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The knock on the door sounded like a herald for unpleasant news. When Wong opened the door and saw who was waiting on the other side - and who wasn't - the feeling of dread that had haunted him since the moment Stephen had vanished from Earth solidified into solid grief mixed with no small amount of anger. Anger at Stephen. Anger at himself. Anger at Stark. Anger at pretty much everyone.
Wong stared at Stark, trying very hard to appear unmoved while he could feel himself breaking on the inside. Stark hadn't even opened his mouth yet but the look in his eyes, the utter, desolate exhaustion in his every move and the fact that he was alone was more eloquent than any words could ever be. The man looked half dead and Wong knew for a fact the he'd only returned to Earth less than a day ago.
There could be only one reason for him to seek out Wong so soon after, despite everything else that undoubtedly demanded his attention.
"He's gone," he finally said. "Stephen's gone." He could hear his voice breaking and didn't give a damn.
Stark just looked at him for a long moment before he nodded. "I'm sorry. I tried, I really tried, believe me. I saved him from the ship, he saved me in return when we crashed, and he fought bravely and better than..."
Wong raised a hand to stop the babbling he could barely understand, let alone comprehend. "It's not your fault. If I know anything it is that Stephen always does what he thinks is right, the rest of the world be damned." Only now he noticed that he had used the present tense. He could feel tears in his eyes but one look into Stark's glassy ones convinced him that it didn't matter.
He didn't want to be the sort of man who couldn't cry over the death of a friend and he had already witnessed that Tony Stark was a very emotional man.
"Come in," he offered. "I'll make some tea and I would like to hear the whole story. Please," he added after moment.
Stark surely had a thousand things to do but Wong didn't care. He wanted - no, needed - to know. Stephen was gone and he hadn't been at his side. Hadn't even felt his passing, as he'd half expected to do ever since his friend had been abducted.
Stark nodded and followed, silent and beaten down.
"He was a good guy," he offered after Wong had placed him at the kitchen table.
"That he is," Wong agreed. Present tense, once again. Stephen had come back from certain death before, he refused to give up hope until he heard the full story. Maybe even then. Stephen Strange managed to inspire hope in the unlikeliest of people, including himself and Iron Man.
"He gave up the stone to save me. I wish he hadn't. I wish..."
The tale was a hard one to hear but Wong forced himself to listen and only ask minimal questions to clarify some details.
By the time Stark had told him how a badly hurt Stephen had given up the Eye of Agamotto he was openly weeping, hurting for his friend and the knowledge that he'd been all alone in the end, despite Wong's promise to always be on his side.
"I'm sorry," Stark told him over and over again but Wong didn't acknowledge the comforting words. Instead he chose to use his pain productively.
"How can I help? We have to right this wrong. I have to honor Stephen's sacrifice."
Stark looked at him with new respect and understanding. "I was hoping you'd say that actually. Here's how we begin..."
*
Later, so much later, when Thanos was finally defeated for good and most of the lost occupants of the universe where back where they belonged he looked down at Tony cradling Stephen's body. The Cloak of Levitation was spread over them both and looked almost as lifeless as its master.
"How could you?" he asked out loud despite already knowing the answer. This sacrifice was too high, he shouldn't have...
Tony looked up at him with tears in his eyes. "I'm going to take care of him, okay? He deserves that."
"He's gone, Tony." Wong forced the words out as he crouched down beside Tony and Stephen. The gently touched Stephen's forehead and had his worst suspicions confirmed. "His soul is still out there, this is just an empty shell."
"It's still Stephen," Tony objected. "He deserves our love and to be taken care of, don't you agree?"
Wong shuddered, annoyed at himself. "Of course. We'll do it together."
Tony nodded. "Together." He gently touched Stephen's face. "See? You're in good hands. We'll keep your body safe until you can return to it."
Wong didn't have the heart to tell the man that the ‘Deathless Death' had no return ticket. Tony had already lost half his team and his fiancé that day, he deserved the kindness of no more bad news today. Wong would wait for a better time to break the news as gently as possible.
Maybe then he could show Tony the cracks in his own soul. For now he had to be strong for both of them. He looked down at Stephen. All three of them.
"How could you?" indeed.
It was a question he would ask over and over again over the next few years, despite knowing the answer to it.
Despite everything the sacrifice had been too high.
*
Over eight years later he looked at a weak and shivering Stephen, who was barely held upright by Tony's tight embrace and the Cloak, and could finally feel the cracks in his heart and soul start to heal.
"Welcome back, my friend," he said and smiled.
Stephen, eyes barely open and mind still not quite here, looked up at him. He was holding on to Tony's hand as if it was his lifeline, Wong saw. Maybe it was.
"Wong?" he asked; his very first word since waking up. He held out his free hand and Wong was at his side in a heartbeat.
Tony looked up at him before carefully shifting their position to give Wong enough space to also sit on the bed. Stephen moved into his embrace with little of his old grace but with lots of enthusiasm.
Wong had a living, breathing, awake Stephen in his arms. He could feel Stephen's breath hitting his neck, he could feel Stephen's tears on his skin and felt his own making their way down his face.
He offered a hand to Tony. Tony looked at it, smiled and took it.
"See?" he said. "I told you that he's coming back. He's too stubborn to surrender to the inevitable." He gently caressed Stephen's back and it was obvious how much Stephen enjoyed the touch. After a moment Tony embraced Stephen from behind, casually adding Wong into his hug.
Wong clung back, as hard as he could, Stephen still sandwiched between them. He had never before cried harder in his life nor had he ever been as happy to have been wrong.