Work Text:
Uh Oh
Uuh Ooh
Yeah
Uh Oh
Uuh Ooh
Fitz groans before reaching out for his phone on the bedside table. He opens one eye to check his digital clock: 6:28. On a Saturday morning. He lets out a sigh when he sees the caller ID but answers it anyway.“What do you want Skye?”
“FITZY!!! You need to get up! Get up now, I need to show you something!” She sounds hyper and Fitz thinks she probably pulled an all nighter again. He asks her just that but she dismisses his question with a huff. “This is serious. There’s this Youtuber who bakes the greatest stuff and puts it online, I know you’ll love it, just please, you need to check it out.”
He pauses, registering her words, “What?” Skye can hear him sighing at the other end of the line. “And I guess such information absolutely needed to be shared at the wee hours in the morning?”, he complains and can almost see her grin as she doesn’t reply right back. “That’s the longest you could wait, wasn’t it?” There was another sigh from his end and then: “Alright, give me her channel.” He gets up groggily and goes straight for the computer on his desk while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
Sometimes he still wonders how this young energy ball of a woman managed to become his best friend. The correct answer is actually an assortment of reasons, the main one being that she actually lured him with her puppy dog eyes when the drama club was looking for a sound engineer. In fact, the story of their friendship started this way. They met in a computing class last year, both being in advanced classes in spite of their young age. And still, Skye was bored and spent most of their classes trying to hack her way in the school’s system. She achieved it during their 4th week and ended up giving the head of computing advices on how to reinforce the school servers’ security, Fitz shakes his head at the memories. Then it all went downhill when they began to hang out together after her rehearsals with the drama club and when she met his roommate Ward with whom she hit it off right away. They started dating soon after and since then, the three of them have been quite the improbable trio.
“What are you doing? Did you go back to sleep?”
He barely had time to put the kettle on and switch his laptop on before he heard her voice from the speaker of his phone on the desk. “No I didn’t Skye!” He replies once again with a sigh. He loves the girl but it is way too early for her shenanigans. He opens his browser and type the website url before searching for the channel Skye gave him. “BakerSweets? How did you even find her?”
“That’s a long story, Leopold.”
* * * * *
Her alarm clock goes off with an upbeat melody and she opens her eyes to look at the screen that reads 7:30. She stretches, a light smile on her face as she realises it is Saturday. She has a lot of work to do now that the first semester really took off but she had also planned to make a video this afternoon. Jemma Simmons was not only a Cambridge student majoring in biochemistry and working on her first PhD; she was also a passionate cordon bleu. She has loved baking from her earliest days and she remembers helping her mother in the kitchen whenever she could. It turned out that the little girl born in Sheffield was a child prodigy, not only good at baking but at learning in general. Hence why she was currently in her final year to become a doctor at just 19 years old.
She goes to the kitchen part of her dorm room to make tea and heat up some pancakes she made yesterday. Once her breakfast is ready, she goes to her desk and turns on her laptop to check her emails and video comments. She posted her last video two days ago but usually she still gets them after a few days, especially on the weekends. She smiles at the nicest comments she reads. “Using organic food colouring to make artsy pancakes is genius!” “Can’t believe you dared making Lady Cassandra, amazing!” She chuckles. That one seemed like the easiest to make at the time, no need to add colouring to the last human on Earth. It had not been the case with her T.A.R.D.I.S. and Daleks.
When she was done with her comments, she logged on her mailbox to see a new email from Skye. The famous Youtuber fashionista seems to have taken a liking to the little British chef since it was probably the 5th email she receives from her this week. She smiles. As surprising as it might sound, the two girls actually got along pretty well and started exchanging emails a few months back. Actually, Jemma wasn’t sure how they started talking anymore but they haven’t stopped since then, broaching any and every subject.
From: [email protected]
Hey Jemma! I checked your last video, it was awesome!!! I didn’t know you were a Doctor Who fan! (I probably should have known though, with you being a Brit and all. Okay, that is cliché, I’m sorry).
Anyway, it made me realize that you would really get along with my best friend Fitz! I don’t even know why I didn’t think about it before. You should check his Youtube channel (yes, he has one too but he’s actually even more of a nerd than you are… scratch that I think you might be even but you should see by yourself and tell me what you think) GeekGamesandGadgets.
xoxoxo Skye C.
Curious, Jemma clicks the link attached to the name and gets directed towards his channel. He has made a lot of videos and most of them are gameplays or film reviews but a few particularly draw her attention. She starts watching one of these, a video in which the boy, with striking blue eyes, and who must has the same age as her, is introducing his own invention: a drone that can apparently retrieve visual and auditory data. She is fascinated: he is explaining the all building process to his viewers and it is apparently his field of expertise. Honestly, she thinks it is genius and she tells him just so in the comment she leaves on his video, with a link to one of her own inventions. She keeps on watching his videos and before she knows it, it is already past 10 a.m..
She swears under her breath before getting up and starting on her homework. She is working on a crystalline nucleation process at the moment and she can’t figure out how to create enough energy to start the process. She had just begun studying at Cambridge when she posted her first baking videos but soon she realised that her viewers were also interested in other aspects of her life, since she was often talking about her studies in her videos. Therefore, she commenced to make videos about her school projects, explaining in detail what she was doing and funnily enough, it had worked. Besides, she became aware that it helped her greatly for her future presentations and it was a source of new ideas as well.
She is so engrossed in her studies that she doesn’t notice the new email notification. It is only when her phone goes off, indicating she should now work on another subject that she sees the new notification.
From: [email protected]
Hey! So this might come off a little bit awkward but Skye gave me your email and I hope you don’t mind me contacting you like this. I figured it would be easier to reply to you that way.
Thank you for your comment on the D.W.A.R.F. They’re still a work in progress and I intend to make at least 7 of them in total, each designed to retrieve specific data, although I still have to figure out the fetching processes of some of them. From what I’ve gathered you’re a biochemis,t right? I have to say some of your work is really impressive. But I also have to admit that this is not the reason why Skye introduced me to your channel. Your baking videos are undoubtedly one of the best out there. I can’t believe I didn’t know about it before. Your Doctor Who themed pancakes looked fabulous. I only wish I would have been able to taste them too. But my favorites are definitely your Super Mario creations. Do you play too?
L. Fitz
She starts typing her reply right away.
From: [email protected]
Dear Fitz,
I hope you don’t mind me calling you Fitz, I just noticed that’s what Skye calls you so I figure I would too. Thank you for your message. I’m actually very interested in learning more about your D.W.A.R.F.s so I’m looking forward to your next video. I’m studying biochemistry at Cambridge and working on my first PhD; I mean to continue my studies and get another after. Baking is really just more of a passion. As for the video games, I used to play a lot when I was younger with my older brother Lance before I left for Uni. Now I don’t have much time to play but a lot of my viewers keep sending me ideas for new videos anyway and Lance actually gives me some too. But if you have other cooking ideas for my videos, I’ll be happy to hear them.
I hope you have a good weekend and I hope to hear from you again soon.
Jemma S.
They kept exchanging emails the entire weekend and by Sunday night, they had added each other on Skype.
* * * * *
Gradually, they started to talk more and more often until they were communicating on a daily basis, telling each other’s about their day, speaking of their next videos, what they miss the most about home (Mum’s cooking, he sighs longingly; My dogs, she replies fondly ) and their favorite tv shows (Doctor Who, simultaneously).
When Skye points it out to him, he just shrugs. “You’re the one who put us in contact in the first place!” To him, it feels like they are two pieces of the same puzzle: they have their differences but also a lot of things in common and their brains work well together, one’s ideas intertwining with the other’s. He has never met someone like this before. And he will never say that to Skye’s face but he is so grateful that she put Jemma in his life. He even helps her by designing the specs for a delivery mechanism for her crystalline nucleation process – her grin is so big he is afraid it might actually hurt – and a few weeks after they first contacted each other, he can’t imagine his life without her. It is weird and unexpected but he doesn’t question it. It comes naturally, as if they have known each other their whole life and the most peculiar is that they could have met a few years before, hadn’t he been accepted to MIT, Cambridge being his second choice. Sometimes he wonders how things would have gone if he was still in Great Britain.
“A penny for your thoughts, Einstein?”
He shakes his head to snap out of his reverie and stares blankly at Skye who is watching him suspiciously.
“Life is odd,” he simply states.
“Tell me about it, stud.” She pauses and goes back to painting her nails before speaking again, “May invited you for dinner next Thursday by the way. With Grant. Dad will be there too.”
He rolls his eyes, “Yes, I figured, Skye. They’re your parents after all and they’re together. So I assume they would both be there.”
The brunette shrugs. “They haven’t heard from you in a while and they’re wondering what’s become of you. I told them you weren’t my best friend anymore. Well, not since I put you in contact with your new best friend anyway…”
He knows she is only teasing him. Skye is not the jealous type, and she was the one who insisted that he talked to Jemma in the first place, but he blushes nevertheless, knowing what she said to be true. “Sorry about that.”, he muttered his head lowering.
She slaps him lightly on the back. “I’m joking, Fitzy! You know I don’t mind. It’s actually refreshing to see you click with someone that easily. But they consider you to be their foster son and they want to make sure you’re not living off instant noodles.”
The engineer smiles lightly. He can’t cook to save his life and by now pretty much everyone knows it. It feels good to know that people other than his mum are making sure he is feeding himself properly – Skye does sometimes but she can’t cook either, so together they are hopeless. Even Jemma, despite the distance,, asks him what he plans to or has eaten for every meal and she frowns or reprimands the Scot if it is not balanced. He really is in good hands.
“I’d love to come.”
Skye grins and hastens to reply to her adoptive mom.
* * * * *
“Are you sure this is safe?” Fitz asks suddenly, obviously not trusting the biochemist completely on the matter. He is telling her about how the new Assassins’ Creed is definitely a game she should try and that, knowing her, she will love the designs but also the fluidity of movements in combat mode – she once told him that she could play this kind of games when in the appropriate mood, when she needed a break from everything or when she was mad.
“For the hundredth time Fitz, yes,” she sighs in reply before lifting her beaker and pouring the thick light green substance in the Erlenmeyer flask.
“But you’re in the kitchen.” He has waited until she is done with her previous actions before voicing his protest. “That’s inappropriate…”
She glances at his worried face on the screen and shrugs.
“I have no choice! I need to finish this and the labs are closed already and my kitchen is in my main room-“
“What about-?”
“I’m not finishing this in my 30 square-foot bathroom, Fitz!”
She interrupts him, knowing exactly what he was going to advise.
“Alright, alright,” he says, surrendering and raising his arms above his head.
Her shoulders relax and she focuses back on the content of her Erlenmeyer, slowly boiling but not releasing any fumes yet. She almost misses his whisper, barely audible over the burbling noise. “But don’t you come and complain to me if you get food poisoned or something…”
For a few seconds, she hesitates between hanging up on him or yelling at him again but she quickly changes her mind. Instead, she sighs once again.
“I know you’re concerned but I’ve done this countless times and I know how to handle hazardous material. I’m a biochemist; this is what I do. And you know that my kitchen is sacred, so don’t worry, I’ll be careful.”She smiled lightly at him through the camera before resuming her experiment.
“I’ve been thinking…” he starts softly after a few moments.
“Yes?” She asks, still concentrated on her experiment.
“You know I’m coming back to Scotland for Christmas, right? So I figured, maybe we could meet up or something? If you want to, of course. And if you’re not too busy… I know that Christmas-" He is rambling, completely ignoring the radiant smile that appears on her face at his suggestion.
“I’d love to! We could even spend New Year’s Eve together! Fitz, that is brilliant!”
Her genuine excitement makes him smile back at her and suddenly, his idea does not seem as foolish as he first thought. She is already making plans about what they are going to do together in England, if he doesn’t mind coming to England (“You don’t, do you?”), and how her parents are going to love him and the videos they will have the opportunity to film. Honestly, he has a bit of a trouble following her train of thought but he nods nonetheless, pleased that she seems so eager to see him. He still participates in the conversation though, offering other suggestions and settling minor details about his trip to Britain. His mom would not mind if he is going to see one of his friends – he asked her first and she was so happy that her son seemed to have found someone that understands him. He has friends but it is different with Jemma and he has already checked the affordability of the train tickets.
“Would your parents be okay with it though?” He asks her, suddenly more nervous.
She nods. “Yeah, of course! I’ve told them about you already…” She starts and his eyebrows shoot up questioningly.
She chuckles lightly and shakes her head: “Don’t worry about it Fitz, I’m sure they won’t mind. When I told them you were studying in the States and living on your own they told me they thought you were really brave.” She smiles fondly at him. “I think they’re right.”
He really cannot wait to see this glowing smile in person.
* * * * *
Christmas break comes quickly, quicker than what he has imagined but it only makes him more excited to meet his best friend. They have not been able to talk to each other as much as they would like to lately with all their finals and end-of-semester projects. They text each other constantly though and it is a pleasant distraction in the midst of the academic stress.
He is on holiday after his Algebraic Techniques and Semidefinite Optimization final , exactly 20 hours and a half before her. His plane is scheduled in the evening and Coulson drives him to the airport even though the young man insisted he could go on his own, to which Skye replied with a tss and shake of her head. She is not able to go with them though, having one more final to deal with but she wishes him a good trip and a happy holidays after she made him promise to Skype with her at least twice a week. Once he arrives at the airport and says goodbye to Phil he goes to register his luggage. He wishes he could send Jemma a text but he knows she must be sleeping by now and she needs to rest for her last final the next day. He cannot believe he is almost going to meet her, after 3 months of intense Skype calls and text conversations.
His flight seems shorter than he expected– though he does sleep during most of it- and from the moment the plane lands, time goes by like a whirlwind. His mum is delighted to have him back and won’t stop fussing over him. He can’t say he didn’t miss it but it is always a bit strange to come back and live as if he was still in high school. However, he loves spending time with her and telling her once more about how everything is in the States.
One morning, she asks him who he is texting at this hour of the morning and he tells her it’s Jemma. Of course he already told his mother about his best friend but it gives her an opportunity to ask her son about his newest friend. “Are you still visiting her next week?”
Fitz nods while typing something on his phone to Jemma. “For New Year’s Eve.”
Jemma’s parents had agreed, as she predicted it and Fitz would be spending three days in her family house in Sheffield. Both her parents were doctors and he was a bit worried to meet them at the same time as his best friend but he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
* * * * *
On Christmas Eve, he receives a package from her. She hasn’t warned him she sent anything so it is a pleasant surprise to find a box full of monkey-shaped cookies and shortbreads with a little note attached to it:
“Welcome back home! First time I try to make shortbreads, so I hope I won’t disappoint. I’m waiting for your feedback.
I can’t wait to see you next Tuesday!
Love, Jemma S.”
He texts her immediately:
I can’t believe you baked me monkey-shaped cookies! You’re the best.
He adds after seeing his mother biting on her second shortbread:
I think mum likes your shortbreads.
“She’s really good,” his mum confirms with a knowing smile. A few days ago, he had shown her a few of Jemma’s videos and his mother actually tried some of her recipes. All the while, Fitz has been telling Simmons about it and it ended with a one hour long phone call between the two women, talking about baking and Fitz, among other things – she won’t tell him what they say about him though.
“I hope I’ll get to meet her soon.”
Fitz nods absent-mindedly at the words. He should have thought about it sooner. They could have spent a few days at hers and then go back to Scotland but unfortunately, he has to go back to the U.S. on the 4th of January. But another idea pops into his head as he reaches for the phone. Jemma is currently doing Christmas shopping with her older brother, according to her last texts so he dials her home phone number. Just like he anticipated, her mother answers the phone and after he introduces himself briefly, he tells her about his plan.
* * * * *
On the 27th of December, the doorbell rings and Beatrice Simmons sends her daughter to answer it. Jemma wonders idly who it might be; her mind is elsewhere. Fitz hasn’t replied to her text since last night. He didn’t even tell her what he was planning to do today. So she is even more dumbstruck when she sees him standing before her, a broad smile on his face and a bag at his feet. Although it is the first time that she sees him in the flesh, she recognizes him instantly.
“Fitz?!! What are you doing here?” She exclaims in an almost shrieking voice but doesn’t even let him time to reply before she engulfs him in a tight hug.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe that you’re here," she whispers in his neck and all he can do is smile wider and hug her back tighter.
“Surprise!” His voice is muffled by her hair but she doesn’t mind. She knows how odd it must look from an outsider’s eye, hugging someone she is meeting for the first time in her life, but with Fitz, it’s different. She feels like she has known him her entire life and it just feels right to finally have him in her arms. Eventually though, she has to let go and then she noticed the woman behind him and smiles shyly.
“Hi!” She greets the older woman. “You must be Mrs. Fitz. It’s nice to meet you.” She holds out her hand but Moira ignores her and embraces her in a hug instead.
“Pleasure’s all mine, sweetheart.”
If the older woman notices the blush on Jemma’s face when she releases her, she doesn’t comment on it, squeezing her son’s shoulder instead.
Only when she turns around to call her parents does Jemma realises they are already there and then they are greeting their new visitors while Jemma takes one of Fitz’s bag.
“Did you know about this?” She asks her mother in a low voice, a brilliant smile still plastered on her face. Beatrice nods slightly, mirroring her daughter’s expression.
“He called when you were out with Lance. At first he asked if he could come a day earlier so his mum could meet you too but then I told him to come today since everyone left already anyway. And I offered to have them stay here until the 2nd, like it was originally planned," she explains to her daughter.
“Mum is leaving on the 30th though," Fitz continues while carrying the remaining bags and waiting for directions. “She is celebrating New Year’s Eve with her friends.”
Jemma nods and thanks Fitz’s mother for coming along anyway. Besides, they still have a few days ahead of them to spend time all together. Her parents send her to show their guests the bedrooms they will be staying in and while she is doing a tour with them, she can’t help but glance at Fitz every two seconds. She can’t believe he has managed to surprise her like that, with the help of our own parents. Every time their eyes meet, he gives her a shy smile that she returns with an even bigger one.
As soon as she has lead Moira to her guest room, she heads towards the bedroom that will be Fitz for the next few days. Finally, he seems to loosen up a little, now that they’re not under their parent’s scrutiny.
“You’re shorter than what I’ve imagined.” His tone is teasing and she sticks her tongue out at him.
“Your hair is curlier than what I’ve thought.”, she retorts while her hand ruffles his hair softly. “So this is your room.”
He has been amazed by the great size of the Simmons’ house and his room is only another evidence of it. He tries not to look too awestruck and nods at her, putting his bags on the bed.
“I’ve got something for you," he says while digging through one of his bags.
She raises her eyebrows in surprise.
“You didn’t have to Fitz. It’s kind enough that you came here earlier. We’re going to have a lot more time to do things!” She utters excitedly. “We will definitely have time to make a few videos! I can’t wait.”
Meanwhile, he has taken out two wrapped boxes from his bag. Jemma can’t help the blush on her face. “Fitz… you really shouldn’t have-"
But he interrupts her before she can finish her sentence. “One of them isn’t really a present," he justifies himself before handing her the blue wrapped square box.
“Hold on.” She exits the room and Fitz scratches the back of his head. So far it is going great. Actually, it is better than what he had pictured; less awkward, even though it is still a bit bizarre to be staying at her best friend’s house when he has just met her a few minutes ago. Besides, out of all the things he had imagined, he hasn’t thought that she would be prettier than what he’s seen from their Skype sessions and her videos. She was literally luminous.
She comes back a few minutes later, her own present wrapped in golden and red paper. “Merry Christmas, Fitz.”
They exchange their gifts silently and she sits down on the bed to open his. He follows her lead and watches her reaction as she finds the cylindrical device inside the blue box.
“Is this-?”
“The delivery mechanism for your crystalline nucleation process, yes.” He continues for her and offers her a tentative smile .“Naturally, I took account of the modifications we talked about a few weeks ago but I really wanted to do it for you. I know some engineering student at Cambridge would have been able to make it too but-“
“Fitz, that is fantastic!” She leans forward to hug him again then. “No one has ever made me something, even less in relation to my own invention. This is perfect.”
He goes on to open the present she gave him then and his eyes widened at the sight of the miniature T.A.R.D.I.S.
“That is-“
“One from the limited edition, yes.” She smiles slightly. “I know you wanted to go to the exhibit in London but since you obviously couldn’t, I thought I would get you something so it’d be as if you went there, in a way," she explains with a shrug.
“I love it Jemma," he says softly, tracing the details of the object with the tip of his fingers, still in awe.
Simmons waits until he is done before opening the other present he brought her. “It’s not much…” He warns her but is interrupted by her gasp.
The longer but flatter box contains a framed drawing of her, wearing a cooking hat. The resemblance is striking and she can’t help the tears brimming in her eyes.
“You don’t like it?" He asks, worried when he notices them.
“No! On the contrary it’s… whoa. I had no idea you could draw that well. I mean I’ve seen your schemes but this is… amazing," she whispers, her eyes not leaving his gift.
He lets out a relieved sigh then and smiles lightly.
“I’m afraid I didn’t do you justice though.”
She looks at him then and for a moment, there is a indescribable emotion in her eyes but he is distracted by her genuine smile before he can figure out what it is. She leans to press her lips against his cheek then.
“Thank you Fitz.”
* * * * *
They decide to make their first video together after lunch, in the family kitchen.
“It’s a shame you missed Lance! I’m sure you would have get along with him!”
Jemma is getting everything ready for the Hogwarts cupcakes they are going to make while Fitz sets the camera. He, on the other hand, is not sure about it. Not that he doubts he wouldn’t get along with Jemma’s brother. More like he has no idea how the older male would have reacted to his baby sister’s having him over. Not that they’re together or anything, although Fitz couldn’t say he would mind it if it was the case. Meeting her and her parents at the same time for the first time was already enough. Maybe the next time he is coming over, he will have the opportunity to meet the last member of her family.
It takes them another few minutes before everything is set up and as Fitz pressed the recording button, Jemma smiles brightly at the camera.
“Hello folks! Today is going to be a little bit special since I have a special guest who is going to bake with me! You might know him through his channel GeekGamesandGadgets, Leo Fitz!”
At this moment, Fitz enters the frame and gives a small smile to the camera: “Hi!”
“Fitz is visiting me for a few days so this is going to be the first one of couple of other videos, hopefully. Since we’re both Potterheads, we decided to make Hogwarts themed cupcakes and he’s going to help me making them.”
They start on the preparation then, Fitz mostly executing Jemma’s orders while she explains everything they’re doing to the camera. They take a break when the cupcakes are in the oven and begin talking about their school projects while she goes on to make the frosting.
“You’ve got a little something there.”He touches her nose with a mischievous smile then and she realises he has just smeared her nose with the frosting she just finished making.
“Fitz!” She sounds indignant but the smile on her face is betraying her. She takes a small handful of the remaining flour then and sprinkles it over his head. “You did not." he growls before fighting back with another handful of flour.
Ten minutes later, the kitchen is a real mess as the oven timer goes off but they are both laughing wholeheartedly. While she takes the cupcakes out, he walks to the camera to turn it back on, only to realize it has been filming the whole time. She bursts out laughing at his realization and they go back to the video, both covered in flour and frosting from head to toe. Fortunately, there’s still enough frosting to decorate all the cupcakes.
When comes the time to edit the video, they choose to keep the food fight in the final version and post it.
The rest of the night is pretty eventless compared to their afternoon and they end up falling asleep against each other on Fitz’s bed, in the middle of a Doctor Who marathon. Jemma wakes up to the sound of her phone going off relentlessly. Her latest video already has a hundred of comments and she’s also received five emails from Skye, each one more hysterical than the previous one.
Are you two together now? How did it happen? You have to tell me EVERYTHING.
xoxox Skye
Why aren’t you replying? What are you two doing? Jemma!
xoxox Skye
Okay I know you guys might be excited to be finally together and all but I’M THE ONE who made it happen so I demand details!!! NOW
Skye
SIMMONS!!! WHAT IS GOING ON? ARE YOU TWO GETTING YOUR FREAK ON?
Skye
Okay then. Congratulations anyway.
The last one isn’t even signed and Jemma sighs. They didn’t even act as if they were together in the video, they were simply friends having fun. Not that she would mind actually being in a relationship with Fitz but they had just met yesterday –even though they’ve known each other for a few months now- and he was her best friend. It was too early for these thoughts so instead she just snuggles closer to him, her arm taking its place back over his chest.