This chapter somehow turned into a 4500 word monster, and I -almost- split it into two. I finally decided to just post the whole thing, but don't expect another update super soon! But it's crazy how quickly writing can go sometimes when it's flowing and I'm not having to worry about plot points making sense. Full disclosure, it's primarily just lots and lots of fluff and relationship-building the next few chapters. Most of you knew that you signed up for that when you came onboard though... And the soulmate AU is so satisfying to write because it gives me an excuse for all of the softness in the world without feeling like anyone is OOC. (You guys know I -can- write in character, so it's all good, right?) They're the same characters, but their world has a very important difference than the real MCU and we are leeeaning into that. :)

Also, with this chapter I officially hit 300k words on AO3 since I started writing in June, which is crazy to me.

(Another also - hate the formatting issues on Fanfiction dot net. I just have to throw that out every once in a while)

Peter

Peter woke to slight sunlight peeking through the blinds covering the floor-to-ceiling windows. He was at the Compound; he recognized that much. But why was he on the couch instead of in his bedroom in Tony's suite? Just then he was awake enough to realize he could hear another heartbeat close by. Tony's heartbeat, right behind his head. Memories come flooding back immediately. Whoa. Yesterday had been, hands down, the craziest day of his life. Mmmm. The spider bite had been a close second, but that one had mostly just been really awful. The day after, when he'd felt quite a bit better and had started realizing all the changes his body had gone through had been pretty trippy maybe. Possibly tied with yesterday, and-. Dude, he cut himself off. He could ramble in his head just as easily as out loud.

Peter listened gingerly to Tony's heart rate and breathing, trying to decide if his mentor...no, his soulmate was awake. He didn't think so. He turned very carefully from where he lay facing out towards the TV and the windows until he was facing straight up, and could turn his head to see Tony sleeping. The man had one arm crossed over his chest, and the other was settled next to Peter's side. Peter took a moment to just breathe and think about the events of yesterday. To think about how honestly surprised he was at how Tony had reacted to their soulmate epiphany. His mentor had been happy to be tied to this random (well, not so random, but still) teenager! He seemed excited, even, and had spent the rest of the day making sure he took care of Peter's needs.

That had been the most unsettling part for Peter. How drawn he suddenly was to the older man. How much he needed to be with him, and wanted to be close. He had always felt that to a certain extent, but had fought against it, not wanting to be a nuisance or overstep. After several years of working with Tony and spending time with him, he honestly saw him as a weird mix of a parent/teacher/close friend, but Peter had always tried to keep a little distance. Tried not to depend on him too closely for help or affection, just in case something happened that severed that relationship. Peter took a moment to admit to himself that he liked and looked up to Tony so much he didn't know if he could handle that possibility, emotionally, so he'd tried to protect himself. But now… he smiled, still not quite able to believe the events of the last day. Not even a full day. Sheesh.

He did need to use the bathroom though, and he'd forgotten to brush his teeth last night which was pretty gross. He used his spider-imbued agility and grace to carefully roll up off the couch without waking Tony, and padded down the hall to his bedroom to clean up a little. However, he'd been gone less than ten minutes when he heard a soft knock on the doorframe of his bedroom.

He had a toothbrush in his mouth at the time, but ducked his head out of the bathroom to look and see Tony at his door, looking hesitant. That was a new look for him. Peter waved him in, and turned to finish up at the bathroom sink. He walked out to see Tony standing at his window, looking out at the lake. He turned as Peter approached, and smiled that same soft smile from yesterday. Peter had seen it before now, in quiet moments here and there, but it seemed a constant fixture now.

Tony looked like he wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure how. He blew a little breath out and scrubbed at the back of his neck, then tucked his thumbs in the pockets of his sweats, shifting from one foot to the other. "So, I really need to go take a hot shower, especially after sleeping on the couch last night, but figured that I'd better stop off here first…"

"Um, why's that?" Peter asked, a little bemused. "I mean, I'm glad you came to say hi, I just-"

Tony finally seemed to push past the awkward and said simply, "I'm gonna need some contact beforehand to make it through all that time."

As he finished speaking, he opened his arms, and Peter was reflexively stepping into them, even as his brain (and mouth) were still saying, "Oh," in realization of what he meant. Tony wrapped his arms firmly around him, drawing Peter in close. As soon as they made contact, the very low-key buzz that had been building in the back of Peter's head (which he really hadn't paid much attention to - his spider sense did that too when he had reason to be uneasy, or if anyone was watching him, and he often ignored it until it got more insistent) disappeared. He instinctively turned his nose into Tony, smelling his faint aftershave, and washed-but-not-gone motor oil, and fresh coffee, with a touch of hazelnut. It felt a little embarrassing, but he couldn't help but snuggle right in. It felt so right to be there, and be safe, warm, and content.

Tony's hand came up a few inches to deliberately press against his soul mark through his t-shirt, and the feeling only intensified, leaving him almost a little light-headed. He tried to think spatially about where Tony's mark was, and shifted his grip so he could touch Tony's as well. After a few moments, Tony finally pulled away (which was good, since Peter didn't think he was capable of moving in his blissed-out state) and smiled at him, bringing his hand up to attempt to smooth Peter's hair back out of his face.

"That'll do, thanks." He grinned wryly at what was probably a dopey expression on Peter's face. "It's a little heady, isn't it?"

"Uh, yeah. That's a word for it."

"If you'd like a shower, too, now would be a good time. We'll get some breakfast going after, and plan out our day, with an emphasis on stuff that lends itself to frequent and easy contact. Natasha should be here sometime after lunch."

Peter nodded, a little overwhelmed. "Yeah, I'll take a… do the shower thing, too."

"Sounds good, kiddo. Do the shower thing," he grinned teasingly. "Don't take too long."

Tony left to go to his own bathroom, and Peter immediately felt just a little bit bereft. This soulmate stuff was crazy. He picked out some clothes for the day and quickly hopped in the shower, enjoying the amazing water pressure the Compound had, and the heated towel rack, and the big fluffy bath mats. He had spent a good amount of time here, and at the Tower, but it always spoiled him a little, and he silently cursed the small drafty bathroom in his and May's apartment afterwards. Sounds like he was going to be here for a while though. Through Christmas, at least. That wasn't the worst thing ever in the middle of winter…

He was letting his brain wander, musing on what Ned and MJ were up to with their families, and what May was doing (she was working most of the week until the 24th, but had Christmas Eve and Christmas off) as he got dressed. He was about to start styling his hair when he felt what seemed to be a kind of tug somewhere behind his belly button. What the… Oh, how long had he been in here? Did that feeling mean Tony needed him?

"FRIDAY?" he asked. "How long has it been since Tony left?"

"Twenty-three minutes."

"Crap. Uh, I feel like he needs me. Can you tell if he does?"

"Boss does seem to be experiencing symptoms consistent with soulmate bond withdrawal."

What? "Why didn't you tell me?" Peter asked in slight frustration as he moved towards the door, hopping a little as he finished putting his last sock on.

"He instructed me not to," FRIDAY said, sounded peeved. "He is currently cleaning up the blankets and pillows in the living area."

Peter ran into the main living area, sliding just a little as he skidded to a stop. "Hey, why didn't you tell me you needed me?" He was mostly frustrated, since Tony seemed okay, but he was still waiting for an answer as he approached his soulmate.

Tony straightened up from where he was folding up a blanket, a surprised look on his face which quickly morphed to annoyance. "FRIDAY," he said reproachfully.

Peter stepped in close and put his hand up on Tony's bicep, over his soul mark. The older man wavered just a bit, and Peter, feeling brave, and a little annoyed himself, simply leaned hard enough against him that it unbalanced Tony and they both fell into the couch.

"She didn't tell me; I had to ask." Peter's grouchy voice was a little muffled since he was shoving his head into Tony's chest. Their legs were tangled together, and Peter had let most of his weight effectively pin the older man to the couch. This position was actually not that unfamiliar. They'd tackled each other into furniture quite a few times in the past over differences of opinion, and Peter always enjoyed all the contact and fun the roughhousing had provided.

There had never been a more startled teenager than Peter was the first time Tony Stark had shoulder-checked him into a beanbag chair and jumped on top of him to make him yield a point in an argument. Admittedly, Peter was being pretty obnoxious at the time, but he was so surprised he almost couldn't speak to admit defeat because he was laughing so hard at the time. It's not like he had to yield. He could have stood up, carrying Tony with him at any point with his spider-strength, but it had never occurred to him to not concede the point after that happened. Arguments between the two frequently ended with one or the other in a headlock, with the victim laughing too hard to continue the discussion.

"How did you know then?" Tony's voice was breathless, partially with laughter, partially because there was a 140-pound teenager on top of him. Peter heard the bit of gasp for air, and sat up, pulling Tony with him. He switched to sitting side by side with the older man, leaning their arms together so their soul marks were touching each other.

"It felt like you needed me. Like a pulling feeling, towards where you were."

"Yeah, that's what it feels like," Tony said softly, leaning his head back against the couch. "I figured you'd be in soon, and didn't want to make you hurry if it wasn't even bothering you."

Peter sat up, turning to face him. "Tony, that's not how this works. If it were reversed, and I was feeling bad, and you could fix it just by being there, would you want me to keep it from you?"

Tony frowned at the thought. Well, no, but I really was okay. The headache wasn't that bad yet."

"Were you feeling sick to your stomach, too?"

"Well, yeah, a little."

Peter shook his head. "We're supposed to be a team. Just because my enhancements might slow the reaction doesn't mean it's okay to ignore it when it's just you having symptoms."

Tony opened his mouth, possibly to argue, and Peter just glared at him, raising his eyebrows.

"I…" He looked into Peter's big brown, pleading eyes. "Fine. I promise to tell you when I need contact," Tony conceded.

Peter was a little surprised. That was easier than he thought it might be. "Well… good, then. You can make it up to me by making me pancakes for breakfast?" his expression morphed from upset to hopeful in a single sentence.

Tony laughed, pulling Peter in to ruffle his curls (which were wild and fluffy, since his hair routine had been interrupted) and pressed a quick kiss to the side of his head. "You're too much, you know that? Come start some bacon while I make up the batter. You want Mickey Mouse pancakes, or puppies?" he asked with a teasing glint in his eye.

Peter stared at him cynically. "Mr. Stark, I don't believe for one second that you can make puppies out of pancake batter. So I choose those," he said, calling the man's bluff.

"You're on, Spider-kid."

"FRIDAY? Can we turn up the temperature a degree or two in here?" Peter asked from where he was leaning his back against Tony's arm. He tugged a blanket down from the back of the couch. Breakfast had been amazing, and Peter had eaten enough that he actually felt full. The puppy pancakes had been horrendous shapes, but also delicious. All of Tony's meticulous pouring had added at lest twenty minutes to the process, and Peter had eaten most of the bacon before the first set of pancakes were even ready. After they got the fall-out cleaned up, they both seemed to be feeling a little off, so Tony suggested hanging out on the couch for some extended contact while they both attended to things. (Emails for Tony, social media and texting for Peter)

"Of course, young Mr. Peter Parker, sir," FRIDAY replied to his thermostat request. So they were back to that, were they?

"Tony!" he turned to his soulmate with a whine, pleading again with his eyes. The Tony-before-yesterday would have 100% made him suffer through that for at least several more weeks before giving in. Tony-turned-soulmate's eyes softened immediately, and he said "Okay, FRI, just call him Peter."

"Is that a command, Boss?" She sounded reluctant.

"If it needs to be, yes," he said, sounding a little surprised at FRIDAY. She didn't respond.

"Thank you," Peter said fervently, flopping back to his reclined position. "That was easy. I'm wondering what else I should start asking for…" It was almost under his breath, but Tony replied anyway.

"You'd be surprised, Pete. Use your powers for good, and not for evil," he enjoined lightly. Huh. That was definitely food for thought.

He decided to check in with MJ and Ned.

Hey, how goes it with all the cousins, Ned?

Did u make it to ur grandma's okay?

MJ, when is ur flight?

I'm gonna be thinking about u enjoying the Florida sunshine while we're freezing r butts off up here

Nedward: Hey! Yeah we made it! All my little cousins r already driving me crzy

Nedward: Hows soulmating going dude?

That's weird. NEver call it that again

But we're good ?

We're trying to figure out what we should do today. Suggestions?

Nedward: Idk Peter. Maybe look up good activities for new sms (platonic! Pls include that or u might find stuff u don't want to)

Google is ur answer to everything Ned

Nedward: So? If it's not broke…

Ms. Romanoff is coming ltr today. She and Mr. Barton r platonic sm too and r going to help us out. Crazy huh?

Nedward: Ag;klohgwa; R u kidding? Black WIdow is gonna come give you sm lessons? !?

I have nvr wanted a soul mark so bad in my life

I've met her b4 Ned. Several times. It's not a big deal.

(He lied, fanboying inside at the thought of extended time with her and with Hawkeye. Yes, he'd met her, and they'd even done some missions together, and even met Mr. Barton a few times, but they'd never really had much of a conversation outside of "work.")

MJ: Hey losers. I'm good. My flight boards in like 10 min. I'm still mad that we're taking a plane instead of a bus. My mom acts like "wasting days of our vacation" is more important than not contributing to the huge energy-wasting pollution factories that are planes. Speaking of, I want to talk to Mr. Stark about his private jets.

Yikes. Uh he's currently unavailable. He'll get back to u next yr.

Or never.

MJ: Unavailable? He's there with you, isn't he? He'd better be.

Of course he is. But I've decided I like him too much to ever let u talk to him again.

MJ: Whatever Parker. You guys take care of each other.

No problem. Have a terrible flight. Don't drown in the guilt.

?

Peter switched over to his browser and searched "platonic soulmate bond settling ideas." Hmm. A few interesting ones.

Movie marathon on the couch . That was a given.

Practice massage techniques . Mmm, no thank you. That's awkward.

Eating out. Yes, but with Tony's fame, not a good option.

Cooking together. Yeah, that might be fun, though neither of them were great in the kitchen. Breakfast had gone okay though, and it had been fun. Not enough touching though, according to their bond's reaction.

Napping together. That seemed a little weird, but also kinda nice.

Look through old photos or videos together. That might actually be fun.

Hiking. That would be nice, if it wasn't 10º outside.

Take a dance class. Wow. No.

Visit a Zoo or Aquarium together. Peter would love that. But again, Tony was probably too recognizable.

Explore a museum. Same issue, and less interesting than the aquarium.

Rock climbing . Maybe this summer.

Put together a puzzle . That was a maybe. Did Tony like puzzles? Did the compound have puzzles? Peter had a hard time picturing either of them holding still for that long.

Double kayaking or canoeing. Still winter outside.

Board games. Maybe. He felt like Tony would be really competitive. Or cheat, at the very least.

Read each other's favorite books . Huh.

Couples yoga . Again, weird.

Sign up for an online course together . Hard pass. It was Christmas break.

Caving . Who wrote this?

Nedward: Did you find ideas?

Nedward: Ugh, nvm gtg

Nedward: My cousins want to play capture the flag. Kmn

Peter chuckled out loud at the thought of that.

Have so much fun dude?ￂﾠ

Nedward: I hate you

"Hmm?" Tony said, the sound humming through Peter's back. Tony was really warm, and Peter was still cold. Feeling brave, and fairly confident that nothing he could do would be cause for rejection at this point, he sat up and snagged a pillow from the end of the couch.

"Just talking with Ned and MJ. MJ's headed to Florida and Ned's already being traumatized by all his little cousins." He plopped the feather-filled couch pillow down halfway between Tony's chest and lap (prompting a strangled noise as Tony pulled his coffee cup out of the pillow's reach) and proceeded to make himself comfortable, partly snuggled into his soulmate's side and partly in his lap, tugging the blanket up to his shoulders as he did.

Tony was a little frozen, with his arms raised up out of the way until he seemed sure that Peter had stopped rearranging himself. Then he slowly dropped them down, his phone-hand resting along Peter's side and his coffee-one on the arm of the couch.

"You planning to take a mid-morning siesta, there, Spiderling?" Tony asked dryly, amusement obvious in his voice.

"Nah, just getting comfy, and you're really warm," Peter replied lightly, inwardly still nervous that he was way overstepping. He was basically treating the billionaire as his own personal pillow and wondering if there would be any fall-out or annoyance.

"FRI, did you turn up the temperature?" A sensor light in the corner blinked an affirmative. "Why don't you light that fire, too, sweetheart?" The fireplace in the corner of the room obediently roared to life, and Peter hummed in appreciation.

"That's awesome, Mr. Stark," Peter sighed, slipping into old habits. Tony didn't seem to mind his position, so he relaxed and stopped worrying, and just enjoyed being so warm, and so close to his soulmate.

In reply, Tony set his phone down and slipped his arm under the blanket, scratching his fingertips lightly against Peter's side, which made the boy's eyes slide close and the arm holding his phone go slack.

"Whatcha looking at there, kid?"

Peter opened his eyes again, and pulled his phone back up near his face, though it was a struggle. "Ned suggested I look up stuff to do with a new soulmate bond, and I was checking out a few lists."

Tony set his coffee cup on the side table and gently took Peter's phone from his hand. Which was great, because then Peter could tuck his arm against his body, under the blanket where it was warmer, and close his eyes again. He heard Tony snort a little as he read through the list.

"Caving? What does that even mean?"

"'M guessing it's like climbin' around in caves or somethin'."

"Dance classes?" He sounded way too amused.

"No, Tony."

"I'm definitely going to ask May to bring some of your pictures and videos. That sounds very interesting."

"Mmmph," Peter grumbled. "Only if we watch some of yours, too."

"I don't think you're quite old enough for that," Tony said dryly. Peter would have rolled his eyes if they were open.

"A movie marathon would be a good idea, especially for later this afternoon and evening," mused Tony. "Right about then we probably should stick pretty close."

What was he talking about? Peter's head was getting fuzzy.

"Would you want to go somewhere like an Aquarium or a Museum?" Tony asked doubtfully.

"Sure."

"I definitely think kayaking in the Hudson would be exciting this time of year."

He was so weird.

That was the last thing Peter really understood that Tony said, and he didn't bother responding anymore as he quickly sunk into unconsciousness.

Tony

"Did you want to do some of this outdoor stuff, Pete? Because we could take a trip down south, or probably out west, and hit hiking and rock climbing, at least, if that appeals to you." Peter didn't reply. Tony nudged his side gently. "Kid?"

Tony looked down in bemusement at the sleeping teenager. He'd never known Peter to take a nap, unless he'd been up most of the night studying, or occasionally on a mission. He'd heard that some people were extra tired while trying to settle a soulmate connection though. Tony took a moment to just appreciate the sweet kid curled so trustingly into his side. He brought his hand out from under the blanket to trail through Peter's soft, clean hair. Whose idea was it to give this sweet, brilliant kid to him? What had he ever done to deserve it?

Just then, Peter's phone vibrated in his hand. It was May. Well, if he couldn't rouse Peter by asking him questions about taking a vacation, he could probably talk to the kid's aunt without disturbing him.

"Hey, May."

"Tony? Why are you answering Peter's phone?" She sounded a little confused.

"Because apparently showering and breakfast were so rigorous that your kid needed a nap," he replied dryly.

"Oh! He's really asleep at 10:30 in the morning? Did you guys stay up late?"

"Nah. He's probably just extra tired from not sleeping much during finals this week, and all the soulmate stuff, I'm guessing."

"Is he there with you?"

"Yeah. Curled up in my lap like a worn out puppy," he said, the affection apparent in his voice.

"Awwww. I need a picture, right now."

"I'm not sure if I can get a good angle, May. I don't exactly have a lot of mobility. Have you noticed how much he's grown this year?"

"I have, and it breaks my heart," she said.

"Yeah, well I think I'm effectively pinned down until he decides to release me," Tony said with a smile.

"Everything going okay?"

"Yeah, we're good. You don't need to worry. I'm going to take good care of him."

"I know you will, Tony. I can't help but worry a little though. It's my job."

"You know I understand that. Nat's going to come in a few hours, and she'll babysit us for you, okay?"

"Tony, you know that I trust you. I just wanted to check in." She was silent for a moment. "I was thinking about you guys just staying at the Compound for the rest of the break. Is that something you can do?"

"Well, yes. But why? Wouldn't you like us to come back so you can see Peter more without having to miss work?"

"Of course, but I think it might be better for both of you to keep him up there, away from the city. You know how he is about the Spiderman stuff, and his hearing makes it hard for him to ignore people in trouble. I just worry about something happening to him while he's out, and you guys being separated for too long, and what that could do to a settling bond, or how the symptoms might make him unsafe when he's out somewhere…"

Tony brought his hand up to rub at his temple. "Well, I hadn't even thought of that. But you're right. It would be a really bad idea for either of us to be doing any superhero stuff for the next several weeks, wouldn't it? Even with the trackers in his suit and his watch…"

"Yeah. It just seems like the best thing to me. If you're able, I'd love for you guys to just concentrate on staying together and settling the bond. Peter's such a sensitive, caring kid. I've always seen him as someone with the potential for a really strong soul bond. I don't know if that's the case, but… I just feel like he might be more vulnerable to a forced separation like that. Or even to the little ones. Sorry, I'm getting carried away and just babbling and…"

"Well, if I wasn't sure where he gets it from, I think I know now," Tony teased gently. Then sobering, he said, "Try not to worry May. I promise I'm taking this extremely seriously, and I know what a treasure I've got here in my arms. I'm going to do my best to be what he needs."

She was quiet, but he thought he could hear a slight sniff. "Thank you, Tony. I know you'll… just, thank you. Maybe ask him to give me a call later? I don't go into work until 5 tonight."

"I will. And we'll see you up here the 24th, right? If the weather's iffy and you don't want to drive, I can send a car."

"Yeah, I wouldn't miss it. I'll talk to him later."

"Bye, May."

Tony hung up the phone. Whew. That was a lot of emotions on both sides. He wiped at his eyes a little. He didn't remember having quite so many feelings when he and Pepper had accepted their bond. Of course, they barely knew each other at the time, and he had already been pretty attached to Peter. Still.

His phone buzzed.

Nat: I'm about an hour out. See you soon.

Sounds great

He remembered he was supposed to be documenting this nap for May, and tried to get a good angle of Peter with his limited range. He got a halfway decent one, and sent it to her. Oh, wait. C'mon Tony, you're a genius, right?

"FRIDAY? Would you take a picture of this and send it to May Parker? Also, save one for me."

"Already done, Boss, on both counts." That sneaky AI, thinking she was so advanced, and taking initiative and all that. The nerve. His grin stretched wide. "Good girl." Her sensor blinked. Hmm.

"FRI?"

"Yes, Boss."

"What do you think of all this?"

"What do I think? I think a great many things, but I have not been programmed to form opinions on personal relationships."

"BS, baby girl. Lay it on me."

There was silence for a moment. "Mr. Parker is good for you. You take better care of yourself when he's around, so my opinion of him as your soulmate is favorable." Tony smiled.

"However," Ah, there it was. "I believe it's beneficial for him to not get too complacent, so I sometimes provide stimulus to prevent that. It's in his own best interest, and therefore also in yours."

Tony's laugh was loud enough that the sleeping kid in his lap stirred, and he quickly muffled it, and returned his fingers to the boy's hair, which had always seemed to be relaxing for him. Peter stilled again, but Tony didn't stop chuckling for several minutes. Though she had learned and developed so much in the last several years, it was still obvious that FRIDAY was his creation.