Battle Scars

Chapter 12

When Jarvis announced that the jet would be landing momentarily, you made your way to the hangar. You stood to the side, arms crossed over your chest as you watched the team unload. Your gaze ran over them, relief flooding through you when you saw only the typical minor injuries.

Your friends shouted their hellos until they got close enough to see the bruising on your face. "What happened?" Clint demanded.

They gathered around you with a variety of concerned expressions. "Was it Bucky?" Steve asked in a low voice. "He said there was an incident."

You rolled your eyes. "It wasn't that big of a deal, Steve and no, this isn't from Bucky."

"Then what—"

Bruce cut Steve off as he steered the team toward the hall where their lockers were. "When she wants to tell us, she'll tell us." He stopped at the door and glanced over at you. "He went in upstairs. Good luck."

You nodded once and hurried up to Tony's floor, not wanting to lose the little nerve you had left. When you arrived in his apartment, you didn't see any sign of him. "Tony?" you called.

"I'll be right there."

With your arms crossed over your chest, you wandered over to the window to glance out at the city below. His floor wasn't that much higher than your own, but something about the view up here was just better.

"There's my girl," he announced as he came into the room and you were suddenly terrified.

What if he was disappointed that you were his soulmate? He'd try to hide it if he was, but you'd know. God, why did you think any of this was a good idea? Coming to New York, finding Tony Stark, going to work for him, it was all a horrible idea.

Tony let out a soft laugh behind you, closer now but still plenty of distance between the two of you. "You going to turn around, sweetheart?"

Knowing you couldn't hide from him forever, you turned. His eyes went wide as he saw you and he closed the distance between you in several long strides. He laid his hand along the unbruised side of your face and his eyes searched you as if looking for any other injury. "What the hell happened, baby?"

You darted out your tongue to moisten your lips. "I was hoping you could tell me."

His brow furrowed in confusion. You saw the moment he made the connection. The fingers of his free hand trailed over his own bruising. "Do you mean..."

He trailed off and you nodded in answer to the unfinished question.

A smile, brighter than any you'd ever seen from him, crossed his face. You only had a moment to appreciate it before he cupped your face in his hands and pressed his lips to yours. The kiss was happy, you really couldn't think of a better word to describe it. After a moment he pulled away and pressed his forehead to yours. "When did you realize?"

"What?" you asked, needing him to clarify as you were still in a daze from his kiss.

He laughed again and linked his fingers with yours to pull you over to the couch. You both sat, your knees touching as you turned toward each other. His fingers stayed intertwined with yours. "When did you know you were my soulmate? Was it after you saw the reactor? I can only imagine the scarring you have there. I'm sorry about that." He frowned. "Wait. My shoulder. Your shoulder."

A second later, he was turning you so he could lift your shirt to see the bruising on your back. His fingers ran over it causing you to shiver as he tickled your skin. "What happened? You were scared. I felt it."

"I woke Bucky up from a nightmare, stupidly getting in his space to do so. When he shoved me backward, I hit the doorframe."

"He what?" His voice was low, little more than a growl and you weren't certain you had ever heard him so angry.