-HEAD CANON SERIES-

This is the companion fic to 'Tis the Season to Be Jolly' that leosimmons(aching_for_distance) asked for. Since I'm beyond flattered that someone actually asks me to write stuff, let alone read what I write, I gave myself some time to get inspiration.

And here's the story all in Fitz's POV. I'd suggest to read Tis the Season for a more complete comprehension; especially for chapters 2 and 3.

Hope you guys like...and I hope you like your belated present, Jen... :)

The Prompt was #49. Lock.

Thanks to my Beta StarryDreamer01 who helped me edit this.

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN AGENTS OF SHIELD.

-:-

He often imagined his heart like a door: open when he chose to leave it open otherwise closed with his feelings and emotions safe and unharmed behind it. When Jemma came along, the door was opened and closed regularly but after a while, as she gained his trust, it was never closed. This was not his own doing: somewhere along the way, Jemma had found the key and could open that door and enter on her own. His heart was hers to enter as she pleased.

-:-

-5 years old-

Leo sat down on the rug in the living room and huffed, picking up one of his toy cars.

He wanted to play with someone. But no one was there. Daddy was at work, Mummy was busy cooking dinner, Ali and Bryce were in their rooms doing homework.

Bryce had promised to play with Leo once he finished his homework. But he said that hours ago and he still hadn't finished.

Leo huffed again, putting his toy alongside the others cars.

Why didn't Bryce and Ali do their homework the day after Christmas like he did? Leo wondered why his older brother and sister hadn't considered it.

He had done all the drawings Mrs Wilkins had told him to do two days ago. All.

His teachers told him that he was a very smart boy. Maybe he was smarter than Ali and Bryce too?

That's why he did everything first!

With that thought in mind, Leo smiled and grabbed the old firemen truck that once belonged to Bryce. His big brother didn't play with the truck any more because he said that it was broken and kept it hidden under his bed.

Leo got it out today because he wanted Bryce to play with him and the policemen truck Daddy had given him for Christmas. If he fixed the old truck, Bryce would play with him and he would surprise his big brother.

Leo grinned thinking about all the ways they could play together.

He just had to fix the truck. He would be like Daddy who fixed cars in his shop and that worked with all the nice tools and metal parts.

Leo smiled: he would be just like Daddy and fix it.

-:-

Scott Fitz walked into his house to find his youngest son sitting amidst a circle of toy cars as he was looking at an upside down truck with the utmost interest.

Whatever tiredness he had just dropped off his shoulders at the sight of his boy fiddling with a toy truck as though he was a mechanic. A grin made its way to his face, dark brown eyes lighting up.

"Hey, Leo," he greeted his youngest, ruffling his hair affectionately. Among all his children, Leo was the only one that inherited his curly mass of sandy brown hair.

His son looked up with a beaming smile, bright blue eyes shining.

"Daddy!" He exclaimed, bouncing to his feet. "Look, Daddy, look! I fixed the truck! I fixed it just like you do with the big cars."

Scott grinned and crouched down, examining the truck with a feigned serious expression. He stole a glance at Leo and had to bite his lip from laughing at the sombre face -so out of place- on his five year old son's face.

He had thought that Leo was playing to be a mechanic with his new Christmas present but with closer inspection, he realised that this truck was the one that he had given Bryce for his fourth birthday.

Scott's eyebrows furrowed for a moment. If he remembered well, his elder son had somehow lost a wheel, distorted an axis and broke a part of the plastic body of the truck.

He had had an idea of repairing it with some metal scraps but his wife had stopped him, saying that Bryce could hurt himself. Bryce had been six at the time and the truck had long lost its fascination; Scott hadn't seen this truck ever since.

And now, he was holding an old firemen truck that had three old and worn tires and one new one. The plastic was still chipped and missing on one corner. Scott turned the toy over and was surprised to see that wheels' axes were aligned again. He could clearly see that someone had pushed at the small metal pieces with something.

He looked in front of him, expecting to find some of tools that his son might have nicked from the toolbox in the cellar. Leo wanted to use screwdrivers and other tools but both he and Lena prohibited him from using them: he was still too young and could hurt himself.

He already felt his heart heavy at the thought of having to scold him but all he could see on the rug were toy cars, a pencil and a spoon.

A spoon that was slightly dented and bent.

Scott knew that Leo was smart. Very smart. He already knew how to read and write before starting school.

He couldn't have...?

He turned to his son who was looking at him with a worried expression, hands wrangling together in front of him and eyes glassy.

Scott smiled softly and ruffled his son's hair again.

"You fixed it, Leo," he said, smiling widely as his son beamed at him. "Did you this all on your own?"

"Yes, Daddy!" Leo exclaimed and scurried off to the settee to grab something. Scott watched as he ran back with his new toy truck. "Look, Daddy, I found another tire here." He pointed to a small crevice in the toy where spare parts were inserted. "And used it to fix Bryce's truck!" He then turned the toy, pointing at the newly aligned axis. "I pushed this and the truck didn't stop moving when I pushed it!"

He looked enthusiastic of his discovery and extremely pleased with himself to have learned this on his own. Scott stared at him.

Leo wasn't just smart. He was beyond that...

More than a little bit flabbergasted, Scott stood up.

"Well, why don't you tidy your toys a bit, yea?" He said, looking down at his son. "Mum's making dinner and you know she doesn't like that you leave your toys all over the place."

Leo pouted.

"Bryce promised that he'll play with me after dinner!"

Scott had to hide a smile: he could clearly imagine Leo badgering Bryce to play until his older son gave in. He was glad that his two boys managed to get along despite their age difference.

"Alright, then put all the cars in order -not scattered around on the rug- and then the two of you will play." Scott failed to hide a smile as his son dragged his feet a bit as he went to reorder his toys.

Bryce used to do the same thing. Still did...

Actually, Scott himself did that when he wasn't in the mood...

How Lena and Alison dealt with the three of them was beyond him. Chuckling slightly to himself, he walked into the kitchen.

Lena Fitz was standing by the stove, ladle in hand as she stirred some pan fried vegetables. Scott's stomach grumbled as the scent of the roast in the oven hit his nose.

"Hmm," he murmured, brushing a kiss to his wife's temple. "Everything smells wonderful, love."

Lena looked up at him and smiled.

"Welcome back home, darling," she said softly. "Dinner's almost done. You should go clean up and then we'll all eat."

Scott nodded.

"Ali and Bryce?" he asked, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"They're upstairs doing their homework," Lena replied. "They have less than a week before school starts again. Bryce seemed to be particularly aghast at the thought."

"Not surprising..." Scott laughed softly. "Leo was saying that he promised to play with him after dinner."

His wife turned her head to him, mirth in her eyes.

"I've got the feeling that you or I will end up doing that."

"Yeah...unless our son surprises us and finishes his school work; Ali will help him." Their daughter had had a knack in explaining things easily.

"Leo offered to help Bryce," Lena said with a laugh. "He said that he had already finished all of his homework and that he would help him out. Bryce laughed at him."

"Hmm... I wouldn't be surprised if he did help him out," Scott remarked and smiled when Lena stared at him. "He fixed Bryce's old toy truck on his own. I never told him how to do it: he understood what to do and repaired it."

"Well, he is the son of a mechanic..."

"He's very smart..."

"And he knows that he is smart." Lena shot him a look. "I do wonder where he got all this cockiness. Not from me."

Scott grinned cheekily.

"I wouldn't know," he said and winked before going upstairs. He walked to their bedroom and greeted his elder son and daughter as he passed by their rooms.

When he got his fresh change of clothes and went to shower, Scott's eyes fell on the family picture that they had taken a couple of days ago during Christmas Eve.

He worked hard and tiredness seeped out of him at times but his family was worth all of it.

-:-

Lena was filing through some drawings and magazines in the living room: a customer had called her asking to put a small modification on her wedding dress due in February and the seamstress was trying to see if she could find a way to add the pattern without making the whole dress look awful.

Scott was doing the dishes since she had cooked while their children were all in their rooms. She had to admit that the house was strangely quiet and if she wasn't busy at the moment, she would wander upstairs to see what shenanigans her youngest son was pulling up.

Leo was quiet only when he was busy doing something and that usually meant trouble for his siblings or a mess to clean up for her...

He had stomped upstairs when Bryce said that he was still busy with his homework and wouldn't play with his cars after dinner. Her elder son didn't look too chagrined about it; knowing him, he'd try to do his maths work and then end up reading or playing with the new videogame he had got for Christmas.

Bryce could be tolerant with Leo and would indulge and play when he was in the mood but it wasn't a constant. Leo was a bit clingy and looked up to his brother, wanted to be with him whenever he could. He did the same with Scott whenever he was home from work.

Her little boy looked up to Bryce and Scott and adored them. As much as he loved her and Alison, he still preferred the male components of the family.

She guessed it was normal... Leo had just started school and didn't have friends yet.

Sudden shouts from upstairs brought her out of her thoughts. Lena almost jumped off of the couch and Scott all but ran out of the kitchen. They shared a glance and were going to run up the stairs when Leo bolted down and hugged his mother's knees.

Lena looked down and found her son with big watery eyes and trembling lips. Something cracked in her heart at the sight of him looking like that.

"Leo," she said, slowly crouching down. "What happened?"

"I-I-" the boy stammered, hiccuping slightly. "I just wanted to-to help Bryce." A fresh wave of tears fell from his eyes and he hugged his mother. "But he got mad and yelled at me."

Scott approached them and they shared another glance. Bickering could be common between their children. All three had a healthy temper when triggered correctly: Bryce and Leo would blow off or lash out easily and then cool down while Alison had more patience but would lose it if she got fed up. And it took her a while to calm down.

Lena could clearly hear Ali and Bryce talking loudly upstairs and she wondered what had happened. Alison usually attempted to calm down her brothers but never got involved in them.

Scott must have been thinking on the same lines because he arched a brow at her and was about to go upstairs. They heard a door slam and close and Alison came downstairs.

Their daughter looked concerned.

"What happened?" Scott asked as she got close. Leo sobbed softly and tightened his grip on Lena's neck, tiny arms trembling.

It almost looked as though he was scared of what his sister would say.

Alison looked down at her brother and ran a hand through his hair, soothingly. Lena felt Leo tense and then relax as he recognised the touch, his sobs subsiding.

For an eleven year old, Alison knew how to treat small children.

"Bryce was in the study room, playing with the game of his, and Leo sneaked into his room...and helped with his maths homework," she held out a notebook and handed it to her father. "Bryce walked in and found Leo writing on this and got mental. When I got there, he was scolding him for scribbling on his stuff but...well..." Ali looked slightly troubled. "Leo really didn't scribble or mess anything up. He got everything right."

"What?" Lena explained and Scott flipped through the notebook's pages, eyes widening.

"He did everything correctly," he said and showed her a page.

Lena recognised Bryce's messy handwriting on the first page, under all the printed multiplications. The second one was filled with much larger and rounder numbers that she recognised as Leo's doing: she had taught him how to write after all.

Her eyes widened when she saw that all the results were correct.

How did he do it? Leo was five years old and this was Primary 4 Maths.

Leo had always been smart, smarter than his siblings at his age. Lena didn't think that he would be this intelligent though...

"Where's Bryce?" Scott asked, looking at their daughter.

"He closed himself in his room after I told him that the exercises were correct," Alison frowned slightly. "He muttered something about being stupid again..."

Lena sighed softly and saw Scott frown. Bryce had been saying this often, showing little bits of jealousy towards Leo whenever he was praised.

Even during dinner when Leo had proudly said that he had fixed Bryce's old truck and Scott had confirmed with a proud smile, Bryce's face had clouded a bit.

Lena felt Leo hug her closer. He didn't understand how his words and actions could be interpreted by his brother. He didn't understand that Bryce was jealous of the attention he got.

It wasn't his fault really...but the little boy felt like it was.

Scott sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She knew that he loved their children equally and that he praised Leo because he wanted him to delve further and learn more. They had talked about his intelligence and Scott was sure that their son could become anything he wanted.

"I'll go and talk to him," he said and went upstairs. Alison looked at her.

"I can take Leo to bed, Mum," she said, hand still playing with the mass of curls that was Leo's hair. "I'm done with my homework tonight."

Lena smiled at her and ran a hand down Leo's back.

"What do you say, sweetheart?" She asked. "It's late and you should go to sleep."

Leo didn't move or say anything though he wasn't crying. He just held on to his mother.

Alison crouched down too.

"Hey, Leo," she said. "How about I read you that story that you like so much again before going to bed, hmm?"

The boy moved slightly from his mother's shoulder and peeked at his sister with wide blue eyes.

"The Jungle book?" He asked sounding hopeful. Both mother and daughter smiled: Leo had a rather soft spot for animals and an obsession over monkeys.

"Yeah."

He grinned and nodded. Alison ruffled his hair and stood up. Lena looked at her, feeling a wave of affection and pride.

"Thank you, sweetheart," she said softly, standing up and the girl blushed softly and shrugged.

"Goodnight, Mum," she replied.

"Goodnight, Mummy," Leo said and wrapped his little arm around her knees again, looking up at her with a smile.

"Goodnight, loves," Lena replied to both, brushing a kiss on the crown of their heads. She watched as they went upstairs, Leo's smaller hand tugging his sister's.

She smiled.

Among her three children, Leo was the one that carried his heart on his sleeve. His emotions were written on his face whether he was happy or sad.

She hoped that he would stay like this as long as possible...

-:-

A couple of weeks later, the Fitzes were called to speak with Leo's teachers and they learned that their son wasn't just smart. Leo was probably a genius.

They were told that Leo was going to move ahead and join Primary 4; Bryce's class.

Lena and Scott had been a bit doubtful at first. They wondered if Leo would be at ease with classmates that were four years older than he was: he was still a little boy after all.

And they also had to think about their eldest son: how would Bryce react to the news?

The teachers assured them that everything would be fine and that their boys would learn and adjust easily.

The Fitzes believed them. And if there were any problems, they decided that they would sort them out together. Scott and Lena would never allow anything to break up their family.

-:-

-10 years old-

When the bell rang, Leo quickly put his books away and walked out of the classroom. He avoided the throng of students that flooded the main corridor and headed to the cafeteria and walked outside.

He was grateful that his mother made him lunch even though she wasn't obliged to. He had asked her months ago, when he had started Year 2, after having hated the food and the chaos that was the school cafeteria.

He was used to less noise and less people usually...

He didn't mention her that he had also been teased and mocked by some of the school's boys. He didn't worry about the girls: they just ignored him.

Bryce had been rather thorough in his Hate-Leo-campaign. There hadn't been a person in the past two years that had willingly approached him to talk or make friends.

Leo was used to it now.

He had long lost hope to make friends at school when he realised that no one wanted to approach the young genius freak. He was four years younger than his classmates and yet more brilliant than anyone of them.

And in the past two years, since his father had died, Bryce had started to covertly instigate the subtle bullying.

Bryce was in the hockey and rugby team: he was popular. People knew him and most wanted to befriend him.

And his brother hated him.

All of these simple factors supplied the equation that was Leo's current situation: alone, mocked and isolated.

Everyone thought that Bryce hated Leo because of his brain and the fact that they were in the same class. Teenage social statuses were a mystery to Leo as were most of the things that his classmates did or talked about. But he had quickly learned one thing: being in the same class as your younger brother was not good.

No one really knew the truth behind the Fitz brothers' hatred.

Bryce hated Leo because he thought that he was responsible for their father's passing.

And even though his mind told him that it wasn't true, Leo couldn't really say that he didn't agree with him.

He walked across the grounds and sat down under the shade of an old oak. It was placed at a good ten minutes walk away from the school's entrance and wasn't a place where other students would come: it was too isolated.

Leo dropped his school bag on the ground and sat down, stretching his legs. He let out a breath and relaxed for a moment, savouring the quietness and the fresh air.

His grumbling stomach made his eyes pop open and he searched in his bag and found the paper bag where his mother had put in two roast beef sandwiches, a little bag of crisps and an apple.

He drew out the water bottle buried under his notes and started to eat.

His mind drifted as he chewed on the sandwich, savouring the meat and lettuce, occasionally taking a crisp.

He thought about his Maths class and how utterly boring it was. He wondered if he could just ask to be moved to a more advanced class, something that could be a bit more challenging.

Challenging. That's what the hardest classes were for him. Difficult was not even an option now.

He had long understood that his brain allowed him to work out information faster than the others. He did precise calculations in his head, lengthy equations at lightning speed by hand and had a rather strong memory.

Studying was easy for him. Knowledge a stream from which he gained more and more information, absorbing it like a sponge.

Years ago he would have been proud, boasted about his capabilities.

Right now, he accepted them because he had no choice and felt almost shame.

Leo suddenly remembered his Dad. He had always told him to be curious and delve further into his studies and ask questions.

His Dad took him to his mechanical shop and allowed him to watch when he worked and learn from it.

He brought him scraps of metal to tinker on; he had been so proud when Leo had built a little toy car that moved on its own.

His Dad had fed his mind and heart with the thought that he could do anything. Leo had believed him.

That's why he asked -begged- to go to that science fair where he could show his new mechanical device: a small, flying helicopter built by himself.

It was a bit out of Glasgow and the other participants were old her than him but he wanted to go.

And they did go at the end. And he'd won the competition: the youngest in its decennial history.

His Dad had been so proud. His mother and sister had cheered for him.

And Leo had been so happy to prove his worth.

But then they went back to the car and back home...and everything changed.

Their life had been destroyed.

"It's your fault. Will always be your fault"

Bryce's words echoed through his brain and Leo tensed. He dropped his almost finished apple on the ground, fingers tightening in clenched fists and knuckles turning white.

He felt it again. Felt that...anger. It was pain, frustration and guilt: all mixed together in a mesh of feelings that burned him inside.

Yesterday he had given in to that feeling.

He had been cornered by Bryce and his two friends, Andrew and James, just outside school, on his way to the school bus.

They never touched him. Not again at least. He had gone home, once last year, with a bruise on his shoulder after James had shoved him hard against a locker. Alison had immediately noticed and had gone mental, demanding to know who it was. At Leo's denial -he'd lied and said that he hadn't see who had done it- she reported the episode to the headmaster and all the teachers had given the students lectures about bullying.

Leo had been even more isolated after that...

However, yesterday the three had been mercilessly mocking him. He had tried to ignore them, tried to leave and just get into the bus where there were other students and the driver but they wouldn't let him move. So when he saw the bus start up, Leo dared to reply.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?"

James -among the three he was the tallest and the meanest- had laughed scornfully. Andrew quickly mimicked him.

Bryce had stared at him and then without hesitation had shoved him against the wall, hand digging painfully on Leo's shoulder.

Leo was smaller and shorter and his elder brother towered over him.

"You deserve this," Bryce whispered angrily so that only Leo could hear. "All of this. It's your fault. It will always be your fault."

Leo felt the need to cry but kept it to himself. The older boys took off together and left for the bus but Leo didn't follow them.

His feet moved on their own and he found himself walking home. It was a long walk: a good half an hour but he didn't bother to notice the heaviness in his legs after a while.

He felt the burning sensation in his chest: a mingle of humiliation and guilt at first. Then it turned to pain, sadness and then anger.

Before he knew what he was doing, Leo left the pavement and main road and walked into a small park, heading towards a cluster of shaded trees.

He started punching one of the tree trunks before he realised it. He didn't shout but kept gasping for breath as tears streamed down his face.

He punched and slammed his hands against the rough bark until he was exhausted and his hands felt numb.

When he got back home, he was grateful that his sister was asleep, having caught a fever the previous day while his mother was at a neighbour's house. His Mum had resumed working as a seamstress in the last few months, once she got confidant enough to move around with her wheelchair.

Leo was glad that neither women were there to notice the red marks and scratches on his hands; he had time to clean them and come up with a good excuse for them.

And now, as he sat by this tree during lunch break, Leo gritted his teeth and took a few deep breaths. He was not going to give into that feeling.

He didn't want to reach a breaking point again. Once had been more than enough.

His Mum would notice and Ali would too.

Both had just started to behave normally.

His Mum had started working again; she even smiled a few days ago.

And Ali had started to think about herself, not just their family. She didn't burden herself with everything that regarded their family - most of it but it was a start. She had started dating Alec McDaniels, son of one their Dad's oldest friends.

He didn't want to cause them more pain.

He just had to bottle everything inside. And find a way to fix this.

Or leave.

He had been toying with the idea for a few weeks. Finishing school early, graduating and then going to university...

If he couldn't find a way to let his family heal from the loss of his Dad, he might just try to leave and allow them to heal on their own.

Leo sighed, feeling somehow hollow inside. He only had to find the courage to do that, feel less scared about being truly alone...

"Hey, Leo!"

He looked up abruptly, surprised that someone was actually talking to him at school and found himself staring at Alec.

"Hey," he said slowly, wondering what he wanted. Alec was the only person besides his Mum and sister that seemed to want to talk to him but that usually occurred at home. Never outside.

"Didn't see you inside for lunch..." The dark haired boy smiled wryly. "I thought I should go find you: Alison would murder me if I lost track of you."

"I just wanted to eat on my own," Leo answered softly.

-:-

Alec looked at the younger boy, saw the paper bag that must have contained his lunch and felt a pang of sadness

He had noticed how isolated Leo was in school, how his classmates ignored him.

He knew that it was the boy's choice to be a loner. He was forced to be one because no one actually cared to befriend him.

Alec's thoughts flew to his own ten year old brother who was blissfully childish and content with being with his classmates, playing and having fun.

Leo was a child with a genius brain who wanted to have that sort of normal childhood but wasn't permitted to have it.

Alec had heard the rumours. He was an upperclassman so he had long learned how to discern the constant stream of gossip and lies that he heard in the school's corridors.

He knew how Bryce was directly Leo's isolation. How the elder Fitz and two rather obnoxious friends of his were rallying a hate and bully propaganda against the younger boy.

He didn't have any solid proof though...Only rumours that flew around about the ten year old genius that went to their school.

Alec couldn't wrap his mind over the fact that Bryce would be deliberately hurting his brother. The mere thought of hurting one of his younger siblings made Alec feel ill.

He had never asked but he knew that Alison must have caught a hint of this too. She cared for both her brothers and was extremely protective of Leo. He didn't want to imagine what went through her mind as the scenario of Bryce making Leo suffer played on.

Alec had been there when she shouted in the headmaster's office after learning that someone had hurt Leo's shoulder shoving him in the corridors.

He was there when she cried in his arms the same day as they were out together when she admitted that she didn't know how to fix her family.

He didn't want to see her suffer... He was slowly and willingly falling for her and seeing her hurt was painful.

That was the reason that had him looking for Leo today.

"Mind if I sit with you?" Alec asked, pointing at the empty spot on the ground next to Leo. The boy looked at him curiously but nodded.

Alec smiled and dropped on the patch of grass next to him, stretching his legs and leaning against the tree trunk.

"It's nice out here," he admitted, taking a deep breath and savouring the silence around them. "It doesn't feel like being at school."

He turned to his side and saw Leo looking at him.

"What?"

"Why are you really here?" he asked curiously.

"Can't I just want to hang around with you?" Alec asked with a hint of a tease. It was the sort of tone he used with his younger brothers and sister.

Leo arched a brow and shook his head.

"You usually ask me about my well being when you come to our house," Leo commented. "And I know that you'd rather spend time with my sister than with me."

If it wasn't for his matter-of-fact tone, Alec would be sure that Leo was hinting something about him and Alison.

But then he suddenly remembered that even though he was in his school, Leo was ten years old. Genius or not, he was just a kid.

A kid that was trying to behave like an adult and struggling with it...

"Alright," Alec said, sitting straighter. "I just wanted to talk to you." Leo didn't say anything so he continued. "You weren't on the bus yesterday."

"I decided to go home on my own," Leo replied. Alec noticed his tense figure and clenched hands.

"I know that you're lying but I'll pretend that you're not," Alec watched as Leo's head twisted sharply towards him, eyes wide and confused. "I don't know what happened but I know that Bryce, James Cornwell and Andrew Finnegan are involved. They looked a bit too full of themselves on the bus."

Leo didn't move or say anything but Alec caught a fleeting glimpse of emotion flash in his eyes; it disappeared so quickly that he wondered if he hadn't imagined it.

"I won't tell anyone," Alec coaxed him. "I swear. Not even Alison." He inwardly prayed that she would never ask him anything so that he wouldn't have to lie.

But Leo was still silent.

"Alright..." Alec sighed. "I can't force you to talk but listen to me. Alison is worried for you: she keeps saying that you're always alone. I noticed that too. And I don't know -can't say for sure- if Bryce and his friends are behind all of this but I could help you. I'm a senior student here and I know a lot of people. I could try to make this stop, speak to some people."

Leo stared at him but he still didn't say a word. Alec saw his hands unclench from the the tight fists they had been and took that as a good sign.

He didn't expect Leo to trust him immediately...

"I'll talk with some of my friends and we'll see how it goes." He stood up and dusted off his jeans. "We should be going.."

Leo picked his school bag as he stood up and strapped it on his shoulders. As they silently walked back to school, Alec recalled another matter.

"Hey, Alison mentioned that you wanted to learn how to play ice hockey," he remarked.

"I just wanted to learn how to skate on ice," Leo mumbled, red seeping on his face. "I told Ali I wanted to try ice hockey because of the coordination and balance it needed."

Alec grinned.

"I could teach you this winter when the outdoor ice rinks are set up," he said. "Or you could come sometime after school with Alison until I finish practice and learn the basics."

Leo stared at him for a moment. He seemed to be studying him, wondering if he was honest or mocking like everyone else.

Alec held his gaze and smiled.

Leo's lip quirked on one side and he nodded.

"Good," Alec said. "I'll tell Alison then...unless you want to tell her first."

"I'll do it when I get back home," Leo remarked.

They came to the front door and walked down the corridor in silence until Leo stopped and looked up.

"I suppose I'll see you later," he said and Alec nodded. He was going to visit Alison and bring her their school work.

"Of course."

"Bye then... and thanks."

Alec didn't have a chance to reply that Leo had walked off to class, disappearing in the crowd.

A few weeks later, Alison commented that Leo was still isolated but the rumours of him being mocked or teased had decreased.

Alec realised that as long as he was there -so for the rest of the year- he could help stop Leo from getting hurt.

He didn't want to intrude or be anything more than helpful but he had started to care for the kid. It wasn't just because he was Alison's brother.

Leo needed someone to be at his back, to help him out. He needed a friend.

They could be friends, although the age difference was a hindrance. He definitely would make a brother figure since Bryce couldn't be counted on for that.

Alison had told him that Bryce was suffering too and that he was misplacing his anger and pain. All in all, Alec didn't think that he was a total bad kid either.

He just hung out with two obnoxious friends that fed his anger.

And Leo was receiving the brunt of it.

Alec decided that he would help the youngest Fitz as much as he could until he found someone else to care for him. Someone that wasn't family.

A friend that chose him.

Four years later, a wee bit of a girl called Jemma Simmons appeared.

-:-

-14 years old-

Leo walked back to his dorm, bag slung around his shoulder and one hand clutching a thick book on Quantum Mechanics that was filled with small paper notes, precariously clipped in and swaying in the light wind.

He had spent half an hour after class asking Professor Jensen some questions. He had little queries and specifications that helped him get a broader understanding of the application of string theory.

As he turned the corner that led to his dorm, making his way past the taller students, Leo finally felt at ease.

A month had passed since his arrival to America and MIT and he was rather enjoying being there. For once in his life, classes were not boring or repetitive but challenging.

He hadn't yet come across something that he didn't understand but there were some aspects that forced him to research on his own and study and develop further. It was thrilling: studying something that he genuinely liked and learning more and more about it.

Uni felt completely different from school back in Scotland. He wasn't shunned because he was smart than the rest of his classmates and the professors were very eager to answer his questions. He felt accepted, academically speaking.

He was still the youngest -a fourteen year in the midst of a sea of eighteen or more year olds- so he didn't really make friends. The other students were polite, some curious about him but most let him be.

Thankfully, Jemma was there with him. He wasn't alone.

He missed his family and there were times when he felt homesick. The moments had increased ever since the Dean of their residence told them that they couldn't leave for the UK until next year; that meant spending Christmas in America. The scholarship didn't cover that many plane tickets and having just arrived in America, they couldn't leave so soon.

The homesickness would pass after he went through a list of pros and cons in his head.

His brother, his loneliness and the fact that Leo thought that his family was better without him around outweighed his homesickness.

And being home would also mean not having Jemma Simmons around and after a month of living together, Leo realised that he really didn't like thinking about it.

He never had someone to talk to about science and his studies before her. Nobody could actually understand what he was talking about.

But she did.

And she seemed to understand him better than anyone else.

That feeling that she was alike him during their first meeting in the park in London had just grown into more tangible certitude.

Of course, it had taken some time to get used to each other's presence. As much as they were comfortable speaking with each other, living together had been a completely new ordeal.

The first weeks in their new dorm had been awkward to say the least...

Everything was different.

The dorm was nice and comfortable looking. Their rooms were identical: there was a bed, wardrobe, bedside table, a desk with a few empty bookshelves and a lamp.

The common space was divided between the small kitchenette which was compact but surprisingly well furnished and a common room where there was a large couch, a solid wooden table, another few shelves scattered around and a television set.

It had taken he and Jemma a few days to distribute their possessions around the dorm and get used to their new living space.

Leo had found it awkward to share a kitchen and a bathroom with a girl that wasn't his sister. He dreaded going inside the bathroom when he wasn't sure where she was, for the fear of walking in on her showering. They soon learned that the bloody locks on all of the doors were ancient and the keys didn't work well. That knowledge didn't help his awkwardness.

Jemma seemed to have his same thoughts because she always searched for him before announcing that she was going to have a shower...

Cooking was a disaster for Leo. He really didn't know how to cook his meals -he was only good at making breakfast-and if it were up to him, he would have survived off of sandwiches, pancakes, crisps and popcorn.

Jemma knew how to cook: the scent coming from the kitchenette into his room the first few days had made his stomach growl. They hadn't really dealt with how to live with a stranger and how to divide up the chores. When they had gone to buy the groceries from the mini market near the campus, they had each bought their own things and then arranged them on their shelves.

Leo wasn't bold enough to ask her to make dinner for both of them so he did what he could on his own and would 'cook' when she was done and in her room or already sitting at the table, watching something on TV.

When Jemma noticed Leo's very sparse provisions, she questioned him politely but Leo was too embarrassed to say that he didn't have clue as to what to buy and babbled a quick excuse.

He couldn't tell her that he didn't have a clue on how to grocery shop. She had seemed so organised: he had noticed her ticking off items from a list while they were at the market.

It was only on their third day at MIT, a week before the semester started, that Jemma noticed him eating pancakes for the third time in a row while putting away her finished plate of pasta in the sink.

She stared at him. Hard.

"That's your dinner?" She asked, approaching him at the table. "Again?"

Leo swallowed the last mouthful and nodded, warmth seeping on his face. One look at her face and he knew that Jemma had done the math.

"This is bloody ridiculous," she said and walked into her room to immediately come back with a notebook.

That night, they drew out a chart with their chores, dividing everything from cooking to cleaning. Laundry and grocery shopping were things that they would always do together. Jemma had noticed the state of his room and had commented on the carpet of clothes decorating the floor. That along with his inability to cook anything that wasn't breakfast pretty much defined her decision.

Leo had protested at the strict schedules, especially the ones regarding cleaning and the laundry. He didn't mind a bit of dust and his clothes were fine as long as there wasn't stains or marks on them.

He had almost said this all aloud but Jemma had shot him a fiery look that resembled the one Alison would give him when she was annoyed.

Alec's words echoed in his brain. 'Don't you ever reply if a girl glares at you like that. It's some sort of universal rule: you're wrong and she's right.'

Leo suddenly understood what he meant...and he didn't contradict Jemma anymore.

She knew better, it seemed.

Leo smiled slightly as he walked into his dorm's building.

They had fallen in a series of routines that were soon becoming familiar.

He made breakfast every morning and they ate together when they had early morning classes or he would just leave Jemma's plate in the oven and the kettle ready with tea.

Lunch was grabbing a bite together at the campus' cafeteria or eating the sandwiches Jemma had made, outside in the yard.

They would have their cup of tea as soon as they got back to their dorm room. Whoever came first from class -they shared very few classes together- would set the kettle.

Dinner was Jemma's business and Leo never complained: the girl always managed to cook something delicious that had him take second plates every time.

And then, during their free moments, rather than spending more time in their rooms, they spent time in the living room.

Together.

Leo would be reading his Robotics notes or doing his Physics essay while Jemma would be revising Organic Chemistry or finishing her own essay, waiting for him so that they could proof read them together.

They spent nights after dinner watching films or episodes of Dr. Who. They had discovered, back on the plane to Boston, that they shared common interests: fantasy books, Harry Potter, Dr. Who, Disney movies and a lot more...

As he walked to their dorm, Leo reached for his keys and felt at ease.

It hadn't happened in years.

He might be lonesome without his family in America but after a very long time, he'd felt accepted and in a place where he was meant to be.

He opened the door and went inside.

And, of course, having Jemma here was the biggest bonus...

A sob reached his ears and Leo froze, all thoughts fleeing his head.

His eyes frantically looked around the common room and fell upon the hunched figure sitting on the couch.

She didn't seem to hear him open the door: her hands were around her neck, fingers almost clutching her hair and tears rolling down her face.

Something twisted in Leo's chest at the sight of her looking so distraught.

He slowly closed the door, careful not to make noise and startle her. He wondered if he should approach her and ask what was wrong.

There was a part of Leo's mind that was telling him to leave and come back later: she wouldn't notice it. And that might give Jemma time to calm down… Maybe she had given in to her feelings, thinking that he would be back late.

Another sob reached his ear and stopped whatever thought he had of stepping out of the door.

Leo dropped his bag on one the chairs by the living room's table before approaching her.

He was unsure on what to do...

"Jemma?" He kept his voice soft and calm despite his concern.

She looked up abruptly, almost jumping on her seat. She truly hadn't heard him and Leo felt another painful twist as he took in her appearance.

Tears were streaming down her face, her usual smile gone for a more saddened and pained expression and her eyes were watery and red.

All sorts of scenarios went through Leo's head. He had never seen Jemma with nothing less than a smile and seeing her like this worried him more than he had expected.

He swallowed dryly, imagining that something might have occurred to her family in the UK. Her parents? Another family member?

They had never talked much of their families but he knew that the Simmons' were a close knit group. If something had happened...

Leo knew how it felt: he had experienced that kind of loss in his own skin and didn't want Jemma to feel even an ounce of that pain.

"F-Fitz!" She stammered, hastily wiping her face with the sleeve of her blouse. "I-I didn't hear-"

"What happened?" He asked, slowly sitting down next to her.

She shook her head frantically, sleeve mopping her face in earnest.

"Nothing," She tried to smile but her lips barely curved upwards before falling down again. Jemma looked down at her hands in her lap, caramel hair hiding her face

"It's not nothing," Leo said softly, peering at her, trying to catch her expression. He sat there, hands on his knees

He honestly didn't know what to do...

He never had to deal with crying girls before. His sister rarely let her emotions down to the breaking point in front of him. He knew that she struggled with her pain when she was alone or with Alec: he had seen her reddened eyes at breakfast too many times.

But this?

Jemma shying away and keeping her gaze fixed on her hands as though they were fascinating ,while her hair covered her face and her shoulders trembled slightly?

No, he didn't know what to do.

A part of his brain told him to stay put and wait until she was ready to talk. If she was ready, that is...

But the other part -the one that was feeling oddly connected to his twisting chest at the sight of a distraught Jemma- was telling him to move and comfort her.

He knew how nice it was to have someone hold or touch him when he was sad or hurt; as a child -a genius child that experimented too much and was involved in too many shenanigans- his parents and sister would hug him often to stop him from crying. His brother would ruffle his hair when he was moody or sad.

Those little things brought enormous comfort to him at the time... the mere memory brought him comfort and heartache now.

So maybe...

He swallowed dryly as he slowly moved his hand from his lap to her arm. He paused midway, unsure again if he was doing the right thing: what if she didn't want to be touched by him?

Maybe, if he kept the touch very light…?

His fingers gently touched the top of her shoulder, fingertips applying the softest of pressure to gain her attention.

"Jemma?"

She looked up quickly, almost a reflex to her name and his heart twisted again at the sight of the sheen of tears in her eyes and sad look on her face.

He saw how her throat moved as she swallowed, her lips parting and then closing as though she wanted to say something but words didn't come out.

Leo could relate to that. He knew what it meant to be in pain and being unable to explain it. He knew what it meant to put on a mask and feign that everything was alright.

He moved on instinct this time, no rational thought -or fear- stopping him. He moved forward and steadied the grip of his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," he whispered, squeezing her shoulder softly and forcing her to look at him. Maybe she just needed to talk a bit. Vent.

He saw Jemma's eyes widen and her body tensed for the tiniest of moments. Then, throwing him completely off balance, she threw her arms around his neck.

Leo froze as he found himself with an armful of a tearful Jemma and felt her let out a shuddering breath against his neck.

It seemed that she had been waiting for this.

One moment she was silent, the other she was sobbing softly, shoulders trembling and warm tears moistening his shoulder and neck.

Leo didn't bother to any of that. he was still a bit shell-shocked by the sudden embrace. He didn't speak and just let her get it out while he patted her back. He hoped that it was a soothing action...

It should be weird, he realised, this close contact. He should be tensing and feeling every nerve of his body alert to her close presence. Instead he just felt sadness and concern towards her and a little rush of warmth that he supposed was affection.

It was a feeling similar to the one he felt for Alison...maybe a wee bit softer.

Leo wondered if caring for a friend felt like this. It was the first time that he truly cared for someone that wasn't family in this way.

Jemma cried on his shoulder for a few minutes. Leo didn't speak or move: only his hand went up and down her back, every now and then stopping to draw little circles on her back.

He moved his head when he felt her stop trembling and didn't feel the tears running down her face and onto him. Her face was shadowed by her hair and his nose was suddenly buried in it as he shifted. A sweet scent invaded his senses.

She always smelt nice, something flowery that wafted out of the bathroom after she showered.

Lavender, he guessed, remembering his mother pointing the flower out to the curious little Leo and coaxing him to take in the scent.

Taking in a deep breath without even realising it, Leo moved back and brushed her hair off her face with his free hand. Jemma turned to look at him with red, glassy eyes but the small smile she shot him was sincere.

"Sorry, Fitz," she whispered, her voice a bit hoarse. She absently touched his shirt, slightly damp by her tears. "I'm such a mess…"

He was shaking his head as soon as the apology left her lips. She drew back from him, slowly untangling herself from his hands.

"Don't even think about it," he remarked, feeling suddenly a bit colder. He shook the feeling away: it was confusing him...

Her lips quirked slightly up again and she sat straighter, hands moving across her face, wiping away the tear streaks.

Leo was glad that she seemed to have calmed down but he was still concerned about her breakdown.

"Do you-er... Do you want to talk about it?" He asked tentatively, unsure about the proper etiquette in these situations. He sort of wished that Alec had taught him what to do in these moments...

"I mean...if you want to... You don't have to...if-" Fluency was suddenly a very foreign concept to him and Leo could feel the ferocious blush attacking his face.

God, he was making a fool of himself...

Thankfully, Jemma seemed to have come around and have mercy of his pitiful attempt to be helpful.

"It's nothing, really, Fitz," she said softly, her voice clearer now. "I just...well, I completely gave in to my homesickness after speaking with my Mum on the phone. Oh, I'm just being silly!" She blushed, looking away.

He stared at her: she wasn't being completely honest with him.

The news that they couldn't go home for Christmas had hit them both hard at first but, after talking about it, they realised that it was quite obvious.

And since they had just arrived to America, going back wasn't really an option.

"What else?" He asked and Jemma looked up in surprise.

"What?"

"Something is bothering you."

"No! Nothing is-"

"Really now?" He cocked his head to a side with a small smile, ignoring the little twinge of disappointment as she so adamantly denied that something was wrong and she wouldn't tell him.

Jemma stared at him, hazel eyes boring into his own. He held her gaze for a few moments and then she sagged, shoulders dropping slightly as she moved her hands to her neck.

"I just...felt so bad telling my Mum that I wasn't coming home for Christmas," she confessed. "She didn't expect it. She was so happy as she spoke to me and then her voice just changed as she took in my words." Her lips twisted into a crooked grimace. "I know I am being childish about it but-"

"You're not," Leo retorted. "You miss your family and Christmas is a time to be with family."

"It's just-" Jemma sighed. "With their work, they can't take days off very often and our relatives aren't in Sheffield. My Aunt, Uncle and cousins have moved to France years ago and my Grandmother is the only one that visits them. It's usually just the four of us during festivities...and now I'm here..."

Leo stared at her, a mix of feelings in his chest.

He could relate to that too. His family usually spent Christmas together and without anyone else too. And they used to treasure every moment spent together...

"My family is like that too," he said slowly. "It's always just us. I don't have my grandparents: they died when I was younger. My Mum doesn't have siblings and my Dad's brother and his family would come and visit every now and then but, since Dad died, the visits have stopped." Leo stopped talking as he realised that he openly told Jemma that his father was dead. She had never asked anything about his family but he presumed that she might have guessed something...

He realised that this was the first time that he actually told someone.

At home, he never had to say it because everyone already knew. Those were the perks of living in a neighbourhood that was made of people that have known each other their entire life.

Leo felt a lump in his throat but swallowed quietly and then looked at Jemma. She was looking at him oddly: it was a mixture of emotions that he couldn't define mingled with her sadness.

Pursing his lips and trying to get a hold of himself, he raked his mind for ideas to help her out. If it meant so much to her, he should at least try to think of a way to help her.

And then he got it.

"You know," he said. "I could go and ask the Head of the Administration Board if he could let you leave for a few days during winter break."

"What?" Jemma exclaimed.

"Yeah...I mean... The problem here is the money: one scholarship isn't enough for another trip back to the UK. You could use my share along with yours and leave in December. Although, we'd probably be able to leave again only for Christmas next year..."

He looked at her, wondering if she valued his idea valid.

Jemma was staring at him, eyes wide in disbelief.

"What about you?" She asked. "Don't you want to-?"

Leo shrugged, smiling slightly.

"I already spoke to my Mum and told her about it," he said. "She understood." He didn't linger on the memory of his mother's saddened voice. "My sister too... Well, she will understand... Things have changed now." The last statement came out as a whisper.

"But-"

"Really, Jemma, we could go now if you want to. The Administration office closes at six."

She stared at him, eyes searching for something on his face. He held her gaze for a while before succumbing to uncertainty as she looked away.

Uncertainty than turned into confusion when she shook her head.

"Jemma?"

"No."

"What?"

"No, I'm not going to let you do that."

"Why not? We could at least try!"

"I'm not going to leave you here alone, Fitz."

Leo blinked.

"W-what?" He stammered. He was at loss. Why think about him now? Why care about him when this was all about her?

He was about to say something when she looked at him again. Her eyes were clear now: there still was a shadow of sadness on her features but her resolute expression was making it fade away.

"I'm not going to leave, knowing that you're here alone," she remarked again. "It just doesn't feel right." Jemma smiled slightly, the feeling reaching her eyes this time. "We're here together, no? If I'm going to the UK for the holidays, you should be coming as well. So... since the Administration Board has been quite clear about this, we're both staying here during winter break."

Leo felt a burst of warmth spread out, starting from his chest to the rest of his body.

Did she really care this much for him? To ignore a valid offer to leave and be with her family after she had cried for being far away? Just for his sake?

Leo didn't know how to describe the feeling that coursed through him.

He knew that Jemma was like him, that she knew what it meant to be isolated and lonesome. He had hoped for them to get along well and was more than happy of their current living condition.

He didn't dare to think that she would start caring for him. He didn't think that he would be able to care for someone else either.

They were becoming friends.

The enormity of the realisation made Leo grin and tear up at almost the same time. He managed to nod at her.

"Right then," he said softly. "We'll both be staying and then we'll decide when to leave together."

Jemma smiled at him, really smiled and he felt at ease again. The feeling that he had had as he was walking back from class was soaking his body again.

She stood up and walked over to the kitchenette.

"I'll make tea," she said, glancing at the clock. He stood up too and followed her, watching as she put the kettle on the stove and drew out two mugs. Leo took out the sugar and cream. He took the milk out of the fridge and was putting it next to the small bowls arranged on the counter when he caught Jemma smiling.

"What?" He asked, arching a brow and smiling slightly himself. It was good to see her smile again...

"I was just wondering what I'm homesick for..." she stated. "I mean...besides not having my parents here, I actually miss home too. Sheffield. UK. But seeing how we behave..." A small laugh escaped her lips. "I didn't really realise how British we are here..."

Leo grinned slightly.

"What, you thought that we'd turn into Americans once we got here? Start speaking like them?" He teased her slightly, mimicking an American accent as he handed her the container with the tea leaves.

"Who knows?" She grinned back, spooning a small mound of leaves into the kettle. "We might have forgotten what good tea tastes like and gotten used to teabags."

"Ugh," Leo frowned. He had been offered tea during a seminar and nearly gagged at the soapy taste. "I'm glad that I didn't forget the taste and that my sister sent me tea from home."

"Me too..."

They sipped their tea in enjoyable silence, sitting at the table. Leo finished his tea and picked up his bag which was still dangling from one of the chairs. He pulled out his phone to check for any messages.

"What do you want for dinner?" Jemma asked, making him look up quickly.

"Er-anything is fine for me," he replied, putting the phone away. "You know that..."

"Yes but... I'd like to make something that you'd like tonight." She looked at him over her cup. "To thank you for comforting me." Her cheeks took on a pinkish tint.

Leo blushed slightly and waved her gratitude with his hands.

"I really- You don't," he stammered but she shook her head.

"Come on, Fitz..."

"Er- alright..." He wrangled his hands together, fingertips drumming on the table's wooden surface. He eyed her for a moment and smiled. "Got it. Since we're so British and proud of it… How about some good old Fish 'n' chips?"

Jemma's laughter echoed throughout the dorm.

They left their dorm shortly after and walked towards the mini market outside the campus to buy what was necessary for dinner (We're getting real potatoes: not that frozen chemical things, Jemma claimed firmly).

Leo's mind couldn't shake off Jemma's soft look and voice when she whispered him 'Thank you' before getting ready to go out.

He understood that she cared for him, yes, but she also trusted him. Trusted him enough to be vulnerable in front of him.

-:-

And when months later, she comforted him when he was unravelling, thinking about his Dad on his death anniversary, he realised that he didn't just care for her.

He had learned to be himself and trust her as well.

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