Chapter 26
Stephen was sitting on the couch, heartbroken. Wong approached him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Stephen, go and get some sleep. We'll talk about this tomorrow. Your bedroom is upstairs, the first one on the left," Wong said.
"Wong?" Stephen called.
"Yes?"
"What are we?" Stephen asked, his voice filled with uncertainty. Tony’s reaction had made him feel like there was something more between him and Wong, and he didn’t want to repeat the mistakes Tony had made.
"Stephen, you can trust me," Wong reassured him, assuming Stephen was doubting his trustworthiness.
"I want to know our relationship," Stephen insisted.
"We're colleagues, and we're also friends," Wong replied.
"Nothing more than that?" Stephen asked hesitantly.
"What more do you need? I care about you. You're like my brother. I would never hurt you, Stephen," Wong reassured him.
A huge weight of guilt lifted from Stephen’s chest, but he couldn't stop his tears. He started sobbing.
Wong moved closer and hugged him.
"Hey, what happened?" Wong asked gently.
"I can't even understand who truly cares about me and who doesn’t. It feels like I'm all alone. Tony... he's not mine anymore," Stephen whispered, his voice trembling.
"We can talk about this tomorrow. Get some rest," Wong urged.
Stephen nodded and walked to his assigned bedroom. As he lay on the bed, the Cloak of Levitation wrapped around him, embracing him tightly. The familiar warmth calmed him, and he slowly relaxed.
Meanwhile, Tony was heartbroken, but he couldn’t show it in front of his son. He was preparing to welcome Peter home. When Peter arrived with May, he ran toward Tony, who scooped him up in his arms.
"Hey, Pete. Did you have fun at Ned's?" Tony asked with a smile.
"Yes, Daddy! We played a lot, read a story together, and then went to sleep," Peter said excitedly.
"Good," Tony replied.
"Where's Papa?" Peter asked.
"Papa had to leave for the Sanctum for an urgent meeting," Tony explained.
"When will he come back?" Peter asked, pouting.
"I don't know, Pete. Come on, you need to freshen up," Tony said.
But Peter wasn’t satisfied.
"Hey, Papa will come back, or we’ll go to the Sanctum to see him. I promise," Tony reassured him.
"Okay," Peter said reluctantly.
The next morning, Stephen woke up feeling exhausted. When he walked downstairs, he saw Wong sitting with two cups of tea.
"Good morning. Have some tea," Wong said, handing him a cup.
Stephen sat down. "Thanks."
"So, do you want to talk about it?" Wong asked.
"I know Tony and I aren’t together anymore. But he never told me—we acted like we were still husbands," Stephen said.
"Stephen, Tony didn’t want to upset you by telling you about the separation. You were going through a lot," Wong explained.
"But... he cheated on me, Wong. And then he acted like nothing happened," Stephen said bitterly.
"Stephen, that was three years ago. You had already made peace with it," Wong said gently.
"I don’t understand how I made peace with it. I can’t remember any of it. I want my memories back," Stephen said, frustration evident in his voice.
"Come with me to Kamar-Taj. You’ll find your answers there," Wong suggested.
"Where?" Stephen asked, frowning.
"Kamar-Taj. It’s where you learned sorcery," Wong explained.
"Okay," Stephen said, determined. He was willing to do anything to regain his lost memories.
"It will take time. Do you want to see Stark and Peter before we leave?" Wong asked.
Stephen was unsure about facing Tony, but he definitely wanted to see Peter.
"I want to see Peter," Stephen said.
"Okay. Get ready—we'll go to the Tower first, then to Kamar-Taj," Wong said.
Stephen nodded and went to get ready.
Meanwhile, Tony was dressing Peter after his bath.
"Daddy, Ned's parents are getting a puppy. Can we get a puppy too?" Peter asked eagerly.
"Why do we need a puppy? You already have the energy of two puppies combined," Tony teased.
"But I want one! I don’t have anyone to play with. Most of my friends have a pet or..." Peter trailed off.
"Or?" Tony prompted.
"Or siblings. I have neither," Peter said, pouting.
"Pete, we’re not in a position to get either right now, so drop it," Tony said firmly.
Peter stomped his foot in frustration. "Then take me to Papa! At least I’ll have Cloakie to play with!" he whined.
"We can’t go now, Peter. Behave," Tony said, his patience wearing thin.
"I want to go! I want to go!" Peter screamed, his voice high-pitched.
"PETER. Enough!" Tony scolded, shaking him lightly.
Peter burst into tears, fat droplets rolling down his cheeks.
Tony sighed, exhausted from everything. He couldn’t handle this right now.
"Boss," Friday’s voice interrupted.
"What is it, Friday?" Tony asked, exasperated.
"Doctor Strange and Wong are here," Friday informed.
Tony took a deep breath. "Oh. Okay. Come on, Peter. Papa’s here," he said, carrying the boy swiftly to the living room.
Stephen and Wong were waiting when Peter started squirming in Tony’s arms. As soon as he was freed, he ran straight to Stephen.
Stephen picked him up. "Hey," he greeted with a smile.
"Papa!" Peter sobbed, clinging to him.
"What happened? Why are you crying?" Stephen asked, wiping his tears.
"Daddy scolded me," Peter said, pouting.
"Why?"
"Because I wanted to see you," Peter admitted.
"Pete, you know Papa will always come back for you. There's no need to be upset," Stephen soothed.
"I just don’t want to lose you," Peter whispered.
"You won’t. I have duties to fulfill, so I might be gone for a few days, but I promise I’ll come back," Stephen reassured him, kissing his forehead.
"You promise?" Peter asked hesitantly.
"Pinky promise," Stephen said, chuckling as he linked his pinky with Peter’s.
"Now, can you go to your room? Papa has to talk to Daddy," Stephen asked gently.
Peter nodded and ran off. Wong also stepped out to give them privacy.
Stephen and Tony stood there awkwardly.
"You don’t have to take your anger toward me out on Peter," Stephen said quietly.
"I’m not angry at you or Peter. But the kid can be infuriating sometimes," Tony admitted.
"I’m going to Kamar-Taj to get my memories back. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone," Stephen said.
"Will it take another three years?" Tony scoffed.
"I don’t know," Stephen replied.
"Stephen, I know you don’t remember, but when you left, I took care of Peter alone. At first, he wasn’t used to having you in his life. But now, he knows his Papa, and he won’t be able to bear losing you again," Tony said.
"I’m not abandoning him. I’ll come back whenever I can. I would never leave my son—I just don’t know why I did in the past," Stephen said.
Tony nodded, stepping closer and taking Stephen’s hands in his.
"Steph, I never meant to betray you. I didn’t want to hurt you with the truth. Everything that happened between us recently was real. I love you. I can’t imagine a life without you," Tony confessed.
Stephen pulled his hands away.
"I can’t think about this right now. My priority is getting my memories back. I don’t want anyone lying to me about my own life," Stephen said firmly.
Tony sighed. "Alright."
"Can you tell Peter you're leaving? He’ll only trust you," Tony asked.
Stephen nodded and went to Peter’s room.
He walked to Peter's room, where the boy was playing with his toys.
"Pete," Stephen said, sitting near him.
"Yes, Papa?" the boy asked.
"Papa is going to be away for a few days to fulfill my duties. In the meantime, will you be a good boy and stay with Daddy?" Stephen asked, caressing his head.
"When will you come back?" Peter asked, pouting.
"As soon as my job is done. I assure you it won’t take long," Stephen said.
"Okay," the boy said, smiling.
Stephen took the boy onto his lap.
"Please don’t bother Daddy too much by asking for me, alright? Daddy will become sad. He didn’t scold you because he was angry; he did it because he was sad," Stephen explained.
"I know. Daddy loves me the most," Peter said.
"Yes, he does. So, be a good boy and do well at school. When Papa is back, we will spend a lot of time together," Stephen said, kissing his head.
"Will you bring Levi next time?" Peter asked.
"Yes, I will," Stephen said, giving him one more kiss before leaving the room.
He returned to the living room.
"Peter is aligned," Stephen said.
"Thanks," Tony replied.
Stephen nodded and created a portal to walk through.
Tony went back to Peter’s room. He was worried that the boy might be upset with him, but Peter was simply playing. Tony took the boy onto his lap.
"Pete, Daddy is sorry for yelling at you," Tony said.
"Pete is also sorry. I won’t bother you by asking about Papa anymore. I know he will come back," Peter said.
"Yes, he will. I love you, Pete," Tony said, hugging him.
"I love you too, Daddy," the boy replied.
Wong led Stephen to Kamar-Taj. Stephen was in awe as he took in the ancient building and the breathtaking sight of Everest. There were many sorcerers and students practicing, but they all stopped when they saw Stephen and bowed.
"What is this?" Stephen asked.
"It’s an ancient custom. Every sorcerer must bow before the Sorcerer Supreme," Wong explained.
"But you never bowed to me," Stephen said, smirking.
"Come with me," Wong said, ignoring his comment.
Stephen followed him quietly. They walked into a grand hall.
"Stephen, meet Master Hamir. He will help you meditate," Wong said.
"Welcome back, Master Strange," Hamir said, bowing his head.
"Thanks," Stephen replied.
Stephen and Hamir sat facing each other in the lotus position.
"Master Strange, you are already skilled in meditation and astral projection. So, I won’t be teaching you anything new. I will only guide you through the steps," Hamir explained.
Stephen nodded.
"Close your eyes and put your mind at ease. Silence the world. The only sounds you should hear are your heartbeat and your thoughts," Hamir instructed.
"But how do I do that?" Stephen asked.
"You can. Just close your eyes," Hamir reassured him.
Stephen closed his eyes.
"Take deep inhales and exhales, and focus on your breathing pattern," Hamir said.
Stephen followed his instructions. After five or six breaths, he could feel the silence around him. Just as Hamir had said, the only voice he could hear was that of his own thoughts.
"Stephen, what's the last thing you remember before you woke up from the coma?" Master Hamir's voice echoed.
Stephen tried to remember. The memory of him driving, speeding, hitting another car, and falling over the cliff resurfaced. He could feel the glass breaking and piercing into his body.
Stephen's breathing became rapid.
"Stephen, calm down. It's just a memory. It can't hurt you," Hamir said.
"Take a deep breath and tell me what you see," Hamir instructed.
Stephen calmed down.
"I'm falling off the cliff, glass breaking into my skin, and... I'm dying," Stephen said.
"Alright. Now think about your most cherished memory," Hamir said.
"Peter," Stephen said, smiling.
"Explain it to me," Hamir encouraged.
"Peter was just born. I'm holding him in my arms. Tony is sitting beside me, one arm around me. Peter is holding Tony's finger very tightly. Tony is saying how he is a daddy's boy," Stephen said, still smiling.
"Well, now think about the memory that hurt you the most," Hamir repeated.
Stephen concentrated again.
"Donna and Victor's death," Stephen said.
"No, it's too old. Think of the one thing that made you leave your life with Tony and embrace the way of the sorcerer," Hamir said.
"I can't. It's all foggy," Stephen admitted.
"You can. It's all in your brain. You're just not seeing it," Hamir reassured.
Stephen took a deep breath and concentrated again. Then, images flooded his mind.
He was sitting in their bedroom, nursing Peter when his phone rang.
"Hello," Stephen answered.
"Hi, Stephen. It's me, Nick."
It was Stephen's ex. He was a pain in the ass. Even after Stephen married Tony, Nick kept showing interest in him.
"Yes, Nick. Tell me," Stephen said.
"I don't know if I'm supposed to say this to you or not," Nick hesitated.
"Nick, can you say it? I have my kid to take care of," Stephen said, annoyed.
"I know you're taking care of your kid, staying at home even after the horrible accident. But your husband is busying himself with other fun things," Nick said.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Stephen asked.
"I don't know if you know and you're pretending not to, but everyone at the gala saw Tony flirting with a girl and leaving early with her," Nick revealed.
"That can't be true," Stephen said, shocked.
"It is, Stephen. I'm so sorry. You deserve better than him..."
Stephen didn't want to hear more. He cut the call.
Stephen has observed Tony's behavioral changes after the gala. Yes, they had a terrible fight that night. But Tony always came to him, apologizing. This time, it didn’t happen. Not just that, Tony didn’t even face him, didn’t have a conversation with him—like he was trying to avoid him altogether.
But Stephen didn’t want to believe it was because of what Nick told him.
Lost in thought, Stephen barely noticed when Tony entered the room.
"Is Peter asleep?" Tony asked.
"Yes," Stephen replied.
Tony took Peter from Stephen's arms and laid him in the crib.
"Tony," Stephen called.
"Yeah?"
"Do you have anything to tell me?" Stephen asked.
"What? No. Why do you ask?" Tony said.
Stephen could see the tension in Tony's face.
"Did you have fun at the gala?" Stephen asked.
Yes, Tony was guilty. He couldn’t even face him.
"Do I have to be specific? Did you sleep with someone?" Stephen asked, his voice shaking.
"Steph, I... I don't know what happened that night..." Tony started.
"Did you or not?" Stephen repeated.
"Yes," Tony admitted quietly.
Stephen felt frozen. He didn’t know what to feel.
"Stephen, let me explain. It was nothing—" Tony began.
"I want a divorce."
"What?" Tony asked, shocked.
"I want a divorce," Stephen repeated, this time with certainty in his voice.
"Steph, you can't do this to us. What about Peter? What about us?" Tony pleaded, kneeling before him.
"Did you think about any of that before you cheated on me?" Stephen asked, tears welling 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.
His hands. That was why Tony didn’t want him anymore.
"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 eyes filled up.
"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.
Tony was lying just because of Peter, not because he wanted him. Stephen couldn’t do this anymore. He felt like he was just another fling to Tony.
He 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 was 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.
Wow. Now he was blaming him. After the accident, he was hurt badly, his body covered in scars. He didn’t want Tony to see them. When Tony touched them, it felt like they were burning, freshly wounded again. And now Tony was blaming him for not satisfying him, like he just wanted him for sex.
"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.
He felt worthless.
A cry interrupted them.
"It’s okay, Pete. Papa’s here," Stephen whispered, kissing the boy’s head to calm him down.
"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 fix your hands. But you need to stop. We need you. There’s life beyond your job," Tony said, unaffected by his own words.
And now he was asking him to forget the one thing that gave his life meaning.
"What life? With you? How can I trust you again? I’m not good enough for you. I should leave," Stephen said, holding his son close to his heart.
"And Peter? What about him?" Tony asked.
"I’ll take him with me," Stephen said. He couldn't lose his son.
"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 argued.
Stephen knew there was no point in fighting for Peter. Tony had the power to win. And he didn’t want Peter to suffer because of him.
Gently, Stephen placed the baby back in his crib.
"I know I can’t win against your legal team. And I don’t want Peter being shuttled between us. You can keep him. I just want to see him sometimes. That’s all I ask. You can’t deny me that," Stephen said, unable to control his tears.
"Steph, we don’t have to be like this. Please, forgive me," Tony begged.
But Stephen couldn't.
He walked out, pushing Tony aside.
Stephen opened his eyes. Tears streamed down as his breathing grew rapid.
Hamir placed a hand on his head.
"You’re fine. It’s just a memory," Hamir said gently.
"And it hurts. Tony… how could he say those things to me? Was I a burden to him?" Stephen asked.
"Stephen, your amnesia wasn’t caused by physical pain. You wanted to forget. You subconsciously used magic to erase those memories," Hamir explained.
"But why would I do that?" Stephen asked.
"Because you want Tony and Peter back. You can't live a life without them," Hamir said.
"I want him back after all he said and did to me?" Stephen asked.
"Why don't you talk to him and figure out why you made that choice? Master Wong, please take Master Strange to his chamber. He needs rest," Master Hamir said and left.
"Come, Stephen," Wong said, helping him stand up.
Stephen followed Wong to his chamber and sat on the bed. He picked up the photo frame of their family picture.
He couldn't blame himself for wanting that life back—because, with them, he had been the happiest man in the world.