The heating system was working, he was covered with a thick blanket, the cloak was wrapped around him, yet he still couldn't stop shivering.
It was as if the cold had seeped into his bones and no matter what he did he couldn't warm himself up. Aware that his condition was most likely a mix of a few things including a side effect of jumping through a few dimensions and overexertion, he tried his best to ignore the trembling of his body. Fortunately it didn't last too long, pretty soon he started warming up and finally was able to breathe properly. That's when the tiredness pulled him under into a restless sleep. No more than two hours had passed before he woke up, it wasn't because he felt cold, it was because he was aware that he was alone, that the bed was empty and that he was probably going to spend the next few nights sleeping in a cold bed including the rest of the night. The ache in his hands and wrists had increased and even the cloak’s heartfelt attempt to stabilize them didn't do much. Curled up on his side he let the sensations wash over him as he slowly started to focus on his breath with the intention of trying a simple meditation since he didn't want to use astral projection. As his mind was beginning to quiet down, his heart started speaking, the thing that was weighing him down came forth as a sudden wave of longing crashed over him.
A longing for warm hands, expressive eyes, cheeky smiles and sweet words was slowly taking over him, chasing away any rational thought, pressing down on the stubborn pride that prevented him from admitting that he missed Tony. His lover was on a business trip for a few days and he would have opened a portal to see him, to feel his soothing touch even for a second if he was certain that it would be wanted. The last time they talked to each other Stephen was annoyed, tired and more than ready for a fight, so he lashed out, allowing his deeply buried insecurities to rear their ugly heads and he hurt Tony before he left their room and locked himself in the Sanctum. Long story short, the same day he went away to deal with a convenient threat, leaving a message for Tony, guilty yet still not ready to face him and apologize the way he should have done. That's why he was currently shivering in their big bed, praying for his pride to fade away, imagining Tony’s presence instead of reaching out and calling him. Even hearing his voice would have been more than a little helpful to chase away the coldness that had left his body to crawl into his heart. The cloak tightened its hold of him in an attempt to both reassure and comfort him to which he gave a grateful smile and a gentle pat. He was halfway through falling asleep, mind sinking in the pleasant buzz of an upcoming dream while his body was trying to catch up, when he sensed something.
No, it was a noise seemingly coming from a distance, but he chose to ignore it, his emotions drowning his thoughts, happy memories and words pushing the negative away.
“Stephen…sweetheart…you're trembling.” came out of nowhere, he didn't care that it was a fragment of his imagination, he simply allowed it to wash over him. The words didn't stop coming, they floated in the air like butterflies, soothing him even though he wasn't quite aware of their meaning, until he felt a touch on his face as the blanket got lifted from him.
“Wha…” he mumbled, chasing the dream that was quickly fading away, a part of his mind reminding him that if he woke up, he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again.
He kept his eyes firmly closed, refusing to let go of his little vision when a soft chuckle poked at his curiosity and he had to take a peek at his surroundings. What he saw wasn't what he expected, so he spent a few moments gaping at the man in front of him.
“Hey…did I wake you up? I'm sorry, but you looked…”
“Tony? “ he interrupted, finally finding the words to say something.
“It's me…I know I came earlier and I know you might still be a bit angry, but…you're here not at the Sanctum and Wong just told me that you've arrived a few hours ago and I know how it feels, so I came straight away…I didn't want you to sleep alone and I…” he didn't care, all he cared about at the moment was that his love was back and he had brought his love along, so he simply reacted. He guided the cloak and with its help he dragged Tony under the covers and the second he was laying on his side he threw himself in his arms and held on for dear life.
“Hey…you alright?” his voice soft and comforting laced with amusement.
“Cold without you, always cold without you.” he whispered, unable to come up with anything else while his body immediately started reacting to the pleasant warmth radiating from his lover.
“Glad to hear that, so happy you came back home.”
“Sorry.” his hands trembling while he tried to soak in the warmth.
“It's alright, I can be an ass too, it's going to be just fine, now tell me are you injured? And please don't lie to me. ”
“No.” he whispered, face hiding in Tony’s neck, relishing at the scent and warmth of the man he loved.
“That's good, hang on a bit.” and he mindfully unwrapped Stephen’s arms from around him and before he could voice his displeasure, he gently took his hands in his own and started massaging them with as little pressure as possible. Like all those times before his efforts soothed the stiffness and eased the pain like nothing else and pretty soon he was just cradling them in his hands, treating them as something precious.
It brought tears in Stephen’s eyes and made his heart swell with love. “You have no idea how much I missed you.” he blurted out, cheeks flushing, but he was overjoyed that he wasn't going to spend the night alone, that he hadn't screwed up.
“Is that so? I missed you too sweetheart.” and he used one of his hands to run his fingers through Stephen’s hair, smiling when his eyes closed at the sensation.
“Bedtime?” was all he said, as he leaned into the touch, wanting nothing more than to sink into the warmth and surrendering himself to the much needed sleep.
“Yes.” he got rewarded with a few kisses, a short one on the lips which he returned, one on his forehead for comfort and one for his hands as the cloak spread out and wrapped itself around them while they moved around a bit to find the perfect position for resting. In the end Tony had his arms around Stephen who was half lying over him and half on his side, his hands resting on his lover’s chest, his head on his shoulder.
Once they settled, he felt lighter, so much at peace that he wanted to hold onto Tony like a child holds onto his favorite teddy bear and melt into the love coming out of him.
“Love you.” he whispered when he was so relaxed that he could have said everything he felt without feeling like he had said too much. “Love you too.” a kiss before the body underneath him completely relaxed which meant he had fallen asleep. With a sleepy smile Stephen pressed a kiss on the skin closest to his head and finally allowed himself to be pulled into the welcoming arms of sleep.