Hi there! When looking around for AOS and especially FitzSimmons fanfics, I realized they were plenty of really nice Christmas stories but no Halloween story (I found some horror stories but nothing specifically related to Halloween) and since it's starting to get cold and I'm in a Halloween mood, I decided to try one! It's not really scary, if anything it's mostly funny and romantic with a lot of fluff, but I hope I succeeded in setting the Halloween atmosphere!
This is a one shot, still relatively long but way shorter than the other stories I wrote until now. As always, reviews are most welcome and for those who read the others, please tell me if you like those shorter stories as much as the others, as I have a few other ones waiting to be written. Also, english is not my mother tongue and I don't have a beta reader. I tried to do my best and proof read it several times but it's still might not be perfect, feel free to tell me if you spot any mistakes, I won't mind and it will help me improve :)
As it says in the description, this a FitzSimmons academy AU so obviously cannon divergent but it's still the closest I've been to using the real characters and their real storylines so I hope I did it well. Enjoy :)
Jemma Simmons never really enjoyed Halloween. She liked to think that it was because she'd always been a rational being, even from a very young age, and that she never really cared for all this nonsense about ghosts, zombies, witches and whatnot. But if she was completely honest with herself, it was also partly because, despite being this very rational person who knew that none of these existed, it had always scared her. And unlike some of her friends, she didn't like being scared, she didn't find it thrilling, it just made her nervous and she preferred real life sensations to the ones created by stupid made up stories and illusions. Tonight was Halloween and every Halloween for the past few years, she had gone to the party held, supposedly secretly, down at The Boiler Room. Like all things Halloween, she didn't like it that much but it was almost the only time of year when Fitz was actually enthusiastic about a social event. She had met him during her first year at MIT and they had decided to join SHIELD academy together. Once she got past his shyness and grumpiness, she had discovered someone that finally matched her in intelligence and with whom she could work in perfect harmony. But apart from that, he was also the sweetest and funniest person she's ever met and he soon became her best friend and quite probably the most important person in her life. So once every year, it was nice to see him get out of his shell and let everyone else see the funny, charming man she knew he was.
But this time, Fitz had a very important engineering project to finish and he very reluctantly had to make the decision not to go to the party. She had to think of a way to cheer him up later for missing out on all the Halloween fun, but for the time being, Jemma had decided to stay in her room and work on one of her many assignments as well. And that's how she found herself alone in a deserted and very quiet dorm on the night of Halloween. She no longer had a roommate since the one she had was forced to leave the academy only a few weeks after the start of year, and pretty much everyone else was at the party. Also, the storm that was raging outside did nothing to help the uneasy feeling of being alone in a place that was usually bursting with life. At least, she had to admit that it created the perfect Halloween atmosphere. Fitz must be enjoying that so much, she thought to herself. The weather had been nice all week, it was even kind of warm for late October. But at the beginning of the afternoon, black clouds had started to gather, a strong wind had risen and come sunset, rain was falling heavily and lightnings were starting to appear in the sky. Fitz had told her that it was a sign of the universe that they should dress up and go to the party anyway. She had just rolled her eyes at him and he didn't insist anymore.
As she was putting the finishing touches to her SHIELD history essay, there was an especially bright lightning strike followed by a very loud thunderclap that startled her. After that, she heard a very loud noise coming from just outside the building and she chastised herself for being so jumpy. Of course loud noises were to be expected during a thunderstorm. But the next second, her room turned black and she gasped loudly once more.
"Of course! Just my luck!" She said out loud.
From the loud noise she heard just before the light turned off, she guessed that thunder must have touched the building somehow and that the power was probably out everywhere. But she still decided to go check in the hallway to make sure she was right and that the problem was dealt with. She took her phone out and turned the flash on to use as a flashlight. At least her phone and computer ran on Fitz's modified battery and she had days of autonomy before they died so she would still have that if the light didn't come back before morning. She opened her door and peaked a look in the hallway. The emergency generator must have taken over because the hallways were lit by the faint green glow of the emergency lights that managed to be even less reassuring than a fully dark hallway. She tried to turn on the lights but of course they didn't work which meant that the blackout was for the whole building and that the janitor was probably already dealing with it. She didn't see anyone else outside so she probably really was the only one on her floor who wasn't at the Halloween party.
"Sooooo, I'm alone in a blacked out student dorm building, during a thunderstorm ... on Halloween ..." She said out loud to fill the deafening silence. "...What a perfect start for a very bad slasher movie ..." She continued rolling her eyes but feeling more and more nervous. Also, why did those hallways had to be so long and with such high ceilings? The faintest of noises echoed like crazy in here and it was always impossible to know where the sound was coming from. In a school full of engineers and genius scientists, you would think that someone would have solved this problem by now. As she was about to go back inside her room, she caught sight of someone in the corner of her eye but when she turned there was no one. It was probably just another lightning. Yes that's it, a lightning and her stupid imagination, she thought. But when she turned around, the person she thought she had imagined was at the other end of the hallway and she couldn't help gasping loudly.
"Oh hi! I-I thought I was alone here to..." she started but then the person just disappeared into thin air and there was a strange noise but she couldn't locate its origin. Stupid hallway! This time, she let an all out very loud and undignified shriek. And like every stupid character in every stupid horror movie she ended up watching, she just ran to her room, closed the door and locked it for good measure.
After a few minutes trying to make her heartbeat slow back down to a normal rhythm, she realized how silly she's just been. Of course it wasn't a ghost or anything of the sort. If her mind decided to work properly again at some point, she could probably think of a dozen explanations for what she's just seen. But then why couldn't she will herself to go back to the hallway or hell, just move from where she'd been standing still for the last few minutes.
Come on Jemma, she thought, if it's a ghost, it won't be stopped by a simple door and a few locks. And it's clearly not a t-rex, so not moving won't help you either!
When she finally managed to move, she went to sit on her bed and texted Fitz to tell him what was happening and ask him if it was the same in his building. Talking with him, even just by text, might help her calm her nerves a little!
(From Jemma to Fitz: Hey! Guess what, there's a black out in my building! How about you?)
After sending the text, she opened her desk drawer and took out all the candles she had. There weren't a lot and it wouldn't make much of a difference in terms of lighting compared to the one coming from her laptop screen, but at least it could almost feel romantic and intimate instead of creepy. Barely a minute later, she got a reply from Fitz.
(From Fitz to Jemma: We're good here. Want me to come over and keep you company until the power's back on? I could use a break :))
Of course she wanted him to come over! But she couldn't ask him that. He didn't go to the party because he had to work so it must have been an important project and she knew he would still come if she asked, even if it meant not sleeping at all to finish his project on time. That's how he'd been with her pretty much from the beginning. He didn't let many people in but when he did, he was willing to do anything for them. She didn't know if it was a Scottish thing or just a Fitz thing but it was one of the many things that made him so endearing.
(From Jemma to Fitz: No don't worry I'm okay :) You don't have to come! I'm sure the power will be back soon or I'll just go to bed anyway!)
(From Fitz to Jemma: Are you sure? You know I wouldn't mind :))
(From Jemma to Fitz: Sure but thanks a lot for asking :))
After that, Jemma put down her phone and tried to focus on finishing her essay. It wouldn't take too long and then she would probably just go to bed ... probably after watching a few Walt Disney movies on her computer to avoid the nightmares.
Fifteen minutes later, Jemma was startled by a knock on the door. It was probably Fitz. Even though she told him not to come, she should have known he would read between the lines and know she really wanted him too. And anyway who else could this be at this time of night? She got to the door, unlocked the two bolts and slowly opened it in the unlikely case it actually was someone else. As she did, there was another lightning and she swore she could see the face of a grim reaper and she screamed. Of course, one second later, she saw Fitz wearing his hood on, which made perfect sense considering the heavy wind and rain, and she felt once more ridiculous.
"Oh god sorry! With the light on your face and the hood, you looked a bit like a ... you know..." She said, slightly blushing from the stupidity of it.
"Like a what?" He asked with a teasing grin.
"Like a grim reaper ..." She said, her voice so low that it was barely audible. "... it wouldn't have happened if you weren't so pasty anyway, it wouldn't kill you to go out under the sun once in a while." She added when his grin turned even bigger.
"Like you're so sun kissed!" He said and she rolled her eyes at him. "Are you gonna let me him or not? I braved the storm for you!"
"Yeah yeah come in!" She said moving aside to let him in and quickly closing the door behind him and locking all the bolts. He raised his eyebrow at this. He knew that she never locked the door unless she was away or sleeping but he didn't say anything.
"I told you you didn't have to come Fitz, especially in this weather. It's dangerous to go outside with this storm!" She said with a soft smile. "You see, I'm doing okay on my own." She added gesturing towards the candles and her computer.
"Yeah obviously, this situation isn't making you nervous at all!" He said with a slightly teasing but soft smile as he rid himself of his wet sweater. "Listen, I know you're scared of thunder..."
"I'm not scared! It just makes me a little nervous!" She interrupted him with a slightly offended tone.
"Okay, thunder makes you nervous ... AND I wasn't going to come but then I watched through the window and I saw that the only light in the building was coming from your room and I didn't like knowing you all alone in a blacked out building with an open door and no working security alarm ..." He said, sitting on the bed next to her.
"Oh ... I didn't even think of that ..." She said, now even more happy to have Fitz with her.
"Well I did! So really, I came mostly for my own peace of mind." He said and she couldn't help the fond smile quirking her lips up at how sweet he was. She knew he was humoring her but she also knew there was really a part of him that worried about her being alone. And either it was adorable.
"Oh Fitz!" She said, putting her head on his shoulder. She actually felt like hugging him or kissing his cheek but she knew physical displays of affection still made him uneasy so she restrained herself.
"Also, my delightful roommate came back with his girlfriend and it was starting to be really difficult to focus on my work!" He said with a disgusted frown and she burst out laughing.
"Oh my god, poor Fitz!" She said pouting teasingly and he rolled his eyes at her.
"No seriously, you don't know how lucky you are not having a roommate!" He added.
"But seriously Fitz. Thank you for braving the elements for me. That's adorable and much appreciated." She said putting her head back on his shoulder.
"It's nothing really." He said and he seemed to hesitate for a moment before bringing his arm around her shoulder to pull her a little closer to him. The gesture surprised her so much that she silently gasped but she didn't want to break the spell so she didn't say anything and just relaxed in his embrace. Maybe he did worry about her being alone or maybe being in the dark made him a bit more confident than usual, but either way, it was a really nice and welcome change. When they met four years ago, they became close friends really fast because his intelligence and his thought process were so close to hers that it made working or just talking together that much easier. They had taken on the habit of finishing each other's sentences and even if everybody teased them about it, she always loved that about themselves. But for the last few months, she had come to appreciate his physical presence more and more. She had gradually stopped seing him as the shy teenager he was when they met at sixteen and was finally starting to see him as a man, and quite an attractive one actually. And that thought confused her as much as it delighted her.
"And you know I like the rain anyway, it feels like home!" He said with a sweet smile, interrupting her in her musings. "Really what you call a storm, I call it a gentle summer rain!" He added with a teasing grin and she laughed.
"Come on Fitz, you have to stop with the Scottish weather. I spent a whole summer in Perthshire when i was a kid, the weather was actually kind of nice, just a bit chilly at night maybe!" She said rolling her eyes.
"We have to keep the myth alive Jemma." He said in a dramatic tone. "Scotland's too beautiful, if people knew the weather's not so bad, they would all come visit and you know we don't like people!" He said emphasizing his accent, which she always found quite charming.
"Oh of course ... you Scots are such mean cold hearted people ..." She said with a soft smile, tilting her head up to look at him.
"Yeah we are!" He answered with a boyish grin. "So what's the deal with the bolts and locks?" He asked with a slightly teasing tone and she winced. She knew he noticed but hoped that he wouldn't say anything about it so she took her most casual and innocent tone to reply.
"Well, you see it's a pretty common thing but it's quite ingenious really. You turn it one way or the other and it blocks the door, thus preventing other people from opening it. And then from the outside, you can use a key, which means that you can also close it even when you're not inside. Really, as an engineer I thought you would ..." She started with a grin growing on her face but he interrupted her, pulling away from her and giving her a playful punch on the shoulder. She felt a pang of disappointment at the lost of contact but they weren't gonna stay that way all night anyway.
"Ah ah ah, you're hilarious really! But come on I know you never lock the door unless you're sleeping and certainly not with such haste. What is it? Was there someone earlier?" He said, frowning, as he stood up and started pacing.
"It's nothing ..." She said looking at her hands, feeling a little guilty to worry him over what was probably nothing.
"Jemma ... you're a terrible liar. Come on tell me." He said with a soft smile, sitting on the other bed to face her.
"Promise you won't laugh ..." She said, still not looking at him.
"I promise."
"Well, when the power went out, I went out to check if it was just me or the whole building ..." She started.
"Yeah ..." He said, encouraging her to continue.
"And when I was coming back to my room, I thought I saw someone at the end of the hallway but there was nothing. But then, I swear that the person I saw was at the other end. I tried to ask him if he had power in his room but then he just disappeared and there was a very loud noise coming from somewhere in the hallway." She said very fast and his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline. "You promised not to laugh!" She added when his lips started to quirk up.
"I'm not laughing, I swear, I'm just ... processing those informations..." He said with a slightly softer smile.
"Anyway I know it's not a ghost or anything, there has to be a perfectly logical explanation for it but I still panicked like a stupid teenager in one those movies you always want to make me watch and I locked myself in my room." She said in a sheepish tone and for a moment he looked at her with that soft smile again and a look in his eyes she couldn't quite decipher.
"Okay then!" He said as he stood up and walked to the door.
"What are you doing?" She asked, confused.
"Well I'm going to investigate on those g-not ghosts, whatever they are so you can sleep peacefully tonight." He said as he started to unlock the door.
"Oh no no no, you don't have to do that, I'll go check it out in the morning, I'd rather you stay inside and keep me company for a moment." She said as she almost unconsciously tugged at his arm to pull him back inside. He looked at her with that tender smile again and she couldn't refrain from asking why this time.
"I just think it's kind of nice to see that even you Jemma Simmons, can get irrational once in a while. Even after four years, I can still discover new things about you." He said and she was glad for the darkness as she blushed furiously at his ... was it a compliment? ... was it ... flirting? And when did Leopold Fitz become such a smooth talker anyway?
"Oh ... Well I blame your movies ..." She said and they both chuckled.
"Come on, I'll just be a minute and then we can eat the chocolate I brought." He said while gently taking off the hand she didn't realize was still on his arm.
As he unlocked the door, opened it and walked outside, her brain started functioning again. She grabbed her phone to use as a flashlight and followed him out but not before pocketing her keys. The last thing she needed tonight was to be locked out of her room if the door decided to close on its own. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I'm coming with you." She said, lifting her chin up. "If it is a murdering ghost, I will feel really guilty letting you go on your own!" She added and he grinned widely.
Once they were out, they decided to go right where she was sure she saw someone and also saw that person disappear. Jemma wasn't sure of what she wanted more: seing the "ghost" again to prove to Fitz she wasn't crazy or just come to the conclusion that she imagined it and go back to her room as soon as possible ... preferably with Fitz. When they got to the end of the hallway, they made a 360° turn to look around everywhere and maybe find an explanation for what she had seen. After a minute he looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she just shrugged. Obviously there was nothing out of the ordinary so they started to make their way back to her room but then there was another loud noise coming from the opposite way and she jumped slightly.
"That's it, that's the same noise again!" She said, satisfied to realize that at least she didn't imagine that. She also couldn't help the small smile that made its way on her lips when she saw that Fitz had unconsciously moved closer to her in a protective attitude.
"Okay, let's see that then." He said and they both walked towards the end of the corridor. For a moment, they didn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary but when they turned the corner and got into another hallway, they heard noises that seemed to come from the ceiling and saw that there was a small pile of rubble on the floor.
"Well, that explains the noise you heard earlier. These ceilings are so old, they had to fall off at some point. In a school full of engineers, you'd think they would have fixed it by now ..." He said and she smiled at how it mirrored her own previous thoughts.
"Okay, what's that noise then?" She said looking up at the hole in the ceiling.
"I don't know ... rats maybe?" He said looking at her with a questioning look and she shrugged.
"Yeah, that wouldn't surprise me..." And almost like he wanted to prove their point, a rat fell from the ceiling at that exact moment, and ran between their legs towards the end of the hallway.
Fitz grinned but just as he was about to make a joke about it, they heard another noise and saw a crack dangerously expending on the ceiling just above them when they looked up. Jemma opened her mouth to say that maybe it would be a good idea to move before the whole thing fell on their heads, but she didn't have the time to talk because Fitz practically threw himself at her to get her out of the way. He took advantage of the few inches he had on her to take her in his arms and protect her with his body while the ceiling was actually falling, with a deafening noise, on the exact same spot they stood a second ago. When it seemed that there was no more rubble falling, he still took a few steps back before letting go of her. When she looked at him with wide eyes, he gave her a nervous smile.
"Well that was close!" He said and she smiled back. But the reason for her bewilderment was not only caused by the fact they just avoided being hurt by several pounds of ceiling falling on them. It was also caused by how he instinctively protected her, risking his own security and maybe his own life if he hadn't moved so quickly. Once again, she knew he would do anything for her but she never imagined he would even risk his life for her. She was suddenly overwhelmed by an intense flow of feelings towards him. She was immensely grateful and she felt like her heart could burst from all the tenderness at any moment. But also, she couldn't help thinking that he could have been hurt badly or worse and that thought alone terrified her.
She felt a bit ridiculous getting so worked up over a collapsed ceiling so she just blamed it on adrenaline but still didn't refrain from giving him a small hug that he returned without an hesitation.
"Well that's enough for tonight, let's go back to my room." She said and he nodded with a smile then followed her as she lead the way.
Ten minutes later, Jemma hung up the phone and turned to Fitz, sitting on her bed waiting for her to finish her phone call.
"Sooo ... the janitor says that there's been a leak in the roof for a while so the storm must have made it worse ... and I guess the rats didn't help either!" She said rolling her eyes. "So that explains the ceiling collapsing. Also, he says he doesn't know if the power will be back before morning but anyway I have candles and, thanks to you, more than enough battery on my computer and phone to last through the night." She said with a soft smile and he grinned at her. "So you can go back to your work now, I think I'll be fine here." She added with just a pang of regret at the idea of him leaving her alone.
"Mmhmm I don't know Jemma ..." He said, not making a move to leave. Jemma even thought she saw him relaxing even more on the bed. "... we still haven't solved that ghost issue and I don't feel so good leaving you here all alone ..." He added with a slightly bashful smile.
"Fitz ..." She said, looking at him with a fond and amused smile.
"Also, I left my roommate alone with his girlfriend almost an hour ago and I'm a little scared of what I'm going to find if I go back now!" He added with the same disgusted face he had earlier and they both burst out laughing.
"But Fitz you need to work on your project, you missed the party for that!" She said with very little conviction.
"Nah ... I worked faster than I thought, it's almost done really! I just need to put the finishing touches, I can totally do that tomorrow." He said, having obviously already decided to stay. And she couldn't help noticing that he was apparently planning on staying the night. It was more and more frequent since she no longer had a roommate. When they stayed late to work or watch movies together, it was easier to be in her room where no one would ever bother them and he could sleep on the extra bed if he was too tired to go back to his room. On this special occasion, she didn't know if he was making up excuses to spend time with her or if he was still worried but either way, she found that she really didn't mind Leopold Fitz staying with her a little longer.
"Weeeeell ... if you really insist, I suppose you can stay ... in case there's another ghost situation." She said as she plumped on the bed next to him and gently nudged his shoulder. "Wanna watch a movie?"
"Sure!" He said smiling widely.
After ten minutes of intense negotiation, they finally settled on a movie that fit both their criteria. Fitz wanted something "halloweeny" and Jemma just wanted something that was funny and not scary to take her mind off her nervousness. So they decided to watch the Addams Family.
Even though they had plenty of room, they still automatically sit all cooked up next to each other on Jemma's single bed. They had been doing that for several years before Jemma ended up having a whole room to herself and she was glad that Fitz still chose to sit close to her rather than on the other bed. Of course, Fitz might have sensed that she was still a little nervous and wanted to reassure her but she also liked to think that he enjoyed being close to her as much as she did him.
They didn't talk much during the movie. They just laughed and smiled at each other during their favorite scenes and basically enjoyed each other's company. After half an hour though, they both started getting cold. Jemma hadn't realized that with the blackout, it was not only the lights that were out but also the central heating. So they both got under the covers like it was the most natural thing in the world. It's only when she was settled with her head on his shoulder and his arm around hers that she realized how intimate it felt. In this position, she could feel that, even though he was still quite lean, his shoulders had filled up nicely since they met, probably thanks to his work with heavy machinery in the engineering lab. She could also feel the slight stubble on his jaw that brought out his stunning blue eyes and that he had been sporting since she told him how well it fitted him a few months ago. And then there was also this delicious smell of soap mixed with something that was just him. She had always liked it because she somehow found it soothing. But recently, it had started to make her feel something else she couldn't quite pin point. But once she sensed a hint of it, she couldn't help taking a big gulp of air to get as much of it as she could, just like when she opened a fresh pack of coffee. She didn't know how Fitz felt about all of this, about them ... but she did know she could feel his heart beat really fast in his chest.
When the movie ended, it seemed that they were both lost in thoughts because they remained silent for a moment. It wasn't uncomfortable, they knew each other well enough to enjoy being together without having to talk, but there was some sort of tension, like they were both waiting for the other to say or do something.
"This is nice" She said, her voice raspier than she intended.
"Yeah ... and there's no way I can go back to work now!" He answered with a soft voice, lightly pulling her closer and she felt a little guilty knowing he might have to work extra hard because of her the next day.
"Oh ... I'm sorry ... maybe I can help you finish or at least proof read it, I don't know, just tell me what you need ..." She said, looking up at him.
"Nah ... don't worry, like I said it's almost done. I can finish it in the morning ... unless maybe you want to be alone, I don't want to impose on you ..." He started, his voice slightly panicked at the idea that she actually never wanted him to come, but she stopped him before he could go any further.
"No no no Fitz, I just told you how nice I thought this was. I would have spent a terrible night and you made it so much better ... like you always do. You know I really appreciate it, right?" She said snuggling a little closer to him to prove her point. She couldn't help smiling when she felt his heart accelerate again. But was this how you were supposed to make your best friend feel?
"Yeah ... okay ... that's ... good then." He said relaxing again.
"Also about earlier I was so shocked, I don't think I even thanked you for ... you know protecting me from that falling ceiling, that was ... I don't even know what to say, I could have been hurt pretty bad if it wasn't for you ... and you-you could have been hurt pretty bad protecting me ... that was-you were-are amazing Fitz. Thank you so much." She said, her voice shaking with emotion by the end of her sentence.
"Oh ..." He said blushing. "That was nothing really ... I mean what else was I gonna do?" He said with a soft smile and she felt like she was melting. Did he even realize the amazingly sweet, beautiful things he could say like it was just so ordinary? If it was even possible, the fact that he reacted so shyly when he'd been the one acting so heroically made him even more adorable.
"Oh Fitz ..." was the only thing she could say as she was so overwhelmed by her tenderness for him. So she gave him a quick kiss on the jaw and wrapped her arm around his waist to give him a side hug. This was probably the closest they've ever been physically but if it bothered him in any way, he gave no sign of it. Maybe Halloween really was a night for strange things to happen after all.
"And that was a pretty quick reflex too" She said after a few minutes of silence. "You might make a good field agent someday!" She said smiling and slightly teasing.
"Yeah, like that's ever going to happen" He said, gently rolling his eyes and they both chuckled.
"Anyway thanks for always taking such good care of me ... life would be so much harder without you ... and a lot less fun!" She said with a sweet smile.
"Well you've always taken care of me too ... I mean not even my mother would take care of me like you did when I got the flu last month" He said, slightly grinning.
"Oh that wasn't much Fitz ... it was just soup and a little of my time and ..." She started.
"No Jemma, don't underestimate the grumpiness! I mean I'm not sure I could tolerate myself when I'm sick!" He answered and they both laughed a little.
"Yeah but those fever dreams you were acting out were a lot of fun though, i mean I never thought I'd see you ..." She started but he cut her up by playfully putting his hand on her mouth to stop her form talking.
"Those fever dreams you promised you'll never talk about again ... or shall I mention that time when you ..." He started, but then he felt her licking his hand and instinctively took it away.
"Aww gross!" He said, wiping his hand on his jeans.
"Okay, okay I will never talk about the dreams again and you will never mention what you were about to mention, alright?" She said, straightening up a bit to look him in the eyes. She tried to keep a serious expression but couldn't help the playfulness in her eyes.
"Yeah ..." He said with a little playful smile. "Anyway, except for the fact that you enjoy watching me ridicule myself a little too much, that was really so sweet of you to take care of me like that ..." He added, his voice getting softer. "No one's ever really taken care of me like you do Jemma, and I mean not only when I'm sick and that's-I'm so grateful for it ... for you."
"Well of course Fitz, that's just what you do when you l..." She started but her voice trailed of and her eyes went wide when she realized what she was about to say to him. Of course, she loved him and even though she never told him in those exact words, he knew she did, he's been his best friends for the past few years. But somehow, the way she was about to say it felt a little different. Could it be because she did feel a little different about him?
They were always finishing each other's sentences because they always knew what the other had in mind. Obviously this time was no different because she could feel him gasp slightly. So for a moment, she felt like she was frozen. Here she was, tightly snuggled in his arms, feeling like her heart was about to beat out of her chest and she didn't know what to do. Should she finish her sentence and face the consequences? Try to change the subject? Wait for him to say something? Dig a hole in the ground and crawl in it, hoping the situation would just sort itself out on its own?
But as the wheels in her brain were still turning, it seemed that Fitz's had come to a decision. He reached for her face with the hand that wasn't over her shoulder and gently tilted her chin up to make her look at him. At this moment, he looked at her with so much affection that the wheels finally came to a stop. She gave him a warm smile and when he started delicately rubbing her cheek with his thumb, she almost automatically pressed her face against his hand. This delicate but oh so sweet contact sent shivers down her spine and her eyes fluttered close. A small part of her was screaming that she should stop that, that it wasn't how friends were supposed to act around each other. But how something that felt so right and soft and perfect could be wrong?
When she opened her eyes again after what felt like an eternity, but had probably only been a few seconds, Fitz had slightly turned and was now facing her. He was also definitely looking at her lips and she couldn't help doing the same, wondering how she never noticed how full and soft looking his were. When she looked up, their eyes locked again. She'd always thought his eyes were stunning, so blue and expressive, but now they looked more intense than they ever were and she knew there was no looking away and no turning back. He finally closed the gap between them and gently pressed his lips to hers. The contact was a little tentative, light and delicate but it felt like electricity was coursing through them as they finally kissed. Even though it lasted only a few seconds, it made her heart beat at an alarming rate. He ghosted her lips one more time before starting to pull away but she didn't let him. Her hand went to his neck and she captured his lips again. It started as lightly as the first one but with more confidence, their lips moving gently against each other, but when his hand went from her cheek to her neck and then slid slowly through her hair, she felt a rush of heat coursing through her body. Her kisses became hungrier and when he traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, she opened her mouth and deepened the kiss. His scent, his delicate touch, the softness of his lips, everything about him was intoxicating and she completely lost herself in his kiss. Who could have thought that Fitz, who had always been so skittish when it came to physical contact, would be able to kiss her with so much passion and make her feel this way. Somehow she felt like he'd been hiding a big secret from her all this time and when he let his hand descend on her back to pull her closer, she couldn't help the soft moan that escaped her lips. For a few minutes, they kept on kissing like they would never get enough of it, their lips sometimes parting for a few seconds then always crashing back on each other's. But at some point they realized they were both out of breath and they slowly, reluctantly moved away from each other.
When they opened their eyes again, they looked at each other with the same stunned expression. Even though she obviously started seing him in a different way recently, she never thought it could come to that. She thought it was just her objectively noticing physical changes in the person she spent the most time with. Also maybe, maybe she had been developing a bit of a silly crush. But looking into his eyes and seing surprise being replaced by affection and -was it desire?- she knew it mirrored her own thoughts, as always, and it was definitely more than a crush.
"Fitz I ..." She started but she was interrupted by a loud noise coming from outside the building and then a second later, the lights turned back on. Someone had apparently managed to get the power back on quicker than they thought. They had both instinctively turned towards the source of the noise and when they turned back towards each other, they suddenly felt the full impact of what they had just done and blushed furiously. It was like being in the dark had somehow helped them act on their feelings but now that the light was back on, they had to face the consequences it would have on their friendship. It could destroy the most important relationship Jemma's ever had in her life ... but it could also make it even more perfect.
Without thinking too much on it, she untangled herself from him and got up from the bed. He looked at her with a confused expression on his face when she seemed to move towards the door.
"Jemma?" He asked with a tentative voice. When she didn't answer and kept moving towards the door, he started to panic and mutter words of apologies about the fact that he shouldn't have kissed her without her consent and they could just forget about it and stay friends like they always were. It was totally like him to apologize for something he didn't have to. How could he not realize that, even though, he was technically the one to initiate the kiss, they had clearly both wanted it and she had been the one to make an almost declaration of love. A small part of her wanted to let him continue because she had always thought he was adorable when he started rambling like that, his Scottish accent getting even stronger than usual. But she didn't want to play with his feelings and mess up such a beautiful and important moment.
She reached for the switch next to the door and turned the lights out. Then she turned around and gave him the warmest smile as she walked back towards the bed. Just before she climbed back into bed with him, she shrugged off her big sweater without ever breaking eye contact. Her smile got a little bigger when she saw him take a big inhale. She was still wearing a tank top under a sweater and he'd seen her wearing less clothes in the summer or during they swimming tests at the academy but somehow, it felt like the closest thing to being naked. When she got under the covers, she took his hands into hers before talking:
"I was thinking that ... I like the candle light better after all ..." She said with a small smile, biting her lower lip.
"You-you do?" He asked, a flicker of ... something in his eyes.
"Mmmhmm" She said, her voice low and her hands slowly trailing up his arms towards his chest.
"So you don't regret what ..." He started, unable to finish his sentence as Jemma's hands were now playing with the hair at the back of his neck.
"What do you think?" She asked with a playful smile and his lips started to quirk up too. But then she saw the glint in his eyes that meant he had just thought of a smart retort and she knew he could never resist a good joke so she decided to stop him before he could talk. She captured his lips again and this time she didn't wait long before deepening the kiss as her arms locked behind his neck to pull him closer and his hands went for her waist. As they relaxed into each other, hands started to explore, kisses were slowly diverted to necks and collarbones and soon they found that there were too many clothes between them. When they crashed back against each other after riding themselves of their shirt, the skin on skin contact sent shivers all over Jemma's skin and she couldn't contain the intense rush of heat coursing through her body any longer. She locked her arms around his neck and pulled him back with her to lie down on the bed. When she had met Fitz a few years ago, Jemma thought she was so lucky to have found someone like him, someone who could understand her so fully and be in such perfect synchrony with her, and she always believed that they were as close as they could be. But as they were both discovering each other in new and delightful ways all through the night, smiles never leaving their faces, Jemma mentally face palmed herself when she realized what they missed all these years.
The next morning, Jemma woke up with the biggest smile on her face. When they were too tired to keep their eyes open they had fallen asleep, their arms and legs all tangled in each other's and even though Jemma's bed was a little small for two, she felt like she hadn't slept so well in a long time. When she looked up from Fitz's chest where her head was nestled, she could see that he was still asleep. He looked so beautiful with the sunlight shining on his short curls and the ghost of a smile on his lips that reminded her of how he looked at her all night. She always thought he had a nice smile but never thought it would have the ability to make her blush like she was now and he wasn't even aware he was doing it. She would have liked nothing better than to bring the cover back up on both of them and stay in bed all day but she knew he had to get up soon to go back to his room and finish his project before the deadline.
Just as she was about to reach for his cheek to wake him up as gently as possible, she felt his arm move and soon his eyes opened reluctantly. Fitz had never been one to wake up easily but when he tilted his head and saw Jemma looking at her, he smiled widely ... and blushed a little. It would obviously take them time to adjust to this new side of their relationship but Jemma already knew it would be worth it.
"Hi" She said, pushing herself up to reach for his face and give him a gentle kiss on the lips.
"Hello" He answered, gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "Soooo ..."
"Yeah ..." She said, her voice still raspy from sleep.
"Sooo ... I have a confession to make ..." He started.
"Oh ..." She said, suddenly a little worried. Maybe he was having second thoughts about what just happened between them, even though nothing said so in his attitude.
"I think I know where your ghosts came from" He said, a little shyly and she raised her eyebrows, curious. "It came back to me when we were going back to your room after the ceiling fell. Milton Jameson's room not far from yours right?" He asked.
"Yeah, a few doors to the left I think. Why?" She asked, still not seeing where he was going with that.
"He's been working on holograms and ways to project them far from their points of origin. The project is kinda cool, too bad Milton is the one working on it ..."
"Fiiiitz ... don't be mean, Milton's a really nice person." Jemma cut him, rolling her eyes.
"Oh yeah, he's nice." He said, the word somehow sounding different in Fitz's mouth. "Anyway, I know he had trouble keeping them stable so he must have been working on it last night ..." He finished, looking a little sheepish.
"Oh ... that makes sense I guess ... So why didn't you tell me last night?" She asked, a little confused.
"Well ... I wanted to but I was afraid ... you wouldn't need me here anymore ..." He said, blushing furiously.
"Oh Fitz ..." She said with a fond smile before placing a small kiss on his cheek. "Do you really think I ever believed there was a ghost in the hallway?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and he shrugged uncertainly.
"Fitz, I never needed you to stay with me last night, I wanted you to! We never needed an excuse to spend time together and even less so now that our relationship has changed ..." She said and his lips quirked up.
"So does this mean you're my ..." He started, pulling her closer with his arm around her shoulder.
"... girlfriend? well yes I hope so because I don't usually sleep with my best friend if I don't feel something more than ... I mean unless you don't want to ..."
"No no no, I mean yes of course I want you to be my girlfriend Jemma" He said with a soft smile that made her heart melt.
"Good" She said and reached up to kiss him on the lips. It was slow and gentle as they were both still a little sleepy but as he slid his fingers through her hair, it still managed to make her shiver deliciously. He felt just as good as he did the previous night and it reminded her how hard it would be to let him leave her room anytime soon.
"Sooo ... you feel something more than ...?" He asked with a tentative smile.
"Fitz ... you know perfectly well what I was going to say last night ..." She said, rolling her eyes fondly. "I love you Fitz, I always have, you knew that, right? ... it just ... took some time to realize that maybe my love for you was no longer platonic ... and now I know for sure it isn't." She said, looking into his eyes while she was unconsciously drawing little patterns on his chest with her fingers. For a little moment, he remained silent, his mouth slightly open, looking at her intensely, but he finally managed to find his voice back.
"Jemma, I ... of course I always loved you too and I will keep loving you no matter what happens between us, you're the most important person in the world. And I'm so glad that .. this happened ... I don't think I could be happier than I am right now!" He said, his voice shaking with emotion by the end of his sentence. "Also, not to brag about it, but I realized my feelings for you a while ago, this time I was without a doubt the smarter one ..." He said, now with a slight grin.
"You know what? I will gladly let you win this one ... as long as we feel the same way, I'm happy!" She said with a big smile and he smile back widely.
After that, Jemma felt like there was nothing more to be said so she reached up to kiss him again. When he suddenly grabbed her by the waist to pull her on top of him, she let out a delighted shriek. When they broke the kiss, breathless and flushed, they looked at each other with the same mischievous grin.
"If we skip breakfast, maybe we can stay another fifteen minutes in bed?" He asked, his voice raspy.
"Let's skip shower too and make it thirty minutes ..." She said with a glint in her eyes before their lips crashed back on each other.
As Fitz was busy counting every freckle on her body with his lips, Jemma said to herself that if every Halloween lived up to that one, she might end up enjoying it a lot more from now on!