Everyone knew not to stand between Tony and his coffee, trying to convince him that there was none and that he had to make one for himself when there was already some left was nearly impossible. He was like a hound, he could practically smell any trace of it lingering in the air, so lying to him was a waste of time. It was adorable how he kept his eyes half-open allowing his nose to guide him to his coffee and whenever he got the chance Stephen enjoyed watching him during those moments. He still preferred tea over coffee, so Tony’s precious drink was safe from him…until it wasn't.
The mighty sorcerer supreme stumbled through the portal that immediately shut behind him and rushed towards the nearest solid object which was the kitchen counter and waited for the dizzy spell to pass. He was aware that he wasn't at the Sanctum, quickly coming to the conclusion that he actually ended up in Tony’s kitchen.
A groan passed through his lips and he could feel embarrassment heating up his face at the fact that he simply invited himself into the other man’s home without calling. Not that he wasn't welcomed in the compound, in fact he visited the avengers from time to time, sometimes to aid them when they had to deal with an interdimensional threat and sometimes because he was invited. It surely was a convenient excuse for being around Tony without giving away his feelings for him and even though he wouldn't admit it he kinda liked talking to some of them. But too many visits might make him appear suspicious and he still wasn't ready to deal with Tony’s intense gaze when he was trying to solve a puzzle. Yet, here he was, shaking himself out of the haze he took a deep breath and quickly started looking for the thing he needed while struggling to control the tremors running through his body.
To his luck he spotted it and grabbed it as carefully as he could before he started drinking, relishing at the bitter taste and at the way it slowly started clearing his mind. When he finished it, he realized that he had actually drank Tony’s freshly brewed coffee and felt guilt crawling in his belly. The image of sad Tony, pouting at the empty coffee pot was what pushed him to start the coffee maker and try to figure out where everything was, hoping that the genius wouldn't appear before the coffee was done and before he left.
Yes, he was a coward and for once he was grateful for Friday being silent even though he was certain that the Al was aware of his presence, which also surprised him that no one seemed to be rushing towards the kitchen to deal with the intruder. It was a bit worrying, but he had no time to think about the tower's security system. Pretty soon with the help of his cloak, forever grateful for the fact that the coffee seemed to have fixed his problem and that his mind was once again clear he let out a relieved sigh when the coffee maker happily chirped, a sign that it was working. He was prepared to create a portal and leave before his good luck ran out and just as he raised his hand to start, the sound of someone approaching reached his ears, for a second he contemplated hiding in the mirror dimension or something as equally ridiculous, but the cloak stopped him. And… it was too late to run.
Tony walked in, his hair ruffled, eyes half-open, gaze unfocused, fingers twitching as he approached him, trapping him without doing anything. His gaze passed over him before it landed on the coffee maker that took its sweet time to brew the damned coffee and frowned, only for the frown to turn into a pout. Then too quickly for Stephen’s liking those warm and soft eyes were looking at him, blinking as he wasn't sure whether he was dreaming or not.
Was it foolish of him to wish for Tony to think that he was imagining him and to pretend he wasn't there?
Stephen’s heart pounded in his ears when the other man got close enough that there wasn't more than a step between them and simply closed his eyes and sniffed. He barely suppressed the shiver that ran down his spine when Tony gently bumped his nose on his chin as his lips pulled into a dazzling smile, the kind he showed whenever he had discovered something new.
“I need just one…please…” he whispered his eyes open and pleading yet still a bit unfocused.
Or maybe it was Stephen that was losing his mind and hallucinating. Not knowing what to do, but certain that Tony wanted and needed coffee he simply said,
“Alright.” he managed to take a breath when the other man pulled, waiting for the right moment to step back, when without a warning, quicker than he had any right to be, Tony raised himself on his tiptoes and kissed him.
Stephen’s brain stopped working, he froze in shock and didn't move, didn't even blink, afraid that the person in front of him would fade away, for a second he almost convinced himself that something was wrong with him but when Tony’s tongue gently separated his lips and smoothly and skillfully started kissing away every little drop of coffee he relaxed and allowed himself to enjoy the moment.
He might have pressed back into the kiss, but not enough for the spell to be broken…
It had to be a dream.
When Tony had his fill, he pulled back, cheeks flushed, soft smile on his face as his eyes sparkled with renewed energy and motivation before he licked his lips in satisfaction and said,
“That's more than enough, I think I got it. Friday be a dear and start that simulation, I'm on my way down, I have just enough energy to finish the project.” and he started walking away, his mind once again lost in calculations, between the ramblings he added,
“And start the coffee maker, someone drank all of the coffee again.” and with that he disappeared through the door.
The sorcerer supreme stood still, fingers pressed on his swollen lips, trying to come up with an explanation that made some sense, feeling like his heart was going to burst out of his chest in excitement.
Tony kissed him, it didn't matter that it might have been an accident or even a hallucination because it was the best thing that happened to him in the last few days and he was going to cherish it.
The sound of the coffee maker completing its task followed by
“Would you like some coffee Dr. Strange?” coming from Friday was enough for him to remember where he was and to quickly open a portal and leave.