A/N: This was supposed to be a oneshot but it got away from me so this will be a multi chapter set inside the Framework from Fitz's perspective. All characters belong to Marvel but the story is all my own headcannons. I hope you enjoy.
Fitz sat in his office, pen tapping against the desk as he read over the reports from the latest weapons tests, disappointing to say the least. He crossed through another piece of information that needed redacting, before placing it on his completed work pile. Running a company had been a more interesting concept than a reality but he enjoyed his work and, more importantly, he enjoyed the perks of the job. Parties, meeting people, meeting women. Had he focused on science he never would have been here now. He was still a genius but using his intellect for profit however meant he could assure success and improve his confidence through meetings and networking. He barely recognised the shy young kid he used to be. Now he was something his father could be proud of.
When a woman came storming into his office, he frowned, almost certain it had been a red-head in his bed this morning. "Fitz, what the bloody hell is all of this?" Scanning her up and down, his lips curling up into a smirk. Nobody had called him that in years, not since primary school at least. Whoever this girl was, she had a confidence nobody else dared to have around him, knowing him and his family weren't to be messed with. With a proper look at her, he could see a scar over her left eye and several visible bruises on her wrists alone. She wasn't any HYDRA agent he knew and she definitely wasn't one of his technicians, despite the Fitz Tech lab coat she was wearing.
He stood, pushing his chair towards his desk and moving around it to lean against the front, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't exactly tall and intimidating but he knew how to give off the appearance of being such. "It's Leopold Fitz the Third actually. And you are?" Just as the question left his lips, his secretary, Agnes, came rushing through the door.
"I told you you can't go in without an a- Mr Fitz sir, I'm so sorry. She just burst through, I tried to stop her but she wouldn't list-" He cut her off with a sweep of his hand, shaking his head softly. It wasn't like the work in front of him had been so important and he could do with something fun. "It's okay Agnes. I don't have a meeting. Clear my schedule for the next hour, and don't tell security about this just yet." Nodding, Agnes walked out the door quickly, glad she still had her job after failing to follow protocol to the letter. He had fired assistants for much less in the past.
"You come storming into my office, no sign of any equipment so you aren't looking to steal my designs, no weird outfit so you aren't one of those cosplayers, and no protest has been made yet. Why are you here? And who are you?" He watched her closely, seeing she wasn't intimidated at all, if anything, she looked disgusted with him. What had he done to her?
"Ugh Fitz it's me. It's Jemma." He didn't know why, but as she said his name, it sent a flutter in his stomach. He didn't know this woman, he would've remembered those eyes anywhere, but the way she spoke to him, it was like he was human. Not a billionaire, not a genius but a normal guy. "From what I can tell I've started an underground rebel network of former SHIELD contacts and you have become Tony Stark. It's unbearable."
"Tony Stark is dead and SHIELD? That died with Captain America. What you've just told me, is that I should ring the authorities right this second and have you taken in for terrorist acts." He took a step forward, considering it for just a moment, but then he looked into those eyes again. How could he resist those eyes?
"You wouldn't do that. I know that she is keeping us apart because she knows I will help you figure it out. It's probably why she bloody killed me in the first place." Now he was lost. Who was she talking about? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let her stay. She was bloody crazy. "I know that look, I'm not crazy. You just need to snap out of this." She took a step toward him, her hand reaching for his arm in a too familiar and tender gesture. He flinched away from her touch, terrified she would hurt him, or perhaps terrified of getting attached to anyone.
"Okay, you aren't crazy. But I don't know you. I have no affiliation to SHIELD. Only through my clients at HYDRA who used to work for the agency. I don't know what you want." He didn't know why he couldn't stay calm, why he felt the need to keep talking around her. It was like a natural reaction, the nervous ten year old who wasn't sure how to talk to girls. Sure he could pass it off as nerves of the potential affiliation with SHIELD terrorist groups but who was he honestly trying to kid? Something about her made him want to be better, made him want to fight for what was right.
Jemma couldn't help but give a small smile at the familiarity of the situation, remembering their first day at the academy, how nervous he'd been around her. Aida couldn't programme that instinct out of him. "Oh Fitz, there's the you I know. Which is why I'm very sorry I'm going to have to do this." She reached into her lab coat, pulling out a gun. Instantly his eyes went wide and his hands raised over his head. Definitely should be rethinking that crush forming on the rebel holding him at gunpoint. "Now I'm going to be discreet about this. If you comply, then I won't have to use this."
Fitz nodded, starting to panic a little now, but a part of him knew she wouldn't hurt him. "I'll do whatever you want okay? You can have money, weapons, whatever you need." He needed to get behind his desk, if he could do that he could press his panic button but then what? She would be taken away, possibly executed and that couldn't happen to her. "Whatever you need."
"I need you to come with me." Taking in a deep breath, he nodded, watching as she lowered the gun. "Good. We will need a cover story so you're going to have to dig deep, in order to find any semblance of emotion for me." She said the words with a humour that didn't quite reach her eyes. If anything, she seemed angry at him, like it was his fault she was trying to kidnap her. "Get your coat."
Fitz followed her orders, opening the door, and going out to the reception so that Agnes could fetch his coat. "Agnes I'm stepping out with Miss Simmons. If I'm not back by my four o'clock, tell Mr Pearce that I will return the golf clubs to him some other time." He smiled to Agnes as he spoke, praying she had learnt the signals from the employee handbook. "Miss Simmons, shall we?" He offered his arm for Jemma to take, wanting to appear as a convincing couple to retain her cover, just in case she wasn't a murdering psychopath. It felt surprisingly nice, familiar, like he was used to having her body pressed to his.
Once inside the elevator, he took a step away, scared to get attached more than anything. What if things went south? What if he grew attached for her? To her, he was probably just a mission and, although it was illogical, it hurt that she probably thought of him like that. He watched her as she pushed the button for the roof, his eyebrows knitting together. If she was an underground leader, how would using his helicopter be flying under the radar? As if reading his mind, she spoke up, checking her pistol and handing him one. "We aren't using any of your vehicles. We'll be using mine, much less conspicuous. Only use Icer bullets. I know you prefer more lethal options but if anybody gets hurt it could be dangerous." He could feel them coming to a stop, his heart pounding in his chest. For the first time in his life, something exciting was happening. For the first time in his life things felt right. "One more thing, please be careful. Milton, west side roof, I have the package, send coordinates now."
As the doors opened, her hand slipped into his and the fighting attitude was dropped. Keeping up with this woman was going to be a challenge but he was almost certain that he could handle it. He followed her to the edge of the roof, seeing the 300ft drop from the top of his tower. If she was crazy, he was dead, maybe that was the plan all along, but really, it was one hell of a way to go. "Mack really shouldn't have taken that day off I insisted he have. Could do with security right now." He looked across to her, watching her smile, something he could tell was a rarity.
She met his eyes, her thumb rolling over the back of his hand. She knew the risks here, had calculated them thoroughly but still knew it relied on trust. He needed to trust her, and she needed to trust a simulation. "Do you trust me?"
Without hesitation, Fitz replied. Something he was sure he'd regret sooner rather than later. "Yes. I don't know why but I do." He nodded to her as extra confirmation of his trust, and with that, they jumped.