Chapter 1
Silence filled the dimly lit bedroom. Stephen sat on the bed while Tony stood before him. The tension between them was palpable.
"Stephen, let me explain. It was nothing..." Tony began.
"I want a divorce," Stephen interrupted, his voice cold.
"What?" Tony asked weakly.
"I want a divorce," Stephen repeated, without looking at him.
"Steph, you can't do this to us. What about Peter? What about us?" Tony pleaded, kneeling in front of him, trying to meet his husband's eyes.
"Did you think about any of that before you cheated on me?" Stephen asked, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Steph, it was a mistake. I was drunk and stupid. I wouldn’t have done it if I was in my right mind," Tony said, grabbing his hands.
"Tony, I know you don’t want me anymore. A surgeon who can’t do his job with these broken hands. I know you want me to leave, but you could have told me. I would have left willingly," Stephen said, his voice filled with hurt, tears streaming down his face.
"It’s not true. I can’t live without you, Steph. I love you. I don’t know what got into me that night. It was just a stupid fling. Please, don’t leave me," Tony said, cupping Stephen's cheeks, tears in his own eyes.
Stephen pushed Tony’s hands away. "Stop touching me, Tony. I feel like I’m just another one of your flings. I can’t love you or trust you after what you did."
"Steph, please. I’ll do anything to fix this. Please let me fix it," Tony begged, holding Stephen’s face again.
"It’s better not to fix it. I’ve been going through so much these past few months. I can’t handle this too. I need to find a way to fix my hands and get my old life back. That’s all I want," Stephen said.
"Stephen, can you stop this madness? You haven’t been yourself for months. When’s the last time you sat with me and Peter? You’re obsessed with fixing your hands. It’s non-treatable. Accept it. And now you’re accusing me of cheating? When was the last time we had sex? When was the last time we kissed?" Tony asked.
"Don’t justify your infidelity by blaming me, Stark. I’ve been on the verge of a breakdown. I can’t please you while going through that!" Stephen shouted.
They both froze when they heard their 18-month-old son crying from his crib. Stephen rushed over and picked him up.
"It’s okay, Pete. Papa’s here," Stephen whispered, kissing the boy’s head. The baby cried for a few more moments before calming down and falling asleep on Stephen’s shoulder.
"I’m sorry for what I said. It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have cheated. I know how much pain you’ve been in, and you’re still hurting, trying to find a fix for your hands. But you need to stop. We need you. There’s life beyond your job," Tony said softly.
"What life? With you? How can I trust you again? I’m not good enough for you. I should leave," Stephen said quietly, trying not to wake their son.
"And Peter? What about him?" Tony asked, his voice filled with hurt.
"I’ll take him with me," Stephen replied.
"No, you won’t. I won’t allow it until you stop this madness. You haven’t even held him in six months, Stephen," Tony said firmly.
Stephen gently placed the baby back in his crib. "I know I can’t win against your legal team and get custody of Peter. And I don’t want him being shuttled between us. You can keep him. I just want to see him sometimes. That’s all I want. You can’t deny me that," Stephen said, sobbing.
"Steph, we don’t have to be like this. Please forgive me. We can live a happy life like before. I promise, I’ll never do it again. Please, stay," Tony begged, once again cupping Stephen’s cheeks.
But Stephen pushed him away and left the room, crying.
Tony sat on the floor, heartbroken. He had made a terrible mistake, and now he was going to pay for it.