“Mr. Stark! Dr. Strange invited me to the Carnival and he said you can come with us,” Peter says jumping up and down excitedly and Tony’s heart hurts because he clearly hasn’t been spending enough time with the kid if Steph...Strange has to pick up the slack with baseball games, movie tickets, and museums and ends up inviting Tony to remind him of what a terrible job he’s doing.
“That sounds like a lot of fun Pete. I’ll check my schedule,” Tony says and Peter races out of the room, probably to tell Strange that Tony said he’s check if he could go.
“J? Cancel anything I have for today,” Tony says and he has to wonder why Strange even invites him on these things. He doesn’t even like Tony. Aliens in space can probably tell he doesn’t like Tony. He’s always making snide remarks and staring at him. Asking JARVIS where he is, no doubt so he can avoid Tony at all costs.
“Yes sir. Cancelling your appointments for today,” JARVIS says and then adds, “sir, if I may. Perhaps you should take a break from these excursions with Mister Parker and Dr. Strange. It seems to be having a negative effect on your mental health,” JARVIS says.
“JARVIS I can’t give up my time with Peter. Being with the kid is one of the few times I feel like myself anymore,” Tony says.
“However, Peter has found increasingly creative ways to vanish from your company during these trips. Leaving you alone with Dr. Strange,” JARVIS says and Tony looks at the ground.
“I know J. But even if Stephen hates me, I still like being around him,” Tony says and goes to take a quick shower. He doesn’t want to embarass Peter or Stephen by looking like he stepped out of a trash can.
“Tony, I was worried you weren’t going to make it,” Stephen says and Tony bites the inside of his cheek because he knows that Stephen meant he was worried that Tony was going to let Peter down again.
“I…” Tony says tangling his hands in his cardigan, the one he hopes Stephen doesn’t recognize as his, but before he can finish his sentence someone is throwing his arms around Tony’s shoulders and Tony recognizes the smell of the person’s aftershave.
“Rhodey,” Tony says relaxing a little into Rhodey’s arms and sees a muscle in Stephen’s jaw twitch and Tony figures he must be made about the delay in leaving.
“Where are you three off to?” Rhodey asks.
“The carnival,” Tony murmurs at the same time Peter announces it excitedly and Tony forces a smile onto his face so that Peter won’t know anything is wrong.
“That sounds like a lot of fun. Make sure to take this one away from those big slides where they put you in the potato sacks. He loves them,” Rhodey says and deftly avoids the elbow heading for his ribs. Rhodey knows Tony hates those things. He always needs someone to go down with him.
“I will keep that in mind,” Stephen says and Rhodey finally lets Tony go.
“Have fun guys. Natasha and I have a top secret mission to get to,” Rhodey says.
“Is it still top secret if you tell us you have one?” Stephen asks.
“I know better than to try and have secrets from Tony. He always finds them out,” Rhodey says and then heads off to find Natasha most likely.
“Shall we go?” Stephen asks and Tony feels bad for holding them up.
“Yeah…” Tony says and they start walking, Peter chatters excitedly to both of them. Tony does his best to keep up with Peter but he can tell he isn’t because Stephen keeps trying to pull him into the conversation.
“Wow...this is so much cooler than I thought it would be,” Peter says and looks around at all the rides and games probably deciding which one he wants to do first.
“Awww, it that a teddy bear dressed as Iron Man? That’s so cute,” Peter says pointing at the ring toss. Tony smiles and walks over to the booth and pays for the rings and then stops and stares at the game for a minute.
He knows the game is rigged. They always are. But, they’re rigged for people of normal intelligence. But most people aren’t engineering geniuses.
“Do you want me to help?” Stephen whispers as he passes, lips brushing against Tony’s ear.
“No,” Tony says and bites his lip. Stephen must think he’s not capable of this. Why? He’s a certified genius. He’s an engineer. Tony bites his lip and throws the first ring and it easily goes onto the post. As does the second and the third. Tony takes a deep breath and throws the last ring and watches it land on the spoke.
Tony beams and turns to look at Peter with the bear when he sees the familiar glow of magic receding into Step...Strange’s hands. He was helping Tony win.
“Here kid,” Tony says and Peter hugs the bear to his chest and runs ahead.
“Those were very good shots,” Stephen says as they walk, his hand brushing against Tony's and Tony wants nothing more than to hold it. But as his words and actions show he clearly hates Tony's guts.
“Don't lie to me Stephen. I saw you use your magic to help the ring along. I can handle you hating me but don't lie straight to my face,” Tony says softly and looks forward and can't see Peter.
“I don't…” Stephen starts.
“Not now, can you see Peter? He was right in front of us and now he's gone,” Tony says frantically checking the crowd.
“Tony,” Stephen says.
“Fuck where's my phone,” Tony says.
“Tony.”
“Do you remember what we was wearing?”
“Tony!” Stephen says finally getting the engineer's attention.
“What? Peter is missing!”
“That spell I did at the ring toss. It wasn't to help the ring. It was a tracking spell in case one of us got separated from the others,” Stephen says and watches Tony suck in a calming breath.
“Oh,” Tony says softly and Stephen gives him a look that he can't identify but then magic swirls through his fingers and Stephen starts walking. Tony follows him soon they find Peter standing in line for the big slide and Tony groans. Of course Peter would pick that ride.
“Shall we? I will ride with you,” Stephen says and Tony can feel the tips of his ears turning red as they get on line. While they wait Tony has a talk with Peter about wandering off without telling them.
“You ready?” Stephen asks as he settles behind Tony and wraps his arms around his stomach.
“Y...Yeah,” Tony says and gets himself settled in the potato sack.
“For the record,” Stephen whispers in his ear, “I do not hate you. In fact I…” Whatever he was about to say is lost to the wind as they go down the slide.
“That was so cool, can I go again?” Peter says and and they go three more times and Stephen never tells Tony what he said and Tony doesn’t ask.
He’s too afraid to know the answer.
When he gets home he buries his head under his pillow and groans unable to sleep with thoughts of Stephen’s mouth near his ear and the heat of his body pressed against his back. Does Stephen even know what it is he does to him? Or is it completely by accident. But...what if he does know and this is his way of torturing him slowly or worse making fun of his crush.
Tony locks himself away in his lab everytime Stephen comes to the Tower. It’s too much, his brain gets filled with thoughts about how Stephen might be standing there knowing that Tony is crushing on him and laughing at how pathetic he is. It’s too much.
“Tones, you’ve been down here for a month. What’s wrong?” Rhodey asks.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’m just a workaholic,” Tony says with a shrug and Rhodey simply raises an eyebrow at him.
“Tony,” Rhodey says warningly.
“I just don’t want to spend time around someone who hates me and thinks I’m pathetic! Is that too much to want?” Tony asks and Rhodey blinks at him.
“What are you talking about?” Rhodey asks.
“Strange,” Tony says and Rhodey stares at him.
“Tony, Strange doesn’t hate you,” Rhodey says.
“Yes he does. He’s always making snide comments and looking at me like I’m the worst person to ever walk the Earth,” Tony says and Rhodey shakes his head and tries to say something but Tony is already drowning him out.
When Rhodey is gone Tony curls up on the couch in his lab, feeling guilty for sending his best friend away. No wonder Stephen hates him.
He’s working on gloves for Stephen when Natasha comes for a visit.
“Are those for Dr. Strange?” she asks.
“No, just people with chronic pain,” Tony says ignoring the knowing look she gives him before shooing her out of the room. He doesn’t need anyone else judging him. He and Stephen are doing that enough.
“Is there a reason you’re down here?” Tony asks when she refused to be ignored.
“You have a mission,” she says.
“What sort of mission?”
“Classified, you’ll get more information when you meet up with your partner,” Natasha says as the armor closes around Tony and he heads off to the location he was given while hacking into Fury’s computer trying to find any information about this mission, but he can’t find anything.
“What are you doing here?” Stephen says when Tony lands in the warehouse.
“Natasha said that I had a mission here,” Tony says stepping out of his armor.
“Rhodes told be something similar,” Stephen says and the lights turn on a few feet away and they see a table for two with flowers and romantic candlelight.
“What the hell?” Tony asks and Peter comes out dressed as a waiter and motions them to their seats and they sit down.
“What a cute couple you two make. I will leave you with the menu and let you come to a decision,” Peter says walking back to wherever he came from.
“What is this?” Tony finds himself asking as he examines the entire set up.
“It would seem like Agent Romanov and Colonel Rhodes have set us up on a date,” Stephen says.
“Why would they do that? You hate me,” Tony says trying to get up.
“Why do you keep saying that? I don’t hate you,” Stephen says.
“Then why do you always invite Peter to things? It’s clear you think I’m not a good enough father figure!” Tony shouts.
“I invite Peter to things because it’s the only way I can be around you. You always make excuses to not go with me,” Stephen says and Tony blinks.
“Why would you want to spend time with me of all people?” Tony finds himself asking.
“Because I like you and I’ve been trying to ask you out for three months,” Stephen says and Tony blinks and suddenly there are lips pressed against him.
As quick the kiss starts it’s over.
“Sorry, I’m not good with words,” Stephen says and Tony smiles.
“I think you got the point across. Let’s get out of here. Get some drinks,” Tony says and Stephen nods.
“Peter you’re services won’t be needed anymore. Go do your physics homework!” Tony calls out.
“Oh thank god, I don’t actually have any food here,” is the relieved answer and Stephen opens a portal and Tony steps through it with Stephen and into his penthouse.
And for the first time in a long time, when Tony drinks, he isn’t trying to feel numb.
It’s a good feeling.