Can we have another part to this one? https://www.tumblr.com/airas-story/816457151256133632/checked-my-phone-at-the-perfect?source=share
Sequel to one, two, three, and four.
Stephen’s hands shook a little as he stared at the door in front of them. It looked close to a perfect replica of the door the other had remembered.
“We don’t have to do this,” Tony said, tone sincere, if a little concerned. He’d said it a few times now, each time corresponding to Stephen’s own moments of weakness. Tony had said he believed Stephen, even if Stephen could see that Tony’s belief was emotional, rather than logical.
“Yes we do,” Stephen said. “I need to do this.” Of everything he leaned while the other had been inside of him, taking over him, Stephen hadn’t learned how to fully protect himself so it could never happen again. He had to. He had to make sure this could never happen again. The people who could teach him that were just beyond this door.
Stephen took a deep breath and stepped forward to knock on the door.
It was less than a minute before the door opened to reveal a man that Stephen thought he recognized. The hair was different, but the face was that of an old friend of the other: Mordo. Suddenly, Stephen couldn’t speak, words lost to him.
“What brings you here?” Mordo asked, when Stephen didn’t speak immediately.
Stephen’s mouth felt dry and after a moment Tony stepped up to stand beside him. “We’re looking for answers,” Tony said. His chin tilted up almost defiantly. “Something—” he stopped. “Someone happened to Stephen. We want to make sure it won’t happen again.”
Hearing Tony say it, it felt almost as though Tony believed Stephen fully. Stephen knew Tony was trying to believe him, that his heart trusted Stephen—even if the other had spent months damaging that heart, ripping at that trust—even if Tony’s brain hadn’t caught up yet. Stephen didn’t blame him, not really, it sounded so… impossible.
Mordo’s brows furrowed in non-comprehension. “Someone?” he asked.
Stephen finally found his voice. “We seek the Ancient One,” Stephen said, voice steadier than he’d expected it to be. Surprise flickered across Mordo’s face, clearly he hadn’t believed they truly knew where they were. “I would prefer not to tell the story twice.”
For a moment it looked like Mordo would deny them, but it didn’t last. He opened the door wider, gesturing for them to enter.
Fear flickered in Stephen’s chest and he wasn’t sure he could move. Tony’s hand caught his, his touch warm and gentle. The touch gave Stephen what he needed to step forward Tony by his side as Mordo led them through Kamar-Taj. Tony’s breath caught the first time they saw actual magic while passing a training space, but he made no other signs that he was surprised. Stephen had explained, briefly, but he hadn’t been able to bring himself to show Tony the magic himself.
Not yet.
Magic was the other’s, and if Stephen’s desperate use of it had also saved Stephen, then that just meant Stephen’s feelings on the subject were complicated.
The Ancient One’s rooms were not quite as the other had remembered them, but the tall woman who stood waiting for them, however, looked exactly as the other had remembered her. “Stephen Strange,” she said, gaze scrutinizing. “Your presence here is unexpected.”
Stephen didn’t know what he was feeling, everything in tumult. He clenched Tony’s hand so tightly he had to be hurting him, but Tony didn’t pull away. Stephen swallowed hard. “Please,” he said. His voice shook. “I need your help.”
"Stephen gets hit on by a villain during a fight and Tony gets way too mad about it."
Stephen couldn’t stop himself from sneaking glances at Tony from the corner of his eye as the after-battle review went on. Tony had been strangely quiet and stiff since the fight. Stephen had been fairly certain that Tony hadn’t been injured, but the strangeness of Tony’s behavior meant had Stephen suspicious.
The meeting ended and Stephen had to nearly run to catch up with Tony, who’d gotten out of his seat and out of the room with startling speed. “Tony,” Stephen called, surprised when Tony didn’t stop. Even when Tony was hiding injuries, he didn’t tend to ignore Stephen. Stephen caught up, touching Tony’s elbow to indicate a desire to talk.
Tony stiffened at his touch. Was the injury to his arm?
“Tony,” Stephen repeated, grateful when Tony did actually stop walking, turning toward Stephen, even if his gaze seemed focused closer to Stephen’s ear than Stephen’s face. “Did you get checked by the compound doctors?”
Genuine confusion crossed Tony’s face and his gaze flickered—briefly—to meet Stephen’s eyes before focusing back on Stephen’s ear. What was possibly going on with Tony? Tony met everything head on. It was thrilling, honestly. Stephen quite enjoyed the sensation of meeting Tony head on. He never was able to look away from Tony when it happened.
“I didn’t get hurt?” Tony sounded genuinely confused about why Stephen was asking.
“You’ve been off since the battle,” Stephen said.
Another flicker of his eyes where Tony met Stephen’s gaze, guilt and frustration in his eyes, before Tony’s gaze averted again. “I’m fine, Stephen. Just… tired.”
Stephen almost rolled his eyes. “Tony, you keep yourself on the perennial edge of exhaustion. I know what tired looks like on you.”
Tony’s nose wrinkled. “Look. It’s nothing. Mr. Acid-Rain-on-the-Parade was just particularly annoying.”
Tony wasn’t wrong about that. Though Tony had been mostly in charge of dealing with the airborne drones, rather than the villain himself. Lucky for him, honestly. Stephen had spent far too long listening to the man talk, with all his poorly executed innuendo. Still, that explained nothing about Tony’s behavior. “You’ve dealt with annoying,” Stephen said, starting to get frustrated. “Tony, I’m not trying to be obtuse. Did something happen during the fight?”
Tony deflated. “Nothing,” he said tiredly. “I’m just… frustrated. And I shouldn’t be. You know me, blowing things out of proportion and being dramatic.”
Except Tony wasn’t being dramatic, he was being quiet.
“Tony,” Stephen practically pleaded. He hated when he didn’t know what was wrong—especially when it was Tony.
A sigh escaped Tony. “It’s just annoying, you know? When someone else gets to do something you’re not allowed to?”
Stephen blinked. “You want to terrorize people with acid rain?” he asked a little sarcastically.
Tony rolled his eyes. “Obviously not.”
“Then?” Stephen prompted.
Tony’s gaze flickered to Stephen’s eyes again and this time… it was almost longing. What had the villain even done worth longing for? “They can say whatever they want,” Tony said. “To whoever they want. There are no boundaries. There are no restrictions. No rules. No protocol.”
Stephen stared, trying to connect the dots, coming up with a picture he wanted almost too much to be true. “While the current Avengers’ protocol complicates… things,” Stephen said slowly. “It doesn’t prohibit... things.”
This time when Tony’s gaze met his, it didn’t flicker away. “Only if both sides want it,” he said.
“Well, that’s true for everything,” Stephen pointed out, but he understood the point. Between teammates an unwanted overture—even appropriately extended—could complicate dynamics. “But if both sides want it, then I think that those involved can say whatever they want.”
“How do you know if both sides want it?” Tony asked.
“Well,” Stephen said. “If one of them chases the other down the hall in concern and refuses to leave things be until they get answers out of deep concern… the chances are high they want something.”
The stiffness and frustration Tony had been carrying seemed to seep away, and his body posture shifted into something very inviting. “Well then,” he said. “That’s very good to know.”
the idea that hollander "tamed" rozanov is really funny to shane because like. ilya finds it hot and is always going along with it, yes of course my husband is so sexy why do you think i moved to this boring fucking city. for dick. meanwhile shane knows the truth which is that ilya tamed himself. he herded shane like a sheepdog until he was exactly in the right position for ilya to flop down at his feet and say i love you, i am a one man guy, sleep with other people if you want but you are it for me, so shane is always there like ??? ilya. what are you talking about. i was literally prepared to be a secret slot on your roster for the rest of time without even admitting that i was gay until you decided to have me over make me lunch and say my name while you come like a love confession and ilya goes lyubmiyy. shut up. i was untamable you tamed the untamable and so shane has to be like yes, baby, i worked so hard, i used all my tricks but he's rolling his eyes because ilya wants to be a wolf shane coaxed inside to sleep on the hearth but instead he's a cat who snuck through the window and fell in love with his prey. self domesticated. and this is just one of the many perfect games they play
I saw a post about Shane and Ilya being sad that they can't thank each other in their acceptance speeches like other can with their spouses and it got me thinking:
Ilya wins his first awards and hes got nobody he really wants to thank after his team and coach cause he he hates his family but he knows his speech is too short so on impulse he goes "And I want to thank Shane Hollander for being slightly worse than me this season". Everyone knows it was going to one of those two, so everyone thinks hes an asshole to say that but whats new so it works for him. But from then on it then becomes a bit for both of them to thank each other in their speeches in a snide way as a reason they won.
Shane winning the Art Ross Trophy (Awarded to the player who leads the league in total points at the end of the regular season). and going "special thanks to Rozanov for missing at least 5 shots this season, he was a huge help"
Ilya winning the Conn Smythe Trophy (Awarded to the most valuable player for his team in the playoffs.) "Just want to give a quick shout out to Hollander for getting knocked out in the second round this season. Must hate to see me up here."
They find a way to mention the other in their speeches every time all the time.
All the bat’s lovers sneaking into the manor at 2 a.m. :
*Roy coming in by picking the locks to the patio doors*
*Conner flying in though an open window*
*Jon using the door Damian got installed for his pets*
They all cross paths in a hallway and proceed to strike the Spider-Man meme pose at one another.
Jon: “Conner what are you doing here?”
Conner: “I could ask you the same thing.”
Roy (laughing): “Wow two brothers banging two brothers, that’s gold.”
Conner (smirking): “Weren’t you besties with Dick first?”
Roy: “Shut up clone boy!”
Jon (to Conner): “Are you seriously dating Tim? You didn’t even tell me?”
Roy (laughing again): “I called it. Jason owed me fifty bucks for this. And say…who tops?”
Conner and Jon (both gagging)
Conner: “Keep that to yourself Harper!”
Jon: “Do NOT answer. I don’t want to know!”
Roy (shrugging): “What? That’s also part of the bet, I want to cash in.”
Conner (rolling his eyes): “Then I should make a bet on when you and Jason are gonna come out with your relationship. Because I’m pretty sure Bruce doesn’t know.”
Roy: “You’re one to talk.”
Jon (so done with this conversation): “Can’t we all just agree to never speak of this again?”
?: “I believe that would be a great idea”
All three turn to find Kori walking up the stairs in her pajamas.
Roy: “What are you doing here?”
Conner: “Sneaking in to see Dick?”
Kori (completely confused): “What? No. I have a key.”
Roy/Conner/Jon: “What!”
Kori (continuing to walk up the stairs and into the hall): “Dick and I have been dating for years now. Bruce gave me a key years ago.”
Jon: “Seriously? So I crawled in for nothing.”
Kori (giggling): “Try not to make too much noise, Alfred hates it when the others get woke. Up after finally falling asleep. (process to yawn and walk over to Dick’s room) Goodnight..” she then opens Dick’s door and goes inside.
Roy: “Damm.”
Conner: “So…..never speak of this again?”
Roy/Jon: “Deal.”
And so they all go to their respective partner’s bedrooms for the night.
——————————
Meanwhile in the Batcave, Bruce Wayne is perfectly awake and still in his undersuit. Currently sitting at the Batcomputer’s chair watching footage from the cameras he has installed inside the house. Clearly seeing three young men sneak past his security and into his home.
Clark Kent (coming up behind him with a blanket in his hand): “I don’t get it. Why don’t they just use the door?”
Bruce (sighing heavily): “I have no idea. But I’ll have to implement higher security measures since they all managed to get past the laser grid.
Clark (laughing and picking up his bat who he knows has been awake for over 18 hours): “Okay, but you can do that after having a good eight hours of sleep.”
Bruce (struggling in the Kryptonian hold as he is carried to his bedroom while wrapped in a blanket): “You’re mean.”
Everyone assumes Clark is the one who’s best with kids until they actually see him and Bruce dealing with children on missions.
Clark’s not bad at it or anything but he’s a little awkward and flustered in a way kids pick up on. At least happy kids are okay and he handles the ones who love Superman well but when they’re upset he panics a little and it turns stilted quickly.
The League thinks it’s hilarious.
Then Clark starts passing kids over to Bruce and he’s holding them and bouncing them and cooing at them and everyone is shocked. It’s like the bat does have a superpower, hand him a crying baby and two minutes later it’ll be sleeping on his chest, full armour and all.
Turns out Batman can comfort any child instantly while Superman is awkwardly holding babies away from his body and begging them to stop crying until he can shove them into Bruce’s arms.
My favorite quirk of American English is that since we're constantly exaggerating, sometimes it's more intense to say something slightly less intense. Because like, it means you actually thought about it.
"you look great!" - normal. Anyone could say this. Could be true or could just be lying to be nice. Very normal expected thing to say to someone
"you look good." - gay as hell thing to say to someone.
baratheonpilled
titsay
