Marvel Oneshots

Hurtful Words (Grant Ward)

Requested by Mehblahblahmah

Request: OH OH OH so I have an idea for a one-shot. the prompt is "I know I know. I was wrong. I said it so you don't have to say--" "I told you so, I told you so, I told you so." and it's Grant x Reader and Grant is the one that says "I told you so, I told you so, I told you so." and I don't rlly care what its about just that it has to end in a kiss. also grant isn't hydra in this (again u dont have to do this so dont feel pressured)

Summary: Reader and Grant are dating, and have been for a while. Reader goes out on a mission and does things their way, despite Grant trying to tell them to do it another way, and the mission fails. Reader's exhausted and frustrated, and all they want to do is forget the mission, but Grant doesn't want to let it go so easily.

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I trudged through the tall grass towards the Bus, slowing down as I saw the ramp lowering in front of me. I'd been sent out on a solo mission to retrieve a file full of information some mercs had stolen from SHIELD, and it hadn't gone like I'd hoped it would.

Even worse, my boyfriend and former SO Grant Ward had told me I should approach the mission a different way. I'd ignored him and gone with my own plan, and he'd told me it wouldn't work. I'd ignored him again, and it had almost gotten me killed. He'd been right, and I knew for a fact that I was going to hear about it as soon as he got within sight of me.

Every muscle in my body was exhausted as I walked up the ramp with the files in-hand. Coulson was the first one I saw, and I handed over the packet of papers I'd almost died for without a word. He just gave me a nod, then walked up the stairs and out of the garage. The ramp started going up behind me, and I came face to face with Grant standing between me and the lab.

I sighed and started walking towards him. His arms were crossed and a single eyebrow was raised, but I did my best to ignore him. I stepped around him and continued towards the lab, and I could feel him following right behind me.

"So Y/N-"

"I know, I know," I said, cutting him off before he could really get started. "I was wrong, okay? I said it, so you don't have to say-"

"I told you so, I told you so, I told you so," he jumped in, coming to a stop in front of me with a triumphant smirk on his face. I sighed and leaned back against the nearest lab table, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Yeah. That."

"You should've just listened to me, Y/N," he said, moving through the lab and grabbing an armful of medical supplies. "Then maybe you wouldn't need me to patch you up like this."

He came to a stop and set all the supplies down next to me, turning to me with a roll of bandages in his hand. I glared and snatched the bandages out of his hand before he could get close to me.

"If it's that much of a hardship for you, Grant, by all means. I'll just do it myself."

I turned away and walked across the lab, as far from him as I could get. I didn't glance back once, although I knew Grant probably didn't look happy.

I fumbled with the bandages, trying to wrap it around my arm when I could only use one hand, and I felt Grant appear behind me. He reached out to try to take the bandage, but I slapped his hand away and moved across the lab again.

"Y/N," he called after me. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Taking care of myself. Which, believe it or not, I'm actually capable of doing." I didn't try to hide the venom in my voice, but I kept my back to Grant.

"I know you're capable of taking care of yourself, but you're making it harder than it needs to be. So just let me help you."

"I don't need or want your help," I snapped. Grant was next to me again, but this time he knew better than to try to take the bandage from me. "Just like I didn't need or want your help with a plan for my mission, and I didn't need or want to hear you rub in that I failed, and you know everything and you're an experienced agent and I don't know what I'm doing in the field, so I should've just listened to you."

The lab was dead silent for a few minutes, but I still didn't look at Grant. I just kept working on the bandages and waited for him to make the next move. He shifted next to me, and for a second I thought he was just going to walk away. Instead, he leaned against the table and spoke up in a deep, quiet voice.

"Is that what you think I believe?" he asked, his voice husky. "Is that what you really think I think of you?"

I huffed and slammed the bandages down on the table, abandoning my futile attempts to treat myself. I turned to look at Grant, who had his arms crossed and was staring at me intently.

"Well yeah, Grant," I finally said, staring right back. "When you chime in on every mission I'm given and tell me how to do it, and spend a bunch of time rubbing it in when I'm wrong, it starts to feel like you either don't want me to succeed or don't respect me as an agent."

Grant looked like I'd just punched him in the face.

"I- Y/N... That is the absolute furthest thing from the truth," he said, reaching out to touch me but seeming to think better of it as his hands dropped back to his sides.

"Then why do you rub it in so much every time I make a mistake?" I asked, flinging my arms out. I was exasperated, and even the crushed look on Grant's face wasn't enough to make me pull my punches. I'd been stifling how I really felt for way too long.

"I... I don't know," he said. "To tease you, mostly."

"Well, it sure doesn't feel like teasing. It feels like I can't make a mistake without being reminded of it for the rest of my life with you."

Grant shook his head, apparently speechless. After a few seconds of him struggling to find words, he gave up and pulled me into a tight hug instead.

I didn't respond at first. I just kept my arms crossed, not letting him smooth this over with a hug.

"I'm sorry," he muttered into my hair, barely above a whisper. "I didn't know it would make you feel like that."

Slowly, my anger started to melt away. I leaned into him a little and uncrossed my arms.

"I get to the place where I never want to bring anything to you, Grant," I said, a lot more calmly now. "I don't want to share things with you because I know there's a pretty good chance I'll just hear a bunch of criticism and 'I told you so'. It makes me not want to talk to you."

Grant squeezed me a little tighter and didn't say a word. I wrapped my arms around him, finally, and hugged back.

"I'm sorry, Y/N," he whispered again, holding me tight to his chest. "I never, ever want to make you feel like that. I love you."

I sighed and felt the last tiny drops of anger melt away. My eyes were burning a little, but the tears didn't fall.

"I love you too," I whispered back.

"I know you're smart, too, sweetheart. And you're one of the most amazing, capable, impressive agents I've ever met. You can come to me about anything, and I swear, I'm never going to say 'I told you so' again."

I smiled, finally, and sagged into my boyfriend's arms. We stayed like that for a long time, and then I pulled away. Now that I wasn't distracted by the stress and anger anymore, my injuries were screaming at me for forgetting they existed.

"Can I help with that cut on your arm?" asked Grant, his hands trailing gently over the bruises as he looked me over.

"Yeah," I said, passing him the bandages from the table. "And thank you for asking."

"It's the least I can do," he said, gently taking the bandages and putting his free hand on my other arm. He pulled me closer again, then let go and instead tilted my chin up to look at him. "I love you more than anything or anyone else on this earth, Y/N."

I smiled as he closed the distance between us and caught my lips in a tender kiss. I sighed and leaned into him, losing myself in my boyfriend. We had our ups and downs, but we always managed to make it through.

Together.