Chapter 5
Looking back later, Stephen realized the moment they settled into his old booth in one of the few places he had felt safe in before he met Tony was the moment he realized he was truly beginning to heal. As he sat back to watch Tony use his charm on Maggie, a woman who had been through worse hell than he had, and saw a rare smile light up her face, he let out a sigh of relief and relaxed further into the seat.
Tony had raised a curious eyebrow at him, but went on telling Maggie the story of how they had met, until she laughed and said, with a huff as she ruffled Stephen's hair, "You two - figures Doc here would fall in love like he lived in the movies, or something." She rolled her eyes and yelled out their order, then went off to start their milkshakes.
"What was it, back in the diner?" Tony asked with a yawn as they finally climbed into bed again, just as the weak December sunrise was trying to brighten the skyline.
"It was nothing."
"Doc."
Stephen shrugged, then took Tony's hand in his and whispered, "I'm - it's just," and words failed him as he shook his head. He tried again. "You. You know me better than anyone else and you love me anyway." He rolled his eyes as he felt a single tear slide down his face. "It's stupid."
Tony sat up and smiling gently at him wiped the tear from his face, and as he held cradled his face in his hands whispered, "It isn't. I waited all of my life for you, I just didn't know it until I saw you sitting in that diner, chatting with Maggie, and then when I sat down again, you winked at me, as if you recognized something about me that no one else knew. I realized I could just be me, and you would still be there, still want me."
Stephen answered him with a kiss, then said quietly, "I'll always want you, doll-face, always."
"Yeah?"
Stephen rolled his eyes at him, but nodded. "Yeah, I promise. In fact, I already did just that, remember - just a little over a day ago now?"
"That's right, you did."
"I'm not afraid - no. That's not true. Now, I'm just more afraid that one day I'll lose you, than I am to love you. I'm not afraid to love you anymore, I know that you love me, too. Yesterday, I promised to be by your side no matter what, Tony Stark, and I mean to keep that promise. Got it?"
"Yeah, Doc, I got it." Tony whispered back, "I got it," then sighed contented, against his chest and in no time at all was fast asleep.