Lessons In Love: Chapter Sixty-Two: Something About Us (Part 1)
The older Tony and Stephen stood beside one another in the common room. The younglings packed up and left, and the two of them watched them head off for their week away.
Big Tony was glad that he could convince the Wizard Supreme to give the kids a friggen break. Stephen informed him that they were not children, but that notion wasn't agreed with.
Tony brought up children for a pretty specific reason. He wanted to get that wizard talking some truth.
"Compared to us, they are children. Children are not meant to be tortured."
SO, CUT THE CRAP. Tony was catching some odd vibes coming from Stephen. It felt like he was intending on punishing the three of them.
"You seem a little bent on torturing them. It feels like punishment, or some sort of hard lesson."
Tony leaned closer toward him. They stood very close and they both were relaxed against something in the common room. They were standing in front of an elevated platform. It was used for rituals and whatnot.
Back in the day, the three of them were bound to that platform. Their bodies were fused with the Vistanti, and Stephen recalled when they were chained up.
He glanced at Tony and he pondered his comment about children. Tony's logic was often a thing that he pondered. The sorcerer did not smile, but he allowed Tony to stand close. He welcomed his presence and thought about what to say.
"Are you attempting to understand, or are you just talking?"
Stephen wanted to know. He figured that Tony's attention was split between two reasons. He was interested, first off, but ultimately he was there to distract him from Clea and Steve.
The sorcerer knew that they left together, and he was pretty sure about what they were discussing. Tony and Stephen's eyes met for a moment.
Tony heard that crap, and he also read between the lines.
"I want to understand what you are doing. You've been brooding and moody with your younger self this whole time. Now, you're going to torture all three of them."
"I think torturing them is in their best interest. They need to be prepared."
The worst was always at their feet. Stephen intended to show them exactly how dangerous it was to be fused with the Vishanti. He did not plan on sugar-coating anything.
Tony heard him and he sighed a little. Stephen explained further and said that no one would be able to intervene. He planned on taking them to a place that was out of Steve and Tony's reach.
He didn't want anyone helping them, or coming to their rescue.
"Fine. That explains all the torture. Now, try explaining all the brooding."
Tony made sure that wizard prick looked him in the eyes. He gently touched his face, and made him look. Stephen was unaware of any excessive brooding. He was trying to figure some things out, so he was mulling over a large amount of thoughts.
Tony saw it as brooding, and he wanted to get inside that head.
"Clea and I have come across something that hasn't happened in any other timeline. I have been searching for potential outcomes, or whatever might be headed our way."
"Are you scared?"
Of course he was. Tony wasn't stupid, and Steve Rogers wasn't stupid either. They both knew exactly what was going on with Stephen and his Easter Sunday.
Tony figured all of that moody contemplation had to have been coming from an insecure place. Strange had finally come across something that he couldn't see anywhere else.
He had no alternate timeline to give him any guidance. There were no ancient books from Asgard, and nothing about it documented within the Mystic Arts.
They were on a brand new journey, and Stephen asked himself if he was scared. Uninformed was the word that immediately popped into his head. The sorcerer relaxed even more against Tony and he slowly shook his head yes.
"I think, the word terrified is a pretty accurate description."
Stephen answered honestly, and his response made Tony softly laugh. He nudged himself even closer to that stubborn wizard, and the two of them settled into a gentle kiss.
Tony hadn't kissed the douchebag wizard in a while. He noticed a few things about the younger Stephen, and it reminded him of his first interactions with the great Dr. Stephen Strange.
Back in the day, his emotions were once linked directly to him. So, he remembered exactly how that contemplative young man felt. Tony enjoyed the kiss that they shared. They weren't alone that often, so he decided to do some indulging of his own.
Their better halves were in the temple of Oshtur. Steve took Clea there so they wouldn't be disturbed by anyone.
Only the Vishanti hosts had access to the temples. They could bring others with them, but the location was inaccessible to outsiders.
Stephen wasn't even allowed into Oshtur's domain.
"So, how much danger are we looking at? I'm happy to take over Stephen's role. I want to help, but I'd like to know how much protection you will need."
Steve was in the middle of a conversation with Clea. He was asked to take over the responsibilities of the Sorcerer Supreme while Stephen and Clea were "away".
Clarification about that was a must. Steve finally got confirmation about why they were leaving, but he wasn't sure what it all meant.
"We are unsure about the danger. Stephen and I have a child in a few other dimensions. We've looked into how that child has survived and is raised. But, our situation is different."
Clea started feeling very warm. She never openly discussed anything about her relationship with Stephen. Her personality and feelings toward that had never changed.
Steve assured her that they were in a safe space. She believed him, and informed him that Agamotto's temple is where they intended to go.
"How is it different? That's where I get a bit lost."
Steve was glad to hear that Stephen was going to be a father. He suspected it, and now he was given the official news. The soldier never discussed it or alluded to the possibility, because a child between Clea and Stephen Strange came with a heavy risk.
Tony knew that as well, so they kept their mouths shut.
Clea felt even warmer as she thought about her explanation. In her mind, she was revealing something that was deeply personal. She looked at Steve and took notice of how worried he looked.
Steve cared about Clea, and he was very determined to protect her.
"Our situation is different because our version of Stephen has completely aligned himself with Agamotto. So, they technically share this child."
Clea and Stephen had no idea what the outcome of that would be. Steve's eyes got pretty big when she explained the situation. Hold up.
"They share the child? But, how could that.."
Ohhh so, wait?...
Steve was a little more than confused. The soldier scratched the side of his head. Clea's face was almost red. She turned away from Steve and she didn't respond.
She couldn't tell him that they shared the child because they also shared her. Clea would never admit that, because it was between her and Stephen.
Steve was still lost in thought. It was Agamotto's child, as well? The soldier started feeling a little nervous. Agamotto was very unpredictable. Steve swallowed down the nervous feeling, but his thoughts on it kept buzzing.
The lightbulb about the subject was warming up, but Clea refused to make his understanding about it any clearer.
Chapter: END
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