AKA the story of how Jemma Simmons didn’t plan to propose
Summary:
Jemma Simmons always has a plan.This time, it’s a plan to use an old tradition and propose to her boyfriend during the Leap Day. But fate decides otherwise when it forces her plane to land in Scotland instead of London. And so, the biggest, unplanned journey of her life begins. A Leap Year AU.
Chapter seven - where some truths spill over dinner (8/12) is now available on AO3
Jemma’s diary and travel log update is here (I will post it separately tomorrow to not spoil)
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
Jemmahad been working in the lab all day with no word from Fitz who was out withMack meeting with several foreign diplomats about supporting Shield. Fitz hadbeen no text or anything from him wishing her a happy birthday. Not a singlething. Jemma tried to understand how busy Fitz most likely was. He’d left twodays ago for a New York and she hadn’t heard anything from her boyfriend sinceyesterday.
Daisy hadcome in an hour ago with her laptop to keep Jemma company. She was thankful forher friend’s company; however, she couldn’t help wish she were Fitz.
“Anyword from the boys?” Daisy asked looking up from her research into findingInhumans that might be having a hard time.
Jemmashook her head. “Nothing… I can’t believe he forgot.”“Forgot what?”
Seems asif everyone had forgotten Jemma’s birthday. How had they celebrated for herwhen she wasn’t there and when she was there they forgot? This was ridiculous.“We had plans,” she lied.
“Oh,well I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”
“Yeah…”Jemma turned and went back to her work with silence beginning to fill the roomonce more. Finally, after two more hours she had finished. There was still noword from Fitz. She turned to Daisy with a sigh. “I think I’m going to headback to the apartment.”
“Mind ifI come with? We could gets some drinks and watch a movie.”
Jemmanodded as she reached for her coat. So the two girls walked out together.Before reaching the apartment Daisy had them stop at the store to grab somealcohol and then they continued on. Jemma was not concentrating on much. In hermind’s eye all she was seeing was Fitz coming home. She didn’t even care abouther birthday anymore. All she wanted was to have the man she loved home withher.
Theyreached the apartment and Jemma pulled her keys from her pocket and beganunlocking the door. Suddenly there was a clatter behind her. She turned to seeDaisy reaching for her phone, which was on the floor. “Daisy are you alreadydrunk,” she chuckled.
Daisyrolled her eyes. “Look I’m not drunk I’m just… have butter fingers.”
Laughingloudly Jemma turned back to her keys. The door opened and the two walkedinside. Jemma flipped the switch and on came the lights. As soon the lightscame on the decorations were revealed. Across the opposite wall was a smallbanner that said “happy birthday Jemma”. On the floor were balloons and acrossthe ceiling were streamers.
Jemmaraised her eyebrows. “What is-?” But before she could finish her sentenceseveral people jumped out form behind the couch and out of the kitchen. Therewas Coulson, May, Mack, Elena and to her great delight, Fitz. In unison theyshouted, “surprise!” Except Elena said it in Spanish.
As soonas her brown eyes fell on Fitz Jemma ran to him. He deserved some affection forthe sweet surprise. She jumped into his arms and wrapped her own around hisneck and her legs around his waste. Jemma planted a sweet kiss on his lips andheard shouts and whistles behind her from the others.
“Hedeservers that,” Mack smiled. “He made sure we got back as soon as possible sowe would set all this up!”
Fitzgrinning broadly set Jemma down and kissed her forehead. “Anything for youJem.”
“I kindof though you’d forgotten about me,” she admitted shyly.
“Howcould I ever forget about you?”
Jemmashrugged looking down at the floor, then turned to look around the room at herfriends. “Thank you everyone. This is so wonderful!”
“Enoughthank yous,” replied Daisy. “Let’s get out the cake and the drinks!”
“Thanksfor distracting her a bit with that, and the phone drop” Fitz winked. “We weregoing right to the wire.”
“Distractingme?” Jemma narrowed her eyes at Daisy.
Herfriend shrugged and then pointed towards the kitchen with a sly grin. Jemmafollowed her direction and saw a large blue Tardis cake waiting for her. Sheturned to Fitz and gave him another kiss.
“Wefigured since you missed it once we could do it better now,” he replied.
Happy Friday!! In honor of the usual Flashback Friday, I decided to start my own little thing, Fic Back Friday. Every Friday for the next 18 weeks, I’ll be making a post about a fic (or more) that I love to re-read and that was originally posted at least two months ago! It’s a way for me to a) show off some fics that people may have missed, and b) let some amazing fic writers know how much I appreciate their works. Happy readings!
If It's Not With Me by @andrea-lyn
Summary: Fitz isn't jealous. No way, absolutely not, and if he were, it's not because of Smith's stupid handsome face or his ability to cook, it's because he's stealing his partner away from important work. At least, that's what he keeps telling himself.
Rating: T, WC: 2,677
Getting There by @blogginghaley
Summary: Jemma Simmons is certainly not jealous. Not one bit. OrHow Fitzsimmons officially become Fitzsimmons (after the proper amount of miscommunication, friendship, jealousy, and help[?] from shipper trash Skye).
AOS Fic Net 2.0 is excited to announce its second fic exchange to ring out 2017 and ring in 2018!
Thanks to @the-nerdy-stjarna for the banner (strongly inspired by @whatlighttasteslike’s banner for our previous exchange).
Here’s how it’s going to work:
Sign up (using the instructions below) by midnight November 13th in your local timezone. This exchange is not member-exclusive!
Receive your partner by midnight November 15th in @theclaravoyant’s local timezone.
Posting will begin January 1st, potentially with staggering, depending on the number of participants. Watch this space!
It works just like a Secret Santa, only slightly later (or earlier?) in the year, so keep your partner a secret until you post your gift! You can interact with them if you wish (in fact, we encourage it!) but don’t give yourself away, surprises are more fun!
So of course the first step is to:
Sign up!
**This exchange is not member-exclusive** - that means anyone in the fandom is welcome to join, regardless of whether or not they are a member of the Net!
Prompt(s) - you can submit up to two if you’re bursting with ideas or want to give your partner some options. Please try not to be too specific, to give them some creative license.
Favourite relationship(s) - you can submit up to three, but we will of course do our best to match your first preference(s).
Favourite relationship(s) you wish to read about
Favourite relationship(s) you are comfortable writing about
Likes & Dislikes - a place for squicks & triggers (both as a reader and writer), as well as preferences regarding things like smut, violence, or any controversial events or characters eg. the potential 3rd party associated with your fave ships - are they good but just as friends, rather not think about them, ‘dear lord please no’? (Please try to be respectful and concise.)
Please have your askbox open in case your partner wants to reach you.
Please reblog this post to spread the word - the more the merrier!
-
Any other questions, queries, etc? Message or ask @aosficnet2.
And remember: It’s easy to join our network, just see here.
Below the cut we have tagged some other pages and Networks that might want to get involved - feel free to check them out too, & tag more of your own! (@the pages/Nets, we are happy to promo back, especially if you have something going on for the holidays!)
This also fulfils an anon prompt I’ve had for a while, in which Jemma gets a tattoo and Fitz “loves it to pieces”, as well as also fitting one of @florchis’ many beautiful suggestions, as a Part Two to How the Light Gets In. I strongly recommend reading the first part (1500wd) before this one.
Jemma's body is littered with scars from Giyera, but she decides to make them her own by painting over them with constellations. Finally comfortable again in her own skin, she’s ready to show them off to Fitz.
Rated T for torture mention and sensual, though not explicitly sexual references.
Read here on AO3 (~1200wd).
How the Light Gets In - Pt. II
Jemma takes a deep breath, and draws the washcloth over her skin. Much of the redness has faded now, and her skin has resumed its creamy glow but for the puckered scars and the silver and blue lines that now decorate them.
Stars.
That’s what they have always reminded her of – at least, ever since she had decided as much, not so long ago. Otherwise, they are pain and torment. She much prefers the duality of it all; the blistering heat and the guiding signs blurring together as they dance across her skin. Each of the marks her torturer left is now crowned by its own tiny cluster of stars, put there by her own will, and some of them illustrated by constellations. Out of what was done to her she has made a sky of possibilities; she has made a symbol; she has made art. She has made something of which she can be proud, and as she steps out of the shower and onto the mat she delays, for the first time in too long, wrapping herself up in a towel.
She stares.
She stares at her body in the mirror, so unfamiliar and yet, unquestionably her own. She stares at the way a map of the stars seems to move as she does, as if she and the cosmos are one and the same. It feels like too much power to have: as if she is too big and far too small for her own skin all at once. Yet she holds her chin high. She has endured and come out beautiful, and it may not be the beauty that she is used to, but she’ll be damned if she doesn’t show it off.
She smiles.
“Fitz?”
“Hm?”
He sounds distracted, but when she walks out into their bedroom he is anything but. His eyes sweep toward her instinctively, and when she doesn’t flinch away from his attention on her body – as she has done since the scars, and the bruising new tattoos - he stops to drink her in. The magazine he is reading slides off his lap, his jaw slackens a little, and he marvels.
“Are you - ? Are they - ?”
The temptation still tingles in her fingers, that she should wrap her arms around her body and hide away, but with a newfound air of confidence, she finds it easier to resist. She crosses the floor and climbs onto the bed in front of Fitz, taking his hand and placing it on her own hip. His whole palm and all his fingers stretch out, hungry to touch her, and she realises that she hasn’t let him – not like this – since it happened.
“They’re ready,” Jemma promises. “My stars. I decided you were right. I wanted to make them beautiful. I just needed a little help… seeing them differently.”
Fitz scoffs.
“Well,” he points out. “I can help with that.”
He holds her eyes for a moment longer, making sure that she is truly comfortable before his eyes wander down to her neck; her breasts; her stomach. One of his hands is still fixed at her hip and the other trails over her skin, hesitant to touch the scars themselves. He is not proud of his own and he wonders what will happen if he touches hers the wrong way (because whatever she says now, there must be a wrong way.)
Then Jemma takes his hand, and demands the attention of his eyes again. Just briefly.
“It’s okay,” she promises; slowly, enunciating the words so that he absorbs and believes them.
He does, and then his lips collide with hers, struggling to communicate the pride and joy and beauty and oddly nostalgic type of love that has seized him. Maybe, he thinks, she feels the same as she kisses back with the same kind of passion, the same kind of yearning.
When they step back to take a breath, Jemma catches the side of his face. Runs a finger over his cheek and his jaw. Holds his forehead against her own, so that they look down together at her body. This time, as Fitz trails from one cluster of stars to the next, he runs his finger over the scarred tissue and around it, as if he is painting them himself.
“What do you think?” Jemma asks, a little breathless with anticipation. Fitz wonders if she is expecting they’re you; a callback to their last conversation, and the last time he was allowed to study her with such intensity. Instead he says:
“They’re beautiful.”
And she smiles and laughs a little, because of course that’s the kind of thing a sap like him would say.
“Do you have them-“ he begins,
“-On the back?” she anticipates, and with another deep breath she turns around, so that he can see them stretch out over her shoulders, her spine, her ribcage, her hips. She can feel it all in his touch – the horror, the sorrow, and the admiration – as he runs a finger down her back.
As he passes, she feels her muscles relax, again and again. They are reluctant to let go of their tension, but Fitz coaxes it all from them until Jemma is lying down in their blankets and he has not just a finger, but both hands drawing over her back. It’s a soft and gentle massage at first – he does not wish to aggravate any tissue problems she might be having – but soon enough he cannot help himself and he’s leaning down to kiss her shoulder, her spine, her ribcage, her hips. She sighs into the blanket and whispers again –
“Fitz.”
“Sorry,” he says, “did you want me to stop?”
There’s a smile in his voice, as if he knows the answer will be:
“No.”
But he doesn’t expect her to roll over and reach for him again, carding her fingers through his hair because she, too is starved for touch. She too longs to tell him how beautiful he is, in ways that words cannot express. He gets the essence of it though; he tastes it on her skin, as he resumes his kissing pattern; he feels it in the way that she moves - always receptive, greeting him and thanking him, and guiding him to where she wants him.
It’s rare, these days, that they spend time so entwined with one another and yet, so silent. Most of the time, they are working too hard for a second glance – or else, they are making the most of every second to update each other, educate each other, joke and banter with each other. They vocalize plenty of love too, of course, but there is something to be said for the tender pleasure of two lovers in mutual silence – something that they have been missing, of late.
The air does not tingle around them tonight, with nerves or humour or sexual tension to be teased and strutted about. Rather, it seems to wrap itself around them like a blanket, lulling them gently so that when they do at last fall asleep it is with an easy rhythm and a softness that has eluded them for far too long – at last, no longer.