"Babble"

Tony wasn't sulking. JARVIS said he was, but he wasn't. Just because Agent turned out to be alive all this… most of this time, and was now director of New SHIELD, and never thought to tell them about it…

No. Tony wasn't sulking. He wasn't even avoiding Coulson and his team since they moved in. Nope. He just never happened to be in the same place as them (especially Coulson) at the same time. Pure coincidence.

"Sir, I have been instructed not to report on Director Coulson's movements to you, nor the rest of his team," JARVIS said. Tony dropped a wrench on his foot.

"Why?" he asked, hopping over to a stool. "Who instructed you?"

"Miss Potts, sir, on account of the fact that you are avoiding the agents of SHIELD."

"I'm not—"

"Shall I play you the video message she sent?"

"…What?"

"Tony." A virtual Pepper appeared. "This is ridiculous. You have to make your peace with Phil. Just because he doesn't say it, doesn't mean he isn't hurt that you're avoiding him."

"Not like we were friends," he muttered.

"Of course you were friends," she said. He scowled, peeved that she knew him so well. "Be happy that he's alive, and that someone's trying to rebuild SHIELD, this time without HYDRA involved. Phil gave his life so you'd all pull together, and I can tell he regrets letting you know that he wasn't dead. If you're not careful he's going to leave us again, and we won't be able to protect him, or his people. They deserve better treatment than this. Now go apologise to them." The video disappeared, and Tony sighed.

He hated it when she was right.

Unfortunately, JARVIS had also been instructed by Pepper not to make it easy for Tony by just revealing people's locations. It was like some twisted, sadistic version of hide-and-go-seek, and he was swearing under his breath as he headed to the common area. Logic said that there was a good chance at least one of them would be there. His second bet would be the gym and sparring area, then the range, then… well, probably the labs. He knew of Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons by reputation, and they had full access to most of the research and development area. And the mechanic on the team would probably be tinkering in the garage, so that was another place to check. He couldn't remember which residential floors he'd rented to them.

Another thing to feel lousy about. Coulson had insisted on paying for their board. It was at a highly reduced price, of course, but since Agent… sorry, Director was being stubborn, and since Tony was still terrified of Natasha Romanov, he made sure to keep rent low. He probably should've been less grudging about offering the spaces and everything rent-free; that might've rubbed Coulson up the wrong way.

The whole damn thing was his father's fault. If Howard hadn't insisted on funding SHIELD all along, Tony wouldn't feel so obliged to continue that support. That stopped after the old organisation fell, and he'd felt disinclined to start again. He probably should've reinstated the Stark legacy set aside for SHIELD. He would look less of an asshole then. He wouldn't have to put up with Steve's disapproving looks, Clint's sullen silence, and Natasha sharpening her knives at every turn. Not to mention Thor's obvious disappointment in him, which sucked, it was like kicking an injured dog.

"I hate soul-searching, JARVIS," Tony said.

"So I noticed, sir."

"And don't call me 'sir' in that tone of voice, young man."

"You installed this tone of voice on me. Sir."

Just what he needed. A bratty teenager for an AI.

The only member of Coulson's team who was lounging in the living area was his second-in-command.

"Hey," he said, sauntering down the steps and leaning over the sofa behind Clint. "So, what's up, Bird-Brain?"

Clint flashed him the finger. "Just swapping anecdotes with May. She and Nat never got to work together, so watching them spar is… magical."

"Magical?" Natasha said, bumping his thigh with her foot. "Really, Barton?"

"I stick by that word. You'd prefer 'fascinating' or 'spell-binding'? Those could work, too. I'm a sniper, not an orator."

"Where's Agent? I mean, Director Coulson?" Tony asked. May narrowed her eyes.

"Now you want to see him?" she said.

"Well, it's not like we have much to talk about, but I guess we should put past differences behind us. So where is he?"

"Out."

"Where?" She didn't reply. "C'mon. I just wanna talk to him."

"We don't know," Natasha eventually said. "He went out shopping. Ostensibly."

"Which means he could be working," Clint said. "Only call if it's an emergency."

"What constitutes an emergency?"

"Not whatever your reason is for getting your head out of your ass, which probably has more to do with Pepper than any personal reflection."

"Screw you, Katniss," Tony mumbled.

"Go to the labs," Natasha said. "FitzSimmons have been waiting to meet you. They think you're snubbing them, and they're blaming themselves." She gave Tony the deathiest Death Glare he'd ever received. "They're good kids. Go put them out of their misery."

"Moping FitzSimmons is bad," May said. "I don't like it, which means you won't like what happens if it continues." Her eyes narrowed just the slightest bit, and Tony high-tailed it out of there. In the most dignified manner possible.

Tapping his foot on the floor as he took the elevator to the labs, he wondered what FitzSimmons would be like. They were probably still bubbling over with childish enthusiasm. A quick visit, then; he doubted he could stomach all that optimism for too long, no matter how great their ideas might be. And he was confident they'd be full of great ideas. Hell, it'd be interesting to watch two soulmates from different fields working together on the same projects.

The doors slid open, and he searched until he found the pair of scientists bent over a table, arguing their opposing points of view as they pointed at different parts of a holograph. He watched, strangely entertained, as they spoke at rapid-fire over the top of each other, both somehow responding to what the other was saying. It was kind of beautiful.

He walked in and cleared his throat. They looked over at him, mouths open like they were about to tell him off, but then they froze. Tony grinned; he'd seen the star-struck look before, usually induced it himself. He moved a few steps closer.

"So this is where the Dynamic Duo of science can be found," he said, leaning his elbows on the table and starting to play with the holograph. "Do I need to introduce myself?"

They looked at each other, then back to him. The woman spoke first, and the man swiftly followed.

"Oh my God, I can't believe this—"

"It's you, it can't be you—"

"But it's such an honour to meet you—"

"And we're your biggest fans, really—"

Tony held up his hands, and they shut their mouths instantly. That was where his soulmarks ended anyway, it wasn't just to keep his ears safe and brain on track.

"Okay, nice to meet you," he said, and he lowered his hands. "You're my soulmates. Wow. Now I'm wishing we'd met sooner."

"We haven't been here all that long, really," the woman – Simmons? – said. He nodded.

"I've still been a shitty host. Can't believe I got you two as soulmates. It's like being rewarded for bad behaviour. I promise." Hand on his heart. "I'll be better."

"You must have a hell of a lot of writing on you," Fitz said. "I can't remember half of what we said."

"Well." Tony gave them his best bedroom eyes, and saw them swallow. "I could show you. Always wondered why they seemed fragmented. I figured I'd meet the two of you at the same time. For you to be formidable scientists instead of groupies? Better than expected." He grinned as he stood up. "I'm familiar with your academic careers—"

"Really?" Simmons said.

"But not your first names. Everyone calls you FitzSimmons."

"Leo Fitz, but everyone calls me Fitz, can't stand my first name," the man said, and Tony shook his hand, then the woman's.

"Jemma Simmons. It really is lovely to meet you, Mr. Stark."

"Hey, I'm your soulmate. It's Tony."

"You have the best equipment we've ever used," Fitz said, wide-eyed. Tony snorted.

"Wait `til you play with my other equipment," he said, leering, and Fitz turned bright red.

"I didn't mean… I meant…"

"Oh, Fitz," Jemma said, smiling at him sympathetically. "You really do have a terrible habit of using double entendres accidentally."

"I can't help it!"

"And I fully intend to exploit that, if you're gonna blush so prettily every time," Tony said, stroking Fitz's blazing hot cheek. "How about you both come up to the penthouse with me, and we can all get to know each other, hmm?"

"My parents will want you to ask their permission before, um, taking me to bed," Jemma said. Now she was turning pink-cheeked. Tony was going to have so much fun with these two. "They had enough trouble with Fitz."

"Nowhere near the amount of trouble you had with my mum," Fitz said.

"It was still pretty terrible…"

"No bed or bonding without parental permission," Tony said. "Got it. But I've got the comfiest sofa in the tower, and it folds out with footrests, so what do you say?"

"I'm there," Jemma said, switching off the holographic table.

"Me too," Fitz said.

Shopping for ties was possibly the most relaxing activity Phil could do right now, even if he didn't have the same clothing allowance he used to. But he'd found a couple of factory outlets, and stocked up with a few different colours and patterns. He made note of the locations so that he could bring the team out sometime, maybe if Talbot came through with the promised additional funds for New SHIELD. They could do with a little shopping trip as a reward for putting up with Tony Stark snubbing them.

Phil couldn't blame Stark for being unable to forgive him, but that was no excuse to take it out on the rest of his team, most of whom had been looking forward to meeting the Avengers, and especially Stark and Banner. The doctor was in Cambodia at the moment, but Simmons was still excited about the prospect of meeting Stark.

Then the reality of his attitude hit them. Or at least Phil hoped it did. Ridiculous, the way Stark was stringing this out. It was unacceptable, childish behaviour, and if he could just find Stark he'd call him out on it.

He was glad that he wasn't baby-sitting the Avengers. Every day another headache.

Finishing his coffee, Phil threw the paper cup into a nearby – alright, thirty yards away – trash can, and half-smiled when it went straight in without even bouncing off the edge. Not a big thing, but enough to lighten his mood just a little. He almost skipped on his next step, and had to pull himself back at the last moment before he could bump into an older lady walking along with a laughing child. Phil smiled, and raised his head. He caught the eyes of a stranger in a hoodie. There was barely a moment to notice anything about him before the stranger tripped. Phil was there instantly, barring his waist with an arm to prevent him falling.

"There are safer ways to say hello to the pavement," he quipped, and felt the man's laughter as he straightened, the hood slightly askew.

And then Phil was staring at the quintessential blue-eyed angel that put Steve Rogers to shame. He had cheekbones sharp enough to cut himself on, curly blond hair which was short at the sides but threatened to fall into his eyes at the front. Phil bet his features would shine in the sunlight, and wanted to reach out and touch those pink lips, see if this man could possibly be real.

"Isn't today my luckiest day?" the blond said. When Phil processed his words, he nearly fell back.

"What?" he said.

"Those are your words, aren't they?"

"Well… yes." Phil smiled. "Yes, they are."

"Then I stick to it that I'm lucky."

"But… why? You're stunning. You're… a dream in human form. Or humanoid, I'm not closing my mind to any possibilities, because you can't possibly be a hundred percent human, I've never seen anyone like you before, and… Shit, you can't let my mouth run away like that."

"Why not?" the man said, grinning. "You're very good for the self-esteem."

"I can't think why."

"Sir… I've been waiting my entire life for you. You know how long that is." Phil nodded, slightly ashamed. "Fate gave us to each other for some reason, and I want to find out what that is. Since I'm guessing you wouldn't just be happy with a platonic bond, I say we go somewhere and get to know each other a little better."

"Where?" Phil said, somewhat dazed.

"I mostly live on Long Island, but I visit Canada frequently."

"I'm staying in New York at the moment, so—"

"Long Island it is. We can pick something up on the way."

"I should probably ask you your name."

"You probably should."

Phil rolled his eyes, unable to stop smiling. "I'm Phil."

"Pleased to meet you, Phil. I'm Warren."

Over breakfast the next day, Tony couldn't stop smirking every time he looked at his soulmates. They'd talked to Fitz and Jemma's families over Skype, with Tony promising to take care of his soulmates, marry them as soon as possible, and provide them with everything they needed. Before they'd woken up, he'd also paid off their families' mortgages, student debts, any money owed, and arranged for better home security.

An alert had popped up half an hour later from a baffled Pepper. When he explained the situation, she'd nearly ruptured his eardrums with her squealed congratulations.

So he'd been able to take Jemma and Fitz to bed that night, Jemma clinging to him from the front and Fitz plastered against his back as they bonded. He didn't care that some people might think he was rushing. He'd waited too damn long to find his soulmates, and like hell was he going to go another day without being bonded to them. He wanted to be able to find them if something happened, and the best way was to have that soul-deep connection.

"Does anyone know where Phil is?" Clint asked, frowning as he looked at his phone.

"Yes," May said. That was it. No explanation. Clint's eyes narrowed further.

"Well, where is he?"

"Classified."

"Oh, come on," Clint said, setting his phone down and playing with his cereal. "This is ridiculous. He's our friend."

"I didn't get that impression."

"Well, he is, and I'm concerned."

She pursed her lips as she spread more jam over her toast. "He found his soulmate."

"Really?" Jemma said, perking up. Tony noted a love-bite on her neck, and tried to remember whether it was him or Fitz who gave it to her. "Who is it?"

"No one you know."

"Can't we even have a name?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Let him have this for once. He'll introduce you when he's ready."

"What if it's a trap?" Clint said. May rolled her eyes.

"It's not a trap, Barton," she said.

He kept pestering her, to no avail, until Coulson finally joined them. He shuffled past, in what might've been yesterday's clothes – they looked rumpled enough – and went straight to the fridge.

"Good morning, sir!" Jemma called.

"Morning, Simmons. May told me; congratulations to you both."

"Thank you, sir," Fitz said.

"Uh, Agent… I mean, Director Coulson," Tony began.

"Relax, Mr. Stark," Coulson said. "I'll be out of your hair soon."

"What?"

"Are we moving on?" Jemma asked, sounding distressed. Skye walked up to them, and her jaw dropped.

"We're leaving?" she said. "We only just got here!"

"I'm leaving," Coulson said. "I'll still see you around. FitzSimmons are staying with Mr. Stark, of course, and anyone else is welcome to stay. I've been offered alternative accommodation for New SHIELD, and I'll be staying there myself."

"Where?" Tony said. Coulson didn't look at him.

"The company already sponsors another semi-covert organisation on the right side of the law," he continued. "My soulmate has been insistent, and," he smiled softly, "I can't say no to him. His father approves, which is a plus. So." He opened a bottle of sports drink and took a gulp. "I'll be moving out."

"You don't have to," Tony said, stepping in front of him. Coulson raised an eyebrow.

"I'd be more comfortable if I did."

"Look, I've been an asshole, but I'm trying to change that. I know you have that… thing where you're renting the rooms—"

"It was obvious that you weren't happy with the arrangement, so I did what I could to make it easier on you."

"I was pissed at you, not your team, and it wasn't fair—"

"I understand your feelings, Mr. Stark, really, I do. It's better for everyone if I leave—"

"No, it isn't! I don't want to drive you out—"

"Stop!" Coulson's glare was so fierce that Tony actually took a step back. "Stop making this all about you, Mr. Stark, and try to consider others. My team doesn't deserve a frosty atmosphere, and I wasn't welcomed here in the first place, if ever. Now I've found my soulmate, and the best thing is for us to be together, so I'm also thinking about him."

"Bring him to live here, then," Tony said. Coulson just walked around him.

"Can't," he said. "He's the CEO."

"CEO?" Skye said, her eyes bulging. "Of what?"

Coulson smirked, rubbing the back of his head. "The company which will be supporting New SHIELD."

"It's Stark Industries' responsibility to bankroll SHIELD," Tony said. He was aware that he was dangerously close to whining, but he felt compelled to push this, by Pepper, by his soulmates, by the memory of an unassuming agent who died to save them all.

"Dawn of a new age. Do you recall saying that it was now my responsibility to clean up HYDRA's mess, and that I couldn't expect any help other than a roof over our heads?"

…Okay, so Tony had said that.

"I was an ass," he said softly. "I was hurt, probably my pride worse than anything. I'm… grateful that you came back. If you hadn't, it would've been a lot longer before I met my soulmates. I know they've been in danger, but you've done your damnedest to keep them alive. I'm gonna do what I can to continue that. Just… you'll be hurting a lot of people if you leave us."

Coulson was silent, staring stonily at him.

"If I took my team away again, took FitzSimmons with me and left you behind, how would you all feel?"

"You can't do that!"

"But it's perfectly alright for you to separate me from my soulmate?"

Tony had no answer for that, and Coulson damn well knew it. He left with a nod to each of his team-mates. Tony sank back into his chair, burying his head in his hands. He looked at his soulmates through the gaps between his fingers.

"You deserve better than me," he said.

"Director Coulson's right," Jemma said. "I'm sure if you had approached him before he met his soulmate, things would turn out differently. You're trying to make it up to him."

"Anyone who stays here has my full support, financial, medical… everything. I have to make up for this somehow."

"It'll take time to get Coulson's trust back," Fitz warned. "He doesn't really trust any of you. Not even Barton and Romanov, and he's known them the longest."

"It's my fault—"

"No, it isn't," Jemma said. "Just be patient, and everything will work out in the end."

"I'm going with Phil," May said.

"So am I," Skye added. "It's nice here, but where DC goes…"

"You know we're here for you, Tony," Jemma said, looking at him doe-eyed. He sighed.

"I need to go brush my teeth," he said. "Then I'm going to my workshop. If you two," he pointed at his soulmates, "join me there ASAP, we can make sweet, sweet science together. What d'you say?"

It was the only way he could take his mind off things. And considering how flexible and imaginative his soulmates were, he figured it'd be a pretty good distraction. Especially for Jemma, until Bruce got back.

Despite his promise, they didn't see much of Phil until a few months later, for Fitz, Jemma, and Tony's wedding. He showed up in the secure ballroom at Stark Tower looking like he'd stepped out of a magazine. Naturally, Fitz and Tony were wearing the best suits, well-cut, and Jemma was wearing a pastel blue dress which ended just below her knees. And all their guests were required to make a splash, because it was a family occasion.

But no one could deny that the director of SHIELD was dressed to the nines.

"I tried to tone it down," he murmured to Pepper. "But there's only so much I can do, and I was told – on pain of puppy-dog eyes and abstinence – not to wear one of my old suits."

"Where's your soulmate?" she asked. "We haven't met him yet."

"This is FitzSimmons and Stark's big day; he's taking another way in to avoid notice."

"Oh." Pepper frowned. "But he will be here?"

Phil smiled. "He's just walked in the room." And he gestured discreetly. Pepper's jaw dropped.

"But that's—!"

The wedding march began, and Phil slung an arm around his soulmate's waist as Jemma, Fitz, and Tony moved to the front. Pepper stopped gaping, and instead reached for a small packet of tissues as she watched her former boss and his two soulmates tie the knot.

Tony hadn't completely turned around and started behaving like a caring human being all the time. But Fitz and Jemma tempered that, and he certainly behaved better in front of them. Productivity had increased to alarming levels, especially when Bruce returned and began working with Jemma. Shares in Stark Industries had skyrocketed, and Tony had started attending board meetings regularly, mainly because he trusted Fitz to continue working on their joint projects while Tony 'wasted' his time with gab-fests. Jemma had hinted to Pepper that she planned to attend board meetings as well after the wedding, which made Pepper's whole year. Whatever it took to keep things running smoothly.

She smiled through her tears as Tony kissed Fitz and then Jemma, grinning as FitzSimmons kissed each other to complete the triad. The three's joyous laughter was nearly smothered by the cheering and applause from the guests.

It was a wonderful day.

I loved 'deathiest Death Glare'. Then I realised that it should be 'deadliest Death Glare', but 'deathiest' is more amusing.

So I decided to make Tony panic by having Phil meet his soulmate, who turned out to be able to support SHIELD as much as Tony, and without the axe to grind. I'm sure you can work out who it is, based on my hints. ;) If you can call them hints, and not bludgeoning you across the face. Hmm.

Must stop letting secondary pairings take over innocent chapters! Gah!

Please review. It's been raining today, which I love, but I wish the rain would go to where it was needed, i.e. the farmers, not the inner city suburbs. Sigh.