Fitz watched Jemma as she sat on the couch, diligently tapping away at her laptop. Even though they spent most of their waking time in the lab, her obsession for recording her - well, more accurately, their - findings was fervent, spilling over to their home life as well. At times he felt sorry for her, pouring so much of her time into the projects, as knowledge of their discoveries may be restricted to S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives and not ever be released to the public. But, he surmised, her heart was in it for the science, not the glory.
He couldn't help but smile at how focused she was. Every now and then, she picked up the glass of wine that sat on the coffee table, absently sipping at the burgundy liquid without her attention shifting from the screen before her. And even though he knew how important their work was - not just to them, but for the safety of humanity in general – he also knew that the stress of recent events was taking its toll.
He had to admit he was just as guilty as her at steering his attention into technological pursuits at the expense of a social life. Even though their loyalty to each other was unwavering, Fitz was well aware their disagreements on AIDA were causing a rift. And despite their best efforts, their opposing views were starting to cause an uneasy tension to infuse itself into their relationship.
At times he longed for the innocence of their Academy days, with a world full of discoveries ahead of them and no responsibilities. But as he watched his girlfriend studiously record her work, an image of authority and confidence despite her slightly frazzled appearance, he realised he wouldn't trade their current situation for anything.
Although their positions of power demanded a significant amount of attention, Fitz didn't want it to overshadow the unique connection they shared. He missed the carefree banter and relaxed atmosphere that had slowly been dissipating in the last few months. He had been mulling over an idea for the last couple of weeks, and it was time to test his proposition. He strode over to the back of the couch.
"Jemma." The click of the keys drowned out his voice.
He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and she jumped at the contact.
"Sorry," she said, rubbing her hands across her eyes, "I was just finishing up adding the results from today."
"Can it wait until tomorrow?"
"Well, I guess so." She turned and looked at him with wide-eyed excitement. "But these findings are just so fascinating. And, besides, I haven't got anything more interesting to do."
Fitz puts his hand over his heart in mock offense. "Really? That hurts, Jemma."
"Oh, don't be like that," she said jovially. She saw the small grin appear on his face, and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "What?" He slowly walked around to the front of the couch and slid down next to her.
"Well, what if you did have something more interesting to do?" He raised one eyebrow questioningly.
"More interesting than potentially the next great scientific discovery?" she posed in challenge.
"Hmmm," Fitz mused, looking pensive for a moment. He shrugged as though defeated, then said: "I guess I can't compete with that." He added an over emphasised sigh for effect and started to push himself up from the couch.
"Wait," Jemma said, placing her hand on his forearm to halt his retreat. He glanced over at her, and she rolled her eyes. "You could at least try."
Fitz grinned inwardly. He knew exploiting her inquisitiveness would win in the end.
"It's nothing that important I guess. It's just that," he paused for effect, seeing her lean closer in anticipation, "we don't have the best track record with dinner at fancy restaurants, so I figured now might be the time to rectify that." He could see Jemma was intrigued, so decided to see if he could hook her totally. "You know, for our anniversary."
"Our anniversary?" Jemma's eyes looked upwards, as though searching her brain for potential dates to which he may be referring.
"Yeah. Of when we met."
"When we met?" Fitz could see the confusion wash over her features. "You mean at orientation for the Academy?"
"I am loathe to define everyone standing in a circle and stating their name in a cringe-worthy attempt at team bonding as the moment we met." He gave her a wry grin. "It was a bit later than that."
Jemma lifted the laptop off her knees and placed it on the coffee table, then tucked her feet underneath her on the couch, twisting so she was facing Fitz more fully. "So, you mean when we were assigned as lab partners? I mean, that was only two weeks into term…it was still summer." She laughed. "You aren't even in the right season, Fitz."
He knew Jemma loved puzzles, and seeing her spark of enthusiasm at the mere act of trying to piece together the riddle made Fitz happy.
"Well, the meeting I am talking about was more recent than that."
Jemma looked baffled by his statement, wracking her brain as to which incident he may be alluding.
"I seem to remember being at the lab at S.H.I.E.L.D., sinking in my chair as this stunning yet anxious creature stood before me. And then she thrust her hand out, all matter-of-fact, and said: I'm Jemma Simmons, biochemist."
Fitz could see the glimmer of recognition in Jemma's eyes as she recalled her attempt to relieve the awkwardness that had plagued them after her return from Maveth.
"And then I stood up," he said, shifting closer on the couch, and slowly edged his fingers towards her until he could clasp her hand in his, "and shook your hand." He gave her hand an almost imperceptible squeeze as he spoke, but it was enough for her to take a deeper breath at the contact. "And then I said: Leopold Fitz, engineering."
Jemma couldn't help a small smile appear at the memory. Fitz tilted his head slightly, mirroring her smile. "And then you smiled. Just like that. And I knew that we were going to be okay."
Jemma blushed at his proclamation; that her gesture had been engrained so deeply in Fitz's memory. She shifted her hand, until her fingers were intertwined with his. Her gaze drifted slightly as she processed the information. Fitz could almost see her doing the math in her head.
"I can't believe it has only been a year. So much has happened since then…so much has…changed." She looked around the quaint apartment they now called home and took a deep breath in contemplation. "It feels like a lifetime ago."
"It was our clean slate, Jemma. I remember it as though it was yesterday."
She looked back at Fitz then, and she could see the enormity of that moment reflected in his eyes. He was using that telepathy they shared to tell her how grateful he was that she had had the courage to give them a chance. She could almost feel the loyalty and admiration and respect that had been there for years, but had been suppressed for so long due to circumstance. She hoped he understood that she was just as grateful; that when they had stood at that crossroad, he had also had the courage to take the path with her.
She dropped his hand, opting to put it to better use by cupping his face as she moved closer. Although they were only a few inches apart, it felt like a chasm between them, and Fitz couldn't wait for her to bridge the gap, shifting forward to meet her half way. They had shared many kisses since they had finally crossed the event horizon, yet Fitz was constantly amazed at just how profoundly she affected him. He often wondered how high his dopamine and oxytocin levels soared when she kissed him with such ardour.
Jemma revelled in the sensation of Fitz's hand sliding behind her neck, the fine hairs standing on end as his fingers curled against the base of her skull. He pulled at her gently, just the right balance of eagerness and tenderness in his actions. Their mouths worked in unison, moving against each other with natural ease. She wasn't quite sure how he did it, but he was always able to convey his unwavering devotion in his kiss alone.
Jemma pulled back a fraction, her lungs now craving oxygen as much as her soul craved the man before her. She opened her eyes, her sincerity reflected back when she gazed at Fitz, and she could barely hear their breaths above the rush of her pulse in her ears.
"So…" Fitz said as he raised his eyebrows, "is that a yes?"
Jemma beamed at him. "Of course." She leant forward again, giving him one last, lingering kiss before moving back slightly. "But if the team at work ask, you'll have to come up with something else." She could see his confusion, and couldn't help but roll her eyes at having to elaborate. "I mean, you can't say it's the anniversary of when we met last year. They'll think you're daft." She nudged his forearm with her elbow before adding with a smile: "Well, more daft than usual."
Fitz tried to give her his best deadpan look. "I can't believe you are trying to call me out on a technicality."