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"Third time's the charm," he says, loading the latest version of the anti-serum into his delivery mechanism like it's nothing. She moves to take it from him, but he stops her with a smile.
"May I do the honors?"
She's so full of hope and dread that she just nods at him, stupefied. It's like there's still glass between them, like she's watching him from a distance, and she's too afraid to move.
Fitz is as calm as the ocean, and she's not sure how it's even possible, but she knows that it's the only thing holding her together. He picks up the third rat and administers the anti-serum. She should be startled by the sudden burst of electricity, but she's too numb.
"I can't breathe," says Skye.
For a moment, she's so sure that the rat will pulse and float that she starts preparing her goodbye speech. But then it doesn't.
"We did it," she whispers.
Fitz turns to her, and she's never seen him smile like that. She's just about to tease him when his face glows blue, and the rat floats, after all.
"No," he whispers, and he leans over the rat like he can divine the answer to the problem just by looking at it, and somehow, the numbness melts into rage.
"I can't believe you thought it would work!"
Fitz turns to her, distracted. "Huh?"
"Your device, of course! You were so insistent, and you always are." Her breathing is heavy, and she knows it's madness, but she can't stop it. "Of course, you can never be wrong. You know everything, don't you? What to name the night-night gun, how to cure the virus—"
"Jemma."
She stops for a moment, because she can't remember the last time he called her by her first name. Is this the first time? They stand there for a moment, staring at each other, until she realizes why he did it, and the anger boils over.
"But of course, you don't know anything, do you? You thought we'd hate going into the field, but I know you love it. You're just to afraid to admit it! You love being here!"
"I'm not afraid."
"Oh, come on, Fitz." She takes in a shaky breath and wonders why his words are so soft. "I can see it. You know we're out of time, and you're going to lose me, and you're too afraid to do anything about it."
She wants him to yell at her, to tell her that it's her fault, that she failed, but instead he rushes forward and presses his lips to hers. When he steps back, he's as shocked as she is.
"Fitz, what did you do?"
He stares at her, gaping.
"I don't know."
"Me neither."
And she doesn't know what she's doing, either, because she closes the distance between them with one hand on his chest and the other on the back of his neck, and she kisses him back.
His lips are chapped, and she can taste the salt of his tears, but she keeps kissing him, and when he puts his hand on her waist and draws her closer, she's amazed at how good it feels. Has she always wanted this?
It's ridiculous, because he's her very best friend, and they've never even talked about this before, but he's kissing her, and it's filling a void that she didn't realize she had.
This will be the last thing she ever does, and she's grateful for it.
"I'm not afraid," he says, drawing back to swipe a thumb over the apple of her cheek. "I just, I can't—"
She stops him with a third kiss, this one with a heat she is only starting to discover. He's been by her side this whole time, but she needs him to be more, and somehow she has to fit it all within the few minutes she has left.
Her hands comb through his hair and cup his cheek, and she is content to keep kissing him forever when he stops cold, and she pulls back to look at him.
"Hey," he says, pointing towards the rats, "it worked! The pulse just knocked the rat unconscious."
She looks at where he's pointing, and sure enough, the rat is back on solid ground and miraculously alive. Fitz turns back to cup her face in his hands and kiss her again.
"We did it," he says.
She starts to smile back at him when she hears a "Whoa," from the other side of the glass, and they both turn to see Skye, Coulson, and Ward staring at them.
"I mean," continues Skye, "I knew that would happen eventually, but I had no idea—"
Jemma and Fitz spring apart, and she knows his face must be as hot as hers, but she can't bear to move her gaze from the floor.
"Well," says Coulson, "go take care of yourself, Agent Simmons. I'll go tell HQ."
He starts to leave and motions for Ward and Skye to come with him. When they're finally alone, there is a full minute of agonizing silence before Fitz retrieves the device, loads it with a second dose of the anti-serum, and administers it. After the shock zips through her system, they stare at each other, breathless.
"S-so," stammers Fitz, "we're not—we don't have to be—I mean you don't have to, of course. We just, you know, it was a—I understand if—"
Jemma is almost relieved when a blue light flashes, and everything goes black.