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“Can I touch you?”
“My astral form is intangible,” Stephen reminds Tony. He’s “sitting” cross-legged next to his insensate body.
Tony rolls his eyes. “I’m aware. I wasn’t asking for permission, I was asking am I able to touch you, as Soul’s stonekeeper.”
“Oh.” Stephen’s sheepishness is a strange sensation, as communicated by soul. It’s almost itchy. “I’m not sure. You’re welcome to try.”
Tony lifts his hand, then pauses and shoots Soul a query: Is this dangerous? I don’t want to hurt him.
If you do not intend to hurt him, then he will not be hurt, Soul says.
It’s not quite the level of reassurance Tony wanted, but he figures it’s as good as he’s going to get. Carefully, he reaches out and brushes his fingers over the transparent edges of Stephen’s shape. They pass through on the first attempt, but the space Stephen is occupying feels different. Tony pulls his hand back and tries again, focusing this time on touching.
His fingers come to rest, lightly, on Stephen’s knee.
It’s not like touching him physically. There’s no texture, no warmth. Instead, the emotional connection strengthens, Stephen’s wonder cascading through him. There’s more, though. Tony closes his eyes, concentrating on the sensation. It’s expansive, and complex, like a tapestry woven out of soul strands— Tony jerks his hand back.
“Something wrong?” Stephen asks.
Tony gives him a shaky smile. “No, no, it’s fine. I just… I think I caught a glimpse of your soul. Wasn’t really prepared for that.”
“Haven’t you seen souls before?”
“Not like this. Apparently, there are levels to it.” Tony runs a hand through his hair. “Maybe something like the difference between seeing a photograph and seeing an MRI. They’re technically both pictures of the same person, but they tell you very different things.” Stephen looks amused, and Tony quirks an eyebrow. “Bad analogy?”
“Not at all,” Stephen says. “Remind me later to tell you about the first time I met The Ancient One. So this was more like a deep scan?”
“Yeah. I think so, anyway. Like I said. Not really prepared for that.”
Stephen looks intrigued. “Let me know when you’re ready.”
Soul doesn’t speak, but Tony can feel how pleased it is at the idea. “I’ll give it some thought.”