Fitz took a glance from the road to his partner sitting in the passenger seat, blindfold obscuring her vision and an amused smile tugging at the corners of her lips. His eyes turned back to the lumpy dirt road that stretched through the pine forest as far as he could see. Maneuvering around a pothole, oil-stained fingers clutched the wheel with nervous energy coursing through the veins.
It was the fifth week he was allowed out of the hospital, and two days until Simmons's birthday. So in order to celebrate, he had organized a surprise present- a trip to an undisclosed location. He smiled as she jokingly mimicked lifting the blindfold.
"Not there yet," he laughed, gently taking her fingers from the silky fabric and placing her hands in her lap. "You're 'bout as patient as a child, Simmons."
"Are we there yet?" she asked in a child's whine. His smile only broadened and he tapped "no" out in Morse code on the wheel. Her laugh was like birdsong and sunny days, and lightly floated on the breeze travelling through the open windows.
Eyes back on the road, nervous fingers swung the wheel around. The black S.H.I.E.L.D. van grumbled into the driveway. Gravel made a grating sound as the vehicle ground to a halt. Fitz swung from his seat and his shoes made a similar noise as he walked around the front of the car and opened Jemma's door for her. He let her use his hand to step out and guided her to the best viewing point of their destination.
"Okay, blindfold can come off." Tentatively, she slid the black cloth up, letting her eyes adjust slowly to the fading light. The sight that greeted her made her suck in a breath.
A little wooden cabin was framed by an expansive pine forest, a small gravel path winding up to the door and fresh flowers planted in window boxes. Wild flowers were growing in a random pattern around the base of the house and ivy crept up the side. It was warm and homey and quaint.
It was her own little picture of heaven.
Fitz was starting to look uncertain as a full minute of silence passed. "… Simmons? …It's alright, right?" He paused again. "…Jemma?"
Letting out a little squeal of excitement, she turned and threw her arms around Fitz's neck, pulling him into a tight hug. "Oof!" he huffed with the sudden impact. A smile grew on his face and he wrapped his own arms around her.
"I think I'll take that as a yes," he mumbled into her ear.
"You silly boy," she giggled back, "You actually thought I was hesitating." Pulling away, she started towards the trunk of the car.
"Let's start unpacking!" she called, swinging open the trunk.
After they had settled into their respective bedrooms, he led her out of the house by a hand, lighting their way by flashlight.
It was a five-minute walk to the small, grassy hill, bare of any trees. Wildflowers bobbed in the spotlight Fitz wielded, swaying with the light night breeze. Reaching the top of the crest, he dropped her small hand and sat down, already missing the warmth he had been holding.
She lay down next to him. Their arms were barely touching, fingertips brushing. He could feel the real world, a hundred or so miles away, slowly slipping until it felt galaxies, universes away. They lay together and watched the stars, letting reality disappear from their minds.
They lay on their backs, staring up into the glimmering sky, like a thick blanket poked with too many holes to count. He stared at their glimmering for a while, picking out constellations, but something else caught his eye.
Simmons was staring up with rapture in her eyes, taking in the thousands of stars with wide eyes. He could see the dots reflected in warm amber eyes, their depths glimmering with the light of the galaxy. He filled his gaze with her.
Right about then, she glimpsed over and caught him half-rolled over, watching her with too much love in his eyes to ever describe. The expression instantly vanished when his eyes net hers, panic replacing it.
"Yes?" she asked softly, a small smile on her face.
"Uh, Jemma, I- er- well, I don't quite know how to put this…" He paused and chewed on his lip. He needed to reiterate what he'd told her before, when faced with a watery grave. How he felt about her. "I mean- well, how do I say this?" He took a deep breath.
"Before you say it, 'I love you' is overrated," she said, half-teasing, a light tone dancing through the words. He sighed.
"I know. Too many people say it-"
"-Teenagers that've been together for a week will use it-"she added.
"-and it's used way too often and-"
"-excessively in an improper-"
"-manner. I know, Jemma. They're not enough," he finished. "So I don't know how to put this. But I'm going to try."
"Okay," she said, propping herself up and gazing expectantly into his eyes.
"You're- the world to me. More than that. You're- a- a universe that I could lose myself by just watching it. I don't want to be pulled away, and when I am I just feels wrong. I want to spend time with you, be it goofing off or doing pointless tasks or working our asses off for Professor Vaughn." He watched her small smile creep up her cheeks a little more. "It feels like I need you to be complete," he finished, voice trailing off.
"Did you ever consider that I might feel the same exact way?" He glanced up into her starry eyes, startled, and she laughed. "Monkey-brain. My turn."
"Leopold Fitz, you are my matching puzzle piece. I click with you, and it feels more right than anything else in this world." As she spoke, she slowly grew more somber and serious. "When you hit that button, it made me feel like a chunk of me was being torn out, like I was left with a gaping hole in my side and I was slowly bleeding out every second you were unconscious. I couldn't stand to be in a world without you. If you had… had gone, then I would have probably would have gone with you, either intentionally or subconsciously. I need you just as much, and maybe even more." She took a deep, slow breath to steady herself.
And then he leaned over and kissed her.
It was soft, slow, and sweet. He gently brushed back her hair from her face, his hand caressing her and tangling itself into her hair. She let herself loop her arms around his neck and he shifted until he was practically on top of her, one hand steadying him in his crouched position.
When they finally broke apart, they were breathing a bit heavy, but their smiles could have been seen universes away.
They walked back to the house hand in hand, pulling each other continuously closer, until they were practically walking as one being. As they stepped into the foyer, Fitz scratched the back of his neck and stuttered out, "Do you- er, say, you could- umm, no- uh, do you want to come-" and vaguely gestured to his bedroom. "I mean, just sleep- er, you know, nothing, like-"
"I know, Fitz," she said with a soft smile. "Let me get my pajamas on and I'll join you."
As she closed her door behind her, she heard a sigh of relief before the second door clicked shut.
Jemma shuffled through the belongings she had brought, pulling out a pair of pajamas and beginning to change. Suddenly, a cream-colored envelope caught her eye. To Mr. Fitz and Ms. Simmons was written in loopy writing on the front, but as she turned it around, she stiffened. Stamped into the thick paper was the S.H.I.L.D. logo.
In a flurry of movement, she was across the hall, tapping on his door. It creaked open to reveal a half-dressed Fitz. Mumbling "C'mon in," he opened the door a little wider and pulled a shirt over his head. Swallowing thickly, she stepped forward and held out the letter. His brow furrowed and he gently took the letter from her fingers. His index finger slid under the edge of the flap and carefully pulled it open. Jemma felt a pinch on her lip and realized that she was biting it with anticipation and nerves. The letter inside was eased out and unfolded, and eager eyes skimmed the ink pressed into the creamy stationary.
To Mrs. Jemma Simmons and Mr. Leopold Fitz:
Through careful deliberation and examination of both your files, S.H.I.E.L.D. declares that you are exempt from the fraternization clause of Section 17 of the S.H.I.E.L.D. handbook. The two of you will also be assigned to any group as a team. This does not apply to individual missions. Be aware that if an issue arises, this privilege may be revoked.
Happy birthday to Jemma and happy health to Fitz,
Director Phil Coulson
P.S. No, we did not bug or wire you. This timing of this is entirely an approximation by your fellow team members.
P.P.S. They send their congratulations.
For a few seconds, they simply stood in place, staring at the dark ink, a sharp contrast to the paper it settled on. The silence settled in the air, a pregnant pause that seemed to make its home in the room and wouldn't leave. Jemma wasn't sure how to process this. She glanced at her partner, his eyes wide and jaw just slightly slack. Slowly, she reached over and threaded her fingers in between his. His eyes darted up from the paper, saw her smile, and let his face break out into one as well.
Laughing in a mixture of joy and relief, she threw her arms around him. He pulled her close, tucking his head between hers and her shoulder. A warmth was bubbling inside of Jemma, the heat that glimmered in the way a fire does in winter- comfortable and homey, a steady glow that radiated all of the emotions tumbling inside of her. Gently, she felt Leo trailing small kisses up her neck and cheek, making it to her lips and trapping them with his own.
"Mmm," she hummed, finally pulling away, "we should probably get to bed, yeah?" He smiled mischievously and pulled her to the bed, bending over her and kissing her again. The letter was carelessly dropped onto Fitz's bag, almost an afterthought.
Gently, they kissed. Fitz felt like he was going to burst from happiness. Jemma loved him. Bloody section 17 couldn't interfere. They were here, now, together. He couldn't imagine anything more perfect or wonderful. As they stopped for breath, he ran a hand through her hair. Gently, he moved over her to the other side of the bed. Slowly, he wrapped himself around her, arm pulling her to him, her hands clasping around his.
As they settled together, his head buried in the crook of her neck and their feet tangled together, a car ran down the main road. The tires pulled the car past the little house, but not before a thread of song made its way to the couple's ears.
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?