Together
When Stephen woke up, he found himself to be alone. He yawned and got up tiredly. It wasn't easy sleeping still. It probably would never be easy. Never. Too much had happened for it to be. And now he felt responsible for so much. The Sorcerer Supreme. It just wouldn't want to leave his head anymore. That he was that. And that he wanted to run away at first. It was so selfish.
"Tony?", he asked as he knocked on the bathroom door.
No answer. The doctor immediately worried a bit. He walked out of the room and down the stairs just to sigh in relief. Tony and the kid were sitting around a pack of cereal, trying to get something out of it.
"What in the world is your mission there?", he asked.
"We are obviously trying to get the toy out of there."
"Oh. Obviously. Good morning, Peter."
"Good morning, doctor Strange! Mister Stark didn't want to wake you."
"No, I just didn't want him to see me with my hand buried deep in the cereal container."
"Fair", Stephen added as he sat down with them.
"Is the toy for the boy or you?"
"We share", his lover answered concentrated on the task.
"Christ, you really never know where to put your hands to get to the important things."
Stark looked at him with his mouth slightly open.
"You never complained. To go by the pitch of your voice, my hands are talented beyond belief."
"What do you mean?", Peter smiled.
"Driving, Peter. Driving. I am a perfect driver but Mister Doctor thinks he's better at it. Maybe he should drive then instead of just laying in the passenger seat, taking it all."
"Wow. You quickly pulled that out of your butt and you would never switch to the passenger seat."
"Yeah, no. You are right. I like to have control over the car."
"Oh. Okay, I see. I want to start driving as soon as possible. To get good at it", the boy said proudly which made Tony choke on his own saliva.
He coughed and looked at Stephen before looking back at the boy. He just sounded so innocent about a metaphor for sex that he'd just made up.
"Well- You better drive responsibly then. With protection. And- speed limits are important. Take our time to get to know your car. And never forget to put on the condo- the seat belt. The seat belt is important when you are driving foreign cars."
"Also if I drive my own car."
"Yes. Unless you want many little cars."
"What?"
"I don't know, Peter. I have my hand in a cereal box trying to get a plastic toy out of it. Don't expect me to have a meaningful conversation with you."
"Can I bring you anything?", the doctor asked the youngster who immediately nodded.
"Can you bring me a cup of hot chocolate?"
"Of course. I'm actually glad that you are the one drinking the massive amount of hot chocolate you have stored."
"Mister Stark drinks it too."
"Peter-"
"Right. Only with the little marshmallows."
"Peter-"
"He doesn't like the big ones. Only the little ones."
"Kid, you are-"
"There are colorful ones that he likes more. They are pastel green and pink."
"Ey-"
"And it has to be twenty. Exactly. That's the perfect ratio."
"That's enough", the billionaire interfered with blushing cheeks.
"Jesus", Strange whispered as he prepared the drink for the boy.
He couldn't help but look at his partner who pulled a little plastic car out of the box. He showed it to Peter meaningfully.
"Perfect. Now I can show you how to theoretically drive."
"Awesome!", the teen exclaimed excitedly.
"I know. So- here is in general four ways of parking. Forwards, backwards, forwards to the side and backwards to the side."
He started building barriers for the car with spoons, plates and bowels. Slowly he unwrapped the toy and put it onto the table. The kid watched excitedly as Tony explained the art of parking. And he really made it sound like that. Like pure and utter artistic skill. If the younger could, he'd have made notes onto his napkin.
"There you go."
Stephen placed the hot chocolate next to Peter.
"Thank you so much, doctor Strange!", he said gratefully.
This wonderful human being was so appreciative and happy all the damn time, he was just a blessing.
"How old are you again, Peter?"
"I'm sixteen."
"Then you don't have to worry about parking backwards to the side. I can't even park backwards to the side."
He turned to Tony.
"When was the last time you parked backwards to the side?"
"It could happen!"
"Yeah. And you would look for another parking spot and-"
"The boy has to be prepared", Stark said with a raised finger.
"Of course. Peter, I'll make sure he doesn't teach you. Whenever I drive, I feel like I have to stop and walk home because I can't take him."
"I am not that bad, you bratty idiot."
"Whatever I do, he can definitely do it better. He is absolutely convinced."
Peter laughed. They were adorable.
"That's why I drive. Always. Whenever I'm not dying."
"Yes. Now he is driving my car. Can you believe it? He just is with me for the car."
"For that old fashioned thing?"
"Peter, your father figure doesn't like my gorgeous car, do you want it?"
"What?", the boy asked with big eyes.
"When you're ready to drive, you get my car."
"But-", Tony looked up with the plastic toy in his hands.
"You just said it's old fashioned. I already promised the kid."
Stark chuckled and shrugged.
"Well, now you have a- tiny car from me and a big car from him."
"I- Well- How- I need to learn driving."
"Soon", the billionaire calmed him down.
"Okay."
Finally they were ready to eat their breakfast with Peter getting his beloved cereal and hot chocolate.
"What do you want?", Stark asked lovingly.
"The usual."
"Sit down, I'm gonna get it", he added and pulled the chair out for Stephen.
"Thank you."
Once Tony went to make the tea and his coffee, Peter bit his lip.
"What's wrong?", Strange asked.
"Nothing. I just- he is so different around you."
"Good different?"
"Yeah."
"That's good then, isn't it? Or- are you worried?"
"I'm just curious why you aren't telling anyone. If you two are happy, why are you hiding so much?"
"Because- Right. There is just things that need time and preparation, kid. It's not easy for us. The whole sexuality thing. I am still officially straight. And Tony is still officially a free man. There just are the obstacles of all this in our way. The press."
"But it's okay being that, right?", Peter's eyes saddened.
"Of course it is okay to be. And if you ever find that out about yourself, don't feel bad please, okay? Don't. It is different for him and I."
"Why?"
"Because-"
Strange sighed. The boy was so right but it didn't work like that.
"Because we are figures in the public eye. And it is hard really keeping any privacy as well. It's many components playing into this."
"But it isn't because you are ashamed, is it? He doesn't deserve that."
Oh, god. No. No, never think that. I'm not ashamed in any way shape or form about him."
Peter let out a sigh of relief.
"You really thought that?"
"I don't know. He's just paranoid, you know? And- I kind of slipped into that as well."
"Okay. Well, I will talk about it with him."
"Thank you, doctor Strange."
"You really don't have to call me by my title, you know?", the older man smiled.
"Just call me Stephen. I'm not treating you as a patient."
"Oh", the kid's eyes lit up.
"Thank you!"
"It's just- okay. You're welcome."
Tony came back with their breakfast and mostly a lot of tea. He loved the fact that Stephen was tea obsessed. They had every sort of it at home by now and Stark enjoyed the smell of it all. It was so cozy and welcoming.
They took their time and had such a beautiful start into their day. After a while, Peter got up.
"I'm gonna pack my stuff. My aunt is probably waiting."
"Yeah, I'm waiting too for you to leave me alone with my man."
The boy laughed and took a banana from the table for good measure.
"Chocolate bars are in the upper drawer", the billionaire added and Peter just smirked.
"You mean they were there."
"Hey, you can't eat 25 bars, kid."
"Watch me."
The two men looked after the boy in adoration.
"He is a treasure."
"Mister Stark? Why not Tony?"
"I don't want him to get too attached."
"What do you mean?"
"I am Ironman, Stephen. I don't work in an insurance company and am home at five to feed my cat and watch a few movies to relax. I am always ready for a mission and I am always ready to protect this world at all costs. All costs. All of them. And I just don't want him to mourn me too much."
"Tony-", Stephen was speechless.
"Hey, it's fine", the other cupped his lover's cheeks.
"It's fine, he is just a kid and I don't want to risk it. It's alright, it won't happen. My suits are next level shit, I have a strong team, I have security everywhere, I am almost immortal. I am. Don't worry. The only one who should worry is me. I should worry."
"Why?"
"Because you aren't stable at all. I am not worried that you'll be killed in a battle with an alien or- whatever they are. I am worried that you'll lose the battle against yourself one day. And that I won't be home and that I won't be there to catch you. You shouldn't be worried, I should be."
"No, stop. Don't."
"What do you mean with don't? I have every right to make these assumptions. You hardly talk about your past, you hardly talk about your future plans, you don't talk about hobbies or interests outside of your professional life, you have no idea how to have fun, your family is a red flag topic- There isn't much optimism there."
"I'm sorry."
"God. That response alone. Look, I don't want to make you feel bad. I just want you to have an insight about what I'm feeling and seeing."
"I love you."
Stark sighed and took his hands.
"I know. And currently that's your life source. And for Christ's sake, I love you too. So damn much. But you have to love yourself too."
"How? How do I do that?"
"Forgive yourself. For whatever it is that you are taking the blame for. You are a lost child that never moved on from these times of hurt. And you need to find peace with yourself. I can only help you, I can't do that for you. My love will give you some strength for now but you have to find your own love for yourself to keep going."
"How did you learn to love yourself?"
Tony took a sip of his coffee and smiled at the other.
"I understood how damn human I am. And how technical and perfect my suits were. And that when I was in the suits, I always felt detached. From everything. I still do. I become this machine myself. This machine without mistakes. Always ready, always reliable, always on point, always two steps ahead. And when I take it off, I'm just a basic idiot. And I'm allowed to be. I enjoy being it. Because you can only learn from your flaws. Mistakes make us aware of right and wrong in certain situations. There is flaws in us that we just didn't choose and that will never leave us. But that makes you you. I didn't fall in love with John Doe who is a perfect master professor in everything without ever doing anything wrong, I fell in love with you. With all your many, many strengths and all your mistakes and imperfections. The same way you fell for me with the endless shit I've been through. With my rough past and my flawed reputation. You have to learn that."
"That is-", he just shook his head.
"You always say these things. And I just want all that. I want to see it."
"And I'll help you see it."
Tony leaned forward and caressed Stephen's cheek. He cupped it carefully and leaned forward into a long kiss. They had this thing where a kiss could say all those words that weren't spoken. This connection was so quiet and yet louder than anything they could say.
"Don't give up on me", the doctor almost begged.
"I am not. You are constantly. Don't give up on yourself."
Strange nodded. They stayed for a while until the billionaire got up and got a jacket for the other.
"Come on. We spend some time together."
He smiled and accepted the jacket. Tony got dressed warmly as well before taking Stephen's hand, leading him outside. He often did when they had something to talk about. The soft wind was blowing through Stephen's hair. He looked breathtaking. And it was situations like these that made Stark think that he never wanted these moments to pass. He didn't know how he'd lived before he'd been with this man. The way Stephen held himself baffled him. The elegance and yet that unbearable doubt. How he covered it up for everyone but Tony could see through him now. The sun was reflecting in his lover's eyes and he couldn't find words for it. He didn't have to. There were phenomena that just couldn't be described and there was beauty in this world that wasn't explanatory. It just existed. It was present. It was visible and yet hidden. Tony's hand caressed Stephen's while they were walking through the secret alleys near their home.
"How was your sister?"
"What?"
"I saw her picture all over your stuff. You miss her."
"Yes. I- She was amazing. So innocent. She believed in all the mermaids and fairies and unicorns."
The doctor let out a small laugh.
"She was a princess. Literally. Used to dress up everywhere."
The other listened with a small smile. He didn't look away from Stephen once.
"She never wanted me to leave her alone. She was just- a guardian angel."
"She still is."
Strange looked at his partner and smiled.
"I know she is. For a fact."
"Make her proud, yeah? Go on for her. Keep fighting. You deserve it, she deserves it. To see how far you've come."
"How far we've come."
"Us. Yes. Together."