"One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war," they chanted before before their thumbs circled each other like pro-wrestlers.
Leo was nimble but impatient and Jemma knew she could wait for him to strike first so she could trap him beneath her mighty digit.
"We'll be together when the ship reaches the port," she reminded him cheerfully because their impending separation was hanging a cloud of gloom over the both of them.
"Yeah, two days traded for six," he muttered. He sighed before he smiled at her. "Did you want to come see the Volcanoes National Park with me?"
"That sounds wonderful," she chirped, focusing on the cheery silver lining of a brief vacation with him and their friends. "And on the way we might be fortunate enough to check off some rare flora and fauna from our scavenger hunt. Orchids and gastropods, fun!"
He was glowing as his eyes drifted over her face sending waves of warmth towards her which popped little bursts of happiness like popcorn in her chest.
Leaning forward he kissed her, making her insides twist around pleasantly and for a moment she forgot their game.
"I'm really going to miss you," he told her, but his voice was filled with affection rather than dread.
"Me too," she agreed, soaking him in like sunshine, the kind she didn't need sunscreen for. She hoped he'd packed some for the voyage. "But there's no reason we can't still have fun," she assured him. "I'm sure Franklin Low will enjoy a good cruise with his step-mom. It's a perfect opportunity for team- er, family bonding."
She'd helped him design his cover story, trying to make Frank a happy fellow so Leo would have a good time with May, or Maggie Chen which was her cover name (She'd opted not to change her last name to Low upon marrying Frank's father). She'd become his legal guardian when he was eleven and the two got along splendidly and were close. Like him and May a bit. Only May wasn't his guardian in a parental sense.
"And Sally Johnson and her roommate are sure to enjoy their time," he answered, touching her cheek briefly. "I really like Sally, she's an interesting character."
"Hopefully not more than the real me," Jemma kidded, raising her eyebrows and tilting her head teasingly.
"That would be impossible," he grinned fondly. "I love you too much for anything to be more."
She blushed before pressing her forehead against his. He nuzzled her nose with his own and allowed his thumb to rest on her hand.
"I win," she whispered, placing her digit gently over his.
"OK," he conceded easily, eyes shining before she kissed him.
There was a knock at the door and they leapt apart. Jemma motioned quickly for Leo to hide under her blanket because he wasn't suppose to be in there with her.
She felt guilty, breaking the rules but they weren't breaking the most important one. They were only talking. Alright, talking and kissing a little but it was their last day together for a while and May had instructed her to say goodbye.
They were going to be in trouble, she knew it. Poor Leo, she shouldn't have pushed him into chatting in her room (not that he'd needed much convincing) while she rechecked her suitcase to ensure she hadn't forgotten anything.
Now he was hiding like a criminal beneath her comforter, trying to make himself as flat as possible and... actually doing a pretty good job.
Maybe they wouldn't be caught. Now she really felt like a criminal. Jemma Simmons did not get up to things like hiding her boyfriend in her room. She was good, she followed the rules. Usually.
"C-come in," she invited unable to hide her apprehension.
"Nervous about the trip?" Skye guessed as she slid the door open and threw her knapsack onto the bed.
It hit Leo in the stomach and he let out an umphh.
Jemma coughed loudly in an attempt to cover him up but Skye weaved around her and lifted the blanket to reveal the top of his body.
"What were you two up to?" She asked amusedly, raising an eyebrow and crossing her arms. "Where you about to-"
"Nothing like that!" Jemma cut her off, both her and Leo beet red. "We... Well... It was my idea, just chatting and a few kisses that's it... we didn't-"
"We haven't-" Leo continued.
"Not yet-" she added. "Not that we aren't going to-"
"Of course not in here-" Leo interjected.
"No, no, not-" she began raising her arms.
"Guys stop, just stop," Skye demanded holding out her hands, palms towards them. "I was joking." She shook her head. "And then you made it weird..."
"Isn't weird such a funny word?" Jemma laughed nervously as Leo shoved the cover off, rubbing his stomach and grumbling.
"Why'd you have to throw your bag like a bloody javelin," he muttered. "That really hurt."
"Sorry," Skye apologized, wincing in sympathy. "At least now we know you can hide in a pinch though."
"Mmmm," he grunted still gripping his stomach and Jemma pulled his hand away to inspect it as Skye sat beside them.
"You're fine," she informed him before kissing his face then pinking as she remembered they weren't alone.
"Should I come back later?" Skye chuckled.
Jemma and Leo exchanged a glance before shaking their heads. They were far less likely to get in trouble if they had a third person supervising.
"It's fine," Skye smiled, misreading them. "I'll come back later. I get Simmons all week... but you'd better come say goodbye Fitz."
She took her bag and left them alone again.
"So... Er... You do want to eventually right?" Leo asked her when Skye was out of earshot.
"You mean sex?" she asked, feeling a slight twirl of nervousness. 'There's nothing to be embarrassed about,' she scolded herself. 'It's just part of life, a very nice part of life.'
He nodded, reddening.
"Not here," she told him. "But yes, you?"
He nodded again.
"Well alright then," she said awkwardly.
"All right then," he repeated.
They were silent for a moment.
"It's going to be really hard not being able to talk to you," he finally said, changing the subject.
"Yeah, I wish we could bring our walkie talkies," she sighed and he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.
"I'll see you in Hawaii sweetheart," he murmured and she buried her face into his shoulder breathing in his scent.
"And we'll go see some shield volcanoes, haha Shield like us," she giggled and savoured the sensation of him laughing with her and kissing the side of her head.
/-/-/
"So what should I call you?" Leo wondered as he and May boarded the ship.
It was small for a cruise ship, only four stories, but it was built for the angry ocean and it was built for speed. He'd have loved to get a look at the engine but Frank wasn't an engineer and Jemma had insisted he stay in character until they arrived at port. She'd also insisted he pack extra sunscreen. She was so thoughtful, helping out him as well as herself to prepare for the mission.
"Mum?" He shot out ideas to May. "Mom? Mama Maggie?"
"Margret," she suggested flatly.
He frowned. "That seems a bit too formal for a parent," he objected. "How about Maggie?"
She gave him a small smile. "Sure Franky."
He grinned back and they showed their passes to the attendant (his pass said he was 19, 19! He wouldn't even be allowed to drink! How had the attendant believed he was that young with his mature demeanor? Hmmph.) and they headed below deck to their room to settle in.
Shield had caught word of an illegal trade occurring on the cruise ship, biological weapons, and they were there to find and stop the perpetrators. He was meant to operate the drones to search for suspicious activity on the ship and inform May as soon as anything was spotted. The drones were recording data, sending it to the whole team so the footage could be watched by them one at a time so that no one would look odd hauled up in their room the entire cruise.
It was an added bonus that it meant they could also enjoy it. They were undercover as happy tourists after all, it was their duty to play the part and hit the arcade before feasting on the buffet.
They passed Jemma and Skye, Sally and Zoe now, on the way and he struggled not rush to comfort Jemma when he saw her hands shaking.
'Skye, what are you doing? Where you too busy frantically being last minute and irresponsible to listen?' He thought irritably before he saw his friend whisper something to Jemma and take her hand. Oh Skye, so kind.
She'd be fine, he told himself, Jemma was a strong-hearted person and she had Skye. Soon she'd be enjoying herself.
The thought helped but it didn't stop him from missing her and wishing she wasn't Sally and he wasn't Frank.
They reached their room and May let him take the top bunk, setting down her luggage on the bottom one while he set up the miniaturized versions of the DWARFS he and Jemma had designed for stealth. The recording wasn't as high quality but they wouldn't attract as much attention to themselves.
"What did you want to do when we have the time?" He asked, thinking of Jemma's suggestion he take the opportunity to bond with his teammate.
"Blend in," she shrugged. Helpful suggestions from agent May.
He leafed through the activity pamphlet. "Oh! Predators and Aliens are both playing tonight!" He exclaimed. "Have you seen them?"
"Alien, Aliens, Alien vs. Predator, who hasn't? As your stepmother I'm going to need to limit your popcorn intake though." She kidded smiling and he grinned back slightly surprised but happy.
Other than missing Jemma like mad, he was glad to be partnered with May. Or Maggie.
/-/-/
Jemma shakily descended the stairs behind her friend below deck. What she wouldn't give to sleep up on the deck under the open sky, she didn't care that the ground would be hard or that it would be chilly at night anything would be preferable to this.
"C'mon Sally," Skye soothed. "You can do it, one more step."
Sally Johnson was claustrophobic. She had been ever since the age of eleven when she'd been trapped in a locker for eight hours, hungry and dehydrated in a prank gone horribly wrong just after her hamster died stuck in a vent. It was an excellent cover to disguise her true fear: being trapped beneath a ninety foot layer of ocean in a small space.
"Would you mind letting me have the top bunk, Zoe," she inquired anxiously. "I'm afraid the bottom bunk is a bit too tight a spot for-"
"Whatever makes you feel better," she assured her.
"Thank you Zoe," she chirped, attempting to calm herself as her hands began to shake. She saw Leo pass by with May, unburdened by the fears she carried and was grateful at least he'd escaped the nightmarish memories. He still had no recollection of the event in the box despite her having told him everything. She resisted the urge to smile at him, stare, reach out. Sally didn't know him.
Why was it so narrow down here? Stupid boats and their tiny hallways. At least they were on the top floor.
"You can do this," Skye whispered, taking her hand and she felt better.
Of course she could, she was a Shield agent. She'd faced worse, it was only a boat. And she wasn't alone.
They reached their room, number 6B, and shuffled inside to set up the monitors for her and Leo's miniature drones.
Jemma's job was not limited to surveillance. She had brought along a number of things to read on biological weapons because, in the event of an attack or an accident, she was in charge of neutralizing it.
"So this is fun," Skye chuckled when they we're finished. "A free cruise and we get to share a bunk. It'll be like a six night sleepover."
"I didn't get to go to many of those Zoe," Jemma told her cheerfully. It was hard to be invited to parties when you were always the youngest in your class. Not that she'd never had any friends. There had been Alison when she was twelve who lived down the street and liked pressing flowers.
"Me neither," Skye informed her giggling. "You know you don't have to say my name every time right? Should we tell scary stories or truth or dare?"
"Scary stories," Jemma decided, grinning mischievously and forgetting her worries. She knew some that were sure to be a hit.
"Oh, so you think you can out-scare me?" Skye challenged grinning back. "You just wait until you hear about the organ player... It isn't the organ you expect."
Jemma laughed, delighted to be spending time with Skye despite missing Leo like a lost brain hemisphere. If nothing went horribly, terribly wrong this should be a really fun almost week.
/-/-/
Thank you for all your reviews, likes, follows and reads! I enjoy your feedback and interest in my stories :).
I write pretty fast but only because I have lots of free time and few responsibilities. I am done School for the summer and I haven't found a job besides weeding my parents garden (I got attacked by ants and stinging weeds) and some volunteering. Also I am slightly addicted to writing haha. I am writing this while watching Untraceable with my cousin because I have seen it before.
They talk about sex in this story but I'm not going to write it happening. I have other things to cover and I want to keep the T rating. Still I was trying to capture the cheesy awkward beginning of a relationship (with my limited experience of one so feel free to give pointers) and felt it was something that would come up.
The last name Low is from Andrew Low and his daughter in law Juliet Gordon Low who was the founder of girl scouts in the US. Andrew Low had a sad life apparently so I wanted to give his last name to someone happy.
Maggie Chen is the name of a character in Orphan Black murdered by Beth Childs. I like the name Maggie.
According to the internet, Hawaii has a large number of gastropod (snail) species.
Shield volcanoes are the type in Hawaii (named I believe for their shape). There are also cinder cone (some found in Mexico) and composite (like Mt. Fuji). Grade nine geology for the win haha. Thank you my old teacher! She was the best.
Finally, the Fringe reference is room 6B. 6B is the title of a forth season episode where the two universes are merging disastrously at an apartment 6B fueled by the mistake of an elderly woman thinking she is seeing her lost husband's ghost and reaching out to him.