Work Text:
Something had changed. Jemma couldn’t quite put her finger on when it happened, he thinks it was after he jumped out of the plane after her, (she knows it started before then).
They keep it a secret, wanting to make sure what they have is real before letting anyone else in on their little bubble of happiness, (cause once you let other people in, there’s a greater chance of disaster).
So they continue to act as they always have, occasionally flirtatious, but nothing overt. When they’re on the bus, their walls lower, and they sneak glances when they think no one’s looking (Coulson and May notice, but Skye and Fitz stay blissfully ignorant).
I don’t tell anyone about the way you hold my hand
I don’t tell anyone about the things we have planned
When they’re in the field it’s all business, Ward is more than cautious about letting anyone outside of the team see his weakness (cause once he realizes that she is his weakness, he knows it’ll paint a target on her back if anyone else figures that out).
In the field Jemma is the utmost professional, always following orders to the letter, no matter how her heart longs to run to Grant at the first sign of danger, (she knows he’d be distracted trying to protect her, and she can’t bare the thought of being the reason he falls).
I won’t tell anybody, won’t tell anybody
They want to push me down, they want to see you fall
When they’re alone Jemma stares at Grant as if he could do no wrong, (the look unnerves him in the beginning, because they both know, he’s done plenty wrong, but that look makes him want to be the man she thinks he is).
Ward will never admit it to anyone, but the sound of Jemma imitating him is quite possibly the cutest thing he’s ever heard, (which is why he’s never really as annoyed with her impersonations as he pretends to be).
I won’t tell anybody that you turn the world around
I won’t tell anyone that your voice is my favorite sound
One year has passed since their rag-tag team was assembled, Jemma and Grant have been ‘together’ for nearly 9 months (they still haven’t defined what it is they are, once a label is made, it’s easier to break). But what they don't realize is that they've settled into quite the domestic little routine while they're inbetween missions, (they're both rather adept in the kitchen and they're the official team chefs).
They don't realize how comfortable and how much they act like an old married couple, but their senior officers do, (Coulson and May secretly laugh when Grant and Jemma play parent to Skye and Fitz who have the tendency to act like toddlers).
I won’t tell anybody, won’t tell anybody
They want to see us fall, they want to see us fall down
They’re both falling, falling into something potentially much more dangerous and painful than out of a plane, (they’re falling in love and it thrills and terrifies them both).
Jemma is more accepting of the feeling, for she’s always been more in touch with her emotions than Grant, (she wears her heart on her sleeve and she has the added assurance of knowing that Grant will catch her no matter what).
I don’t need a parachute baby if I’ve got you
Baby if I’ve got you, I don’t need a parachute
You’re gonna catch me, you’re gonna catch me, if I fall
For Ward, it’s a little harder to accept, and he actually gets mad at himself for letting it get this far (although if he’s honest with himself, he passed the point of no return the moment he realized she was going to sacrifice herself for the sake of the team). The realization of just how deep his feelings run for the biochemist throw the stoic man for a loop and he becomes distant (it’s so bad that even the previously ignorant Skye and Fitz comment on his behavior towards Jemma).
Jemma lets him throw his little tantrum, knowing he needs a little time to come to terms with his feelings (she’s well aware he’s not the most emotionally healthy person, but he is getting better).
Two weeks go by and she’s had enough, she sneaks into his bunk in the middle of the night and tell him in her most posh voice to stop being an idiot and accept the fact that he’s in love with her, (cause she’s hopelessly in love with him too).
Don’t believe the things you tell yourself so late at night
You are your own worst enemy, you’ll never win the fight
Just hold on to me, I’ll hold on to you
It’s you and me up against the world, it’s you and me
Ward hasn’t believed in many things in his relatively short time on the planet, (cause let’s face it, fate hasn’t dealt him the nicest of hands). So when Jemma takes his face in her small and soft hands and tells him “It’s you and me against the world.” he believes her, (because while he doesn’t believe in much, he believes in her, wholeheartedly).
Once Jemma’s satisfied her message has been received, she pulls him into her arms with more strength than he thought her capable and kisses him soundly, (and while they’ve kissed many many time before, there’s something different about this one, something that promises forever).
They make love that night, and it’s more powerful than either of them ever thought the action could be, (and as they lay there, reveling in the afterglow, they know the other will always be around to catch them).
I don’t believe anything, don’t trust anyone but me
But I believe you when you say we’re never gonna fall
Hand behind my neck, arm around my waist
You’ll never let me hit the ground, you’ll never let me crash
Another year goes by, but now everyone knows that Jemma and Grant are an item, the vintage Tiffany’s ring on her left hand, and the way they light up in one another’s presence is a dead give away, (they’re done hiding, they’re engaged, bring on the labels they were so afraid of in the beginning, they’ll defy the odds).
I don’t need a parachute baby if I’ve got you
Baby if I’ve got you, I don’t need a parachute
You’re gonna catch me, you’re gonna catch me if I fall
Their wedding is an elegant, intimate yet rather anticipated affair, (after all, Tony Stark knows how to throw one hell of a party). Their first song as husband and wife, isn’t a slow sappy romantic ballad, it’s an upbeat song that leaves many in the room with raised eyebrows, including their team, (until the chorus comes up, and then they smile, knowing exactly why Parachute by Ingrid Michaelson was chosen).
Jemma giggles as Grant twirls her around the dance floor, (he’s surprisingly graceful). The chorus washes over them, and they don’t need to speak the words that are beating within their hearts, a promise of love and a life of happiness together, (you’ll never have to worry about falling, I’ll always be there to catch you, parachute or not).
I won’t fall out of love
I won’t fall out of love