Work Text:
Jemma frowned, checking her email again as if that would change the new message sitting in her inbox. Everything was going wrong today. First the samples that had somehow gotten contaminated, causing her to miss her deadline, then the strap on her purse breaking, and now this email saying there had been a mix-up with the accommodations she had booked. And on top of that, there was snow in the forecast. In October!
She bit her lip, glancing towards where Fitz was working. He seemed unaware of her irritation today and she’d like to keep it that way as long as possible. Just another hour and they would officially begin their fall tradition of taking a long weekend to go out of town to enjoy the fall colors. It had started their first year out of the Academy as a chance to escape some of the pressures of the lab and they had enjoyed it so much it had stuck. In all that time they had always stayed in the same suite at the cutest bed and breakfast. She was certain Fitz enjoyed the comforts of home over a chain hotel as much as she did, but the email she had just received from the owner would not make him happy at all. Their usual room, with two bedrooms and a shared bath, was unavailable and the room they had been given instead had one — very large — bed.
She wasn’t sure how Fitz would take it if she told him now, and after the day she was having, or the whole week actually, she really needed this trip. It would almost certainly be much easier to tell him when they were both more relaxed. Their bags were in the car and nothing else could go wrong now.
She sighed and minimized the screen, forcing herself to focus on the analysis she could do on the samples that hadn’t been contaminated.
“Alright, Simmons?”
“Yes, of course,” she squeaked. “Why wouldn’t I be alright?”
He raised his eyebrows and she made a point to regulate her breathing. Keeping things from him was so hard.
“You keep sighing.”
“I’m just — just ready to leave.”
“Yeah? I just need to finish up and we can knock off a little early if you want.”
“That sounds lovely. There really isn’t much more I can do here.”
He smiled at her and she felt a little twinge in her stomach. She should tell him. She knew she should. Purposely sharing a bed wasn’t really something they did. Though now that she thought about it, having him close by would certainly help keep her warm. It was never quite warm enough once the crisp fall weather set in. But he turned back to his work and the moment passed.
Oh, well. There would be time later.
The drive was pleasant, as it always was. The further they drove from the city, the more relaxed she felt. It wasn’t just her brain decompressing, but all the tension draining from her muscles as well. She split her attention between the gorgeous view out the passenger side window, with the splash of red, orange, and yellow leaves, with the view to her left. Fitz was, by far, the more distracting of the two. Over the past few months it had become more obvious to her that her feelings toward her best friend weren’t exactly platonic. Or, weren’t just platonic. She wouldn’t let anything come between them, not even her feelings. It wasn’t like he’d given her any sign that he saw her as anything more than a friend.
Fitz glanced her way with a quizzical look.
“What is it?” Jemma felt a little uncomfortable, like maybe he knew what she was thinking. But that was ridiculous.
“I can feel you looking at me.”
“Fitz!” She laughed and turned back to look out the window. “I’m just happy we are doing this.”
“Me too,” he agreed, reaching over to squeeze her knee. It was an innocent gesture, something she had done to him countless times before. But when he did it, it sent a little stab of heat right to her core.
“Oh! There it is. Just ahead. Are you ready for lunch?”
“I’m always ready for lunch.” Fitz turned on the blinker and eased his way onto the exit ramp towards their favorite scenic overlook, complete with picnic tables that allowed visitors to take in the view.
Once they were stopped, Jemma grabbed the food from the backseat of the car. “Made your favorite sandwiches.”
“You did? You’re the best! That’s why I love you.”
Jemma swallowed thickly. He didn’t mean it. He didn’t mean it. He didn’t mean it.
But as she spun around he was right there and she lost her balance as she swayed towards him. Fitz’s hands gripped her waist, though the sensation was dulled by layers of clothing, and for a second she thought he would kiss her. Her eyes drifted towards his lips. She’d never noticed how soft they looked before.
“Alright there, Simmons? You aren’t getting sick are you?” He tugged at the zipper of her coat before taking a step back.
“Oh, no, I’m fine.” Feeling horribly embarrassed, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and walked determinedly towards a picnic table. If she couldn’t keep her hormones under control she was going to ruin this whole weekend.
She unpacked the food with Fitz’s help and they settled down side by side, luckily too distracted by their meal to talk much. Jemma could see the confused looks he kept giving her and decided it was just smarter to ignore them.
“It’s magnificent, isn’t it?”
“Hmmm?” She really should have been paying more attention instead of thinking about how handsome he looked today.
“This view. We spend so much time in the lab that I sometimes forget it’s all for a reason.”
Jemma let her eyes slide across the landscape — the rolling hills dotted with bursts of color. Even with snow on the way, somehow the beauty of nature persisted. And then her eyes landed on Fitz again.
“It’s just the chlorophyll breaking down —“
“Don’t ruin it, Simmons.”
She smiled and they finished eating in silence.
By the time they reached the bed and breakfast the sky was already dark. The drive had been lovely and quite relaxing, even if she felt hyper aware of Fitz’s presence beside her. She had even forgotten about the problem with their room.
“Oh, there you are!” The kind voice of the owner called to them as they brought in their bags. “I was afraid you weren’t going to make it, with the mix-up and all.”
“Mix-up?” Fitz asked.
“I’ll explain later.”
“I left you a bottle of champagne in your room as an apology.”
She showed them up the stairs to their room and when Jemma shut the door behind her, it was to find Fitz frozen in the center of the room. This room was larger than the one they usually stayed in, with a large four poster bed, a fireplace, and plush carpet. It really did look like the kind of room you would get for a romantic getaway.
For some reason it had taken her to this exact second to realize it looked like she had done this on purpose. Face flushed she turned to Fitz.
“There is only one bed.” His voice was flat and it made her feel even worse.
“Yes, well, apparently there was a mix-up with the reservations and this was all that was available.” She twisted her fingers together. This really was an uncomfortable situation for them. It wasn’t like they were accustomed to sleeping in the same bed.
“If we are going to get up and go hiking in the morning I guess we should get to bed — to sleep, I mean.” He sounded more resigned than upset, so she let it go.
Jemma nodded as Fitz headed into the bathroom. When he finished, she prepared for bed without a word. Coming out of the bathroom, she saw the lights were out and Fitz was tucked on the far side of the bed, pretending to be asleep. She slipped under the covers of the other side and tried to be as still as possible. But she couldn’t sleep. Her mind was processing his presence beside her, how awkward this was, and how cold she was.
Finally, Fitz rolled onto his back and sighed.
“Simmons?”
“Yeah?”
“This is really awkward. I feel like I should be able to sleep next to you without it being weird.” He turned on his side to face her and it felt like he could see right into her soul. “I mean, we’ve done it before.”
Jemma swallowed. “It’s me.”
She had dreaded this all day. But for some reason the dark made it much easier.
“What?”
He fumbled for the light and she reached out to stop him. Touching his hand in the dark room, while they were in bed together, felt very intimate. As did the fact that she knew he always slept in boxers and a t-shirt.
“It’s me. I’m making it weird. I think I haveacrushonyou.” She forced the words out quickly, like ripping off a bandaid, hoping it would be easier.
“What?” he asked again.
“A crush. On you.” She squeezed her eyes closed. On reflection, this was just terrible timing. They were hours from home and they were currently sharing a room for the weekend. After she finished ruining their friendship they’d still be stuck together, for at least as long as the ride home.
“On me? Are you sure?”
Jemma let out an irritated snort and rolled her eyes.
“I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.” She started to get out of bed, but before she could do more than roll over, Fitz’s arms were around her and he slowly turned her back to face him.
Their lips were centimeters apart and his breath was warm on her face.
“I think I have a crush on you too.”
And then they were kissing and it was the most wonderful thing she had ever felt. She tangled her fingers in his hair and shifted her body so she could get even closer to him.
Maybe she had really great timing after all.
Jemma woke slowly, feeling extremely warm and happy. She would normally get up right away and get a cup of tea before starting her day, but it felt too good to just lay there in Fitz’s arms. She turned towards him, surprised to see he was already awake and giving her a shy smile.
“Good morning.”
“Morning, Jemma. I’m not sure we’ll be able to go hiking today.” He looked out the window and Jemma followed his gaze. Large snowflakes were falling slowly, adding to the blanket of white that already covered the ground and the trees. So much for the fall colors.
“I think you might be right, but I’m sure we’ll be able to think of something to do while we’re stuck inside today. You are very...inventive.”
Jemma nibbled on his earlobe while he processed her words, and then she let out a shriek when he covered her body with his and kissed his way down her neck.
He wasn’t just inventive, he was also a very quick learner. She had never been so excited to be snowed in in October. Because who cared about the fall colors. They had something magnificent right here.