Chapter Text
The next morning, Bobbi and Hunter were still fighting with each other when Jemma arrived at the Playground. As soon as she stepped into the kitchen to make a cuppa, they immediately fell silent. Bobbi looks at her with concern, but Hunter won’t meet her eyes.
“It’s okay.” Simmons says, rolling her eyes. “I’m not going to break down crying.” She felt like she had cried all of her tears last night while she slept alone.
As she headed out to the lab, she could hear harsh whispers between the two of them.
“Simmons.” She looked up to see May standing in the doorway.
“Follow me.”
She dutifully trooped after May to the Director’s office to find Fitz already there and he looked distinctly uncomfortable when he saw her, much to her chagrin.
“Sit. Both of you.”
“May, what is-”
“The two of you are going to talk to each other, openly and honestly, no matter how painful it may be. You are not going to try and spare each other's feelings; that is what got you into this mess in the first place.”
The two of them gawked at May, it was the most words they had ever heard her say at one time.
“You’re going to sit here, and you two are going to talk and listen to one another.”
“May, I really don’t think-”
“You aren’t even remotely qualified to-”
“I was married to a psychologist. I watched the two of you dance around each other on the Bus. Fitz, I watched you hallucinate Simmons when she was undercover; Simmons, I watched you mope when Fitz left for the Treehouse.” She silenced the two of them with a glare.
“Sit down.”
When the two scientists complied, May stared at them for a moment.
“Now explain to me what is going on.” she demands, and the two of them begin speaking at the same time.
“Well Daisy and Bobbi told me-”
“Mack and Hunter said-”
“Stop.” May said firmly before staring the two scientists down. “You’re supposed to be geniuses. And you’re taking relationship advice from Bobbi and Hunter? ”
She lets that settle in before speaking again.
“The problem with you two is that you listen to everyone else, but not to one another.”
She looked at Fitz.
“Fitz, do you love her?”
Fitz stared down at his feet and wished that he was remotely capable of lying to Melinda May.
“Yes.” he mumbled.
May fixed her gaze on Simmons.
“Simmons, do you love him?”
Jemma blushed and glanced at him quickly.
“Yes.” she replied.
“Okay, that’s a start.” May said. “Now that you both know how the other feels, let’s work this out. Because I am not putting up with those idiots messing things up any more than they already have.”
May turned towards Fitz. “Do you want to be with Jemma?”
“May, it’s not that simple.” He protested. “There’s other considerations that-”
“Yes or no, Fitz.” May prompted.
Fitz turned towards Simmons. “More than anything.”
Jemma didn’t even have to wait for May to ask before she was gazing into Fitz’s eyes. “I want to be with you, too.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “But I feel so guilty. I’ve made so many mistakes, and I’ve hurt you so badly, so many times, and I am so sorry.”
“Jemma, you didn’ do anything wrong-”
“Maybe not. But I still hurt you. And I didn’t mean to, and you didn’t deserve that, and I’m sorry.”
“Jemma, you made the best of so many difficult situations. Where anyone else would have given up, you find a way to survive, and you’re still thinking about others.” he says, his clear blue eyes radiating such love that it takes her breath away. Because she knows that one of her decisions has also complicated things terribly, and it’s not like she can easily work around it. So she takes a deep breath and speaks again.
“I also have to think about Ethan-”
“Jemma, I love Ethan.” Fitz interrupted her. “And I understand that he’s first in your life. And I’m fine with that. I want us all to be together.”
Her eyes lit up with hope at his statement. “You do?”
“I do. I love you, Jemma.”
“I love you, Fitz.”
May was out the door as the two of them embraced passionately, their lips pressing together in a heated kiss as Jemma began tugging Fitz’s shirt from his trousers.
-
May locked the door behind her and headed towards the garage. Mack was bent over Lola’s bonnet, tinkering with the engine with Coulson watching over his shoulder and offering his unsolicited advice.
“Phil, you need to stay out of your office for the rest of the afternoon. Mack, you and Hunter take down Fitz’s dating profile.” she commanded.
Coulson and Mack both looked at her in confusion.
“Why-”
“What is-”
“FitzSimmons are sorting themselves out, and are probably having sex on your couch right now.” she said to Coulson. She turned her stare towards Mack as Coulson gaped at her.
“Take his profile down, he doesn’t need it anymore.” And she turned and stalked out of the garage.
Half an hour later, she scrolled through her phone, and smiled to see that Fitz was no longer matched to her in her dating app, his account deactivated.