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It was Coulson’s idea to head to the diner, but Jemma would have probably made the suggestion had he not. A hot meal seemed like the biggest luxury after everything they’d been through as a team, and even if they were being tracked down and would likely be taken into custody within a few hours at the most, a small escape like this sounded like the best thing for them at the moment.
The team was relatively quiet on the drive over with everyone still mulling over Daisy’s speech about Fitz, as well as exhaustion weighing heavily on their shoulders. Jemma sat between Fitz and Daisy in the back row of the van with Fitz noticeably leaning into the side of the vehicle. While Mack drove, Jemma could sense a friendly energy between him and Elena up front, which made her smile contently. She was happy to see them already healing after their time in the Framework, but a small part of her wished it could be that easy for her and Fitz. But she knew that wasn’t the case.
The look they shared a few minutes ago when they promised Fitz they were in this together as a team was all that consumed Jemma’s mind, and she hoped it meant there was still something between the two of them. But they had yet to share any words with each other since they departed, and she was getting antsy not knowing where they stood.
No matter how hard she tried to convince Fitz it wasn’t actually him doing all those…things in the Framework, she knew some part of him would never believe it. And she didn’t know what it was like to now have two sets of memories, to feel like she’d lived two separate lives as two different people. But she did know that what they shared in this world was real and that it mattered and still matters. So starting now, no matter where they were headed next, she planned to do everything in her power to convince him of that. It wasn’t the end of the road for her, so she hoped she could convince him to feel the same.
Before she could change her mind, she turned her head to the side and found him staring out the window nearly in a daze.
“Fitz?” she asked at a half whisper.
“Hmm?” he replied without looking her way.
She hesitated for a moment, still thinking over the idea as if it were this extraordinary request. But then she shook her head slightly and deemed herself ridiculous. It was simple, and even if he said no, it wasn’t the end of the world.
She leaned in a little to his side so she could speak even softer. “Can I hold your hand?”
He didn’t respond immediately, which didn’t surprise her. She knew he was still processing the last twenty-four hours or so, and she didn’t want to push him in any way that he wasn’t comfortable. But it still made her heart sink knowing the simple gesture of holding her hand required him to think before responding.
It used to be second nature between the two of them once the team was comfortably aware of their relationship. They weren’t too keen on public displays of affection, but handholding was almost sacred. Because it reminded them that the other person was there even if they were in the middle of a crisis. That even if it felt like the world was crumbling around them, and their end was likely near, they were okay for that moment.
Without even a glance from Fitz, Jemma was about to give up and turn her head to face forward. But a few moments later, he looked down from the window and uncrossed his arms from his chest before gently placing his arm against hers, his palm facing up. Jemma let out a soft sigh of relief before slowly intertwining their fingers.
Even though she had held his hand only hours ago when they had shared a painful moment together in the containment pod, silently telling him she would be by his side through this next step of their lives, this moment felt completely different. It felt familiar and effortless, and his warm hand complimented her cold one to reach a balance only the two of them could achieve. As she began to slowly move her thumb across his, he finally looked up to find her eyes. She didn’t know what to expect, but the sight of his content and even hopeful expression gave her some much-needed comfort. She knew he wasn’t okay, that they weren’t okay, but they were trying. And that was enough for now.
Once the van came to a stop outside the diner, Jemma let go of Fitz’s hand and hovered by the door waiting for him after she got out of the vehicle. She didn’t want to pressure him – she assumed he allowed them to hold hands due to the privacy of the dark back row of the van with only Daisy able to witness this small yet significant progression between the two of them. But once he got out himself and came to her side, it only took him a few seconds before he extended his hand out again for her to take. She smiled softly as she intertwined their fingers once again, and then led him forward as they followed the rest of the group into the diner.
With the bar empty, the team took their seats, Fitz picking the one on the far end next to Jemma. As he sat down heavily onto the bar stool, the waitress behind the counter moved forward with her notepad.
“Well, you look like you could use a pot of coffee,” she said, gesturing towards Fitz.
Jemma smiled sweetly at the woman and then at Fitz. She was happy to see him smiling as well, a particular light returning to his eyes.
After giving him a quick wink, she turned back to the waitress. “Two cups of tea would be lovely.”