"Don't Leave Me Now"

Bucky stared at Phil, and licked his lips out of nervousness. He noticed Phil's eyes follow the movement. But then there was another explosion, Steve shouting in his ears, and he growled as he pushed away. He glanced back once, trying to tell Phil not to run away with the look in his eyes. Phil nodded almost imperceptibly, and then Bucky ran to his next position.

"He's here," he confirmed.

"What?" Clint said.

"Phil Coulson. I just… encountered him. Didn't get a chance to say anything, but he was real. I touched him, and… he's real."

"Okay, don't lose it now," Sam said. "Just keep going. Here, I got a problem with this son of a bitch. Wanna help out?"

"What's your position?"

Phil knew he should've told his team before this, and debated explaining himself over the comms, but it might prove a dangerous distraction. He waited until battle was finished, and asked them to meet him near where the Avengers were assembling, apparently assessing each other's injuries. Once his team was around him, Phil cleared his throat, and removed his earpiece.

"I was born about a hundred years ago, never mind the date," he said. "Approximately twenty years ago I was brought out of cryopreservation, having been there for forty-five years. I underwent cryo because I believed that my lover was still alive, even though everyone else told me he wasn't. While there was no body, I wasn't going to believe anyone over my own heart. Even when I was brought out of cryo early – for family reasons – I didn't give up."

Even May seemed surprised. Good to know that Fury didn't tell her all his secrets.

"Anyway," he continued. "As it turns out, I was right. Bucky was alive all along," they all reacted strongly to that, "and he now knows that I'm alive as well. I felt I should tell you this, just in case you found yourself… confused by future proceedings."

"You were in love with the Winter Soldier?" Jemma asked. Phil raised an eyebrow.

"I am in love with James Barnes," he said. With his sixth sense (in reality, the reflection of a distant window), Phil turned, and began to walk towards Bucky, who was heading his way. They met midway between the two teams, New SHIELD and the Avengers.

They stared at each other for a time. Bucky ducked his head, and pressed his forehead against Phil's.

"The love that dare not speak its name," he whispered. "Phil."

"Bucky."

Overcome, their lips met. Bucky's arms wrapped around Phil's waist and Phil linked his fingers behind Bucky's head. They kissed hungrily, decades of waiting and longing crashing down around them. Bucky pulled Phil closer, tilting his head, and Phil stroked his neck, his cheeks, his hair. Every bit of him he could touch, to make sure this was real, not just a wonderful, terrible dream.

"Love you," he whispered the moment they stopped for breath. "Christ, Bucky, I waited for so long. No one else, ever. Knew you were alive. Had to be."

"Love you, too," Bucky said, nuzzling Phil's cheek. "I didn't even know who I was, and I couldn't kill you. They wanted me to, a few times, but I couldn't. I knew you were mine."

"You're mine, too," Phil said, and he brought Bucky's face closer to his again. "I never dreamed we'd meet again like this."

"Definitely better ways we could've been reunited," Bucky said.

"But we're here now."

"Yes. God, I've missed you so fucking much."

"I'm so sorry. All you went through…"

"Nothing to losing you over and over again."

"I lost you first."

"HYDRA stole you from me. Every time I remembered you, they wouldn't let me. They used you against me, Phil." Bucky sniffled, and Phil brushed the tear threatening to fall from his nose. "It's been seventy years."

"Doesn't feel like it, does it?" Phil said lightly.

"I'm sorry about Robert and Julie."

"Well…" Phil shrugged. "At least I saw them again before they died."

Bucky shook his head, brushing their noses together. "How could you want me? I'm the Winter Soldier."

"You were brainwashed. Now you're a superhero."

"I have a false arm."

"Which seems to be good for more than just holding hands… though that's nice, too. What about me? Why would you still want me? You… you do, don't you?"

"Every day for the rest of… of everything," Bucky said, sounding choked. He stroked the shell of Phil's ear, and Phil shivered, but continued.

"I'm nearly fifty, physically, although according to my new date of birth I'm doing well for a man 'of my age'." Bucky laughed. "I'm frantically trying to scrape together some semblance of a new version of SHIELD, without HYDRA scum, and we're low on funding and resources and people and I'm running myself ragged…"

"Take a holiday with me, then."

"And I was dead for five days, Bucky."

Bucky hesitated, and then nodded. "I know. I know all about Project TAHITI, thanks to Stark. I saw videos. You… you wanted to die."

"In my defence," Phil said indignantly, "I didn't know that you were so close. I would've come after you if I'd known, had any idea…"

"It's all right," Bucky said. He kissed Phil again, lingering longer than he meant to, but unable to regret it when Phil whimpered a protest after he broke the kiss. "You came through it. I came through it. We're both alive, and we can be together again." He drew back a step, and looked over Phil's shoulder while he wiped away tears. "You gonna introduce me to your people?"

Phil turned, and held out his hand. "Come on. Simmons, you first."

She raised her eyebrows and glanced at May, but then joined Bucky and Phil first.

"Yes, sir?" she said.

"This is Jemma Simmons," Phil said. "I don't know how much you remember about Julie's family…"

"Peggy was her cousin," Bucky said, shaking Jemma's hand. "She had siblings."

"Her half-sister was Genevieve Simmons, née Carter."

"Yes, Genevieve Simmons was my grandmother," Jemma said. Then her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! You mean… I'm related to you? By marriage?"

"Part of why I wanted you on the team," Phil said, smiling. She beamed back. "Okay, I should introduce you to May next."

"Hey, c'mover here!" Bucky called, gesturing his team-mates over. "May as well make the introductions complete."

"And Peggy's niece used to work for SHIELD," Phil added. "Sharon Carter."

"Okay, we need to sit and have a long talk later," Bucky said. "Catch up on everything we've missed."

"Well." Phil blinked, pasting on a look of innocence. "I was hoping that we wouldn't be doing a great deal of talking once we're finally alone together. Got a lot of time to make up for, you know."

Bucky grinned slyly. "How fast do you think we can introduce everyone?" he said.

"Not fast enough. I have a room on the bus."

No, you're not getting smut. I don't feel like it. See 'Did You Say…' if you want Phil/Bucky smut.

Yes, Skye laid the trail, at Phil's request, for Tony and Bruce to find. Not that they were anticipating a battle or anything as the setting for the reunion, but this is Marvel-verse. What could they possibly expect?

Please review! One last chapter to go.