Jump Street
Prompt Ten Jump Street Part Two
Jemma felt a wave of heat burst from the back of her neck. Fitz was so good at this, she thought for a moment that maybe this wasn’t just practicing but him taking an actual interest in her.
But just as she was thinking this, Fitz pulled away, leaving Jemma to lean forward, in anticipation of more. He smiled at her, reached over her to grab his plate and beer and threw the container in the trash. While taking another sip swig of his drink, he ruffled Jemma’s hair with his other hand, leaving the kitchen area.
“I think we’ll be just fine, Lily,” Fitz stated. He thumped up the stairs. Jemma so badly wanted to follow. Her legs felt weak as she uncoiled them from clutching onto the stool for balance. She threw her own finished meal in the trash, downed her beer and opened another one.
She could hear the hum of the television turn on in Fitz’ room.
“Do your homework, Connor,” she called up to him.
She was thinking of something else he could do too, but, she wasn’t going to say that. That might weird him out. She sighed and surrendered herself to planning and scheming.
The next day Fitz and Jemma arrived to school just on time, trying to blend with the other students who rolled into classroom by the last bell. Walking through the hallways, Fitz kept his arm slunk around Jemma’s waist. She could feel him put pressure on her side to maneuver through the crowded hallway, she nestled herself snugly into his side. Even if it was pretend, it was still fun.
Jemma’s job for the day was to get information on the teachers, since one of them were most likely a Hydra recruiter. She asked questions, but not on many questions to Sophia, who seemed to have the answers on anybody at the school. Jemma made a shortlist of teachers who would seem most likely, teachers who hadn’t been there long, or collected teacher’s pets. She would submit her information to Coulson later so he could cross-examine data and research their backgrounds. The difficult part was that Hydra could blend so well, they couldn’t chance being wrong.
After school, Fitz tried out for the team, with a lot more confidence then he had the day before. The coach adored him and he was a shoe in in the team. And then it was back to just sitting on the sidelines with Jack, Finn, Naomi, and a couple other of their soccer mates.
Fitz was on a roll, he had made fast friends with the guys and taking a page from seeing how the other boys were with their girlfriends, Fitz was, as Jemma would put it, rather cheeky.
He nearly tackled her over, while she was already sitting down, when he left the soccer pitch. His arms clenched her tightly on her rib cage. She reacted, accordingly, not having expected him to be so rough with her. But as soon as she got her bearings, she tilted her head up towards him and kissed him on his jawline. He was looking outward to his new soccer buddies, but as soon as she kissed him, he looked down at her and reciprocated. It was almost like they were playing domestic, but with a lot more sexual charge.
And Jemma was completely okay with that.
Except, that she knew it was pretend. It had to be, Fitz hadn't made it any clearer. He was having fun with it because... well... he was outside of the lab and getting to run around and make friends, even if only temporary.
And that was good. Jemma could make it through this; she just had to contain herself a bit more. He made it very difficult with his hands sliding up and down her back as he kissed her, that's for sure. She had come prepared, but evidently not as much as she thought.
Jack had already made most of the party plans, in fact, all Jemma and Fitz had to do was open the door whenever the doorbell rang. And of course, as Jemma had promise, supply the booze. The previous night she had worked out how to mess up the alcoholic properties so that no kid could get too drunk but think they were. Fitz had taken Jemma's idea of monitoring drug use too, but he had forgotten to do his homework in that case and received a demerit from it. She teased him about this when they were alone, that he would have never missed homework if it were the Academy.
On Friday, Jemma and Fitz’ party was the talk of the school. Hearing whisperings in the hallways about this was new to Jemma, and she began to feel the pressure of having a good party. If they didn’t, she could see that they would tank in social status, and burn out there ends on finding the Hydra recruiters. Simmons just had to remember that the mission was more important, and she needed to fully commit to the part.
After school, Fitz and Simmons didn’t hang about, but instead went back to the house early to make sure anything SHIELD related was completely out of sight and unable to be found. With Fitz’ technology, it was simple, but they had to make sure nothing could be found. Jemma locked her and Fitz’ rooms up.
Fitz set up an entertainment system and rigged a few lights, nothing too crazy to show that he was a genius, but nothing a precocious teenager couldn’t rig together. The house was clean, still looked homely. Jemma had went out and bought a ton of beer and some cheaper alcohols. She added some of the chemical concoction she had whipped up to the supplies, and hoped that the kids coming to their house would drink the free alcohol first rather then the alcohol they might be bringing. All Simmons needed was some poor kid getting hurt, or too drunk, or making poor decisions and then the police showing up at their door. She was tense, and as she arranged the beer cans the twelfth time, Fitz came bounding down the stairs. He was relaxed.
He came up from behind Jemma, and slunk his arms over her shoulders, pulling her into a hug, resting his head on her shoulder.
“Relax, Jemma, nothing bad will happen to the kids, we got to enjoy ourselves a bit, too, you know,” he said looking at her can arrangement. They were too perfectly stacked.
Fitz twirled around her, and began to mess up her pile.
“We’re cool now, yeah?” he said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“Yeah, I’m going go shower and get ready,” Jemma said, she smiled back to him.
The party started around ten. Jemma, still on the rigid side of things, was forced to take a shot on the behest of Fitz. She was wearing a short sparkly dress with tights, heels, a faux set of pearls with multiple lines, and a little too much make up. Fitz said the alcohol would chill her out, when she took her second shot she began to believe in it.
The music was good and people were dancing. Jack had delivered on getting the people there, and they were enjoying themselves. Jemma had seen him hit on at least three of the girls there, and when it looked like he was about to cross a line, Jemma would inch closer, in case she needed to rescue one of the girls. She didn’t trust him.
Fitz was managing the party quite well. He floated from group to group, making loud jokes with his new soccer buddies and thanking people in a characteristic manner for coming. He was an ideal host. The last Jemma saw of him was he and Jack climbing the steps. She was left alone for an hour, and while she had been worrying about the kids getting too drunk, here she was knocking back a fifth and sixth shot. Granted they were softened up, but still enough of them would do the deed, Jemma was a lightweight.
Fitz and Jack eventually came back down, Fitz looking rather pleased with himself. Jack busied himself going on the mend with another girl.
Fitz located Jemma, and noticed she was in a bit of a rough shape. She certainly had gotten drunk. Stumbling as she danced with her ginormous heels. Like any good, pretend boyfriend, he scooped her up in his arms, matching her swaying.
“I have some good news,” Fitz said into her ear. He was positive she would only remember half of this the next day.
“What?” she hung off him like a rag doll, her eyes reddened, and an effervescent smile glued to her face. She nuzzled her nose into his cheek, and Fitz felt weakened.
“I got through to Jack, he’s know the recruiter,” Fitz whispered.
Jemma clutched onto both of his shoulders in excitement.
“That’s positively splendid news!” she squeaked. Then, like any good fictitious girlfriend, pulled Fitz into a kiss. Fitz could hear the cheers from Naomi and Finn who weren’t dancing too far off.
Fitz enjoyed the kiss for sometime before wondering if maybe he should stop since Jemma wasn’t exactly sober. But every time he pulled back, she pushed forward, eventually getting him to a wall.
“No wonder why they’re not snogging in the halls all day when they can do this all night,” Jack’s voice rang out form somewhere nearby.
Fitz put his hands gently on the sides of her face, and disconnected them. He looked deeply into her eyes, to see if there was a shred of sobriety in her.
“Lily, I don’t want you to feel you need to do this,” he said softly, and he meant it. Because he enjoyed kissing her and he wanted more, but if she was drunk it was definitely off bounds.
“Fitz,” she said back, softly so only he could here. She knew she was using his name and not his undercover one.
“I genuinely really like you,” she carefully enunciated her words. Her eyes were focused, she was sincere.
“Alright, I need a drink,” Fitz smiled back at her. He wasn’t going to pull any fast moves or anything, but he would have to ask her tomorrow about this because it was eating him up inside.
She led him gently by hand to the kitchen area where she got out a beer for him and one for herself. She leaned against the counter, and Fitz leaned next to her. They watched the party. Everything was going better then planned. They had been given the chance to live an alternative life for a short period, and the fact that Fitz had cracked the mission so fast, made Jemma a bit sad that it would be coming to an end. She wondered how they would come out of this. He wanted nothing more than to be alone with her.
“I meant what I said before,” Jemma turned to look up at Fitz. She didn’t have the crazy look in her eyes that she had when she was dancing.
“And I think I’ve been infatuated with you for a good time now, and I just don’t want things to be awkward or different when this ends,” she added with clarity.
Fitz reached and held her hand, and gave her a squeeze.
“I couldn’t go back to being just best friends after this week,” he said. And for a moment there was a syncopated peace between them.
Until a crash upstairs alerted both Fitz and Jemma. Fitz was rocketing out of the kitchen and up the stairs with Jemma flinging herself through the crowd behind him. The door to Fitz’ room was cracked open, and Fitz began swearing to Jemma that he had locked it up after talking with Jack. He wasn’t sure if he what he would be walking into.
But it ended up being bad.
Jack was flinging open Fitz’ drawers.
“I know who you are!” Jack bellowed, tossing clothes all over the room.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up!” Fitz said, trying to get in control of the situation. Jemma followed into the room as well, she could tell Naomi, Finn and Sophia were all right behind her as well. Jemma had her hands on her phone, ready to call Coulson in case things took a downturn. She knew Fitz and her would be in big trouble.
“Jack, knock it off, mate,” Finn called, coming in to try and hold back Jack.
“I’ve never seen him this crazy,” Sophia added. She added something that she had seen him take drugs earlier.
“You want to be recruited? I know what they do to people who get picked,” Jack’s shouts had turned into a half sob, it was a strange sound.
“What, what? What are you getting at?” Fitz was confused. Jack sat with a great force onto Fitz’ bed, he put his head in his hands.
Everyone stood in the room, confused.
“What do you mean, Jack?” Finn prodded.
Jemma had never felt so sober in her life.
“He’ll recruit you and ship you off to some training camp. Six months in and you’ll be dead, as they don’t give a shit about you, man,” Jack was still sobbing.
“Who?” Jemma probed.
“Coach! He didn’t tell you? Your boyfriend didn’t tell you what he wants to do? Connor, man, you’re a real wanker,” Jack spat back.
Jemma looked at Fitz with concern. Jack’s emotional temperament was easy to work off of. Fitz looked back at her with high arched brows, as if he had been accused of something. He caught on, too.
“Connor…?” Jemma said, egging Fitz to deliver.
Fitz stepped up to Jemma.
“I should have told you,” Fitz was nailing it, Jemma bit her lip to force her not to smile in delight.
“There’s a group, called Hydra-,” Fitz began, trying to not make the scene so dramatic.
“That…that… Nazi group?!” Jemma pretended to flip out. The whole world knew about Hydra after the fall of SHIELD, so it wasn’t that outlandish to say.
She could hear a gasp form Sophia.
“The soccer coach is the recruiter,” Jack said.
“Yeah, he tries to get every guy on the team, he’s won a few over,” Finn piped up from the back.
Jemma had long prepared for a moment like this. Their mission was done.
“Party is over, everyone OUT!” she yelled. She pinched Fitz’ side so he knew to play along. Jemma rushed out of the room and sprinted down the stairs. She dismantled the music, and began shooing people out, knocking drinks out of their hands. Fitz, and the rest of them followed down.
As Jemma cleared the house out, Fitz stood there watching, acting disgraced.
“Mate, you got to make up to her tonight,” Finn said with an apologetic tone as he gathered Naomi and Sophia to leave. Fitz gave him back an appreciative look.
Jack was the last one to leave; he clapped Fitz on the back.
“You need to rethink your choices man,” he was still crying.
And then it was just Fitz and Simmons, standing in the center of the room.
“I’ll race you upstairs,” Jemma said coyly. Fitz never moved so fast in his life.