Fitzsimmons
For Beth (Happy birthday)
Having a PhD by the age of nineteen wasn't exactly conducive to making friends was what Fitz had discovered over the years.
Other children at school didn't take kindly to you correcting them on the proper way to make a paper airplane, or consistently having top marks in science and maths,
Seeing as Fitz had learned this from a young age ha he hadn't really expected to find friends throughout the majority of his secondary school career. It didn't particularly bother Fitz, some days he just wished for some sort of person who he could relate to.
When Fitz had first heard from SHIELD, he hadn't exactly been destitute…there had been plenty of opportunities for him at MIT, Caltech etc. private engineering and security firms interested in his work, but the thing that had really sold it to him was the possibility of meeting others like him. The possibility of connecting and for the first time in his life not being the odd man out was extremely appealing.
His mother wasn't initially happy about "her little boy" joining a secret American government agency, but Agent Weaver's personal visit to his home and her earnest, factual persuasion won over the ever-stubborn Mrs. Fitz.
After the visit she whole heartedly in favour of Fitz joining the Academy.
And so he joined.
The first day for Fitz at the Academy, while filled with the usual awkward first day lectures and meet and greet, was betting than any other school experience he'd had up to this point in his life. At the Academy he didn't have to lie about his level of education. In fact a large amount of his engineering peers had read his published articles.
While no one was quite as young as himself, Fitz had found people who he could hold conversations with about his passion.
Even Fitz' roommate, a man about four years older than himself name Steven, was more than pleasant, even when Fitz had erroneously assumed that he was American. They had been unpacking and Steven had just put down his telephone.
"So are you from the States then?" Fitz had said trying to make conversation, as he also tried to put up his monkey poster.
"Wrong side of the border," had replied Steven as he moved to help Fitz "Nice monkey, though."
"I'm sorry…thanks," replied Fitz, his ears burning red…not exactly the best way of making friends "Canada then."
"It's fine, you aren't the first one, won't be the last one," replied Steven with a grin "Now where are you from…England?"
Fitz grinned, he had definitely had made the right choice.
For the next few days Fitz had found a consistent ease to the academy. Spending time with Steven and his new friend Jennifer (from bio-chem) who apparently was also from Canada.
While Fitz enjoyed Steven and Jenny's company he did end up experiencing as the two Canadians put it "UK withdrawal" which essentially meant that none of his new friends seemed to understand the greatness that was Doctor Who.
All this was cured when they all piled into their History of S.H.I.E.L.D mandatory freshmen course. This was the one class the engineering faculty shared with the bio-chem faculty (thank fully it wasn't with Ops, the rivalry already ran deep). This is when Jenny introduced Fitz to her roommate.
"Fitz! She's British she'll understand your weird show, I'll call her over," with that Jenny set herself to waving over a pretty brunette "Jemma! Over here these are my friends!"
"You mean "your one Canadian balm in this academy…"Matthews," replied the brunette as she made her way over.
"That would be me," replied Steven as he smirked at Jenny
"Yes! I mean no, I mean meet my friend Fitz, and he likes that weird show with the box, Simmons" said Jenny mildly flustered.
Fits turned to the brunette, she was English and looked about the same age as him…
"Wait you can't be..."
"Jemma Simmons?"
"Leopold Fitz!"
"I've been trying to meet you,"
"For ages! Ever since,"
"That magazine! That conference in Munich,"
"I was sick, what about the convention in Dubai,"
"I was sick!"
"We really have bad timing," the two finished together. Grinning, they both turned back to their confused roommates.
"So…you two know each other?" asked a confused Jenny.
"Not really," started Fitz
"More like know of," continued Jemma
"Academically speaking," finished Fitz.
"I've been reading his papers," started Jemma
"For years," continued Fitz.
"They really are the best," they finished together. Again they grinned at each other.
"Stop, stop!" interrupted Steven "Jenny you've created a monster."
"I like to think I've created a friendship," replied Jenny huffily.
"It's fine," began Fitz.
"It probably would've happened eventually," continued Simmons
"You've simply," added Fitz.
"Expedited the process," finished Jemma.
Jenny's eyes moved like she'd been watching a tennis match, and then said "I change my mind, definitely a monster…"
"Told you so," muttered Steven "Now pay attention class is starting."
As the lecture started, Fitz grinned at Simmons, she smiled back. He had definitely made the right choice.
Over the next few weeks, the Academy became better. While Fitz, Simmons, Steven and Jenny became quite the quartet. Fitz and Jemma had become extremely close in a matter of few short weeks. In fact, Fitz was probably closer to Jemma than anyone else aside from his mother. The two had instituted a weekly Doctor Who session and already knew how to make each other's tea of choice. While only technically sharing one class together the two spent almost every other moment together. The two had already started to co-author a paper together and even look over preliminary plans for some type of research drone, useful in the field.
Fitz and Jemma's collaborations weren't being ignored by instructors either, in fact the S.H.I.E.L.D science higher ups cultivated these type of partnerships and began to pair the two in extra curricular projects. These plans suited Fitz and Simmons perfectly while their scientific prowess was helped by their legitimate friendship.
It was their last day before Christmas holidays and the two were attempting to explain the importance of the Doctor Who Christmas Special to Jenny, as Steven fiddled with an old projector.
"So it happens every year?" asked Jenny "On Christmas?"
"Yes," replied Simmons
"It happens in the middle of the hiatus?" questioned Jenny
"Yes," replied Fitz
"But…Why?" asked Jenny once again…
Fitz and Simmons were about to explain again when they were interrupted.
"Matthews! Fitzsimmons!" called Steven from the other end of the room "Get over here! We are watching an old Peggy Carter speech."
As the three walked over to Steven, Fitz and Simmons looked at each other questionably
"Fitzsimmons?" Jemma mouthed at Fitz. He shrugged in reply.
"Fitzsimmons?" they both said incredulously when they reached Steven.
"Yeah," he replied dismissively, as Jenny nodded "You two are practically the same person anyway."
"You know what I kind of like it," said Jemma as she sat down on the couch next to Jenny and Steven "It has certain ring to it."
"Me to," replied Fitz as he sat down next to Jemma.
"Fitzsimmons," they both repeated grinning at each other.