Skye entered the lab and made a beeline to where Simmons was staring at god-knows-what under a microscope.
“So, you and Fitz. First Valentine’s together.”
Jemma looked up and frowned towards Skye, who was standing dangerously close to a volatile chemical. With a gentle hand, Jemma steered her towards her computer terminal.
“Well, it’s hardly the first Valentine’s Day we’ve spent together.”
Skye gave an eye roll to the heavens and turned to lean back against the desk.
“I think your huge genius brain is missing the point here. It’s your first together, as a couple, romantically. I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but none of your other Valentine’s Days ended with the two of you locking lips. Unless they did, in which case, please tell me.”
Jemma refused to honor that last comment with a response, but turned her chair so she was looking up at Skye.
“This huge genius brain of mine can tell that you’re leading me somewhere. So as our first Valentine’s Day together, what do you suggest I do?”
Skye smiled brightly, “I’m so glad you asked, Simmons. We’re going shopping.”
Jemma was puzzled, “Shopping for what, exactly?”
“A gift for Fitz, of course, and possibly, a little something for you as well. A little silk, a little lace, just enough to make Fitz’s eyes pop out of his head.”
“Are you suggesting I buy new lingerie for the specific purpose of causing Fitz to lose his composure?”
“Why, yes, Simmons, I am.”
Jemma bit her lip and stared at the toe of her boot. Now that Skye had planted the idea, which she knew she’d done on purpose, the thought of reducing Fitz to a puddle at her feet grew ever more enticing.
“But what about Fitz?”
“What about Fitz? Trust me, he’s not gonna have any complaints.”
Jemma sighed, “I seriously doubt that the fact that Valentine’s Day is next week has even crossed his mind. I can’t very well ask him to plan something. It would take all the romance out of it.”
Skye crossed her arms and stared at a spot just over Jemma’s left shoulder, “I have it on good authority that Fitz may or may not have already taken a trip off base to buy you a gift.”
Jemma narrowed her eyes suspiciously, “And whose authority would that be?”
Skye straightened up and clapped a hand on Jemma’s shoulder, “Sorry, but that’s classified.”
Jemma was still staring in the direction Skye had gone in some minutes later, contemplating all the myriad ways she could get Fitz to lose his wits.
One hour later
Skye found Fitz leaning over a set of blueprints in the garage. He had taken to working half the time in the lab with Simmons, and half the time out here with Mack.
“Hey, Fitz!”
Fitz looked up with a rather dazed look on his face, like he had been deep in thought just the moment before.
“Skye. Hi.”
“Whatcha working on?”
Fitz looked down at the blueprint, almost in surprise, “Oh, this is just some old blueprints for the D.W.A.R.F.S. I found while going through some old things.”
Skye quirked a brow, “Okay, what were you really working on?”
Fitz turned to look at Skye, then further to check that they were alone, “Umm. V-Valentine’s Day is next week.”
Skye contained her inner glee and simply smiled casually. This was going to be easier than she thought.
“So it is. Got any plans?”
Fitz folded his arms and took a couple steps away, biting his lip, “Well, maybe. Me and Simmons…well…it’s uh, it’s our first one together. As a couple. Um, since we’ve started…dating.”
“Let me guess. You want to get her a gift.”
“A gift? Oh no, we don’t do gifts anymore. Gave that up years ago.”
“Ummm, why?”
“Well, after so many birthdays and Christmases we realized we were essentially giving the same gifts over and over, so we stopped. Besides, it’s not like either of us needs anything else.”
Skye closed her eyes in exasperation. Okay, maybe this wasn’t going to be so easy.
“Things are different now, Fitz. You’re a couple and it’s Valentine’s Day.”
“What about Jemma? She’d feel terrible if I got her a gift and she didn’t get me one.”
Skye just smiled.
“I have it on good authority that she’s already got a gift in the works.”
Later that same day
Trip caught up with Skye on her way to the kitchen for dinner.
“You’re up to something.”
Skye didn’t even glance his way, “Why would you say that?”
“Come on, girl, I can tell when you’re hiding something.”
Skye quickly glanced around before pulling Trip down an empty corridor, only stopping when she’d reached the end of the hall and an empty storage closet, ushering Trip inside while looking back again to make sure no one spotted them.
“Okay. I’m playing cupid.”
Trip raised a brow, “Okay, for who exactly?”
“Fitzsimmons, of course.”
“But…they’re already together.”
“Yes, obviously Tripskillet, but do you honestly think either one of them can pull off a romantic Valentine’s Day without me?”
Trip took a deep breath and just shook his head.
“What do you need me to do?”
Skye laughed and jumped into Trips arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.
“Kiss me, and then I’ll tell you what I’ve been working on.”
Four days later
It was two days before Valentine’s and Jemma was waiting anxiously by the quinjet’s open ramp. She checked her watch, again, and looked around for Skye once more, finally spotting her rushing towards her across the hangar bay.
“I was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it. Is everything alright?”
“Yes, yes, everything’s fine. Hurry and get on board.”
Jemma had a bad feeling about this. She turned around slowly and watched Skye scurry around the cargo bay, making sure everything was secure.
“And you talked with Director Coulson, and he approved of us taking the quinjet?”
“We are good to go, Simmons, now come on, hurry.”
“Hurry? Oh no. Skye please tell me I’m wrong and we are not about to commandeer this plane.”
Just then, Trip ran up and grabbed Jemma’s hand, pulling her along behind him just as the ramp started to lift.
“Come on, Simmons, wouldn’t want to be late.”
Trip let go of her hand and quickly took his place in the captain’s chair, taking over where Skye had already started the pre-flight sequence. Skye came to the back and gently pushed Jemma into one of the seats, fastening her seat belt for her, before taking the seat next to her and doing the same for herself.
“Now, don’t worry, Simmons, Coulson left the base thirty minutes ago with May and they shouldn’t be back for at least another five hours. So long as we’re back before them, everything should be cool.”
“Should be cool?! Skye! We’re going to be court martialed! Or worse, fired.”
“Come on, Simmons, are you telling me after your stint with Hydra, you haven’t cultivated just the littlest, teensiest bit of a bad girl mentality? I bet Fitz would dig it, just saying.”
“How are we even going to get out of here, we don’t have the proper clearance for takeoff.”
“Had a little word with Koenig, who was a surprisingly easy sell. Methinks he’s a bit of a romantic, though he won’t admit it. He’s giving us four hours before he feigns ignorance and reports us to Coulson, and if anything happens to us or the quinjet, then yeah, we’re probably gonna be fired.”
Jemma closed her eyes as she felt the jet lift off vertically through the aerial doors.
“Where are we even going? You failed to say earlier.”
“We, my beautiful brainiac, are going to see my good friend Victoria.”
A very classified number of miles later
Trip left them at the doors to the famous lingerie shop, mumbling something about a “side mission.”
“Well, Simmons, here we are. What should we look at first? Bras? Panties? A tastefully immodest negligee?”
“Let’s just get inside first, shall we?”
Jemma made a beeline for the more risqué collections, bypassing the active wear and more traditional choices.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been here before Simmons.”
“I find it highly amusing the way most people tend to overlook the fact that I’m a woman, a woman who enjoys things like nice clothes and nice things to wear under my clothes. Even Fitz is guilty from time to time.”
“Well, well, well. Jemma Simmons. Maybe I should’ve peeked into your underwear drawer before we left, for research purposes. And trust me, Fitz is always aware that you’re a woman.”
“Regardless, it never hurts to remind him.”
Jemma held up a very short, very sheer negligee the color of raspberries, “Oh yes. I think you’ll do very nicely.”
Skye raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips, nodding approvingly. Jemma laughed and began walking towards the cash register, throwing over her shoulder, “I look fabulous in jewel tones.”
They wrapped up Jemma’s purchase and stepped back outside.
Trip was lounging against the side of the building.
“All set, ladies?”
Jemma glanced at Skye and then back to Trip.
“Not quite. How much time do we have left?”
Trip answered without glancing at his watch, “Just under two hours.”
“Perfect. Is there a toy store around here?”
“Just down the block.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
Skye and Trip exchanged puzzled glances, but just shrugged and followed Jemma’s determined stride down the sidewalk.
One hour later, after returning the quinjet to a very relieved Koenig
Fitz was concentrating on fitting a minute piece of wiring into a small black box the size of a pocket watch when Trip placed the nondescript brown paper bag on the corner of his desk. Fitz carefully connected it to the circuit board inside before lifting his eyes to Trip’s expectant face.
“Fitz.”
Fitz glanced around a bit warily, “Trip.”
“Now, I could be wrong about this, but please tell me you’re not giving Simmons some rocks for Valentine’s Day.”
Fitz looked vaguely offended and snatched the bag up before carefully dumping its contents on top of his desk.
“Of course not, and these are not rocks, they’re h-highly thermo-efficient minerals, which I am going to use to help power Jemma’s gift.”
Trip waited a beat but when no more information was forthcoming asked, “Which is?”
Fitz smiled smugly and turned in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.
“What I have here is a portable lab, r-roughly the size of your average key fob. To the rest of the world, a harmless remote locking mechanism, but, aha, to Jemma, all of the power of the D.W.A.R.F.S., plus a few extra bells and whistles I threw in for fun, in a device that fits into the palm of her hand.”
Fitz sat grinning and nodding his head, looking like a proud parent.
“Exactly, Trip, it’s genius.”
Trip just shook his head, “Not exactly how I would have put it. Are you sure this is what you want to give your girlfriend? For Valentine’s Day?”
“Are you serious?” Fitz laughed, “Simmons is going to lose her mind. I came up with this concept years ago, and I’ve been tinkering with it ever since, but you should’ve seen her wee little face when we first talked about it. Like Christmas came early, and it was still just a concept then.”
Trip pursed his lips and looked skeptical, “Hey man, whatever makes you two happy.”
Fitz just looked at Trip like he was crazy, “I’m even gonna let her name it.”
Trip walked away in search of Skye, but he could hear Fitz muttering at his desk, “Simmons is going to love you, don’t you worry.”
Valentine’s Day at the Playground
It was Valentine’s Day and Skye had everything set up. There was now a table and two chairs in Jemma’s room, along with a tablecloth and candle she’d found in storage. Mack had done the honors as far as food goes. Who knew such a big guy could make such delicate pastries? Trip had Fitz in hand, ensuring he showed up to dinner in a shirt that did not look like he found it on his floor. Jemma was in her bathroom, putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. All Skye had to do was finish playing fairy godmother and then she could enjoy some Valentine’s goodness of her own.
Jemma stepped out of the bathroom and gasped at seeing Skye, plus a table for two, in her bedroom.
“Skye. What are you doing here?”
Skye could cry, she was so proud of her little science duckling. Jemma was dressed in a purple brocade gown with a gold overlay. Sleeveless, with a boat neck, it fitted her snugly to the waist where it flared out in a full A-line skirt. Her gold heels made her legs look long and sleek. Her hair was a riot of curls around her head and her makeup was simple, apart from the bold berry colored lip.
“Jemma, you look gorgeous. Fitz is going to pass out. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, even when you’re dirty from a mission, or decked out in a lab coat and goggles, but this, this is going to slay him…and I love it!”
Jemma smiled, “So you like the dress? I bought it ages ago on a trip home, but I’ve never had the chance to wear it, with S.H.I.E.L.D. being infiltrated by H.Y.D.R.A. and all of that nonsense.”
“The dress is great, and as you can see, I’ve taken care of a few other details for you. Fitz will be here in about ten minutes, so long as Trip was successful in getting Fitz to cooperate, and dinner will be here in about thirty minutes. There’s already a bottle of champagne chilling next to the table, and as soon as dinner is delivered, you guys will be undisturbed for the rest of the evening.”
Jemma walked up to Skye and gave her big hug, “Thank you, Skye. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Drown in a socially awkward stew.”
Jemma laughed and stepped back, “Yes, Skye, you’re probably right about that. I do hope what I got Fitz is alright, apart from the negligee, which we both know is perfectly acceptable.”
“Are you kidding? Fitz is going to love his monkey. It’s small enough to fit on his desk, and he can easily pack it up and take it with him.”
Jemma still looked unsure, “But it’s not very romantic, is it?”
“No, it’s not, but it’s totally Fitzsimmons, and that makes it perfect.”
Skye took one last look around before leaving. The candle was lit, sending wafts of jasmine and vanilla through the air, there were a handful of condoms discreetly placed in the glass bowl on Jemma’s nightstand, and Jemma herself looked amazing.
Mission complete…almost.