RENEGADE.

door falls close as   her feet step in ,  a rigid exhale followed as she dropped her bag next to her   /   she’s mentally exhausted ,   at least they are done with the mission and she’s allowed to relax .      as if they had a mind of their own ,  her feet automatically walked towards him ,   a smile managed to crack ‘bon the corners of her lips as a gentle peck was placed on his lips .

‘     —————————————— hi .     ‘

                   each  step  loosened  sharp knots in every muscle pulled   TENSE   and  COILED  after a long,  hard worked mission,    worn down  DEEP beyond his physicality.   finally,  a retrieve to relax and recharge.  as the door swung shut,   a sigh slipped from his chest,  but his arms wrapped around her in a familiar embrace.    touches,   no matter his ache for them at times,    was uncomfortable.      FINALLY.

HER HEAD IMMEDIATELY ROSE  as ears heard his honeyed laugh ,  the rare occurrence of it caused pure bewilderment ‘son her features .         coal coated lashed fluttered shut before slender fingers cautiously brushed against his ,  in an attempt to lead the cup of ice cream closer to her .         taking only one small spoon ,  spine falls onto the backrest of the bench   /   shoulders ease onto his arm .

‘     —————— does this count for everything  ?       if i ask first ,  maybe even say please ,  you will give it to me  ?     ‘      (   what about a kiss  ?   )        she get’s risky ,  on purpose .

                     legs crossed before him,   the perfect picture of comfort and ease,     even as every muscle imperceptible tremors with held tension,    ready to move  even as he smiled down to her.  the heat baked down on his skin,   the  dreadful  polo he wore blending perfectly to the surrounding tourists.  it’s not hard to place where this was all real,    their relaxation and peace.

PLASTIC SPOON WAS HELD with only two fingers ,  ready to sneak some of his ice cream   /   too bad the   (   obvious   )   attempt of a theft was noticed .        ‘     hey ,  come on  !        jus’ .  .  . jus’ one lil’ spoon ,  that’s all i want ,  alright  ?         don’t be so stingy ,  darling .     ‘          dark brows married her hairline ,  eyes quickly swept off into the distance ,  searching for their target .

                   moving the cup away with a smooth swoop,    he looked between the treat and her well-masked pleading expression,    before he just stuck a spoonful of the ice cream in his mouth with a looked of faked seriousness.      only then a moment later he let himself laugh.     ‘    fine.    just ask next time first.    you know there isn’t anything i wouldn’t give you. ’      the arm looping around her shoulders was the right chance to level a look around.

    ❝   your arm is swelling up rapidly. it needs to be splinted —   ❞  brows furrow as she gently rests the splint on the joint above the injury and the joint below it. it wasn’t the first time that ward had to pay a visit to the lab to be treated, but it was definitely the first time that he had appeared not once, not twice but THREE TIMES since a mission had ended. what he was doing in his spare time she didn’t know. what she did know, however, was that he needed to be more careful and to NOT attempt treating himself. yeah ward, she noticed that.

    ❝   — honestly ward, i’m surprised you’re not on your death bed.   ❞ 

               there was no way around the initial sharp pain after being rather brutally slammed into a wall by   yet another   overzealous henchman,    but it was nothing he couldn’t stand,   teeth gritted and popping the juncture of the shoulder back to place.     he’d honestly all but forgotten about it,    until a short round in the training room wincing every time his arm moved.      ‘   really    simmons          let’s just save the lecture. ’    if not of the threat of more permanent damage,   the lab would be the last place he stepped foot.

SHOULDERS STIFFEN ,  EVERY MUSCLE  of her being was tensed   //   the nerves of her arm began to twitch uncontrollably underneath her iron - like skin .         it’s when a deep exhale follows that her body finally relaxes ,  she’s tired ,  mentally   &   physically .       yet ,  the corner of her bruised lip cracks up ,  it’s a weak attempt of a smile .          ‘     ——————————- i am very certain the’ you are a special snowflake ,   grant .     ‘ 

‘     y’ wouldn’t mind and tell me already what you want ,  so i can go back t’ the books ,  would you   ?     ‘

                          refute bounced easily off,   shoulders shaking lightly with a chuckle as he pushed himself up to sit at the edge of the bed,     weight on his arms resting on his knees.     he’d been called worse things.     the bones of his knuckles cracked,   lips pulled in a cheeky, crooked grin.       ‘    ah,    i’m hurt fenix.   books over me ? ’

BRUISED   /   BROKEN ,  MARRED BODY was pressed against the inner of a defunct water pipe ,  which became unavoidably ,  her improvised hideout  .       eyes were augmented in terror ,  it was her first on - field mission after she left the academy ,  she doesn’t know what to do except sojourn in fear of the black unknown ahead of her .      pupils hectically darted around ,  but she doesn’t see anything ,  not even her own hands ,  it was simply too dark .      but she hears something   &   her trembling hand immediately points the gun into the direction of the noise .

‘     who is th ———————- come .  .  . come out ,  whoever you are .         ‘m not afraid   !     ‘         a lie .        the snow makes it impossible for her nose to catch the scent   /   she can’t tell who or what might just step out of the shadows .     

                        the bite of wind made its way through each and every layer he’d piled on,   still not too many to restrict him in a tactical situation,   any exposed part of flesh feeling  burned  and ready to fall off with frostbite as footsteps forced himself further and on.    garrett’s mission had been vague,   some sort of reconnaissance,   and grant felt himself itching for some sort of  adversary  to pop out in front if him just to get the chance to use those numbing fists to release pent up frustration and work some heat into his body.      a voice calling out shook him into action,    handgun finding itself tightly grasped within his fingers and smoothly pointed in its direction without any prompting,   steeled to shoot with the smallest prompt.

OF COURSE ,  DOES SHE feel ,  she feels too much   /   too intense .      a little is her pride hurt ,  she doesn’t want to scare people ,  doesn’t do it on purpose .       gaze wanders to the ground ,  bitterness crept over her face before she faces him once again .           ‘     well ,  if you are truly just half of the expert ,  that y’ seem to make out of yourself right now .  .  .     ‘        words were filled with scorn ,  it slowly oozed down her tongue   &   between her sharp teeth .

‘     ———————————- then ,  do enlighten me an’ tell me what exactly i am supposed to do with boys that are not you ,  or you .     ‘

                           the burst of anger out of her was a bit of a misinterpretation,  unintended of course,   but it didn’t faze him at all.   it wasn’t actual malice directed at him,   that much he was absolutely certain of,   so it took a level of restraint not to roll his eyes,    though he didn’t stop the corner of his mouth catching on the uplift of a smirk.      ‘    oh     don’t have a meltdown fenix.     you know i didn’t mean anything by it. ’      he had already been told several times that while his field work was astonishing,     personality left much to be desired.