Chapter 5
I slowly wake the next morning, stretching in the bed, and finding it to be empty.
My eyes snap open, and I sit up straight, looking at the empty sheets beside me.
“Tony?” A deep voice asks from across the room.
I look up, finding Stephen to be sitting in the chair by the window with a book in his lap.
“Are you alright?” He asks, folding the book and leaning forward on the chair.
I sigh, leaning back against the pillows.
“Yeah.” I breathe. “Sorry.”
I throw my hands over my face as I hear his footsteps near the bed.
He climbs onto the other side of the bed, sitting close beside me.
“What’s wrong?” He asks quietly.
I open my fingers slightly, just enough to see his face as he looks down at me.
“Just thought you left.” I answer, just as quietly. “I’m not exactly used to people staying ‘til morning.”
He smiles a small smile, his fingers pushing my hair back as I drop my hands from my face.
“I’m sorry.” He answers. “I didn’t want to startle you, so I went over there.”
I scoot closer to him, resting my head in his lap as I look up at him.
“That’s fine, but you didn’t have to put your clothes back on.” I mutter, looking up at him with a sly smile as he rolls his eyes.
He waves his hand, and his shirt disappears, leaving his bare torso exposed.
“Ah, that’s more like it.” I tell him, dragging one of my hands down his chest.
He laughs, laying back down on the pillow and pulling me towards him.
The feeling of his smooth skin against mine causes me to sigh, and I trail my fingers back up his body.
“Sleep okay?” I ask, smiling to myself as his breathing becomes more ragged from my touch.
His lips press against my hair softly.
“Yeah.” He answers. “Did you know you talk in your sleep?”
My fingers freeze in their trail down his stomach, and I sit up to look at him.
“What the hell did you hear?” I ask, my heart pounding in my ears.
He smiles, pulling me back down against his chest.
“Nothing crazy.” He murmurs reassuringly. “Just some stuff about fixing mark 17?”
I exhale in relief.
“And you said my name a few times.” He adds on, his fingers trailing up my spine.
I groan, burying my face in the crook of his neck, only making him laugh again.
“It was cute, Tony.” He says softly, his fingers trailing back down. “Every time you said it I’d pull you closer, and you’d nuzzle against me.”
My cheeks burn, and I’m glad he can’t see my face at this angle.
“I liked it.” He whispers, kissing my hair again.
I decide to risk looking up at him, finding his bright blue eyes looking down at me.
My hand slides up to cup his cheek, tilting his face down to mine to press a gentle kiss against his lips.
“I like you staying the night.” I murmur against his lips, and he smiles as I kiss him again.
His stomach growls, and I cock one eyebrow at him as I lean away.
“Breakfast?” I ask, smiling at him softly.
He smiles back as he nods.
“Sure.” He answers. “Where?”
I trail my fingers along his body again.
“We could eat here.” I answer. “The team might be downstairs, but they should get to know you if you’re going to be around more.”
My eyes flit to his face as he grins.
“You want me around more?” He asks.
I nod, my eyes holding his for a moment before I look away.
“I’m not sure that your friends like me very much.” He says quietly. “But I’ll talk to them if you want me to.”
I let my arm fall across his body as I hug him, twisting again to look up at him.
“What makes you say that?” I ask.
He shakes his head.
“A couple of them were fine, but some of them seemed incredibly uncomfortable.” He says, his arms wrapping around my body. “Especially Steve.”
I roll my eyes, sighing.
“Ignore them, they’re assholes.” I answer. “Especially Steve.”
He chuckles lowly.
“They can get over it or get out.” I add, meeting his gaze again. “You’re in my life now so they have to get used to that.”
He smiles as he brushes the back of his hand along the side of my face.
“I like the sound of that.” He answers.
I kiss his jaw before reluctantly rolling out of his grasp, getting out of bed, and pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.
Stephen materializes his shirt back onto his body as he gets out of the bed, and I slide my glasses onto my face before taking his hand and leading him to the elevator.
I hold his hand gently, not closing my fingers around his all the way to make sure that I don’t hurt him.
He takes a deep breath as the doors open and we walk into the kitchen.
Nat stands by Peter, and they both turn as the door opens, smiling widely as their eyes scan over me, my hand in Stephens, and then Stephen.
“Hey there Sleeping Beauty.” Rhodey says, closing the fridge and turning around with a similar smile.
“Hey.” I say as I pull Stephen towards the kitchen. “What’re you making Top Chef?”
Rhodey smiles as he cracks an egg into a pan.
“Eggs, bacon, pancakes.” He says as he cracks another egg.
I clap a hand on Peter’s shoulder as he talks.
“Sounds good to me.” I answer, and Peter smiles at me.
“Hi Mr. Doctor Strange.” Peter says to Stephen, giving him a small wave.
Stephen laughs softly.
“Hey Peter.” He answers. “You can just call me Stephen.”
Peter nods, starting up a conversation with him.
The doors open again, and the trio walks in.
Bucky, Sam, and Steve are all talking to each other as they walk in, but they fall silent as their eyes fall onto Stephen and his hand in mine.
“Morning guys.” Sam says to the room with a smile.
Bucky murmurs a hello to the group as well, and the room replies with greetings back to them.
Steve says nothing, walking through the room and leaving immediately through the other door.
Nat rolls her eyes, sliding off of the stool she was sitting on and walking around the island to help Rhodey in the kitchen.
“Ignore him.” I whisper to Stephen, pressing my lips against his cheek.
He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
The food is ready soon, and everyone eats together comfortably, including Stephen in the conversation naturally.
Everyone stays behind to talk for a little while after, and you lean against Stephen as he puts an arm around me casually.
Eventually we head back up to my room, and Stephen whispers a sweet goodbye in my ear before opening a portal and disappearing from view.
The following days go by in a grey blur.
Stephen’s texts are few and far between as he works at the Sanctum, and after two days, he disappears entirely.
The compound goes back to normal too, everyone becoming busy in their own lives again.
I find myself reluctantly sleeping in my bed alone, hoping I’ll wake up to Stephen’s orange glow, but it never comes.
I set my phone on the counter in the lab as I go back to work on yet another suit, ready to spend the day alone again, when Steve walks in.
His eyes are unusually soft as he looks at me, a neutral expression on his face.
“Hey.” He says quietly as he walks towards me.
“Hi.” I answer, narrowing my eyes. “What do you need?”
He shakes his head.
“Just wanted to talk to you.” He says in a low tone.
I nod, setting my tools down as I turn to face him head on.
“Okay, so talk.” I answer.
He continues to step closer, until he’s only a couple steps ahead of me.
“I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting.” He says in that same even, low voice. “It hasn’t been fair.”
I nod again hesitantly, and he steps even closer.
“What is this, Rogers?” I ask, leaning back against the workbench behind me.
He looks down at his shoes, then back up at me.
“I’m just apologizing for my actions.” He continues.
I clear my throat.
“Okay.” I answer. “Thanks.”
He dares to take even another step closer, close enough to where I can smell his cologne on his skin.
“I think maybe, I may have been jealous.” He murmurs, his eyes scanning every inch of my face.
My heart stammers in my chest.
“Jealous?” I ask, my voice sounding more like a croak.
He nods this time, taking one final step to close the space between us.
“Jealous.” He whispers.
I lean away, but he grabs onto my waist with one hand, using the other to cup my cheek.
“What do you see in him?” He asks, leaning in slightly.
I reach out with one hand, letting my suit build around it before I use that hand to push him away.
“Fuck off Steve.” I say, twisting out of his grasp.
He laughs lowly before grabbing my wrists in his hands, pressing them against the workbench as he leans back in.
“You don’t understand.” He says, his eyes burning as he looks down at me. “I’m right for you. Not him. Haven’t you wondered where he is? Why isn't he here? I'm here. For you.”
My breathing hitches.
“FRIDAY restrain Captain Rogers.” I say calmly.
She uses pieces of my suits to pull Steve away from me, and he tries to resist as it locks him down into a chair across the room, but eventually he gives up and sags down under the metal.
“What the hell did you do?” I ask him, walking over to look at him.
He just shrugs.
“Maybe you should check the alerts.” He says quietly, his lips twitching with a sick grin.
I keep my eyes locked with his for a moment before I walk over to a screen, pulling up the alert screen.
A huge red alert blinks rapidly at the Sanctum.
A huge red alert that has been conveniently muted.
“You asshole!” I shout, slamming my hand against the call button and summoning the team to me. “How long has this been muted?”
I turn to Steve as he shrugs again.
“24 hours or so.” He answers plainly.
The doors swing open before I can think of a response, and the team pours in.
“What the hell is this?” Sam asks, looking at Steve locked in the chair under the iron suit.
I press my wristband, calling my suit to me as I look at the group.
“Steve muted the emergency alerts.” I answer as the metal builds around my body. “We need to get to the New York Sanctum. Now.”
Nat’s eyes widen as she looks between me and Steve, and then she walks to my side.
“Let’s go.” She answers.
The rest of the team follows her lead as we leave, those of us who fly taking to the skies as Nat and the rest of the team get into a couple of my fastest cars, following behind quickly.
My heart hammers faster and faster as I near Bleeker Street.
Most of the windows in the house are broken, and I fly in through a massive hole in the roof.
“Stephen?” I call as I land, looking around the wreckage inside the house. “Stephen are you here?”
The silence in the house only fills me with more dread.
I walk through the rubble, stepping over bodies of creatures that are definitely not from Earth as I search for Stephen or Wong or anyone else.
“Tony!” Sam calls, and I blast off the ground in his direction immediately.
He’s crunched over near the back of the stairs as I land beside him, and Stephen lays on the ground under him.
His blue eyes flit to me, and I feel a moment of relief.
But the moment passes quickly when I notice the pool of blood around him, and the grey-pale color of his face.
“Hey.” I breathe, falling on my knees beside him, pulling my mask away from my face.
Sam steps behind me, making room.
“Hi.” He rasps back, looking up at me.
I reach out, taking his hand carefully in mine.
“I’m so sorry.” I whisper. “I didn’t get the alert.”
He coughs, and blood splatters against his cheek.
“Hospital.” He chokes out.
I nod, pulling my mask back across my face as I stand.
“Deep breath Doc.” I whisper as I slide my arms under his body.
He breathes in, and groans with pain on his exhale as I lift his limp body up from the ground.
I don’t wait to explain, I simply take off back through the hole in the ceiling, flying him to the nearest hospital.
“Stay with me Stephen.” I tell him as we fly, pulling him closer to my chest.
He nods weakly, his eyelids fluttering.
I push the blasters harder, forcing them to go faster.
We land at the hospital, and I all but run into the emergency room.
“He’s injured we need help.” I tell the lady at the desk, and she looks at him for a split second before pushing the doors open and showing us to the nearest open room.
I lay him down on the bed, pulling back all of my armor and standing beside him.
“We’re here.” I whisper, pushing his hair back. “You’re going to be okay.”
He nods, wheezing a breath out as his eyes work to focus on me.
“Tony—” He breathes.
I brush my fingers along his cheek.
“I’m here.” I whisper. “I’m right here.”
He reaches for me, but his hand drops before it can make it to my face.
I lift it for him, pressing it against my face.
His eyes focus on me for a moment as his chest rises and falls unevenly.
“I love you.” He whispers.
Everything stops, my mind, my heart, my breath.
The room spins as I look back into his eyes.
I love you.
He loves me.
“I—” I begin as a team of medical staff floods into the room.
Stephen’s eyes flutter, and his hand goes limp in mine.
“No.” I breathe. “No—no Stephen wake up.”
I shake him, and he doesn’t move.
A nurse tries to pull me away, but I shake her off, holding his face between my hands.
“Please Stephen please wake up.” I shout hysterically, not even trying to hide the hot tears that burn down my cheeks.
“Mr. Stark please we have to take him now if you want to help him.” A doctor says now, pulling me softly by my shoulder.
I nod, heaving a sob as I rest my forehead on his.
“I love you too, Stephen.” I whisper. “Come back to me.”
I let a nurse pull me away as they push the bed out of the room, and my body collapses as I watch him go.
I sink to the floor, letting the sobs rack my body as he disappears from view.
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
The day goes by slowly, the seconds ticking away as I wait for news.
Natasha and Rhodey come into the room, each of them sitting on a side of me as they try to comfort me.
More time passes, and Peter comes too, bringing Bruce and Sam with him.
Finally, the doctor comes back into the room, and I jump to my feet, looking at him with wide eyes.
“Doctor Strange is in recovery now.” He says with a small smile, and my knees buckle with relief. “He lost a lot of blood and went into shock, and has a few broken ribs, but he will be okay soon.”
Nat and Sam stand close beside me, holding me up slightly as I nod numbly.
“We’ll bring him in soon, but he won’t be waking up until sometime tomorrow most likely.” The doctor continues before nodding and leaving the room.
Nat and Sam sit me back down, and Nat moves to kneel in front of me on the floor, looking up at me with her hands on my knees.
“He’s okay Tony.” She says softly. “You got him here on time, and he’s okay.”
Bruce places a hand on my shoulder.
“We decided to take Steve’s clearance down a few levels.” He says quietly. “I’m sorry this happened.”
I nod, acknowledging both of them.
The doors open a few minutes later, and they roll Stephen in on a bed.
Nurses hook up his machines before writing a couple things down.
“I’m sorry, but we can only have two of you stay.” One of the nurses says nervously to the group.
“I’ll stay.” Nat says, standing up and putting her hand on my back. “You guys go.”
Everyone says goodbye, and I mutter something back as they leave.
My eyes fall onto Stephen as he sleeps, his face is spattered in bruises, but already less pale than before.
“What’re you thinking?” Nat asks quietly.
I don’t look away from Stephen.
“It’s hard to see him like this.” I answer, my voice weaker than I was expecting. “I thought he was going to die.”
The hot tears slip down my cheeks again, and I don’t try to wipe them away as they fall.
Nat rests her head on my shoulder.
“But he didn’t.” She whispers. “He’s here.”
I nod, resting a hand on her knee and squeezing it in response.
“You love him.” She whispers, and I turn to look at her.
“How’d you know?” I ask, whispering back to her.
She shoots me a small smile.
“I’ve known you a long time Tony Stark.” She answers, reaching up and wiping away a tear from my cheek. “And I’ve never seen you cry.”
I smile back at her tightly before looking back at Stephen.
I reach forward, taking his hand in mine gently.
“I do love him.” I whisper back to Nat. “And I will have to kill you if you tell anyone about this.”
She laughs, resting her head back on my shoulder.