Another Academy AU where FitzSimmons start by hating each other and quickly realize they just have so much in common! But I had this idea in mind for a while and I loooove that trope so hopefully you'll appreciate this one as well! Despite the premises, there's actually very little drama and angst in this story and actually quite a lot of fluffiness so be warned!
So here's the first chapter of this story. About half of it already written so hopefully I should be able to post at least once a week :) As always comments are very welcome!
"Simmons I told you I was getting the reagents, you were supposed to get the hot plate!" Fitz mumbled with an annoyed huff as he got back to their temporary common lab bench.
"Ugh Fitz how on Earth was I supposed to hear that?" Jemma sighed, letting out an even louder and slightly exaggerated annoyed huff as she walked back to the side of the room to get the missing items.
"Then what did you hear?" He asked impatiently as he followed and helped her carry everything, which made her roll her eyes 'cause she was perfectly capable of carrying a hot plate and a few small items on her own, thank you very much.
"I don't know... something about gay agents and their palate ..." She shrugged and he looked annoyed and confused which kind of delighted her.
"But that doesn't even make any sense. Why would I say that?"
"Don't ask me!" She cried out. "Between the mumbling and the accent I don't understand half of what you say most of the time anyway!" She added as they both started installing every equipment and chemicals needed for their experiment.
"Oh please miss Sheffield, it's not like you talk like the bloody Queen yourself!"
"Who's Queen Youssef? And why are talking about her body, we're supposed to be working it's not the time to ..." She started, trying her best to hide the small smirk tugging at her lips but he cut her off. She could easily deduce what he actually said most of the time but he didn't need to know that and it was so much more fun that way.
"Fine have it your own way ... but you English folks are just bitter because everybody hates you anyway ..."
Jemma rolled her eyes and took the beakers from him as they carried on with preparing the experiment they had to complete together. Honestly, she didn't get why they had to work together on this. She could easily do it on her own, she could even do it in her sleep. So just because they were the same age and the youngest recruits the Academy has ever had and both British, they should be paired up every occasion they get and become automatically friends? It's been two months since the start of year and it was obviously never going to happen.
Still, as they kept on bickering about every little thing, the experiment took form and even though he had, in her opinion, all the wrong ways of doing it, he seemed just as familiar as she was with it and without really realizing it, they were finished while most of their classmates were still halfway through it. Ironically, from the way everyone glared at them, they were the only ones who remained undistracted by the way they talked over each other constantly like two fighting siblings.
"I knew you'd work well together!" Professor Callahan said with a delighted smile as he came closer.
"Oh no I would have been faster on my own!" They both exclaimed almost in perfect synchrony and as they turned to each other, annoyance and surprise evident on their faces, Professor Callahan couldn't help chuckling.
"So you're all done with the experiment right? Is it all written down as well? » He asked.
"Oh yeah it's all here, just give me a moment to proof read it and …" Fitz answered as he turned towards his notebook but before he had the time to say more, Jemma cut him off.
"Actually, I also took the liberty of writing my own report, see Dr Fitz's writing is a bit hard to read …"
Of course, it was an understatement. Both her parents were medical doctors and their writing was easier to read.
"Oh sorry Jane Austen, we didn't have calligraphy lessons at my public school." He hissed at her and she rolled her eyes all the way to the back of her head.
"Oh please, I just learned to properly form letter back when I was four. I mean what is that word even supposed to be? Pancakes? Peanuts? That doesn't make any sense …" She asked, taking his notebook from him.
"Hey don't touch my things you …"
"Cadets!" Professor Callahan cut them off, his tone harsh enough for them to look at him with a slightly sheepish expression.
"Look how well you worked together today, imagine what you could accomplish if you just stopped bickering for one minute!"
"Yes it really is too bad but …" Jemma started.
"Yes it's too bad because you're gonna have to do it anyway!" Professor Callahan declared before he walked away from their lab bench.
For once, Fitz seemed to agree with her because his face mirrored her own worry at their teacher's ominous sentence.
"Class, look up and listen to me for a minute!" Professor Callahan said much louder to catch the attention of the whole room. "Before leaving today you'll come to me and I'll give you an assignment that should keep you occupied for the next six weeks and you'll be working with the partner you had today." Jemma shared another almost terrified look with Fitz. "No exception, no changes and you will have to work TOGETHER …" He added with a pointed look towards Fitz and Simmons. "…during class. Amongst other things, this should teach you that you don't always choose the people you work with, especially if you end working on the field at some point …"
"Well fuck …" Jemma let out under her breath.
"Simmons!" Fitz cried out in fake outrage. "Language!"
"Ugh!"
-0-0-0-
"And couldn't this wait 'till tomorrow morning?" Fitz let out impatiently as he tried to balance his phone between his shoulder and his ear while checking to see if his wallet was still in his backpack. He had exactly 15 minutes before the store closed and even if he usually didn't mind a diet consisting mostly of pizza, Chinese food and ice cream, he had to admit that he was actually starting to crave some fruits and vegetables.
"No I need to check those results with you so I can start properly typing the report and save us some time for Friday's lab time. The quicker we're finished, the quicker we get to use those hours to work on our own!" She replied and he rolled his eyes even though she did have a point.
"Well I cannot disagree with you on that but come on, we've done like 90% of it and it's only been three weeks!"
"Callie and Milton are starting to catch up on us and ..."
"Fine but just email me the datas you need me to check." He cut her off. If there was something they had in common it was their competitiveness and she apparently knew how to use it to her advantage. "I'll take care of it as soon as I'm home, I need to buy food before the store closes."
"Fine but don't forget!"
"Of course I won't. I can't let cabbage head one up us!" He replied with a smirk and ... was that an actual chuckle he heard from her?
"Oh and speaking about emails, could you use these more? I swear I've had more phone calls from you in the past three weeks than I've had like all year ... total!"
"What? With you being so charming all the time, I really wonder why you don't have any friends calling you!" She teased and he felt his heart clench as he was rendered speechless for a moment before he squared his jaw and regained his composure.
"Yeah right. Goodbye Simmons." He let out dryly and hung up before she's had the time to react. He shouldn't have been so hurt by her teasing, after all they've said worse things to each other and she was only using the very obvious trap he'd set for himself. He would probably have done the same if the roles were reversed but this one just hit too close to home and he suddenly didn't feel the energy to throw something mean back at her. He liked to outsmart her more than anything, there was no fun in being mean … not that their bickering was usually fun. Not at all.
In retrospect, it was probably why he was distracted enough not to look both ways when the light turned green before he started crossing the street. Which would not have been a problem if the man in the red car hadn't been too busy arguing with his wife on the phone to see the light had turned red for him.
-0-0-0-
"Fitz! This is the fourth and last message I'm leaving on your voice mail! I knew I couldn't trust you to send me that email but I didn't think you ... I've waited for you in the lab for hours this morning and I swear you better have a very good excuse for not showing up, something like the worst flu you ever had or a really terrible accident! Call me before the end of the day or I'll ask for a new lab partner … gosh I knew working with you would be a pain in the arse but at least I thought you'd be professional …" Jemma cried out into her phone before hanging up and angrily slamming it down her desk.
To think that she'd been feeling guilty for the whole thing about him not having friends. It was just their usual teasing and she usually didn't care if she made him annoyed or angry but he'd sounded almost ... hurt before he practically hung up on her. And that would just be one step too far. After all, she couldn't stand him and he was infuriating most of the time but she was never mean without a good reason for it and he never actually did or said something bad.
Well until now, Jemma thought as she absentmindedly scrolled through the Academy's online message board to see if she could find a trace of what Fitz might have been up to. At least, it was a good thing she'd decided to wait until she'd see him to apologize or at least say something friendly so he would hopefully forget her hurtfull comment. After he made her waste a whole morning worth of work without giving her an excuse, she couldn't care less about his feelings.
Just as she was about to turn off her computer, change clothes and go for a run to let out some steam, her phone rang.
Clearing her throat, she prepared herself to shout but when she grabbed it, she realized it wasn't actually Fitz calling but some unknown number. She hesitated for a moment, not wanting the call to last too long so she could go out to run before dark, but curiosity got the best of her.
"Hello ... uh yes I know him why ... yeah that's because we're working together we're not … oh … oh no ... and when was that? ... oh I don't know if he'd be happy to ... no yes okay I'll be there, thanks. Goodbye."
Feeling her heart beat surprisingly fast in her chest as guilt threatened to overwhelm her, Jemma grabbed her coat and handbag and went for the door, her legs working almost automatically without her really deciding to move. She always thought of herself as being a nice person, with good intentions most of the time, and she couldn't believe the awful things she just said to him on the phone. Hoping something terrible had happened just because he made her lose a few hours and now … What if he didn't … No she couldn't think like that, he was young and supposedly healthy, he'd get through it. Fortunately, she'd memorized almost all the routes of all the buses passing close to the campus long ago and knew which one would take her there in less than twenty minutes so she quickened her pace and hoped she wouldn't have to wait for too long at the bus stop.
It's only when she reached the main entrance of the hospital that she realized she didn't even know what she was even supposed to do once she got there. Was she supposed to bring flowers? That was what people usually did in these situations but they didn't even appreciate each other, it would most likely be awkward for the both of them. So what? Chocolates maybe? If there was something she noticed about her lab partner in the past few weeks, it was that he liked food. Chocolate felt a bit … romantic though. Well she could probably find something nice and … neutral at the gift shop and then she'd have ample time to think about what she would actually say to him when he wakes up.
