This took me forever to write but I hope that it's up to everyone's expectations. Especially my giftee, recoveringrabbit!
The story got longer (in my head mostly and a bit on my files), so it will be of five chapters.
Hope you guys like it! :)

Thanks to my Beta StarryDreamer01 who helped me edit this and that helps through my writer's block. :)


Chapter 2

"So, how are things going with your amber-eyed girl?"

Fitz almost choked on his toast as Hunter sat down next to him in their kitchen with a grin that was way too knowing.

"What?" He asked, taking a sip of tea and trying to be nonchalant. He realised that he was not convincing since Hunter smirked.

"You're not looking for her all around the place like lost puppy or a stalker," Hunter remarked, stealing some toast from the Fitz's plate before he could protest. "And Bob told me that you finally talked to the girl last week."

Fitz blushed. God, why did he have two bodyguards who were also terrible gossips?

"Yeah, we talked," he admitted. "We're lab partners."

"Oh is that how you call it now?"

"Hunter, for godsake..."

"Just kidding, mate." The man grinned. "So... how are things going?"

"We're friends and lab partners," Fitz replied, trying to finish his breakfast.

"And...?"

"And that's it. I'm happy like that."

"That's a bloody lie. I saw the way you looked at her even without knowing her."

"Well, now I know her and she's the most brilliant person I know. I like being her friend."

"Just a friend?"

"Yeah." Fitz knew that he wasn't convincing but he was trying to keep the thought of being more than friends with Jemma at bay.

Hunter stared at him with an odd look. He wasn't subtle at all but he did have a knack for knowing exactly what another person was thinking.

"You know that being afraid is normal, yeah?" He asked out of the blue.

"I'm not afraid!" Fitz blurted immediately. "I-"

"Just because you're the future king of Ossetia doesn't mean that you have to forget that you're a bloke who can like a girl and-"

"It's not that easy. I have rules to follow." He'd had those rules drilled in his mind since his childhood. Honour, loyalty and, most of all, respect to his country and to the crown that he'd bear in the future were the basis of those rules.

"None of the Ossetian laws forbid you to date."

"No but it would be frowned upon if I'm seen -or if it's known- that I'm in a relationship with a woman before being married." Ossetia might be liberal in many ways but there was some close-minded conservatism when it came to the image of the royal family. His own father had faced some reprimands from the ministers when he chose to marry a Scottish duchess rather than opting for an Ossetian lady.

The fact that he'd fallen in love with Fitz' mother didn't seem like a valid reason for some...

"True, there's a whole load of laws that establish how you should get married but nothing against who you want to be with." Fitz looked up in surprise and Hunter shrugged. "Mack forced me to learn all of Ossetia's history and laws since I'm a goddamn history student here. I sort of memorized them."

Fitz let out a short laugh and Hunter grinned again before patting his back and getting up.

"Listen, mate," he said. "Give it a shot, yeah? You like her: don't force yourself into thinking that you don't. You deserve better and a date isn't a marriage proposal."

Fitz nodded absently and watched his friend walk to his room. He quickly finished his breakfast and got up.

He wondered what Hunter and Bobbi would say if they knew that he was trying to sort out his feelings on his own.

He was going to Jemma, without anyone knowing about it, just to spend time with her.

-:-

In a matter of weeks, Jemma realised how much she had missed until now. How had she worked on experiments and projects without a second opinion that questioned her hypothesis? Or added new ones so that her final work was more thorough and complete?

Talking with Fitz was a constant exchange of information and of firing questions and debating over everything. Their shared class became her favourite because they both challenged each other to do better. Working together on projects was almost natural and the results were outstanding.

Apparently, Dr. Hall had noticed their compatibility too and had started pairing them together whenever it was required. He had also suggested they work on personal projects to gain extra credits and both she and Fitz had decided to use some of their older works. They'd started to meet at the library before going to class and they spent a few hours talking about their works and new projects and designs.

She had told him about the dendrotoxin she had created a few days ago and of her attempts to use it in weapons or specific delivery mechanisms. He'd surprised her with a design of a non-lethal gun he'd been working on.

"This design is brilliant, Fitz," she exclaimed, grinning at him and he beamed at her.

"The moulds are hollow," he explained. "And if we manage to find the right-"

"-balance between the amount of dendrotoxin and the bullet weight-" She added.

"-we'll get the perfect stability for it to work." He finished with a grin and she could keep her enthusiasm at bay.

They were currently working on that along with other projects.

Jemma smiled as she thought of the way their work complemented each other. Her mind flew to the delivery mechanism that Fitz had literally invented from scratch for her crystalline nucleation process; the possible applications were buzzing in her head as she unpacked dinner for her and Daisy. She had just come back from picking up some Chinese food from the corner restaurant after her roommate had somehow managed to burn a lasagna that Jemma had made and frozen days earlier.

Jemma still didn't know how she had managed to burn the entire thing while attempting to heat it up...

Her friend gingerly walked into the kitchen, looking sheepish and helped her carry the cartons to the small table in front of their television; Daisy had already connected her laptop to it and Jemma saw that one of her favourite Dr. Who episodes on pause, ready to be played.

"Hmm... someone's trying to butter me up," she commented, picking up her carton of fried rice and taking a bite. Daisy groaned and nodded.

"I'll never stop apologizing," she said, taking a bite of chicken with a mournful look. "I so wanted to eat your lasagna." Jemma snorted: she had almost been to the point of comforting her roommate before she finished her sentence.

"Yeah, I see how your apology is so heartfelt."

"Well, I've always been a fan of your cooking. You can't blame me," Daisy nudged her shoulder. Jemma smiled, failing to keep a more detached expression as Daisy shot her a pitiful pout.

"You know that I'll make another one, right?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just wanted to be sure about that," Daisy remarked with a grin

From the first night when she had settled in their dorm, Daisy had found out that Jemma could cook edible meals that weren't ready-made or out of a box. Daisy had quickly declared that the Jemma would be the new (and only) cook after tasting a simple dish of rice and vegetables and, ever since, cooking was Jemma's job while Daisy did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen.

The two friends ate in silence, watching television.

"How are things with your prince?"

Jemma looked away from the screen, rolling her eyes as she turned to her friend.

"He's not my prince," she said for the hundredth time.

"Yeah, sure..." Daisy shrugged, ignoring her words. "So?"

"So what?"

"Have you kissed him?"

"Wha-?!" Jemma choked out, blushing beet red. "What are you-?"

"Have you asked him out then?"

"What? No!"

Daisy put her carton on the table and turned to her completely.

"Seriously?" She asked, arching a brow. "You've been crushing on him from like the moment you saw him and-"

"I'm not crushing on Fitz!" Jemma retorted, failing not to blush again. She wasn't crushing on him: not at all. She was merely curious about him.

Just curious.

Well, if she had to be completely honest... She had been curious at the beginning but then they got to know each other better.

They studied or worked together or talked about science but sometimes, during those mornings in the library, their notes lay forgotten on the table and they talked about everything and anything, taking advantage of the quiet and empty place.

Jemma asked him about Ossetia, confessing her lack of knowledge about the small kingdom and was intrigued by its history and importance. The Fitzgeralds' had been the reigning family for two centuries and it had been thanks to one of Fitz' ancestors -a budding scientist with a solid background in geology- that the hidden riches had been truly discovered in the Ossetian grounds. But the discovery of vibranium when Fitz' grandfather was king was what gave the country the world's attention.

Jemma hadn't missed his passion as he talked about his country and his real interest in keeping it whole and safe, without altering its landscape.

She often slipped in questions about him and had learned about his parents. Jemma learned of his uncle who was strict but righteous and and then she heard a variety of names of people that lived at Palace and that had been part of Fitz' life.

In the meantime, Fitz managed to make her talk about herself and of her family. It was surprising, really, how he managed to let her ramble about her mum and dad, her sister Lizzie and the middle class life that they had back in their countryside cottage in Sheffield. She had mentioned childhood memories that nobody -not even Daisy- had known about. And then she had talked about being a young genius, of being shunned by her peers and of how things could be a little bit difficult to handle sometimes. Her personal experiences seemed to mirror Fitz' and she had revelled in this new common ground they shared.

They were all things that she'd never voiced out loudly to anyone. And yet, she felt at ease with Fitz. He had slowly become her best friend.

Now that she knew him better, she was even more aware of how interesting he was. It wasn't just the brilliant mind that made the young prince so appealing: it was the caring attitude that made him bring her her favourite tea every morning in the library; it was the shy smile that he'd give her when she complimented one of his projects or ideas; it was the enthusiasm that he exuded when they talked about science and their work, the eager look on his face and his bright blue eyes.

What worried her, however, was the way her heart fluttered when he smiled or looked at her, forcing her to fight a blush as she smiled back.

Jemma knew that she was feeling something that was a little bit more than platonic towards Fitz.

But they were friends and he was the only person she knew that was so similar to her and that seemed to understand her completely.

She didn't want to risk his friendship over a ridiculous... attraction.

"You were saying?" Daisy's knowing voice broke Jemma's musings and she turned to look at her. Her friend smirked and the biochemist had to look away, fighting a blush.

Alright... maybe she did have a tiny crush.

"I was just thinking," Jemma claimed, trying to keep her composure. She was not going to surrender to Daisy's teasing.

"Yeah, sure..." Daisy drawled, picking up her glass. "Thinking about more stuff to know about your prince or on how to kiss him senseless?"

"Daisy!" She really didn't need the mental image of kissing Fitz. It would make being next to him all the more complicated...

"What? You should do something about it!" Daisy looked at her. "You should ask him out."

"I can't just go and-"

"It's the twenty-first century: you can go and ask a guy without waiting for him to ask you," Daisy looked pensive for a moment. "Though... he's a prince and he might have some rule against it. Dunno... some old fashioned etiquette of sorts..."

Jemma sighed softly, trying to ignore her friend's rambling as she picked her laptop. She had thought about the differences between her and Fitz' upbringing; there were many things that showed how the engineer had been educated.

His chivalrous actions were quite endearing and Jemma never thought that she'd appreciate having doors held open for her, chairs pulled out or breakfast offered until she'd met Fitz. She was used to being independent but his actions were so natural -nothing was forced - and it was done with a gentle smile.

But despite his attitude and the friendship they had developed in the past weeks, she had noticed that Fitz was quite reserved about his private life.

He rarely spoke about his life at MIT and Jemma didn't know if he had friends at all. He was popular and often surrounded by people but she noticed how his demeanour was stiff and guarded.

She had seen with another student that she'd identified as Lance Hunter, one of Trip's classmates. She had often seen him talk with Mr. Mackenzie, one of the researchers in the mechanical engineering department.

Jemma had spent a bit of her free time looking up information about Fitz and had learned that Mr. Mackenzie and that Lance Hunter had transferred to MIT when Fitz had. Even without Daisy's initial introduction, she had guessed that Fitz couldn't have come to America on his own. No one seemed to know a lot about his living arrangements: he lived in an apartment a little outside of campus and shared it with two other people, one of whom was Hunter.

Her, Daisy and Trip had speculated a bit once at dinner that the two men were Fitz' bodyguards and that they were constantly keeping an eye on him. Jemma wondered if being the heir to the throne of a nation that was becoming quite important in the world meant dangers to Fitz' well-being.

That little seed of concern mingled with her other -and definitely more personal- concerns about Fitz' relationship with Bobbi Morse. That model of a woman lived with Fitz (and Hunter) and Jemma couldn't ignore the little voice in her head that said that she could be more than a roommate.

Daisy speculated that Bobbi was Hunter's girlfriend but Jemma had never seen them together and it just fueled her suspicion along with... other things.

The thought of Fitz having a girlfriend created a plethora of other feelings in her, making something clench painfully in her stomach. The fact that he kept it a secret was quite expected: she'd heard of the ruckus caused by the journalist who exposed his cover a year ago. She realised that all Fitz wanted was to be left out of the spotlight and given the chance to live his life.

"Anyway..." Daisy's voice managed to bring her out of her thoughts again. Jemma looked at her as she showed her laptop's screen. "Being the awesome friend that I am, I'm checking some stuff and, apparently, the prince of Ossetia doesn't have any arranged marriage." She frowned at something on her laptop. "Though the gossip papers often mention this Raina, countess of... whatever in Ossetia, saying that she would be the perfect match for him."

Jemma blinked and peeked at the screen, seeing a picture over curly haired girl with big dark eyes and a rather aristocratic look.

"She's quite beautiful," Jemma commented, feeling the familiar clench in her stomach.

Daisy turned to look at her and then back at the screen.

"Nah, you're prettier," she said. "She looks a bit... prickly." She skimmed through some photos. "And she likes flower dresses way too much." Jemma choked a laugh at her tone. "Anyway, your prince is free and dateable."

Jemma's eyebrows arched and Daisy shrugged.

"What? He's a prince and who knows what sort of accords or promises his parents' might have made. I didn't read all the laws and rules -too much boring stuff- but there isn't anything that might stop him from going out on a date with a pretty English girl." Daisy glanced at her. "Apart from the girl and her sudden insecurities."

"I'm not-" She was not insecure. She was just... cautious.

"No, you're not. You're just a -a young nubile prodigy with above average fashion sense." Daisy's English accent was horrific and Jemma shuddered.

"Don't ever do that again."

"Will you ask Fitz out then?"

Jemma hit Daisy with one the couch's cushions in reply, while Daisy protested in her affected English accent.

Later that night, as she went to bed, Jemma thought that she could try to talk to Fitz and just ask if he wanted to do something else rather study or work. As friends, obviously.

The little stutter of her heart at the simple thought made her realise that she wouldn't mind (at all) if he'd accepted to do anything or go anywhere with her as more than friends.

-:-

Fitz yawned and cursed under his breath for the tenth time since he woke up as he finished buttoning his shirt.

He hated waking up early in the morning; had always hated it and probably always will. Mumbling under his breath, he grabbed his keys and phone from the bedside table before reaching for his messenger bag. A soft ping made him turn the phone's screen on and a smile made its way on his face as he read the message.

[07:50 – From Jemma Simmons]: Be there at past ten. :)

And suddenly all the hatred towards early risings disappeared from his head.

Fitz quickly typed a reply and did the maths in his head. He had enough time to go at the campus' café and get their teas; Jemma usually brought something to eat since he confessed that he was famished when he got up early. He smiled to himself at the thought that they might eat on the small terrace on the last floor of the library that over looked campus. At eight in the morning, there was rarely anyone there and they had long found a secluded space for themselves upstairs; the terrace had a small table where they'd sit to have breakfast or a snack since Jemma took the rules of not eating in the library to heart.

Fitz wondered what she'd say if he told her of the time he'd snuck bags of crisps in the Palace's library when he was younger and had left crumbs all over the table and chairs as he was engrossed in his reading. Mrs. Weaver, the librarian and his old home-school teacher, had lightly scolded him before asking what had captured his attention for so long. He clearly remembered talking about Jules Verne's books for hours with her.

He'd never lived a secluded or private life; he'd learned from the very start that being a royal meant having everyone's eyes on him. But he'd been used to discretion in Ossetia where his people knew him but let him be when it was possible. When his uncle had told him to go to America under the guise of another name, he'd thought that it was unnecessary and only Mack's insistence had made him accept. At eighteen years old, he was anonymous in America and Fitz had revelled in the feeling and behaved as a normal teenager.

Well, a normal teenager who was a genius, engineer prodigy with a degree and that was always surrounded by his tutor and two bodyguards under the guise of a private teacher and roommates.

But he'd enjoyed this new life as Leo Fitz and his time at Caltech and then Harvard had been nice until...

Fitz frowned and grabbed his bag, absently checking if his notes were inside. He didn't want past events to dampen his mood: he had been a fool to trust a person that he'd thought was a friend and he still lived with the consequences of that action. He had learned to be more guarded and his friends and tutors were more careful of the people around him.

But...then he'd met Jemma

A smile made his way on its face again as he thought of the girl that had quickly become his best friend and perfect work partner.

He and Jemma were working on the Night-Night gun (though she didn't agree with the name). If they got the schematics right and managed to build a working prototype, it would be wonderful and he could barely imagine all the ways they could use it. He also couldn't fathom how many devices or projects he and Jemma could come up with if they truly worked together in a lab. The possibilities were innumerable.

If he had been quite interested in Jemma before knowing her properly, he was completely smitten now that he'd befriended her. She was every bit as brilliant as he had imagined, certainly smarter than he was -he was sure about it- and even more charming and friendly.

And she got more gorgeous every day and he had to constantly ignore the way his heart would leap from his chest and get stuck somewhere in his throat whenever she smiled at him. It happened many times during the hours they spent together and Fitz felt as though he was going through a very severe self-control training.

They were oddly compatible in many ways but Fitz could also see how she was way more adventurous than he was. She had left her home to learn more, just like he did, but her goal was to travel and see the world; she wanted to help people with everything she had.

He had more limited plans: he wanted to learn as much as possible to help his country, make it live well and rule it as his father would have wanted.

They had met here at MIT and they'd both be here for another six months before finishing their PhDs and then... going different ways.

It was this thought that made him falter in trying to get closer to Jemma. He liked her. A lot.

But their entire situation was complicated. If she agreed to go out with him and even to date him, what would happen in six months? He was the crown prince of Ossetia and there were laws that ruled his life; especially his romantic relationships.

He couldn't just go and be with a girl like anyone else. It was all very, very complicated.

But not as hard as even thinking of approaching Jemma and ask her out, knowing that it was something that he shouldn't do. It wasn't just his nerves and insecurities and the fear of losing a friendship that was so new, so perfect and yet so important.

Fitz left his room, straightening his bag and glanced around to see if anyone else was around as he locked his room. He knew that Bobbi was out at the crack of dawn to have her usual morning run and then spent a few hours at the gym before going to class; Hunter slept in until nine before trudging over to class himself. This was their schedule on every odd day and Fitz had taken advantage of it for his own needs. Both his bodyguards thought that he slept in -knowing that he hated waking up early- and then went off to class at noon. He had immediately noticed that their classes were close to where he would be and that they'd do other activities when he was at their apartment. Fitz had soon realised that ever since he'd got to MIT, he was never alone: he was always guarded and had eyes on him.

He knew that it wasn't their doing and that his uncle and Mack were behind this constant control but he'd started to miss his little sliver independence. Especially now that he knew Jemma.

Fitz sighed, tugging his shirt down as he silently headed down the corridor. He knew that Hunter and Bobbi would be more than happy to help him if he asked them. They'd both tell him to take the leap and ask her out.

They had been poking for more information, wanting to know if he'd gotten to know her better and he'd been vague and said that they mostly talked science together and only described the working partnership between them. He didn't mention that he'd suggested to meet her in the library for a few hours before going to class; he didn't mention that he cherished those moments more than anything because he truly spent some time alone with Jemma, being himself and enjoying her company.

He didn't like keep things from the two people that he considered his oldest friends but he didn't want them to get in trouble for him. Mack might be their friend but he worked for his uncle and he was very strict on this.

"Good morning, Turbo."

Speak of the devil...

Fitz managed not jump or shriek out and turned towards the living room where he found Mack, leafing through a thick binder on the table. He recognised it as one that Bobbi used usually.

"H-Hey, Mack!" Fitz stumbled through his greeting and attempted a cheerful smile. "Didn't expect to find you here." He felt ridiculous to feel so nervous around his old tutor but what the hell was he doing here at this hour?! "What you're doing here? Not that you can't be here but- It's a surprise."

"Just wanted to grab these old reports that Bobbi had stashed here," Mack replied, looking up from the paper he was reading. Fitz approached him and recognised an old aircraft design that Fitz Electronics had aided in building years ago. He clearly remembered having helped in the software and equipment required to pilot the plane and wondered why his tutor was looking at it now.

"What's got you out of bed so early?" The older man asked good-heartedly, closing the binder in a casual way that wasn't unnoticed to the prince. "I clearly remember that getting you up before eight o'clock to go to class was quite impossible."

"I was a kid back then..." Fitz scoffed and Mack snorted.

"Aren't we speaking of a couple of years ago?"

Fitz didn't retaliate and scowled, making his tutor chuckle. Fitz sometimes forgot that Mack had been around him for a long time: he had been Fitz' tutor and bodyguard for years and the two had been very close when Fitz was a kid and eager to learn about engineering.

Things had changed slightly once Fitz had grown up, surpassing his tutor's level and the older man had started working with his uncle in the management of Fitz Electronics. Mack was still one of his oldest friends but their bond wasn't as tight as it had been before. Fitz shared more personal information with Bobbi and Hunter and Jemma now that she had become his closest friend.

"Why are you looking at those old blueprints?" Fitz asked, getting closer. Mack picked the binder and shrugged.

"Nothing much," he said nonchalantly. "Robert asked me some details about the aircrafts. I think he and Victoria are just going through all projects in these days to see what else the company can do."

Fitz nodded slowly, hoping that his face didn't show his disbelief.

There were other people in the parliament that didn't agree what Fitz was determined to do with the country. There were ministers that wanted to follow a more belligerent path, making guns and war machines as did other countries in the world. Fitz had always refused that choice: he'd never allow his country to finance wars.

However, he had noticed how his uncle had been quiet about the subject while Victoria Hand, the prime minister, seemed to be evaluating it -she had always been extremely practical. And now, seeing Mack go through old aircraft projects made Fitz wonder if something was brewing without his knowledge.

"Mack..." he started to say, but his tutor interrupted him.

"Anyway, what you're doing up?" Mack picked the binder and looked at him oddly. "Really, Fitz. I know you don't have morning classes. Why are you up so early?"

Whatever thought about asking for more about the old projects fled from Fitz' mind as he realised that he had to come up with some sort of explanation without mentioning Jemma or him leaving the apartment.

"I'm off to the library," he blurted, opting to tell the truth and omitting a few details. "I have a project to work on with my lab partner." He wasn't lying: Jemma was his lab partner. "I thought that I could go early and finish some of my blueprints before..." He pulled out a scroll from his bag. "See? I'll show you once I'm done: the DWARFs will be ready to be tested soon!"

Mack arched a brow, showing mild interest on his drones. They'd already talked about them and he didn't think that the automated drones were devices that could be produced and sold in large quantities. Mack had given him the same answer as his uncle Robert and Fitz couldn't help but feel upset about it.

"Alone?" His tone was sharp. "Fitz, we've talked about this. Even though there's no apparent reason for anyone to harm you here, we can't be careless. After what happened in California, you're not allowed to go anywhere without one of us. Ward managed to steal your device because you were on your own and-"

"Hunter's coming with me!" The words were out of his mouth before he could actually think about it and Fitz prayed that the other man wouldn't wake up and come out of the room right now.

But he didn't want to hear Mack talk about what had happened. Fitz has been foolish to trust a man that he had thought was a friend: it had been all his fault if his blueprints were stolen along with the prototype and sold by an American company. Uncle Robert had been furious and Mack had become stricter.

"Hunter?" Mack looked sceptical and glanced at the door closed door of the man's room. "I don't think I even heard him wake up."

Fitz tried to keep a neutral face and hoped that for once in his life, Hunter would be quiet and he wouldn't snore loudly. Merciful silence reigned in the apartment for a full minute and Fitz nearly sighed in relief.

"I asked him to be up and ready by past eight," Fitz remarked, trying to act casual. "I'll wait another ten minutes before knocking at his door." He then frowned. "I'm not going in there without knocking ever again. He shouldn't be allowed to sleep naked."

Mack's suspicious look melted into one of hilarity as he laughed and walked past Fitz, going to the door.

"Alright then, Turbo," he said with a smile. "I'll let you wait before waking up Hunter." The taller man gave him a pat on the back with an enormous hand, making Fitz' knee almost buckle down. "Sorry for before but you know that we have to be careful; especially now that you're close to finishing your studies. Once we're back in Ossetia, it will be a matter of months before you'll be proclaimed king and then you can do as you want."

Fitz smiled absently, trying to ignore the thought that he'd never have true freedom to do what he wanted. He still had something now, here in America, but once he was back home, he'd have to face all the responsibilities required from him.

Once Mack left, Fitz waited five minutes to be sure that we was truly gone and then sprinted out the apartment towards campus.

He was only five minutes late when he made it to the library, carrying two cups of tea. Jemma was waiting right at the doors, smiling broadly as she held her bag and a smaller paper bag with their usual scones.

"Good morning, Fitz!" she greeted.

"Good morning, Jemma," He grinned as he handed her cup to her and then moved forward to open the door and let her in. She smiled again and he tried to ignore the flutter in his chest.

"Did you read that article on the new photographs taken by the Hubble telescope?" She asked him as they took the stairs up to their usual spot on the last floor.

"I did," he replied. "They were fascinating! Did you see-?"

"-the details of Pluto?" Her eyes were shining with excitement and he nodded, noticing how unfairly pretty she looked even at this time of the morning.

They chattered softly taking their seats and getting ready to work on their projects, Fitz realised that he was going to have to make up his mind soon.

He was trying to see her as a friend, a partner for his work (hopefully) and the only person with whom he could talk without restraining his mind. But he was aware that as the days passed that he was falling head over heels in love and he didn't know what to do.

For now, he was happy having breakfast with her in the silent library, enjoying the bubble of intimacy that he'd managed to create by lying and keeping things from the people he knew the most.

The wave of guilt that coursed through him vanished slowly when Jemma smiled at him over the rim of her paper cup.

For now, this was alright.

-:-

It was almost a month that she'd known Fitz when Jemma decided that she'd gather her courage and just ask if he wanted to go to a science exhibition nearby. Together.

She had chosen the event after proper research and a careful selection. A dinner would have been too intimate and bold while going to the cinema would have been a good idea if there'd been a decent film to watch.

The exhibition was something that they'd both enjoy since it talked about microtechnology achievements of the last year.

And it would be a way to understand if he wanted to do other things with her, more that studying or working.

She waited for the right moment, feeling a little vein of nervousness going through her body and leaving her distracted and slightly unfocused. Jemma had also given more importance to her appearance today, curling her hair slightly and applying a little dash of make-up.

She wasn't entirely sure if Fitz had noticed her efforts: he'd greeted her as usual when he gave her her tea. But he did look at her curiously and she'd also noticed him looking at her a couple of times as they studied before averting his gaze.

Jemma had felt a blush colour her face and a little trickle of pride as she saw the pinkish tinge on his cheeks and neck. Perhaps, there was a chance...

She put down her pen with a soft thud, knowing that she wouldn't get any work done until she'd asked him. Fitz looked up from his notebook in surprise.

"Everything alright?" he asked and Jemma nodded slowly, heart beating fast in her chest. What was wrong with her?! She had had other dates before and it hadn't been so difficult to talk to a man. She had two PhDs: it shouldn't be so hard to string words together!

But this was the first time that she was so interested in someone. This was the first time that she had something to lose; someone to lose if things went badly.

"Jemma?" Fitz looked concerned now and she smiled. He was really sweet...

"I was wondering..." she started, toying with a page of her notes. "Did you hear about the microtechnology exhibition that's taking place at the museum?"

The worry melted off Fitz' face and his eyes shone with interest. That was a good sign, wasn't it?

"Yeah," he replied. "I read about it. It sounds really interesting."

"Wouldyouliketogo?" The words hurried out of her mouth before she could stop them and Jemma cringed.

"I'm sorry?" Fitz' tone was confused and he looked worried again.

He's probably wondering if I'm going mental, Jemma thought, feeling a blush on her face. But there was no turning back now.

"I.. said.." She cleared her voice. "Would you like to go? To the exhibition." She swallowed dryly. "With me?"

There, she said it: she was almost proud of herself.

But then she saw the way Fitz' eyes widened and doubt crept in her veins.

-:-

Fitz stared owlishly for a good minute before his brain clicked back in place.

"Come again?" God and he thought himself a genius? No, he was a moron.

Jemma looked at him uncertainly, fingers twitching the corners of her notes.

"Like you said, it seems very interesting," she remarked, tucking a curl of hair behind her ear, in a nervous gesture he'd learned to recognize. "And… well… I was wondering if you wanted to do… do something else together. Something different, that was more than…" She gestured at the table with a hand and then quickly shook her head. "I mean I love working with you! It's wonderful that we can brainstorm and talk about science. I honestly wouldn't give it up for anything and-"

"Jemma..." Fitz leaned forward, holding a hand up to stop her flustered rambling. His heart was hammering in his chest as he got the meaning of her words.

"What I mean is… I really like being with you, Fitz," Jemma blushed and Fitz was sure that his heart was going to jump out of his chest. "You're a wonderful partner and friend and-" She looked at him shyly, hazel eyes peering through her lashes. "-I'd really like to know you...well… more. Not only as friends." The smile on her face was tentative and so vulnerable that it made him want to move closer and hold her hand. "What do you say?"

It was odd to feel elation and disappointment at the same time: it was like his heart was swelling and deflating at the same time.

He wanted to tell her that he wanted to be with her, that he'd wanted it probably since the moment he first saw her. He wanted to tell her that he'd have asked her out if he had the courage.

But he couldn't. As much as he wanted to say yes and try to see what would happen, he knew that he had to say no. Even now that he knew that his interest was reciprocated.

Everyone has to follow the rules, Leopold, his uncle Robert used to tell. Especially the future King.

"I-" His voice cracked and he had to clear it before trying to talk again. "Jemma, I-"

Something must have transpired on his face because he saw how Jemma's face fell, hurt in her eyes before she looked away. Something lurched in his chest.

"You know, I doesn't matter really…" she said softly. "I understand."

"No, Jemma, wait," He got up at the same moment as she did and felt his heart in his throat. "I didn't mean-" Fitz leaned forward, moving his hand as to reach her but Jemma drew back slightly, before starting to quickly put her notes away, without looking at him.

"It's alright, Fitz," She looked up with a smile and he immediately noticed that her features were strained. He'd seen her smile and laugh and this was nothing like that. She was holding back her disappointment.

She thought that he didn't want to-

"You got it wrong," he blurted. "I would love to-"

"It doesn't matter, Fitz, really…" She tucked her hair behind her ear. "I-I should be going actually. I didn't realise that it was so late." She glanced at him before turning around.. "See you tomorrow."

"Jemma…" Fitz grabbed his bag and squashed his notes inside and took off after her. "Let me explain."

"Fitz, it doesn't matter." Her expression might have been calm and composed but her eyes were telling another story. "It was just a ridiculous suggestion."

"It wasn't-"

"I shouldn't have assumed that you- Never mind." She looked up at him and smiled slightly. "It's alright. I'll see you tomorrow to finish the last draft of the Night-Night gun."

"Jemma, wait," He grabbed her wrist and stopped her. He was grateful that the top floor of the library was still empty. He could only imagine what people might have thought, seeing them.

She looked at him with uncertain eyes, her entire body tense and he felt terrible for being the reason of her discomfort. He had to explain the whole situation: he didn't want her to think that he didn't want to spend time with her.

Every lie he had said in the past month was to be with her.

"Let me explain," he said softly. "Please."

-:-

It was Fitz' pleading tone that stopped Jemma from fleeing the library as quickly as possible to the safety of her room and just berate herself for her stupidity.

She had damaged their friendship, ruined their seamless dynamics and all because she was selfish and wanted more than what she had.

She glanced at him, ignoring the way his fingers were wrapped around her wrist holding her in a soft but firm grip, and saw the emotions dancing in his eyes. He looked distraught and it was odd because she was the one that had messed up their friendship, not him.

Nodding slightly, Jemma turned to look at him fully. Fitz visibly relaxed but he still looked troubled and guilty.

It looked as though he had been hiding something and was about to confess. The niggling suspect that he might have a girlfriend came back to her mind along with the image of the statuesque Bobbi Morse. Something clenched in her stomach and she decided that she'd rather keep his friendship than lose him altogether.

Smiling slightly, Jemma gently removed his hand from her wrist.

"It's alright, Fitz, I understand," she said. "I just read too much in our interactions. You've been a great friend but it's quite clear that you have someone else-"

"What?!" Fitz spluttered, interrupting her. "What are you-? I don't have- Who are you talking about?"

"Well, your roommate, Bobbi-" Jemma remarked and his eyes widened comically.

"Bobbi? Are you serious? You thought-" Fitz pinched the bridge of his nose with his hand and then ran it through his hair before looking at her. "Bobbi is like a sister to me."

Jemma arched a brow and Fitz nodded vigorously.

"Believe me, Jemma," he said. "Bobbi is like the older and stricter sister I've never had. She's…" He looked around as though checking if someone was eavesdropping. "She's one of my bodyguards: I've known her since I was sixteen."

Jemma's eyes widened.

"Really?" She asked incredulously and blushed when he stared at her with unreadable eyes. The clench in her stomach didn't diminish when she realised that, if he didn't have girlfriend, then Fitz was truly not interested in her for anything more than a partnership.

"Jemma, I think I owe you an- Bloody hell!" She looked up abruptly and saw Fitz staring at something down the staircase. She turned her head and saw a few people in line to speak with the librarian.

"What?" she asked, turning to look at Fitz who suddenly looked agitated and backed away from the stairs. "Fitz?"

"Mack's here," he muttered and her face twisted in confusion as she turned again to look downstairs. She then noticed the enormous figure of Mr. Mackenzie, standing on a side of the librarians table.

Jemma turned back to Fitz, puzzled and watched him look around.

Why was he behaving like that?

She didn't have to wonder about it for long though; Fitz approached her and took her hand, forcing her to walk along with him.

"Fitz! What the-" Her question was cut short as he opened the door of the storage room where the old books were kept and pulled her inside. "What's going on?!" She demanded and he looked rightfully abashed.

"He doesn't know that I'm here," Fitz replied, closing the door behind him as he flipped the light switch on. "And… I can't risk to be seen."

"What would he even care if you're here?" She asked loudly. "It's just the campus' library!"

"He'd care because I shouldn't be here! He'd be furious because I shouldn't be here without Bobbi or Hunter and because I told all of them that I'm at my apartment."

Jemma stared at him.

"What?" Nothing was making sense.

"Please, let me explain," he said quietly and she nodded, swallowing another series of questions. She looked around, noticing that they were surrounded by bookshelves and moved towards the small, empty table next to the wall. She put her bag down and sat on a corner as Fitz did the same: there was just a handful of centimetres between them.

Jemma watched him carefully and saw how he seemed to be torn, unsure on what to say. Without thinking much, she put a hand on his shoulder, gently squeezing it before moving it away. Fitz looked at her and he smiled softly and nodded absentmindedly.

"What's going on, Fitz?" She asked quietly.

"I lied," he said and she blinked, feeling her heart skip a beat. His eyes widened and he shook his head furiously, turning fully to look at her. "No, no...Not to you! I mean…. I just didn't tell…" He sighed, running a hand through his curls.. "No one knows that I've been spending my mornings here in the library. I've managed to find a small loophole in Bobbi and Hunter's timetables and Mack isn't around that much so I just had to be careful when he came to the apartment. I made them all think that I've been in my room before going to class or to the lab." He sighed again. "I didn't want to lie to them: Bobbi and Hunter are like my closest friends and Mac too even though he's been given strict orders by my uncle to keep me in check. But I knew that they'd never allow me to go somewhere on my own -unguarded- so"

Jemma stared at him, eyes widening when she realised the implication of his words.

"Fitz…" She said slowly. "Are you saying that being here, right now, is not safe for you?" She had never thought about him in a bigger context but now, as thoughts fired through her brain, she realised that she'd been blind. He was the heir to a new, growing country that was becoming important in the world. And he was brilliant, with a mind that was bursting with ideas…

Of course, he was valuable and, maybe, wrong people might want to harm him.

A shiver ran down Jemma's spine at the idea of someone wanting to hurt Fitz, quickly followed by the irrational and sudden thought that she'd never allow it.

"Hey," Jemma was startled out of her musing by Fitz' hand on her shoulder, his blue eyes concerned.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded. "I suggested for us to study and work together!" Fear flooded her veins. "If I had known, I wouldn't have ever-"

"Jemma, you didn't-"

"If something had happened to you-"

"Jemma!" Fitz put both his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to stare at him. She hadn't realised that her eyes had started to fill up with tears. She was never this emotional but the thought of putting Fitz in danger was breaking apart her composure.

He was too important for her.

"My life's not in danger. I'm not that important." His attempt at a smile and his teasing tone didn't make her feel better and he sobered. "I've never been threatened. I've got two bodyguards because my mother didn't want me to leave to America on my own since I was just sixteen and I accepted to keep her calm. Back at home, we have the royal guard but they're duty is to protect the capital city mostly. My family has always fended on its own.. We've only had May as personal guard and she's been around since my dad was a prince; she's almost family now and she's looking after my mum while I'm here."

He looked at her reassuringly, letting her go, and Jemma nodded slightly but she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was still amiss in his explanation. Fitz must have noticed it because he kept talking.

"A few years, I befriended a man called Grant Ward at Caltech. He seemed like a good bloke: bit of a loner but he had a good heart and he was majoring Mechanical Engineering. Or so I thought…" Fitz' face darkened and Jemma reached for one of his hands on his thighs. "I thought he was a friend: he was the only person besides Mac, Bobbi and Hunter that treated me as a person and not like a celebrity or a nuisance. He gained my trust, even came over to my house and I never realised that he was kept asking about my work and Fitz Electronics. I thought that he might be interested in working there." He laughed humorlessly. "I actually thought of helping him get in the R&D Department."

"Fitz..." Jemma didn't like the self-deprecating tone his voice had taken. "What happened?"

"One day, out of the blue, he disappeared and with him was gone a blueprint that I had finished and that was meant to be built by my company," Fitz swallowed dryly. "It had taken me months to convince my uncle and the administration board to build a few of my devices and test them. A few months later, a rival company had the Mouse Hole on the market."

"Mouse Hole?"

"I called it like that… It was a device that could cut clean through any material -no matter the density and thickness."

Jemma nodded, recalling an article about a similar device: it was being applied in various fields.

"So… Ward stole your work and sold it to that company?"

"I think that his plan from the start was to take any worthy information from me; he became my friend for that and managed to take my work," Fitz sighed. "I couldn't do anything about it either because I hadn't patented the device yet so even if I did find him, I couldn't do anything about it. Let me tell you that the more conservative members of the parliament just loved the fact that I mucked up." Jemma looked at him in confusion and he sighed again. "Once I get my PhD, I'm going to be crowned as king or, at least, this has been the plan since I came here to America to finish my studies. I've been trained my entire life for this moment but…I didn't really think of how hard everything might be." Fitz scratched the back of his neck, looking almost uncomfortable and Jemma gently squeezed his hand. The soft look that he gave her made her pulse quicken.

"I imagine that you will be full of work and responsibilities," she conceded and he shook his head.

"It's not that," he said. "I mean, not just that- I'll be the youngest king in Ossetia's history and there are many people in the parliament that don't think that I'll be up to it. My ideas for more innovative devices aren't seen well and they doubt that I'll be able to reign correctly. There are rumours that some of them are just waiting for a mistake from me to ask for an election on my right to be king. They can do it." He answered her unsaid question and she felt indignation flood her body at the thought of Fitz being labeled as not capable.

He smiled slightly, stroking his thumb over her knuckles absently.

"It's politics," he remarked. "I learned that these games are meant to happen. That's why Mack is here: my uncle made him come with me to help me and to be sure that nothing happens. But-"

"-Ward stole-"

"-my prototype, yes. And things have been a bit strained." Fitz smiled wryly. "I know that Uncle Robert means well but… he's doing everything that he thinks my dad would want for me. I know that he wants to help but he doesn't realise that it's too much sometimes."

Jemma recalled how Daisy had said that Fitz was always on his own here at MIT and something clicked in her head.

"Did he ask you to be more secluded?" she asked. "To just study and not to mingle?"

"Yeah," Fitz replied. "I'm used to be on my own and… well… I've never really had that much of friends so it wasn't that hard to stay away from people and I'm pretty used to be alone.." Jemma nodded unconsciously, knowing that feeling well. "When that reporter revealed my identity last year, my uncle and Mack just lost it. They became incredibly paranoid and ordered Bobbi and Hunter to be my shadows, to follow me everywhere." Fitz looked at her and she saw his eyes filled with some emotion she couldn't define.

"I never minded it before. I've never had real friends of my age and I knew that I had to get used to the fact of being followed by someone… But then you showed up.."

Jemma felt her face get warm as his eyes fell on her. He smiled, shyly, before looking at their joint hands, brushing her skin with small circular strokes.

"A brilliant girl who shared my passion for science and that was my age. A person that I could truly talk to and that I-I…" He faltered, stilling his hand on hers and swallowed. Jemma was sure that her heart was going to leap out her chest. Was she hoping too much or did he the same way as she did?

"Fitz…" She started to say but he looked at her again, eyes suddenly sad and she stopped talking.

"I started to yearn for independence like I never had before," he said. "I lied to everyone else just to… to spend some time with you, Jemma." He smiled shyly again. "I-I like you. A lot." Jemma couldn't help the smile on her face but it dimmed when she sensed his hesitation.

"But-?" She asked tentatively. "What's wrong?"

"You'd never want this," he said. "Me."

"What?" She looked at him in disbelief. "I just told you that I wanted to- "

"Yes… and I know that you won't-"

"How can you say what I want?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Why would you want to be with someone that lives with guards? Someone that has to be followed in every moment. Someone that cannot even take you out for dinner or a date alone?" He sighed. "Why be with me when I can't even show my affection publicly?" He looked at her with a contrite look. "And all for how long? Six months?"

Jemma felt anger course through her veins.

"Do you really think that I'm so shallow? Or that I'd do anything to damage you?!" She asked, getting to her feet and standing in front of him. "That I'd attempt to destroy our friendship if I didn't want to know you and be with you more than anything?!"

"Jemma…" Fitz stood up and moved forward to touch her but she stepped back as disbelief, rage and hurt filled her.

"You're afraid," she remarked and he looked at her with wide eyes. "I understand that: I spent weeks making up my mind on how to merely suggest for us to be more than friends. Weeks." All her anger faded into a dull pain in her chest. "I was terrified that I could ruin our relationship. I still am. You've become my best friend, Fitz. My best friend in the world."

"Mine too but you're also more than that, ," he whispered, moving to touch her arm. "And, yes, I am afraid but not of what people might think: I don't care about that. I just don't want you to be unhappy."

"We won't know if we don't try though…" Jemma replied and took a small step towards him, invading his personal space. "Even if it's only for six months…" She felt a little pang in her chest. "We won't know if it will be only for that much: it could be for much longer if we want it."

She could understand that he had personal matters and duties; she knew that he had literally the weight of a country on his shoulders

But she'd help him through everything if he allowed her. She was willing to help him as a friend and she was more than happy to help him as more than that.

She cared for him. He was more that just a friend.

So Jemma waited for him to decide: he had more to lose than she did.

-:-

Fitz stared at Jemma, realising that it was all up to him now.

Could it be so easy? Could she really want to be with him -him- to the point of hiding a relationship from everyone? To sneak moments together? To attempt a relationship with them separated in two different countries?

He knew that she was wonderful and smart but… could she be so perfect?

His eyes roved over her face, waiting to see a flicker of uncertainty or for her to realise the mistake she was making but he only saw a clear, warm gaze. Perhaps a tad vulnerable but it was quite understandable: Jemma had just opened her mind and heart to him.

She had been braver than him and had taken the first step.

Now it was his turn.

Fitz moved his hand down Jemma's arm until he gently took her hand, fingers threading together. Jemma's cheeks took a pinkish tint, matching his own flaming face but she smiled softly.

"I-I want to try," he said, stepping forward so that they were almost chest to chest. From this distance, he could identify every shade of hazel in her eyes and was surrounded by the soft lavender hint of her perfume. "But- I want you to know…" He struggled with his words. "I'll be honest, yeah?" Jemma nodded. "I've never done this before: never wanted to be with someone like this." He blushed as he confessed his inexperience. "You know, always the youngest…"

"I've never been in a relationship with anyone, Fitz," she said, inching forward. "A few dates, nothing more." She bit her lip and he was distracted by the way she moistened her lips to notice that her free hand was softly curled against his jumper. She looked up at him with a shy gaze. "Nobody has ever been as interesting as you are."

Fitz couldn't help the smile on his face.

"Oh, you're not saying that just because I'm a prince, yeah?" He asked teasingly and grinned when she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Fitz!" She said good-naturedly. "You know that I didn't even know who you were when we first met!"

He nodded, unable to keep his eyes off her. He'd teased her endlessly when she'd confessed this but he had been inwardly ecstatic that she had been interested in him, Leo Fitz, rather than on Prince Leopold Fitzgerald of Ossetia.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you from the moment I first saw you…"

The sudden bright blush on Jemma's cheeks made Fitz realise that he had actually said the last sentence out loud.

Warmth invaded his face and he tried to recover from his impromptu confession.

"I-I...well… I just-" He stammered helplessly and cursed himself for his lack of coherence.

"Fitz," Jemma said softly, fingers toying with a thread on his jumper. "You don't have to say that… I know that you detested me when we first met. I was so rudely staring at you and-"

"What?" He couldn't believe his ears. "I didn't hate you!"

"You probably mistook me for some girl that was fawning over you, the Prince of Ossetia. It's not a problem, really: we started talking pretty much immediately after and-"

"Jemma," Fitz took both of her hands in his and held them against his chest, stopping her from finishing her sentence. She looked up at him with wide eyes and he swallowed.

Why hadn't anyone, in all the years of tuition, ever taught him the proper etiquette when talking to a woman he liked?

How was he supposed to tell the girl he fancied that he'd been smitten from the first moment he saw her?

Fitz opted to be honest… and hoped for the best.

"I saw you on campus," he said. "You didn't even see me but I was taken by you immediately." He smiled as she blushed again. "Your voice, your smile… everything. I always looked around for you when I walked around after classes but could never get the courage to approach you. So when I saw you during Chemical Kinetics lab, I got tongue-tied." He slowly dropped her hands and gently cupped her face. "You got the wrong idea: I liked you since then and I just didn't know how to show you."

Jemma stared at him and a breathtaking smile made its way on her face, making his heart thump in his chest

"Well," she remarked, biting her lip. "You could… You could show me. Now."

He blinked, eyes darting to her lips before looking at her eyes. Jemma stood up on her toes and gently nudged his forehead with hers, staying there for a moment so that they were the same height.

"You…?" He whispered, asking a question with his eyes and she nodded slowly.

Feeling his heartbeat in his ears, Fitz leaned forward and kissed her and nothing felt more right.

-:-

Jemma felt something similar to a spark as soon as Fitz' lips touched hers and then the electric tingle started travelling all along her body, under her skin.

He was so careful as he held her: it almost seemed as though he was worried of hurting her with this simple action and she felt a wave of affection for him.

She tilted her head, applying slightly more pressure on the kiss and moved her hands up to touch his face, caressing his jaw and neck. Fitz let out a small sound and her lips quirked up, knowing that she was responsible for it.

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pleasantly surprising her by deepening the kiss and enveloping her in a soft embrace as they melted against each other.

When they broke apart, Jemma watched Fitz open his eyes, blink and stare at her for a moment before shooting her a bashful smile. He looked just as dazed as she felt.

"It would have been more proper if I had taken you out for a date before...that," he whispered as they stayed close together. "Not that I'm complaining!" He quickly added and Jemma giggled.

"We've been seeing each other for almost a month and you've always brought me breakfast," she replied. "I think we've had our share of small dates…" She caressed his cheek, his stubble scraping against her fingertips softly.

"But I still want to take you out to dinner." Fitz looked thoughtful for a moment. "Or better, I'll figure out a way to take you to dinner without anyone noticing."

She smiled.

"I could cook us dinner, if you want…" She inwardly rejoiced when his eyes lit up and the boyish, enthusiastic smile he'd get when he was happy appeared on his face.

"That would be great."

"We could see if we can meet at my dorm perhaps; I can convince Daisy to stay over at Trip's so she won't be a problem. It might be easier for you without-" Her words got lost in her throat when he looked at her with a soft gaze that made her mind go blank. "-er… w-what?" She managed to stutter.

"You," he replied, brushing a wayward curl away from her face. "I just can't believe that you want… this…"

Cupping his cheek with one hand, Jemma moved forward to brush her lips against his, marvelling on the fact that it felt natural and normal already, though her heartbeat increased again.

She'd soon find a way to convince him that she wanted to be with him and had wanted it for a long time.

Fitz grinned as they kissed and Jemma couldn't help but mirror his smile; she then squeaked slightly when he twisted them around so that she was leaning against the table while he deepened the kiss.

As she moved her hands up to clutch his hair and bring him closer, she realised that their compatibility seemed to extend on more fields than just science.

And, as much as Fitz claimed to be inexperienced, he sure had a way to make her feel breathless.

She didn't know how much time passed but when they managed to stop kissing each other, realising that escalating things inside a room the size of a broom closet wouldn't really do, they quickly stepped apart to calm down.

Jemma bit her lip as she watched Fitz run a hand through his hair, attempting to tame his suddenly unruly curls and took in his crushed shirt collar, pinkish face and the small mark right under his jaw that she had caused and wasn't too sorry about.

She didn't want to think of how she looked so she quickly patted her hair, smoothed her clothes and took her bag. She then handed Fitz his own and smiled as he took it.

His smile was incredibly gentle when he reached for her hand and entwined their fingers.

"I'll figure out a way to do everything right," he said, bringing their hands to his mouth and brushing a kiss to her knuckles.

"You don't have to worry about this on your own," she retorted, squeezing their fingers together. "We'll find a way together."

He nodded, kissing her hand again, before dropping it slowly and opening the door.

Fortunately, the floor was still empty and no one would notice them lurking out of the storage room.

Jemma could only imagine the rumours if someone had seen her and Fitz: the last thing he needed was to think that they'd been snogging in a closet.

Even though they did do that.

They walked downstairs, talking about their schedules, looking every bit like two classmates, when Bobbi Morse appeared in front of them, smiling broadly.

Fitz stopped dead on his tracks and blanched. Jemma quickly looked around, wondering if Mr. Mackenzie was still there.

"B-bobbi-?" Fitz stammered. "Wha-?"

"Hey, Fitz," she said nonchalantly and turned to Jemma. "Don't worry: Mack's gone. I told him that I had to pick some books here." She smiled and held out a hand. "I think we've never met. I'm Bobbi."

"Oh! Yes, it's a pleasure," Jemma hurriedly took her hand and shook it. "I'm-"

"-Jemma Simmons, yeah, I know." She grinned at Fitz who still looked shell-shocked. "This one's been talking about you a lot." Bobbi looked at her appreciatively and Jemma blushed. "We're going to be great friends."

"We are?" She asked before she could stop herself. Bobbi nodded, looping her arms around both of them and walking them all to the door.

"Bobbi, what-?" Fitz asked as they were outside. "What are you doing here? What's going-?"

"Oh, you're asking me what's going on?" She asked, arching a brow. "You have been getting out on your own for a month and you get to ask?"

Fitz opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. Bobbi looked at him sternly for a minute before laughing good-naturedly.

"Fitz, don't worry," she said, patting his shoulder. "We've always known."

"What?" Both Fitz exclaimed and Jemma looked at both in surprise.

"Do you seriously think that I wouldn't know that you're trying to hide something or doing something secretly?" Bobbi scoffed. "I get it that you think that you can fool Hunter: he's an idiot. But me?"

"How?"

"You stopped speaking about her 24/7." She pointed at Jemma and she blushed again. "You didn't look like a kicked puppy. All in all, you looked happy."

Jemma turned to look at Fitz who had turned an interesting shade of red. She couldn't help but feel a smile make its way on her face.

She also realised that Daisy had been saying the same thing to her lately...

"And you make a hell of a lot of noise when you try to leave your room quietly: Hunter heard you first in the morning. He followed you, waited outside the library until you went to your class."

"So.. he's been tricking me?" Fitz asked. "I thought he was asleep and he-"

"He placed a tracer on you the same day and checked every morning if you were at the library. And if he was sleeping, I could check and see if you were elsewhere."

"A tracer?" Fitz stared at himself. "Where the hell-?"

"Not telling," Bobbi singsonged. Jemma couldn't help but laugh at Fitz' outraged expression. "Anyway, you could have told us, Fitz."

Fitz sighed, putting a hand on the back of his neck and looked at Bobbi. Jemma noticed that he almost looked ashamed.

"I didn't want to get you in trouble," he said softly. "Mack is being so weird lately and he and Uncle Robert might-"

Bobbi looked at him with such a fond, sisterly look that Jemma wondered how she could have thought of the two of them as a couple.

"Hunter and I can take care of ourselves," she replied. "We're tough and we can help you." She poked Fitz' shoulder, earning a little frown from him. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

"And we've been around you for a while."

"Yeah…"

"And we know that you have the habit of thinking too much of your responsibilities," Bobbi looked at Jemma. "He sometimes gets stuck in his thick, super intelligent brain: it will take you a while to talk him out of his convictions. You'll see that…"

"Oh, I already did," Jemma turned to look at Fitz. "But I'm more stubborn than him."

"Oh good. Might knock some sense in him then; get him out of the 'I'll sacrifice myself for the greater good'-attitude."

"Hey!" Fitz protested and Jemma chuckled.

"Yes, I've seen that aspect of his character," Jemma remarked. "But I can be convincing."

"Oh?" Bobbi looked at her and then at Fitz. "Yeah, I'm sure you are…" She grinned. "Hmm.. seems that we won't have to cover up just for stolen breakfast moments from now on, huh?"

Jemma blinked as the implications of her words were sorted in her head. She gaped at Bobbi and then looked at Fitz who looked just as flabbergasted.

"I'm sorry… What?" She asked slowly.

Bobbi laughed.

"Great, you're just as bad as him," she remarked. "You two would make terrible spies. I can list at least ten things that give you out." Stepping away, she shot a look at both. "Come on, you two, I've got Hunter holed at the apartment pretending to be Fitz; as much as I want to leave him there for a bit, I'd say we go free him."

Jemma looked at Fitz and he stared back.

"How?" She whispered urgently and he shrugged.

"I have no clue how-" he said.

"-she could know that we-"

"Hurry up!" Bobbi said and they both scurried to join her. "We'll come up with something to keep Mack and the rest of the campus off you two…" She looked at them with a teasing glint in her eyes. "Maybe, concealing those hickeys on your necks would be a good start."

Jemma flushed, wrapping her hands around her neck and Bobbi laughed.

-:-

Fitz watched as Bobbi joked and talked with Jemma and felt a warm rush in his chest.

Bobbi was like family and if she liked Jemma and wanted to help them be together, maybe they could manage it.

They could try this.

"Fitz?" He looked up and found Jemma staring at him. She smiled softly and he could help but mirror her.

"I'm coming," he said and, in a spur of the moment, seeing that there wasn't anyone around but Bobbi, he gave her a quick kiss.

Jemma blushed, still smiling, and he felt almost dizzy with giddiness. He noticed that Bobbi was looking at them with a grin and he knew that things would be alright.

Everything would be alright.


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