Just Keep Waiting

One warm summer day on August 19 1987 a little boy named Leopold James Fitz was born and he was destined for great things. 

His father, on the other hand, Alistair Fitz, proved that even the greatest people on earth come from a rubbish past. 

By age 4 young Leopold was into everything. 

Water, colors, pencils. Monkeys. The telly, staplers, etc.

But it wasn’t until he was strapped down into his high chair one evening watching his father trying to fix an old broken computer that he realized what he loved the most. 

Seeing his father push random buttons and opening different tabs was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen in his life. 

Leo was alrighty known for his abnormal intelligence, with a reading level that is above the middle school level. So when the day came that his mum took him to the library, he came back with 5 different books all about robotics. 

By age 7 Leo teachers realized that he was gifted. 

His mum was happy and full of delight.

While his father raised his eyebrow and said, “gifted are you sure?”

No one knew why he even bothered questioning considering Leo's room hoarded metal scraps, tools, and many robotic books.

But Leo tried hard to impress his father, so he entered the school science contest. 

His project was a robotic claw that had a square base and a claw that can be controlled with a remote. 

Sure it seemed simple, but since most of the other students did plants, planets, and baking soda volcanos with a bristle board that their parents clearly helped with vs Fitz that had nothing more than the word “Robot” written in sharpie and the sketch to his design taped. 

So of course, he won. It was not a surprise.

Sadly his father never showed up, but that night after his mum took him out for ice cream he found his father passed out on the couch with a beer in his hand in front of the telly. So he left it on the mantel hoping his father would say something about it in the morning. 

By morning all his father said was, “good job” and left for work.

A week later he found his robot in the trash. When he asked his father why he threw it out he rolled his eyes and said, “it was a useless robot Leopold and it was blocking telly.”

He ended up yelling at his mum which resulted in her yelling at his father until he left that mid-evening and didn’t show up until afternoon tea the next day. Half sober, apparently he lost his job 2 days ago.

On December 17 1997 was the worst day ever for 10 years old Leo.

It was after midnight when he heard a thump coming from downstairs. Unable to sleep he walked downstairs only to find his dad putting his coat on. 

“Dad?”

His father looked scared for a moment but then went back to his static self, “Leopold.”

“Where are you going?”

“Out,” he said as he pulled up the zipper.

“Why do you need your suitcase?”

His father said nothing.

“When will you come back?” as his father opened the door

“Soon.”

And just before he steps out the door Leo asks, “can I come?”

“No.”

As he grabbed his suitcase and shut the door.

It had been 8 days 203 hours 11,780 minutes since his father left and the first Christmas without him.

He remembered he was at his aunt's house that day and he and his cousins were roughhousing when he overheard one of his aunt’s say, “it’s a good thing he left Linda. Alistair changed when he lost his job.”

Even though he hated it, Leo couldn’t help but agree. The house was quieter now and his father did drink more when he lost his job, leaving his mum going back to work as a high school English teacher trying to make ends meet.

He didn’t understand why his father left, but he thought of one reasoning.

“It’s my fault isn’t it.”

He said to his mum at tea.

“What is?”

“I’m the reason dad left,” as he looked into his empty teacup.

“Leo,” she said rubbing his shoulder. “Your father will come back soon.”

Soon.

“It’s been ten days mum he’s never coming back.” Sliding his chair he walked to his bedroom and laid on his bed. 

He felt a tear hit his pillow and he can hear his father telling him, “Boy’s don’t cry Leopold unless they're weak. Are you weak Leopold?”

At age 12 Leo had separation issues. 

While most kids his age would be in middle school instead Leo ended up going to high school instead. After spending 1 month in middle school only to keep falling asleep bored. 

In the beginning, people would give him looks. Some even envied him. But that is when they realize their advantages to the intelligent but lonely Leo.

It started out simple when Jill asked him to help her with the math homework and then later Dylan asked him to be partners for a history project.

Both of them saying, “because we’re friends Leo that’s why.”

But when the semester ended and the projects were finished, they would leave Leo just like an empty can of pop. 

Just like my father, he thinks as he walks home that afternoon, only to find it empty and alone.

When he was 16 life felt better, his father's disappearance stopped glooming over his family and he got his Ph.D. in engineering.

But even with a degree he still was too young to work a job, so that left him to his own devices in the morning until his mum comes home, only to find her son still working on his newest creation and not quite understanding what it does. 

It was like that for 3 months until a letter came in the mail from “S.H.I.E.L.D Science and Technology.” 

He was apprehensive at first but he agreed to take the entrance exam and interview, leading to another letter telling him he got in. 

Leo was used to being the youngest at school until a cute brown haired girl stood in front of him and he was shocked at how young she is.

“Jemma Simmons,” she said.

“Leo Fitz,” he said unsure what to do. “Should I say something else?” “Do I offer her the seat next to me?”

But it was too late and she ended up walking away. But thankfully she was in a few of his other classes and he knew he had to be friends with her or be alone. 

He tried very hard for her to notice him, whether it was answering all the questions or trying to get the highest mark in the class. He can’t remember a time he was trying to impress someone.

“Your father,” he thought but he shook his head and answered the next question before Simmons did.

The semester ended with Simmons getting the highest grade and Fitz friendless. 

But maybe miracles do exist, ‘cause his second-semester chem lab he studied the piece of paper hanging on the door for his lab partner only to find “Simmons” next to his.

Silently walking, fear swarmed in his stomach and he feared he's going to puke out his cereal by the time he sat down. 

"Hello," she said 

"Hi," he said shyly. "I'm Fitz.”

“I know,” she said nodding her head.

Of course, she knows your name you twit.

Already embarrassed, Fitz looked at the materials in front of him and the professor’s order on the board. 

Surprisingly he and Simmons worked fine even without having to make too many comments to each other. But after he added the final chemical disappointment filled him. It didn’t work.

Great, I just messed up in front of Simmons. Now she’s probably going to ask for a new partner.

But before he could say anything, Simmons just added a bit of Sulfur when the reaction happened. Sitting there feeling useless he stares at the clock only to see he still has half an hour of class.

When the professor leaves Fitz could only say the first thing that comes to mind, “sorry.”

Simmons looked at him funny, “sorry for what.”

“For being useless.” 

For not being able to impress you.

“Wait a minute,” she said gripping his shoulder and for some reason, he found it comforting. “You're not at all useless, I don’t think I ever work with someone that I work this well with. What makes you think that?”

Staring into her eyes Fitz felt a sense of longing with Simmons then he did with anyone else.

For the first time in 6 years, Fitz finally talks about his dad.