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"Shot through the heart, and you're to blame, Darlin', you give love a bad name…"
The doors of Tony's workspace opened before Stephen and he was assaulted by Bon Jovi.
"Bon Jovi, Slippery When Wet, 1986," he automatically murmured and only noticed that the music had stopped the moment he set foot into the room when he could feel Tony's and FRIDAY's looks.
"Bon Jovi, Stephen, really?" Tony asked. He wiped his - already clean, Stephen could see that clearly - hands on a rag before approaching Stephen and greeting him with a hug and kiss.
"You're the one singing it," Stephen tried to defend himself but he deflated when Tony just grinned at him and hugged him tighter.
"Slippery When Wet?" Tony murmured directly into his ear and Stephen shivered as his breath hit his ear. Somehow Tony managed to make the name of the album sound even dirtier than it already was and Stephen, to his great horror, could feel himself blush. "I know something else that…" Tony continued, mercilessly, and settled his hands low on Stephen's hips. The bastard knew exactly how much Stephen liked to be held there. He could already feel getting hard and there just was no time for anything, damn it!
"Tony," he protested, already out of breath and so turned on that he could barely think anymore. One teasing touch later and he was moaning. Tony laughed and kissed him again.
"You're so easy." Tony let go of him but not before pinching his ass. Stephen winced but the slight pain brought his focus back.
"And you're a menace."
"Not my fault. You come in here in your full sorcery outfit, looking good enough to eat and I just want to undress you slowly and bend you over…"
"Tony, please, stop." Stephen raised his hands, laughing, and took a careful step back to bring some distance between them. "You know that I have to go."
Tony's good mood vanished in a heartbeat. "The outfit kind of gave it away, yeah."
Tony had declared it his own personal victory when Stephen had started to wear normal, casual clothes around him not only in the Sanctum but also at the penthouse. "Not that I don't enjoy unwrapping you out of your belts but this gives me much easier access," he'd purred and Stephen had been helpless. Also, Tony's old T-shirt where really, really comfortable.
Nowadays, when Stephen turned up in the full ensemble of robes and belts it usually meant business. After long fights and discussions Tony had learned to back off end let Stephen do his 'wizard thing' without too much protest, as long as Stephen promised to call him before he went off for something dangerous or vanished for days on end.
Life was a neverending compromise and so far they did rather good, Stephen had to admit. Better than he'd ever expected them to be able to do.
"I'm sorry," he said when the silence became oppressive. "But something came up and Wong…"
"Yeah, yeah, duty comes first and all that crap." Tony's smile was pained but sincere. "I get it. I really do. I was on the other side of this conversation often enough." He once again moved up into Stephen's personal space. "Be careful and call me, okay?" he begged softly before he put one hand on Stephen's cheek to turn his face into a soft kiss.
It tasted like goodbye.
"Will do," he promised equally softly. "I just…" He was crap at this. He once again took a step back and conjured a portal. "See you." The Cloak waved at Tony and Tony waved back.
No goodbyes, they'd promised each other. Whatever happened, a goodbye wasn't the last thing the other should have to remember hearing.
Tony's quiet and heartfelt "love you" was the last thing he heard before the portal closed behind him.
*
"An angel's smile is what you sell, You promise me heaven, then put me through hell, Chains of love got a hold on me, When passion's a prison, you can't break free…"
Fuck, now he had the song stuck in his head. And when his concentration slipped he tended to hum whatever it was that was currently on repeat one in his mind. And Wong, the second bane of Stephen's existence after Tony, knew way more about music than he'd let on in the beginning of their friendship.
"Stephen?" The 'Really?' went unsaid.
"Shut up."
Wong smiled his usual, secretive smile and thankfully let the matter drop. Stephen continued to hum until he dropped too far into his meditation to do so. A few minutes later he'd left his body and his home dimension behind and had other things to think about.
*
When he came back to himself, his hands weren't folded in his lap but held in a warm grip. Words weren't possible, not quite yet, but he managed to open his eyes and look around. He also wasn't sitting like he'd been when he'd gone but lying on a comfortable nest made out of blankets and pillows and the early morning sun streamed through the windows of his so called "office" in Kamar-Taj.
Oh.
Tony was sitting beside him, holding both of his hands and looking at him as if he was the most precious thing in the universe.
How long? he wanted to ask but his throat was too dry.
Without saying a word himself Tony helped him to sit up and lean against the wall behind him and gave him a cup of water. Stephen held up his hands - they were shaking too badly to even think about drinking unaided. Pretty much every other person would have held the cup to Stephen's lips to let him drink. Tony, thankfully, knew just how much he hated that and gently and carefully helped him to fold his weak and shaking fingers around the cup before he surrounded them with his own. Together they brought it to Stephen's mouth. The pure, cold water was heavenly.
"Welcome back," Tony said after a few minutes had passed. He took the cup from Stephen's hands and the Cloak swooped in to deposit it somewhere. Tony was once again holding his hands. Stephen, still not really able to form words, looked up, the silent question clear. "You were gone longer than Wong anticipated and he called me to be here for you when you wake up." Tony smiled at him, gentle and full of love. "We all know how you get when you're away from your body for too long."
Dizzy, disoriented, clumsy and touch-starved. Yes, bitter experience had taught them that Stephen didn't react well when he had to astral project to other dimensions.
"You're still humming." Tony's smile became a grin.
"I took it with me." His voice was back. Stephen could feel the blush on his cheeks and concentrated on their entwined hands. "It reminded me of you. Of what was waiting for me back here." He looked up. "Back home."
"I had another song in my mind while you were gone."
"Which one?"
It was really unfair that Tony, in addition to all his other amazing talents, could sing, too. But Stephen couldn't find it in him to complain, not when Tony softly sang to him.
"I wanna lay you down in a bed of roses…"
Stephen laughed, startling the Cloak, and pushed Tony away before he pulled him closer to stop him with a kiss.
Tony made a show of laying him down on their nest as if it really was a bed and this their first night together. Not that anything was going to happen right now or in the near future. Except for cuddling and maybe a little bit of kissing. And lots of innocent touching to help him ground himself in his body again.
"Keep the faith," Stephen whispered against Tony's lips.
"Always."