What happens after Fitz yells at a well-meaning S.H.I.E.L.D. employee.

"Nguyen," Müller hissed. "Is it just my imagination or is that Hernandez crying into his samples over there in the corner?"

Smirnov sidled over from behind her microscope. "He is crying," she whispered. "Dr Fitz shouted at him. Called him an idiot."

Müller sucked in a surprised breath. "Dr Fitz? I'd heard he could be grumpy but I've only ever seen him being impressively patient. I mean, can you imagine having to deal with ordinary people when you're carrying around a brain like his?"

Nguyen pulled himself up to his full height. "Right. I'm the closest man. I'm going to take Hernandez a cup of tea and see if he wants to talk about it."

His three colleagues exchanged precious-cinnabun glances behind his lab-coated back as he strode towards the kitchenette - a man on a mission.

Before he managed to attain his target, Li and Smith sprinted into the lab.

"You guys!" Li shouted. "We just saw Dr Fitz and Dr Simmons kiss!"

"Twice!" added Smith breathlessly.

Müller and Smith went up for a high-five. Smirnov looked jealous. Nguyen shook his head and pulled out his wallet to cough up. Even Hernandez wiped at his face and wandered tentatively in their direction.

"Come on!" Müller flapped her wrists. "Details!"

"We were just walking past on our way to the mess," Smith began. "And there was all this shouting - poetic stuff, which is unusual for the lab - so we peeked our heads in the door."

"Poetic stuff?" Smirnov echoed.

"You know," said Li, looking to Smith for help, "We don't have the courage to talk about it, there was some mention of the cosmos, err…"

"Far-flung planets, war on an aircraft carrier, the bottom of the ocean, certain death - that sort of thing," Smith added.

"And then he just grabbed her!"

"Hang on," Smirnov interrupted. "He grabbed her?"

"Yeah!" Smith enthused. "I didn't think Dr Fitz had it in him!"

"What did she do?" Hernandez asked, taking another step closer. "Did she kiss him?"

"Not at first," said Li, "but after a second she grabbed him right back!"

"Let me guess, now, at long last, they're sequestered in Dr Simmons bunk with a BioHazard warning stuck on the door?" snickered Müller.

"Nope," said Li sadly. "That was when it got weird. Coz he had kissed her, right? And it was angry and passionate and, you know, hot! And so when she kissed him back, we looked at each other, didn't we, Smith, and we were like, IT'S ON! The S.H.I.E.L.D. Science Division is officially on hiatus while these bunnies, you know, go off and be bunnies!"

"But instead of just picking her up and carrying her to his bunk," Smith took up the tale, "Like I would have done if Dr Simmons ever kissed me like that…"
All the women rolled their eyes.

"…he just says, all melodramatically, 'We're cursed!' and goes to walk away from her."
Confused glances were exchanged across the lab.

"And then she noticed something in some book on the floor and they started talking about that instead and then I think they went to the photocopier or something."

"The photocopier?" whined Müller. "That's a bit of an anticlimax."
Nguyen shook his head. "How long have we been hearing rumours about those two?"

"Since the very first moment we heard their names," Hernandez said softly. "And now he thinks they're cursed."

"Not very scientific of him, is it?" mused Li.

"Knock, knock." A distinctive Scottish accent resounded through the lab. "Sorry to interrupt your meetin' but can I just borrow Hernandez a moment?"

The man's eyes went wide and he rushed out of the lab.

"Did you see Dr Fitz's face?" Smirnov whispered.

"He looks wrecked," Nguyen agreed.

Müller placed both hands over her heart. "Oh, that poor man. I will never forget his haggard desperation while he searched for Dr Simmons. I didn't imagine I'd ever see him looking that beaten down again."

…

Emmanuel Hernandez had idolised Dr Leo Fitz since the moment he first held a Magic Window in his hands. He was clumsy and sensitive and a loner and a visionary and he'd always thought the man would be a kindred spirit. He was the same age as Fitz but had taken triple the time to complete his education. Hernandez was smart, Fitz was a virtuoso.

When he'd learned he was going to have the opportunity to work for his hero he had organised a lavish celebration dinner for his extensive Spanish family. They had danced late into the night, raising toast after toast and Hernandez didn't touch a drop of alcohol for at least a year after the event due to the staggering horror of the next morning's hangover.

He'd never expected to hear Fitz actually say his name. He didn't even think that he knew it.
That didn't stop it from hurting like hell when he'd called him an idiot.

…

Hernandez stepped cautiously into the dim light of the corridor.

"I'm s-so sorry about the books, sir," he stammered. "If any of them were damaged I take full responsibility. Perhaps we could organise some sort of payment plan?"

Fitz shook his head. "The books are fine, Hernandez. And it's me who should be apologisin' to you." He scrubbed a hand over his face. "I've just… got a lot goin' on. But that is no excuse for what I said to you. I'm sorry."

Hernandez held out his hand.

Fitz looked at it a moment as if in confusion, his blue eyes gradually meeting Hernandez's sympathetic gaze, before he jolted himself into response.

"I'll admit, sir. "I've always wanted to shake your hand," Hernandez laughed. "Working for you is probably the greatest thing I'll do in my career. Thank you so much for the opportunity."

Fitz shrugged awkwardly. "Well, I turn out to be boss of the century, don't I?"

"You do, sir," Hernandez nodded earnestly. "Please don't think what happened earlier diminishes that in any way."

Fitz nodded. "Thank you, Hernandez." He turned to go.

"Dr Fitz?"

"Mmm?"

"Is… um… is there anything I can do for you?"

Fitz laughed humourlessly. "I don't think so, Hernandez, but thanks for offerin'. Right now it's sort of me against the cosmos."

"Sounds complicated."

Fitz sighed heavily. "You have no idea."