Spoiler alert: Mentions of the Doctor Who "Asylum of The Daleks" episode (it's playing a bigger role in my two other fics and I just had to add it here too).

Skye was quite worried when Simmons called her, speaking urgently about needing help with something. She went there expecting to see some ugly slime or other experiment that had gone wrong, but to her surprise the room didn't look like a blown laboratory- more like Simmons decided that wardrobes became out of fashion and so she started storing everything on the floor. Categorised. With adnotations and points system.

"I can't find anything to wear," Simmons started the moment she saw Skye at her doorstep, twisting her hands nervously. "All those clothes are no good. Absolutely. This set," she waved at some neatly folded clothes on her desk, "Has 5 stars in classy, but nothing in attractiveness and so, their overall score, including colour match and enlightening of my features, is barely 7. That's not good enough! And all the rest have even worse marks. I can't just go with 7 Skye, I need something better! At least a solid ni-"

"Simmons!" Skye interrupted, no longer able to follow this bubbling that for once was not science but fashion. "What are you talking about? What do you need to dress up for?"

"Dinner, of course," Simmons huffed like it was obvious.

"Dinner. That's all?"

"Fitz invited me," Simmons admitted with a small smile blooming on her lips, bowing her head just a little to stare happily at her fingers.

"Oh... Fitz invited you to a dinner. That's... Wow that's great news. When did that happened?"

"Uhm, well... Before. You know, before the rock."

"Oh."

"Yes," Simmons bit her lip a little. "I guess I'm a little bit late for it. But we are going tonight. Definitely! The problem is, I have nothing," she waved at twenty sets of clothes spread on the floor, bed and desk. "Absolutely nothing to wear and it's our first date, I must look marvellous!"

"Wait a sec," Skye furrowed her brows. "Haven't you two had a dinner back in quarantine? Just after you got out?"

"Well, yes, technically we had dinner, but it doesn't count, not really. I mean it was in quarantine and it was not a real going out experience when we couldn't actually go out..."

"So you did have a date?"

"Yes, we did!" The smile on Simmons face was suddenly so wide that she was almost radiating with joy and Skye started to worry about her friend's mood swings. "And it was really lovely and sweet. I loved it, really, the food was graet and Fitz even brought flowers, I had no idea where he got them, even if they were artificial," she continued happily. "He did so much and prepared everything and it was all simply amazing, but I had no chance to do anything for him. Not even touch his hand or… or put on high heels. So, this will be our first official date. You know, out. With me actually having an opportunity to change before it and fix my make up and all?" She looked at Skye, searching her face for understanding. "Prepare and dress nicely? Please Skye, you have to have something that would work well?"

"Simmons, calm down," Skye really coulndn't recall when was the last time she saw Simmons so excited and anxious at the same time. "It's Fitz. He's seen you in all of these," she pointed at the clothes laying all around them. "And you've been on dates before-"

"Yes, but that's Fitz," Simmons cut in. "I... I just want to do my best. For him. Because he deserves the best. He's not one of those boring guys I will never see again, he's a great guy and my best friend in the world, he's just... Ugh, he's him and I don't want him to think I'm not appreciating him for what a great guy he is or anything. I want him to like the outfit. I want it to work and I want to ensure it in every way I can!" she nodded with determination. "But it must be subtle at the same time. I just have no idea what will be good enough and do the trick. It must be at least nine, I mean, I'm already a few months late for our date!" she whined and started pacing all over the room. "Not to mention that just before, it took me way too long to even answer him. And this whole time, he..." she stopped abruptly, her face suddenly sad. "I still remember his face, you know? When he was in coma, so pale and lifeless, because he gave up the oxygen for me. Or when I just got out and his eyes were so dead with bags under them and his face was so exhausted after what he'd gone thorugh. I just don't want him to think that I don't... It's... He did so much for me and the only thing I ever did was a stupid sandwich. I don't want him to realise that it was not worth it. All that pain and suffering he went through. That I just make him unhappy and he would be better without me."

"Well, now you are just talking nonsense Simmons," Skye shook her head, remembering jumping of the air plain or in front of grenade and a few other things Simons most certainly did.

"No, I'm not," Simmons shook her head stubbornly. "Have you seen Asylum of the Daleks? It's just like us!" she continued, not waiting for an answer. "Rory thinks he always loved Amy more than she loves him, and he's just ... Okay with that. Like it's enough for him to settle for whatever she decides to give him. And it's not, he's amazing and she loves him just as much and he just doesn't see it. I mean, it just made me think. Because Fitz showed me again and again and I never had an opportunity, or I just wasted all the ones I had, so he doesn't even know how much... How important he is and that he deserves everything…" Simmons looked at Skye, saddness in her eyes. "He just... Settles for whatever he has. So I wanted this to be perfect to show him, that I do too, just as much." She added a little more soft a quiet. "So he sees that there's hope for us and we can be happy. That we can become more. Together. I just want him to keep believing in us. To be happy."

"Simmons he is happy. Or will be, now that you're back. I mean if you're happy with him, he will be happy with you, because you can't make someone happy when you are unhappy, you know what I mean?" Skye didn't really know what to say, especially when her own relationships had all been way past misfortunate. This talk was getting way too serious way too soon and this was certainly not something she would ever expect to be forced to deal with. "The key, the most important thing, is it can't be forced or faked. It's not about dress," Skye rolled her eyes a little because why were they having this conversation? Wasn't Simmons technically a genius? "So stop overthinking things, put on a dress and just go eat dinner with Fitz. It's Fitz. He's still your Fitz," she pointed out hoping that at least this would work.

"Yes, but which one should I choose?" Simmons pointed at the clothes as if they were the answer to every question and problem in the universe. "I need the best, something he would like!"

"I bet he would love each and every one of them as long as it's you who's wearing them," Skye sighed a little, seeing that the conversation was far from over. "Just be yourself, you know him better than anyone and he knows you. He will see you being nervous and will take it onto himself. Just take a dress you like and feel pretty in, go relax and have fun. Oh," she suddenly got an idea that seemed right. "Tell him this, tell him that you care. You don't have to... to guard a stone for thousand years. You left to Hydra for him to get a chance to get better, that must mean something! So just tell him. You two are almost psychically linked but you need to use your words too."

"Yeah, but isn't it too soon?" Simmons didn't look convinced. "To just go with the "l" word? We haven't even been on a true date yet. I don't want to scare him off or make him think that I'm expecting any sort of declarations from him..."

"That's one way to look at it. On the other hand, you two were dancing around each other for almost ten years, even if you haven't noticed until recently. And I have not mentioned the "l" word even, but your way of thinking is saying everything. I'm not saying," Skye added fast when she saw worry flashing in Simmons' eyes and her opening her mouth to say something. "That you should say anything. I'm just saying that you should do whatever you feel like doing instead of analysing every tiny detail. If you feel like it's the moment to tell him, tell him, if you feel like it's time for hugging or kissing or talking about science, just go for it. See what happens. Don't worry, just do."

Simmons was just standing there, eyes downcast for a moment. Then she looked up at Skye.

"This one is my favourite," she pointed at delicate blue dress on her bed, simple and plain. "I bought it for Christmas and he told me I look nice in it. But it has only 5.1 of total score," she bit her lip uncertain.

"Yup. And plus 10 to confidence and comfort," Skye rolled her eyes. "I told you, if you like it and feel pretty in it, just put it on. And don't be late!"

Simmons nodded with a tiny smile, her whole stance relaxing back into fuzzy excitement for tonight and the dinner with a man that was so much more than her best friend.

A/N:

The title is (again) a quote from Final Fantasy VIII.

I have an idea for the continuation of this series (with an actual date), but it's still far from being ready. I'm not one of the "it all depends if this does get x reviews..." people, so I'm just saying that it might be continued and if so, I will post it. Someday. When it's done ;)

Mass thanks to my wonderful beta, TheLateNightStoryTeller who made sure my English make sense!