Chapter Text
Peter was a talker, Tony learnt quickly.
After their emotional little conversation in the hotel in Germany and the inevitable crash from both exhaustion and injury on the plane back to the states, the two newly revealed soulmates found themselves sitting in a sleek black car speeding through the suburbs of Queens, lost in a deep and convoluted walk down memory lane. Turns out fifteen years of both knowing and not knowing each other meant there was a lot to catch up on.
And right now, that meant digging up every unsolved -and more often than not, embarrassing- memory attached to their soul guides and finding out the story behind it.
“I swear to god kid, you better not be saying what I think you’re saying,” Tony chuckled as he dragged a hand down his face light-heartedly.
“No, no, I’m serious Mr Stark!” Peter said, a smile lacing his lips as he explained “My friend Ned used the wrong chemical during class and it like- exploded all over us! It was everywhere, so they took us outside and hosed us down in case we didn’t wash it all off in time.”
Shaking his head in amusement, Tony replied “Of course it was something like that. Here I was thinking you’d drowned yourself or something when Buddy came barrelling into my lab that day completely drenched.”
“In all fairness Mr Stark, the number of times I’ve seen Tiger running up the walls at four in the morning reeking of coffee evens it out I think,” Peter added with a smirk.
“You’re a little shit,” Tony said.
Shoulders lifting in a shrug, Peter teased “Guess that’s why we’re soulmates then.”
Tony immediately felt his heart swell at the word. Soulmate. The fact that he could say that now and know exactly who he was talking about was as relieving as it was unfamiliar. And now that the kid was here, Tony couldn’t imagine living a single day of his life without him in it. It was like he was always meant to be there, and the idea that he would be for many years to come filled Tony with such a sense of belonging and purpose and peace that he could let every other horrible thing slide away for just a moment.
So enjoying the slice of serenity, Tony gazed over at Peter fondly as the boy recalled a different memory of Tiger running headfirst into a wall when he was only a kid. They chalked it down to one of Tony’s first attempts with the Mark II suit and Peter got a laugh out of the mechanic’s old stories, before bantering back and forth about other times their soul guides had acted strange throughout the years. Most of the stories were only short, but Tony couldn’t help but smile at the way Peter’s eyes lit up with each retelling.
They didn’t talk about the big things. They didn’t talk about what had happened after the airport battle, or the scars embedded into Tiger’s chest, or the time Tony had held a heartbroken Buddy in his arms and rocked him to sleep through the night. They didn’t talk about the three months Tony spent in Afghanistan, or the blood on Buddy’s hind legs when Tony found the dog hiding beneath his bed at nine years old. The restless nights. The shattered embraces. The brushes with death.
No, they didn’t talk about those things.
But as if sensing his spiralling thoughts, Buddy -who was sitting by Tony’s feet- laid a paw on Tony’s knee with a concerned whine, which sent Peter’s face burning bright red out of the corner of his eye. Tony might have laughed if he didn’t see Tiger coil up to the boy a moment after with an equally comforting purr, making both men look away awkwardly for a moment.
Catching Happy glancing up at him through the rear-view mirror with a knowing smile, Tony sent a sharp glare at the driver until his eyes fell back to the road ahead.
Yes, this whole ‘knowing your soulmate’ thing was going to take some adjusting. Gestures from a soul guide that had once only meant comfort had become a bit more layered now, and for Tony who had hit his emotional limit for the whole year in the last 24 hours, he really didn’t have the capacity to start unpacking it tonight.
But before either of them had a chance to break the tense silence that had fallen upon them, the car screeched to a halt beside a familiar looking apartment block, Happy announcing flatly “Here Boss.”
“Thanks Hap. Keep the engine running, I’ll be back in a minute,” Tony said as he opened the door and stepped outside, smirking at the surprised squeak Peter made as he left.
And as Tony opened the boot of the car he heard Peter offer Happy a short thanks -which was returned with an equally short grunt from the driver- before swiftly following Tony out of the car, watching in surprise as the billionaire unloaded his suitcase from the trunk. Peter was quick to take the luggage out of his hands though as he muttered apologetically “Oh Mr Stark it’s- it’s alright I can take it, really uh, don’t worry about it.”
Tony frowned as if he might argue with the boy, before he released the suitcase with a shrug and replied, “Whatever you say kid.”
Peter smiled at the man and said gratefully “Thanks for dropping me home, and uh, you know… for the ‘retreat’.” He spoke the last words with air quotes, and as much as he was obviously trying to play it cool, Tony could still see the wild excitement flaring up in his eyes.
“Not a problem kid, you did great,” Tony said, pleased to see the flash of pride that crossed the boy’s expression before he added on teasingly “Besides the whole getting knocked out thing, of course.”
Peter’s shoulders visibly sagged. “Mr Stark-“
“Yes I know, you’re sorry, I forgive you,” Tony smirked, throwing his arm around Peter’s thin shoulders as he nudged them towards the building’s entrance. “I swear if I hear you say sorry one more time kid I might actually tape your mouth shut.”
“Sorry,” Peter replied on instinct, before glancing back up at Tony in alarm and squeaking “Sorry! No wait! I mean-“
“I’m gonna stop you right there before you short circuit,” Tony cut in with amusement. He could see Peter’s cheeks dust pink in embarrassment, his mouth opening and shutting as if he might say something, before seemingly deciding that staring at the floor would be a safer option.
Tony practically had to force the laughter to stay locked inside his chest as they entered the elevator, Peter hitting the button for level seven before staring down at the two animals at their feet. Buddy was awkwardly shifting his paws against the floor, whereas Tiger sat right beneath the dog’s nose with a mischievous glint in his eye, occasionally swiping at Buddy’s muzzle to see how he’d react. It was quite amusing to watch at first, but it took both the humans a moment to remember that the only reason they were acting that way was because they were feeling as such.
Suddenly self-conscious, Tony lifted his arm from Peter’s shoulder and returned it back to his side while the boy tried desperately to look more confident than his eyes portrayed. But when the animals glanced up at their human partners they just seemed confused, Tiger even glaring at them both scrutinisingly before turning back to Buddy and resuming their little game.
That’s the thing about soul guides. They played to your emotions, not always to your actions.
Shuffling his feet slightly, Peter broke the silence as he said with a chuckle “It’s kind of weird, uh… seeing him, you know, interact with someone other than me.”
“Yeah… I get that,” Tony replied, his lips twitching into a fond smile when he saw Buddy try to lick Tiger’s face again, causing the cat to duck behind Peter’s legs in defence from the affectionate retriever.
“It’s good,” Peter added warmly. “I’m glad he’s got a friend.”
Tony glanced over at the boy then, his heart swelling with an unfamiliar sense of warmth as he looked upon his soulmate. He wondered if Peter meant his words literally, in that he was happy that Tiger had a friend in Buddy, or if he meant that Tony had a friend in him. It was hard to know what with the both of them trying to adjust to a world where they actually knew the person behind their companion after fifteen long years of being separated. Where their guides were no longer an animal of their own will and nature, but a physical and unfiltered representation of their soulmate. Even just that morning they had both had a few awkward moments where they found themselves naturally speaking to their soul guides, only to remember that the person they should be talking to was sitting right in front of them. It was strange, and Tony couldn’t help but wonder how different it must be for those who had known their soulmate since childhood and were just as familiar with their soulmate as their soul guide.
There was still so much Tony and Peter had to learn about each other, but they would figure it out. Together.
“Hey Mr Stark?” Peter asked timidly as the elevator drew to a stop.
“Yeah kid?”
“What should I tell my Aunt?” he quizzed, stepping out of the elevator as Tiger and Buddy started trotting down the hallway like they owned the place.
“Oh, well, just stick with the intern cover for now,” Tony said with a simple shrug of his shoulders. “A ‘Stark Internship retreat’ is what we called it right? Just keep to that and it’ll be fine.”
“Oh… right…” Peter said, his voice lowered to a murmur.
Tony immediately felt a spike of concern at his tone, glancing over at the boy to see him staring at the ground emptily which only served to confuse the man further. Had he said something wrong? Was he wanting to tell his Aunt the truth about Germany? Was this not the same kid that had adamantly protested and even webbed his hand to a door handle when he even mentioned the possibility of May finding out his identity?
But before he had a chance to ask what was wrong or maybe even check on Buddy in search of any clues, they arrived at the apartment and Peter turned to reach for his keys, the animals disappearing ahead of them without concern for the door. And just when the boy went to unlock it, the door suddenly swung open and allowed an extremely relieved May Parker to ambush her nephew in a hug. Peter returned the embrace with just as much energy though and laughed into her shoulder.
“Miss me already?”
“Of course baby,” she hummed, leaning back for a moment only to press a kiss to his forehead and cause his cheeks to burn bright red again.
“May,” Peter practically whined as his eyes darted towards Tony awkwardly.
May seemed to notice the gesture but still kissed his temple one last time before turning towards the billionaire on her doorstep, a somewhat surprised smile crossing her lips as she greeted “Mr Stark, great to see you again.”
“The pleasure is all mine Mrs Parker,” he replied warmly, patting the flustered boy on the back as he added “Your nephew did an incredible job at the internship retreat. Very impressive kid.”
“That he is,” May praised as she gave Peter’s shoulder a comforting squeeze, cooing “My little genius.”
Peter’s eyes widened comically, staring at his aunt with a mixture of horror and desperation while Tony could only stifle more laughter at the sight. His aunt wasn’t at all phased by his apparent struggle though as she stepped aside and ushered them both in with that same warm smile as the first day they’d met. “Will you be able to stay for long Mr Stark?” she asked as she led them towards the kitchen.
“Unfortunately not this time. I’m just here to deliver your nephew safely, that’s all,” Tony replied, his eyes briefly surveying the living room only to find it empty. Buddy and Tiger must have retreated to Peter’s room instead, he realised.
“Well it’s much appreciated Mr Stark,” May said, pulling what looked like a container of left-over Thai from the fridge as she asked “Can I get you a drink or anything before you go?”
“No thanks. But do you mind if I steal Peter away for a moment? I just need to brief him on the internship dates and such,” Tony asked with his usual amount of charm, thankful when May just shooed them both away with a light-hearted “Of course, of course. Go ahead. Dinner will be ready when you’re finished Peter.”
“Thanks May,” Peter called back warmly before leading Tony towards a familiar looking bedroom. The moment the door was open Buddy was at their feet, excitedly circling the pair while Tiger just sat curled up on the bed and watched as Peter shut the door behind them. Tony moved to take a seat at the boy’s messy desk while Peter pressed his ear against the door, seemingly listening for his aunt even as Buddy relentlessly pawed at his leg for attention. But once he seemed satisfied that May wouldn’t hear them Peter turned towards the dog and playfully ruffled his fur, causing Buddy to bark back in glee.
Tony couldn’t help but smile at the sight. It wasn’t at all strange to see the retriever this happy, but it was strange seeing the same happiness shine through Peter’s expression alongside Buddy for once.
Fur suddenly brushed against Tony’s knuckles though and caused him to jump, turning in shock towards the curious feline that had suddenly appeared on the desk. Tony shifted in his seat awkwardly as Tiger just stared back at him with an equal amount of uncertainty, despite the fact that he was the one to approach the man to begin with. He seemed to be studying him; calculating. It was unnerving to say the least, and Tony couldn’t help but wonder why a cat of all things had to be his counterpart.
But after considering it for a moment, Tony figured he might as well get familiar with his own spirit and reached out towards the cat cautiously, only for his fingers to get swatted away a second later by the suddenly defensive feline. “Hey, watch it!” Tony protested, pointing at the cat with no real threat as he warned “If you hurt me, it hurts you too pal.”
There was an amused scoff from behind him and Tony spun in his chair to face the amused teenager sitting on the bed, Buddy now lying across his legs with a lazy grin on his muzzle.
“Something funny over there?” Tony challenged light-heartedly.
“No, it’s just… wow,” Peter chuckled, shaking his head a little as he answered, “You’re both so alike.”
Tony glanced down at the cat still perched on the desk and smirked, saying sarcastically “You mean majestic? Well groomed? A royal pain in the ass?”
Peter rolled his eyes in typical teenager fashion. “You know what I mean Mr Stark.”
Of course Tony knew what he meant. With Buddy sitting so comfortably on Peter’s lap, soulmate and soul guide side by side, the uncanny similarities between the two were almost impossible to miss. Though their bodies were vastly different their behaviours were all but shared, from the way their eyes lit up like the stars when excited or reflected pain so vividly it almost hurt to look. They seemed so in sync with one another, a perfect projection of the other.
The complete opposite of Tony and Tiger it appeared, considering the cat didn’t even want him close to begin with. Could a soul guide reject its own spirit? Was that even possible?
Tony shrugged the thought off though before distractedly spinning towards the notes scattered across the desk, a confusing mess of math, chemistry and English notes with a few rogue Spiderman scribbles at the corners of the pages. He already knew Peter was smart what with his ingenious web fluid, but when Tony picked up a nearby book to see the words ‘Property of Midtown School of Science and Technology’ imprinted on the cover, he felt his curiosity peak.
“Midtown huh?” Tony asked as he started gleaning over the boy’s notes with renewed interest. “Pretty prestigious place from what I’ve heard.”
“Yeah, it’s uh, it’s a great school,” Peter answered sheepishly, staring down at Buddy as he scratched the dog’s back. “We learn pretty much everything, but I like tech and chemistry the most.”
“Those equations must be pretty easy for you, huh?”
“They’re not too bad. The experiments are fun though,” Peter added fondly.
Tony’s lips tilted upward. “Yeah, I bet those papier-mâché volcanos are real fun Spiderboy.”
As expected, Tony lifted his head to be met with an unamused glare from the teenager, but before Peter could open his mouth to protest Tony asked something that shut him down almost immediately.
“How about you come down to my lab someday and try out some real experiments kid?”
If it weren’t obvious enough by Peter’s awestruck expression, Tony could tell he was floored by the mere fact that Buddy had shot up to his feet in both shock and excitement, his tail wagging relentlessly in anticipation. “Mr Stark I- I… wow, it- it would be an honour,” Peter stammered, too caught up in his own astonishment to realise how his voice had cracked at the end.
Tony shrugged off the boy’s nervous energy and asked casually “You busy on Fridays?”
Peter shook his head numbly.
“Good. You can swing by the tower on Friday then,” Tony said, sharing one last glance with the eerily observant cat by his side before rising to his feet. “I’ll get Happy to pick you up after school, save you the commute. I’m sure he’s got nothing better to do on Friday afternoons anyway-“
“Whoa, whoa wait Mr Stark,” Peter said as he jumped to his feet and left Buddy to anxiously pace the bed in his absence. “Do you mean like- like come over every Friday afternoon?”
“Of course, kid,” Tony replied, before rushing to cover the fluttering sensation in his chest by adding hastily “You know- for the animals’ sake and all. I’m sure Buddy would go stir crazy if he didn’t see you again.”
Peter’s mouth lifted into an innocent smile, and Tony was sure his heart melted at the sight. “Thank you so much Mr Stark, I can’t wait!” he beamed.
“Yeah well, I’ll need your input for when we upgrade the suit and all,” Tony added with a smirk, knowing full well what Peter’s reaction would be before he’d even said it. “There might still be a few kinks in the system so take care of yourself on the streets for the next few days Spiderling.”
Peter’s eyes were as wide as saucers. “I get to keep the suit?”
“Who else would I give it to?” Tony asked, somewhat amused.
“I- I um… wow, I just-… thank you so much Mr Stark,” Peter stumbled, wringing his hands together before he added timidly “Does this mean I’m an Avenger now?”
Tony’s smile immediately dropped. “No.”
“But-“
“You’ve got a good thing going on here kid,” Tony said suddenly, cutting off Peter’s protests as he laid a comforting hand on the youth’s shoulder. “Looking out for the little guy and all that? That’s good. That’s perfect actually. The world could use a lot more of it, if you ask me.”
“But I can make a difference with the Avengers,” Peter countered with painfully pleading eyes.
“You already make a difference kid, you just can’t see it,” Tony sighed. He understood the teenager’s frustration. Truly, he did. But after everything that had already happened- after the unconscious scare at the airport with Peter and witnessing Rhodey hit the ground trapped in a metal tomb and remembering Roger’s hatred fuelled expression as he slammed his shield into Tony’s face over and over and over again-
No, Tony couldn’t bear the thought of Peter being out in the big leagues. He had only just found his soulmate, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to let anyone take him away. Not now. Not ever.
So despite the utter sorrow and disappointment that shimmered through Peter’s young eyes, Tony held his ground and spoke evenly “Stay low for now, Underoos. It’s for the best.”
It was obvious the boy wanted to protest, but when Tony squeezed his shoulder both to comfort and reinforce his point, Peter simply dropped his head in a reluctant nod. Buddy whined softly from the bed in response and Tony felt the teen stiffen beneath his touch, obviously not pleased the retriever had given away his true feelings to the situation.
In Buddy’s defence, Peter was a terrible liar anyway.
But wishing to lighten the mood, Tony lifted his hand from the boy’s shoulder to his untamed head of curls and gave them a quick ruffle. Peter let out an amused scoff in response which Tony counted as a win, before allowing his expression to soften once more at the sight of his soulmate. “Just take it easy for a while kid,” Tony said with a fond smile. “And if a mission comes up that requires a certain web-head, I’ll let you know.”
“Really?” Peter asked, glancing up at Tony expectantly.
Unlikely.
“Sure.”
The light finally washed back into Peter’s face as he smiled up at the man, and Tony felt his gut twist a little in remorse. It’s not that he didn’t want the kid helping out when needed, he just couldn’t bear the thought of losing anyone else. Pepper was gone, Rhodey was paralysed, and the Avengers had all but crumbled beneath his feet. Tony had lost so much in such a short amount of time, and if he were to lose his soulmate too, he didn’t think he could survive.
So putting on a smile and stifling the guilt in his soul, Tony offered the boy one last pat on the shoulder before announcing suddenly “I’d better go. Happy might bite my head off if I make him wait any longer.”
“Right, of course. Thanks again for dropping me home Mr Stark, and I… I guess I’ll uh, I’ll see you Friday?” Peter said, his voice growing uncertain near the end.
“Friday,” Tony confirmed with a smirk. “Oh, and one last thing. Give me your hand for a second?”
Peter tilted his head slightly in confusion but held out his arm regardless, the billionaire pulling out a pen from his pocket before scribbling something down on the boy’s palm like paper. “Mr Stark?” Peter asked quizzically when he had finished.
Tony just tapped the ink on his hand -two sets of numbers Peter would soon realise- and instructed firmly “This is my number, you know, in case of emergency and all that. If you can’t get onto me, call Happy. He’ll handle all the mundane stuff like pickup times and whatever.”
“Oh cool…” Peter breathed, shaking himself from his stupor to add cheerily “Thanks Mr Stark!”
“Don’t mention it,” Tony said before turning towards the dog pacing impatiently on the bed and calling “Come on Buddy, let’s hit the road.”
The retriever jumped down and almost immediately barged into Peter instead, the boy just managing to maintain his balance before Buddy ambushed him with his tongue instead. Peter’s laughter filled the room like sunshine and this time Tony didn’t stop the smile that followed, watching fondly as Peter lowered himself to one knee and smoothed down a curly patch of fur on Buddy’s forehead. Like usual, the dog had far too much pent-up energy to sit still and resorted to shifting his paws restlessly against the carpeted floor.
“Hey, hey, don’t worry,” Peter cooed in a surprisingly calm manor. “I’ll see you again soon, alright? But you have to be a good boy until then. Can you do that?”
Buddy barked in affirmation.
Turning to glance up at Tony, Peter blinked innocently as he said “Hear that Mr Stark? He promised he’s going to be a good dog.”
“Somehow I find that hard to believe,” Tony scoffed.
Peter feigned offence at first, but it was quickly replaced with fondness when he gave Buddy one last scratch behind the ear and jumped back to his feet. Not a few moments later and Tiger came strolling up to the three, just briefly bumping shoulders with Buddy before coiling up to Peter’s leg with a purr. Tony noticed the way Peter ran his fingers down the cat’s back, carefully avoiding the ribs that still ached in Tony’s own chest. First thing Tony was going to do once he got to the tower was take some painkillers. A lot of them.
“I think he’s still a bit sore,” Peter said absentmindedly after a moment had passed, before biting his lip with a flustered little laugh and adding “But you probably knew that already.”
“Afraid so,” Tony replied with a smile. Finding his soulmate may have distracted him from the cracked ribs for a while, but he could feel the pain spreading throughout his chest now with each passing minute.
Peter seemed to be aware of this, flashing a sympathetic -and slightly awkward- smile even as his fingers seemed to twitch in apprehension, like he wanted to move forward. Tony wondered for a moment if this strange behaviour was him trying to initiate a hug, but whatever it was passed after a few more hesitant attempts, resulting in the boy just sticking his hand out in a goodbye handshake instead. Tony couldn’t explain why his smile faltered at the sight.
But gathering his composure with a sharp cough, Tony shook Peter’s hand and said, “See you soon kid.”
“See you Friday, Mr Stark,” Peter replied, his eyes beaming like the stars- like the way Buddy’s did the day he first appeared.
Tony didn’t say anything else as he left the Parker’s apartment. He couldn’t. Because he was almost certain he would break down from the warm, nostalgic sensation swelling in his chest -threatening to choke him under the overwhelming weight of it all- if he did. All he could do was offer a quick wave to Peter and an even briefer wave to May as he paced out the door, Buddy hot on his heels as he all but stumbled into the elevator and leant against the wall for support.
And when the doors slid shut and the elevator started to lower, Tony took a moment to just breathe, and relax, and hold onto that warm, safe feeling in his chest for once. It took him a moment to realise that this strange, foreign thing he was feeling was pure, untampered happiness.
He drew it in willingly. Grasped onto it desperately. And when Buddy nuzzled into his side in concern, Tony just smiled and stroked the dog’s head in reassurance. “I’m good, I’m good,” Tony said, and he meant it this time.
Tony collapsed in the backseat of the car feeling on cloud nine, like the weight of the world had finally lifted from his shoulders and actually allowed him to breathe for once. He hoped it would stay. He wanted it to stay. But the moment the car drove back on the road and he pulled out his phone, he was met with cruel reality once again.
Four missed calls from Secretary Ross. Seven missed calls from Pepper Potts. And one lone message from an untraceable -but still very recognisable- number:
Unknown: What happened to Rhodey
Tony felt something lodge in his throat like a shard of glass. He typed back with shaky hands.
Tony Stark: There was an accident. I’m sorry Carol
It took barely a minute for a reply to come through.
Unknown: I’m on my way
Tony slumped back in his seat, suddenly exhausted again. The weightlessness he had felt from before had all but disappeared and left him with a crushing, icy pressure in his bones. Buddy laid his head on Tony’s leg with a saddened whine, gazing up at him with eyes that were always so aware of his friend’s turbulent emotions. But Tony couldn’t find it in himself to pretend everything was alright. Not for Buddy. Not even for Peter.
He had so much work to do.
Tony prayed that Friday would come faster.