Rare PAIRING AHA. for some reason I always see like an early morning groggy Tony and an acute, awake, and active Strange and I cry because imagine Strange herding Tony around and shaving his beard and asking Tony to sleepily sing (I imagine in Italian but whatever works y'know!) to hiM WHILE THEY MAKE BREAKFAST AND AHHHH

The transition from asleep to awake was always a quick process for Stephen Strange. For most people, waking up is a process, sometimes it awareness. Your mind and soul coming together again, conscious thought that is similar to narrating type of awareness. Then it's about waking your muscles, those miniature stretches that let you know you're once again in control of your body. Then it's just a matter of accepting wakefulness, blinking into reality.

For Stephen, it's nothing like that. Think of those movies or times when you have a vivid dream or nightmare. Not the one that has you tossing and turning but the other kind where you go from a comatose state to shooting straight up in bed. Now take away the dream, the heart racing adrenaline but keep the 0 to 10 in under a second wake up, well now you have a typical morning for Strange.

Take this morning for example, Stephen had been resting peacefully, completely unaware of his surroundings. A second later and his eyes were shooting up, muscles tensing and releasing as soon as they clenched. There was no danger and he hadn't been dreaming, just one moment he was asleep and the next he was staring at warm brown locks of hair.

Tony slept on, unaware of his sleeping partner's sudden wakefulness, possibly far to use to his boyfriend's sleeping quirks or just that far gone in his own slumber.

Stephen paused a moment to attach himself to this reality and admire his sleeping lover. He was wide awake now and no chance of getting back to sleep so he gently crept out of bed. A quick check of the time told him he had the bathroom to himself for the next 17 minutes before the alarm clock would wake Tony. This was fine, he had showered before bed and that time frame gave him plenty of time to get ready for the day before Tony got up.

With silent footsteps he went to the bathroom, relieving his bladder and then turning to the sink. His beard was still nicely trimmed, no noticeable stubble which meant he was fine to go another day without shaving. Happy he brushed his teeth and washed face. Then he grabbed a comb and fixed his hair into something a little more presentable. One last look-over in the mirror he left the bathroom for the walk in closet. When he had moved in with Tony three months ago his boyfriend had moved all his belongs around so that Stephen got the right side while Tony maintained the left. At first he insisted that he didn't need that much space but after many shopping trips with his lover he's found that he's started to fill what space was available.

He picked a pair of comfortable jeans, dark blue and a black long sleeve shirt since there was a biting chill in the coming fall air. Hesitating over a pair of socks he remember he didn't need to be anywhere important for some time so he disregarding any footwear and scooped up some boxer briefs.

He was in the middle of putting his leg in his pant leg when he heard the alarm clock sound. Slipping the other leg in and buttoning up he went back into the bedroom. Tony was sitting on the edge of the bed, clad in nothing but his boxer briefs and crouched forward with his head in his hands.

He approached his drowsy boyfriend smiling, "Good morning sweetheart."

The billionaire grumbled, hands rubbing his face some more, "Mornin'." His hands dropped to his lap and he tilted his head back to look at him, eyes barely open and still blurry. The ex-surgeon chuckled on his breath and then herded his sleepy lover in the bathroom. Trusting his boyfriend to take care of the simpler tasks, he returned to the closet to pick out some day clothes for him. Jeans, t-shirt, undershirt and a fresh pair of underwear in his arms he left the closet to lay them on the bed and then check on Tony.

He could hear the sink faucet running and feeling it was safe to assume he wasn't using the toilet he opened the door and let himself in. Tony was putting away his toothbrush and contemplating his beard. Stumble was coming in thick and if he didn't want to look homeless he would need to shave. Both having come to the same conclusion, Tony turned to him with big pleading eyes.

"Yes, okay, sit on the sink." He gave the smaller man an indulgent smile while he did as told. He quickly retrieved the shaving kit and set to work. Spread cream around his neck, under his chin and on his cheeks. With a dry towel around his shoulders and warm water pouring out of the sink he set to work. He tilted Tony's head back and carefully dragged the razor along his neck. He took his time, not wanting to cut the skin.

It was like that for a while, Stephen carefully shaving Tony and Tony content to just let the man move his head as he needed and close his eyes. The silence was comfortable between them, the only sound coming from the faucet but they didn't mind.

When Stephen finished and cleaned Tony's face of an excess cream he stepped back to admire his handiwork. "Okay, you're done. Go get dressed and then meet me in the kitchen, eggs and bacon good with you?"

"Mmhmmm." A lazy smile was playing across Tony's face, he looked like he could fall asleep right there sitting on the bathroom sink.

"Go on lazy butt, don't think I wouldn't eat without you, because I will." He helped him down from his perch and then followed him out of the bathroom. Standing by the bedroom door he waited for Tony to reach for his clothes before making his way to the kitchen.

Standing in front of the opened fridge and grabbing necessary ingredients he noticed that he had been humming to himself. "JARVIS, would you put on some light music please?"

"Certainly, Dr. Strange." Soft guitar sounds circulated the kitchen and Stephen got back to work. He was humming along to the tune, lost in place bacon in the pan that he almost missed when the lyrics not only started coming from the house speakers, but from Tony himself.

I pezzi di vetro sparsi per terra
tornano di nuovo vicini
risalgono l'aria

sullo scaffale riappare un bicchiere
Ecco

la barca persa nella tempesta
ha eliche che girano al contrario
naviga indietro nella sua scia
e torna salva nel porto
Ecco

Tony was standing beside him now, grinning at him. "Come here you." He reached out and brought his lover closer so that he was under his arm and pressed tight along his side. "I love you, you know that right?" He was smiling down at those chocolate orbs that you could get stuck in for hours.

Tony stared up at him, head tilted back against the arm he had wrapped around his shoulders, "Sì, e ti amo troppo." Yes, and I love you too.

The song I picked was completely random but its called Ecco by Niccolo Fabi. Translations came from google.