Drabble 58: Safe

A/N: This drabble was requested by Jmags-WriterofAwesomeness. I'm sorry updates have been so slow lately. I got caught up writing The Barriers That We Face, and other short stories. But now I'm back on track, and focused on drabbles! So any of the ones I've already been asked to write, they are on their way! And any others you want to see, tell me what they are! I have plenty of free time to write now that school's done. Enjoy this chapter!

Jemma watched as Hunter stood just outside the door, his eyes locked on one thing: Bobbi.

Since they had brought her back his attention had been completely on her. She'd been in surgery, and now Jemma was just giving her a last checkup before letting Hunter inside.

She was doing well. She would definitely need time to recover. It made Jemma queasy to think that her friend had gone through all this. But for the moment she was resting peacefully, dozing on the bed. Jemma wrote down one last figure and then turned and opened the door.

"How is she?" Hunter asked immediately.

"She's going to be in pain, but she's safe now. She'll be fine."

Relief flooded his eyes, and after looking at her for a second his gaze moved back to Bobbi. "I'm going to stay here, okay?"

"Sure." Jemma said. "Just don't let her do anything strenuous. She needs rest."

"She wants rest." They heard Bobbi murmur.

Jemma smiled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. She looked through the window and smiled as she watched Hunter move towards Bobbi, tentative but firm. He sat by her bed and took her hand, his eyes never leaving her face.

Then she couldn't watch anymore. She turned away quickly and tried to force down the overwhelming surge of emotions she had just felt. And not for Bobbi and Hunter.

Though they had certainly caused it.

Fitz was going on the mission.

She heard it and felt that surge of emotions again, and knew she had to talk to him. It wasn't a choice.

So she followed him into the room he walked into.

"You'll be careful." She said.

He turned to look at her. "I won't be careful. I'll get the job done."

"Well watch your back because I just saw Hunter with Bobbi and it made me realize that I – we – it's just that we never really spoke about what you said to me at the bottom of the ocean."

It rushed out, and for a second he was still, his back to her. "This? Now?" he asked when he did finally look at her again. "You want to talk about this now." He said, disbelieving.

He turned away again. "No." she said, feigning control. "We – we don't…" She hesitated, watching as he put on gear. "It means a lot to me that we're friends again. Maybe when you get back we could finally - just talk about it. Then."

"It's -." He sighed, facing her again with the bag over his shoulder. He was ready to go, and ready to leave this conversation. "There's nothing to discuss Jemma."

He started to walk past her and her hand tried to hold his back, to keep him there as he tried to keep going. It worked, and she looked at him with a little half-smile, fighting back the tears she knew would come, and said, "Maybe there is."

He stared at her for a second, and she could see him starting to believe her. He knew she was being completely honest, especially with herself. She wanted to touch him, more than that passing grip on his hand. He was going into danger. This could be… No. He would come home safe.

Now he was leaning in towards her, still looking a bit shocked but much more open than she'd seen in a long time.

"Agent Fitz. We're on the move."

Coulson broke the moment. Fitz turned to face him and nodded, and Coulson left. Jemma looked at the wall, realizing what had just happened between them. She started to look at Fitz, but he was taking a step away, out the door.

And then he had turned around again, rapidly, and was facing her. She saw desire rise up in him, the same desire she had been fighting all along. She saw him finally believe what she had been saying. They did have something to talk about.

He walked over to her and kissed her.

She was a complete mess of emotions, and this certainly didn't make her head any clearer. But she wouldn't have changed anything for the world.

The kiss ended and he gave her one last look before leaving. Her gaze stayed trained on the last spot she had seen him for a moment as her brain processed what her heart had just experienced. Then she realized that, as unbelievably happy as that kiss had made her, Fitz was going into danger. All of her worry and fear rose up in her again, and she gasped as she tried to hold in her sobbing, turning away from the door. She brought her gaze to the far wall, the ceiling, as she took deep breaths to try to keep from crying.

It didn't work, as the tears rolled down her cheeks a minute later.

Please be safe, she thought. "I need you to be safe." She said to herself.