the academy ➢ fitzsimmons

➢4

It was our free day and Fitz phoned me to tell me that the gun is going to take a few days since the shipment of the metals needed for the outside is going to take a bit. We are choosing to spend today by ourselves, which I don't even know what to do with myself now.

'maybe I could study the next chapter for Monday' but that was farcical since our teacher continuously told me and Fitz not to read ahead last semester.

'maybe do my nails?' that idea was cut off the bat because my ambidextrous skills were at zero.

'go shopping' I don't have money and the nearest shops aren't the best.

'phone Fitz' no I can't it's our day apart and we spend too much time together during the week as it is, I bet he's getting bored of me.

I've got the perfect idea, I'll go for a run around the gardened campus.
Our campus was merely small but the outskirts of the building were absolutely terrific with fresh streams and large oak trees lining the sides and outward.

So here I was, jogging around the farthest park of the campus grounds when I passed a man that I usually see in my creative science class. He was rather tall but I had never noticed him before. I continued my jog around the path to when I got to an end in the gravel, I made a quick turn just into to run into someone. It was like I ran into a tree but I looked up to see the guy in my class reaching out to help me up. My mind cleared to hear that he was repeating the words "oh my gosh are you okay?" And "I'm so sorry!"

I laughed it off taking his help to come face to face with him, "yep I'm all right," I brushed my leggings free of dirt and leaves, "thanks."

"Hey your in my science class, uh, creative science, with professor Hamilton."

"Yes right, I'm Jemma Simmons." I smiled.

"Hi Jemma, I'm Aaron Mackie." He smiled right back.

He was about 5'10, just an observation, and he had short, shaggy, brown hair. He was truly handsome with a perfect jawline and bright eyes. I caught myself staring, causing a pause in the conversation.

"So um, want to jog back together?," he checked his phone for the time, "and maybe grab coffee or tea, whatever you prefer."

I laughed, "not all of us brits like tea."

"So coffee?" He then asked as we continued our slow jog.

"Hell no, I love tea!" I said running ahead of him hoping he would catch up and he followed my actions in some sort of race.

"Why don't you slow down?" He yelled from behind me.

"Cmon Aaron, I could do this all day!" I yelled back continuing my run to the exit of the path where the sky of trees met clouds and a large steel building.

"Okay I give up, I give up." He said jogging out behind me with his hands up.

➢

"How do you drink this stuff?" Aaron asked appalled at the taste of black tea with no sugar.

"It's a British thing I guess," I cleared my throat taking the mug from him, "my dad used to drink 4 cups of this a day, God bless his heart."

Aaron laughed, "my parents hate coffee and tea so they decide a Diet Coke every morning is a good idea."

"Thats disgusting!" I said

"You have no idea."

"So—" but before I could finish my phone rang, it's was Fitz. "Excuse me Aaron."

I turned my head and looked to answer my phone which was beaming a picture of Fitz at his 21st birthday party, but never mind that.

"Yes Fitz?" I asked

"Um, just a quick question, yeah, um, how toxic is dendrotoxin?" He asked sounding a bit peckish and anxious.

"Highly toxic," I laughed to myself, "did you get some of it on ya?"

"Just a drop, on my finger, are they gonna have to amputate it?" Fitz continued his nervous questions as I chuckled and shook my head. "This is not funny Jemma."

"Go to the bathroom and wash the affected area with soap and warm water for a few minutes and if it still stings, I have a stronger base I could use balance the acidic levels of the area."

"God you are a life saver!" Fitz said emphasizing the word 'life'.

"Goodbye Fitz."

"Bye Simmons."

I turned back around to face a quiet Aaron.
I picked back up my tea to take a sip before I apologized for the intervening call.

"Was that your boyfriend?" He asked and I nearly choked on my tea as my face lit up with a small smile.

"Me and Fitz?" I set down the mug, "we are just friends, he touched one of the dendrotoxin pellets."

"Sounds like a long story." He said

"Yeah it kinda is." I said crinkling my nose.

"Okay, so I have class in 12 but I was wondering maybe we could do this again," he did a small smile, "when we aren't all sweaty and we could go somewhere nicer."

"I would love that." I said having a fade of pink form onto my cheeks like usual.

"I will, uh, see ya around Jemma." Aaron said getting up and leaving.

I thought to myself; cute boy, nice date, what could possibly go wrong with that.

And I started to think that I should probably phone Fitz to make sure he wasn't passed out on the bathroom floor with water still running.

The other line repeated an annoying ring sound which I will hear in my sleep but it got me worried, what if what I was thinking earlier actually is happening right now. So I quickly got up and started to jog my way to the dorm rooms. What if someone else found him before me? How much trouble would we get in? The ideas raced inside my head until I finally found myself standing in front of the wooden door where I could find Fitz. I didn't bother to knock and got out the spare key he had given me last semester, around late August.

I walked in and there sat Fitz on the ground, a bit too pale and frail for my liking. He was going to be okay I said to myself until I started to say it out loud to him, over and over again like the phone's ring.

"Simmons I'm fine I swear." He loosely promised me as his eyes fought to stay gazed to mine.

"No you are not, Fitz, listen, this will be gone very soon, you're lucky you didn't get the toxin close to major arteries otherwise you could've been in serious trouble." I said cleaning up the space around him and finding a pillow for him to lay back on.

"I'm so sorry Jemma, I guess I'm just a klutz." He kept saying to me as I tended to him.

"Oh hush, Fitz, you are fine it was just an accident." I smiled toward his eyes as they continued to fight and stay open.

"Fitz you can close your eyes, you will still wake up I promise." I told him.

"Are you gonna stay here?" He asked quietly.

"Of course I will."