Stringless (IronStrange)

Part 2

Chapter 2

Stephen hid in the room for hours, Kamar-Taj offering him no peace in the place he'd often found solace in.

The memory of Stark stretched out, trapped in his hold was sharp in his mind, his overwhelming craving for the man pulsing in his body. He'd been fighting the urge to simply take care of himself for a few hours now, wondering if the memory of Stark was enough to appease his lust.

It wouldn't be, he knew it wouldn't be. Stephen was drowning, and Stark's offer was a lifeline, a breath of desperately craved air, one he wanted but was left feeling uncertain.

This wouldn't be serious for Stark. Knowing what he knew of that man, Stephen surmised that their sexual encounters would be a distraction from whatever was tormenting the man at the present time.

Movement in the doorway made him look up, groaning at Wong's crossed arms and knowing look.

'Don't start.'

'We both knew this was where you were going to end up.'

'I don't know what to do.' Stephen looked at his hands.

'You're good together, you and Tony.'

'I don't think he wants anything more from me than sex,' Stephen whispered sadly.

'Did he tell you that?'

'No, I know. He's curious, enamoured by the unknown.'

'Then give it to him, court him slowly.'

'And when I lose my heart to him like so many others? Just to be discarded in the cold light of day?'

'Oh, Stephen, you've already lost it.' Wong stepped forward.

Stephen was expecting to be surprised, to have a refusal on his lips, but nothing came forward. He'd lost his heart in increments, the fourteen million outcomes staring his feet along that path and Stark had grabbed his hand and tugged him down the rest of it.

A hand rested on his shoulder.

'Handle it whichever way you think is best, but don't deny yourself this.'

'What of my duty? My responsibilities? What if I can't do my job, protect the Earth? What if my...infatuation blindsides me?'

'Do you believe that to be the case? This is from the man who allowed himself to die over and over in the Dark Dimension, who knew he had to protect the Time Stone regardless of who he lost.'

'I didn't care about them then.'

That did make Stephen startle, Wong too, his mouth dropping open.

'Them?' his voice cracked.

'It's impossible not to get attached to Peter. It's infuriating,' Stephen muttered.

'I don't recall there being any restrictions on the Sorcerer Supreme having a lover, or a family.'

'I will...consider it.' Stephen answered after a long pause.

***

Humming along to the music playing in the background, Tony spun the holographic schematic around with his finger, leaning back in his seat and chewing his lip in thought. He rubbed a hand over his eyes while rolling his shoulders and sat up.

'It looks like it should work,' he muttered, pushing the chair away from him and pacing around the hologram in thought.

His body jerked backwards, hand caught by something. Muttering under his breath at DUM-E, he tugged at it, only turning to look when he couldn't move.