Legends Never Die

Chapter 26

Trust is hard earned and easily shattered. 

That was the mantra that the team had over the next 9 months. 

They all worked hard to earn the right to walk into a room with Tony without her checking for intruders. 

They worked to be able to be in the lab with her when she would tinker. 

They all helped her with her nightmares, which were as real as ever. 

Quill and crew weren't as much of a deal as the original avengers were. 

While Tony and Nebula did catch up and play other games, she hadn't done anything to make Tony not trust her.

 They worked hard though, to the point where Tony walked into the living room, sat next to Steve and ruffled his hair,

 then laughed a true laugh as he tried to fix his old man hair. 

They all recognized that Tony had been hurt, really bad mentally, and helped to fix it. 

They all had become a family, an actual family. 

Peter had even begun to call everyone Aunt and Uncle respectively. 

Except for Stephen, who he called Dr Strange. 

They all saw the affections and love that they shared for each other, but neither made a move. 

He was currently holding Tony as she slept. 

They had figured out through Peter, that if she is being held in her sleep, she either doesn't have nightmares, or they are mellow in contrast to what was normal.

 She would occasionally tremble, but if Stephen, Peter or any of the team was holding her, they would tightly squeeze her, 

to let her physi know that she's not alone in this anymore. 

Tony held Stephen back, beginning to awaken.

 'Today's the day' he steels himself as she was more conscious.

 "Good morning love", Stephen said, testing the waters, would his slow advances be accepted? 

Tony stretched slightly, but instead of moving away, she moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his chest.

 "Morning baby" she replied in a husky voice.

 They lay there on Tony's huge bed, enjoying each other's presence until...

Tony kissed his lips.

 Stephen froze for a second, then kissed back with a passion he has been hiding. 

Tony leaned back, letting him nuzzle her neck, "Someone's been patient", she said in a loving tone. 

He kissed her again, running his tongue across her lips, begging for entrance.

 She deepened the kiss, rolling beneath him. 

His hands squeezed her hips, making her gasp, allowing him to enter. 

Stephen maintained dominance, and chuckled as Tony started to squirm.

 One of his hands slid to the waist of her biking shorts, resulting in a hitched gasp from her, and she stilled. 

He looked into her eyes and saw lust, love, excitement, longing and something else, it was a kin to fear, but not fear. 

"Tony?" He asked quietly, placing his hands to cup her face.

 "As much as I want to do this, and take you down," 

he chuckled at that, 

"I want to wait, save it as a special occasion". 

Tony didn't need to elaborate 'special occasion', but Stephen knew what she was talking about, the velvet box in his back pocket to attest to that. 

Stephen smiles, straddles her waist.

 She looks at him confused, until he pulls his hand from behind his back, and said box appears. 

Her eyes widen, and she tries to sit up, but Stephen gently pushes her down with a kiss. 

"Anthony, even when I met you, I knew I would be by your side, I didn't know how or in what way, I just knew I would always be with you. 

So when I heard your voice speaking with the time stone, I nearly portaled to your location to comfort you, to keep you safe". 

Tony's heart melted slightly at his words. 

"It was only through the urging's of the time stone that you needed to rest that stopped me...

but I don't want to wait anymore". 

He opened the box to show a gold band with red and dark blue stones. 

With a white diamond heart in its center.

 "I want to always protect you and love you with my whole heart, because I can't live without you". 

He put his hand on her reactor, over her heart to convey the weight of his words.

 "Will you marry me?" He asked in a whisper.

 He could feel her heart skipping a beat then skyrocketing. 

"Yes, yes Stephen, I will marry you", she cried, trying at least to pull him closer. 

He tenderly grabbed her left hand, removed the promise ring, then placed his on her finger. 

Then taking the old ring, he created a chain made of the shield he uses.

 He lowered himself to place it around her neck, placing a kiss on her forehead.

 Her eyes lit up with love at the unknown kindness he was showing Quinn and respecting the morals that had become his-her own. 

She looked again at the ring he gave her, and felt it pulsing. 

"I placed a spell on it, you'll always feel my heart beat", he pulls out a thick gold ring, placing it in her palm. 

"And I'll always feel yours". 

She took his left hand and placed it on his finger. 

Suddenly the door flew open, and the team was standing in the doorway. 

"It's about goddamn time!!" Peter yelled.

 "Language," Steve said looking at Peter with a hand on his shoulder, 

"but I agree!!" 

He said, pointing at them with his other hand. 

Tony laughed, the rest joining her.

 Indeed, trust is hard earned. 

YAY!!! We got the fam back together....almost...still missing two people...