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"Do you love him?"
"I…I don't know."
Trip turned to face Ward, his eyes wide. Him and Ward were strapped into the white airplane seats farther down the plane from where Skye was sitting with Cap, trying not to eavesdrop on their conversation but it was hard, especially since both him and Trip possessed heightened specialist senses and most definitely since they were talking about him.
"What are you going to do?" Triplett asked, his voice low. But Ward only shook his head, completely stunned. Did Skye love him? Hell, did he love her?
"Steve, I know it's hard for you to understand, but you just have to trust me. I've known him longer than you have." Skye coaxed, her quiet voice barely audible over the dull roar of the plane's engines. Ward continued to stare at Trip, knowing his expression mirrored that of his companion's- absolute dumbstruck. Like a fucking deer in the headlights. She called him Steve. By his first name. She never called Ward by his first name, except the one time he touched the Berserker Staff for the very first time. And why had Steve asked if she loved him? What business of that was his?
The plane leveled and a minute later, May's voice announced over the intercom that it was safe to roam freely around the plane as they wished.
Ward unbuckled but remained in his seat, turning his head to look out the window.
"Is it just me, or is Cap trying to pick up your girl?"
Damn right she was his girl.
"Ward, Trip, have you seen the Captain?" Coulson asked as he came up from the cargo hold. Ward pointed mutely in the direction of the kitchenette and Trip shut his mouth which had been gaping open, turning instead to look out the window as Ward had done.
"Thanks. Oh, and Ward? You don't have to stay in the Cage anymore. You can set up a cot out here or I think the couch pulls out…"
"Thank you, sir." Ward mumbled, still focused on Skye's words.
The world outside doesn't exist. His exact words to her at Providence.
"We should be at the Playground by tomorrow. We may need to refuel along the way but I don't think that will take long." Coulson informed them before going off to find Captain America.
Trip leaned forward again once Coulson was out of earshot, "Are you and Skye fighting?"
"Awh, lay off the poor fellow," Fitz said, appearing behind Trip.
Trip held up his hands in surrender, "Hey, purely self preservation. I don't want to walk in on a shouting match of have Skye beat me up in training for saying the wrong thing."
Ward gave him a look and suddenly Simmons appeared next to Fitz.
"You haven't seen Skye or-?" Then the English woman let out a gasp and surged forward.
"Honestly, it's like us men don't even exist when he's around." Fitz commented dejectedly. Both him and Trip were staring wistfully at the biochemist as she came into view with Skye in tow. They were whispering eagerly with their heads bent together as they walked past.
"It's like they're schoolgirls all over again, right Jemma? Jemma?" Fitz said in a raised voice but he was ignored. Shaking his head he turned back to the specialist, "don't worry, mates, once the initial shock wears off, they'll be back to normal." He said wisely.
"Yeah, you'll forgive me if I choose not to take advice about women from you." Ward muttered, shouldering past the engineer.
Trip hurried to catch up, "Seriously though, just talk to her. I know she'll listen to whatever you have to say. Otherwise, you know women, they get all these crazy notions in their heads."
"I'll talk to her." Ward said shortly, shaking off Trip. He thudded down the stairs and came face to face with the women, who had stopped their chatter about Rogers to look up at him.
"I just- I'm going to the back to get some supplies." He explained, thinking quickly. There really was nowhere for him to hide- he didn't have his own bunk and the Cage had cameras. They just nodded and he brushed past them, his knuckles grazing Skye's arm by accident. He could have sworn he felt a spark when their skin touched. Ward knew they turned to watch him walk through the lab but he didn't turn back to meet their gazes.
Ward sat at the bar, swirling the amber liquid in his glass, deep in thought.
"This seat taken?"
The specialist looked up, keeping his expression smooth although his skin prickled with irritation, "Depends."
The lighter haired man watched him, his face equally as composed but Ward could see the tension in the other man's body.
"On what?"
Ward had raised his glass to his lips to take a sip but paused to ask, "Are you here to interrogate me?"
The Captain stood resolutely, "What kind of Avenger would I be if I wasn't? Don't worry, I'll save the hard questions for another day."
"In that case," Ward reached for the bottle and a clean glass, "You've earned yourself a Scotch."
Rogers sat and watched Ward carefully as the latter poured the drink.
"Relax, poisoning is not my style." He said wryly, setting the drink down in front of the other man.
Rogers took a sip and regarded the drink, clearly impressed, "This is good."
"I only know how to pick the best." Ward cast a sideways look at Cap, "Like Skye." He added blandly.
Rogers raised his eyebrows, squinting at the wall before turning to face Ward, "I thought you wanted to save the hard questions for a different day."
"Skye's not a hard question. It's very easy to me. I care for her, she cares for me. I would never do anything to hurt her."
"So you say and yet…" Rogers gestured to the metal bracelet that served as a constant reminder of Ward's untrustworthiness but Ward stared coolly back at the Avenger.
Rogers continued on, "But tell me, do you love her? More so than say, Hydra?"
Ward's fingers clenched around his glass for a second but he regained his composure, "I'm no longer affiliated with Hydra."
"Oh, but we're all associated with Hydra, aren't we? After all, that's what you told the lie detector." Rogers raised his glass to toast Ward, "Good job, by the way, you beat the unbeatable lie detector."
"You want to know my secret? They asked all the wrong questions." Ward took a sip of his own Scotch, letting the pointed comment hang in the air.
But Rogers was no so easily thrown off, "So, do you love her?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business." Ward's tone just asked for Rogers to provoke him further so they could just bypass the barbed remarks and get to the physical part of the fight.
Rogers turned to face Ward fully, "Skye deserv-,"
"Deserves better?" Ward finished bitterly, downing the amber liquid in one, letting the burning sensation down his throat fuel his actions, "Deserves better than this broken traitor of a man? A serial killer? A goddamn Nazi?"
Rogers laughed mirthlessly, "I wouldn't even call you a man."
Then Ward moved so he was nose to nose with the Captain, both standing with their muscles bunched, taut, ready to spring into action, "So, what, you're saying that you're what she deserves? You don't know Skye, you just met her." He spit, jabbing his finger into Rogers' chest, "I know her, I trained her."
"And you betrayed her!"
"Why do you think I'm here? Why do you think I've got cracked ribs and this goddamned bracelet? I'm here for her. To protect her. To redeem myself for her."
"Oh yeah? You say all that but I know your type. You're using her to worm your way out of a jail cell, to regain old favors and soon, you're going to use that all against them and screw everyone over!" Rogers eyes burned into Ward and in a flash, Ward shoved the Captain and he was shoved back in return then Ward had grabbed the collar of Rogers' shirt and had his right fist drawn back, ready to strike-.
"Ward! Stand down." Coulson barked and Ward looked over to see the Director standing with his arms crossed, a scowl on his face. Suddenly, the memory of him and Coulson in a similar situation hit him like a freight train. It had been in the same area of the plane, instead of Rogers, it had been Trip that Ward was about to punch. But the conditions were the same. It was for Skye. In a coma or awake, it was always for Skye.
Reluctantly, Ward released Rogers and stepped back, keeping a careful eye on him while Rogers straightened his shirt. Captain America wasn't known to pull and fast or dirty ones, but you could never be too sure.
Coulson's face held the same expression as the time he gave his first "team player" speech to Ward and the specialist knew what was coming next.
"We're on this plane as a team. It would do you both good to remember that." At this, Coulson shot a particularly nasty look at Ward. He was always forgetting but he couldn't really help it, he had always been trained to fly solo. "Now, we've got more pressing issues at hand than this strife you two seem to have so either sort it out now peacefully or forget about it. Injuries by each other's hands aren't going to help us save the world. So stop acting like teenagers."
"Besides," Coulson added as an afterthought, "No one fights over Skye when I'm not present to participate and protect her best interests."
"Spoken like a true father." Rogers said gruffly and Ward had to agree although he continued to glare at his provoker.
Coulson made a shooing gesture and Ward backed away slowly in the direction of the end of the plan while Rogers turned his back and headed for the cockpit. Coulson watched as both men went their separate ways, clearing his throat as Ward continued to drag his feet. Ward's eyes met Coulson's hard ones and he turned and made his way down the hallway.
Skye flattened herself against the thin partition as Ward stormed by her heart pounding which had nothing to do with the fact that she had almost been caught eavesdropping. Slowly, she took her hand off her mouth which had been there to contain her gasp somewhere along the lines of Ward and Steve's conversation.
She had no idea… her heart ached at the thought of the passion in Ward's voice when he proclaimed that he was there just for her, that everything he did seemed to be for her (even though she explicitly told him that he should be doing it for himself too). Thinking about it, it made sense to her that Ward's feelings toward her should be so intense. He rarely cared for others but when he did, it had to be profound. However, she wasn't ready to admit that he loved her. That word was still too strong and presumptuous.
As for Steve… she had almost walked in on them just as Steve had accused Ward of betraying (no doubt) her. Concealing herself behind the thin wall between the open area and the hall to the balcony, she listened to their fight. Skye had sensed the tension between them but she never thought Steve would be so hateful toward Ward. It's not like her former SO had a personal hand in causing pain to Steve. Of course, Captain America didn't know that Ward was only loyal to Garrett and not Hydra.
When Ward had rushed past her, Skye thought she was done for but in his rage, he hadn't even noticed her, something that rarely ever happened. Ward was always on high alert with his super senses and Skye had considered reaching out to him and talking to him but she thought better of it. If he was too upset to notice that she was there, he would be too upset to talk. All he needed was his time to blow off steam on his own and Skye knew that the "on his own" part of his was crucial.
"Well, I can definitely say that I have never had two guys fight over me like that, especially two very hot agents of a top world security agency." Skye said as emerged from her hiding place. Coulson didn't even jump at her sudden appearance. Instead, he unfolded his arms and began to walk in the direction of the staircase to his office.
"And I can say I've never had to break up a fight between Ward and another guy over a girl."
Skye raised an eyebrow when Coulson turned back to look at her, "So, are you my adoptive father now?" She held her breath as she waited for his answer.
Coulson only smiled as he began to ascend the steps but it was all Skye needed.
"I suppose you don't have any doubt that Hydra really plays no part in their hostility toward one another?" Coulson asked her, opening the door for her.
Skye turned to him, surprised, "Isn't that the basis of their argument? I'm pretty sure-,"
"You were just ammunition? I don't think so. If you were, you would be a lot angrier. No, Hydra is only a part of it. The whole conflict is over you." Coulson interrupted, sitting down in his desk chair but Skye remained standing, dumbfounded.
"That doesn't make sense, Steve-,"
Coulson frowned, "Really, Skye, I had expected for you to have picked up on that by now." His frown relaxed into a more thoughtful look, "Maybe you just can't see it because you're in denial since it's you he likes."
It was Skye's turn to frown, "I think you got it all wrong, AC." But even as she said it, she could start to understand the unexplainable acrimony that Steve always seemed to possess when Ward was mentioned or around.
"Damn it." She muttered.
Coulson smiled thinly, "I think you know what you have to do now. They obviously won't settle this themselves."
Choose one.
"But even after I choose… after I choose, the other will be upset, won't they? And either one of them upset would be bad."
"Not if you do it right. I plan on using you to unite them anyway, if you don't mind being used one last time."
"Me? How can they unite over me? I'm the one they're fighting over."
Coulson smirked, "Exactly, you are what they have in common. So try not to shatter the other's heart too much." Coulson advised wisely and Skye couldn't suppress her smile.
"You're a dangerous and sneaky, sneaky man, AC, playing those men's emotions like that."
Fitzsimmons had cleaned out Cavaco's room for Ward and made up a new one for the Captain in the next pod over. The doctor had stayed in Belgium to assist in the start up of the new French center and would eventually find his way back to Fury now that Fitz was making remarkable progress with his recovery. Ward liked to chalk it up to his encouragement but Simmons was convinced it was her constant pushing (or nagging as Fitz and Ward fondly called it behind her back).
Ward purposefully turned his head to avoid making eye contact with Rogers as he passed by Ward's pod. He was still seething after Coulson broke up their altercation and had no desire to continue the conversation part of it, or be sedated by Simmons whom had been instructed by Coulson to do if necessary.
He had gone unashamedly to Fitzsimmons after nearly punching Captain America because his right arm was experiencing peculiar tingles and finger spasms. There, after some monitoring and voice speculations, the scientists had concluded that when Ward had tried to punch the Captain (he had explained the situation to them, resulting in a very disgruntled Simmons that was still very concerned about his ribs) the bracelet that circled his right wrist had sent electrical shocks up and down his arm supposedly strong enough to stop him but with the leftover Berserker rage still bottled up inside him, there had been no effect until after he began to calm down and the Asgardian influences slipped into the muted and dull state again.
Throwing back the covers of his cot, he settled into the small bed and shut his eyes, trying to ignore the faint tingles in his arm and the emptiness he felt without another body to fill.
He woke the next morning feeling worse than he had when he fell asleep. Fitzsimmons looked up as he walked through the lab, still rubbing sleep out of his eyes.
Simmons hummed sympathetically, "Was the cot lumpy? Not enough blankets? You look absolutely awful. Maybe you should take a nap on the couch-,"
"The cot was fine, Simmons. I just…couldn't relax enough to sleep. I don't need a sedative." He added hastily as Fitz pushed a cup of coffee into his hands.
"No worries, it's just coffee. He's up there already so I took the liberty of bringing you some coffee down here. Oh, and Skye made you this tray- she said this is what you eat every morning. Do you actually eat this stuff? It looks dry and wholly unappetizing." Fitz pulled up a stool for Ward and set the breakfast tray on a counter.
Ward mumbled his thanks. It was nice having the scientists fuss over him and guessing his emotions close to correctly. His thoughts gravitated back towards Skye, the very subject that had him tossing and turning the night before. She had made him a tray…it was both touching and a slap in the face. On one hand, she still cared enough to fix him his usual breakfast but on the other hand, it was a silent suggestion that she didn't want him up there eating with her and Cap. Whether or not she meant it as a double sided gesture, he didn't know for sure.
"You can't avoid him forever." Simmons said warily. Although she was generally accepting of Ward, he never missed the guarded looks she sometimes wore or the quick glances filled with caution that she threw his way when she thought he wasn't looking. Now, her words were chosen carefully, her tone delicate as not to upset him.
Ward turned his head half in her direction, "I can try." He said resolutely.
"Skye too." Simmons added quietly, "You need to speak to her at some time."
"Jemma, don't meddle." Fitz muttered to her but Ward shook his head.
"She's only trying to help, Fitz. So, what about you two?" He looked between the partners and their reactions were instantaneous. Simmons whirled around to give attention to the files she had been sorting through before he walked in and Fitz leaned in, cheeks pink but his face completely serious.
"Ag- Grant Ward, are you attempting to gossip?"
"You're right. I'll stop." Ward said, equally as grave and Simmons gave a little sigh of relief.
"But I hear that the Cage is a good place for a shag." He said out of the corner of his mouth and Fitz ducked away to mess with the Holotable and Simmons squeaked, stuffing the files into the box and running out of the room with the box.
Soon, she was back and the scientists were bickering again about one of Fitz's ideas, just as they always did when attempting to cover an uncomfortable moment and Ward finished his breakfast in relative peace.
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