Tony wakes up one morning to sharp, throbbing back pain. He was used to back pain having spent long nights working away in the lab, that and he wasn't getting any younger.

So he ignored it.

He ignored it until he saw feathers swirling around the drain while showering. There was no other reason for the feathers, of that he was certain.

He had found his soulmate. Probably within the past month. His soul wings growing in as the soulbond with his mate started to form. But who? As both Iron Man and Tony Stark he meets so many people daily…

Would it even be possible to find his soulmate?

Tony spends the next couple of weeks looking for his soulmates and disposing of the fledgling feathers as his wings grew and matured. As the days go by he was worried if he would ever hind his soulmate again, but he wasn't going to give up. He looks into everyone he had dealings with the past month or so, even the villains.

He realises that maybe asking for help may aid his chances of finding them, and so he goes to someone he knows would have the skill-set to help him and he was comfortable talking to.

Tony heads over to Steve's room after checking with JARVIS that Steve was in. In the past two months Steve had moved into the Tower and they had become fast friends despite their rough start.

Walking briskly into Steve's room, he finds Steve sitting by the ceiling to floor windows, hunched over. Tony walks over. He was about to say hello when he sees what is in Steve's hands. Tony freezes up and his heart leaps into his throat.

In Steve's hand is a feather.

Where did he get that? He was sure he didn't leave any of his feathers laying around. Did Steve know? Why does he look so down about it? Was Steve disappointed about this? Was he in trouble? Why would he be in trouble? Was Steve going to kick him off the team for finding his soulmate? It wasn't like he knew who it was. They probably didn't know he was their soulmate either. Was this going to be about some old timey values Steve would undoubtedly hold?

Maybe he should turn around. Get out of here before things got messy. Before the inevitable confrontation that would ensue. He doesn't want to deal with this, not on one of his few days off.

Let Steve yell at him about Avengers related stuff and disobeying orders, but not this. This is where he was going to draw the line. Soulmates? They were personal. He was not going to be scolded by Captain America about personal stuff. Nope.

As he turns to leave something occurs to him. None of his feathers look like the one in Steve's hand, the pattern was similar but the colors were different.

Tony takes a few deep, calming breaths and walks over to Steve. He lays his hand on Steve's shoulder and the man jumps slightly.

Steve moves to hide the feather in his shirt pocket, but Tony quickly catches Steve's wrist first.

"Where did you get that?" He asks Steve.

Steve scowls at his hand. "Why do you want to know? Why do you need to know?" Steve says, tugging his hand away from Tony.

Tony decides to go all in, it's worked for him in the past. "Because when you meet your soulmate, you grow wings?" Steve's frown deepens and he draws tighter in on himself. "Because-… Because I have apparently recently found my soulmate and growing my wings..."

Steve's eyes widen. "You found your soulmate recently?" the soldier asks, almost whispering.

"Yes, and I have been trying to work out who…" he says.

Tony pulls out one of his feathers and holds it up to the one in Steve's hand, comparing them. The pattern is nearly identical. They matched.

Steve stands up from the couch, his eyes full of awe. "Tony…" he whispers.

Tony launches forwards, joining their lips in a bruising kiss. Steve's arms wrap around him, drawing him in closer.

He found his mate. His partner. Tony grins against Steve's lips.

He wasn't alone.

The End

Notes: For the MHEA Harlequin Hoopla, Suspense Prompt - Feb 10th: Wing!Fic