Hallie

Hallie woke to Peter rubbing her back gently, letting her know it was time to strap in for landing. She couldn't believe she'd slept through most of the flight. She must have been more tired than she realized.

Thankfully, New York's temperatures were more temperate this weekend, plus Peter had left coats for both of them on the plane, so they didn't have any hypothermia repeats, and they arrived at the Tower with zero drama. They'd said goodbye to Casey, Chase, and Ty at the airport; Casey was going to get them settled into their new quarters at the Tower. They'd be briefed, oriented, and on-hand tomorrow for the press conference. And after, for who knows how long. Hallie tried not to think too hard about that.

Peter had someone leave his car at the airport, so he was driving them back. Hallie was trying not to feel too anxious about everything that was happening tomorrow. It all seemed so much more real now that they were back in New York. Her knee started bouncing nervously without her noticing, until Peter set his hand on it gently at the next stop light. She stilled at his touch, then he urged her back forward and moved his fingers to rest on her soul mark. She sighed and relaxed with her elbows on her knees. "It'll be crazy for a while, but then it will probably settle down, right?" she asked Peter.

"I wish I could tell you 'yes,' Hal, but there's just no telling what the reaction and interest level will be," Peter replied. "We can hope we're more boring than Tony thinks though." He winked at her, then leaned over to press a kiss to her temple before he had to start driving again.

"Oh, and by the way," there are already a lot of extra people at the Tower, who have gathered for the conference tomorrow, to show their support."

Hallie sat up a bit in confusion and interest. "Like who?"

"Um, Rhodey's going to stay here for a few days. Nat and her sister Yelena are here, and Clint Barton should be flying in any time. Those three are going to help us with initial security analysis and set up. Steve said he'll be by in the morning."

"But… no one even knows you're… well, you know. Won't it look weird for a bunch of Avengers to show up?"

"Not really. Tony is basically one of the OG Avengers, and I'm his family, and have been for a long time. They'll be showing support for us, and also as a bit of a warning to say they're invested in this going well. It might be a bit of a deterrent for some of the more aggressive paparazzi. Greg's making a quick appearance too, just because. Pretty sure Tony has an amazing Christmas bonus planned for him already," Peter said, smiling.

Hallie's eyes were wide as they pulled into the garage. "Oh. I hadn't thought of any of that."

"They did some of the same when Tony announced my adoption and how I'd be inheriting SI. Which also made sense, considering the Starks, and to a small extent, SI, still funds much of the Avengers Initiative."

"Huh. I guess that makes sense." They got out of the car, and Hallie gathered up some of the smaller stuff while Peter grabbed their suitcases.

"Penthouse please, FRIDAY."

"Of course, Boss. It's nice to see you both again." Hallie aimed a shy smile at FRIDAY's sensor, and Peter looked surprised, but said, "You too, FRI. Anything exciting happen while we were gone?"

"There has been an influx of Avengers, if that's what you're referring to."

Hallie could hear the amusement in Peter's voice as he said, "Yes, that tends to be exciting. Has Nat's crew figured out what they'd like to do for security this week?"

"I believe so. I'm sure they'll be briefing you."

When they arrived at the penthouse, it was actually very quiet. "FRI, where is everyone?" Peter asked.

"Boss is in his workshop, and Boss Lady and Little Miss are in the common area with Colonel Rhodes and Mr. Hogan."

"Hey, Hallie? Would you mind if I joined Tony in the lab in a few minutes while you relax and unpack? And when you're ready you can come down? I'll order us some dinner."

"Uh, yeah, I guess so." Hallie had almost forgotten that they actually were capable of being apart for certain amounts of time now. Come to think of it, she hadn't experienced any ill effects the night before when they'd been apart for over forty minutes. "Wait, aren't you supposed to get a haircut tonight?"

"Andre asked Tony if we could do it at 6:45 tomorrow. He had a small family issue come up, and tomorrow works better for him." Hallie nodded, then hesitantly reached up to slide her fingers through a few of the curls at the base of his neck. "Does it grow fast?"

"You going to miss it?" Peter asked, eyebrows raised.

"Maybe. But I haven't known you with shorter hair yet, so maybe I'll like that better." She knew that was unlikely, but she didn't want him to feel bad.

"I could just not get it cut," he said reluctantly, leaning into her touch and letting his eyes flutter closed.

"No, it's okay. I understand why it's best. Besides, it'll grow," she assured him, smiling so he would stop worrying about her reaction.

"If you're sure," Peter said, gathering her hand from the back of his head and kissing her fingertips.

"It's sweet that you care so much what I think," she said, still not quite able to believe it.

"You're the only one that matters, dolcezza," he murmured, swiping a gentle finger from her temple to her jaw before releasing her so they could both get things done.

Peter washed up quickly and changed into one of his regular t-shirts. Hallie changed into some black yoga pants that Karen had ordered along with her pajama pants and one of Peter's t-shirts that she usually wore to bed. Despite sleeping on the plane, she was still a little worn out from all the walking and traveling they'd done in the last few days.

She was starting to put the rest of her things away from her suitcase when she was startled by arms around her waist and a kiss pressed to the side of her neck. Hallie hummed and leaned back into Peter as she straightened up into his arms, enjoying his touch and warmth.

"You sure we can't just snuggle in bed and watch movies for the next few days instead?" she asked wistfully, turning in Peter's embrace and pressing her cheek into his neck.

"That sounds amazing," he said, "but unfortunately we have a few other plans." He slipped his fingers under her chin to tilt her head up for a kiss, then kissed her forehead as well, and released her. "I'm going to head down. Tony and I haven't had as much time together as we're used to, and I think it's wearing on both of us a bit."

Oh. Of course. Hallie kept forgetting that since they were soulmates, Peter and Tony also needed time together, even if their bond had been settled for ages. They'd just been so busy lately, and she and Peter had had to worry more about the two of them staying in contact.

"I can, uh, stay up here if you need me to. So you guys can have time together by yourself?"

Peter looked confused. He stepped forward and set a hand lightly at her waist. "No, that's not… you don't have to do that. You can be there too, we just need some contact."

"Oh, okay. If you're sure, because it's not a problem," Peter shook his head, eyebrows raised in sincerity. "I might relax up here for a little while, then I'll come down. Um, how do I get there?"

"Oh, right. I forget that you really haven't lived here that long," he said with a bemused look. "FRIDAY will guide you, of course. See you soon, sweetheart." One more kiss and he was gone.

It was strange to be in the suite by herself. And how quiet it was. She remembered just a week or so ago she was climbing the walls a bit, having a hard time being with another person all the time. But she was so used to it now, used to Peter at least, that being alone felt strange. Which was so crazy, because she'd been alone most of the last eight years.

She took a moment to text Rory and Isa that the press conference would be going forward the next morning, so they'd be prepared for possible paparazzi attention, and then just sat on the couch in the living room, staring at the blank TV. She'd had very little time to just sit with her thoughts and process things. Was she ready for everything coming tomorrow? Somehow she doubted it. Had she been ready for any of this brand new life that had suddenly swallowed up her old one? She still felt some overwhelm about how much everything had changed, but she didn't feel any sadness. How could she be sad about gaining Peter as her soulmate? He was amazing, and she couldn't even imagine life without him now. As she considered the thought, a little shiver ran down her spine, and she looked around for a blanket or something. Instead, her eyes caught on the red, blue, and black hoodie thrown across the end of the couch. Even better.


Peter

As Peter headed down the hallway towards the workshop, he paused momentarily. He was eager to see Rhodey, Nat, Yelena, and Clint as well, since he hadn't seen most of them recently, but he needed to see Tony. He rounded the corner and could see his dad through the clear windows, working on something inside DUM-E's circuitry. As he got closer, FRIDAY slid the door open, and he stepped inside.

Tony looked up, eyes crinkling happily as he stood. "Pete. FRI said you guys were back. You didn't have to rush down here."

"Eh, I kinda did," Peter said, stepping forward and meeting his dad in a strong hug. They two men just stood like that for several minutes, hands pressed to each other's soul marks, and foreheads touching. Finally they broke apart, but Peter drew a stool in so they were sitting shoulder to shoulder when Tony sat down too, looking into DUM-E's almost literally "dusty innards."

"Sheesh, D. You're kind of a mess in here. What happened, Dad?"

"Well, your big dumb brother here somehow convinced FRIDAY to remove his quarterly blow-out from the work schedule for the last fifteen months."

Peter sat back and whistled, impressed. "That's a new development. FRI, how'd that happen?"

"I'm not certain, Dr. Parker." Peter grimaced at her sensor for her insistence on the formality. "I have no record of it."

"DUM-E?" Peter questioned the bot. (Rhetorically, mostly) DUM-E whirred and chirped innocently. He knew the robot disliked when they opened all his panels and blew out all the accumulated dust for some reason. U didn't seem to mind.

"Well, the joke was on him," Tony said, because that's also when we oiled all the moving parts and did some other maintenance, and since it hasn't happened in over a year now, he's been having some trouble moving. Imagine my surprise when I opened him up and found all this junk. U was part of the same schedule, so he suffered too, even though it was DUM-E's doing. I made Mr. Too-Big-For-His-Britches here wait while I took care of his brother first."

"Well, congrats, dude," Peter said. "Way to evolve into more of a troublemaker than you already were." He patted the bulky robot on his claw like he would a difficult but adorable dog. DUM-E chirped happily at him, only picking up on the affection and pseudo-praise.

Peter leaned his head over onto Tony's shoulder, and Tony paused in his work to bring a hand up to cup his son's cheek. Peter hummed in contentment. "Missed you."

"Missed you too, bud. I'm glad you guys had a great time, and relaxed though. The next few days will be a bit of a circus."

Peter straightened and Tony got back to the task he was trying to finish up. It was harder with his kid snuggled up against his side, but totally worth the inconvenience. They'd both be better off after 15-20 minutes of sustained contact.

"I'm glad it's happening now, though, I decided. While I'm still planning to be with her pretty constantly, you know? Even if people might pick up on the soulmate angle more easily because of it. I wouldn't want her to be on her own, even with her team, for this first craziness. I think it'll die down a lot within a week. We can't be that interesting. Hopefully."

"I dunno, Pete. You were voted "Most Eligible Bachelor in Science" by Business Insider Weekly last year," Tony teased gleefully. "There are going to be scores of broken hearts from all the best scientists and tech-money families.

"Ugh, stop it. That was so dumb. Did you see the other 'contenders?' I only won because I look halfway normal, and have hobbies and stuff, too."

"I did, and it would have been highway robbery if any of them had won over my handsome kid," Tony continued, ruffling Peter's hair, enjoying its length. "'Heir to the Stark fortune and SI' didn't hurt, either."

Peter sighed theatrically and hooked his foot inside of Tony's ankle while he broke contact to yawn and stretch. It was about then that Rhodey poked his head into the lab, flanked by Nat and Clint, who were holding hands.

Their constant casual intimacy as platonic soulmates was one reason several of the Avengers had been shocked when he found out Clint had a whole hidden family back in the day. But by now, they'd all seen Nat snuggled up with every combination of Laura and each of their kids so many times, they were all completely used to it. Clint even had a grandbaby now, and Nat was the kid's biggest fan. They just spent a lot of time apart, so when they were together they kept contact pretty much the whole time to charge up for their next separation.

"Hey, Pete," said Rhodey, clapping him on the shoulder. "Heard you got bored, and wanted a little extra attention."

"Yeah, you know me. I can never get enough," he said dryly.

"If so, you get it from your dad." Rhodey laughed and took a seat at the workbench. Tony raised an eyebrow at him playfully.

"Nat, Clint. Great to see you guys," Peter said, standing up to hug each of them. "Wish we were just having a party or something instead of needing your expertise."

"I think we have different definitions of 'party,' then," Clint said, laughing. "This is way more fun than a party." He and Natasha exchanged amused expressions. "Congrats, Pete. I was so excited to hear the news."

"Not as excited as me. I was afraid I was going to beat Tony's record."

His dad rolled his eyes as he closed DUM-E up. "No way, no how, kid. You had a long ways to go still. You waited what? A measly nine years?" The amusement and sympathy in his face let Peter know he wasn't downplaying how hard that time had been for him.

While they chatted, Peter pulled up the schematics for his favorite current spidersuit, and started working on the coding on his HUD, fitting a new window into his display for the signal from Hallie's bracelet. At the same time he was adding in a reroute so any Hallie-based-alerts would be delivered both to his suit and his watch, even if something happened to Karen or FRIDAY's connection to either. Tony stood with his hand on Peter's shoulder, nodding his approval as he watched what he was doing, while Rhodey narrowed his eyes in concentration, trying to follow, and Nat and Clint just compared notes on the small holo table FRIDAY had brought up their files on for them.

Peter finished his suit upgrades quickly and they all gathered around the "retired" super spies as they started to explain their plans for the week. Nat said Yelena was doing the same with Casey, Chase, and Ty. They'd all meet briefly together to touch base in the morning.

They were just wrapping up talking about physical security in the Tower, at the school, during travel, and in Hallie's self-defense class, when the subject of their protection made an entrance. Well, kind of. The door slid open quietly, and only Peter's sharp ears noticed it. He looked up and his eyes met hers. She looked uncertain, and also adorable, in that too-large Spiderman hoodie she had insisted she needed. She had done her hair in two french braids, like they were when he first met her, and she looked much younger than her 20 years. Peter hated the idea of all the scrutiny and attention bowling her over tomorrow, and vowed to keep her as away from it as much as possible.

"Hey," he greeted her softly, gesturing for her to join them. "Hallie? You've met Rhodey and Nat, but this is Clint Barton. Clint? Hallie Dayton, my soulmate." Man, he loved introducing her as that, especially to people he knew would care.

Clint stood up as Rhodey and Natasha greeted Hallie as well, and he stepped forward to give her a quick hug. Peter knew his daughter, Lila, was just a little younger than Hallie. Hallie froze up in surprise, and Clint let her go quickly with an apology.

"No, Mr. Barton, it's fine. It just surprised me. I'm not offended," she assured him quietly.

Clint glanced at Peter for reassurance, and Peter nodded at him, with a neutral expression on his face. He had kind of hoped that Hallie was doing better with touch in general, but it looked like it was mostly him, and maybe his immediate family, since she didn't tense up when Tony or Pepper hugged her the last few times. Well, they could work with that.

"Half-pint," Tony greeted with a wink, giving her a quick hug and a kiss to her temple, like he would with Peter. She still looked surprised at that, but her tension didn't return as it had with Clint. Peter reached for her hand and drew her into his other side as he sat back down next to Tony. Peter reached into the bag of food that had recently arrived, and pulled out the container of chicken alfredo he'd saved for her. Her eyes lit up at his offering.

Natasha smirked. "Nice hoodie, Hallie. Did Peter buy you that?"

Peter rolled his eyes. "It was under protest, I promise."

"But I love it!" Hallie pushed past her uncertainty at being in the midst of this famous group to defend her decision. "It's so fluffy, and it makes me think of our trip, and of, well, you, for obvious reasons." She ducked her head in slight embarrassment at her outburst.

"I'm just offended you didn't bring me one, too, Pete," Tony complained, drawing the attention away from Hallie. "Why don't I get any official Disney Spiderman merch?"

"Why?" Rhodey teased. "He'd just steal it."

"That's true," Tony mused, hand to his chin as he contemplated the conundrum. "I haven't been able to keep a hoodie or a sweatshirt for long pretty much since I met this kid."

"Okay guys, you done?" Peter said with an air of forced tolerance. "Because we still have a lot of stuff to go over," he said, waving his hand at the holo-table. Which inadvertently closed half the files.

"Oh, crap," he muttered, reaching over chaotically to bring them back out of the random "folder" at the side, where he'd accidentally thrown them. Everyone laughed, and settled in to work. When she finished eating, Hallie snuggled into his side, drawing her feet up under her with a look of concentration on her face as she tried to follow everything they were talking about.

It was almost eleven when they started wrapping things up. Hallie was drowsing in Peter's hold, and Tony spoke quietly enough to not disturb her. "Hey, Roo, have you guys talked about whether she's going to be at the press conference or not?"

"A little bit. We didn't ever follow it far enough to come to a conclusion. I really can't decide what will be best, for PR or for Hallie."

Hallie spoke up, her eyes more alert than they'd been in twenty minutes. "I want to come." Peter turned to her, helping her sit up more as she tried to straighten. "I want to be with you. I don't have to be out there the whole time, but even with pictures, PR seemed to think if we don't appear together, they're more likely to follow us trying to get more candid shots, right?" Peter nodded hesitantly, not wanting her to do this out of fear. "It just makes sense. And I… I just want to be with you."

"Okay, Hal, no worries. It's your call. You're welcome to change your mind at any point, though."

She nodded, settling against his side again. Peter slid his hand over Tony's soul mark one last time before they parted. Tonight had been good for both of them. They'd been able to maintain contact for most of the last several hours, and the part of him that he recognized as his bond with Tony was settled and content again.

"I'm going to get her up to bed," Peter muttered to his dad, but most of them heard, and smiled indulgently. They seemed to enjoy seeing their youngest team member finally having someone to take care of, too, after all this time. Well, other than Tony, but taking care of Tony usually required more bossing and little bit of manipulation when it was needed, and Peter and Pepper usually tag-teamed if it got to that point where they needed to intervene. It wasn't nearly as cute.

"You guys get some sleep," Tony urged. "Tomorrow's going to be quite the day."

Peter nodded, and helped Hallie to her feet, resisting the urge to just scoop her up and carry her upstairs. He knew she probably wouldn't appreciate that in front of the group of heroes.

They said their goodbyes and by the time they hit the penthouse, Peter was scooping and carrying anyway. His cute wife was dead on her feet, and there was no one to see now. He tucked her into bed, hoodie and all, and she was basically asleep before he came back from the bathroom.