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'Stay away from him.'
Tony could not help that thought as he nodded nonchalantly to whatever the random person next to him was talking about, his eyes fixated on a certain wizard and a former CIA agent talking and laughing
Tony had brought Stephen to a random charity event that Stark Industries have hosted.
Unknown to the general public, the sorcerers had signed an alliance with the remaining Avengers with Doctor Strange as the main representative and who made his "official" debut to the outside world, just a month ago.
Everyone is quite frankly a bit wary of magic and with good reason. Having Loki and Wanda Maximoff as Earth's first impression of magic was not really doing them any favor.
Months ago, Tony would have been the first one to look at them with suspicion with his repulsors ready on standby for just one wrong move.
But that was before Tony meet Stephen. Stephen who was arrogant, obnoxious and absolute asshole but surprisingly kind underneath. Stephen who obviously love and adore magic and had shown him the beauty that it could provide when it wasn't used against him.
So here, they were. At a random function to show that magic can be harmless and showcase Stephen to the masses, that he could just be a regular human just like everyone else.
They had initially stayed close together but eventually drifted apart as tons of people were vying for their attention.
At first, Tony was initially grateful that it was Everett Ross who pulled Stephen out from the other parasites in the party.
But the longer that they talked, the more relaxed and open Stephen was to Ross.
Tony halfheartedly hummed to whoever as he keeps his eyes on the sorcerer and the agent, he gripped the glass in his hands tightly each smile that Stephen gave out.
He tried to convince himself to let it go, that Stephen was his own person and that they weren't together, that he has no reason at all to be even jealous. That despite, the genius ever growing feelings for him, they weren't anything.
Not that Tony wasn't trying or anything. He flirted and gave out hints to the sorcerer all the time ever since they have meet each other weeks ago. But nothing came out of it, so Tony resigned to holding back and was just glad that they were still in each other's lives.
Tony had thought that he was content.
Going by the horrid clawing of his stomach as he stared at the sight of Ross and Stephen talking
and being close, it looks like he isn't.
Tony subtly took a deep breath while tensing and relaxing his hold on his glass of non-alcoholic wine. He pondered if he should stay out of it, if he should just turn around and leave.
He politely excuse himself and stepped out of the circle. Tony was about to take a breather out in the garden when he heard Stephen's laugh.
And that was the last straw.
Tony turned back and made a beeline to where Stephen and Ross was.
"Excuse me," Tony interjected as he gave Ross his PR smile. "I would need to talk to the wizard real quick."
Without waiting for any response, Tony grabbed Stephen's wrist and dragged him out of the room.
---
Stephen frowned as he let himself be dragged by Tony. He stared at Tony's back, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
As pleasant Everett Ross was for the short talk, Stephen was actually quite happy to be spending more time with the genius more despite his unrequited feelings for Tony.
But as got deeper and deeper in the gardens, Stephen was getting impatient…. and concerned.
This wasn't how Tony normally acts which worries Stephen. Did something happen while he was away.
Finally, he lost patience and snapped.
“Seriously, what is your problem Stark?” Stephen sighed as he glared at the man right across him and pulled his arm back. "Why did you just pulled me out of nowhere?"
“Why? Did you have fun talking with Ross?” Tony turned to looked at him, arms crossed as he looks like he is about to blow up.
Stephen was getting more and more confused but he was also getting a little bit more irritated at the tone that he was using against Stephen.
"Actually, I was enjoying myself," Stephen glared at back, hands on his hips. "What exactly is the problem?”
“Why are you even talking to Ross?” Tony yelled, eyes fuming in anger and an unknown emotion that Stephan have a hard time reading.
“Well, what do you expect me to do?!” Stephen yelled back, refusing to back down. “Be rude to him? Ignore him?”
“Yes!” Tony answered back, hands raised up. “You certainly have no problem doing that to others, why should he be special?’
“Because he was nice?” Stephen drawled, incredulously. “Because unlike the other people in that goddamn party, he’s nice to talk to?”
“Well, don’t talk to him next time!” Tony demanded.
“And why should I do that?” Stephen shot back. "You don't own me, Stark!"
“Because I’m jealous of Everett!”
“Why are you jealous of Everett?!”
“Because I like you!”
“Then what’s the fucking problem, I like you too!”
Silence.
Stephen took deep breathes as he tried to get his thoughts back in order. It took a moment for the whole conversation to process and once it did, Stephen put his covered his mouth with his trembling hand.
His faced flushed as he stared at Tony, eyes wide full of emotions.
Tony was looking back at him with the same flushed and shellshocked expression. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.
They stayed still, unsure how to break the tension and silence that had taken over.
Stephen silently gulped as his mind race.
What's happening? Is this really happening? Does Tony like him back? The like like one? The romantic one? What if he meant the platonic like?
If meant it platonically, Stephen will have to deal with the aftermath of their friendship ending and that hurt more than Tony rejecting him.
And Tony will reject him. There is no possible way that Tony would like him back. Definitely not to someone as broken as him.
He didn't know when Stephen started liking Tony. Was it when they first meet and Tony heard out a total stranger? Was it when Tony treats the Cloak like an actual person and the Sanctum with kindness? Or was it when Tony who didn't have a good impression of magic quietly admitted on one of their all-nighters that he didn't mind magic as long as it was Stephen's?
It doesn't matter whenever it started but what matter is that Stephen fell long and hard for Tony. Not Tony Stark, not Iron Man. Just Tony.
And it would break Stephen's heart if their friendship would break because of this.
Stephen closed his eyes as he brought his hand down to his forearm and squeezed. Whatever Tony wants to happen, Stephen will respect it.
A soft touch on his cheek broke Stephen out of his trance as he snapped his eyes open. Only to stare at Tony directly who nervously looking at Stephen, looking and searching for something.
Subconsciously, Stephen tilted his head into Tony's hand as he enjoyed the heat radiating from the gentle touch.
Whatever Tony was looking for, he seems to have found as his eyes soften and gently caressed his thumb on Stephen's cheek.
Stephen closed his eyes once again as he leaned further into Tony's gentle touch, enjoying the moment as much as he was allowed to, trying to memorize the comforting touch and heat.
It felt like forever had passed when Tony spoke up, breaking the silence that had enveloped them.
"I like you, Stephen." Tony declared steadily and once again Stephen's eyes snapped wide open. It took everything in Stephen to make sure that his third eye was firmly closed as emotions filled his chest. "I'd like to take you out on a date if that's okay with you."
Stephen stared at Tony, mouth open and eyes wide in shock. He carefully looked his face over, trying to find a small, even just a tiny indicator that this was a joke.
But there was nothing. Tony was completely serious.
It seems that Stephen was taking too long to respond as Tony visibly looked nervous as minutes went by. Eventually Tony lifted his hand away from Stephen's face which snapped him out of it.
"I'd love that, Anthony." Stephen gently grabbed Tony's hand in his and smiled at him.
Unbeknownst to them, brightly colored butterflies gently fluttered around them as they decided to continue explore the garden— not willing to let the night end just yet.