Wanda and Pietro didn't know what to say.
If Stark had remained the same arrogant man—someone who didn't care about the lives lost because of his name—then their anger would have had a clear target. Hate would have been easy. Revenge would have made sense.
But in front of them wasn't that man.
It was someone who had acknowledged his mistakes, shut down the very business that ruined their lives, and carried the weight of that guilt without trying to erase it or justify it.
That made things complicated.
It was hard to keep hating someone who was already punishing himself—and trying, in his own way, to make sure no one else suffered the same way again.
"Well," Luke said, clapping his hands once, a thin smile on his face, "looks like we've reached some kind of understanding. That's good."
He exhaled slowly, the tension finally draining from his shoulders.
"Whew… I really hate stuff like this," he added, rubbing the back of his neck before dropping down beside Pietro on the sofa, looking more tired than relieved.
"Well then, I'll take my leave," Tony said, standing up. He had a lot of questions he wanted to throw at Luke—but whatever energy he had for that was gone. Right now, he just wasn't in the mood.
He paused near the door, glancing back. "Oh—and could you make my suit work again?"
Luke waved a hand lazily. "Yeah. Sure."
Tony's suit systems hummed back to life almost instantly.
"…Figures," Tony muttered, half impressed, half annoyed.
Thor inclined his head toward Luke in a brief nod of respect, then followed Tony out without another word.
The door closed behind them, leaving the room quieter than before.
Wanda frowned slightly. "Wait… how did you know how our parents died?"
Her voice wasn't accusing, just confused. "We never told you that part."
Luke leaned back. "I sort of… know things. Past. Sometimes future. Bits and pieces."
Pietro's head snapped toward him instantly. He straightened up, interest replacing all previous tension.
"Wait—future?"
Luke squinted at him. "Yeah? Why are you suddenly excited?"
Pietro leaned forward, completely serious. "Will I have a girlfriend in the future?"
There was a brief silence.
Wanda stared at her brother.
Luke stared at Pietro.
"…That's what you focus on?" Luke asked flatly.
"What?" Pietro shrugged. "If you can see the future, I'm asking the important questions."
Luke looked at him flatly. "You're still young. Why are you already worried about girlfriends and relationships?"
Pietro scoffed. "You can't understand the thirst of a dying man if you're already full."
Luke opened his mouth, then closed it.
How could Luke understand? He lived surrounded by four amazing women. Affection, closeness, unspoken intimacy—it was part of his everyday life.
Pietro had none of that.
He was the single one in a house where romance played out daily, forced to watch it from the sidelines. Shared looks, casual touches, quiet moments that made it painfully clear he didn't belong in any of them.
Only he knew how bad that felt.
"Pietro, can you shut up?" Wanda snapped.
Before he could react, she shoved him off the sofa.
"Oof—!" Pietro hit the floor with a dull thud, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief. "Wanda?!"
She crossed her arms. "You're embarrassing."
Luke glanced down at Pietro, then back at Wanda. "…Deserved," he said.
Pietro groaned from the floor. "This house is hostile to single people."
"So… can I know about my future?" Wanda asked. She shifted closer and sat beside Luke, trying to sound casual—but the curiosity was obvious.
I mean, who wouldn't be curious?
"Wanda?" Pietro looked at her with an accusing gaze, clearly offended. So you can ask, but I can't? What kind of sister does that make you?
Luke didn't even look away from Wanda. "Your future?" he said casually. "Your future… changes. A lot. In the end, you're married to me."
The room went dead silent.
Wanda froze.
Her brain took a second to process the words, then her face turned red so fast it was almost impressive. "W-What?" she stammered, eyes wide.
Pietro's jaw dropped. "…Excuse me?"
Luke frowned slightly, like he'd just stated the weather. "What? You asked about the future. That's the future."
Well, that is the future that's going to happen. So his words weren't false—her original future had already broken the moment he entered her life.
"That's not how you say things!" Wanda blurted out, half flustered, half panicking. She stared at him, then immediately looked away, covering her face with both hands.
Pietro shot to his feet. "Hold on—hold on—since when was that decided?!"
Luke finally looked at him. "Relax. It's not tomorrow."
"That's not reassuring!"
Wanda didn't even try to argue. She stood up so fast her chair scraped the floor, face burning, and walked straight out of the room.
The conversation was over—for her.
"I don't agree to this marriage," Pietro said immediately, crossing his arms. "No way. Not happening. I'm not letting my innocent sister marry a womanizer."
Luke looked at him calmly. "I can give you superpowers."
There was a long pause.
Pietro blinked. "…What kind?"
Luke shrugged. "Fast ones. Strong ones. Cool ones."
Another pause.
Pietro cleared his throat, and clapped a hand on Luke's shoulder with a forced smile.
"Brother-in-law."
Luke nodded. "Glad we understand each other."
From the hallway, Wanda tripped on nothing and nearly fell.
*****
A/N: If you'd like to read chapters ahead of the Webnovel release schedule, you can join my Patreon!
The Patreon version is already updated up to Chapter 192.
👉 patreon.com/Universal_Peace