let him win. I won't let him have you."

With shaking hands, Ward hesitantly reached out touch her and traced the side of her face with the back of his index finger. It was so tenderly done that Skye was torn between wanting to give in to his reasons or letting a veil of doubt still exist between them.

"I know, you are afraid to trust me again. I don't blame you," he told her softly. "I won't even fault you if you don't believe how I feel for you. But, I just, let me do something for you. Something that was meant to be, all along."

"What?"

"Let me be the one to protect you."

THE END

I know it's not right to let it end like this. But until the next sequel, let's leave it here. Share your thoughts?