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It was happening so fast, the sky started to form cracks, threatening to rip Stephen's reality he tries his best to contain it, his arms straining as he tried to hold his reality, and universe really, together.
Then he heard the familiar hum of a suit.
"No, no, don't." He whispered to himself.
"How can I help Doc?"
"Why are you here? Weren't you away or something?"
"Well, as you see I came home." Tony barked. "I go away for a few weeks and this is what I come home to? You promised to look out for the kid."
"I tried that when he asked for most of the world to forget him."
"What?"
"Nothing, never mind, go home Tony. Unpack or whatever."
"Well I can't really do that while there's freaking cracks on the sky."
"There's nothing you can do." The sorcerer says through gritted teeth. "This is not your problem to bare, it's mine. It does not concern you."
"Okay firstly, there's rips in the sky in my city, secondly, the kid seems to be involved, somehow, and thirdly this is obviously taking a toll on you so I'd say this does concern me.
Strange doesn't respond, deciding to solely focus on the task at hand. It was getting harder and harder, and the tears in the sky reflected the pain he was experiencing, the feeling of his hands ripping if this goes any longer.
"Doc? Stephen?" Tony's voice floats in again, starting to get exhausted and exasperated by the genius, he sighed.
"Move any civilians that might get affected by all this somehow."
"Done." He flew away, giving the sorcerer the environment he needed to concentrate, but even so, every fragment of his body was straining. He shouldn't have done this, this was all his fault, he shouldn't have let the boy do this, he shouldn't have gone so easy when they fought, Stephen knew he couldn't mend this breach, he tried to scan his brain for a solution, anything but he drew blank, to make matters worse the pain was getting unbearable though, he bit his cheek to stop a scream from comming out, then the kid dropped in.
"What's happening?" Peter said.
"They're starting to come through, and I can't stop em!"
"There's gotta be something we can do! Can't you just cast the spell again? But the original way, before I screwed it up."
"We're too late for that. They're here, because of you."
There was a moment, he was just looking around, trying to find the answers when he eyed a familiar red suit. "Mr. Stark's here?"
"Well, he's here because of you too, well, kinda me, but yeah, you." Stephen said as best as he can, trying to make himself sound coherent while managing the pain on his hands.
"What if everyone forget who I was?"
Stephen's brows shot up, his eyes widening. "What?!" He screamed and looked at Peter like he was insane, because he was.
"They're coming here because of me, right? Because I'm Peter Parker? So, cast a new spell, but this time make everyone who Peter Parker is. Make everyone forget...me." The kid looked distraught but firm.
"No." He shook his head.
"But it would work, right?"
Theoretically, yes, but that meant the kid was going to lose everything, everyone who cares and loves him, and that includes Tony, and he would never admit it but he held affection for the boy now, Tony is like a father to him, and Stephen had the privilege to witness their relationship, and since they mostly hang out in Tony's place or sometimes even in the sanctum which made him exposed to the boy, and yes, he came to care for him too.
"Yeah, it would work. But you gotta understand that would mean that everyone who knows and loves you, we..." Stephen paused, worried for both Peter and Tony. "We'd have no memory of you. It would be as though you never existed."
Peter started at him for a second then his eyes shifted to Tony who was helping civilians. "...I know. This will kill Mr. Stark"
"I know, but he'll understand. He knows a thing or two about sacrifices."
He nodded with finality. "Do it. ."
Tony the turned to their direction and saw thee expression on Stephen's face, which compelled him to approach them.
"What's going on?"
"I asked Mr- sorry, doctor Strange to cast a spell for everyone to forget me Mr. Stark. It's the only way to fix this."
"What?! Kid...No, there must be another way, Stephen?" The iron man turned to him, his face pleading.
"I wish there was Tony." He whispered.
"So it's as if I never met you...?
"Yeah."
A beat.
"Okay kid." He then lunges at the boy, wrapping his arms around him, and as soon as Peter recovered from the shock he hugged back, tight. Trying to say the words he was too afraid, and far too painful to say, in the hug, so he held the boy tighter and squeezed his eyes shut.
"You better say your goodbyes, you don't have long." Stephen said when they pulled apart.
"Thank you sir."
"Call me Stephen."
Peter smiled, moved by the small gesture, and so was Tony.
"Thank you Stephen."
The sorcerer supreme returns the smile. "Yeah...still feels weird." He quips making his Tony chuckle.
"I'll see you around, both of you." He says and left, saying goodbye to various people. And so Tony and Stephen were left there.
"You okay Tones?"
"Yeah. This was the last thing I expected to happen, just, there's been a lot huh."
"I'm sorry all this happ-
"No, no this isn't your fault, shit happens."
"Shit happens." Stephen repeated. "But I'm still sorry, I know this is hurting you."
"Hm, but I guess I won't remember it in a few moments right?" Before Stephen could respond, he fell to his knees, grunting, pain shot through his hands to his body, the strain of magic finally taking a toll on him. "Stephen!"
"I'm okay, I'm mm." He hissed. "The kid has to hurry." Tony looked at Peter, who seems to be having a tearful goodbye to his Bestfriend and girlfriend.
"Can you hold it a little longer?"
"I-I can't, it hurts."
Tony kneeled across him, cupping his cheeks and wiping away the stray tears that fell with the pads of his thumbs. "Shh, yes you can, give him a little time please." Stephen didn't respond but let out a choked out sound. He ran a hand on his back, soothing his partner, his eyes on Peter, then he glanced at where they are and gave a nod, and Tony knew it was time.
"You can do it now." Tony said quietly, and Stephen looked at him, his eyes teary and pleading for forgiveness almost, and then he let out a stored scream, and then the tears in the sky were no more, and both of them were left there bewildered but they knew they encountered something, helped someone, and Stephen knew he casted a spell, but he had no idea why or for who it was.
That night Tony and Stephen went home, both feeling like they lost something but neither knew what it was, both needed to speak about something but neither knew how to start or what to talk about exactly. So that night they said their I love yous and went to bed in each other's arms, having no recollection of the son they had just lost.