author's note -
I'm so so so sorry! I know how annoying these can be, and I promise I'll try not to have too many of them throughout this story, but I just wanted to say thanks for reading this! As of me writing this, my story has 7 reads!! I'm super excited about that! If you like it, leave me some comments <3
One quick thing: an asterisk (*) means that there's a footnote at the bottom of the chapter. I have a bit of an obsession with the Dr. Strange comics, so I'll be incorporating some aspects of them into this fic! Now dive in, and please enjoy!
HONEYBUSH VANILLA -
"No, I will not be calling him any time soon." In the New York Sanctum Sanctorum, Stephen Strange removed his cardigan. The maroon fabric warped itself in midair, returning to its original shape. It seemed grateful to be back as a cloak, settling around Strange's shoulders in its usual position. "The last thing that the mystic arts needs is the drama of having Tony Stark involved."
"You don't have to tell him if you don't feel comfortable." A shorter man with a stern face, dressed in plain robes spoke calmly. He took a breath before continuing. "I just think It'd be nice for you to have a friend. I understand that you have a duty, but I fear that this social isolation is beginning to take a toll on your mental health."
"Ouch, Wong." Stephen put a hand over his chest, face contorted with false agony. "I thought you were my friend." He let his hand fall back to his side, pursing his lips and trying to read the expression on Wong's face. "And really? My mental health? I'm a-"
"You were a neurosurgeon." Wong held up his index finger, effectively silencing Stephen for a moment. "But now, you have a monster made entirely from your pain and suffering living in the cellar.* Is that not indicative enough to the fact that you are not happy?"
Strange hated to admit it, but he had no words to contradict Wong. He could think of no argument stronger than the existence of his cellar monster. If he listened very closely, he could hear a quiet, constant rumble underneath the floorboards.
"I suppose I can find the time to call him."
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"Holy shit." Tony breathed, dark eyes widening as he stared at Peter's skin. "That's insane, Pete... Who is she?" His gaze returned to that of the teenager in front of him, who rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"Well, uh..." Parker began with a sheepish smile, deciding to beat around the bush a bit. "You may know him-"
"Oh?" Tony questioned, not necessarily surprised that Peter's soulmate was a he, but interested at the notion that he would know him.
"Yeah... he has powers! Heeeeeeee.... wears red! You like red!"
Stark, beginning to become impatient, put on a blank face. "Spit it out, kid. We've been standing in front of this Taco Bell for too long. They're gonna think we're lost." However, he couldn't help but snicker at his own joke. Peter, on the other hand, looked like he was about to puke. He was obviously nervous, and the fooling around wasn't helping. He took a deep breath before looking Tony dead in the eyes.
In that very same breath, he poured his heart out. "OkaysoyeahyouknowhimbutnotlikereallyanywayIwaspatrollingandIsawthisdudeinredandblackandhewasreallysuspiciousanywayIwenttocheckitoutandhe'sactuallyreallycoolandheintroducedhimselfasdeadpoolandthenIrealizedthatitwasprobablybadformetobetalkingtohimandsoIwaslikeokaybyebutIwaswearingashortsleevedshirtandmymaskandhewasn'twearinggloveswhichwasweirdbutthenInoticedhewaseatingsoIguesshejustdidn'twanttogetthemdirtyandhegrabbedmyarmandtoldmenottoleaveyetbecauseIwasinterestingorsomethingbut-"
Nearly collapsing from the sheer effort of saying all of that, Peter took in sharp breaths. He leaned on a post for support, internally praying that Tony wouldn't just walk away then and there.
"...Wade Wilson?" Tony had gone pale, eyes wide as saucers. He could have fainted right there and then if he hadn't noticed how Peter was looking at him. He seemed to shrink, everything in his face begging for Tony to accept this new reality. With a steadying sigh, the engineer forced a smile. "Well, um... Do you like him? I know you just met, but did you feel a connection with him?" He was trying to lighten the situation, putting a hand on Peter's back to guide him while he continued walking. They couldn't stand around forever.
"I don't know yet, Mr. Stark. When it happened, I felt all warm inside. It was insane, really. And I could tell that he felt it too, but neither of us knew what to say. We just sat there and talked for a while. It was nice, I think." The way that Peter smiled when he talked about his newfound soulmate made Tony want to cry. He knew that he couldn't keep them apart, even if he really wanted to. Wade - Deadpool - was a mercenary for crying out loud! He could earn Peter's trust, kill him, and not even care. Or... maybe he wasn't that shallow. If anyone could find compassion in a person like Wilson, it was Peter.
"Okay, Parker. I'm happy for you, I really am. It sounds like this could be a good thing."
Peter raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the right a bit. "This doesn't sound like you. Are you sure?"
Tony let out a chuckle, shaking his head lightheartedly. "I don't really feel like me either. I think I'm having a decent day for once. Isn't that weird?"
Peter's face lit up like a Christmas tree. It wasn't very often that his mentor was actually happy, and he wouldn't have traded seeing Tony smile for the world.
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That night, the compound was not silent. Tony himself tossed and turned, trying to rid his mind of its current torment. A nightmare. Not uncommon, but still awful. His feet were stuck to the ground below him, holding him in place. Large, strong fingers held his eyes open and his head forward. In front of him sat a woman who was very familiar. She smiled at him, caressing his cheek with the back of her hand. In one swift motion, she thrust a large metal object into his stomach. He could not look away from her eyes, so full of hatred and disgust. The thumping in his ears grew louder as he opened his mouth to scream. The only sound that left his body was... the ringing of his cell phone?
Eyes snapping open, Tony began to hyperventilate. FRIDAY spoke over his panic - something along the lines of 'sir, you have a phone call. And I suggest that you take a moment to calm yourself. Your heart rate is higher than usual.'
Still half-asleep and blinded by this sudden attack of anxiety, Stark fumbled for his phone. He hit the answer button, followed by the speaker phone button. Hoarsely and through gritted teeth, he mumbled a sleepy, "What?"
The voice on the other end of the phone had Tony grounded instantly. It was sonorous, warm, and held a hiraeth that the billionaire had never experienced before. "I decided to call."
Of course, Tony recognized this voice. It was Stephen Strange, the rather odd character from earlier in the day. Stark tried to picture his face, but could think only of his constantly-changing eyes, so alluring and steadying. "Sorry, babe. I'm a little busy right now. Maybe we can flirt some other time." They were just words, of course. Tony liked to tease, even when on the verge of madness. His throat burned from suppressing tears, his face glistening with sweat from the light of the moon.
Stephen sighed deeply, massaging his temples to try and brush off the other's comments. "You sound awful." He tried to wrack his brain for a reason, and deduced that Tony must've had some sort of panic attack. "Anyway..."
Originally, Strange had called accidentally. He had typed the number out of curiosity. His grip on the phone suddenly failed him, most likely to do with his chronically shaking hands, and he had pressed 'call' completely by accident. However, hearing the poorly masked pain behind Tony's quip made him feel an inexplicable guilt. Like it was suddenly his job to make the other man feel better. What better way to do that than with a lie? "Are you really busy? Because I couldn't sleep and I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk with me." Okay, that could've been less weird.
There was a pause before Tony cracked a feeble grin and responded, "At 2 in the morning? I didn't know I left such an impression on you." He chewed his bottom lip for a moment, noticing how tightly he'd been holding his phone. Loosening his grip, Tony added, "Sure. We'll meet at Sunny's Side, for old time's sake. Oh wait," he joked, twirling his finger around in his blanket. "That was just this morning!"
Stephen smiled softly, suddenly feeling warm inside. It was like his veins were full of honey, sticky and sweet. His tone of voice changed drastically from curt to pleasant. "I'll see you soon."
............
* Magic takes a heavy toll on Strange's body, and he has to banish the pain and suffering from his body regularly. You can look it up for more info, but the gist is that the expelled emotion manifests into a sentient creature. It tries to eat Stephen and Wong at some point, so they lock it in the cellar.