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“I’ll be down in just a minute!” Jemma called, struggling to fasten the clasp at the back of her dress.
Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her back, steadying hers. She smiled over her shoulder at Fitz, staying still as he slowly did up the buttons. He took his time, fingers brushing the soft skin of her back now and again.
When he was finished, Jemma turned around in her husband’s embrace. “Well, who knew a suit could look this good on you?” she lightly teased him.
“Thank you.” Fitz replied, rolling his eyes affectionately. “Are you ready to meet up with the others?” he murmured.
Jemma nodded happily, taking his hand and lacing his fingers in hers. She grabbed both their coats on the way out. They stepped into the light snow together, locking up and walking the few blocks to a restaurant they’d agreed to meet everyone at.
As they entered, they were hit by a rush of warmth and heat. Shrugging off her coat, Jemma spotted Daisy at the other side of the room. She cupped her hands over her mouth to be heard over the music. “Daisy!”
The woman in question whipped her head around, a wide grin appearing on her face as she saw them. She weaved her way over to the couple. “Jem, you look fantastic!” she exclaimed, admiring Jemma’s rose pink halter neck number.
Jemma appraised Daisy’s bright red, knee length cocktail dress that she was wearing with black boots. “I can say the same for you!” She stepped closer and pulled Daisy into a tight hug. “Happy valentine’s day!”
Before Daisy could respond, Fitz broke in with a wounded expression. “What am I, chopped liver?”
Daisy sighed fondly, pulling her best friend into a hug as well. “Fine, Fitzy, happy valentine’s day to you too!”
She let him go after a few seconds, gesturing to a table at the other side of the club. “Lincoln, Mack, and Yo-yo are back there, we’re still waiting for Hunter and Bobbi. They should be here at any minute now.”
Right on cue, the doors behind them opened again, letting in a small flurry of snow and two arguing people bundled up in scarves and coats.
“You two, over here! Quit arguing for five seconds and come say hi!” Daisy hailed them.
The couple came over, pulling off their mittens. “Why the hell did we all come to England at this time of year?” Bobbi complained by way of greeting.
“Because you loooove us!” Hunter sing-songed, high fiving Fitz.
The five of them made their way over to their table, another round of greetings and happy valentine’s day’s being exchanged with Lincoln, Mack and Elena.
After about two hours, they’d loosened up. The conversation flew thick and fast, Fitz and Daisy’s ribbing becoming more hilarious to the rest as they started getting tipsy. Daisy was sitting on Lincoln’s lap, him laughing every time she accidentally hit him with her animatedly waving hands.
“Well it’s not my fault you never told me that! How was I even supposed to know?” Fitz complained to Daisy, his accent thick after the three drinks he’d already had. He threw his hands up, almost knocking his drink into Mack’s lap. “Easy, there, Turbo,” the man laughed.
“Aren’t you supposed to be…” Daisy twirled her hands around in the air vaguely. “A genius or something? I thought you could tell I was literally in love with one of your friends.”
Lincoln awwww’ed, kissing her lightly on the temple and laughing at her scrunched nose. Daisy was hilarious when she was tipsy, and everyone loved her for it.
Jemma giggled, (not quite on her first drink either). Daisy turned to her. “Back me up, boys are idiots right?”
Bobbi broke in. “I can vouch for that.” She grinned affectionately at Hunter, who pouted back at his girlfriend.
“Why am I always the idiot?” he asked Fitz mournfully.
His friend nodded wisely. “It’s like that with love.”
“Because you would know?” Daisy asked loudly.
“He is the only one of us to be married, love,” Hunter pointed out, words slightly slurred.
“It’s true!” Daisy exclaimed. She turned to Fitz, suddenly animated. “Fitzy tell me your secrets.”
He nodded seriously, leaning over to whisper in her ear. Her eyes got big. “Really?”
“That’s what I did anyway.”
Hunter was just about to order another round of drinks when Lover by Taylor Swift started playing. Daisy yelped, getting up so quickly she almost knocked her chair and Lincoln over. “Guys! We have to dance!”
She grabbed Lincoln’s hand, dragging him over to the dance floor before he had a chance to protest. Mack, who was the only one who hadn’t drunk anything yet as he was the designated driver, raised his eyebrows at Elena. “Shall we, mi amor?”
Elena smiled softly up at him, taking his offered hand and leading him away as well.
Hunter also went, complaining loudly all the way. Soon it was just Fitz and Jemma left sitting at the table. Fitz looked over at his wife, eyes clearer after some water.
Jemma stood up, smoothing her dress. “Would you join me for a dance, husband?” she asked, eyes sparkling.
Fitz smiled fondly, taking her hand and kissing the inside of her wrist, just where he knew she loved it. “That I would, wife.”
Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close?
Jemma sang along softly to the chorus, resting her head on Fitz’s shoulder.
For ever and ever.
Fitz joined in, slowly swaying to the music.
They danced the song away in a blissful bubble, and then three more after that. Finally, they decided it was time to go home.
Jemma went to help Lincoln get a rather drunk Daisy into Mack’s truck, where she immediately passed out on Lincoln’s lap. He seemed just about ready to fall asleep himself. (He hadn’t had much less to drink than his girlfriend, after all.)
She and Fitz said goodbye to Bobbi and Hunter, also in Mack’s truck, and then to Mack an Yo-yo themselves. They waved them off, smiling. This tradition of theirs, every year, was the best part of February 14th.
As they walked home through the light snow, listening to laughter in the houses, Fitz sighed happily. “You know, Jem, this is the best part of valentine’s day. Walking home with you.”
Jemma tilted her head, a snowflake landing on her nose. “Oh?”
Fitz nodded, gently brushing off the snow. “Yeah. The others are great, don’t get me wrong, but this is even better.” He took her hand, swinging their joined ones between them. “It’s just us, and the snow, and it’s so...peaceful.”
Jemma smiled softly. “Oh, Fitz, I do know what you mean. It feels like it’s just us in the world, doesn’t it? I could stay out here forever.”
They looked at each other. “Well, there isn’t any reason we have to go home right now, is there?” Fitz started.
“We could just walk home for longer!” Jemma finished for him.
And that’s what they did; stopping at every shop window, buying coffee for Fitz to help a bit with the still-slightly-tipsy feeling.
Walking home was so special, with the person you loved. It wasn’t just...walking. It had a sense of arriving at somewhere you were meant to be, with the person you were meant to be there with. Fitz looked over at Jemma, her face upturned to watch the snow, the glow of the windows casting her features in gold. He hoped he could walk her home every day, for the rest of his life.
Maybe he would. Maybe he wouldn’t walk just her home. But whatever happened, he would always treasure these moments, in the snow, hand in hand and perfectly at peace with each other.
It was at moments like these where he was truly home.