Mack/Delaney
“Agent Evans.”
Delaney looked up from her work, not surprised to see Hill standing in the middle of her lab. She sighed and removed her glasses. “It’s Dr. Evans now, Maria. You know that.” Ever since SHIELD fell, Fury had demoted her from a Level 7 agent to the Avengers’ babysitter.
“You’ve been reassigned. The Director of SHIELD wants to bring you back into the fold.”
Delaney stood up and walked across the lab. “What should I tell Stark?” She was beginning to feel a surge of excitement, finally able to ditch the labs.
Maria cocked her head before answering. “Your sister’s pregnant, isn’t she? Tell him the baby came early, you need a few weeks off.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Delaney had barely set foot inside the Playground before she was approached by a young woman whose demeanor just screamed ‘agent’. “I assume you’re the medical expert Coulson’s recruited?” Her tone was somewhere between business-like and intimidating.
Delaney smiled politely. “Delaney Evans. I was reassigned, actually. Former babysitter and medical expert for the Avengers.”
The woman quirked an eyebrow. “I hear that’s too big a job for any one agent,” she said. “Daisy Johnson.”
Delaney huffed out a laugh. “Stark was a bit much sometimes, but I learned to deal,” she said. “Though I do miss my toys.”
Daisy gave her a little half-smile. “We’ve got some fun toys, too,” she said, gesturing for Delaney to follow her. “Come on, let’s find you a room.”
Daisy visibly thawed as they walked, Delaney doing her best to be friendly and put the young agent at ease. She paused at the first vacant room she saw, peeking inside. It was simple: a queen sized bed, a dresser, nightstand, and closet. “What about this one?”
Daisy laughed. “Trust me, you don’t want that one,” she said before pointing at the one next door. “That’s Hunter and Bobbi’s room. They’re soulmates, get pretty loud.”
Delaney barely managed to stifled a giggle. “Point taken.” “This is your room,” Daisy told her, “that door there leads through to medical.” There was one other accommodation room between Delaney’s and the medical wing; she pointed at it curiously.
“Whose is that?”
Daisy hesitated being answering. “Jemma Simmons. She’s our biochemist. Missing in action.”
It was just then that the door to Jemma’s room opened, a young man standing in the doorway.
“Fitz, this is Delaney Evans, the medical expert Coulson brought in. Delaney, this is Fitz, our engineer,” Daisy introduced.
Delaney couldn’t help her frown as Fitz mumbled a greeting before heading down the hallway, nose buried in a manuscript he had been carrying.
“He’s a bit distracted. With Simmons gone…” Daisy trailed off.
Delaney nodded, not needing to know more. She could see that Fitz cared for this Simmons deeply, enough to be lost without her. “Right. I’ll just unpack and meet you in the lounge?”
Daisy smiled. “Sure. You want anything to eat? Mack’s out on a food run.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“Who ordered the cheeseburger and the chocolate shake?”
Delaney up glanced up at the man, Mack, from her position leaning against the Playground’s kitchen counter. She set aside her tablet, glad to have a break from her new team’s medical files. “Put it on the table, will you? I gotta finish this up real quick.”
Delaney barely had time to blink before he hastily left her food on the table and bolted down the hall. She felt reluctant to move, as all of a sudden it felt like everyone was staring at her. “Is it just me, or does he do that to everyone?” she asked, completely baffled.
“Mack’s cool once you get to know him. Go be friendly, Delaney. You’ll probably find him playing X-Box,” Coulson suggested before taking a sip of his drink.
Might as well see what’s got him spooked. Having made up her mind, Delaney scooped up her burger and shake and headed off in the direction he had went.
Coulson had been right about Mack hiding out with his X-Box. She didn’t say anything at first, only watched. He was completely zoned in on his game, not realizing she was there until she propped her hip up on the back of the couch. “Don’t want to talk, Bobbi,” he said.
Delaney nearly fell over the back of the couch in shock. She tried to find the strength to keep calm, but she couldn’t keep a handle on her brain-to-mouth filter. “You’re the reason why I'm named Delaney Annabelle Roberta Evans! My parents had my name all picked out and then I was fucking born with that on me and you thought you were talking to someone else?!”
Mack stared at his soulmate in shock for a few moments before: “Oops?”
Delaney raised her eyebrows. “Oops? I had to deal with being ‘Bobbi’ for eighteen years and all you have to say is ‘Oops’?”
Mack looked at Delaney rather sheepishly. “Sorry about that,” he said.
Delaney looked Mack over properly. He was extremely tall, taller than Steve even. “So, are you going to kiss your soulmate or what?” she asked. No matter how much her soulmark had annoyed her growing up, she couldn’t bring herself to stay angry.
Mack didn’t need to be asked twice. He grinned and patted the couch cushion next to him. “Why don’t you come down here and find out?”
Delaney giggled and swung her legs over the back of the couch, sinking down next to him. She reached across him to set her food down on the end table and yelped as she found herself pulled into his lap and blushed, realizing their very compromising position. “Now, how about that kiss...” she trailed off as one of his huge hands settled against her lower back, the other hovering over her hip as she relaxed and leaned towards him.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hunter wandered back into the kitchen, blinking rapidly.
“That bad?” Daisy asked, not even trying to conceal her scowl as she passed Bobbi ten dollars.
“...no one wants to use the lounge for a while, trust me,” Hunter said. “Apparently, they’re soulmates.”