Work Text:
Jemma Simmons came home to find the entire building covered with signs of Christmas cheer. Lights hung about the hallways, garlands wove their way around the stairwells, and the entire place smelled like cinnamon (she figured the clusters of pinecones in all of the corners were to blame). It was overall rather nice, but when she made it to her floor and looked around, she let out a long groan.
Over every doorway was a little wreath of green leaves and little white berries. Every doorway. Even the one to the stairs and over the elevator. Bundles of the same stuff hung from little strings on the ceiling in some kind of pattern, filling the hall. And considering the fact that her best friend- no more than that, even though his lips are really nice and I wonder what it’d be like kissing them- and neighbor lived next door, things might get… sticky. Fast.
She had no idea how fast.
“Hey Jem!” came the voice as she frantically tried to unlock her door. Damn key- why did you get stuck now? NOW? “How are you? Didn’t see you at work today.”
“Hey!” she squeaked, spinning around and unconsciously pressing her back to her door, trying to put as much space between them as possible. “Yeah, no, busy, left a bit early to do a touch of Christmas shopping,” she said weakly, half-raising the festive bag in her hand.
“Landlord really went nuts with the mistletoe, didn’t she?” he remarked, casually glancing up.
“Fitz,” she squeaked, feeling a little breathless with nerves because he was standing right there, “um, do you remember what mistletoe’s for?” His brow furrowed.
“’Course. I just thought you might like a little warning before I- um…” There was a pause as he flushed bright red. Then, in a sudden motion, as if he was trying to make sure he didn’t second-think it, leaned forward and softly kissed her. The bag in her hand dropped to the floor and his lips left again, almost as fast as they had come. As he pulled back, even more red, Jemma just sort of stood there gaping, eyes a little wide, trying to process what had just happened. For a minute they just look at each other. Then worry breaks over Leo’s face and he starts to babble.
“OhmygodI’msosorrythatwasanawfulideaIdon’tknowwhyIdidthatpleaseforgiveme-” And then she smiles and his voice breaks off mid-sentence.
So she uses her toes to get up to his level and press her lips against his.
It’s warm and slow and soft and the feeling of his mouth pressed against hers is indescribable. He hands move up to his chest and ball themselves in his shirt. His move to her cup her waist, drawing her closer to him, but after the first few seconds, one moves to thread itself in her hair instead. He runs his teeth over her bottom lip and she lets out a little sound, something between a sigh and a squeak that makes him smile into the kiss. And then, when she’s completely oblivious to everything but Leo, he pulls back suddenly and takes a very fast, very rigid step back. Jemma’s eyes flash open and a word of protest makes it half out of her mouth before he interrupts.
“Jemma, we have a visitor.”
Melinda May, the floor’s resident badass (everyone thinks she’s either a mercenary or works for a secret government agency) is staring at them with her usual flat face from just outside the elevator. Jemma swallowed slightly, blanching at the sight and praying that May didn’t make any judgments. Usually, she was unexpectedly maternal- bringing over cookies on the anniversary of Fitz’s dad’s death, helping Jemma clean after an explosion in her kitchen, inviting Skye to spend holidays with her and her husband in place of her abusive, awful family- and incredibly protective- she’d held Grant Ward at knifepoint until he agreed to pay for all of the damage done to Fitz’s car when he’d crashed into Fitz and Jemma, and police were still trying to figure out what’d happened to Miles after he and Skye had broken up- but right now, neither Fitz or Jemma knew what to expect. After a few more moments, she walked at a steady pace along the other side of the hall, breezing past the pair without even a glance.
“Just be good to each other and I won’t have to kill you,” she muttered as she passed, disappearing around the corner a half-second later. They didn’t move for a full ten before turning back to each other and speaking at once.
“Did May just say-”
“Oh my god, we got caught by the mama bear of the floor-”
“Fitz!”
“That’s what Skye calls her!”
“Oh my god.” A second later, they were laughing, tension breaking and a little bit of relief letting them breathe again.
“So do you want to come in?” she offered, picking up her bag again and turning the key in the lock. “I have eggnog in here.”
“Sure, but one more thing.” She turned around again, door open and puzzled look on her face. And then his hand cupped her cheek and he kissed her one more time, this time ending it properly and resting his forehead on hers as they caught their breath.
“I love you,” she breathed, smile playing across her lips.
“I love you too, Jems.”