AN: Set after Endgame with obvious major changes: Ironstrange and everyone lives.
Chapter Two: Honey, I'm home!
The skrull admired the home he portaled into. He had done a great deal of research in anticipation of the "Sorcerer Supreme." He knew he would be a target as other powerful beings began dropping around him, whispers of Dr. Stephen Strange surfacing. It was then Kl'rt knew he had to take the sorcerer down, then he heard of the time stone. An infinity stone that was conveniently rumored to be with his very target.
Kl'rt heard footsteps descending from behind him. From his study, he knew Peter Parker was at school which would leave, "Tony."
The man in question froze at the bottom step, a manual of sorts in his hand.
"Stephen? What are you doing here so soon?" Tony asked wearily.
"It was a short mission, just a single skrull," the imposter said nonchalantly.
Tony nodded and closed the manual.
"Uh huh, so are you actually staying home today or-" the shorter man trailed off.
The skrull sighed.
"Honey, we need to talk. Please," the skrull said in his best sympathetic voice. Voices were harder to pass, each person's diction different from another. So to cover a potential mistake, the skrull threw in a soft smile he had studied. God the skrull loved Earths 'internet.'
Tony walked over and made a show of sitting on the couch. Silence passed and Tony prompted the skrull to continue with a wave of his hand.
"Okay, so I know I've been distant," Tony scoffed at 'him', "but I have my reasons."
Tony glared but the skrull continued, it had practiced this speech for a while now. He studied his part and knew he could easily play the role. After all, impersonation was what he did the best.
"Tony, in my past I had a problem with 'the work' coming between me and the people that I love. I was arrogant and selfish, I was so consumed in myself that I didn't see how I was hurting those around me. But honey, I can't rest or stop because every day I spend here there is another threat that could be just as bad or worse then Thanos," the skrull approached Tony, kneeling.
"I will never have you in the position you were that day Tony. I can not lose you, I refuse," Fake-Stephen promised. His words were working as Tony's expressive eyes showed deep pain.
"I've been distant because I was on a one man mission to take out all the potential threats to us so that I can go to bed at night and not worry about death and destruction," the skrull cupped Tony's cheek in its hand.
"Tony, I promise that this was it. This skrull was the last imminent danger to our family," the skrull smiled, the illusion forced some tears for effect.
"All that's left is the time stone."
Tony's head snapped to the sorcerer.
"How do I know you're not the skrull?" Tony asked, part joking and part uncertain.
The skrull anticipated this response.
"Because everyone else in the world knows how much I love you, but no one knows I trust you with the fate of the universe," the skrull says softly. Another studied smile flickering across the illusion: love.
Tony relaxed a bit, but not entirely.
"Stephen, I love you. But how do I know all of this is real? That you won't shut me out again?" Tony asks.
"Because I promise to pass the mantle of 'Sorcerer Supreme' onward, I promise to take on less missions and I'll only teach at Karma Taj part-time… Tony I am serious about this. I know I haven't been fair to you or Peter. I know that I've hurt you and that's what started all of this. I never wanted to hurt you, so I decided that you meant more to me than the universe," it says grabbing Tony's hand.
The script was perfect as Tony melted into it.
"Okay," Tony said with a soft smile. The skrull returned the favor.
"We'll have to wait until tomorrow though, tonight I just want you," Tony says pulling his not-really-husband into his arms. They stay that way for a moment.
"Bed?" the skrull prompts. The shorter man nods lazily against the illusion's chest. The skrull stays in character, taking the smaller man into his arms and leading him towards the bedroom.
Tony was almost asleep by the time his body hit the bed. The skrull tucked him in and left a chaste kiss on his head. Then it phased into comfortable clothing, that'd cover awkward rummaging of drawers. The skrull looked at the sleeping man in bed and decided to look around. He was halfway through the drawers, most of which were Tony's, when he heard footsteps downstairs.
"Parker," the skrull whispered to himself. He stood and began his descent downstairs, maybe the boy had information about what he was after.
Peter was sitting at the island with a sandwich when 'Stephen' entered.
"Hey mum," Peter says around a mouth full of turkey.
"Spiderling," the skrull responds. Peter narrows his eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Peter asks, swiveling on the stool to give the other his full attention.
"No, not to my knowledge kiddo," the skrull says, coming closer to ruffle his hair.
Peter intercepts his hand mid-air. He narrowed his eyes at the skrull and for the first time the imposter was nervous.
"Peter? What's wrong?" it asks. The teen doesn't release his grip.
"I don't know, something isn't right," Peter says scrutinizing the man in front of him.
"Please Peter, not you too," the skrull says in his best "pleading" voice.
Peter looks at him questioningly.
"Your father was already on me about being home enough and I know, believe me. I promise you though, I'm trying to be better," it says in earnest. Peter releases his hand.
"No, it's not that. It's this feeling I'm having right now. It's like something is wrong and I don't know what," Peter says shrugging his shoulders and looking around.
"Well kiddo, it could be all the stress you keep putting on yourself," the skrull says walking toward a counter, putting space between it and the kid.
"I don't know, maybe," Peter says, still staring the skrull down.
A groggy Tony Stark enters.
"What happened to bed?" Tony asks plopping onto a stool beside Peter.
"I wanted to check in on our kid," Stephen says gesturing toward Peter. The teen flinches slightly.
"What's up with you kiddo?" Tony asks, acknowledging the skittishness.
"Something isn't right," Peter says again, his eyes never leaving 'Stephen.'
"What do you mean kid?" Tony says, looking between 'Stephen' and Peter.
"I'm not sure," Peter says rising up and inching closer to Tony.
"I don't know, I just get this weird vibe from mum," Peter says sliding back toward Tony.
"Pete, I'm fine, I promise you," the skrull says, pulling a face of concern. Both humans stare at him, Tony in confusion and Peter in deep analysis.
"Okay," Peter finally relents. He slowly approaches the skrull, obviously hesitant before raising his arms in a hug.
"I'm sure everything will be fine tomorrow, just get a good night's rest, Doctors orders," Fake-Stephen says pointing at Peter with a smile on his face. Peter nods his head in response, leaving with a lingering look.
"Goodnight Dad," he says to Tony, "...Goodnight Mom."