Thank you once again to LagrimasSolitarias for your wonderful review! It really made my day! :) I hope you're all enjoying this so far.

You had gone to four specialists in just as many days and no one had anything useful to tell you aside from the fact that there was no record of any person receiving a new soul mark after their Words disappeared, and that as far as anyone in the scientific community understood, each person only got one soulmate. This made your circumstance an oddity. All you could really do was continue living your life.

Peter had been a major source of support, of course, along with your parents. Really, as stressful and confusing as the last few days had been, it could have been much worse had you not had their comfort, each offering a shoulder to cry on or a brain to pick on the matter. In fact, Peter had texted you every day since to check in on you.

You heard the front door open from where you sat in the living room. Speak of the devil. You shouted a greeting from your spot nestled against the couch.

"Hey Pete!"

He didn't call out to you as usual, but rather trudged into the living room in silence and flopped onto the chesterfield next to you, torpidly.

Peter had started his first day as a Stark intern today. Prior to the excitement surrounding your soul mark, he had chattered about it nonstop. Honestly, it was adorable. Peter had gotten so excited whenever he would tell you about what the internship involved but now that he was sitting in front of you, staring blankly at nothing in particular, you were growing concerned that it hadn't gone the way he had hoped.

"Your first day didn't go well?" You ventured cautiously. Peter blinked a couple times before turning to meet your apprehensive gaze.

"Ah, no. It was… It was really good." He still looked a little dazzled.

"What's going on then?" You asked. You leaned in closer to him, frown deepening in concern.

You weren't sure what had him so disturbed. Peter had always been a pretty resilient person, weathering bullying and the death of his uncle with an unflinching grace that had instilled surprise and pride within you. It was no secret that your greatest treasure on this planet was the lost-looking friend sitting next to you. So the idea of something causing this sort of reaction was worrying and you felt a pressing need to fix whatever was causing him such turmoil.

Peter looked as though he'd swallowed something unpleasant, nose scrunching up as he looked away from you as if he were searching for whatever had offended his senses. After a moment of hesitation, he returned his searching gaze to your own.

"I met my soulmate." He mumbled.

"You what?!" That was the last thing you'd expected to hear. "Wha- Who are they?!"

Peter didn't respond.

"Peter! This is- This is awesome!" You grabbed him by his shoulders and beamed at him. He paused before giving you an uncomfortable smile. Your hands tightened their hold on him protectively and your smile fell from your face. "Isn't it?"

"Um. It is." He said uncertainly. Your frown deepened and Peter cleared his throat before trying again more assertively. "It is." He nodded.

"What's going on?" You questioned him gently. "You don't like them?"

"It's not that I don't like him." Peter confessed, and you instantly latched onto the word 'him', eyes wide inquisitively. "On the contrary… he's an especially amazing person. I just… Don't understand." Peter sighed and tousled his hair frustratedly. "He's… exceptional. And I'm just some punk kid. I don't understand how we're soulmates. What about me does the universe deem worthy enough that I'd be a good match for him?"

You gaped at him. Scowling, you smacked him upside the head and ignored his shout.

"Peter. I love you, but are you stupid?"

It was Peter's turn to gape and he looked upon you with a degree of offense. "I- No!" He protested.

You took a breath and met his gaze carefully. "Then how is it you're the only one that doesn't see how wonderful you are?"

Peter looked at you with large, puppy eyes, eyebrows drawn in seriously, and the line of his mouth tight before a grin pulled at his lips. "Man," he chuckled softly. "I made the right call when I adopted you."

You laughed and shoved him playfully. "Yeah right you adopted me. It was definitely the other way around, nerd."

The two of you exchanged fond smiles.

"Now that that's settled." You clapped your hands together sharply. "Tell me who this mystery guy is. What's his name? What's he like?" You bounced excitedly in place grinning from ear to ear.

Curiously, Peter looked somewhat abashed. He opened his mouth and closed it again. He took what you supposed was a straying breath and looked you straight in the eye before muttering the next two words like a curse. "Tony Stark."

Your eyebrows promptly flew to your hairline. There was a beat of silence and then you were clutching your sides from laughter.

"Your soulmate is Tony freaking Stark?!"

Peter gave you a dirty look and crossed his arms with a huff.

"Ooh la la! Didn't take the genius for a cradle-robber." You wiggled your eyebrows at Peter and he faltered before his expression turned to one of horror.

"(Your Name), ew, he's like forty! That's not a thing. That will literally never be a thing. I'm upset that you even- ew, (Your Name)!"

You cackled with mirth.

"Tony Stark. Unbelievable." Sighing happily, you rested your head on Peter's shoulder. He grumbled unhappily at your teasing but allowed the contact and rested his own head atop yours.

You felt relieved that nothing bad had happened to Peter on his first day and hummed pleasantly. "Mom wants to know if you're coming for dinner this Sunday. She said she misses her 'good kid.'" You smiled mischievously at Peter whose cheeks had taken on a soft pink hue, though his expression was pleased.

"Can't disappoint mom now, can we?" He responded gamely.

"Oh!" You said as a thought struck you. "What were your Words to him?" You were instantly curious as to what the philanthropist had inked across his skin.

Peter choked before he cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away from you, cheeks burning. "Ah- Who could remember..."

You grinned conspiratorially to yourself. You bet your sweet ass you were gonna find out.

I want to clarify that this story will NOT have any Peter/Tony relationship at any point. The relationship between the two will be strictly familial.