SUMMARY: In which a particular young bio-chemist attempts to persuade a particular young engineer to enter field work.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, I'd just like to say super sorry for the lack of updates recently! It's just been the weekend for me recently, and everything got super busy! I have several prompts which should be coming very shortly, so if you've sent me one, don't think that I've forgotten you! I'm just trying to play catch up and getting these requests done.
Sorry for anyone who doesn't ship FitzSimmons by the way, as this chapter is certainly a FitzSimmons one! Also, what do you guys want more of? Action scenes, fluffy scenes, future fics or backstory, or.. any genre, honestly (But keep it PG, guys)!
Anyway, enjoy this little one I whipped up. Light and friendly, not anything overly serious with a nice, happy ending. Do say if you enjoyed!
CHAPTER SEVEN: See the World
"Fitz.. I've been thinking.."
"Yeah?" Simmons turns to find Fitz looking at her intently, and she offers him a small smile in exchange. Strange as it is, she isn't nervous. She supposes that she should be, given what Fitz is like at times, but she's sure that he'll be up for the idea. They were - and always had been - FitzSimmons. One simple little proposal couldn't change that, right?
They're sitting together at one of the local parks. The day is bright, part of the reason why Simmons had dragged Fitz outside in the first place. Normally they would be in the lab preparing for their next brilliant project, but Simmons had felt that the day was too good to pass up. They ended up sitting on one of the large rocks, papers and various books lying around them.
"Ifyouwantedtoenterfieldwork," she rushes out suddenly, internally wincing as Fitz frowns, obviously trying to discern what she said. Simmons had been debating the idea for a while now. Their final year was ending, and they had to do something with their lives. She knew Fitz was perfectly happy with staying in a lab and perhaps even working his way up to a job at Stark Industries. But she simply couldn't do the same. There was some sort of need for her to get out there, to do something with her life. A relentless urge to help others. Simmons would never be able to do that in a plain, old, non-mobile lab.
"You mean... together?" Simmons is starting to get doubts about ever asking him, her heart sinking at his confused expression.
"Yes," she nods eagerly. She notices that he's only half paying attention, the other half intently studying a paper of some sort of model. She leans over and promptly snatches it from him, much to his protest. "Please, Fitz?"
"Field work?" For a resident genius, Fitz is taking an awfully long time to absorb the idea.
"Yes, Fitz. In a mobile lab somewhere. We could enter as a pair, don't you think? FitzSimmons, geniuses and qualified in field expertise. It would be for a good cause. Helping people, gaining experience. You could finally get some recognition!" She nudges him excitedly, feeling her lips tilt into a smile without quite meaning to.
"You're the one who wants to be recognised, not me," Fitz mumbles, and Simmons gives him an apologetic look.
"Oh, I'm sorry Fitz. But you know this is a big opportunity for me! For us."
He attempts to get the paper back, but Simmons sets it behind her with a disapproving look at him.
"It'll be dangerous."
"You'll be fine, Fitz," she reassures, trying desperately to get him to warm up to the idea. Field work is the perfect position for her, she just knows it. But she knows it won't be the same without her other half.
"It's not me I'm worried about," Fitz mutters, "what if you get in danger?"
"Oh, Fitz," Simmons smiles at him, feeling thoroughly touched. For his somewhat grouchy exterior, Fitz was rather sweet. "This is why we'll go together, right?"
"We'd be fools to go into field work," Fitz says obstinately, and Simmons feels a stab of annoyance. Field work was for brave, brave people who risked their lives to help others. Something Simmons aspired to be like, unlike Fitz who ,despite all his potential, was perfectly content being in a small, secluded lab.
"We'd be fools to pass this one up! It would be the perfect opportunity for us to see the world," she retorts irritably.
"What's wrong with being safe in a lab?" Fitz replies - and oh no, now he's getting riled up. She should stop, but she can't stop herself. Can't he understand that this is her goal? Her ultimate aspiration? To help others, to see the world? "Is it too simple for the likes of you?"
"No.." Simmons shakes her head quickly at him. "No, Fitz, I would never. It's just.."
"I understand," Fitz says, his voice rising louder with every word, until he's practically shouting at her. Other park-goers are staring, but that's not the matter. Simmons dully notices that his accent becomes stronger when he's emotional. "You want to see the world, to do better things. Leave poor Fitz's ideas and dreams behind."
They're both on their feet now, breathing heavily, and oh, Simmons has never even considered his own hopes. She immediately feels selfish, and reaches out a hand to him. Fitz backs away from her, shaking his head.
"No, it's okay, Simmons. Why don't you just leave poor Fitzy to deal with his own problems."
"Maybe- maybe I will," she shouts suddenly.
"Maybe you will!" Fitz promptly gathers up his things and leaves.
Simmons thinks she's to angry to cry, but she curls up and sobs in a park, alone.
...
The next day is different. Simmons uses make-up to cover up her red-rimmed eyes, but that morning, staring into the mirror at her forlorn expression, Jemma Simmons decides that she will go into the field. Not for her pride, but to help all those people. Can't Fitz understand? All she wants to do is help. That's all she's ever wanted to do, even when she was still in her primary school days. Simmons isn't good at handling situations head on, but she excels at preparation. And she's planned her life out perfectly in front of her. Until now, Fitz had always been a part of that plan.
She sees Fitz that day, of course. It's physically impossible to avoid him when they share classes and are paired together for almost everything. Simmons thinks the professors did it on purpose. Even they had known FitzSimmons were going to take on the world together.
Maybe not so much.
They don't speak - or at least, not properly. Only strictly work related things, or bland requests to move aside, or pass the desired object. Simmons misses it. She wants to apologise, but something stops her. Field work is her dream. She can't - she won't give it up for the world. And Fitz is most certainly at least half of her world.
She sees a sign broadcasting for field assessments in approximately one week, and Jemma Simmons does something she doesn't think she's ever done before. She visits the gym.
...
It's four days before the big assessment, and Simmons is returning from her second evening at the gym. A few hours of using the treadmill and light jogging tell her just how out of shape she is.
She's making her way back to her dorm when she sees a familiar figure staring at her in curiosity.
"Where were you?" It's the first proper thing he's said to her in days, and she almost laughs at his words. She realises that on a normal day, this was the time they would have been working in the lab. In fact, she notices the familiar way his hair is ruffled after he uses safety goggles, and the tool sticking from his trouser pocket. Fresh from the lab, she guesses. Fitz hasn't broken the routine.
"The gym," she says after a pause. His expression widens in obvious surprise. She can't blame him. Normal Simmons would never have dreamed of visiting the gym.
"You said that it was too sweaty and smelly for your taste," Fitz points out, his tone strangely thick.
Simmons gives him an apologetic smile. "There comes a day when things change, Fitz. I want to reach for my dreams, do what I love. Don't you?" She doesn't quite catch his conflicted look as she politely swerves around him.
...
The day has come for the test. Simmons is nervous. She knows it's not exactly mandatory to pass, but she knows it gives her an increased chance. Extra recommendation certainly doesn't hurt, especially when it comes to SHIELD standards.
They're made to outside in the hall while possible recruits are tested. There's not many. Like Fitz said, not many geniuses are prepared to leap into the face of danger. It goes from the oldest to youngest, so of course Simmons is last. The already small group of people dwindles down until it's just Simmons, waiting anxiously outside.
While she's completely sure that this is the right choice, she's regretful. How can she ever leave Fitz? They'd only stopped talking for a few days, and Simmons was missing him unlike anything else. Perhaps she'd become too attached. That had always been her fatal flaw. She got too attached. Once ended up falling hard for a boyfriend who had proceeded to brush her off. She'd already become too attached to him, and so her world had crashed around her. It was happening again, except this time Simmons is sure losing Firz is worse than any boyfriend.
Simmons sees the last person exit, and the judges tell her they need five minutes to prepare. She's about to head in when she sees a very, very familiar mop of brown hair and a Scottish lilt calls to her.
"Fitz? Oh, I can't talk now, I have-"
"Hey." He grabs her arm, and she looks up to see him smiling shyly at her. "Wait. I... uh, I changed my mind."
"What?"
"There's no one else I'd rather travel the world with."
...
"Miss Simmons," the judges drone listlessly, barely glancing up from the table.
"FitzSimmons, actually."
One of the judges - a slightly older woman with dark hair - looks up and smiles wryly at that. "Do your worst, FitzSimmons."
They failed the assessment, of course. Simmons knows she could have passed if she had gone in solo, but honestly?
She wouldn't have it any other way.