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“Friday, lock the doors I can’t stand to see these lovesick morons anymore…” “Will do Sir.” With a swooshing sound, the fully automatic running doors of Tony Stark’s lab closed. Silence fell upon the almost dark room. The inventor sighed heavily, sneaking a grumpy look to the now totally shut down lab entrance, which not even five seconds earlier allowed sight of Steve and Bucky walking by, handholding and smiling like idiots. “You know, Friday, usually Valentine’s Day used to be one of my favorite days throughout the whole year. I mean you just have to go to the nearest bar and pick up a few lonely chicks. Best recipe for the perfect night.” Groaning, he let himself fall into his work chair, arms dangling off the sides, legs loosely draped on the table and head hanging off the headrest. “Why is stuff so complicated now? Everything was easier a few years ago, the flowers were cheaper and the girls easier to seduce.” “Well Sir, if I may dare to assume, you’re active relationship with Mrs. Potts and the lack of evil Titans and infinity stones also made things a lot easier.”
He took his legs off the table and stared annoyed in the general direction of the speakers which represented Friday’s not-so-actual presence. “You’re right about the giant Grape and the fucking stones but don’t ever mention Pepper on Valentine’s Day again. I don’t want to think about her right now.” With a huff, he stood and walked out the door down the corridor. He required some alone time and the presence of said lovey-dovey couple in the Stark Tower didn’t really lift his mood. After a short time, he reached the sector of the tower where the private quarters of all of the Avengers were located and hurried through the hallway, hoping to avoid every contact with human beings.
Finally, he stood in front of his own door, tapping the fingerprint scanner which let him enter immediately. He stopped in his steps almost instantly. “What the hell… Friday what is this?” “It appears to be a bouquet of red roses Sir.” “I know that Friday! But why is it here and how did it get in my room?” A frown spread across his face as he stepped closer to the offending plants. They were indeed numerous roses in a pretty dark shade of red, arranged neatly in an ivory colored vase. Suspiciously glancing around the room he crouched and viewed the bouquet. This had to be a joke of some kind, who would even gift him flowers these days? “Should I play the security videos of today Sir?” He nodded and stood again, waiting for the hologram to appear. It rose seemingly out of nowhere and the timer in the upper left corner indicated that the video started at 9 am this morning. It fast-forwarded until it was almost 8 pm when suddenly the bouquet stood where only vacancy had been before. “Friday, play that again and slow it down a fourth.” The AI replayed the video material and this time Tony was able to see a few single orange sparks, almost invisible to the bare eye as the roses appeared in the middle of the room. “Oh, what? That can’t be, this sly bastard.”
“Sir I think your secret admirer also left something in the living room.” Tony raised an eyebrow and wasn’t really sure how to think of that all. Surely the sorcerer, who was very likely to be held responsible for the blood red roses in his hallway, only intended to make a joke of him. What else could he even intend to get out of this? Tony brainstormed all the possibilities and came to the conclusion that the wizard must have lost a bet or something. Yeah, that would be it. For a second Tony had hoped that maybe more was behind all of this, even though he would never admit that aloud. He was at least a professional in keeping feelings to himself and not accepting a crush when one came by.
Still wondering, Tony entered the living room where a big couch isle stood in the middle and his giant flat TV screen hang on the northern beige wall. The small glass table in front of the couch was illuminated by the setting sun which shone through the giant windows on the opposite side of the room. A package stood on top of it, not wrapped in paper but carefully decorated with a dark red bow. Tony, now genuinely confused walked closer and picked the box up. Chocolates, refined with various different liquors and truffle. For a joke, Strange really put some effort in this whole thing. Tony sat down on the couch and still gaped at the box, his head slightly crooked to the right in confusion. A well thought through joke then. Alright. At least he got to enjoy the sweets.
Tony didn’t exactly know why, but he suddenly felt very lonely. Deep within he hoped that this wasn’t all a joke because it would hurt him deeply; especially coming from the sorcerer who he respected greatly and totally not had a crush on for like, the first time he saw him. With a slow motion, he sat the box of chocolates back on top of the table. His quarters felt cold and empty and just at this moment he realized how alone he really was. He sure had his friends, but they all either didn’t know him too well or didn’t care at all. It was strangely depressing. Usually, he would reassure himself with a snarky comment, but for once in his lifetime he couldn’t think of one. He had been aware of that all for a long time after Rhodes got hurt because of him, Steve left for Bucky, Pepper leaving… Who else was left? No one actually. All the guys he fought with against Thanos cut the contact, some losses hurt him more, some less. Tony felt like he was suffocating, sitting there on his couch, alone in the dark. His mind drove him crazy with all of these questions, which he didn’t have any answers for or reasonable opinions about.
He got up again, grabbed a warm black jacket and pressed the ‘up’ button of his personal elevator. With a painfully loud Ding, the doors slid to the sides and Tony entered the small cabin, his finger hovering above the rectangle labeled with Roof. Usually, he would use voice commands to navigate through his tower, but he didn’t feel like speaking, or hearing anything else than the silent but still way too loud Ding of the elevator doors closing behind him. With a mechanical rattling, he made his way to the top floor of the tower. It dinged again and the doors opened. Tony stepped out of it, small stones scrunching underneath his boots. The night was clear, the stars shining brightly above him and the now already risen moon bathing everything in its cold, soft light.
The wind was freezing and Tony pulled his jacket protectively around his shoulders. He inhaled deeply and instantly felt his thoughts come to ease, putting everything in slow motion. He gazed at the moon, letting his thoughts wander, not trying to think about something in particular; only focusing on his breaths and the beautiful sight of various star constellations and the big, bright moon above him. He closed his eyes and relaxed, feeling the wind messing up his hair a little.
Suddenly he heard a weird rustling beside him, instantly recognizing it. He didn’t bother enough to open his eyes again to make sure he was right in his assumption, that it indeed was the cause of the trouble he currently experiences, magically appearing next to him. The noise ceased and silence followed. Tony felt his presence and heard the silent shuffle of his cloak in the wind. “What do you want from me Strange?” His eyes snapped open and he turned his head a little to look suspiciously at the sorcerer who stood to his left. “I came to make sure you enjoyed my little presents. Of which I’m suddenly not so sure anymore, were appropriate.” Tony furrowed his brow and saw the sorcerer averting his gaze. Was he embarrassed about that? But that would mean he didn’t do it as a joke at all. The shortly forgotten confusion returned and as Tony never had been a man to talk around for long he just said what was on his mind. “Yeah, your joke succeeded, great win Strange.” He stopped and looked away again.
“Joke? What joke do you…” he wanted to say something else but Tony interrupted him, anger in his eyes. “Yea, just a great idea man! I mean, why would it even get to me this much, it’s not like I hoped it wouldn’t be a fucking joke or something I just, well, I don’t know!” Only with much effort, he kept his voice from breaking at the end and he snapped his head around again, to look Stephen in the eye. “Aren’t you too old for shit like this and don’t you have this weird wizard codex to follow, like don’t hurt people or…” “Anthony.” Tony’s ranting came to a halt and he looked at the sorcerer again, expecting to see amusement or spitefulness. Instead, his kind grey eyes mirrored real concern and sympathy.
“What is it? And don’t call me that.” A small, somewhat fond smile formed on the sorcerer’s lips and he stepped a little closer to Tony. “Why do you think this was a joke?” Tony scoffed “What else would it be?” Stephen still held his angry gaze and Tony could see the few silver streaks in the other's hair, so close to each other were they suddenly.
“Maybe me genuinely caring for you?” Tony would have loved to believe that but he didn’t let himself get carried away and stood his ground. Why would someone as important and literally out of this world ever care for him? “Right… now, why would you do that? Don’t you have enough to care about, like the Sanctum, earth’s safety, other dimensional stuff?” Stephen chuckled slightly and continued their little talk. “Maybe because I choose to? I, of course, have to keep the world save, and protect the Sanctum, but what if I tell you that those things aren’t my priority in life.” Tony almost blushed from the proximity of the other man. He could feel the sorcerer’s cold breath on his cheeks and they were so close they shared the air still left between them. “Well, then what is your… priority right now?” Stephens gaze wandered from Tony’s brown eyes down to his lips and up again. The inventor swallowed hard. That couldn’t be happening right now, or could it? He totally lost control of the situation and he hated to admit it, but he started to enjoy it. The sorcerer leaned forward and Tony almost lost his shit as he whispered into his ear, nose brushing Tony’s cheek “Take a guess.”
Stephen stood straight again and Tony instantly missed his warmth. “I-I mean, if the roses and the-the ehm, chocolates weren’t a joke…” he hesitated and only continued after Stephen nodded reassuringly. “Then… maybe…” A smug smile snuck its way on the sorcerer's face and Tony rolled his eyes “Are you really going to make me say it?” Stephen only answered with leaning forward again; carefully lifting Tony’s chin with his fingers and pressing a soft kiss on the other man's lips. Tony was too struck to even react. Just as Stephen pulled back again and looked questioningly at him he realized what just happened. “I assume I’ve made myself clear with that…” Tony looked up to meet his eyes and stopped gaping, before he himself made a step forward, took the taller man’s face in his hands and returned the kiss. It seemed like he actually surprised the sorcerer with his actions and they both needed a second to accept and realize that this indeed was happening right now.
Tony wished this moment would last forever, in all its perfectness, but of course, it didn’t and they separated after a short while; Tony smiling like a madman with Stephens' arms snuck around his waist. “You know what? I could totally use one of those alcohol refined chocolates now.” The sorcerer chuckled and pulled Tony a little closer, resting his head on top of the inventors. The familiar rustling suddenly surrounded them and the next second Tony found himself, still stood in the embrace, now in his living room. Stephen let go of him and flopped down on the couch with a bounce. It was just then that Tony realized that he didn’t wear his usual sorcerer cloths, but a pair of sleek black jeans and a simple white button-down shirt; although the cloak of levitation was still dangling loosely around his neck. He looked freaking hot and Tony had to keep himself from sighing desperately or ordering Friday to take a picture. Tony silently watched the other for a few moments, reversing everything that happened to him today. He still couldn’t quite believe it.
After all, he sat down next to the sorcerer and grabbed the box of sweets which was still sat on the table. Choosing one with white chocolate and rum he leaned against one of the cushions with a sigh and felt Stephens arm sneak around his shoulders, pulling him a little closer. The other man picked a dark chocolate one out of the box which Tony still held and ate it seemingly satisfied. Tony somehow felt the need to ask a question that had been occupying his mind since they kissed on the roof. “Stephen?” He stopped chewing, then swallowed and looked at Tony. “Yea?” “You really are serious about this… us – I mean, right?” To his surprise, Stephen only sighed and pulled Tony closer to his side so that he could rest his head on the sorcerer’s chest.
“You really are afraid that people only see you as a joke, aren’t you? Anthony, I can reassure you, I never even thought about hurting you the way you probably suspect me to. You are honestly more important to me than the sanctum, or earth or other galaxies as you said earlier. If it was the world or you… I would choose you.”
Tony was speechless. For as he never had been good with words, all the opposite of the wonderful man holding him right now, and never knowing exactly what the appropriate answer to things like this was, he decided to show Stephen otherwise. Smiling the most honest and sincere he ever had, he pulled Stephen down a little and placed a sweet kiss on his lips. All his fondness, appreciation and love for the other man, but also his fears and worries lay in that kiss and from Tony; this action said more than a thousand of his words could have. He showed Stephen his soul with this kiss and the sorcerer saw. Sighing, Tony pulled away again and nuzzled his nose in the crook of Stephens’s neck, his eyes closed and snuggling a little closer if that was even possible.
The rustling of the magic could be heard again and the vase with the beautiful roses appeared on the small glass table. The moonlight shone through the large window front and was the only source of light illuminating the open room. The roses looked like they had been dipped into mercurial sliver which let them appear even more ostentatious.
“Happy Valentine’s Day Anthony.”