After the fifth time the screwdriver slipped through his fingers and fell on the floor, Tony groaned in frustration.
“May I suggest you a few hours of sleep, Boss ?” came Friday's voice.
“You may, but I don't need it. Thanks for the concern.”
Once again he tried to get his mind on the project in front of him, but once again his thoughts flew away from him in a direction he didn't want them to go.
Why he couldn't concentrate ?
Maybe because you haven't slept for more than thirty hours, his mind helpfully supplied.
If only that was the only thing that kept his attention away from what he was working on. He wouldn't admit it, still no one was around and if he didn't say it out loud it felt less real.
A pair of ocean eyes, a deep and confident voice and a smirk that rivaled his own wouldn't leave his mind for days.
“Damn it, Friday call Strange.”
After a few moments of silence the call was passed on to the voicemail and Stephen's voice echoed in the workshop,
“This is Doctor Strange, please leave a message. Except you Stark, I've no time for stupid questions.”
That was the final straw and encouraged by the lack of logical thinking due to his sleep-deprivation he started ranting.
“It's all your fault, Strange! You're...you're too damn distracting.” he took a deep breath and continued,
“with your I'm too cool for you attitude, you barely even smile at my jokes and I know I'm funny, then..then all of a sudden once a blue moon you'll compliment my genius and hard work and what am I supposed to do ? Agh..perfectly groomed facial hair that makes you more attractive than you have any right to be, I'm definitely not staring at your eyes because their color changes and...” he slumped into a chair and ran his hands through his hair, a soft smile on his face,
“You act like you don't care, but always berate me like a kid if I'm too reckless which is absolutely infuriating because all I can do is stare at your flushed face and damn you look gorgeous...you can pretend all you like but I've seen how sweet you're with Peter, I don't need more reasons to like you, dammit!” his voice quieted as exhaustion began to took over him.
“I just want us to be friends, well I want more, but I need to start somewhere, I want lunches and dates...and screw it, I want cuddles and to take care of you, to let you lean on me, to be able able to smooth that line between your eyebrows and kiss your forehead.” he snorted in amusement “I'm too short for that.”
His eyelids grew heavier by the second and with a final,
"Just a chance...“ he fell asleep with his head on the desk.
A voice woke him up, he rubbed his eyes to chase away his sleep and his gaze fell on his friend's face. Rhodey looked slightly worried, a bit exasperated and a lot amused.
”I don't know the time, but it's way too early to look so happy, platypus.“
”Aren't you too old to sleep on tables ?“
Tony smirked at him, then stretched himself softly moaning at the movement, before he replied,
”Not older than you, honeybear, now, I'm in a desperate need for coffee since my eyelids don't want to cooperate with me.“
Rhodey just chuckled at him and pulled him along on their way to the kitchen.
When Tony was cradling the steaming cup of coffee to his chest with his eyes closed enjoying the smell, appearing nothing less than a lazy cat, Rhodey asked,
”So what was so important that you couldn't reach your bed to take a nap ?“
”Oh, I was just trying to...“and in an instant he was wide awake.
”Tony ?“
”I did something incredibly stupid.“
”It wouldn't be the first time.“ was the reply he got.
”No, Rhodey this is new level even for me. Ahh, Friday did I leave a voice message ? “
”Yes, boss. The message was recorded and sent.“
With a thud, Tony's forehead smacked the table and he managed just in time to save the coffee by placing it away from him.
”Play the message, Friday.“
His voice echoed around them, he cringed at how pathetically in love he sounded, hoping that he could play the whole thing off as a joke or...who was he kidding he couldn't find an excuse or explanation for his words. Rhodey's laugh didn't make him feel better, but at least it stopped his whining.
”Well, that's not the worst thing you've ever done, to be clear.“
”Yeah, but he won't want to look at me anymore.“
”I think you should give the doctor some credit Tones, he's not that bad. I don't think he'll mock you for hearing you...“
”Pining after him ?“
”Remember than you said it, not me.“
”You're no help.“ but his glare had no heat and when his friend gave him a comforting squeeze on his shoulders, he smiled and continued drinking his coffee, he would deal with the problem later.
****
In the meantime, in the sanctum Wong was fighting his smile at Stephen's shocked expression. They just finished listening to Stark's voice message and in their defence, they expected questions, theories or a rambling about an idea he got.
”You can't tell me you didn't notice his affection ? Strange ?“
”I...I thought..he's friendly with everyone and he is generous with his comforting and subtle touches, especially after we all returned..I thought...“
”Well, you should give him a chance. I like him.“
At Stephen's incredulous expression, he added,
”Don't tell me that you don't like him like that, you're not that good of a liar, not yet. Now, I've got work to do, so have you and I suggest you to get to it.“ and he left him to stare at nothing with a blush on his face.
****
Tony didn't get any reaction from the serious sorcerer, so he assumed that he hadn't heard the message or was ignoring it on purpose. It was nerve-wracking not knowing how to act around him the next time he saw him and unusually for him, but he respected and valued Strange enough to not pressure or annoy him. In other words, he was both scared of a negative reaction and wanted to leave the choice to the other man.
Unfortunately it wasn't up to him to decide. Two weeks after the sleepy confession, they met on the battlefield. The two sorcerers were called not because SHIELD had any authority over them, but because the new wannabe villain had a powerful magical relic at his possession. In order not to stare too much at the fluid movements with which Strange fought, Tony completely focused on the fight and when he got a chance he took it. In true ironman fashion he was hit by a blast as well, barely dodging it, still the villain was caught, the relic was safe and everyone was happy.
Not everyone, it seemed.
A few hours after the battle, in the comfort of his workshop Tony dropped down on his couch and let his body take a rest, while at the same time hiding from Cap's look of disapproval at his lack of obedience during the action. He also might have avoided the sorcerer, but no one except for Rhodey knew that and for once he was grateful for the lack of teasing.
When a slight discomfort pulled his attention to his wrist, he remembered that he should probably get it bandaged. Immediately he put himself to work, the movements so familiar they soothed him, suddenly a portal opened in the workshop and Strange walked in.
”Is something wrong?“ he started, but the look on the sorcerer's face silenced him.
”How many times do I have to say for you to understand? Going after a relic, let alone touching it without knowing anything about it, it's dangerous. You leave the magic to us.“
”I saw an opening and I took it, no big deal. It's not as if I got hurt or something.“ he tried to sound calm and not offended.
”That's the point, no one to be harmed. You...“ then his gaze fell on Tony's hand and he asked, his tone softer,
”Do you mind ?“
He just nodded in agreement and the sorcerer sat next to him and continued gently wrapping his wrist with the bandage.
”I...“
”I heard your message.“ and he froze on the spot, suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to pull his hand back despite how his heart skipped a beat at the contact.
”I'm sorry...I haven't slept for hours and I was annoyed, didn't plan to bother you or anything, I completely understand if you don't want to...“ but to his surprise Strange let out a delighted chuckle.
”Are you always that adorable when you're sleep-deprived or was that one time only ?“
Tony could feel his face heating at the words, no trace of his smooth talk and confidence when he met his gaze.
”I'm not adorable.“
”You're blushing.“
”You're making me blush.“ and he snapped his mouth shut when he realized what he said.
The only good thing out of the embarrassment he felt was that Strange was blushing too, not so much as him, but it was there. So, he blurted out the first thing that came on his mind,
”It's unfair how beautiful you look right now.“
A few moments of awkward silence, before the sorcerer spoke,
”Why didn't you tell me ?“
”We all have been through a lot and I first wanted for us to become friends, but since that wasn't happening anytime soon, I realized you'd never see me like that. Didn't want to make things awkward...“
He got surprised once again when the other man hummed in understanding and kissed his wrist, the one he had bandaged moments ago and Tony could swear that he could feel the heat of his lips on his skin.
Then their eyes met, Strange licked his lips and asked,
”What if I told you that I'm interested, would that be enough ?“
Hope fluttered in his heart at those words and with a smile he answered,
”Throw a kiss in the offer and you have yourself a deal.“
”Just one kiss ?“
”Well, like I said, I don't want to be that guy who is...“ but a pair of lips on his own cut his sentence. It was just a quick press, but it left his lips tingling.
”Is that a yes ? For a chance ?“
”Yes, as long as you actually use your brain and let me do my job.“
”Worried about me? “ he joked.
”Nah, more about the relics.“
”Stay for dinner, if you can, of course.“
"Afraid I'll disappear Tony ? ” another joke, this one unknowingly close to the truth.
“You're the magic man, you might disappear in a second, I'd think I'd imagined the whole thing.”
Stephen's eyes softened and he pulled him for a proper kiss, one with affection and adoration which Tony immediately returned.
“If you're trying to distract me, in order to spend the night here, you're lying to yourself.”
“Dammit, I knew you'd catch me.” and he chuckled before he added,
“Nah, we'll do it at your pace. Besides we're both tired and hungry.”
Stephen pulled him up and allowed him to wrap an arm around his waist and commented,
"Acting reasonably are we ?“
”Must be your presence.“ was his reply, the amused laugh was one of the best things about Stephen and Tony intended to hear it as often as possible.
It seemed that sleep-deprivation had its perks after all.