Lessons In Love: Chapter Fifty-Six: Paradise (Part 5)
Baby Tony was learning how to handle a fiery energy. It felt like it had its own pulse. The energy was like a flame licking around beneath his skin.
The two of them cleared everything off the long work table. Both versions of Tony were sitting on top of it, and they were concentrating.
The younger one was almost ready. He manipulated the armor of energy with his thoughts. His older self arched an eyebrow, because he noticed that his concentration slipped.
Baby Tony kept getting distracted. He'd randomly slip out of his thoughts on the armor, because he inwardly felt something else.
The older Tony knew what it was. He could see it in his head.
The younger version of the "Apple Twins" were doing some physical training. They dropped the books hours ago, and the two of them headed toward the training grounds. Baby Steve and Baby Stephen were technically sparring up above them.
It was distracting Baby Tony because they both were stubborn in their own way. The simple and innocent little sparring match was slowly becoming aggressive.
Steve Rogers was naturally better at hand to hand combat, while Stephen Strange naturally did not like to lose. The encounter upstairs was getting pretty heated, and it was causing a bit of unrest in Baby Tony's head.
He could feel them. The older Tony knew that if he concentrated hard enough on them, he'd be able to see them in that moment.
Stephen was mad, and Steve was humbly enjoying the encounter. The blonde was content with his new strength. He had adapted to it, and he secretly loved the way his amplified body could move.
He knocked that would-be-sorcerer back, and an anger within Stephen was building.
Baby Tony heard Stephen say something. He heard him say, "Christ" and it caused the youngest member of the trio to open his eyes.
"I can feel two. There are two energies in both of them."
Baby Tony blurted out the thought that he had in his head. His older self didn't respond, so he focused on the second presence in Stephen.
He knew about the entities. Baby Tony knew about Agamotto, Oshtur, and Hoggoth, but he hadn't really felt them like that before. The energy that was inside Steve seemed stronger. Tony switched focus and he started feeling a little nervous.
"Are they, feuding?"
It felt like they were. Baby Tony could sense that the presence inside the two of them were at odds. The older Tony gave a soft sigh. Yup. They were feuding and it was interesting for the older Tony to see it happen again with the younglings.
"Heads up, they are always feuding. How many do you feel?"
The older Tony crossed his arms and he gave his younger self a gentle stare. He looked very deep in thought, and it amused him.
"I feel, I think I feel four. One doesn't feel right."
"That's Stephen. His energy is bonkers."
More like suffocated. The older Tony knew about his subdued state. The Ancient One did it to protect him, and to keep him focused. BUT, the older version of the trio had debated easing away what was being subdued.
Baby Stephen needed to be free from any holds on his mind since Agamotto had taken root.
"Bonkers?"
Baby Tony didn't get it. He looked at his older self, but the man just gleefully shrugged. That cheery look on his face disappeared after a moment, because the storm that was brewing between the Baby Apple Twins was getting worse.
The older Tony felt like he needed to warn his younger self. His expression was a bit more serious as he spoke. He decided to confess some things that he had always kept to himself.
"They have always puzzled me. They are identical opposites. Like night and day. Steven R and Stephen S, they even stand at an equal height. I've always felt like they were meant to cancel each other out, in some way."
Tony thought about his own Apple Twins. He loved them both, and there were things about them that worried him still in that moment.
"I've had nightmares about them really hurting one another. I don't.."
Big Tony stopped talking. His younger self already looked a little horrified. That wasn't how he intended to tell him about the twins, but it just slipped out.
He studied the youngling's face, and he decided to say something else.
"Just, figure out how they are different. Focus on that when you're with them. They're both going to want you around. And they're hopeless romantics too so.."
Bahhhh and it was such a hard thing to friggen balance. The older Tony didn't technically struggle with that any longer. It took him an eternity to get to that point, but he felt confident with them individually.
It was just..
"Why the hell am I freaking you out about them? It's all good. Fix your face."
Baby Tony still looked horrified. He tried to process what his older self said. Wait. He was with, both of them? Is that what he meant? It felt like he was with both of them, or some crazy crap. He rubbed the sides of his head as he gave a response.
"Wait. I'm so confused. Are THEY feuding? I thought, it was .."
He thought that is was just Oshtur and Agamotto. Wait. Baby Tony's heart was freaking out. His own energy started blazing and he stared down at the table.
"It's both. Both pairs of energy are feuding. They try to hide it. But they fail...miserably."
Big Tony almost laughed. He refrained because his younger self looked like he was going to crack. He had sooooo many questions, but his young mind felt broken.
"I bet they have been sizing each other up this whole time... but each one has been waiting to strike, and show those fangs."
ESPECIALLY STEVE. That blonde could act all innocent, but Big Tony knew the truth. They both looked up at the ceiling. It didn't move up above them, but they both felt something rumble around.
"Your unforeseen responsibility in this trio is to keep the two of them from killing each other. That is the secret curse bestowed upon you, and Hoggoth."
The tiger kept them in check. Big Tony finally uncrossed his arms, and he let the youngling catch his breath. Baby Tony swallowed hard and he glanced back up at the ceiling again.
He wondered about something, and he almost asked a question. His eyes had a distant focus, and he slowly started biting one side of his lip. The curiosity about the two men strengthened, and the question slowly reached his mouth.
"How do you keep them from hurting each other?"
Baby Tony looked at his older self. The answer was obvious. The younger Tony was just interested in hearing some sort of confession. He wanted to know if he was with both of them.
If so, how? His face was too warm at that point. The younger Tony kept looking at his older self, and he studied the look on his face.
I indulge. That was his answer. BUT, the sassy older Tony did not say it. He hopped off the table instead, and completely changed the subject.
"That suit is finished Mini-me. Go handle your business."
He pointed at the door. Both versions of Tony had a smile as the dismissive answer to the question sank in.
The younger brunette took in all the information that he heard. He processed the two men in his life and the possibility of losing them. He thought it was an interesting thing to be pondering as the energy around him increased.
Baby Tony took in a deep breath, and he began to hover over the table. His older self watched him head up the stairs.
He was gone in an instant. His older self stayed behind and he thought about everything that he had confessed.
Chapter: END
Thanks for reading.
