The Cloak of Levitation clung to Stephen’s shoulders. “Stop it.” He said. “I have to get ready.” But the Cloak didn’t let go – it pressed itself against Stephen’s body in a very suggestive manner.
“You like him too, don’t you.”
The Cloak rustled in agreement.
“What is it about him?” Stephen asked.
And the Cloak SHIVERED – shivered just like Stephen had shivered when Everett shook his hand.
“Right.” He said. “I have to get ready! You don’t want me to be late.”
The Cloak of Levitation didn’t budge.
Stephen cursed. “How about this...” He bargained. “If I ever get him naked, you can... you know, levitate us both...” The Cloak was very still for a moment. Then it caressed his arms and allowed Stephen to remove it. It floated to its usual corner.
Stephen regarded it for a long second. Since the artifact had chosen him, he’d learned a lot about its powers, but little about its motivations. It had opinions he knew... apparently it had desires as well. It would be interesting to lie on it with Everett, floating and making love...
Twenty-six minutes! He had time to shower and shave if he were very quick. Stephen stripped off his tunic and sat on his bed to pull off his boots. He had butterflies in his stomach and his heart rate was elevated... what had Everett Ross done to him? If Everett were a wizard, or if he had any super powers, Stephen would swear he’d been bewitched. But Everett Ross didn’t. Since he’d become an adept, Stephen could always tell.
He felt unaccountably nervous... maybe if he knew how the date would work out... he could easily look into his own future...
Stephen closed his eyes and subvocalized the spell that would let him look ahead – a year, he decided. One year from this moment...
Stephen opened his eyes. He experienced the moment of disorientation, finding himself suddenly ELSEWHERE. It never felt dreamlike or hyperreal, it felt more like he’d teleported instantaneously...
He was lying in bed – not his own bed. Not his own bedroom. This room was spare, almost spartan, except for the shelves and shelves of record albums along one wall. He didn’t recognize this room. But the bed was big and comfortable... and Stephen was naked.
He heard a shower turn off. Stephen hadn’t registered that a shower was running until it stopped. He shifted in the bed – and felt a stickiness between his cheeks, a sensation he hadn’t felt in many, many years. It wasn’t unfamiliar – it was lubricant... and maybe cum. He’d had sex recently. He lifted the sheet and looked at himself – there was a sheen of lube on his flaccid cock and drying trails of ejaculate on his chest. Definitely had had sex recently.
The door opened suddenly and Stephen jumped. Everett strutted into the bedroom and smiled. “You’re awake.” He said. Everett was nude except for a towel wrapped around his hips. He was pink and damp from the bath, his hair slicked back wetly. And he was perfect.
He was compact, but perfectly proportioned, muscular without being bulky. He wasn’t overly hairy, but the mat of fur between his pecs (that extended down below the towel) was not gray-blonde like the hair on his head, it was gray-ginger. It glowed silver-orange in the light from the bathroom and Stephen felt his mouth water. He wanted to rub his face against Everett’s chest, feel the rasp of that silvering hair, follow it down....
“Come here.” Stephen said hoarsely.
“I just showered.” Everett protested, his lips quirking in that way that drove Stephen crazy. He wanted to eat the amusement, devour that smirk...
“I don’t care.”
Everett puffed skeptically, but he knelt on the bed and leant over. Stephen sat up and met him in a kiss... tasting him... their first kiss as far as Stephen was concerned. Everett tasted minty and fresh, his mouth hot, his lips firm. He worried at Stephen’s lips, nibbling, teasing, making Stephen tingle with pleasure. Everett stroked Stephen’s cheek, his neck, with his fingers as he invaded Stephen’s mouth with his tongue. Everett was masterful, the stroke of his tongue rendering Stephen boneless with desire. He could smell Everett’s aftershave, something suave and herbal, feel the hard muscle of Everett’s arms shifting under his fingers... Stephen pulled him closer, his blood running hot, and nipped Everett’s lips.
Everett’s pupils dilated turning his gray eyes black. “Again?” He breathed. “Greedy.”
“Again.” Stephen agreed, tugging Everett’s towel loose. His belly was taut, six pack twitching as he moved, gingery fur trailing down into his tidy bush. His cock was interested, just starting to get hard – Stephen could see Everett was a grower, not a shower, and his mouth watered. He wanted to hold it, stroke it to full, glorious erection... but Everett pushed Stephen into the mattress and pinned his hands up by his head.
“You.” Everett said between kisses. “Are the bossiest bottom... I’ve ever...”
“You’ve ever what?” Stephen challenged, twisting his pelvis up to press against Everett where he’d straddled him. He could feel the heaviness of Everett’s tumescence.
Everett moaned low in his throat. “... I’ve ever had ... the pleasure ...of fucking.”
“The PRIVILEGE of fucking.”
Everett quirked his amusement and Stephen kissed it, devoured his mouth...
... Stephen was back in the present, sitting on his bed, sweaty and panting. He was hard, aching for Everett. He could still feel Everett’s hands pinning him to the mattress... he doubted he could have freed himself from Everett’s grip if he’d tried. (Without resorting to sorcery.) He swore to himself – how was he going to get through dinner? He wanted to attack the CIA agent as soon as he saw him.
In the shower, Stephen brought himself off quickly, reaching his soapy hand between his legs to finger his hole, the taste of the future making him ache for the penetration, for Everett’s strong hands, his swaggering, sexual charms. He couldn’t wait to get Everett into bed!
Afterward he tried to compose himself – he should let go of the expectations he’d been forming for tonight. The future had a bad habit of arriving in a more circuitous route than Stephen expected. He couldn’t make any assumptions about this date. Or about Everett.
Finally he’s dressed and ready. The Cloak of Levitation rustled in its corner. “Yeah – of course you should come if there’s trouble.” Stephen told it. “Of course.” It subsided and Stephen grabbed a coat – it’s colder in Switzerland (and Hong Kong this time of year) than there in L.A. – and donned his sling ring. He opened a portal back to the big conference room where he’d met Everett Ross.
When he stepped through, Everett Ross is there.
“Oh! Uh... hello.” Everett said, evidently surprised to see Stephen Strange stepping into the room through a floating, glowing mass in space. But then he smirked, his lips quirking in the way Stephen already found irresistible. “No cape then.”
Stephen smiled back. “It’s a cloak, actually. Not a cape. Or so I’m told.”
“What’s the difference?” Everett asked.
“I have no idea.”
Everett laughed – almost giggled with sincere delight – and Stephen is immediately addicted to the sound.
“Uh, that’s its name.” Stephen laughed. “The Cloak of Levitation.”
“Levitation!?” Everett’s eyebrows are raised in appreciation. “You mean it flies?”
“Yeah.” Stephen felt unaccountably shy – possibly because a vision of lying naked on the Cloak with Everett had popped into his head.
“You should have worn it.”
“Next time.” Stephen promised, blushing. The memory of Everett pinning him to the bed making his legs tremble.
Everett quirked that cocky smile at Stephen but didn’t comment.
“So ... Chinese?” Stephen felt his cheeks burning.
“Right.” Everett strutted closer. “I have a car –“
“We don’t need a car.” Stephen said quickly.
“You didn’t bring the cape, er, cloak... can you fly without it?” Everett’s tone was joking.
Stephen felt suddenly defensive. “No – uh, not very well.” He said. “I don’t need to.”
“Too bad. I always liked flying.”
“Then you’ll like this.” Stephen told him. “Come here.”
Everett only paused a second before he strode to Stephen’s side, a determined look on his face. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve worked with the Avengers for a while. There isn’t much I haven’t seen – OH!”
Stephen had opened a portal to Hong Kong. Everett had been across the room before, hadn’t seen into Stephen’s L.A. apartment. Standing next to Stephen, he could see a busy Hong Kong street at the mouth of the dim alley Stephen had chosen through the burning tear in space perfectly. He gaped.
“Take my hand.” Stephen commanded, holding it out.
Everett swallowed once then flashed a smile – a much less cocky smile – and took Stephen’s hand. He thrilled at the touch.
Stephen didn’t have to pull him along at all. Everett walked through eagerly, in step with the wizard.