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WARNING! Slight mention of self-inflicted death. Mentioned once in dialogue and never again throughout the chapter.

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One thing Nina had always been really bad at was packing. She had a habit of forgetting the most important things and remembering them when she was too close to her destination to turn back. It was something she'd gotten from her dad, Jairo Ramos being the type of man to take his family all the way to the airport only to find out he didn't bring the passports.

It was a very annoying trait for her to have, which was why she enlisted the help of a certain scientist for the task of the morning.

"So the last thing on your list is..." Fitz trailed off as he looked down at the piece of paper, reading the words beside an unchecked box, "your books."

"I got 'em," Wren smiled widely, gesturing to his open bag. Inside were about 25 titles, all given to him by various agents that had noticed his love for books and gifted him with their favourite ones. Most of them had been bought by Fitz and Nina, as the pair had been quick to fall in love with his wide smile every time he was handed a new paperback.

"That's you done then, Wren," Fitz smiled back, he reached out to zip up the bag and helped the teen pull in onto his back. Nina watched the scene from her position leaned up against the door frame, giving the two a moment because Fitz had been as much Wren's carer as she had, "I'm gonna miss you kid."

"I won't be gone forever," Wren responded, turning Fitz's frown into a smile with his fingertips, "just until I'm 18 and can properly decide if SHIELD is where I want to be. Then we can save the world together instead of everyone protecting me."

Fitz couldn't help but smile at the innocence in the teen's face as he uttered those words, part of him wished for Wren to change his mind about joining SHIELD. He'd grown up abnormally already, he deserved a normalish life. He shared that sentiment with Nina.

She was only a year older than Wren when she'd joined SHIELD, and she'd looked at him every day afraid that he'd make the same mistake. Nina loved her work and she'd never regret the choices that brought her to where she was now, but SHIELD was no place for a child to grow up.

She knew that better than anyone.

"Alright, kid," Fitz smiled as he adjusted the black straps of his bag, "I'll try not to miss you too much then."

"I'll call you every day Mister Fitz," Wren said as he threw his arms around the scientist. Fitz tensed slightly at the action, this being the first time the teen had ever hugged him, before relaxing into the gesture, "I promise."

"Leo," Fitz corrected the boy as he pulled out of the embrace, "or just Fitz. We're a little too close for all those formalities."

Wren nodded excitedly at that. The adults around him called everyone by their names without the Miss or Mister he'd grown attached to, and he was happy that he'd made Fitz see him as a close enough person to do the same. 

Nina wanted to give the two males a few more minutes but Bobbi's text ringing through her phone prevented it. With a loving gaze, she pushed off the door frame and spoke.

"Hey, Wren, why don't you go say bye to the others? The jet's almost ready for us," she told him and Wren nodded. He grabbed, the sole book that didn't fit in his back and waved one last time to Fitz before exiting the room. 

"He's a really good kid," Fitz said quietly as he was left alone with Nina, "makes me want a family."

Nina looked away from the door to Fitz. She wasn't surprised to see his eyes locked on her, a hopeful look in them accompanying his comment. Her lips parted as the unsaid meaning of his words rattled her slightly before she nodded and whispered back.

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