OK so, this one is a little different then what I normally do. It takes place before Coulson selected his team and will mostly focus on FitzSimmons, whether that's working together in the academy, or up to date with the most recent episode. This chapter I'm going off two deleted scenes that are on the SHIELD season 1 DVD. Just so you know, all my science terms are based off my high school science classes which I didn't do too hot in, so they may not be one hundred percent accurate. Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1- Farther Together

Fitz looked up startled. His new Chem professor was obviously very unfamiliar with this class. First off, Leo Fitz was the smartest pupil in the class and should not, under any circumstances, be written off as a "teenager", which it appeared he had done. That was professor Moranson's first mistake. His second was partnering him with Jemma Simmons. That, that was a mistake. Jemma was twenty-three days younger and completely…he didn't know the word. He'd been waiting months to be partnered up with her, and had been trying his best to seem competitive towards her in everything he did. How else would he get her to talk to him? He wasn't exactly the best people person. His brain was all he had, and he had planned on using it. But the longer she didn't notice, the more he began to dread the idea of having a conversation with her. So, he became closed off. Everything was a contest, and they were never, ever partnered together. Their professors could smell the aggressive science in the air, sometimes literally, and preferred not to blow up the academy by pairing the two. Professor Moranson it seemed was uninformed.

When both Fitz and Simmons remained frozen in place, eyes wide and locked on him he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"FitzSimmons..." He cocked his head. "Hey that actually has quite a ring to it," The class chuckled at his backhanded comment before he continued, "Would you two please move along? I have a class to teach." He raised one eyebrow until Simmons finally apologized quietly to him and moved over to Fitz's table brining her large bag full of textbooks with her.

The unmovable wall between them grew thicker as the professor passed out his instructions on the day's assignment, assuring them that the project would take several days, all of which they had to spend working with their partner. Fitz internally groaned. Of all people… He must have partnered them up because they were the youngest of the class. Of course that's why, they were exceptionally young for the academy, at only seventeen. Fitz was sure the professor thought they would work together.

'Well I have news for him, we don't.' Fitz thought angrily to himself. He glanced over at Simmons, who didn't look much happier than him. Her long acorn brown hair was tied up in a pony tail and she continued to awkwardly pull at it, avoiding Fitz's eyes. He wondered just how much she hated him.

They stood for another few minutes listening to the professor's instructions and tips on their following venture. Normally, Simmons would be elated about such and project, but today, the old and blatantly new shield professor had assigned Leo Fitz as her partner. Of all people, the one who hated her most. She wasn't sure what he didn't like. Not to gloat, but she was brilliant, youngest of her class, exceptionally bright. He was envious. She was sure of that. What else would it be? She'd overheard in the cafeteria that Fitz was excellent in engineering, but was a socially awkward as a hermit.

'Maybe he is a hermit…' She thought about the probability of an Einstein hermit, and quickly realized the professor had finished talking about thirty seconds ago. She was still starring at him, and he'd noticed. She smiled sheepishly, waving uneasily before averting her eyes.

"Samantha?" Samantha Adamns, twenty-five year old SHIELD academy student, looked up instantly at the sound of her professor's voice.

"Yes sir?"

"What's up with Simmons and Fitz? They seem awfully uncomfortable with each other? Do they have some sort of history?" He made a face, "Did they date in high school or something?" Samantha laughed loudly.

"Who FitzSimmons?" She smirked at the strange nick name he'd given the two. "They'd rather die than date I think. Hate each other. Both are super bright kids and…," She paused, mulling over how to explain the two's oddball relationship. "Let's just say they're outwardly cutthroat. Nobody had ever partnered them together for fear that they'll kill each other."

The professor nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, they'd better get used to working together because I'm not budging. They are going to be permanent partners whether they like it or not."

"Good luck, sir," Samantha commented. "Chances are both'll be dead within an hour."

"No, no, no, that's just…no." Fitz let out and exasperated sigh running his hands through his hair. He could not deal with Jemma Simmons much longer.

"Well then what do you suggest, because everything I've mentioned you've shot down in a heartbeat." Her thick British accent filled the air, her tone frustrated. It was clear they both valued their own opinion more than the other's.

"I say we somehow create a positive reaction with the two chemicals and add them from there into the mixture." He says, picking up a few of the hot tables and reaching to plug them in. Jemma scoffed.

"That's ridiculous there's no way that will work."

"Yeah, well that's what you think, I say we give it a try." He replied. Simmons rolled her eyes.

"Why don't you try your idea, and I'll try mine. Whoever creates the correct reaction will dictate our further actions." She suggested grabbing her book bag and throwing it over her shoulder, prepared to win the unfriendly competition.

"Don't waste your time." You could almost hear the sense of accomplishment in his Scottish accent.

"Please. Just you wait." And with that simple response, they set off, equally driven to prevail on top.

A few small explosions and short hours later, neither Fitz nor Simmons had managed to pull of the precise experiment with positive results. Neither had wished to show weakness, however, and refused to ask a professor for advice. It had crossed Simmons' mind to ask Fitz what he was doing, but that would appear as her surrendering, and the thought alone made Simmons strive even harder for perfection. Despite this, she came just under what was required, lacking an imperative key. She looked over at Fitz, who looked just as stuck as she was. She was going to say something. She was determined to at least be acquaintances before leaving the lab, even if she was there all night.

Fitz was at a loss. He was always a star student, Chemistry included, but that was never his strongest point. Engineering, now, if this was in his engineering class, he would easily be the victor of any petty argument Simmons could put up against him. She was a handful, that one. He knew she was struggling just as much as he was in this, but that didn't make it any easier what he wanted to do.

'Just go up and talk to her. Ask her for advice, simple' He tried to reassure himself. Nevertheless, he couldn't work up the courage to speak out loud. He starred, willing his chemical solution to do what he wished, but something was missing. There was something he didn't have, he knew that. It was at this time that Simmons had decided to begin operation acquaintance.

"You know," Her voice startled him and he whipped his head up to face her quickly. "If you just add a little of this," She help up a beaker full of bubbling blue liquid, "It'll create a reaction a little closer to what we want." She walked over and measured the correct amount adding it into his solution. It instantly began to react.

"Huh. I didn't think of that one." He looked up at her, softening his gaze a tad so as not to come off so hostile. She nodded.

"So, maybe we could, I don't know, collaborate a little. Just for today, since we have been paired up. I know it's not ideal, but it looks like you did something here I didn't and yours is coming out a lot closer to what the professor asked for now that I added the same chemicals." She said looking closely into his glass. Fitz nodded quickly, too quickly, and walked over to her station examining her notes.

"Ah! I see what you did here, hold on." He moved around the lab expertly, grabbing a few things as he went, eventually turning back to the table. After a few moments, he stood back, watching proudly as the beaker began to do just what the professor asked for.

"Oh that's brilliant! How did I not think to do that?" She hopped over to him patting his shoulder and flashing a wonderfully bright smile. "I guess we should have done that from the beginning."

"Oh no," He started, "You have to add that at the end I think or-"

"No, not that," Jemma interrupted. "We should have acted more as a team, and not been too stuck up to click." Fitz looked at her surprised she was really admitting she was stuck up.

"Oh. Yeah, guess you're right." He remained silent after that, watching the chemicals bubbling and steaming in the glass.

"Well, I guess I'm going to go back to my dorm since we're done. See you tomorrow, Fitz." She waved, smiled once more, and strolled out the double doors of the lab. It wasn't long before Fitz left too, going back to his bed just to lie on his back, starring at the ceiling for hours, before finally falling asleep.

The professor smirked as he saw the two walk through the doors together in the morning, chatting amicably, and interrupting each other's sentences with excitement. "See, Ms. Adamns, I told you. FitzSimmons, that's what I'm going to call them from now on, now that they're friends." Samantha just laughed, returning to her computers compelling screen, but professor Moranson watched on with pride. He knew these two were going to go far. Farther together than apart.