Chapter 19: Diminuendo Chapters: Wish You Were Here
Howard Stark opened the door to the Stark family home. He looked down at the growing family that stood at the entrance. Sarah greeted him first, Whitney followed behind and she held Byron in her arms. Steve and Tony entered together and they both held looks of confusion and sorrow.
They didn't know how to tell everyone. They had 24 hours and they decided that the Stark home was where they both wanted to be. They considered that to be their starting point. They first met in that house. Their feelings toward one another had developed right there underneath that roof.
The two of them shared so many good times there, and some really hard times. Tony thought of that as he looked at every corner of the house. He looked at every detail with a completely different perspective.
Tony hugged his father and he smiled. Howard pulled Steve into the hug as well. It felt a little doom and gloom. Howard didn't like it one bit.
"Maria." Steve smiled at Tony's mother and he made his way to her. Steve considered Tony's parents to be his parents. He never mentioned it but he adopted them years ago. They took him into that warm home and Steve really never wanted to leave. He loved it there so he just hugged on Maria. Tony continued to hug his father. He did not want to let him go.
"What's wrong kid?" Howard tried to get the scoop. He quietly whispered the question to his son and Tony just laughed it all off. He still called him a kid. Tony loved it. He went straight for his mother as soon as he could.
Whitney was the only one that knew the situation. She was very shocked and sad. She could not imagine the drama boys not being in her life. Whitney refused to believe it was a reality. She knew that Sarah was going to flip out. She couldn't even look at Steve and Tony.
She focused on Byron as best she could until Steve took him away. Steve became unable to talk to anyone. He took Byron to his old bedroom and he closed the door behind him.
Steve was very upset and he didn't know how to face any of it. He just took his son away from the group and he decided to park them both on the bedroom floor. Steve shifted downward onto his back and his son tried to wrestle with him.
Byron was very young. Steve felt like something in his life was being robbed from him yet again. He faked a smile and played on the floor with his son. After the thoughts of his twenty four hour deadline seeped back into his mind, Steve began to cry. He wiped his face as best he could.
He really only wanted to hold Byron. So, he brought his son to his chest and he gently held him. Byron loved hugs. That baby made a few beautiful approving sounds and he started to chew on his father's shirt. Steve remained in place and he just listened to the sound of his son's heart beat.
Back in the front of the house, Maria and all the rest began to question Tony. They knew something was wrong because of Steve's behavior. Tony glanced in the direction of the bedrooms when he could but, he decided to just tell them the insane story.
"Maybe we should head to the living room? You'll want to be seated when I tell you." Tony knew that it all seemed dramatic. He glanced at Whitney. The woman looked back at him and she stared with disbelief. One minute she was feeding a beautiful blonde headed baby and the next minute she was told they were both going to die.
It was beyond comprehension. Tony led the group to the living room and his mother asked if any of them wanted snacks. Tony could tell that his mother was nervous. He sat down on one of the chairs and he watched his mother.
"Mom, it's fine. We can eat later. Steve and I have something to tell you. I don't think we're going to see him for a while so.. I'll just say it." Tony watched his mother take a seat beside Howard.
Sarah was too quiet. Tony looked at his beautiful daughter and he began to smile. She had let her hair grow out. He stared at her natural brunette hair and Tony took it as some form of acceptance. He tried not to think too much into it but he was happy to see her hair that way.
There was no hiding her Stark features any longer. Tony cleared his throat and he scratched his neck. He started to explain from the beginning. He began telling them things that they never really knew about the Mandarin.
Only Steve and Whitney knew how much Tony had really struggled when it came to the cave, the rings, the armor, the whole Mandarin enchilada. Tony had struggled with all of it for a very long time, and apparently his goose was cooked.
~~~~/~~~~
Dr. Strange handled the news of his upcoming demise very differently than the other two. He didn't have a beautiful family to go to. His parents were gone and so were his two siblings. He buried himself in his work so he could forget the people that he was obviously unable to save.
He buried himself deep in materialism, work, and status gathering to such an extent that he forgot that he was human. That pesky car accident reminded him that he was human. And now, he was on a different path.
He wondered if he was just doing the same thing with the Mystic Arts? Was he just trying to be the best at it, like before, as a neurosurgeon? Strange had less than twenty four hours to contemplate it.
He thought about what Tony said to him. Strange really hated to hear Tony's opinion because he failed to notice things in that perspective.
Strange closed his eyes and he remained on his bed. He heard the apartment door open. Christine Palmer let herself in and she immediately looked around for him.
"Stephen?" She thought that he might have been out on the balcony? She headed that way but then she saw that his bedroom door was open. Christine hesitated and then she headed in that direction. She opened the door the rest of the way and she walked into the room.
She saw Strange on the bed. Christine wasn't sure what he wanted to tell her, or what he wanted to do? She walked toward the bed regardless and she just sat down.
He was in those odd looking clothes. Christine looked them over and Strange finally glanced in her direction. He came into her life in waves. He was gone for months at a time, then he'd wash back up out of nowhere. Over and over he came back then like always, he disappeared.
Christine wanted to see him everyday. She knew that it was probably impossible, but, she wished that she could. The woman forced away some stray hair that was caught on her face and she just waited for him to say something.
Anything? He called her and said that he had something to tell her. So she just.. went over. The last encounter she had with him was still fresh in her mind. He was finally intimate with her and she wasn't sure what brought it all on. It had been a very long time for the both of them. He was a very different person.. so.. it was unexpected.
"Thank you Christine. For, always being there." Strange said the first thing that came to his mind. He stared at his hands for a moment and then he looked outside the giant windows of his bedroom.
The woman was shocked. Her eyes were wide and her breath got caught somewhere in her body. She failed to respond for a good while. Strange brought his knee up to his chest and he adjusted the blue straps that covered his boots. He remained quiet for a short while as he contemplated when he wanted to tell Christine.
The sorcerer had too much on his mind. He looked outside the window again and thought that some fresh air would help him focus. He had just been stripped of his shiny new title, and he was also going to be stripped of his life. Strange didn't think that there was any loophole to get himself out of the mess he was in.
The Ancient One never lied... right? He figured being an Ancient One, or a Sorcerer Supreme meant that you had to have some level of a true honesty. He didn't know where he picked up that idea, but it felt right in his mind.
"Would you like to go out. Outside? Out there with me, Christine?" Stephen looked at her and he pointed at the window. The woman looked at that giant window and she nodded her head. Of course she did.
"Ok. Yes, let's go." Something seemed really wrong with the person in front of her. He looked very deep in thought and even somewhat emotional. She wasn't sure if he'd open up to her but she had to try. Christine stood up and she waited for Strange. He released his knee and he stood up from his perched position.
They both left the fancy apartment and they headed off down the street. Strange had no direction to head toward. He just walked and Christine followed beside him. He started to look around his home. He used to buzz in and out of the garage and drive right on by everything that was around him.
He never stopped. He never looked. And, he never cared.
Christine wanted to fill the silence between them with something. She tried to think of something to say. She wanted to bring up someone from work, but many of the people that Strange knew from work had been moved to a different shift or transferred to a different hospital.
She didn't think that he knew anyone that worked there. Outside of their work environment, she knew that Strange didn't have a single friend to call upon. Christine had no idea who he spent his time with when he wore those mystical, karate-like clothing either. So, the woman struggled to find some content.
The only commonality at that moment was the fact that he wanted her to be there, and there she was. Christine had to build from that.
"Stephen, I.." She attempted to speak but the sorcerer stopped in the middle of his step. He saw a man asleep on the street. Dr. Strange stared at him and Christine followed where his eyes were fixated. She saw the man as well and her head began to droop down.
He wanted to use the Eye of Agamotto. Strange was compelled to turn back the clock on that man's life and find out exactly how he got to where he was. He wanted to see it in a backward sequence and look at the person that was beneath all the dirt covered clothing.
His chest began to hurt. Strange thought at first that he was feeling Tony's emotions. He knew that Tony Stark was off somewhere dealing with his impending doom in a completely different way. Strange touched his chest and Christine walked away.
"I'll get him something. Uhh, wait here." He was so affected. Christine normally felt that way when she saw someone on the street. But, Stephen's demeanor was completely different. She walked into the little market that sold expensive cigarettes and liquor. She bought some jerky and a bag of trail mix and a large bottle of water.
She headed back to Strange and he watched her set it beside the person. The man was asleep. Christine looked him over just to be sure and then she turned her focus back to Dr. Strange. His mind was like an over-filled jug. It couldn't take anything more and he needed to keep moving.
"I don't know what I'm doing Christine." Strange seriously thought that he had everything figured out. The truth was, he didn't know how to help the man on the street. He didn't know how to really help anyone. He knew how to surgically fix things. And now, he could magically fix things. But, what good was he?
"Stephen, no one knows what they are doing. You just do and gravitate to what you're good at. You gravitate to things and people that hopefully make you happy. I guess? I just said that no one knows what they are doing so.." She trailed her thought off and Strange turned away.
He closed his eyes for a moment and headed up the street again. This time, Christine got a bit braver. She felt like she was unable to really establish any sort of communication with him. It didn't feel like it was the right time. So, she tried the next best thing.
When they walked side by side, Christine Palmer took his hand. She nonchalantly held it as if it had always been there. She smiled a little and Stephen Strange looked down at his hand. He welcomed the contact and he brought his eyes to her face.
~~~~/~~~~
Steve slowly rose up from the floor of his old bedroom. Bryon fell asleep in his arms almost immediately. He just listened to his son sleep and dream little baby dreams.
He wondered what his son dreamt about. He hoped it was about his favorite crocodile. The stuffed animal that was given to Byron in the hospital. Steve thought that the two of them had little adventures together in his dreams.
The thought of that made the soldier happy. It made him so happy that he began to cry again. It took Steve an eternity to leave the bedroom, but he did. He knew that everyone had been told the news as soon as he walked out into the expanse of the home.
Howard was the biggest mess. He really took the loss of the older Tony hard. So the thought of outliving his younger son AND Steve was too much for him. He needed to break things in his lab. Tony remained with him and he tried to stop his father before he hurt himself or some shit.
Sarah refused to believe it. She demanded answers and tried to cook up some sort of solution. She cursed Dr. Strange and blamed everything on him. She still thought that he betrayed her. Sarah pitched an idea that if the Ancient One stopped their hearts then they could make something to kick it back into gear.
She tried to plan it out but Steve woudn't listen. He didn't want to spend his time trying to whip up and escape route. He wanted to hold his sleeping son and be present with everyone.
Steve held Byron in his arms and he looked at his beautiful daughter. He didn't like her looking bitter. It really didn't suit her. Steve told Sarah to just hug him and she tried to fight back her tears.
The family had dinner. It was the quietest it had ever been in the house. It was so quiet Tony could actually hear everyone eating. ! He could not take it and that was not how he wanted to spend his final hours with his family. No way.
Unfortunately for Tony, that was the way that it had to be. Steve was in a very somber mood and it affected the rest of the group. Tony thought KARAOKE would help. He actually pitched that idea. yeah, it really didn't go over well.
The hours disappeared. The day was gone. It was late in the night and Steve was with Whitney and Byron in his old bedroom. Tony was in his old bedroom with Sarah. He was on his bed and he looked up at his ceiling. Sarah looked at the random stuff on her father's walls and continuously pitched idea after idea after idea as they came to her mind.
She felt like they were just giving up. WHO JUST, GIVES UP?
"Sarah, nothing we can cook up will cancel out what those wizard people can do. It's science versus magic. Magic is a force that really can't be messed with. Trust me, I've tried to cancel out what Dr. Strange has done to my tech. If Mrs. Clean wants us dead, it's gunna happen." He had to tell her how it was. Tony was completely unprepared.
He was glad that DR. DAMN STRANGE was about to join them in hell. But Steve? Tony absolutely was not cool with Steve being dragged into the mix. That was too much and it wasn't fair. Tony's eyes filled with tears. He wiped the tears away and he felt something stir around in his chest.
He sat up and stared to his left. Sarah noticed his blank stare and she gave a look of concern. Tony rolled his eyes and he relaxed back down on the bed. Fuckin wizard... Tony knew that what he felt were Strange's emotions. He decided to have some FOR ONCE. Tony was so happy he got to tell him how he felt.
Sarah and Tony heard a knock on the door. They both looked over at the dart board door and Sarah opened it up. Steve slowly stepped into the room. Byron was asleep for the rest of the night and Steve couldn't look at him any longer. He was upsetting himself over and over. He needed to change his focus. His heart hurt and he had a sharp pain in his mind.
It was called a headache. Steve wanted it gone. He zombied his way into the bedroom and he just took his place beside Tony on the bed. Out of everyone in the house, Steve Rogers said the least. Even Byron said more with his baby talk. Tony looked at his main man and he sighed. Steve was a mess.
Sarah looked at both of her fawmers. Holy hell, she had to turn away. Sarah was seconds away from a freak out. She headed out of the room and hunted down her grandfather. She knew that Howard would listen to her ideas. Sarah thought that he would help her.
Tony kissed Steve on the forehead. He remembered the one and only time Steve Rogers was in that bed. It was on his eighteenth birthday. Tony thought about all that shit and he started to fix Steve's perfect hair. He figured that Byron messed it up or something.
"You look tired Steve. Stop thinking about it all and just get some sleep." Tony hated to see him so upset. Tony was equally upset, but the death of his older self changed something within him. Tony had accepted the crazy as fuck, kamikaze death that was ahead of him. He thought that he was fated to go out with a bang. Someday, some way.
"Not tired. I could go all night." Steve repeated something that Tony said to him a long time ago. Steve smiled as he said it and his eyes were closed. His mind was exhausted.
"Well, I love you Steve. We'll just look death in the face tomorrow and blow it a kiss mmmhhkay?" Tony just summed it all up in his own unique way. Steve smiled again and he felt two warm lips touch his. He returned the contact until it felt like the right time to part.
"Sure. Sounds good Tony. I love you too." Steve wanted to go to sleep. He thought that it was all going to be a dream when he woke up the next day. Byron wouldn't have to grow up without him and have questions about him someday. That thought wouldn't leave the soldier's mind.
Eventually, his mind eased up and sleep took him somewhere else. Tony took a long time to join him, but he did. They both fell asleep fully dressed, wearing shoes, and without any blankets. They also left Tony's bedroom light on. The room was bright and they were both out cold.
When Tony reached a deep sleep his mind awakened to a familiar scene. He looked at the rooftop of the Kamar-Taj. Tony woke up in his dream, not in his body, and he looked to his left. Beside him sat Stephen Strange. Not "Doctor" Strange, not wizard, not sorcerer, not a single title was listed in that person's mind.
He was simply Stephen Strange. He felt like he was stripped of all his titles and accomplishments. The Ancient One took his sling ring and his cloak. Strange took that as a demotion, but the abilities he learned could not be taken away. Those skills were learned and earned. He couldn't just "un-learn" them.
So there he was, in his astral form. He sat beside Tony in his dream and he looked at him.
"I'm sorry Tony." Strange couldn't bring his eyes up to Tony's level at that point. He could feel his anger.
"Were you waiting for me here?" Tony held off on his sarcasm for a moment and he just studied the person to his left. Strange nodded his head several times and then he vocalized the same thing.
"Yes." He finally had the courage to bring his eyes up to Tony's level. Strange felt like he had to somehow get on Stark's level. He wondered if he was capable of doing what he did for humanity. Strange thought of that as he stared at his face.
Tony had a few questions. He drew his bottom lip into his mouth instead and just thought about a bunch of shit. He glanced back at Strange and wondered what he wanted. He wondered about all their DREAM KISSING. Tony brought his hand up to his lip like before. It was friggen trippy.
It felt like numerous explanations and apologies were in order, but Strange only managed to say the word, yes.
Chapter END:
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