Mack dropped down onto the familiar sofa with a tired sigh. Once again the world had been under threat and once again they didn't know it. They didn't know that SHIELD had swept in and saved the day. They didn't know that he had been pulled into the madness that the world now had to offer. And even though they had been outmatched, and outpowered, they had still managed to win.

For a time there he had been sure that he was done for, sneaking around a ship full of inhumans with god knew what power, trying to stop them with only Skye...Daisy to back him up, and not able to trust 100% that she really was on their side in this, feeling for her as she realised that she was going to have to fight against her mother, her people, people she had made friends with.

And now he was back in the Playground, surrounded by SHIELD, and he had the feeling that he didn't really want to leave. He had not been sure about Coulson, the whole alien thing made him worried, made him twitchy, and even though the Director had seemed in control of himself since locking Skye...Daisy away in the cell and escaping to try and find the other survivors of the Tahiti project, he had been so unsure, so lost and...and Fitz, the way Fitz looked at him, or wouldn't look at him, the silence and the cold shoulder. He just couldn't.

But then they had been there in the room, and Fitz had been so bright and alive, sassing him and teasing him, he had been laughing with him. They had worked together, they had fought together. They had saved Coulson together after Mack had been forced to chop his arm off. And Mack had felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest.

So, of course, he had done something very very stupid.

"Hey, you look like you have just had the worst day of your life," Hunter grunted flopping down next to him.

"How's Bobbi?" Mack asked deflecting. Hunter looked exhausted.

"She will live. It's going to be a long road, and she is not going to like the amount of rehabilitation that she is going to need. But she will be good," Hunter grinned tiredly before frowning. "Ok, what was that?"

"What was what?" Mack huffed staring down at his hands. He knew exactly what Hunter was referring to.

"That look on your face, what did I say?" Hunter asked confused. Mack would blame the bone crunching exhaustion that he was currently feeling for his choice to blab.

"Rehabilitation, it reminded me of Fitz," Mack sighed.

"Ohhhh," Hunter drawled making Mack turn his head to glare at him.

"What?!"

"Nothing, so what has happened now?"

"Nothing," Mack scowled slumping further into the seat of the sofa.

"Your face says differently,"

"My face says nothing,"

"It says it all, you think you did something stupid, so go on what did you do?" Hunter asked brightly.

"What makes you think I did something?" Mack objected.

"I like the kid, I really do, and if I didn't know that you would rather chop off your own hand than hurt him I would be threatening you right now. As it is, what did you do?" Hunter pressed.

"You heard then?" Mack sighed.

"About you chopping off Coulson's hand? Yeah, the whole Playground knows. Bit of an extreme way to deal with your boss issues but hey," Hunter snickered.

"Wonderful," Mack whined.

"So, stop trying to put me off, what happened?"

"We...we were fighting the teleporter, me, Coulson and Fitz. And...and he was talking to me again, laughing and joking, he was bantering and we were...were...we...we were..."

"Fitzmack?" Hunter grinned.

"You guys really need to get lives," Mack glared. "Yes, we were Fitzmack again. We got Coulson sorted and onto the quinjet, and we were talking and...and we were good and he just, he looked so...and he was so...and we were so...and I..."

"Oh god, what did you do?" Hunter was staring at him open-mouthed, clearly, this wasn't just another round of basic angst, this was full blown.

"I kissed him!" Mack groaned slamming his arms over his eyes as he felt his face burning.

"Oh wow...like a peck on the cheek or..."

"French kiss," Mack muttered. "In front of everyone...Coulson blushed,"

"Oh wow! Wow, yeah ok, you...what did he do?" Hunter asked tentatively.

"Nothing," Mack whined.

"Nothing?"

"Well, he kind of windmilled his arms around a little. Then stared. Like the whole journey back," Mack slumped, dropping his arms and stared at the ceiling. "Didn't say a word to me,"

"Oh mate," Hunter patted his shoulder.

"Such an idiot, I thought that...but then we got back and he went straight to Simmons, and..." Mack felt mortified as he realised his eyes were prickling.

"You know, after the whole spy revelation thing here with you and Bobbi, he really did not want to see you, didn't want to look at you or talk to you, didn't want to be in the same room as you, or the same building," Hunter said cheerfully.

"Wow, thanks, I feel so much better!" Mack rolled his head to glare at the British man.

"Kind of like how I was with Bobbi," Hunter finished.

Mack stared at him for a few beats before hope popped into his expression.

"You think..."

"I think its because of how much he likes you, and how he likes you, that cause the reaction he had," Hunter nodded. "Just give him time, you did kind of spring that him,"

"Thanks, man," Mack grinned sheepishly.

"No problem, relationship guru that's me! Now I had better head back before she wakes up again, even in a cast she's bloody scary," Hunter hopped to his feet, waving over his shoulder as he strolled away.

Mack slumped to the side, dropping onto his front with a groan. His mind was spinning even more now trying to figure out if Hunter was right, if he had a chance, he was fighting with the thought that he really did not want to go, he didn't want to leave this behind, he didn't want to leave his friends behind, he didn't want to leave Fitz behind. Even Coulson he had a hell of a lot of respect for him after seeing the way he handled everything that had happened today.

And he couldn't stop his brain from thinking about what was happening with Fitz and Gemma in that room his scientist had dragged them into when they got back to base.

He was just about to finally doze off, everything catching up with him, when a body dropped down on top of his making him start more than a little. But then a familiar arm wrapped in a familiar cardigan with a familiar freckled hand with a slight tremor to it wrapped over his shoulder, and a face was pressed between his shoulder blades as a heart-stoppingly familiar scent washed over him.

He closed his eyes as Fizt wiggled a little to get comfortable, and then he was lying stretched on top of his, cuddling into him. He could feel his socked feet tucking between his legs, always bloody freezing, and then he settled and let out a sigh of what could only be called contentment against Mack's shirt, his curly hair tickling the back of Mack's neck.

The taller man closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of Fitz, concentrated on the feeling of his warm body against his own, the feeling of him snuggling close. He was sure what this was, he knew what he hoped, and what it indicated. But you could never be sure with Fitz.

He didn't want to disturb him and stop this, he didn't want him to move every from where he was snuggling with Mack like he was a giant teddy. But he had to know.

"Tur...Fitz?"

"You will shove your tongue down my throat, but you won't call me by my...my...my..." There was an annoyed huff and then a finger poking him repeatedly in the shoulder.

"Nickname?" Mack offered.

"That's it," Fitz nodded against his back getting comfy again.

"Do I need to apologise for kissing you?" Mack asked softly into the fabric of the sofa.

"Well, probably for the way that you did it. It took me twice as long to get back here with everyone being...being...being..."

"Nosy?"

"Annoying," Fitz huffed pulling an involuntary chuckle from Mack. "Even May and Andrew stopped me to ask what was happening!"

"That would have been slightly horrific," Mack huffed in sympathy.

"I thought he was about to pull out the bad touch doll and ask where you had been touching me!" Fitz whined.

"Nowhere I really wanted to," Mack murmured and felt Fitz tense against him. "Sorry,"

"How long?" Fitz asked quietly, his breath brushing against Mack's ear tantalizingly as he shuffled on top of Mack.

"A while," Mack answered. There was silence where Fitz was clearly waiting. "I think it started with the undercover mission to get the painting...definitely after the alien city,"

The silence was once again deafening and he could practically hear Fitz' brain turning over. It was agonising, and not being able to see the scientists face made it even worse, he could normally get a fairly good read from the other if he could see his face.

He held his breath when Fitz slid a little further up his back and pressed his face against Mack's neck, sliding his hand down to link their fingers together. Fitz was very tactile and he liked human contact, especially after months of everyone tiptoeing around him, so they had never really had boundaries between them especially considering how madly gone for Fitz he had been and every bit of contact he could get was heaven. But this was different, this felt different.

"I think for me it was when you looked at me and saw me, you didn't treat me like I was damaged to broken. Kind of a...a...slippery slope after that," Fitz confessed softly.

Mack twisted around so fast Fitz squeaked, but Mack held onto him firmly, not letting him fall, and quickly had him settled against his chest, their hips resting comfortably together as he bracketed the smaller man between his legs. He was too busy searching over Fitz's face to really take in the feeling of him pressed against him so intimately though. The Scot had a small, shy smile, but his grey eyes were bright and happy, and hopeful.

"What about Simmons, you and her today..." Mack asked nervously, but he could not stop himself from reaching up to touch Fitz's pale cheek, smiling at the contrast between the size of his hand.

"She...she spoke before we left and indicated that she would be interested in...in...us. I needed to speak to her first. She was...sad but happy for me, us,"

"And how do you feel about her?" Mack asked nervously.

"I love her, I always will, but I'm not in love with her anymore. I am not the man I was. And she is not the woman I fell in love with. We're different now, and I want different things. I want you," Fitz said firmly.

It felt like the air had been punched out of Mack's lungs at those words and he closed his eyes breathing deeply, letting the words wash over him.

"Is that ok? You...you..still..you...you..me...you..." He had clearly waited too long to respond because he could feel the nerves in Fitz voice and the way he couldn't quite grab onto his words again.

"Want you, desperately, always, so much," Mack grinned opening his eyes.

"Good, that's good!" Fitz nodded. He took a breath and then the next thing his lips were on Mack's and he was kissing the living daylights out of the other man.

Mack's brain blanked out, and if he had thought having his lips on Fitz earlier was amazing, the feeling of him actively chasing every single taste, noise and feeling he could pull from Mack was mind-blowing. His lips were as skilled and as talented as his hands and brains were, and Mack could feel himself melting underneath him. Though going by the mewling and groaning that Fitz was making as he clutched Mack's shoulders, he was enjoying himself as well.

"Your shoulders..." Fitz groaned before sliding his hand down and under Mack's vest, stroking clever fingers over his stomach, feather soft and teasing up his side until he could grip onto his shoulder tightly.

"You don't just want me for my body do you Turbo?" Mack grinned against his lips, tugging him in for another few quick kisses.

"It is pretty...pretty...pretty..."

"Fine?"

"No,"

"Strong?"

"No! No...its...its...fucking hot!" Fitz grinned pleased that he had found the words. Mack blinked before he burst out laughing, tugging Fitz in for another deep, consuming kiss.

"What the...oh my god!" Daisy squealed and raced back dragging half the team with her, each of them peering around corners and over the counters to see the two making out like teenagers on the sofa. Even Coulson was there, his arm in a sling grinning dopily from the drugs he was on.

"Does this mean we get to keep Mack?" Daisy asked brightly.

"I would like to see him try and leave Fitz now," May snorted, motioning to where Fitz seemed to have managed to develop 10 hands and was making a determined attempt to stroke, pet, caress and grope EVERYWHERE.

"You do realise we're being watched right?" Mack muttered against Fitz's lips.

"They will get bored eventually," Fitz whined when he tried to pull further away, chasing his lips.

"No we won't!" Jemma called from behind her counter where she was hiding with Tripp, Daisy and Andrew.

"Take some clothes off, please!" Daisy wolf whistled.

"Erm...is it always like this?" Lincon asked bemused wandering passed the door and spotting them all.

"No!" Coulson said quickly standing up.

"Yeah, it pretty much is," Hunter laughed as he turned his phone video off, finsihing the recording he had taken for Bobbi. She was going to be gutted she missed this.

"Please still join my super team!" Phil whined.

"Ok, back to medical with you. He is on like the super morphine!" Jemma laughed embarrassed.

"It's tingly!" Coulson nodded.

"You had better hope that it is still in effect when Clint gets here sir," Fitz snorted as he dragged Mack from the sofa and towards the door. The big man blinking confused at the sudden change and the tugging.

"Clint...Hawkeye?" Hunter asked confused.

"Yeah, he is going to kill you!" Jemma patted Coulson commiseratingly.

"Why?" Tripp asked slowly.

"My husband quite liked my fingers, says I have magical hands," Coulson sighed sadly looking at his sling.

"H...husband?!" Mack squeaked. "Hawkeye is your husband!?"

"Yeah...didn't you guys know?" Fitz frowned looking at the stumped faces.

"NO!" Mack yelped. "I cut his hand off!"

"Don't worry, Clint likes me, he won't hurt you as long as you stick with me," Fitz grinned.

"Tis true," Coulson sighed nodding. "I would be worried that they were having an affair except I know Clint likes older men and Fitz likes men who are well.." He motioned up and down Mack drawing a few more amused looks.

"Man mountains?" Jemma offered teasingly.

"Man hunks?" Daisy grinned.

"Big muscled teddy bears?" Jemma snickered.

"Muscled man wonders?" Daisy giggled.

"Big..."

"Eyes forward ladies!" Fitz huffed starting to shove Mack down the hall towards their bunks. "And he is a muscled teddy bear beast!" he called over his shoulder.

The laughter that errupted from Mack made them all smile. That deep rumbling laugh had been absent for too long, Fitz's chuckles joining in before the door slammed shut drew more than a couple of dopey grins.

Though May did wander away to collect her entire gun and knife...and general weapon collection to clean in the main room for when Mack and Fitz emerged. Would do any harm to remind Mack that Fitz was watched over.