Say it Back - [ironstrange]

4: When will I find peace?

April 18th

"You had fun," said Tony as the pair got to Stephen's house. Tony followed his friend up to the front door. When Stephen turned around and sighed, adding some eye rolling, Tony smiled cheekily. "No, you did. Don't lie to me, Stephen."

"Fine," he chuckled as he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. He wanted to say something more, but as he often got faced with; he didn't know what.

It felt to Stephen that Tony noticed because he stayed on the staircase and stuffed his hands in his pockets. But it ended with that because he wasn't sure what it was he wanted to say, but something ate at him.

"Congratulations, by the way. On the win. Iron Man."

"You like that nickname, don't you?" Asked Tony.

"I do. Seems I need to stop now."

Tony shook his head. "Don't ever." Tony stepped forward and embraced his friend and bid him goodnight.

"Goodnight," said Stephen as Tony went down the stairs and turned back to wave to him. He was very handsome that night. Was that what Stephen wanted to say? No. No? Maybe more about his friends? He did like them, truly, but he easily got socially drained and tired.

When he closed the door he sighed loudly, catching the attention of his guardian.

You could mumble something from two rooms away and she'd be in the room in a minute to ask why I was muttering about chores.

"You can't be dependent on sorcery." She says to Stephen nearly every day and he responds with a subtle-not-so-subtle eye roll and a tired "I know."

"What are you sighing about?"

"Drained," Stephen replied in near exhaustion.

"Ah," she said. "You had fun then?"

"Yeah... yeah football isn't as bad as I thought. Though I wouldn't go if Tony didn't play," he answered honestly. He had fun with Tony's friends and wouldn't say no to a future opportunity to go to another game.

He liked the energy the crowd exuded, and he had studied energy and auras before. He already knew Tony's aura was great, it stood out from the rest and that included Bruce and Wanda, too. Their energy stood out.

Those energies were probably the reason he could hang around for such a long time, but sooner or later you get too tired to stay.

"Good. It's good you leave the house every once in a while," said the Ancient One with a tiny smile. She is very loving towards Stephen but she didn't want to show it, but he knew she loved him.

"I thought you said my studies were top priority," questioned Stephen, of course without any malicious intent or to offend her.

"I know you can handle your studies. Your well-being is top priority and friends are important." She had her hands behind her back with a proud stance like she often had.

Stephen smiled.

"Oh, by the way-" she began while walking out of the room to get to her own. Stephen had never been in there before "- there's someone waiting for you in your room." And after that creepy statement she bid Stephen good night and closed her door.

What the hell? Thought Stephen and conjured a red apple from the kitchen and hurried to his own room upstairs. His room had a big round roof-window where he could look out over a portion of New York and see the big sky and the rest of Bleecker Street.

Stephen's room was big and the ideal hangout for himself and for his often restless friend who could run around and do all kinds of things. Stephen didn't keep any of his books on sorcery in his room since Tony couldn't know about him practicing sorcery, so he just kept a low but long bookcase with regular literature in front of the elevation where his bed was located.