Author's Note: This is a soulmate piece. People in this universe are born with their soulmate's first words to them tattooed in random places in their bodies. Soulmates, are not meant to fall in love with each other at first sight, but are, at the very least, meant to be a perfect match to the other.
She met her soulmate on a humid Monday morning at the Starbucks on fifth avenue. She hadn't purposely wanted to go to that particular coffee shop, but her morning had been shit (for lack of a better term), that she ended up there anyway on her way to an interview.
She'd woken up thirty minutes after she was supposed to be awake to begin with, meaning she had to have a cold shower since her roommates used up all the hot water, and had spilled her first cup of coffee that morning on the meticulously picked silk blouse she had splurged on at a TjMaxx for the sole sake of looking presentable for her interview.
Upon a quick scan of her bank account, she realized that she could either take an Uber to her meeting, and not eat for the next week, or she could take the subway, which she had enough time to do, anyway. She always planned everything with enough time to allow her to ample time to reacquaint herself with public transit.
By the time she made it into uptown Manhattan, the blowout she had paid $15 bucks for the day before was looking more and more like a rat's nest with the humidity, and she was on the verge of making the executive decision to take off the spanks she was currently wearing underneath her black pencil skirt, thigh chaffing and fat jiggling be damned. With an hour to spare before her interview at Stark Industries, she decided to find a Starbucks to get herself her customary black coffee, and review the list of questions she planned on asking the HR representative that would surely be conducting the interview. She doubted she would meet the infamous Pepper Potts until she actually got the job.
While her schedule was back to running on normal, she was still in a rather foul mood. So, when the man in the expensive looking suit blatantly cut in line in front of her, she snapped like she had not snapped in a while.
"Who the actual fuck do you think you are, to cut in line in front of me, bro?" she spit with as much venom in her words as she could, glaring at the man's neck until he turned around and faced her with an amused smile (all nice teeth and wide) and a glint in his eyes.
"I'm Tony fucking Stark, Sugar Plum," he answered, and she could feel her face drain of all color.
It wasn't so much about who he was, but rather who he was to her. She had been born with the exact same phrase he just uttered tattooed onto the inside of her left thigh in chicken scratch that could barely be called writing. Her whole life had been shaped by the phrase.
Relationships were hard to form, since all she could think about was what she would have to say when the person saw the writing on the inside of her thigh. And it wasn't like she even thought that her soulmate would ever be the actual Tony Stark, much less after he had come out to be Iron Man. No, she had always sort of thought that she would meet a man at a costume party and he would introduce himself as such. She would blush, tell him she had been waiting her whole life for him, and then he'd tell her his real name, and that would be it.
The idea that it was the actual Tony Stark that was her soulmate had never truly crossed her mind. Not for more than a few seconds, anyway. But here he was, and here they were, in a crowded Starbucks on a busy, humid, Manhattan morning.
"Right here," he directed her eyes towards the inside of his left bicep, tapping it, "your words have been burned on my skin since I was thirteen."
"I was born with yours," she said, suddenly feeling self-conscious with the idea of drawing his attention towards her thighs. "in a place I'd rather not say…here." She finished when she saw a look cross his eyes.
"Sir?" They were interrupted from their awkward eye contact by the girl behind the counter, who turned her annoyed frown into a smile when she realized who she was talking to.
"Blackest coffee you got. And the lady will have…" he turned chocolate brown eyes to her again, and she replied with the same.
She was broken out of her stupor when he went to pay, and she quickly stopped him. "I have a free drink on my app, and a bit left over from a gift card…" she trailed off, pulling up her app for the girl to scan.
"I could have bought that," he told her as he motioned for the girl to set the coffees on the counter before he grabbed them with one of his disarming smiles thrown carelessly at the girl.
She shrugged, and grabbed one from his hands. "I'm sure," she answered, humming in happiness when she took a sip.
"So, are you a monster before coffee, or…"
"Only when assholes think they can cut in line like you just did," she replied, because while she may be self-conscious about her physical appearance, if there was something she was not, was afraid of speaking her mind. "Seriously, basic human decency and humbleness, dude."
"I'll have you know, I am the humblest person I know," he replied with what could only be described as a pout, walking a bit ahead of her to grab the door for them.
"Then you must hang out with the worst people on earth," she said, settling herself on an empty seat outside the coffee shop.
Tony Stark looked down as she put her bag down and took a seat, humming in contentment when she was able to take another satisfying sip of her drink.
"Take a few laps around the block, will ya?" he called to a man in a black suit, who was leaning against the hood of a slick, black town car. The man frowned and looked like he wanted to protest, until Tony tapped at his left bicep, and the man's eyes widened until he nodded, and drove off.
"I'm gonna sit now," he said, and even though he wasn't asking, the look he gave her made her think that if she told him to get lost he would. So she nodded, and took a peek at her watch, telling herself that she would have to start walking towards Stark Tower in the next fifteen minutes if she wanted to be early for her interview. "You've insulted me a grand total of four times, and yet I don't even know your name."
"Three," she corrected him, and rolled her eyes when he replied by telling her that her paying for their first date was offensive to him. "My name's Henrietta. Henri for short."
"Old school name," he said, saying her full name a few times, "It's cute."
She shrugged again. "And you are…?" she trailed off with a teasing smile, and he raised an eyebrow in indignation, but she could see mirth dancing behind his brown eyes.
"I'm gonna ignore that question." And she laughed. "So, where is that soul mark of mine?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
Henri realized then why women loved this man. There was a certain charm to everything he did, and a glint in his eyes that warned of delicious trouble to come. And she was a bit charmed. "Inside of my left thigh...way up there. Also, totally not a soul mark. It's squiggles that take some serious skills to decipher."
"I'll have you know that those squiggles are worth a pretty buck on eBay." He said, scoffing lightly.
"I'm sure," she agreed, taking a long sip of her coffee. "I have to be going in about fifteen minutes," she said, figuring that as much as she wanted to know everything about him, she also really wanted (mostly needed) the job. "I've got a job interview," and here, she hesitated to say where only because well...it was Tony Stark she was speaking with.
"I usually only need ten," he replied with a wink.
"That's disappointing," she threw back, biting a smile over the rim of her to-go cup.
"I like you." Was all he responded with, taking a long swing from his own cup. "Where's the interview?"
"I don't know if you know the company..."she trailed off, wanting to mess with him.
"Sweetheart, I know of just about every company, provided that it's one of my competitors. Coincidentally, whatever they offer you, my people can double it."
"You don't even know me!" She exclaimed, a little affronted. This just gave her another reason as to why she should not say where she was going. "I can get hired just fine, thank you." The without you hanging thickly in the air.
Tony leveled her with a stare. "I'm sure you can. I'm just giving you another option."
"There's a position open at Stark Industries." She answered finally, and watched his eyebrows go up and another smile appear on his face.
"R and D?"
"Ms. Potts is looking for a second assistant." She said, shaking her head. "Not really well versed in science-y stuff, but totally enthusiastic about it."
"The one from Harvard, or NYU?" He asked, and she knew he meant the possible options. Henri was not at all surprised he was in the privy about Ms. Potts looking for another assistant.
"Neither." She replied, and if she hadn't been hardened by years of disappointed looks thrown her way every time she shot for something out of her league, she would have probably never admitted the next thing, "I didn't go to college."
Tony nodded, taking a sip of his coffee, and Henri continued. "And by the sound of your question, I'm not even being seriously considered for the job, am I? The interview was just a formality."
"I didn't say that." He quickly amended, but, well, they were soulmates for a reason, right? Even though she had just met him, she knew what the look he had given her at her admission meant.
"It sure sounded like it was implied, though." She replied, grabbing her bag, and standing up. "I'm still gonna try. The worst that can happen is that I don't get the job. And I'd rather live with a no, than a lifetime worth of regret over the possibility of a what-if."
"Wise words to live by," was all he said, standing up himself and buttoning his suit jacket. "I'm headed that way. Let me give you a ride."
"Do you usually offer rides to strangers?" She asked, walking beside him as he approached the black car from before.
"Only beautiful ones."
"You are one smooth motherfucker." She said with a loud laugh.
He turned to her and wiggled his eyebrows, a crinkle in his eyes, and she suddenly saw herself falling in love with the man.
"This is Happy. Happy, this is Henri." Tony said, once they'd both made it into the backseat of the car. "She's the soulmate that literally has my name as part of her soul mark, and yet, never once thought to come looking for me."
"Oh my god, you're doing this right now," she said, turning to him with the threat of a smile on her face, her glare not at all heated.
"Literally my name. On her body. And she didn't bother to try to meet me." Tony said, still addressing Happy, who looked like he would rather not have this conversation.
"I didn't think that it would actually be you!"
"Tony Stark is not a very common name, babe" he said with an eye roll. Something warm blossomed inside Henri at his use of the endearment.
"How would I know? Besides, I figured my soulmate would be joking when he said my words."
"You're telling me that you did not think that it could be me? Not even an ounce in you told you that it could be me?" Tony looked skeptical.
And all Henri could do was shrug. "I thought about it for a second, but I never imagined...didn't even think I would ever even meet you."
Tony still looked skeptical, so Henry shrugged. "I'm not making this up. I truly never really thought it would be you. We don't really hang out in the same crowds."
And she went ahead and told him her theory, that her soulmate would be kidding when he said that, that perhaps they met at a costume party and he was dressed as Iron Man, or something…but, really, it had never truly crossed her mind for longer than a second that it would be the real Tony Stark that would be her soulmate. Never.
"That sounds like a stretch," Tony commented when she finished, opening the door shortly thereafter to lead her out into the humid morning once again, and into Stark Tower.
Henri shrugged, stepping through the automatic doors. "Did you ever think you'd meet me the way you did?"
"Sure," The man responded, "there's a reason I skip lines on the regular."
They stood in the middle of the busy lobby, facing each other, Henri looking at him for a bit before she cracked a smile.
"I can't possibly believe I'm the first one to snap like that," she said, shaking her head.
Tony hummed, "I've gotten some similar responses. Never word for word. Much less with the word 'bro' in them."
"Well, I am a bit of a word connoisseur," she said airily, jokingly, and Tony felt charmed, and captivated, and in a bubble for a second. "Well, it's been great meeting you, Tony, but I've got an interview…"
"Right," and the spell was broken. "What are you doing afterwards?"
"I've got a shift at the diner, and then I bartend until about three in the morning," She answered, giving him a small, almost melancholic smile that Tony swore did not fit her. "I have another interview early tomorrow morning, and then a double shift at the diner…"
"Well-"
"Look, I… I just have to pay rent and bills, and somehow still have money to eat. And, unfortunately, that means that I don't have much time for myself or for much else…"
"That's the lamest excuse-"
"Oh, no. I am not even going to let you finish that overtly entitled and privileged and-and elitist retort." She gave him a harsh look, suddenly, a fire burning through her dark eyes. "Being able to live-to survive-is not an excuse."
"Right, yes, but-"
"Nope," Henri shook her head, walking backwards away from him, and he followed her with a frown. She was all fire, all indignation, all of the sudden. "I don't think you realize what I mean. I literally have $13 dollars to my name right now."
Both of Tony's eyebrows lifted in surprise. But he followed it with, "So?"
"So I don't have time for-for whatever it is you think is about to happen." She was still walking backwards, and Tony was impressed to see her maneuver her way through the crowd in the heels she was wearing without even stumbling.
"And what exactly do you think I think is going to happen?"
"The fairytale soulmate story," She responded, finally stopping and letting him stand close enough that she could see the honey flakes in his eyes.
"I think that option went out the window when I realized my soulmate cussed like a sailor, and called strangers 'bro'" He responded, taking a leap of faith and touching her forearm gently. "Let me fall in love with you, baby."
"Don't call me that," she responded, leaning a bit into his touch, before she began walking towards reception.
"That's not a no!" Tony yelled as she walked away.
"It ain't a yes, either," She threw over her shoulder, but the smile she was sporting, and the pink tint on her cheekbones made Tony grin.
—
"Hear me out," Tony walked into Pepper Potts office a few hours later, waving away the assistant that was fluttering around him. "What if, and this is totally up to you, you hired-"
"I hired Luisa, the Harvard graduate," she responded before he finished, not even looking up from the stack of papers she was looking over. "I realize that Stephanie from NYU might be more appealing to look at but-"
"What? No! What about Henrietta?"
Pepper gave him a deadpanned look before she sighed when he kept weighing her down with his patented look.
"HR interviewed her. She didn't meet the requirements."
"Well, call her back. She's great. You'll love her."
"Tony, I can't just-"
"She said my words." He interrupted, smiling when Pepper deflated and gave him a gentle, happy smile. "You'll love her," he repeated more earnestly.
"I'm sure I will, Tony, but I already offered the job to Luisa."
Tony groaned and hit his head against her desk, and Pepper had to roll her eyes. He was such a child sometimes. "Where'd you meet?" She finally asked, going back to reading her papers.
"Starbucks," He answered, his words coming out awkwardly as half his face was now pressed onto the cold marble of her desk. "She bought me coffee."
"You didn't even pay?" She asked, a teasing smile on her face.
Tony groaned against the desk, and lifted himself off it with a sigh. "Didn't let me. But, to be perfectly honest…I don't think I've ever had anybody pay for something for me."
Pepper hummed, but decided to keep quiet, letting Tony talk.
"And, I know it was just a cup of coffee, and I could very easily pay for it, but…it was nice, the sentiment." Tony chuckled to himself under his breath, "she paid with a free coffee coupon, or something, and a gift card… so, she's fiscally responsible!" He brightened, going back to his argument. "And really needs the job."
"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Tony. I've filled the spot," Pepper felt for him, she really did, but she was also running a business. She liked to think she knew what she was doing.
"Your assistants might need an assistant," He tried, and Pepper kicked him out of her office.
—-
"I knew there was a reason you didn't ask me for my information," Henri said as a way of greeting, pouring him the two fingers of scotch he'd asked for. "Which makes me impressed, but also think that you're kind of creepy."
"This is terrible," He just said, making a face after taking a sip of his drink.
"We're not exactly a five star kind of place, Tony," Henri said, before she was walking away and smiling at a customer on the other side of the bar table.
"So. I have an idea. And hear me out, because it's a good one, and I doubt you'll say no," Tony said, when she had made her way to his side of the bar again.
It was a slow night, so Henri had some time to talk a bit. While it was a good thing (she was starting to like Tony a lot), she also knew that this meant less tips. I'll just walk home tonight, she told herself when she realized the money would not add up enough for her to put some of that money into transportation that night.
"I need a life coach, and I think you'll be perfect," He finished with a frown, glaring mildly at Henri, who was doubled over in laughter.
"Did you just make that up?" Tony didn't answer, but she continued as if he had. "That's terrible. You could have done so much better."
"I need a cook?"
"I burn water."
"A trainer."
"Does it look like I'm in shape?"
"A very good one, if I may say," He answered dismissively, "A stylist."
"I shop in the clearance rack."
"A social media consultant. I've got over a million followers on Twitter alone."
"I have a flip phone."
He blinked at her in disbelief. "I don't understand."
Henri shrugged. "I don't really need a fancy one."
"My heart just broke," he carried on, dramatically, and Henri had to smile in amusement as she walked away to serve the round of shots the bachelorette party in the corner was asking for.
"A hype man. Or woman in this case," he said when she came back his way, switching the scotch he hadn't drank with a bottle of cheap beer.
"Do I get a microphone? Can I cuss?" She asked indulgently, leaning against the counter, and Tony looked down to get an indiscreet look down her shirt. "Eyes up here, pervert."
He winked at her with a twinkle in his eyes and said, "Yes to both, if you want the job."
"You're ridiculous," she said with a shake of her head. "Look, I appreciate the offers, but I'm good."
"What do you mean you're good? You need-"
"Stop assuming you know what I need, dude," She said, giving him a fiery look. "I appreciate this, Tony, I do. But you don't have to fix whatever it is you feel like you need to fix. It's not your job."
"I'm your soulmate."
"That doesn't mean much right now. We're not in love."
"Yet," he added for her, and took the hand she had leaning against the bar table into one of his own, running a thumb across her knuckles. "We're not in love yet." He continued when he saw the look of protest cross her face. "And I know that being soulmates doesn't guarantee love right off the bat, I do, but we should try. I…look, I've waited 27 years to meet you. I lived 10 years before that thinking that I would never have a you. And now I do, and I want to give you the world. Anything. Everything. I just want to give it to you."
"I read an article once that said you didn't have a heart," she said after some time, giving him a small smile.
"It's a crappy one, but it's there."
Henri nodded for a bit, left to hand a man across the bar a beer, and came back to say:
"We're going to go slow," with a grave stare, "like, real slow. Like the kind of slow you're probably not gonna like, and have never done before."
"Done."
"And we're going to be normal. As in, no weird dates where I'll feel uncomfortable with the amount of money you're spending on it. And we'll go half and half if it's super expensive."
"Are you trying to kill chivalry?" Tony asked, almost jokingly.
"I'm trying to be fair. I'm not looking for a Sugar Daddy," Henri affirmed with a tap of the bar table and a wink before she went to refill shots.
"And," Henri said when she came back his way, "We keep this to ourselves for a while. I know your life is public, but…" she shrugged a gave him a half smile.
"I agree," Tony nodded earnestly. He understood.
"Ok," and, wow, ok, she wanted to shake hands. "I have a free morning on Sunday. Want to have breakfast together?"
Tony let out a bark of a laugh that surprised even himself before he shook Henri's hand and agreed.
It really was going to be unlike anything he had ever done before. And he was up for it.