Chapter Text
Stephen Strange fell in love with many Anthony Edward Starks over those 14, 000, 605 lifetimes. Stark was compassionate-caring-kind-soft, and angry-damaged-hurting-lonely in ways that pulled at the doctor’s heart. Stark had a passion for helping people that rivaled Stephen’s own and heart made of gold. Not ever lifetime they were close, but in a handful, they were, and those lifetimes changed the Sorcerer in an irreversible way.
The Sorcerer felt numb as he stared out across the lake near the Stark Cabin, long after the funeral. He could not bare to turn around and look at the house, at the life he had torn this universe’s Tony away from. Could not meet the eyes of the wife and young daughter whom he robbed Tony away from. A part of Stephen was burning with the guilt of Tony dying to save them all.
But a larger part of him, a part that shamed him more than Tony’s death, ached for another reason. This huge whole, burning in agony, was for the personal loss of Tony from his life. A path that could have never been traveled in this universe but a path the Stephen yearned for all the same.
For Stephen Strange fell in love with his universes’ Anthony Edward Stark as soon as they locked eyes while Tony steadied him coming out of his trance looking for a way to win. In that moment Stephen was torn apart on the inside; his love for this beautiful man before him warring with the knowledge that the future battle for the universe only ends one way. They are too far into the timeline to reach any other conclusion. Tony would die, and Stephen would watch as the man he loved was comforted by another in his last moments. Tony would never think of Stephen as more than a comrade in arms.
The doctor in Stephen mused if the numbness his felt was his bodies way of protecting itself from heartache beyond what it could contain without shutting down completely. The sorcerer felt like he was falling apart at the seems for that to be true.
Equally as likely, it could be that simply a part of Stephen had died with Tony, now both lost to him forever.
As the cold started to creep in with the approach of nightfall, Stephen turned from the lake, opening a portal back to the New York Sanctum.
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For years following Stephen dove into the duties of a Master of the Mystic Arts, and then Sorcerer Supreme. Defending Earth from mystic dangers and attacks. Outside of battles Stephen spent his time pouring over old books, learning new spells, and not much else. He was still numb from loss, drifting through the years. He started pulling away from Wong and the other sorcerers. After a particularly bad fight between the two, Wong returned to be the Librarian at Karma-Taj. They remained civil to each other and professional on the battlefield, but their friendship had fractured beyond repair. It was something Stephen felt regret over through the numbness that had spread through his heart, but his apathy kept him from being able to make amends.
It may have been for the best, for Stephen knew he was terrible company these days, and a shitty friend. The numb feeling that started since Tony’s death had only spread until there was not much Stephen could feel. He still stayed true to the oaths he had taken, both as a doctor and as Sorcerer Supreme. But he could not longer find the mental energy to put effort into anything that did not involve the protection of Earth.
It was during one of these encounters that Stephen Strange’s life took a turn he did not expect at all.
A sorcerer had started attacking the rebuilt London Sanctum, his motives unknown. The attacks had continued over a few months before the Karma-Taj masters had been able to track the sorcerer down. They managed to confront him before he had left the country, hoping to retain the wayward magic user without incident. That plan quickly feel through and the battle begin. Stephen was surprised at the strength of the other sorcerer and could not determine the purpose of half the spells being flung at them. After being thrown back by a few attacks that even his shields could barely deflect, he heard a shout to his left.
He turned to look and found Wong, wounded, about to be hit by a spell giving off a massive amount of energy. Stephen did not even think twice before placing himself in the path of the spell instead. Wong may no longer consider Stephen a friend, but Stephen could not forget everything Wong has done for him over the years, he would not let him die, if Stephen could die in his stead.
Stephen sees the spell coming for him and shuts his eyes, braces himself for the unknown spell’s effects. The magic surrounds him, and for a moment it feels like his is being torn apart. And then….silence. Stephen slowly opens his eyes and looks around. The first thing he sees is the skyline of New York out a window-to-ceiling window. He follows the window from one end of the other and notices the end of a bed out of the corner of his eye. Then he hears a small, quick intake a breath behind him. Stephen turns around fully to face the bed and takes his own sharp breath. On the king sized bed, gun metal grey sheets pulled up to cover his chest, in a shocked looking Tony Stark.