Chapter Text
"Well, I hope your visit was enlightening," Vice Sorcerer Supreme Tony chirped when they all regrouped back in the living room, now filled with most of the New and Young Avengers, studying the strange mixed group and playing with Miracolo and Morgan for the past hour or so. Clint was staring at the visiting Black Widow who was also in turn studying the different version of her partner, each comparing the other to their version. Scott and Hope were playing with the kids since Cassie and Morgan seemed to have really taken to each other and little Nathaniel and Miracolo were gurgling things at Each other as Laura and Vision helped Wong take care of the boys. No one was surprised to see that this world's Fury had also appeared upon hearing about the dimension travelers, looking at the only Rogers present with trepidation and wariness. It would seem everyone had issues with the man in this universe. The Sorcerer Supreme of this dimension was casually standing by Stark's side as they prepared to send everyone back to their home dimensions, waiting for the Asgardians to finish their conversation and for Morgan to be done with her game. "Sorry if not everyone got to hear all the juicy stuff, but it's really imperative that you guys don't stay long. There's too many Infinity Stones in close proximity and by that I don't mean just this room, but this whole fucking universe. The others can share once you're home, if they wish."
"I guess we should thank you for your hospitality, all things considered," the visiting Wong offered with his resting bitch face, sending a significant look at his own Stephen that communicated he expected details once they're back. "We weren't exactly golden guests."
"You can blame my idiot for that, I'm afraid," the immortal Toni said ling sufferingly as she glanced at her lover, secretly concerned by his new ... strange behavior after the meeting with the Ambassador of Time. "I'll try harder next time to keep Rogers out of any possible visits to different universes."
"It was fine, I guess, as long as he stayed away from me. I've had enough of Rogers for one life, thank you." The sorcerer Tony paused, considering the 'devil'. "Is it true, though, that you've rejected him from joining the army several times back in WWII?"
That, at least, got a normal reaction out of all the visiting Sorcerer Supremes, the 'devil' smirking while the other two watched in barely concealed interest. "Say what you want about me, but I won't deny that I took great pleasure in denying him the chance to not only get himself, but also any possible unfortunate unit that he'd be with endangered if not outright killed. I didn't even realize I'd come to hate that guy from Brooklyn so much until I met him as Captain America in the 21st century." He shrugged, not looking apologetic at all. "Maybe I should have cleared him and let him due? It certainly would have solved a lot of problems."
"And created new ones," the Ambassador of Time looked disgusted by his own admission. "Despite everything, he's been useful against the Red Skull. Everything after that, not so much."
"What about New York?" The married Tony could help but point out. "What about Ultron? HYDRA? Thanos?"
"What about New York, Ultron, HYDRA and Thanos?" The immortal female version of Stark retorted. "Pretty sure Carol could have just as easily taken his place. Or T'Challa and Peter, though definitely not the kid. Or a mutant."
"Or an Inhuman and let's not forget how useful a sorcerer would have been," Barton offered with a glance in Wong's and Strange's direction. "Sure would have helped with all that mind control going on in that time."
"Not to mention that Rogers pretty much fucked us over where Thanos was concerned, so I pretty much agree. Captain America should have stayed in the past." The sorcerer Stark looked over to the original visiting group and saw some of their pain, no matter how well they tried to hide it. "Maybe he just finally realized and acted upon it instead of blaming the future."
"Definitely not a discussion for this time," the only other male Stark announced before things could get any more awkward. "Come on, Morgan. Say by to your friends, it's time we go home."
The little girl gave a put upon sigh that was a perfect blend of her favorite people, meaning Tony, Pepper, Stephen, Rhodey and Happy, before she bent over to kiss Miracolo on the cheek. "Goodbye, baby brother. I love you 3000." She then bounced over to her father, taking his hand, oblivious to the reactions of the adults as she beamed at her pseudo brothers and her favorite sorcerer.
The 'devil' Stephen was the first to break the silence. "We'll go first, if you don't mind." And he proceeded to single-handedly rip open reality straight into his dimension's Kamar-Taj's courtyard. He turned to his lover and once again offered her his hand as though he were asking for a dance. "Shall we?" And Toni just smiled at him with exasperated fondness before she took his hand without hesitation and they, once again, waltzed straight into the portal, soon disappearing from sight. The others started, though, when Wong appeared in the rift, rolling his eyes at the couple.
"They're so sappy they make me both sing with joy and sick to my stomach." He nodded to the other versions of the power couple before stepping back. "Make sure to bring Stark around more often at your Kamar-Taj, too. We need a breath of fresh air." He then reached out with his magic and reluctantly yanked Rogers back into his dimension, making the blond man yelp, before disappearing from sight. And a few seconds later, reality mended itself on its own, leaving the rest to stare at empty air until the only remaining Toni shook her head, looking up at her Stephen.
"I bet he doesn't have to be babysat so he doesn't accidental end up almost mating to a tentacled scorpion lady."
"I'd really rather not speak about that one time, Toni," the sorcerer grumbled with a blush staining his cheeks while everyone else gaped at him, trying to reconnect this version to the man who had just done all on his own what even Tony needed almost all Infinity Stones to do. There was a damn good reason why Stephen hadn't wanted to tell the others why he always went to other dimensions only in the company of his wife, especially in front of the 'devil'. It was embarrassing. "As if you haven't had your moments and your alternate self," he pointed towards the Chosen Contender with a jerk of his head. "Is a total overpowered badass."
"Yeah, sure, but I don't need a chaperone into other dimensions and I kicked Thanos' butt due to raging hormones of a protective and desperate mother to be," the woman pointed out and every other female in the room whistled, impressed, while the men snickered at Strange's predicament. Maybe it would have bothered him if he wasn't so absolutely smitten with his wife.
"That you did, love, that you did." The father then sighed and signaled Levi to bring Miracolo over to his parents and the two looked expectantly towards the Vice Sorcerer Supreme, waiting, as the Cloak of Levitation settled around Strange's shoulders. Tony just nodded to them and focused on their origins before opening a colorful portal that led straight into the Avengers Compound kitchen from where their journey had began. They could see Fury on the other side, yelling at the New Avengers and the Rogues apparently were trying to take the moral high ground as they scolded Carol, Rhodey, Vision, Hope, Scott and Peter for letting strangers take the little family away.
Toni just rolled her eyes. "It would seem Popeye's in one of his moods again." Stephen snorted beside her, taking their son from his wife so she can better intimidate the black leather clad man as she stepped through the portal, muttering curses all the while. Strange just nodded a farewell and followed after the Iron Maiden, who was already preparing for the bullshit she was about to face. The original visiting group and the people indigenous to this dimension could only watch in morbid fascination as the mother started dressing them all down, making even Fury flinch in sympathy as the portal swiftly closed. Both groups just cast uncertain glances at their respective Tonys and the sorcerer one offered them a sharp smile that had some gulping nervously. The kids actually scattered with one last wave at Morgan and the two visiting young heroes before disappearing, running while they still could. The Ambassador of Reality Thor looked tempted to join them, making the two leaders of Kamar-Taj frown suspiciously at him.
"Well," the visiting Tony jumped in before more drama could break out. "This has been ... fun, to say the least, but I gotta get home soon before Pepper loses it and rips my head off or drowns me in tears, whichever comes first, so if you'd be so kind, Stephen and I will be taking the kiddies home now." He ignored any snorts or protests from his companions, waiting for his counterpart to open a portal to their own destination. He wanted some practice before he starts using the Infinity Stones on his own hand for such big leaps so he doesn't accidentally rip the multiverse apart.
The sorcerer Tony could only snort but did as asked, opening a portal right where this whole journey had started. "I'm sure your Awesome Facial Hair Bro will back you up and save you from Pep's wrath ... Though I'm not sure even Galactus can stand up to that, if you know what I mean." When he realized he was getting some blank or incredulous stares, he frowned. "What? You've not yet made it to Awesome Facial Hair Bro level? You need to work on that, stat."
"What-"
"Just leave it," the Ambassador of Time interrupted his counterpart with a put upon sigh, shaking his head. "You don't want to know."
"Actually, I think that's fantastic!" Predictably, the other Tony beamed, turning sparkling eyes to his Strange, leaving him speechless. The other Stephen just groaned in defeat, knowing his other self was beyond saving now. "That's what we're calling each other from now on! Yup, I've made up my mind. That's it."
"You did that on purpose."
"I regret nothing." The two Sorcerer Supremes of this dimension exchanged even as they waved their guests off in their journey. As the portal closed behind the visiting group, the others slowly dispersed, commenting on the normal weirdness of such an occurrence until only the Ambassadors of Infinity remained with the Chosen Contender. "Well, that was an interesting day off. Remind me to never plan one of these in advance again. I can't seem to catch a break."
"Well, I'm off to do more interesting things, if you don't mind," Loki huffed and opened a portal with the power of the Space Stone, leading straight to New Asgard. "Are you coming, Thor?" The blond King just nodded, smiled and waved at the others and stepped through after the mage, who closed the portal immediately afterwards. Vision and Nebula just grabbed a hold of each other's hands and Vision phased them through the floor, neither wanting to be left with the couple as they had a tendency to forget other people are in the room with them and often make things extremely awkward for said people when they start being affectionate. Even JARVIS and FRIDAY retreated into the Tower's systems instead of being directly connected to their creator, giving the two men as much privacy as they can. The Cloak didn't budge, trying to pretend it was just an ordinary piece of clothing so it can maybe snuggle with its two favorite people. Even the Infinity Stones were quiet, though it was no surprise. They loved the drama that was their Chosen Contender's life.
Stephen was the first to break the silence, several minutes after they were left alone. "Those two still have a lot of barriers to break through until they're ready to accept that they have an eternity together," he said as he looked at his shorter companion. "Those two that are most like us."
"The proportions of the loss they experienced because of Thanos and his fucked up plan for the universe aren't exactly proportional," Tony countered, meeting Stephen's eyes. "Their reunion was short lived before the other me died-" And here Stephen flinched at the very idea, remembering his own fear and loss when Tony was unresponsive after his Snap to bring everyone back. He couldn't imagine living with that loss for five minutes, let alone five weeks or, Vishanti forbid, longer like his counterpart had. "And then even when I brought them back, the other you had to be reminded that the other me has a family that he'll return to. The other Tony told me it took quite a bit of convincing to get Stephen to join in on that family. He thinks Stephen's still struggling with the guilt of sending him to his death and the other me still has nightmares of the Snap. They're both terrified this is just a dream and they're afraid of waking up and finding they really had lost each other. It's what's keeping them apart. It's making them keep a distance while desperately trying to get closer."
"It's what's stopping them from accepting their new dynamic and their destiny," Stephen finished for him, taking a hold of Tony's bare hand, intertwining their fingers. "I think I managed to help my other selves to prepare for what the future might hold, but are their Starks ready for it?"
"Oh yeah," the engineer waved him off. "They're all a version of me, the great and wondrous Tony Stark. They're ready for anything." They both snorted at the, sadly, ironic statement, both knowing there's bound to be some freaking out and bumps in the road. "But, seriously, I think they'll be fine, eventually, as long as they have a Stephen by their side. I was," he said, looking away with a light blush he was trying not to let spread as Stephen smiled at him lovingly. It got harder when the other brought their joined hands up to press a gentle kiss on Tony's knuckles.
"I think they'll all do just fine."
00000
Stephen groaned in annoyance as Toni was quite literally swept away from him by eager sorcerers who all just loved the genius and wanted her input on dozens of different spells or relics, leaving him with an unimpressed Wong and an even more terrified-of-him Rogers. He had actually been hoping to take Toni out on their second ever date, but it would seem that the universe was currently against him. Why else would he be stuck with dealing with an idiotic blond supersoldier instead of wooing his beloved?
"So, how did it go? Learn anything useful?" Hos dear friend asked and Strange sighed, jumping into the air and crossing his legs so he can sit-levitate, resigning himself to using his own magic - not that it was a hardship with the amount of power he had at his disposal but it was the principle of the matter - when the Cloak of Levitation rushed off to find Toni and be possessive of his girlfriend in the possible presence of any other sentient magical artifact. He let it, always feeling better to know Toni had some backup besides her AIs. As incredible as JARVIS and FRIDAY were, they couldn't provide physical backup unless the Iron Legion or any other of Toni's suits was around. The Cloak, on the other hand, could probably bench-press Captain America if it got the chance to. It was always as tempted as Stephen was to turn him into his first ever Mindless One.
"Only that Toni and I will eventually have to recollect all of the Infinity Stones and present them to Galactus so he can restart the universe when its end comes and quite a few new neat tricks regarding the Time Stone," the 'devil' Sorcerer Supreme replied casually, ignoring how Rogers had flinched away from him when he had started levitating. He didn't really care for the other's discomfort. Like he kept saying, he'd never really liked Rogers at all.
Wong just looked at him, the only sign of his surprise breaking through his impassive expression the slightest widening of his eyes and the arching of his eyebrows. The man had a poker face most seasoned card players would be envious of if they ever got the chance to see it. Stephen wondered if he should risk the Wong family bad luck at gambling by bringing the Asian sorcerer to Las Vegas to try out their luck. They could ear a lot of money. But, then again, if Wong holds to family tradition, they could just as easily lose Stephen's enormous fortune and that's saying something. The amount of gold and gems and other riches he got from Dormammu's numerous conquests was not a joking matter. It says a lot that a Wong could lose it all in gambling. Say what you will, but Stephen's rather used to the wealth and would rather keep it. It is what practically keeps Kamar-Taj and the Sanctums running in this 'death and taxes' world, after all, and it's not even making a dent in his finances. For the sake of the Sorcerers of Earth, it's best not to test their luck. Even if Wong's face really would be awesome for poker.
"I am not even sure whether I want to ask," said man replied to the information the Sorcerer Supreme so inelegantly dropped in his lap, shaking his head. "Just tell me whether we should start worrying about Ms Stark because I don't think anyone else cares about anything else."
"You know, you guys really ought to lay off my girlfriend if you want me to get her to eventually say yes to marriage. I do need to properly woo her - she is Toni Stark - so if you would all just leave her be for five minutes-"
"Oh please," snorted the shorter man, glaring at the immortal. "As if you'd only be five minutes. You'd hog her for days on end and she'll soon be going back to New York, anyway, to that spider kid you mentioned. You'll still get to see her whenever you want while some of us actually have duties to fulfill and lack the power to multiply ourselves in order to finish those tasks sooner or leave them for a clone to finish in the first place." Stephen had to concede to that, but it made him pout inwardly none the less. Still, he knew he had eternity with Toni. He had time to get her to marry him. It had been something he'd been toying with in his mind for years now, but after seeing that alternate self with a son with his Toni Stark, he couldn't stop thinking about it.
He figured he deserved some real happiness after all of these years of serving the universe and suffering loss after loss of close friends due to the sacrifice he made in his battle against Dormammu. An eternity with Toni already sounded like a dream come true but he wanted to do things the old fashioned way, to make it official. He wanted to be able to yell to the world and the universe at large that Toni Stark, that amazing, incredible, beautiful woman, was his and not just by default of them being the only ones who will likely view the end of their universe. Or, who knows? Maybe they can escape it by hiding in a different dimension? The Dark Dimension was pretty much removed from the rest of the multiverse. Maybe they could hide there until they can rejoin a remade universe? It is out of touch with time, after all.
He better stop contemplating it because he was becoming more and more tempted to do it by the second. A true eternity with the woman he loves like he'd never loved anyone else? It was a dream come true, but he himself had been rather out of touchwith his original nature, that is, humanity. He hadn't meant it lightly when he told Toni she was his humanity now. Three hundred years of immortality is a long time, just long enough for one to forget how it was to be human. Toni, though, was all aboutbeing human. He doubted she'd find the thought of living forever, even if it was with the one person who truly understood her - and her AIs: he rather doubted JARVIS and FRIDAY would somehow suddenly disappear out of the picture - as appealing as he did. She had, after all, nearly had a mental breakdown after learning she's immortal due to the Infinity Stones' little stunt. He figured not to pile up any more stress on her in the near future. It was, after all, her vacation.
Which reminded him of the blond he had dragged from whatever petty thing he had been engaging in just to freak him out, turning his attention to Rogers, who looked on the premise of a mental breakdown right now. Not that Stephen cared, either way, but he'd still rather not have the man having one here. So he just knocked him out with magic, opened up a portal into the living room of the Avengers Compound and dumped him through, ignoring the startled cries from the other end as he closed the portal. He didn't give a shit about how or where, exactly, or maybe even on whom the supersoldier landed on. And he decided that his sorcerers have had more than enough of his girlfriend's time as he got back to his feet and started strolling through the ancient temple that was Kamar-Taj, following that peculiar clash of energies that came from an Infinity Stone being close by an active Arc Reactor, marking Toni's location like a beacon, which he was thankful for. After all, this was the first time in six years that he had a clear idea of where Toni was, since usually the Arc Reactor somehow hid her from any means of magical detection. Which had been pretty much why he had given her his old pendant from his days before he became Sorcerer Supreme in the first place, just so he could keep an eye out for her. Now, though, he could detect her and he followed those energies even as he thought up ways of how to tempt her away from her curiosities and questions. A second proper date was in order, after all. They both needed something pleasant to help them take the day's events off of their minds and Stephen wanted some cuddles from his girlfriend. And no, he wasn't ashamed one bit. He just wanted to turn Toni into his personal teddy bear and hide her from the world.
He knew what they'll have to face on their long, immortal journey together. He knew of the suffering they'll both go through, the pain he'll have to help her get through when, eventually, her friends start slowly dying of old age and fulfilled lives. He was well aware of the loss they'll both have to deal with when Earth dies, when the rest of their universe slowly dies. And he knew of all the challenges they'll have to face in between then and now, the lessons they'll have to learn and the truths they'll have to confront.
But no one said they had to deal with it all right now, did they?
One thing was for sure, at the very least. The Silver Surfer or whatever other Herald of Galactus won't dare come near them. Not as long as Stephen draws breath and even after that. Immortal, remember? Besides, all those who are in the least bit connected to the universe and its energies knows who he is, the power he possesses and he's even more powerful now with an Infinity Stone in his possession and protection. No one was stupid enough to try and mess with him and, by extension, they'll eventually learn not to mess with Toni either.
But those were worries for another day. He had a girlfriend to steal away for a date from a group of overexcited sorcerers. The worst thing about his predicament was that he couldn't even blame them. She is Toni Stark, after all. That did not, however, mean that he wasn't going to whisk her away.
Call him an asshole, but he is the 'devil' and there's really only one person who can dance with him.
00000
Stephen and Toni lay in their bed that night, long after Toni had dealt with their worried friends, family and (maybe not quite) teammates and they had put Miracolo to bed, silent and just holding tightly onto each other, trying to process what they had seen and learned that day. They were holding each other, Stephen on his back with Toni's head on his chest, each lost to their thoughts, pondering the events of their little dimension hopping adventure. Usually they'd discuss and exchange opinions on such outings, but this wasn't exactly a normal dimension hopping date. This time, it had been quite different.
For Toni, it had been a dreadful eye opener as to the truth she had known all along. The peace and contentedness of her family life can't last forever and it was a downright miracle that it had lasted as long as it had. She was, after all, Toni Stark, Iron Maiden, once upon a time the Merchant of Death. It was an unrealistic dream to hope for an easy happily ever after. There was always a catch, a loophole, a hidden agenda, only it seems that it was the universe's doing this time, much to her dread and annoyance. It couldn't be put off if it was the universe, after all. She may not have to do anything about it right now, but she will, eventually. To be honest, she was almost relieved. Almost. Since, after all, this was what she was used to by now. She'd once joked she'd be out of a job with peace but she now understood she'd more likely be dead with it, without purpose, useless, unnecessary.
She may no longer make weapons, but fighting was in her blood. She was defiance. Of course she'd never know eternal peace - apparently, not even in death, seeing as that father Tony had been brought back even after he had sacrificed his life for the universe - since she was created to actually fight for it, whatever it takes. It was a sad existence, but she knew someone had to play that role. She wasn't sure why she had expected it would be anyone else.
The immortality thing, though, bothered her, both in regards to herself and Stephen. Sure, she had never come into direct contact with the Infinity Stones like her other counterparts had, never having put on the Gauntlet herself, but it seemed like a constant. The Vice Sorcerer Supreme Tony had made it quite clear when he talked to just them Starks that it was a fixed point of existence, that every Stark everywhere was the Chosen Contender. The other Starks were already immortal - at least the three she had met - but she wasn't ... Right? She didn't feel immortal. Though, to be fair, she didn't know how immortality actually felt, if at all. She feared the possibility, actually. She'd already been through so much, seen things no single mortal being should see, gone places and done things people could only dream of. She'd already lost so much. How much more would she have to loose? Extremis had already pretty much ensured she'd outlive her grandchildren and that was a painful thought, one she'd forced herself to accept even before she found out she had miraculously been pregnant with Miracolo. She had known she'd have to watch her loved ones die one by one, but she had always taken comfort in knowing Thor will probably still be there, Vision, too. Probably Carol. She had avoided thinking about losing Stephen at all costs, not wanting to spiral herself straight into a panic attack, but it would seem that won't be a thing to worry about.
But the thought of him being immortal ... She knew what he'd been through, what he'd done to save the world from Dormmamu. He was already eons older than any human should ever be, with how he had had to fight the demon. It wasn't fair that he'll have to actually live for eternity - or at least the end of their universe - when he had already experienced it through that time loop and through gazing into the future. Why can't he catch a break? Why can't the both of them, for that matter? Sure, Toni kind of understood why she has to continue fighting but she had kind of signed up for this when she revealed to the world she was Iron Maiden. Nick had been right about her not knowing what kind of world she had just become a part of, but she could have quit.
'Or maybe I never could have,' the woman mused, knowing that that was the more likely possibility. After all, she had known she had survived Afghanistan for a reason. She had taken Yinsen's words to heart - or the Arc Reactor, to be precise - and had made sure not to waste her life. She had thought New York would be the brunt of it, but then she had seen the army on the other side of that wormhole and she had a whole new chilling perspective, one only JARVIS had ever truly listened to her about. Fury, too, to an extent, but he hadn't been worried, probably because he knew Carol would help. She almost hadn't been enough. Toni almost hadn't been enough.
She thought of the Infinity Stones, of what sorcerer Tony had told them and shuddered. She had quite a challenge in front of her.
Stephen, on the other hand, was trying to reconnect the visions of the future he'd seen with what the Ambassador of Time Stephen had shown him, as well as the very scary possibility that he was immortal. He had always known there will come a time when he will have to pay his due for the use of the Time Stone in his battle against both Kaecilius and Dormammu. He had always thought it would be pain - something he could deal with ("Pain is an old friend.") - so he hadn't really feared it much. He had considered he might become a cripple, maybe immobile, maybe die a horrific death. Immortality had never occurred to him.
Most wouldn't even consider it a punishment.
Stephen knew it was.
What could be more terrible than watching everyone you know and love die while you live forever, destined to live through that inevitable pain again and again?
If he was being completely honest, the prospect of immortality terrified him like nothing else.
Christine, Wong, the New Avengers, Miracolo ... Toni ...
But ... Toni was supposed to be immortal too, right? How was she taking all of this? She rested calmly against him but that didn't really mean anything, did it? She had mastered hiding her real emotions and reactions since she was little. Hell, the first time they met, he could only barely recognize just how annoyed she had been by all of that unwanted attention from those old bastards. He had only barely caught glimpses of annoyance, likely because she was so similar to him that he understood her easier than anyone else, even way back then. He had actually never really questioned that, either, how easily they clicked together. He knew they didn't end up together - or even as friends - in every alternate universe, but in most they seemed to share a fairly strong bond, a decent one at worst. Not that that mattered to him all that much. What did was that they were both going to have to come to terms with quite a few things in the upcoming weeks and months, if not years and even decades. It's not everyday you get the chance to question your entire life - especially the future - without a chance to prepare with a chance of one day having to face a giant multiversal being which destroys and restarts the universe you've been trying to save and protect for a good part of your life.
'At least we'll have time,' the Sorcerer Supreme inwardly snorts at his own pun, glancing at the nightstand where the Eye of Agamotto rested, invisible to all but him and possibly Toni's scanners. And speaking of scanners and Toni and her technology ...
As if he didn't have enough on his plate to worry about, the countdown to the return of JARVIS has begun hours ago. And while Stephen knows he's a pretty decent husband and father - or at least he hopes he is; he does his best for Toni and for Miracolo - if a bit absent due to interdimensional threats, that didn't mean Toni's greatest creation was going to take it lightly, all that's happened to his creator since he's been ... absent. Just the so called Civil War and Siberia is going to cause quite a stir on the Internet if JARVIS' has even half as much influence on it as his creator does. Stephen is half expecting to end up shot before the night is over while he's asleep. It wouldn't even surprise him at this point. He'd probably react the same way. It is very easy to grow fond and protective of Toni Stark(Strange). He can only hope JARVIS will take better to the news than Stephen is dreading.
Though, Rogers will probably be his first target. Strange hopes the AI won't blow the entire Avengers Compound up just to destroy Captain America and his band of criminals. The Compound did nothing wrong, after all. It would just be unfortunate collateral damage. It didn't deserve it.
He was snapped out of those ridiculous thoughts by Levi shifting over their bodies and he looked down upon hearing a grumble, only now realizing Toni had apparently fallen asleep at some point, snuggled up to him and Levi for warmth as she was. Stephen's face softened as he gazed at her, a trembling hand reaching out to brush the hair out of her face gently, bending down just enough to press a gentle kiss to her temple.
The Ambassador of Time had shown him and the other Stephens many things, many possibilities they themselves have never viewed seeing as that man had gazed into the future twice. It was hard not to look at his hands and compare their feats to the feats his alternate selves accomplished. Sure, their home universe was one of the best off, only beat by the 'devil' and his lover considering their Thanos had been defeated singlehandedly by that Strange before he could do any real damage. Material damage, they can deal with, but they had even saved their Asgard from being destroyed at all. The loss of Odin and his wife had hit both Thor and Loki hard but everyone was alright in the end, unlike in their own universe, where so many people had died and Stephen had had to reverse time on several localized places just to save so many lives. He wasn't sure what, if anything, had happened to those lives in the other versions of the universe but he knew wondering about differences, big or small, between each iteration would only serve to drive him mad.
He knew he had a purpose, he knew he had a duty to protect the Time Stone and - Thank Vishanti! - Toni Stark while apparently helping her as she waits for the end of this universe of their's and the coming of Galactus. Everything else, he'll just have to deal with one at a time, as it comes at them.
At least they'll deal with it together, like they had so many things in life.
And neither could ask for more.
00000
Stephen watched Tony as the man spoke in great detail with his (pseudo)children about their stint in other dimensions to their friends and colleagues upon returning in time for dinner, thus avoiding any tempers, panic attacks, arguments, scoldings or anything resembling it. The genius was as animated as one would expect him to be when entertaining a crowd or just being himself, but Stephen could see beneath that act. Oh, Tony put up a good show, that was for sure, as even Pepper and Rhodey were fooled. Even the notorious Black Widow had fallen for the act, though Fury kept sending suspicious looks in Stark's direction throughout the evening as they all dined the combined efforts of several cooks who had prepared the meal for them while they were gone.
But Tony couldn't fool Stephen, not after fourteen million six hundred and five futures viewed of the man and two months of knowing him in person.
Not after experiencing the things the other Stephen Strange had shown him and the others.
The Eye of Agamotto never hung so heave around his neck.
Still, Tony, as was his way, easily attracted all the attention and controlled its flow like the professional speaker and public performer that he was. He was a man born into the limelight and he had grown up under it. He could direct a crowd better than a maestro did his orchestra. He entertained his captivated audience as he described each dimension with gusto, imitating voices and reactions for maximum effect, making jokes and dropping hints, his hands animated, his face changing expressions even wuth a smile always present on his lips, but Stephen could tell that it was all an act. His expressive honey colored eyes gave him away. Their depths hid an anguish Stephen both knew he understood and that he'll never quite fully comprehend. After all, Stephen was here all by some cosmic accident or something, predestined as it may be - it might not sound like it makes sense, but it does; trust him, he's a doctor (and the Sorcerer Supreme. For him, shit like this is an every day occurrence) - meant to be a side story that fulfilled the main tale.
Tony Stark, though, was the center of it. It all revolved around him and it was up to him to learn to live with it. And that wasn't easy on an ordinary day, let alone after learning that you're almost 100% immortal already and that it is your destiny, your purpose to watch your world die. He, the man who had quite literally died to ensure the universe's continued survival and the return of balance after the Snap, was going to be forced to watch it all disappear and he'll even have to hand over the finishing blow to the one who will deliver it at the end. The ex neurosurgeon couldn't begin to understand the pressure the man must be under.
He put up a brave front, messing around with his friends and family, later on even retelling the whole tale to Nebula and the Guardians of the Galaxy over an intergalactic chat while Morgan dozed against his chest and his two pseudo sons did their homework in his lab, and no one suspected a thing. His smile was genuine but his eyes remained haunted throughout the evening, even after everyone went to sleep. He and Pepper invited Stephen and Wong to stay overnight, a sleepy Morgan only just wake enough to insist on it before her parents took her to bed after the hopelessly smitten sorcerer accepted. He was forever doomed to be wrapped around the little girl's finger since she had inherited her father's whiskey colored eyes that he was so weak against. Wong, at least, gave him pointed smug looks as he portaled into the Sanctum to look after it for the night. His friend knew damn well about his feelings regarding Iron Man and always berated him for not just giving in to the man's and his wife's willingness to make him a part of their family, a part of their marriage. Stephen just didn't want to intrude and knew, if Tony was his, he wouldn't be nearly as half generous as Pepper was with Tony. It's why he forced himself to keep them at arms' length.
He had a feeling he won't be able to do that anymore, not as of tonight.
He was right, of course. Hours later, well after midnight, well after everyone had long since fallen asleep, he silently made his way down into Tony's home lab, finding the engineer, as he had expected, sitting on a working stool, in complete darkness save a big hologram of an orange globe that seemed to be slowly rebuilding itself. Stephen gave it an educated guess that that must be JARVIS and, judging by the excited whirring of DUM-E, U and Butterfingers, his guess is probably right. He stood there for just a moment, taking in the scene of the three robots all but cuddling up to their creator like overeager puppies, before he really looked at the man in question and his heart clenched painfully in his chest as he took in Tony's posture, his clenched Gauntleted fist, his slack face, that lost and haunted look in his beautiful eyes.
'Oh, Tony,' the sorcerer couldn't help but think, softly making his way over to the genius, kneeling in front of him and taking a hold of both of his hands in his own. Those tormented eyes looked down to him from watching his oldest friend and greatest creation slowly rebuilding itself and Stephen knew, in that moment, that he'd gladly face any consequences he might have to in order to do whatever it takes to take that look away. For now, he gently squeezed Tony's hands, offering comfort in that simple small gesture and giving him the smallest of reassuring smiles. "Hey," he breathed in barely a whisper, smile growing just a tad bit bigger when the word was whispered back with a minuscule squeeze of the other's hands to his, obviously painfully careful not to accidentally hurt him by gripping too hard. Stephen would gladly take that pain if a little more pressure helped Tony feel better. Pain was an old friend. Giving Tony some peace of mind would be well worth it. "Want to talk about it?"
It was an offer, an offer the shorter man paused to hesitantly consider, obviously not ready just yet to show any more vulnerability. Strange just knelt there, patiently waiting, willing to be there until sunrise even if Tony doesn't say anything about what's tormenting him, just wanting to show this incredible man that he wasn't alone. It was an impulse born long before he knew just what the man was meant to do, not so long after he'd first met him, actually. Five years and a few months ago, on that day when the world might as well have ended, after nearly dying in the crash of their big flying donut ship on Titan, that's when the first hints of camaraderie was born between them and, in a matter of hours, it solidified into an unspoken friendship that neither could explain nor deny. Viewing fourteen million six hundred and five futures only made him infinitely more fond of the man and five years of him being 'dead' had obviously had the same effect on Stark. The trust they had somehow developed seemed to strengthen each day, no matter whether they were alive or 'dead', together or dimensions apart. The impulse now was impossibly stronger than it had been when they first met. Stephen was just finally done trying to deny it.
It took him a while, a good half an hour, actually, before the first words tumbled through Tony's lips, hesitant, barely above a whisper, his eyes locked desperately onto Stephen's, his hands unwilling to let the sorcerer go.
"I'm going to watch them all die," the genius sounded so broken it shattered Strange's heart into a million pieces. "Despite everything, despite all my sacrifices, I'm still going to watch them all die. Rhodey, Pepper, Happy, Peter, Harley, the Team ... Morgan," he choked on the name, pitching forwards and Stephen had to catch him lest he fall over. He tucked the vulnerable, hurting man's head against his chest, sitting down onto the floor with his legs crossed and dragging the pliant Tony with him into his lap, hugging him tightly. The Cloak of Levitation, always so easily recognizing distress, wrapped around them both in a tight embrace, caressing Tony's cheeks with its high collar and catching any tears that might have escaped. Stephen just put his chin on the inventor's head and hummed reassuringly as he felt Tony grab handfuls of his robes tightly and curled up even closer to him, seeking as much comfort as he could get. "Haven't I done enough? Why do I have to watch them die? Why do I have to watch it all die? Where have I messed up this time? What do I need to fix? I've always been such a fundamental, colossal screw up, I don't know what I was expecting! I should have done more, done better. This is all my fault-"
"Shh, shh, hey now, don't talk like that," the once doctor reprimanded gently as he gave the pilot of Iron Man a firm, short squeeze. "None of that. It's not your fault. There's nothing you could have done more or better, Tony. You gave it your all and you saved the universe. You've done good, Tony. More than good. The universe rejoices and chants your name to the stars like a prayer, full of life because of you. There's nothing more to fix. You're not a screw up."
"Then why do I have to live through my worst nightmare all over again?" The man mumbled into his chest and Stephen felt like his heart had shattered even more.
"And I'm the man who killed the Avengers. I saw them all dead, Nick. Felt it. The whole world, too. Because of me. I wasn't ready. I didn't do all I could. I watched my friends die. You'd think that'd be as bad as it gets, right? Nope, it wasn't the worst part."
"The worst part is that you didn't."
That long ago conversation with Nick Fury may have just shaped Tony beyond any care for his own life and what happened on Titan, when they all turned to dust and he didn't ... That was the culmination of six years of fear and that start of his despair.
The world has thrown this man down, broken him piece by piece so many times and watched dispassionately as he struggled to put all the pieces back together that Stephen marveled at the strength necessary to get back up again and again even when everyone kicks you while you're down. It was damn clear there was a fucking good reason why it was Tony Stark and not anyone else that's been chosen to be the Contender for the Infinity Stones. The man doesn't give up, no matter how unlikely victory is. He just keeps on fighting. He keeps trying to find solutions. He'd put aside his own life and safety and happiness so many times that Strange wondered how he was even alive or sane right now. And now the universe was asking that of him again and Stephen knows it's because it knows Tony will deliver. The man is far too selfless for his own good. Stephen knew it stemmed from his guilt over his weapons manufacturing days, stemmed from a certain Dr Yinsen's death and words of "Don't waste your life," stemmed from his fear of letting people down.
Stephen could understand. He, too, feared failure. It's what had made him an excellent doctor but what had held him back in the Mystic Arts. He knew he still suffered from that fear, but, as he did with his demons, he learned to live above it. He embraced how it had shaped him and resolved to learn from the experience instead of letting it drag him down. He's been protecting the world only for a few years now, but what about Tony? After fifteen years of fighting, it was a miracle he wasn't drowning in his fear and his demons. The fact that he was only now having a breakdown about being brought back from the dead after immortality and the prospect of living through his nightmare all over again was thrown on top of it spoke volumes about his strength. He had been keeping it bottled up for two months, never talking to anyone about it. It was obvious from the way he clung to Stephen, from how the words tumbled out without control or finesse that this was the first time they were uttered. Stephen was honored that Tony had felt he could trust him more with this vulnerability than his long time friends or even his wife.
It just made him even more protective and impossibly fond of the man.
'Who am I kidding?' He thought derisively, internally sneering at himself and his own cowardice even as he gently rubbed circles in Tony's back as the man started shaking with soundless, tearless sobs against him. 'It's not fondness. It's love.' And it was. He couldn't deny it anymore than he could deny the sky was blue. He'd be a right fool if he did and he didn't want to push Tony away for a second longer. He wanted to be selfish. Just this once.
"It's through no fault of yours, Tony. It's not punishment, even if it feels like it. It's just that someone has to bear this burden and the multiverse is being an asshole about it by picking you."
"You're an asshole," the genius answered with a snort and Stephen couldn't help but chuckle, his heart relaxing just a bit. If Tony can joke around, then perhaps everything will be fine. Eventually and most certainly not now, but it will be. And wasn't that a wonderful, optimistic thought.
'I guess one of us has to harbor such thoughts until the other is ready to share them.' He brought up a hand and carded it through silky brown locks of hair, humming in contentment. "Your asshole, douchebag." He smiled when he felt Tony practically melt against him at both the gesture and in response to his words. 'I swear he's like a cat.'
"Yeah, my asshole," Stark agreed, snuggling closer, his grip on Stephen's shirt tightening in a spasm before reluctantly relaxing. "Stay?"
"Always," the sorcerer replied with a hammering heart, reclining back a little and trusting the Cloak to hold them up, arms still tight around Tony. And he stayed, even as dawn approached, the genius asleep in his embrace once more, but much more peacefully than in the last eleven years, if not longer. He stayed even as Pepper, who had obviously been awake for some time now and had probably been waiting for them to sort these things out between them, joined them, snuggling up to Tony's back and questioningly reached for Stephen's hand not holding Tony's head under his chin. He stayed, hos fingers interlocking with Pepper's, the Cloak shifting to accommodate all three of them, he stayed as DUM-E moved something behind his back so he can properly lean on it while his magical companion became their blanket. He stayed even as the last pieces of orange colored code fit back into their proper place, long after the redhead had also fallen asleep, being the first to greet the returned JARVIS with a quiet explanation.
He stayed, years after that day when the worlds collided and he properly grasped this last chance they had all been granted.
He stayed with Tony until the very end.
THE END