-Unbetaed and non native speaker so please kindly point out any mistakes.
-Warning: Tony being Tony, language, inaccurate medical terms, perhaps wrong fact about songs.
At 11.20 am the next day after drinking three cups of coffee (it was way too early for his liking but he had promised Palmer to involve Strange), Tony knocked on Stephen's room.
He heard the sound of books falling to the floor, a thump, and a yelp. Two seconds later the door flew opened with an expectant face looking down at him. "Are you ready now?"
Tony saw that books were scattered behind him. It seemed that the good doctor had been reading while waiting for him and he tripped as soon as he heard the knock. He suppressed the pang of something that for others labeled as guilt but Tony Stark didn't do guilt. He quirked his eyebrows, he could handle one overeager puppy with the initial PP. He couldn't handle an adult version with the alliteration SS. "I was born ready. Do you need to carry anything with you?"
"Do you want me to? I've read and remembered everything you gave me. But I can carry some books if you want to."
Tony rolled his eyes. Of course, Strange had the eidetic memory. He'd have envied the doctor if he were a smaller person (metaphorically speaking, he was aware that the doctor was literally taller than him). Who needed an eidetic memory anyway when he had four PhDs? He shrugged. "Just bring yourself."
He strolled toward the lab, well, one of the labs. Stephen's stride was longer so he nearly overtook him but he didn't know which lab and he also didn't want to overtake Tony so he tried to make his steps smaller. Tony rolled his eyes again. Tall people's problem.
They arrived at workshop number 5. "Friday, could you let us in and order two cups of coffee for me?" He walked in and pointed Stephen to sit opposite him.
"Sir, you already have three cups today and you just woke up twenty minutes ago. I suggest you refrain drinking more coffee until you've consumed something solid."
"What are you? My doctor?"
"You programmed me to say something if you do something that can harm your health."
Stephen chose that moment to chime in. "Tony, as a doctor, I agree with your AI's assessment. You need to eat something first."
"What? You two started to conspire against me behind my back. I don't take advice from a bunch of circuit boards and someone who can't remember his own name."
He regretted his word choices as soon as he said it. He really needed those two cups of coffee.
Stephen looked pale. His eyes were full of anguish that he failed to mask. The sorcerer always had very expressive eyes. He forced himself to smile. "It's for your own good. I may not remember my own name but I still remember my basic medical knowledge."
It would've hurt less if Tony just kicked a newborn puppy.
"Sir, you might insult me all you want because you programmed to be resilient and I'm as you said just a bunch of circuit boards but I think you need to apologize to Doctor Strange."
Now even his AI berated him. He slowly looked Stephen in the eyes. "I didn't mean to insult you. That's the problem when I don't have enough sleep and coffee."
"That's not a proper apology, Sir."
This time the doctor's smile was genuine. "It's OK. You were telling the truth. I may not be the best person to advice you right now but I believe your AI is still qualified since you program her."
Was the a compliment to his programming? If only Tony could forgive and forget so easily then he would've saved himself a lot of heartaches. Perhaps having a blank slate like Stephen was not all bad.
"Thank you, Doctor Strange. It's always nice to get some appreciation once in a while."
"You are welcome, Friday."
Tony pouted. "Now you two conspire against me right in front of me which I think is worse. Fine, I'll order some food as well. Stephen, what do you want?"
"I've had my breakfast."
"Well, it's nearly lunchtime now."
"Perhaps some sushi rolls and ice cream."
"I'd like to complain that you eat too healthily but again you want some ice cream so perhaps you are not so bad. I could use some spider rolls, please don't tell Peter about this, it has nothing to do with spider, rainbow rolls, California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, dragon rolls, and some green tea ice cream myself. They have the non-dairy version so Friday don't go to tell on Pepper. Could you please order for us?"
"Right away, Sir."
Tony rubbed his hands to warm up. "Good girl. Start the music as well."
It is the evening of the day
I sit and watch the children play
Smiling faces I can see
But not for me
I sit and watch
As tears go by
My riches can't buy everything
I want to hear the children sing
All I hear is the sound
Of rain falling on the ground
I sit and watch
As tears go by
"As Tears Go By, The Rolling Stones, 1966," the doctor answered.
"Not bad. Perhaps it's a coincidence. Let's see if you know the next one."
Friday played the next song.
Rain and tears are the same
But in the sun you've got to play the game
When you cry in winter time
You can pretend it's nothing but the rain
How many times I've seen tears coming from your blue eyes
Rain and tears are the same
But in the sun you've got to play the game
"Rain and Tears, Demis Roussos, 2009."
"Lucky guess. Next."
The sweetest dream,
I dream with you
You're my sunshine when troubles made me blue
I'm so alone now that you go
I didn't mean to hurt you
Come back where you belong
Yes I know, I know I'm gonna loose you
But my shoes keep running back to you
Cause they know, there'll never be another
There will never be another you
Still I go, that same on play
"I'm Gonna Lose You, The Classics, 1993."
"I think you're just showing off."
Stephen looked as surprised as Tony."I have no idea that I know those songs."
"Sure, you can remember the years and the singers as well but not your own name."
Stephen looked so dejected that Tony nearly bit his own tongue to stop himself. "I didn't mean to insult you again. I'm just surprised how memory works."
At least, the doctor didn't look like a drowned puppy again. "I remember reading that for selective amnesia, a person can lose a certain part of memory but not the whole thing related to their knowledge or skills."
"So you remember a lot of things but not who you are and how to do magic aka the parts that matter." Tony shut his mouth as soon as he said it. His brain to mouth filter was worse than usual.
Luckily, Stephen was not offended this time. He just shrugged. "I guess so. Sorry."
"It's not your fault. It's Mordo's."
As soon as the doctor heard the name, he quickly covered his ears and closed his eyes.
He softly touched Stephen's shoulders, when the doctor didn't push him away, he thought it was a good sign so he held him more firmly. "Stephen, I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean to scare you. You should know me by now that I speak first before I think."
"Sir, the food has arrived."
"Thank you, Friday. See, I can also show some appreciation."
That elicited an unexpected smile from Stephen as he opened his eyes and uncover his ears so Tony counted that as a win.
"Thank you, Sir."
"You're welcome." He squeezed Stephen's shoulders. "If you hang around me for a bit longer, you should know that I might be rude because as I said my brain to mouth filter is practically non existent but you are one of the people, at least the old you, who can keep up with me. Not that the current you is an idiot, far from it, but the old you seem to thrive on bantering with me and you have the aptitude for it." He didn't say the part that he missed that. He remembered the lyric Cause they know they'll never be another you. He found his equal but he kinda lost it, at least temporarily, he would make sure of that..
"Shall we have lunch first? I just realize I'm famished and I need those two cups of coffee before I accidentally insult you more."
"I could do some lunch. I think I'm kinda slowly getting immune to your so-called insult."
"Attaboy."
During lunch, Tony just discussed songs and musics with Stephen. Well, Tony told him the songs he liked, Stephen didn't remember which songs he liked but he gave him some interesting tidbits about the songs, the history, and the singers and composers that the inventor didn't know about. Stephen was like a walking encyclopedia.
He was curious to know about the doctor's knowledge for something that he was not interested in aka engineering. He would test him after lunch.
Notes:
-I really wanted to talk about engineering (that I don't know much about except during high school physics) but somehow my muse somehow steered me to write about songs here instead *facepalm* I don't usually write about songs so I hope I get the facts and Tony and Stephen's interaction right. Well, this is the new Stephen, not the usual one.
-Something that resembles the main plot will return after some fluff for Stephen. At least I hope so with the rate of my writing and my fickle muse.
-Feedbacks and comments are always welcome.