Chapter 9
“You really want to go today?” Stephen asked, cupping Christine's face.
Stephen and Christine were at the airport, while his father stayed in the car, giving them privacy.
“Steph, I should go,” Christine said.
“I will miss you,” Stephen said.
“Me too. I’ll call you every day,” she said.
“Sure, take care,” Stephen said, leaning in to give her a peck on the lips.
He watched Christine walk into the airport.
Stephen returned to the car and got in.
“Ready to go?” his dad asked.
“Yes, Dad,” Stephen said.
“Are you nervous?”
“Of course not! Why would I be?” Stephen scoffed.
“Your look says something different,” Eugene said.
Stephen was nervous, not about the project he was going to work on—he was very confident about that—but about seeing Tony again and working closely with him. Lately, his mind had been running wild, which had never happened before.
He had dated many girls since high school, and now he was in a relationship with Christine. But whenever he saw Tony, he felt a different emotion, which was a mix of hate and something else.
“I’m okay,” Stephen said.
“Alright,” Eugene said.
“Welcome, Doctor Strange. Please be seated. Stephen, you too,” Howard said, welcoming them to the tower.
“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” Stephen said.
“I read your paper. It’s really amazing. You’ve done a great job,” Howard said.
“Thanks. I’m really excited to work with SI,” Stephen said.
“Sure. Jarvis, ask Tony to come here,” Howard said.
Jarvis went to call Tony and came back with him.
Stephen looked at Tony. There was oil and grease on his face, which meant he had been working.
“Tony, this is your work buddy. You both can start working together. Show Stephen to your lab,” Howard said.
“Okay, come with me,” Tony said and walked back to the lab without waiting for Stephen.
Stephen stood up and followed him.
Tony entered the lab and waited for Stephen. Stephen finally walked in, amused by the various inventions created by this 16-year-old.
“Okay, brief me. What are we going to work on?” Tony asked.
Stephen snapped back to the moment upon hearing Tony's voice.
“I thought your dad might have briefed you about it,” Stephen said.
“No, he didn’t. Start,” Tony said, checking his watch.
Stephen didn’t like his attitude at all, but he didn’t have a choice.
“Alright, let’s do that,” Stephen said, clapping his hands and sitting in front of Tony. He then started briefing his idea.
Tony was disinterested at first, but as Stephen started talking about the idea, Tony became really intrigued. He never knew Stephen was this intelligent. He’s cute, and his voice is sexy, but the most attractive thing about him is his brain.
“That’s about it. What do you think?” Stephen said, concluding his speech.
“It’s... good. We can do that,” Tony said, snapping back to the moment, blushing.
“Okay. Why did you agree to work with me?” Stephen asked.
“I didn’t have a choice,” Tony said.
“Oh, same as me,” Stephen said, chuckling.
“So, are we starting today?” Stephen asked.
“No, I need to ideate about it before we start,” Tony said.
“Okay,” Stephen said, taking his bag.
“Uh, are you free tomorrow? Let’s sit together, and I’ll present my blueprint. Or do you have a date with your cute girlfriend?” Tony asked.
“I’m free tomorrow. Update me about the time,” Stephen said, taking Tony’s phone from his hand and dialing his number.
Tony was a little surprised by his action, but he didn’t say anything.
“Okay, then. Bye, Stark,” Stephen said and left.
Tony sat back in his chair, sighing. He had to put up with this arrogant asshole until the project was done.
“How was the day at Stark Tower?” Christine asked as she and Stephen FaceTimed that night.
“It went well. I presented my idea, and Tony was just blown away by how smart I am,” Stephen said.
“How modest of you,” Christine said, rolling her eyes.
“No, it’s true. I saw his usual ‘all-knowing’ look vanish,” Stephen said.
“Steph, don’t start a fight with him. Completing your project should be your main priority,” Christine said.
“Sure,” Stephen said.
“Okay, Steph, bye, good night,” she said.
“Good night,” Stephen said and ended the call.
He saw a text from Tony asking if he was free at 10 a.m. Stephen texted back "yes" and put his phone down, trying to sleep.
“Whom are you texting?” Natasha asked, peeking at Tony’s phone.
“It’s Stephen,” Tony said.
“Oh! So you’re in a texting relationship now, huh?” Loki asked, smirking.
“What? No. I’m just working with him on a project. SI is funding it,” Tony said.
“Your dad agreed to let Stephen work on an SI project?” Bruce asked, shocked.
“Yes, he says Stephen’s idea is exceptional and futuristic,” Tony said, rolling his eyes.
“So, you two have to work together?” Steve asked.
“Yes,” Tony said.
“Tony, you should tell us if he’s being mean to you or harming you in some way,” Steve said.
“Steve, I can take care of myself. It’s not a big deal,” Tony said.
“Oh yeah! We saw how you took care of yourself in your first meeting with Stephen. You were this close to crying,” Clint said, showing a small gap between his thumb and index finger.
“I didn’t cry,” Tony said, glaring at him.
“This close,” Clint continued.
“Tony, I’m serious. You can talk to me if something is wrong,” Steve said.
“Sure, I’ll tell you guys. I’m going home. Bye,” Tony said, walking out.
On his walk back home, Tony couldn’t stop thinking about Stephen. But it was just that he was impressed by his brain. Nothing else.