Drabble 77: Staying with the Parents

A/N: This drabble was requested by Spitfire303, way back in August. I promise I'm still working on drabbles. I know stretches seem to be getting longer between updates, and I'm sorry for that. At this point I'm extremely focused on my own personal creative works, with college starting next year. So I'll keep writing both, but try to focus more on these. Bear with me! Thanks for all support!

"Yes, mum. I'll see you soon." Jemma said. She smiled at Fitz as her mother continued to talk. Her mother tended to extend phone calls much longer than they had to be, and Jemma was ready to be done with the call. Normally she would indulge her mother, happily, but break was in two days. Then she would be at the house with her parents, and they could talk as much as they wanted. Now Jemma just wanted to finish her experiment with Fitz. It was due the next day, and they were almost done.

"Bye mum!" Jemma said, talking over her mother. "Be home soon!"

She hung up and slid the phone into her pocket, shaking her head. "Don't." she said without looking. But she looked up and saw Fitz chuckling, and she broke into a smile as well. "I love my mother, I swear I do." She said. "But honestly, I told her we were working on something."

"She misses you." Fitz said. "My mum does the same thing."

"But mine doesn't stop." Jemma said. She took a deep breath. "I didn't mean that."

"I know." He said. He glanced at the lab table. "We should probably get back."

"Of course." She said.

They finished fairly quickly after that, and gathered their supplies together. "Should we go hand it in now?" Jemma asked. "So it's safe for the presentation tomorrow?"

"I don't see why not." Fitz said. He gathered it up in his arms and walked through the door, towards their professor's room. Jemma knocked on his door and they walked in.

"Jemma, Leo!" Professor Dippit said. "What a surprise!"

"We thought we'd bring you our project." Fitz said. "We've just finished."

Professor Dippit looked at it and smiled nervously. Something wasn't right in his smile.

"Professor, did we do something wrong?" Jemma asked.

"No, not at all." He said. "It's just… I'm afraid you'll be rather upset with me. I didn't expect anyone to really try with this project, and am assigning one tomorrow worth twice as many points."

Fitz blinked. "Sorry, but why didn't you think people would try?"

"Because I know how to read kids, and when I reminded everyone earlier, I could tell no one had even thought about this project."

"So this new assignment." Jemma said. "When is it due?"

"The day we get back from break."

"But Friday's the last day before break." Fitz said.

"Exactly." Professor Dippit said. "You have all of break to complete it." He looked between them carefully. "I apologize if this is an inconvenience. It's not your fault other kids don't try. But I can't assign it to everyone else and not you."

Jemma nodded. "Of course we understand, Professor."

"I look forward to hearing your presentation tomorrow."

Fitz gave him the project and they walked out. Once the door closed, he looked at her. "What are we gonna do? You have to go home for break."

Jemma pursed her lips as she thought, slowly walking forward. "There's two options. One is that I don't go home."

"You have to go." Fitz said. "Your mother would kill me if she found out I kept you here."

"The other option is that you come home with me."

"Then your father would kill me."

Jemma smiled and punched him on the arm. "It's the only way we'll get it done. And it'll satisfy everyone. My dad likes you. You didn't have any plans, right?"

"No." he said quietly. "Mum's away this break."

"Then it's settled." She said. "You're coming home with me."

They got the assignment the next day, and Fitz really did have to go home with her. It was a big project. It would take some time. They had bought a second plane ticket the night before, and right when classes ended they took a car to the airport. They waited a few hours for their eight o'clock flight, and once they were in their seats and the plane was taking off, Jemma mentioned it.

"I wonder what their faces will be like when they see you."

Fitz jumped, and looked at her with wide eyes. "You didn't tell them I was coming?"

"I wanted to surprise them!" Jemma said. She pushed him back against his seat calmly.

"I was joking about your dad wanting to kill me, but I don't think they'll appreciate this surprise."

"Why wouldn't they? They know how close we are."

Fitz turned this over in his mind. "I guess you're right." He said. He started to relax. He was worrying too much.

Jemma opened the door and walked through, her backpack already swinging off her shoulder and heading to the floor. "Mum, dad, I'm home!" she called.

"Jemma!" a woman's voice responded. Mrs. Simmons quickly appeared in the doorway and enveloped her daughter in a hug. "Oh, I missed you!"

Fitz stood against the closed door, unsure of what to do. Then Mrs. Simmons noticed him. She separated from her daughter and half-smiled, clearly shocked.

"Hello Mrs. Simmons." Fitz said.

"Leo, dear." She said, recovering herself. "So good to see you again."

"Mum, Fitz and I have a project to do over break, so I brought him with me."

"What's this?" Mr. Simmons asked as he walked in. He saw Fitz and he raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

"Dad, you remember Fitz."

"Of course." He said. He reached out and shook Fitz's hand. "Pleasure to see you again."

"Sorry to impose, sir." Fitz said.

"Nonsense." Mrs. Simmons said. "We're being rude, making you stand here with your things. Come in, both of you."

Fitz and Jemma followed her into the living room, where they sat down on the couch. Mrs. Simmons sat on the chair next to them, and Mr. Simmons stood behind her. "Tell me, how are you two?" Mr. Simmons asked.

"Great." Jemma said. "The Academy is amazing."

She launched into a story, and Fitz interjected every now and then, and the night flew by. It was midnight before they knew it, and Mrs. Simmons said they should get to bed. She had plans for them the next morning.

"Night." Jemma said, kissing her mother's cheek and then her father's and walking towards her room. Fitz followed her.

"Where do you think you're going?" Mr. Simmons asked, his voice low.

Fitz stopped and grabbed Jemma's arm. She turned around with him. "We're going to my room." She said.

"Absolutely not." Her father said.

Jemma scrunched her eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"Sweetheart, you want to sleep in the same room as Fitz?" Mrs. Simmons asked.

Jemma nodded slowly. "Of course I do."

"We do it all the time." Fitz said.

Mrs. Simmons clutched the end of the couch. "All the time?" she choked.

"Mum, what's wrong? We work late on projects and studying, so we spend the night together sometimes. Why is that a bad thing?"

"Because it's not proper." Mr. Simmons said. "You shouldn't be alone with a boy at night and -."

"I'm an adult!" Jemma cried. "I'm old enough to know the consequences of things, and this isn't even anything that serious! Fitz is my best friend!"

"Sir, I promise we would never do anything. But if it's a problem, I can sleep somewhere else."

"No, you can't." Jemma said. "Mum, dad, you need to trust me." Her voice was energized but respectful. "I've never given you a reason not to. If you can't trust Fitz, trust me." She looked at Fitz and pulled him forward. "Goodnight."

She pushed him through her door and walked through herself, and then closed it behind her. Fitz turned to look at her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.

She leaned against the door. "Honestly, I thought they were above that."

"They're just worried about you. They want what's best."

"Spending all this time with you, that's what's best." Jemma said. "You really are my best friend."

Fitz squeezed her hand. "I won't let our friendship strain your relationship with your parents." He said. Then he smiled. "Though I'm glad you feel that way."

"I'll make up with them in the morning." She said.

"You should do it now."

She looked at the closed door and then to her bed. "Fine." She sighed. "But if they continue to fight me on this…"

"Just go." He said, giving her a playful shove. "You'll be angry with yourself if you wait till morning, and then you'll take it out on yourself. And me."

She opened the door and saw her parents walking towards her. "We were just coming to see you." Her mother said.

"And?" Jemma asked.

"And we're sorry." Mr. Simmons said. "I may not like it, but you're right. You're a responsible young adult, and we should trust you."

The anger Jemma had been clinging to faded and she attacked him with a hug. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Just tell Fitz I'm sorry." He said.

"Apology accepted!" Fitz called from the bedroom.

Jemma chuckled. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight dear."

Jemma once more walked into her room and closed the door. Fitz lay on her bed, his hands behind his head. He'd already made up a bed on the floor, but he lay on her bed like he owned it. "So how'd it go?" he asked innocently.

She smirked and threw a pillow at him. "You know very well how it went." She said. She settled down on the bed on the floor. Immediately Fitz bolted up.

"No way I'm letting you sleep on the floor in your own house." He said.

"Too late. I'm already lying down, and I don't plan on moving."

"Then I guess I'll have to force you!" Fitz said, falling to the floor and shoving her off. They both started laughing, playfully fighting for the floor spot.

Outside the door, Mr. Simmons met his wife's eye and saw a knowing smile on her face. He was tempted to barge in and force them into separate rooms, but peace had just been made. Besides. It was still innocent. He knew it wouldn't stay that way. He saw the way the boy looked at his daughter, and the way she looked at him when he wasn't paying attention. They were attracted to each other.

But for now, it was innocent. Next time he came to stay might be a very different story.