Pepper looked on in evil satisfaction at the scene in front of her.
The rogues return was the single most horrible event in Pepper’s life and she had lived through the snap™ and the urge to just hit each one of them with one of her Jimmy Choos was growing at an exponential rate with every single moment she had to bear their miserable existence because how dare they do all this and still be standing here free, shameless ? And the audacity Rogers had to even think of approaching Tony. It made her feel like the extremis was burning anew in her veins.
But then scenes like the one in front of her right now made her relax because Tony was in good hands now. Because Stephen Strange - and wasn’t that the biggest surprise - was a smitten, adoring, protective boyfriend who did not suffer assholes like Rogers.
So when, after the meeting from hell with the rogues, Rogers tried to follow Tony who had made a swift exit, Pepper could only hold in her snort as a portal suddenly opened just to the right of Rogers and he was sent stumbling back just with the sheer shock and effort to save himself from falling into the unknown. The look on his face when he slowly turned towards Strange with a dumb expression on his face and was only met with a flat smile and an eyebrow raised in challenge was just wow . Pepper never thought she would ever want to have Rogers' face framed anywhere near her, but that look. Yeah, that was priceless .
Rogers’ had always been stupid. So this was a necessary wake-up call to realize that if he ever tried to get to Tony, he would have to cross the indestructible wall that was his boyfriend, Stephen Strange. Pepper approved!
Wong and Rhodey were huddled together at the kitchen counter as they watched the scene unfold in glee.
A very dishevelled, half-asleep and criminally soft-looking Tony Stark wearing a hoodie too big to be his, walked into the kitchen directly cueing towards the coffee machine and proceeded to stare at the machine making his coffee as if it held all the answers to all the mysteries of the universe. And then a eager-looking Rogers walked into the kitchen, clearly intent on approaching the genius.
Poor idiot. He must have been too enthused to speak with Tony to not realize his very much not-enthused boyfriend was also present in the kitchen. Who then proceeded to create a portal just to Roger’s left making him yelp and stumble to the right not unlike the last time. And just like last time Rogers, red in the face slowly turned to look at Stephen who once again only gave him a flat smile this time with a mocking tilt of his head. Roger’s turned around and exited, his eagerness nowhere to be found. Both Rhodey and Wong burst into laughter as Stephen shook his head in amusement.
“Huh-” Tony looked at them still half-asleep having not registered anything that happened around him at all. Rhodey and Wong burst into laughter again.
Tony really had no awareness nor the care to register anything happening around him till he had the first sip of his personal heaven that was coffee. He would probably tell Thanos to hold the fuck up if he ever tried to come between the half-asleep engineer and his beloved first coffee of the day. Well, he had Stephen to look after him now so no worries about his sacred morning ritual getting disrupted. Rhodey as the best friend and Wong as the new member of the Tony Stark Protection Squad approved!
Peter watched on with a glare that usually had no place on his face as Rogers tried to approach Mr Stark who was busy on a phone call in the other corner of the big common area trying to clear up the latest mess that the rogues had created during the press conference that morning. Did they really sell their brains to Satan in exchange for a phd in betraying people? Because every time the minute they opened their mouths logic left not only the room but the plane of existence itself.
Peter was a teenager and he had more knowledge and tact than all of the rogues combined. So yeah, now Mr Stark was busy cleaning up the mess they had created. Again.
And now Rogers, perhaps to get in a word or perhaps just to make sure that the mess becomes big enough as to not put his previous achievements of disasters to shame, was trying to approach Mr Stark. And Peter wanted none of it.
He thought of blocking the Super Soldier himself but then…Peter couldn’t help but let a vindictive smile take over his face as he watched as a red cape floated into the room and stood right in front of Rogers who flinched at the sudden presence and a big portal opened right behind him. Not close enough for him to fall but close enough for his eyes to widen in fear when the cloak’s corner lifted and pointed at his chest as he realized that just one push from the cloak and he will… and then he slowly turned his head to stare at the Sorcerer Supreme who had just entered the room, his face intense as he gave Rogers the flattest smile he had received so far. The threat in front of him and the threat behind him and the biggest threat in the door. What could Rogers do than zip his mouth and exit the room?
Peter sighed with satisfaction. Good.
He smiled softly as he watched Levi float over to Mr Stark and settle on his shoulders and his smile widened as Mr Stark instantly relaxed and turned and sent a fond smile to Dr Strange who settled on the sofa beside Peter, eyes trained on Mr Stark.
Yeah, Peter didn’t have to worry at all. His Dad had someone who could smack Rogers out of existence if Mr Stark ever wished. Peter approved!
Stephen felt hot red anger flash before his eyes as he saw Rogers approach Tony. Again .
Perhaps he had been too kind in his message. This time he won’t be. Because how dare Rogers think about disturbing a sleeping Tony ?
Tony who had had just gotten a break after going into a mission where besides Iron Man, Dr Strange, Spider-Man, Rhodey, and Vision everyone *cough* rogues *cough* had been redundant at best and a burden at worst because with Wanda out of the picture (her magic bound), Sam out of the picture (in hell was Tony letting him use his stolen tech again), and with Scott also out of the picture(Hope was vindicative) what were Rogers, Romanoff and Barton going to do to aliens flying as high as the fucking mount Everest? Throw rocks, sticks, and a frisbee at them? Redundant . That’s what they were.
Tony being one of the heavy hitters was bruised and tired from the mission and was downright exhausted from dealing with the after-mission briefing wherein every rogue had made it their business to share their two cents of wisdom as to how those who fought could have done better. Had torn into Tony as if he was the cause of all the problems in the world. And Stephen had been seething but he had controlled himself. And really? Sitting ducks had no business opening their mouths.
Tony had to herd this group of idiots and Stephen could see he was done
So now that Tony had finally fallen asleep on the sofa with the cloak’s soft petting and Stephen’s own magic relaxing his tensed muscles, no one, and especially Rogers had no right to disturb the man.
But he still tried. And Stephen was so fucking done! The man had proven times and times and times again that he really had not even two brain cells to rub against each other. So for it to get through his thick empty skull, Stephen had to make his message loud and clear this time or Vaishanti forgive him he was going to fling this idiot into the Dark Dimension and see how much wits he had to plant himself like a tree and tell the devourer to move.
But for now, Stephen would settle on something else.
Rogers had still not noticed Stephen standing by the window with a cup of tea nor the murder that was written on every inch of the sorcerer’s countenance, focused as he was on breaking Tony’s peace. Stephen with hands shaking with anger quickly created a portal. This time right in front of the man and Rogers who was in a rush to reach to Tony froze mid-step as a large dark portal opened write under his foot and he barely managed to stop himself from stepping into the void as he swayed on his one foot with a face that was turning paler by the second and eventually flung himself backward landing on his ass. The portal still wide open in front of him.
Stephen watched with burning satisfaction as the wide eyes slowly looked up and searched him in the big room and then widened further at the look on Stephen’s face when they finally landed on him.
Previously Stephen had been amused by the end of these ordeals and had left the Captain with a flat smile. But this time his eyes flashed with anger and his face was set in a sneer. His aura strong and forbidding. This was Rogers’ last chance and Stephen will make sure that he realizes that Tony was no longer within his reach to use and discard as they pleased.
He stepped closer to rapidly paling Rogers and hissed, “If you ever, ever try to show your face to Tony besides the time it absolutely cannot be avoided, the next portal will be right under you.”
Rogers shakily looked down at the Portal in front of him, extending into nothing but an abyss of darkness with no end in sight and with horror written on his face, gave a jerky nod.
“Now piss off.”
“Rogers has not approached me in months. Is this real? Am I hallucinating?” Tony asked the room as a whole.
Pepper, Rhodey, Wong, and Peter looked at each other and then looked at Stephen who was intently staring at the book he was reading.
“I wonder what brought on this change?” Tony contemplated. Four pairs of eyes continued to stare at the sorcerer who huffed and got up.
“Good riddance, isn’t it? Maybe he finally found a brain back there.” Stephen said, taking a step toward the kitchen’s direction.
“Yeah, it’s not like he was threatened with portals in every direction by a certain someone.” Tony continued with a wide grin.
Stephen huffed again and folded his arms. “I am not sorry.” He grumbled.
Oh God, Tony loved this man so damn much he was going to burst! Any minute now.
“Who said anything about saying sorry?” Tony quipped with a sing-song voice and and then all but threw himself in his sorcerer’s arms who immediately caught him around the waist.
“Thank you” Tony whispered as he nuzzled his cheek and pressed a soft kiss, lips spread in a wide smile.
Stephen tightened his hold around Tony’s waist.
“Anytime sweetheart”