Chapter Text
Fitz wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. He really wasn’t. But after months of trying to think of something interesting to say to the new biochemist — the brilliant biochemist with the most incredible smile he had ever seen — he thought he finally had something.
Jemma was talking to Daisy, the one helpful person in all of IT. And to be honest, he had tried flirting with Daisy when she first started at SHIELD Tech, but she had made it clear that he should keep his dating aspirations out of the IT department. So they had become friends instead. And Daisy was good friends with Jemma, so the three of them spent plenty of time together outside of work, with or without other friends or co-workers.
Fitz was sure he wanted to impress Jemma, to make sure she saw him as someone worthy of her interest. He just didn’t know how. Since she was a biochemist and he was an engineer, they didn’t work closely on projects. In fact, he most often saw her in the company of Milton. Her boyfriend.
Fitz wasn’t jealous. Not exactly. He didn’t try to fool himself into thinking he had a chance with her, and she was free to date whoever she wanted anyway. He just wanted to get to know her better. Preferably without Daisy standing next to her the whole time. And if Jemma felt compelled to break up with Milton and run away with him, that would be fine too.
“I’m sorry, Jemma. If I’d known —“
Daisy’s voice carried across the cafeteria and Fitz could hear her clearly even from his table partway across the room. He had started eating his lunch with his office mate, Jonathan, but luckily he was on his own now, having delayed his return to work on the off-chance he might catch Jemma alone.
Fitz continued to chew his sandwich slowly, listening without making it too obvious, as his mind worked quickly. He let his eyes slowly move to where Jemma and Daisy were huddled together. Maybe if he caught Jemma’s eye, or even Daisy’s, he could find a way to join their conversation.
“No, Daisy. It isn’t your fault.” Jemma sighed. “You were right. Moving in with Milton was a mistake.”
Milton.
Fitz’s stomach got that weird sort of feeling, just like that one time he felt brave enough to go on a rollercoaster.
Despite his best efforts at seeing Jemma strictly as a friend, he still didn’t want to think about her with that cabbage head. It really was true that eavesdroppers never heard anything good. Now all he wanted to do was finish his lunch and get back to work. This had just been another bad idea in the procession of bad ideas he’d had to get her attention. But he couldn’t escape the sound of her voice.
“...well, yes, that’s why I broke up with him. I just didn’t think he’d actually be such a jerk about it.” Jemma sighed loudly. “And now I’m basically homeless.”
“Don’t worry, Jemma,” Daisy said with a smile. “We’ll figure something out.”
It was then that Fitz realized Daisy was staring right at him with a smirk on her face.
“Oh, look,” she said, completely ignoring what must have been a look of pure panic on his face and pointing right at him. “Fitz is here. Maybe he can help.”
Hurriedly chewing the remains of his sandwich, Fitz tried to remain calm as Jemma and Daisy worked their way between the tables until they were right there, sliding into the empty chairs beside him.
“Hello Fitz,” Jemma said with the smile she seemed to save just for him. At least that’s what he would like to believe. It would mean that she saw something special in him just like he saw in her.
“Hi Jemma.” Their eyes met and for a second it felt like they were communicating without words.
Then there was the sound of a throat being cleared. The really loud, annoying sound of a throat being cleared.
“Hi Fitz,” Daisy simpered.
“Uh, h-hi Daisy,” Fitz stammered, wondering why she had to ruin his wonderful daydreams.
“So...Jemma needs a place to crash for awhile, and we were wondering if you had any ideas.”
Fitz’s mouth opened before his brain could catch up.
“She can stay with me!” The words spilled out in a rush and his neck got hot before he could even consciously process what had just happened.
Both women smiled at him, Jemma with a look he interpreted as grateful relief, and Daisy with something that made her look a little too pleased with herself for comfort.
“I mean, I have a huge couch. Er, a couch.” He turned to Jemma to try to block out Daisy and how much of a fool he must be making of himself being so overeager to help. “You can sleep on the couch if you want. Or I can kip out on the couch and you can take the bed.”
Well, that was just great. First he was bragging about the size of his couch and now he had managed to put the image of Jemma in his bed into his brain.
“Oh, Fitz! The couch is fine. More than fine. I really appreciate it.”
Her smile was blinding and he couldn’t help but smile back.
“Sure. ‘Course. I’m always happy to help out a friend.” He emphasized the word “friend” and shot a quick glance towards Daisy, who appeared completely uninterested in what he had to say. He knew, or suspected at least, that Daisy had an idea of the direction of his thoughts when it came to Jemma, but she’d certainly never been this obvious about it before.
God, he hoped this wasn’t some sort of prank. Get him to confess how he felt and then tell him it was all a joke. Now that he thought about it, he wouldn’t put it past Daisy to do something embarrassing like that. But not Jemma. Jemma was different.
And right now Jemma was looking at him like he hung the moon. So that was alright. He’d take whatever ribbing Daisy had in store for him as long as it meant he could spend some more time with Jemma.
“Just put it anywhere,” Fitz grunted, straining a bit under the weight of the boxes he insisted he could carry up three flights of stairs to his flat.
He really was a dear. Such a good friend. Jemma hadn’t spent as much time with him as Daisy had, and she was looking forward to the opportunity to get to know him better. She really liked everything she knew about him so far.
“Oh, Fitz, let me help you.” He looked like he was beginning to sway under the weight of the boxes, and it was really no surprise since one of the boxes held her notebooks full of lab notes and observations. She always kept a backup set at home. You could never be too careful.
She reached around the box to take some of the weight off of Fitz’s hands and their fingers brushed. It was just the lightest touch, but sent a frisson of awareness through her. She made a mental note to stop reading so many romance novels in her free time. It was affecting her inner monologue.
“Maybe if I take the box off the top?”
She let the question hang in the air, not sure what else to say. Their fingers were still touching and she didn’t want to move closer or further from him. His presence was very comforting and even from such a small connection she could feel his warmth.
“Ah...yeah. The box.”
Fitz shifted his hands to lower the box so she could grab the one on top and their connection was severed. Jemma shook her head to clear it as she took the box. It had been a really trying day, starting with loading her belongings into her car and vowing not to let Milton talk her into getting back together, and ending with moving in with Fitz.
No, not “moving in” with Fitz. Just staying in his flat for a few days while she got her affairs in order. And probably by then Daisy’s latest romance would have fizzled and Grant Ward would be out of her life -- and her flat. They were already spending more time keeping secrets from each other than working on their relationship. Jemma wouldn’t mind being roommates with Daisy again. Clearly neither of them were cut out for serious relationships at this point in their lives. Better to focus on work and friendships for now. There was plenty of time for the rest of it. No need to rush things.
Trailing behind Fitz, she took in his flat. It was sparse, but tasteful. She didn’t know what she expected, but it wasn’t quite this...homey. There were some drawings scattered on the table -- he obviously brought his work home with him, which was something they had in common -- but it was all neat and tidy. More than she could say for most of the other men she’d known.
She was about to compliment him on how nice his place was when she peeked around the corner and was faced with the biggest couch she had ever seen in her life. He had certainly not exaggerated about the size. Which, once again, was more than she could say for the other men she’d known.
It was huge, with overstuffed pillows across the back, but it looked extremely comfortable, like a cloud she could just sink into. The light blue cushions were very soothing, scientifically speaking, and she suddenly felt more relaxed than she had in days. The breakup must have affected her more than she realized.
Fitz was still trying to maneuver the boxes he was carrying onto the end table, so she let her purse drop to the floor and set her box down next to it before sitting down on the couch.
“Oh.” She could hear how breathless the word sounded, but couldn’t really bring herself to care.
She sank into the cushions. It really was as comfortable as it looked. Soft, but with a bit of firmness underneath. She didn’t feel like she was going to sink right into the floor, but it did feel like a good place to rest her tired muscles.
Jemma wiggled a little to get more comfortable and let out a little sigh. Or maybe it was more of a moan. She glanced towards Fitz to see if he had heard her involuntary response to his couch, and saw that he had turned a little red and was rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.
He was probably just a bit warm from helping her move the boxes from her car.
“So this is the couch --” Jemma started.
“-- I really don’t mind taking the couch if you’d rather have the bed.”
Jemma laughed a little at the discomfort clearly written on his face. Fitz was always such a gentleman, and it must be hard from him to not come completely to her rescue. But she didn’t want to be a damsel in distress. She’d just stay for a few days and be on her way. She didn’t need him to give up his bed for her.
“Nonsense, Fitz, this is quite comfortable.” Then, thinking she shouldn’t just let the couch lull her into complete relaxation before unpacking a bit, she stood and started sorting through the boxes to make sure the most important things were accessible.
Daisy liked to tease her for keeping her things just so, but Jemma thrived on order. It was one of the things that had probably doomed her relationship with Milton.
“I really can’t thank you enough, Fitz. You’re really a lifesaver. And I promise it will only be for a few days.”
He didn’t answer right away.
When she looked up Fitz looked slightly uncomfortable and there was a look on his face that she couldn’t quite decipher.
“Oh, ah, it’s nothing. And you can stay as long as you like. I should...should let you get settled.”
Fitz started backing away from her and she couldn’t help smiling a little at how sweet he was. It wasn’t often -- or ever -- that she had been alone with a man in his apartment with no expectation other than friendship. Fitz was quite refreshing.
He paused for a second and spoke again, “The, ah, bathroom is down the hall on the left, and my bedroom is the last door on the right.”
Fitz grimaced a little. Maybe he had strained his back carrying her boxes. She should really offer to massage it for him.
“I’ll try not to get them confused.”
“Ah, right. Goodnight Jemma.”
“Goodnight Fitz! And thank you again.”
But her words were now directed at his back as he hurried down the hall.
Fitz fell into his bed without undressing and pressed his pillow over his face to muffle the sound of the disgusted groan he let out. What was wrong with him? He was taking every word she said and turning it into something she definitely did not mean. This was his chance to get to know her better. To spend time with her. Not to hear innuendos in every conversation they had. He might not last a few days at this rate.
He could hear her moving around his flat... it was nice to have another person here. And if he ignored his subconscious he could pretend that it didn’t have anything to do with her in particular.
When he woke up in the morning, it was with a sore neck and a slightly grubby feeling from realizing he was still wearing his rumpled work clothes from the day before. His mind had been so overactive the night before, working his way through his jumbled thoughts, that he hadn’t even managed to get ready for bed properly.
It certainly wasn’t the first time that had happened, but it was normally in response to a work problem or a disappointing football match. But after thinking about it last night, or well into the morning if he was going to be honest with himself, he could admit that this had everything to do with Jemma. She was brilliant, funny, kind...and beautiful. Not that he was shallow, but it wasn’t like he could ignore that part of her. He had known he had some sort of crush on her before, but now...now he wasn’t sure what to call it.
The one thing he did know was that he was rubbish with relationships, and he had spent enough time with Hunter and Mack to know that he didn’t want to be the rebound guy. If something ever happened with Jemma, he wanted it to be real and romantic. He wanted her to be with him because she wanted him, not because she wanted to feel desired again after breaking up with Milton. Not that he thought Jemma would do that to him. She probably had no idea he was even interested in her like that.
Which was fine. Jemma needed a friend, and he’d be the best bloody friend she could imagine.
Morning pep talk out of the way, Fitz’s thoughts turned to breakfast and his stomach rumbled at the idea of bacon and eggs. His subconscious even provided the smell of bacon wafting through the air.
Sighing, he got out of bed, and divested himself of his button down and trousers before heading towards the bathroom. It was then that he realized the smell of bacon wasn’t his imagination. The scent was definitely stronger and he could hear sounds coming from the kitchen. He considered ducking back into his room and trying to look more presentable, but it was too late.
“Fitz?” Jemma appeared in front of him. “Oh, good. You’re awake. I wasn’t sure if I should wake you up or not. I know we talked about driving to work together.”
Fitz couldn’t keep up with all the words spilling from her mouth. But she was already dressed and appeared to be ready for work.
“How long have you been up?” It wasn’t really a question he needed answered, but it was the one that came to the front of his mind.
“Oh, I always get up early.” Her smile started to fade a little bit. “I hope I didn’t bother you, but I wanted to make some breakfast for us.”
“No...you didn’t bother me at all. I just...I don’t think anyone has ever made me breakfast. Except my mum, of course.”
Jemma gave him a pleased little smile and he wasn’t quite sure why, and then she was dragging him by the hand towards the table. Sure enough, there was bacon, eggs, juice, and fruit...none of which were things he remembered having in his fridge.
“Did you go to the store?”
“I told you, I’ve been up for awhile.” She started nibbling on some fresh fruit and he was temporarily distracted by the way she wrapped her lips around a strawberry.
“It’s amazing. Thank you.”
“I figured it’s the least I could do since you are letting me stay here.”
Fitz eagerly raised his fork to his mouth and ate quickly, enjoying the kind of breakfast he never made time for in the morning.
“Be careful. If you keep making me breakfast I’ll never want you to leave.”
He froze mid-chew, afraid he had made it awkward between them, but she just laughed and their eyes met and held.
“I think I just had the best night’s sleep of my life. You might be the one kicking me out.”
Fitz knew better than to respond. She was only joking. But it put him in a good mood for the rest of the day anyway.