Chapter 17
Tony woke much more slowly this time. It was clearly well into the night and the heart monitor had been removed. He also was, just as clearly, not alone. Stephen was in bed next to him and a sleepy glance showed Peter up high in a web hammock next to the ceiling. He vaguely remembered waking up before and getting an update on his status but he also knew that boosted healing or not he was actually still in healing mode. He had been in healing mode ever since being taken in Afghanistan so he knew the difference.
Taking comfort from having his wizard and Spiderling close Tony very deliberately went back to sleep.
Three days later, Tony was alone for a little bit in his now cleaned lab. He hadn't bothered to get the "medical area" removed and simply paid for newer replacements to be delivered to Stephen's hospital when the NDA's had been delivered and signed. A generous donation had the administration ignoring the questions on what had happened to their equipment that they were getting replacements for.
Ultimately, it didn't matter because right now Tony had some questions for his digital daughter.
"Friday? Where did the Starkium come from during my surgery?" Tony asked bluntly.
"The bots were trying to help and knew that it was part of the reactor. When they saw the doctors messing with the reactor they thought a new piece of core material was needed so tried to deliver it. DUM-E dropped it on your exposed leg when one of the nurses practically tripped over him," Friday explained. "I had to corral them back into the charging stations and get them to shut down while big brother Jarvis dealt with the surgery stuff."
"Huh, okay," Tony conceded. He worked for a few more minutes on his project before asking his next question.
"So, Fri, my baby girl... Why were you and Morgan razzing Stephen before the whole surgery mess? She addressed you directly when she came to help with the Shieldra team and then after Peter's freak out she acted like she didn't know you were online. Care to explain?" Tony asked his AI daughter pointedly.
"When she came to help with the Shieldra team she forgot that I wasn't supposed to be online yet," Friday admitted. "She grew up with me after your death in her timeline so until she landed in the past it was normal for her to talk to me. When she realized her mistake in addressing me instead of Jarvis and my own response she talked to me so that I wouldn't interfere when she had to scold or punish Doctor Strange. I don't think she actually did drop it even if she hasn't brought it up again since that family dinner, just postponed his punishment."
"Alright, thanks for the heads up," Tony said. He had a few things to think about and perhaps a time traveling daughter to bribe. He wanted to be the one to punish Stephen if it actually was necessary rather than just family messing with each other and friendly blackmail.
Tony liked how his family seemed to be rallying around Stephen and just including him as if he had always been there. Granted, part of that was Morgan having basically claimed him before Stephen even went to get his magic training but it didn't touch Tony any less to see it in action. Rhodey and Pepper just seemed to step aside slightly so that Stephen was the one always close by for him. Stephen also didn't seem to realize he was doing it, just slipping in at Tony's side as if completing the other half of him.
Tony was reminded of some of their earliest discussion's after they woke up at that fateful gala. Of how Stephen insisted that he remembered other versions of Tony from other timelines and could take anything Tony himself threw at him. He would have to really test that soon. He would have to see how much the good doctor could take of Tony letting his possessiveness loose. Even then Tony didn't want to let his deepest darkness run free. There was too much risk that he couldn't reel it back in again and that it would hurt his somewhat makeshift family. He couldn't stand the idea of being the one to hurt them. Of course if Stephen really could reel him in at his darkest they would have a safety net... and Tony would never be able to willingly let the other man go. As a sacrifice to save the world? Possibly, but without any extenuating circumstances? Unlikely. Even if he had to beg or put himself at Stephen's complete mercy to accomplish it Tony wouldn't be able to let him go.
"And what dark thoughts have you looking like that?" Stephen asked softly as he came through the doorway he had been lingering in for a good twenty minutes.
A quick glance at the clock told Tony that his thoughts had stolen an entire half hour from him after his last exchange with Friday.
"Nothing much," Tony said lightly, hoping to brush him off.
"Tony, please don't hide things from me," Stephen requested quietly. "I understand that we aren't that far into our relationship yet but I refuse to let your own thoughts destroy you..."
"Even if that turns out badly for you?" Tony asked in dark warning, interrupting him. He hadn't consciously decided to start pushing Stephen but his words still had that effect and Tony knew it.
"What do you need, Tony?" Stephen asked calmly, his attention alert and focused wholly on the other genius.
"You keep offering and one day I'll take you up on it even if you don't offer it that time," Tony warned, an edge in his voice cutting the air sharply between them.
"I know," Stephen said seriously and Tony realized that he did know. Stephen was so confident in this that he wasn't holding back. He was already committed and just waiting for Tony to catch up.
Tony didn't even realize that he had moved until he had the good doctor pinned against a nearby wall. He forced himself to pause, looking for any signs of distress or serious discomfort. He found none.
"Yes, you can trust me Tony," Stephen said firmly, meeting his gaze.
"At this rate I really am gonna collar you and keep you," Tony said gruffly. He moved to let the other man up only to find his arms gripped to keep him in place. Tony looked up in surprise only for Stephen to lean forwards and steal a kiss.
"You forget, I have a possessive side too," Stephen said somewhat breathlessly when he let up on the kiss. "You have no idea how much I want to do a version of the same even if you only ever let me use it to keep you alive in battle."
"Then why haven't you said anything?" Tony demanded, eyes narrowed.
"I know pieces of you that you have forgotten or aren't formed yet. I refuse to assume that just because I have known you as your lover over so many different timelines that I would be welcome. I told you before, I can slide into any kind of relationship you want but I have to know which one that is before doing so," Stephen explained. "I've been keeping things in your court because I honestly don't know which way you want to go or what variation. You've made playful and testing threats about keeping me like a pet or of me keeping you similarly. So I get that you're serious about keeping me even if we never really fall into being lovers. Things have been hectic even with the minor lulls and I refuse to make the choice for you... no matter how much letting you choose without my input might hurt me."
The bond blazed to life between them and Tony abruptly realized that Stephen had been deliberately suppressing it, dampening it so that it would have as little influence on his choice as possible.
"Dampen it again without telling me and you'll find yourself in serious hot water mister," Tony growled angrily. His right hand rose without permission and gripped Stephen's chin, once more holding him in place.
Stephen made a half strangled sound of agreement as his eyes dropped away from Tony's. The bond gave him away. Stephen wasn't embarrassed or upset or scared or even concerned. He was glad that Tony wasn't brushing this off and leaving the burden to Stephen alone.
"Yeah, no. I'm not leaving you to carry all of this just like you aren't leaving me to carry it," Tony deadpanned. "And don't you go thinking I'm letting you move out of my bed again now that I'm a bit more mobile. If anything I'd like to tie you there but I'm not up to the fun kind just yet."
"You have no idea how many times in other timelines our positioned were reversed," Stephen chuckled dryly. "Its sort of refreshing being the one pinned instead of wrestling with myself not to push too far too hard and scare you off or unintentionally hurt you."
"Except that I'm not another Tony," Tony countered stubbornly. "And I can do a fair number of things to burn myself into your memories as the only one you ever need to worry about again. You're mine, wizardling. You gave yourself to me and I don't share well with others."
"Noted," Stephen chuckled and finally relaxed properly in Tony's grip.
"You can be the strong one when I start collapsing," Tony said softening just a bit but not enough to let go of the other man's jaw and hip respectively. "We have a Spiderling to raise and a universe to save. I'm hardly going to kick you out or let you go over a crappy choice. You don't know how long and hard I fought for the Rogues even when Steve half killed me and Wanda kept ripping into my mind."
"She what?!" Stephen demanded, immediately all business.
Before Tony knew it their positions were reversed and the bond blazed even higher. He could feel it searching his very being and finding something. Something that didn't belong. Something that the bond threw a fit over and tried to rip out only for Stephen to wrestle it under control and force a delicate touch on the process. Tony kept still, having the feeling that he was now being subjected to a completely different kind of surgery than his body had gone through in the last week or two.
Stephen breathed hard as he gently untangled the shining ruby threads laced in darkness from the core of Tony's very being. He absently noted the compulsions for self harm, refusing aid, and a subtle destructive influence on Tony's self esteem. The negative attraction for any positive influences and the general bad luck aspects were just as bad. All in all he pulled out enough badly placed and formed magic to drown a platoon with subtle lethal effects.
"You are a wonder," Stephen rumbled. He braced himself just before he yanked the ball of black ruby corruption from Tony and quickly encased it in golden containing magic. Tony hardly made a sound as the magic was pulled from him, soothed by their blazing bond.
The ball of roiling angry magic was the size of a standard basketball and it fought back, viciously fighting to re-enter Tony. Stephen had to let go and move away from the genius even as he wrestled it closer to submission. He barely even noticed when one of the AIs called for backup, gratefully accepting the help from his fellow Masters as they smoothly stepped up next to him to help contain the magic he fought. Once it was sealed into a stone ball Stephen just sort of dropped onto his knees where he stood.
"What happened?" Tao asked as she carefully approached her former student turned time traveler.
"That was what the Scarlett Witch did to Tony," Stephen snarled even as he panted from the expended effort to contain and remove the damned thing. "I don't care that she hasn't done it to him yet in this timeline. If I see her I'm killing her. She entwined the enchantment around his fucking soul."
Tony approached him from behind. It was only because it was Tony that Stephen allowed it even as arms wrapped around him from behind. Stephen clutched at the comforting arms and tried not to break down either in tears or an enraged fit that would just send him off into a proper murderous rage. He would rather stay with Tony over hunting down the bitch in vengeance.
"Well, her lack of actual instruction shows in the construction as does her hatred," Wong commented, examining the ball containing what was removed from Tony.
"No wonder I went fucking paranoid about anyone getting inside me. Between that, Obadiah literally paralyzing me and yanking my second arc reactor, and the more obvious effects from the bitch... Hell, I'm surprised I just didn't say anything when you started setting up for that surgery I needed," Tony grumbled. "I barely let Pepper help me swap out the first reactor. I definitely didn't go for help when I was freaking dying from the palladium poisoning. To say nothing about the shit involving Barnes and later Rogers nearly killing me in that bunker. I'm a fucking mess."
The way the other Masters paled and Stephen clutched at him even more tightly told Tony that he hadn't been quiet enough. Oops? The heartbreaking way that Morgan looked at him also told Tony that he was taking this too lightly. It hadn't been that bad.... had it?
"Yes, you idiot, it really is that bad," Stephen said softly, not even needing to look at Tony to know what he was thinking.
"I will take Peter tonight. The two of you will cuddle both physically and astrally," Tao ordered gruffly. "No excuses. I shudder to think what that did to the two of you and I bet that you will both indulge in some form of soul healing while you rest."