This chapter is the one I was talking about when I mentioned the rating might stray towards M at some point. It's really mild and could still probably be considered a T rating but I'm warning you to stay on the safe side ;)
Jemma made it almost all the way to the coffee shop before realizing she had no idea what she was actually going to say to Fitz. She'd been at the same time so excited and nervous that she didn't even consider the fact that she might have to say a little bit more than just "I'm in love with you" for him to understand what was happening.
Slowing her pace and going to lean against the wall of a building entrance before she was too close and Fitz might see her through the coffee shop window, she took a deep breath and started thinking. She couldn't just barge in, walk up to him and kiss him senseless while he was in the middle of his date. Or could she? At least, that would have the advantage of getting the message across quite efficiently. After all they'd obviously never been very good when it came to talking about their feelings for each other so maybe acting out these feelings was the way to go. But that would most likely cause a scene or bring at least definitely bring the attention on them and Fitz would most definitely not like that. Not to mention it wouldn't be fair to this woman. After all, she had no reason to suspect the best friend of the man she was supposedly on a date with was deeply in love with him and that he was possibly (hopefully) reciprocating them.
So she supposed she would just have to go in and tell him she had something to say to him, something that could obviously not wait until the end of his date and hopefully, it would intrigue him enough to come home with her and they could have that talk in private. It still wouldn't be nice to their neighbor but that was the least terrible option. Walking the last few meters separating her from the coffee shop, she was about to cross the street when she spotted Fitz in the corner of the shop just in front of the window at their favorite table and she felt a pang of jealousy. Not only did he bring her to their coffee shop but he also took her to their table. And he looked quite peaceful too, not exhaling tension like he usually did on a first date, and smiling sincerely.
"No need to panic …" Jemma whispered to herself as she took another deep breath. After all it was to be expected, he liked her well enough to go on a coffee date with her but like Amy said, he didn't know her for long, he didn't share with her everything he shared with Jemma. There was no reason to believe he would chose this woman over herself just because he was smiling and at ease.
With this in mind, Jemma finally crossed the street, pushed open the door to the coffee shop, walked up to Fitz with what she hoped was a reassuring smile on her face and then … nothing. If she needed proof that preparation was a key element to success, this was it. Spontaneity was a nice romantic notion but it definitely wasn't for her. And the more Fitz looked at her, his expression going from curious to embarrassed to actually worried, the more her mind seemed to fill with white noise. It probably didn't help that at some point she got so worried that she discreetly tried to puff up her cheeks to check if she wasn't having a stroke. Apparently she wasn't and she was almost disappointed about it because it would have been a lot less awkward than her present situation and a very effective way to put an end to Fitz's date at the very least.
"Jemma … did you … did you need anything?" Fitz finally asked with a very careful slow tone, like he was talking to a child or a crazy person.
"Muffins!" She cried out so loud that a few customers turned around to look at her curiously.
"Muffins?"
"Yeah, I came to get muffins but you were here so hum ... hi!" She said in an overly cheery tone and winced internally. (at least she hoped it was internally, at this point, everything was possible) Fitz knew her well and knew that something was wrong. "Hello, I'm Jemma!" She added, turning towards the slightly older but admittedly attractive woman. Her tone sounded even faker then.
"Oh hi, I'm Linda I'm actually your ..."
"Jemma are you sure everything's fine?" Fitz cut her off.
"Oh yeah sorry got to go! My show's about to start!"
"What about muffins?" Fitz asked, frowning. The sincere worry etched on his face almost made her stop and confess on the spot but apparently her mouth now had a mind of its own.
"They've run out!" Jemma called out when she was already halfway through the door.
"No I'm pretty sure they still ..."
"Not the kind I wanted! Sorry I really have to run now Fitz, see you at home!" She let out before actually getting into a small jog.
God, this would actually have been less embarrassing if she did confess her love and he rejected her publicly. And now she was no closer to admitting her love for her best friend and Amy would call her a coward.
AND she had to find something good enough to watch on TV so she could persist in her ridiculous lie when Fitz came home.
If he ever came home that night, she thought biterly as she felt her heart clench at the thought.
-0-0-0-
"So that was Jemma ..." Fitz let out, feeling a little disconcerted by her friend's extremely strange behavior.
"Yeah I got that part." Linda replied with a small chuckle.
"She doesn't usually look this crazy ..." Fitz added as much for his own benefits than for Linda's.
"She wasn't acting crazy ... Which is a word I don't like to use anyway. She was jealous and she obviously had something to say other than "hi" and I think she just panicked Fitz!" Linda said and he finally turned around, looking at her with wide eyes and she chuckled fondly at his overly expressive face.
"No wonder it took you this long ... for two geniuses you seem to be pretty bad at reading simple body language … the way she looked at you, that was longing. I'd be ready to bet she's just as much in love with you as you are with her!"
"Oh ..." Fitz simply let out, not able to say more as he felt his heart beat so fast and loud that it made his ears ring. Linda had just convinced him to talk to Jemma about his feelings but only a small part of him kept hope and believed that she could truly reciprocate them. But now he had to admit her behavior had been really strange ... So could she really ...
"Fitz?" Linda cut him off in his reflexions.
"Yeah?"
"Now might be a good time to run after her and tell her how you feel and that this …" Linda motioned between them with her finger. "… wasn't a date!"
"Oh … oh yeah of course I …" He started as he stood up and hastily put his jacket back on. "I-I have to go tell Jemma I love her!" He finally let out like he couldn't believe it himself. When he tried to reach into his back pocket for his wallet, Linda stopped him.
"Fitz, don't worry about it, I'll pay, you just go before she has the time to imagine things!" She said and he felt a burst of gratefulness for this woman who was almost a stranger. When she understood that Fitz just couldn't take subtle hints after months of crossing each other in the hallway and finally just asked him out and he blurted out that he was in love with his best friend, he'd expected her to forget about it and hope they wouldn't see each other anytime soon. But after a short moment of disappointment, she'd offered him to talk about it. Maybe she saw some of the distress in his eyes or maybe she was just a genuinely nice person. Either way, he was glad he still had it in him to trust people because more often than not, it was a good surprise.
"Oh no I can't let you, you've only listened to me talking for an hour, usually people pay you to do that …" He tried to insist but she shook her head.
"No really go … and if everything goes as planned, you'll tell me all about it … real life romance is so much better than movies!" She grinned and he chuckled even as he felt his cheeks heat up.
"Damn …" She sighed. "You really are adorable … she's a lucky girl!" She added and his cheeks got even redder.
"Oh no I'm the lucky one!"
"Urgh!" She cried out while rolling her eyes fondly. "Stop being cute and go get her now!"
For a moment, Fitz almost considered asking her to come with him since she seemed a lot better at understanding what was happening between him and Jemma these days but he decided that it might make everyone uncomfortable and forgot about it.
"Oh yeah yeah of course! Thanks again for … everything!" He said, giving her shoulder a tentative squeeze before hurrying out of the coffee shop and feeling at the same time exhilarated, nervous, happy and a thousand more emotions. Home had never felt further than it did at this instant and in the same time so close, too close for him to have the time to prepare what he'd tell her. But he doubted he would ever be really ready for this anyway so he'd have to trust in instincts.
-0-0-0-
"Jemma?" He called out the moment he entered the apartment and regretted it instantly.
Whatever was going to happen between them, he wanted it to actually stay between them and not alert every other resident (well Amy obviously) by urgently and breathlessly calling out Jemma's name.
Fortunately, he could hear loud music and giggles coming from Amy's room and with the added noise coming from the living room TV, she most likely didn't hear him. The same couldn't be said for Jemma because the moment he entered her line of sight, her gaze was on him and it was at the same time unsure and worried and as intense as he ever saw it. For a moment, he felt like he couldn't even move, glued into place by all the emotions he could read on her face and thought he finally understood: there was a little sadness and anguish yes but it was almost drowned in the incredible amount of tenderness and longing and that was what finally gave him the boost he needed to take the last few steps separating them.
He let himself fall onto the couch next to her without even bothering to take his jacket off, took her hand in his and wondered how it could be so cold when he was the one who just came in from the cold.
"Jemma I need to …"
"… talk to you!" They said, finishing each other's sentence like they so often did.
For a second, Fitz got distracted by Doctor Who on TV. It was one of their favorite episodes and he wondered if she really had to run when she said she had but before he had the time to ask, Jemma took this opportunity to take the lead.
"I didn't come to the coffee shop to get muffins but you probably got that anyway …" She trailed off before going back on tracks. "I'm sorry it took me so long but when I saw you leaving with her earlier, that's when it finally hit me Fitz …" She was squeezing his hand hard now, almost to the point of being painful but she probably didn't realize it and he didn't mind anyway, he needed the contact as much as she did apparently. "I know it's probably too late because now you found someone else but I have to say it or it's going to-it's going to … I love you Fitz" She finally blurted out, her eyes wide like she was surprising herself as much as she was surprising him.
"Jemma I …" He started but she cut him off and he felt a slight pang of irritation because even as they were having what was probably the most important conversation since they first met each other, she had to talk over him. But of course it was also one of the many reasons why he loved her. If she could only let him tell her that.
"I mean I always loved you, you've been my best friend for years but now I-I'm in love with you Fitz … And if you think there's a …"
"I love you too Jemma!" He cut her off and felt his heart grow two sizes at the instant smile that formed on her lips. "As in I'm in love with you. Probably been that way for years but I think it took that mind blowing kiss, the one at our Christmas slash birthday party for me to truly realize it …" he added and now there was a little amusement on her face as well and he knew exactly why: did he really need to pinpoint which kiss he was talking about? Like she could think that instead of this one, it was one of the thousands cheek or forehead kisses they shared over the years.
"But what about …"
"Linda?" He finished for her and she nodded her head in slight confusion. "Wasn't a date … well she did ask me out but I told her I couldn't because I was in love with you! In retrospect, I wish I hadn't told an almost complete stranger about my feelings before I told you but hum … she was really nice, offered to talk about it, she's a psychotherapist so it actually helped … and she'd just convinced me to talk to you when you came into the coffee shop. I guess it makes sense that we both …"
"Fitz!" She cut him off by taking his other hand in hers. She knew he tended to ramble when he was nervous. "What are we going to do now?" She asked, sounding at the same time hopeful and terrified.
"I don't know … What do people usually do when they're in love with each other?" He teased and they grinned happily at each other, their eyes wet with unshed happy tears. "I mean I know it's beyond scary because we've been best friends for so long and I don't know what I would do if things turned … bad but …"
"Our feelings are not going to disappear just because we want it and I don't anyway … I don't want them to disappear."
"Me neither …" He breathed out. The fingers from their four hands were now interlaced in an inextricable mess and he supposed it was perfectly fitting because he always felt like there were a thousand threads keeping them attached together even when they were far away from each other. And as they grew up and their relationship evolved, it felt like more and more threads were created between them, to the point where it was becoming impossible to untangle them.
"This year's been horrible and I miss my parents every day but you're the person who made it all bearable and made me smile when I thought it wouldn't be possible anymore and you made life so much easier and in the same time more interesting than I thought it could be. And hum ... if there's one thing their death taught me is that you shouldn't wait to take a chance at happiness and tell people you love them because you never know what …" She trailed off, tears finally falling down her cheeks. He hoped a part of those were happy tears but that didn't stop him from pulling her into an enveloping hug either way.
She seemed to melt into him instantly, wounding her arms around his waist. He could feel her warm breath on his neck and for a moment that was enough.
"Fitz …" She sighed after a moment, sending shivers down his spine. "You've been so loving and caring and sweet and so endearingly infuriating all these years we've been friends, I can't believe I lost so much time dating idiots when I could have had … you …"
She pressed a trail of small kisses to his neck and jaw and it took all his willpower not to crash his lips to hers and pull her closer like he's been thinking about doing since long before he realized he was in love with her.
"I did tell you they were all idiots …" He teased and she chuckled. "And they really didn't deserve you because you are all those things too: loving, caring, sweet but also so ridiculously smart and so so much more … I always had a hard time believing you wanted to be my friend, I still can't wrap my mind around the fact that you would want me to be …"
"A lot more than that ..." She finished for him as she tightened her hold on him, sighing contentedly. It was funny how easy it was to say all those things after all.
So after all this time, the solution to avoid all their miscommunications was a big long hug, he told himself. He could live with that.
"So …" Jemma started as she finally pulled back from him with a slightly bashful but sincere and happy smile. "What happens now? Do we … I don't … What-what do we want to do?" She finally asked and Fitz fought the idea of teasing her for once in her life not having the answer to a question and not wanting to take the lead on one of their projects … if their potentially changing relationship could be called that.
"This … us ... it's important so maybe we shouldn't rush into it, take things slow, enjoy every step of it?" Fitz proposed and for a moment he wondered if he said the wrong thing because Jemma obviously didn't expect that and seemed maybe a little bit disappointed. But it lasted only a second and then her warm tender smile was tucking at her lips again.
"Oh … yeah that makes sense so …" She trailed off.
"How about we go out to dinner tomorrow? Somewhere nice and … romantic … just the two of us?" He proposed with a tentative and bashful smile. He still wasn't entirely convinced that this wasn't all a dream, that he was actually asking his best friend in the world out on a date. He'd spent so much time telling himself that this would never happen between them that somehow, he felt like he needed to savor each step of their relationship, discover every new variable once at a time. He hoped she would understand, that she wouldn't take that as hesitation from him because there was none of that. A lot of nervousness, excitement and a bit of fear that he would somehow muck things up, yes, but there wasn't a shred of doubt in his mind that he loved her more than anything and wanted to be with her in every way she wanted him back. And seeing her blinding smile and sparkling eyes as she sat impossibly close to him on the couch, it was hard not to be reminded of that night. It would only take tilting his head a little bit to the side and he could kiss her again and then ...
"Yes I … I'd really love that Fitz …" She finally replied.
"Great … yeah … great then I'll start to work on options to run by you for … that …" He replied, wincing at how awkward that sounded but from her fond little smile, she didn't seem to mind.
"So what about …"
"Now?" He finished for her and she nodded. "Let's just watch Doctor Who …" He let out as he finally took his jacket off before his lips curved into a mischievous smile. "After all you did run all the way from the coffee shop, don't want you to …" He started but she cut him off by playfully hitting him with one of the couch cushions, which turned into a pretty tame pillow fight, which ended with Fitz wounding his arms around her shoulders to stop her and Jemma deciding that it was actually pretty comfy being in his arms, their legs in a tangled mess. And Fitz really didn't have anything to say against that.
-0-0-0-
As a way of ending the day, she supposed watching Doctor Who all curled against her best friend-slash-hopefully-future boyfriend (she'd have to find a better word because she didn't feel like this one encompassed everything that he meant for her) was pretty good. Fitz was, as always, impossibly warm and since her head rested in the crook of his neck, she could smell this unique mix of soap, fresh linen and that something that was just him and very male and which she always associated with happiness and comfort. But she also couldn't help noticing how his heart was beating faster than usual, how his skin was slightly flushed and how his fingers were grazing the skin of her neck in a way that seemed decidedly more than friendly.
And it's only when there was a loud explosion sound coming from the TV that she realized they'd almost reached the end of the episode and she didn't listen or watch a single minute of it, too busy that she was thinking about how their date would be like, how she would dress, how he would dress, where they would go or if he would pull out her chair for her. That was the kind of things Fitz would do and that she usually found awkward but somehow with Fitz, she thought she wouldn't mind.
Looking up to see how focused Fitz was on the show, she caught him looking down at her with this tender expression she knew so well but also something else that looked a lot like …
"Oh …" She exclaimed without actually letting out a sound when she looked down and realized he had a pretty nice view of her cleavage since the two top buttons of her blouse popped open when they were fighting. When she looked back up, he quickly looked away but she could see the blush attacking his neck and she grinned discreetly. Maybe some parts of him were not so intent on taking things slow after all and she'd actually quite like for those parts to take over his incredibly sweet but sometimes incredibly frustrating romantic mind.
"Fitz?" She asked lightly.
"Mmhm?" He replied, trying to sound casual and she realized it wasn't the first time he did it while they were watching TV all curled up against each other. Did this mean that he found her distracting before?
Well as long as he did now, she was fine with it.
"Are you really watching any of this?"
"Of course I am, one of my favorite episodes …" He replied airily as he quickly looked down at her with what she thought was a small smirk and she grinned even wider.
"Oh yeah? Then what just happened?"
"That … thing exploded."
"Wow … always loved your attention to details!" She teased.
"Well thank you!" He replied, pretending not to notice the sarcasm an used this opportunity to pull her even closer and press a chaste kiss to her temple that still managed to make her skin tingle deliciously. She couldn't believe he was playing like that when he was the one intent on "going slow".
"And what was that thing that exploded?"
"Hum … space ship?"
"Not even close …"
"Oh did I say spaceship? I meant car …"
"Sure cause those words sound a lot alike … and who made it explode?"
"Daleks … probably …"
So he wasn't even trying anymore.
"Fitz!" She cried out in (mostly) fake outrage. "There's not a single dalek in this season!"
"Oh really … then I guess something must have me distracted …" He let out in a suddenly low, almost raspy voice and the butterflies in her stomach took flight.
"Oh … and what could that be?" She asked, cuddling even closer and splaying one hand on his chest to get his attention. He finally turned away from the TV to look at her and his eyes were dark and full of mirth.
"Amy Pond …" He replied and she swatted his chest but her body refused to move away from him, too entranced that she was by the way he was looking at her.
"Not in this season either!"
"Oh …" He let out, his face now so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath against her lips. "Then it has to be you …" and then his lips were on hers and any kind of smart retort she could think of flew from her mind.
This time there was no hesitation. They'd obviously both been craving for another kiss since the moment Jemma broke their first one and now, they had no reason to stop. Sliding her hand up his chest until it rested at the nape of his neck, she parted her lips and sucked in his full upper lips and was rewarded with a small gasp. It was soon followed by his tongue brushing against her lip and demanding entrance. She gave him gladly and as he deepened the kiss, both his arms wound around her waist, making her shiver where his warm palm touched the small strip of skin uncovered by her blouse.
And now, she had the confirmation that it wasn't alcohol or confusion or anything else that made their first kiss feel so good. Now that there was no more miscommunication between them, their usual synchrony was back and it was beautiful. This time, she even had the luxury to notice that, like everything he did, Fitz was thorough, precise and agile with an underlying current of passion. And when it came to kissing, it was a very very good mix.
"So what about … going slow?" She asked breathlessly when they had to stop for air and he decided to focus on the sensitive skin of her neck.
"Rubbish idea …" And now he was nipping at the skin of her shoulder and pushing her blouse out of the way as much as he could and his hands were very low on her waist and it was getting hard to remain in control. "Forget I ever said that …" He added, slipping one hand under her silky blouse, his deftly fingers sending tendrils of heat all over her body as he grazed the skin of her back.
"Good" She said before she took his face in her hands and brought his lips back to hers. "Cause this was the stupidest idea you ever had …" She teased and before he could pretend to be offended, she captured his lips once more and threaded her fingers through his curls, making him sigh in contentment. She always loved the feeling of his fluffy hair and she so rarely had the opportunity to touch them (she was allowed to only when he was really sick or very sad) that she might just never stop now. They kissed like that for another long moment. It was sweet and almost lazy, like they knew they had all the time in the world now. His hands were warm and exploratory but remained in safe territory, on her neck, her waist, her back, albeit very lower back sometimes, but she wanted more.
Just when she was about to take matters into her own hands, he proved to her once more that after weeks of confusion, they were finally in synch again. His hand finally slid down her back to rest on her bum and he used his grip on her to pull her across his lap, making her shriek in surprise and delight that his passionate temper was finally taking over. She quietly moaned into his mouth when his hands remained where they were as he kissed her with renewed hunger and urgency.
"Mmmhh" She breathed as she parted her lips from his to lay soft kisses on his prickly jaw. It was a funny sensation and it made him look a little older. She suspected he stopped shaving closely when she told him the scruff looked good on him. And it did, emphasizing the nice shape of his jaw and the red in it proudly honoring his Scottish ancestors while bringing out the mesmerizing blue of his eyes in the process. When she reached the juncture of his neck and shoulder, he let out a low chuckle and if the goosebumps on his skin were any indication, it was more out of arousal than anything else and she grinned.
"So …" She started between two kisses. "Mind blowing, hu?"
"Wha'?" He asked sluggishly. His head was tilted to the side to give her more room to kiss him, his kiss swollen lips were slightly parted and his eyes were dark. How could it take her so long to realize that the soft boy she met when they were sixteen had turned into such a handsome sexy young man?
"Our kiss …" She went back up and nipped on his earlobe. "… before Christmas, you said it was … mind blowing" She finished, getting somehow distracted by his wandering hands.
"Well obviously!" He exclaimed and moved back a bit to look into her eyes. "Don't you agree?" He asked smugly.
"Oh yeah I suppose it was … alright …" She let out airily and he huffed.
"Oh please, no one's ever tried to undress me as quickly as you did after only a few minutes of kissing …"
"Yeah?" She asked innocently as she tried to ignore the blush forming high on her cheeks. She did lose her head a bit that night but she didn't regret it anymore because it led to that moment and hopefully many more to come. "Well then I suppose you've been kissing the wrong girls … until now …" She finished with a glint in her eye she could see reflected in his own.
"Couldn't agree more Jemma!" He half whispered as he cradled her cheek and captured her lips once more. His fingers slipping into her hair and lightly scrapping her scalp felt so nice that she didn't even realize he was maneuvering them onto the couch and suddenly she was on her back with a pillow under her head and Fitz's body blanketing her. She gasped in surprise but then she felt his hips against hers and the evidence of his interest for their current activity and her hands flew to his shirt of their own volition and untucked it from his trousers to finally feel the warm skin of his back under her icy fingers. He startled at the touch and that would have made her laugh if it didn't make him grind against her.
"Fitz" She moaned against his lips, surprising herself by the breathy quality of her voice. He opened his eyes for a moment to look at her and if she was immensely pleased by the lust she saw there, she was also reassured by the infinite tenderness that had always been there. Somehow she knew that whatever direction this new side of their relationship would go, to the core he would still be her sweet, caring and slightly infuriating best friend who would do anything she asked of him.
As he lowered his lips to hers once more and she simply wound her arms around his torso, she sighed in contentment. Not only because of the arousing sensations caused by his hands and mouth and firm body against hers but also because of the feeling of pure uninhibited intimacy. During their years of friendship, they never cared much for personal space but they still had limits, often dictated by others who already kept saying that two best friends were never this close unless there was something more. Of course, they obviously had a point but she still wished she hadn't deprived herself of this incredible feeling of being so close to him. She knew it was a ridiculous romantic notion but it felt like their bodies were made to fit together, Fitz being just a bit taller, heavier and stronger than herself meant that he could engulf her in a cocoon of warmth and comfort without crushing her and still making them equals in every way.
As much as her body was craving for her to move things along, she might have been content to stay that way for hours: kissing lazily as their bodies were melted against each other. Of course that was without counting on her quite supportive but pretty annoying sister with the worst timing ever.
Thankfully, they had the time to hear the door open and thus her music getting louder, which gave them a few seconds to react. When Amy walked into the living room, Jemma and Fitz were back to sitting (more or less) in what they assumed was a casual attitude -Fitz with his legs crossed, Jemma with her head on his shoulder- and looking at the TV which fortunately was still playing Doctor Who.
Taking a few steps in until she was facing them from the other side of the room, Amy paused for a moment as she studied them intently then rolled her eyes and huffed.
"Everything alright?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh yeah … fine, just fine ..." Jemma replied exaggeratedly casually. "Fitz?"
"What? Oh yeah I'm uh … good, fine, perfect .. thanks. You?" He half stuttered and turned back to Amy.
"And I'm supposed to be the teenager …" She let out with another roll of her eyes.
"What are you …"
"What do you …" They started at the same time but Amy cut them off with a disbelieving chuckle.
"Really?" She asked, her tone somewhat amused and a little annoyed as she gave them a once over, suggesting them to do the same.
Looking down, Jemma realized one more button had popped open and her bra was showing, her blouse was wrinkled and looking at Fitz with his half open shirt, mussed up hair, kiss swollen lips and very visible love bite on his collar bone, she supposed they made quite the conspicuous picture. Turning back to Amy, they gave her a sheepish and slightly apologetic smile. Not for the actual snogging -considering the conversation they had and Jemma's decision to confess her love for Fitz, this had always been a possibility- but for trying to hide it from her for no valid reason at all. Jemma supposed that the idea of kissing her best friend was still so new and surrealist that it felt almost forbidden and her first instinct was to keep it a secret. Like it was possible anyway, the three of them living together and Amy being annoyingly observant.
"Told you so!" Was all Amy said after a moment of silence and Jemma couldn't help chuckling as she rolled her eyes.
"How long are you going to tease us about it?" Fitz asked with a resigned sigh as he relaxed into the couch and pulled Jemma closer. She could get used to that, being in Fitz's arms for no specific reason at all, just because they could.
"For now, that's it 'cause you're kind of cute together -and gross- but mostly cute" She answered with a soft smile and Jemma's heart skipped a beat. For a second there, as Amy tilted her head to the side and smiled in that very specific way, she was the spitting image of their mother. And from the way her mom always made very subtle hints when asking about Fitz and if any of them had someone in their life, she knew that was actually exactly how she would have reacted.
"But more teasing will come, you can be sure of that. And for now, I'm going to get a snack and something to drink and then back to my room -you got two of those by the way- where I'm going to keep talking on the phone with Sally and listening to music as loud as possible." Amy said with a meaningful glance towards both of them. That made Jemma roll her eyes but when she turned towards Fitz, she could see how he'd turned a deep shade of red at Amy's comment and remembered he never had a sibling or even a cousin to talk about kissing and sex and relationships growing up and she felt a bit of pity for him because if that was enough to provoke such a blush, he was in for a world of pain with someone like Amy.
On her part, she thought it was actually quite adorable and somewhat reassuring because even though she was discovering that her best friend could be a sexual being and obviously knew what to do when alone with a woman, he was still her adorably shy best friend who stumbled and stuttered at the mere mention of the word sex.
When she came back from the kitchen, her arms loaded with food (did she think she'd have to hide in her room for a week or what? They weren't animals for god's sake!), she stopped once more and gave them a wide mischievous grin.
"Please don't make babies until I'm gone to college, I don't wanna share my room …" She said and didn't wait for an answer as she turned the corner and walked into the hallway leading to her bedroom.
Just as Jemma was relaxing and turning towards Fitz to snuggle against him some more and press a kiss to his cheek, Amy came back once more.
"But do make babies at some point, they're gonna be as tiny and nerdy as you two are, it's gonna be adorable!"
"Urgh!" Jemma cried out and Amy just barely managed to avoid the cushion Fitz sent to her face.
"Just go to bed, you brat!" He cried out she burst out laughing before finally walking away and only did he let go of the other cushion he'd grabbed when he heard her bedroom door open and close a second later.
-0-0-0-
"So hum … that's what it feels like to be a teenager …" Fitz let out with a small grin and Jemma chuckled before hooking her hands behind his neck and slipping back onto his lap. He'd told her how he never dated or even kissed anyone before he went to the academy where being a genius was actually a turn on to a lot of girls there who didn't seem to mind that he was a few years younger than everyone else. So he never had to wait for his parents to be out to sneak a girl into his room or find excuses to go out and see her. And well, right now he couldn't be happier to have the luxury of having his own apartment but he could imagine the thrill of having to be secretive.
"Yeah …" Jemma let out with a seductive grin. It would take time getting used to being on the receiving end of Jemma's flirtation but that was a hardship he was willing to go through. "… and there are no adults in the house tonight … What do you think we should do about it?" She asked against his lips before pressing a soft kiss there that still managed to send a tendril of heat through his whole body. It was like she was reading his mind.
"My room?" Was all he could answer and she grinned before standing up and pretending to smooth her blouse and hair to make herself presentable. It only made him want to make her look totally non presentable even more.
"Race you there?" She asked mischievously and didn't wait for his answer before running to his door.
He caught her midway and by the time they made it to the door and blindly pushed it open, they were so tangled in each other that they settled for a tie. They'd always been better when working together anyway.
Almost done! Hope you enjoyed this one. Only one shorter chapter to go that will probably be published after Christmas since I'm taking a short break from my two current long stories to finish one or two short Christmas stories ?
Also, I'm using this opportunity to tell you I'm looking for a beta reader for my next stories (and the last chapters of my two current long stories). It would mostly be to correct my english which is not as perfect as I would like it to be but I would of course be glad to take any advice on the stories themselves, consistency between chapters, etc …
If you're interested, you can send me a PM here on FF and I'm also planning on setting up a Tumblr with my stories and fan art related to AoS and FitzSimmons. (I'll add the link on my profile when it's done)