Saving Grant Ward

Chapter Seventeen

A/N: Quick shoutout to @voidstarkward for going through and voting on everything! Thank you to everyone for all the support!

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I woke up to a soft shake of my shoulder and a quiet voice, so I knew it wasn't Grant. I opened my eyes and found my head still resting on Grant's shoulder, but now his head was resting against mine. He had fallen asleep, too.

I smiled to myself. It was sweet, and felt like progress the same way Grant initiating a personal conversation did. Plus, it meant he couldn't earthquake me awake the way he usually did.

Instead of Grant, I found Phil gently shaking me awake. We shared a smile, and my heart warmed for the man who'd recruited me to SHIELD in the first place. Who knew where I'd be right now if it hadn't been for him.

Phil moved to grab his bag, so I turned to Grant and nudged him awake. He looked a little flustered, for the first time I'd ever seen, which was very cute. Of course, if I'd said that to him, I'm sure he'd have me doing intensive morning workout drills as payback for a week at least.

We'd touched down in the Quinjet pretty far outside of Málaga. The plan was for the four of us to drive into town with a rental car SHIELD agents on the ground in Spain had left waiting for us. The Quinjet would be cloaked and left here in the field, ready and waiting for whenever we finished this op.

"Nobody forget where we parked," joked Garrett as he climbed into the passenger seat of the car. Phil was driving, which meant Grant and I were stuck together in the back.

"So, what exactly are we doing on this mission? I assume we're going in with covers?" I asked.

Phil nodded. "Garrett and I are going in as brothers, Clark and Bill, here for some sibling bonding and fun before Clark's wedding. You and Agent Ward are newly-graduated college students taking a whirlwind gap year in Europe before starting grad school."

"And you're dating," added Garrett.

Of course we are, I thought. Not that I really minded.

"You're going to be 'hitching a ride' with us into town since we happened to be staying in the same hotel, then we'll part ways to our separate rooms," finished Phil.

"What are our names?" I asked.

"Mark and Isabella," answered Phil.

"Mark?" I asked, squinting at Grant. "Mm, I guess I could see that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Grant.

"You just don't look like a Mark."

"Well what does 'a Mark' look like to you?"

"I don't know. Not like you."

Grant scoffed and shook his head, then leaned forward to rest his arm along the back of Garrett's seat.

"Do you see what I have to deal with?" he said to Garrett. I just grinned.

"Trust me, you were worse," replied Garrett as he made direct eye contact with me. It took me a minute, but then realization dawned. Garrett knew Ward better than almost anyone else.

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, leaning forward against the seatbelt to get closer to Garrett. "You have to tell me every embarrassing story you have about him. Please!"