Birds of a Feather | | Leo Fitz Book One

Chapter 2

The last thing on Earth, or at least the last thing on the Bus, Leopold Fitz expected to hear from the comforts of his own room was a scream coming from the newly occupied room beside his own. Granted, it was muffled, but bloody hell that girl must have been screaming ridiculously loud for him to be hearing her whatsoever. And that got him to worrying. The odds weren't high, but what if someone had managed to sneak onto the Bus? Sighing, Fitz slid off of his bed where he had only just sat down with a soft covered book to read, after changing into a pair of flannel pajama pants and a white t-shirt.

Shuffling out of his room, the scientist padded the few steps down the hall the short distance to the new girl's room, stopping outside and pressing his ear against the door. Yep, the screaming was definitely coming from inside. It was as if her lungs went on forever, the way she never seemed to stop for breath. He looked down and noticed the entrance was still simply a doorknob. He would have to discuss with her an alternate form of entry, whether it be retinal, code, or fingerprinted. Sighing, he grabbed the handle and opened the door, greeting the complete darkness and the piercing scream. He quickly pulled the door shut behind him to keep the scream from penetrating the rest of the Bus, once he saw the Agent was in her room all alone. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, head in her hands, eyes squeezed shut, just screaming. Her screams were starting to die, and turn into little whimpers, and she didn't even seem to notice his arrival.

"Ahem," he quietly cleared his throat, hoping she would notice him, and he wouldn't have to reach out and tap her. He learned the hard way by sneaking up on Ward that that would be a one way ticket to a dislocated shoulder.

Asia looked up, eyes wide, cheeks turning deep red in immense embarrassment. How the hell had she not noticed someone entering her room, much less approaching her and turning on the light? "Oh dear God, I am so. So. sorry," she said quickly, hands covering her cheeks. Damnit. Damnit Damnit Damnit. This was the way to make a good first impression. She probably looked completely mental, sitting alone in a dark room screaming her brains out. "I, um, just wanted to check how soundproof it was."

"Well, I could hear you a bit from, from, next door," Fitz said, shoving his hands in the pockets of his plaid pants. "So it's not completely soundproof but...you shouldn't have to worry about anyone else. I'm the closest to you, physically speaking."

Asia blinked, averting her gaze from him back to her hands. "Well, I suppose that's good to know...." she trailed off, still trying to asses her level of embarrassment and whether or not she should threaten him into silence. Before she could speak, the engineer spoke first.

"Erm, if you don't mind me asking...Asia, is it? Yes, well. Is everything alright?" And suddenly it was his cheeks which were tinted red. "I mean, I know you were just testing out the sounds here but, just...just checking up on you. I know starting can be a little rough."

The brunette grinned and shook her head slightly, sighing. "I don't know if that's a can of worms you want to open...em, Leo, right? Can I call you Leo?"

"Leo is fine, most people call me Fitz if you'd prefer it," he shrugged, "And I don't mind opening your can of worms, I mean, that is, I don't mind listening. If you need someone to lean on, or, um, talk to, about things."

"Leo it is then," she said, scooting over on the edge of the bed. "You can sit, if you really want to listen...." she left the choice up to him. He could easily make an excuse and leave if he so chose. That would be the easy way out, really. She would take it, if roles were reversed. And she wasn't entirely sure why she felt the need to tell him anything whatsoever. Natasha would have raised an eyebrow at her and have said "You're not going to keep that to yourself?" Having too many feelings was a sign of weakness. But perhaps it was to fill the void Nat had left behind. Who knew how long it would be before she saw the rest of Strike Team Delta? While Natasha had warmed up to her in her own way, and Clint had always taken care of her like a younger sister, she knew if she ever was concerned or battling feelings, she could go to them and they would listen. Sometimes she needed that after missions. The things they saw, the things they did, Asia couldn't always push it away and never look back. And here, without her even asking for it, was someone offering to let her unpack, mentally. Perhaps he was more than a bumbling engineer she saw in the lab, close as could be with the girl named Jemma.