Chapter Text
My back slams against the rough brick wall that surrounds the perimeter of my tower, making the girl in my arms giggle.
"Maybe if you opened your eyes we'd get there quicker" she says between kisses, causing me to smirk at her. I sweep her into my arms, JARVIS helpfully opening doors for me. Soon enough we are on my bed, clothes quickly flying off each other. I nip at her neck as she runs her hands up my arms, coming to rest on the thick leather band around my wrist.
"can we take it off? It keeps catching my skin..." she asks, running her fingers over the cool leather.
"sorry, no can do. I haven't even looked at it for years." I tell her, pulling her hand away.
"why? I mean I don't actively cover mine, and its not like I'll be disappointed if I don't see my name or anything." she argues, sitting up.
"Like I said, I don't even look at it. its just personal preference, hun." I tell her, suddenly feeling rather self conscious about it. its just not something I talk about.
"fine." she mutters, leaning back down to continue kissing me. A few minutes later I feel her hand creep back up my arm, her fingers beginning to slip under it.
"what the hell are you doing?" I ask, sitting up.
"I just wanna know what it says - you've made me curious." She tells me with a shrug, as if its not a big deal.
"I get that you are okay with people seeing your mark, but I sure as hell am not." I tell her sharply, standing up to begin pulling on my clothes. I wordlessly chuck her shirt at her before walking down to my lab. on my way I can hear her shouting after me, so I make sure to lock the doors and get JARVIS to kick her out. I shake my hands out, grabbing a bottle of whiskey out of the cabernet and fall down on the sofa.
My father was always mad at me, as if I'd done something to personally offend him. of course I was always aware of the name on my wrist, I'd known what it was from the time I'd learn to read for fucks sake, but it was only when I turned 11 and I had managed to sneak into my Father's office that I finally found out what it meant.
I mean I wasn't stupid - I was always curious as to why I had a dead man's name written on my wrist but my parents had always shut it down every time I asked about it.
No wonder my dad was always mad at me when my soulmate is Steve Rogers.
I mean, he's always wanted to be the most important person in a room - to have the best stories, to be the 'most important person to Captain America' as he calls himself. I mean, even aunt Peg used to tell me that he was spouting a load of horse crap and that the most important person to Steve was Bucky.
anyway, trust me to have a dead soulmate.
as soon as I found out I went to my mum, demanding answers. I remember the conversation so vividly - her explaining that soulmates aren't everything, and that even if someone's your soulmate, it doesn't mean its going to work out.
With a bit of hindsight, I now realise she was talking about my dad. they'd met young - started dating each other in high school because they were 'soulmates', not because of any sort of connection. then the war happened, and Captain America went in the ice, and my dad turned bitter. he resented my mother for sticking around when he didn't, and he resented me for being the last remaining connection to him.
for a long time after that conversation with my mother I idolised the man, I spent my nights dreaming about him, making up stories of how he would save me and blah blah blah what bullshit it all was. I realised that when I turned 17 - I realised that he was dead, my parents were dead, even fucking Jarvis was dead, and I was alone. no need to fantasise over some pipedream. so I spent some time, created a really sturdy leather bracelet to cover the neat red letters, and haven't seen them since.
I have been actively avoiding Steve.
I mean obviously I have. the guy came out of the ice over a year ago, and now his face is plastered everywhere, as if the world is taunting me. haha, the man you used to fantasise about because you thought you'd never have to see his face is alive and everywhere!!
Even the dreams are back. I mean, the never really left - its normal for your soulmate to be a prominent feature in your dreams, but now they're all just about him again. I cannot tell you how infuriating that is.
the most annoying part is, of course, the avengers initiative. Fury has been trying to organise us for months now, and I have no clue how I've managed to hold out this long. I have mainly been barricading myself in my tower. the stocks for Stark Industries are falling because I'm refusing to do interviews in the fear that Steve will see them and hear my name.
a month later, Pepper shows up to drag me to a board meeting, and thats when it all goes to shit, to put it nicely. apparently Fury is really bloody determined and had access to the security cameras all around my tower. a full SWAT team had showed up at my work just in time, ready to drag me off to SHIELD. Pepper - the bitch - just waved as they drove me away, a small smile on her face. She's the only person alive that has seen my wrist. Back when we were dating I was sure we were going to get married, so I offloaded to her about my soulmate. we talked for hours, and 3 weeks later her soulmate showed up out of the blue. I can't blame her for riding off into the sunset with him - she always was a romantic.
"Fury, there were definitely nicer ways to get me to come in than to show up at my work and kidnap me." I say as I walk into the conference room. I'm not going to lie - I did spend 15 minutes outside trying to come up with a way to escape after I hacked into their security feed to find the whole team, including Steve, sat around the large table.
"you do know that not a single person at Stark Industries questioned why they were there. you need to step up your security, Stark." He tells me, motioning at the empty chair beside Natasha.
"Stark?" Steve asks, raising an eyebrow in interest.
"Christopher Stark, Howard's son. Nice to meet you, Captain." I lie taking my seat and gaining myself 4 looks of confusion from the rest of the group. luckily, no one mentioned it. I let out a sigh of relief as my phone buzzed with a text from Natasha.
- You're telling me about this later, 'Chris'. -
I just roll my eyes, slouching back in my seat.
"So, most of you know why we're here. The Avengers Initiative, we're doing it." Fury starts, sitting down in his chair.
"why? has something happened?" Steve jumps in, causing me to roll my eyes at the man. he is every ounce the man my Father made him out to be, and its really pissing me off. Have a flaw for gods sake - kill some children, be violently homophobic, you know, something to make me hate you. Damn soulmate link.
"what has happened is we've managed to grab a hold of Stark." Fury tells him, sending me a dirty look, which just makes me grin wider.
"Wait wait wait - you are honestly asking me to loan my house out? like some fucking B n' B?" I protest, sitting up straight in my chair.
"stop with the dramatics, Stark, you all live all over the place, and your tower is in a very convenient location." Fury tells me.
"Have you considered that I might not want a bunch of randomers living in my house?" I continue, glaring at him.
"yes, and I decided that I don't give a crap. this is happening so deal with it." He tells me, before walking out of the room. I let out a moan, throwing my head over the back of my chair.
"sorry about this, but I guess we have to make the most of a bad situation. do you have any spare keys?" Cap starts, causing me to turn and glare at him. I let out a short laugh, standing from my chair.
"yeah, you're not gonna need a key, my house is run by an AI. really looking forward to living with your perpetual optimism though, Cap. Show up whenever you want, I'll have your rooms sorted." I tell them, walking quickly from the room. Fucking hell I mutter under my breath, running a hand through my hair. Dear god do I need a drink.
- Clint created a group 'what the fuck is Stark up to'. -
C- Now thats over, want to tell me why you are now referring to yourself as Christopher?
T- Not really. Is Steve on this group?
N- I don't think Steve even has a phone, bless him.
T- okay good. don't ask why, but he can't know I'm called Tony.
C- why?
T- for fucks sake Barton, because I said so.
T- if he brings up an Anthony Stark he was my older brother who died from cancer 7 months ago. okay?
B- why would he bring you up? no offence, but I don't think he knows you, dude.
T- just do it, I can't be bothered with you lot.
N- well thats mean.
T- good.
I sigh, placing my phone down on my bed.
"Sir, Captain Rogers has arrived." JARVIS informs me after a moment. of course he would be the first to show up.
"okay just direct him to his room J." I respond. my fingers twitching for something to do. I sit up, quickly making my way downstairs to my lab before pulling up the blueprints of my latest project.