There's No Me Without You, an avengers fanfic

Me Without You

Disclaimer:
As usual, I own nothing.

Rating:
T (for abuse)

Genre:
Romance/Hurt/Comfort

Pairing:
Tony/Phil (WHAT?! A NOT ScienceHusbands fic coming from moi?! Alert the media! LOL I've recently started reading this couple just to see if there even were any fics out there around this couple and I was shocked to find as many as I did. And, this one came to me after reading a Tony/Phil story by CeliaEquus entitled "I Will Protect You". Seriously, if you haven't read that story, you must read it! It is seriously amazing!)

Lyrics Used (In order of appearance):
Selena Gomez "My Dilemma"
Ke$ha "I'm the One"
Megan McCauley "I'll Pay You To Shoot Him"
Marion Raven "Break You"
Aly & AJ "Protecting Me"
Ashley Tisdale "Me Without You"

Summary:
So, as I stated before, I was inspired to write this story after reading a story by the fabulous CeliaEquus entitled "I Will Protect You" which-simply put-is about Tony whoring himself out to the other Avengers at the touch of his spine in order to keep them happy so that they won't leave him which leaves him feeling rather used and leads him into depression which is when Phil steps in and starts observing something odd happening whenever one of the Avengers would touch Tony's spine so Phil tries it and he finds out the truth and saves Tony from what the others are doing to him.

Anyway, I was thinking that it might be fun to switch the roles around and play around with an heroic!Tony and vulnerable!Phil. This is also a spin-off of my Stony-turned-Stanner story, "Protecting Me". In this story, Phil is being abused by Clint (Honestly! I swear to God! I love Hawkeye! I just needed someone to make Phil vulnerable and I could see-if any of them were to be abusive-Clint as an aggressor. I'm so sorry, Hawkeye lovers! I love him, too! Really, I do!)

Tony Stark always had a very specific reason for everything he did. Every move he ever made was always meticulously calculated. Given everything that had happened to him over the years, could anyone really blame him? He had learned a long time ago that it paid to be careful-as well as observant. And, through a history of very careful observations, he had learned something that troubled him a great deal. Somebody was hurting a very close friend-a man that he had, long ago, secretly fallen in love with-and S.H.I.E.L.D colleague, Agent Phil Coulson. Tony was far from stupid or blind. He had seen the bruises and he had also seen straight through the agent's beyond flimsy cover-ups. Really, for a covert operative as bad-ass as Coulson is, one would think he could come up with better covers than 'running into a door' or 'losing his balance'. Agent Phil Coulson was just as meticulous-if not more so-as the genius, billionaire, playboy-well, more like ex playboy-and philanthropist. There was no way those injuries were even in the same zip code as 'accidental'.

That was the precise reason that Tony found himself standing outside the door to the bedroom that Agent Coulson shared with their resident archer, Agent Clint 'Hawkeye' Barton, at the more aptly named Avengers Tower. S.H.I.E.L.D. had sent Agent Barton out of the country on a recon mission that was planned to last for a few weeks the night before and-given that the archer had been assigned to a different handler, other than Phil Coulson-the billionaire knew this would be the perfect time to put his plan into action. Well, okay, it wasn't a 'plan' per se...More like a suspicion. But, he planned to either confirm or debunk it by talking to the agent so, to the genius' mind, it was a plan. After a steadying breath, Tony finally gathered the courage to knock on the door before him. Granted, it wasn't his usual style. But, these were special circumstances which needed to be dealt with delicately.

After a moment of shuffling from the other side of the door, the door finally opened and Tony swore he saw a brief flash of panic before Coulson had the opportunity to school his trademark impassive expression into place. And, a single once-over told Tony why the agent had briefly panicked a moment earlier. Tony noted the shiner forming around the agent's right eye.

"Jesus, Phil." Tony breathed, taking in the sight before him. He was so engrossed in assessing the agent's physical injuries, he didn't notice the fact that he had called him 'Phil'. However, the flash of hope in the eyes of the agent before him did not go unnoticed. But, that had to be put on the back burner to be dealt with, later. "What the hell happened to you?" He elaborated, his voice still barely above a whisper as he didn't trust it not to break if he tried to push it louder, as he unconsciously reached a hand out to tenderly stroke the bruised cheek. Tony noticed the way Phil immediately flinched away from his hand as he immediately retracted it, trying to avoid startling the man.

The way Phil's eyes were downcast at the question made Tony's chest clench in sympathy. It made him want to hold Phil close to him until everything was okay, again. But, it also spoke volumes more than the words he spoke. "It's nothing." The voice was so soft and timid, Tony almost had to strain to hear it. "It's nothing...Just an accident. I'm fine." As much as Phil tried to convince Tony that he really was fine, the genius couldn't help noticing the way Phil's voice had lost it's keen edge. It almost sounded, to Tony, like the agent had just lost the will to fight. It broke his heart to think that Phil felt that way.

"Bullshit!" Tony declared, shakily. "That's bullshit and you and I both know it!" Tony was unwittingly becoming more and more frantic. "Damn it, Phil! Just talk to me for God's sake!"

If Phil's prior reactions, both verbal and nonverbal, made Tony worry he was really in for it, now. Phil's hand released its hold on the door as his eyes remained downcast as he took a few timid steps backward, wrapping his arms around himself almost as if to shield himself from some unseen attack. "I said it's nothing! Can't you just...Just let it go? Please?" Phil's voice shook and trembled far more than Tony had ever heard from the agent in the past. When he finally looked up at Tony, the billionaire's breath hitched in his throat when he saw the moisture in the agent's baby blue orbs.

Keeping his movements slow in order to prevent scaring the agent, Tony carefully entered the room and moved to stand directly in front of Phil as he slowly, carefully, reached out to grab on to the other man's forearms, trying to guide his attention to Tony. "Phil, please...Just hear me out." Now, it was Phil's turn to be left breathless. When Tony spoke to him, his voice was so soft and warm and...gentle. It left him utterly speechless as he looked up into Tony's warm brown eyes. Something about them made Phil feel...safe. For the first time he could ever remember...Phil Coulson actually felt truly safe-like he had someone he could trust to protect him, no matter what. The look in Tony's eyes and the tone in his voice commanded Phil's full attention as he listened to what the genius had to say. "I'm not an idiot, Phil. I know someone's hurting you-I can see that! And, I've got a pretty damn good idea who it is, too. So, no. I can't just let this go." Phil wanted to argue. He knew all too well what Clint would do to Tony if he ever found out about this conversation. But, deep down, Phil knew he had been in love with the billionaire playboy from the moment they first met and with the way Tony was looking at him-the way he was speaking to him...Phil knew he would happily give anything in the world to believe-even if just for this one, fleeting moment-that Tony actually cared for him. That Tony would protect him. That he could rely on his Iron Man to keep him safe. "You're my friend, Phil." Phil quirked an eyebrow, nearly imperceptibly, as he noted the slight cracking in Tony's voice as he said the word, 'friend'. "And, I care about you." The sincerity in Tony's words caused his voice to tremble as he continued on. "So, I will always do whatever it takes to make you safe. I won't let anyone hurt you! Least of all him!" Phil was truly stunned by the amount of venom that dripped from the word, 'him'. He could play dumb all he wanted, but, he knew that he and Tony both knew damn well who he was talking about. "I won't let Barton keep hurting you like this."

And, there it was. Tony knew the truth. He knew about Clint and what he did to him. Phil was so torn. Part of him was relieved that somebody finally-not only knew what Clint was doing to him but-wanted to help. And, not just somebody. Tony knew. Tony knew the truth and wanted to protect him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Phil was so overcome with emotions that he hadn't even noticed the tears streaming down his face. Nor did he register Tony pulling him into his arms until he found his face pressed flush against the man's sculpted chest. The feeling of Tony's strong arms wrapped around him-protecting him-made the seasoned agent finally crack. All of his walls came crashing down around him as what could quite easily be described as the single most heartwrenching sob Tony had ever heard wracked Phil's entire body. The one sob soon gave way to an entire flood of sobs and cries pouring forth from Phil as the agent cried his way through everything he had been subjected to for the last eight months.

He and Clint had been together for over a year, now-since the Chitauri battle ended and Fury revealed to the Avengers that Coulson had indeed survived his ordeal with Loki. But, their relationship had turned abusive roughly eight months ago when they had gone out to dinner and Clint accused Phil of flirting with the wait staff. It had all started off with just a slap in the face. But, that one slap turned to kicks and punches-all out beatings. At first, Phil had been so stunned by the sudden behavioral one-eighty from the archer that he had just stood stock still and allowed the beatings to occur. But, now, he suspected that he knew exactly what would happen to him if he tried to fight the archer. So, he just learned to live with the beatings and learned to hide the bruises mostly because he just didn't see how he could ever do any better. It wasn't like he ever dared dream that Tony Stark would ever reciprocate his feelings for him. Tony Stark was straight as an arrow. The whole world knew that. His reputation preceded him. So, he figured-to his estimation-he was stuck with Clint. Besides, Phil knew that Clint would sooner kill Phil than let him leave him. Even if he ever did have a shot with Tony. Clint would kill them both if he tried to leave. The most sickening part of it all was that Clint could very well get away with it. As all of these thoughts and millions more overcame him, Phil just curled his fists into Tony's tee shirt and clung to him like a life-line as the violent sobs wracked his entire body.

To his surprise, Phil found that the playboy could be quite uncharacteristically gentle when he wanted to be. Tony never said a word. Never once judged him. Rather, he simply tightened his hold around the agent in his arms-one hand rubbing soothing patterns into his back as the other cradled the back of his head as he softly whispered soothing phrases into his ear while he cried. "Shh." He cooed. "It's okay. You're safe, now. It's okay to let it out. I swear to God, Phil..." His voice began to tremble again and the agent briefly wondered if Tony was crying as well. "I swear to God...I won't let him do this to you, anymore. You don't deserve this, Phil. Hell, nobody does."

Phil gently pulled away from Tony at that sentence. Oh, God, no. No, I can't let Tony get wrapped up in this-I can't, I just can't! He'll hurt him, too! Oh, God. What if he thinks I'm cheating on him with Tony! Oh, God, he'll kill him! He'll kill us both! I can't let him hurt Tony! I won't! "No." Phil began shaking his head, almost violently. "No, Tony, please I-" His voice cut out as Phil began searching for the right words to convey what he wanted to say. "Please, just...Just let it go. Just forget you were ever here! Forget I ever told you, please! He'll just get angry! He'll hurt you! Please, Tony! I-I can't let him hurt you! I-I'd never-" Phil then found himself silenced by Tony's finger against his lips.

"Shh." He whispered, softly. "I'm sorry, Phil." Tony's voice remained soft and tender as his hands found Phil's face while his thumbs gently caressed the skin beneath them-careful not to irritate his black eye. "I can't." Phil still couldn't quite understand the tremble that had returned to Tony's voice. "I can't let this go. I care about you too much to let him hurt you like this, Phil, I-" Tony had to stop himself before he said too much and overwhelmed the agent. "I'm involved, now. We're in this, together." Phil couldn't help being touched by Tony's words. No matter how much they scared the living hell out of him. "You jump, I jump." Tony took the agent's breath away, yet again, as he quoted Titanic-Phil's favorite movie of all time. Tony was one of only a very select handful of people that actually knew that about Phil. In fact, he was nearly certain that even Clint didn't know that about him. "I won't stop fighting for you, Phil. I won't. Not as long as there's a breath in your chest." Phil felt his breath catch in his throat as Tony moved his hand to rest on his chest where he could feel the steady rhythm of Phil's heartbeat.

"Tony, please." Phil's voice was nothing more than a broken whisper before it broke on the last word. "I can't let him hurt you. I'd never forgive myself." Phil then found himself clinging to the billionaire once again-just craving that warmth, that security, that...protection. However temporary as it may be.

After holding the agent close for a moment, Tony pulled just far enough away to look into Phils eyes, stroking his cheeks carefully, as he spoke firmly. "He won't, Phil. I swear to you, I will figure out a way to keep us both safe. But, either way, I can't let you go back to him. I would never forgive myself if I ever...If he ever hurt again-in any way-and I had the chance to stop it. I can't let him hurt you again. I won't."

For the first time in his life, Phil honestly had absolutely no idea what to say to that. Tony's words and the sentiments behind them left him utterly speechless. So, he settled for just letting Tony hold him again as he clung to his one and only life-line in this whole mess. "How can you be so sure?" He asked, shakily.

"Because when it comes to you..." Tony paused to position Phil back in front of himself so he could look straight into the other man's eyes again as he spoke. "There is nothing I can't do. Nothing I won't do to keep you safe." And Phil knew Tony meant every word he said. Part of him wanted to believe that Tony really could find a way to keep them both safe. But, part of him couldn't help worrying about Clint's reaction when he found about this. And, somehow, he couldn't escape the sinking feeling in his gut that Clint would find out.

"Tony, this really isn't necessary." Phil insisted. The billionaire had insisted that Phil move out of that bedroom and into one of the many unused ones on Tony's penthouse floor-more specifically, the one located directly next to Tony's room, just in case the agent were to need Tony for anything at any given time.

"Uh, actually, Phil, it is." Tony insisted, turning to look at Phil. "I already told you. There is no way in hell, I'm letting you stay with that asshole." He had to admit, he really did instantly regret the involuntary flinch from Phil as he referenced the archer. "And, this is the best way I can think of to protect you." He explained, as though it were perfectly obvious. "With you sleeping next door to me, should anything ever arise where you want or need me for anything-really-I'll be right next door and at the ready at a moment's notice."

And, really, Phil couldn't argue with that rationale. He truly was touched at the trouble Tony was going to just to keep him safe. The less realistic part of him wanted to believe that there was more to this than Tony just being a good friend. But, the realistic side of him always won out in the end.

"Well..." Phil began with a slight sigh as they finished settling the last of Phil's few things into the new bedroom. The room truly was amazing-with a modern pale blue paint covering the walls which Phil couldn't help noticing that the color seemed to perfectly match the color of the glow from Tony's arc reactor accented by a trim colored a darker shade of blue. The room itself was rather large but very simply decorated. There was a queen-sized bed with the headboard resting against the far wall with end tables on either side and small table lamps rested on either table. Phil also noted a modest-only by Tony Stark's standards-dresser resting against the wall to his right and a large walk-in closet to his left which looked like it could easily fit his entire wardrobe twice over. "Thank you, Tony." He added, dumbly. He honestly really didn't know what else to say. "This is all...just...Thank you."

"Hey..." The billionaire spoke warmly as he crossed the room to stand in front of Phil, slowly and gently resting his hands on the agent's biceps-consciously keeping his touch light and his grip loose-gently forcing the agent's attention on him. "There's no need to thank me. I mean it. If you really want to thank me, just..." Tony's voice faded out as he searched for the right words. "Be happy." He finished, simply. It was true. That was the only thing he truly wanted from the agent. It was the only thing he had ever wanted for Phil.

Phil was taken aback. He had never seen this gentler side of Tony Stark. Sure, he had known for a while now that Tony was a far better man than he initially appeared. He knew that looks could be deceiving-hell, he knew that better than anyone. But, he had never expected this out of the billionaire. Phil honestly had no words to convey what he wanted to tell the genius before him. Well, he did...But, he didn't dare speak those words aloud. So, he just went with his gut and collapsed into Tony's arms again. This time, however, his eyes remained dry. He just wanted some way to show Tony what his generosity meant to him. As Tony's strong arms encircled him, protectively, Phil knew he could always trust Tony to be his protector. That thought, alone, carried on the feeling of security he felt, earlier. However, he froze the moment he felt Tony chance a kiss atop his head. He mentally panicked for a moment, wondering what that action could have meant. Shut up, Coulson! Calm down! He's just being a friend! That's all!

Phil was jerked from his thoughts as he felt Tony slowly pulling away from him before he looked into the agent's eyes. "Listen, I really hate to do this but, I think I better go have a chat with Fury about all this-" That thought sent Phil into a panic. If Fury finds out, it's only a matter of time before Clint gets wind of it! Oh God! He'll be so angry! Oh my God! No, I can't let this happen!

"No!" Phil declared, shakily. "No, please! Please, if you tell Fury about any of this, it'll only be a matter of time before Clint finds out! Please, you can't!" Phil didn't even hardly notice Tony flinch as he gripped the brunette's forearms in a vice-grip as he pled his case with him.

However, Tony only gently broke loose from the grip and calmed the agent with a gentle grip of the shoulders and a firm, warm, stare directed at his own eyes. "Shh." He cooed, softly. "It's okay. It's Fury, we're talking about. God knows the man and I virtually never see eye-to-eye on...well, anything. But, in this one instance, I truly do believe he can help us." Tony truly did hate to see Phil this...broken. This was nothing like the Phil Coulson he had fallen in love with. And, he would do anything to get the true Phil Coulson back. If that meant going to one of the men he disagreed with the most, then, that's what he would do. "I promise you..." He reiterated, warmly, keeping the agent's focus solely on him as he kept his gentle grip on his shoulders. "Nobody is ever going to hurt you again. I swear on my life, I will protect you."

For that, Phil honestly had no words. He couldn't escape the fear that Clint would find out about all of this and fly into all kinds of rage. But, he also knew-in his heart-that he trusted Tony with his life-that he could trust Tony with his life. He knew Tony would never do anything to jeapordize his safety. Eventually, he gave in and just nodded, numbly.

"Good." Tony muttered as he gently stroked Phil's cheek-just below his black eye. "I swear to you, I will find a way to make everything okay again." The warmth and sincerity in Tony's voice made Phil melt, inside. "Count on it."

"FURY!" Tony's voice was bold and angry as he stormed into the director's office-the door smacking loudly against the wall behind it. It commanded attention. Even Fury had to color himself intrigued by Stark's bold entrance. "A word!" The billionaire's voice left no room for argument. "Now!" He demanded, not even caring that Fury could take him out in his sleep.

Without a word, Fury motioned for the other operatives to leave his office. "All right. You have my attention, Stark." He began, slight amusement coloring his voice, though, his face remained impassive as always.

"I wanted to talk to you about Agents Barton and Coulson." Tony demanded, cutting straight to the point. "I think there's something about their...relationship...That needs to be brought to light." He elaborated. Even Fury had to admit...He was more than a little curious about the venom that dripped from Stark's voice on the word 'relationship'. His attention was then diverted to the stack of photos that Stark had thrown down on his desk.

Picking up the photos and carefully examining each one in turn, Fury felt his insides churning sickeningly as he realized just what Stark was playing at. Barton was abusing Phil. Fury had suspected something was wrong with the agents' relationship, but, he had so hoped that this wasn't it. But, the evidence was laid out right in front of him. He couldn't deny it any longer. Finally, sighing defeatedly, the director spoke up. "Look, Stark...I've suspected for a while, now, that something was wrong between those two-but, believe me, I had no idea it was this bad." Tony had to bite back the snort of derision as the director pressed onward. "But, honestly...It's even worse than either of us ever imagined."

Tony visibly paled at the director's comment. Worse?! How could it possibly be any worse?! Tony wondered. "What?" He muttered, hoarsely. Clearing his throat, he elaborated "What do you mean, 'worse'?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Fury remained silent for a moment before speaking again in a deadpan. "We just received intel...Barton's gone AWOL..." The words made Tony's blood run cold.

Tony remained silent as he pursed his lips together so tightly, they virtually disappeared-his head bobbing ever so slightly in anger as he paced back and forth in front of the director's desk. Finally, the billionaire lost all semblance of cool. "YOU LOST HIM?!" He roared. He was fairly certain the entire floor could hear him. He just didn't have it in him, at the moment, to care. "HOW IN THE HELL COULD YOU LOSE HIM?!

"I understand your concern, Mr. Stark-" The director attempted to placate the Avenger before him-before he said or did something either or both would regret. However, Tony's rage was unstoppable. His usual warm brown eyes had grown ice cold and his stare had even the hardened director slightly shaken. Only slightly. But, before he could get another syllable in, Tony cut him off.

"THE HELL YOU DO!" He roared. Finally, he seemed to be coming back to his senses, if only slightly, as he pressed on ever so slightly calmer. "You haven't seen him, Fury! The man is visibly broken! I may not have known him as long as you have. But, even I know that the man in my tower is not Phil Coulson! He is-at best-a shattered shell of Phil Coulson!" He elaborated, shaking slightly at the recollection of Phil's current mental state. "And, now, you mean to tell me that you don't know where the hell his abuser is?! I thought you looked out for your spies, Director." Tony couldn't stop the sneer even if he'd wanted to.

"I can assure you, Mr. Stark..." Fury began. "I have every single available operative working around the clock to locate Barton." Something in the Director's voice seemed to satisfy Stark, if only marginally, as he remained silent and allowed him to continue. "And, when we do locate him...You have my word...I will personally see to it that he will never see Phil Coulson again."

Tony remained silent-almost visibly judging the honesty in the Director's words-before speaking again. "See to it that you do."

Bet you never thought that I could break you | Did you think that I would look the other way | Yeah you had it all figured out | But, tell me, who's the one who's crying now

Phil had spent several minutes pacing back and forth in front of his new bed, anxiously. He had to admit that he was worried about what was going down between Tony and Fury. The possibility that Clint would find out about all of this was still gnawing at him. If he ever did anything to Tony...I will never forgive myself... He thought to himself, nervously. Finally trying to will himself to relax, Phil collapsed down onto the bed, lying flat back, staring at the ceiling. Closing his eyes, he felt himself slowly starting to relax. You know you can trust Tony. He reminded himself. He's not like Clint-not at all. He won't let you down. He won't let anything happen.

But, just as he started to relax, Phil then felt his blood run cold when he heard an all too familiar voice from the doorway. "Well, well, well...There, you are." Barton's voice was cold and dangerous. The fear of what this man might do to him felt like ice running through every single vein, artery, and capillary in his body, slowly freezing him to death from the inside out. "Looks like you've been a very bad boy while I was gone." He taunted, dangerously.

God, no. No, this can't be happening! This can't be real! Phil thought to himself as he felt the panic course through every muscle in his body, paralyzing him as he slowly sat up and faced his abuser. "No-Clint-I swear-It's not-" He stammered, trying to defend himself-trying to find some way to placate the archer before he did...God knows what to him.

"Really, Phil?" Clint asked, derisively. "You're seriously gonna go with the old 'it's not what it looks like' defense?" The archer tisked, disapprovingly, before continuing on. "And, here, I thought you were better than that." He taunted, drawing out his punishment for the handler before him.

"Please, Clint, I swear!" He insisted, panicking more and more. "There's nothing going on, here, I swear it!" He pressed on, trying to defend himself, his hands raised defensively.

SMACK And, there, it was. The first slap. Phil went into a full-blown panic as his mind started flying through all the possibilities of what Clint might do to him. "You just couldn't keep your damn mouth shut, could you, Phil?" Clint spat at him. The next thing he knew, Phil felt all the wind leave his lungs as he felt the archer's solid fist collide with his stomach. "If you had just shut your fucking mouth, none of this would be happening!" Clint shouted, as he watched Phil cough and sputter before him, while punching him square in the face, knocking him to the floor. Grabbing him by the collar, Clint dragged his face up until it was mere inches from his own. "Now, not only do I have to teach you a lesson..." His voice had dropped dangerously low as venom dripped from every word. "But, now, I'll have to teach Stark to mind his own damn business and keeps his fucking hands off shit that ain't his..." At the end of that sentence, Phil felt Clint's steel toe boot collide with his stomach-almost certainly cracking or breaking more than a couple of ribs in the process.

"Please..." Phil sputtered, pathetically, as he spit out the small amount of blood that had found its way into his mouth. "Tony didn't..." His voice cut out as he struggled to regain his breath. "Had nothing...to do with...with this..." Still struggling to breathe properly, Phil knew he had to do something to protect Tony. "Please...Do what you will with me...Just...Leave him alone..."

"Why?" Clint demanded with another punch to Phil's face-knocking him back down to the floor-before rising back up to his feet, glaring down at Phil writhing on the floor. "You sleepin' with him, now, too?!" Another boot to the chest. "ARE YOU?!" Clint roared as he reached down to grab Phil up by the collar of his shirt, shoving him up against the wall. "TELL ME THE TRUTH, DAMN IT! FOR ONCE IN YOUR PATHETIC LIFE, JUST TELL THE FUCKING TRUTH!" He bellowed, directly into Phil's face, as the agent winced from the volume of Clint's voice.

Tony...Please...Help me...Phil thought to himself, pathetically as he felt himself slipping out of consciousness as he felt the archer's hands closing in around his throat.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Phil felt himself coming back ever so slightly as he heard Tony's voice bellowing through the room. Blinking rapidly, he tried to focus as he saw the billionaire's blurry form stalking across the room, grabbing the archer off of him. However, he missed the rest as the sudden collision with floor after Clint's hands released their grip on his throat knocked him back into unconsciousness.

"You unimaginable bastard!" Tony hissed at Barton as he watched Phil lose the battle with consciousness. Before he could utter another syllable, however, Tony felt himself suddenly colliding with the floor. Coughing slightly, as the wind was knocked out of him, Tony struggled to roll himself over onto his back in time to see the archer crouching down to look him square in the eye.

"Now, you listen, here, Stark..." He hissed, venomously. "Phil Coulson is mine you filthy little-" He began, only to find himself switching places with the billionaire as feet that he hadn't even registered moving wrapped around his ankle, dragging him to the floor. Now, it was his turn to cough and sputter with the wind knocked out of him.

Tony looked down at the archer on the floor before him with pure, unadulterated, disgust in his eyes as he pinned the archer in place with a knee placed over the man's chest. "No. You listen, here..." Even the famous Hawkeye had to admit that he was a little shaken by the almost animalistic growl in Tony's voice. "Phil Coulson is not a material possession for you-or anyone-to claim!" He snarled, digging his knee deeper into Clint's chest, sadistically satisfied with the pathetic cough as the archer struggled to breathe. "He is a human being!" He snarled, again, increasing the pressure of his knee. "Now...You're an extremely lucky man, Barton..." Tony began, his voice dangerous and taunting. "Unlike you, I actually give a damn about Phil. So, I won't kill you." Even Clint had to admit that the dangerous smirk on the billionaire's face was unsettling. "I'll give you a choice...Option A...You can have precisely sixty seconds to get the hell outta my sight and outta my tower-never to be seen or heard from again. ... Or... Option B. You can refuse to leave. In which case, I'll just all too happily turn your sorry ass over to my new buddy, Nick, back there..." Tony lift a hand to indicate the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. standing in the doorway, behind him. As his eyes flicked to the director, Clint actually felt pure, unadulterated fear crawling just beneath his skin as he took in the lethal look on Fury's face. "Now..." Tony's voice directed the archer's focus back to him. "Which-" The pressure from Tony's knee increased, yet again, as the billionaire took a sick sense of satisfaction in the sickening crack of Barton's ribs cracking under the weight. "-is it?!" He demanded, snarling in the archer's face.

Even Hawkeye had to admit that there was no chance in hell he was coming out of this one on top. Even he knew when to admit defeat. "I'll-" He began, coughing pathetically. "I'll take-option-A." He choked out.

Tony grinned wickedly as he finally let the archer up. "Smart man." He replied, darkly. "Jarvis?"

"Already set, sir." The AI responded to Tony's unspoken command. If Fury and Barton didn't know better, they both would have sworn the AI's tone mirrored Tony's dark tone from earlier. "Agent Barton has precisely fifty-five seconds remaining."

Barton looked-for a moment-as though he was about to say something but soon thought better of it. Instead, he opted for carefully pushing past Fury and making a swift exit.

Finally, Phil slowly opened his eyes, to the sounds of Tony's voice whispering to him. "Come on...Please...Please wake up, Phil...Please...Just look at me...Let me know you're okay..." It was then that Phil registered the sensation of being held. As he opened his eyes, he could see that Tony was holding him-cradling him close to his chest. He watched as the billionaire's chest rose and fell as he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Phil's eyes open.

Thank God! Tony thought to himself. His entire body was flooded with the sensation of relief rushing through his veins when he saw the agent's brilliant baby blue orbs gazing up at him. He was pulled from his reverie, though, when the agent's voice spoke up softly. "You came for me." It was a simple enough statement. However, it completely rocked the billionaire's world. Particularly when the agent-whether he realized it or not-reached a hand up to stroke Tony's face.

Tony couldn't stop the sting of tears at the agent's simple gesture. Just the simple gesture of Phil reaching out for him crumbled every last one of Tony's defenses. "I will always come for you." He declared softly, steadying his voice as much as he could, while cradling the agent's hand against his face.

"How did you know?" Phil asked. As far as he knew, he couldn't remember contacting the billionaire to let him know that Barton was there. He couldn't fathom how Tony would have ever known that he was in trouble.

"Jarvis told me." Tony explained, simply, keeping his voice soft and warm. When the agent's eyes still held a note of confusion, he elaborated further. "Before I left-on my way out-I programmed him to alert me if anyone came in or out of the tower, particularly Barton. So, when Barton arrived, Jarvis sent an alert to my phone." Tony paused, on that note to gently stroke the back of Phil's hand-still held gently to his cheek-with the back of his thumb, before adding. "And, I came running." Tony's voice was so warm and sincere, Phil couldn't stop the few stray tears that leaked from his eyes at Tony's words.

"You did all that...For me?" He asked, weakly. He was still drained from his beating, but, he needed this. He needed to feel Tony's arms around him. And, the hand that held his own steadfastly against the billionaire's face had not gone unnoticed. He needed to see where this was going.

"Of course I did." Tony replied, warmly, an equally warm smile spreading over his face. "I already told you, Phil...I will always do whatever it takes to keep you safe. From anyone or anything." He reiterated, gently, removing his hand from Phil's to tenderly wipe away the stray tears leaking down the agent's face.

It was at that moment when an awkward cough from the doorway alerted the two men to Fury's presence in the room. Both turned their heads to see the man walking slowly over to them before dropping down to his knees next to Tony, his gaze softening as he took in Phil's beaten form. "I really do hate to break this scene up, Stark." When Fury spoke, both men were shocked by the soft tone he used. "But, you and I both know Phil needs medical attention." He addded, placing a gentle hand on the billionaire's shoulder.

Tony knew the man was right. As much as he wanted to just stay there and hold Phil in his arms until everything was all right again, he knew the agent needed to be thoroughly checked out by medical professionals. Nodding his agreement, Tony turned his attention back to the man in his arms. "He's probably right." He began softly. "Do you think you can stand?" He asked, concerned.

Thinking about it for a moment, Phil suddenly realized he wasn't at all sure if he could stand or not. "Can you help me up?" He asked, hoping he didn't sound as pathetic as he thought he did. If he did, the billionaire showed absolutely no indication of having noticed.

Instead, Tony simply nodded and muttered. "Of course.". Moving to position his arm around Phil's shoulders, Tony gently moved to situate Phil into a standing position. Once Phil got to his feet, however, he noticed the room beginning to spin as his weight sagged against Tony.

"I'm sorry..." He mumbled, diverting his gaze away from Tony, embarrassed by his weakness. "Just got a little dizzy..." He was surprised, however, to learn that Tony wasn't juding him or even angry with him for leaning on him as he feared he might be.

"It's okay." Tony's voice was as warm and gentle as ever as he replied to Phil's unnecessary apology. "Here." He instructed. "Just wrap your arms around my neck and shoulders." He added, guiding Phil's arms into the proper position before positioning his own arms-one around Phil's shoulder blades and the other underneath the agent's legs-as he lifted him into his arms bridal style.

Noting the agent's immediate distress at the sudden change of positions, Tony made to calm him with a gentle stroke of the man's shoulders with his thumb and a warm gaze. "It's okay." He repeated. "You're safe, now. Nobody will ever hurt you, again. You have my word on that." That seemed to do the trick as the man's facial expressions relaxed along with the rest of his body as he settled into a comfortable position in his protector's arms as Tony followed Fury out of the room and proceeded to carry him down to medical.

Later that evening, after Phil had been carefully examined-under the watchful eye of Tony Stark, as Phil had insisted he stay with him during the exam-and treated for a mild concussion and three cracked ribs, the agent was finally given the okay to be taken back to the tower provided he have someone there at all times to watch over him. Tony all too happily agreed to do just that as he helped Phil down from the exam table-this time, allowing the agent to walk on his own, though he also allowed Phil to lean on him for support when he needed it.

Once they were back at the tower, Tony lead Phil back to his new bedroom. However, his brows briefly furrowed when Phil stopped dead in his tracks, staring at the floor. Carefully reaching a hand out to Phil's shoulder, he asked, softly. "Are you okay, Phil?" He followed the agent's gaze to the floor where his question was all but answered for him as he noted the small dark stain on the carpet from where Phil had coughed up a mouthful of blood during his beating. When the agent began trembling slightly at the memory, Tony offered "Would you care to stay with me, tonight?"

Phil's gaze then returned to Tony. He would seriously do that for me? I mean, I was surprised he's even done as much as he has. But, he's really willing to spend the night with me just to make sure I'm okay? The thought was overwhelming and thrilling all at once. He considered Tony's offer for a moment. He thought about the possibility of staying here, in his own room. But, that seemed utterly terrifying-sleeping alone in the room where he was very nearly beaten to death by a man that claimed to 'love' him. Finally making up his mind, Phil just nodded numbly.

Rubbing the agent's back absently, Tony just replied "Okay." With a small smile forming across his face, he added, "Why don't you go ahead and get settled? I'll just grab you some clothes to sleep in."

Tony really was blowing his mind, right now, Phil had to admit. He couldn't believe someone as amazing as Tony could possibly care this much about him. "Thank you so much, Tony."

The look in Phil's eyes and the tone of his voice just made Tony melt inside. For the first time since this whole mess had gotten started, Tony finally felt like there could be hope for Phil to get back to...Well, as close to normal as he could get after everything that had happened. And, whatever Tony could do to help him, he was more than happy to do it. "Like I said, before, Phil..." Tony began, softly. "There's no need to thank me. I care about you-so much-" Tony had to stop himself, then, before he said too much. "I just want you be safe and happy. That's all the thanks I could ever possibly want or need." And, that was the God's honest truth. As long as Phil was safe and happy, that was the only thing that truly mattered to the billionaire. And, with that being said, Tony gave in to the urge to wrap Phil up in his arms one more time-holding him close, keeping him safe.

Phil couldn't stop himself from smiling ever so slightly as the familiar feeling of Tony's arms wrapping around him overcame him. Nuzzling his face deep within the crook of Tony's neck, Phil just inhaled Tony's scent-remembering it. The scent and the sensation of Tony's arms protecting him put all of Phil's fears to rest. Though, one last fear came creeping back in. "What about..." Phil couldn't even bring himself to finish the thought. Though, he suspected Tony knew what he was talking about as the arms around him tightened ever so briefly.

"Barton won't be bothering you, again." Phil was stunned by the darkness in Tony's voice as he referenced the archer. "Fury and I took care of him." The tone of Tony's voice sent shivers up and down the length of Phil's spine.

"'Took care of him' how?" He asked, shakily. Part of him suspected he may not want to know. But, another part told him that he needed to know. He needed some form of closure to move on with his life.

After a moment of silence, Tony slowly and gently moved just far enough away from Phil to look straight into his eyes. "By helping him to see that it was in his best interest to get as far away from this tower as possible-never to be seen or heard from, again."

Phil honestly didn't know how to feel about that. Part of him was relieved to know that it was finally over. That he was finally safe. But, there had been good times in their relationship, too. Times that Phil knew he would miss. Tony must have sensed Phil's dilemma as he soon took the agent back into his arms, one hand rubbing his back soothingly as the other cupped the back of his head.

"It's okay to be upset about this, Phil." He explained, gently. He didn't want Phil to think he had to bottle anything up, anymore. "You and Barton were together for a long time-over a year. Nobody expects you to just get over that overnight."

Listening to Tony's words, Phil came to a sudden, surprising revelation. Yes, he would miss the good times that he and Barton had together. But, he wouldn't miss the man. He was over that relationship a long time ago. Though, he supposed that was easy to do when he was never fully invested in the relationship to begin with. After all, Barton had been his second choice. He was the man Phil settled for when he decided that he'd never stand a shot in hell with Tony-the man he truly wanted. "Actually, Tony..." He began softly, pulling away from the billionaire to look into the man's eyes. "That's just it...I think I've been over the relationship for a while, now." Phil took the confusion in Tony's eyes as cue to continue. "It's just...Clint was always my second choice. I settled for him when I decided that I would never stand a shot with-" Tony's eyes widened ever so slightly as Phil's voice cut out. "With the person I was really...The person I really wanted. So, I don't think I was really ever fully invested in my relationship with Clint to begin with. Maybe that's why he turned so abusive and jealous-I don't know..." Phil mused, slightly derailing from his point. "Anyway...I just...I want to thank you-I know you don't think there's any need to thank you-but, I do." He added, thwarting Tony's attempts to insist otherwise.

After a moment of silence-silence that was driving Phil crazy-Tony spoke again, never breaking his grip on Phil's elbows. "Who was it?" He asked, simply. Taking in the confusion spreading through Phil's baby blues, he added "Who was the person you really wanted? The one you thought you could never have." Suddenly Tony realized that this may be a sensitive topic that the agent might not want to discuss at the moment. "Unless, of course, you don't want to talk about it. Which is totally fine! You absolutely don't have to say anything if you don't want to." He quickly backtracked. "It's just that...You're an amazing person, Phil. Inside and out, you are the single most beautiful person I have ever had the privilege to meet. You're smart, strong, independent...You're the bravest and the best damn operative S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever seen...Seriously, Phil...Any person in the world would be damn lucky to even know you...Let alone to have someone so amazing fall in love with them..."

Phil couldn't help noticing the wistfulness in Tony's chocolate brown eyes. Like he had resigned himself to the fact that he would never have anyone like Phil to love him. He desperately wanted to tell Tony that it was him that he wanted-anything that would make the man smile. After all, the billionaire had done so much for him, recently. But, that damn voice in the back of his mind couldn't help wondering if Tony was just saying all those things to make Phil feel better about himself. He wasn't sure when it happened, but, the next thing Phil knew, his mouth had acted of its own accord. "You." He hadn't meant to blurt that out like that. But, the cat was out of the bag, now. There was no taking it back, so, he just tried to cover it up-smooth out the confession the best he could. "I-It-It was you. I was talking about you."

Tony was speechless. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. What?! What did he just say?! There's no way he said what I thought he just said! It can't be possible!...Can it? Those thoughts and millions more raced through his mind all at once, rendering the billionaire truly speechless. "I..." He started, dumbly. He really had absolutely no idea what to say to Phil's sudden confession. "Since when?"

Now, it was Phil's turn to be speechless. After Tony's temporary silence, he had begun to panic out of fear that he was being rejected. But, he didn't expect the doubtful, unsure response he had received. Nor the small voice that had spoken it. "Since...Since always..." He replied, at a loss for the right words to convey everything he wanted to say. "I fell in love with you the moment I first met you..." He admitted, quietly.

Tony couldn't believe this. Phil's been in love with me this whole time?! Damn it! For such a damn 'genius', I can sure be a real dumb ass when it really counts! How could I not see this, sooner?! Hell! How did I not have the balls to just man up and admit my feelings for the beautiful man before me?! Why the hell did I ever let him end up with Barton in the first place! I could have avoided this whole God damn catastrophe all together if I had just been a man about it and told Phil the truth from the word 'go'! Damn it, Stark! Stop thinking to yourself and just tell him, now! Before he thinks he's being rejected! Tony couldn't help scolding himself until he saw the uncertainty in Phil's eyes. Reaching forward, Tony gently cupped the man's chin between his thumb and index finger, focusing the agent's attention solely on him. "Phil Coulson..." He began, voice shaking only slightly. "I love you." The amazed smile spreading across Phil's face gave Tony all the confidence he needed to move forward with his declaration. "I've loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you." At that moment, Tony couldn't stop himself from dropping his eyes to the floor as his hand fell from Phil's chin to rest carefully atop the man's chest, just above the bandages wrapped around his cracked ribs. "I'm so sorry." He began softly. "I should have told you sooner. I never should have let you end up with...him. I just...I never thought...I couldn't fathom a reason for someone like to...To ever want...me." He finished, helplessly. It was then that Phil took his breath away.

He couldn't take it, anymore. Phil couldn't stand to see Tony standing there, blaming himself for what Clint had done to him. Reaching a tentative hand out, he mimicked Tony's previous actions, lightly gripping the billionaire's chin to direct his gaze straight at him. "Tony..." He breathed. "Don't...Don't ever sell yourself short, like that. You are the most beautiful person I have ever met. Inside and out. You are constantly giving everything you have to give to anyone that needs it. You're always putting everyone else's needs-in the world-above your own. Don't...Please don't blame yourself for what happened. This isn't your fault! The only reason I thought I didn't have a shot with you was because...I always thought you were straight. I figured you'd only ever see me as a friend-which was enough for me."

"It's not enough for me." Tony interjected. "I can't...I can't do this, anymore. I can't just be friends with you, Phil." He added, gently stroking agent's cheeks as he saw the fear of rejection in his baby blue eyes. "I love you, Phil. And, I want to be with you. I want to fall asleep, every night, with you safely tucked in my arms. I want your face to be the last thing I see when I fall asleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. I want to hold you in my arms, kiss you just to show you how beautiful you truly are. And, then...When you feel like you're ready...I want to make love to you. To make you forget-not only Barton, but, anyone else that has ever hurt you in any way, shape, or form. I want to make you feel like the most important person in the world. Because, you are, Phil. You are the single most important person in my world."

Again, Phil was speechless. He couldn't get over everything Tony had just told him. "You'd...You'd m-make love to me?" He asked, numbly. In all the time he had ever been with Clint, the man had never once made love to him. Clint made it very clear, very early on that he preferred rough sex-sometimes, almost violent-over the tender love making that Phil always preferred.

"Absolutely." The resolution in Tony's voice made Phil melt. "I would show you how utterly perfect you are to me." Phil couldn't believe that someone as amazing as Tony actually saw him that way. To hear Tony call him 'beautiful' and 'perfect'...To hear the promise of Tony making love to him...It was all so wonderful and overwhelming, he felt his body moving of its own accord as he surged forward and captured the billionaire's lips with his own-wrapping his arms around the other man's neck, pulling him as close as they could get. He was ecstatic when he felt Tony kissing him back, tenderly. It was soft...and sweet. It was over far too soon.

"As much as I want this to happen..." Tony began softly. "I don't want to push you into anything you're not ready for." Tony's thumb moved to absently stroke Phil's bottom lip that he had kissed mere seconds ago. "We can move as slowly as you want. We don't have to rush anything."

Tony was being so...wonderful. Phil truly didn't know what to think or how to act. He settled for just nuzzling back into the crook of Tony's neck. "Thank you." He whispered, softly. "I know you don't wanna hear that, but, I just need to say it." And, with that, he just clung to billionaire desperately.

Tightening his grip around the man in his arms, ever so slightly, Tony replied "It's okay." Before pressing a soft kiss to the man's temple. After holding him a few moments longer, Tony pulled just far enough away to look in Phil's eyes. "Come on...It's been a long day...You should get some rest." He spoke softly, as he gently guided Phil out the bedroom door.

As they entered Tony's room, Phil sat on the edge of the bed and turned and looked up at Tony and asked "You'll stay with me?" He hated being so uncertain. But, after everything Barton had done to him, he just couldn't help it.

Kneeling down so that he was eye-level with Phil, Tony gently took the agent's hands in his own as he looked straight into the man's beautiful blue eyes as he spoke. "Always."

Author's Note:
Okay, wow. That turned out a hell of a lot longer than I originally intended. Course, I actually planned a chapter fic, originally. But, then, I just got start writing this and it kinda ran away from me. It's not as great as I had originally hoped, but, I'm satisfied. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. If you want to listen to the songs I used for inspiration while you're reading it, I find they really enhance the reading experience (for me, at least). It makes it feel more like I'm watching a movie rather than reading a story. But, like I said, that's probably just me.

~Shaleynn Stark