A/N This is officially the longest story I've written on the site. Thanks, guys :)

Truth

Whether it was because he waited so late at night and she was just too tired too question anything he tried or not, he had managed to sneak into bed with her. He didn't know why exactly he suddenly changed his mind about her. He was angry after he finally made it back to his hotel room. About everything. Her, her words, which were apparently lies, and then her trying to weasel her way back into his heart. Admittedly, his heart leaped when her hand touched his that morning, meaning she hadn't ever left it. Still, admitting that she had lied to his face when breaking things off with him angered him even more.

He didn't understand this woman, at all. And that was what really compelled him to stick it through with her. He wanted to get her. She was an enigma wrapped up in a mystery in the form of a beautiful woman, and he found everything about that he heard about her fascinating. He wanted to find out everything about her.

Like why she felt the need to lie to him that morning. He knew that she wasn't the romantic type, or even the affectionate type; and yet, there she was, touching him and desperately trying to get him to stay. But, instead of just telling him straight up, she obfuscated her true intentions behind a veil of false mundanity.

It was cute.

It was her lie at the Hub that brought him back. It angered him even more that he was thinking about it and her as much as he did, but it was nagging him the whole time he was walking back to his hotel room. Why lie and break his heart? Was the truth just as, if not more, devastating? Who was she protecting, him or herself? If herself, then why?

It was those types of questions that made him restless and kept him pacing the floor of his small hotel room. Up until about an hour ago, he tried to content and leave well enough alone, but his mind and heart wouldn't let him. He tried to sleep, but tossed and turned for hours before giving up. He checked out and drove the ten minutes to her house. At four in the morning, in the pouring rain, he was at her door, hoping she would let him in.

She did, and he pretended to be exhausted, which wasn't hard at all, and managed to slip into her bed.

But, even lying next to her in her ridiculously comfortable bed, with her looking so good in his T-shirt, it was still nagging him. He was never going to get any sleep at this rate. He was facing her back, so reaching his arm around and placing his hand on her taut stomach wasn't any issue. He sighed contently. It seemed like an eternity since he had touched her. It brought a fluttering in his stomach that only she could make him feel. "May," he whispered in her ear. When she didn't respond, he tickled her stomach. "May?"

She squirmed into him, making his stomach flutter. "What?" she mumbled.

"Are you asleep?"

"Yes."

He smiled softly and held her a little closer. "Then how are you answering me?"

"I'm sleep talking. What is it?"

He had her attention, half anyway. Now all he had to do was get her to tell him the truth. But, how, when she had shown herself willing to lie so easily? Here went nothing, "Why did you say those things at the Hub, then try to get back with me two days later?"

"Because I like you, Ward. Good night."

He heart thumped around in his chest. Was it just sleep-idled crazy talk, or did she really mean it? His smile grew a little. He thought she meant what she said this time. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Didn't know how. Good night."

"You could have just told me. …I like you, too." And suddenly, he felt so much better for finally getting that off of his chest.

"Fantastic. Good night."

He sighed and nuzzled into her neck. "You know, it's kind of funny how neither of us knew how to tell the other how we felt."

"Ward?"

"Yes, May?"

"What part of 'good night' don't you understand?"

He chuckled quietly. "It's 5:15, so it's technically not night."

"Grant?"

"Yes, Melinda?"

"Shut up and go to sleep."

That brought a fond smile to his lips. He pressed them to her jawline and kissed her softly. "Okay. Good night." He didn't miss the smile that gesture brought to her lips.

Grant awoke later that morning, around nine, to find Melinda not in bed. He frowned, but knew that she was around somewhere, so he got up and went to wash up. Their quasi conversation early that morning was still fresh in his mind. He still couldn't believe that she had feelings for him all this time.

Everything suddenly made sense. The flirting, her continuing to sleep with him, her lying at the Hub, her leaving him as soon as she saw that he was awake. She didn't know how to properly explain herself. It was so adorable.

He got dressed and walked into the kitchen, where he found Melinda pouring some juice into a glass. "Morning," he greeted. He still liked how good she looked in his shirt.

"Morning. Sleep well?"

He smirked at the slightly bitter tone in her voice. "Like a baby. You?" His smirk widened when she glared at him.

"Can't say I did, thanks to someone. I'm not naming names, though."

"Sorry. I wasn't going to get to sleep until I found out the truth."

"So, you interrupt my sleep twice just so you could get to sleep. How is that fair?" He looked at her intently and determined that, yes, she was indeed pouting. "What?"

"You are so, so very precious, Agent May," he replied while approaching slowly. When he reached her, he wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"Precious. Do you want to lose consciousness, Agent Ward?"

"Will you be here when I come to?"

"I'm not going anywhere unless I have to." She placed her glass on the counter and then melted into his embrace.

Seeing her being affectionate while also being her normally ornery self was both jarring and amusing. He couldn't until it became the new norm for him. "Sounds like a plan to me. This place is pretty nice."

"SHIELD knows how to take care of their agents."

"So do I," he said coyly, adding, "Well, one in particular."

One of her elegantly sculpted eyebrows rose on amused curiosity. "Hm, is that so? Tell me, how would you take care of this agent?"

He unwrapped her and led her by the hand out of the kitchen and onto the sofa. He flopped down first, and then pulled her into his lap. "First, I'd treat this particular agent to a home-cooked meal, her favorite dish, of course. Wine, candles, soft music, everything. Then, I'd dance with her to the music for a little while. And then, when she complains that her feet hurt, I'll take her over to the sofa and give her a foot massage. After that… who knows, but I'm hoping it'll end on a high note."

She looked at him pointedly and smirked. "Are you asking me out on a date, Ward?"

"That depends. Would you say yes?"

She pursed her lips, and he had to fight to resist the urge to kiss her right then. "I suppose I couldn't say no to a free dinner and foot massage."

He nodded. "Then, yes, I am asking you out."

"Sure. Let's see how you do. Tonight, I assume."

"If you're free, then yeah, tonight is good."

"I'll have to check with my personal assistant, but I'm thinking I'm free. You do know what my favorite dish is, right?"

"Of course I do," he didn't, "shouldn't be too hard to make."

"I hope you don't have trouble with it. It's so difficult, after all."

He scoffed, but inwardly was starting to panic. "Please, I'm a pretty good chef. It'll taste just like it would in a restaurant."

"You have no idea what my favorite food is, do you?" When he slumped his shoulders defeatedly, she laughed. It was a beautiful laugh that his stomach twisting into knots. "Surprise me. I think I can trust your tastes."

"Sounds like a plan. So, I'll… see you tonight." She nodded and then leaned in to do something, but pulled back. In doing so, their lips brushed together. Electric sparks ran up his spine. His cheeks reddened slightly as he watched her stand and walk away. God, she's amazing.

For Melinda, he had to make sure everything went perfect. She probably wouldn't accept any less.

Maybe.