There was a bar close to the tower that he liked. The bartender got it, that he wasn’t there to be ‘Tony Stark’ . He was there to just be Tony , to just be a guy that needed an hour or two to drink his life away. He sat in the same seat as always, the far left side of the bar. Orders the same drink, just flat whiskey. He could sit there for hours, talking to no one and ordering drink after drink till he was piss faced drunk. The bartender, Kelly he thinks her name is calls him an Uber after the alcohol starts him talking. She doesn’t want to hear his sorrows ,Though she probably already knows the half of it. it’s not like Tony’s life was anywhere near private. It’s 1AM when he walks into the bar today, he’s lucky this places doesn’t close until 3. He takes his seat, orders his same drink. The bartender is as nice as always , her name tag reads ‘Ollie’. Tony was close, he’ll remember the name next time. He has two hours to flood as many memories as possible with alcohol. He was looking forward to it. He had nightmares before Thanos sure, but nothing like the nightmares that came after the mad Titan was finally defeated. Sometimes he thinks he can still feel the sensation of Peter slipping into dust in his arms. Then on top of that ordeal he and Pepper decided they would work better as friends. They still love each other they always will. But not in the romantic sense, they had tried that and it didn’t work Tony made his peace with that after a couple of good shots of tequila. But then there was Stephen Strange, he was a whole other monster that tony wasn’t ready to tackle yet. The wizard and himself had been dancing around each other for months now. Tony wasn’t stupid, he knew he liked Strange and Stephen was pretty shitty at concealing the fact the feelings were mutual. But Tony wasn’t sure he could do it though. Another relationship, he wanted Stephen he knew that. But he wasn’t ready just yet, just a little more time to gather himself and he’d be ok.
“It’s late” came a voice from behind him, a voice he knew belonged to the man currently occupying his thoughts.
“Technically it’s early”
“Fair point” Stephen says flicking his hand in reference to shoo away the bartender. Stephen wasn’t here to drink. “What are you doing here so early?”
“Trying to forget” Tony’s says, he learned awhile ago that there was no point in lying to Stephen he would get it out of you eventually.
“I see” Tony turned to look at the sorcerer now. Those cobalt eyes looking him up and down with a mix of adoration and sorrow. Stephen really had no idea just how expressive his eyes were.
“Don’t worry to much about me Doc” he says “I’ll be alright”
“I have no doubt” that was another thing Tony loved about Stephen. He never doubted Tony , never doubted his ability to pick himself back up. “Would you like some company?”
“I wouldn’t mind it” he says turning his eyes back to his drink “What are doing here” he didn’t have to ask, he knew why Stephen was here. The tower is a ways from the sanctum he wouldn’t have come unless he was looking for Tony.
“Looking for you”
“I figured as much” Tony says “just wanted to talk or what?”
“I do want to talk, about us specifically” Tony nods he knew this would happen Stephen wasn’t one to just sit and wait.
“We can’t just keep pretending that we’re nothing anymore Tony” he says voice solemn and quiet
“I know”
“What do you want to do about it”
“I don’t know” he says hands abandoning their spot on his glass coming up to support his head. “I don’t know Stephen, I like you I do but-“
“But your not ready yet” Strange cuts him off.
“Yeah” Tony breathes. He feels Stephen’s trembling hand rest on his back.
“That ok” he says “I can wait”
“Can you?” Tony retorts
“For you, anything” and with that both Stephen and the warm hand on his back are gone. Tony is alone again, with himself and his glass and the bartender.
-
It’s three months before he is ready. It took time of course, Lots of time and visits to the bar. But Tony thinks he’s ready now, he and Stephen still danced around each other and this time he’s ready to take their relationship up a notch. He’s invited Stephen over for dinner at the tower. After a quick food consultation with his spider kid, he had decided to make spaghetti. He’s done that a million times , and it’s hard to burn so it should be fine.But about ten minutes in with the water boiling and the pasta in the water Tony had to call Pepper. He needed to talk , he needed to phone a friend to keep him from passing out from nerves. Because what if he took to long , what if Stephen hadn’t waited.
“Tony, calm down” Pepper had said “Stephen is crazy about you, trust me”
And Tony did trust her. He’d trust Pepper with anything, but her words didn’t help a whole lot. So after his 30 minute over the phone freak out with her , Tony was still on the verge of falling face first into his pot of spaghetti sauce. This was going to be a disaster he was sure if it. But he couldn’t back out now, Stephen should be there any minute. All he had to do was watch pasta cook until then. He really hopes Stephen likes Spaghetti.
“I do” came Stephens voice as he stepped out of the swirling orange portal in the kitchen.
“Hadn’t realized I said that out loud” Tony chuckles, he hopes his voice doesn’t sound as nervous as he is.
“I didn’t realize you were cooking” Stephen quips “ what’s the occasion?”
Tony’s opens his mouth to respond. But he doesn’t know what he’s gonna say. ‘I’m ready’ just doesn’t sound right for the situation . ‘Date me please’ crossed his mind but there was no way he was letting that come out of his mouth. He has really no idea what he’s gonna say, so he just stares at Stephen. Mouth opening and closing like a fish, he wasn’t prepared.
“Tony?” Stephen questions stepping forward and shaking the billionaire out of his stupor. Tony didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know how to make this sound right. But he was never really a man of words, Tony Stark was a man of action. So he kissed him, he pulled Strange’s shoulders down until their lips met and then he kissed hard. Hard enough to where is had taken him a minute to realize that Stephen was kissing him back with just as much force. When they finally pulled away for air both Tony and Stephen were smiling like idiots.
“I take it your ready then” Stephen asks
“Yeah” he nods , he is ready. So ready.
“I think you’re over cooking the pasta” Strange says, placing a kiss on his forehead and walking towards the stove.
Maybe tonight wouldn’t be such a disaster after all.