I hope you all enjoy these mini head-canons of mine re. what happens after each chapter of 'Fate Has a Twisted Sense of Humour'. Not as fleshed out as the bonding scenes, of course; really just snippets of what I imagine would follow, especially since I won't do a bonding scene for every chapter. But I don't intend to write actual sequels for any of the chapters.
The thing with this series is that it's about soulmates meeting, and often the trouble certain ships cause, especially depending on the situations in which they meet. This should give you some idea of how the stories would continue. You might want to read over the chapters again, at least the ends, to remind yourself of what happened.
"Chapters One to Ten"
1. Spectrometers (Bruce Banner/Phil Coulson)
Bruce carefully explains how Fury brought Phil back to life with the TAHITI protocol, and while Phil can't remember the details of the procedure, he knows that it was a Bad Thing, and he won't rest easy until he finds answers. The Avengers promise to help him, and Tony even starts work on a memory-regaining machine.
In the meantime, Phil and Bruce get to know each other. Instead of Phil getting over his crush on Bruce, and his soulmark fading to platonic grey, spending so much time with Bruce darkens the words. He still doesn't call their meals alone 'dates', although they've become that somewhere along the way for Bruce, who shouldn't be so surprised when he finds that the soulmark on the top of his thigh has darkened nearly to black.
He broaches it during dessert on one of their not-dates, awkwardly trying to ascertain the shade of Phil's mark. He admits that it isn't getting any lighter, but that he's working on fighting his feelings, and that maybe they should spend less time together. He nearly chokes on his ice cream when Bruce instead proposes that they try bonding. Back at the tower, Phil is shocked to find out that Bruce's feelings are no longer platonic; Bruce had predicted that his feelings for Phil might change, but this is proof. So, after dancing around the topic for a few more minutes, Bruce pounces on Phil, and they bond that very night. Everyone teases them the next day for their definite glow (and love-bites).
2. Good Morning (Bucky Barnes/fem!Phil Coulson)
Phyllis and Fury continues to exchange messages, until he's able to call her on a secure line. She gives him all the information Bucky has been able to recall, and promises to help SHIELD bring down HYDRA from the inside as soon as she can. Bucky is reluctant to let her leave the house, though. He's still trying to recover his more personal memories, outside of what HYDRA made him do as the Asset. Phyl helps him as much as she can, less fangirl and more devoted soulmate, lending her idol every book she has on Captain America and the Howling Commandoes. She buys things at the comic book store, still trying to keep under SHIELD-HYDRA's radar in her home town.
In a spectacular two-day siege, loyal SHIELD agents take out confirmed HYDRA spies and capture those whose allegiance is shaky/unconfirmed. Afterwards, she and Bucky book into a motel until they have the energy to return to the house. When they finally do, since it's going to take awhile to rebuild SHIELD, even just clean up after HYDRA-Gate, Fury makes her take some time off. Bucky had mentioned wanting a family, and Phyllis figures they should try for a baby while there's a higher chance of conception, and also so that she can return to the field sooner, rather than later. Bucky is definitely into the idea, and it doesn't take long before his enthusiasm pays off.
They end up having two children over the next few years, and Phyl chooses to become a handler, rather than going back into the field. She and Bucky are a bit uncertain at the start, but eventually get a hang of the parenting business. He does regain the rest of his memories, and just in time… because they find Steve, who becomes Uncle Steve to the kids. Phyl worries that Bucky and Steve don't seem to age, whereas of course she and the children do. Bucky doesn't care, and after the effects of the cryogenics wear off he starts to age properly, while the original serum keeps Steve at the same physical age he was when the plane went down.
3. The Bird, the Nerd, and the Merc (Bobbi Morse/Jemma Simmons/Lance Hunter, background Alphonso Mackenzie/Leo Fitz, plus Elementary crossover)
Jemma doesn't meet Mycroft Holmes until several months after she, Bobbi, and Hunter bond. Mack and Fitz jumped into bonding quite quickly after the revelation that they were soulmates, even though Fitz hadn't realised it when they met. Mycroft is actually visiting Sherlock and Joan, and they tell him that Hunter (Sherrinford Holmes) has found his other soulmate. It's arranged that next time the SHIELD agents are in New York, they visit Joan and Sherlock, and Jemma sees exactly what Hunter and Bobbi mean when they refer to the Holmes brothers 'deducing' things.
On the other hand, Mycroft and Sherlock are impressed by Jemma's genius IQ, even though she uses her intelligence in a different way. Much scientific discussion goes on, while Hunter and Mycroft talk about work, and Bobbi and Joan mediate when things get heated between the three brothers. Sherlock and Mycroft are concerned that Hunter is wasting his education and talent on SHIELD, which Bobbi and Jemma take exception to.
As for the future beyond that? No idea.
4. Hot in Winter (Johnny Storm/Phil Coulson)
It takes about two months for Johnny to coax Phil into his bed, though after much worshipping he gets Phil to bond with him. They split their time between staying at the Baxter, so that Johnny can see his family, and Stark Tower, since Phil works with the Avengers. The Avengers and the Fantastic Four fight more battles together, and actually manage to do less damage together than separately.
Phil gets an unwelcome surprise: an invitation to his high school reunion. He's never attended one, always managing to be out of the country when a gathering is supposed to be taking place. Johnny sees through this as Phil avoiding the people who bullied him, and insists that they go to this one. He ensures that he leaves some visible love-bites which Phil wouldn't notice without a mirror, but anyone else could see. Johnny is also very affectionate, and when it becomes apparent that not nearly enough people recognise him, and that there's a rumour going around that Phil paid him to be there – that they're not even soulmates – he sends a message to his sister and Natasha, arranging a made-up villain to strike nearby. He and Phil go all BAMF on the baddie, and people realise that this is the Human Torch, and that Phil moves better than any of the others his age.
"That was the perfect revenge," Phil said, blinking, as Johnny drove them back to the hotel. "I… I can't believe it. The coincidence…"
"Didn't know you believed in coincidence," Johnny remarked. Phil's eyes narrowed.
"Knew it," he muttered. "You arranged this, didn't you?"
"Figured a back-up plan would be good," Johnny said. "Susan and Natasha were the brains behind it, since they figured that if I knew the choreography then it might not look spontaneous enough for the audience, and especially you."
Phil half-smiled, glancing at Johnny out of the corner of his eye. "Thank you."
"I love you, Phil. You know that. I wasn't gonna let those bastards get you down."
"Still—"
"No. You didn't even want to go to dinner with me because they made you so insecure. I nearly lost my chance with you. If it wasn't for…"
"If it wasn't for your charming personality," Phil said, and Johnny sniggered.
"Yeah, that," he said. "I never would've hooked you."
"Hmm."
When they got back to their room, Johnny tugged Phil onto the bed before they could get undressed, and cuddled him close, burying his nose behind Phil's ear.
"D'you feel like you've got closure now?" he asked. Phil paused, thinking about it.
"I do," he said slowly. "They were all wrong about me. I showed them that I ended up better than they thought I would."
"Not ended. You're still going, babe."
Phil pulled Johnny's arms tighter around him, soulmarks separated only by clothing.
"Marry me," he said. It was sudden, and he didn't blame Johnny for the hesitation.
"Well, damn," Johnny said. "I was gonna ask you sometime. Bought the rings and everything. Don't tell me you've got rings?"
"Uh… no? That was… I just blurted it out."
"Good. Division of labour. While you're showering I'll send Susan a message, tell her you got in first. The others are ready to throw something together for us. We can get married as soon as we get back to New York."
"…Wow."
"Unless you want more input?"
"No! No, I'd be too organised. A groomzilla. Let's do it." He smiled, cheeks aching. Johnny groaned as he rubbed their noses together.
"Can't wait to marry you, gorgeous," he murmured.
5. Not So Platonic After All (Bucky Barnes/Jemma Simmons/Phil Coulson)
Jemma bonds with her soulmates as soon as she gets them alone, even though it's incredibly awkward at first, because she and Phil only met Bucky an hour ago, but she's determined and they're definitely willing. Bucky gets a bit snappy if someone calls him 'Bucky', which makes things awkward when he's finally reunited with Steve. But then the Avengers are so pissed off with Phil that it's a sufficient distraction. Then Bruce fanboys over Jemma, Tony fanboys over Fitz, and it goes both ways.
Phil has difficulty coming to terms with the youth (just physical in Bucky's case) of his soulmates, especially since it's unknown whether Bucky will age. He's glad that Jemma and Bucky will have each other when – if – he gets much older. Bucky and Jemma twig onto his fears and do everything they can to reassure him; after all, they're non-platonic soulmates for a reason, aren't they? Phil's fears never truly go away, but he finds himself far more optimistic than before.
6. Powered By Awesome (Clint Barton/Darcy Lewis/Natasha Romanov)
Darcy is given some access to SHIELD, more of it if Clint and/or Natasha is on the premises, like any agent's soulmate. As soon as she gets back to the tower – while Natasha and Clint are still debriefing – she goes straight to Jane, Thor, and Tony to find out what other hidden extras have been included in her taser. There's the alert that it's been used, a GPS, the extra-long voltage without contact bars, but the level isn't so high that the zap would be fatal. She gives them a long lecture about being over-protective, when she has clearly proven that she is more than capable of taking care of herself.
…Okay, so it's because the bad guys were idiots who underestimated her, but bugging a person without their knowledge is probably some kind of federal offence, so they're not allowed to do that again. They can track her phone – anyone can track that – but her taser is not to be messed around with, capiche?
Clint and Natasha are somewhat wary when it comes to bonding with Darcy, since there's always the possibility that she might feel second-hand pain if one or both are being tortured. Then again, they could find her more easily in a crisis, which leads to them bonding after a formal ceremony, since Clint is a sap like that, and Natasha is determined to do right by their heroine. Darcy doesn't care, as long as there's booze at the party.
7. Defrosting (Leo Fitz/Steve Rogers, background Bucky Barnes/Jemma Simmons)
The Avengers meet with SHIELD whenever they can, so that Steve can spend time with Fitz, and Bucky can continue to woo Simmons. Fitz is still baffled that Steve wants to be with him, and Steve has great difficulty in convincing Fitz that yes, Steve is extremely attracted to him, and no, he has no problems with homosexuality or bisexuality or any of those other 'things' which were frowned on in the 1940s.
Simmons, meanwhile, is coy with Bucky, who has great fun pursuing her. He still sees a SHIELD-approved therapist once a week, because he wants to be as whole as he can for his soulmate when they bond. Once he's sure what her answer will be, he proposes, and she accepts. For safety's sake, he makes her sleep in a separate bed after they're married, but finds that when they've been renewing their bond he doesn't have nightmares.
Steve doesn't have nightmares either when he bonds with Fitz (after he convinces Fitz to bond with him). Fitz refuses to marry Steve, because he secretly doesn't want to tie his soulmate down in case Steve changes his mind. Not that Steve notices this until Natasha points it out, and he isn't sure whether to bring up Fitz's insecurities, or just prove him wrong by living with Fitz every day for the rest of their lives. Ultimately, he sticks with the latter, partly because he wants Fitz to see it for himself, and partly because he loves that look of surprise, and finally acceptance.
8. Notes (Initially Clint Barton/Nick Fury, later Clint Barton/Jemma Simmons)
On the surface, Fury remains calm and unsurprised when he finds out that Clint has a new soulmate, and that it's the female half of FitzSimmons. On the inside, he's disappointed in himself for emotionally neglecting Clint throughout virtually their entire relationship, and that Clint has already found a replacement. Especially one who's so different from Fury. If she wasn't such an unassuming slip of a woman, he would threaten her into looking after Clint, but chances are that she could retaliate in some nasty way, and he'd prefer not to experience her brand of revenge.
Clint is a devoted sub, just as Jemma is a devoted domme. The first time someone realises the dynamics of their relationship (Tony), there is much surprise and teasing, until chemical-tainted arrows are found lodged in the wall above said teaser's bed. Clint and Jemma don't care about people knowing, aside from the fact that HYDRA could go after one or the other of them. But their friends know the truth, which is the main thing.
9. Show Some Respect (Melinda May/Steve Rogers, background Phil Coulson/Sam Wilson)
May and Steve make good use of the cockpit and Steve's serum-induced stamina. He worships her for the BAMF she is, and tries not to treat her like porcelain. They both know he'll always hold back at least a little bit, which is probably sensible, because he heals easily and has super-strength, whereas Melinda May, while known as the Cavalry, definitely isn't immortal. And that's a story she eventually tells Steve, four months into their relationship, how she came by the nickname The Cavalry. He calls it her origin story, and encourages her to let go and show vulnerability in front of him, so that she doesn't bottle it up inside until it gets too much for her, and puts her at risk.
As for Sam and Phil, they meet up frequently. Sam calls them sessions, because he recognises that Phil thinks Sam could do a lot better. During the 'sessions', Sam subtly encourages Phil to see that he's totally worthy (or at least somewhat worthy) of being with Sam. It takes a lot of doing, and when Phil realises that Sam's been… well, 'conditioning' is too strong a word, but he's definitely been manipulating Phil in some way, he's furious. It ends up with angry kisses on his part, accepting ones on Sam's part, and they nearly bond before Phil comes to his senses. But Sam's positive physical reaction suggests that he might be amenable to a slightly less platonic relationship. (Sam rolls his eyes when Phil puts it that way.)
Steve asks May to marry him… three times. On the third time, he wilts just as she's starting to reject him, and she finds that she can't do it, so she accepts. Steve worries that his puppy-dog eyes have maybe forced her into something she doesn't want, but she reassures him that her previous marriage should never have taken place because she and Andrew weren't soulmates. His soulmate had rejected him, and he and May were attracted to each other, so they decided why not? The separation was fairly amicable, and she's glad to have found Steve, so she decides to give marriage another go.
10. No Pussy Jokes (Alphonso Mackenzie/Darcy Lewis/Leo Fitz)
Fitz doesn't risk incurring Darcy's wrath by making any pussy jokes, though they both tease Mack mercilessly for his first words to Darcy… pretty much for the rest of their lives. He does like teasing his mark behind Darcy's ear, which gets her terribly flushed, especially when Fitz kisses the ring of his mark around her wrist. Darcy gets her revenge when she can, but she doesn't mind her two men taking care of her.
When she finally introduces the boys to her parents, she has to show off her new feline powers by transforming parts of herself into a cat. At least her father puts his shotgun away, and there's talk from her mother about Darcy needing to provide them with grandchildren before too long, which embarrasses the hell out of Darcy. She's positive that she'd make a terrible mother, and later bemoans the fact that she can't tell her parents what she does, otherwise they'd understand that babies simply aren't on the agenda.
But it's an idea that she just puts on the backburner, considering the way her soulmates had clearly perked up at the prospect. After all, there are three of them, which would make child-rearing much easier.
Well, so many of you have wanted to know what happens next, and since I haven't the same patience/ability as ozhawk to expand some of the chapters – not to mention not wishing to show favouritism to any particular chapters – I thought something like this might give us all closure. After all, I have my own headcanons for what happened next, so I may as well share them with whoever's interested.
So… what do you think? Review, review, review! :D