Steve's breaths where ragged and his eye lids felt heavy. As he listened to the rush of ocean below him he inwardly questioned how long it would take the freezing water to fill the plane and take him over. Part of him wished it would come faster to at least dull the pain.

As he lay there, waiting for the inevitable, his mind drifted to his soul mate. Guilt dragged a couple tears from his eyes as he thought about that person and how they would go through life without their one true partner. He regretted never having met them but remembered that he tried.

Every since he was a sick little child in bed he tried to reach out to his soul mate. He would draw and write everyday, pictures, letters, contact information. He's been trying for almost 20 years and never once got a response.

He remembered sitting in bed, panicking every time a fit of coughing ruined his artwork. He could recall crouching in the trenches, watching as his fellow soldiers would scribble what could be their last messages to their partners. He remembered wondering if his soul mate liked his drawings. He thought, even now, if his soul mate would care if he died, if they ever cared at all.

Steve knew he should be mad but couldn't find it in himself to, at least not in this moment. So instead, just as the water was reaching his level, he took out the pen he constantly had on him from being both and artist and a desperate soul mate, and wrote one last message on his left arm.

"I'm sorry." The women of the week read allowed, taking a moment out of her devouring of Mr. Stark. "What's that for?"

"It's nothing, ignore it." Tony ordered a bit harsher then intended. This was the one part about sex he didn't like, the fact that he had to take his top off, at least most of the time.

Thankfully this woman, whatever her name is, was kind enough not to push like some people and went back to the moment at hand. Though, to be sure, that when she passed out an hour later, Tony was out of bed and slipping into a full length shirt like always but not without the quick snarl at the apology.

He hated that mark, hated his soul mate. It was bad enough that Tony was born with a vague apology written on his arm, but his soul mate never had the decency to wash it off. What the hell was his soul mate trying to pull? To what advantage was it for either of them to never write anything to Tony but that one solitary statement that never went away.

Tony had tried so many things in his life from attempting to write to his soul mate to trying to find them and forcing them to take a bath. Unfortunately all he could do was cover it up but it was always there, as if mocking him.

Tony had grown to despise the mark, not just for the inconveniences, but for what it meant. Not just what it literally said, though Tony did question what his soul mate was apologizing for, but also that it was all he had. It was bad enough that his father wanted nothing to do with him but to have his soul mate, the one person that was supposed to love him through anything, no matter who he was, also reject him, it was devastating. Not that he would admit that.

No, instead Tony told the world that he did not give a damn about his supposed soul mate. That destiny had no right or privilege of deciding who he was going to sleep with. And even though the freedom was nice, it couldn't save him from the lonely nights where he would sit in his workshop with an empty bottle and countless drawings and words all over his skin waiting for a reply.

"How are you feeling?" Bruce asked the man he and the team had just fished out of the water.

"Cold." Steve said honestly, shaking in his still soaking Captain American uniform despite the two blankets wrapped around him snugly.

"Hopefully we will arrive soon."

"Where are we going?" Steve asked.

"To my closest mansion." Came a slightly robotic voice. Steve turned to the man in the armour that had been tapping away at a screen for the past 5 minutes. "There you can get a change of cloths, have a nice warm bath, and then we will look you over." He explained.

"Thank you." Steve said with a light smile to which he only received a nod as far as he could tell though the suit.

Bruce opened his mouth, about to speak, but froze. He then turned his hand over and gazed down at his palm.

"Natasha says we will be arriving soon." He announced which gained another nod from Tony but a curious gaze from the blond. "My soul mate." He said, raising his palm for the older to see. "She's the red haired woman that you met before."

"Oh." Steve said simply, expression growing grim as he hung his head.

"Are you alright." Bruce asked again, ready to give any assistance he could.

"Ya, I just..." Steve gazed down at his arm, though it was covered by several layers. "My soul mate's probably dead."

"I know the feeling." It was out of his mouth before Tony could really think about it and he quickly regretted it. Before Steve could say a word, Tony slipped out of the room with a quick mumble that he had 'something to do'. Steve didn't attempt to follow nor did Bruce.

The rest of the trip was almost silent but once they arrived it got a bit more lively. Tony was quick to lead the way, a confidant and slightly intoxicated smile on his lips. He made jokes and explained a few things, keeping a light mood that contrasted with how Steve last saw him.

Steve didn't fight it though, finding the younger amusing and on the virge of cute as he showed of his mansion with so much pride he was practically glowing. Tony on the other had couldn't help but chuckle at the American hero, shuffling around his home in two blankets and being amazed at things the billionaire found common.

Eventually though they arrived at one of many spare bedrooms and Tony left Steve to take care of himself. Steve made a bee line for the bathroom, taking a quick glance at the pile of shopping bags left on the bed that where apparently new clothing for him. He quickly disrobed and hopped into the shower, moaning when he was hit with hot water.

He stood there idly for a minute, simply enjoying the warmth before getting to work. The first thing he spotted however was the words on his arm. He was a bit surprised that they had survived the 70 year sleep with him, but was mostly heart broken.

Then again, with the fact that his soul mate never responded to anything he wrote or drew, he would not be surprised if his soul mate lived a full life without him. Though he may have been left behind, Steve actually hoped that that was the case, that his partner could have at least found happiness.

So, with a tired sigh, Steve began to wash away the note.

Tony watched in both astonishment and horror as the words faded. He shook not only from the fact that he had dropped his bottle of vodka and his foot was now bleeding a bit, but of panic.

For a moment he was elated to see the mark fade.

It was finally over, he could go on and live his life without having to think about it.

But that only lasted a few seconds before realization kicked in.

His soul mate had never written or erased any mark since he was born, which meant they where older then him by a fair bit. And there was a 90 year old beef cake that had been asleep all of Tony's life having a shower two doors down.

Oh god.

Steve pouted down at his arms, annoyed that the pen mark seemed to be determined to stick around. Then again it had been printed on him for the past few decades so it made sense that it would take some serous scrubbing. Just as he was about to grab more soap, Steve was distracted by the sound of the bathroom door being flung open.

He was about to enquire what was wrong when the shower curtain was suddenly ripped open. Instinctive Steve covered himself, cheeks quickly turning scarlet.

"W-what..." He started but then noticed the shocked but also teary eyed expression on the youngers face. Steve then noticed the way Tony griped his arm and quickly recognized the faded words.

"We need to talk."

I feel like this story started off sad then just turned silly with Tony bursting into the bathroom.

Part of me wants to make this longer, go more in depth about what it would be like to live life they way they did. But I couldn't bring myself to write scenes that just repeated that same thing I said but with a lot more words.

I also considered dragging out Tony and Steve realizing it was each other, but then I though that no mater what, it would be obvious and Tony and Steve aren't stupid.

Hope you liked it anyway. ^^