Chapter 14
Stephen was dressed in a casual shirt and pants to meet Tony. Wong's comment had disturbed him. Was he making the wrong choice? But when it came to Tony, he couldn’t help himself. Something inside him said this was right, so he chose to ignore everything else.
Stephen created a portal to the tower.
"Welcome, Doctor Strange. The boss is waiting for you in the dining area," Friday informed him.
"Thanks, Friday," Stephen said and walked toward the dining area.
He saw Tony trying to light a candle with one hand, but it kept going out.
"Shit! Not again. Friday, control the wind inside," Tony said, frustrated.
"Sure, boss," Friday replied.
But then the lighter stopped working.
"Why is this happening to me?" Tony muttered. "Friday, how long until Stephen arrives?" he asked.
Stephen chuckled at the scene and waved his hand to light the candle. Tony turned to see him standing there.
"Oh! You’re already here. Friday, why didn’t you inform me?" Tony asked.
"I wanted to surprise you, boss," Friday replied with a hint of mischief.
Tony rolled his eyes and walked over to Stephen, giving him a kiss.
"Hey, welcome," Tony said, smiling.
"Thanks! A candlelight dinner? Very romantic," Stephen said, smiling.
"Yes, I want our first date to be special," Tony replied.
"I never thought of you as being so romantic," Stephen remarked.
"Are you surprised? You’re going to be even more surprised," Tony said, smirking.
"Okay, surprise me," Stephen said.
"Shall we?" Tony asked.
Stephen nodded and followed him.
The table was beautifully decorated, with luxurious food and a bottle of wine waiting. Stephen looked around, surprised.
"Did you do all this by yourself?" Stephen asked.
"Uh, no. Happy helped me," Tony admitted.
"What about me, boss?" Friday asked, sounding offended.
"Yes, Friday gave me the idea," Tony said, rolling his eyes.
Stephen chuckled.
"She has good taste," Stephen remarked.
"Thanks, Doctor Strange. Based on my data, the boss needs proper guidance, or he’ll ruin it," Friday replied.
"Fri, no more interruptions until our date is over," Tony said.
"Noted, boss," Friday said with a touch of sass.
Stephen laughed again.
"So, how was your day?" Tony asked, pouring wine for him.
"It was pretty calm. I spent most of the time at the library. How about yours?" Stephen asked.
"Boring. I spent all day doing nothing. I have huge respect for people with only one arm who still manage to live their lives," Tony said.
One of the many realities flashed through Stephen's mind, where Tony had survived but lost his right arm.
Tony noticed Stephen was lost in thought.
"Stephen, are you okay?" Tony asked.
"Huh? Yeah," Stephen replied, snapping back to reality.
"How did things go with Pepper?" Stephen asked quietly.
"Good. She was very understanding, and she said she and I can raise the kid together," Tony replied.
"She must hate me, doesn’t she?" Stephen asked softly.
"No, she doesn’t. She’s actually happy for us. I want you to meet her, Stephen. I’m sure you two will get along," Tony said.
Stephen smiled in relief.
"I guess Wong isn’t happy about our relationship?" Tony asked.
"Wong… he’s just worried," Stephen replied.
"Worried that I’ll hurt you?" Tony asked.
That wasn’t Wong's only concern. He was worried about the possible collapse of reality and the price they might have to pay for tampering with it. But Stephen didn’t want to tell Tony that.
"Uh, yeah," Stephen said simply.
"I think I need to meet him personally and promise that I’ll never hurt you," Tony said, holding Stephen's hand.
"Sounds good," Stephen replied, smiling lightly.
"Okay, tell me about yourself. I know everything about you as a doctor, but I want to know more," Tony said.
"I was nothing before I became a doctor. Just a kid from Nebraska, born to a farmer family. My high IQ was always a burden for my parents and me. They couldn’t afford the education I deserved, and I couldn’t settle for less. They tried their best, but I was too stubborn to understand. I constantly argued with them over our living conditions."
"I had two siblings, Donna and Victor. Donna was the only one who could calm me down. She’d make funny faces and tell jokes to lift my spirits."
Stephen chuckled at the memory.
"But she died, drowning in an ice pool. I still think it was my fault because I was there but couldn’t save her," Stephen said.
Tony squeezed his hand to comfort him.
"After she was gone, everything changed. I left home for university. Then, I lost my mom to cancer. Dad became a drunkard, and Victor, my little brother, was left alone in that house. I should have been there for him, but I wasn’t. I ruined his life too. He left me after a car accident, and Dad did too," Stephen said, tears slipping from his eyes.
"Stephen, it’s okay," Tony said gently.
"I’ve always failed the people I love. I lost everyone in my life. That’s why I’m scared of relationships—I can’t bear the thought of losing someone else," Stephen confessed.
"You’re not going to lose me. I promise, Stephen," Tony assured him.
Stephen smiled sadly.
"Thank you for opening up to me," Tony said.
"I wanted you to know everything. If you don’t want me after hearing all this, I understand," Stephen replied.
"I could never stop wanting you, especially after hearing this. You’re taking all the blame because you’re a good person, but it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have changed any of it," Tony said.
Stephen thought about how he had the power to change things now—and he already had, by saving Tony. Was he being selfish? Was he misusing his powers?
"Stephen, are you here?" Tony asked.
"Yes, sorry," Stephen replied.
"No problem. Do you want to go home, or should we stay for a movie?" Tony asked.
"I’d like to stay," Stephen said, smiling.
"Alright, come on," Tony said, taking his hand.
The two of them cuddled together on the couch while Friday played a movie. Stephen rested his head on Tony's shoulder, and Tony held him close. Stephen fell asleep halfway through the movie. Tony watched the beautiful man sleeping peacefully. He had never known about Stephen’s painful past, all the losses he had endured. The world saw him as an arrogant, narcissistic doctor who didn’t care about anyone, but it was all a mask to hide the pain.
Tony understood that—he did the same.
Tony decided he would protect Stephen from everything. He kissed his head softly, and Stephen instinctively cuddled closer. Tony chuckled, sure of one thing: Stephen was the missing piece in his life.