- Hiraeth -

... Twelve ...

This chapter is rather short, but that's because the next one is gonna be extra long! This is like a little appetizer to hold you over until the next update, which you won't have to wait too long for. Once again, thanks for reading!

PEPPERMINT

"Yo, Tony!" From the living room, Wade called Stark.

The man in question stomped over, obviously about to say something along the lines of 'that's Mister Stark to you.' Before he could, however, the teen cut him off.

"You have a date tonight!" Wade exclaimed, holding the billionaire's phone out towards him. FRIDAY had given him access after telling the AI about his genius plan.

Tony froze upon reading the texts. He wanted to strangle Wilson, but he could barely even form a coherent sentence. "You- I- What the... I'm not gay!" He protested, shoving his phone into his pocket.

Wade tsked, shaking his head. "Old man, you got a lot to learn." He patted the spot beside him, scooting over to give the other some space. "I'm pansexual, okay? So that means I don't care what a person identifies as, cuz I'll take whatever the universe throws at me."

Sitting down, Stark nodded slowly. He wasn't sure where this was going, but what other choice did he have but to listen?

Wilson continued, "And you, my future father-in-law, are a closeted bisexual." He gestured to Tony's cuffed jeans and just his entire body in general. "You reek of little spoon. You like women and men, but you don't wanna admit it because you think it'll make you less tough." With those words, he'd rendered Tony Stark speechless. "But masculinity and sexuality have no connection. Plus, Doctor Stephen's pretty blatantly gay, which means he wouldn't like you if you weren't a man. Look..." Wade paused, taking a moment to allow the other to soak in his words. It was a lot to take in. "He literally saved my life years ago, and now I wanna do something for him. I know you feel comfortable around him, so just go on the date. Please."

With a deep breath, the engineer weighed his options. Going on the date would certainly need less explanation, since Stephen thought that he'd already agreed. On the other hand, ignoring Strange for the rest of his life was also a viable choice. Tony squared his shoulders, and decided that, for once, he'd do something to make himself happy. "Fine."

—————

It had been hours since Peter had gone home. The teen hadn't left before helping Stephen pick out what to wear, of course.

That evening, Strange would be wearing a nice, dark blue button up with black pants. His top button would be undone, and his sleeves would be rolled to reveal his forearms. He'd comb his hair back and try to come across like he used to before the accident: a charismatic, well-mannered, desirable man.

Looking into the mirror, that was not what Stephen saw. Instead, there stood an imperfect, gangly, ill-behaved shell of his former self. He'd followed the steps perfectly, even going so far as to polish his shoes and give his goatee a touch-up. So why was everything so... wrong? He'd just pulled out his phone to text Tony a 'nevermind, I'm sorry for wasting your time' when he heard an engine revving outside.

Curiosity overtook self-consciousness as the sorcerer stepped out to investigate.

"It's Britney, bitch!" Stark yelled over the sound of his convertible, smiling brightly. Stephen walked to the passenger's side without getting in.

"I thought I was picking you up." Strange scrunched his nose nervously. It had been a long time since he'd been in a car, and he wasn't even sure he really wanted to go anymore. Tony just looked so incredibly perfect with his dark grey jacket and tousled hair.

Tony shrugged, gesturing for his date to get in. "You'll be fine. I've never died, not even once."

Hesitantly, Stephen opened the door. He slid into the car, taking a deep breath and holding it. While letting that breath out, he closed the door and put his seatbelt on. It was difficult. His hands were like leaves in the autumn breeze, unable to be still. He was grateful that Stark let him do it, however, because completing the task eased his mind a whole lot.

"That makes one of us." The taller of the two joked, placing his hands onto his knees.

"Really?" They were on the road, and all was well. "You'll have to tell me about that sometime. Not over dinner, cuz that's a mood killer, but definitely sometime." What other surprises did Stephen Strange contain? Maybe a secret talent for dancing, or a lovely singing voice. Maybe he was absolutely breathtaking in bed. One thing was for sure - Tony felt a sudden urge to uncover every secret behind those ever-changing eyes.

The ride was pleasant, and allowed Stark to discover one thing about Stephen. He could, in fact, sing. The soothing baritone of the sorcerer's voice perfectly accented that of Paul Anka's over the car radio.

Usually, Strange wouldn't sing unless he was alone. However, it was a coping mechanism, and did wonders for his anxiety about moving vehicles. He wasn't loud by any means, not compared to the blaring radio. The fact that Tony could hear him would have sent him into shock.

"Steph," Tony began, quietly. He reached for the volume knob, turning the radio down so that he could be heard. The other turned to him, eyes wide in interest. Stark continued, eyes fixed on the road ahead. "Why don't we, um... cancel the reservation?"

Stephen felt his heart drop into his stomach. He wanted to jump out of the car into oncoming traffic. Of course Tony didn't want to go on a date with him... but why did he drag him out onto the highway to tell him? To humiliate him? To make him feel stupid? "You could have just said no. You didn't have to make me get in a car with you before you rejected me." The taller man spat, arms crossed. Despite his posture, he was terrified.

Gripping the steering wheel in shock and sucking in a sharp breath, Stark scrambled to form an explanation. "Wait, no. That's not what I meant, I swear!" He stole a glance at his date, who looked extremely hurt. "No, no I really didn't mean that. I just- I just thought that a restaurant doesn't really feel like... us, y'know? I know a spot where we can go, and we can get something to eat on the way, but it's a lot more private. Is that weird?"

The word 'private' interested Strange a whole lot. He nodded to himself, accepting Tony's explanation. "No, that's not weird." He smirked, glancing at the other from the corner of his eye. "You want me all to yourself, I get it."

Tony barked out a laugh, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Exactly. Fri, cancel our reservation."

The AI did as it was told, and the two men were off on their newly-adjusted date.