Portals

POV: Tony Stark

“Hey, Houdini?” I call into the intercom, sipping from my mug as I spin idly in my chair. “Come down here a minute.”
Seconds later, the bright orange portal appears, glowing with brilliance as Doctor Stephen Strange steps through its center.
“What is it Stark?” He asks, a bored tone to his voice.
I smile at him lazily as I set the mug down.
“I was working on neuropartical division last night and I had a thought.” I tell him as I stand up, walking towards the multitude of screens I have suspended in my lab. “If I were to somehow find a way to split the neurons, I could—in theory—create a way to jump from one place to another without disrupting time.”
He glares at me slightly.
“Like portals?” He asks.
I grin up at him.
“Exactly.” I answer, pointing at him. “Exactly like portals.”
He stands for a minute examining the screens, turning the idea over in his mind.
It’s something I admire about him, he’s the smart but silent type, he doesn’t walk into my lab with a thousand theories before even taking the time to think about it like Banner does.
“So, why am I here?” He asks, frowning at me slightly.
I step closer, momentarily getting caught off guard by his scent.
It’s calming, a mix of tea and pressed paper.
I blink, clearing my head.
“Uh, I wanted to see you in action.” I answer as I step back, gesturing to the empty space between us. “Make me a portal—please?”
I throw him my cheesiest smile, the one I use when I want to get my way.
He looks at me, his frown faltering slightly before he sighs, taking a step back.
“Just the one.” He mutters, the shadow of a smile pulling at the corners of his lips.
I nod, pressing record on the camera beside me.
His trembling hands glow with power as he opens a portal in front of us.
I step closer, peering inside.
A small yellow house sits alone in a green field, a vast blue sky stretching behind it.
Birds fly past as white linen sheets sway delicately on a clothesline, a tan sheepdog running playfully to catch a two small boys as they skip.
As soon as the portal is open, it closes again.
“What was that?” I breathe, looking up at Stephen.
“My home.” He answers with a soft smile. “Or at least it was, when I was a child.”
I stare up at him in awe.
“Your portals can go back in time?” I ask incredulously.
He laughs softly.
“Not really.” He answers. “They can take you back to an altered state of what was. A ‘happy place’ of sorts. I meditate there.”
His blue eyes fill with warmth as he talks about this phenomenon, making it surprisingly difficult to tear my eyes from his.
“Well, thank you.” I say finally, clearing my throat as I speak. “For your help I mean.”
I turn back to my computer, my heart thudding wildly in my chest as I open files absently, making myself look busy.
“Sure.” He says, and as silently as he came in, he’s gone again.
I shift in my chair uncomfortably, an odd feeling rising in my chest as I think about the little house in the field.
“F.R.I.D.A.Y. playback.” I mutter, turning to the big screen.
She pulls up the video, and I watch as his hands effortlessly form the swirling portal again and again.
We’d be unstoppable if we could all do it, portaling in and out of battle, catching enemies by surprise.
I spend hours flitting between the neurons in the lab and the video, trying to replicate the color, the consistency of his portal in the sparks shooting out of the neuroparticals I try to divide, with no luck whatsoever.
Eventually I give up, shutting down the monitors bitterly and stomping up the stairs.
The living room is mostly empty.
Mantis and Peter sit together on the couch, watching some weird teenager movie as Stephan sits off in the far corner of the room.
His eyes are closed as he meditates, his body entirely still.
I stop in the doorway, just watching him, wondering if he’s at the little yellow house.
Does he go inside, or does he sit out by the clothesline?
I imagine that the sun would sparkle in the silver in his hair, standing out against the black.
“Mr. Stark are you okay?” Peter asks, snapping me out of my trance.
I blink, looking at him as I step into the room.
“Yep.” I answer, flopping into the chair. “Tired.”
I close my eyes, leaning back with a sigh, falling asleep almost instantly.
Visions of fields of grass and bright blue skies fill my mind as I dream.
I walk down the small path towards the yellow house, and Stephen steps out of the front door as I get close.
The tan sheepdog barks cheerfully and runs up to me, jumping happily as Stephen reaches out, taking my hand in his as he leads me towards a small stream.
I follow along beside him as the wind blows softly, the sun warming us gently.
As we approach the small stream, Stephen’s gentle hands slide up my arms, moving to softly cup my face.
He slowly leans forward; I close my eyes and—
A hand on my shoulder stirs me from sleep.
“…dreaming, about a stream, a yellow house.” Mantis says.
I register what’s happening a moment too late, my eyes snapping open.
“And him!” She exclaims, pointing at Stephen in the corner.
I swat her arm away, looking over to where she was pointing.
To my dismay, he’s no longer meditating, his wide blue eyes look directly at me as I flush with a deep red.
I stand up, not saying anything as I storm back down into the lab, locking the door behind me.
My heart thuds against my ribcage and I kick a trashcan as hard as I can as I walk around the room, sending scraps of paper flying across the floor.
I rest my head against the wall, feeling the coolness of the concrete against my skin as I breathe shakily.
“Tony?” Stephen says from behind me.
Damn portals.
Guess it didn’t matter that I locked the door.
I clear my throat.
“Yep.” I say gruffly, turning around to face him.
He steps forward slowly.
“I uh—did you want to work on the portal thing more?” He asks, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Sure, yeah.” I answer, wringing my hands together as I step to turn the computers on.
I reach out to press the screen, but his hand covers mine.
My heart hammers erratically.
“I was thinking I could show you more—hands on, I guess.” He says, his voice low.
I swallow hard, nodding.
He pulls me gently towards the center of the room to where he made his portal before.
“Okay, just stand like this,” he says softly, moving to stand behind me, “do you mind?”
I shake my head, and he moves closer, the front of his body resting against the back of mine.
His hand reaches out beside me, palm facing up.
“Put your hand on top of mine.” He says softly, his breath dancing along my neck.
I do, softly setting the palm of my hand over his.
“Watch.” He breathes.
Warmth sparks under my hand as a small portal opens.
I gasp softly, leaning back against him reflexively.
I expect him to pull away, to close the portal and disappear from sight, but he doesn’t.
He laughs softly, his other arm wrapping lightly around my waist as the portal grows in brightness.
“Think of a happy place.” He murmurs as the portal grows, my hand tingling from the warmth beneath it.
I close my eyes, working to think of my happiest memories.
The hand around my waist pulls tighter, forming my body against his as he slides our hands forward.
I open my eyes, looking into the portal.
It’s the lab, my happiest memories have always been when I’m building something.
But this memory is specific.
Peter is there, working at my bench with a smile as his foot taps to the AC/DC music blasting through the speakers.
He looks up at me with a smile as he shows me the project he’s working on, a new protective cover for my arc reactor, engraved with his handwriting.
It’s the one I have on it currently; I wear it all the time.
“This is your happiest memory?” Stephen asks softly as he looks into the portal too.
I nod, suddenly protective of the memory.
“It was the first Father’s Day that I had Peter living here.” I answer, still watching as he smiles up at me proudly as he presents the silver circle to me.
The portal slowly closes, the heat in my hand dissipating with the light.
Neither Stephen nor I move, my hand still resting gently on his as his arm still holds tightly around my waist.
“Thank you.” I say quietly, my breathing shallow.
I feel him nod, his nose brushing against my neck with the motion, causing me to shiver slightly.
“Tony, can I ask you something?” He asks.
I nod this time.
“What was your dream about?” He asks, his voice low and gentle.
I swallow hard, my heart beginning to race.
“Your portal earlier.” I answer, my voice coming out as a whisper.
The warm burn in my hand sparks up again as the orange glowing portal burns to life in front of us again, opening to the yellow house.
Stephen lets go of my waist, stepping to the side of me while keeping the portal open.
“Will you show me?” He asks, reaching his hand out to me.
I nod, taking it as he pulls me into the portal.
Immediately, it feels like my dream.
The sun warms my skin as the sweet smell of the grass swirls up around us.
To my surprise, there is a stream nearby.
And to my further surprise, Stephen’s hand hasn’t left mine.
“Now what?” He asks playfully.
I look up at him, and he smiles down at me.
“I uh—the stream.” I stammer, gesturing towards the stripe of blue that breaks up the acres of green.
He squeezes my hand as he takes a step forward, pulling me beside him down the narrow path.
I watch as the sun sparkles in his hair, sending glistening specs of silver around his face as he walks.
He stops in front of the stream, and I stand beside him.
“And now?” He asks softly.
I take a deep breath, stepping around to the front of him.
He looks down at me, his blue eyes soft and inviting.
His hands wrap softly around my waist as he pulls me closer,
“Something like this.” I breathe as my fingers lace behind his head.
His lips meet mine, warm and gentle as he kisses me.
I pull him closer as the passion builds between us, and he pulls me closer too.
After a while, we break away, his forehead resting against mine softly.
“How is this possible?” I breathe. “Didn’t you say it wasn’t a real place?”
He laughs gently, his hands rubbing against my back.
“Well—we’re technically astral projecting.” He answers with a light smile. “Our physical bodies are still in your lab.”
I look up at him in awe.
“You’re amazing.” I breathe, stretching up to kiss him again.
He laughs softly against my lips as he pulls me closer.
“Ready to go back?” He asks after a few moments.
I nod, wrapping my arms around his waist as I rest my head on his chest.
His arm wraps around my shoulders as we turn to walk towards the little yellow house again.
Stephen walks to the front door of the house and opens it, pulling us through the doorway.
I blink, and suddenly we’re back in the lab, my hand resting on his open palm as the portal in front of us disappears.
The front of his body is still pressed against the back of mine, his hand still wrapped around my waist.
I turn around, looking up at him with wide eyes.
“Are you okay?” He asks, his voice tinged in concern.
I spring onto my toes, wrapping my arms around his head as I kiss him.
He chuckles, kissing me back as his arms wrap around me.
“I gotta hand it to you Dumbledore,” I say playfully as I pull away, “you’re pretty cool.”
He laughs outright as he rests his cheek on the top of my head.
“’Pretty cool’, huh?” He asks. “I think that’s one of the most genuine compliments I’ve ever heard you give someone.”
I laugh too, breathing in that calming tea scent he brings.
“I could think of a few other words to describe you but… not in the company of robots.” I answer, my cheeks flushing with heat as I hide my face in his shirt.
“Oh?” He asks, his lips brushing against my hair. “How about somewhere a little more—”
The room around us blurs into an orange glow as he opens a portal around us.
“Private?” He finishes as the orange disappears.
I look around, he brought us to the roof.
“Perfect.” I say quietly, smiling up at him. “And the roof isn’t half bad either.”
He rolls his eyes at my terrible hit, but his cheeks blush with a soft pink anyway.
We sit on the roof and look up at the stars, talking and kissing playfully, his arm wrapped around me as I lean against him.
After a few hours, the door opens.
“Mr. Stark?” Peter asks as he steps out onto the roof. “Mr. Doctor Strange?”
I lean forward, waving him over to us and patting the floor beside me.
He runs over with a smile, flopping down beside me.
“F.R.I.D.A.Y. said you were up here.” He says. “Hey, did you know you can see the Big Dipper the clearest this time of year?”
He starts pointing out different constellations to us as I lean back over to Stephen’s shoulder, absolutely content for the first time in a long time.