So comments and reviews welcome. Here's part 2.
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The Bus had landed in France three days earlier for some routine maintenance. The Team had been temporarily relocated to a hotel in Paris for the duration of the repairs. FitzSimmons had taken the opportunity to visit their families in the UK, not knowing when they would have the chance to see them again. Which left Ward, Skye and Askikov seated around the living room of Skye's room, discussing what to do with the day.
"We're in Paris. We're going shopping." Skye said emphatically.
No. No shopping. I'm just going to end up carrying bags and translating all day, Ward thought
"Shopping wouldn't be bad. It'd be nice to have more than one set of clothes." Aksikov mused, all his others had been destroyed in the explosion in Greece.
Two sets of eyes turned to Ward.
Ward did not want to go shopping. He didn't say anything, still searching his brain for a reason to not go.
"C'mon Ward it'll be fun!" Skye tried in hopes of convincing him. He looked at her as she spoke, tanned skin, flowing brown hair and sparkling eyes that matched her hair. Enthusiasm practically flowing off her.
Ward just grunted dismissively.
"So be our translator. I don't know about Skye but I can't speak French." Aksikov offered. The Russian sat opposite him.
Not fair, Ward thought. Agent Aksikov was handsome, tall and muscular without bulging. Dark brown hair and dark blue eyes decorated a pale angular face that was almost angelic, it just screamed innocence. I'm here for risk assessment, I'm just making sure he's not a threat to the team, he thought. Two days earlier Ward had attempted to access the Russian's file but had been told because his security clearance level wasn't high enough, so he had been watching the new agent for the last two days.
Sighing he said, "Fine, let's go shopping".
Brown and blue eyes alike, lit up in excitement.
Once safely out of the hotel, Ward led them to the 6th Arrondissement and out onto the Rue de Rennes. The street was packed with high-end boutiques and Skye had run into the first one saying something about a blouse that was "too cute to ignore".
"How do you know your way around Paris?" Aksikov inquired, smiling brightly.
"I was on assignment here before Coulson picked me up", he turned to Aksikov, his eyes wandering through the stores.
Ward felt himself being dragged by a strong hand on his wrist into a nearby store, in the windows he could see mannequins sporting an array of suits and casual menswear.
Inside the store Aksikov released Ward and did a lap of the store before making a beeline for the changing rooms. Ward traced Aksikov's path toward the change rooms. Taking a seat on the bench opposite from the curtains to the change rooms. Aksikov burst out not a second afterward wearing a pair of black jeans and a muddy green shirt, both many sizes too big, he looked ridiculous and the confused expression on his face only made it better. He was fighting the urge to laugh.
"Uh Grant? Do you know what a Russian size 52 is here?", he said turning around, his clothes billowing like a sail. Then it started, Ward started laughing for a good minute until he couldn't breathe.
Ward saw a shocked expression come and go in less than a second before the Russian just smirking, undid the buttons on his shirt and at the waistband of his jeans. Without a word the over-sized clothes fell to the floor, leaving Aksikov standing there in a pair of black boxers that didn't leave much to imagination. Ward watching the display had stopped laughing, his breath caught in his throat. He was fit and toned like every other field agent in S.H.I.E.L.D.. All over the man in front of him, Ward saw ink, faint swirling blue lines of nothing in particular he could make out stood out on his skin, stretching from his wrists and ankles up and over his entire body, ending at his neckline. He crossed toned arms over his chest and looked Ward straight in the eye. Ward could feel his cheeks flush.
"Better?"
Ward's cheeks grew a shade darker. Aksikov was smirking and saying
"Thought so". He watched him turn and do another lap of the store searching for clothes.
Get it together, it's just a guy in boxers. A HOT guy in underwear, his mind whispered.
Not a moment passed before he had returned with another armful of clothes. Disappearing into the change rooms, he reappeared wearing another pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved navy sweater, this time in his size.
"How do I look?" he asked. The clothes clung to him all over, every curve of his chest, arms and legs tauntingly visible. His brain struggled for a response
"Yo-you look uhhhmm, lo-look good.", the image of him in underwear still burned into his mind. Bad enough that he had stuttered but his voice had been barely louder than a whisper, he thought.
"C'mon we better get out of here.", Aksikov said grabbing the armful of clothes and moving towards the cashier. He didn't notice, he sighed and got up to follow. Big mistake. He hadn't noticed sitting down but standing up the tent in the front of his pants was obvious. At that moment Aksikov turned around and saw Ward's predicament. Ward saw him smile. His own cheeks felt like they were on fire.
"Ok we'll wait a few minutes before tracking down Skye," he said, his smirk back in place, "at least now I know the jeans look good".
Ward felt his face burn in embarrassment. Why hadn't he himself notice the 'condition'?
It doesn't matter now, he reasoned, just think about something to kill the boner.
So he delved into his deepest memories and found the one of him of accidentally walking in on his grandmother in the shower. He shivered, never again, he promised himself but at least it had worked. Ward stood without issue now and saw Aksikov walking over toward him holding bags full of clothes.
"Here", he said, offering half of the bags. Ward just stood looking at him like a fish.
"Fine I'll carry them", he said shrugging and moving toward the exit.
Walking out of the boutique the pair heard a woman's voice after them:
"Where have you two been?", Ward recognized the voice as Skye's and turned to find her. She did not look happy.
"You guys totally ditched me!", she shouted pointing at them.
"No we didn't, you ran off", Ward heard the cool reply from the man beside him, he didn't look bothered by the accusation.
She still didn't look happy, until she saw the bags, and her curiosity got the best of her.
Looking through the bags pulling out almost everything for critical examination, she said
"Well, Agent Ward, it looks like you have some good taste", picking up the tag on the garment, "and deep pockets".
Ward picked up a jacket out of one of the bags and looked at the price tag, it read '€400'. He double checked the price. 400 euros? Then how much did all of this cost?, with the thought in mind he hunted through the bags for the receipt. In the third bag he found the slip of paper. Success.
At the bottom he saw the grand total. Without thinking twice he shouted at Aksikov
"You spent €6800 on clothes?!".
"6800?! That's like $10,000", Skye yelled.
Aksikov looked at them both with an amused expression, reaching into his pocket he pulled out a black credit card:
"S.H.I.E.L.D. expense card. I don't think it has a limit. I've spent like 24 million rubles in one go before and it was fine.", seeing the shocked expression on Ward's face and the envious one on Skye's face he explained, "It was part of the sign on package when I was recruited".
After four more hours and several thousand more euros on Aksikov's card, the trio called it a day and returned to the hotel.
"Do you really think S.H.I.E.L.D. is gonna pay for all the stuff we bought?", Skye asked in between another mouthful of baked Alaska, the hotel's specialty.
"Well I needed a new wardrobe anyway, and my last one was destroyed on assignment.", Aksikov shruugged.
Ward looked down on the recently emptied room service plates. The trout was amazing. Seeing Skye reach for more of the meringued dessert he said
"Don't forget we still have training tomorrow rookie, 5 a.m. sharp".
He heard her groan. "Fine then I better go enjoy the", she turned to look at the clock, "6 hours of sleep". Ward watched her leave still groaning and muttering something about 'the unfairness of robots not needing sleep'.
After the door had shut he heard Aksikov stand on the couch opposite him.
"I better get going too", he said, Ward saw an expectant look in the blue of his eyes..
When he said nothing the other man continued, "Good night Grant", and walked out.
What was that look?, he mused.