FLASH.
Jemma closed her eyes and started counting.
'One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi, fo...'
BOOM.
Her muscles relaxed, finally, a few moments after the thunder died down. 'Just about a kilometer away. It's getting closer'. Jemma thought. The rain pattered endlessly on the window, drowning out the ambient noise of SHIELD's Headquarters. They left ever-changing shadows on the couch she had inched closer to the wall so she could see better.
Jemma Simmons never pegged down quite how she felt about thunderstorms. She certainly knew she loved the idea. The sounds of a storm ragging outside were almost melodious, a steady beat if not for the occasional crash of the symbols. And they were the perfect excuse to cancel whatever suddenly not-so-important plans you had for that day and snuggle in with a (perhaps overly large) mug of cocoa. She warmed her hands on the porcelain cup she was holding now. It had been ages since she treated herself to hot chocolate; her usual habit of drinking tea held off for time being.
Fitz was due back today; a fact that the storm offered no distraction from. She feared the inclement weather had other plans for him, however. She hadn't heard if his flight had been delayed, but she hadn't heard if it was on time either. He had been gone 5 days... maybe 6? Jemma was having trouble keeping track of time lately. But she knew he was - hopefully - coming home soon.
She had only seen Fitz sporadically in the time she spent locked away in quarantine, usually very late in the night, stealing what time he could to come over and keep her company through the glass of her chamber. Her relief upon release was short lived; the Quinjet leading Fitz off on an assignment left the very next morning. She made sure she bid him farewell in person, shrugging off every suggestion to stay in bed and rest, to repay him for the sleep he himself sacrificed to see her.
FLASH.
'Here we go again,' she thought. Jemma knew it was coming: the large, overbearing bang of thunder that accompanied, eventually, every flash of lightning in the distance.
BOOM.
She clutched her mug a little tighter as the crackle faded away, letting go of her held breath. Without counting this time, she knew the storm was closing in, slowly but surely.
Even with everything she liked about this stormy weather, the roar of thunder was something she could NEVER enjoy.
As far back as she could remember, Jemma had always had this kind of reaction. She always knew she was safe and sound, far away from any danger. But the giant rumble overhead signaled her body, every time, to tense into a mini-panic. Her regular heartbeat would then return to her and she would relax moments later, as quickly as it began. She wasn't nearly as affected by it now as she used to be, but her body's involuntary flinch was a curse she assumed she'd always have to put up with.
She silently begged the sky to quiet down and let Fitz come home. He was the only one who get her through a thunderstorm without this tension she felt in her muscles.
It was an evening at the Academy, all those years ago, when she found this particular trick. Clouds had lingered above all day, but in the distance, to the west, they turned black and ominous, and threatened to close in.
Using her textbook as a makeshift umbrella, Jemma attempted to shield herself from the sudden rain blanketing the campus, rushing from cover to cover. Finally finding herself in an archway, she looked behind to check on her companion's progress towards safety.
Fitz was either less determined to stay dry, or wouldn't risk a textbook that had cost him an arm and a leg. Either way, he was getting soaked trying to keep up with her.
FLASH.
Her face turned sour, looking up as if she could avoid the boom if she saw it first. Fitz noticed and looked up to see what she was starring at, finding nothing.
BOOM.
She clutched her soaking wet textbook tight in her arms as the thunder drummed, not caring that her now wet jumper just defeated the purpose of staying dry. Fitz jogged up to her underneath the brick shelter she had picked.
"Can we please hurry and get inside?" Jemma pleaded.
"You've clearly never been to Scotland, this is nothing!" Fitz joked. Jemma was still eyeing the sky, as if some clue she could use to calm the storm alluded her.
"Hey! Earth to Jemma. You okay?" The man could be dense, but he could always tell when she was troubled.
"Of course, Fitz, I just... I just really don't like thunder." She was almost ashamed to admit it, like she was some girl with a silly fear.
The wind picked up and splattered them with rain, rendering their hiding place moot. Subconsciously, they drew closer to protect each other from the elements.
"Are you daft, woman?" Fitz asked, somewhat tactlessly. "The lightnin's the dangerous part!"
Jemma's genuinely worried eyes showed him that she wasn't in the mood to put up with sass.
"Hey now," Fitz course-corrected, "You don't have anything to be afraid of. I wouldn't let anything happen to you!"
Fitz put his hand on her shoulder and put on some fake bravado. "Even thunder and lightning would have to go through me!"
She smiled at the gesture, but before she could quite cheer up the sky interrupted.
FLASH.
"Ooooooh, here's another..." She trailed off and curled her torso inwards, subconsciously trying to protect herself. Fitz brought his other arm over her, gripping her in a tight embrace. She adjusted into him and hugged him back, surprised by but not minding the sudden intimacy.
...boom...
The thunder trailed off, almost impotently, as her body eased at the so-called danger's passing. That hadn't been so bad after all.
'Well' she laughed to herself, 'maybe Fitz is right. Maybe they would have to go through him first."
FLASH.
Another quick strobe of light across the sky jolted her thoughts back to the present. A sudden chill overtook her and she brought her hooded sweatshirt around herself tighter in.
'Not a single old-fashioned quilt in this entire base, but of course there's a closet full of branded hoodies.' Her fingers traced the small eagle on the chest of the coat. 'For a spy organization, we sure do put our logo on everything'
The rain had slowed slightly but the wind had increased, altering the tapping frequency on her window. Maybe she'd be more comfortable someplace else, not in this out-of-the-way sitting room. But it's windows gave her the best view of the sky, and she couldn't help but stare out in morbid curiosity.
Perhaps she was hoping to catch a glimpse of a quinjet, or some sign Fitz's whereabouts. 'Would he even know I'd be waiting for him? Did something go wrong, and he's not even coming home?' Jemma sighed and tried to quiet her thoughts as they built up. 'Nothing to do but wait. If there was something we needed to know, we'd hear about it soon'
She sipped the last bits of her cocoa and set the cup down. The drink's comfort now gone, she felt even more how much she was missing the comfort Fitz would give her during every storm that had passed their way. 'Metaphorical storms too,' she mused.
Had she ever told him how much his warmth and shelter had meant to her? He always stepped up and sat with her, as her personal guardian, to kept her safe from the imagined attack.
BOOM.
Jemma once again briefly curled herself up as the sky roared. 'I guess there's lots I haven't told him. Lots we need to talk about."
She was pondering how long she might wait like this when she heard a door open and the sound of footsteps approaching. Continuing to watch the rain through the window, she smiled to herself, feeling more relaxed already. He was home after all.
"You know how hard it is to find a blanket in this place?" Fitz asked, not expecting an answer, as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. He had managed to find a set of warm bed sheets to cloak her in.
He was utterly soaked. She, of course, didn't mind the sudden dampness. Her heart felt a small flutter when she considered that this meant seeing her took priority over changing into something dry. Fitz quickly realized his mistake, though.
"Ah, damn. I should go n' dry off." he apologized. Jemma clutched him when he tried to leave.
"You're not going anywhere." She kindly threatened as she turned to meet his gaze. A smile overtook him as he rounded the couch to settle in next to her, taking her hand in his own. She snuggled into him at last.
FLASH.
They looked out at the weather together as she felt her body ease and the tension finally leave her. Soon she'd hear about his trip and the new calluses she was feeling on his palms. Soon they'd finally have a chance to talk about the feelings she had (and the ones she knew he was feeling too). There were many things she wanted to tell him. But right now, she was content to just sit and truly enjoy his company for the first time in a depressingly long time.
The boom came and went without her notice, farther behind it's bright counterpart than before.