Begin Again

Day ten

She was sitting in his dorm, his blanket wrapped around her legs and her head resting on his pillow, when his phone rang.

She checked the display. It said mum.

She pressed the green phone icon. "Hello?"

"Is this Leo?" His mother asked and Simmons felt her throat seize up. She didn't know.

"No, it's Jemma."

"Jemma! How lovely to hear from you! What have you been up to lately?"

"Well..." What could she say?

"I understand if you can't tell me, being secret agents and all."

"No, no, I... Leo's not here."

"Where is he?" She didn't sound prying or demanding, just confused.

"Oh, Mrs Fitz, I'm really sorry, I thought they'd told you." Come on, Jemma. Spit it out. You're going to have to soon.

"Told me what?" A hint of sharpness had begun to creep into her voice.

"Leo... We were trapped in a box and thrown into the sea by our teammate. We thought he was our friend, but he was a traitor. And there was only enough oxygen for one of us to make it back to the surface." It was out there now. She had said it, and with every word she spoke a weight was lifted off her shoulders.

"Is he..."

"He sacrificed himself for me. Gave me the air and trusted me to get him to the surface. And he died, Mrs Fitz."

The line went silent for a moment.

"But we brought him back."

"So he's alive."

"In a coma, but yes. He's alive."

A solitary tear ran down her cheek.

"Jemma?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. He really loves you, you know. He told me himself, a week ago or so. Told me that he can't wait until this, whatever you're doing, is over and he can ask you out. He said that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you."

"I love him too." She whispered.