A summer breeze swished the tendril-like branches of the looming willow trees edging the lake, their leaves dappling the water in shadow beneath the bows. Cool waves lapped the shore as a pair of feet were idly pulled back and forth through the water at the end of a long, worn dock. Morgan was perched on the boards, wood blistered from days in the sun, fingers idly picking at the splinters on the dock which always ended up in the bottom of her foot. Worn jeans were rolled up to her knees, but one pant leg had slipped down and the cuff was edged with unpleasant dampness. The slight wind blew her hair in her face as she looked out across the water, pushing dark strands back behind her ear, the sun beginning to crown the trees with gold as it began its descent.
She twirled the small topaz ring on her pinky finger, a gift received yesterday from her mom. Morgan’s sixteenth birthday party had been a lively event, so she was glad to have a bit of quiet since the aftermath. As expected, her dad had gone all out; Tony had never been one to skimp on a party, never mind his daughter’s sweet sixteen. The day had been surprisingly devoid of Morgan’s friends; unlike most teens, Morgan had asked for the party to be family only and Tony complied somewhat begrudgingly. The party had also been devoid of a certain sorcerer which Morgan felt acutely like a missing jigsaw piece in an otherwise perfect day.
Stephen had been away since he detected a disturbance between dimensions nearly a week ago. He contacted them furtively and briefly to let his family know he was safe, and would also be staying in the area until further notice. It turned out to be a treaty debate between worlds which needed to be settled, an arduous, drawn out ordeal, punctuated by the occasional violent outbreak. This was mostly Stephen’s role, as he kept things in check and tamed the tempers of any unruly inter dimensional beings who took things too far. Luckily, it had seemed as though all debates had been settled and Stephen would be home in time for Morgan’s birthday. She had told him not to worry about, just to focus on work and being safe, but he insisted that it was of utmost importance that he didn’t miss her party. This turned out to be the case though, as an unexpected snag in a treaty triggered a series of protests, including use of alien beasts in getting individuals’ points across, which left Stephen with no say in whether he left or not.
They hadn’t heard from him since the night before Morgan’s birthday, when he had called to let them know he wasn’t going to make it home for her party. Morgan assured him it was fine, but he didn’t relent in sounding much more distraught than she ever would about missing her own party. She smiled now, thinking about how concerned he was about such a trivial thing, made all the more important just because it was her. Morgan could never see why he put so much stock in things like this when all their best memories had always been the small moments: Stephen conjuring butterflies to make her smile when she fell off her bike as a kid, his rumbled “darling” as she hugged him with one cheek pressed to his chest, trying to read foreign languages together from his ancient texts in the Sanctum, both laughing uncontrollably as they stumbled over the unfamiliar pronunciations.
There was suddenly a feather light touch on her cheek and Morgan looked up with a start only to see the familiar flittering of blue-green butterflies dancing around her in the wind. Heart lifting, she spun around to be met with a swirl of red as Stephen closed a portal behind him with a deft twirl of his right hand.
“Dad!”
As gracelessly as her six year old self had always done, Morgan sprang to her feet and pounded down the dock to meet him, dark hair flowing in its usual wild mess behind her. Stephen met her with arms outstretched, both ignoring his unsteady grunt as she collided with his chest, both arms wrapped round his waist.
“Careful, darlin’”, he warned, his voice husky, but he didn’t mean it, gathering her up as tightly as his shaking hands would allow. Levi wrapped around the two of them tightly in an excited hug, relieved to have their family all back in the same dimension. Bare feet unsteady on the grass in her excitement and relief, Morgan hung onto her dad’s forearms as she pulled back to look at him, surveying his face for any new injuries.
“Are you okay? It sounded really bad when you called us.” The sorcerer gave a tired half smile at the familiar concern in big, brown eyes, a reassuring hand moving to her shoulder.
“It all went to hell in a hand basket, but it got bigger than what I was able to deal with, even with the other Masters.” A sidelong glance spoke of his distaste for the whole frivolous ordeal. “Not really my forte to begin with.”
“Politics”, Morgan agreed with a sneer, but it was quickly replaced with a chiding raised brow. “You’re not hiding any injuries this time, are you?” She turned to Levi without waiting for his reply. “Levi? Is he?” The cloak responded by shaking their collar side to side as if shaking their head no, which satisfied Morgan.
“You’ll trust the sentient fabric, but not me?” This earned a gentle slap from the cloak, to which Stephen responded with a defiant, kissy face at the offending collar. Levi quickly relented by gently stroking his cheek in forgiveness.
“Levi’s never lied to me, so…” Stephen gave her an affronted look as he dug in the pockets of his robes.
“Listen here, little miss. If I’m so terrible, would I have gotten you this?” He finally produced a small, red velvet box and held it out with a grin that was half defiant and half doting. “Take it.” Morgan obeyed almost robotically, taking the box from his trembling hand as though it may break at any second.
“What the heck, Dad. You didn’t have-.”
“Of course I did.” He cut her off, looking to the box expectantly as dark eyes met azure. “Just open it.” She cracked open the delicate box of red velvet, shining silver immediately catching the light as she did, her eyes widening with awe. Her fingers looped through the chain, Morgan pulled the necklace out, admiring the small butterfly pendant as it twirled in the wind, not so dissimilar from the ones Stephen had conjured moments ago.
“Oh my gosh. It’s so beautiful. Thank you, Dad”, she breathed, hugging him again. Stephen felt his heart thud heavily, even after all this time. He never thought he’d hear someone call him ‘Dad’, and even after ten years of hearing it, it made something deep and protective in him flutter wildly.
“You’re welcome, sweetie.” Morgan turned, childish light filling her eyes and smile as Stephen gently fingered the butterfly and took the chain from her, moving to clasp it about her neck. Morgan didn’t comment as trembling hands were steadied heavily by magic, the sorcerer brushing her hair aside gently as he did up the clasp.
“It’s vibranium”, he muttered. “Maybe you won’t break this chain, hmm?” Morgan whirled on him, eyes wide, butterfly dancing about her collarbone.
“Are you kidding? How the heck did you get vibranium?” Stephen shrugged as he crossed his arms somewhat nonchalantly.
“T’Challa owed me one. I mentioned it last time I was in Wakanda and Shuri helped me convince him fully. The chain is actually only about half vibranium, it’s really a silver alloy.”
“It’s awesome. You’re right, I won’t have to worry about breaking it during training.”
“Breaking what?”, came a familiar voice from behind them, and they both turned to see Tony walking from the garage, shirt and face streaked with fresh grease. He and Stephen kissed, something in the engineer’s shoulders slacking as he relaxed in his husband’s presence, relieved to have him home safely. Morgan held her necklace out for her dad to see and he raised his brows appreciatively.
“I always knew you had good taste, Steph.”
“And it’s vibranium”, Morgan added proudly, relishing in her dad’s affronted look. He turned to Stephen, looking unimpressed.
“Oh, come on, babe. You can’t outdo me on everything. I have to at least be equal or surpassing you on the great dad scale.”
“Is that the official scale for rating parents, or is it just for specific occasions?”, Stephen rumbled, a teasing grin making his eyes twinkle. Tony nudged him, smirking devilishly. Morgan interjected before their banter turned into loving wrestling.
“But, Dad, you gave me those suit upgrades and everything. I’d never have thought of doing the projectile enhancement for the repulsor beams like that.”
“Meh, still needs work. Besides, I was going to give them to you anyway, so they’re not really a birthday gift. They just so happened to be ready in time. How about we go out for dinner, Morgan’s choice, and I’ll have a proper present for you tomorrow?”
“I had my birthday dinner last night, though”, Morgan reasoned, biting her tongue when she caught Stephen’s guilty look. Tony noticed too and hooked his arm in his husband’s.
“Well, you get two this year. Gotta have Doctor Dad with us or it doesn’t count, right?” Morgan nodded with a grin, moving to hook her arm in Stephen’s other elbow, tilting her head to lean on his shoulder as they walked to the house. “So, what’ll it be, Moguna?”
“Shawarma, okay?”
Tony laughed as they walked up the steps. “That’s my girl.”
“The only really good place is like half an hour away, though”, Morgan added with a grimace. Tony gave her a look while gesturing at Stephen.
“We’ve our lovely wizard right here, honey. Why would we drive?”
Morgan put fists to her hips as she turned on her dad, almost taller than him now.
“What happened to the ‘no unnecessary magic’ rule?” Stephen put a hand on her shoulder as he came between them, eyeing Tony with a look that asked why he was being so testy.
“One portal won’t hurt. Besides, you know where they’ve probably got better shawarma than the other end of town? India.” Both pairs of deep brown eyes balked at the suggestion, but Tony recovered faster.
“Steph? Um, what was I just saying about outdoing me constantly? Morgan’s gonna forgot all about her old, grey dad if you keep being all young and flashy and expensive.” His tone was sincere, but his twinkling eyes gave away his teasing.
“It’s really not a big deal, Tony.”
“You guys are so extra”, Morgan muttered, having turned to her phone at the first signs of loving, old couple bickering. “Especially you”, she said, poking Stephen in the chest with a saucy smile. The sorcerer feigned offence, gently shoving her shoulder with a grin.
“Alright then, let’s get changed and then we’ll head out. Pepper home?” Tony shook his head as he looked down at his grease-covered t shirt.
“Nope. Conference meeting in the city. What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
“You dress exactly like Harley”, Morgan smirked. “Or he got it from you. Either way, you both dress like you live in the garage.”
“That’s ‘cause they do”, Stephen snorted as Levi left his shoulders to rest on Morgan, tousling her hair gently. Tony ignored his comment, turning with an offended look to his daughter.
“I’ll have you know your old man used to be quite the dresser. I’ve always been a band t shirt kind of guy, but you can never go wrong with a tailored suit. Or both.”
“I’ve never seen it. Except pictures”, Morgan shrugged.
“I can back him up. He was pretty sharp back in the day.” Stephen kissed his husband’s cheek, nudging him with his nose so he’d stop frowning.
“Back in the day”, Morgan stressed. “You definitely win fashion-wise now, Dad”, she told Stephen. They left Tony gaping on the porch as they dodged inside quickly.
“I cannot believe you two-“. He was cut off as Stephen poked him in his ticklish spot.
“Any chance the boys will be able to come with us?”, Stephen asked as he undid his arm wraps. Tony shook his head as he sipped at a ginger ale abandoned on the kitchen counter, shooing Morgan off to her room to get changed.
“Don’t think so. Peter’s out with MJ tonight and Harley’s got a work assignment he left till last minute like an utter moron.” Stephen quirked his mouth in disappointment, but sidled closer to Tony with a grin.
“So, just my gorgeous husband and our baby girl, then?” He wrapped his arms around Tony as the shorter man leaned into his chest, stretching up onto tiptoe so they were nose-to-nose.
“Guess so, Doc”, his voice was soft, eyes heavy as he kissed the sorcerer’s bottom lip, then the corner of his mouth before they met in a proper kiss. Tony settled back down onto his heels, wrapping his arms around Stephen’s waist as he pressed his forehead to his shoulder. “I missed you”, Tony whispered in the voice that Stephen knew he actually meant, ‘I was worried sick about you.’
“I’m fine. Nothing’s gonna happen to me.” He smiled reassuringly, but Tony just looked up into his eyes with his own big, brown ones, unblinking, unconvinced. He knew those were promises which had no guarantee and they did little to quell the gnawing anxiety in his chest every time Stephen left on a mission. Stephen softly tapped a finger to the metal of his husband’s cybernetic arm, subconsciously remembering how he got it, before sighing deeply.
“I missed you too”, Stephen relented, kissing his forehead, breathing in the scent of his soft, greying hair. Tony gripping the back of Stephen’s belt, he trailed him to their bedroom and they changed, Tony into clean clothes, Stephen into his street clothes, meeting Morgan on the porch when they came back downstairs.
“Bet none of your friends have gone to India for their birthday, eh, Moguna?” Morgan shrugged in a gesture of, ‘Obviously not, Dad.’
“It’s not a competition, Tony”, Stephen rumbled, adjusting his sling ring back onto his left hand, holding his hands out in preparation to conjure a portal. “Anyone need to make any calls or anything before we go? I can’t guarantee we’ll have good cell service where we’re going.”
“Did you let Pep know you’re home safe?”, Tony asked, looking up from checking his messages.
The sorcerer nodded. “Yep. Texted her and let her know our plans. She was surprisingly chill about it.”
“We’re good, then.” Stephen gave a single nod, turning back around, tracing a circle in the air in front of him with his right hand. Golden sparks formed in a blazing ring, but quickly sputtered out as the sorcerer’s hand cramped, causing him to clutch his hand as he doubled over.
“Dad!”
“Babe, are you okay?” Tony rushed to his husband’s side, hand going to his shoulders, but Stephen straightened up quickly.
“I’m fine. Sorry.” Morgan gave him a look as she snatched her own hand back which she’d reached out to steady him with.
“Dad, we don’t have to go. We can just go to the shawarma place in town. Besides, I already technically had my birthday dinner.” Stephen turned to her, blue-green eyes bright with remorse.
“But I wasn’t there. I should have been there.” She opened her mouth to respond, to tell him that it was okay, but he quickly opened another portal before she or Tony could say anything. Wordlessly, he gestured for them to go through ahead of him, though Tony caught how he was clenching his trembling fist.
“Stephen-“.
“Anthony”, the sorcerer said sharply in return, giving him a severe frown which told Tony he wasn’t in a being-pitied-upon mood.
They stepped through the portal, their breath and most of their worry about Stephen washed away with the sight before them. The street they were now standing in was lined with lights and colourful lanterns zigzagging from rooftop to rooftop, setting the night aglow with soft reds and purples. Storefronts and vendor’s carts and stands were bustling with activity, people laughing and talking as they gossiped or discussed purchases. The night was beginning to cool slightly, though the dense humidity from the day was still heavy in the air.
The three looked rather out of place as Morgan and Tony stood gaping in the street, before Stephen pushed them into motion, enjoying the sights as well, but less in awe than his family. Morgan walked between her dads, clinging to Stephen’s forearm so she could walk in a straight line while still looking all about them.
“This is so cool, Dad”, she breathed, awe filling those big, brown eyes that he loved so much. “Thanks again.”
“Of course, darling.”
“Yeah, as long as we don’t get stuck here because you can’t reopen the damn portal”, Tony muttered. Morgan shot him a disapproving glance, but Stephen just gave a him a self-assured smirk.
“Wong would come get us”, he assured. “But that’s not going to happen. My hands are fine.”
“Sure, Doc”, Tony said, resorting back to the old title like he did whenever he was teasing or irritated with the sorcerer. “Where is this place, anyway? Don’t tell me it’s on the top of some mountain.” Now it was Stephen’s turn to send Tony a disapproving glance.
“Not quite”, he drawled. “I got us fairly close, but it’s not always front-door service with these things, you know.” He paused for a moment, finger pressed to his lips. “I know it’s around here somewhere.” Tony turned to him with an incredulous look.
“You don’t know where it is?”
“‘Course I do. Just a little fuzzy is all.” Tony looked over Morgan’s head at his husband and something twinkled deep in his dark brown eyes.
“Is it that place you got me shawarma that one time?”
“What time?”, Stephen asked absently as he scanned the lit up signs of the store fronts.
“Remember? When we first started dating? I hadn’t eaten anything in a few days ‘cause I was working on that suit glitch that I couldn't figure out. You portaled your sappy, romantic ass all the way to India to get me the best shawarma you could find.” Stephen’s eyes met his and the warm light in them made Tony’s heart flutter, even after all these years.
“Yeah. Now I remember that. You were so surprised you actually forgot to be a douchebag about me babying you.”
“Shut up, asshole”, Tony responded, love seeping into his voice.
“You two are nauseating”, Morgan said with dramatic teenage flair, but she squeezed their hands in both of hers tightly as she held them.
“So?”, Tony pressed. “Don’t you remember where that place was? Because it was really good.”
“That was almost ten years ago, you expect me to remember where a tiny shawarma place is? I mean, who knows it it’s even still there.”
“Yeah, Daddy”, Morgan piped up, giving her dad an incredulous look. “He’s getting old, you can’t expect him to-“. She was cut off by Levi flopping over her head dramatically, who had been around Stephen’s shoulders as a scarf until that point. The cloak was prone to doing this whenever someone called Stephen old. As much as a sentient piece of outerwear could grow attached to a human, Levi had to Stephen, and the joking mention of the sorcerer getting on in years was too much for the cloak to bear. Their close bond had only deepened over the years, extending to Stephen’s family, as the cloak became very protective of the kids especially. They were now begrudgingly draped around Morgan’s neck, still as a scarf, patting at her cheek with their tassels in annoyance.
“Okay, Lev, sorry. He’s not old. He’s, uh, youthful and…not grey at all”, she said placatingly, giving the sorcerer a cheeky smile. Despite her apology, Levi suddenly yanked down on Morgan’s shoulders, throwing her to the ground as she yelped.
“Levi!” Morgan said accusingly, struggling to her feet.
Tony heard the familiar sound of an arrow whooshing through the air, his heart sinking in dread. Said arrow thunked into the ground just ahead of them and he felt as though he’d swallowed lead. Stephen seemed to hear it at the same time, snapping his fingers. Levi floated over quickly to rest on his shoulders, back in their proper form as the sorcerer stepped in front of his family, facing the direction he’d heard the arrow come from. Pulling Morgan close to him, Tony tapped his watch and activated an armoured glove with a repulsor beam to match his cybernetic arm.
“Stephen?”, Tony asked, voice taut with worry, hoping for an explanation of any kind. His husband shook his head, glancing at the primal, barbed arrow sticking in the ground twenty feet behind them, having barely missed Morgan, thanks to Levi.
“I - might have been followed back from Kelvatar, but I had cloaking shields on the whole way, there shouldn't have been anything for them to follow.” Almost as an afterthought, he snapped his fingers to change into his robes, the thick fabric and arm wraps more suitable for combat than a t shirt and jeans.
People scattered all around them at the sight of the arrow and of the two men suiting up, fleeing down the street or running to hide in buildings, locking the door behind them.
“Who’s them, Steph? You didn’t bring some alien shit back with you, did you?”, Tony asked. Stephen could hear the desperate strain in his voice and felt guilt wash over him, seeing the flashes of fear in dark brown eyes. The 2012 attack on New York, the portal and the missile, the alien attack during their first meeting, Titan, the Snap, being stranded in space. Memories flashed by, like a rapid fire slideshow in Tony’s mind and Stephen saw them reflected in his face, had seen most, heard of the others. Saw the viciously protective grip around their daughter’s shoulders.
Still scanning the area, rooftops, alleyways, Stephen shook his head again. “I’m sorry, I don’t know. But I’m getting you two out of here.”
“Stephen”, Tony protested weakly.
“Dad!”, Morgan protested less weakly. “We’re not leaving you alone!”
“Yes, you are”, the sorcerer snapped as he opened a portal. “I need to deal with what ever followed me here. I’m sending you two home.”
“What if you get hurt and you don’t have anyone to help you? Why are you doing this?”, Morgan pleaded as Tony tried to get her to step through the portal.
“It’s my job”, Stephen replied almost coldly, not letting himself notice the tears beginning to glisten in her eyes.
“Being my dad is your job”, she snarled through the quaver in her voice, clinging to Tony’s arm. Stephen met her eyes, letting out his breath halfway, hands twinging as he looked to Tony.
“You sure you don’t need my help? You’ll be okay?”, Tony asked, though he knew what Stephen’s answer would be.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll call Wong if I need backup.” They both nodded once, Tony stepping through the portal with Morgan wordlessly, the betrayal on the girl’s face a punch to the sorcerer’s heart. He swiftly closed the portal behind them, turning a full circle as he surveyed the area. There had been no further signs of movement since the arrow had been shot, but Stephen knew better than to let his guard down.
“Levi, go take a look”, he told the cloak, who silently left his shoulders, ducking into an alley. The sorcerer manifested the sword of Vishanti, holding it at the ready as a glowing shield appeared on his other arm. A flicker of movement caught his eye in the dim light just outside the glow of the lanterns, looking like the flash of pale skin as something ducked behind the wall. Stephen lowered his stance as he tried to get a better look, nearly crouching, robes brushing in the dust as he tried extending his senses. There was a foreign presence in the area, to be certain, the only difficulty was locating its source before they got in a position to attack again.
A grunt to Stephen’s right and behind made him spin on his heal, turning to face a tall, pale figure with too many limbs. Silver armour glinted in the lantern light, a heavy, jagged blade resting on the dusty ground of the now quiet street. Stephen made sure to locate the huge, curved bow on the creature’s back, satisfied that it didn’t still have an archer companion in hiding.
“If you were aiming for me”, the sorcerer said, gesturing with his nose at the arrow still sticking out of the ground. “You’re a terrible shot.” The alien glanced at the arrow, but decided to ignore his comment.
“My lord did not appreciate your presence at the altercations this week, sorcerer. In fact, he found your entire role in the events to be quite a nuisance. A nuisance we’d much rather not deal with next time the treaties need to be discussed.” The creature’s voice didn’t seem to exist on this plane of reality, instead, it came to Stephen’s ears as though through thousands of feet of shimmering dimensions.
Stephen cocked his head as he recognized a member of one of the alien species present at the treaty debates, a long-limbed creature, almost spider-like save for the lack of any hair on their sickly grey skin.
“A nuisance? Because I and the other Masters made certain there were no unnecessary killings? Even a lowly foot solider such as yourself must see the chaos which was prevented, the order which was kept. Though, I’m assuming that’s what you were hoping for. Chaos, I mean.”
“I’m not paid to ask about the fairness of the treaty debates. Only to remove what is stopping our people from getting what they need.”
Stephen tried to stop himself from rolling his eyes and nearly succeeded. “I don’t make the treaties. Like I said, I was just preventing unnecessary deaths.” The creature’s black eyes blinked several times as they adjusted their grip on their sword.
“You are the Sorcerer Supreme. Do not try and fool me into thinking you have no influence on such decisions.”
“I’m not fooling you”, Stephen said dryly. “And I’m not putting up with your presence on Earth, either.” His hands flicked deftly, surging forth with the bands of Cyttorak to get a hold of the enormous sword which the creature had raised, while simultaneously opening a portal behind it.
The alien roared as crimson bands bound its arms together, forcing it to step back through the portal which led to its own dimension. Stephen knew the creature was not powerful enough to get back to Earth on its own, and had erased its memory of the exact location it had found him. That was all he could do for now, sighing as he closed the portal. It was common knowledge to many notable beings throughout the universe that the Sorcerer Supreme was usually on Earth, and protected the planet and the Sanctums there.
He didn’t worry about other-worlds beings finding Kamar-Taj. The temple was secretive to the point that, protected by powerful barriers which concealed the amount of magical activity which occurred there, it had never been found by an outsider who was not intended to find it. This was a relief, though Stephen often worried about the possible threats his mantle could bring to his family, never mind the whole planet. Tonight was a perfect example; he’d just been trying to enjoy a night out for his daughter’s birthday and she’d nearly been impaled by a massive arrow. The heavy weight of his responsibilities dropped on his shoulders just as Levi did the same.
The cloak had stayed back while he was casting spells, in order to keep out of the way, on stand by in case he needed help. They lay themselves back around his neck a little more closely than usual, as if saying how they worried whenever he was in potential danger.
“I’m fine”, he soothed, reaching a reassuring finger up to brush against the cloak’s collar. “Let’s go home.”
*****
Tony stared at the cooling surface of his coffee, frowning at his reflection in the still, black liquid. He’d been gripping the handle for nearly forty minutes, convincing himself he was about to lift the mug any second, but it hadn’t happened yet. The kitchen was silent expect for the ticking of the clock, maddeningly loud in the emptiness of the room. He knew Morgan was curled up in Stephen’s armchair, facing the front door with a blank stare as she kept her phone clenched in her fist. She’d been sitting there since they got home, silently stewing as she refused to talk to him. He knew she was angry with worry, but it still hurt to see her glare at him so vehemently. He knew she blamed him; blamed him for leaving Stephen alone, for being paralytically afraid of aliens. She’d heard the stories, she knew what her dad had done. Or rather, what had happened to him.
She could remember, vaguely, what it had been like before the Battle for Earth against the mad titan. That had been before the Blip, before his cybernetic arm, before Peter. She’d been so young and hadn’t fully understood half of what they told her. Aliens were supposed to be made up and now her dad was off to fight one with a whole army? She had seen him about half an hour ago, hunched over a cold mug of coffee at the kitchen table, small and trembling and she remembered when he’d seemed invincible to her. The red and golden metal of his right arm was the brightest thing in the room, everything else felt grey, Tony’s face sickly pale. He looked much older than he was and Morgan’s heart twinged in something that might have been sympathy or guilt. She stood with the intent of comforting or apologizing, but her fearful anger came out instead.
“This is why you should let me carry at least my gauntlet with me. Not even the whole suit. Just a gauntlet. Why is that such a big deal?”, she asked, a challenge in her voice as she walked over and stared Tony down from the other side of the kitchen table.
“Morgan.” Tony’s face was tired and grey as he looked up at her, brow furrowing slightly.
“You had your watch gauntlet! I can’t believe you treat me like such a kid that you won’t even trust me with one of those. We could have stayed and helped Dad! We shouldn’t have left him alone!”
“Morgan, please.”
“I can’t believe you left him! You’re such a coward!”
“Morgan!” Stephen’s voice boomed from behind them as he appeared in a ring of sparking gold which disappeared behind him swiftly. She saw the glint in his eyes and the set of his jaw, knowing she had crossed a line with her usually calm and collected parent.
“Dad, I-.”
“No.” The sorcerer’s single rumbled word was like thunder as he sat in the chair beside Tony, denying Morgan of the tackling hug she had been planning for when he got back. Stephen placed a heavily trembling hand on Tony’s shoulder, Levi lifting to descend around Tony, hugging around him tightly.
“Sit”, he commanded, levitating Tony’s mug of cold coffee into the sink, setting the kettle on the stove and turning it on with a simple spell. Morgan did as she was told, all anger having left her face, though her fists were still clenched. Then her dads seemingly let her stew in her own discomfort for a moment as they turned to each other.
“You alright, babe?”, Tony asked, calm, though there was an underlying tremble in his voice.
“Of course”, Stephen replied softly with a small smile, brushing his hand through his husband’s soft, greying hair. “It was only one. It’s all dealt with.” Morgan saw the relief shudder through Tony, hand fumbling for Stephen’s as he made a weak attempt at a smile. Something in her heart burst when the sorcerer, big and gentle, kissed his forehead. Seeing them both there, safe and okay, broken, scarred, and a bit older, but they were her dads, and she had to stifle a sudden, hiccupy sob.
“Daddy, I’m so sorry”, she said, voice quavering as she stumbled around the table and Tony caught her shaking hug with his good arm, hot tears spilling on to her cheeks as she latched on to him. Tony’s aching heart thudded quietly, knowing it was all teenage emotion that caused her to lash out, worry for Stephen, testing boundaries, but always coming back to herself, the little girl who had cried in his arms since the day she was born.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. You’re not a coward, you could never be a coward. You did - you’re… I didn’t mean it.” She turned her head, catching Stephen’s eye through her tears and he nodded sagely, acknowledging her apology.
“I know. It’s alright. Everything’s okay now”, Tony soothed. “We’re all okay.” Somehow, this made her cry harder, wrapping her arms around him tighter as she buried her face in his good shoulder. She was sitting side ways on his lap now, reminiscent of when she was younger and would skin her knees often, usually when she snuck into the garage. She whined quietly through her sobs, feeling the cool metal of his cybernetic arm as he hugged her tightly to him, her head pressed to his chest, hearing his strong, loving heart beating soundly. He smelled like coffee and the faint traces of iron from his arm. He smelled like home.
“Sshhh, sshhh, we’re okay”, Tony whispered, look to the ceiling as though he might be able to stop his own tears from falling through sheer force of gravity alone. Morgan heard Stephen shift his chair beside them, a gentle kiss placed on her hair as he moved closer to encompass them both in his arms. The warm scents of tea leaves and incense calmed her as she felt Levi wrap around her back, the red fabric thick and soft on her face as they tried to wipe her tears away. She leaned against Stephen as he pulled them into his chest tighter, the three of them making a sturdy bundle of robes and Levi and a cybernetic arm and gentle hands as she was cocooned between her dads. They sat for several minutes until the kettle boiled, Stephen standing as it whistled, but perhaps only to discreetly wipe away the mistiness that had formed in his eyes.
“What was that thing anyway, Dad?”, Morgan asked Stephen in a croaky voice, still on Tony’s lap.
“Nothing for you to worry about”, he replied coolly in a way that meant she wasn’t allowed to ask about it any further. He levitated the tea over to the table, walking over to bring a chair in between his and Tony’s. Morgan slid into it with a small, “Thanks”, cupping her hands around the mug of rooibos tea. There was a comfortable silence as they all enjoyed the warmth of the hot drink, Levi still draped over both Morgan and Tony’s shoulders.
“I think”, Stephen started as he basked in the warmth of his tea. “I think that this is, unfortunately, a good time to bring up something your father, mother, and I have been discussing.” Morgan turned to him, eyes wide with wary curiosity.
“We’ve been reconsidering the no-armour-in-public rule. Tonight was a perfect example of why you might be in danger. You have obvious connections to your dad, Peter, and I. It puts you at risk when there are people who want to hurt us. Changing the rule makes sense now that you’re older. So…we thought we’d let you wear your gauntlet watch as a safety precaution.”
Eyes wide in shock and excitement, Morgan just gaped at the sorcerer. “I-I don’t have a gauntlet watch.”
“You do”, Tony spoke up. “It’s what was going to be my real birthday gift to you. We just wanted to have the discussion before giving it to you. All three of us wanted to talk to you, actually”, he added, looking at Stephen questioningly. “I’m assuming Pep gave you the go-ahead.” Stephen nodded.
“Yes. I called her and let her know what happened. She was a little stressed out, but agreed it would be good to give it to Morgan as soon as possible.” He turned to Morgan with a serious look, eyes loving, but stern as he made eye contact with her. “She said to tell you, ‘No gauntlets in the house, and only use it in emergencies, for protecting yourself or one of us’. You’re not running around saving other people just yet, alright, missy?”
“Yeah, of course. I promise I won’t. Wait…you guys are kidding, right?”
Tony sipped his tea before shaking his head. “Nope. I’ve got it hidden in the garage. Don’t you go looking for it, though. I’ll show you how it works tomorrow, okay? Got some upgrades I wanted to try out anyway.”
“Okay. Thank you. I promise I’ll be responsible with it.” Stephen smiled as he ran a hand through her hair.
“We know you will be. Now, why don’t you take your tea to bed. Maybe read and wind down a little bit, hmm?”
“Yeah, okay.” She stood quietly, Levi falling from her shoulders. She leaned over to press a kiss to Tony’s cheek. “You forgive me?” He responded by gently touching his forehead to hers.
“Yes, Moguna. Don’t worry about anything.” She nodded, still with traces of guilt as she hugged him quickly, pecking his cheek again, before she did the same to Stephen.
“Goodnight, Dad”, she mumbled, cheek pressed to his collar, breathing in the calming scent of tea which always encompassed him.
“Goodnight”, he whispered, one hand cupping her cheek. “I’m sorry about your birthday dinner.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” Morgan grabbed her mug of tea, patting Levi and her dad’s shoulder one last time before turning to head up the staircase to her room. She turned back to look at them before reaching the bottom step. “Love you guys.”
“Love you too, Moguna.”
“Sleep well, sweetheart.”
They both watched the teen pad up the stairs groggily, suddenly exhausted from the emotional stress of the evening. Stephen and Tony felt themselves crumpling under the same weight as they finished their tea, barely making it to the couch as Tony collapsed against his husband’s chest.
“I can’t - can’t deal with that shit, Steph”, he muttered into the soft t shirt Stephen had changed into with a snap of his fingers.
“I know. I’m sorry.” He cradled the back of his husband’s head as Tony slung an arm around his middle. Stephen pressed tired kisses into his hair, salt and pepper and cinnamon with age.
“Not your fault. Just - did you find out who it was?” Stephen waved his hand nonchalantly, but he knew Tony would continue pressing until he told him.
“Some lackey. Apparently his clan leader wasn’t too thrilled about my presence at the treaty debates. Anyway, it’s been dealt with.” Tony just grunted in response. “Don’t worry, okay? Tony?” He pressed playful kisses into his neck, tickling him with his facial hair.
“Okay, okay. Quit it”, Tony laughed, kissing his cheek in retort. He settled into the crook of the sorcerer’s arm, head on his shoulder as they sat in companionable silence. A gentle rain had started, pattering against the windows in the din of the settling dusk. Tony kept his breathing steady, not letting himself flinch every time a branch tapped the window, or a gust of wind blew some leaves. He pressed his face into Stephen’s chest again to try and drown out the noises.
“I hate when Pep’s not here”, he grumbled, hugging Stephen tighter, voice laced with frustrated tears. “And my boys. I wish they were little again. Well, not so little, I guess. They were never really little when we had them here, but, you know what I mean.”
“Yes, I know exactly what you mean”, Stephen said, voice husky with all the lament of any parent who sorely missed his children. “They’re all adults now. Or turning into adults.” His eyes darted to the top of the stairs. He noticed the lack of response from Tony, squeezing him slightly in his embrace.
“She didn’t mean anything by it, Tony. She’s a teenager; they’re all emotions and hormones. You know that. She doesn’t actually think that, I think she showed that with her apology.” There was still no response from Tony and Stephen felt his heart ache as he recognized his husband receding into his own mind. “Hey, you’re her hero. You know that, Tony. Mine too.” That brought the big, brown eyes from where they dwelled on a spot on the carpet, looking up from under dark lashes that still made Stephen’s heart constrict slightly.
The side of Tony’s mouth quirked minutely. “Yeah?” Stephen kissed where he’d seen the flicker of a smile, hoping to rekindle it.
“Of course.” He kissed between each word. “Bravest…man…I’ve…ever…met.”
Tony noticed Stephen’s slightly shaking hand was steadied on his chest, right over his heart, and gave a small, sad smile. Stephen kissed the smile again, wanting to taste it, remember it, for it was the sweetest thing he’d ever witnessed, the most treasured of all the beautiful sights he’d seen. He felt his husband’s work-worn hand cup his jawline, thumb rubbing slow, tender lines on his cheek as he looked down into eyes that were like aged brandy, the warmth of a thousand sunsets resting there. Tony kissed back soundly, fervent, as though the aching sadness within him was being leached out with every second on his husband’s lips. What would have grown into a PTSD anxiety attack instead dissolved under the sorcerer’s trembling, but sure hands; hands that knew ever grey hair along his jaw, every smile line around his mouth and eyes, tracing them with such love and revered tenderness. Tony breathed slowly, pressing into Stephen’s touch and his finely-shaped lips which smiled so much more often than they used to, chest warming at the thought. All of his past and potential pain disintegrated into flitting memories, insignificant as they were lost in present bliss, lost in the wind like the butterflies his sorcerer could conjure.
“Stephen”, he breathed, voice soft and borderline amorous, hands cupping about the back of his husband’s neck. “What the hell would I do without you?”
“You’d swear less”, Stephen responded, smiling through another kiss. He nuzzled Tony’s neck with his nose, soft, searching as he held him close.
“I doubt that, somehow”, Tony grunted, heaving himself to his feet, pulling the sorcerer after him. “Bed”, he demanded almost childishly, gripping his husband’s hand like a lifeline, and perhaps it was. Grogginess had fully settled on his mind now, the events of the day blurred in a warm haze that made it hard to differentiate between events, to tell fiction from reality. The only grounding sensation in his anxiety-driven body, his worn hands that always needed to be doing something, was Stephen’s touch. The sorcerer’s palm was warm, shaking stopped in his grip, scars almost alarmingly jagged and real. Stephen’s chest was solid and reassuring as Tony bumped into it, finding himself stumbling as they trekked up the staircase.
“Sorry”, Tony muttered as they finally made it to their bedroom.
“No”, Stephen said. No apologizing. It was a single, negative word, but he said it as softly and lovingly as if it were ‘I love you’.
His husband leading him into the bedroom, Stephen shut the door behind them, hopefully shutting out the nightmares, and the anxiety, the aliens, the tremors, and the cold. Settling into a sort of suspended comfort that they both knew was only a bandaid for the scab that had just been ripped off; otherworldly beings threatening them and their family was something all too familiar. But, for tonight, they held onto each other, in shambles, but okay. Breathing with the relief that at least their daughter was under their direct watch, at least a small part of their world was safe for the moment.