XXXX
i
"What are you doing?"
Eight year old Leo Fitz looked over to a girl that looked about his age, a friendly smile on her face.
"Building a rocket," he shrugged and turned his attention back to the rocket.
"My name's Jemma Simmons," she stuck her small hand in his direction.
"Leo Fitz," he wiped his hand on his trousers and shook her hand, knowing his mom would be proud of his manners.
"Can I watch Leo?"
"I suppose," he snapped a few more parts together.
"Where's your mum and dad?" she plopped down on the grass next to him.
"Mums home. We live down the street," Leo motioned over his shoulder before his face darkened. "it's just us."
"Oh, sorry," Jemma frowned slightly. "I live over there with my mum and dad," she motioned in the opposite direction. "When did you move here? Mum got a job here last year so we moved. I miss my family sometimes, and everyone talks funny here, don't you think?"
"You sure do ask a lot of questions," Fitz huffed.
"Oh, sorry, I'll just go then," Jemma said quietly and began to stand up.
Leo thought he saw a tear fall upon her cheek but she turned away before he could be certain. Instantly feeling bad he grabbed for her hand, "No wait! Jemma, I'm sorry. I'm not good with people, or so I've been told. Here stay and help me?"
Jemma swiped at her cheek as she turned around, a hopeful smile on her face, "If you're sure?"
"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't."
Jemma winced.
"Sorry, see? Not good with people."
"Well," Jemma said brightly, sitting back down next to him. "it's a good thing I'm good with people then."
Fitz offered her a smile and handed her a few pieces of the rocket and they finished assembling it together while discussing the latest exhibit at the children's museum. Once it was complete they set it in the dirt in front of them.
"What are you doing?" Jemma asked when Fitz began to rifle through his pockets.
"Looking for this!" he exclaimed as he pulled out a golden lighter.
"Leo!" Jemma hissed, her eyes widening in shock.
"What? It was my granddad's. Come on Jemma, we can't build a rocket and not let it fly, can we?"
"No, I suppose not. But do you know how to use that thing?"
"Of course," he replied confidently.
"Ok, for science," Jemma nodded her head, looking around nervously.
"For science," Fitz agreed, flipping the lighter open and lowering the flame to the small wick under the rocket.
Once the wick caught it began to spit and snap as it shorted.
"Is it supposed to make that noise?" Jemma asked nervously, reaching for Fitz's hand.
"Yeah," he told her, now sounding far less confident.
They didn't have to wait long, the wick soon reached the end and with a hiss the rocket shot into the air, causing them to jump back. Fitz tripped on his loose shoelace leading him to fall on his backside, his hand linked with Jemma's pulling her to the ground as well. Before they could get back to their feet they heard the shattering of glass and a car alarm going off. They both looked in the direction of the noise and then back at each other with widened eyes.
"This never happened," Fitz whispered. "you have to promise to never tell anyone."
"I promise," she whispered back.
"Pinky promise?" he stuck out his pinky, offering it to her.
"Pinky promise," she linked her pinky with his, shaking on it and then kissed her thumb.
"Eww, what did you do that for?"
"That's how you make a pinky promise, Leo," she looked at him blankly as if stating the obvious.
"Maybe how girls do it," he argued.
"Well, a pinky promise isn't a pinky promise unless it's sealed with a thumb kiss."
"Fine Bossy Pants," Fitz huffed, linking their fingers again, this time kissing his own thumb as she did hers.
"Was that so hard?"
Fitz just stared at her and she burst into giggles, "I like you Leo Fitz, I think we will be good friends."
He blushed and scuffed his still untied shoes in the dirt, "I should probably go home before my mum comes looking for me."
"Yeah, me too. But I'll see you again?" she asked hopefully.
"Yeah, my uncle just sent me a remote helicopter. We could build it tomorrow?"
"Yeah ok, I'll see you tomorrow Leo!" Jemma waved before skipping off down the street.
"Tomorrow Jemma."
XXXX
ii
"Are you nervous?" Jemma asked, looking over to where Fitz was fiddling with the straps on his backpack, eying the other students as the milled about the playground after being dropped off by their parents.
"I don't like school," he shrugged.
"What? Why not?" Jemma was shocked.
Fitz scuffed his shoe in the dirt and mumbled, "No one likes me."
"What? Surely you must have some friends?" Jemma couldn't imagine school without friends. Sure most of her friends in the past had never thought the activities that she wanted to do like catching bugs and collecting nature samples were fun, but they were always up for a tea party or a game of tag at recess.
"Nope. I'm different. They don't like that."
"Well," Jemma huffed indignantly. "That's their loss now isn't it?" Reaching for his hand she continued, "You're my best friend now, so they can kick rocks."
"Kick rocks?" A smile cracked through his face.
Jemma wrinkled her nose and shrugged, "I heard a girl say it in the park last week. It sounded good."
Fitz laughed, "I like it. And you're my best friend too."
"Forever?" Jemma stuck out her pinky.
"Forever," he agreed, linking their digits and after a quick look around to make sure no one was paying attention, quickly kissed his thumb.
Jemma laughed when she saw him glance around before completing their ritual but frowned when she heard the bell ring. She had been hoping to explore the flora and fauna around the playground before classes started.
"Hey, do you want to try to catch butterflies at recess?" he offered as they headed into the building.
Jemma's face lit up, "Of course!" Yep, she thought happily to herself. Fitz was a perfect best friend.
XXXX
iii
"Jemma? What's wrong?" Fitz tossed the book he was reading on his bed aside as Jemma flew into his room, tears streaming down her face.
Jemma dove into his arms, burying her face in his shoulder. "Mum…transfer…Pasadena…" she sobbed out.
"Hey, hey, Jem," Fitz cradled her neck in his hands and gently pulled away. "Slow down, I can't understand."
Jemma sniffed and swiped at her eyes before taking a shuddering breath, "Mum got a promotion at work. But they're transferring her to Pasadena," she sobbed out the final word.
Fitz felt the cold dread knot his stomach, "When?"
"Next month." a fresh round of tears began to fall down her cheeks.
"Oh Jemma," Fitz sighed, pulling her close again. He had hit a growth spurt the previous month and she had yet to catch up, so she fit perfectly under his chin.
"I don't want to go Fitz. Everything I know is here. You're here," she wrapped her arms tightly around him.
"I don't want you to go either Jemma," he tightened his arms around her, trying to ignore the painful tightening of his chest as he thought of her not being right down the street from him.
He held her, rubbing soothing circles on her back until she had cried herself out. He managed to keep his tears at bay. Barely, but he knew that if Jemma saw him cry, she would become even more upset.
"Leo dear, supper is ready," Fitz's mom Maggie knocked lightly on his doorframe before poking her head it. Her eyebrows knit together in concern when she saw Jemma, face stained with dried tears, asleep on her sons lap, and he looking distraught himself.
"I'll tell you later Mum," Fitz said softly.
Maggie nodded, "I'll leave plates for you in the stove." Over the years and Jemma's constant presence at their house, her sons best friend had become something of a daughter to her and as much as she wanted to mother the sleeping teen in that moment, she knew that Leo would take care of her.
Fitz lost track of how long Jemma had been asleep for, but the sun had long since set when she began to stir.
"Hey," Fitz whispered, fingers combing the tangles from her hair.
"Hey," she looked up at him from where her head still lay in his lap.
Their eyes locked and Fitz felt his heart speed up in his chest. There was so much he wanted to tell her in that moment, but he didn't know where to start.
Jemma broke their gaze with a sigh and reached for Fitz's unoccupied hand, linking their fingers over her chest. Emotions too on edge for her to meet his eyes again, she dropped her gaze to their hands and began to play with their fingers.
"We'll be ok, right?" Fitz broke the silence.
"What?" Jemma was caught off guard by his question. "Of course we will be. We'll talk and text everyday. Just like we do now," she squeezed his fingers and gave him a brave smile. She knew in her heart that Fitz was trying to be strong for her and she tried to do the same. Despite how her heart was breaking.
"We're not just going to say that and eventually lose touch, right?"
"No. Of course not. Best friends forever, remember?"
"Forever," he agreed. "So Skype every day? And letters? And we will figure out how to visit on vacations," he tried not to ramble.
"Promise?"
"Pinky promise," he shifted their linked hands so that just their pinkies were connected.
When he leaned down over Jemma to seal their promise, their position brought his face impossible close to her own and Jemma couldn't ignore the wish that his lips would land someplace other than his thumb. But all too soon he was sitting back up and she knew that telling him about her confusing feelings now would only hurt them both more, so she shoved them back down.
"Do you think I can stay here tonight?" she asked timidly.
"Of course," Fitz answered immediately, without even thinking to check with his mom. Sleepovers between the two of them had been a long time usual occurrence that their parents had long since accepted. "Mum has dinner downstairs if you're hungry?"
"Maybe in a bit?" Truthfully Jemma didn't have much of an appetite, but she knew Fitz and Maggie would only worry if she didn't eat anything. "Can we just stay here for a while?"
"Of course we can," he smiled down at her. Anything for you Jemma, anything for you.
XXXX
iv
"Did you get yours?" Fitz forwent his usual greeting as soon as Jemma's face popped up on his computer screen.
"Yes!" Jemma exclaimed, excitedly waving an envelope. "You too?"
Fitz nodded and then nervously held his own envelope up.
Jemma picked up on his hesitation immediately. "They'd be fools not to take us Fitz," she said gently.
"Right," he agreed. "Why don't you open yours first."
"Unh-uh," Jemma shook her head.
"Like we do everything?" he offered with a grin.
"Together!" they exclaimed together, and then tore open their envelopes.
Fitz ripped the letter out and quickly scanned his eyes over the paper, "Did you?"
"Yes! And you?"
"Yes!"
"Oh Fitz, this is going to be great! Can you imagine? Shield! We are going to be students at Shield's academy."
"You're going to go?"
"Yes," Jemma's face fell. "Aren't you?"
"What? Yes! Yeah, of course. I was just," he rambled, nervously scrubbing at the back of his neck.
"It will be great Fitz, you'll see. Just imagine all the new stuff we will learn. And we'll be back together. No more having to Skype."
"No you're right," he agreed. "You know me, I just don't like-"
"Change," she finished for him with an understanding smile.
"Yeah," he agreed sheepishly.
"This will be a good change Fitz. I promise."
"Pinky promise?" he grinned, pointing his pinky towards the monitor.
"Pinky promise!" she laughed, bringing her pinky up to the monitor to meet the image of his, making a quick loop and kissing her thumb to seal the deal.
XXXX
v
"I just- I don't know Jemma, is this really a good idea?" Fitz dropped his keys into the bowl by the door to their apartment as Jemma locked it behind them.
"Of course it is Fitz," Jemma said with exasperation. "It will be the perfect opportunity for us to explore the world. Just image where we will travel, and what we will see."
"But what about our lab work? Our projects? We still need to finish calibrating Doc and Grumpy. And Sleepy has been rather finicky lately as well. We really should take him apart and see whats going on."
"Fitz, we will have our very own lab. We can experiment and create all the time. Even come up with a Snow White for the DWARFs if you want. We can still finish Grumpy and Doc, and fix Sleepy wherever we are," she reasoned.
"But we didn't even pass our field assessments!"
"Ugh, Fitz! What is this really about?" Jemma searched his face, looking for answers. She was no stranger to Fitz being stubborn and grumpy, but this seemed different to her.
Fitz sighed and collapsed on the couch, Jemma shortly following suit.
"You know how I am…" he offered weakly.
"You hate change," Jemma nodded. She had to bite her tongue to keep from prodding at him. She could tell when he was keeping something from her, and right now he was giving off all the usual signals. She just didn't know why. And she was hesitant to push him, and the thoughts of why she was hesitant scared her. Pushing those feelings down, she sank back into the cushion in silence. She should have been surprised to find that in observing Fitz from the corner of her eye, their breathing had synced up, but instead she just found comfort in it. That even if they were mentally disjointed, their bodies intuitively found a way to co-exist.
She wanted to tell him that she wouldn't go without him, but she knew that with tensions as high as they were, that could easily backfire on her, besides, he already knew that without her having to tell him. Instead she said, "Whatever we decide, we'll do it together."
He nodded and then they lapsed into quiescence.
"Jemma?" he eventually broke the silence.
"Yeah?"
"You're my best friend in the world."
"And you're mine."
"Promise it will always be that way?"
"Nothing could change that. Pinky promise," Jemma offered him her pinky.
"Not even a cruising altitude of 39,000 feet?" he raised an eyebrow, linking their fingers.
That's when Jemma knew they would be embarking on their next journey. "Not that, or a cruising speed of 500 knots. Nothing," she emphasized solemnly before sealing her promise.
XXXX
vi
"Can I see him?" Jemma swiped at the tear tracks on her face.
Coulson hesitated, "He's in rough shape."
"Can I see him?" she repeated, willing her voice to not tremble this time.
"Of course," May said softly, placing her hand lightly on Jemma's back and led her to the hospital wing.
The senior agent stopped at the door, "If you need anything…"
Jemma nodded, but all her attention was focused on looking through the glass pane at Fitz. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open. The sterile hospital smell hit her senses hard. Everything was white, the walls, the curtains, the sheets, the floors. And Fitz. He was always pale, or pasty as she once called him in a fit of frustration, but now he nearly blended in with his surroundings. He had a nasal cannula supplying a steady flow of oxygen, and ECG leads disappeared beneath his medical gown.
She pulled a chair up close to his bed, wincing at how loudly it scraped across the floor and took his cool hand into her much warmer one. He was always so much warmer than she was, and Jemma didn't like the new feeling.
"Fitz, you idiot, what were you thinking? We could have figured something else out. I can't function in a world without Leopold Fitz so you need to come back to me. We promised each other we would do this together and I'm holding you to it. In fact, we are renewing that promise right now," she sniffled and looped his pinky finger with hers and kissed her thumb and then his. "Pinky promise Fitz, no getting out of it."