They were standing in the hallway afterwards, laughing a little, tipsy from the wine they had shared over dinner. Leo was leaning on the wall behind Jemma's head, arm reaching over her shoulder, their faces inches apart. And when quiet draped over them and their eyes locked, they realized just how close they were. He could hear her breath catch in her throat a little and couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss her. He had admitted to himself by now that he thought about her lips too often for either of their own good, but he had a chance now.
"Can I-" he stuttered without thinking, the words soft on his breath, "-can I kiss you?"
She blushed, shifted in place, eyes flitting down, silent, and all he could think was shit, I fucked up.
"I- I mean-" he tried to amend, glancing away, ears and neck burning, his free hand going back to rub at the red heat.
"Yes," she whispered, still not looking at him. Her slightly shaking hand brushed a lock of hair from her face, flushed a beautiful shade of crimson. He watched as it lowered to fiddle with the band of her bag, little nervous twists and rubs with the thin leather. Gently, he reached out and cupped her cheek, turning her so that their eyes met.
And he leaned forward.
Kissing Jemma was blissful chaos in his head. Everything was going on at once, lips were pressing together, a light hum vibrated from her as his teeth skimmed her lip, air flowed between them and his heart was rushing at a million miles an hour, yet all that was going through his mind was Jemma. It was sensory overload- the way their bodies were pressed together and his hand tangled in her hair, the satin feel of smooth lips against his, the soft keening sounds she made as he ran his tongue or teeth over her bottom lip. He felt her reach and wrap her arms around his neck so she could sink deeper into his hold and into the kiss. His free hand was on the small of her back, pulling her to him until they were pressed together in the hallway, passing air and passion and love between them with locked lips.
After what could have been mere seconds or a week or two, they broke apart, breathing heavy, and Leo couldn't help but smile.
"Stop grinning, you idiot!" she giggled, burying her face in his shirt. "You're embarrassing me." He couldn't help but laugh a bit as he held her snug in his arms, bending down to kiss the top of her head.
"I love you, Jems."
"I love you, too, Leo," came her muffled voice. After a few moments, she glanced up and asked, "Bed?"
"Mine," he replied, reaching over her shoulder to type in his passcode. Smiling, Jemma disappeared into her bunk for a few seconds before re-emerging in an old t-shirt and a pair of boxers. "Hey, aren't those mine?" She laughed and rolled her eyes.
"Might have stolen them doing laundry." A quick burst of laughter flew from her lips at the look he gave her. "They're comfy!"
"Come on," he sighed in defeat, reaching out and pulling her by a hand into his bunk. She smiled, followed him, and jumped into bed while he changed into his pajamas then joined her, wrapping an arm over her middle and tucking himself around her. "Night, Jemma."
"Good night, Leo."