A/N I haven't done a song fic in a while and I really like this one. The idea is that Tony meets Stephen at a party and he just seems magical to Tony, even before he finds out Stephen's a sorcerer. I tried to write smut, but just... Nope. There's a lot of kissing but other than that it's just fluffy. I hope you like it...
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It had been a while since Stephen had been to a party. He hadn't been to one since before the accident. Back then it had been a regular occurrence: it was always someone's birthday or an anniversary, a holiday, a Wednesday... Any opportunity really.
Now, he spent most of his time guarding the sanctum with Wong. Not that he was complaining; it was peaceful and gave him time to think. This was both a good and bad thing though; he'd learnt a lot from Kamar Taj, from his new powers and new responsibilities, but he'd also retreated into his head and become relcuctant to seek other's company.
Before the accident he'd found parties too loud and busy - too many people chatting, singing, yelling - he usually ended up drinking himself stupid in some corner of the bar before Christine would drag him home. The mornings after were even more fun. Throbbing headaches, aspirin and coffee was always a great mix. If he felt like that before, he dreaded what would happen now.
He liked the other Avengers, but he hadn't spent much time around them, even after joining. He didn't know them well and wasn't sure what he'd talk about, what he'd wear, whether there was anything he should avoid mentioning... From his experience, he'd piss off someone, drink half the bar while feeling sorry for himself, and it only went downhill from there.
He'd been obsessing over what to wear for hours now. Or at least, it felt like hours to him. It was actually about 10 minutes. He only had two suits any way: a sleek blue one (a present from friends at the hospital,) or his grey one that he wore with the Cloak of Levitation. After careful consideration (a coin toss) he picked the grey one. It was a little tight, but still fit comfortably. He felt better once Levi had wrapped itself around him like a protective blanket.
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Stepping through the portal to the compound was a shock. A loud, low beat hit him like a tone of bricks and the whole place was flooded with light. A couple of guests were leaving early having drunk too much. They stumbled over the grass, one yelling incoherently, a couple giggling and another being carried by 2 of their friends. The friend holding the legs looked like he was going to punch someone and the one supporting the body looked ready to tip over as the person they were carrying flailed their arms, laughing hysterically. Boy did this bring back memories. Stephen pushed his shoulders back as he realised he was staring into thin air now the group had moved on. He took slightly larger, faster steps towards the door, not sure whether he was trying to fool others or himself with his false confidence.
The music was louder inside. People brushed past him, a few saying 'hi' but most seeming to pass through him. He'd never felt more isolated. It was all so impersonal: they way you couldn't actually hear the tune of the music over the mindless chatter, or the way after a few minutes of staring at an endless sea of faces, they all blurred into one. He looked around desperately for a familiar face before he found Natasha and Clint at the corner of the bar. He was going to join them and try to socialise, but then he saw the two empty tequila bottles on the table next to them, Clint crack open a third, and watched Nat throw back her head with manic laughter. He had never backed away faster.
After wandering the corridors for a while he found Bruce in another room further away from the centre of the party. Bruce had seemed nice at the meetings, reasonable and friendly. After one, they had gone down to his lab - Bruce had wanted his opinion on a new kind of biotech he was working on - where they'd talked for ages, and Stephen had started to feel more comfortable with his new team. Well, that wasn't hard. He'd come from the peaceful, mostly reasonable people at Kamar Taj, to a group of Americans who had the superhero equivalent of a punch up in a 7/11 parking lot over whether or not to sign a sheet of paper. Comfortable was a relative term.
Bruce is vaguely sensible. Right?
Wrong. In fact, he couldn't have been more wrong. Bruce had challenged Steve to an arm wrestling competition after his 4th shot of vodka, and both Tony and Bucky were cheering them on. Stephen had wandered into the room with an air of nonchalance only to swiftly reverse towards the exit once again.
He'd managed to get back to the doorway before Tony turned his head and called out to him. Stephen had never met Tony before - Tony hadn't shown up to the last few team meetings - but he knew it could never be good when a tipsy billionaire playboy in a sombrero (a dare from Steve) was calling him over.
Positivity - this could be... interesting, he thought, for lack of a better word. Really, he needed one combining mild terror, ominous positivity and a bucket load of self consciousness to fully emcompass the emotions he felt. He felt a weight leave his shoulders and watched Levi back out of the door. He threw a glare at it as it disappeared around the corner of the corridor. Turning back to face a smirking Tony and an apologetic Bucky, he crossed the room.
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"Stephen, right?" Tony asked.
"Yes, nice to meet you Stark," Stephen replied. He was good at formalities. They were structured and polite: a set pattern, simple to follow.
Tony took his offered hand and gracefully placed a kiss on it. Stephen, unsure how to react, broke into a slightly stupid bemused grin as Tony met his eyes, while mentally chucking his nicely structured paragraph of reasoning about introducing yourself out the metaphorical window.
Gathering himself together again he caught Bucky's expression - although cringe would more accurately describe it. He turned back to Tony, who was offering him a drink. He took a seat a few away from Bruce and Steve, not wanting to interrupt, while Tony poured him a cocktail of some concerningly pink coloured liquids.
Stephen sipped the drink cautiously to find it tasted of sickeningly sweet raspberries, but left a bitter after taste. Tony slid onto the stool next to him holding a drink and equally concerning blue colour. Stephen mentally prepared himself for the ordeal.
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Tony could see Stephen's face tense up as he sat down next to him. I guess the other Avengers told him about me. Serves me right for not turning up to the meetings I guess. "You're a doctor, right?" he began with.
Stephen seemed to peak up at this, "yes, I am, why?" he responded.
"I have a friend - Christine - who works at a surgery in the city. She gave me an idea for some new tech and I wanted your advice. It's a surgery robot - operated manually of course, but designed to give the surgeon a more steady and precise hand... Do you think you could help?" Tony asked.
"Umm... I don't know much about the technology, but I can certainly try to help," Stephen said.
Throughout the conversation Stephen became more animated, clearly at ease with this topic. His enthusiasm made Tony smile. He hadn't originally planned to build any such robot, he'd just been trying to undo the damage his reputation seemed to have done him. Stephen's ideas had taken root in Tony's mind, though, and he decided to draw up some drafts the next day.
Tony watched Stephen talk. He looked so serious, but Tony could see the relief flashing behind his eyes, and the smile he fought to keep down as he recounted elements of his old job. Say what he would about his selfish motivations, Stephen loved being a doctor.
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As the evening wore on it appeared to get warmer and more suffocating inside. Even Tony had started to notice it. The music seemed to get louder and more intrusive as he listened to Stephen talk. People kept interrupting, wanting to talk about his latest inventions, his success, his free time in some cases.
He could see Stephen getting increasingly uncomfortable too. "You know, it's kinda loud in here... Wanna go elsewhere?"he asked eventually.
"Sure - where?" Stephen asked cautiously.
"Follow me," Tony gave a genuine smile this time and took Stephen's hand softly. "Nothing weird, I promise."
Tony dragged him down a few corridors, ordinarily white yet tinted blue and orange in the evening light. The concentration of people decreased the further they went. Stephen's hand was still resting in Tony's, who made no move to let go when met with no resistance from the other man. Soon enough they got to a set of French windows, which Tony took Stephen out through to stand on the wooden decked veranda overlooking the lake.
The sky was littered with stars and the suface of the lake lay perfectly still. The sun has almost set and bleached the cloudless sky a creamy yellow at the bottom, leaving the rest an inky blue with swirls of purple, like someone had dragged a kebab stick through food colouring. There was no moon visible, making the whole landscape slightly darker - the shadows all a little longer. It was the peace Tony'd been craving. Stephen stood there in awe, taking in the spectacular view. Tony folded his arms, smiling.
"What do you think?"
"It's beautiful," Stephen turned to face Tony, not realising quite how close he was. Their eyes fixed on eachother's and Stephen gently took Tony's hands. "How'd you know?," he said, really smiling for the first time that night.
Tony slid his hands out of Stephen's grip to rest them on his forearms, still focused on Stephen's eyes. They were dark blue like deep water and reflected the stars. "You looked like you needed a break," Tony said, "and, I know the feeling".
Stephen rested his hands on Tony's waist, pushing back the surge of what he'd like to call adrenalin. He wasn't quite sure what to do - it felt like someone had attached jumper cables to him and he was constantly on edge, not quite sure when they'd shock him. Tony, who didn't appear to notice (he probably did but was decent enough to ignore the jitters running through Stephen) slid one hand up Stephen's arm to rest on his shoulder. Pulling them together, he ran his fingers through the grey strip at the side of Stephen's head. Stephen involuntarily leant into the motion, letting the warmth of the gesture trickle through him in a desperate attempt to quell the 'nerves'.
"You're eyes reflect the stars you know" Tony half grinned, "they're practically magical." He tilted his head to the side, exposing what Stephen thought were very inviting lips. He wondered what they'd taste like, what they'd feel like against his. Soft probably. Tasting of alcohol definitely.
So absored in pondering life, Stephen froze for a second when Tony's grip on the back of his neck tightened and he tasted the bitter flavour of vodka, before returning the kiss, pulling Tony into him. The alcohol on Tony's lips was sharp and strong, but there was something comforting in the arms wrapped around his shoulders and the soft sweet motion of Tony's mouth against his that stopped him from pullling away.
Tony's fingers threaded themselves through the hair around the base of Stephen's neck and tugged on them gently. He felt the vibrations as Stephen moaned quietly, too absorbed in the moment to actually focus on sound, his other hand smoothing the skin on Stephen's cheek. It was warmer than usual - partly from the party, mostly from the blood that was running to his face due to the situation.
Stephen's hand slipped down to the lapels of Tony's suit as he pulled back to breathe. He felt as though his face was burning. Nice as it was, this was not the plan for tonight. Knowing Tony from the stories he'd heard, this experience couldn't be going anywhere PG. But then again, he didn't really want it to go anywhere else. Not to mention the fact that it would be just plain awkward if he ran now, only to find Tony turned up to the next meeting wanting an explaination.
Tony softened his grip on the sorcerer, registering the conflict in his expression. "You've never done this before, have you?"
"This...?" Stephen trailed his hands down Tony's chest, fiddling with the collar of his suit.
"Kissed a guy."
"Oh." Stephen paused, slightly embarrassed. "No. Does it show that much?" The fiddling intensified.
"What? No, that wasn't it." Tony smiled at his shoes before looking back at Stephen. "It was great, I just figured you might want to take this slower."
Stephen paused - did he? Short answer: no. "Well, if that's the case..." Stephen trailed off, leaning back in to kiss Tony, taking control this time and running both hands through Tony's hair. They were shaking slightly - both from nervousness and the nerve damage - but as he focused on Tony he felt the magic return to them and they held steady again. Tony tightened his grip on Stephen's waist. Having gotten some confidence back, Stephen started to work down Tony's jaw line, the light stubble was rough and scratchy against his lips, but the small gasps it pulled from Tony made it worth it. He slipped his hands out of Tony's hair, running them down his sides lightly, but with just enough pressure to tease little shivers of pleasure from him.
"Did I ever tell you I don't like this suit," Tony mumbled between shallow gasps. He looked a mess with his hair ruffled by Stephen's newly confident hands and his jacket now creased from Stephen's steady and strong grip. The top 2 buttons on his shirt had become undone at some point - neither man knew when - presenting hot skin, slowly turning red from Stephen's ministrations. Tony's fingers were still hooked into Stephen's hair and occasionally he would pull a little harder, feeling Stephen moan agains his neck and breathe a little harder.
"What, you want me to take it off?" Stephen whispered the question innocently in Tony's ear, but bit down on the lobe as he finished the sentence. Tony gasped again and tried to pull Stephen closer. It was a crisp night, but right then and there both men felt like they were smack in the middle of the Saharra. Heat rushed through them both, drowning out all feelings except for that of the other pressed close.
"You're a lot hotter when you're confident," Tony mumbled , more to himself than anything, but Stephen heard and grinned before their lips collided again. It had never felt like this in the past. It had felt half-hearted and devoid of any real feelings; normally he couldn't wait for the ordeal to be over. Now, Stephen could hear affection woven through Tony's body language, rather than just pure desire. It was both a comfort and a reassurance, making the experience slower, but far more intense than any other time.
"You wanna see some real magic?" Stephen whispered, before slipping on his sling ring from his pocket. He drew a small circle in the air behind Tony, who pulled back to gape at the orange-gold sparks that appeared around them. His hands were still firmly on Stephen's shoulders, but his eyes wandered around, fixing on individual embers before they faded and were reborn. The ring of fire descended over them both, plunging them into a darkened room.
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There were a limited number of places they could go, because Stephen hadn't been in the compound much, and he certainly hadn't been in any of the apartments in there, so they ended up in the briefing room.
"Really... Here?" Tony turned back to Stephen with a small laugh, "you couldn't have taken us somewhere more private?"
"That would have required significantly more concentration and I was just a little busy at the time. This was the first pla..."
Tony placed a finger over Stephen's lips. "I get it wizard, I was only joking," he smiled before softly kissing Stephen again. "Always wondered what it would be like to do it on that table anyway," he smirked. After a raised eyebrow from Stephen: "meetings are very boring."
"Well, maybe I can help with that," Stephen said sliding his hands back around Tony's waist. They worked their way easily under Tony's shirt, who's eyes widened at the cool feeling of fingers tracing up his sides. He let out a small sigh as his back met the wall. It was firm and cold compared to Stephen's hot yet light touch. He felt teeth graze his neck and smirked to himself.
"Nope, my turn this time wizard," Tony said, lifting Stephen's head to connect their lips. Stephen melted into the kiss, only to be spun back against the wall. He opened his mouth to protest, but the words died in his throat as Tony slipped his tounge in to meet Stephen's.
Both men became lost in the feel of eachother, hands against fabric became hands against bare skin and soft wimpers became gasps. Stephen never wanted to forget the feeling of Tony's hands against his chest and their lips pressed together desperately, even though both could barely breath.
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The next morning was surprisingly pleasant. Stephen woke up in a warm bed with Tony wrapped against his chest. His head was clear and he could remember every detail of last night. The sun was just creeping up over the horizon, and the clouds were turning from a deep pink to a softer peach.
Thinking back to last night Stephen became lost in thought, gazing, bleary-eyed at the clouds. He drew small circles on Tony's back with his index finger without realising. He was pulled out of his trance when the gesture was returned and chocolate brown eyes fluttered open.
"Morning wizard," Tony grinned sleepily, "you sleep ok?"
"Perfectly. You?"
"Your arm digs into my side," Tony smirked, "maybe if..." He trailed off, rolling himself onto Stephen's chest so their legs were twinned together and Tony could look down into the once blue eyes, that now reflected the sunrise. "I said it before, I'll say it again, those eyes of yours are gorgeous - you're practically bleeding magic,"
Laughing quietly Stephen leaned in to kiss Tony good morning. Soft lips, slightly bruised from last night, returned the gesture and Tony dragged a hand through Stephen's hair. The feeling of fingers around the back of his neck made Stephen go to deepen the kiss, but Tony grinned and sat up so he was kneeling over Stephen. Stephen flopped back on the bed.
"Coffee?"
"Ugghh," Stephen groaned, his inward mirth showed through his eyes though, "you tease."
Crawling off the bed Tony pulled Stephen up. They were almost at the door when Stephen asked hopefully, "would you rather I make a portal?"
"Put a t-shirt on. They all probably heard us last night, you won't be able to hide from them by jumping straight to the kitchen," Tony folded his arms and smirked as Stephen's cheeks heated up. "You might avoid further comments however, if you make breakfast."
"You just want pancakes." Stephen's annoyed act crumbled as he just couldn't control the smile creeping across his face.
"Indeed I do," Tony replied. Once out of the door Tony took Stephen's hand. "It will all be fine. We've both done worse people I'm sure," Tony laughed as he received an elbow in he ribs.
There were smirks and not so subtle jibes, but they mostly came to a halt when Stephen made pancakes for breakfast, as requested.