Fitzsimmons

Twelve Days - Day 8

Coulson tripped out of his office on the weekend before Christmas. When he looked down to see what he had tripped over, he saw several strings of lights, running all the way up and down the hallway.

"Coming through!" he heard someone yell, so he jumped back into his office just as Fitz sprinted by with a huge roll of lights, unwinding it as he went.

"What the hell?" Coulson shouted after him.

"It's Christmas!" was his response before he turned the corner and continued running.

When Coulson stepped back into the hallway, he was run into by another person, who squeaked sharply before dodging around him. She was also carrying a roll of lights, and he barely caught her before she rounded the corner as well.

"Hey, Coulson," Simmons said with an embarrassed smile. She was wearing an ugly Christmas sweater, with a cartoon reindeer and a bright red lightbulb nose.

"Simmons, tell me what is going on," Coulson replied sternly.

"Fitz and I are decorating HQ. It's kind of a contest, may I go?"

"A few more questions. Why aren't you working in the lab?"

"Nothing to work on, sir."

"There's always something. Have you gotten done with Raina's blood analysis?"

"We've been done with that for ages,"Simmons retorted playfully. She stopped smiling when Coulson glared at her.

Just then, Fitz ran around the corner into the hallway. His spool was nearly empty, and he was grinning maniacally.

"I'm winning, Simmons!" he shouted gleefully, thinking he could run straight past a confrontation with Coulson.

"Fitz, stop," Coulson said sternly as he passed.

"But I'm almost to the end of the line," Fitz complained, forgetting he was talking to his director. "Sorry, sir."

"You two are supposed to be professionals. I though I was recruiting geniuses. I didn't realize I would be adopting two science babies."

"Oh, excuse us for wanting to preserve the last sliver of childish innocence we contain!" Simmons shouted suddenly, surprising even herself. Coulson stared at her calmly, wanting her to say everything she needed to. "I'm sorry, but Hydra and the Obelisk nearly destroyed us. I'm not letting them kill all of me."

Coulson considered her words for a moment while she rocked on her heels slightly. Fitz kept glancing down the hall, hyperactive and waiting to continue his race.

"Okay," Coulson allowed. Fitz immediately sprinted down the hallway, while Simmons thanked him for his leniency before taking off.

"You're cleaning this up!" Coulson yelled after them, then laughed slightly before returning to his office.