Doctor Strange was no stranger to rich cocky people. He was one at one time (although some would argue that he still is). However, he was never cocky to the point of calling himself a ‘Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist’ like Tony Stark.
On the other hand he was quite a stranger to falling in love with someone so arrogant, such as Tony Stark. If you were to ask the sorcerer he would tell you that he had no interest in that rich life or anyone a part of it. Although truthfully the deep brown eyes enchanted him.
The two would meet at least once a month as he would often be called into avengers meeting as a magic consultant. Tony Stark often ran late, and would delay meetings. Once he got there he would try to rush through the meeting and miss most of the important information.
Stark was infuriating to deal with. He tried to ignore it though. Just a rich asshole, simple enough to ignore. If only those eyes didn't make his soul flutter like a thousand butterflies in a meadow.
One day, when Stephen thought for just a few minutes that he could ignore the racing in his soul, Tony Stark walked up to him and began chatting.
“You know, for a magic guy you don’t seem half bad! Even though we all know that magic is only science’s little cousin.” Stark was smirking, and even though he wore those blue sunglasses you could still see the gleam of excitement in his eyes at his own little joke.
Stephen scoffed “Younger cousin? Please, I have my medical license and I’ve studied the mystic arts. They are like polar opposite twins.” Tony had him riled up and he knew it.
Stark shrugged “Perhaps so, perhaps not. Let's agree to disagree. Besides, we don't want to split up the Super Awesome Facial Hair Bros!” That caught Stephen off guard
“I-I’’m sorry, what?” Tony was grinning, almost like a Cheshire cat. The entire look made the butterflies in Stephen's soul flutter.
“The Super Awesome Facial Hair Bros! We’re the only two with any fashion sense! Capsicle dresses like a grandpa, Birdbrain dresses like a dad, Thor is just weird and Hulk can't keep on a shirt. I suppose Banner is ok clothing wise, but he doesn’t have a beard like us.”
Son of a bitch, even the dumbest joke made his soul flutter. So Strange made up some excuse to go back to Kamar-Taj. And instead of doing some important wizard stuff, he laid in his bed and thought.
Every single day following that encounter he thought. He thought while he was reading, while he was cooking, and even while he was trying to teach new sorcerers the basics. After a while the Wong had noticed the thoughtfulness and bugged him about it. When Strange denied anything being amiss, Wong told him to tell whoever it was he was pining after that he liked them. Because a few days of disappointment of an unrequited love is much better than a lifetime of longing.
So for every single day leading up to the next meeting he would be called to he thought of how to tell Tony. The one man who could have any woman in the word, or man, in his bed. And every single time he thought he had a way to tell him, he thought of those beautiful brown eyes, and the stupid grin. It was never quite right.
Thus when the time came and he was in the meeting room, he avoided Tony’s eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes. And so he didn’t see the puzzlement in them. He refused to look at his lips, so he missed the lack of a little grin. Stephen Strange gave his advice and stood to leave when the meeting was done.
He opened a portal back to Kamar-Taj and failed to notice Tony Stark running up behind him. Stark slipped through the portal and barely missed being chopped in half by it closing.
“Maybe next time pay a little more attention to the magic glow stick you’re closing!” Tony shouted as Strange was walking away.
“What the hell!” Stephen yelled “You weren’t supposed to follow me! Why did you follow me?” he shouted as he stomped over to Tony
Tony was scowling “Why were you avoiding me? You didn’t look at me at all! And when your eyes even wandered over at me you immediately looked away!”
“Oh, so that's the problem? The problem is that I wasn't staring at you? You want me to just be staring right in your eyes and pretend I don't want to kiss you?!” Stephen paused. “Aw shit.”
The two locked eyes for a minute, both of their faces flushed pink. When Stephen looked away, he looked down and opened a portal underneath himself, looking back up as he began to fall through.
And he almost got away with it too, if it weren’t for that meddling cloak, which pulled him up before he was through the portal. It lifted him from the portal like a soaking wet kitten. When it set him back down onto the ground, it pushed him forward so that he was only inches away from Tony’s face.
When Stephen, who was unable to move, slightly opened his mouth to speak? Well, Tony was two steps ahead of him. Grabbing him by the little bit of blue collar peeking out from the cloak and kissing him. Stephen's soul fluttered and he felt a shiver go through his spine.
Tony broke off the kiss “I guess that was maybe a little bit too forward, typically people are jumping at me not the other way around!” He lifted his arm up and scratched the back of his neck aqwardly.
Stephen hadn’t stopped staring at Tony, mouth open only enough to barely see teeth.
“Stephen, are you alright? I’m sorry if i overstepped i just-” This time Tony was the one being kissed, very, very gently. Stephen’s hand slowly and carefully made its way onto Tony’s cheek, and Tony’s reached around his waist. When they broke appart, they were both blushing again.
Stephen cleaned his throat before speaking “Would you like dinner? I put a cassarole in before I left. Um, I’d really like to take you out, but I don’t exactly have a paying job.”
Tony chuckled a bit “A cassarole sounds great, besides I can pay for dates.”
The two began walking to the kitchen as a timer was faintly beeping. As they reached the kitchen Tony would blurt “I havn’t had a casserole in ages!” Making Stephen laugh as he opened the oven.