Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons had their own Christmas traditions. Best friends tend to settle into patterns, especially after surviving graduate school, dual PhDs, and the Academy. At least that was the reason they gave for baking cookies in the middle of the night, preparing to watch the Doctor Who Christmas Special while drinking peppermint hot chocolates, and decorating every open surface with tinsel and lights.

"Being stuck on the Bus over the holidays is not going to stop us from celebrating," Simmons explained to the team when they were told they were not going to be able to be with their families for Christmas.

Skye had rolled her eyes the first time she saw the two unpacking a box, unraveling tangled strands of lights and throwing glittery handfuls of pretend snow at each other.

"Really," she mock-whispered to Coulson and May later that afternoon, "you'd think they were ten years old."

"When they were ten," Coulson laughed, "they were probably taking their first analytical chemistry course. This is just a reversion to the childhood they never had." He shook his head, smiling. "And don't tell me that you hate the fact that they've made twelve different kinds of baked goods in the past week."

May and Skye exchanged a look before breaking into laughter. "You're right," May agreed. "even if my REM cycle is thrown off every time Fitz drops a hot pan on the kitchen floor."

Ward nearly said something the time he found a stocking with his name on it hanging up in the interrogation room. And when he found a crèche displayed across Lola's dash, Coulson almost rethought his prior lenience about kitchen hours.

However, like everything they created in the lab, the holiday escapades of Fitz and Simmons were a force to be reckoned with. A real Christmas tree, insisted upon by Simmons, was put up in the passenger lounge. Fitz kept hacking into the broadcasting system to play carols on every loudspeaker. The entire team was wrangled into a Secret Santa gift exchange.

"What's so secret about giving presents when there are only six of us?" Ward asked Skye after he received his fifth Captain America action figure. Obviously Coulson.

"It's not about the secret," she insisted with a grin. He didn't know she had five more Captains for him. "It's about the giving. Plus, Simmons and Fitz would probably do something even more drastic if we didn't give into their fun. Like make it actually start snowing in our pods or something." She shivered. "It's already cold enough on the Bus, so we don't need to give them any ideas."

On Christmas Eve, after having a dinner that Fitz had deemed almost comparable to his mother's cooking, May peeked into the passenger lounge to see Fitz and Simmons stretched out on the couch, watching It's a Wonderful Life. They had turned off all of the lights but those on the Christmas tree. She closed the door quietly on the pair before heading off to pour herself a glass of eggnog, humming "Silent Night".

Fitz had his arms wrapped around Simmons in what seemed to be a platonic hug. Her fingers were fiddling with the bottom hem of his sweater. They were giggling at the swimming pool scene, a soaking Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed flailing onscreen.

"Remind me again why we've watched this movie every year since we met?" Fitz asked Simmons, his hands coming up to still hers. It was not going to be platonic much longer if she kept that up. "This is, what? The seventh time? Jemma, really. Are you ever going to want to switch over to "White Christmas", or even something more…" he trailed off, laughing. "British?"

She turned towards him, eyes reflecting the lights of the tree. "That's what the Doctor is for, silly. Besides, Fitz, we watched Narnia just last week." She shook her head, nose crinkling. "Nope. Jimmy is dreamy, and I know you, Mr. I-Have-Old-Fashioned-Ideals, don't mind Donna. Plus, George and Mary Bailey are Christmas Eve-only kind of people."

His arms tightened around her. On the television, George was insisting, I don't want any plastics, and I don't want any ground floors, and I don't want to get married - ever - to anyone! You understand that?

"Jemma?" he asked softly. The Christmas lights were flickering shadows across her hair. "I…"

She gently hit his arm. "Shh. Wait till this part is over." She snuggled back into his chest, making his breath catch.

He waited until after the giving-up-the-honeymoon scene before sitting up slightly, forcing Simmons to slide off his lap onto the couch. She gave a little frown, but he tapped her on the cheek to make her smile. "It's Christmas, Jemma. No sad faces."

She hit him on the arm again. "But I was comfortable, Fitz." She left her hand resting on his wrist and could feel his pulse through the wool of his sweater. Her thumb smoothed against the soft cuff of the sleeve.

He cleared his throat. "Me – me too." He met her eyes, which looked a little alarmed. He placed his other hand on top of the one that was fiddling with his sleeve and twisted his fingers through hers. "Jemma."

"Leo?" Now she was looking very alarmed. She only used his first name when she was worried. George Bailey, begging for a loan, had been forgotten.

"I…" He stopped. Leo had thought about this moment. Over and over, he had pictured it in his mind. Each and every morning, when she brought him coffee in his favorite mug and she sat next to him in the lab, sipping her tea. When he was sure she was going to die. When she didn't. Telling Jemma that really he just wanted to pull her into his arms each and every Christmas for the rest of their lives.

She looked down at their interlocked fingers, and looked back up, but not quite into his eyes. Her free hand trailed up towards the collar of the button-up peeking over the top of his sweater. She smoothed it, gently.

"Leo, don't you know why I always watch this movie with you at Christmas?" she whispered, her eyes finally meeting his. His hand tensed around hers.

"You've never explained…" He trailed off. Sentences were difficult for him at the moment.

She let out a small breath. Someone had turned Christmas music on the speaker system again, and it was overlapping with the movie dialogue. But all she could hear was her own heartbeat.

"Because you're my Christmas Eve person," she said softly, so softly he had to pull her a little closer to hear the words. "But not just on Christmas. You've been beside me the…" Her voice caught in a sob, but he knew what she meant to say.

"The whole damn time," he finished for her, just before he pulled her the final few inches, back into his arms. "You've been beside me the whole damn time."

He kissed her. His lab partner, his best friend. Leo Fitz knew that for the rest of their lives he would make sure Jemma Simmons knew just what a wonderful life she helped him to have.