Chapter 20: Diminuendo Chapters: No Time

"Why?" Tony asked a question. He wanted to know what the wizard prick wanted. Why was he visiting him in his dreams? Stephen Strange did not answer him.

He simply looked at their view that stretched far beyond the Kamar-taj.

"I felt a little something earlier. I know that it didn't belong to me. Are you with Christine right now?" Strange was beside him in his astral form. Tony knew good and well that meant his body was off somewhere else.

Strange was quiet. He was too quiet. But, he was the one that had waited for Tony to fall asleep. So, what was the hold up? Tony wondered that and he hugged his right knee.

"I'm with her right now. Yes." Strange walked with Christine for hours. They returned to his fancy apartment and they both washed away their journey. They stripped to nothing and headed for the fancy shower.

Now, Christine was asleep in his bed and Stephen was completely awake. Because of his training, he no longer slept. He only meditated when he needed to rest his mind. He was fully dressed and seated on his bedroom floor.

Strange couldn't tell her that he was going to die. He wanted to simply disappear. He thought that she was better off without him. Strange held those thoughts and he decided to seek out Tony in his dreams.

"You hooked up with your girl. So, WHY are you back here in my dreams? Why the dreamy kiss fest? Just tell me what is going on wizard." Tony needed to friggen know.

Strange was asked "why" again and he struggled to form an answer. He was very stubborn about it and unsure what to say. He only looked at Tony and asked himself that question a few times. He was with Christine. Strange really loved her and he felt more than a few things as he sat on that roof.

Strange just concluded that he had no idea what he was doing.

"I went inside your dreams to get some information. YOU are the one that started the kiss fest." Tony started it all. Strange wasn't sure if he remembered. But, that was irrelevant. He returned to Tony's dreams each night after that.

"You started it, but I continued it. I'm not sure why right now." He had several theories. The dominant one had to do with the fact that they were linked. Strange's body would burn and churn whenever Tony was up to no good. It affected him and after a while, it was gone.

Strange wanted to bottle it. He wanted to hold onto all of those emotions that he felt and study them. You can't exactly study things like that. You can only monitor and guess.

Tony decided to just listen for once. He took a page from Steve Roger's book and he waited for Strange to say more. He also looked him over and he wondered a few things about himself. Tony didn't remember starting anything.

But, Tony knew that he was a shameless flirt. He was a lustful sloozehound with no control. That was fact.

"I think I wanted something from you. But, it's too late for that now. I'll let you rest." What he said was his best explanation. He felt like what he wanted was still in development. Death awaited them so he decided that dwelling on it was stupid.

Tony wasn't satisfied with that explanation, so he sighed.

"Whatever Merlin. So, happy death day tomorrow then?" Tony acted like it was a birthday celebration instead. He still thought that the entire thing was insane. That bald Baba Yaga was going to wipe them all out and that was that. What a way to go.

And all over that dipshit Mandarin? Tony didn't think that he was that powerful. He understood that it was his desires that held the most power. His ideas and desires influenced so many people. It formed the Ten Rings and caused so much destruction.

Tony became lost in thought and Strange studied him. He took on a different appearance when he was thinking about something. Tony was calculating and questioning. He took on a different presence. He decided to pull him from his focus.

He leaned toward Tony. He caught his lips with his own and Strange started up that "dreamy kiss fest" again. This time, he couldn't feel it. Tony was not in his astral form. He was almost like a projection. His mind projected his own image in his dream. It was not astral or physical.

He was somewhat like a thought. A figment of imagination. Strange could only feel the affect that his behavior caused. He could feel Tony's reaction to the kiss. That was the something that Strange wanted to bottle up. Tony's emotions were off the charts.

At the same time, Tony could feel Strange's reaction. He couldn't physically feel the kiss. But, the rest of it, whoa.. it was almost waking him up. He kicked his legs in his sleep and Strange pulled back from the kiss. Tony slowly opened his eyes in the dream.

He fell back asleep and Strange softly smiled.

"I'll see you both tomorrow." He couldn't do his emotion research on Tony in the physical world. Steve Rogers would know about it. Strange had an odd fear of disappointing the soldier. Or, something like that?

He figured that Tony was taken somewhere else in his dream. Strange left his mind and let him sleep. He returned to his own body and he looked back at the bed.

Strange stood up and he tried to apply what he learned from all that research. He removed his training clothes and returned to his human ones. He had fancy clothing that was meant only for sleep. He put them on and he got into bed beside Christine.

Death Day arrived. Tony and Steve woke up as a unit. Tony was all twisted up around Steve and they both slept awkwardly. It was the shoes on their feet that made it awkward. Steve was the one that was awake the most and he looked down at their shoes.

He stretched his arms and his back and then he snuggled back up to Tony. Tony was always warm. His blood was red hot and they were on top of the blankets. That made the soldier feel cold.

Steve moved Tony. He brought Tony as close as he could so he could stay warm. Tony just complied and tried to warm him up to the best of his ability. He was still partially asleep. Tony felt like he didn't sleep AT ALL. His mind was too busy and it did not get any rest.

He brought his leg up and over Steve. He hugged him with his leg and tried to get him even closer. Get over hereeeee now now now. Tony wanted to squeeze him and stretch his own bones at the same time.

They were both waking up and it was difficult. They wanted to stay bundled up and warm.

Suddenly, Tony and Steve were forced to wake up. Their location changed and they both gasped very loudly. Their eyes flew open and they tried to untie the knots that they twisted themselves into.

They were transported from Malibu California all the way to Kathmandu. They hit the floor hard and the two of them began to sigh and groan because of it.

Fuckkkk thattt. Tony brought his face away from Steve's yummy neck and he looked around the Kamar-taj.

Up ahead, that damn wizard appeared at the same time they did. He landed on the floor as well. Tony noticed that he was in normie clothes. He looked like your average douchebag Joe. Just kidding, Stephen Strange had a unique look about him.

Steve popped his head out of his hiding place as well. He focused on one person. The Ancient One smiled at the scene.

"Good morning everyone. I hope you spent your time wisely? I will let you rise to your feet." She knew that they all needed a moment. The Ancient One looked at them individually.

She was happy to see Stephen in his normal clothing. She thought of what he needed to establish in order for him to be truly great. Tony and Steve uncoiled from each other. She looked at the soldier first. He was very useful and the Ancient One has a plan or two. Then she focused on the shortest member of the three.

She truly looked at Anthony Edward Stark. The Thanos killer. The replacement Mandarin. The Iron Man. She began to list all his titles and she secretly had one more for him.

All three men were up on their feet. They were spaced evenly apart and they all exchanged glances. Steven looked at Stephen, then they both looked at Tony. He looked at one and then the other. Then, Tony focused on the Ancient One.

"Are you all ready to die?" She asked them the ultimate question and she looked at them again. The Ancient One set her sights on her apprentice. He didn't look happy to die, but he did look ready.

She saw a few reluctant nods from the other two. But, she saw no reaction whatsoever from her stubborn protege.

"Are you ready Stephen? Do you understand why you have to die?" His path was very different from the Dr. Strange that existed in the future. Because of the Thanos Killer, his journey had been altered. The Ancient One felt like he needed the most work.

"I have to die because I screwed up. The Mandarin can affect me as well and I am a risk to others." He understood that but he didn't have to like it.

"That is correct. I have decided to alter that link you established with Anthony Stark. You now feel what both of them feel." She looked at Steve and Tony. They truly were a unit. She considered them a packaged deal.

Strange gave a very confused look and he turned his focus to the happy couple. Why the hell did she do that? He wondered and just glared in the Ancient One's direction. Strange began to feel a deep, sadness. He looked directly at Steve Rogers. That was how he felt in that moment.

"I could barely handle Tony's emotions. I can't be stuck with both of them. I'll go insane."

"You won't. Stop doubting me. I know what I am doing." The Ancient One almost rolled her eyes at Strange. His arrogance often irritated her but she let it go. She brought her hand upward and several things appeared before each person.

Tony stared at the objects in front of him. Each one of them had the same thing. It was familiar for Tony. SO, WHAT THE FUCK?! The objects were set at their feet. Steve stepped toward it and he scratched his head.

He saw a wooden bucket filled with water, a scrubber, and some floor suds.

"The three of you are training with me. None of you can go home until your training is done. You're technology will not help you leave. I won't allow it. You also have no chunky baby son, no school-bound daughter, and no love-sick nurses to call upon. You can't have those things when you are no longer alive. Do you all understand?"

The Ancient One simply smiled and several jaws dropped. She had a plan for each of them. It was a missed opportunity for the ones that existed in the future. The Ancient One followed the story after she handed over her infinity stone to the Incredible Hulk.

It was returned to her, and she was informed of the aftermath of the battle. The Thanos Killer did it twice. But, he lost his life in one scenario. She decided several things when she discovered the outcome, and now there they were.

"The Kamar-taj needs a good scrub. We can discuss it later this evening." She had other people there that were being trained. The Ancient One changed her focus and she left them to get to work.

It was immediately quiet in the room. Steve could actually see some dust and dirt in the corners. He picked up the bucket and headed toward it. Tony almost laughed.

STEVE WAS JOKING?! RIGHT?! He looked like he was about to start scrubbing the floor. Oh hell no. Tony was quiet for ten whole seconds. He watched Steve head to one side of the room and just do as he was told.

"STEVE, you're not scrubbing these damn floors." Get the fuck back up off that floor! Tony wanted to scream and yank him up. It was all a bunch of bullshit. Tony planned to march back to the Ancient One and demand some... things.

"TONY, we're alive. Haven't you noticed that? So, get your ass down here and scrub. I'm not going to argue with anyone. I want to do what she says and go home." Steve invoked some logic into the situation. He scrubbed.

Tony slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead and he exhaled all his anger like a dragon. He gripped his own hair and he glanced over at the third individual. That dream kisser was off on his lonesome, looking like he had just been hit by a train.

Strange held onto his bucket and he stared at the floor. Tony scowled very loudly and he dropped down to the floor beside Steve. He roughly started to scrub around. He thought, fuck this. He scrubbed, scrubbed, and scrubbed. Steve mainly detail scrubbed and Tony just swished the dirt around in an enormous rage.

Strange looked over at them both. The pair just scrubbed away and Strange tried to make sense of it all. Yes, they were all alive. He tried to stop thinking about it so he picked up the sponge from the bucket.

He squeezed it in his hand and stared. He said nothing and just poured a small amount of the water into the floor. Strange slowly headed to the floor's level and he began to scrub the part with the water.

Steve glanced in his direction. He saw Strange scrub the floor and Steve thought about several things. First thing, he didn't know Dr. Strange at all. He knew information about him through word of mouth and all the trouble that Tony put himself in. The word of mouth information was how he was able to determine that his hands were a weakness and Steve just went from there.

When they fought on Asgard, he got lucky based off of the only information that he had on him. If Strange was at a certain point in his training, the fear of his hands being hurt again wouldn't have existed any longer. Strange rids himself of that fear at a certain time in his life.

Second thing, it was obvious to Steve that the Ancient One was determined to use them for Strange's benefit. She was forcing him to feel their emotions. Steve had to wonder why. He figured that Stephen Strange lacked empathy. Steve determined that it was the sorcerer's Achilles heel. He must have built a barrier or just overlooked emotions as he grew up.

That explained his inability to show emotion. Steve continued to scrub and he continued to study the person on the other side of the room.

Third thing, Steve began to contemplate the fact that Strange visited Tony in his sleep. Tony told him that he showed up in his dreams and they had been sharing some emotional encounters in some dream world. They weren't children any longer. If he was the Steve Rogers that he was when he was in his twenties then, he would have just knocked Strange through the floor.

Or, he would have shattered him against a wall like a cheap lamp. He was technically kissing on his little red corvette after all.

No, Steve wasn't like that anymore. He thought that it had to do with his lack of empathy. Tony's emotions needed to be studied. Literally, studied in a lab and written about in textbooks. Steve figured that Strange was trying to understand what Tony made him feel. Maybe, he wasn't ready to feel it physically. Out in the real world where he could be seen.

Steve thought of that and he paused his scrubbing. Strange noticed that he was being stared at and he looked up from his sponge. Steven stared at Stephen. After a moment or two Tony tossed that sponge in the bucket. He made the loudest and the most irritated sigh that was ever constructed. He didn't notice the two other men size each other up or something.

Strange stared at Tony. He was SO. FRIGGEN. LOUD. He couldn't believe how noisy he was and he watched him snatch that sponge back up. Steve smiled at Tony's behavior and he just went back to work. The soldier focused on his task and that was that.

Chapter End:
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