I love your response about Fitz and writing platonic fanfic. Iâm guilty of focusing on Fitz as part of Fitzsimmons, but I also adore him as an individual. I sometimes find it difficult to write a âplatonicâ Fitz-centric story because his love for Jemma has indirectly affected pretty much everything he does (brain trauma). Even if itâs not an explicit focus, I think itâs easy to pull it into any story revolving around him because she has impacted him so much as a person (hello, Framework)
Thanks, Iâm glad to hear it!
As for finding it difficult to write a platonic Fitz-centric fic, I wouldnât worry about it too much. I too, enjoy writing ballads about him writing ballads about Jemma. The depth and strength of his love for her is a beautiful, beautiful thing and I love celebrating that too, it only becomes a problem for me when thereâs so much more of it than other stuff about him.
That said, while itâs important to be critical, overthinking anything, especially stuff like this, will always lead you back to a certain place, so youâve gotta cut yourself (and other people) a bit of slack. What I mean is, our interpretations are always shaped by our expectations and emotions, so if youâre looking for a character to be misrepresented, exploited etc, - or in this case, if youâre looking for Jemmaâs influence on everything Fitz has ever done - chances are youâll find it even if itâs not really there, or at least not as obvious as it may seem.
Itâs important to remember with this sort of thing that the reality is: none of us, neither humans nor characters, actually live an individual life. We are who we are in large part because of the people we know and love, and the experiences we have because of them, both good and bad. This is especially strong for Fitz & Simmons, because even before they got together romantically they were very close friends, and by this point theyâve been very close for almost half their lives - romance or not, thatâs going to have a very deep impact on a personâs life, feelings, and identity. Thereâs no need to remove that and in fact, itâs probably best not to try too hard to avoid it as part of either of their identities.
The trick then becomes not letting it be the only thing about their identities. Again, overthinking this is a terrifying beast, but the way I do it is I by thinking of the platonic element as adding something, rather than avoiding the romance of it. This may seem obvious, so maybe Iâm not explaining it properly, but for example, jumping off some of the things you mentioned above:
- Fitzâs brain injury may be tied strongly to Jemma in terms of how it happened, but itâs also tied to Ward. Itâs also tied, perhaps, to whoever inspired him to take that sort of morality or personality that drove him to that decision (eg. maybe his mother). You can also talk about it with the primary reference being Daisy, or Mack. Maybe theyâre helping him with some new technology or other communication mechanisms on top of or instead of âJemmaginaryâ. There was also this huge âBobbi and Fitz bonded over their injuries & recoveryâ thing that canon didnât tap into as much as they could have. Goldmine!
- What does Fitz do that Jemma doesnât do? Put him in a world that Jemmaâs not really in. Give him friends in computer science, have him spend time with Mack in the garage, get him to watch movies or play video games with Daisy that Jemma would have no interest in, etc. You donât have to mention that Jemma doesnât like these things; just have Fitz do them, without Jemma, normalise the idea that he does things without Jemma and doesnât feel the need for Jemma to be there. You donât have to cut out every single line that mentions her, she hasnât completely disappeared, but just donât explain everything Fitz does in terms of what Jemma does or does not do, and youâre already on your way!
- Explore how other people have impacted him, not instead of Jemma (because again, itâs perfectly reasonable that they have a deep influence on each other) but as well as her. My favourite character to do this with is Daisy. Daisy helped both Fitz and Simmons become braver people, or at least unlock that bravery, in my opinion. I also see some parallels in her and Fitzâs backstories and personalities that I like to talk about, eg. difficult unconventional family lives, highly passionate / emotional people, which Jemma does not really share. Mack and Elena and even possibly Coulson also have something to offer in terms of, again just an example, an exploration of the question of faith. Fitz has a very âromanticâ heart, believing in the cosmos and all that, which Jemma just doesnât, so if/when he loses his faith in that, sheâs not the person to go to. Maybe he goes to somebody who sees the world in a similar way to him, in terms of larger purposes and powers at work, etc. Again, you donât necessarily have to show Fitz going to Jemma, finding thatâs not what heâs after, and reaching further (but you could).
- Have Fitz bring up others to Jemma the way that he currently brings up Jemma to others. Show that he admires them, that he shares their interests, that heâs helping with their problems or wishes he could help, etc. If one of them is in danger or heâs had a fight with them, mention that concern or regret or whatever. Or, go fluffy! Take advantage of this gooberâs big romantic heart! WHERE IS MY CAPTAINSHIPPER!FITZ MATERIAL? Another goldmine, people! Doing this kind of thing puts Fitzâs relationships with lots of people on a more even footing, less skewed but still inclusive of âFitzSimmonsâ, and helps add some depth for a more developed, less isolated way of writing the romance.
- Explore Fitzâs influence on other characters. This one depends on what characters you like to write, but writing a fic thatâs actually about another character eg. Daisy, and having them go to Fitz for some reason (or having him offer them help), is also a good way to do this. As much as we like to joke about how everyone sees FS as FS, doing this sort of thing indicates that the others do see him as his own person and that he himself has stuff to offer, with or without Jemma.
Fitz was not formed as an individual, none of us are, so itâs extremely difficult to have a fic that doesnât tie parts of his identity to others and especially to Jemma, but hopefully reframing what youâre trying to achieve makes it easier to do (and easier to reflect on afterwards without going, âoh shit this is still about Jemma because she was mentioned that one timeâ). You donât have to avoid Jemmaâs impact on Fitz, or vice versa. Just flesh it out more with influences from others. Add to it, because while she is a powerful and beloved influence on his life, sheâs not the only one. To me, itâs more about adding variety and depth and dynamics, than taking anything away.
