Oceans Away || Leo Fitz Book Three

Chapter Fifteen

It was the fucking ATCU. That was who Coulson had sent as their backup. Asia was still trying to wrap her head around it, the idea that they were now "partners." Nothing out of this seemed like a partnership. It all seemed like an odd plot to try and get on their good side, before the ATCU inevitably destroyed them or betrayed them. She didn't like it one bit. She wanted to keep their distance, be the ones to outsmart the other agency. Or destroy from within, though she couldn't exactly be incognito with the ATCU. They all knew her face from a mile away. It was a same she couldn't call in Natasha; she was pretty recognizable these days, too.

She tried to preoccupy herself by sitting in the Lab with Bobbi, who was still stuck and confined in there, until she was completely done with rehab. That didn't help her too much, either.

"I need to tell you something," Bobbi had said, when Asia had lounged herself into the chair next to Bobbi's desk, reclining like she had been there every day, without her disappearing interludes, where Bobbi was testing what DNA samples they had been able to get from the crime scene. "But you're not going to like it."

"What's new there?" Asia asked with a sigh, leaning back to stare up at the ceiling. There were a whole multitude of things that Bobbi's news could be, though there was no way that the brunette would have planned on what the agent told her next.

"Fitz, he, uh..." She trailed off, shaking her head for a moment before setting the tools in front of her down on the desk and turning to face Asia, who was now sitting up straight, staring at her with unblinking eyes. "That reservation you had for dinner...he took Simmons."

Asia could hear the blood rushing through her ears, and a sound of ringing. A loud buzz, that blocked out everything around her. She blinked once, twice, shaking her head, trying to clear away the feeling of having the rug pulled out from beneath her. She could see Bobbi's mouth moving, but couldn't quite make out what she was saying over the hum.

"I don't think it was a romantic thing," Bobbi continued, unaware the young woman couldn't even understand her words, didn't realize she was trying to keep her sudden vertigo at bay so she didn't puke all over the floor. "I think he just wanted to get her away from everything, get her to talk. Hell, I wish I could have done it myself..." she only muttered the last part, zoning out for a moment as she imagined holding Jemma's hand as they walked down the street. But reality was calling and the computer in front of them beeped, announcing that the DNA test was done.

Asia snapped out of her focus too, standing up suddenly, the rolling chair shoving out from beneath her. "I've got to go," she muttered, tagging on something about needing to prep for a mission, as she practically sprinted towards the door. But the woman paused in the doorway, leaning back to look at Bobbi. "Hey," she called out, the other spy looking back up at her, wide eyes. "Can you hurry up and ask her out already? It'll make life easier for all of us."

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Asia had lied about being needed for a mission, she just didn't want to be in there anymore, couldn't stand it, really. Instead, she found herself climbing into the Bus and lowering herself into her little ice tank, sinking beneath the water, pulling oxygen to herself so she could still breath. Separating the water from the air, staying hidden beneath the ice. She felt safer in there, like she was untouchable. And she also felt safe to cry. She wouldn't do that in front of the others, no, that was a sign of the weak. She turned on her location tracker so Daisy could find her if need be, closed her eyes, and was completely consumed by the cold water.

So, of course, she didn't know that May had returned. She didn't know about the danger that Hunter was walking into. She didn't know about any of that, while she hid beneath the surface of ice, trying to feel nothing for a little while. She didn't know, till she was suddenly awoken by a sharp banging on the side of her tank. She burst through the surface, whirling to face whoever it was.

To her surprise, Coulson and May stood in front of her. "May, you're back," she said, unable to help the smile tugging at her lips, even after the hell of 48 hours she had had. She shrugged on her jacket, climbing out of the tub, water droplets evaporating from her clothes and she tugged the H2O into herself. One minute she was dripping wet, the next she was dry.

"For now," May nodded calmly, hands clasped in front of her. "I'm here because I need backup. Because Hunter needs backup. It will be a worst case scenario, break glass in case of emergency." She looked at Asia, eyes narrowed. "We will have you in a Quinnjet, nearby, if needed. Are you up for it?"

"I'm always up for it," Asia replied with a quick nod. "When are we shipping out?" She glanced around them, taking note of what things she had with her. She would prefer time to pack, if she had it.

"You have time to pack," May said with a nod. "I'll head out before you, bring a small team in a Quinnjet behind me, just in case. Hunter is on a warpath, but I don't want him thinking we don't believe in him. That could ultimately be even more dangerous, for everyone involved." Asia nodded at the woman with understanding. "We've got one shot here," May continued. "We have to take it." May knew that Asia understood this, almost more than anyone else.

The two said their goodbyes, parting ways for May to finish debriefing with Coulson. Asia made her way back towards her room to prep her go bag. She wanted to be ready, especially because Hunter was in danger. It had been over a week since they had last seen him, and Asia didn't want they way they had parted to be her last memory of him.

While she was padding her way down the hall, still barefoot, feet making light tapping sounds against the cool concrete, she rounded the corner and nearly ran smack dab into Leo, who was tapping away at a small tablet. He looked up at her startled, surprised to see her down here, near their rooms.

"Um, hey," he said, awkwardly, trying to lean against in some semblance of appearing casual. It would have appeared more so if he hadn't almost slipped when trying to lean against the brick. But that was the sort of thing that made her grin, a tiny hint of a smile that he hadn't seen in...what he was coming to realize was quite some time.

"Hi, yourself," she replied, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "What are you up to?" She hated that she felt awkward speaking to him. She hated that they had slipped away from their near perfect chat and banter they used to be able to uphold. She tried not to let the pain of it show on her face, tried not to show him she knew all about the dinner date, their dinner date, that he had taken Jemma on. But her smile betrayed her, and she couldn't do anything but smirk slightly.

"Just, uh, wrapping up some inventory and cataloging Simons' diagnostic tests," Leo said, scratching at the back of his head. "What about you? You seem in a hurry."

"I have a mission, with May," Asia explained with a small shrug. "I have to get ready and leave soon. Not 100% sure when I'll be back." She frowned, hoping he understood she would miss him while she was gone, hoping he understood she missed him every day.

"May is back?" Leo asked, standing up straighter. "That's really good news. I was worried she was gone, well, forever," he shrugged, before leaning forward suddenly and grabbing one of her hands in his. "Be safe out there, yea?" he whispered, before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead. Asia closed her eyes, relishing in the same sparks that ignited at their contact, the ones that had always been there.

She could have stayed frozen in that moment for eternity, and Leo could have too, if it weren't for the persistent beeping from his tablet, calling him back from the Lab. He gave her hand one last squeeze, before separating from her and disappearing off down the hall again.

Asia stayed standing their, silently, for a minute more, afraid that if she moved, she might lose that moment in time, forever.