Chapter 24: Diminuendo Chapters: All We Have Is Now (Part Three)
It was such a turn on for Tony to hear the sound of metal clinking together. There were plenty of new interesting trinkets and toys to play with down in the dark depths of the Kamar-taj.
He had no technology to be his amazing fwiend. But, he made it work. He organized and cleaned up his new shop. He didn't even know what half the shit was, but he was a smart boi and he planned to figure it all out.
Tony lost track of the amount of time he spent down in his new hideout. He knew that it had been hours but who was counting? He heard footsteps. Tony looked up just in time to see that douchebag wizard show his face.
"Appointment only. Sorry." Tony wasn't in the mood for anything that Strange had to offer. He was lost in thought about all the cobwebs he had to get down and his mid was also on Steve.
It felt like they were at a bit of a crossroads. I mean, the family man really had to think the decision through.
Strange walked up to the work table and he held something in his arms. Tony slowly looked up at him.
Hi.
He looked back down at the table and busied himself with the majestic gizmos.
"Where's my Mandarin armor?" That, was the ultimate question. Strange smiled. He slowly walked over to Tony's side of the table. The brunette looked at the stuff he was carrying.
"I had a nice chat with the Ancient One. That whole Mandarin thing was one big gigantic lie, she will not release me from the emotions of the two of you, I had no idea that I will watch Christine grow old and eventually DIE, and ...this is for you."
Stephen held out what was in his arms and Tony cleared his throat. That was an interesting set up. Tony arched his eyebrow and he looked at the goods. It was some sort of orangish red, potato sack?
"What the hell is that?" Tony wanted to poke it because something might have been alive and wrapped up in it. He didn't trust Stephen shit-face Strange.
The demoted sorcerer tried to hand it to him. Tony did not accept it. He just stared at it and he glared up at his face.
"Oh, so I'm worthy of THAT? Set it on the table, WIZARD." Tony almost turned around. He had an irritated tone and for once, Strange kinda didn't looked annoyed with him.
"..."
Strange gave him nothing. He just stood there and waited for Tony to stop acting like a child. Tony took his silence to heart and he glared at the stupid thing in his hand. Tony snatched it and he avoided his stare.
"WOW, I must really get on your last nerve or something. You're really bothered by my presence, aren't you?" Tony just had to ask.
He was getting some sort of vibesss. Strange looked at what he gave Tony and then he looked at his face. The demoted sorcerer thought about his response and he became pretty quiet.
"No."
His voice was very soft. He responded to Tony and he felt a little awkward about it. He wasn't bothered by Tony at all. But, he knew that it looked like a contradiction to his behavior.
He just gave Tony that remark and Strange focused on one of the objects on the table. The place looked so different. Tony had everything organized and in a proper place.
It looked like it could actually function at some point. Strange looked back at Tony when he began to feel his chest warm up. He noticed that his face warmed up as well. Tony was very silent because he expected a completely different response.
"I can't.. I can't accept it." Tony tried to hand it all back to him. Tony shoved the thing toward MERLIN and Strange arched his eyebrow high.
"...what?" The demoted sorcerer was very confused.
"Your gift. I can't accept it. Thank you very much but, I can't." Tony wanted him to TAKE OFF. Take your shit and go. Strange felt more than a few things buzzing around in his body. He looked at Tony's face again and then he looked at the items in his hands.
The taller man inhaled an exhausted breath and he closed his eyes temporarily. When it all really registered he gave a short laugh.
"It's.. Tony, this is for you from the Ancient One. I've been told to bring it to you. You have to wear it for the alignment. It's a tradition." Stephen Strange tried to hand it to him again. Tony felt like an idiot so he accepted the friggen stuff.
It was a weird looking orangish red outfit.
"I didn't give you.. a gift." Dr. Strange found that to be hilarious. Tony felt stupid immediately and he backed up a bit.
"RIGHT. I knew that. Thank you." Now, BYE. Tony turned away and he looked at the weird garment. He just unfolded it and his hands shook a little. Tony was nervous, or whatever.
How friggen stupid could he be? He reaaaaallllyy didn't translate Strange's behavior correctly. Tony just tried to focus on the potato sack. It looked ancient. He glanced back at wizardo the not-so-great and Tony cleared his throat again.
"The Ancient One is preparing for tomorrow. She intends to align us all when she's ready."
"Whoa there pal. Steve still has to make his decision. I fully intend to wait for him. Don't go rushing shit." Tony snapped back around and he stepped closer to Strange.
He wanted to drive his point home. Strange stared down at his face again and then he took a step backward. He turned around and began to head up the stairs.
"You're lover came back a few hours ago. He's been talking to the Ancient One and sketching a tree. Didn't anyone tell you?" Strange rolled those eyes as he headed up.
Tony dropped the Ancient RAGS and he booked it up the stairs. He burst by Strange. He flew up those steps with the greatest of ease. Tony climbed up approximately, fifteen steep steps. And then, he slowly started to DIE inside. He needed to tell himself to inhale and breathe out. Inhale, breathe out.
He heard Strange laugh loudly. That prick sorcerer walked up the steps and he smirked when he walked by Tony. Tony was wheezing. He glared and reeeeallly thought hard about punching him on the head.
Tony caught his second wind and he BOOKED IT AS FAST AS HE COULD. Away he went and he ignored that quiet laugh that he heard. Tony hurried over to the tree. He came to a screeching stop and he looked at his hubby.
Steve was there. He was sketching just like that schmuck bucket said. Tony was in disbelief. He closed the distance and Steve rose to his feet. He was seated and sketching.
The soldier smiled at Tony and he closed his notebook.
"I had a long trip home. I thought about everything and.. I want to do this with you Tony." Steve decided that he would see Byron in a few days. He couldn't do it at that time.
Tony was fucking shocked. His mouth was open and he stared at that beautiful person in front of him. He didn't think that Steve was going to join him. Tony's heart filled to the brim and he started to step over to Steve.
He didn't ask him anything. He just headed toward him and his smile was so ridiculously wide. Steve pointed at the place where he was seated. Tony saw two duffle bags and he smiled again.
"I brought some of our stuff. Socks, playing cards, your camera, and you know.. the good stuff." Steve raised his shoulders upward and he felt Tony's arms slip around his waist.
He gave into Tony's warm embrace and he kissed him right on the forehead. Steve spoke with the Ancient One immediately when he returned. He was given additional information and then she left to prepare for the alignment ritual.
Steve was given a blue garment and was told that a room was being set up for him. Steve was bunked up right next door to Strange and, the rooms weren't meant to be shared. Steve didn't mind all that. He was thankful for the space. He did expect Tony to sneak into his room.
That was just typical of Tony. Steve had a feeling Tony would sneak right in, especially after Steve finalized his decision to stay there with him. Steve knew that he had a tough battle in his future because Tony was clearly put in a mood.
Steve did his best to ignore it. He went about his business at the Kamar-taj and just tried to sink himself in.
Steve also did not see Stephen Strange much after he returned. He only saw him briefly when he was told to bring him the ritual garment. The soldier was hoping to catch up with him and talk some more but, the sorcerer seemed to have a lot on his mind.
He was properly introduced to the other people at the Kamar-taj. Steve began to get to know Wong and he was given an in-depth tour of the place.
Steve still didn't see Strange when they all ate dinner. A solid ten individuals all lived at the Kamar-taj and trained there. Wong informed Steve that Dr. Strange wasn't very social. He checked out a few books from the library and Wong didn't expect to see him until the ritual.
He explained all of that to Steve. Steve just took it how it all came and he set up a card game. Steve, Wong, Tony, and another person in training all played cards together to pass the time.
Wong was correct. Strange wasn't very social and he was reading over several spells that linked emotions. He wanted to undo what the Ancient One had done to him.
He was also reading up on the ritual that was going to be performed on them all. Strange wanted to really understand the physical affects it had on the human body.
Channeling the power of the entity caused the human not to age. That made sense and that was how the Ancient One remained, Ancient.
Strange ate an apple all on his lonesome and he read a few more things. His heart stopped for a moment and he gasped. Strange almost dropped his apple.
He felt..
It was very late at night. It was just after 2 AM. Strange lost his focus on his reading because he began to feel ...
Strange covered his face and he exhaled into his hand. That little bastard was at it again. SERIOUSLY? He was as bad as a rabbit. It frustrated Strange so badly and he knew that Tony did it on purpose.
Tony admitted that fact to him. The issue with all the feelings were even worse for Strange this time. He could feel Steve's emotions as well for that round. And, Strange could actually hear the two of them.
He glanced to his left and then he forced his eyes to close. They were obviously trying to keep it down but that WAS VERY IMPOSSIBLE. Strange could feel them, he could hear them, and he wanted them OUT of his mind.
Strange began to think that he might have been imagining it? Why the hell would he imagine it... it was happening right there at the Kamar-taj.
Strange wanted to burst out of that room and pound on their door. I mean, how rude. He didn't do it. He knew that Steve Rogers wasn't a rude person.
Strange knew that. So, it was obvious that TONY seduced him just to make sure that he felt a bunch of bullshit. It wasn't fair. Strange rubbed at his face and he thought about something else.
Those two were so connected. He had never seen anything like it in his life. How does a couple GET that way? He felt so disconnected and it really freaked him out.
He heard some very muffled sounds and it was clearly Tony Stark. That made the demoted sorcerer glance to his left again. He stared at the wall and then he shifted his legs, somewhat.
When he heard certain sounds from Tony he froze up a bit. Strange stood up and he swallowed down everything he had. He tried to force away everything that he heard and felt..
He kept staring at that damn wall. He tried not to imagine what was happening. He started to imagine Tony. His eyes flew open wide. Strange had to go. He began to think of things the moment he heard things and he blamed all the things on the ridiculous link. He grabbed his apple and his books. Then, he walked out of his room.
He headed straight for the library and he almost dropped the books in front of Wong. Wong gave Strange an odd look and then he removed one of his earbuds.
"You look like shit."
"Thanks. You're a doll. I need something else. This? this, didn't cut it." Strange didn't wait for a response. He headed toward one of the sections that he was familiar with and he cracked his knee on some shit that was in his way.
The path to the books wasn't clear and Stephen glared down at what he walked into.
"That's the re-stock cart. If you start putting the books away YOURSELF then it wouldn't be there." Wong gave Strange some more of his sarcasm and he tuned back to his music.
Strange just tried to ignore everything that he was forced to feel and he took off down a different path. He could still feel what they were doing and he had to grab one of the bookshelves.
Christ. He didn't have his cloak and he didn't have his sling ring. He thought that he could teleport somewhere? He really needed to get the hell out of there.
No matter where he went.. Strange knew that he would still feel it. He hated to feel it. He hated it so much because it felt, really good. He began to really process what he felt and it actually scared him.
He stared at the book in his hands. Strange opened it and hunted for a spell. Wong began to focus on his, friend? At that point they were only allies. Strange was one of his only visitors. They both lived in that library.
"Strange?" He didn't hear any movement so he began to get pretty worried. Strange thought about Tony's reaction. The gift thing was on his mind. He heard Wong's voice and he stood up straight.
"Yeah. Wong relax, I'm here. This spell. This one right here." Strange flipped to a page and he began to mumble several things to himself.
Wong thought that Strange's behavior was odd. He thought that the sorcerer looked a bit ill. His face was all red and he had some sweat on his forehead.
He was going to ask him if he felt alright. Nah, Wong turned back to his own reading material. Strange was insane, that summed it up.
The demoted sorcerer continued to mumble the words that were on the page.
He rambled a chant over and over. Wong re-focused and he removed those earbuds. He fully focused because Strange was casting a spell on himself. His plan was to knock himself out. Strange finished the incantation and the lights went out.
He hit the floor and he took the book down with him. Wong jumped to his feet and he headed over toward Strange.
He actually knocked himself out. Strange was out cold and he felt absolutely nothing.
It was so peaceful.
Chapter End:
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