Your average Ironstrange & Supreme Family blog

and another one.

different first meeting

bumping into each other

I did my best, anon!

-

Tony woke with tears running down face, his heart aching and stomach tight with loss. He rolled over without thinking about it and gave Stephen a light shake, murmuring his name.

Stephen came awake almost instantly. “Tony?” he murmured, voice thick with sleep. “Nightmare?” He reached out to pull Tony into his arms.

And that was when Tony consciously registered the content of the nightmare. Groaning, he turned his face into the pillow instead of snuggling close to Stephen like he usually would.

“Tony?” Stephen repeated, sounding much more alert and concerned this time.

“It was such a stupid nightmare,” Tony mumbled into the pillow.

“Your emotions are real, even if you realize now that they weren’t warranted,” Stephen said quietly, resting a hand on Tony’s back. 

Tony sighed and turned so that he was facing Stephen instead of buried in the pillow. “Someone turned me into a worm,” he admitted. “And you didn’t care. You knew it was me, but you just tossed me into a garden like I was a real worm.”

“I would never throw you away,” Stephen said, and this time Tony let him pull Tony into his arms. “I love you.”

Tony tucked his face into the curve of Stephen’s throat. “I shouldn’t have woken you up for this.” 

“I’m glad you did.” Stephen gently stroked his back. “I’m glad you know that I’ll always be there for you. No matter what.”

Now that Stephen was holding him and the awful feeling of loss had faded, Tony couldn’t resist: “Even if I were a worm?”

“Even if you were a worm,” Stephen promised. It should have sounded stupid, as stupid as the dream, as if he were humoring Tony.

A lot of the researchers I know work in universities... so now everyone in the Avengers and co is a university professor, because why not?

“Don’t laugh at me,” Steve said as he sidled up next to Natasha in the break room for the university’s science building. Steve wasn’t sure how their group had come to be, or why the science building was the place to meet—actually, because it was hardest to pull the scientists away from both their research and their students—but it was normal, now.

Natasha immediately gave him the look, the one that her PhD students run for the hills. Steve liked to think he was made of sterner stuff than the perennially exhausted PhD students, but honestly he respected that they were constantly exhausted and still braved the position of Natasha’s research assistant. “No promises,” Natasha told him.

“Based off current bioengineering and neuroscience, body switching isn’t possible, right?”

The look Natasha was almost enough to make Steve retreat, but not quite enough, because Steve was actually very concerned and Natasha was his best bet for actual answers. “Steve, if you want to talk about bioengineering or neuroscience, talk to Bruce, Stephen, or Tony. I’m in political science.”

“But you’re dating Bruce, which makes you my best bet, because I can’t go to any of them,” Steve said. “Bruce is best friends with Tony and he’d never betray his secrets.” Natasha arched an eyebrow, clearly suggesting Steve get around to telling her what secrets he thought Tony was keeping. “And… well, you’ve seen Stephen and Tony recently. Body switching is one of the more reasonable assumptions.”

It was almost creepy. The two were acting odd. Almost nice. He was used to weathering the war zone that was any space that Stephen and Tony were in, but the last few weeks the two had just… not. Sure, they still snarked. But any self-respecting body switcher trying to pull off either Tony or Stephen would know to snark. Though, admittedly, most probably wouldn’t be as good at it as Tony and Stephen who both took their snark to levels that bordered on professional.

Natasha paused, glancing over to the table where Tony and Stephen were sitting—together, while not fighting!!!—eating their separate lunches. “It is a little weird,” she said. “But Bruce hasn’t said anything about body switching, lately, and you know he can’t resist any of Tony’s mad experiments, so I’d know.” She pursed her lips. “Maybe they’re trying to win a bet?” She didn’t sound like she believed it, but then Clint was the group’s bookie, so to speak, and if there was a bet, he’d have told Natasha.

As they watched, Tony reached across the table and snatched a fry from Stephen’s plate. Steve’s breath caught, waiting on tenterhooks. 

Stephen rolled his eyes.

That was it.

guys that new ironman skin 🙏🙏LORDDDD HAVE MERCY

eyessss

“Look,” Stephen said, a little exasperated as the Cloak dropped Tony in front of Stephen. Stephen hadn’t even realized Tony had made a run for it. “I am well aware that you think you’re indestructible, but you’re really not. You never are—” Tony glared at him at that. ”—But you’re even less so, right now.” Tony’s glare got all the fiercer. Almost impressive given… “You’re literally five inches tall.”

“Five and a quarter,” Tony snapped, as though that was any sort of defense.

“Five and a quarter,” Stephen agreed, not even caring if he sounded patronizing. And given Tony looked like he wanted to stab Stephen with the nail he’d found somewhere and had armed himself with. Why Tony felt the need to be armed, was a whole other question, but there had been an incident with a mouse before FRIDAY had managed to get ahold of Stephen and get him to Tony. “That’s not the point. But you might want to stop trying to run away. Because, and I repeat, you’re not exactly indestructible right now.”

“I wasn’t running away,” Tony muttered, and with how small he was, it was rather hard to hear him.

Stephen arched an eyebrow.

“I wasn’t,” Tony complained. “I’m just… bored. I was exploring.”

Exploring? Tony had a death wish. “In the Sanctum?” Stephen asked. “While you’re five inches tall?”

“Five and a quarter.”

Tony was really hung up on that quarter inch. “This place isn’t even safe when you’re normal sized.”

Tony grumbled something beneath his breath. “I’m bored. Do you know how hard it is not doing anything? I can’t even use my phone!” He paused. “Oh wait. You meditate. You think not doing anything is fun.”

Stephen meditated because it was useful, not because he thought it was fun. “Look, I need to do more research to figure out how to fix you. Unless you’re going to confess to whatever it was you touched…”

“I didn’t touch anything!” Tony protested. “Don’t you think I’d confess if it let me be normal sized again? I almost got eaten by a mouse.” It hadn’t been quite that dire. Probably. Mice might be omnivores, but Tony hadn’t been an easy target. “That’s just embarrassing.”

“Well then, let me study so I can fix you.”

“I was trying to! I didn’t bother you, did I? Because I can take care of myself.” Tony looked up at Stephen with a truly piteous look on his face. “Also, I’m hungry.”

Stephen sighed. He held out his hand. “Climb on.”

Tony looked at his hand warily. “I don’t want to hurt—”

“My hands are not that delicate,” Stephen said dryly.

After a moment Tony climbed on and Stephen moved him up to his shoulder. The Cloak draped itself over his shoulder as well, careful about its positioning so Tony had something to hold onto. “We’re going to get something to eat,” Stephen said.

And he’d find something to entertain Tony with.

This is probably a little AU, since as I recall Harley's mom worked in a diner and his dad was out of the picture, but hey, Harley had a past, too!

“He’s a scam artist,” Harley argued. “Because magic’s not real.”

Tony just laughed. “Admittedly, I nearly drove Stephen to murder—when he wasn’t laughing at me—by saying similar things.” He looked vaguely amused at the memory. “Anyway, no one is going to force you to like him, but also…” Tony shrugged. “I like him. He’s not going anywhere.”

Harley scowled, displeased. It wasn’t that he’d thought Tony would change his mind just because Harley didn’t like magician boyfriend, but he’d have liked… well, Harley wasn’t sure what he’d have liked. 

Tony must have seen something in his expression, because his smile turned a little wry. “You know, he’s from Nebraska.”

Harley perked up. “Nebraska?”

Tony hummed in acknowledgment.

Harley felt a twist of glee—maybe a little evil—in his chest. Harley had a love-hate relationship with Nebraska. Tony knew that. Admittedly, admitting he loved Nebraska meant somewhat acknowledging his… sperm donor. They’d lived in Nebraska before said sperm donor had disappeared and his mom had decided to move closer to his grandparents in Tennessee.

“Well then,” Harley said, making himself sound uninterested. “I suppose he’s got one redeeming quality.” Maybe, just maybe, Harley would give him a chance.

Tony just looked amused again. “Anyway, maybe don’t poke at him too much.” He gave Harley a slightly more serious look. “You know I don’t mind the poking about my various… issues. But don’t give Stephen the same treatment.”

Harley just made a face at Tony. He’d been eleven. He really hadn’t meant to give Tony a panic attack. Several times. “Whatever,” he muttered. He’d give magician boyfriend a chance tonight at their get together and they’d see how it went.

He waited until the pizza had been served before he turned to magic boyfriend. “You’re from Nebraska?” he asked.

Magic boyfriend arched an eyebrow, glancing at Tony who just shrugged. Secret language. Annoying. “Proudly,” magic boyfriend said. “Farm kid, actually, which means that unlike some people, I’m capable of waking up before 5:00.”

Tony groaned. “Sleeping is sacred Stephen. No one should be awake before 7:00.”

Harley scoffed. “Baby.”

“Nope,” Peter interjected. “Anything before 7:00 is unreasonable and the school system is evil for making us wake up earlier than that.”

“Baby,” Harley repeated gleefully.

Magic boyfriend—and maybe Harley could actually call him Stephen—nodded. “Absolutely hopeless. They wouldn’t last a week on a farm.”

Tony rolled his eyes, exchanging exasperated looks with Peter. “So what?” Tony asked. “I’m never going to live on a farm.”