Forever

Summary: They once promised each other forever but weren't ready for it yet. But when one of them is nearly killed by their new partner, the other has had enough and decides that the time for their forever has come. A/B/O verse

When the news first reach him, he had just returned from Kamar-Taj, after a lesson with the new apprentices. Turning on the TV isn't and never has been his first thing to do upon returning home but Wong is actually pretty well versed in the gossip despite being a librarian in a mystic temple that teaches people magic. He, on the other hand, just heads up to their library in the New York Sanctum, looking forward to reading that one book he had started before he was called to teach the class due to the lack of masters.

Which is where Wong finds him when he runs up, panicked and out of breath, a wild look in his eyes and dreadful news on his lips.

The Avengers had broken up.

There were two sides, two factions.

Team Cap.

Team Iron Man.

There was a fight at an airport in Germany.

Captain America and the assassin, the Winter Soldier, managed to run away.

Iron Man went after them.

Iron Man was delivered to the nearest hospital, his sternum broken beyond repair. He made no appearances for weeks. Twenty months ago.

And now, almost two whole years later, the US president had written up pardons for the Rougevengers, as the public calls them, and Iron Man, War Machine, Vision and the new young hero, Spider-man were expected to greet them back at the Avengers Compound upstate. Today.

Doctor Stephen Strange, relatively newly minted Sorcerer Supreme, Master of the New York Sanctum, keeper and protector of the Time Stone within the Eye of Agamotto, saw red. Wong tried to stop him but he was through a portal before the Asian man could even say his name, leaving the other sorcerer to curse and run in after him. They arrived in front of the famous Compound within seconds and security scrambled to intercept them. Thankfully, Happy spotted and recognized him - although he had gone a bit wide eyed at his appearance, not that Stephen was surprised. A lot had change since he had last seen the driver/bodyguard of one Tony Stark and it had been quite a time span, too - and told the security to let them through.

Good. Because these people were innocent and didn't deserve to face Stephen's wrath. They were just in his way towards the people who did. Happy still followed after them, not that Strange was surprised. Hogan was a loyal one and he must have felt the same burning rage that was coursing through Stephen right now. And he was just sadistic enough to follow and watch the carnage an enraged alpha will leave in his wake. Neither he nor Wong will ever understand it, being betas, but they didn't have to understand it, just know that there will be hell to pay.

Stephen actually felt so angry that he would happily go to the Dark Dimension for a few rounds with Dormammu and he had no doubt this time he would win. He'd never felt this angry before. Forget anything he'd ever felt after his accident and the loss of the steadiness of his hands. Fuck his hands! He's not his hands. He can do so much more now. And he'll start by showing a certain blond supersoldier what the Dark Dimension looks like.

"Excuse me, sir, uh, you can't go in there." A agent looking man in a suit tries to stop him but he's an omega and Stephen is a pissed off alpha, so he cowers, whether he wants to or not. Stephen hadn't meant to use their biology against the man, but he's too angry to be bothered by it. He'll apologize later. Maybe. "Sir, you have an incoming-" He hears the man say in a radio device but Stephen doesn't pause to consider who he was informing of his presence, because he could smell a familiar scent on the other side of the door and he knows he has reached his destination.

He doesn't even knock, just barges in just in time to see Steve Rodgers, America's perfect blue eyed boy wonder or whatever, and some older black man both berating a seated omega with tinted red sunglasses covering expressive brown eyes that Stephen had always admired. His blood boils anew and all present could smell it in his scent. If they had not noticed his entrance earlier, they sure as hell did now and they all looked up. The two alphas trying to domineer the omega looked shocked at his sudden appearance, but no one was as surprised as the omega himself, Tony Stark.

"Stephen?" The genius, billionaire, philanthropist and most famous and successful omega in the world asked with shock and delight when brown eyes landed on him. The shorter man seems to have lit up upon seeing him and while that thought warms Stephen, his blood is somehow stuck somewhere boiling and turning to ice when he takes in the omega's appearance.

Thirty years ago, a fifteen year old Tony Stark from MIT had met a seventeen year old Stephen Strange from Columbia University and the omega and alpha found immediately an intense attraction between them and they hooked up before James Rhodes could understand what was happening with his young best friend and roommate. Rhodey soon found that he had nothing to worry about, as Stephen adored and treasured Tony like he was something fragile and Tony let him. They were the power couple of the scientific community and they flourished together, rising to new heights and proving themselves to their peers and the world at large. Tony graduated from MIT at seventeen while Stephen stayed in university until he turned twenty one, by when Tony had already managed to score three doctorates in mechanical and electrical engineering and physics and later, as they both started advancing further in their own fields, got a few masters and a few more doctors degrees that he rarely mentioned and were actually pretty much a secret.

They never became bitter about the other's achievements, instead helping each other get better. They had a few joined projects that made many things thought impossible possible. And they never fought because they bantered all the time so there was no time for any form of negative feelings to fester. Most people used to say that wasn't healthy, a couple having no serious arguments, ever, but Tony and Stephen just said 'fuck you' before going back to their latest debate. Their relationship lasted ten years before they both dared promise each other forever.

But they both knew that they were not ready. Not by a long shot. So they had a standing agreement. They separated as friends and gave each other space - Tony especially needed it, what with him being an omega in an alpha dominated business world and the youngest CEO on top of all of that, so he needed to devote more time to his business and Stephen had just started making a breakthrough in one of his medical procedures, so it was a mutual decision - but they had agreed that, should they never find someone else to spend the rest of their lives with, they will always love each other and be there for each other. To most, that sounded demeaning but they were not most people.

Stephen and Tony both found a beta to love a few years later. Christine Palmer and Virginia 'Pepper' Potts were very similar to each other and both Tony and Stephen approved of the other's choice, going so far as to genuinely congratulate each other. Of course, it had hurt to let the other go, but they knew they will always have each other, no matter what happens. They had promised forever. Neither of them is the type to break his word so life had just gone on.

They eventually fell out of contact, sometime between 1999's science conference in Bern and Tony's kidnapping in Afghanistan in 2008, but they never stopped loving each other, evident in their reactions to their ordeals. Christine can testify the mess Stephen had turned into when he heard about the kidnapping but Pepper can't do the same when Tony heard about Stephen's accident, as they had been on a break that eventually led to their breakup at the time.

That lack of contact and care for the media had led to Stephen's surprised state when he saw Tony's appearance. The omega looked like he hadn't slept right in months and like his diet hadn't been the healthiest in a couple of years now. They had both always been destructive towards their own health in the name of science and their careers, but they used to fret over each other enough that they had never been this bad. Stephen felt his blood boiling all over again as he realized what must have been the cause and he sent a stink eye at Rodgers. He was already contemplating whether it would be too cruel - to Dormammu - if he threw the blond into the Dark Dimension when Tony stood up and Strange saw how the supposedly removed Arc Reactor was back in place.

The Dark Dimension was too good for him.

But he was then distracted by the absolutely gorgeous smile on the omega's face and his heart melted. His inner alpha demanded he take Tony in his arms and he had absolutely no objections to that. Neither did Stark, judging by how he fairly melted against him, all but purring in his embrace. The smell of happy omega was overwhelming and Stephen just wanted to bury his face into Tony's hair or scent glands and make his mark, stake his claim of his long ago promised mate-

"What the hell is going on!?" The man Stephen knew only as Hawkeye, the silly archer that fought beside gods, monsters, supersoldiers, androids and a man in an incredible suit of armor and still though he was something great made Stephen look up and glare at him like he had never glared before. The man was a mere beta, as was that Falcon guy. Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Black Panter and Rodgers were all alphas, as were Rhodey and the kid in the red and blue suit, that guy he didn't recognize at all was an omega, as was the uneasy looking Winter Soldier and Vision was ... Nothing, which was quite interesting and probably had a lot more to do with the fact that he wasn't human. He wondered how Maximoff tried to get into a relationship with him. He didn't know how that worked but it would be interesting to talk to Tony about it. The black guy with the eye patch was also an alpha, the woman beside him a beta, which meant that there was literally only three omegas and too many alphas. How did this team dynamic work again?

"That is quite literally none of your business," he drawled back at the archer, keeping a tight grip on Tony, who seemed quite content to stay where he was. Rhodey gave him a casual wave although he was eying Stephen's blue robes and the red Cloak of Levitation with skeptic interest, not that the sorcerer could blame him. He had gotten so used to his robes that he often forgot how odd other people found them.

"Why don't you indulge us anyway, Doctor Strange?" The eye patch man drawled right back in a authoritative voice that would make even an alpha bow their head. Tony didn't, obviously too engrossed in Stephen's scent and the playful Cloak that seemed to be waving at him with its high collar, and Stephen had never been one to black before another alpha. Howard Stark had found that out the hard way. Maria and Jarvis had approved. JARVIS had approved and he was the most overprotective being Stephen had ever had the pleasure to meet.

"Congratulations, you can recognize a face off of a magazine cover. You must be so proud." Tony choked on the laugh that wanted to escape and Stephen smirked at the indignant looks he was getting from one half of the room. "And when I said it's none of your business, I meant all of you." He then chose to ignore them and looked down at the shaking man in his arms. Tony was doing his best to keep his chuckling to himself but he won't last long. At least laughter seemed to take away some of the additional years that stress had added. Tony used to always look five years younger than he was but now he had actually looked his age, which was quite concerning. He had been pale when Stephen first barged in but it seemed some of his natural pallor was returning. "You okay? I came as soon as I heard. I think that you've been through enough with these jackasses, Tony."

But Stark only shook his head with a small, sad, bitter smile pulled across his lips. "The world still needs Iron Man, dock."

"But it doesn't need him standing with a group of criminals."

"I'd love to see you try sort that out with a president fighting for a second mandate." Stephen arched an eyebrow at that. He knew, for a fact, that the only reason the man wasn't listening to Tony's reasoning was because the man was a secret sexist and believed omega to be weak and beneath alphas. Stephen would love for this man to meet the Ancient One. She would have shown him a thing or two about who is stronger.

"I'll gladly take up that challenge." And Tony grinned at that, opening his mouth to say something else when a growl practically ripped itself out of Rodgers' throat and Tony bristled at the attempted play on his biology. Stephen had actually helped Tony become mostly immune to how his body wanted him to react to an alpha. Tony had asked hf so he can piss off his alpha father and godfather and half because he knew it will come damn handy in life. Stephen had always loved that about Tony, his fire and his bullheadedness that matched his own. They have always been like looking in a mirror for each other, only Tony had never really had an ego to speak of. His was an act, a mask for the world to see while he was actually quite self-conscious. Stephen, on the other hand, had never hid he had quite the ego and that he was prideful. He hoped he had changed in Kamar-Taj, for the better, but even he knew that he could still be quite arrogant.

But he'd never been the type of alpha who was arrogant because he was an alpha or the type who used their biology to bend someone into submission against their will. Just the thought of someone trying to do that to his Tony had his hackles raised. He leveled the iciest glare in his repertoire at Rodgers but the supersoldier didn't let up.

"It concerns us when one of our own is involved." Stephen's inner alpha didn't even feel the least bit threatened or the need to take up Rodgers' challenge. He'd never degraded himself with a pissing contest and he already knew he had the prize, so who start now? The need had never been lesser than after he had finished his training at Kamar-Taj.

"You say 'us' and 'our' but I hear 'me' and 'mine'." He threw the challenge right back into Rodgers' face, surprising the room further with his lack of response to the challenge in the typical alpha manner. It was probably for the best. He was too enraged still to think rationally if he were to react at all to a fight. He might just smite him with a snap of his fingers. Or use the Eye of Agamotto to reverse or forward time until there was no more Rodgers. Damn did that sound tempting. "And he's not yours or one of your own. You weren't even sitting on the same side of the table."

"Could you please just answer the question, Doctor?" That voice was polite and familiar, a third variation of the same voice that had once threatened Stephen with castration with a sugar spoon if he didn't treat Tony right, a bright, harmless, polite smile on an old, almost forgotten face of a long dead butler. Jarvis had been scary. JARVIS had been terrifying. The voice now came from the gentle and unassuming Vision but Stephen didn't doubt for one second that Vision will keep the promises and threats of both his predecessor. Scary thought, that.

"Yes, I believe I could." He smiles at the android, who doesn't seem amused. Neither was Jarvis the butler when Stephen had answered similarly to 'If you would be so kind as to state your intentions towards Young Master Stark?' Knowing better than to anger him, the Sorcerer Supreme went to open his mouth but the good Captain interrupted again.

"Do you mind?" The blond man growled, gesturing to where Tony was still contentedly leaning against his chest, their arms wrapped around each other and the Cloak happily wrapped around them both. It could obviously feel Stephen's joy at being this close with the one person he loved above all others and was eager to help, loyal piece of outerwear that it was.

Strange shot Rodgers a sharp smile. "Not at all." Rhodey was the one to cough into his hand to stifle cackles this time. He had often joked that Stephen and Tony were one hundred percent soulmates because they were made for each other. Stephen agreed, wholeheartedly. He turned back to the expectant Vision and delivered the same answer he should have given to JARVIS and Jarvis before him. It was a long time coming and it was a relief to destroy this distance between them. "I have come to collect upon my forever." He felt Tony stiffen in his arms, Rhodey was suddenly ramrod straight and Vision's eyes were wide as saucres despite some part of him having expected this answer as soon as he had embraced Tony so protectively, so possessively. There was also some strange crackling sound coming from Tony's sunglasses which should be worrying and he'll need to ask Tony about that later. It was a different conversation now. "I believe that it is finally time. I knew for many years that it could be no other way but I guess I was scared of giving everything away like that. It is time I rectify that and prevent this," he jerked his head at the rouges' side of the room with disgust on his face and in his tone. "From ever happening again."

Tony pushed a little bit away from him, staring at him with wide eyed shock and awe. And hope. "You're serious?" Asked the genius in a hushed voice and Stephen couldn't stop his soft smile, completely whipped for his omega.

"Do I look like I'm joking? I promised you forever, Tony, and I meant every word of it. I was just a coward back then, overwhelmed with how much of myself I would give to you without a thought." Rhodey was choking on his own breath but Vision seemed pleased. The rest just looked confused as fuck, but Stephen didn't really care about them. Although that young alpha in that bug-eye costume seemed to be elated for some reason.

"Okay, what is going on here? I demand some answers!" Steve demanded and Stephen glared at him but his attention was diverted by a much more pleasing distraction when Tony threw his arms around his neck and laughed like he had been told he was given the world.

"Well, it was about damn time." James finally said with a bright grin and an approving nod in Stephen's direction. Wong was quiet behind him but Stephen was sure that he and Tony will get along just fine. "Congrats, you two. When's the wedding?"

"Slow down, honey-bear! I haven't even said yes yet." The genius laughed again, turning to look at his friend and completely ignoring his ex, who was fuming from where he sat between the Black Widow and the Winter Soldier, both of whom looked confused by his reaction. In fact, the man with the metal arm looked hurt. Were they together? The omega didn't have a mating mark, not that that meant much. Many omegas and alphas hooked up and never bonded but those two did smell like each other, meaning they were a pair, a couple.

"Like you're not going to," Stephen teased, deciding not to get into the clusterfuck that is the rouges. He had Tony back in his arms and he was more than content with that. "How can you not say yes? I am quite the catch."

Rodgers sputtered in rage as he was ignored and his ex let another hold him and talk to him like that, but Tony only grinned an even brighter smile. "Well, I can't say yes since you haven't proposed yet. I expect a big damn ring, too. And an explanation. Not that this doesn't suit you, Doc," he said, raking his eyes up and down Stephen's form and his eyes darkened with desire. Stephen was rather proud of his body. The relentless training at Kamar-Taj had given him quite a psyche. He wasn't a bodybuilder but he was all lean muscles, agility and hidden strength, a fighter's body. Not only did it keep him in shape for protecting the Earth but it also made him look good. Definitely worth it. "But it's quite a change from your scrubs."

"Oh, I'll put a ring on it." Wong snorted at his reference to Beyoncé and Tony rolled his eyes but was still smiling. It was as though nothing could wipe the smile off of his face. Good. Happiness looked damn good on him. "And that's a rather long story that I'd rather not tell a group of psychopathic strangers and Mr Superspy Pirate over there." Tony snorted as Stephen looked over to a very unimpressed scowl on the stern face. Well, too bad for him. After seeing Wong's scowls and bland expressions, nothing can affect Stephen anymore. "Seriously, are you waiting for Jack Sparrow to come pick you up or something?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please." Tony snarked in a pretty good imitation of Johnny Depp's legendary role from the Pirates of the Caribbean. A giggle escaped the red and blue spandex dressed teenager and both geniuses were grinning from ear to ear. Damn, did Stephen miss this. "How did you get here, anyway?"

"That's not something to discuss in front of-" Stephen started to say with a glance back at Wong, but the Asian man surprised him when he cut him off, addressing Tony and speaking for the first time since he gave up on stopping Stephen from going after his omega.

"He opened a dimensional rift in space-time in order to reach the Avengers Compound in seconds from Greenwich Village in New York, also known as a portal." Tony blinked at him then back up at Stephen then looked at the sentient Cloak of Levitation which was beckoning him back into a tighter embrace before just rolling his eyes.

"Of course you became a wizard. Only you, Strange, only you."

"Says the man who synthesizes a new, unheard of element in his basement."

"Stark, care to explain what the hell is goin' one here?" The pirate-spy snapped and Tony only rolled his eyes again.

"What's there to say, Nicky? It's not as though you didn't know Strange and me were a couple before. Hell, everyone knew. We just kind of kept it low-key that we were planning on exchanging vows one day, you know. Besides, we were still kids and Stane was a dick and wouldn't let me get married and all that shit." He said with a shrug.

"And I was kind of an arrogant prick who was more focused on his work than my gorgeous omega."

"That you were." Stephen shot a glare at Rhodey, who only arched a challenging eyebrow back at him, as if asking him to dare to disagree. He couldn't.

"That didn't stop us form promising each other forever." Stark grinned again, snuggling against Stephen's chest. "We agreed to take some time away from each other and see if our relationship went beyond biology and chemistry. But that didn't diminish our promise. If we never loved another again, if we didn't find happiness elsewhere, we knew we had a place to belong, someone who will love us as much as we love them."

"Which is what brings me here today." Stephen took over again, tightening his hold on Tont. So many things had slipped through his shaking hands but he will never let Tony be one of things again. Never. He had let go of him and longed for him for years. "I've been sort of out of contact with this dimension, the real world as some would call it, so I haven't been watching the news, but as soon as I saw today's news, I decided enough was enough and it was time I came to collect my forever. I'm sick of you people using Tony like this, so from now on, you want to bother him, you'll have to go through me."

"Mr Stark, your boyfriend is so cool!" The teenager breathed, coming closer to inspect the Cloak, who was just as interested in the teen as the teen was in it.

"I know." The omega preened and Stephen ducked his head a little so his pink dusted cheeks weren't so obvious.

"Tony's in a relationship, though." Falcon frowned as he pointed out and the Winter Soldier flinched for some reason. Ah. Stephen thinks he understands now. Rodgers was not good at juggling, it would seem, and the mere thought made Stephen sick to his stomach. That and pretty much blind with rage. Only Tony in his arms stopped him from ending Captain America right there and then. He was sure Hippocrates would forgive him for breaking his oath because Rodgers would have truly deserved a little harm. Or a lot. He was debating between everest or one of the Poles and the Dark Dimension. Or maybe the heart of an active volcano? Nah, that would be too merciful.

"He is." Rodgers said with a possessive note in his voice and that did it. One minute he was there, the next he was falling through a rapidly shrinking ring of sparks and then he was gone.

"Stephen," the exasperated Wong groaned behind him but he didn't sound half as disapproving as he probably should have been. He had probably figured it out himself by now, too. The Rougevengers were only just starting to panic but Tony turned around to face him again, a new light in his eyes.

"God, I love you. When do you want us to get married? Pepper will want to be in on this. You think you can do that when someone looks like they're going to object at the ceremony? Because I thing that would be awesome." The sorcerer laughed at that and swept down to draw Tony into the first kiss in too many years, earning a cheer from the teenager. When he heard what sounded like a high five, he drew back only a little to see that Tony had a hand behind his back, which the now unmasked teen had slapped, his face shinning with glee. And Tony's was shinning with mischief as he grabbed on of the Cloak's lapels and drew him back in. They just ignored everyone in the room, Stephen easily phasing them into a different room in the Compound, following Tony's scent.

As he lowered his omega gently on Tony's big bed, ready to fulfill his promise and finally claim his beloved, he thought forever had come at the perfect time.

He would know. He had the Time Stone.

And forever never sounded more appealing than now.

THE END