A Revelation of Rain

The Revelation of Rain

It was a quiet evening in mid-May. 

Tony and Stephen sat in armchairs in the west study, and there was a little silence between them. Each man lost in thought. The mood had been one of sorrow and contemplation, Tony never sharing his feelings about the upcoming wedding of his wife to some damn New York socalite. He didn't even know the man, save for some vague recollection that he'd come to Stark Industries several times on some errand or other. He didn't work there. But he took two tours at least, and he petitioned to see the CEO once or twice. 

The CEO. His Pepper. Well, not really his anymore. This man probably had designs on her for ages, and finally saw his opportunity in the death of her husband. Tony was in pain, yes. But he hid it. He didn't want to talk about it. He planned to do exactly what Stephen suggested, and crash the wedding. Reveal himself to be alive, do it as dramatically as possible, really make a splash. But that wasn't for another two weeks. Until then, he needed to just....wait. And patience wasn't something Tony Stark had ever been good at. 

Stephen flipped a page in his book with the languid wave of one hand, his blue-green eyes focusing on the words. 

"What are you reading?"

"Baudelaire."

"What, no spellbooks? No arcane and forbidden knowledge? No deep secrets of the universe that would blow the minds or mortal men?"

"I'm taking a day off. How do you feel?"

"Strong. Healthy. My muscles are really developing nicely. Want to see my abs?"

"Alright, show me." It was medical curiosity and nothing more, he told himself as he looked over to see Tony proudly lifting his shirt. He patted his flat stomach, pleased with the progress he'd made in the gym below the Sanctum. "You could wash clothes against these babies. I don't think I've ever been in better health. Got to hand it to you, Doc. You know how to make a body."

"The body made itself. I simply facilitated the growth. Sleeping alright? Appetite doing better? Are you urinating regularly?"

"Ha! You're hitting on me, aren't you."

Stephen sighed and went back to his book. They were always talking like this, it seemed. Things would be progressing along fine, then Tony's sense of humor would rear up and he'd say something inappropriate or flippant. But Stephen actually enjoyed the banter. It was a nice change from the usual formalities of his life. 

"More rain in the forecast this evening. We've had such a dismal spring so far."

"I actually really like the rain. Snow, too. Although I prefer watching it from a warm place where I can just admire the beauty."

"You like watching the weather? Well tell you what. Instead of just taking dinner in the dining room like we normally do, let's sit on the roof this evening. There's a little gazebo up there. I could have Holly bring us something, we can drink wine and watch the storm roll in. It might be a nice change of pace for you."

Tony smiled, his brown eyes warm. 

"Like a date?"

"Do you reallly have to call it that? It's just two friends having a meal on a roof top."

"With wine and candles?"

"If you're that passionate about candles, I'm sure I can come up with several. Sure." 

"Then I accept! Dinner on the roof with a wizard sounds like a great way to spend an evening!"

"The preferred term is Master of the Mystic Arts..."