Prompt: Fitzsimmons + "I didn't know you could dance."

If you want to listen to the song Jemma sings, you can find it here: watch?v=_Tu0RJIZRrM


Fitz tosses and turns in his bunk. He is surrounded by darkness, having woken up suddenly from yet another nightmare. "He rolls over more slowly this time to examine the clock on the table beside his bed.

3:12 am.

He shoves off the blanket that now feels more like lead and pulls his legs to the side of bed and pushes himself to his feet.

"Maybe a cup of tea will do the trick" he sighs as he reaches for the jacket he tossed across the armchair the night before.

He makes his way to the door and squints as he pulls it open.

"I'm gonna have ta see about getting some dimmer bulbs for these safety lights" he grumbles, forcing himself out of his bunk and down the hallway.

Fitz makes his way slowly through the maze of hallways within the base on his way to the kitchen. He turns the final corner to find a soft yellow glow coming from inside accompanied by consistent, quiet sounds signaling that someone else is inside. He closes the distance to the door but stops before going inside.

Inside, he sees Jemma making her own cup of tea. Her back is turned to him as she watches the water coming to a boil. The fact that she is up this early making tea is not what made Fitz stop. Instead, it is what he hears. Jemma is singing.

Throughout all of the years he has known her, he has never witnessed this. She is singing something he doesn't know but it sounds like a lullaby.

Fitz leans against the door frame to listen a bit longer before letting her know he is there. He listens to the sweet, soft notes she sings and watches as she sways lightly from side to side in time with the music.

"A little rest and then

The world is full of work to do

Sing hushabye lo la loo, low lan

Sing hushabye loo, la lo" Jemma sings as she comes to what seems to be the end of the song. She pours some of the now heated water into a mug and adds the teabag before turning to retrieve the milk from the fridge, noticing Fitz when she does.

"Fitz" she exclaims, her hand flying to cover her mouth, as she stops walking. "How long have you been there?"

"Not too long, really" he responds as Jemma starts toward the fridge again. After a moment, he continues. "I didn't know you could sing."

Jemma puts the milk down on the counter and turns around. She moves her hands to rest against her neck as she tries to hide the blush she can feel making its way to color her face.

"Oh that?" she laughs, nervously. "That wasn't anything really."

"Stop it, Jemma" Fitz replies with a soft smile. "Don't put yourself down. It was beautiful. What was it, though? I didn't recognize it."

"It was just a silly little lullaby my mum used to sing to me on nights when I couldn't sleep."

"A good choice for tonight then, it would seem."

They both laugh softly at that.

"Would you like some tea as well, Fitz?" Jemma asks after a moment of silence. "There's enough for two."

"Yeah, thanks. That's actually-"

"What you came here for" Jemma finishes for him.

"Exactly" Fitz smiles.

Jemma pulls the box of tea bags from the cabinet above her head while Fitz moves to retrieve a mug for himself from another cabinet across the kitchen. He brings it back and places it next to Jemma's where she fills it with the rest of the still-boiling water.

They finish fixing their drinks in silence before moving to sit at the small table in the corner of the room.

"So what's keeping you up?" Jemma asks quietly once they've both taken a sip of their tea.

"Oh, you know…" Fitz trails off. "I just had a- a nightmare."

"Oh Fitz" Jemma sighs, reaching a hand out to rest it on his arm. "I'm so sorry. It doesn't anything to with-"

"Stop Jemma" Fitz interrupts. "This is not your fault. Not at all. I've told you. What happened-there- was not your fault. I made my choices."

"I know you did, Fitz. But if it hadn't been for me-"

"If it hadn't been for you, Will would have had no chance at all. I went back to save him. There was no way that you could've known how impossible that would be."

They both sit in silence for a moment, the air around them growing heavy. Fitz takes another sip of tea while Jemma leans back in her chair and pulls her knees tightly to her chest.

It is Jemma that finally breaks the silence.

"I know you're right, Fitz. I really do. But I can't help but wish that I could have changed what happened somehow."

"I know Jemma. I wish the same thing." He moves his hand to rest atop hers where it not sits on the table between them. "But it's over and done now. We have to move on."

"Whatever that means" Jemma sighs, looking down at the place where their hands still sit together.

"Well I know one thing we can count on it to mean" Fitz smiles.

"What's that?" Jemma whispers, looking up to meet his eyes.

"That we'll be in it together, just like we always have been."

"Together" Jemma sighs. "Just like always."

They fall silent again but this time it the quiet is easier, less tense. For just these moments, they are together and happy like they should be. In the backs of their minds, they know it can't possibly stay like this forever, that something will have to change.

But neither of them cares much about this as they communicate silently as only they can and make a decision. They move together to the couch in the common room and settle on to it together. To get more sleep or not, they neither know nor care so long as they're together.