Welcome to the first of my (generally non-au) series of Fitzsimmons one-shots. As to be expected, I don't own AoS or any of the characters, just the ideas here.

-a little bit daft-

It's been fifteen days, four hours and twenty seven minutes since she woke up in a glass case frantically reaching for the reason she was able to wake up at all.

A lot has happened in those fifteen days, four hours and twenty seven minutes but not the one thing she wants most. The team has taken out Garrett. Ward is in custody. Nick Fury is alive. They're at the Playground with another Agent Koenig, the whole of their team, a small group of doctors. Coulson has been tasked with rebuilding S.H.I.E.L.D. and they've spent countless hours slowly working out those details while small, silent splinter groups of the once massive organization take out Hydra agents at Coulson's bidding. (Everyone left that Coulson trusts now knows he's alive and working 'round the clock to neutralize what remains of the organization).

It's all wonderful, generally speaking, or would be if not for one important fact: Fitz has not yet woken up.

She's let the world move around her, tucked up in a chair by his bed, eating when Skye drags her away, sleeping when Trip carries her sleeping body to a bed, bathing when Coulson gently suggests it and sipping tea whenever May silently brings her a cup.

Otherwise she sits and waits, occasionally reads books aloud or listens to old favorite songs, grasping the fingers of his unbroken hand and nearly chaffing the skin of his knuckles as her own fingers constantly ghost over them. It has, at the very least, given her a lot of time to think.

He loves her: there's no denying what he'd meant in those last moments and while she's never been sure herself about love, she thinks she must love him back. What else would one call this shift in her center of gravity, his sleeping body the only thing holding her anywhere? What else could explain the feeling settled deep in her chest that he is the only thing she cannot exist without? The endless cascade of tears, fears, hopes and joys as she relives moments of their combined Fitzsimmons life, aloud to him in the hopes of prompting him awake?

If all that isn't love, what is?

Fifteen days, four hours and forty two minutes after she wakes up in a glass case, he joins her.

She's half asleep and almost misses it, almost dismisses it as fever-dream and hopefulness, but the second time she hears the startled, panicked rasp of her name, she can't deny it.

Jemma Simmons unfurls from the chair and leans over him. "Fitz?" And is rewarded with the most breathtakingly beautiful, puzzled frown she has ever seen.

"Jemma? How'm I alive?" The pain on his face is obvious, his head must be pounding and he's sluggish as he wakes up for the first time in more than fifteen days, four hours and forty two minutes but it's okay: he's awake and he remembers and, judging by the uncomfortable shifting he's doing, he can still move everything (though it'll be stiff, sore and take some major PT to get back to full function). They can deal with the rest.

"You didn't think I was going to let you die for me without a fight, did you Leopold Fitz?" Her chastising words have no bite, even if they did the tenderness of her expression would bely it. "You're my best friend in the world and so much more than that—I'd rather die than have left you."

"You beautiful, daft woman," he mumbles, bringing their still joined (always, every moment she's been by his side) fingers up to his lips to brush them against her knuckles before exhaustion promptly claims him back.

She smiles softly, "rest up Fitz. We have our whole lives ahead of us to argue about who the daft one is," before running her fingers softly across his brow.

Expect fairly regular updates. I have a few of these already written and a prompt request on tumblr for at least a dozen more that fit under this theme. I'll also be uploading a one shot series of AU's. Those of you following Arm & Arm, never fear, updates are on the horizon for that as well. It's to be my summer project (along with big kid curriculum work and lesson planning), so as soon as school gets out in two weeks, there will be some concerted effort put forth.

Reviews, feedback and comments are greatly appreciated. If you have a theme idea you'd like to see, let me know!

Best Wishes,

AOR