Homework Buddies

3|

Fitzsimmons walked up the driveway to Jemma's house.

"I feel like I'm trespassing," Fitz murmured to her.

"Don't be silly, it's just my childhood home," his best friend chided, "and besides, we get the place to ourselves for the next little while. My parents won't be home until the weekend."

"Fun." Fitz carried their bags inside. "I don't know about you, but I'm famished."

Simmons flashed him a grin. "I'll whip us something up. You remember where I told you our rooms are?"

"Yeah." Fitz stumbled his way down the hallway, looking at all the happy family photos of Simmons and her family. A small shrine corner of her with all her awards and certificates. Her bedroom door had notches to mark her height as she grew up.

Fitz kneeled down to brush his thumb against the first notch, a little less than half a metre.

He shook himself out of it and rolled Simmons' suitcase into her room before putting his in the room next to hers. His head snapped up when he heard her calling his name.

"Coming!" Fitz called.

He made his way back to the kitchen to get a whiff of the most delicious thing he'd ever smelled.

"What is that heavenly-" his eyes set upon a sandwich on a plate being held out by Simmons. "That looks incredible. I think I've fallen in love with it a little bit."

"Try it," she urged.

Fitz bit into it and his eyes rolled to the back of his skull. "Oh my God-" He chewed with his eyes closed. "Simmons, you are an angel on Earth and Heaven-"

"- let's not go that far," she said, though she looked pleased. "I'm glad you like it, though."

"Like it? I am in love with it. I want to marry it. It's my future, my entire life-!"

"- Fitz!" Simmons burst into laughter. "You can't be serious!"

"Deadly," he said grimly. "This sandwich is the light of my life."

"And yet you scarf it down like you're a beggar starved for six days," she teased.

Fitz crammed the last of the sandwich into his mouth. "I am a beggar starved of this sandwich my entire life. I should've been dead, by all means." He swallowed. "So, what's in it?"

"Prosciutto, mozzarella, and pesto aioli," Simmons said, taking a bite of her own. She watched him eye it with an amused grin. "I'm not making you another one, and I'm certainly not giving you mine. Don't even think about it."

Fitz sighed, staring at her sandwich longingly. "Any good latte places around here?" he mused. "We could update our latte list."

She thought about it. "We have a Starbucks," Simmons offered. "That's it, though. We're all tea people, here."

Fitz nodded. "Wise, that."

Simmons sighed. "Do you want half of what's left of my sandwich?" she asked half-heartedly.

"Yes, a million times yes, please, Jemma, I'll love you forever-" Fitz gratefully accepted the half. "You are the greatest, kindest, smartest genius in the whole of-"

"- Alright, Fitz!" Simmons was grinning. "No need to lay it on thick. I have you half. You aren't getting any more."

He brushed the crumbs off his hands. "Please say you'll make this when we get back to America."

"How about I make some to celebrate your mother's move, hmm?" Simmons brought their plates to the sink. "Then we can discuss the future of this sandwich."

Fitz grinned hazily. "Hmm. The future."

"You ever want to go out into the field?" Simmons asked him a little while later.

"The place where scientist go to die- Jemma, we've been over this." Fitz scratched his neck. "I don't like dying. It seems like a pain."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll give you a lifetime's supply of sandwiches if you take the field test with me."

Fitz brightened. "Lifetime's? Really?" he asked.

She nodded. "Do we have a deal?"

Fitz shook her hand firmly. "Field scientists for a good sandwich. Hopefully, we don't get killed." His eyes darted to the sink. "We should get that."

Simmons waved him off. "I'll get to it." She scribbled on a notepad. "However, I have some terms I want to discuss for our field work..."