"Play With Your Arrow"

For some reason, they'd all been dragged to Stark Tower.

Well, no, Leo Fitz knew exactly why they were there. They'd raided an experimental facility which had shown up on the radar as a HYDRA lab. There, Leo and Mack had come across two captives, one virtually a blur of silvery grey, and the other a woman in red, sitting in one of the corners of her cell.

"Hey!" Leo said, banging on the glass. She hadn't even looked up. "Do you know how to get these things open?"

She'd looked up at him, and then at Mack. She smiled, almost shyly, and pointed to a control panel.

"You get whatever you can find, and I'll tackle this," Mack said, waving Leo off. "Go on, Turbo. I've been playing all those Nancy Drew games. How hard can this be?"

"There isn't some second chance option for this, I'm guessing," Leo muttered. But sure enough, half a minute later, there was a whoosh of moving glass. He looked up in time to see the silver blur approach him, and grab him by the throat. "Hey!"

"Get off him!" Mack shouted, grabbing the guy – Leo was pretty sure it was a man – and pulled him away.

"Pietro, leave him alone," the woman said. She looked up at Mack, studying him. "I am sorry, but my brother misunderstood his intentions."

Leo's jaw dropped in tandem with Mack's. He knew those words.

"Not a problem," Mack said, glancing at Leo. "Is it?"

"Just a misunderstanding," Leo said, massaging the skin of his throat. Curious, he tilted his head. "Did you have a reason for trying to… to…"

"Strangle you?"

"Yeah."

"You are a scientist."

"Well, more of an engineer, really. How did you guess?"

"You look like one. You banged on the glass."

"We have seen many scientists and engineers," the woman said. "I am Wanda, and this is my brother Pietro."

"I'm Fitz, this is Mack," he said, jerking his thumb in Mack's direction. "I think he's a bit taken aback by you."

"In a good way, I hope," Wanda said, looking Mack over again. Leo suppressed a snigger at the way Mack's cheeks turned darker.

"Yes, ma'am," he said. "Let's get you outta here. Done yet, Turbo?"

"There is nothing much of interest," Wanda said. "When they heard you coming, they left with anything of value."

"Except you," Leo said, and she laughed. "Mack's right. We need to get going. I'll let the others know."

Picking up the mutants known as Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch was enough reason to be taken to Stark Tower, since it was closer than the Xavier Institute and much more secure. But it was what happened next that sealed the deal.

"There's trouble," Phil said sharply. "The Winter Soldier was seen entering the building half an hour ago. Quake just found the footage."

"What do we do if we meet him?" Mack said.

"Do not engage. Repeat, do not engage him. We don't know his current mental state, and it would be unwise to—"

There was a shriek from nearby, and Leo's blood froze. He knew that voice.

"Jemma," he whispered. Then he took off. They weren't as close as they used to be, but damned if he was going to let the girl he still cared for be harmed when he could prevent it. He pulled out his Nite-Nite gun and got ready to fire.

He rounded the corner, and found Jemma in someone's arms. At this angle, all he saw was casual clothing and medium-length hair. Jemma had her arms around his neck, and he seemed to be holding her carefully.

"Simmons?" Leo said. She looked his way.

"Fitz! I found my soulmate," she said, beaming from ear to ear, and she turned. Her soulmate turned with her, and Leo saw the metal arm right away.

"Shit," he said. "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"The Winter… uh, Bucky Barnes is Simmons' soulmate."

Coulson said something Leo never thought he'd hear anyone say. Well, not since he was last in a Scottish pub.

"No need to be like that, sir," Jemma scolded over the comm. unit. "I'm bringing him in. It's either that or go where he wants me to."

"No," the Winter Soldier said, holding her close. "I'll go with you."

He insisted on contacting Captain Bloody America, which led to trouble when Skye hacked Stark's computer system to get the phone number. Within an hour they were surrounded by Avengers, led by Steve Rogers, who walked up to Bucky – yes, apparently they all had to call him 'Bucky' now – and stopped three feet away from him.

"It's really you," he said. Bucky shrugged.

"You can't do without me, punk," he said.

"No, I sure as hell can't," Captain Rogers said, grinning. He clapped Bucky on the shoulder, and looked at Jemma. "This your soulmate?"

"Her name's Jemma," Bucky said. "She's a doctor."

"Not really a medical one, although I do have biology training, as bio-science is my specialty, of course—"

"Pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Rogers said, shaking her hand. Bucky snorted.

"Don't go stealin' her away now," he said. Jemma frowned at him.

"No one could steal me from you," she said indignantly.

"Do you wanna meet the others?" Rogers said. He gestured back towards the rest of the Avengers.

"I… I don't know—"

"May as well get it over with," Coulson said from the top of the stairs. The captain's face darkened.

"What?" he said, his voice tight. Coulson coughed into his fist.

"I'd prefer to do explanations here, but I'm guessing that wouldn't be a good idea," he said. Rogers pursed his lips.

"I think you'd better come with us, Agent Coulson," he said.

"Director Coulson, actually," Leo said. He backed off a step when Rogers scowled at him. "Sir."

"Don't intimidate my friend, captain!" Jemma said, smacking him on the hand. He looked down at her, and then at Bucky.

"I can see why she's your soulmate," he said.

They all went to Stark Tower in their separate vehicles, which was just as well. Wanda and Pietro stayed with them, so that Mack and Wanda could get some time alone together before the arguments started between the Avengers and Coulson. Skye insisted on being present, so she could make the ground quake if they threatened the director.

"And if the Hulk decides that you're the threat?" Coulson said as they stepped onto the landing pad.

"I'll get her out of there in the blink of an eye," Pietro said. Considering how fast he moved, that was actually very comforting.

So here they were, trying to get along, and Leo noticed that after staring at Coulson stonily for a solid two minutes, Hawkeye had disappeared. Leo could relate; losing a friend, and then have them come back into your life and expect everything to get better so quickly. Someone you had relied upon, cared about, trusted with your life. Who had in fact saved your life before. He knew how that could hurt. While he couldn't put it into words, he… well, he could try for Clint Barton.

He slipped away to the lift – much faster to say than 'elevator'; weren't Americans all about efficiency? – and spoke to the AI when he got in.

"Could you please take me to Hawkeye?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Agent Barton is on the range; it is not restricted access."

"Good, good," Leo said. "Thank you, JARVIS."

He entered the range and saw Barton firing arrow after arrow into moving targets, a look of steely determination on his face. Leo was mesmerised by the repetitive movements, the stretching and loosing, the flex of the muscles in Barton's arms, the rhythmic thud of arrows hitting targets. He didn't realise he'd moved closer until the last arrow had been deployed, and Barton lowered his bow.

"You getting a good look there?" he said.

"The best, to be perfectly honest," Leo said. His brain caught up when Hawkeye swung around and stared at him. "Oh my God."

"I… I thought you'd be older," Barton said, examining him. "Based on when I got my mark…"

"You're really my soulmate?"

"You said my words."

"You said mine."

"Well, then. But you look like a teenager."

"No, I don't," Leo said, affronted. Barton – should he be Clint? – raised his eyebrows, and Leo sighed. "Grew up in Scotland. Cold weather does wonders for preserving the skin. Better than, uh… uh…"

"Than what?"

"The stuff." He waved his finger around his face, embarrassed as all hell that words were failing him now. "Make you look younger."

"Botox? Plastic surgery? Older partner?"

"Yes, yes. Surgery."

"Ah." Clint looked him over, cocking his head. "I hate to ask, but…"

"I had brain damage," Leo said. "Near drowning. My hands shake, and I have difficulty with words. It's getting better – Mack's been helping me a lot, he's my friend, you'll like him – but I still…"

"When you're nervous?" Clint said, stepping closer. Leo's eyes widened.

"Y-yeah," he said. "Stressful situations."

"Like finding out your soulmate is so much older than you?"

"More like finding out that my soulmate is a goddamned superhero."

"You're on Coulson's team, so you must be good at something," Clint said. "What's your specialty?"

"Uh, engineering."

"I never finished school."

"Doesn't seem to have held you back. I've seen you in action. You must be able to make calculations at an extremely fast rate, faster than me."

Clint touched Leo's arm, and he tensed. "Sorry. Did I—"

"Not much contact," Leo said. "That's all. I'd like it."

"You want me to touch you?"

He blushed stupidly. "Very much."

"Anywhere?" Clint's grin grew more wicked, and Leo gulped.

"Uh…"

"Wanna play with my arrow?"

"No, I don't want to play with your arrow! Not on a first date."

Clint laughed, and looked up.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes, Agent Barton?"

"I'm taking Leo to my floor so we can talk in private. Could you make sure we're not disturbed?"

"Absolutely. Congratulations to you both."

"Thanks, JARVIS. Now." Clint placed his bow in its case and led Leo to the lift. "I wanna know all about you. Start where you grew up. What's Scotland like? I've only been there for a job once…"

*Realises that nothing has been posted today*

*Panics*

*Speed-writes and speed-proofreads fic for posting*

Ship was suggested by KTT2123, and I threw in a couple of background pairings because that's apparently what I do. And a reference to one of ozhawk's fics. She'll know which one I'm talking about. ;D

Please review!