"Mistaken Identity"

Well, this wasn't at all awkward.

It started when Phil, Mike, and Hunter finally picked up Fitz. They needed someplace they could actually sleep, and the plane they'd stolen wasn't exactly comfortable, nor the car they'd stolen. (And Phil really was going to have to work out a way to reimburse the salesman, even though he probably rorted at least that amount in one week from over-pricing his cars.) So they stayed where they could, usually a dingy motel where they wouldn't be caught dead under other circumstances, with beds just comfortable enough for a decent sleep.

For once, they'd managed to find a nice place, after a trip to a casino where an old friend of Phil's won some cash for them. It turned out that Gambit had a grudge against the owner, so he was happy to help in exchange for a drink and a new pack of cards. Phil left him chatting with the other three while he went to the bar for snacks. There, he ran into an all-too-familiar face.

Steve Rogers raised his eyebrows, clearly waiting for an explanation.

"If you give me an hour, I'll tell you everything," Phil said.

He wasn't prepared to be dragged into a dark corner and then have the daylights kissed out of him, especially by Captain America. Unsure, he clung onto the captain's upper arms lightly, wondering why the hell this was happening but unable to complain. One of his arms slipped around Phil's back and pulled him closer, and there was a point of warmth where one of Phil's soulmarks was… oh.

It was disappointing when, a couple of minutes later, there was an insistent buzzing from his phone. He had to detangle himself to answer it, and wondered at the captain being so affectionate – and so much warmer than Phil remembered – as he wrapped himself around Phil from behind.

"Been waiting so long to find you," he murmured, and Phil smiled at the confirmation that they were soulmates.

"I'm sorry it took awhile," he said, accessing his message.

"Doesn't matter, now I've got you. What's up?"

"My team is checking on me. You're one hell of a distraction; no wonder they're asking whether I'm okay."

"It's nice that you have a team which cares so much about you."

Phil turned his head, noting the bitterness in his soulmate's voice. "Your team cares about you, too."

"You haven't even met my team," he replied.

Suspicious, Phil slipped his phone into his pocket, having sent a quick reply to say that he was still alive.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Hi." The man – it wasn't Steve Rogers, was it? – shook Phil's hand. "I'm Johnny Storm, one quarter of the Fantastic Four. If we're even still that, considering…" He shrugged it off, and smiled at Phil. "So what's your name?"

"…Phil Coulson."

"Huh. I recognise the name." His eyebrows furrowed, and Phil looked at his feet, now feeling incredibly embarrassed. "Wait. Coulson. Something to do with the Avengers, am I right? You… you thought I was Captain America, didn't you?"

"The Avengers think I'm dead, hence my first words to you," Phil said, glancing at Johnny's face. "I wasn't expecting to see any superheroes at all, and I thought they'd finally caught up to me. Not an unreasonable assumption. I wasn't expecting…" He touched his lips, and he could feel how hot his cheeks were. "I should've known something was up. Captain Rogers wouldn't have jumped me like that. You and I have never met, though I remember hearing something about the resemblance."

"I haven't met the good captain yet," Johnny said. "But I've seen comparisons online."

"Sir, what's going on?"

Phil twisted around to look at Hunter. "My soulmate. Johnny Storm."

"The Human Torch?" Hunter said, eyes widening. He held out a hand, and Johnny shook it. "Pleasure to meet you, mate. You coming with us?"

"I think we can afford to spend another night here, if HYDRA doesn't find us first," Phil said. Johnny stepped up closer behind him.

"If they do, I'll fry `em for you," he said. "Just say the word."

Remembering 'Scorch', the first time they'd heard of Raina, Phil had to suppress a shudder. His soulmate was a fire-wielder; he couldn't be put off by a few bad memories.

"Thank you," he said.

"They're not getting my soulmate, even though you thought I was Captain America while I was kissing you. I guess we'll have to try again now that you know who I am."

Hunter arched an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"I'll tell the others, then?" he said.

"No, we'll join you," Johnny said. "If that's okay with you, Phil?"

Like he could stop it. Like he wanted to. "Absolutely fine."

After Fury had mentioned something to Tony about a friend not being as dead as they'd thought, the billionaire had gotten stuck into finding out whatever he could, see whether it was their mutual friend, the one they'd all fought for when they thought…

Suffice to say, Tony was able to track him down, although it was Steve who led the way into battle when he saw what was happening. The Avengers had barely any interaction with SHIELD as they fought off the wave of attackers coming from one side, while Phil Coulson's SHIELD took on an ambush from the other. It was over soon, and Steve heard the others chatting on the comms about who should approach the new incarnation of SHIELD first. Sick of the talk and no action, he strode up to Agent Coulson – who, admittedly, wore a tac suit very well – and tapped him on the shoulder.

Coulson turned around, and relaxed when he saw who it was.

"I wasn't expecting you so soon, but I'm glad you're here," he said.

What?

After a surprise like that, Steve could barely speak. His words, the ones which appeared only a handful of days after the battle of New York. Coulson hadn't been his soulmate before, but was it possible…?

Well, there was at least one way to find out. Coulson looked expectant, and his head tilted to the side. As good an invitation as any, Steve figured, so he ducked his head and kissed his probable-soulmate. Coulson – no, Phil, Steve should use his first name – responded with speed and enthusiasm, at least for a few seconds, before he pulled back abruptly, and stared at Steve with what could only be described as horror.

"Problem?" he asked. "I thought it was going pretty well."

"Oh my God," Co— Phil muttered. "This can't be happening. Again?"

"Phil?"

Steve looked over his shoulder, and his jaw damn near dropped when he saw his own doppelganger. What the hell? He was in a tight blue suit, full-body, with a patch on it which had the number four… wait. Was this Johnny Storm? Shit.

"Johnny," Phil said. "I…"

"You thought he was me?" Storm – definitely him, then – walked over to them, and Steve saw a glow at his fingertips.

"Well, you have a habit of swooping in and kissing me," Phil said. "And I wasn't expecting…" He glanced around. "The Avengers?"

"You never do," Storm said, and he looked Steve up and down. He opened his mouth, but Phil grabbed his arm.

"There's a simple explanation," he said.

"For Captain America to kiss you without your permission?"

"You know, I could make a pot and kettle comparison right here, right now. What was your first reaction when I said…?" Phil trailed off, and Johnny's eyes widened. He looked Steve over again, but less hostilely this time.

"Are you our soulmate?" he said.

Shit. That could be considered extremely awkward. "Apparently so?" he said.

The sudden kiss from Johnny was surprising, and Steve closed his eyes so it'd feel less like he was kissing his clone. That's the kind of thing Tony would do. He realised immediately why Phil would've known there was something different. Johnny was several degrees warmer than Steve, and his kisses were far from demure. Steve had been a lot more tentative, and with good reason. No wonder Phil had reacted positively; he thought he was kissing his soulmate. His other soulmate, that is.

"You're thinking, which means I'm not doing this right," Johnny murmured against Steve's lips.

"Doin' just fine," Steve said, cheeks heating up. "Surprised, that's all."

"And you," Johnny continued, looking at Phil, who seemed far too distracted. "You have a bad habit of kissing someone while thinking it's someone else."

"At least I worked out it was the wrong person much sooner this time," Phil said.

"You'll have to kiss Steve again, now that you know he's not me."

"I guess so," he said, sighing as his gaze ran up and down Steve's body. "What a chore."

"And such a chore for me to watch," Johnny added, leaning on Phil's shoulder. Steve heard a clicking and whirring sound, and noticed that Phil's left hand was robotic. When did that happen? "Better get it over with."

"If it's alright with the captain," Phil said. Steve blinked rapidly, and realised they were waiting for an answer.

"Yes," he blurted out. "As long as I can watch… the two of you as well."

"DC, is your other soulmate Steve Rogers?" a young woman said over the comms.

"Mmm-hmm."

"Lucky son of a bitch," someone else added.

"May!" Phil hissed. "Super-hearing, remember? And since when do you swear?"

"Or say much at all?" Johnny said. Steve felt out of place, and waved half-heartedly at his fellow Avengers, who were all waiting nearby. They probably wanted to talk to Phil as well, those who'd known him before.

"Steve, why don't you tell your people to rendezvous with my team?" Phil said, pointing towards another group. "Maybe they can help clear up while we talk?"

"Good idea," Steve said, and he swiftly relayed the instructions while Johnny crowded closer to Phil, who leaned into his warmth. He stuttered a bit when his soulmates rubbed noses, the scene so tender that he didn't know whether he had any right to invade it, no matter what Fate said. But after he was done, Phil held out a hand, and Steve took hold.

"I think the three of us need to have a long talk," Phil said.

"Kissing first," Johnny said. "Priorities here, okay?"

He rolled his eyes, but nodded. "I agree. If you have no objections, Steve, may I kiss you now, without the issue of mistaken identity?"

Steve nodded eagerly.

Ship was requested by ozhawk, and V-bird suggested a story where Phil is kissing Johnny, under the impression that it's Steve he's kissing. It turned into this. I hope it wasn't absolutely terrible, but I haven't done as much writing and posting lately as I ought to have done, so I'm trying to make up for it. I've been working on a couple of WIPs, which I don't want to post until I've finished them.

Please review!