EIGHT YEARS LATER…

Leo walked nervously into a large, bright and beautifully decorated room.

"Jem?"

"What are you doing in here?!" Jemma cried; Leo turned around in the direction of the voice and saw a figure dash behind a foldable room divider.

"Sorry, I think I left my tie in here."

"Oh, Leo! Hang on, it's over here." Jemma said. After a moment, her arm shot out from behind the divider, a navy blue tie in hand. Leo walked up to her and took the tie, causing the arm to shoot back behind the divider.

"Now get out."

"Jemma, you're being snappy. You're always snappy when you're nervous." Leo smiled.

"That's because I am nervous! You should be too! And you shouldn't be in here!" Jemma exclaimed.

"I am nervous, but I'm excited too. Aren't you?" Leo asked.

"Of course I am. I just…you know how I feel about these things."

"I do."

"We're getting married in ten minutes and if you even get a glimpse of my dress now I swear to God above -"

"-Okay, okay, I'm going, you mad woman." Fitz chuckled as he put on his tie.

"Does Lincoln have the rings? Does Bobbi look like she's about to go into labour? Have all the guests arrived?" Jemma asked.

"Yes, he's got them. Everything's sorted. Bobbi looks very calm and restful; Lance has assured me he won't spoil our day by becoming a father." Fitz smiled.

"…Okay. And the guests?"

"All here and accounted for. Skye's being the ultimate maid of honour and Mack's being the ultimate best man keeping them all in check." Leo revealed.

"So mum and dad made it okay?"

"Yes, Jem."

"Thank God." Jemma sighed with relief.

Silence for a moment.

"…I wish mum could've been here." Leo eventually said tearfully. Jemma's hand reached round the divider and found his.

"She is here, Leo. She's up there smiling; I know she is. You made the last years of her life so happy, and now it's your turn to have a life of happiness." Jemma said softly.

"Why am I marrying you then?" Leo asked cheekily. Jemma's hand pulled away from his and hit him.

"You suck, Leopold Fitz." Jemma chuckled.

"You know I don't mean it." Leo laughed.

"I know."

"…I can't wait to see what you look like." Leo smiled.

"Neither can I. I bet you look very handsome in that suit." Jemma grinned.

"I do, actually." Leo said and Jemma laughed.

"…I love you so much." She said.

"I love you too." He replied.

"I can't wait to marry you."

"Lucky it's our wedding day then."

"I remember the days when those witty comebacks of yours drove me up the wall." Jemma reminisced.

"You're saying that like they still don't." Leo grinned.

"Good point." Jemma chuckled.

"…It's been great, hasn't it? Me and you?"

"…Leo Fitz, it's been incredible. And it's about to get even better."

Leo grinned widely, squeezing Jemma's hand before letting it return behind the divider. Fixing his tie, he walked towards the door happily.

"…Leo?" Jemma called, stopping Leo in his tracks.

"Yeah?"

"I hate you."

Leo smiled.

"Hate you too."

…

Jemma fought back the tears as best she could in order to speak coherently.

"I can go on forever about the many different ways and the many different reasons I have for loving you, Leo Fitz, and even then I doubt I'd do what we have any justice. When I was a little girl, all of my friends were obsessed with princesses and flowers and finding a Prince Charming, but that was never me. From the very beginning I was reading and writing and getting excited about science documentaries. I became so fixated on the scientific that I wrote off everything my friends dreamt of; the prince and the perfect wedding and the handsome prince. What I love about us is that in the end, science is what led me to meet my prince in the first place. Our love of science brought us together in school and then in college and then even in work. You were always my perfect partner in every single way, it just took both of us a little while to get passed how much we drove each other insane. You still do drive me insane, but it the best way. I've discovered so many things in my life thanks to science, but even then my greatest discovery had nothing to do with all that. My greatest discovery was that I loved you, and always will."

"…and now Leo, your vows."

Leo had been desperately trying to breathe since the second he saw Jemma walk down the aisle, but now he had the best job in the world to do – tell a room full of his loved ones how much he loved Jemma Simmons. It was the easiest thing he ever had to do.

"Jemma Simmons, while I can still call you that…before I got to know you I had a plan; a layout of who I was gonna be and what my life would entail. I was gonna be cold and alone and hide away all of my pain. Then you quite literally burst into my life when you barged through my front door and walked into my mess of a living room. I try to ignore the stuff that came before that because we both know it was unpleasant, and that was the day I truly saw who you really were. Kind. Loving. Gentle. Intelligent. You were Jemma, and you were perfect. You've never stopped being perfect. I had this plan and you changed everything. You took the coldness inside of me and warmed me up from the inside, you put up with my company so I could never be alone and you took all of the ache inside my heart and fashioned it into something so special like it was the simplest thing in the world. I was in the darkness but you brought me into the light. You showed me that there was still a chance for me, that I deserved the kindness you gave to me. Whatever has happened or will, the way you make me feel is the best part of my life. You are my always, Jemma Simmons. Forever. I can promise you two things; I will never stop trying to make you the happiest you can be, and I will never, ever get tired of calling you my wife. I've called you many things over the years, but I already know of all the nicknames I've given you, that one will be my favourite. You've had your fair share of nicknames for me too, but there's only one you'll ever have to call me again – Yours. Proudly so."

…

Jemma and Leo sat in the back of a taxi, hand in hand, as they made their way to the airport to go on their honeymoon. Jemma had spent most of the journey staring fondly out of the window.

"You okay?" Leo asked, kissing her hand.

"No; I've just realised I've actually gone and married you." Jemma teased.

"Funny." Leo chuckled.

"…I was just thinking." Jemma said.

"About what?" Leo asked.

"Everything that led us here. School, college, classes, your mum…all of that amazing stuff. That first year of college was the turning point. 525,600 minutes that changed everything." Jemma smiled as she recalled.

"That was a pretty great year, all in all." Leo smiled.

"And it's only gotten better with each one that's gone by." Jemma grinned as she kissed Leo passionately.

"That was the first of many good years for us." Leo said.

"I remember so much about it so clearly. What an adventure." Jemma said, resting her head on Leo's shoulder.

"Ready for the next one?" Leo asked, kissing the top of Jemma's head. Jemma grinned.

"Always."

They both stared out into the road ahead of them, recalling the year that changed everything and thinking about all the wonderful years to come. Those thoughts filled them with a joy unlike anything else ever could.

"Measure your life, measure your life in love."