CHAPTER TWO: His Eyes Are Made Of Starlight

000

They have won. Thanos is gone, the Infinity Stones are gone, and they have won.

When he finds the kid, Tony is almost bowled over by Peter crashing into him and holding on tightly, his tears wetting the collar of Tony's shirt.

Peter keens, Mr Stark, Mr Stark, I was so scared. I knew you'll help us, Mr Stark, I knew, I did.

Tony hushes him, of course, kid, Peter, it's okay, you're okay, I got you, you're safe, son.

000

Tony finds Strange kneeling on the ground, his eyes unfocused, his cloak fluttering around him in a panic. Strange doesn't seem to be responding to the Cloak slapping his face and Tony is hit with a pang of concern.

He sits next to him, and talks slowly, softly, continuously. He talks of Peter and how he is safely with his aunt now (I don't think May will be letting him out of her sight for atleast a year), of the Avengers and how they are happy for regaining what they lost and grieving for the new losses they've faced. He speaks of Pepper and Rhodey and Happy (Pepper is with Happy now and she's much happier for it. Rhodey's got a crush on Danvers and that's a riot).

Strange's eyes are slowly focusing, his breathing becoming steadier by the minute.

Tony places a warm hand on trembling ones. A soft exhale.

You okay?

Always.

000

Life goes on. The Earth keeps spinning, and the people pick themselves up, dust off the ashes and march on.

There are numerous meetings now, discussions within the world leaders and with the leaders of the various planets who have decided that everyone in the universe owes a debt to the humans, to the Avengers, but especially to Tony Stark.

Tony sees Strange in passing, and each time, the sorcerer looks more and more worn down. He overhears as Wong worries over Stephen not sleeping at all, and Stephen replies with a weary, I can't.

Wong says, tell him, Stephen. Stark will help. He won't say no.

Stephen's voice trembles as he says, I can't.

000

Tony is many things - Iron Man, Avenger, a futurist. But first and foremost, he is a scientist.

So, he observes and catalogues his observations and he arrives at a conclusion. A highly improbable one, maybe, but after everything that has happened (god, what even is his life?), not an impossible conclusion.

And so he plots, because he knows himself and he knows how he would react if he was in Stephen's position (and since when did Strange become Stephen anyway?).

000

The stars are particularly bright tonight and when Tony follows Stephen out into the balcony, he watches as Stephen curls his fingers into a fist, nails digging in so hard that Tony half expects rivulets of blood to drip down, dragging his feet, being pulled outside against his will. Tony sees the struggle and the exhaustion that comes with it. He sees the yearning to loose himself in the ether and the terror that coexists along with it.

Tony steps near and he sees the way Stephen sags, like the strings that were pulling him to the beyond are cut, like he could breathe properly for the first time in ages. He lays a hand on a hunched shoulder, fingers brushing the elegant neck and sees, from the corner of his eye, as Stephen relaxes even more under his hold.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't fair," Stephen murmurs, eyes closed, leaning into Tony's hand like a touch-starved kitten. "It wasn't fair to put such a burden on you. You had enough to deal with already."

"I am alive today because of you. You think I wouldn't put aside everything if I knew you needed me?"

"Ah, of course," Stephen says, bitterness threading through his voice. "Gratitude, that's why you're wasting your time on me. You don't owe me anything, Stark."

Tony remains silent for a moment and then leaning against the railing, he turns Stephen to face him. The stars are behind Tony, beckoning seductively, and yet, the only thing Stephen sees is Tony.

Tony reaches out and places his other hand on Stephen's face, framing the hollow cheekbones (has he been eating god he's so thin oh Stephen), stroking the pale skin. Stephen closes his eyes and leans into it, in ecstasy and in agony.

"You stupid wizard," Tony mutters, his voice unbearably fond. "It's not just gratitude, you idiot." He says you idiot like how one would say my darling, my love. "I would have dropped everything for you because you would have done the same for me, because you are important to me."

Exerting pressure as light as the beat of a butterfly's wing, Tony draws his sorcerer closer, resting their foreheads together. Stephen places his hand on the star that Tony has harnessed to be his heart, and gazes at this impossible man who brought to life something celestial and had the courage and temerity to place it in his chest.

"Oh Stephen, can't you see?" Tony whispers, and Stephen-

Stephen sees what Tony's been trying to show him, he sees it in the stars that has taken residence in his eyes, he feels it in the steady thrum of his heart under his palm, and Stephen crumbles.

Tony holds him, strong and steady, as Stephen shakes and shakes and shakes, gasping because the relief flooding him is a powerful thing and he knows now that Tony will catch him every time he falls, knows that he can break (after years and years of holding it together - keep it quiet, keep it secret - after years and years of hanging by a thread) because Tony will put him back together again.

And standing there, under the night sky, the symphonies of the stars sound distant compared to the star (Tony's heart) that sings just for him.

000

Elsewhere, all the Infinity Stones glow with an ethereal light, the Time Stone shimmering brighter than the others.

Tony and Stephen don't notice as a thread of green winds itself around the arc reactor.

Time slows down, giving the two of them all the time they need.

000

A/N: Scream to me about IronStrange, ask away anything that confused you in the fic.

I hope you all enjoyed it.