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Tony is sitting on the steps at Kamar-Taj, half watching one of the instruments he’s set up to attempt to analyze magic—again—while Stephen leads a class of novices. It’s a nice day, bright and sunny, and the class seems to be doing well; Stephen will be in a good mood later. Tony smiles at the thought, before looking up when there’s motion beside him.
Wong lowers himself onto the step next to Tony. He’s quiet, watching Stephen, but Tony waits. He and Wong are friendly enough, but they’re not really friends. If he’s here, it’s for a reason. “When you came to Kamar-Taj, looking for Stephen,” he says eventually, “we intended to shut you out. To mask the doorway so that we could not be found at all, at least until you gave up.”
Tony frowns. “Why?”
“Your presence was potentially disruptive to the students,” Wong explains. “To Stephen, in particular. And we did not want the attention that follows you. Nor did we want to risk you mixing magic with your technology and potentially opening doorways that had long been sealed.”
“But you ended up inviting me to stay as a guest, instead.”
Wong nods. “Stephen staked his place in the order on your good behavior. If you had stepped out of line, even once, he would have been ejected. Permanently.”
Tony swallows hard. “He never told me that.”
“He wouldn’t.” Wong turns and looks Tony in the eye. “He loves you very much, Stark. He always has. I hope you no longer doubt that.”
Tony turns back to Stephen. After a moment Stephen meets Tony’s gaze, his expression warming from formality to transparent tenderness. It’s the only emotion he ever shows so clearly, and it’s only for Tony.
“I don’t doubt it at all,” Tony says, smiling back.