Aftermath [Ironstrange]

5

"Tony, you have to sleep." I turned around to see Stephen lying down on his bed, with an angry look directed at me.

"Yeah, I will." Lies.

"Come on, Tony, do you really think no one notices how you're always tired?" His face softens, showing concern. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Ummmmmmmm... yea?" Shit, that was unconvincing. Why can't I lie normally? Stephen raises an eyebrow.

Yesterday Peter left to go back to his field trip with his friends. I was up all night, contemplating whether seeing Peter would make the nightmares better or worse. Assuming the worst, I decided to stay up all night and tell FRIDAY to blare an air horn into my ear whenever I started to drift off.

Stephen looked at me with disappointment and before I could say anything, he snapped his fingers and Levi came flying at me.

"AAAGH STOP!" I protested as Levi flew me to my bed, tucking me in. Stephen smirked.

"It's for your own good." He turned around and switched off the lamp, the only light source keeping the room from being pitch black. It wasn't long before I started to close my eyes.

- - -

"NO!" I woke up crying. I could feel myself breathing fast and tried to calm myself down. It felt so real. It was real. My heart was racing as I struggled to breathe.

"Tony?" I heard a soft voice say. I turned away from the voice. He shouldn't see me like this. I'm weak, I'm pathetic. Stephen walked over to me and pulled me into a hug. I melted into his grasp and cried.

"It's okay, Tony." I looked up at his eyes, expecting pity or disgust to be found in them. All I saw where blue skies with flecks of green, showing nothing but compassion and concern. He held me closer and obviously noticed my struggle to breathe. He moved my hand onto his chest.

"Match my breathing." I started to take slower breaths to match the pattern Stephen was breathing. In. Out. In. Out. I started to feel calmer, my breathing was slowing down. Stephen gave me a small smile.

"Do you get these a lot?" I nodded my head. What's the point of lying now? I'm as helpless as I was on Titan.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" I nodded again. He laid down on my bed. "C'mere." I laid down next to him, my head resting on his chest. 

"Don't worry, Tony. I'm here, I'm not leaving." I felt a warm embrace as his arms wrapped around me. I closed my eyes and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

- - -

I woke up no longer feeling the warmth of Stephen beside me. I got up and yawned. I looked in the mirror to see my eyes no longer puffy and my face not blotchy with tears. I see Levi fly towards me, wrapping around me. Is this... a hug? 

"I'm fine," I assure the cloak as it flies onto my shoulders.

"You better be." I turn to see Stephen sitting on the couch. "Why didn't you tell me before?" I shrugged. He shot me an angry, but concerned look. "Do the other Avengers know?" I looked down at my feet.

"Bruce does. None of the others do."

"Tony, you should tell them!"

"I don't want to seem... weak." Heroes aren't supposed to be weak. Heroes aren't supposed to be pathetic. Stephen looked at me for a bit before bursting into laughter. "What?" I snapped. He walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Tony, you are the strongest person I know." I attempt to interrupt him, but he continues. "You are not weak, you were the only one who could make Thanos bleed. If that isn't strong, I don't know what is." I smiled at his words and looked up at him. 

"Hey, Stephen?" He tilted his head, still looking at me. "Bet I can get to breakfast faster." Levi lifts me up and flies me out the door, leaving Stephen behind. I know he'll catch up with his portal non-sense, but it's fun to hear his curses as we speed out the door.

- - -

10:24 a.m.

ScienceBro: Stephen knows, doesn't he.

IronDude: yeaaaa, how did u know?

 ScienceBro: I have my ways

ScienceBro: anyway, now there are more members in TSPS

IronDude: I'm not even going to ask.

IronDude: Also, Peter told me about shipping something called ironstrange and if it's what I think it is, then I'm never letting you hang out with him again.

ScienceBro: Peter was amazing. He treated me like a celebrity. We're best friends now, he even made me a bracelet. You couldn't split us up if you tried.

IronDude: He made you a friendship bracelet after a day??!?

IronDude: It took me months to get one from him!

ScienceBro: Oh, right. I remember you wouldn't take it off for important meetings and stuff and Pepper got mad at you for it.

IronDude: she was just jealous she didn't have one

ScienceBro: k, gotta go. Thor just broke his bed by jumping on it too hard.

IronDude:  k bye

- - -

A/N: Sorry, for the late update, I've been really busy this week! TSPS stands for Tony Stark Protection Squad and right now the members are Peter, Nat, Stephen, and Bruce. 

P.S. Isn't the fan art amazing? I don't know who the artist is, so if any of you know please tell me so I can credit them!