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Fitz and Simmons entered the building and walked up to the registration table.
"Names please?" asked the woman at registration.
"Uh yes, Mr. and Mrs...Williams," Fitz said, blushing slightly.
"Oh of course, please follow me," and she lead them into a giant hall filled with tables. They passed dozens of well known scientists, many of whom they've studied over the various years. They were perhaps, the two youngest people in the room.
Upon arriving at their table, Fitz rushed to pull out Simmons chair, allowing her to sit, and push her in. She blushed at the fact that Fitz was acting like such a gentleman around her. Sure, in their years working together, Fitz had never treated her disrespectfully, or said anything sexist around her—except the 'boobs' incident in regards to Skye, but he had also never treated her quite so much like a lady before.
It's just for the cover, she thought. And it's the dress, remembering what Skye said, making her smile. We have to look married.
"Thanks...sweetie," Simmons said once Fitz was seated, and touched his hand lightly, heart jumping in the process.
Fitz looked at her hand, then into her eyes, "You're welcome...darling," blushing while doing so.
"Ahh young love!" an elderly woman remarked from across the table, eyeing their wedding rings. "How long have you been married?"
Simmons paused. We didn't talk about this! Quick, think! "Just over a year and a half," she replied calmly, shooting Fitz a warm smile.
"Yeah, but we've been together for years. I always knew I was going to marry this one," he said, chuckling, while patting Simmons hand lightly, and then resting it over hers.
Fitz wished he could say he was going to marry her. He wished that she reciprocated his feelings, but how could she? Simmons was perfect, beautiful, intelligent beyond belief, and the kindest woman he'd ever met. How could she possible love me? He thought sadly.
Simmons blushed at his comment. He's sure making it believable! Too bad it's not true, she thought. I better say something too!
"I've loved this man since the day I met him," she said to the woman, then turning towards Fitz and looking deeply into his eyes. "I guess you could say it was meant to be," she said without breaking eye contact, not realizing how true her own words were.
"Well I'd say so!" the elderly woman replied. "I can see you're very much in love. I'm very happy for you two, there's nothing like true love."
The woman didn't know the extent of what she said. Yes, they both loved each other, but were absolutely terrified as to what that meant.
Skye and Ward were listening to their conversation from inside a tiny, cramped van, parked outside.
"Oh my gosh, you can seriously feel the tension from here!" Skye exclaimed, moving her microphone aside so FitzSimmons wouldn't hear. "Honestly, how have these two never been together before?"
"I don't think they're aware of each other as potential partners," Ward said after thinking momentarily. "My guess is they've been friends for so long, that they don't know anything else."
"Oh wow...is there some emotion trapped inside that metal exterior of yours?" Skye asked, elbowing Ward lightly, him not looking pleased.
"I'm not a robot." Ward said quickly, "I just...don't do well with people when I'm not on a mission." He said quietly, not looking at Skye.
Skye looked at him, as if in a different way. He had never been quite so honest before. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Come on Ward, you're not a robot, remember?" she said, with a giggle.
"Later. We're on a mission right now."
She knew his word was final, and she would not be able to budge him. Later, she thought. Later I'm going to get it out of you. That's a promise.
"So are you both in the science field?" the elderly woman asked.
"Ah yes, I'm engineering, she's bio-chem" Fitz said, pointing at Simmons.
Fitz and Simmons continued chatting with the elderly woman, as other guests joined their table. They all settled into a nice conversation with the group, and Fitz and Simmons found it very easy to talk to them—as they were all in the sciences themselves.
Dinner was served and Fitz literally could not stop eating. The appetizers came and went, and Fitz took seconds, making the servers bring more specifically to feed his appetite. The main course came – pasta – and Fitz had three bowls. After the pasta, came the meat and potatoes. Next, there was a Greek dish that Simmons couldn't pronounce. The Greek sure know how to feed you, Simmons thought, as she touched her very full stomach. She chuckled as she watched her "husband" gorge himself on food. Watching him, you would think he hadn't eaten in days, when in reality, he ate only two hours earlier.
"My my, he sure likes to eat, doesn't he?" the elderly woman, Sharon, said while watching Fitz with intrigue.
Simmons laughed, "Oh yes he does. He's lucky he has a fast metabolism! Otherwise he'd be bigger than this whole table!" she said while reaching over and patting his stomach lightly, making Fitz flinch slightly under her touch.
Fitz looked at her with a smirk, "Hey, eating is a basic human necessity. All I'm doing is fueling my body to support my genius thinking."
"Leo, you'd eat 10 pounds of popcorn in one sitting if you could. I hardly doubt that's fueling your 'genius' thinking." She said, with a glint in her eye. They were bickering like usual. But now she saw it for what it really was, an old married couple bicker. Well maybe not old, but married for sure.
"Well I have to fuel my body somehow, for all those late nights we spend alone in the lab together." Leo said plainly. Simmons just shook her head with a small laugh and sipped on her wine.
"Late nights you spend in the lab together, eh? What kinds of things do you do while alone?" Sharon said, with teasing look.
Both Simmons and Fitz were momentarily confused, and then it both dawned on them at the same moment. Both their eyes went wide, and Simmons started choked on her wine.
"We-" coughing continued, "No-" Simmons tried to clear her throat. "Working—" as Fitz lightly patted her back.
He knew what the woman meant, and so did Simmons, and this was about to get really awkward.
"Oh would you look at that, they're so embarrassed! So young!" Sharon exclaimed, looking at the two, young, blushing scientists in front of her. "I remember when my husband and I had just gotten married! We spent some very passionate nights together." Upon that statement, Simmons started choking even harder. She wasn't sure if it was from sheer embarrassment, or from the wine.
Fitz could actually feel his face redden. He could hear Skye and Ward's hysterical laugher from his earpiece, making him even more embarrassed. He would get them later.
They were saved by the server bringing dessert, and they buried themselves in their cake, not looking at each other. After a few minutes of awkward silence from the entire table, Simmons spoke up. "So Sharon, what field are you in?" she asked politely, looking at the woman.
"Oh my husband and I are both Physicists. He's actually the one holding the function tonight, I'm Sharon Gloemas."
Both Fitz and Simmons sat upright when they heard this, waiting for any important information she might divulge.
"Listen carefully," they heard Ward say, "watch her actions. She may give us something important."
They continued talking with Sharon, watching her every move, but Sharon was acting completely normal, giving them nothing to be concerned about, or anything worth value.
"Excuse yourselves from the table, we need to talk. Go to the bar." Ward said.
Fitz and Simmons politely excused themselves, stating they needed a stronger drink, which in all honesty was the truth, and walked towards the bar. As they approached, they were surprised to see Ward working as a bartender.
"Ward?" Fitz said, quite shocked.
"Yeah, yeah, I slipped in, Skye's distracting the real bartender—I don't want to know how. Guys, listen. May has been watching surveillance, and it seems like down one of the restricted hallways, there's a room that holds some of Gloemas' research. I need you to get in there. Fitz, you can hack in I'm sure. I can't do it. But you need to be quick, and you can't be noticed. Ok?"
He quickly explained which door they had to break into, and then he was gone, the normal bartender returning only a few seconds later, looking dazed and confused.
"Can I get you guys anything?" he asked.
"Yeah... a shot of whiskey. And one for my wife too." Fitz said, looking at Simmons with concern, then added in a whisper, "We have to break into a restricted area and plant a bug and hope we don't get caught. This is going to be interesting."
"Define interesting." Simmons said, already knowing the answer.
"Oh God, oh God, we're going to get caught?" Fitz said.
They looked at each other in worry, touched their shot glasses to each others, and drank it down.
Listening to May over their earpiece, she figured out the best time for them to enter the hallway, where security guards were just in-between shifts, giving them around one minute to break into the office, bug the place, and get out.
They quietly slipped out of sight, without anyone seeing them, and both quickly rushed down the hall.
"There it is!" Fitz exclaimed, pointing at a tiny panel on the wall, and they made their way towards it.
"Quick Fitz, we don't have much time before someone comes down here." Simmons said.
"Going as fast as I can," he said, his fingers moving expertly across the key pad, trying to unlock the door.
"Guys, we have company," came Ward's voice from inside their ear. "There's a security guard just down the hall from you. We can't come in, it'll blow your cover. You have about 45 seconds, hurry!"
Simmons looked at Fitz the way she always did when they were under a time constraint, slightly panicked, but fully supportive. Fitz continued working, glad she was next to him. But he just couldn't get in. He needed more time.
"30 seconds guys."
"Fitz..." Simmons said, sounding slightly concerned. She was worried about what would happen if they were caught. Are we going to get thrown in a Greek prison? What are Greek prisons even like? They're going to split us up. Oh no... Simmons got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"20 seconds. Fitz, if you can't get it open, then think of something."
Fitz knew it wasn't enough time. What would he say to the guard? They'd get kicked out and most likely thrown in jail. Please don't let anything happen to Simmons, he thought.
"15 seconds guys."
And it all became clear. Fitz knew what he had to do, and he was delighted. Fitz quickly re-attached the keypad and turned towards Simmons.
"10 seconds"
He slowly brought his hand towards her neck and pulled her towards him, guiding her face towards his.
"What are you-?" Simmons started. He saw her look of confusion, then comprehension. He watched her eyes flutter closed right before it happened. This kiss was very different than the one they had shared in the cargo bay, that one was frantic and fast, this one was sweet, and innocent. Fitz touched his lips ever so gently to hers, his hand behind her neck, weaving into her hair.
Simmons at first didn't know what Fitz was doing, why he was putting his hand behind her neck, his touch making her brain spin. Then all at once, she realized his purpose. They had to have a reason for being in that hallway, and a married couple sneaking away for a few minutes of alone time was a better reason than trying to break into a restricted office. And she loved every second of it.
I just wish it were real, she thought.
"5 seconds...oh" came Ward's surprised voice, seeing them kiss.
"You owe me 20," they heard Skye say, but made no mention of it.
Fitz knew this had to look believable. And to him, it was. In his arms, was the girl he'd always wanted. Too bad it was for a mission.
Fitz slowly turned her so her back was towards the wall, and lightly pressed Simmons against it, his hand still remaining in her hair, the other lightly resting on her waist, while Simmons, unsure what to do with her hands, simply placed her palms against his chest. The kiss was chaste, and romantic, and so very pure.
For a moment, they both forgot they were on a mission; it was only Fitz and Simmons, the boy and girl with spectacular brains, until they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.
They broke apart and slowly opened their eyes, looking at each other through new eyes, not sure what to say, or do. That kiss was different, and they both knew it. They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat for a second time. They both turned their heads towards the sound, to find an awkward looking security guard. Simmons becoming overwhelmed with embarrassment, hid her face in Fitz's shoulder, him immediately covering her protectively, in a way he never had before.
"Umm...you guys can't be here." Said the guard, shifting uncomfortably. He would've rather let them continue on and be on his way, but he'd be fired for it.
"Stall. Tell him you need a minute," came Ward's voice through the earpiece.
"Could we just..." Fitz started, looking down at Simmons, "Get one minute to, you know, fix ourselves up?"
The guard looked between Fitz, and the clearly embarrassed Simmons, and said, "Fine. One minute, I'll be waiting at the end of the hall," he said and turned the corner.
"You're in the clear. Go now." Ward said.
Simmons looked up at Fitz, gave him a smile, but not wanting to leave his arms, "Let's get this done," she said, and they separated, both instantly missing the warmth of each other's embrace.
Fitz picked up the panel, needing only a few seconds more, and got the door open quickly.
They immediately stepped inside, and looked around. The room didn't have a little bit of research; there were boxes upon boxes of papers. Clearly Gloemas had been working out of this location for some time—but why in Greece?
They didn't have time to look around, even though they would have loved to pour through his life's work. They didn't know what Gloemas was up to—not even Coulson would tell them, or perhaps he didn't know either. Fitz quickly ran to the desk, and placed the bug in an inconspicuous place, hoping he would never discover it, and put a tiny camera on the shelf above the desk.
Fitz and Simmons made their way out the door, and down the hall as swiftly as possible. When they turned the corner, they saw the security guard, who look agitated.
"Took you guys long enough. Geez."
"Um..yeah, sorry. I just can't get enough of this one!" Fitz said, putting his arm around Simmons, laughing a bit, both him and Simmons slightly reddening in the process.
The security guard sighed and mumbled under his breath, something about 'happy couples', and 'disgusting.'
They made their way back to their table as if they hadn't just broken into a top secret office and bugged it.
Now they only had to get through the rest of the night.
And dance too.
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