https://www.tumblr.com/ironstrangeprompts/818097296461987840/prompt-1869-stephen-knows-that-in-this-timeline?source=share
Stephen knows that in this timeline he'll never be Tony's partner, not the way he'd been in those rare, lucky futures. Selfishly, he makes the ring he'd used to propose to Tony and gives it to him anyway, partly because of the protective wards it carried and partly because he's a masochist who wanted to suffer every time he sees that ring on the wrong finger on Tony's hand.
And then Tony starts making jokes about engagement- they're not even dating!- and things go from 'painful, but reassuring' to 'downright terrifying'.
"What are you working on? And can you take a break for dinner? Wong texted that you skipped breakfast and lunch." Tony's voice cut through Stephen's concentration, the way it always did. He'd been too focused on the important project he'd been working on to realize that Tony had entered the Sanctum at all, let alone come up behind him in the study he'd set up shop in. He looked up over his shoulder to find the billionaire holding a couple of takeout bags and a drink carrier.
Stephen's heart warmed the way it always did when Tony tried to take care of him. It was something he did with all his friends, but even if it didn't mean what Stephen wanted it to, any sign of affection was welcome from Tony. He looked back down at the ring in his hands, the product of about three months of work- in this timeline, anyway. Really it was the product of several lifetimes worth of revision until no more improvements could be made, but he didn't really remember doing the work. This ring was one of many things that had left... an imprint, of sorts, on his magical signature. He'd created certain magical items and designed certain spells across enough timelines that the understanding of how to do so again was implicit, as if they were each extensions of his very being. He had only made the ring in its final form in a precious few hundred timelines, but it had burned its blueprints into his magic all the same- and knowing what it was for, he understood why.
It was also the ring he'd used to propose to Tony in those cherished timelines, but it was too important for Stephen to forego even if he wasn't with Tony. After all, this was the final timeline- things were permanent again. And the ring's primary purpose was and always had been to keep Tony safe.
"It's a ring," Stephen answered, smiling to himself when Tony scoffed behind him. "And I just finished it, so yes, dinner sounds wonderful."
"I can see it's a ring, Gandalf," Tony shot back, but the words lost some of their bite from the curiosity bleeding into his tone. "Did you make it?" As he spoke, Tony pulled up a chair on the other side of the desk Stephen was at and sat down across from him.
"I did."
"What is it?"
"It's a relic. A powerful magical item. This one is designed to protect the wearer from physical harm and ward against just about every magic or psychic attack in this universe."
Tony let out a low whistle. "You're not doomsday prepping or something, are you? That sounds kind of serious."
Stephen laughed. "No, nothing like that. It's a gift."
"Pretty important gift."
"It's for a pretty important person."
"Oh, yeah? We talking game changing alliance important or professing your undying love important, or...?"
"More like your reward for saving the universe important."
There was a beat of silence as Tony processed that. "Like, the proverbial you?"
Stephen shook his head, unable to keep an amused (and probably a little too fond) smile off his face. "Don't you think you deserve something after everything you've sacrificed for this world? When you wear this ring, you'll be safe. It doesn't make you invulnerable, you can still get minor injuries, but you can't be injured above a certain threshold. No harmful magic effect will be able to touch you, nor any psychic ability. Nobody will be able to mess with your mind, or cause you permanent harm. You don't have to keep risking yourself for this world to be Iron Man, and you don't have to give up Iron Man to be safe. You can finally relax."
Tony stared at him, his expression stormy and difficult to read. For a long moment, there was only silence as Tony looked from him, to the ring, and back to Stephen, his eyes lingering for several seconds each time. Stephen waited patiently, no betrayal of the nerves racing in his chest visible in his expression or posture. He hadn't really planned on doing it like this, but, well, Tony had already seen the ring, and if he was being honest, he didn't want to wait. The longer the silence stretched, though, the more Stephen began to wonder if he'd made a mistake in laying it all out that way.
And then Tony reached out, picked the ring up, and held it in his hand like it was something precious. Stephen's heart soared. "You... for me?"
"You deserve to lay your worries to rest."
For a moment, Stephen thought that Tony might cry, and his worry spiked again. But then, Tony slipped the ring onto the ring finger of his right hand.
"It's perfectly sized," Tony said, his voice quiet.
"It's magic. It will fit perfectly on any finger you wish to wear it on, and can't be removed by anyone other than you. Or me, but that's the nature of the enchantment and-"
"You wouldn't do that. I trust you. I- thank you, Stephen." Finally, Tony smiled, warm and bewildered and a little bit sad.
"You deserve it," Stephen asserted. "The universe isn't capable of thanking you for saving it, not really. So let me do it on behalf of everyone and everything: thank you, Tony Stark, for a lifetime of dedication to the selfless pursuit of protecting us all."
"Okay, you're going to have to stop that or I'm gonna have an emotion or something," Tony joked, but the words somewhat lost their joking tone when his voice wavered as he spoke.
Stephen smiled- he could indulge Tony's desire to avoid vulnerability for now. "Dinner, then?"
"Great idea! Dinner. Right." As Tony turned to collect the food where he'd placed it on the desk behind him, Stephen allowed his gaze to linger. Tony had accepted the ring, and from now on as long as he wore it he would be safe. It wasn't the best possible case scenario, but it was the best he could be afforded in this timeline, and it was more than enough.
After all, Tony's safety was far more important than Stephen's infatuation. Perhaps now Tony could actually enjoy the peace he'd almost died for a dozen times over. And when he smiled at Stephen like that, well, it would have been worth the effort just for that.
