LalalliCat Writes

Collection of fanfic (Fitzsimmons) and random prompts I use to combat writer's block

[lalallicat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons Characters: Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons Additional Tags: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Soulmate AU, Academy Era Summary:

Prompt: the first words your soulmate will say to you are written on your skin, but Fitz won’t talk to Jemma

[lalallicat]

I LOVE your soulmate fic! If you're feeling inspired after your trip to Japan, I hope you can find time to post the next chapter. Recently rereading your fics...I forgot how much I love your writing. Thanks!

Hello, unknown nice person who is nice and good and nice. Thank you for writing this very nice message.

Here’s the thing - the story was almost all the way done when I posted the first chapter, but I’m having trouble getting it all the way done because every resolution I write is garbage, so I have to delete it and start over!

But you are very nice, so I will try my best to finish soon, and I am posting a sneak peek below.

*

First a link to the first chapter in case anyone hasn’t read it yet:

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

And now for a sneak peek of Chapter 2:

As soon as the words are out of her mouth, Jemma realizes that some of these dots do not connect.

Wouldn’t she know if Fitz were her soulmate? From a young age, she’d been inundated with stories about soulmates from movies and tv shows and advertisements, about that magical moment when you discover the person you’re meant to spend your life with. Society has trained her to be alert for the words written on her. She would like to think that she would’ve known as soon as he said...

Did he say it? She knows he’s written similar words before, but she doesn’t think it was the first thing he’d ever written. Besides, soulmarks are supposed to be first spoken words. And Fitz’s first spoken words to her were...

Come to think of it, she doesn’t remember Fitz’s first words. She thinks back on their first classes together, back when they were arguing all the time. Was it something about dielectric polarization? No, it was -

And she definitely doesn’t understand how Fitz can be on his phone right now, as if he hasn’t just dropped a major bombshell on her. How can he just completely disregard-

Jemma’s phone vibrates. She ignores it. Just because Fitz is being rude, doesn’t mean that she’s going to -

Fitz points emphatically at her pocket and shakes his phone in front of her. Oh.

She looks at her phone. It’s a text from Fitz: I know what you’re probably thinking, and I haven’t actually SAID anything to you yet.

Jemma looks up at him, her eyebrows crinkled. “That’s impossible. We talk all the time.”

Another text. I talk to other people in front of you. I write notes and text you. But I’ve never actually talked TO you.

Jemma stares at her phone, trying to gather her thoughts. There are so many questions competing to get out, she can’t untangle them enough to ask one that will make sense. She finally just settles for, “Why?”

Fitz sighs. He sits down next to her on the bed and looks down at his phone, biting his lip. Finally, he types, I don’t know how to answer that.

“Try.”

It’s maddening, the way she has to watch him silently contemplate his words, his thumbs tapping at his phone screen intermittently. He keeps pausing in consideration, and she ends up shifting closer to him and leaning over his shoulder to look at his screen.

He explains that he felt shitty about lying to her, how he doesn’t want to hide it from her anymore. He assures her that he doesn’t actually expect anything from her, and that even if they are soulmates, nothing would need to change unless she wanted it to.

He explains that he didn’t tell her earlier because he was worried she’d be disappointed by the prospect of being stuck with him. He shares his many worries - that he might not be her soulmate, that he might say the wrong thing, that she’ll find her own soulmate and they won’t be friends anymore.

She, in turn, explains that she would have never felt disappointed at being soulmates with him, even at the very beginning, when they argued all the time. She values their friendship more than anything, and that there’s no way he can say the wrong thing. Either he’s her soulmate or he isn’t.

She leaves out that she wouldn’t mind moving beyond friendship because she doesn’t see how that could possibly happen without him actually talking to her.

They stay up until three in the morning, discussing it. It’s a long conversation, made longer by the fact that Fitz has to write everything out instead of just talking. The conversation is far from over, but once Jemma reaches the point that she loses all coherency, she stretches out on his bed and informs him that she’s sleeping over.

Fitz looks simultaneously thrilled and terrified. He nods, then tosses a pillow and blanket on the floor.

Jemma rolls her eyes. “I don’t have cooties, you know. We can share the bed.”

Fitz just stands and stares, still unsure. Jemma reaches over the side of the bed and pulls the pillow and blanket back onto the mattress. “Don’t be ridiculous, Fitz. We’ve done this before.”

It’s true, but it’s also not. They’ve fallen asleep in the same bed before while cramming for tests or watching Netflix, but it’s always been an accident. It’s never been intentional, with the emotional exhaustion that comes from being vulnerable with each other, after hours of trying to parse out what they are to each other.

And maybe that’s what Fitz is trying to say, when he looks at her with that all-too familiar expression of exasperation. His jaw ticks, as though he’s fighting back words.

She wishes he wouldn’t.

In the end though, he climbs into bed next to her without further resistance. Jemma turns onto her side, facing him.

“Goodnight, Fitz.”

He doesn’t say anything back.

[lalallicat]

So I’m visiting my sister in Japan and came across this in the supermarket. Fun fact: Japan is the last place in the world that you can still get Zima.

So in honor of Deke Shaw, I had some with dinner.

(Also, I haven’t seen the last two episodes of the season yet, so just in case something happened to Deke, please don’t reference it here!)

(Also, in case you’re wondering why it’s taking me so long to post the second chapter of my soulmate fic, this is why.)

#aos #fitzsimmonsgrandson #dekeshaw #zima

[lalallicat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

In retrospect, Fitz probably should have done more testing on the removal of the Bio-cuffs before testing on human subjects. Or, more specifically, testing on Simmons and himself.

But now Fitz can’t get the bloody cuffs off of them, which means that Simmons is stuck with him until he figures it out.

*

OR Fitzsimmons are literally incapable of leaving each other’s side.

[lalallicat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Leo Fitz/Jemma Simmons Characters: Leo Fitz, Jemma Simmons Additional Tags: Academy Era AU, Smut, Fluff, Humor Summary:

For all that Jemma teases Fitz whenever she gets a better grade than him, their rivalry, if it can even be called that, is mostly friendly. She’s proud of all his accomplishments. She would never resent him for doing something better than her.

So she’s not exactly sure why she’s so irked that Fitz loses his virginity before her.

[lalallicat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Accidentally making a baby isnt necessarily the most irresponsible thing Jemma and Fitz have done, but it’s pretty high up there.

But Fitz seems to think that they can handle parenthood, and he’s a genius, so Jemma thinks that she can probably trust his analysis of the situation.

[jemmasimmons]

#protect her

[lalallicat]

This made me so happy.

[lalallicat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

“I mean, why do they keep bringing me back as a science consultant of they’re not even going to listen to me?”

“Yeah, it’s almost like a movie called Sharkaroach doesn’t care about scientific plausibility at all,” Fitz says, dry.

Shark movie AU?

Shark movie AU.

*

Written for Fitzsimmons Appreciation Week 2017 Day 4: AU of your choice

[lalallicat]

Reblogging this because AOS referenced Sharknado and it was the best belated birthday present EVER.

[lalallicat]

Fate Drives Us Together

Written for Fitzsimmons Appreciation Week 2017

Day 7: Free Day (I decided to go with “fate”/”Inevitable”)

The first time Leo Fitz meets Jemma Simmons, she’s pissed.

“What.  The fuck.”  Fitz has never heard those words said so evenly or calmly before.

Fitz is familiar with anger that burns like fire.  He’s seen Hunter and Bobbi yell at each other, their eyes blazing, all uncontrollable rage.

He’s not familiar with anger like Jemma’s.  Jemma’s anger is cold and sharp, like an icicle.  An icicle that she’d probably use to stab him in his sleep.

As usual, it’s at least 70% Hunter’s fault.  After all, Hunter is the one who convinced Fitz to sign up for the campus-wide game of Gotcha!, saying Fitz studies too hard and could use some fun - and the $100 Target gift card that goes to the winner.  And Hunter is the one who, when Fitz received the slip of paper with his target’s name on it, said, “Oh yeah, I know her.  She’s in Bob’s Thursday lab.  We can stake out the building when they get out.”

But then again, Fitz is the one who actually sprays her with the water gun without checking to see if she’s really Jenna Simons, so there’s probably plenty of blame to go around.

*

The second time Leo Fitz meets Jemma Simmons, she’s suspicious.

“Are you stalking me?” Jemma demands, shouting over the loud music.

“Am I stalking you?” Fitz repeats in disbelief.  “You’re at my house.”

“No, I’m not.” Jemma responds so quickly, with so much authority, that Fitz almost believes her.  She fills up her red Solo cup with beer from the keg and walks away.  Fitz follows her through the crowd of sweaty and drunk party-goers.

“No, seriously.  I live here.”

Jemma levels him with a challenging glare.  “No, because my friend Daisy lives here.”

Fitz has to laugh.  “It’s a big house.  You think she’s the only one who lives here?”

Jemma narrows her eyes at him.  “I’ll challenge you to it.”

“What?”

“I challenge you to beer pong.  If you win, then you live here.  If I win, then Daisy lives here.  I hope you’re prepared to lose, because I’m great at beer pong.  I’ve already won four games tonight.”

Well.  That explains things.

Fitz nods decisively.  “Okay.  No more beer for you.”

Jemma frowns.  “What?”  

Fitz grabs her hand and pulls her back to the kitchen so that he can get a bottle of water out of the fridge.  “Drink this.”

Jemma’s surprisingly compliant, considering that she was just arguing with him about where he lives.  As she chugs, Fitz rummages through the cupboards until he finds Daisy’s stash of Poptarts.  “Here.”

Jemma frowns at the silver package.  “You’re not even going to toast them first?”

Fitz rolls his eyes.  “Such a princess,” he grumbles, tearing open the package and dropping them into the toaster.

When they’re done toasting, Fitz wraps a paper towel around them and hands them to Jemma.  Jemma immediately hands them back to him.

“What now?” Fitz asks impatiently.

“They’re too hot,” Jemma complains.

Fitz runs a hand over his face.  “Jesus Christ.”  He grabs her hand again and tugs her down the hallway.  “C’mon.  Mack and Daisy are playing video games in the basement.”  He did not sign up to babysit Daisy’s friends for her.

When they get downstairs, Daisy is standing on their beat-up forest green couch, pointing down at Mack and Hunter, shouting, “Boom!  Does it hurt?  Does it hurt?!”

Jemma reaches over to squeeze Fitz’s arm with the hand he’s not holding.  “What’s Daisy doing at your house?”

Fitz ignores her in favor of flopping onto the couch next to Daisy.   He leans down to pick up the fourth controller.  “I found one of your strays upstairs.”

Daisy smirks as she watches Jemma climb onto the couch next to Fitz and nestle into his side.  “Looks like she’s imprinted.”

Fitz rolls his eyes.  “Excuse me for trying to be responsible.”

Jemma plunges her hand into Fitz’s pants pocket, and he wiggles away from her.  “What’re you doing?” Fitz asks incredulously.

“I want my Poptarts,” Jemma whines.  “Gimme my Poptarts.”

Fitz points to the side table on the other side of her.  “It’s right there, next to the lamp.”

“Oh.” Then she promptly drops her head onto Fitz’s shoulder and starts snoring.

Fitz and Daisy play Roshambo to see whose bed they’d put her in. (“She’s your friend,” Fitz complains.  “Why does she get my bed?”  “Because you’re a gentleman,” Daisy gloats as she pulls off Jemma’s shoes and covers her with Fitz’s blankets.)

Jemma wanders into the kitchen the next morning, messy-haired and red-faced.  

“How do you feel?” Daisy asks sympathetically from where she’s perched on the counter next to the stove, where Fitz is flipping pancakes.

“Like I got hit by a medium-sized SUV,” Jemma groans, sliding onto a barstool on the other side of the breakfast bar.  “Do you have any paracetamol?”

“I only speak American, Jem.”

“Aspirin.”

Daisy hops down from the counter.  “I might have some in my room.  Be right back.”

As soon as Daisy leaves the kitchen, Jemma blurts, “Look.  About last night...”

Fitz slides a plate of pancakes in front of her.  “What about it?”

Jemma runs her hand through her hair.  “Look, I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”

Fitz’s eyebrows draw together in confusion.  “About what?”

Jemma huffs.  “Oh my God, you’re going to actually make me say it,” she mutters, mostly to herself.  She straightens in her chair and looks Fitz bravely in the eyes.  “Okay.  Last night was a lot of fun.  Really.  You’re great.  And sweet. And obviously, really well-formed and symmetrical.”

Fitz can’t help the grin spreading across his face.  “Obviously,” he repeats.

Jemma looks down at her plate and starts attacking her pancakes.  “And even though I said last night that I wanted to have your babies, the truth is, I’m not looking for anything right now.  I’m moving to another city for grad school, and it’s a really bad time to start dating someone. I don’t really do long-distance.”

Fitz is really trying very hard to hold in his laughter, but he can’t help it.  It bursts out of him, loud and delighted.  “I’m sorry - I just - do you think we hooked up?”

Jemma freezes mid-bite.  “Did we not?”

Fitz shakes his head.  “No.  And you definitely did not say that you wanted to have my babies.  Though I am definitely filing that information away for later.”

Jemma looks askance, as though mentally rewinding through her memories of the night before.  “Oh.  Maybe I only thought it.”

Despite her initial embarrassment, Jemma stays long after breakfast is over, settling into the couch next to Daisy and playing Mario Kart with them.  (Fitz sits safely on the floor to avoid a repeat of last night.  The last thing he needs is Jemma snuggling into his side.  It’s bad for his sanity.)

And by the time Jemma leaves, Fitz finds that even though he wasn’t really looking to date anyone either, he really wouldn’t mind reconsidering for her.

*

The third time Leo Fitz meets Jemma Simmons, they’re both wearing stick-on name tags and eating vegetable crudités off of those clear plastic plates that are trying to pass themselves off as fancy crystal.

“Oh my God, you stalked me all the way to Boston,” Jemma says when she first sees him.  Because of course they would be at the same mixer for new graduate students at their school.

Though, if Jemma really thought he was stalking her, it must be something she’s into because Fitz doesn’t really know how else to explain the way they end up making out furiously on her couch later that night.

“So I know you said you don’t do long distance,” Fitz says into her neck, his hand creeping up her leg and under her skirt.  “So I feel like now is the time to tell you that I live all the way at the other end of the Green Line.  Hope that’s not a deal breaker.”

Jemma slides her hand from his hair to his cheek, guiding his mouth back to hers.  “I think we can figure something out.”

Fitz smiles against her mouth.  “Yeah.  We’ll figure it out.”

[lalallicat]

Make Like a Tree and Get Out of Here

Written for Fitzsimmons Appreciation Week 2017

Day 6: Future

~1987 ~

Fitz has only been away from his best friend for a week, but considering that he spent that week stuck in 1957, it feels like he spent three decades away from her. Of course, for Jemma, it only felt like three hours since she last saw Fitz (mostly because it had been three hours since she last saw him), so his enthusiastic embrace as soon as she steps foot on his driveway catches her a bit off guard.

“Wow. If skipping Mathletes practice makes you this happy, maybe you should skiv off more often,” Jemma jokes, patting his back awkwardly.

“You’ll never guess where I’ve been!” Fitz exclaims when he pulls back from her. “So I was at Doc’s and -”

“You’re right, I’m shocked,” Jemma talks over him, her voice flat. “You’re never at Doc’s.”

“- in 1957!”

Jemma’s mouth clamps shut. “I’m sorry - I don’t think I heard you correctly - can you repeat that?”

Fitz rolls his eyes. “Yeah, it’s almost like you shouldn’t talk over me when -”

“Well maybe you should cut straight to your point instead of-”

“And now you’re interrupting me again when I’m trying to explain -”

The roar of Doc’s chrome DeLorean interrupts both of them as it pulls into the driveway. “Oh, good!” Doctor Radcliffe exclaims as he jumps out of the driver’s seat. “You’re here.” He pulls a jug out of the backseat and starts pouring it into the gas tank. “Get in - we’ve got to go right away.”

Jemma looks between Fitz and Doc, her eyes wide with alarm. “Go where?”

“Not to where - to when!” He grabs Fitz’s shoulders and jerks him forward, fixing his panicked expression on Fitz’s face. “We need to stop something terrible from happening.”

Fitz’s face pales. He scrambles to get into the car.

Radcliffe turns to glare at Jemma. “Well, what are you waiting for? Didn’t you hear what I said?”

Jemma raises her eyebrows and points to herself. “Me?”

Radcliffe huffs impatiently. “Who else? C’mon - get in the car!”

“I thought you were talking to Fitz,” Jemma protests, moving to the car nevertheless.

“I was talking to both of you!” Doc jumps into the driver’s seat and pushes some buttons on the dash. The numbers on the screen flash to 2017. “It concerns your daughter, Emmeline Fitzsimmons.”

“Wait - our daughter?” Fitz turns to look at Jemma, who’s looking back at him with an equally flummoxed expression. “As in the daughter we have together?”

Doc rolls his eyes. “Who else would you have a daughter with?” He adjusts his sunglasses and shifts the gears. “Let’s ride.”

  Read the rest on AO3

[lalallicat]

The Year’s Last, Loveliest Smile

Written for Fitzsimmons Appreciation Week 2017

Day 5: Favorite Season

Note: So the prompt for Day 5 is "Favorite Season" and it didn't occur to me until I was almost done writing this that they probably meant favorite season of Agents of Shield, not favorite season of the year.  Oh well. Have a coffee shop AU.

Fitz loves autumn.

He loves the crunch of dried leaves under his feet. He loves the chill that bites at his skin. He loves cozying up in thick knit jumpers, the yarn pilled at the elbows from wear.

But mostly, he loves pumpkin spice lattes.

According to a Buzzfeed quiz, this makes him 85% Basic Bitch, but he doesn’t care. Especially when the lattes are as life-changing as the ones at Mockingbird Cafe. Fitz has always enjoyed the coffee there, even before September rolled around. It’s part of his morning routine to stop by on his way to class to get his caffeine fix.

But midway through September, Bobbi offered him a tiny sample cup and, well. It was a revelation. There’s no other way to explain it. Fitz didn’t know that religious experiences could come in packages so tiny. He started going to Mockingbird twice a day to get his fix. He figures he needs to get as much of it as he can before the holiday season ends and it gets removed from the menu.

Bobbi’s behind the counter when he walks in for his afternoon fix. “Fitz!” She glances at her watch. “You’re early today.” She starts ringing him up before he even reaches the register.

“I can’t go another minute without caffeine,” he admits. “I’m addicted. You should be required to post FDA warnings around the shop.”

Jemma reaches around Bobbi to set down Fitz’s latte on the counter before Bobbi finishes his transaction.

“You’re the best,” he tells her absently, the same thing he tells her every time she hands him his coffee.

“That was fast,” Bobbi observes.

Jemma tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I saw him crossing the street outside the window, so I took the liberty of starting his drink.”

Fitz lifts his cup to her in a silent toast. “Best service ever.”

Jemma smiles shyly at his acknowledgement before turning back to the espresso machine.

Bobbi hands back Fitz’s credit card with a knowing smile. Fitz frowns. Lately, he can’t help but feel like everyone in the coffee shop knows something he doesn’t. Hunter keeps winking at him, Mack keeps chuckling and shaking his head, and Bobbi keeps sending Jemma to check on him when he settles in to study on the weekends, even though they don’t check on anyone else. Even Daisy, his supposed friend, the person who got him addicted to pumpkin spice lattes in the first place, has started refusing to serve him, forcing Jemma to handle all interactions with him instead. Which is weird because Daisy still visits him every weekend, coming over to his dorm for movie nights, occasionally dragging Jemma along with her. He’s not sure what’s going on with everyone working at Mockingbird, but he assumes it’s because they have also figured out that he’s a Basic Bitch.

It’s not until finals week that he figures it out. It’s absolute chaos when he walks in, every table covered in books and laptops, Bobbi and Mack trying their best to efficiently take orders from students and faculty in the line that stretches out the door, trash cans overflowing and milk and sugar covering the coffee station because Jemma, Daisy, and Hunter are too busy making drinks to check to see what needs to be cleaned.

It takes a full ten minutes between when Fitz orders and when he receives his drink, but when Hunter hands him his drink, he still says gratefully, “You’re the best.”

And then, he swears to God, everyone freezes. Even the other customers in line turns to stare at him.

“What is it?” Fitz asks, confused and alarmed.

“I thought I was the best,” Jemma teases, though her smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“My best friend is whoever gives me my pumpkin spice latte,” Fitz teases back. “Sorry, but Hunter’s my best friend today.”

Jemma’s smile falters for a moment before it’s back, brighter and sunnier and faker than before. “I should empty the trash cans!” She wipes off her hands on her apron and flees to the back room.

Daisy punches his arm. Hard.

“Ow!” Fitz yelps, covering his arm with his hand. “What the hell, Daisy?”

Mack shakes his head, somehow managing to take the time to express his disappointment even as he’s ringing up customers. “Turbo. Dude.”

Hunter glares at him. “You shouldn’t lead girls on like that, mate.”

Fitz scans their faces, confused. “I don’t understand. Who am I leading on?”

Daisy opens her mouth to answer, but then the door to the back room swings open, Jemma emerging with a pile of empty trash bags bunched in her hands. Daisy surreptitiously nods towards Jemma.

Fitz waits until Jemma’s across the room to lean across the counter. “How the bloody hell did I lead her on? I didn’t even do anything!”

Daisy’s eyes widen in disbelief. “You started coming in twice a day right after she started working here!”

“Because that’s when you started serving pumpkin spice lattes!” Fitz protests.

“You used to hole up in your room on the weekends, but now you study here!”

“It smells like cinnamon here!”

“You’ve told her she’s the best every day for the past two months!”

“She’s makes the best pumpkin spice lattes!”

“Oh my God,” Daisy groans, covering her face with her hand. “Buzzfeed was wrong. You are definitely 100% basic.”

*

The thing is, it’s not like Fitz dislikes Jemma. He’s always thought she’s cute, with her bright smile and messy ponytail and scattering of freckles across her face. And she’s smart too, always asking about what he’s reading and adding her own informed opinions and analysis. And she’s funny, cracking jokes with Fitz and Daisy as they watch movies in his dorm room.

It’s just that it never even occurred to Fitz to be interested in her because she seems so out of his league. If he did like her, it was in the same absent way he liked Gal Gadot and Karen Gillan. Sure, they’re attractive and nice to look at, but they’re the kind of people you admire from afar.

And yeah, Jemma’s nice to him, but she works in customer service - she’s supposed to be nice to him. He’s certain that the only reason Jemma even noticed him is because Bobbi and Daisy and the others teased her about him so much - it’s easy to be interested in people who you already know are interested in you.

So even though Fitz didn’t do anything wrong, he still hurt Jemma’s feelings and he feels bad about it. And it’s not like he’s opposed to getting to know her better. So the first day of winter break, after most of the campus has left to go home, Fitz goes back to Mockingbird to see her.

She’s the only other person in the cafe when he walks in. “I don’t think I’ve actually seen it this empty in here before,” Fitz observes.

Jemma shrugs. “I think everyone is in post-finals hibernation mode.” She pushes a paper cup across the counter. “Here you go.”

Fitz looks down at the cup. “What’s this?”

Jemma’s mouth twists, amused. “It’s a pumpkin spice latte. What else would it be?”

Fitz’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh. Uh, actually...I didn’t come for a pumpkin spice latte today.”

Jemma frowns. “But you always get a pumpkin spice latte.”

Fitz taps his fingers nervously against the counter. “I mean, I didn’t come to get coffee. I came to talk to - ”

Jemma shakes her head, reaching forward to pull the cup back towards her. “Sorry, it was stupid - I should have waited for you to order.”

“No, wait -” Fitz reaches out to grab the cup, accidentally placing his hand on hers instead. Their eyes meet for a moment, and they immediately jerk their hands back, mumbling apologies.

“I, uh.” Fitz rubs the back of his neck, embarrassed. “I can buy the coffee. Since you already made it.”

Jemma ducks her head, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to.”

“No - I - I like pumpkin spice lattes. Really. It’s not a hardship.”

Jemma bites the corner of her mouth and pushes the cup back towards him. “You can just have it. New promotion - buy 100 lattes, get one free.”

“Thanks. I owe you one.” Fitz forces himself to look her in the eyes instead of down at his feet. “Maybe I can buy you dinner when you’re done.”

Jemma rolls her eyes. “Please tell me this isn’t about the other day. I really don’t care, Fitz. You don’t have to feel sorry for me.”

Fitz huffs, frustrated. Apparently, letting Jemma know he’s interested was easier before he was actually trying to show his interest. “Look, Jemma - if you’re not interested, that’s fine. You can just say that. But I do want to spend more time with you, and it has nothing to do with feeling sorry for you.”

Jemma’s brow furrows, confused. “But - the other day -”

Fitz gives her a self-deprecating smile. “Would you believe me if I said that it never occurred to me that you would be interested in spending time with me too?”

Jemma presses her lips tightly together, apparently thinking it over. After what feels like an eternity but was probably only five seconds, she turns up the corners of her lips into a small smile. “I get off at six.”

“Great. It’s a date.”

*

In March, Fitz starts visiting Mockingbird Cafe three times a day instead of two.

“You know we don’t sell pumpkin spice lattes anymore, right?” Hunter asks when Fitz walks through the door at six. Behind Hunter, Jemma lights up when she sees him. She glances at the clock and starts untying her apron as she walks to the back room.

“I know,” Fitz tells him, watching Jemma emerge from the back room with her purse and sweater. “But it turns out there’s something here that I like even more.”

(Prompt from here: http://diegoalvesisgod.tumblr.com/post/167408180712/christmas-au-prompts)

[lalallicat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

"I mean, why do they keep bringing me back as a science consultant of they're not even going to listen to me?"

"Yeah, it's almost like a movie called Sharkaroach doesn't care about scientific plausibility at all," Fitz says, dry.

 Shark movie AU?

Shark movie AU.

*

Written for Fitzsimmons Appreciation Week 2017 Day 4: AU of your choice

[lalallicat]

The Grassy Bits In Between

Jemma smooths out her skirt as she waits for Fitz’s train to arrive. Even though they haven’t stopped talking, still Skype once a week and text each other multiple times a day, it’s still been six months since she’s seen Fitz face to face. Six months since she’s gotten a hug from him. Six months since she’s cuddled on the couch with him while watching This Is Shark.

She sees him first, his face scanning the crowd. She stands on her tiptoes and waves wildly. “Fitz!”

He turns towards her voice, and she knows the moment he sees her because his face lights up and he starts running.

Jemma’s heart beats faster, a thrill running through her at the knowledge that he missed her as much as she missed him. She opens her arm, readying herself for what she’s sure will be an enthusiastic hug.

Instead Fitz grabs her hand and just keeps running. “Fitz!” Jemma yelps.

He looks over his shoulder with an apologetic smile. “You have no idea how much I missed you. But, uh, there was a bit of a misunderstanding at the train station and -”

There’s a shout behind them and Fitz tugs harder on Jemma’s arm. “Come on!”

They don’t get the opportunity for a proper greeting until they’ve made it onto the bus and squeezed their way past the other passengers to the back. Fitz wraps his arms around Jemma and buries his face in her hair, familiarizing himself once more with the scent of her almond shampoo. He forces himself to pull back, but then can’t help himself from tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Jemma beams up at him, her face still flushed from their escape.

“You look -” Fitz stops himself. “Not that you don’t -” He huffs, frustrated. Jemma just looks at him expectantly, and he smiles down at her, his expression self-deprecating. “I’m trying to figure out a way to tell you that you look nice without making it sound like I don’t think you always look nice.”

Jemma laughs, then ducks her head, embarrassed. “Thanks. If it helps, I was trying to look nicer than usual today.”

Fitz’s mouth goes dry. “Yeah?”

Jemma lifts her shoulders in an almost imperceptible shrug. “Well, my best friend was coming to visit. It’s a special occasion.” She nudges his shoulder with hers. “Speaking of special occasions…” She nods towards the rolled garment bag attached to his backpack. “What’s the suit for?”

Fitz flushes, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, about that...I have a job interview tomorrow.”

Jemma gapes at him. “Here?”

Fitz quirks his lips. “Well, not right here, on this exact bus, but -”

“You’re going to move here?” Jemma interrupts, reaching out to grab his arm.

“I mean, it’s not 100% certain yet, but yeah. That’s the plan.”

Jemma’s face lights up, delighted. “Oh my God!” She throws her arms around Fitz’s neck. “Fitz! That’s amazing!”

Fitz laughs, bringing his arms up to return the hug. “I take it you don’t mind?”

Jemma pulls away, but then hooks her arm around his and leans her head against his shoulder. “I’m cool with it,” she says with pretend nonchalance.

Fitz turns his head to hide his grin in her hair. “Cool.”

*

Read the rest on AO3

[lalallicat]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Jemma is aware that she has a reputation for being a bit of a know-it-all. From her perspective, it’s not a bad thing. Maybe if others studied more, they could be know-it-alls too. If someone asks a question, she’s not going to pretend to not know.

And in her defense, she’s a scientist. Scientists aren’t supposed to believe in magic. Sally didn’t have to get all offended.

*

Written for Fitzsimmons Appreciation Week 2017

Prompt: Curse

[lalallicat]

Try This Trick and Spin It

Written for Fitzsimmons Appreciation Week 2017

Day 1: Tender

For the first two months of Jemma’s freshman year at university, she found Leopold Fitz to be abrasive. He snapped at their classmates when they made mistakes, walked around with a sullen frown on his face, and left rooms hastily without bothering to say goodbye to her.

And for the most part, she was okay with that. Just because they were lab partners, didn’t mean he had to like her. She just chalked it up to his personality. He seemed to be that way with everyone.

But then he walks in on her having a bit of a mental breakdown in the supply closet.

As soon as Fitz sees her, he stops in his tracks, ducking his head to look at her face, all uncertainty and genuine concern. “Simmons?”

Jemma hastily wipes the tears from her cheeks and takes a shuddering breath before lifting her chin to look at him. “Fitz!” Jemma exclaims, pasting a smile on her face and straightening her posture. From his expression, she knows that he can tell that her peppiness is strained. She braces herself for the inevitable comment about females being too emotional to work in the sciences (similar to the one that sent her to the closet to cry in the first place).

But instead, he takes a step closer to her and opens his arms, a silent offering, and Jemma unthinkingly steps inside.

She can’t help noticing that everything about him is soft: his sweater as she cries into it, his hands as they gently stroke over her hair, his voice as he murmurs reassurances and asks if she’s okay.

It doesn’t take long after that for Jemma to figure out that she had Fitz pegged all wrong. Despite his confidence (overconfidence) in the lab, he’s more unsure around people. He assumes that people won’t like him, so he prefers to give the impression that he’s too focused on his work to care what anyone thinks of him. (He’s successful 99% of the time.)

But once he and Jemma become friends, she discovers that Fitz is a marshmallow, all shy smiles and boyish enthusiasm and casual affection. What was once a shared lab twice a week became lunch every day in the cafeteria, sitting side by side, their arms pressed together. It’s Inspector Spacetime marathons on Sundays in Fitz’s dorm room, Fitz’s head in Jemma’s lap as she scratches his scalp. It’s pool hustling at the Boiler Room, with drunken and sloppy kisses on cheeks and foreheads.

And it’s not that Fitz is her only friend. She has Bobbi, who’s a biochem major with Jemma and shares most of her classes, and Daisy, from whom Jemma bought her fake ID, and Hunter, who adopted Jemma as his little sister back when he and Bobbi were dating and continues to be an overprotective ass long after they’ve broken up.

It’s just that Fitz is her favorite friend. No one else compares. Despite his outward surliness, Jemma has never met anyone more tender-hearted than he is.

Read the rest on AO3!

[lalallicat]

Christmas AU prompts

Disclaimer: A bit early to give you time to write them, I bring you the Christmas AUs! All are mine, free for grabs. Links to stories and any feedback are appreciated.

1: I’m buying a present for my mother and every time I reach for something, you clear your throat and shake your head disapprovingly, who do you think you are?

2: I’m sitting at Starbucks sipping on my peppermint hot chocolate, and Last Christmas is playing, so I’m singing along, you are the barista and you’ve just assumed that someone broke up with me last Christmas, oh God.

3: We met on the train, I’m going home from work and you’re going to your parents’ for Christmas, you’ve just broken up with your boyfriend and you don’t want your parents to know, so I agreed to go with you and play your boyfriend, this is going to be a disaster.

4: I’m attending the Midnight Mass and you’re singing in the choir, I think I’ve just fallen in love, but it’s kinda inappropriate given the time and place.

5: We are fighting over the last Christmas tree in the store and I’m not leaving without it, I’d rather kill you and go to jail but WITH the tree!

6: You’re a patient at the hospital I work in, it’s Christmas and you look so lonely and miserable that I’ve decided to make this your best Christmas ever, you’re in for quite a party.

7: I pack Christmas presents for money, you’re that one busy guy that always dumps his presents at my counter without saying anything and runs away talking busily on the phone, but you always give me extra money, so I don’t care.

8: Our kids’ class does the Nativity play and our kids are competing for the role of Joseph, and it’s become war between our entire families, like MY SON is going to be Joseph, understand?

9: We decorate our houses for Christmas and you use an awful amount of lights, I can’t sleep at night because of them, idiot, I’m coming to your house and strangling you with the lights if you don’t switch them off.

10: I forgot to buy a Christmas tree and I tried to cut one in your garden, you caught me, please, don’t call the police, I can explain.

11: At work, we have a competition in bringing the best Christmas cookies, I told everyone I’d win, but I can’t bake anything without burning the house down. I noticed your apartment always smells deliciously sweet, you’re probably a cookie genius, so I’ll ask you for help.

12: I’m a cop, you’re a fake Santa, someone’s stolen your sack and you started yelling for help, now I’m chasing the thief with a fake Santa in tow, great.

13: I’m driving the Coca Cola Christmas truck and I almost ran you over, I’m so sorry, don’t call my boss please, here, have some free Coke maybe?

14: I joined a band of carolers to get closer to you, but I can’t sing and I’m terrible at memorizing lyrics, oh God.

15: It’s Christmas and I’ve locked myself out of my apartment, you’re my neighbor and you saw me sitting outside looking miserable, so you invited me in your apartment until help arrives.

16: I’m a cop and the Christmas shift is mine because I’m single without kids, you’ve just called and said someone’s trying to break in your house through the chimney, are you kidding me or should I really go there?

17: You bought your kids a cool robot toy for Christmas, but it was mistakenly delivered to my door, I know I should return it, but I kinda want to try it out because it’s so cool, I’m conflicted.

18: I was buying Christmas cards for friends at your store and when I was paying, you told me you never receive any cards, now I’m on the quest of finding out your address and sending you one because you deserve it.

19: We both missed our flight, now it’s Christmas Eve and we’re stuck in the airport hotel together, waiting for another flight.

20: “Hi, I know you don’t really know me, and this is really awkward, but I bought your dog a Christmas present because he’s so cute, so… here it is.”

21: I work at the flower shop and you come here every day, what the hell do you need twenty poinsettias for?

22: Your coffeeshop offers a special Christmas drink and I’m addicted, you’re the barista and you think I’m in love with you, I mean, you’re cute and all but I’m all for the gingerbread latte, I swear.

23: I’m a delivery man and I accidentally delivered the wrong package to you, I’m so sorry your grandma has unwrapped a giant dildo under the Christmas tree, please don’t kill me.

24: We are in prison and it’s your first Christmas here, so me and some other inmates have decided to make it easier for you.

25: I’m a firefighter and you’re that one idiot who’s set his house on fire on Christmas Eve, ever heard about LED lights? Geez.

[lalallicat]

Literally Loving Thy Neighbor

Fitz is in love with the girl next door.  So it’s really unfortunate that their parents are suing suing each other. 

Fitz knows it’s ridiculous. They have cell phones. They have computers. They go to school together. They could very easily call or text or e-mail or Skype or Snapchat or any number of things that would be easier than this.

Except their parents are suing each other over landscaping, of all things, and they’re forbidden from communicating with each other, which means that their parents check their cell phones and their search history every day and kicked up a fuss at school until the school counsellors changed Fitz and Jemma’s schedules so that they don’t share any classes. Which, if their parents didn’t want Fitz and Jemma to communicate, they should have thought about how their bedroom windows literally face each other.

So here he is, sitting by the window, decoding the pulses of light coming from her room. It’s a pain in the ass, but she’s worth it. He’s not going to give up his best friend just because some stupid tree roots crossed over their property line.

Once he decodes the message asking if he’s alone, he double-checks to make sure that his parents are still yelling at Jeopardy! in the living room before he replies.

C. L. E. A. R.

He reaches for his walkie-talkie, one of a set he made out of broken appliances. (Technically, they weren’t broken when he started making them, but they’re certainly broken now.)

Jemma’s voice crackles and snaps out of his radio. “Did you talk to Hunter?”

He brings his radio to his lips. “Yeah. He said he’d cover for me.”

“And your parents?”

“Yeah, I asked them. They said I could go.”

He can practically hear the frown on Jemma’s face. “Just like that? I had to get Daisy to get Phil to call my parents and vouch for me,” she grumbles. “They’re way too suspicious.”

“Well, you are sneaking around behind their backs, so it’s not like it’s not justified,” Fitz points out.

“Well, you’re sneaking around too, and your parents still trust you.”

“Yeah, you should try being a guy some time. It’s great. No one worries you’re going to accidentally get knocked up.” Fitz winces, instantly regretting telling the girl he’s been in love with since 7th grade that she should get a penis. He is truly inane.

On the other hand, he’s like a 1 on the Kinsey scale, so it would certainly solve a lot of his problems.

Jemma snorts. “That sounds doable.”

“If you can dream it, you can be it.”

There’s a long pause on her end, which could mean any number of things, but he always ends up assuming that it’s because she got caught by her parents and that they’re doubly-screwed. “Be honest,” he says. “How much mental energy are you using to determine whether it would be easier to change shitty regressive societal ideas about women or to ditch the uterus?”

Jemma laughs, which - Fitz is so unspeakably lucky to have a best friend who appreciates his shitty sense of humor. “No, I was just looking at my phone. Daisy’s here,” she says.

Fitz sighs, relieved. “See you soon.”

“Yeah. See you soon.”

*

Fitz and Jemma have gone to the midnight showing on opening night of every Chronicles of Prydain movie since the first one came out when they were 13. Clearly, they’re not going to let litigation get in the way of tradition.

Jemma makes an appearance at Antoine Triplet’s house party (for alibi purposes) before leaving through the back door, cutting through the Gutierrez property and crossing the street to get to Fitz’s car. Jemma throws her arms around Fitz as soon as she slides into the passenger seat. “I haven’t seen you in two weeks,” she says into his shirt.

Fitz squeezes her back just as tightly. “You see me every day. I keep my windows open.”

Jemma pulls back and tugs her seatbelt across her torso. “You know what I mean.”

Fitz shifts into drive and pulls away from the curb. “Yeah. I do.”

They share a large bag of snack-sized candy that Fitz bought the day after Halloween and a thermos of coffee during the hour-long drive to the next town over, where they can be sure that no one will recognize them and report back to their parents. They spend the wait in line catching up on everything they’ve missed the past few weeks, and then spend the movie sitting in the back row with Fitz’s arm hooked around Jemma’s shoulders and Jemma snuggled into his side.

Fitz has missed this. He’s missed talking to the person who understands him so completely and their stupid inside jokes and their easy affection. He can’t wait until they leave for uni.

But then Jemma’s distracted and quiet the whole ride home, and it could be because it’s 3:00 in the morning, but Fitz knows Jemma. Something’s bothering her.

“Everything alright?” Fitz asks.

“Hmm?” Jemma’s still staring out the window. “Oh. Yeah.”

Fitz taps his fingers nervously against the steering wheel. “You know you can tell me, right? Whatever it is.”

“Yeah.” Jemma’s so quiet, it seems like she’s talking to herself more than him. “I know.” She takes a deep breath and straightens her body, apparently steeling herself for something. “It’s just...it’s a lot of effort we go through, just to see each other.”

Fitz’s stomach lurches. “Do you...not want to?”

“No! I do!” Jemma rushes to assure him. “It’s just...all this lying and sneaking -”

“Does it bother you?” Fitz interrupts. “Because we don’t have to. I don’t want you to-”

“No - it’s just I’m trying to be honest - just -”

“Because I know rules are important to you and you don’t like to lie and-”

“If you could just shut up for one second -”

“I mean, we’re graduating in May, we could just -”

“I’m trying to tell you that I’m in love with you!” Jemma shouts, frustrated.

Fitz very nearly steers them into a telephone pole. He probably should not be driving during this conversation.

Once he’s pulled over into an empty parking lot, Fitz turns to Jemma, searching her face for any hint of uncertainty. She mostly just seems aggravated.

“Why now?” Fitz asks.

Jemma flushes. “Because if you reject me, then it will be really easy to avoid you. I just close my curtains.”

Fitz shakes his head. “No, I mean - you should’ve told me as soon as you got in the car. We could’ve been snogging this whole time.”

A wide grin spreads across Jemma’s face. She lurches forward, grabbing Fitz’s shirt and pulling him across the console to kiss him, desperate and sloppy. Fitz cradles her face with his hands, slowing the kiss to something soft and tender before pulling back. He tucks a strand of Jemma’s hair behind her ear. Jemma beams at him. “It’s not like we can’t snog now. We have time.”

“Yeah,” Fitz agrees, leaning back in. “We have time.”