"Fitz hurry up," Simmons called, dashing ahead across the small wooden bridge over the softly gurgling stream, her footsteps thunking on the planks.
"You aren't even wearing shoes," he groaned, squishing his feet into his own pair as he ran behind her.
"There's no time for shoes!" she told him. "Hurry, or we'll lose them."
"Are you sure they're landing?" he checked, catching up to her.
"There's a field up ahead," she replied excitedly. "Look how low they are, oh they're waving! Hello!" She grinned, waving back at the figures floating in baskets beneath the brightly coloured balloons drifting over a hundred feet above them. She reminded him a little of a tail wagging puppy and he smiled with her as warmth spread through his chest. "Fitz, wave hello," she instructed, elbowing him lightly.
He complied, laughing, before the balloon disappeared behind a green wall of trees.
Simmons darted through them, chasing after it and once again reminding him of a puppy after a tennis ball, pine needles sticking into her thick white socks. Fitz was glad she had worn that pair, they were practically slippers and at least they'd protect her feet.
She'd darted out of her house so quickly she'd neglected to grab her trainers. It was a breezy, summer day and they'd been sketching out the schematics of their latest project in her living room, the window wide open, when the low, growling, whoosh of the hot air balloons had caused Simmons to jump to her feet, eyes sparkling with delight.
They emerged from the trees, into the wide, open field and, just as Simmons had predicted, the balloon was landing several meters away.
The basket touched the grass and the fabric collapsed beside it like an enormous sheet spreading over a giant green mattress.
"Oh look, there are more!" she chirped, pointing up over the trees.
He followed her gaze and saw them, dotting the blue sky with red, yellow, green and white. One was shaped like an elephant, another like a cowboy hat.
Simmons was laughing happily as they landed around them, waving at the occupants of the descending baskets who waved back cheerfully.
"I'd shape mine as a fish," she decided merrily, leaning towards him and whispering into his ear, as if her hot air balloon design were a secret. "Or a shark, imagine seeing a goblin shark swimming through the sky." Her face lit at the thought.
Fitz pictured the terrifying creature, its long, pointed nose and jagged teeth, and scrunched his nose. "Couldn't you pick a nice fish?" he asked.
"I'd rather an interesting animal than a pretty one," she told him, raising her eyebrows and shaking her head. "Goblin sharks are the only extant member of the Mitsukurinidae family, they're over one hundred and twenty five million years old."
"Uh huh," he replied unenthusiastically and she rolled her eyes at him.
"I bet I know what animal your balloon would be," she teased, nudging him affectionately.
"Not a goblin shark, that's for sure," he let her know.
She chuckled at him before her attention returned to the balloons.
"Would you ever want to ride in one?" she asked hopefully, the twinkle in her eyes returning.
He didn't, not really, he'd feel much better with his feet remaining on the ground, but her adorable little face was so filled with joy and expectation he couldn't bring himself to say no.
"Sure," he answered.
She beamed at him and the warmth in his chest returned, a little flame fed by her happiness. It felt good, to make her smile, and besides what were the chances that she'd actually take him up on the offer?
/-/-/
A month later Fitz and Simmons were standing in the basket of a bright orange hot air balloon. Simmons was bouncing around excitedly and Fitz really hoped she'd stop before they took off.
He knew they were safe, it was a basket attached to a parachute, even if the fuel ran out there was a good chance of them landing smoothly, without any injuries. He understood how they worked, flames heated the air inside the balloon, increasing its volume and making it lighter than the surrounding cooler, denser air, causing it to float.
Fitz understood how they worked, he understood that they were safe, but he still wished he could remain on the ground.
"Ready for takeoff?" their pilot asked cheerfully.
"Ready," Simmons chirped.
"Yeah, sure," Fitz replied, forcing a smile. He didn't want Simmons to know he was nervous. Not that she was likely to make fun of him, or judge him in any way, she was far too kind for that. It was just that he wanted her to have fun and not need to worry about his anxiety. That and, if he were being completely honest with himself, he wanted to impress her, for her to think he was brave or at the very least not to think he was afraid.
So even though he didn't want to, he nodded along with his friend and held onto the side of the basket as the balloon lifted into the air.
Simmons, once again, reminded him of a puppy, filled with wonder and made of smiles and sunshine. She tugged on his sleeve and pointed to the quickly shrinking landmarks; houses and bunches of trees in varying shades of green and a river which wound its way north like a slithering snake, glimmering in the morning sunlight. It was beautiful and Fitz found his fear leaving him, stuck to the ground as they gently rose towards the clouds.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" she marveled, wide, wondering eyes catching the sunlight.
"Yeah, it really is," he answered, the flame in his chest spreading warmth to the tips of his fingers.
He was glad for his friend's sense of adventure, for her desire to experience the world in all its breathtaking beauty and he felt unbelievably fortunate that it was him she wanted to experience it with. Since their friendship had began his life had been expanding, much like the air in their balloon, and he was beginning to see how big and how spectacular the world really was.
Simmons' shoulder brushed his as she waved to a group of people kicking a ball across a field, nudging Fitz so he'd wave too and he chuckled at her as he complied.
Up in that balloon, caught in the wind hundreds of feet above the ground, Fitz was free and happy and in the best place possible to see wondrous things, right beside Simmons.