Until the Moon Bleeds: Ironstrange

Thirteen

Tony groaned painfully as he opened his eyes and realized that he was laying in his bed, curled up against Stephen. He blinked a couple times deliriously as he felt some familiar lips meet his own and his hair stroked as he nuzzled closer against the doctor's cold body.

"Mmm... what happened?"

"Not much. I picked you up once sunrise came and then I changed you into more comfortable clothes and brought you here. You've been resting most of the day, Anthony."

Tony sat up with a more bemused expression and looked down to see Stephen shirtless, all covered up with his black comforter and his hair splayed over Tony's pillows as he gazed up with rather tired crimson eyes. The mechanic was still mostly blank- minded about anything that had taken place while he was transformed, but he was relieved to see that his own body had gone back to normal. He yawned tiredly and accepted the hand that gently tugged him back down to be snuggled up against Stephen.

"Well, thank you..." he mumbled and then closed his eyes again, feeling as if he could sleep another thousand years. "Should we go start working again, or-?"

"I think we both should have a little break. Why don't you get yourself dressed for a lunch date while I wrap up the work we were doing yesterday, okay?"

Stephen pecked the mechanic's lips affectionately before getting up and revealing that he had been sleeping clothless The mechanic just couldn't seem to look away as the doctor's pale back was turned to him and he hid his face under the covers as Stephen pulled on a silk, black robe over his flawless body. He then peeked back out to see that Strange was looking in the mirror, but there was no reflection...

"Stephy?"

Stephen turned back to face Tony with a soft and reassuring smile. "Get dressed, my love. I will see you downstairs, ready to go in five minutes, alright?"

Tony grumbled but nodded and soon he was waiting for Stephen, trying not to daydream about how glorious he really was. No one was as lucky as him to have the vampire as the man he loved!

Eventually Stephen came back up, but he didn't look cheerful or beguiling at all. In fact, he looked rather pissed off. Tony felt his heart sink in his chest wondering what had caused the vampire to lose the composure he once had and he gave him a questioning look, which Strange ignored and pulled him towards the lab's door rather roughly.

"S-Stephen? What's the matter with you?" the mechanic asked desperately, fearing it might have been something that he had done to offend his boyfriend. "Was it something I sai-"

"Shut up, Stark."

Tony shut his mouth reluctantly, feeling that Stephen's control over him was a bit unfair. Why should he have to be quiet!

"It's stunning how much inhibition you lack," Strange hissed as he continued to pull Tony along. "Your impulsivity is rather disgusting."

"What the hell are you talking about!" Tony exclaimed and desperately tried to yank his hand away, but Stephen wouldn't let go. "S-Stephen, stop-! You're hurting me!"

That seemed to make the vampire realize what he was doing and he gasped and let go of the mechanic's wrist. Tony yelped and clutched his now bruised skin, then looked to Stephen a bit more fearfully. Was he going to hurt him more or something?

"I-..."

Stephen looked mortified that he had lost a bit of control and his crimson eyes seemed to glisten as he covered his mouth in horror at the sight of Tony's bruised arm. The mechanic panted a little before stumbling back a couple of steps. It didn't hurt THAT bad, but Stephen seemed to have done that without even realizing.

"What the hell did I do, Stephen..."

That reminded the vampire of his anger and seemly hurt, so he bristled slightly and adjusted himself before pointing to the doors of the lab.

"Why don't you go in there and see for yourself?"

Tony bit his lip a little and walked past the livid vampire reproachfully, wondering what was wrong. When he entered the lab, his heart sank down and his soul seemed to have left his body at the sight of the pill being rendered by Jarvis.

"I don't understand..."

Stephen melted into the shadows of the doorway and leaned against it with crossed arms, his crimson eyes now glowing menacingly.

"Don't you, Stark? It's floating right there in front of you..."

Tony didn't want to admit it, but he knew exactly what this was. When Stephen was closing everything down, he had discovered that there was only one pill that they had been fixing, not two. And since there was only two and a half weeks left- well, twenty days to be precise, before the blood moon, he knew that Stephen was more than just pissed off.

"You promised me, Anthony You promised that I would have the chance to change, too!" Stephen cried angrily, looking broken hearted. "All this time and you lied to me! You just USED me!!"

"I didn't have a choice!" Tony thundered back defensively and held onto his bruised arm, which seemed to be throbbing. "You wouldn't have helped me if there wasn't anything in it for you, don't lie-"

"I FELL IN LOVE WITH YOU, ANTHONY! That's what I had in for me...!" Tears of betrayal were now leaking from Stephen's eyes as he clenched his fists and snarled at the mechanic threateningly. "I fell in love with you, and you just used me for your own personal gain..."

Tony felt his heart break as Stephen screamed at him and he panted a little to keep himself together as well. "W-Well I'm sorry, okay? I was planning to try and sign the contract to get this mass produced once it was finished, but then I fell in love with you too and got a bit-... distracted."

Tony groaned and rubbed a hand over his face exhaustively. He had always hoped this day wouldn't come before he was able to duplicate the pill, but it had and now he was going to pay for his stupidity. Stephen never deserved to be lied to, of course, but he wouldn't have helped any other way!

"Look, I'm the one that's changing permanently here, not you, so once I take the pill, I'll make you another one, okay? When we've finished, we can mass produce and it will all be fair then!"

Stephen glared up at Tony from the dark doorway. "Is that a promise, Anthony..."

Tony winced and looked away from Stephen, knowing that this was far worse than he had ever feared. Oh, why did he have to be so freaking STUPID?!

"I'm sorry, but I'm no longer going to be a part of this picture of lies anymore. Come back to me when you've grown a pair, Stark."

Stephen turned in the doorway and started to walk away, making Tony panic. He was leaving? No! Nonono! He could make this right, he couldn't lose his boyfriend!

"S-Stephen, wait!" he cried desperately and stumbled after the heartbroken vampire, reaching to take his hand, but Strange pulled his away before their skin could even brush together.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed angrily and kept making his way to the doors, probably never to come back again.

"But I need you, Stephen! My life is over without you! Please!!" Tony begged and clasped his hands together, knowing it was weak, but he couldn't think of what else he could do.

The motion seemed to irritate Stephen more and he paused in the doorway to look back at Tony with a devastated expression.

"Your life is over because you cannot live without me? Or because you cannot live without your glory?" Strange sighed shakily and opened the door. "Perhaps you didn't need that bite to be a monster..."

Then the doctor shoved out the door and slammed it fiercely, leaving Tony standing there with the worst guilt and heartbreak he had ever felt in his entire life.