Yes, I know this was up before but I wanted to revise it and add an intro and a closing segment. Enjoy!
"…are you gonna take them on? Keep us safe? Or am I gonna have to save Simmons' ass again!"
Wards words were like a lemon-drenched paper cut on Fitz's mind. Sure, maybe he was all juiced up on Asgaurdian 'roids and didn't mean to say it out loud, but there was no denying the truth of it. He couldn't protect Jemma. He couldn't protect anyone; not even himself.
"You're the hero."
Jemma. Her words were like a salve that cleared his shortcomings and insecurities away. Fitz replayed them over and over in his head and every time, Jemma's voice sounded sweeter and sweeter. He didn't need to be the big, beefy Asgaurdian hero type. Jemma just needed him to always be there for her. And he would; no matter what.
"You're the hero."
He'd never get tired of hearing it. Or thinking of it, rather. And he had plenty of time to do so tonight. The team was taking a night in a hotel in Ireland after their last mission. A sort of mini-vacation. Tomorrow, however, they'd be back on The Bus and heading for the newest near-death experience. Oh the joy.
"Fitz!"
That was Jemma! Screaming from her hotel room down the hall! Without a second though, Fitz jumped out of bed and raced to her room. Using the emergency key card she'd given him, he unlocked Simmons' door and burst in, ready to fight off what or whoever was attacking his friend.
But no one was there. No super-powered villains or alien monsters. Just Jemma, thrashing and crying in her sleep. Fitz rushed over and shook her shoulders gently.
"Jemma, wake up! It's me! Come on, snap out of it!" he called.
She awoke with a start, panting heavily, and frantically looked around the room before her eyes settled on Fitz. That was when he noticed the tears streaming down her face and the sweat matting her hair.
"It's alright, Jemma. It was just a dream." he said softly.
The bio-chemist still looked scared and confused.
"F-Fitz?" she whispered hoarsely.
She reached up and gingerly touched his cheek, as if she was afraid he'd shatter at her touch. As if this all might still be part of the dream. When she saw that he wasn't, a sob caught in her throat and she buried her head in her hands. Fitz quickly sat down beside her and gathered her in his arms, shushing and cooing to her softly.
"It's alright. Everything's okay now, you're safe." he murmured.
After a few moments, she managed some tear-choked words.
"Oh, Fitz….. It all felt so real….I-I thought I was going to lose you….." she cried quietly.
Fitz gently pet her hair and squeezed her shoulder in reassurance.
"I'm right here, Jem. I'm fine, you're fine, everything's fine. Just try to catch your breath, alright?" he coaxed.
Her sobs faded into soft crying and then a series of hiccups and sniffles until her breathing was almost back to normal. When that happened, she took a deep breath and sat upright. Her eyes were red and puffy and her hair was disheveled. And, yet, she was still the most beautiful woman Fitz had ever laid eyes on. How was that possible? She wiped her eyes and forced a smile onto her face before looking over at Fitz.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you? You can go now, I'm quite alright." she said, her voice barely audible.
Fitz snorted and shook his head.
"Like hell you're alright. I'm not leaving, Simmons. Not until you're settled and nightmare free." he said as he moved to sit at the head of her bed.
He pulled the covers up and signaled for her to slide in next to him; him on top of the covers and her under them so as not to make things too awkward. Still, she looked as if she was going to protest so Fitz gently grabbed her arm and coaxed her over. She complied with little resistance, all of her energy drained from her cry. She settled down next to him and rested her head in his lap.
"Why don't you tell me about it? The dream. Maybe it'll help clear your mind of it." Fitz suggested after a moment.
He could feel Simmons shudder so he gently patted her shoulder.
"Only if you want to, that is." he added.
Jemma took a big, shaky breath and sighed.
"No, you're right. I should talk about it, get it out of my system." she agreed
After another moment and a big swallow, she started.
"I was in The Bus and….I could hear someone calling my name. It was coming from outside so, I opened the cargo door…but we were in the air…..the wind swept me out but, I didn't…..land exactly. I sort of floated to….the most dreadful place. It was like a prison or a bunker or something. And then I heard my name again…it was you, Fitz. You were screaming my name and…and it sounded like you were in pain. I ran down corridor after corridor looking for you but you always seemed far away…and then I felt myself becoming weaker…I felt the virus, Fitz. The Chitauri virus, only…..worse. Much worse. I kept running but, I felt like I wasn't going to make it…I yelled for you with all my strength and then…"
She looked up at Fitz.
"Then, there you were…waking me. It didn't feel real at first but, when I knew the dream was over…..God, Fitz, I'm sorry I fell apart on you like that."
Fitz smiled and gently tucked a loose strand of Jemma's hair behind her ear.
"Oh shut up about that, will you? We all need a good breakdown after all that's happened lately." he assured her.
Jemma smiled and actually managed a small laugh.
"I guess you're right. I suppose relaying it back to my parents sort of made it sink in more for me." she said as she nestled back down.
It wasn't long before Simmons was asleep again, peacefully this time. Fitz considered leaving and returning to his own room but, in all honesty, there was nowhere on Earth, Asgaurd, or any other alien world that he would rather be than beside Jemma. So, he stood vigil over her, defending her from those haunting memories and imagined horrors. He slept very little but, that was just fine with him. Being there with Jemma was better than any dream he might have had.
At 8 o'clock, there was a sharp rap on the door and Agent May's voice came from the other side.
"Simmons, up-and-at'em! Wheels up at 0900!" she called before moving on.
Fitz looked down as Jemma slowly stirred and moaned in protest to the awakening. She sucked in a deep breath and sat up, stretching her arms. Then she noticed Fitz still sitting there and a blush overtook her face.
"F-Fitz? Have you been there all night?" she asked.
Fitz nodded and got up off the bed.
"Before you go worrying about propriety nonsense, I'll go ahead and say that there was no funny business. Just a friend helping another friend get through a rough night." he said calmly.
"Agent May said we're off in an hour so, I'd get your morning ablutions over with quickly and head down to the restaurant for breakfast on Coulson's open tab. You know Ward's omelets are going to suck now that he's all hopped up on Berserker juice." he said with a small smile.
Simmons gave a laugh that sounded much more like herself, which reassured Fitz immensely.
"Well I'll um…I'll see you down there then." he said before going out the door.
And literally bumping right into Skye. It seemed as though the hacktivist was on her was to see Jemma. And when Fitz popped out she was taken aback. Then she seemed to process the circumstances and gave a cheeky smile.
"Wow. First night away from the cameras and microphones and you two waste no time, huh?" she teased.
Fitz just stared, mouth open.
"I-I….n-no, it's not…I just….Jemma, she…" he stammered hopelessly.
Skye held up her hand.
"No need to explain to me, Fitz. I'll let you two get sorted and see you on The Bus." she said as she headed off.
"Nothing happened!" Fitz yelled after her, a little too late.
Fitz ran his hand through his hair and rubbed the back of his neck. Well, that was something of a complication. Skye was all about sharing information and that was bad in this situation. Strictly speaking, interagency relations were….not encouraged. If Coulson heard about this….or May? Fitz paled at the thought. He needed to get a lid on this. Soon.
Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing. They hadn't done anything wrong. They weren't breaking any rules. Nothing happened. Thoughts like this ran through Jemma's head as she showered, dressed, packed, and headed down to the dinning hall to eat breakfast with Fitz. And there he was. Simmons couldn't stop her heartbeat from sky-rocketing. God, how had she not realized how wonderful he was before this? She always knew that he was sweet; that he would do anything for her. But this was something else. She went over the two person table he was at and sat down across from him, exchanging a smile.
"So, wonderful news: Skye saw me leaving your room and may have gotten the wrong impression." Fitz said plainly.
Simmons' jaw dropped.
"Fitz! Well, what- D-did you explain?" she stammered.
"I tried, but I froze up and she was gone before I could get my thoughts in order!"
"Fitz, this is bad! Really bad! If she tells Coulson or even Ward or, God help us, May!"
"You don't think I know that?! I've been calling her nonstop, trying to get hold of her!"
"Calling her?! Fitz! This is no time to sit back lazily! You should have followed after her!"
"Hey, don't get snippy with me, little miss! We wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't been screaming my bloody name last night!"
"Please, Fitz, say that a little louder so the whole damn hotel can get the wrong impression!"
"I'm just saying, I only went into your room because I thought you were being bloody murdered in there!"
"Oh, so it's my fault for having a bad dream?! Well sorry for not having complete mastery over my subconscious!"
"You know that's not what I meant, you silly git!"
"Really?! Well who asked you to stay with me?! I told you I was fine, you should have left!"
"What and have you screaming again an hour later and waking the whole damn town?!"
"You didn't need to stay all night, you could have left after I fell back asleep!"
"I would have, Jemma, only you were so damn adorable I couldn't think!"
"Oh that's rich, Fitz!"
"It's not rich, it's true!"
"Really now?! And what makes me so adorable all of the sudden?!"
"Its not all of the sudden! I've thought that since the first day I set eyes on you at the academy! Its part of the reason I fell so hard for you, that and that damn beautiful brain of yours!"
"So, you're admitting some sort of unrequited love for me now, is that it, Fitz?!"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing!"
"Well its about bloody time!"
Simmons reached across the table and grabbed Fitz's shirt, pulling him into a much overdo kiss. Fitz, shocked beyond belief, broke away and looked at her, perplexed.
"What. The. Hell." he whispered dumbfounded.
Jemma looked at him worriedly.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you? Did I grab too hard or accidentally bite you? I'm sorry, I'm no good at spontaneity but the moment was right there and my hands moved before I could think so-"
She was cut off by Fitz, gently pressing his lips to her. When he pulled away, he smiled sweetly at her.
"You never stop talking, do you?" he teased.
Simmons giggled and cupped his cheek gently as he kissed her again. He reached out and cupped the back of Jemma's, entwining his fingers in her hair. A wonderful 30 seconds passed before they both became aware of someone watching. They simultaneous looked over to see Skye looking at them with a smirk on her face.
"That was quite the crescendo to your little argument." she said smugly.
The pair was frozen.
"Bloody hell, how does she do that?" Fitz whispered.
The scientists disengaged from one another and started assaulting Skye with explanations at the same time.
"Skye, the reason Fitz was in my room last night was-"
"She was screaming and thrashing about! What was I supposed to-"
"He even sat on top of the covers the whole time, so really-"
"I didn't even lay down, I sat up the whole night and I've go the crick to-"
'Time out!" Skye interjected.
Fitz-Simmons stopped and looked at Skye expectantly.
"I believe you guys. I was just teasing Fitz." she said with a shrug.
Fitz-Simmons sighed in relief and flopped back down in their chairs.
"Well that is a huge consolation." Simmons sighed.
Skye grabbed a chair from another table and brought it over. She straddled it backwards, crossing her arms over the back.
"I believe that nothing happened last night, but just now? That little…whatever that was? You guys can't tell me that was nothing." she said, raising an eyebrow.
Fitz-Simmons exchanged looks, causing each of them to blush to a certain extent. No, there was no way that they could deny the feelings that had been stirred by their exchange. Jemma looked at Skye pleadingly.
"Be that as it may, it's very frowned-upon to have romantic entanglements with team members, Skye. We can never let the others know about this." she said gravely.
Skye was baffled.
"God, you're kidding me? S.H.I.E.L.D even controls who you guys can date? That's ridiculous! You guys are human being, not dogs! You should be able to be with anyone you want!" she ranted.
"It's not that we can't, really. But, romantic relationships have been known to compromise agents in the pasts. Its just not something that S.H.I.E.L.D encourages." Fitz explained.
Skye looked at her friends. She supposed that made sense. But, come on, this was Fitz-Simmons! They were totally meant to be together! Their names even hyphenated seamlessly. People lumped them together as Fitz-Simmons ten times more often than they referred to them separately. But, obviously, they were really stressed out about this so, she nodded.
"Alright, I won't tell anyone." she agreed.
She got up and put her chair back.
"Promise?" Jemma asked sincerely.
Skye looked at her, confused.
"Of course I do." she replied.
"You hacked into The Hub not a week ago, even though Coulson told you not to." Simmons reminded her.
Skye's mouth dropped in shock.
"To save Fitz and Ward! I knew that something was fishy and I was right; they had dropped our guys off in war zone with no extraction plan, I saved their lives." she said defensively.
Fitz-Simmons exchanged a look. Fitz shrugged.
"She's got a point." he said with a shrug.
Simmons rolled her eyes. She stood up and walked over to Skye. After staring at her for a long, hard moment, she raised her right pinky and offered it to the other girl. Skye scoffed and looked at questioningly.
"Really, Simmons? Pinky swear?" she asked incredulously.
Simmons shrugged.
"If you really plan to keep your promise, you have nothing to fear, yes?"
Skye went to loop her pinky but hesitated, giving Simmons a cautious look.
"Wait, is pinky swearing something different in S.H.I.E.L.D? Like some sort of intense thing where I have to cut off my pinkies and mount them if I slip?" she asked skeptically.
Simmons laughed and shook her head.
"Oh no, nothing like that. No a pinky pact with me just means that, should you break it, you will be required to be my lab rat for one week." she explained.
Skye smiled.
"One week? That's not so bad." she said as she looped her pinky with Simmons'.
Fitz shook his head.
"Poor, naïve Skye. You underestimated la maestra." he said pityingly.
Skye looked at Fitz and then worriedly at Simmons. The bio-chemist's eyes were glinting with mischief and Skye could practically see the gears whirring in her brain.
"You're conflicted about weather or not you want me to keep my promise now, right?" she guessed.
Simmons shrugged.
"Just thinking of a few things I've been wanting to test out recently." she said innocently.
She walked over and grabbed Fitz's hand and pulled him along behind.
"Come along, Fitzy, we ought to be getting back to The Bus." she said cheerfully.
Fitz stumbled along behind her.
"But, what about the non-Ward-made deluxe breakfast on Coulson's tab?" he questioned.
"Well we've wasted so much time worrying and snogging, there's no time for that now. I'll make you some strawberry crepes and whipped cream, how's that sound?" Simmons offered.
"Alright, but none of your secret recipe, you know how I feel about cinnamon."
Thank you again for reading! Fav, review, follow to your hearts content! I'm accepting prompt so, if there's something you want to see, I'm all ears! ^_^