Fitzsimmons

Dancing

Quick Note: Tomorrow is my birthday! Also, more excitingly, ELIZABETH FAVORITED MY TWEET! LOOK AT THE PICTURE!

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It would be Fitzsimmons' first time undercover together since the med pod, and Coulson had them playing a married couple. Simmons wasn't sure why, though. They could barely talk to each other without palpable tension swallowing the room. How were they expected to act like they were married?

"Relax, Simmons," May commanded after noticing the biochemist's hesitation following debriefing.

Simmons let out a sigh, and her eyes followed Fitz as he stepped awkwardly out of the room. "I'm fine," she breathed out.

"Agent Simmons," May started again, genuinely worried about Simmons' emotional state. "I played a married couple with Coulson once, you know."

"I know, ma'am. It was frightening."

"What I'm saying is, Coulson and I didn't have much of a history, but we could pull it off. You and Agent Fitz have ten years of friendship to pull from. I would suggest focusing on how much you care about him. Not in what way."

Simmons nodded, thanked May quietly, and exited in search of Fitz. They needed to review their files together, and she was hoping some of the stiffness between them would subside.

"Fitz?" She entered the garage, and Fitz peered up from his work underneath Lola. Coulson had trusted Fitz enough to enlist his engineering service for his poor, beat-up car.

"Ready to go through our files?" Simmons asked with forced happiness.

"Yeah, yeah," Fitz nodded blankly, then rolled out and wiped his hands off. Simmons handed him his file, labeled Parsons, Henry. He opened it and skimmed the identity description.

"Henry Parsons, an Engineering teacher at Robinson High," he read, then flickered his eyes up to check Jemma's new identity. She was gaping at the page in terror. "What?" Fitz inquired gently.

"Sarah Parsons, a professional ballroom dancer and world-renounced ballerina," Simmons read in shock. "Do I look graceful enough to be a dancer, Fitz?" she raised her voice in the slightest, and Fitz flinched. He grabbed her file and flipped through the few pages of background.

"The Koenigs made it," said Fitz, and Simmons rolled her eyes severely. "Looks like you've danced in several small-town productions and won three different ball dancing awards."

"I guess I need dancing lessons, then," Simmons said with a small groan, and Fitz couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips, which was immediately followed by a glare. It was strange, but this familiar interaction between them helped both.

"I apologize for the hard undercover role, Agent Simmons," Coulson began when they had gone to his office to complain. "But, considering the lack of official staff, I think you can make do."

"Yes, sir," Simmons replied respectfully, then turned to exit the office, Fitz following behind her.

"Know anyone that can dance?" Jemma asked as they made their way through the halls of HQ.

"I like to think I can dance," Fitz deadpanned, and Simmons burst out laughing.

"I think Bobbi has some experience. Let's go," Fitz started ahead of Jemma, and they found Bobbi in the garage, having a hushed conversation with Mack. She looked up suddenly, and greeted the pair too happily.

"Fitzsimmons, I heard you two are going undercover.

"Actually, that's what we wanted to talk to you about," Simmons answered. "The Koenigs wrote me to be a professional ballroom dancer, and I have no idea how to dance. Could you perhaps teach me?"

"Sure thing," Bobbi replied, then stood. "First thing, get closer together."

Simmons flinched in shock, and Fitz stayed stiff and stared at Bobbi

"Um, what?" Simmons choked out.

"You guys are never going to be able to pull off a marriage if you can't even touch each other. Fitz, hand on her waist, Simmons on his arm."

They both remained put, and Bobbi had to physically move the stubborn scientists to the proper position, and even then they avoided looking at each other.

"Ridiculous," Bobbi murmured, then adjusted each's posture.

"Mack, can you come here and help me demonstrate? I would ask Lance, but we're kind of in a fight right now."

Mack didn't protest and easily assumed the same stance as Fitz, who was still scrunching his nose in anger.

"Take your right foot and place it slightly in front of your left," Bobbi instructed, and Fitzsimmons followed.

"Now readjust your posture and placement." Fitz hesitantly moved his hand back to Simmons' waist, and her breath caught subtly. Regret passed through Jemma's mind briefly before she forced her hand back to Fitz's shoulder.

"Okay, now Simmoms, starting with the right foot, take two steps forward. Fitz, starting with the left, two steps back."

The instructions continued, and Fitz and Simmons followed them more and more painlessly as they continued. Soon they were dancing fairly normally, laughing comfortably when one made a mistake and stepped on the other's foot. They were slowly healing through slow dancing, and somehow, the waltzing fit their relationship perfectly.

By the end of the day, Fitz still stepped on her feet frequently, and she would step on his, too, but they were able to smoothly and believably dance together.