Fitzsimmons

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Quick Note: I admit, I got inspiration for this from a phanfiction. Sorry not sorry.

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"Fitz, what's wrong?" Jemma had dialed on her mobile when he wasn't in her dorm room at exactly 7:00 for Doctor Who. He wasn't late. Ever. In fact, he was usually there an hour early to help her eat the pizza she would order.

"Um, nothing's wrong, Jemma. I'm alright," came the reply. She knew he was lying before he had even started talking. There was something too fragile about his voice. Too wobbly, stretched thin. Like he was concealing crying.

"You're not alright, are you?" she burst out, a hand already on the doorknob to the hall. It was her instinct, both as a friend and as a doctor, to be ready to assist.

"No," he sobbed out. Jemma's heart grew heavy, never wanting to hear that hideous noise again. Jemma could feel her own sadness beginning to erupt into her eyes, but forced herself to think positively. "Some Field Ops guys were pranking the campus," Fitz said through thick tears. "It got a little out of hand."

Jemma picked up the pace a bit, quickly grabbing her purse containing a med kit, though she hoped she wouldn't have to use it. She stepped, barefoot, into the hallway and sped walk to the stairs, staying on the phone with a blubbering Fitz the entire time.

"Fitz, are you hurt?" she asked cautiously, not really wanting to hear the answer.

"Just some bruising. Cut my lip up a bit," he managed through his crying.

Anger surged through Jemma, inspiring her to run out the building and try to locate whoever had harmed Fitz. Reason overtook her before she could run too far. It hit her that she didn't even know Fitz's whereabouts, and she stood.

"Where are you?" she asked into the phone, pulling out her med kit at the same time.

"The courtyard between Stark Auditorium and the Barnes dorms. I'll try to stand up-"

"No, don't do anything painful," Jemma interrupted, running towards that area of campus. Luckily, the Barnes dorms were placed pretty close to Jemma's own Carter Hall, so she was at the courtyard in no time.

She began picking through the shadows on the ground, searching for Fitz in the darkness.

"Over here, ow," Fitz whispered into the phone, waving his arm.

"Put your arm down, you idiot!" Jemma yelled, hanging up the phone. Fitz winced and lowered his arm as Jemma jogged over to him.

"I can't work in the dark. Do you think you can walk to my dorm?" Jemma assisted in standing Fitz up while his face contorted in pain. Careful not to touch where he seemed to be bruised, she wrapped an arm around his waste. Together, they began the journey across the courtyard to the lit the dorms.

"What happened?" she asked, masking her anger so he wouldn't become terrified.

"Like I said, some Field Academy guys were pranking campus," he began, his voice strained. "Throwing toilet paper everywhere. I was walking through here to your dorm for Doctor Who when I saw it."

"Then what?" Jemma leaned further into him as he became weaker, eager to support him.

"I went up to one of them and asked him to stop," he admitted sheepishly.

"Fitz, you're so clueless sometimes!" Jemma exclaimed, finally reaching the dorm. She decided to spare him a lecture on campus safety.

Jemma was able to get her key card to work on the first try, then gently lowered Fitz to the ground in the hallway. The heavy door locked behind them, and Jemma immediately started work on pulling off his sweater as painlessly as possible. The hallway became excruciatingly silent, every breath and every touch seemingly magnified.

She examined the dark bruises peppered across his arms and back. Nothing appeared to be broken, so they would have to heal naturally. Fitz watched her as she gently pressed against each spot, flinching when she touched the bad ones.

"Sorry, sorry," she would say, then continue on with her examination more carefully.

When she had completely finished with the analysis of the bruising, she started to lightly brush her fingertips along his swollen lower lip. His eyes stayed firmly fixed on her face as she tried her best to ignore his piercing gaze. She shifted to shuffle through her med kit for some rubbing alcohol to clean the wound.

"Um, this might hurt," Jemma apologized, taking half a second to actually look at Fitz's face. He looked shockingly unfazed, like he was concerned with her more than himself. When she moved the wet cotton ball to his lips, she hesitated for a moment. She didn't want to hurt him. She had known this opinion before, it just stuck out particularly now, like a filter was removed from the thought.

Pushing past her initial thought, she lightly pressed the alcohol into the cut, knowing she was helping him this way. It appeared to have taken him a few moments to register the sting, but he eventually flinched back, bumping into the wall while Jemma kept the cold liquid firmly against him. A groan passed his lips unwillingly, and his tightly closed eyes leaked moisture.

Not being able to stand it too long, Jemma removed the reddened cotton and observed the flesh beneath. His lip was no longer bleeding, but still glistening a dark red. She let her forefinger drift up to the spot, brushing it feather-lightly against his entire bottom lip. She settled herself closer to him, her knees pressing right against his legs as she leaned over him. Now two hands were touching his face, and no longer in a very medical way.

She cleared her throat and brought her arms into her lap. "Not much I can do for your lip. It has to heal on its own." An intimate silence hung in the air, and both refuse to talk for awhile.

Then, they spoke at the same time.

"Can I-" said Fitz, then stopped, as Jemma was speaking, too.

"Do you want to stay at my dorm?" she repeated with a smile. "I mean, if you want. If you don't think you can manage getting back there tonight."

"I was just going to ask you that," Fitz said with a laugh. "Ow. Laughing hurts." Jemma rocked backwards on her heels as she laughed at him. "Stop that!" Fitz shouted, not serious at all. He just liked to be laughing at the same time as Simmons.

Jemma helped him up, and they made their way over to the elevator.

"Do you have Doctor Who recording?" Fitz asked sleepily as they ascended.

"Obviously!" she replied.