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"Isn't this so much rubbish?"
Fitz looked away from possibly the largest balloon he'd ever seen. Candy and a stuffed gorilla sat inside its heart shaped interior with 'Love Monkey' printed on the outside in bright, gold letters.
"Obviously, Simmons, gorillas aren't even monkeys. It's embarrassing."
"Whatever are you talking about, Fitz? I'm talking about all of this Valentine's nonsense. It's not even romantic, it's commercialism."
She had a point, but Fitz didn't see what was so wrong about getting to eat buckets of chocolate one day a year without being judged for it.
"Oh, yeah, rubbish, definitely."
Except that, it wasn't rubbish, not really.
Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, or Fitzsimmons as their professors and classmates called them, had been friends and lab partners for about a year now. After a bit of a rocky start, they had finally found their stride during their first project. They were all but inseparable these days, and currently on the search for mangoes.
Fitz shifted the basket in his hand and followed Jemma past the bright, pink Valentine's display and into the produce department of the local market.
He watched her lift a couple of avocados, gripping them in her hand and lifting them to her nose to smell them.
"Do you even know what you're doing? How would you know a ripe avocado from an unripe avocado?"
Jemma rolled her eyes and sent him a pitying look, "It's common knowledge, Fitz."
"I thought we were here for mangoes."
"We are, Fitz, but we might as well get anything else we need while we're here, or do you not want any of my guacamole?"
Fitz kept quiet after that, following her down aisle after aisle, at one point exchanging the basket for a trolley. He was at her dorm more often than his own, so he really couldn't complain about the extra groceries.
They worked their way back towards the front, heading for the check lanes and the garish display once again in front of them.
"So, Simmons, are you against Valentine's Day as a whole, or just the pre-packaged parts of it?"
"Not as a whole. I just don't think the best way to show love is through overpriced chocolates. It's just very clinical, if you ask me. There's no real thought behind it. You just stop at a store, pick up a random heart-shaped box-"
"-or balloon."
"-or balloon filled with chocolate or candy or whatever, take it to your significant other, and consider your job done. Requirement fulfilled."
Fitz opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it and followed Jemma to the register, brooding all the while. If Jemma noticed, she was polite enough, and knew him well enough at this point, to ignore him, chattering happily with the cashier.
Jemma watched Fitz munching quietly on tortilla chips, a rather large bowl of guacamole in front of him. He'd been quiet since leaving the store, and for the past thirty minutes, he'd been perched on a stool at the breakfast bar in her dorm room, watching her make the guacamole.
"Fitz, is everything all right?"
"Yeah, fine. Why?"
Jemma walked around the counter and took the stool beside him, "You've been quieter than usual, that's all."
Jemma leaned over to grab a chip, placing her hand on Fitz's arm for balance. She watched his eyes widen, his gaze fixed where her hand rested. He lowered his eyes, his eyelashes nearly brushing the tops of his cheeks. She envied those lashes, but Fitz's eyes were so pretty, she couldn't in all honesty begrudge them.
Jemma leaned back, crunching down on her chip, but left her hand where it was. Fitz's fingers curled into a fist, and she could feel the tendons in his forearm flexing, which was quite...thrilling, actually.
Jemma wasn't quite sure when, but sometime in the past few months she had started noticing things about Fitz; his rather pretty blue eyes and those sinfully long lashes, how elegant his hands were...he was incredibly handsome. However, it was the way they interacted, mind to mind, that she loved the most. Growing up it had been nearly impossible to find someone she could talk to on an equal level, intellectually. It wasn't until she'd been accepted to university after completing grade school early, that she'd really been able to exercise her not so little intelligence. Even with that experience, Fitz was still the first person who had been able to keep up with her. To be fair, it was just as challenging keeping up with him. It was all she could've asked for when joining the Academy, but she was certain now that she wanted more.
It was time to find out if Fitz wanted the same.
"I've checked the calendar and the lab is available all night Friday. I signed us up for seven through midnight, but I'm sure they won't mind if we need to stay later."
"But, Simmons, Friday is Valentine's Day. Don't you have...plans?"
"Oh, is it? The only plans I have for Friday are working in the lab with you, unless you have plans. Do you?"
"No. No plans."
Jemma hopped up and walked to the small fridge, hiding a smug smile. She cleared her expression before turning back around, two cans of Coke in her hands.
"My apologies, Fitz, I didn't realize the date. If you'd like, I guess I could reschedule for another day...?"
"No, no need. Friday is good."
Jemma smiled and followed Fitz to settle in on the couch. It's a date.
It took some maneuvering, and calling in a couple favors, but Fitz managed to get the materials he needed and the time in the lab, alone, with Jemma none the wiser. He finished the clasp and set down the pliers, leaning back and stretching his back. A glance at his watch had him breathing a sigh of relief. He still had an hour until Jemma would be here at the lab.
He picked up the necklace and examined it once more under the magnifying glass. It was small and delicate, a silver rose on a gold stem. He supposed he could've bought a chain to go with it, but not one for half measures, he'd been here all afternoon making it himself. He'd be damned if Jemma would call this clinical.
Frankly, he didn't know what she'd call it.
He could play it off as a creative tangent, or an exercise in micro engineering, but she was too intelligent to fall for that. The fact was, Fitz had made Jemma a necklace for Valentine's Day, and that wasn't something that could be brushed off as a friendly gesture.
Fitz rubbed his suddenly sweaty palms on the thighs of his pants and stood up, cleaning up his workspace and dropping the necklace into the pocket of his cardigan; time to go put the rest of the plan into action.
Just as Fitz was turning the corner, out of sight of the lab, Jemma was bustling up to the doors, her arms weighed down with a balloon, flowers, and a picnic basket.
She dumped everything on their worktable and set about getting everything ready for tonight. She couldn't predict tonight's outcome, but she excelled at preparation.
She pulled a vase from the basket and arranged the pale pink roses and baby's breath until it looked cohesive yet organic. Step one: check.
Grabbing a black marker from the basket, she pulled the balloon down and in large block letters wrote 'APE' over the word 'monkey'. Step two: check.
In a bowl, she poured a collection of conversation hearts. It had taken five bags before she felt she had a decent ratio of 'Be Mine' versus 'Let's Kiss' culled out. Step three: check.
The rest of the basket was a simple meal of two sandwiches: prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella with just a hint of her homemade pesto aioli, Fitz's favorite. Step four: check.
Step five, well, that all depended on Fitz.
Fitz stood for a moment outside the lab doors, more nervous than he'd ever been in his life. Jemma's necklace was still in his pocket, although he'd exchanged the cardigan for the sweater Jemma had gotten him this past Christmas. It was blue, to "match his eyes" according to his mum, although Jemma had never said as much. She was far more fashionable than he was at any rate, so he'd trust her instincts.
Fitz sighed heavily and squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Jemma Simmons, his lab partner, best friend, and quite possibly the love of his life, was waiting just beyond these doors and he was standing outside like a bloody idiot contemplating his wardrobe choices.
Without giving himself any more time to think about it, Fitz stepped forward and pushed open the door.
It took his eyes a moment to adjust. He had expected the bright lights of the lab, but the flickering of soft candlelight greeted him instead.
A collection of tiny tea lights were spread out on various worktables, adding a warm, yellow glow to the shiny surfaces. On he and Jemma's work space sat a vase of flowers, roses again, and there, floating above it all, was the balloon from the super market, only it now read 'Love APE'.
His breath caught in his throat as Jemma stepped forward, "Hi, Fitz."
Her hair was down and curling around her face and her smile was wide, brilliant, and beautiful.
"Simmons..."
Jemma took a deep breath. Fitz was wearing the sweater she gave him, the sweater she just had to get him because it matched his eyes. Those eyes were currently wide, more than a little surprised, and staring so intensely into hers she felt a flood of color staining her cheeks.
"Happy Valentine's Day."
Fitz stepped closer, the candlelight shining off of his hair, turning him golden.
"Jemma, I- I thought you hated Valentine's Day."
"Well, I may have exaggerated just a bit. I enjoy it quite a lot, but only if I'm with the right person."
Fitz stepped closer still, close enough to reach out and touch her, close enough to see the nerves showing in her eyes and her clasped hands.
"Me?"
"Of course, Fitz, who else?"
"It's just that, you've never said anything."
Jemma gathered her courage and held out her hand. Resting in her palm was a pale blue heart with the words 'Be Mine' stamped on it, "I'm saying it now."
Jemma watched as a smile slowly formed, Fitz's eyes brightening like stars.
"Hold out your other hand."
Jemma was confused but did as he asked. He brought his hand out of his pocket and held it over her empty palm, releasing his hold and letting a delicate silver chain fall into her hand. Jemma gasped as the pendant tumbled to a stop on top, the silver rose twinkling in the candlelight.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Jemma. Um, yes, by the way."
Jemma looked up, "Yes?"
Fitz plucked the candy heart out of her palm and turned it to face her, "Yes."
Jemma laughed and flung her arms around Fitz's neck, hugging him close.
"Oh, Fitz."
He had barely gotten his arms around her when she was stepping back, turning and giving him her back, "Put this on for me?"
Fitz took the necklace and clasped it, carefully pulling her hair out of the way so the chain rested against the neck.
"Fitz, it's absolutely beautiful, I love it. Where ever did you get it?"
"I made it."
Jemma stared at him, completely shocked, "Made it? You made me a necklace, with your own hands, for Valentine's Day. I should've bought more balloons."
"No, that balloon is perfect."
They stood awkwardly for a moment, both aware that something fundamental had changed between them, but both sorely lacking the experience to know what to do about it just yet.
"Oh! Are you hungry? I made your favorite sandwich."
"Prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella with you homemade pesto aioli?"
"Just a hint."
Fitz stepped over to the table and noticed the bowl of conversation hearts. He was about to reach in and grab a few when he noticed something peculiar. Picking one up, he turned to her, "Jemma? I don't know where you got your candy, but there's only two different ones in this bag"
Jemma looked down. Fitz was holding an orange heart with 'Let's kiss' stamped on one side and facing her.
"Yes."
"Jemma, what-"
Fitz couldn't finish his sentence because suddenly Jemma's hands were sliding into his hair and her lips were on his. His eyes closed, he was hardly aware of the delicate slide of Jemma's fingers along his cheek, focused instead on how incredibly soft her lips were.
Their lips parted and Jemma let her forehead rest on his own. Shifting back slightly and opening her eyes, she stared wonderingly at him. Step five: check.