Note: Clark Gregg was born in 1962, Frank Grillo was born in 1963, and according to the Marvel Wiki, Coulson was born in 1964. Anyway, since the actors are close in age, I'm going with that.

"On Your Knees"

HYDRA wasn't going to get away with this. Natasha was in a coma, which made it even more personal for New SHIELD and the Avengers. Not that the Avengers had known about Phil and SHIELD until after Natasha was subjected to an attack by HYDRA, and he volunteered to help avenge her.

There was yelling, there were tears, and Phil had kissed Natasha's forehead before following the others into battle. Naturally, his team followed his lead, at least until he ordered them to retreat.

Which they ignored. Bless them. He'd be having words with them afterwards, if they all got out of this.

He flinched at another explosion in the distance, hoping that his team was giving HYDRA hell. He was searching for a cure to whatever chemical had been used on Natasha, and remembered the search for GH-325…

No. No time for a panic attack. Especially as someone was in the shadows to his r—

His gun was knocked from his hand, and he blocked the follow-up punch. It was a dark corner, and he wanted to see who he was fighting, but he also needed to get to his gun, and he had no idea whether his opponent was armed.

Casual danger dialogue wasted precious breath, and this was no informal sparring match with May. This was life or death.

Lights came on, and he nearly faltered when he saw that he was against Brock Rumlow. Scarred but alive. How was that even possible?

…Coming from Phil, that was a ridiculous question.

Arms swiped, feet struck, fists connected. They both went down at least twice, but got up and continued. Phil knew they were close in age, but he'd been out of the field longer, and if Rumlow had survived being run over by a Helicarrier, chances were he'd been enhanced. All he could do was keep the HYDRA agent engaged long enough for help to arrive, or at least for someone else to find the cure and get it out safely.

"Coulson, do you know who you're fighting?" Steve said over the comms.

"Yep." He dodged another punch and tripped Rumlow up. Barely a second passed before the man was up again and blocking Phil from getting to his gun.

"I can see you. I'll be there in a minute."

"I'm getting there," Clint added, and Phil could hear him running along a metal walkway, both over the comm. unit and not far away. He bit his lip, and let Rumlow down him. He fell closer to his weapon, and rolled out of the way of a stomping foot in a leather boot. He swiped Rumlow's legs out from under him, and took that moment to dive for his gun.

"Give it up, Rumlow!" Steve called, pelting along the floor to get to them. Phil had his gun trained on the agent, finger on the trigger.

"Down on your knees!" Clint shouted from up high. Rumlow looked up at the bow and arrow, to the shield on his right, and then to Phil's gun. With a slight nod, he knelt down, hands behind his head.

"Don't expect to beat me every time, Coulson," he said, eyeing Phil. He nearly dropped his gun, shaking his head as he backed up against a tank. No, no, no.

"You betrayed the captain," he whispered. Rumlow couldn't…

His eyes widened, and then he smirked widely.

"Had to," he said, "since my soulmark told me to."

"What?" Steve said. He looked from Rumlow to Phil, then back again.

"My soulmark," Rumlow replied. "Your Agent Coulson said it. 'You betrayed the captain'. I figured it was you, and it fit with my assignment, so I didn't question it." He shrugged. "It was Fate who decided that."

"She sure as hell seems cruel enough," Phil said. He wanted to be sick. Brock Rumlow was his soulmate. That couldn't be right. No. No, he couldn't accept it.

"Want me to take this fucker out, Director Coulson?" Clint said. Rumlow raised an eyebrow.

"Well, isn't my soulmate rising in the world?" he said.

"Don't call me that," Phil hissed.

"Wanna see my soulmark? It's in a very interesting place."

"Stop it."

"It's under my left thigh. I've imagined what that means."

"Stop."

"Just think about it, sweetheart. You could pound out your frustrations in my a—"

Phil shot him in the side, and Rumlow's provocative words were cut off by his startled cry as he clutched the spreading bloodstain. He glared up at Phil, who then shot him in the right shoulder. Again in the chest. Steve grabbed his arms and forced them down.

"Save your ammunition and your anger for someone else," he murmured. In his strong hold, Phil realised that he was shaking. He put the safety on.

"Someone get an ambulance," he said over the comms. "We're bringing in a live one."


Jemma had found the cure with Bobbi as her guard; so while Rumlow was being operated on, the Black Widow was slowly coming out of her coma. When she looked at Coulson, she turned pale.

"It's Fury's fault I'm alive," he said without preamble. She blinked, and then looked at Hawkeye, who nodded tearfully.

"Remind me to thank him," she said, before dropping into a natural sleep. Coulson squeezed Jemma's shoulder.

"Good work, Simmons," he said. Agent Barton let go of Agent Romanov's hand, and turned to her.

"Yeah, I really owe you one for that," he said. Jemma stared at him, then Coulson, with shocked eyes, before returning her attention to Barton.

"It really was no problem," she said, trying not to betray her surprise. He didn't react, and she told her sinking heart that she couldn't expect anything else. Of course he wasn't going to be her soulmate.

"We'd better debrief," Coulson said, and Jemma tore her gaze away from Barton.

"Right behind you, sir," she said, filing out after him with Bobbi by her side. When she glanced back, she thought she saw Barton looking at her, but that was impossible.

"You remember how you showed me your soulmark?" Bobbi said quietly.

"It was Truth or Dare. We were drunk. How do you even remember that?"

"Wasn't that what Barton…?"

"It's not the first time I've heard those words," Jemma said. "I've been waiting for a reaction to my response, and nothing so far. It will happen one day."

"It wasn't exactly a unique response," Bobbi pointed out.

"Yes, but if it was his soulmark he would've reacted. I certainly have no poker face."

"Hey." Bobbi elbowed her. "You did a pretty good job when you were undercover."

"Well, I'm sure my soulmate—"

"Can we please not talk about soulmates and soulmarks right now?" Coulson said over his shoulder.

"Sir?"

"That's right, you were too busy at the time." He sighed, and slowed to a stop. They stood either side of him, and he looked at the ground. "Brock Rumlow is my soulmate. I found out when we spoke to each other earlier."

"You mean you'd never spoken to him at SHIELD?" Bobbi said.

"That's the part you're questioning?" Jemma said incredulously.

"No, I only ever saw him in the distance," Coulson said. "I'm… grateful that it didn't happen before HYDRA was revealed. Now all I can wonder…" His shoulders were hunched as the trio resumed walking. "Why did Fate do this? I'd never become HYDRA, God no. But I doubt Rumlow can be brought to our side. He's in too deep. If he was a sleeper agent, was brainwashed to be HYDRA, that I could understand. But he was fully autonomous. It… makes absolutely no sense. Not even a platonic bond, let alone a non-platonic relationship."

"Would you like me to do further research into soulmateship?" Jemma offered. "I can remember most of my notes from when I studied it at university, and I'm sure my former professors would be happy to assist me."

"I'd… I'd appreciate that, Simmons. Thank you."


Something compelled him to return to the hospital after Bro— after Rumlow's operation was over. He waited outside the intensive care unit, telling himself it was in case the man suddenly felt well enough to escape, despite the building being extremely secure, probably the most secure hospital in New York City. Hell, the president would be safer here than at the White House, it was that well-protected, inside and out.

"You okay, DC?" Skye asked, startling him. He stared at her, and at the coffee she presented to him. "Hell of a shock, huh? Ward wasn't even my soulmate and I still felt betrayed because he was HYDRA. I can't imagine how it feels for you."

"I didn't know Rumlow personally, so I don't have the same feeling of betrayal. It's no stronger than the way I felt after SHIELD fell. It just feels more personal because he's my…" He touched the top of his thigh, where 'Don't expect to beat me every time, Coulson' was inscribed in a writing that Steve had confirmed was Rumlow's.

"Do you think anyone else knew?" she said, plunking onto the hospital seat next to him.

"Fury might've seen both our marks and writing, and didn't pair us together for work in case it was a conflict of interest," he said. "But if that was the case, why would he put Steve with Rumlow, knowing that a betrayal was going to happen?"

"Unless he thought there was an innocent explanation behind the words," Skye said, and she took a sip of her hot chocolate. Phil drank some of his steaming hot coffee. "He wouldn't have any reason to suspect that Rumlow was a bad guy, not with you as his soulmate. That could even be why he paired them together, to give you the opportunity of meeting each other."

"Then why keep my resurrection secret from the Avengers, if there was a chance I'd meet Captain Rogers again?"

"I don't know. I heard a rumour that they were encouraged to play board games in their downtime between missions, to bond as a team."

Phil laughed bitterly. "Damnit, Nick. You couldn't just leave it alone?"

"Or he didn't know at all, and we're completely off course," Skye said.

"I hope that's the case."

"Feel better now?"

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"Fine then, since you're being anal about it. I'm sorry for you. You got a sucky soulmate."

"Please don't mention 'anal' and 'sucky' when referring to my male soulmate."

Skye nearly spewed out her hot chocolate. Phil patted her on the back.

"Mr. Coulson?" an intern said, approaching them. "You're the one who admitted Mr. Rumlow?"

"He's my soulmate," Phil said. The intern raised his eyebrows. "Don't ask; I'm having a bad enough day because of that."

"Okay," the doctor said slowly. "He's healing up well. At this rate, he can be transferred from ICU tonight, and if it continues, he can be released within a few days. It's truly remarkable."

"That's one word for it."

"Sir?"

"Forget it."

"He doesn't have any next of kin listed. Should I put you down…?"

Phil sighed. "He's in SHIELD custody now, and I'm the director, so you may as well. For administrative purposes only."

There was no way he was going to form any kind of relationship with Brock Rumlow outside of agent and prisoner.

(And not in a fun way.)


Brock glared at Phil. Phil glared back.

"Why didn't you take the kill-shot?" Brock said.

"Because I wanted you alive."

"I'm so glad you're not into necrophilia."

"Shut up! You're one of the last people in the world I'd want as a soulmate."

"Aw, but I'm not the absolute last?" Brock smirked. "I'm touched, Phil."

"Don't call me that, Rumlow."

"Okay, I won't call you 'that, Rumlow'."

"Do you want me to strangle you?" Phil asked, growing more and more on edge. Rumlow cocked his head.

"Hadn't thought about it before, but it could be fun," he said. "Do you like restraints?"

"Rumlow…"

"Where's my soulmark on you?" Phil growled. "C'mon, where? I'm not gonna jump you; not while I'm recovering and you're still SHIELD."

"Still… what? I'm the director! I would never leave SHIELD."

"Not even for your soulmate?"

"You're not all that in a bag of potato chips, Rumlow."

After a moment, Rumlow burst out laughing, and Phil had to get him a cup of water when the laughter turned to hacking coughs. He helped his soulmate drink.

"Haven't you heard that one before?" he asked, placing the cup aside and making sure Rumlow was settled again.

"Not since the nineties," Rumlow said.

"You haven't seen Austin Powers?"

"International Man of Mystery? I'd rather have Bond."

"I bet you would." Phil sobered, and sat beside the bed. He kept his peripheral vision on Rumlow. "Why… why do you believe in HYDRA? You're the bad guys. You want to suppress people's freedom and turn the world into a polite state. You… you want to kill anyone who opposes you, experiment on innocent people, play with science and magic you don't understand just to further your own ends. What about when you lose control? Who will you turn to then, to sort out the mess you've created?" He shook his head, and Rumlow shrugged.

"I don't think I can explain," he said. "I know I always thought it was a pity that you were such a goody-two-shoes. So much potential." He sighed, looking Phil over. "You could've helped HYDRA to greatness. The two of us together…"

"Yes," Phil said, trying to keep a hold on his temper. "The two of us together could've achieved great things. I wouldn't have minded working with you, based on your reputation alone. But knowing what you are?" He laughed harshly. "Call me a goody-two-shoes all you want. I'd take that over being evil any day."

"Poor Phil," Rumlow said, his lips curling up. "You have no idea how many times you did exactly what HYDRA wanted you to. You 'furthered our ends' all while you thought you were fighting the good fight."

"No."

"Didn't you ever question an order before carrying it out? That was HYDRA's influence. When you followed an order you didn't like, it was probably coming from Pierce."

"No."

"If you'd only gone with your instincts instead of following the rules… well, Pierce might've had you taken out for being subversive. You complied without realising it, sweetheart."

"Don't call me that."

"What're you gonna do, sew up my lips? Clap a gag on me?"

"Don't. Tempt. Me."

"Oh, baby. If I poured on my full charm you'd already be drillin' me into this bed."

Phil gripped the arms of his chair. He loathed Brock Rumlow and everything he stood for. Shooting him three times didn't change that, and he wished he'd emptied his gun into the man's head.

"You're evil," he said. "I hate you."

"I've never had sex with someone who hated me, but I've heard it can be fun."

"Stop it!"

"You'll come to me eventually," Rumlow said. "Hopefully in me as well. Because we're soulmates." Phil regretted not cutting out Rumlow's tongue when he continued. "And don't think I didn't see you before."

"Before?"

"Before SHIELD fell. Even before New York. We nearly bumped into each other a few times, and I saw you in the gym too often for it to be a coincidence… for either of us."

Phil clenched his jaw and kept silent. Rumlow took it as an invitation to go on.

"I swear I wouldn't be this fit if it wasn't because I liked it when you stared at my ass. Best ever incentive to work out twice a day." He hummed. "Or as often as it took to make sure we were there at the same time. Me? I have a definite thing for your arms. Do you know how many nights I fantasised about them holding me down?"

"I… I wasn't—"

"Don't lie to your soulmate, darling. It's not nice."

"You lied to me!"

"When? We only met today. We've never communicated with each other before. How could I lie to you?"

Phil stood, and began to pace.

"You…" He tried again. "You lied to SHIELD."

"Only to Nick Fury. I never lied to Pierce."

"You betrayed us! You betrayed Captain Rogers!"

"I followed orders. You did, once upon a time."

"The difference being that I have principles."

"True. And that's become even more of a problem since you came back to life."

Phil didn't want to talk about this with Brock Rumlow, even though the man was his soulmate.

Seriously. What was Fate thinking? Was she having an off day or something? Had someone pissed her off? Did Phil do something horrible in a past life?

Rumlow was right about one thing, though. Phil had been attracted to the STRIKE team leader pretty much from the minute he saw him. The guy was a definite Alpha male, and his backside was worth staring at. It was great practise at being covert when it came to watching people. Apparently he'd failed at that… although if Rumlow really had been watching him back, of course he'd notice. Phil was ashamed that he'd failed to see it himself. Now he was glad that he hadn't approached Rumlow the way he'd been tempted to so many times. The thought that he'd even considered it made him feel sick again. He looked over his shoulder and glared at Rumlow, who continued to smile.

"You're hot when you're pissed off," Rumlow remarked. Phil turned his head away.

"Would you stop that?" he begged softly. "Please."

The bed creaked, which should've been impossible. He turned, and nearly stepped back when he found Rumlow right in his face.

"Why?" the man said, matching Phil's volume. "Because you know you want this?"

He cupped Phil's cheeks and pulled him into a gentle kiss. Phil tried not to melt. Once upon a time, he'd wanted this. Badly. Maybe even wished a couple of times that Rumlow would turn out to be his soulmate. Until HYDRA screwed everything up.

He wasn't aware of how much time had passed until he was pressing Rumlow onto the bed, hands inside his gown, while Rumlow tugged off Phil's tie.

"Bind me up," he whispered. "You know you want to, Phil. You wanna teach me a lesson, don't you?"

Phil nodded, brushing their noses together, until he saw the scars on Rumlow's face. Remembered how he'd got them, why he'd got them. He snatched his tie back, taking in Rumlow's swollen lips and half-undone hospital gown.

"No," he said, half to himself. He shook his head and raced from the room, running into Steve Rogers just past the door.

"Phil," he said. In an instant, Phil knew Steve had seen them.

"I'm so sorry," he said hoarsely. "I… I don't know…"

Steve pulled him into a hug. "It's not your fault."

"He's…"

"Your soulmate."

"Evil."

"Your soulmate."

"That's a bad thing."

"But you can't fight a pull like that," Steve said. He let Phil go, and steered him towards the elevators. "Let's go to the cafeteria. I think you need a coffee."


Now Phil could truly empathise with Skye, when they'd had Ward prisoner and she'd had to visit him. Rumlow would eat and exercise, but refuse to give any information unless he got to see Phil. At first, the Avengers were protective of him, even after he confessed about the kiss. They threatened Rumlow, yet he remained unmoved.

"I'll talk to Phil," he said. Honestly, did HYDRA train them to be this stubborn?

"Just let me go down there," Phil said wearily, an ice pack over his forehead. He'd been trying to get work done when he'd heard that Rumlow was demanding to see him for the umpteenth time. He'd be a hypocrite if he didn't face the HYDRA agent and try to extract information. At least Skye hadn't known that Ward was the enemy the first time she'd kissed him; Phil knew all the damn time, and got caught up in the connection crying out to be consummated.

"Do you want one of us to go with you?" Natasha asked.

"He'll know. I have to do this on my own."

"It's not like you got us into this mess," Clint said. "You made the decision to bring him in."

"I should've killed him."

"I don't think you could've if you tried," Steve said.

"It's wrong. I shouldn't be feeling like this." Phil tossed the ice pack aside and covered his face with his hands.

"It's not fair, I know," Steve said, sitting on the arm of the couch. "But it is what it is, and we need your help. It's… it's a lot to ask—"

"But I've asked it of someone else before," Phil said. "I need eyes on the room, and I need someone outside the door. And a nail for my hand."

"What?!"

"So that if I'm tempted by… whatever the tie is, I can stick the nail into my flesh and break myself out of the spell."

"I don't think we have to resort to that," Natasha said dryly. "If you get too close, we'll blast the room with loud music, or send someone in to drag you back."

"...Let's go with that. It's a much less painful idea."

"Depends on whether or not you like Tony Stark's taste in music," Clint muttered.

Rumlow looked up when Phil walked in, and grinned widely.

"Hi, soulmate," he said.

"You said you'd tell me information," Phil said once they were alone.

"Not yet. Talk to me for awhile. I wanna hear your voice."

"Why?"

"`Cause it's soothing. You should've heard some of the people I've worked with. Like nails on a blackboard. Your voice is mellow. Can you sing? You should. Something like 'Misty'." Phil shivered at the slightly demented edge to Rumlow's voice.

"I'm not playing 'Misty' for you," he said.

"True. You're not the one in the building named Clint."

"Tell me about HYDRA. Bases. Names. Anything."

"Why, because I'm your prisoner? Or because I'm your soulmate?"

Phil bit his lip, considering the answer. "Both. Either. Neither. Because it's the right thing to do."

"If I make amends, will you consider bonding with me?"

"What?"

"You heard me." Rumlow swung his legs around as he sat up, and gripped the mattress's edge. "If I tell you everything you wanna know, will you take a chance on me, Phil?"

He couldn't speak for a minute. Rumlow watched him patiently. Finally, Phil regained use of his tongue.

"You're saying that if I sleep with you—"

"Bond with me."

"Bond with you, that you'll help us." He took a breath. "Fine. If that's what it takes."

Rumlow scowled. "No."

"What do you mean, 'No'?"

"That's not what I said. If I gave you what you wanted, all the information I can, would you… consider bonding with me? There doesn't have to be sex. Or there can be sex but no bonding. Or just…" He ran his fingers through his hair, confidence melting away to uncertainty and frustration. "A chance to get you to like me."

"You…" He couldn't believe this. "You want to redeem yourself?"

"I honestly can't see you sympathising with HYDRA. If this is the only way to be with you, my soulmate, then I'll do it. Because after the shitty childhood I had, the only thing I wanted was my soulmate. That makes you the most important thing… person to me."

"More important than HYDRA?"

Rumlow met his eyes. "More important than the damn world. So I'm gonna do what it takes, if I think I have a chance."

Phil's head was reeling, and he laughed shortly. Rumlow's lips pursed, and he lowered his head. Phil sighed.

"If that kiss at the hospital didn't tell you anything, then I despair of you as an agent, I really do," he said. Rumlow peeked up at him. "I thought I'd meet my soulmate playing chess, or sparring."

"Close enough to sparring, don't you think?" Rumlow was half-smiling now, and it reminded Phil of what first attracted him to the man. (The second was his ass. He never said he wasn't a little bit shallow.)

"I guess."

"So…?" He looked at Phil from under his eyelashes. Stupidly long eyelashes for any agent of SHIELD. Or HYDRA.

"You'd better behave like a gentleman on our first date, or I'll… I'll…"

"Behave like a rogue and take me to bed?" Rumlow asked.

"Or I'll make you wait longer," Phil said. He turned on his heel and stalked out, while Rumlow chuckled lowly.

"Just try to resist my bedroom eyes when the time comes," he said. "I dare you."


Kira Kyuu, in one of our many conversations, suggested Brock/Phil, with Brock having 'You betrayed the captain' as his soulmark, and using it to justify betraying Cap. Especially since it's 'not personal' with Steve; it's because his soulmark told him to. Because this is me, and because ozhawk has a love of Brock Rumlow, I decided upon a happy ending with Rumlow starting to redeem himself. I did try to keep him as a dick for awhile, at least.

Uh… please review?