Chapter 7
Something was wrong.
Tony could tell the moment Stephen walked back into the Sanctum.
The Sorcerer Supreme usually carried himself with a mix of arrogance and exhaustion, like a man who bore the weight of the world but still thought he was the smartest guy in the room. But right now, Stephen looked drained.
His cloak was slightly torn. His hair was disheveled. His shoulders were tense.
And, most telling of all, he didn’t acknowledge Tony when he walked in.
That, more than anything, set off alarm bells in Tony’s head.
So, as Stephen trudged past the study, Tony hopped down from his usual spot on the armchair and padded after him.
He found the sorcerer in the library, leaning heavily against a desk, fingers pressed to his temples. The soft golden glow of his magic flickered at his fingertips before fizzling out entirely.
Tony had seen that kind of exhaustion before—on himself, on his teammates, on Pepper after dealing with Stark Industries nonsense. It was the kind of tired that settled deep in your bones.
For once, Tony didn’t make a game out of this.
He simply trotted over, hopped onto the desk, and curled up next to Stephen’s arm.
Stephen sighed but didn’t react otherwise.
Tony nudged his head against the sorcerer’s wrist. Just a small, silent gesture.
Stephen finally turned his head, glancing down at him with tired blue eyes. “…What do you want?”
Tony just blinked at him.
Stephen let out a breath. “If you’re here to demand food, I’m not in the mood.”
Tony flicked his tail and nudged him again.
This time, Stephen hesitated before raising a hand and absentmindedly scratching behind Tony’s ears.
Tony let out a quiet, approving purr.
Stephen huffed. “Of course you like that.”
Tony settled down, pressing closer. He wasn’t great at this whole emotional support thing, but he figured a warm presence and some purring were the least he could offer.
Stephen didn’t say anything for a while.
Then, quietly, he muttered, “Today sucked.”
Tony let out a soft mrrp in response.
Stephen gave a tired, almost amused scoff. “Yeah, I know. Not exactly surprising.” He ran a hand down his face. “Sometimes I wonder why I bother.”
Tony nudged him again.
Stephen glanced at him, brow raising slightly. “What, you disagree?”
Tony flicked his tail. Obviously.
Stephen let out another breath. His fingers absently carded through Tony’s fur, the motion slow and grounding.
After a long moment, he muttered, “You’re not a bad stray, you know that?”
Tony purred louder.
Stephen sighed, but this time, he looked a little less tense.
Tony counted that as a win.