Agents of Shield One-Shots

When the world gets too heavy (put it on my back)

3 times Melinda May took care of her bus kids and one time they took care of her. Basically just May and Bus Kids fluff. (TBC on the next few chapters.)

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1.

Fitz had been unconscious for two days now, and May felt like some fundamental part of the team was missing. Honestly, though, it felt like two people were unconscious instead of only one, with the way Simmons had been so quiet. At the moment, Simmons was sitting next to Fitz, gently holding his hand. May could tell she was trying hard not to fall asleep. 

Simmons hadn't mentioned what exactly had happened for them to end up at the bottom of the ocean, but they all knew Ward had something to do with it. He was the reason Fitz wasn't waking up, the reason Simmons had barely said a word to anyone. 

Taking a closer look at Simmons, May could see that the woman's eyes were a dull brown filled with hopelessness, instead of the optimistic and intelligent gaze she usually had. Her honey coloured hair was tangled, and it looked like she hadn't eaten in a while. 

May walked into Fitz's room, but Simmons made no move to acknowledge her. It was kind of unsettling that the normally bubbly scientist was so still, and a part of Melinda's heart stopped for a moment, afraid that she was - 

No, she wouldn't let her mind imagine that. It was bad enough that she would often have nightmares about her teammates deaths, especially since Skye had gotten shot. She refused to let anything else happen to her team. 

May put a gentle hand on Simmons' shoulder. 

"Hey, why don't you go back to your room and sleep for a bit? I'll watch him," she offered. 

The biochemist lifted her head up to look at May blearily. "It's okay, I'd rather stay here, thank you," she replied, her voice one of exhaustion. 

A nagging suspicion began to worm its way into May's head. 

"Simmons," she said slowly. "When was the last time you slept?"

Simmons didn't even bother trying to lie. "I'm not sure."

"Why aren't you sleeping, Jemma?" May asked, her voice soft. 

Simmons' face crumpled. "I can't leave Fitz," she said. She didn't cry, she felt like all her tears had already been cried out. "I can't bear thinking that he'll wake up and I won't be there for him."

May was quiet for a moment. "Wait here," she said, stepping out of Fitz's room. 

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May quickly grabbed some pillows and a blanket from her room, and a sandwich from the kitchen. She walked back to see Simmons lying on Fitz's chest, eyes closed. Quietly, May pulled out the cushions from the back of the sofa Simmons was sitting on, replacing them with the softer pillows she had brought from her room. She draped the blanket on top of Simmons, wrapping it comfortably around her shoulders. 

Simmons opened her eyes tiredly. 

"Eat this, then go to sleep. I'll let you know if he wakes up," May told her, holding out the sandwich. 

Simmons took in the blanket wrapped around her and the pillows behind her. "Thank you, May," she said in a rush of gratitude. It was the only emotion outside of grief and exhaustion that Simmons had expressed since the events at the bottom of the sea. 

Simmons ate small bites of the sandwich and leaned into the pillows, which smelled like May's calming scent of green tea and jasmine. She pulled the blanket up to her chin and closed her eyes, leaving the sandwich bag beside her. 

Half an hour passed, and with Simmons not making a sound, May began to think she had fallen asleep. Her surprise was almost apparent when Simmons sat up, silent tears streaming down her face. 

"May," she said, her voice choked. "I think I'm a horrible person."

May didn't say anything in return, but she put a comforting arm around the younger agent, implying that she was ready to listen. 

"I'm afraid of Fitz waking up," she said, her voice guilty. "In the containment pod, we talked. He told me that he loved me, he had always loved me, and then he blasted the door open." Simmons was sobbing now. "There was only enough oxygen for one of us. He made me take it. If I weren't there, he'd still be awake. And I'm such a coward, because I don't know how I feel it and I couldn't bear it if he woke up and I had to tell him I didn't know whether I love him back yet."

Seeing Simmons break down, May was forcefully reminded of how unbelievably young her team was, how inexperienced in life they all were. 

"Simmons, you're not a coward," she reassured softly, pulling the agent closer to her. "I can't tell you what to feel about Fitz, but I can tell you this. He will wake up. And I know whether or not you love him back, he'll still care about you. Nothing can come between the two of you. That's why you're called Fitz-Simmons."

Simmons didn't say anything back, only sniffled and leaned closer to May. 

"And in my experience, you don't fall in love suddenly," May continued. "You fall in love little by little. You don't have to figure out how you feel right now. Your feelings might change, Fitz's feelings might change. The two of you will get through it together."

May hummed a quiet lullaby to the agent, holding her tight. Simmons fell asleep like that, with May holding her in her arms and gently brushing the young agent's hair out with her fingers. 

Although Simmons still didn't leave Fitz's side the next day, the entire team was glad to see colour return to her cheeks, hope back in her eyes. 

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I've always had a headcanon that May was the only person Simmons told about what happened at the bottom of the sea. I hope I did this justice! Let me know what you think.