Don't Leave Me - Ironstrange

The Space Donut (pt2)

Stephen's POV:

Peace. Peace, filled my mind as I meditated. Nothing could distract me from the silence and the flow of energy that was coursing through my veins. But then I heard something that definitely distracted me right away. 

The sound of someone crying. 

I angrily shot my eyes open, then tried to look for whomever was making this noise. I glanced around, then my eyes glued to Tony, who was shakily crying and whimpering where he was sleeping. 

I walked over to him confused, as to why he was crying. I stared down at him to see that his eyes were still closed. 

"n-no... s-s-stop..." Tony stuttered as he tried to weakly hit something that was in front of him. But there was nothing there, he was having a nightmare. 

I sighed, then knelt down to his level. I placed a hand on his shoulder, as I tried to shake him. But he was now sobbing, and I didn't know what to do. 

"Stark?! Stark! Wake up!" I yelled at him, but he continued to shake and stutter on his words. I couldn't think of anything else better to do. 

I swung my hand back and whipped him across his face. Slapping him hard on the cheek, he immediately jumped up in panic, and looked at me confused. 

"W-what the fuck was that for?!" 

I sighed deeply then studied his face. He still had tear marks from crying through the night. He noticed that I was examining him, and his face. So he quickly wiped the tears from his eyes, then turned back to face me. 

I walked up closer to him, I hadn't realized what I was doing. My body was just moving by itself without my mind even telling it to. 

I then placed my hands on his hips ever so gently. He looked up at me confused, and I was confused the same as him. I didn't even know what I was doing?! 

"You okay? What happened back there?" I asked now realizing what I was doing and taking my hands off of his hips. I blushed a bit, then slightly turned away. 

I heard him scoff, then turn so that I could see him. We were facing each other once again. 

"You think that I'm just supposed tell someone that I've literally only met today, about the traumatizing nightmares that I've been having for the past six years?" 

I widened my gaze and looked at him. He froze in his position then forced himself to look away from me. I came closer to him so that I was standing right in front of him, and he had to look into my eyes. 

"Stark, we are going to be stuck together for while. So it's best to know our strengths and weaknesses" I suggested trying to find the right tone of voice to use with him. If I was to stern it would sound like I didn't care, which I do. But if I was too soft, then it would seem like I liked him, which I don't.

He groaned then walked back over to his bench and lay down there. I watched as he closed his eyes, and fell into a slumber. I sighed, knowing that however I tried to do anything to get people to listen to me, they would just remember that I was a neurosurgeon, and a master of the mystic arts, and to sum that up. I'm a complete joke. 

I slumped my shoulders and walked over to the front of the ship, as I stared out the window. It was dark, with many stars shinning through the sky. It was beautiful. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life. 

Everything that I was worried about. Everything that hurt me, washed away. It all washed away somewhere where I could forget about it in this moment. But as soon as I would look away, they would come back, and I wouldn't be able to breathe again. 

And so I did, and I never regretted doing so. I could hear some faint mumbling, and more crying. I turned around in panic to find Tony again, he was now on the floor, muttering stuff and crying again. I knelt down to where he was and picked him up bridle style, and held him in my lap close to my chest. 

"Shhh... shhh, hey it's ok..." I tried to calm him down. And right when I realized that I was holding Tony Stark like a baby, he opened his eyes. My face froze where it was as I slowly began to place Tony back onto the ground, and I awkwardly walked away. 

"Strange?" I heard Tony call after me, I hesitantly, slowly turned to face him. I hoped that I wasn't blushing or anything because that would be weird. 

I cleared my throat, and he raised an eye-brow. "I-I was j-just... trying to c-calm you.." I stuttered then turned back around. 

I could hear him sigh from behind me. 

"You really want to know what I see in these dream?"

I stopped in my tracks, but kept my back facing towards him. I bit my lip hard, to the point where I thought there would be blood leaking from my mouth.

I could hear Tony walking up closer to me, I wanted to turn badly but I knew it would be awkward. 

Tony walked around me and stood in front of me. I kept my gaze on the ground so it wouldn't be hard to keep eye contact. 

"I-I have these nightmare" he stopped then took a deep breath, "that I'm an avenger, and I save people... but I j-just can't seem to save the people I love most..."

I forgot all about making eye contact and stared at him, he was looking up at me. I couldn't dare to look away, by how much his eyes called to me. I knew it was weird to be straight and love another man's eyes so much, but I didn't care. Because maybe I wasn't straight, maybe this was the universe telling me that I wasn't meant to be straight.

"a-a-and if I can't save the people I love most... then what's even th-the point?" Tony Stark was actually beginning to tear up in front of me, this was nowhere like before where he was having a nightmare. 

"I've seen people die so many times, but to see somebody that you care about so much disappear right in front of your eyes... it hurts more than dying..." he said. 

I felt the smallest tear begin to form in my eye. It then let itself fall down to my cheek, making its way to my chin where it fell and landed on my chest. The first time I've ever cried in front of a man, was right here. Well I don't know if it's considered crying if it's only one tear drop. 

But I consider it. 

"Do you have anyone you'ed risk your life for?" Tony asked, I knew my answer already. As I looked at him, at his face, his body, his eyes. 

I knew right then and there that I was in love with Tony Stark. 

"You."