AN: Just this first chapter is pre-series! Read on please.

-/-/-

Grant can't shake her or the feel of that kiss no matter how real or fictionalized it was or wasn't in reality it sure as fuck felt real and he liked it maybe a bit too much. She's gotten under his skin and he can't have that attachment is a weakness he cannot afford. Maybe it's physical or chemical attraction like she had said that night in the darkness of the car. If he could just get her out of his system he'd be all set.

So he strides into the lab on a mission.

"Hey Jem…" He said and Fitz stared at him oddly. "I mean Simmons, next day off I'm taking you on a private field exercise wear a long horns t-shirt." He commanded in his typical. I am Grant Ward you will fall to my charms because I said so kind of way. He leans a hip on her lab table and awaits her answer.

"Uh why? And why would I wear one of those atrocious shirts with a bovine head splashed on it?" She countered brows crunched down ever so tightly.

She has him pinned with her eyes in way that makes him nervous. "Let me try this again. Go out with me. Please?"

"And why would I succumb to your demands?" She asked with a little lift of her chin.

He smiled before answering knowing he's about to snag her using her own words. "Because and I quote. "You can't fake attraction that real. It's a chemical impossibility."

He pushed off the table. "State Fair of Texas. It'll be fun. Trust me."

Fitz stared between them incredulously. "Wear a cap it's supposed to be sunny. Fitz, you tell Coulson or anyone else about my private life? And well, I'll tie your lower intestine in double knots with my teeth." He said dead seriously even as threat was false. He likes making Fitz squirm almost as much as he likes seeing Simmons blush.

As he walks away he hears Fitz's voice reprimanding Jemma. "Jem you cannot be serious!"

-/-/-

She meets him there at Dallas Fair Park. She's already inside having been prompt with her time unlike him. They had to arrive separately because dating within the agency is strictly prohibited. Those agents who had followed the rules have never kissed Jemma Simmons.

He's not really sure why Jemma is risking it but he'll take what he can get. He smiles as he gets closer to her. She's squatted down in front of a little boy waiting the ticket line. As he gets within ear shot he can hear her trying to explain the physics that keeps the balloon afloat in the air to the little boy who is no more than three and has no clue what she is saying and it is obvious he doesn't care what makes burnt orange balloon float.

The child's parents look positively befuddled.

"You make friends wherever you go don'tcha Jemma?" he said smiling as she moved from her kneeling position to stand.

"Human connection is of the upmost importance in the-"he cuts her off by planting a kiss on her cheek and looping an arm around her waist to put those skittish parents at ease.

"Don't science me Jemma just say yes Grant I do make friends with ease." He teased.

She dresses like he had told her. A tight fitted V-neck Longhorns shirt and dark wash shorts with SHIELD Academics ball cap. She looks young, cute even. " She's trying to kill me with those legs." He thinks to himself as he tries not to stare. He realizes she's speaking to him and he drags his eyes up to her face.

"We don't have state fairs in England. Counties maybe but nothing this big. "She smiled at him like an excited child bouncing on the balls of her feet as they move forward to buy tickets to buy food or play games and rides the rides in the midway.

He says as the line moves up. "Wait til you see Big Tex, he brings it to a whole new level."

"I thought you were from Massachusetts?" She clarified.

"Oh I am my parents are politicians so I saw a lot of the world and we came here once as a kid. I like it its fun, full of people food. I haven't been back in a while and since the timing was right and we're in the area I thought why not?"

"Makes sense." They walk in to the L- shaped fairground complex and sure enough there is Big Tex the fifty five foot tall cowboy who greets fairgoers with a friendly grin and wave to welcome them in.

"Wow. That's impressive." She said sounding a little awed.

Ward nodded in agreement with her. "Wait we're right up on him. As a kid I found it terrifying. My brother wanted to climb it."

"And our attire?"

"Today's the cotton bowl." He answered.

She looked at him blankly. "OU versus Texas. Football."

"I knew that!" She covered with a wide smile.

"I bet you did. I was serious about the field lessons today we'll practice blending in."

"I can blend." She justifies tone indignant and He doesn't stop to tell her she always stands out to him anyway.

"We'll see. What do you wanna do first?" he asked.

She took a deep breath. "What is that wonderful smell?"

"This is the south it's probably deep fried something or other." He said following after her. They set off in search of what is causing the smell. They track it to one of the many food stands.

"Give me whatever it is that smells like blueberry heaven please." Simmons says and the flowery lilt of her accent must dazzle the vendor because he pauses for a second and just looks at the bubbly brunette.

"Ah you little lady want a deep fried blue bonnet." The worker says and she takes his word for it. She nods resolutely taking the proffered food. Which turns out to be a deep fried blue berry muffin filled with cream cheese white chocolate and fresh blueberries topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. "This will kill me but I shall die happy."

Ward laughs from behind her as he leans in to order deep fried Siracha balls. "Oh you're going to regret that." She comments.

He shrugs. "I got a cast iron stomach."

They sit down and eat not far from the petting zoo. "Odd placement for food." He comments as they watch little kids spill out of the huge tent. Joyous shrieking fills the air around them.

"Oh my God! This so makes up for the lingering Eau De Animal." She said biting into her muffin. "Wanna try?" She offers waggling her fork in front of his mouth comically and he waves her off biting into his own food.

He chews and tries to keep his cool but it doesn't work. He coughs and steals her water bottle their fingertips brush but his mouth is too on fire to focus on anything else. "You were right." He said as he took a sip. "I thought cooking it would mellow it out."

She is holding in laughter he can see it. "Grant your ears are turning red. Here…" she scooped up some cream cheese. "Dairy neutralizes capsaicin." She feeds it to him before he can complain. "Iron stomach my arse." She joked back. She shook her head.

"If you ever tell…" he threatened clearing his stinging throat.

"Who would I tell it's not like I know any other cool specialist." She pointed out.

He concedes her point. "I just might introduce you to Romanoff. You'd like her."

She asked eating more of her muffin. "Do you have a crush on her?"

"I don't crush on people who could kill me." He deadpans.

"So I'm safe then?" She inquires.

"At least in the physical sense." He allowed.

After they eat they head into the petting zoo since its right there close. They walk in companionable for bit looking at mostly farm animals until she breaks the quiet for a question. "Why operations?"

"Why academics?" He countered.

"I asked first." She pointed out.

"Fair enough," he stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "It gave me a place to safely deposit my…issues and not hurt anyone doing it. I can protect what's mine now. I couldn't always do that." He can tell by the look on her face she wants to press it but doesn't. He likes that about her. She has patience.

She answers his question. "I have always liked puzzles, mysteries, that's what science does for me it gives me something to solve with certainty."

"And what about faith?" He asked because he wondered if someone as smart as Jemma had time for things like God and blind faith.

"I have faith…just in people mostly." She said as she squatted down to pet the baby goat baying at her feet.

"Don't even think it. Goats plus May's plane is sure to equal disaster." She pouts a second but stands again and they move on into the huge stream of people he grabs her hand pulls her close. He keeps her there at his side. He tells himself it's for her safety in the throngs of people but he knows that's not the whole truth.

They stop and they listen to music for a minute then meander through the car show and craft bazaar. They stroll aimlessly through the midway and amusement rides. They don't play any games because one or both of them know how they games are rigged.

The milk bottle toss bottles are leadened on the bottom, the shooting games guns are faulty Grant knows both things on sight.

"How can the penny toss possibly be rigged Simmons?" He asks when she mentions it. It truly looks like a difficult game of chance.

"They spray the plates with aerosol silicon so the pennies slide off the plate. If you look close it shows up filmy on the plate like hairspray." She sighed "It's rather sad actually think of all the kids they deceive."

He shakes his head, "Money is money Jem, the deceivers don't think about the deception only the end result. It's not fair but neither is life. It's best to learn it early; besides, it's the parents' money to waste if they choose to."

"I suppose you are right." She replied as they walked on. She's tucked up into his side and he wants to keep it that way.

They walk around just taking it all in and sharing a bag of kettle corn as Ward nurses a special brew of beer made for the fair. "Can I try it?" she asked her tone curious.

He hands her the bottle of Funnel Cake Ale. He tries and fails not to stare at her mouth as she takes a swig. He keenly remembers the taste of her kiss and the heat that seemed to linger between them for the rest of that night. He is curious to see if she'll let him reignite it as he gets lost in the thought her face screws up and pulls him back to the ground. "That is an abominable bottle of beer! How are you drinking it? Why?" She asked as her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. It shakes surprised laughter from him.

He grinned at her disgust. "I bought it might as well finish it."

"So you're a masochist then?" she teased.

He laughed again. "It's just beer Jemma."

She smiled at him slowly. "I like that sound."

"What?"

"You're laughter it's nice."

"I'll try to do it more often no promises though." He allowed.

"Oh no of course not." She retorted. "Wouldn't want anyone to know I might've put a dent in your tough guy façade."

"I can keep a secret if you can." He really likes innocently flirting with her. It makes him feel young

"I can't lie worth a shit but I can keep a confidence. No one will ever know Grant Ward has a pleasant laugh."

"Good wanna ride the Ferris Wheel? I think it's back that way." He points behind them thinking it might be a nice way to see the sun go down.

"I'm afraid of heights." She admits.

"Yeah? Well we will work on it I was serious about improving your in field skill set." He nods he's decided he'll make a field operative of her yet.

She smiles glancing up at him from beneath the bill of her cap. Her brown eyes she shine mercurially and it makes stomach drop in a satisfying way. "Of course you believe in dual purpose dating." She teased and he smiles back.

That night they re-board the bus and he walks her to her bunk of all places. "So was it as you remembered? The fair I mean?" She asked. She walks just a step ahead of him hands in her back pockets. It's like she's afraid of what touching him could lead too.

He's not afraid; he really wants to see where she'll take him.

"Better. There were no rules to follow or appearances to keep. I got to just be. I like spending time with you Jemma. You are interesting." He leans into her noticing her lightly sunburned cheeks and nose despite the cap.

She pats his chest a little awkwardly but hey, touching is touching. "I too enjoy your company I only hope that we don't receive censure for-"

"Jemma you're doing the rambling thing." He pointed out gently as he tipped up her chin.

"Right sorry ha-"he kisses her before she can finish the sentence.

This kiss is not faked or put on for show. It's real and it's perfect but not near enough to satisfy the quick and unexpected lust that bubbles up inside him. The kiss starts off soft and damn near innocent but again morphs into something hotter. She tastes of sugar and sunshine. He pressed her tight against her bunk door. This somehow trips a switch inside her and she breaks the kiss.

"I think- I think we should go slowly all things considered. I like you Grant I do, I'm just not a one and done girl. Oh do try not to look so disappointed I didn't say we'd never…just not on the first date. Because this was a date no matter what you choose to call them and I choose to take this thing growing between us quite seriously." She said doing the rapid fire smart girl talk thing he digs.

He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Okay Jemma, you can make me work for you. I don't mind. Like I said you spark my curiosity among other things." He said smiling and turns to leave.

And he leaves her standing there confused and properly kissed. Her soft "Goodnight Ward." Follows him out of the sleeping quarters.

AN: I own nothing Marvel related. I obviously do not own the Texas state fair. Though I do have it on good authority that the deep fried blue bonnet is in fact delicious. Thank you for all the reviews and kudos and such! Please keep reading next chapter I bring in more canonical stuff.-MM

AN 2: Llwydyn: I tried to work on the comma use sorry if I missed some.