-HEAD CANON SERIES-
Set somewhere after 25 years old from 'Tis the Season to Be Jolly'. And there are references to 'Please, don't say you love me'.
I'm going for a bit more of fluff and light heartedness here.. The angst will return in some of the other fics that I have in mind so I don't want to mess with FitzSimmons' heads more than necessary. And I'm adding Skye and Ward, hoping to have them in character as much as possible.
The Prompt was #10-Drink.
Thanks to my Beta StarryDreamer01 who helped me edit this.
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN AGENTS OF SHIELD.
Never Have I Ever
'Landing in 10.'
Three heads rose as one when May's voice echoed throughout the lab from the intercom. Jemma glanced to her left and found Leo's eyes staring back at her, confusion clear in his blue orbs.
They both turned to Skye, perched on a stool by their common workbench who looked just as puzzled as they were.
"Er- did I miss the comm that we were going somewhere?" The hacker asked, closing her laptop. She had been reviewing some file Ward had given her about data analysts' protocols. Her S.O had assumed that she should know (and learn to bypass) some things about SHIELD protocols before hacking her way into their system. Again. The message was very subtly phrased but she had gotten it loud and clear: her solo work during Coulson's kidnapping had shown how some out-of-the-box action could work better than action dictated by HQ.
"No, no one said anything about it," Jemma replied, putting away her goggles and gloves. She quickly turned off her working equipment.
It had been a few weeks since their mission at the Academy and a month since their departure from the HUB. It had been a quiet week and no mission had been announced. Yet.
"We could be stopping for a re-stock," Fitz remarked, putting his tools away and setting the Night-Night rifle back in its case. These quiet moments gave him time to fiddle with his prototypes and with the constant menace of Centipede's super soldiers, he was always working on a way to make his gun and rifle more precise as possible. He knew that Jemma was working on her dendrotoxin and was analysing some neurotoxins to come up with an additional paralysing component.
"It could be..." Jemma agreed, looking at him. "We haven't really stopped anywhere for a full re-stock since we left Boston." She took off her lab coat, draping it on her chair when she caught a glimpse of Skye and the not-so-subtle, knowing smirk on her face.
-:-
She really should have seen that coming.
Skye had been looking at her and Fitz with that expression ever since they got back from their three days in Boston.
Whenever they mentioned Boston or Christmas, the resident hacker would slide a glance at her or him or both. She really didn't know what Skye was expecting them to do. No, she did know.
Skye was observing them and expecting a confession.
They had come back from Boston knowing that their mutual feelings were fully reciprocated. Years of dancing around the blurred line that was their relationship had made both her and Leo doubtful about taking that final step forward but their forced separation at the HUB just erased all of that.
Their relationship didn't change: it just consolidated into something that had always been there. And neither felt the need or obligation to explain this to anyone.
It was just them. As always.
But Skye was Skye and she must have sensed that something was different. Uncharacteristically, she hadn't showered Jemma with questions and the scientist was truly relieved of that because she knew that she was terrible at being vague -let alone lie. Skye still teased her about the whole Agent-Sitwell-fiasco...
Jemma turned around to the lab doors and glanced at Leo. He was taking off his lab coat and shot her an amused smile, discreetly nodding towards Skye. Of course, he had noticed her attitude and still found it amusing. They had talked about it multiple times: he found it quite fun to keep their relationship hidden from the Team. His exact words for it, rather than hidden, had been 'Not declared.' and she had rolled her eyes at his tone.
They weren't hiding anything just not saying anything about it. They were both quite private and reserved and didn't want to flaunt their relationship.
It was still FitzSimmons, only more at ease and in sync, if possible, than before.
It was only when they were together, alone, in their bunks, watching a film or reading during their usual nights that they shared kisses or hugs or just stayed closer to each other than before.
But no one saw that. Fortunately, the bunks were devoid of video surveillance.
The BUS dipped down and landed. Shortly after, the cargo ramp was lowered and Agents Coulson, May and Ward came down the spiral staircase.
She and Fitz approached the lab's doors followed by Skye.
"Where are we going?" The hacker asked as soon as the whole Team was together.
"It's just me and May," Coulson answered, taking out Lola's keys from his suit's pocket. "We have been called for a debriefing on past missions." His gaze swept over all of them and lingered on the hacker for a second more. Jemma saw Skye tense a little.
Something had happened after their mission at the Academy. Something that deeply involved Skye and had her in a right state for a couple of days. Jemma hadn't pried, waiting for her friend to come and talk to her when she felt comfortable.
Leo had noticed the sudden shift in the brunette's behaviour too and had agreed to wait for her to talk when she felt like opening up.
"Do you need any of us, Sir? I could come with you," Ward said. "Neither of you were at the Academy during the investigation, so if you need-"
Coulson waved his hand with a smile.
"No, it's not about the Academy, though I appreciate your offer, Ward. Just a routine debrief over past missions of mobile teams." Coulson shot May a wry look. "We'll probably be bored out of our minds after the first hour." May's face didn't show a single emotion but her eyes held something close to agreement at his words. "We should be back by tomorrow morning."
His gaze swept over the younger agents again, smile still on his face.
"You can take this as your first night on the Bus without any... parental control." May eyed the man and blatantly rolled her eyes.
Jemma fought to keep her chuckle low while she heard Fitz snort in amusement. Skye failed to hide her laugh and even Ward's lips were oddly twitching.
"So, we've got permission to party on the Bus?" Skye asked, smile wide on her face. "Well, if you can call it a party with just me, FitzSimmons and S.O Robot here."
Ward's deadpanned look had Jemma bite her lip from laughing loud. Coulson chuckled.
"Well, a party seems to be a bit too much but some team bonding wouldn't be bad. After these missions and time apart, I think you deserve some fun," He felt May's eyes and added. "Just don't destroy the Bus."
-:-
Fitz walked along the aisles of the mini market they had found in this town, checking the list of things they had to buy.
The Bus had landed close to a SHIELD facility in Maine but it was a rather isolated area.
Shortly after May and Coulson's departure, the four teammates had agreed to go out and buy some food, refreshments and other items they might need. They weren't going to have a party, as Skye had suggested, but they did need to re-stock their kitchenette.
Ward had been adamant to be in charge and show Coulson and May that he wasn't going to let the kids have their way. Or at least, not totally...
Jemma had volunteered to cook dinner and Leo had immediately agreed. Years of living together had made him appreciate her cooking as one of the best he had ever tasted (his mother's dishes bypassed hers a shy few points...). And a nice, hot, homemade meal was very appealing after weeks of quick dishes and sandwiches: cooking was really impossible while travelling on the Bus. Skye and Ward had both agreed and thanked Simmons when she proposed the idea.
He picked up the vegetables that she had written down and walked back to the cart where the others were standing. The cart was filled with vegetables and fruit (Jemma was always telling them to get the proper intake of vitamins, being the Team's doctor), meat, crisps and popcorn (Leo had managed to convince them to buy two large family packs) and a couple of bottles of drinks.
They were walking through the drinks section when he caught a glimpse of the beers.
"Hey, Simmons, " He turned to her. "How many bottles of Guinness do we still have in the lab's refrigerating cellar?"
"Hmm..." She looked pensive as she quickly counted in her mind. "I think three... We must have opened the last pack when we watched the Dr Who Christmas special a couple of nights ago."
"Alright, I'll grab another pack then."
"Make it two. We're with the SUV: we can restock without worrying of the weight to carry on our own."
He nodded and took the packs of beer.
"That should be enough for a couple of weeks." He put them inside the cart and turned to Jemma with a smile. She smiled back.
-:-
They were smiling at each other again. Alright, they did it often but there was something there that made her intuition tingle. Something that made her wonder what had happened during those days at Boston where they had stayed God knows where to celebrate Christmas.
There really hasn't been a moment to talk to Simmons and gossip -er.. investigate. There had been missions and then Coulson telling her about her origins.
And she wasn't going to think about it now.
She had cried and mourned. Now she had to look forward.
Tonight, she was going to have a nice time with her teammates.
"Woah...there," Skye remarked, looking at the two of them, ignoring her inner turmoil. "That makes twelve bottles of beer. Take it easy or we'll find you passed out in the lab, drunk off your ass, one of these days."
She hadn't really meant to tease them but, seriously... This was FitzSimmons and alcohol. There was no way they could drink all of that...ever.
She saw the two scientists share a look and smirk. FitzSimmons smirked.
"Oh, come on, Skye..." Simmons said airily. "As though that could get ever get us drunk."
Whatever she expected the biochemist to say, it wasn't that. Skye felt her jaw hung open.
"No, wait, wait, wait...wait," She exclaimed. "What? You'd drink all of that?"
"Well, not in a day," Fitz admitted. "If we were really up to it, maybe two?" He turned to Simmons who nodded.
"Now, wait a minute..." Skye was trying to get her head to understand the whole situation. She turned to Ward. "They'd drink all of that?"
The specialist looked surprised just as she did.
"Ok..." He said slowly. "I've seen you drink beer before: a bottle every now and then.. But."
"No... This is not about a beer," The hacker was at loss. "I didn't even know they drank that much. Did you two ever get drunk? Go out to clubs to get smashed?
"Well, technically, we never did get drunk." Simmons remarked. "We were inebriated-"
"-quite a few times, yes," Fitz said. "Though we were quite sloshed during our graduation party at the Academy. Remember?" He turned to his partner with a grin. "We out-drank half of the Boiler room playing chess shots."
Simmons laughed.
"Oh yes! And everyone was offering us drinks. I lost count after the third cocktail and second beer..."
"Me too," Fitz chuckled.
Skye stared. And stared. Her mind was slowly taking in all these informations and then a plan started to form.
She gripped Ward's arm, startling the man who was staring at the duo of scientists himself.
"Ward, we're drinking tonight," she whispered.
"What?" he hissed.
"You're on my team."
"What?"
"FitzSimmons," The two scientists turned to look at her and she saw Simmons look weary and Fitz slightly alarmed. Skye realised that she was smiling widely.
"I have an idea for tonight."
-:-
"I do wonder why no one believes us when we say that we have a high alcohol tolerance."
Jemma huffed as she stirred the vegetables and the pot roast that was simmering on the stove. She glanced at the small oven where a small spinach quiche was baking.
"They are probably judging us following the stereotypes," Leo remarked and she glanced at him: he was polishing the small glasses that he had made out of a bar of chrome that they had in the lab. He looked at her over a glass. "You know, two scientists, introverts, people who never have fun outside a lab and don't even know what alcohol is besides ethanol and it's-"
"- formula being C2H6O," She completed and looked at him, snorting slightly. "Really now...? Shouldn't they be going for the other stereotype? That Brits always drink their minds out every day at the pub?"
"Skye probably prefers the first option."
"Of course, she would."
She heard him approach her and stop by her right side. She looked up and saw the playful smile on his face and failed the quirk upwards of her lips.
"I'm not surprised that you find this drinking game fun," She mused. "You always find any sort of competition challenging, even the childish ones." She nudged his shoulder with hers, playfully.
"Hey, a challenge is a challenge. Whether it is an exam, a mission, a drinking game-"
"Or a snowball fight with your niece and nephew against your brother in law," Jemma arched a brow at him. "Admit it Leo, you just enjoy winning."
He looked at her and grinned and her heart did a little, pleasant twist. She was getting used to these reactions; the reality of her and Leo being truly together was sinking in thoroughly.
"Well, Jemma, you're my partner in all of my challenges," He had leaned forward so that his lips ghosted over her ear. Jemma fought back a shiver as his breath hit her. "We both like winning."
"Hmm," She replied, turning her head so that their noses almost brushed. "So, what is your plan for this challenge, partner?"
-:-
Jemma's whisper came out low, a little hint of a teasing note in it.
He felt his stomach swoop down and come back up again, a feeling that was becoming a constant ever since their return on the Bus and having established their relationship.
A feeling that he was growing accustomed to and that brought a smile to his face. He desperately wanted to kiss her now but they were in the kitchenette, their teammates were somewhere between the bunks and the lounge room and the surveillance camera was right behind them.
He brushed his lips against her cheek, lingering for a second so that he could take a breath of her scent -lavender and something that was just Jemma- before stepping back.
Her cheeks were slightly pink and she was smiling. He smiled back.
"I don't have a real plan," He said. "Skye just said that we would play two drinking games. One of our choice, the other of theirs. I thought that chess shots would be fine for us."
"I'm alright with it as long as the glasses are filled with something that's mildly tasteful," She scrunched her nose. "Anything but scotch, please. I can't stomach it. No offence for your national liquor."
"None taken," He waved his hand. "I can't bear the smell of gin so I can understand. I warned Ward about it when he and Skye bought the liquor: no scotch or gin"
"What did he say?"
"He looked at me funnily and then just nodded," He looked at her. "They did buy a lot of bottles though and-"
"-they sent us off to put the bags in the SUV while they paid," She finished his sentence, putting a lid on the pot roast and lowering the flame. "They're planning something. I am a bit weary of what Skye might come up with as second game."
"I'm trying to not think about that, Jemma. She could come up with the most unknown and embarrassing thing that she has found online."
"Let's rely on our tolerance then."
"And on our ability in chess: if we get them sloshed first, we win. When was the last time you lost at chess?"
She pondered on the question for a minute.
"I think-" she mused. "I think I was six. My Grandfather beat me spectacularly: it was my first game ever and he had just taught me the rules."
"Oh," He frowned slightly. "You did better than me. I was seven: Mum was teaching me the rules and I got a knack of them on my second game."
Jemma grinned at him and nudged his shoulder again.
"Come on, Fitz," She drawled softly. "We never managed to finish a game of chess since we predict every single move the other would make. We cannot define who's the best between us but we can say that we're the best team."
Leo grinned.
"That's for sure. Team FitzSimmons will beat Team SkyeWard."
-:-
"Why are we doing this again?"
Skye turned and glared at her S.O who was leaning against the doorframe of her bunk.
"Really, Ward?" She asked. "Aren't you even a bit curious to see FitzSimmons drunk?"
"They did say that they don't get drunk."
"It could be a lie!" Ward arched a brow at her. "Ok, maybe not. Simmons really doesn't know how to lie... but it could be them just bragging."
"I've seen them drink. Simmons downs a bottle of beer in a rather disturbingly easy way for a woman." He blinked when he noticed Skye's deadpanned look. "I didn't mean it offensively. She's lithe, small and definitely not built to hold alcohol: she surprised me."
He still remembered wondering how the English biochemist could drink like that when they had lunch together, as a Team, the first days on the Bus.
"It's just beer," Skye stated. "It's easy to drink that. Let's see them dealing with something else."
"I saw Fitz drink a shot glass of pure homemade Russian vodka and just define it 'Salty'" He was still impressed by that.
"Alright, Fitz could be tougher to crack. We should start with him and make him drink more."
The look on his rookie's face made Ward grimace inwardly. Whatever she had in mind wasn't going to bode well for anyone whether it was FitzSimmons or himself.
"Why are you doing this again?" He asked. "It's not just to see FitzSimmons drunk."
Skye smirked.
"I want them to confess."
"Confess?"
"Yeah... Something happened during Christmas and I want to know."
"Why don't you just ask them? Ask Simmons -aren't you friends?" Ward wondered if the feminine nature was a mystery just for him or for the whole male population in general...
"Yeah, we're friends but she'd get all flustered and nervous and-" Skye moved her hands in the air, imitating an agitated Simmons. Ward had to cough to mask the chuckle that rumbled in his throat.
"So you're putting up this whole thing, just to know what they did on Christmas?"
"Yep," Skye replied smugly. "And to have them finally confess that they're together." She rolled her eyes. "I knew that they liked each other from the moment I saw them. How they couldn't figure it out before, being geniuses and all, is lost to me..."
"Maybe they just want to keep it quiet. You know, privacy?" He really didn't notice any change in those two: they were still FitzSimmons being FitzSimmons.
"Yeah, privacy... Fat chance. I'm with them in the lab most of the time and I'm almost embarrassed by the way they look at each when they think that no one is looking. And, you weren't around at the HUB but they were unravelling on their own. So, I want them to confess, finally. And I want to tell them that I knew the whole time."
"You just want to gloat." Ward shook his head.
"Yep."
"And you've set us up for a double drinking game just to gloat?" The specialist wanted to clearly understand the distorted plan the hacker had in mind before partaking in it.
"No. Well, yes. Whatever. It's our night off and A.C told us to bond as a Team. What's better than having drinks, play a round of Never-Have-I-Ever.."
"Of what?"
"Never-Have-I-Ever," Skye looked at him. "You never played that?"
"No." He regretted saying that the moment he saw Skye's smile widen.
"Oh, that's going to be really interesting," She remarked. "You get to know a lot about the people you play with."
She didn't elaborate further and this made Ward nervous. A lot.
He was saved from musing about this when he heard Simmons' voice from the lounge room, telling them that dinner was ready. He stepped back in the corridor and took in the very appetizing scent of a homemade meal. Skye came out and took a deep breath.
"Hmmm..." She moaned softly. "That smells wonderful."
"You're still up for your plan?" He asked. "They've just made us dinner."
"It's a game and they agreed to play." She grinned at him. "Take it as a challenge between Operations and Science."
Ward snorted. Oh, she would say that... She had been making jokes about the rivalry between Operations and Science ever since the mission at the Academy.
Then again, a little bit of a challenge wouldn't be bad...
"Well, then..." He remarked. "Let's go for it."
He failed to hide a smile as Skye grinned again.
-:-
Dinner was a quick and very pleasant business.
Having a meal all together was rare so they enjoyed this one, talking and laughing.
Jemma had blushed multiple times at the compliments her teammates made her as they polished their plates. Fitz, after taking three servings, grinned at her, saying that he would do the dishes.
She smiled, recalling how this would be their routine when they lived together.
"No, wait," Ward stopped him. "Let me do something. You've already cooked dinner."
"Yeah," Skye pitched in. "We'll do the dishes."
"Don't worry," Fitz remarked, carrying the plates away. "I'm used to doing them and-"
"-he's really fast at washing. He will be back soon." Jemma completed. Skye and Ward shared a glance. Fitz turned to look at Jemma.
"Why don't you just set the chess board?"
"Alright."
As he disappeared into the kitchenette, she went to take the board and glasses.
"Chess board?" Skye asked as she sat down on the couch as Ward took a chair. "Don't tell me that you've brought a set of chess-shots on the Bus?"
Jemma rolled her eyes and deposited a thin glass board on the table: it had a thin black grid designed on it, squares coloured in pale grey and charcoal. She then pulled a series of polished metal glasses with symbols carved on them: they were coloured as the board.
"Of course not," she remarked. "Fitz made these after he helped in the kitchen. We had some spare glass and chrome in the lab."
Ward looked pleasantly surprised.
"Woah..." He said, taking a glass in a hand. "He actually designed the chess pieces."
"Yes, he's a bit of a perfectionist." She knew that Leo would have done a lot better if he had had time. He was very careful on the details.
"A bit?" Skye exclaimed, tracing a finger on the board's flat surface. "This looks freaking professional!"
Jemma smiled, feeling a rush of pride for Leo's craftsmanship. It wasn't just in the lab or at work, in mechanics or electronics. He always had a gift in building and making things from the scratch.
"What are we drinking anyway?" She asked.
"Oh, right!" Skype jumped up and went to the kitchenette. She came back with a shopping that clinked as she walked and extracted two bottles out it. "Here: strawberry and melon vodka!"
Jemma eyed the two tall bottles, one a deep red colour while the other a light orange.
She sat down on the settee next to Skye and took one of the bottles. The bottle was freezing cold.
"Did you put these in the refrigerating cell?" She asked, skimming over the contents description on the back.
"Yep," Skye replied, opening the melon vodka bottle. "They have to be drank cold: tastes better."
"It's only a delayed chemical reaction. You don't feel the alcohol immediately and drink quite easily but then it all comes down to you."
"Yeah, yeah... Don't go all scientist on me now, Simmons." Jemma snorted softly.
"Alright," She conceded, smiling at the other girl.
Leo walked to towards them, carrying a bowl of crisps and two beer bottles. Skye stared at him.
"Seriously, Fitz?" She deadpanned. "We just stuffed our faces at dinner, you ate more than the three of us put together and you're still hungry?"
He scowled at her, handing a beer bottle to Jemma. It was the one she had started before dinner.
"No," He said. "I just thought that we could leave it here for when someone's peckish."
"When you are, you mean."
"Skye..."
Jemma chuckled and glanced at Ward who looked equally amused. Fitz frowned again and gulped down his half-finished beer.
"Easy there, Fitz," Skye teased. "Don't want you drunk before we start." Ward smirked.
"As if..." Leo muttered softly. Jemma heard him, smiled and took a sip of her beer. Skye put the two open vodka bottles on the table and turned towards them.
"So, explain the rules," She said. Ward sat up straighter too.
"Alright," Leo said. "It's normal chess basically. Whenever the opponent takes one of your pieces, you have to drink. Losers drink all the glasses still on board. Pretty simple."
"Yes, simple," Ward confirmed and started to set the pieces on the board.
"What are we drinking anyway?" Leo asked, turning to Jemma.
"Vodka: strawberry and melon."
"Hmm... Never drank that before."
"Neither have I."
"Which colour do you choose?" Ward asked as he divided the shot glasses.
"White?" Leo suggested, looking at her. Jemma nodded.
"Ok, Rookie, we're black."
"Black, right," Skye took a shot glass and stared at it. "Where does this go?"
Ward stared at her.
"Do you even know how to play chess?" He asked and sighed when she shook her head. "When exactly were you going to tell me that?!"
"Right now?"
Jemma laughed softly, echoed by Leo, as the specialist muttered something intelligible under his breath and quickly illustrated the rules to Skye.
They shared a glance. This was going to be interesting...
-:-
It was all about tactics, Ward had said. The game is based on a strategy that you decide from the first move and ends with your last one.
Yeah... sure.
"Ward, whatever your strategy is, it sucks."
"Shut up, Skye."
The hacker scowled at him and drank her shot: the liquor burned down her throat before leaving a taste of strawberry behind it. She put the glass down next to the other five by her side. Ward had five too.
She looked up and her scowl deepened. There were only three shot glasses between FitzSimmons, along with their empty beer bottles.
The two scientists looked at her: Simmons with a bright smile, Fitz with a smug one. They didn't say a word but their faces were enough for her.
Oh yes, she had told them not to talk during the game. After they had taken their fourth piece, their soft, whispered conversations -tactics for the game, she presumed- had started to unnerve her. And yet, they still managed to beat the crap out of her and Ward.
They had to share a psychic link.
Otherwise how could they just look at each other, a quick glance and just know where to move a piece that would take down one of the black ones.
How the hell did they manage to high-five without even looking at each other when they took down the black Queen?
She had tried doing that with Ward when they took down one of their pawns but ended up hitting her S.O in the eye. Ward swore, Simmons almost spit out her shot on the table as she giggled and Fitz roared with laughter.
Yeah...
She looked at the board. They only had five pieces left and there was a whole army of white ones around.
'Concentrate, Skye,' She said to herself. 'Concentrate.'
"Hey," She told Ward. "Move the horse."
"The Knight."
"Yeah... Move him."
"No. It will give their Bishop a free hit to our King."
"Oh," She studied the board and realised that it was true. "Move the Crook-"
"The Rook!"
"Alright! Move the damn Rook," She huffed and tried to ignore FitzSimmons chuckling.
"No. It will give allow their Queen to checkmate."
"Oh."
This game was too strategic for her. And it didn't help that she was feeling a bit buzzed.
"Do you want to quit?" Fitz asked as he took a few crisps and munched smugly. Skye felt the sudden desire to empty the bowl on the engineer's head.
Ward looked at him, face blank.
"No," He said shortly and looked back at the board. After a full minute of silence, he moved a pawn and looked up.
Simmons sat up straighter, smiling brightly and glanced at Fitz who nodded. She leaned forward and moved one of their knights and then leaned back.
"Checkmate," FitzSimmons said together. Ward's eyes widened.
"What?" He blurted and looked at the board.
"Seriously?" Skye exclaimed. Somehow, the white had their King under attack from any possible angle. "Oh, fu-"
"We won!" Simmons exclaimed and high-fived Fitz again.
"The losers drink all," Fitz reminded them and started to arrange the shots glasses in front of them. Skye watched as he counted and then divided the shots.
"Eighteen pieces left," He remarked. "To be equal, that makes ten for Ward and eight for Skye."
Rookie and S.O glanced at each other.
"Off we go," Skye remarked.
"Yeah," Ward agreed and they started to drink.
-:-
They decided to take a break as Skye went to the loo and Ward went to get a glass of water and check the monitor room.
He had to admit that his teammates were resistant: Ward was as stoic as ever and Skye didn't even wobble as she walked away.
"Do you think I should go after her?" Jemma asked in concern. "She did drink a lot."
"She looked fine," He remarked with a reassuring smile. "I think she would have told you if something was wrong."
"I suppose so," She smiled back and rearranged the glasses on the table in neat lines. "You do realise that they will do anything to make us drink, yeah?"
"Yeah... I assumed that much. I'm a bit weary of what Skye might have concocted." He looked at her. "Good thing that we haven't drunk anything yet."
"Yes, the beer's already gone from my system and I took only one glass of vodka. I have to admit, it didn't taste bad."
Leo grinned.
"Anything is better than scotch for you," He teased. She hit his knee with her hand, playfully.
"Shut up," She said. "You will never let me live with it, will you?"
"What, that you spluttered scotch all over Alec when he offered you a glass?" He laughed softly remembering the scene: Alec who laughed and wiped droplets of liquor off himself and Jemma, mortified, who apologized profusely.
Jemma blushed.
"You would laugh..." She muttered, earning a grin from him. He leaned forward towards her.
"Sorry, love," He whispered. "It was a very hilarious moment."
She tried to glare at him but failed miserably as a smile made its way on her face. He grinned again.
He moved away when he heard approaching footsteps.
Skye appeared looking as perky as ever.
"Where's Ward?" She asked. "He didn't bail on me, did he?"
"No, I didn't," The man replied, appearing behind her. The hacker jumped slightly. "I was checking the monitors and being sure that everything's in order." They both sat down. "I have the feeling that we won't be that lucid to check that later."
Leo arched a brow and turned to Jemma. This really didn't bode well...
"So, Skye," His partner started. "What's next?"
The hacker beamed.
"Never-Have-I-Ever!" She exclaimed.
He blinked. What?
He looked at Jemma who looked as confused as he did. Skye must have been expecting another type of reaction because she deflated a bit.
"Seriously?" She asked. "You have never heard of it?"
"No," They replied.
"Oh, alright..." She moved the shot-glasses on the board, leaving only four out. "It's really easy to play." She filled the glasses with the remaining vodka and pushed them in their direction.
"I'll show you with an example. I say: Never-have-I-ever drank alcohol. Whoever has done that, drinks. Who hasn't, doesn't."
She looked at them and then at Ward.
"Pretty simple, no?"
It was really simple actually, he had to admit it. Jemma and Ward nodded along with him. Skye smiled.
"Ok, then," She asked, looking around. "Who starts?"
There was a moment of awkward silence where they all stared at each other, unsure of what to do until Skye huffed loudly.
"Oh, come on," She remarked. "I'll start." She turned towards him and Jemma and smirked. "Never-Have-I-Ever gone to Sci-tech."
Leo fought the urge to roll his eyes. He should have seen that coming...
"Really, Skye?" He asked and downed his shot. Jemma did the same.
The hacker grinned and poured vodka into their empty glasses.
"Oh, I've only started," She said with a sly smile. "You two are 12 shots behind me and Ward."
'Oh, bloody hell...' He thought and saw Jemma shoot him an alarmed look. Ward actually smirked.
"Never-Have-I-Ever worked at Sci-Ops." They drank.
"Never-Have-I-Ever gotten a PhD." Again.
"Never-Have-I-Ever memorized the Periodic table." They drank again and so did Ward. Skye looked at him in surprise.
"You did?" She asked. He arched a brow at her tone of surprise.
"I used to work with explosives," He explained as she filled his glass. "I had to know the different elements and Chemistry was a mandatory class at Operations."
"Seriously? You're more of a nerd than I expected." Ward deadpanned her. Leo sniggered. Jemma failed to repress a giggle.
"Never-Have-I-Ever gone to Operations," Jemma said, surprising the specialist. Fitz grinned at her. This faux-rivalry between her and Ward amused him: it looked like a sibling sort of teasing.
"Never-Have-I-Ever built a gun," Skye said and Leo drank.
"No, wait," Skye turned to Jemma. "Why aren't you drinking?"
"I didn't build any gun."
"What about the Night-Night gun?"
"The design and prototype is my work," Leo explained. "Simmons made-"
"Never-Have-I-Ever created a dendrotoxin," Ward stated and Jemma drank.
"I made that," She explained.
"Alright..." Skye said, "Never-Have-I-Ever..."
-:-
The bottles of vodka were soon emptied completely. Skye rummaged in the shopping bag and pulled out a bottle of rum.
Jemma feared that the bottle would be quickly gone too. Skye and Ward had been particularly specific with their statements and she and Leo had drank, at least, ten times each.
She felt a slight flare in her stomach: not the warmth that showed that she was drunk but the sort that indicated a slight inebriation.
She glanced at Leo and saw him cram a handful of crisps into his mouth. He saw her look at him and pushed towards her.
Well, eating would help: it would absorb a bit of the alcohol. She started to eat some crisps too.
Skye huffed and swayed a bit. It seemed that she was slightly tipsy too.
"Well, we've been only talking about work, SHIELD and nothing more," She remarked. "That's boring..."
She looked at them and smirked. Jemma suddenly felt weary.
'Here it comes...' She thought.
"Never-Have-I-Ever kissed a boy."
Jemma blinked. That was not what she had expected. Neither did Leo or Ward who stared at the hacker.
Jemma and Skye drank: the rum was strong and burned her throat. She noticed that the brunette was staring at the men in the room.
"Oh, I was hoping that you'd come up with something scandalous," She remarked. "Really guys, you're boring."
She really tried not to laugh but the flabbergasted looks that bloomed on Ward and Fitz's face were too much for her. It took her a few moments to calm down. Skye was grinning too.
"Really now?" Leo asked. "Let's try it backwards then: Never-Have-I-Ever kissed a girl."
The boys drank and her eyes widened as Skye did too. She heard Leo choke and splutter on his shot.
"What?" He coughed out. Skye just shrugged and Ward laughed. Jemma arched a brow: maybe the specialist was getting drunk.
"Come on, Rookie," He said. "Out with the story."
"Seriously?" Skye turned to her S.O with a smirk. "Look who's interested now... Anyway, there really isn't a story: it was a bet and I pecked a girl's lips."
Jemma wondered how true the story was: you could never know with her...
"Never-Have-I-Ever kissed a friend." Skye remarked.
Jemma glanced at Leo and drank. He did the same.
-:-
'A-ha!' Skye thought as FitzSimmons drank. 'Gotcha!'
"Soo..." She drawled. "Anything to share?"
"The statement was very broad, Skye." Fitz remarked.
"True," Simmons agreed. "I have kissed friends on the cheek."
She frowned slightly. Oh, they wanted to play tough, huh?
"Ok, then," She said. "Whenever I say kiss, I mean lip to lip, got it?"
FitzSimmons nodded in unison. She grinned.
"Never-Have-I-Ever kissed my best friend," She exclaimed.
FitzSimmons looked at each for a moment. Simmons' cheeks turned pink and Fitz scratched the back of his neck and then they both drank.
She grinned again and turned to Ward who just rolled his eyes. He had seen that coming...
"Sooo... Anything to share?" She repeated eagerly. The two scientists just looked at each other and then at her, blushes evident on their faces.
Skye almost felt guilty for putting them into this situation but then again, she did want a confession.
"Come on..." She drawled. "Out with the juicy details." She stared at Simmons knowing that she would be the first to talk under pressure. Fitz was a little tougher to crack.
The biochemist looked at her and sighed softly.
"Alright, we kissed," She admitted, blushing again. Skye inwardly cheered. "When we were eighteen."
No, wait... what?
"What?" She exclaimed. That wasn't what she was expecting.
"Yeah..." Fitz said. "We were halfway through our first PhD and-"
"-we were out on a trip for Spring Break together-" Simmons added.
"-and we might have been slightly drunk-"
"And we tried mostly out of curiosity."
Skye stared at the two scientists.
"So you kissed when you were at college?" She asked and they nodded. It wasn't what she wanted to know but it was still something. She smiled: it was kind of sweet actually...
"Awww..." She teased, looking at Ward who shook his head at her antics. "FitzSimmons' first kiss."
She had meant it as joke, not really implying anything. Then she noticed Simmons glance at Fitz, blush and look away and she just knew.
"No, way..." She sat up straighter. "Simmons, Fitz was your first kiss?"
-:-
Leo turned abruptly to his side, eyes wide and looked at Jemma. She blushed furiously, avoiding eye contact and nodded.
He felt a warm tingle in his stomach and had to force down the grin that was breaking his face. He had always wondered if Jemma had ever kissed someone before him, before that night during Spring Break and to learn now, after all these years, that he had been her first was... He really couldn't describe the feeling.
"And you?" Skye turned to look at him. "Was our little biochemist your first kiss?"
He scratched his neck, feeling the blush rising. It was mostly Skye's teasing tone and look that caused it. He looked at Jemma who peeked at him behind her caramel strands, face red and embarrassed and he smiled slightly.
"Yes." He admitted and felt a slight twinge when her eyes widened.
"Awww..." Skye gushed exaggeratedly. She had to be drunk. "Alright, when was your second kiss?"
Leo sighed. Maybe, not drunk enough..
He had to divert her attention from this...them. Jemma was seriously self-combusting and wouldn't be capable of avoiding Skye's questions: she was just too honest.
And he really didn't want to tell Skye that there had been a second and a third kiss between them before they got together at Christmas.
"Skye," He said. "We were drunk. It's not as if-"
"Hang on," Ward interrupted him. "You said you were eighteen and on a trip. How the hell did you get drunk? Did you bribe someone to buy the alcohol?"
Bloody hell... Trust Ward to notice that.
"-Er..." Now how exactly was he going to answer that?
Skye stared at him and then at Jemma, who looked guilty enough for both. The hacker's eyes widened.
"No. Way." She exclaimed and let out a hoot of laughter. "You didn't seriously...?" She couldn't seem to contain her laugh. "Oh, God... You, of all people?"
She turned to Ward who looked slightly confused and huffed.
"Really, Robot? You didn't get it yet?" She moved forward and filled all their glasses before looking at them smugly. "Never-Have-I-Ever used a fake ID to get booze."
Leo cursed inwardly and downed his shot, followed by Jemma. Ward looked at them before laughing loudly joined by Skye.
"Why aren't you drinking? Leo asked Skye slyly, once she stopped laughing. Jemma looked at him: he grinned quickly and then turned to the hacker. He saw his partner grin slowly.
"Oh, right," Skye remarked, drinking as well. The moment she put the glass down, her eyes widened.
"Hey!" She said indignantly. Her teammates laughed.
"You just walked into that, Rookie," Ward commented.
"That's because Fitz's a jerk," She retorted and very maturely stuck her tongue out at him. Leo chuckled: the hacker was definitely drunk.
"Anyway..." Skye turned -more like wobbled- in her seat towards Jemma and pointed. "You!"
"What?" His partner squeaked in surprise.
"Whatever happened to 'I like following the rules'?" Skye mimicked an English accent -failing miserably, he had to add- and stared at Jemma who blushed.
"I do like following the rules," she stated. "And I did when I was in uni too but... but that rule was just stupid. We were eighteen and legally of age. In the UK."
"That stupid rule is called law, Simmons," Ward remarked airily. Skye snorted.
"Really... I don't know if I'm more shocked or proud." The hacker grinned at the two scientists. "Glad to know that I'm not the only bad one here." She turned to Ward. "What about you, Robot? Any dirty secret to share? Hotwired any car or anything?"
Ward deadpanned at her, earning a giggle by Jemma.
Skye didn't seem to notice because she shrugged and poured rum in all their glasses again. Fitz looked at her warily.
"You still want to drink?" He asked. "I think we should stop before you start feeling ill."
He glanced at Jemma and then at Ward. Amongst them all, Skye was the only one with glassy, slightly vacant eyes and wobbling in her seat.
"Fitz is right, Skye," Jemma said gently, moving forward to look at the hacker's face. "You are a little bit intoxicated."
The brunette scoffed.
"You just want me to give up," she remarked. "So that you win. Look, I can stand up."
Skye got to her feet and swayed on the spot. Before either of them could stand to catch her, Ward was at her side and grasped her shoulder.
"Easy there, Rookie," He said, pushing her gently on her seat. "FitzSimmons are right-"
"As usual," Fitz offered, smiling slightly. Ward glanced at him, eyebrow raised but smiled as well.
"As usual. I'd say you-we stop drinking."
Skye looked at them and pouted. Really pouted.
"You're no fun," she whined.
Jemma laughed softly.
"I will get you some water," She remarked, getting up. "We can keep talking though... Let's just cut the alcohol."
Jemma glanced at him, brows raised questioningly and he shook his head. He really didn't need water. Not yet.
As she walked to the kitchenette, Fitz noticed Skye staring at her.
"Alright..." she stated. "Simmons might be drunk too. Did she just say that I could go on with my questions?"
"She didn't really say th-"
"You're lucky that I went easy on you. Never-Have-I-Ever usually gets very, very interesting after the first questions. Last time I played, I found out about a threesome, some awfully creative ways to have sex and a few secrets that I can't share."
Leo felt his face flush. Skye was usually very blunt but a drunk Skye just didn't seem to have a filter from brain to mouth.
He was suddenly very wary of what their night was going to turn into..
When Jemma came back, holding a glass of water, she looked at him questioningly again. He shook his head in a way that said -don't ask. She nodded slightly and handed the glass to Skye.
Once the hacker had drank and looked slightly, very slightly better, she turned to towards the scientists.
"Alright then..." she said. "I'm just going to be blunt and straight to the point now."
"When have you ever stopped being like that?" Ward wondered loudly and Skye threw one of the settee cushions at him.
"Shut up, Ward," She exclaimed and turned to them. "So... What exactly happened in Boston?"
-:-
There she goes...
"Nothing really..." Fitz answered quickly. Jemma glanced at him: he looked at ease and she envied his ability to stay calm. Had Skye asked her directly, she would have had a panic attack. "We spent Christmas together: it's an old tradition of ours."
Skye looked sceptical.
"Really now? Of all the places, you go and chose Boston just to celebrate Christmas together? Where, in a hotel room?"
The innuendo wasn't lost to Jemma who blushed slightly. Fitz's face took a pinkish tint as well.
"We were at our apartment, Skye," She replied. "Nothing...scandalous occurred." She wasn't lying so the words came easily out of her. They had mostly snogged (at some point, there had been some touches but she wasn't going to think about the details now in front of her teammates) and cuddled together.
The lack of contact in those weeks apart had made them appreciate that kind of simple touches.
"No, wait... Your apartment?" The hacker looked at the scientists with wide eyes. "As in you live together?"
"Yeah..." Fitz remarked. "We've been sharing an apartment since we started working at Sciops."
"We've actually being sharing dorms since MIT so there wasn't really any difference there," she added.
"Yeah, pretty much the same thing."
Skye gaped at them and turned to Ward.
"Did you know that?" she demanded.
"Yes," he replied and her eyes widened more.
"Why didn't I know that?"
"Did you ever bother to read their files?"
"We live on a freaking plane together. Why the hell should I go and read their files?"
"Maybe to get to know your teammates better? Or, in FitzSimmons' case, get to know the Team's assets better?"
"Assets?"
Jemma watched in mild amusement as Skye and Ward bickered. Another thing she learned during their forced permanence at the HUB was that the hacker had feelings -clearly not-so-platonic- for her S.O.
"Every SHIELD scientist is, theoretically speaking, considered an asset," She explained. "The priority of each asset is defined by his or her contribution in SHIELD's development."
"Oh, great..." Skye rolled her eyes. "So does SHIELD have another list that I have to study and memorize now? What's with SHIELD and lists, anyway?"
"Er-no, Skye," Fitz interjected, barely hiding his amusement. "The list of assets is level 7 information. Even we don't know anything about it."
"Oh," The hacker turned to Ward. "So you know about this list, right? How long is it?"
"That's classified," The specialist replied curtly.
"Seriously, Ward...? Ok, just tell us how high FitzSimmons are ranked, then."
"It's not a competition's ranking list, Skye."
"I just want to know how much SHIELD values our teammates," Skye explained, looking smug. Ward shook his head.
"First page," He replied with a sigh. "And you won't get anything else out of me."
"Hmm," Skye turned to look at her and Fitz. "Impressive, I think. Don't know how many scientists work with SHIELD but being on the first page of their list has to be good. She smirked. "Well, I should have been expecting that given your V.I.P treatment at the Academy."
Jemma rolled her eyes at her teasing tone.
"Anyway, getting to more pressing matters... You two live together?"
"Yes, Skye," Fitz said with a bit of exasperation. "Honestly, we've been sharing living quarters since we arrived here in America from UK when we were fifteen. It was natural to find a house and move in together once we started to work at Sciops."
"Having two apartments would have been just a waste of money," Jemma added. She didn't want to explain that the thought of not having Fitz around her all the time had been the main reason of her choice. Her feelings might have not been entirely clear at the time but she knew that not being together -at least, in the same space- was not an option.
Skye stared at them. Her eyes held a hint of emotion that she couldn't identify.
"You've been living together since you were fifteen?" she asked. "That's a lot of time..."
"Almost half of our lives, actually..." Fitz remarked, glancing at Jemma with a smile. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Must be nice to have someone by your side all that time..."
Jemma abruptly turned around at Skye's tone. It was soft and vulnerable, completely unlike the usual tone the bubbly hacker had all the time.
The brunette's eyes were slightly unfocused and -she realised- glassy. Jemma glanced at Leo and noticed his concerned face. She turned to Ward who looked just as worried.
They all knew that something had happened to Skye. They didn't know what it was but Coulson, probably also May, knew about it. Maybe the presence of alcohol and the lessening in inhibitions were lowering Skye's mental walls, making her more vulnerable now.
However, the moment was gone as it had come. Skye looked at the ground for a second and then up at her, smile back in place and eyes clear.
"Hmm..really.. And you guys keep saying that you're not together." she teased.
Jemma smiled softly, deciding to let it pass for now. Skye would talk when she was ready...
"Honestly, we've been asked this countless times and the answer has never changed," she commented airily.
'Yet,' she thought.
"Besides, SHIELD would be the first to know," Fitz remarked jokingly. Skye looked at him in surprise.
"What?"
"There's a strict protocol about fraternization between agents," Jemma explained, noticing the other girl's reaction. "If I'm not mistaken, field agents are negated any sort of fraternization. Scientists, assets and administration agents follow the same rules though they might be exempted if SHIELD approves."
"No, wait... SHIELD decides whether you can be with someone or not?"
"It's a form of security," Ward said, sitting up straighter. Jemma noticed that he suddenly looked more focused. Tense, even. "Active field agents, operations agents mostly, shouldn't fraternize with teammates because it might compromise the team or themselves. Usually, if the situation occurred, the agents would be separated and put in different teams or facilities. Section 17 is very strict on that."
Jemma glanced at Leo. That was the main reason for their silence about their relationship. If the superior officers didn't value them worthy enough to be kept together, they would be separated and neither could stand the thought.
They had denied any sort of fraternization since they joined the Academy. They had claimed to be friends -good friends- and then partners. It had been the truth after all. It still was.
No one had to know about their doubts and hidden feelings. No one had to know about the searing kiss that could have turned into a lot more if they had given into their feelings before accepting SHIELD's offer.
It was their choice. No one else had to interfere. Even now that their hearts were at ease and their feeling were clear, they didn't feel the need to report the thing to SHIELD.
"Ugh," Skye looked disturbed. "That's just fucked up."
Jemma snorted. Trust Skye to define SHIELD's policy so bluntly...
Ward shook his head, trying to look stern but failing as his lips twitched upwards.
"I'd say we go to bed," He said, standing up. "I really don't want Coulson and May to find the Bus asleep when they get here tomorrow morning." He glanced at Skye. "And we've got morning training at eight, Rookie."
Skye looked at him with wide eyes.
"Oh, come on, Ward, you can't do that!" She exclaimed, standing abruptly and swaying dangerously. Jemma shot up and grabbed her arm before she toppled down on the table. Fitz was soon at her side and grabbed Skye's free arm.
"Ward, I suggest you cancel tomorrow's training session," she remarked. "Skye isn't clearly in the physical condition to go through such exertion."
"Give her a break," Fitz added.
Ward stared at them and sighed.
"Alright..." he conceded. "Skye, no training tomorrow."
"Yeaaah!" The hacker cheered, pushing her arms into the air and making the three of them sway precariously.
Yes, the brunette was definitely drunk now.
The specialist stared at the girl and shook his head again.
"Can you take drunk-girl here back to her bunk?" he asked. "I'll go check the monitors again and control the Bus."
"Sure," Fitz replied, glancing at her. Jemma nodded and looked around.
"We'll quickly re-order everything here and then take Skye to her bunk and go to sleep," she remarked. Ward nodded.
"Goodnight then," he said.
"Goodnight," they said in unison.
"Skye, do you think you can wait for us here on the settee for a few minutes?" Jemma asked as she and Leo slowly deposited her down. "We'll be back in a moment."
"Hmmm," The girl replied sleepily. "Come back soon..."
"Yes, of course," Leo said and gathered the bottles, glasses and bowls as Jemma did the same.
They took everything into the kitchenette and quickly disposed, washed and cleaned everything up. Within five minutes -and after two glasses of water each- they were done and kitchenette and lounge room were cleaned up.
Now they only had to haul a very drunk and half-slumped on the settee Skye to her bunk.
"Skye..." She called, gently shaking the girl's shoulder. "Come on, time to go to bed."
"Noo," the hacker moaned. "Comfy here."
Jemma glanced at Leo who shrugged good-naturedly and smiled. She grinned at him.
"I'm sure that your bunk is more... comfy."
"You sure?" Skye opened a bleary eye at her. Jemma smiled, finding her friend amusingly adorable at the moment.
"Yeah," she replied.
"'Kay..."
Skye straightened up a bit and allowed her and Fitz to heave her up from her arms. The walk to the bunk corridor was slow and full of sways but they managed to reach Skye's bunk without further harm.
"Skye, what's your entrance code?" Fitz asked.
"Hmm..." the brunette replied.
"Skye?"
"Simmons knows."
"You do?" He looked up at her in mild surprise. Jemma nodded.
"Turn away," she ordered. He stared at her before turning his head to the other side. She quickly tapped in the pass code and the door hissed open.
-:-
"Why do you know her pass code?" Fitz asked her as they walked into the bunk. Three was definitely a crowd into that limited space.
"She told me once," Jemma replied, turning on the lamp on the desk. "I think it was during one of our girls' nights."
He stared at her.
"You mean those mysterious nights when I can't even text you a message because you and Skye are locked in one your bunks talking, laughing or gossiping about God-knows-what?"
Honestly, there were nights when he could hear them in his bunk and the bunks were soundproof!
"Yes, pretty much," she replied, laughing at his tone.
They got to Skye's bed and Jemma moved Skye's laptop from the quilt and put it on the desk. While her weight was being fully sustained only by him, Skye turned slowly.
"Fiitzz..." she drawled.
"Yeah?" He looked at her amusedly. She was quite the talkative drunk...
"Don't be jealous."
"And why the hell should I be?"
"Simmons' totally into you... She spends those nights with me because I pester her..." The hacker squinted up at him as she said this.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jemma clap a hand over her mouth to muffle a giggle. He rolled his eyes at her.
"I know..." He said to the hacker. "Don't worry."
"Hmm..." Jemma appeared at his side, after examining a pile of clothes on the chair."I can't find her pyjamas around here and I doubt I'll be able to actually help her change."
"Let's just take off her shoes," he suggested. "She'll change in the morning."
He slowly helped Skye sit on the bed and Jemma promptly undid the laces of her boots, discarding them both by the bed.
"Can you put her into bed?" She asked, standing up. "I'll go get some bottles of water and Advil pills from my room. She will need them when she wakes up."
Fitz looked at the barely awake and swaying hacker. From the little experience he had of getting drunk, he was sure that the girl was going to be a wreck in the morning.
"Go ahead," He said, turning to Jemma. "I'll tuck her in."
She smiled and walked out of the bunk and he slowly helped Skye under the sheets and covers. She had her eyes half-closed and he wondered if she had somehow fallen asleep when she looked at him from her pillow.
"Fiitzz..."
"Yeah?"
"You're nice."
"Am I now?" He smiled. "I recall you calling me a jerk before."
"No, you're a nice guy. You're better than all the guys I've ever met... Way better than Miles: you wouldn't hurt anyone. And you love Simmons who's too nice to be hated by anyone.."
Leo stared at her. He was starting to wonder if Skye was really drunk... He opted not to answer.
"Hmm."
"And Simmons loves you back."
"Hmm."
"And you're totally together but don't want to tell anyone."
Trust Skye in being so perceptive while sloshed out of her mind...
"Hmm."
They stayed in silence and he slowly draped the quilt over her body.
"Fiitzz..." He smiled and crouched down so that he was at her same level.
"Yes, Skye..."
"I wanna ask you something."
"Go ahead."
"Would it be ok if I called Simmons my best friend?"
He blinked for a moment: her tone had turned hesitant and vulnerable.
"Of course," he replied. "Why would there be anything wrong?"
"She's your best friend."
"Yes but I don't mind sharing her with you."
"Really?"
"Yeah..."
"You're the best."
"If you keep saying that so often I might actually believe it."
"Can I tell you a secret?"
"Are you sure you want to tell me? Maybe you should tell Simmons. You know, being best friends and all..." He really didn't want her to mistakenly pour her heart out to him while she wanted to speak to Jemma.
"Oh, but you're my best friend too," Skye looked at him with a sleepy grin. "You're my best boy-friend and Simmons my best girl-friend...without all the kiss/sex and coupley stuff..."
"Yeah, yeah.. got it," He replied, laughing at the additional explanation. He felt touched at her admission of him being her best friend.
"So can I tell you?"
"Go ahead."
"You guys are my first friends... That's why I'm asking all these stupid questions and always asking to hang around with you... I don't know what friends usually do. It was always just me before."
Leo felt as though someone had just twisted his heart when she said this.
He knew the feeling. He knew what it meant to be alone without friends. His childhood and teenage years had been solitary until he met Jemma.
"Skye..."
"I really like it here," She continued, not seeing how her words had hit him. "It's like having a family. I never had something like family before. Even today, the whole day was just awesome." She smiled at him, a honest, happy smile. "So, I guess I'm lucky, right? I go from having no one to the Team and you two who are the best friends and brother and sister I never had."
He gripped the quilt with his hand, swallowing dryly.
He had been lonely, yes, but he still had his mother and sister. And his hateful brother.
But Skye...?
He didn't dare to imagine what it must have felt to be truly and utterly alone for all these years.
He sighed.
"I think we're lucky to have you here, Skye," He said softly. "You've become family too."
"Really?" The vulnerability of her tone made his heart clench.
"Yeah... And you can ask us anything you want. And if you want to do something, just come and tell us. Simmons and I will be happy to be with you. Hanging around in the lab, at meals or for a movie or a game. Anything. Just tell us, yeah?."
Skye smiled and closed her eyes as he smiled back.
"Good night, Skye," he whispered.
He heard a noise behind him and turned to see Jemma and Ward standing by the door. He didn't know how much they had heard from his conversation with Skye but it seemed that they had heard enough.
Ward's face was stoic as ever but his eyes had a soft look as he gazed at the now sleeping girl. Leo wasn't blind and even though it had taken him years to realise his love for his best friend, he knew that the specialist cared in more than a platonic way for the hacker.
Jemma looked at him for a moment, her eyes glassy and with a tenderness that made his heart thud in his chest. She quietly walked into the room and left a bottle of water, a plastic cup and a few pills neatly on the desk by the bed. She then looked at the other girl with a smile.
"Good night, Skye," she whispered and walked to the door. He followed her out, locking the door behind him.
Ward glanced at the scientists and bade them goodnight before disappearing in his bunk. Jemma started walking to her bunk and gently tugged on his jumper's sleeve, silently asking him to follow her.
He quietly followed her into her bunk, right before his own, and closed the door behind him.
"Jem-" He barely had her name out and her hands were on his face, dragging him down to her and she kissed him.
Hard.
He stumbled back, shoulders hitting the door and a gasp left his lips as the air was knocked out his lungs. However, instinct took over surprise and he kissed her back, one hand moving up to cup her cheek, the other raking through her hair. He heard her sigh contently against his lips and he smiled, nipping her lower lip and deepening the kiss.
-:-
Moments later, she moved her lips to his jaw, pressing a small affectionate kiss on the light stubble and looked up at him.
He was still smiling and looked adorably confused.
"I'm not complaining," he remarked, caressing her cheek with his fingertips softly. "But what was that about?"
She smiled, dragging her hands from his hair down to his face again. She watched those blue eyes that had captivated her from the moment she first saw them.
Didn't he realise how utterly perfect he was? How his words to Skye had been simple but heartfelt and exactly what the girl had to hear?
She and Skye were developing a friendship that was new and precious to both. Having never had any friend before Leo, she knew how Skye felt. The vulnerability that she had shown in her drunken state was just the surface of the gaping solitude she must have felt for all these years.
One of the reasons that allowed her and Skye to get along so well was that they both understood what it meant to be alone, to ache for company but put a smiling, happy façade for themselves and the rest of the world.
They both had learned early on that putting up a strong face eased the pain away somehow.
Jemma had dropped the act after meeting Fitz. She was hoping that Skye would slowly do the same with her, them, actually.
She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed the corner of his mouth.
"You," she whispered. "I'm just so glad that you are you."
His eyes bore into hers but she didn't explain further. She moved back, taking his hand in hers and walked to her bunk, sitting in the middle while he took the corner and she promptly snuggled closer to him.
She felt him smile as she buried her nose in the crook of his neck.
"Do you think Skye will remember anything tomorrow morning?" He asked softly, entwining their fingers together. "I don't want her to feel awkward around us."
"I doubt that she'll remember anything after us confessing to have kissed in uni," she remarked.
"Oh well... that's good. She'll only come up and tease us for that then." She felt him move and place a kiss on her hair.
"So... we're her best friends..." Jemma couldn't help but feel touched as the other girl's words replayed in her mind. She felt Leo's hand grip hers tighter and she knew that he was touched too.
"Yeah... And somewhat of brother and sister too." He wrapped his free arm around her waist. "I always wondered what it would be like to have a younger sibling..."
Jemma laughed softly and kissed the pulse on his neck.
"Me too..."
They stayed in comfortable silence for a few minutes, his hand warm on her hip and her lips still caressing his neck.
"So..." he whispered. "I was your first kiss..."
She snorted softly.
"Of course you would ask that!" She dragged her lips up his jaw, nose bumping against his. He grinned.
"I was just a wee bit surprised," He confessed, placing soft kisses on her face and smiling as she closed her eyes and sighed. "And you never told me before."
"You never told me either," Jemma remarked, softly nipping his lower lip. "Though... it might have been a good thing. My eighteen year old self wouldn't have handled that information easily. You would have scrambled my already very confused emotions further."
"I think my very confused eighteen year old self is grateful for that as well."
She felt his hands move up to her face. She looked up and felt a little part inside her melt at the soft look he was giving her.
She recalled that night. Remembered the way he had looked at her, the way they had gently and slowly gotten closer and kissed. It had been a simple peck, a slight movement of lips but it had been the start.
Their start.
She realised that it had been easier back then to deal with their feelings. They were confused and didn't know what to make off those emotions that made them crave for more from their best friend but their young age and innocence -she realised that neither had ever had a true relationship before then- had allowed them to play around with those feelings.
She remembered teasing Leo with soft touches or flirting slightly. And he responded in the same way. She remembered a soft kiss exchanged at his house just to spite his brother. Those years at uni had been the easiest in their relationship.
All of that innocent playfulness disappeared almost completely when they'd fought for the first time. When he claimed that he wasn't going to follow her to the Academy and would move back to Scotland and find a job there -all of this because his brother had made him feel guilty about being abroad and abandoning their mother.
It had taken her hours of shouting, of heartbreaking moments when she feared that she was going to be alone again to make him realise the absurdity of his words. To make him realise that he should only do what he wanted to do.
The kiss and... well, make out session that had followed suit was unexpected to both.
They had revealed their hearts out to each other that day. Shown that their mutual feelings were raw and deeper than either had expected.
And it had stopped them. Scared them.
It had taken them five years to overcome all of that. A separation to understand everything...
As much as she wondered what would have happened if they had both given in to their feelings back at MIT, starting a relationship back then and avoiding mutual heartache, she couldn't deny that the wait had been worth it.
She smiled to herself and moved to kiss him again. Lips, pliant and soft, met hers with gentleness.
"Your chin is still itchy," She remarked, when they moved away, brushing her nose on his jaw. A chuckle rumbled out of his throat.
"Sorry about that..." he whispered. "Gladly my mind is not fuzzy as it was back then..."
"Good to know," She sighed, moving up so that their foreheads touched. "Are you staying?"
It had become a habit for them to sleep in each others bunk, every now and then. They just cuddled together in the same bed.
The Team didn't know but they were quite careful about it. Among all, they were the early risers and by eight or nine in the morning, they were in the lab, a habit they had long got from uni.
"What if Coulson and May find me getting out of here when they come back?" He asked softly, looking down at her.
"We can say that we were both..inebriated and that we fell asleep."
"Are you even truly inebriated?"
"Not in the least..."
"Neither am I," He grinned at her. "We won."
Jemma hit him lightly on the arm and got up to remove her cardigan and shoes so that she could sleep in her jeans and blouse.
Leo smiled slightly and removed his jumper, tie, shirt and shoes before crawling with her under the sheets in his jeans and undershirt.
"Does Skye have your room's entrance pass code?" He asked as she turned off the lamp. A pale ray of moonlight filtered through her bunk's port hole.
"Yes," She turned to him. "Why?"
"You have to change it."
"Why again?"
"She could walk in and find us like this... and we'd never hear the end of it."
"Leo..."
He shrugged.
"Oh well, I warned you."
She barely had a retort out when he tugged her down to him, her squeak of surprise muffled by his lips.
-:-
When Coulson and May parked Lola in the cargo bay, they found the floor empty. Lab devoid of its resident scientists, no specialist punching hard against the sack and no hacker training and complaining about her SO.
May glanced at Coulson as they walked up the stairs.
"Come on," He said, ignoring her eye roll. "They might just be sleeping in. We don't have any impending mission after all."
He was relieved to see the Bus intact -not that he ever doubted it- and walked into the lounge only to see FitzSimmons standing by the table, hovering over a tablet and discussing about something as they held mugs of tea.
He watched the two scientists who were still oblivious to their presence. They often forgot about common personal space but right now, they were even closer than usual.
Shoulders pressed together, heads so close that he wondered how they weren't bumping against each other as they talked and the looks. Those looks were a dead give away.
The only visible hint that the friendship and partnership had turned into more.
He glanced at May who looked at the two scientists with a soft look.
He had witnessed Simmons' breakdown at the HUB and May had seen Fitz crumble down in Russia.
The kids needed each other to function. It was a codependency that ran deep into them.
He knew SHIELD protocol, knew about Section 17 and all its implications. FitzSimmons were scientists first of all, so protocol could be in their favour.
But the possibility that it might not, stopped him from asking his Team scientists about their relationship and from the consequent reporting to HQ.
As long as they didn't harm themselves or the Team, he was fine with them like this.
Simmons looked up and saw him and May by the corridor and smiled broadly.
"Good morning, sir," She chirped, nudging Fitz gently on the shoulder, making him look up as well. "Good morning, May."
"Welcome back," Fitz greeted them, holding up his tea mug.
"Morning FitzSimmons," Coulson said with a smile. "How was the night?"
"Nothing too fancy..." Simmons replied." We went out and re-stocked a bit, made dinner -oh, there are some leftovers for you in the fridge- and had some drinks."
"Drinks?" Coulson raised an eyebrow. "Skye's idea?"
"Of course," Fitz remarked. "I think we might see her out of her room around lunch time. Maybe.."
Coulson shook his head.
"Ward?"
"I think I heard him leave his room a few moments ago," Simmons replied. "He must have thought to lie in a bit more today. We woke up late too."
May looked at the two scientists, lips twitching at a corner. She was usually up and about early in the morning but she always heard FitzSimmons talking or moving around the Bus.
The concept that nine in the morning was late for them almost made her smile. She silently walked to her bunk, without saying anything to anyone.
"We should go," Fitz stated, swiping the tablet off and picking it up with one hand while the other held his mug. "We should run those tests on that neurotoxin you're working on, to-"
"-calibrate their efficiency with the new cartridges you have made," His partner replied. "Yes." She picked up her mug and turned to him with a smile. "See you later, sir."
Coulson smiled and nodded as the two scientists walked downstairs, jabbering about tests and arcane analysis values.
They had just left the room when Ward walked into the lounge room in his workout gear. He didn't look any different from usual but a careful inspection made Coulson notice the little frown on his face when he walked or looked at direct light.
Coulson smirked, recognizing the clear symptoms of a hangover.
"Good morning, Ward," He greeted him. The specialist nodded.
"Good morning, sir. How did the briefing go?"
"As usual. Bored out of my mind, loads of paper work and more meetings scheduled." He walked to the other side of the table and poured some coffee in a mug and handed it to the younger man. "Here, it helps."
Ward blinked at him but accepted nevertheless.
"How much did you drink?"
"Who-?"
"FitzSimmons. Just saw them before they went down to the lab. They looked pretty fine to me but seeing you and hearing about Skye, makes me wonder.."
"Those two are... monsters," Ward muttered, gulping some coffee and hoping that it would calm the pounding in his head.
"Well, a Scotsman and an English woman... The stereotype might be true."
"I'm never drinking against them again."
"You've done shots, I see.." The glasses drying near the table a clear sign. Who brought the chess board?"
"Fitz made it."
"Good craftsmanship," Coulson commented. "Who won?"
"FitzSimmons."
Coulson stared at him.
"You actually tried to win a game of chess against FitzSimmons?" he asked. "Together?"
"Yes, sir."
"Were you already drunk?"
"I was not- well... no, sir."
"Oh," Coulson looked at him. "Well, you must be some strong chess player. I once had a go with Simmons and she won twice in ten minutes. And I think that she was going slow on me. Fitz actually got to checkmate my king in five moves."
Ward didn't answer and just nodded.
"I'll be in my office. And, Ward, if you don't feel well, I'd suggest to skip training."
With those words, Coulson left to his office and wondered if he could convince May to have a go at chess shot-glasses. For the old times' sake...
Ward stared at his leader and drained the coffee.
He was never going to out drink FitzSimmons. Ever again.
-:-
Skye crawled out of her room in the early afternoon, feeling as though she'd been run over by multiple cars after she had been training with Ward for days. The events of the night were one big black screen in her head with some fuzzy memories appearing every now and then.
And something had crawled and died in her mouth by the taste of it.
She walked into the lab, once she felt barely human again, squinting for the bright lights and almost begged Simmons to give her something for her pounding headache.
The biochemist promptly gave her medication while Fitz handed her a glass that had something against hangovers (he actually explained with a lot of sciency words but she really couldn't understand now...).
She sat down on her stool and watched them. FitzSimmons were working and talking (very loudly she noticed, wincing...) and being pretty much themselves.
She looked over her glass and caught a glimpse of Ward, punching the sack outside the lab. Her SO looked quite off too...
"How can you be so bubbly and happy and... normal after drinking last night?" She demanded after a while.
FitzSimmons glanced at each other.
"Well.. we did tell you that we have a high tolerance, Skye," Simmons remarked, looking up from her microscope.
"And you just didn't believe us," Fitz added from his computer.
Skye stared at them.
"I'm never going to drink against you again. Ever."
FitzSimmons laughed.
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