Hello! I'm so sorry for the delay (wow, it's been over a year) in posting this. If you're following me on AO3, you'll see I was having some emotional and mental things that I was working through. As it's been so long since I've even thought about this fic, it took some work to get the couple thousand words I have here. So, it's kind of a teaser, but I'm slowly but surely working through my block and the next chapter will definitely be longer. I'm just dipping my toes in the water at the moment.
Thank you to everyone who has stuck with this and continue to read this! I hope you like seeing things from Wanda's point of view...
Also, please read the end note!

Wanda could see into each of their minds, and she knew they were suspicious of her and Pietro, but also cautiously optimistic. She wasn't offended by it – she knew that in their shoes, she would likely react the same way.

The thing was, she hadn't been actively searching their minds – not until she caught the stray thoughts coming from Iron Man – except that the thoughts were Tony Stark's.

Seeing into one's mind was an odd experience. Because of how quickly the mind worked, she wasn't really reading someone's mind so much as catching the highlights and feelings of a particular person at the moment. She could see images, things that someone else was seeing or something someone was remembering. It was only when she went actively searching that she could read what someone wasn't thinking at the moment, but things they'd experienced and thought in the past. Generally she tried not to invade someone else's privacy in such a way – not the least of which because it could be used as a weapon inside someone's own mind.

The thing with Tony Stark was that he was different – he thought differently from everyone else. Rather than the thoughts being too quick to process, leaving Wanda only seeing impressions and feelings, he had multiple thoughts all at once, working in tandem with one another. With him, it was more like he was actually speaking – if it were possible to say twelve different things at once, each on their own topic. It was a low hum, but his voice was easily recognized.

So, when she heard Iron Man's thoughts, but instead heard Tony Stark's voice, she made the quick connection that Tony Stark was Iron Man. Rather than the generally believed statement that Stark had built the first Iron Man suit to escape his kidnappers, then built a more sophisticated one for a bodyguard due to PTSD rendering him incapable of using the armor again, there was never any bodyguard to begin with. It was all Stark.

Wanda had been tentative in her thoughts about being Stark's soulmate. Just because they shared souls didn't mean that she automatically forgave him for her parents' deaths – or could let go of the trauma associated with the following days. It was only because she now knew that they were soulmates that she had been willing to try, to give him at least a chance at redeeming himself. Pietro was only refraining from violent reaction toward the billionaire because of respect and love for her. She knew that as soon as she okayed it, he could immediately kill Stark where he stood.

Now though, knowing that Tony Stark and Iron Man were one and the same, her estimation of him rose. Even though before, Iron Man was associated with Stark, she'd had to grudgingly admit that Iron Man did good. Iron Man was a hero – selfless and concerned for the welfare of everyone, regardless of gender, race, nationality, or orientation. Iron Man, while still Tony Stark's bodyguard, went out of his way to protect everyone. Hell, he'd flown a nuke into space to save New York.

Now, realizing that it was Stark whom she'd had thoughts of being so selfless and heroic…her worldview once again changed.

But, upon realizing his true identity, she did a quick skim through the minds of the closest Avengers – Hawkeye and the woman (Black Widow, she realized a moment later) – and made a few more discoveries.

None of the others knew that Iron Man was Tony Stark. But they still all thought that Iron Man was their soulmate. And they were all soulmates with each other.

"My name is Wanda," Wanda started, mind racing. "This is my brother, Pietro. We came from Sokovia. We had to see Iron Man."

"Why?" the Widow said bluntly, thoughts suspicious.

"He came to Sokovia a couple of months ago," Wanda responded. "It wasn't his destination, so he didn't stay long, but it was long enough for his mark to appear on my chest. It was the first one, so I had to come."

"How many more are you expecting?" Hawkeye questioned with a cocked eyebrow.

Seeing how the archer thought to test the truthfulness of her words, Wanda replied promptly with, "Five." She decided not to mention how technically it was one, having met the rest of them now, because she didn't want them to know immediately how she, a perfect stranger, could read everything they were thinking were she to try. That was certainly not the best way to gain the trust of these people.

"Think Stark will let them move in?" Hawkeye directed to Iron Man with a tilted head.

Iron Man said nothing though, staring at Wanda, and, knowing his identity, she couldn't resist the urge to read his true thoughts on the matter. As soon as she focused, the man's thoughts grew louder and more clear.

…be harder to hide now.

I'm not soulmate material.

(…no soul…)

I can't.

Why now?

…she can just be with the others; I can't destroy…

The guilt and self-loathing that she could feel from him practically sent her to her knees, but through sheer force of willpower she remained standing and pulled her mind away from the pain enshrouding his. Abruptly she found herself – not forgiving him, but wanting to. Wanting to reach a point where she could give him comfort with absolutely no ill feelings toward him.

"Iron Man?" the Captain prompted when the pause grew too long.

Stark seemed to snap out of it then, and came right back with, "Sure, of course. It's not like he doesn't have the room or the money." He tilted his head slightly like he was listening to something – or someone, Wanda realized when she caught wind of his thoughts. He was pretending that Stark was talking to him from the Tower. A moment later, Iron Man nodded once. "I won't quote his exact words," he said wryly, voice light like Stark had said something particularly amusing and/or insulting, "But he said yes. Feel free to make yourselves at home. You'll have to stay on a guest floor for a week or so while contractors come and design your room, but it should be fine."

"Please express our thanks to him," Wanda said gratefully, mind spinning with how to deal with this new situation they'd found themselves in. Pietro shifted slightly next to her, startled by the genuine gratitude he detected in her voice, but he didn't say anything right then. Even with the conscious trying to stay out of his thoughts, she could feel his emotions constantly, and she could detect his confusion – but also the trust he put in her.

"Sure, sure, no problem," Iron Man waved it off. "Till then though, I'm starved, and in need of food. I'll catch you all later." With a wave, he shot off into the sky, disappearing into the distance.

"Well, Iron Man's got the right idea," the one called Hawkeye was the first one to speak after the armored man's departure. "Anyone else wanna go for gyros?"

There was a murmur of approval from the others, and Wanda and Pietro found themselves swept up along with it, and before they knew it they were seated at a table in the back of a Greek restaurant a few blocks over that Hawkeye had insisted provided "the best gyros outside of Greece". The table was filled with food that the Hulk – now an unassuming man in glasses – was the one to dig into first, closely followed by the Captain.

They were a full five minutes into eating before anyone said anything.

"So," Hawkeye said, talking around the lamb and flatbread stuffed in his cheeks. He looked around the table at everyone else, looking a bit nervous. "I figure no one else is going to say it."

"It would make some sense to wait till they're settled a bit more," Bruce offered, pausing his eating only to say that before turning his attention 100% back to the half-eaten gyro in his hands.

"Fuck that," Hawkeye argued, only slightly belligerently.

"Clint," Black Widow said in a slight warning voice.

"No, Tasha," Hawkeye – Clint – said. "This is important, and it's not like she's not going to figure out something is up soon enough."

"We would appreciate a lack of secrets," Pietro said, and Wanda thought only Widow was the one to detect the hint of steel in his voice, as she stilled momentarily before looking back at Clint. But perhaps she was underestimating them, because she saw the Hulk pause briefly in his chewing before he continued as normal, and the Captain's eyes flicked a bit up to her brother before he looked back at his gyro.

"There we are," Clint said smugly, brushing flour off of his hands. He looked around at the rest of his teammates, looking for approval from them, it seemed, though he probably wasn't going to keep quiet about it even if there was disapproval from every single one of them. Well. Maybe not the Widow. They had a deeper bond, the two of them. They'd known each other longer. "And it's going to affect both of them when…"

"The rest of us are soulmates, too," the Captain was the one to say, the words sounding sharp as he bit them out with some difficulty. "Natasha, Clint, Bruce, me, Iron Man, and you. Iron Man has no interest in being a part of it. He won't give up his identity, either."

"What?" Pietro breathed, shocked for his sister. Wanda's eyes were wide, pretending astonishment at the information as well, even though she knew already.

"Iron Man doesn't believe in soulmates," Clint cut in, ignoring Pietro's exclamation. "So the rest of us are trying to get closer to him, make him believe in us and let us get to know him. The real him, not just Iron Man."

"Why doesn't he believe in them?" Wanda demanded, affecting shock. "He has a mark, doesn't he?"

The Widow was the one to nod. "Definitely," she said. "Our marks wouldn't have appeared otherwise. Also, you may have noticed that the mark corresponding with his bears more than a passing resemblance to the reactor powering the Iron Man suit. He identifies very strongly with the armor."

"We don't really know all the details," Clint explained. "But he knows that we're trying to get close to him."

"Is he dating someone else?" Pietro was, surprisingly, the one to ask next. Apparently he'd connected some dots in his head and decided to play along in this façade.

Natasha tilted her head a bit. "A thought I had considered," she allowed. "The problem is that it's very difficult to get things out of Iron Man. He mostly shows up to fight and then disappears at the end. But it would be something that would make sense. If he's in love with someone else – someone who's not his soulmate – of course he wouldn't want to be in a relationship with six others."

"But he doesn't have to be involved with us romantically," Clint protested. "I mean, with seven of us, I doubt all of us are going to see everyone else romantically at all. What's the big deal being a soulmate you're just really good friends with?"

"And that's why I'm not certain," Natasha expressed pointedly. "It's not like I really know the guy – or can read his facial expressions to figure anything else out. I only have theories, and the little that he tells me."

"He may be afraid that we'll judge the person he is underneath the suit," Bruce murmured. "Perhaps he wants to keep his identity secret because that's the only way to protect himself from being hurt."

"So, you're in on Operation Coconut?" Clint said expectantly, looking at Wanda.

"Coconut?" Pietro repeated.

"We're going to break through his hard outer shell to get to the heart underneath it," Clint explained, looking pleased – Wanda heard in his thoughts that he had been the one to come up with the name.

Wanda nodded decisively, even as her heart fluttered with nervousness. Tony Stark was the cause of her parents' deaths. But she had heard his thoughts and knew it wasn't intentional. Still, over a year's worth of hate was hard to shove aside in moments.

Still, her voice was strong when she said, "Count me in."

So…I'm dirt poor right now. College life, right? Problem is, I can't find a job anywhere, and everywhere I've applied to and continue to apply to is refusing me. Even Walmart, and my local grocery store. I can't even get a job as a janitor, and I'm stressed because I'm charging necessities to my credit card but have no income to back it up. I'm supposed to start school again in September, which should be covered with scholarship, but until then and during school, I'm broke. I'm hunting down my collector's edition Harry Potter books to try and sell those off on eBay for some supplement, and that just breaks my heart but I prefer to have food, ya know?

Anyway, I won't insult you guys just begging for some monetary help, BUT I can make a trade! Anyone willing, I'll gift you a 2,500 word fic for every $5 (or 5,000 words for every $10, etc). I'll write whatever you want within the Avengers or Harry Potter fandom – any pairing, any situation – just no smut. (Or, if you don't have ideas, you can just commission another chapter in one of the fics I have already – I'll work extra hard to think through a block. Or, I'll add a coda to a completed fic. Really, I'm down for whatever you want.) You can send me money in the Cash App (cashtag is "hashtagleh"), and you can send requests to hashtagleh1997 at gmail .

Thank you to anyone who even took the time to read this – and thanks in advance to anyone who can help!