Explanations
Clint followed Phil into the kitchen and saw everyone turn to look at him.
"Finally," Tony said. "Little Miss Civic-Avenger is disturbed by having heard you and Agent getting close in the closet."
"I," the girl in question sputtered. "…it's Coulson."
"Yes," Phil said, voice flat. "Once we hit a certain age most agent's genitalia simply drops off."
The curly-haired scientist let out a bark of laughter. "It doesn't work like that."
"Right," Phil said. "First things first, introductions." He introduced his new team, then the Avengers – somewhat pointlessly. "Now, any questions?"
"Zombie?" Tony asked.
Phil smiled. "I have no desire to eat brains."
Clint leaned close and told Phil he'd make him some food, Phil squeezed his wrist in thanks and settled down on a chair.
"Coulson," Nat said, quietly. "What happened?"
"T.A.H.I.T.I., it's a magical place," Phil said sardonically. "Fury had my body taken to the base of operations for the T.A.H.I.T.I. project. It was a Level 10 project using the enzymes found in the body of an alien race called the Kree. Giant, blue, bipedal, beings not that unlike Asgardians or us. The race is known to the Asgardians – the Lady Sif has been here and apparently they have been to Earth regularly but not for a very long time. They performed genetic modifications on some humans which has allowed certain bloodlines to access inhuman abilities once their genetic modifications have been triggered by a specific crystal from, we assume, the Kree home world."
"What does this have to do with your resurrection?" Steve asked.
"It explains why the Kree body was here on Earth," Phil said. "And, I have a feeling that the Inhumans may show up on the Avengers' radar at some point and I want you to understand that they are not evil by existence."
"I'm an Inhuman," Skye said forcefully, still defensive about it.
"What can you do?" Tony asked.
Skye made a face. "I can affect the natural vibrations of matter."
"Show me," Tony said.
"This isn't," Phil started, but he stopped when Skye reached out and made the water in the glass on the table dance.
"I have a lab," Tony said. "I would love to test your abilities."
"Tony," Phil interrupted.
"What?" Tony asked.
"Inappropriate," Phil said.
Skye eyed Tony. "I want tech."
Tony beamed at her. "We can talk."
"And it would be anonymous?" Skye asked.
Tony smiled. "I have the best security in the world."
"Anonymous," Skye said again.
"Okay, Little Miss Civic-Avenger, you can be anonymous."
"We'll talk," Skye told him.
May cleared her throat. "Perhaps not the right time."
"Yes," Phil said. "Before the Avengers project came to fruition I was put in charge of the T.A.H.I.T.I. project. We had subjects selected from S.H.I.E.L.D. who were brought back to life following their death. One of the side effects noticed was that they started carving alien symbols – one of whom was doing it on their own bodies. The solution was to re-write their memories and give them new lives. I then told Nick to close down the T.A.H.I.T.I. project and thought that was the end of it."
"And you?" Steve asked.
"Nick thought it was worth it, and wiped my memory of the project."
And me, Clint thought as he flipped the sandwich over, gripping the spatula tightly. His fingers itched for his bow or Phil.
"And more than that obviously," Phil continued.
"I can't believe Coulson is married," Skye said, voice obviously meant to be a personal whisper but missing the mark.
"Why?" Clint asked, his dander up.
"Because he's Coulson," Skye said, "he is the job, he just…I can't imagine him getting married and buying silverware and all of that."
Phil laughed. "Agent Coulson is only one facet of me, Skye."
"Well, obviously. Apparently, you've got game and no one knew."
"I knew," Clint threw in.
"So did I," Fitz said. "I just believed it was…it was heterosexual game."
"What?" Simmons asked.
"The cellist." Fitz explained.
"Yes, what about the cellist?" Tony asked.
"She was a friend – I believe Nick exaggerated our relationship to assist with the new memories – someone I felt a connection with, nothing like what I have with Clint, and therefore nothing that would prompt me to push the memories."
"But you told me about the cellist," Tony said.
Clint laughed. He flipped out the two sandwiches onto a plate and cut them while Phil tried to think of the best way to explain.
"What are you laughing at, Katniss?"
Clint flipped Tony off, and handed Phil the plate before he fit himself next to his husband.
"Pepper and I went to see her perform in New York," Phil explained. "Audrey welcomed us backstage and she is a wonderful woman and quite a flirt with some of her good friends. I let Pepper believe there was more to the relationship than there was because she had been talking about setting me up with either the lovely woman in the accounts department or the very handsome man from R&D. I believe she was hedging her bets. I didn't want her to follow up with the threat and I knew Audrey wouldn't mind. It was a harmless lie. That's why I told her things had fallen apart when I saw you at Stark Tower."
Tony made a face. "Just so you know, Pepper is going to be watching this video."
Phil smiled. "I am sure she is going to understand."
"I would expect an invitation to dinner," Tony told him. "And some very passive-aggressive comments."
"Is Pepper going to be seeing that part too?" Steve asked.
Tony made a face at them. "Agent, you were telling us a story."
"I was recovering for months," Phil continued. "But the memory of Tahiti was implanted in my brain and I thought I was there on holiday recovering. When I returned Nick explained that I couldn't tell the Avengers I was alive and instead he gave me a team. The official story, for people over Level 7, was that I was only dead for eight second but that the Avengers were told I died to bring them together."
"And below Level 7?" Nat asked.
"I never died – they probably didn't even know I exist and they wouldn't have known anything about the team."
"And you've spent the last three years going around with a new team?" Nat asked.
Phil smiled at her and Nat's shoulders shifted. Clint knew they'd come back to an understanding that Nat and Clint were Phil's first team, no matter if there were Avengers, or this new S.H.I.E.L.D., the three of them were something older and stronger than anything else. Nat would make Phil pay in some way later because him not telling them was a betrayal that neither of them would have accepted easily even without the tattooed ring on Clint's finger.
"Is there anything else we need to know now?" Steve asked.
"I am sorry I couldn't reveal my resurrection to you."
Steve smiled. "I understand that it was to protect your sanity."
"But, we don't understand why you agreed," Tony said.
Phil shrugged. "I've been wondering that myself."
Clint felt something cold slither through his mind at the possibilities of that.
"Nick explained that if you knew I came back from the dead it would open questions that couldn't be answered. Especially after so long but…" Phil trailed off.
Nat caught Clint's eye and he knew she suspected the same thing he did. Phil yawned, jaw popping, and Clint stood up.
"I think I should take my husband to bed. Take that how you want."
"Clint," Phil reprimanded weakly, standing up and curling his hand around Clint's wrist.
"I'm heading back to the Tower," Tony said.
"I think it would be good to talk to you tomorrow, Agent Coulson," Steve said.
"Of course," Phil agreed, "we will find you a room for the night." Nat cocked an eyebrow at him. "And you Tasha."
"Mack, you got some time to catch up?" Sam asked.
Mack nodded, his eyes almost flicking to Fitz. "Sounds good."
"I shall return to the Avengers facility as well," Vision said, from where he had been standing silent and still in the corner.
"Jarvis?" Phil asked.
"I'll explain," Clint told him quietly.
"I'll sort out rooms for anyone staying," Bobbi offered.
"Excellent," Phil said, opening his mouth to keep talking but Clint started shepherding him out of the room. "Clint?"
"Where are your rooms?"
Phil shook his head but lead him there anyway, leaving the teams behind to look after themselves.
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Next chapter will be dealing with Mack/Fitz