AN: Part of the Arranged verse follows after Arranged Partners
Nick Fury looked around, this was the night that he had been waiting for, a SHIELD dinner, in order to judge how his flans were going. He also planned to put another few little plans into action that night. The Avengers had all assembled as he had instructed, all spread out around the room. Phil and Bruce were trying to wrangle Stark into behaving and Nick wondered not for the first time if he should have invited Pepper along to keep him in line. Coulson was good at it and Banner was certainly getting good at it now they were together, but Pepper had much more practice.
Banner and Stark were working out well, just as he had imagined, as partners in the field, the lab and in bed. He had wondered how exactly he was going to get them together other than pushing them together in the field, but Natasha had come through for him like they always had in their work. They took the situation out of his hands and dealt with it for him. From what Phil had told him it had involved a wild night with the Avengers all imbibing from Natasha's stash of Russian vodka, they were just lucky that the world hadn't gone to hell. Clint had made sure that Banner and Stark ended up together that night, and any time afterwards that they tried to deny things he would lock them in a room together. Sometimes the most childish things were the most effective.
Clint was talking in one corner with Thor and Steve, about what Nick dreaded to think, he had found that the three of them could be a great source of mischief if they wanted to be. Steve was more restrained, possibly due to his training, or it could be because he was partnered with Natasha in the field. Clint and Thor though were forever turning whatever scenario they were in into a game or a competition, it was amusing, but frustrating at the same time. They worked well as a team though, and the pranks they played when not working could be curbed. He was sure that pointing Clint in the direction of his husband and giving Thor the gift he had brought him should keep them split up to minimise any damage.
It was no secret that Thor was infatuated with Dr Foster, so issuing her with an invite to dinner was hardly an issue, dragging her away from her research on the other hand. It was only the knowledge that Thor would be there that had tempted her away, her faithful little assistant Darcy following along in her wake. She would be a bit of a third wheel to his plans, but he needn't have worried. He watched as Clint drifted off to join Phil and Jane captured Thor's attention. Darcy then set her sights straight on Captain America, pulling him into conversation. Nick had no illusions that he would need to interfere with that couple, Darcy seemed to be doing well enough on her own.
He then looked around the room for the last member of the Avengers, Natasha. She was walking the room with a deadly grace, talking with various people on her way around the room. She eventually came to a stop at his side, her eyes flicking around the room at the couples that he had been watching.
"Most of them will never know." She commented quietly.
"That's how I prefer it." He replied, scanning the room once more. The dinner was a great ruse, it allowed him to check up on the couples he had already paired, join some more and consider future pairings for those he had yet to find someone for. Most of the guests would never realise that they owed their relationship to Nick Fury and his matchmaking.