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“Fair warning,” Tony says as he waits for the coffee to finish percolating, “Pepper is going to think me dating you is a little weird. Not bad, just…” He flashes Stephen a grin. “Strange.”
“Oh, I’ve never heard that one before,” Stephen says dryly, but then he smiles back. “And it’s fine. I rather expected some ambivalent reactions.”
“Years and years of complaining about magic, and I end up settling down with a sorcerer.” Tony shakes his head as he pours coffee into two cups. “She’s going to think I’ve been replaced by a pod person.”
Stephen raises an eyebrow even as his heart warms. Settling down. “You think the magic is going to be the issue?”
Tony hands Stephen one of the cups. “Yes?” Tony says. “What else would it be?”
“Tony,” Stephen says, amused. “There’s a twenty year age difference.”
“Twenty years older. It’s not like I’m dating a college student.”
“No, you’re dating someone who verges on senior citizen,” Stephen says dryly. “Trust me, my age is going to be a much greater concern than my magic.”
Tony purses his lips. His eyes take on a sparkle. “Want to bet?”
Stephen grins. Dating hasn’t made them less competitive. “Assuredly.”
“If I win, you have to stand up in the next Avengers meeting and say, ‘Technology is superior to magic,’” Tony says promptly.
Stephen narrows his eyes. “And if I win, you must sleep over in the Sanctum Sanctorum after its reconstruction.”
“No argument? You are confident,” Tony says. He also doesn’t argue his own forfeit—he couldn’t object when Stephen hadn’t, not without looking like he wasn’t equally confident.
With perfect timing, the elevator chimes to announce a guest arriving. Tony and Stephen step out of the kitchen area to greet Pepper. “Mr. Stark,” she says warmly. Then, with a tinge of surprise, “Doctor Strange.” She looks back at Tony. “You said you needed me to arrange for a press release?”
“Stephen and I have started seeing each other. Romantically,” Tony says easily. “Figured we ought to get ahead of things before the paparazzi start wondering if the world is ending again.”
Pepper’s jaw actually drops in surprise. She glances between the two of them.
“Problem?” Tony prompts, and sips his coffee.
She flushes lightly. “No, of course not. It’s just… There are going to be… more questions than usual.”
“Because?”
Pepper lets out an exasperated breath. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m sorry, Doctor, but… You have to be at least fifteen years older than Tony.”
Tony groans and throws up one hand—barely restraining himself from launching the coffee with the other—and turns away from Pepper, who looks bewildered. Stephen can only laugh. “Twenty years, Miss Potts,” he tells her. “And don’t mind Tony, he just lost a bet.”