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Trip found Fitz in the garage. He was always in the garage now, it seemed. Even more so now that Simmons was back.
Trip couldn’t quite figure those two out. When he first met Jemma, he was definitely attracted to her. What wasn’t to love, right? Beautiful. Intelligent. Thoughtful. Kind. And he could tell the attraction was mutual.
But then again, he was also one of the few that witnessed Jemma Simmons during those nine days when Fitz was in a coma. And he figured out that the FitzSimmons bond was more than even he knew.
She wouldn’t look - really look - at anyone during that time. Wouldn’t eat. Wouldn’t sleep. Just stayed vigil by his bedside. They had a beautiful connection, and he figured out early on (once he realized that he did absolutely nothing to offend him) that Fitz was in love with Jemma. And once he saw her as he did during those days in the hospital, he had a suspicion that what she felt for Fitz went deeper than any mild flirtation Trip had with her. Whether she realized that part of it or not.
So he graciously stepped aside and quit pursuing her. It wasn’t hard. He had harbored feelings of resentment towards her for months after she took off without so much of a goodbye. It took him to find out where she really was to let go of that bitterness. And he did. Easily.
So regardless of his personal feelings - which were slight at best - he really did hope his friends would reconcile sooner rather than later. He’d been in the middle of enough awkward, tense conversations to last him a lifetime. Being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent came with a surprising amount of non-field related drama.
“There you are, Fitz. Coulson assigned us to work on a project that I think you’re going to like.”
-
“So - um - the cards should set off a holo- holographic image of you playing them if you hold them a certain way. Gives you chance to throw a red herring to your assailants and escape.”
Trip shook his head, grinning. “Nice.” He placed the deck next in the briefcase along with the cigarettes, writing pen, notebook, mirror, comb, money clip, and cologne. “Coulson is going to flip when he sees this stuff.”
Fitz nodded enthusiastically. “He is ridiculously sentimental about it, isn’t he?”
Trip chuckled. “The man is whack when it comes to the Howling Commandos. But at least, this stuff will be more useful in - you know - our century.”
Fitz gave him a strange look. “I wouldn’t - wouldn’t say that exactly.” He looked down at his feet, gripping one hand with his other, and looked back up at Trip. “Jemma and I never would’ve made it if it hadn’t been for that quarter walkie-talkie you gave me. I nev- never thanked you for that. You saved us.”
Trip threw him a sideways grin. “You’re kidding, right? That girl would’ve moved heaven and earth to save you. If Fury hadn’t found you guys, she would’ve found another way. You should’ve seen her -”
Fitz raised a hand, his eyes pleading. “Yeah. Um. I don’t - I don’t want to hear about -”
Trip sighed. “Yeah. Sorry, man. Anyway. I’m glad the homing beacon helped. Guess it’s true what they say. ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.”
“Exactly. Which is why we’re including the beacon - as is - in the kit.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Trip tried not to reveal how touched he was by Fitz’s gesture.
“Any other ideas? I was thinking of throwing in a pack of tissues. What do you think?”
Fitz snapped his fingers. “Brilliant. I know just the thing.”
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This is essentially an added flashback to the episode "Afterlife" - but if you want to check out a present glimpse of it, read May As Well Have Packed My Bags Yourself (Jemma's thoughts as she *ahem* packs his bags and makes him that life-affirming sandwich).