Work Text:
Tony had never loved easily. It wasn't like nobody had tried before – there were many who had over the years. Of course, he had friends that were as close to family as he'd come since his parents were so brutally murdered. Pepper, Happy, and Rhodey had all been there for him through everything he'd been through. Everything the media knew about and those little details that he chose to keep secret. All his highs and every low, but this time he'd lost something their presence couldn't heal.
The day he'd stumbled off that tiny shuttle two weeks ago, he went down to his workshop. For once, he didn't want to talk or work. He locked the door and went straight for the liquor cabinet, pouring himself a tumbler of scotch.
Even the familiar weight of he glassware held memories that were now painful. Tears stung the back of his eyes, but he held them back. As much as he wanted to drown his sorrows, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
The memory of the first time he'd allowed Stephen to see him drunk came to mind.
'You'll ruin your liver like that,' Stephen had said.
'Don't care,' Tony had slurred.
'Let's try something else then...'
That had been the point where Stephen had kissed him until they were both panting a little and Tony's lips were just slightly swollen.
Tony could swear that he was still able to feel the sorcerer's soft lips on his own.
He didn't realise he was too lost in thought until the tumbler shattering on the floor jerked his mind back to the present. Tears were already falling. It was already far too late for him to attempt stopping them, so he allowed himself to fall apart as he sank into a stray desk chair he'd acquired from some empty office elsewhere in the building. He allowed his heart to shatter into a million pieces as he mourned the loss of the man he so dearly loved.
Eventually, however, the sobbing subsided and he just sat there for several minutes in silence, staring off into space. Once he regained his composure enough to work, he threw himself into the task of repairing and upgrading. First his suit, then upgrades for the Guardians' ship. Part of him wanted to seek vengeance, but a larger part just wanted to feel numb for a bit.