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“You can’t keep doing this, you know.”
Stephen sighed. “I know.” He turned to look at Tony. “But I can’t seem to stop either.”
He had known Tony was going to die for a long time before it happened, but that didn’t make it any less painful. It stung seeing everyone else getting their loved ones back after he’d lost the man he loved. And the kids… God, it hurt to see Peter watch yet another father figure die, to hear Harley cry after he realized Tony wasn’t coming back, to try to answer Morgan when she asked where her dad was.
Accepting Tony’s death seemed impossible. Stephen knew using magic to see him was selfish and irresponsible, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He knew astral projecting like this was dangerous. He did it so long and so often that it seemed he was outside of his body more often than he was in it. There were stories of other sorcerers who had done this, who had spent too much time with their loved ones in the astral plane and lost their connection to their physical form.
But Stephen told himself he was being cautious. And he couldn’t bear living without Tony. So he did it anyway, however ill-advised.
“I’m dead, Stephen,” Tony said. “You’re not. You shouldn’t be here.”
Stephen walked towards Tony. Taking the shorter man’s face in his hands, he kissed him. Tony let out a breathy sigh before pulling away.
“Really, though. Go back to the land of the living.”
Stephen dropped a kiss on his forehead. “I’d rather stay here with you. Only for a little bit.”
Tony bit his lip. “You always say that, but you keep staying longer every time. I’m scared…” He took a shaky breath. “I’m scared you’ll never leave.”
“Would that really be that bad?”
Tony stared at him, looking appalled. “Stephen, we’re talking about you dying.”
“I need you.”
“Oh, and you think nobody alive needs you?” Tony retorted. “The world is a mess, if you haven’t noticed. Literal dimensional tears are opening, and you, the Sorcerer Supreme, want to abandon your responsibility so we can be some kind of ghost couple. How about reenacting the plot of Beetlejuice while we’re at it?”
“Tony—”
“And what about Harley, Peter, and Morgan? They’re our children! You want them to lose both of us like this? They need you more than anything right now, and you’d just leave?”
Stephen felt tears forming behind his eyes. “I can’t live without you, Tony. I don’t know how.”
“Then learn!” Tony snapped. He regretted it instantly. “I’m sorry, Stephen. I love you, but you need to move on. Please. You have a life to live”
“Tony.” Stephen choked back a sob. “I love you so much. God, I miss you.”
“I miss you too. But I know we’ll be together again. Just not now.”
Stephen was desperate now. “Maybe I could bring you back. There has to be some way. Whatever it is, I’ll find it.”
Tony shook his head. “You know there isn’t a way. I died for a reason. Reversing it would be wrong.”
“I wish it didn’t have to be you.”
“You said it yourself, it was the only way. After all these years of trying to sacrifice myself, I guess I finally did it.” He laughed mirthlessly.
Stephen wrapped his arms around Tony and held him as tightly as he could without hurting him. He wanted to stay like this forever, to forget the pain of losing the love of his life. But he knew he couldn’t.
Tony withdrew slightly and put his hand on his cheek. “Stephen,” he whispered, smiling sadly. “You have to let me go.”
Stephen kissed Tony one last time. “I love you.”
“Love you too, wizard.”
Stephen could feel Tony fading away as he pulled him into an embrace, but he didn’t try to stop it. As his astral form was pulled back into his physical body, he was left with the feeling of Tony in his arms.
He would be alright, somehow. He had most of his family left. And he had a job to do. So he would make sure Harley and Peter and Morgan knew that he loved them more than anything in the world. He would keep fighting whatever forces of evil decided to rear their ugly heads. He would save as many people as he could while he was still alive.
For Tony.