Chapter Text
Brooklyn 1930-something
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“D’ya think we’re soulmates, Buck?” Seventeen year old Steve asked idly, his small feet hanging off the edge of Bucky’s bed, kicking at the air. “Like real soulmates?”
“Why ya ask?” Bucky stopped halfway to putting his shirt on, looking over at his best friend in surprise. “What brought this up?”
“Jus’ thinkin’.” Steve shrugged. “My parents are soulmates y’know? Mom always says it’s because her and dad were best friends. Aren’t we best friends?”
“Course we are.” Bucky frowned. “That don’t mean we’re soulmates.”
“You don’t wanna be my soulmate?” Steve asked, and his voice got quiet. “No, I guess not.”
“Damn.” Bucky swore and flopped onto the bed next to him, nearly bouncing Steve’s ninety pound frame onto the floor. “Don’t do that, Stevie. It’s not that I don’t wanna be your soulmate. I’m jus’ not.”
“Well how do you know?” Steve challenged, dark blue eyes sparking. “They say you don’t know till you kiss someone and we’ve never kissed. You don’t know we’re not soulmates.”
“What, Stevie, you wanna kiss me?” Bucky teased, but was taken aback when Steve flushed a deep red and looked away.
“Forget it.”
“Hey, hey come on.” Bucky reached for his friend and turned him onto his side easily. He had at least fifty pounds on the blond and even though he never used his strength to make Steve feel bad, he definitely used it to force the stubborn kid to listen.
“You know I don’t care about… about all that.” Bucky said with a short shrug, and Steve turned even redder. “You wanna kiss and see if we’re soulmates, let’s kiss.”
“Forget it.” Steve mumbled again and tried to move off the bed. “I’m gonna go.”
“You’re not gonna go.” Bucky argued and grabbed at his arm. “Come on, Stevie.” He toppled the smaller kid onto his chest and with a quick roll, pinned Steve to the bed and leaned over him. “Gonna kiss you real nice, alright? Let’s see bout this whole soulmate thing.”
Steve was trembling a little even as his hands came up to grab at Bucky’s biceps. Bucky hated how weak the grip was, hated how hard this last winter had been on his friend.
“You alright?” He asked again, and Steve nodded quickly. “Alright, Stevie, come here.” Bucky dropped his head and gave the blonde a gentle kiss, licking at his bottom lip until Steve opened wide beneath him with a desperate little pant. “Easy.” Bucky murmured and kissed him again, longer this time. “There, how’s that?”
“Um.” Steve’s eyes opened slowly and Bucky smiled down at him, brushing some hair off his forehead. “Well, I can see why the dames let you kiss them.” Steve finally said. “You’re real good at that.”
Bucky raised an eyebrow. “And…?”
“And…. nothing.” Steve touched his chest, over his heart where a soulmate mark was supposed to appear. “Nothing.”
“So not soulmates then.” Bucky actually looked a little disappointed. “That was my best kiss, Stevie, if that wasn’t enough to make us soulmates then–”
“–then I guess we’re just best friends.” Steve finished and shoved at Bucky’s shoulder playfully. “So get off.”
“Fine.” Bucky laughed and rolled off, reaching for his boots and making sure Steve wasn’t looking before rubbing at his heart with a grimace. “I got to get to work then.”
“Thanks Buck.” Steve was sitting up again, still looking a little sad. “For tryin’, I guess.”
“Stevie.” Bucky came back to the bed and wrapped his arm around Steve’s thin shoulders. “Stevie one day you’re going to find your soulmate. He’s gonna be wonderful and sweet and at least half as handsome as me and–”
“Half as handsome?” Steve asked shakily. “I bet he’ll be twice as handsome.”
“The hell he will.” Bucky said calmly “But yeah, this soulmate of yours is gonna be great for you. He’ll find you, you just gotta wait. And if he’s not perfect to you, Stevie I’m gonna rip his candy ass apart. But he will be. He will be your whole heart, your entire reason for breathing, because that’s what soulmates are. Our heart. You’ll find him. Maybe just gotta wait a little.”
“Love you, Buck.” Steve mumbled and Bucky squeezed him.
“I’m with you always, Steve. Soulmates or not. Besides, this was your first kiss. I gotta make sure the next punk to kiss ya is just as good.”
“That’s a weird thing to say.” Steve rested his head on Bucky’s shoulder and sighed.
“Weirder than kissing my best friend to check a soulmate bond?” Bucky teased and Steve just blushed again. “I got to go.” Bucky jumped up, grabbing his work things. “Stick around all ya want, Stevie, I’ll be home tonight.”
“Thanks, Bucky.”
Steve glanced up long enough to catch one of those heart stopping winks from those light blue eyes and then Bucky was gone.
Steve flopped back on the bed and placed his hand over his lips. He hadn’t felt anything when Bucky kissed him. His very first kiss, and nothing. Barely even a spark and certainly not the flare that was supposed to accompany his soulmark.
But if it wasn’t Bucky, then who? Who else out there would love him?
He blinked back the tears at the thought of being this lonely forever, and took a deep breath, wincing when his chest hurt.
Whoever his soulmate was, Steve had a hard time believing he would run into them here in Brooklyn.
No, his soulmate might be out there, but he was waiting somewhere far away.
Steve just didn’t know how to find him. And he didn’t know how long he would have to wait.
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New York City, 2010
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Steve woke abruptly, his throat full, Bucky’s name on the tip of his tongue.
He didn’t think he’d ever stop dreaming about him. About his best friend. About that silly kiss. About the way Bucky looked the day he shipped off to war. The way he’d looked when Steve had taken the serum and came charging out to find him and bring him home.
But he hadn’t brought him home.
Because the next memory was always the look on Bucky’s face as he fell, and the cold cold cold as the plane went down, and Bucky might not have been Steve’s soulmate, but his heart hurt everyday like he’d lost one and that was just….
A knock on the door pulled him from horrible thoughts and Steve jumped to his feet.
“Captain.” Maria Hill, looking prim and proper and as put together as always was standing in his hall. “Good morning. Director Fury would like to see you, if you would just get dressed and follow me down to the car.”
“Yes ma’am.” Steve nodded politely. “Would you like to come in and wait?”
“Oh.” In a rare breach of professionalism, Maria’s eyes skated over his bare chest and down to the shorts he had slept in and she smirked a little. “I should probably stay out here.”
Steve’s lips twitched in a smile as he closed the door. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to how much women liked him like this, post serum, post hero status. He enjoyed it, the attention was certainly a far cry from basically being invisible to the fairer sex, but it wasn’t what he wanted. Even men wanted him, soldiers in his unit had always offered discreetly, but he had always turned them down. Not because he didn’t want, that wasn’t the issue at all.
After he has kissed Bucky all those years ago, Steve had decided not to settle for just company. He didn’t want to seek out someone because he was just lonely, he wanted to save it all for his soulmate.
So even when he had kissed Peggy, and hadn’t felt anything, he had pulled away from her, eased away from what could have been something serious. He had explained it all to her, quietly, and she had kissed his cheek and told him she understood and that when he found the one to settle down with, she wanted to be there to celebrate with him.
And then he had put the plane in the ice, and seventy years and a handful of wars later, he had woken up in world he didn’t recognize, and finding his soulmate seemed even more impossible now.
Heading down to the car with Maria, Steve tried to wrestle his thoughts back under control, tried to shift the melancholy expression on his face to something more neutral.
“You’re getting better at that.” Maria commented as they slid into the backseat of the town car.
“Better at what?”
“Better at hiding the panic and all that sadness you carry around with you.”
Steve didn’t know what to say to that, so he just sat back and they rode in silence.
*****************
“So.” Director Fury pressed the penthouse button in the elevator and clasped his hands behind his back. “You are here to meet–”
“I don’t think I’m ready to meet anyone.” Steve interrupted. “Sir. I am still trying to adjust and–”
“It’s been a few weeks.” Fury talked right over him. “You’re adjusting perfectly. You are comfortable with me aren’t you? You should be plenty comfortable with Tony. He’s an asshole, but helpful. A lot like his dad in that regard, or so I’ve heard.”
“Tony.” Steve rolled the name around in his head. “Was his dad someone I would know?”
“Howard Stark. Tony is his only kid.”
“Howard.” Steve tried not to sound blech but couldn’t really help it. “Howard wasn’t exactly my favorite, and if his son is just like him–”
“Howard Stark was a national treasure.” Fury’s voice rose. “He worked on the Manhattan Project, almost singe handedly revolutionized the weapons industry and is directly responsible for the all American, Hydra ass kicking, red white and blue wearing son of a bitch that replaced your measly ass. I’ve seen the before and after pictures. Stark should have won a Medal of Honor for who he turned you into.”
“With all due respect–” Steve started, irritated, but Fury waved him off.
“Calm down. Just stand up straight and play nice with Tony. He might be a pain in my ass but we still want him on our team. If we can get him designing SHIELD weapons, we will be unstoppable. So you will be nice, and charming and put all those good looks to use and secure us a deal. Nothing makes a man feel more patriotic than shaking hands with Captain America.”
Steve kind of wanted to scream, because apparently even after seventy years in the ice, he was still being used for propaganda and bringing people over to their side with showmanship and a flashy smile… but he just bit his tongue and straightened his shoulders and waited for the elevator doors to open.
“Ah, Director Fury.” A tall, slim redhead that reminded him of one of the angels in the windows in his old church greeted them with a pleasant smile. “And of course, Captain Rogers. What a pleasure.”
“Ms. Potts.” Fury responded. “Always a pleasure.”
Steve smiled politely.“Ma’am.”
“Oh it’s just Pepper, please.” she insisted and held out her hand for a firm handshake. “Welcome to Stark Tower, property of Stark Industries. Mr Stark is currently indisposed but I can assure it you it will only be a few minutes and–”
“Is that him?” her perfectly polite speech was interrupted rather loudly by the brunette who was currently vaulting over the back of a big leather couch, headed their way with a big grin. “Is this the Captain? Got to say, big fan.” he held out his hand for Steve to shake. “Big fan. Tony Stark. Heard all about you, maybe geeking out a little to finally meet you and– Fury what? What are you glaring at me for?” He stopped, sounding exasperated, and dropped his hand.
“Stark.” Fury said with a frown. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of you for weeks. Why don’t you ever pick up your phone?”
Steve sent him a surprised look. Fury had just told him they were here to win Tony’s favor and now he was insulting the man?
Tony wasn’t fazed at all, raising an eyebrow and fixing Fury with a mildly irritated look. “Well as I’m told you several time, operating hours are every other Thursday between nine and five so–”
“Oh I think that’s enough of that.” Pepper interrupted smoothly. “How about I take Director Fury to the office and deal with some paperwork and leave you and the Captain to get acquainted. Director Fury, if you would.” With the sort of diplomacy that only came from years of dealing with awkward situations, Pepper steered Fury towards the other room, tossing a scathing look at Tony over her shoulder.
“She’s wonderful, always getting rid of people I don’t actually want to talk to.” Tony waved at Pepper with a grin. “Anyway, back to meeting each other, am I right? Tony Stark.”
He extended his hand again and Steve gripped it firmly. “It’s a pleasure, Mr. Stark. Nice to meet someone else from the Stark fam–” he sucked in a quick breath when Tony squeezed his hand lightly, and sparks shot up his arm. “From the Stark fam–”
Tony’s chocolate colored eyes seemed to darken even more, and a flush rose in his cheeks as he slid their hands further together until his fingers curled around Steve’s wrist.
“I–” Steve couldn’t even put words together, because suddenly the sparks had turned to full on bolts of electricity running through his veins and he felt like he couldn’t let go of Tony if he tried. “What is– What the hell–”
“I’m going to kiss you.” Tony announced. “Right now.”
Steve didn’t even time to take a breath before Tony was in his arms, mashing their lips together in a messy, half coordinated kiss, and ohit didn’t matter how sloppy it was because Steve’s chest was itching, burning, and when he yanked away, Tony had a hand over his own heart.
“Damn it, I–” Steve was shaking his head, ripping the buttons off his dress shirt as he scrambled to look at his skin. “God.”
Scrawled across his skin, in a perfect dark blue was a soulmark, an infinity symbol wrapped into a heart. “Oh-oh-oh.” he felt lightheaded, nearly dizzy. “Christ, look at that.”
“Oh thank god. You have one too.” Tony was breathing hard, rubbing the matching soulmark on his own chest. “I thought maybe you wouldn’t have one. That’s why we had to kiss, I had to know for sure that you were mine. Can’t tell without a kiss.”
“You knew?” Steve asked, voice faint because he was still having a hard time wrapping his mind around…this. “Have you had a soulmark for–for me?”
“Yeah.” Tony was nodding quickly. “Pretty much my whole life. Been yours my whole life. Just been waiting to see if you were mine, too. Wanted to make sure it wasn’t some sort of hero worship or whatever left over from my dad talking about you so much. I mean, it’s definitely hero worship but it’s also this and I can’t even begin to tell you how much–” Tony was rambling, running his fingers through his thick hair and tapping his foot anxiously. “I’ve been waiting so long to meet you, now I don’t really know what to do with myself.”
“So we are– you are–” Steve motioned between them hesitantly. “This is–”
“Soulmates.” Tony eyes were lit, his voice coming hoarse as if he was close to tears. “Soulmates, Captain Rogers. You and I.”
“Steve.” he whispered. “We’re soulmates. Call me Steve.”
“Steve.” Tony breathed. “I’m gonna need to kiss you again.”
****************
“So, I’m sure that while you do have some questions, I can assure you that Mr. Stark will be happy to answer all of them once the contracts are completed and at least mostly signed. You can understand our hesitance to–oh! Oh my gosh!” Pepper prided herself on never losing her composure, but she came very close as they re-entered the living room and found Tony and Steve standing half dressed, bare chested, each with a hand over the others heart, their foreheads pressed together.
“What in the hell?” Fury’s one good eye bulged out. “What are they doing?”
“That’s quite enough, Director.” Pepper was wiping away tears from her cheeks. “We should just be quiet and let them have their moment.”
“But what–”
“Enough Director. You know the way out.” Pepper smiled, but her tone was pure steel and Fury found himself in the uncomfortable position of having to obey the tiny woman.
“Send Captain Rogers back to base when they are finished.” he snapped, trying to regather some of his dignity, but she just waved him off, sniffling quietly.
Tony and Steve didn’t even notice, to wrapped up in staring into each others eyes to care.
“I can feel your heart.” Tony whispered. “I can feel your heart like it’s my own.”
Steve closed his eyes and let the love so obvious in Tony’s words wash over him, his voice cracking when he whispered back,“You aremy heart. I waited forever and I finally found you. My entire heart. My soulmate.”
“Soulmate.” Tony echoed, and lifted his head for another kiss.