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Is this seat taken? [IronStrange]

Summary: “You know, when someone is asking you to watch their stuff, the one thing you shouldn't do is run off and abandon said stuff.“

Stephen looked at him over the edge of his book and raised a brow. He didn't even wonder how Stark knew. “Your stuff was perfectly safe.“

“Yeah, sure.“ Tony’s words dripped with sarcasm.

(Your regular coffee shop AU but they still have their powers)

Relationship: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange

Tags: Coffee Shop AU, different first meetings, they still have powers, fluff, strangers to lovers, bamf Stephen, Stephen keeps his magic a secret until the last second, a lot of banter, soft idiots falling in love

Ko-fi | Read it on AO3 | Masterlist | Word count: 6.6k

Author’s note: I started this last year, abandoned it and recently dug it out to finish it. Bon appetit.

Is this seat taken?

There was this small coffee shop in Greenwich Stephen liked. It was just right around the corner of the Sanctum and sometimes he went there to read and enjoy one of their brews.

The Sanctum was his home, but sometimes it was too quiet. Stephen was still a people person, even after all these years. He liked the buzz around him, like feeling the energy of life.

Like today.

Of course, it was rush hour and the shop was crowded. Stephen joined the queue and scanned the tables while waiting his turn. They were all occupied, but at some there was still at least an unoccupied seat.

There was a woman with a fidgety baby – no thanks. At the next table another young woman, clearly waiting for somebody. At the one in the corner sat some guy with a hoodie, base cap and sunglasses combination, working on a laptop. He looked kinda sketchy, but was probably the quietest of them all.

He ordered and waited at the side for his cup. With that in his hand, he went to Sketchy Guy. “Is this seat taken?“

He got a short glance in response, but it was enough to recognize the man. “Help yourself.“

Stephen didn’t reveal his discovery. He was here to read. And so he sat down and opened his book.

They sat in a comfortable silence until his table neighbor rolled back his shoulders and stretched his arms. “Gotta run somewhere quick. Can you keep an eye on my stuff?“

“Sure,“ Stephen hummed with the indifference one typically had toward strangers.

The other man gave him a quick, scrutinizing glance before taking off his sunglasses and placing them on the table. Then he went to the restrooms.

Stephen used the interruption to magically refill his drink. The rush hour had died down and the barista behind the counter had time to take a breath and refill the baked goods.

That actually wasn't such a bad idea, Stephen thought. His stomach could use some food. With a small flick of his fingers, he laid a protective spell over the table and then stood up to take a look at the cake of the day.

Refills were one thing but Stephen wouldn't be the reason that took the coffee shop out of business.

With a plate of apple pie he went back to his seat to continue reading.

Stark came back and put on his sunglasses again. Stephen hardly minded him. Until he heard a scoff.

“You know, when someone is asking you to watch their stuff, the one thing you shouldn't do is run off and abandon said stuff.“

The sorcerer looked at him over the edge of his book and raised a brow. He didn't even wonder how Stark knew. “Your stuff was perfectly safe.“

“Yeah, sure.“ His words dripped with sarcasm but for once Stephen didn‘t take the bait. He wasn‘t here to start an argument and – honestly – he simply didn‘t care enough about that man‘s opinion. So he kept his tongue silent, while Stark packed his belongings into a backpack and left.

At last Stephen had the table to himself.

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When Stephen entered the coffee shop two weeks later, it again was rush hour. He should really keep a tab on time, but after three exorcisms in one week he deserved a break. Unfortunately a lot of people seemed to think the same.

Scanning the crowd while waiting for his drink he weighed his options.

There was a free seat next to someone on their phone. Distracting.

Two teenagers. Nobody wanted to sit with teenagers.

And then there was… well, at least this was going to be entertaining.

Stephen took his cup to the table in the corner. “Is this seat taken?“

“Help your-…“ Brown eyes met blue ones. “…nope, absolutely not. Liars don’t get a seat at this table.” He was apparently quite petty and still didn’t take their last meeting well. Stephen didn't let it bother him and sat down anyway.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Stark asked. He was wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap indoors again, as if that would suddenly make him unrecognizable. The glasses weren't even fully tinted.

“I did. The thing is, I’m not a liar, Stark.”

Stark leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. If he was upset that his ridiculous attempt to remain incognito had failed, he didn't let it show. Or perhaps his annoyance at Stephen's presence simply outweighed it. "Is this some kind of practical joke? Did someone from the team set you up to annoy me?"

Stephen opened his book and flipped through until he found the right page. “You don’t have a lot of faith in your team.”

“What’s your deal then? Is this for your youtube channel? Any hidden cameras?”

“I just want to read in peace and enjoy my coffee.” Demonstratively, Stephen pointed to his book.

Stark was not very convinced. “I’m keeping my eye on you.”

“I’m flattered.”

Silence spread as the two men went about their work. But Stephen could not concentrate, he was hyper aware of his surroundings. It might have been because he was running on too much coffee and too little sleep. Or maybe the last demon he had exorcized had cursed him after all, before the sorcerer had managed to banish him back to his own dimension.

After a few minutes of reading the same paragraph over and over without really taking in what it said, he rubbed his forehead – and caught Stark's gaze, who was indeed watching him as announced.

"Okay, I'm curious," Stephen said, "if you're that paranoid, why ask a stranger to watch your stuff in the first place?"

"Statistically speaking, someone is less likely to steal if you give them the task of watching."

“So, you asked me because you didn’t want me to steal your stuff.” He huffed a laugh. “I’m not interested in your technology.”

Tony raised a brow. “You sure? I saw your phone last time. It’s the most ancient thing I’ve seen this century and you could really use an update. Not that you would have gone far with the stolen stuff.”

“I’m offended how little you think of my abilities of thievery.” Stephen wasn’t offended. He was amused. This conversation was way more interesting than his book. Yeah, he really needed a good, solid 20 hours of sleep. Maybe more.

Stark was about to retort something – Stephen's words only reinforced Stark's sour mood – when his phone made an alarming beeping noise, interrupting the two men. The engineer sighed and put on his sunglasses.

“Is it really this important, Fri?”, he asked no one specific in the room. Then, “Fine, I’m on my way.”

Stark turned his face to Stephen. “You’re lucky I gotta go. Someone is attacking the city hall using ice blasts.”

The corners of Stephen's mouth twitched up. “Do you need someone to watch your stuff while you’re gone?”

Stark was still wearing the glasses so Stephen couldn’t see the roll of his eyes, when he collected his laptop and left with a muttered, “Asshole.”

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It was 2 am when Stephen entered the coffee shop. Surprisingly he wasn’t the only patron at this ungodly hour. There were two students at a table in the back with various books and notes clattered in front of them, fueling on more caffeine than was healthy for them. With a small smile, Stephen recalled his days in medical school and later as a resident. It had been good times. Sometimes he felt that even back then he got more sleep than he did now as the Sorcerer Supreme.

The late opening hours of the coffee shop were among the reasons why he loved it. With a book and a cup of tea, he sat down at a table by the window. Despite the late hour, he wasn't tired, but there was an eerie mood in the air and he kept his third eye open – masked by a simple glamour – just in case.

The door of the coffee shop opened with a soft ring and a few minutes later a shadow fell on the sorcerer. He looked up and spotted Tony Stark, wearing his sunglasses and base cap as usual, even though it was the middle of the night.

“Three times’ the charm, I heard.” He looked tired, had dark circles under his eyes and a cup of coffee in his hand.

“Apparently,” Stephen replied.

Stark waited a moment, but Stephen didn't offer anything else. He sat down anyway, although enough other tables were unoccupied. Tonight he was not looking for privacy, but distraction.

Stephen seemed to notice that, because he pushed his book away, turning his attention to the other man instead.“How did it go the other day? The City Hall is still standing, so I guess you were successful.”

“Yeah. We got her before she turned it into a winter wonderland. She is currently under investigation with those powers.” Stark sipped his coffee. He was careful just to share information that made the news anyway, not sure how much he trusted this man in the coffee shop he seemed to meet quite regularly. He side-eyed Stephen. “So, you’re always sitting here with your books. Are you secretly the owner of this coffee shop, who likes to go undercover and talk to people? You know, like offering them life lessons.”

Stephen chuckled. “I can barely afford a beverage here every now and then. I definitely don’t have enough money to open a shop and keep it running.”

“What’s your deal then? What language is this even?” Curiously, Stark peered into his book.

“Sanskrit.”

“Gesundheit.”

“I read it for work.”

“Must be either an exciting field of work or an extremely boring one.”

“I find it quite interesting.”

There was a pause, before Tony said, “Don’t tell me all the details at once.” For the fact that this man could drive him up the wall with ease, he was quite secretive about his own person.

There was a small smirk on Stephen’s lips. “I will tell them, if you spill yours.”

Stark mirrored the smirk. “Touche.” He was sure that between the two of them he held the more delicate secrets with the Avengers and Shield, but he understood the sentiment. “Are you a librarian?” he asked anyway, because he was intrigued by this man who wasn’t intimidated by his name and face.

“No, that would be Wong,” Stephen said. “My work is more on the practical side.”

Stark had lots of follow-up questions. “What is the practical side of a librarian? Are you secretly going on adventures to retrieve long lost artifacts? What is this book even about? And what’s a Wong?”

“Excuse me, gentlemen.” They were interrupted by a barista, who stepped to their table and looked apologetic. “We would like to close.”

The men looked up in surprise. The students had disappeared and the barista had put the chairs up on every other table but theirs. They were the last patrons.

"Yes. Yes, of course." Stark got to his feet and reached for his jacket. Stephen followed him. “Sorry for making you work overtime.”

The barista politely waved it off, his voice full on customer service. “It’s fine, really. It’s just…”

“You want to go home and sleep. We get it.” Tony made sure to add an extra tip in the jar for their trouble.

No sooner than they stepped outside the door the sign on the window behind them was flipped to 'CLOSED'. The morning shift would arrive in a few hours, but until then the two men were without a place to pass the time.

Stark turned his head to Stephen. “Need a ride home?”

“I live only a few blocks away.”

“I’ll walk you. The streets can be dangerous.” And with that he started moving in the direction Stephen had pointed. The sorcerer followed him. He didn't mind Stark's company, it was nice. So was the silence in which they walked.

It might have been the late hour, but neither of them felt the need to continue their previous conversation or to start a new one.

It took them only a few minutes to reach the doors of the Sanctum.

Stark eyed the old building. "I don't know what I was expecting, but it fits with your weird books."

Instead of being offended by this, Stephen followed Stark's gaze and tried to see the Sanctum through the eyes of a stranger. To him, it was the epitome of home. He had never felt as much at ease anywhere as he did here. Even the expensive penthouse apartment he had lived in when he was a neurosurgeon didn't come close. Maybe his parents' farm when he was a little boy. But not even that anymore, since Donna left.

The building might be old, but it was reliable. It was a safe haven. And only those who needed it could see it.

He turned his head back to Stark.

“Why did you visit the coffee shop in the middle of the night?”

The inventor tilted his head, not questioning this weird change of topic. “Call it the side effects of my line of work.”

And didn’t Stephen understand that way too well? It was the same for him. He walked up the steps to the door.

“Hey,” Stark stopped him. “You never told me your name. I call you Annoying Coffee Guy in my head but, you know, a name would be nice.”

“It’s Stephen. Doctor Stephen Strange.”

Tony raised his eyebrows. He couldn’t help it, it sounded kinda made up. But whatever. “Nice to meet you, Stranger.”

Stephen rolled his eyes, but his smirk betrayed him. Behind him, the Sanctum door opened on its own. "Goodnight, Tony." He stepped into the dark interior and behind him the door closed again.

If Tony smiled on the whole way back to his car then, well, wasn’t that anybody’s business but his own.

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“So, your doctor title isn’t in some weird linguistic field but you’re an actual doctor.” Tony didn’t even pretend to look for a different table, before he sat down.

Stephen looked up, hiding the fact that he was pleased about it. “You googled me,” he said instead.

“I bet you did the same after realizing who I was.”

Stephen did a thing with his eyebrow, like Tony just said something really dumb. “I didn’t need to google you. Everybody knows who Tony Stark is.” He has the courtesy to keep his voice low enough for others not to listen in on that part. “It’s hard to ignore when your face is plastering the news every few weeks.”

“Well, what can I say? The press loves me.” Tony’s smile twisted into something more professional he used in interviews. “Don’t believe everything they say, though. That story with the Bengal tiger was definitely exaggerated.”

Now Stephen raised one of his eyebrows and Tony wondered how it was possible for a man to be this expressive with these?

“I will keep it in mind.” It was Stephen’s only comment on the matter, before he turned back to his book. It was a sign for Tony to pull his laptop out and start working.

There was a comfortable silence between them. The coffee shop around them was in full swing and Tony liked having background noises.

He was absorbed in his work until a voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Excuse me. I don’t mean to bother you. I just wanted to thank you for the help you do around here.”

Tony knew the game. Despite his – admittedly poor – disguise of 'just add a base cap', he was often approached by people. And it was fine. He always tried to make time, even if it was just for a minute. He switched to his PR smile he wore like a second skin and flashed it to the person (an older woman, apparently another patron) – and he was just about to open his mouth when he noticed that the older lady was actually talking to Doctor Strange.

Bewildered, he needed a second to close his mouth. That was a new one.

Stephen smiled politely at the women. “Of course. I’m happy to help.” He eyes wandered briefly to Tony, he had definitely noticed his misapprehension and it seemed to amuse him.

“My granddaughter was one of the kids with… bad teeth.” The lady paused for a moment as if to add something else, but then didn’t.

Tony thought it was weird, but Stephen didn’t bat an eye.

“Are the new teeth working well?”

“Yes, very.”

The doctor nodded, satisfied. “I’m glad I could help and that your granddaughter feels better. I’m making sure the tooth fairy will leave her alone in the future.”

The older lady smiled and left to get back to her own table.

Tony looked at Strange. “I didn’t know you were also a dentist.”

Stephen was not. But explaining that he had fought a tooth fairy gone rogue would be too soon in their… whatever they had going on.

So instead, he deflected.

“You first thought she was talking to you,” he stated, still amused about the fact.

“Well, naturally. No one told me, you are some local doctor hero.” He emphasized the word mockingly, but his words were genuine.

“It’s complicated,” Stephen said cautiously. “It hasn’t been the same since…” He trailed off, looking at his slightly trembling hands. After all this time it still wasn’t easy for him to talk about it.

“The accident?” Tony helped out and Stephen nodded. Of course Tony found the articles from it when he did his research. It was one of the first things that came up in google when you put in his name. Stephen wondered if that would still be the case if he hadn’t completely disappeared afterwards. Maybe if he had started working as a consultant or continued as a researcher, it would be different.

“Some scars never truly heal, I guess.” Tony’s words interrupted his trails of thought. The engineer put his fingers on his own chest, where the arc reactor had been for many years.

Their eyes met and there was a certain understanding between them. They were both middle aged men, both with their own demons and trauma.

“Do you like what you’re doing now?” Tony asked and Stephen nodded.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else.” And he meant it. “What about you? Being Iron Man can’t be easy.”

“Oh, I tried to live another life. To do something else. Didn’t work out. I come as a package deal.” Tony’s breakup with Pepper had been all over the news when it happened. They had broken up and he made her CEO. One of the best decisions of his life, even if it had been heartbreaking. But they worked better as friends. A lesson he learned the hard way.

Tony didn’t know why he added that last sentence. Or maybe he did, but he wasn’t ready to face that reason yet.

“I figured.” Stephen wanted to say more, but at that moment his phone rang. Since there were basically only two people who had his number, he glanced at the display (it didn't even have a touch screen, Tony noticed in dread. It really belonged in a museum).

"It's work," Stephen apologized and stepped away for a moment.

Tony emptied his coffee. His eyes fell back on his laptop, which still had his latest project open. He saved the progress and turned it off.

“Sorry, that was Wong,” Stephen said, coming back. “There was an incident at work. I have to go.”

“I’ll walk you.”

For a second it looked like Stephen was going to refuse, but then he nodded and they both packed up their things. It wasn't far to the Sanctum and he wouldn't lose much time walking instead of opening a portal in the next back alley.

He had told Tony that he lived and worked in the same building. So the engineer was not surprised when he took that direction. They walked most of the way in silence, each preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Only when they were almost at the Sanctum did Tony speak up again. “So, Wong, the librarian, is your co-worker.”

“And friend,” Stephen added fondly.

Tony turned his face to him. “Are you two… like a thing?”

“What? Wong? No!” The sorcerer chuckled. “That would be weird. No, I’m not seeing anyone.” He met Tony’s eyes, amused, but there was also the inevitable counter question. "What about you?"

They had arrived in front of the Sanctum and stopped. Although Wong's call had been urgent, Stephen lingered, not wanting to leave the company of the engineer yet. Standing in front of him, the difference in size between them was much more present than when sitting at the table. It was endearing to watch Tony look up to him, while he took a step closer to him.

“I’m seeing someone right now.”

“Yeah? Is he any good?” Stephen asked huskily.

“I guess there’s only one way to find out.” The air grew thick around them. They were definitely having a moment, Tony felt it – and then they were interrupted by the ringing of a bicyclist who sped past them way too close.

"Hey!" Tony jumped back, but managed to stay on his feet without stumbling. Stephen had sidestepped into the other way and looked equally surprised.

“Jeez, kids these days. You okay?” Tony asked.

“Yeah.” Stephen did a subtle gesture. The cyclist wouldn’t get far with a now flat tire. The sorcerer was not petty at all.

He looked at Stark, who shrugged his shoulders. “I guess work is waiting for you.”

“I guess.” Stephen was unwilling to have their moment ruined by a random bicyclist and he walked back up into Tony’s personal space. “I was wondering if you would like to–“

“Yes.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say.” Stephen raised an eyebrow.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m in,” Tony replied breathlessly. His eyes darted between Stephen’s eyes and his lips. “Also, I’d really like to kiss you. Wanted for a while actually.”

The sorcerer smiled. His trembling hand came to rest on Tony’s cheek, holding him gently, before kissing him. Tony closed his eyes, leaning more into it.

Unfortunately, it had to remain a short kiss, a soft promise for the next time they would see each other. Stephen wished they had more time, but duty called. His fingers brushed over Tony’s skin when they broke away from each other.

There was just one more thing he had to do, before he left. Because Tony deserved the truth.

“I have to tell you something.”

“What is it?” Tony knitted his brows. This sentence after a first kiss usually came with nothing good. He braced himself for being told that Stephen was still in a complicated relationship, maybe even married. Or terminal ill. None of these options were appealing.

And Stephen probably could have found better words. But he was distracted by Tony, by his closeness, by the kiss, his scent, his brown doe eyes and their dark lashes. He may be the Sorcerer Supreme but he was also just a man. Which was why he blurted out, “I can do magic.”

Tony laughed, relieved, and to Stephen it was the most beautiful sound on Earth. “I’m sure you can. But wait for it for an actual date, alright, magic man?”

“I’m serious.”

“I’m looking forward to a demonstration.” Tony nipped Stephen’s lips, partly because they looked delicious and partly to shut him up.

Behind them the Sanctum’s door opened. Stephen really had to go.

“I’ll see you soon.”

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Wong was not amused that Stephen had taken his time to arrive and Stephen felt a bit guilty because it turned out to be an actual emergency.

Despite everything he was a responsible human being. And therefore he sent a text message to Tony (he had no idea how or when the engineer had managed to save his number into Stephen’s phone) before he disappeared from this dimension for some time.

S: “Hell broke loose. Won’t be in the city for a few days. Text you when I’m back.”

T: “Do your worst, magic man.”

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Stephen was gone for a week. It felt even longer in the dimension, which Mephisto had invaded and which he and Wong defended.

Time worked weird like that.

When he returned home, he fell face first on his bed and slept for 30 hours straight. Afterwards he felt recovered enough to contact Tony and invited him for a date. He was aware that he had to clear it to the engineer what his actual job was.

Tony would understand, he was sure.

Stephen needed three tries to magick a good enough outfit. The first was way too formal, the second too casual. He settled for dark pants, a grey sweater that shows off his arms in just the right way, and a red scarf that is the Cloak of Levitation in disguise. The sorcerer knew if he tried to leave the cloak at home, he would just follow him like a lost puppy anyway.

The restaurant they agreed to meet was in midtown. Tony arrived first and stood up when Stephen entered the room. The engineer rocked a classic black and white combo and looked incredibly handsome. Before today Stephen had only seen him in hoodies to blend in, but today Tony had made sure to impress his date.

They sat at a table at the window.

“Good to see that hell spat you out in one piece,” Tony joked and Stephen froze for a moment, thinking what Tony knew. But then he remembered the text message he had written to the engineer, before he left.

“You have no idea.”

They ordered and toasted when their drinks arrived.

“About what I said the other night,” Stephen started. “About magic.”

“Ah yes, I’ve never dated a magician. What party trick can you do?”

“It’s no party trick,” the sorcerer scoffed. He couldn’t blame Tony for not being serious but it bothered him anyway.

Fortunately, Tony relented. “Of course not, sorry.” He gestured for Stephen to continue.

“I think you have the wrong idea of wha-…” A big shadow approached the window they were sitting at, growing larger and larger. Stephen reacted on instinct when a car that had been flung across the road crashed into the window. Glass shattered and people screamed in shock. Green glowing lines appeared, covering the car and the shards, before someone got actually injured.

Stephen stood on his feet, the eye of Agamotto on his chest on full display and open.

Tony stared at him – as did all the other guests.

“What the fuck?!”

Stephen turned his face to him. His brows were drawn together in annoyance at the interruption and because there were clearly dark forces responsible for this, but his eyes were sorry.

"As I was saying… magic."

He moved his fingers and turned time back. The window repaired itself, the shards reassembled into a solid surface, and the car flew back. Stephen didn't return it the whole way back, but dropped it halfway in the street – like it had been picked up from midair. Until he knew who or what had thrown it, he didn't want to risk it coming hurtling right back in his direction again.

Tony, in the meantime, had also jumped to his feet. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

“To my defense, I told you about the magic. It’s not my fault you didn’t believe me before.”

“Oh, so it’s my fault then?”

Stephen did not answer, his gaze was directed outside. Cars didn't just fly through the air. He noticed that the asphalt of the street was moving almost like something was pushing from underneath.

"I'll be back in a minute."

He took a step toward the window and the red scarf around his neck changed back into the cloak, which settled around his shoulder. At the same time his carefully put together outfit changed into his blue robes. With the second step he suddenly stood on the other side of the glass.

The cloak took him into the air so that he could get an overview of the situation. There was a crack in the asphalt that was spreading further and further, stretching along the entire road and causing chaos in the traffic.

That wasn’t good.

Tony jogged out of the restaurant, using the door, you know, like a normal human being.

“Hey! You don’t get to leave mid-argument! God, now I know how Pepper felt all those years. Are you actually wearing a cape?”

“It’s a cloak.” Stephen landed beside him. “Can this conversation wait until we figured out what’s happening here?”

“Fine,” grumbled Tony, not at all happy about giving in. “But only because this looks really bad.” He touched the house unit on his chest and the nanosuit bled over his body. He followed Stephen, who moved back into the air

“Friday says it’s all over the city, centered in Crotona Park in the north. Seems almost like something tries to break through.” Crotona Park was about eight miles away. Child’s play for his suit’s speed. “Can your magic keep up?”

Stephen smirked and opened a portal. “Can your tech?”

Oh, it was on! Tony hated the magic man. He wanted to kiss his stupid face.

He hesitated only slightly before he followed through the portal. It helped that Stephen had stepped in first and that Tony could actually see the other side. There wasn’t a black void. So he told himself it was fine. And it kinda was.

There’s even more chaos in the park. The earth was broken up, vaulted and something like lava leaked out. Some trees were on fire and there was smoke. It looked like Armageddon or the Judgment Day.

“Remember when I told you I wasn’t in town because hell broke loose?” Stephen had moved up next to him and Tony opened his face plate.

“Please don’t tell me…”

“They did the same in the twenty-third dimension. They are probably here because they are not happy I stopped them.”

Tony wondered briefly who ‘they’ were but anything related to literal hell couldn’t be nice. “Well, can you stop them again?”

“Yes, but you need to evacuate the park.”

“On it. Backup is on the way.” Friday had told him on screen that the team had already been notified, suited up and would hopefully arrive any second now.

Stephen dived right into… whatever it was he was doing. His fingers and arms moved in intricate gestures and gold glowing mandalas appeared, sealing the cracks and extinguishing the fire. The sorcerer was clearly in his element here.

Tony watched the man in awe before the readouts on his screen reminded him, he better got to work too. He set about getting the people out of the park.

Stephen did his best to prevent Mephisto from breaking into this dimension. He repaired crack after crack and fought back the attacks.

Wong appeared at his side. Alarmed by demons knocking in the city’s wards, he helped it to contain hell. He whirled around and cast his spells at every dark aura he noticed.

A smaller demon slipped out of a crater that had formed and jumped onto the armor of Tony, who had the misfortune of being closest to him. Wong created Crimson Bands of Cyttorak to catch it and hurl it back to where it had come from. Tony spun around and returned the favor by blowing away another demon that had just crawled out.

Stephen appeared from somewhere. “Tony, that’s Wong. Wong, Tony.”

Tony opened his face plate just to show his bewildered and very pretty face. "...what kind of ninja monk library do you guys operate?"

Because those robes, the acrobatic Moves of the librarian, and their glittering powers were pretty much the exact opposite of the ancient books and weird building Tony had associated with Strange. He was missing something and he didn’t like that feeling.

Any response was interrupted by the arrival of the Avengers, who were now checking in with Tony via comm. He gave them a rough summary of the situation, though he wasn't quite sure of it himself yet. But the words of the magic man had been clear and for now Tony decided to stick to them, because Strange clearly had more of an idea what was going on.

He joined the Avengers in getting the civilians off the battlefield, but let Friday keep an eye on the mages.

“How do we stop this? Nothing we do has any effects on it.” Rhodey asked his friend, as they tried to eliminate more demons with gunfire side by side. Unsuccessfully.

"They are Mephisto's creatures. Non-magical weapons are useless against them." It was Stephen who answered him and Rhodey turned to him, his brows drawn together, at this sudden and unexpected interference of this private conversation. “Excuse me, who are you?”

Tony sighed. “Rhodey bear, this is Stephen.”

“That’s Coffee Guy Stephen?” Rhodey asked skeptically. “He is the exact opposite of what you told m-…”

He was interrupted when a huge red hand erupted from the ground between them. Immediately, Stephen created a spell to hold the king of hell back. Wong rushed to his aid, but even together it was only a temporary solution.

They needed something stronger, Stephen realized.

This date was not going at all as planned. It was probably the worst date ever – without being too dramatic.

“I’m gonna end this nonsense once for all.” With these words, his cloak carried him high into the air.

Tony and Rhodey had been closest to the red hand and had been thrown back as it broke through the ground. Fortunately, their suits had caught them before they hit anything.

“What is he going to do?” Tony asked.

“Probably something extremely stupid,” Wong grunted, struggling to hold that spell on his own.

“I take it back,” Rhodey said to his best friend. “He is exactly your type.”

Stephen hovered over the battlefield. It looked bad. Not only had the ground turned into a crater field, more and more creatures from hell were slipping through the cracks.

With determined gestures he pulled powers from other dimensions, gathering them in his hands. He needed enough to shove back a force as great as Mephisto, the King of Hell, and to seal the tears between their worlds. In other words: he needed a lot.

He didn’t go for complicated spells or a finesse technique. He went for raw power and determination. His fingers drew golden light from the air that filled his body. The screams of the people decreased for him and he no longer heard the crackling of the asphalt tearing apart. His ears were filled with a white noise of static, almost like electricity.

Stephen closed his eyes and concentrated on this feeling, centering it inside him.

When he opened his eyes again, they glowed faintly, and he shot a giant beam of magic to those arms that tried to crawl onto Earth.

The red arms twitched, the clawed hands tried to grab hold, but had to retreat eventually. They moved back until they were gone.

Stephen took a breath and put his palms together. "I need your help for this, friend," he whispered to his cloak. Then he shot down to earth, gathering the last bit of energy he could muster between his hands. Only just before the center of the torn rifts did he slow down a bit, but his impact on the ground could still be heard loudly.

The sorcerer poured magic like water into it. Golden light shot along the cracks, stitching them back together until they were gone.

As the crater beneath Stephen repaired , he was thrown backward by the force of magic. His loyal cloak caught him midair, because the sorcerer had no more energy to do it himself.

He definitely overdid it. He hadn’t been to full capacity anyway after last week and now he was drained even further. But it was fine. Mephisto wouldn’t get his hands on Earth today.

The cloak descended Stephen slowly. His eyes were still faintly glowing, an after effect from summoning these immense powers. His feet touched the ground and he stumbled as his knees buckled. The cloak immediately helped him by carrying his weight.

Tony was the first to approach him, jogging up to him “Holy shit, Strange. That was… incredible. Hey? Are you alright?”

“’m sorry,” Stephen mumbles. “I should have… I didn’t mean you to find it out like this.” He wanted to reach for Tony, when he noticed the strong trembling of his hands and retreated. They were even worse than usual and wouldn’t be of any use in the next few days.

“It’s fine.” Tony hugged him anyway, his suit retreating into the house unit on his chest.

It was not the right place nor the right time for the talk they definitely had to do. The streets were back in one piece but there was still chaos:cars were turned on their roofs or even stacked in piles, people were still in panic. The sirens of various ambulances were on full blast.

The Avengers did their best to start the clean up but also glanced at the sorcerer curiously. Wong was probably on his way to capture the demons that managed to escape.

Tony’s hug was tight and Stephen inhaled the scent of shampoo, sweat and smoke. He tried to hug back, but it felt awkward with just using his arms. His hands hung useless.

“I’m fine,” he repeated. “Just need some sleep.

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They met up a few days later when Stephen was back on his feet.

The sorcerer was grateful the other man had taken care of the cleanup and the press after the fight, so he and Wong could return to the Sanctum.

That was also where they were sitting now: in one of its cozy rooms with a fireplace. Stephen had made coffee for them both and his cup hovered in the air beside him. His hands were bandaged and still hurt, though less badly than right after the fight.

“You should join the Avengers.” It was the first thing Tony said after Stephen explained his magic abilities to him.

“No.”

“No?”

“Look,” Stephen sighted, because he had dreaded this conversation. “I appreciate you asking but we – the order of the Mystic Arts – are trying to be subtle. We operate in the background.”

His hands had healed enough to use magic and with a motion of his finger he guided the cup to his mouth.

Tony raised his eyebrows. “Okay, first off: what you did there in the park was anything but subtle.”

And didn’t Stephen know that. He was glad that Wong had backed him up when the elders had voiced their dissatisfaction about the incident.

“Secondly, so you’re telling me, you’re not only secretly a wizard, but also in a cult?”

“It’s not a cult,” Stephen said automatically.

“Uh-hu. A secret society with old ass looking robes? Definitely a cult. I hope you’re at least allowed to date or I will have a word with your cult leader.”

That made Stephen perk up. After everything that had happened Tony still considered dating him? That was more than he had hoped for.

“Well, technically,” he drawled and Tony braced himself for whatever Stephen would throw next at him. He couldn’t be sure with these wizards. “… I am their leader.”

Tony cracked a smile and laughed. Because of course he was. Everything with this magic man has been fucking strange so far and Tony loved every minute of it.

#IronStrange #Tony Stark / Stephen Strange #Tony Stark x Stephen Strange #Tony Stark / Doctor Strange #Tony Stark x Doctor Strange #SpaceMermaid #spacemermaid writing #marvel #strangeiron #mcu #coffee shop au #is this seat taken

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space-mermaid-writing · 11 months

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Oops, my hand slipped... Demon! Stephen for @strangewords-yumidavidb's Bride of the Elder Guardian (That's how I imagine him)

His wings are wrapped around him. With those little claw spikes hooked in place so it kinda looks like a cloak.

I wanted to give him different horns but in the end they didn't match with his skull. So I went with the 'The ancient magus bride' horns.

Sketch under the keep reading

He's so cute I wanted to include him:

Also it makes me think: skulls often look like they are smiling. It's creepy (because it's a skull) but it's also cute!

#stephen strange #doctor strange #ironstrange #demon!Stephen #Bride of the Elder Guardian #strangewords yumidavidb #spacemermaid writing #my art #The ancient magus bride

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space-mermaid-writing · 1 year

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Ever since that kiss

Prompt: "Killing Loneliness" by HIM

Relationship: Loki x Reader

Ko-fi | Masterlist

Author's note: Part of my prompt special. The song threw me right back into my emo phase I had when I was 16. Requested by @eleniblue

Your laughter filled the air and Loki clenched his teeth. The sound was both heaven and hell.

Loki made a point of not looking in your direction, trying to resist the urge – he lost after a ridiculously short time, before his eyes darted over to you.

You were sitting with your friends, the group of you engaged in a lively conversation. One of them slapped you friendly on the shoulder after you made what appeared to be a joke. Loki was five seconds away from amputating their hand. Instead he got on his feet and left the room, not noticing the pair of eyes following him.

Memories sharp as daggers Pierce into the flesh of today Suicide of love took away all that matters And buried the remains in an unmarked grave in your heart

Ever since you had kissed him a few days ago, he couldn’t stop thinking about you.

It had been in the aftermath of a battle, adrenaline rushing through both your veins, pushing you into rash actions. This fight had been particularly dangerous and maybe Loki had been too reckless. But it was worth it, because the kiss afterwards tasted hot, sweaty and like ‘thank the gods you’re still alive’. It tasted like all the secret glances, the lingering touches, the flirting words.

And Loki wanted to taste it again. It was intoxicating.

Sitting in his room alone seems like wasted time now. Reading no longer satisfied Loki’s mind. He had found a new drug and was crazy for it.

With the venomous kiss you gave me I'm killing loneliness (killing loneliness) With the warmth of your arms you saved me Oh, I'm killing loneliness with you I'm killing loneliness that turned my heart into a tomb I'm killing loneliness

It knocked on his door and you entered. Your eyes met and a smirk sneaked onto Loki's lips.

“Hey,” you said. Your voice was full of promises.

#Loki x reader #Loki x you #Loki / you #Loki / reader #Marvel x reader #Marvel x you #mcu #loki laufeyson #SpaceMermaid #SpaceMermaid writing #shorts #prompt #request #imagine Loki #Killing Loneliness #HIM

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space-mermaid-writing · 1 year

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Delivery for 177A Bleecker Street

Summary: Most people just walk by the Sanctum’s doors without noticing it. While this is a gread security measure, it also raises questions when Stephen and Wong want to order food and have it delivered.

Tags: fun, slice of life, don’t take this too seriously, delivery persons deserve a lot of credit

Ko-fi | Masterlist | Word count: 2.1k

Author’s note: It’s been a while since I had a stupid writing idea and put it down on paper immediately.

Delivery for 177A Bleecker Street

Danny was cleaning the counter when a new order came in online. He passed it directly to the kitchen, the rag still in his other hand, when his eyes fell on the delivery instructions and he frowned. They had to be kidding.

But a glance at the bottom of the receipt told him that the order had already been paid up front. So it would be an expensive joke if so.

"Cate!" he called to his co-worker, who had worked at Ginger Noodle way longer than he. Maybe she had more of a clue.

Cate stepped next to him and looked at the delivery instructions:

Address: 177A Bleecker Street

Added note: put the bag down at the corner of 181 and 175

„Oh, yeah, they ordered before,“ Cate told him. „Max will know.“

Max, the delivery boy, must come across some strange instructions on his tours.

„Are they homeless?“ Danny asked. He couldn‘t think of any other reason why they didn‘t simply name a doorbell to ring.

Cate shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. But they always pay up front, so I don't really care if it's a raccoon ordering."

That was one way to see it. And Danny was in charge of the counter, not delivering orders. Still, he couldn't get that weird instruction out of his head.

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Stephen dropped onto the couch, groggily. Wong, who closed the portal behind them, also looked exhausted. Although he kept a bit more of his composure as he sat down on an armchair. But he also grunted in satisfaction – and pain – when his back hit the cushion.

„Let‘s never do that again,“ Stephen muttered.

„Agreed.“

Exorcisms weren‘t fun in general and even less if the demon managed to break out and possess one of them. The evil spirit had been a slippery one. Stephen had let his mental shields down for only half a second to warn Wong of an incoming attack and the demon took advantage of that to possess him.

Well, the two sorcerers still managed to banish it in the end. (Stephen was glad that Wong was too exhausted to scold him for his carelessness)

The demon had consumed a lot of Stephen‘s energy and he felt like he was starving. He needed food. Preferably immediately.

„Ginger Noodle‘s?“

„Naturally.“

When he thought about what they stored in the fridge, he shuddered. No way he would open that door.

Therefore he pulled out his phone to order something, but his hands were shaking. With his low blood sugar even worse than usual. He couldn‘t seem to bring up any more magic to stabilize then. It hurt just to type in the code to unlock it.

Fortunately, Wong saved him by leaning over and snatching the phone out of his hands. „Let me take a look at the menu. I heard they have a new dish.“

It was a weak excuse. They almost always ordered the same dishes. But Stephen didn‘t point that out, since he was glad not to have to move his fingers anymore.

Wong swiped and typed, but after a few minutes he frowned. „Ginger Noodle‘s closed.“

„Closed?“ Stephen echoed. They couldn‘t just close. It was their favorite place and they didn‘t ask weird questions.

Wong confirmed with a hum. „Due to a holiday.“

Stephen wasn‘t aware of any holiday but he also wasn‘t exactly sure what day it was. So it was entirely possible that it was a legit reason.

It should be around spring… his eyes wandered to the nearest window. There was a blue sky, barely any clouds. It was sunny but some people were still wearing jackets. Yeah, definitely spring. Early summer at most.

Wong spoke up again. „We could order from that other place around the corner.“

„No,“ Stephen protested weakly but firmly. „I refuse to eat anything coming from a place called ‘THAI TANIC‘.“

Regardless of his own last name and his job, Stephen did not appreciate stupid puns.

„Well, we have to eat something.“

There was a short pause when both men looked at each other while – again – thinking about what was left in the Sanctum‘s fridge.

„Fine,“ Stephen gave in. „But I will despite every single bite of it.“

„I‘m sure your food will know your disdain towards its vendor and act accordingly,“ Wong said in his yet driest voice while googling the place.

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The phone rang.

„Thank you for calling ‘Ginger Noodle’. This is Danny speaking. How can I help you?“ The young man was proud of his customer voice. He had practiced for a long time to make it sound like he was highly motivated and this wasn't just a part time job while he went to college.

The person on the other end of the line sounded slightly annoyed and very tired. „Hello. I tried to put an order online to have my food delivered, but it always shows me an error message.“

„Yeah, I‘m really sorry about that. The server‘s down and it will probably take a day or two for them to fix it. You can put your order with me though and pay when your food gets there.“

There was a short pause.

Then, „You wouldn‘t be able to find my door.“

Danny rolled his eyes and gestured to the cook to hurry up with another order. „I assure you our driver has a one-hundred percent success rate. Max has found any door so far. You can leave the specifics with me and I pass them through. What‘s your address?“

„Bleecker Street.“

That made Danny perk up. Could it be? He took a look at the phone but of course there was no clue of the person he was talking to.

"That's not too far from here actually. Which number?" He tried to get more information. It could be a coincidence, but there was the small chance Danny was currently speaking to the odd 'leave the bag at the corner of two buildings on the middle of the sidewalk' person that ordered food at least once a week.

There was another pause and Danny thought that the man maybe had fallen asleep or just walked away from the phone (both happened more often than you would think) when the other man spoke up again.

„I can also pick the order up and pay cash, right?“

„Absolutely.“ This time the enthusiasm in Danny's voice was not fake. It meant that he would see the person. The mystery would finally be revealed.

He wrote the order down.

„It‘s ready in twenty minutes. Can I get a name for it?“ This was absolutely not necessary, but Danny was too curious to resist. He snuck every piece of information he could lay his hand on.

„Doctor Strange.“

Danny‘s eyes were beaming. Of course! It sounded so very fake, but considering who he was talking to it seemed just fitting.

After hanging up, he passed the order to the kitchen and told them to prioritize it.

The next twenty minutes couldn't go by fast enough. Danny stowed the order in a plastic bag and placed it on the counter, eyeing the door every few seconds to catch any first glimpses of that mysterious person, whose secret he was about to reveal.

Fortunately, no other customer was in the shop and the phone was silent too. It was that small window between lunch rush hour and dinner that allowed the staff to each take their breaks one after another.

It also left Danny with nothing to do but to re-organize some stuff. He knew how to keep himself busy while looking like he was working hard.

Then there was a sudden shriek from the kitchen and when Danny turned around he saw through the serving hatch the cook holding his hand as if it had been burned. The man cursed as he stumbled back, bumping into a stack of take out containers as he did so.

Like in a cartoon, the tower wobbled comedicly slow, before it fell over – onto the cook.

For a second Danny just watched. Then he rushed to help, not hearing the faint hiss on the other side of the counter, nor seeing the golden sparks. Instead the young man helped pick up and re-stack the containers while the cook tended to his hand. (It wasn't bad, he had just gotten to the hot wok carelessly).

Just then, Cate returned from her break and saw the mess. Shaking her head, she ignored it and went to the front. Only to be back a second later.

„Hey, someone left twenty dollars on the counter.“ She held the bill in her hand, questioningly.

Danny looked up. The money had certainly not been there when he left. „I don‘t…,“ he started but than noticed that the plastic bag with the order was gone. He rushed over to check if it fell on the floor, but that wasn‘t the case.

„Did you see someone picking up an order just now?“

„No, just the money.“

Danny blinked. Twenty dollars was enough to cover the food, it even left a small tip. He couldn't believe he had missed the customer.

Weird, normally a bell rang in the back when someone entered through the front door.

Danny can‘t help but think this was just another mystery of the Bleecker Street orders.

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Stephen was sitting in the library. A book hovered in front of him, the pages turning with a single movement of his finger. It was a quiet day, almost lazy, if Stephen would ever know these kinds of days and he spent the time reading.

He sat in a comfortable silence. Only the rustling of the cloak's fabric, that was draped over his lap like a cat and the low buzzing of magic in the background that was ever present in this building, was hearable.

Somewhere in the Sanctum, Wong was taking care of the relics, dusting them.

Stephen was not often able to relax. It came with the title of the Sorcerer Supreme and with the burden of protecting reality.

The city outside was as hectic as ever, but thick stone walls and magic shielded the inside from the noises. Once upon a time, Stephen had liked the hustle and bustle, but since his time in Kamar-Taj, the sorcerer had learned to appreciate the quiet as well.

Suddenly something interrupted the silence, when something shifted in the aura of the Sanctum. A second later, there was a knock at the front door.

Stephen frowned. Visitors were rare and usually meant trouble. He stood up. The cloak of levitation also shifted and rested on his shoulders. With the next step the sorcerer stood in the foyer and opened the front door.

On the steps of the Sanctum stood a young man with a take out bag in his hand. "Delivery for 177A Bleecker Street."

Stephen eyed him warily. „Why can you see this door?“

Although Danny’s voice had been uncertain a moment ago, he didn't back down. Instead he straightened his shoulders as he looked at the man in front of him. The guy wore a cape – this had to be the address he was looking for. It was the weird worded question that made him speak with more confidence.

„To be honest, I‘m not sure. I looked everywhere for 177A but not even in the tattoo parlor next door they knew nothing. So, I was ready to leave the bag between 181 and 175 like in the instruction but when I turned back around there was suddenly this house.“

He tried to pry behind Stephen, but didn't see much except a big staircase.

„Huh,“ the sorcerer said eloquently.

„Are you Doctor Strange?“

„I am.“

The bag was taken from the student's fingers, but it wasn't Strange’s hands but the cape’s corner.

Danny stared at it dumbfounded. A piece of clothes that moved on its own?

The door was being closed and would have been shoved right in his face, if Danny hadn’t taken a quick step back. He didn‘t even get a thank you for delivering the food, but the young man was surprisingly okay with that. He had finally solved who was behind the weird order instructions of Bleecker Street.

Even though he now had even more questions than before.

Stephen, meanwhile, walked up the grand staircase shaking his head, glancing at the food he had ordered online earlier. He decided to recheck the wards of the Sanctum later today.

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Danny smiled the next time an order with special instructions came in online.

„Bleecker Street. You know where the door is. (Mind the Boggarts. They bite.)“

Danny worked the counter but would do an exception for one kind of food delivery: the strange one.

#Stephen Strange #Doctor Strange #Wong #imagine Doctor Strange #imagine stephen strange #SpaceMermaid #SpaceMermaid writing #delivery for 177A Bleecker Street #marvel #mcu #mcu prompt #Mytic Arts #master of the mystic arts #Ginger Noodle #I read Thai Tanic and had to include it

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space-mermaid-writing · 6 months

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The Vamp and the Were [IronStrange]

Summary: Tony would mark the day he met a vampire that did not immediately jump at his throat. Just for once – that would be a nice change.

Relationship: Vampire Stephen Strange / Werewolf Tony Stark

Tags: IronStrange, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in love, Angst, Fluff, all the good stuff

Status: completed

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 |

Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 |

Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 |

Chapter 13

#ironstrange #doctor strange #tony stark #Vampire Stephen Strange #Werewolf Tony Stark #stephen strange #marvel #mcu #strangeiron #The Vamp and the Were #spacemermaid writes #Masterlist

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space-mermaid-writing · 16 days

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Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

This looks fun! I'll only pick fics I wrote in English tho. (fyi I have like 50 more in German. But those are old and from another fandom)

1. The witchling and the god [Loki / Witch!Reader] AO3 link Why a favorite: I started writing it because of a simple idea. It was never meant to become that long and deep. But I really like how the fic turned out. A pleasant surprise :D

2. The black cat with blue eyes [IronStrange] AO3 Link Why a favorite: Stephen in cat form (temporary) and a lot of trauma. Do I have to say more? I put so much analysis in this.

3. You don’t always have to be okay [Doctor Strange / Reader] Why a favorite: Short but soft. I wrote it in the night; that always means I put a lot of myself in it. This oneshot is a comfort blanket that gently wraps around you.

4. Cuddles [Alpha!Loki / Omega!Reader] Why a favorite: what can I say? I don't remember why I even first started reading a/b/o...maybe as a joke, maybe because I was curious what the fuss was about. Joke's on me: it became a favorite trope of mine. 'Cuddles' is the only a/b/o related thing I've ever written but I'd love to explore that verse more in the future.

5. In space nobody hears you scream [Mirror! Leonard McCoy] AO3 Link Why a favorite: Bones is my favorite Star Trek character in all timelines. But what if he was slightly unhinged? What if everyone was slightly unhinged? But Bones, Kirk and Spock would still strike some kind of unlikely friendship? I love what I wrote in this peace. Especially the banter between Bones and Kirk.

After some consideration I deemed these my favorites. I will now continue to pass the message on :)

#ironstrange #Loki / Reader #Doctor Strange / Reader #Leonard McCoy #loki x you #Loki #Stephen Strange #Doctor Strange #Tony Stark #McKirk #spacemermaidwriting #SpaceMermaid #tag game #fanfiction #my writing

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space-mermaid-writing · 2 months

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The Vamp and the Were [IronStrange]

Summary: Tony would mark the day he met a vampire that did not immediately jump at his throat. Just for once – that would be a nice change.

Relationship: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange

Tags: IronStrange, Vampire Stephen Strange, Werewolf Tony Stark, hurt/comfort, idiots in love, angst, urban fantasy au

Chapter 2: Two

Getting into a vampire nest wasn't the problem. If you knew what you were looking for, the entrance was easy to find – in this case the nest was the abandoned basement of a building that had been waiting for demolition for several years. It was cordoned off with a construction fence, and signs indicated that this was private property – no trespassing.

Still, the upper floors were often used by homeless people or runaway teenagers. The kinds of people who were a perfect snack source for the basement dwellers.

Of course they had some security measures in the form of modern technology, but those posed no challenge to the sorcerer.

As said, getting in wasn't the problem.

But it was like hitting a hornet's nest with a baseball bat; once you opened it, there was no escape. There were only two options: hunt, or be hunted.

The sorcerer of the Mystic Arts consisted of both humans and vampires. But those Vamps couldn't be more different than the vampires they were fighting. They were like two different species.

Stephen used one of his red magic whips to yank a vampire off his feet and hurled her against the wall. He knew it would hurt his opponent, but it wouldn’t be fatal. Only fire or beheading was effective. Or sunlight, if you had enough time.

Tearing a vampire into tiny little pieces so they couldn't regenerate was also an option, but one that took a lot of effort.

Another sorcerer threw a golden spell disc at the vampire Stephen had just thrown against the wall, separating her head from the body.

Although they were no longer human, it hurt Stephen to take their lives. Not because he was of the same species – he felt little affiliation to these beings – but because they, like him, had once been human. But now they were a danger to the world.

And Stephen had sworn to protect the world. He didn’t differentiate between humans and vampires or any other species that was.

The individuals here had lost almost everything that had once made them human. Unfortunately, that happened a lot of times when they got turned, and nobody took care of them or taught them to be something else than angry and hungry beings."

Stephen had been lucky – if you could call it that – that the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj had found him when he had been at that point.

The sorcerers fought as a team, covered for each other, taking advantage of their years of training together.

The unfriendly vampires moved on instinct. Survival was the only drive they knew. The sorcerers fought as a unit and with tactics, and thus were superior to their opponents. They only had to be careful not to get too close to the pointy teeth.

Stephen used another red whip to pull a vampire away from Wong’s neck.

Suddenly there was a loud crash when part of the wall to their right collapsed. Surprised by this unexpected destruction, the human sorcerers coughed in the dust cloud.

Loud footsteps stepped over the rubble and the outline of the Iron Man suit could be made out in the semi-darkness, along with several other members of the Avengers.

Stark raised a hand and used a repulsor blast to knock one of the enemy vampires, who was trying to use the chaos to pounce on one of the sorcerers, off his feet.

Stephen only allowed himself to be distracted for a moment. He still had his hands full with the vampire on the other end of his whip. At least, until that one too was hit by a blast.

Stark appeared next to him, his faceplate open. "Thanks for the tip with the coven. It wasn't difficult to find after a little bit of research."

Stephen could have slapped himself for telling Stark about it. That meant this little incident here was his fault.

"We had everything under control," he replied through clenched teeth.

“Well, can’t sue me for wanting insurance, doc.” There was a press smile plastered on the hunter’s face.

Tony Stark was unarguably the most famous werewolf in the world. Just as his father had been before him. Tony was probably even more famous, because he had the advantage of social media and globalization.

He used to be seen as the specimen of a Were in a suit – a popular term for a tough businessman.

Stark’s world got turned around after he had been captured by vampires in Afghanistan.

How he survived that without even being turned… It was a miracle. Iron Man was born, who later became a member of the Avengers; a bunch of people of different species with various skills, who hunted undead and protected people from them.

Like they did right now, interfering with the work of the Masters of the Mystic Arts. Stephen was just glad that they always took precautionary security measures so that those who were not human beings still appeared as such. He just hoped those measures were enough.

Well, no time like the present to find out.

The last of the hostile vampires had been killed and Steve Rogers approached him. Probably to speak to Stark, who was still standing next to him, eyeing him curiously, as if he was a riddle to solve.

Ironically, Steve Rogers was one of the projects Howard Stark was most known for. An experiment. He had taken his own werewolf DNA, made a serum and injected it into a human.

The result was surprisingly good looking. Rogers became strong like a Were, having the muscles while his physiology remained mostly human.

Not quite all of it. His hair was a bit too shaggy whenever he didn’t tame it with styling products. His teeth were a bit too sharp, and his voice was commanding in a way that made him sound as if he was barking when giving orders.

Still, America loved him.

“We cleared the basement," Rogers informed Stark before he turned to Stephen, clearly taking the opportunity to seize him up.

Stephen made a subtle gesture to Wong that he and the other sorcerers should leave. There was no need to expose them longer to the Avengers than necessary.

He met the Captain’s eyes and saw the exact moment he flared his nostrils and failed to get any scent from Strange. Good.

Rogers covered his irritation professionally. “Are you the wizard that gave Tony the tip about this nest?” he asked. “Doctor Strange?”

Stephen nodded. “I prefer the term ‘sorcerer’. And yes, I did. Even though it hadn’t been meant as an invitation.” He turned his head to Stark for that last part.

The Were looked back amused, almost challenging. But he was actively following the conversation as if he was still trying to analyze the sorcerer. If he was in his wolf form he would probably have his ears up and his tail at attention.

Then Rogers spoke up again and demanded Stephen’s focus. “Well, the job is done. It’s what we do.”

“And since that is the case, there is no further need for me to stay here.” Stephen raised his hand to create a portal but the Captain was faster.

“Wait,” he commanded, his voice shifting into something more serious. “We’ve got some questions for you.”

The sorcerer considered it for a moment. “Make it brief.”

“Do you fight vampires on a regular basis, doctor? Tony mentioned you two met over that last time.”

Stephen wondered if Stark also told his teammates that he had saved his ass. Probably not by the looks of his face right now.

“If they act as a threat, we do.”

“Who is ‘we’?” It was Stark who raised that question. “How many of you wizards are there?”

“I’m afraid that’s classified.” Stephen moved his hand in a circle and created a portal above him. “And to answer your next question: no. We don’t want to join your hunting club.”

“But what about–…”

Stephen didn’t hear the rest of Roger’s sentence. The cloak had already carried him upwards and the portal closed under his feet before anyone could follow him.

_________________________________

Tag list: @jekyllhydetrash @goopierthenyou Tell me if you wanna be added/removed

#ironstrange #doctor strange #tony stark #Vampire Stephen Strange #Werewolf Tony Stark #stephen strange #marvel #mcu #strangeiron #The Vamp and the Were #spacemermaid writes

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space-mermaid-writing · 1 day

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I didn't realise you are the author of vamp and the were! Love the fic and how unique it is. And so fun to read. Thank you for writing it.

A generic hospital prompt for ironstrange. I know its generic but its fascinating to see how different its interpreted and also since its canon that as characters both of them have a distaste for it. It can be taken so many ways. I leave it upto you unless you want me to be more specific :)

Thank you! I'm happy you liked The Vamp And The Were <3

For your generic hospital prompt I went with pre-powers. If you had something more specific in mind, feel free to drop that in my inbox. Until then you get a Tony who picks up Stephen at work for a lunch :)

Ko-fi | Masterlist | Word count: 0.5k

It was safe to say that Tony hated hospitals. He had never been a fan of doctors who were way too eager to check and touch his body. He didn’t like it as a kid when he was sick and his parents called them, and he still didn’t like them now. Hospitals were even worse; with the ever present smell of antiseptic and their overall aesthetic of white and gray.

The fact that Tony had just entered a hospital voluntarily was nothing short of a miracle. He wasn’t in actual need of medical attention, so that was a plus. No, he was here to pick up a certain doctor.

Tony took the elevator to the fifth floor. He knew the way to the surgeon’s floor by heart.

Curious glances still followed him – something that would never change no matter where he went. But he also got some friendly nods from members of the staff who were by now used to his visits. Tony returned them, even if the sunglasses on his nose hid his lack of interest.

Tony tolerated being here. But only because of one man.

He stepped out of the elevator and walked to the office.

Halfway he heard the familiar deep voice as Stephen stepped out of it, talking to a nurse. When he noticed Tony his face lit up noticeably.

Tony smiled. This was what made it worth it to endure being in a hospital. And he liked having this effect on the doctor. It stirred something in his belly; feelings he wasn’t yet ready to deal with. So he shoved them deeper down.

The nurse seemed confused about his reaction and followed his gaze. As soon as her eyes landed on the approaching Tony, she understood.

“I’m here to pick you up for our meeting, Doctor Strange.” That was their code for a lunch date. Tony knew Stephen preferred to keep their relationship professional in front of co-workers and Tony respected that. Except in the presence of Christine, who called them out on their bullshit. And she often sided with Tony; one of the reasons he liked her so much.

Stephen handed the chart he was carrying to the nurse. “Take that to Doctor Robinson for the blood test.”

“Yes, Doctor Strange.” The nurse left, not without throwing an amused and knowing smile at Tony.

Only when she was gone Stephen spoke again, keeping his voice down. “A surgery came in an hour. A transfer from Huntington with a pituitary tumor. The transnasal transsphenoidal operation has to be done.“ It almost sounded like an apology – only that Stephen didn’t do apologies.

„We can go to Papa John’s down the street and you can take your book for the read up of the case with you. It will just be a quickie.” Tony winked at him. He knew any surgery that Stephen was involved with would take at least a few hours and Tony felt better knowing he had eaten beforehand.

Stephen scoffed because Tony had brought that innuendo into his workplace. A quick look around reassured him that no one was within earshot. He thought about the offer. “Alright, I’ll get my coat,” he then agreed.

Tony had already learned that Stephen had a hard time refusing Tony’s offers – as long as they were well-thought-out and convenient.

He followed Stephen into his office. Maybe he could convince him into another kind of quickie before lunch as well.

#IronStrange #tony stark #doctor strange #tony stark x doctor strange #ask prompt #prepower #date #SpaceMermaid #Spacemermaid writes #marvel #stephen strange x tony stark #short #oneshot

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space-mermaid-writing · 2 months

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The Vamp and the Were [IronStrange]

Summary: Tony would mark the day he met a vampire that did not immediately jump at his throat. Just for once – that would be a nice change.

Relationship: Werewolf!Tony Stark / Vampire!Stephen Strange

Tags: hurt/comfort, idiots in love, angst, fluff

Chapter 5: This didn’t go as planned

Every now and then they went on a mission together. It turned out each of them had a special skill set that proved to be useful in some cases. And the company was also nice.

Somehow Stark had managed to crawl into Strange's off-putting shell.

A few days ago, he had contacted the werewolf because several children had disappeared in the same area and he suspected an underground trafficking ring behind it. He had obtained some clothing and toys from those children, which he now handed to Stark in separate plastic bags.

"Can you pick up their trail? There's not enough DNA for a tracking spell."

"So I'm just your better tracking dog?" Tony snorted, without really being offended. "Yeah, sure, it's not like I have more important stuff to do."

Stephen raised his eyebrow. There was a small smirk on his lips. "More important than to possibly save five or more children from a cruel and painful fate?"

Tony was very unhappy about that comeback since it was very valid and he had nothing to counter. So he followed Strange through a portal to the place where one of the children had last been seen.

He took a plush bunny from one of the labeled bags and sniffed it.

Then he checked the surrounding air and concentrated.

When he was younger the many scents used to be overwhelming. But he became pretty good at filtering out what wasn’t of interest at the moment.

A few days ago the lawn had been mowed, and since these past few days had been really hot, the freshly cut grass was on the fast way to become straw. It carried a hint of the typical smell from stables.

Various cats and dogs were living in the area. Tony ignored those scents completely.

A car drove by, diesel engine. The brakes dragged a little and produced a fine abrasion.

Then he noticed something. It was faint, a few days old, and he followed the trail. An Iron Man suit, piloted by Jarvis, was sent to scan the area from there.

Stephen followed him without questioning him.

He knew from experience that if he was dragged out, something crucial would happen. Fortunately, they were in a quieter area of Queens. It was easier to pick out the older lead here than in midtown. And once picked up, he would hardly lose a trail. He didn't even need to shift for it.

Strange walked at his side, eyeing the surroundings. There was still no smell at all of the sorcerer. And that fact was still weird.

Tony was curious how he would smell. Probably something calm with a hint of herbs, like his teas. Something warm and inviting.

The Were shook his head.

He shouldn’t get distracted!

The path led them through a narrow passage between tall buildings. The area became poorer and poorer.

“You’re unusually quiet,” the Were noted after a while.

“I don’t want to distract you from your work.”

“I can track a smell and listen to you at the same time. It’s called multitasking and I’m an expert in it.”

Stephen scoffed. “Alright then. What do you want to talk about?”

Tony led them under a bridge. It smelled like pee. "Oh, nothing in particular. How was your weekend?" He stopped in front of a metal fence and rattled the gate. It was locked. So he tapped his wristwatch, but before he could weld it open, Strange did a swift motion with his fingers and the door magically swung open.

Stephen moved ahead past Tony. “My weekend was fine.”

Tony rolled his eyes and muttered, “Show off,” before he followed him suit. He waited a few more seconds, but Stephen offered nothing more. “Wow, don’t tell me more. I can already picture it as if I’ve been there myself.” His words were dripping with sarcasm. “Let me guess: you read an old book, drank some tea and argued with Wong about which of them was on dishwashing duty? Maybe you even washed the cloak.”

The cloak moved as if by wind when it was mentioned. Stephen stopped and turned to the engineer, looking into his eyes. “I went to a dimension that consists purely of energy and gaseous elements. The inhabitants have never seen a solid shape and I had to disguise myself as some kind of smoke. I chased an ill-mannered nebula through some kind of semi-liquid slime and prevented it from passing into our plane of existence.”

Tony blinked. “You’re making that up!” he accused the sorcerer.

There was the hint of a smile on Stephen’s lips. “I also did wash the cloak afterwards.” With that, he started moving again.

Tony followed him, still not sure if he was told the truth or just some nonsense.

Suddenly there was a noise above them. Something approached them through the air, then landed with a gentle ‘thump’.

“Hey Mister Stark, Hello Doctor Strange. I saw the armor nearby and thought you might need some backup with whatever it is you’re doing here.”

The teenager didn’t lift his mask but the men could hear the nervous smile under it.

Tony exchanged a quick glance with Stephen.

The sorcerer shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just a rescue mission,” he said lowly.

That was good enough for the Were. "Sure, but do as we say and stay behind us," he told Peter.

"Yes, totally!" He sounded thrilled to be included.

So the three of them continued on their way, and the men explained the situation to Peter in a few words along the way.

Between the three of them, with the help of Tony's suit in the air, it was easy to find the missing children's whereabouts. Either the kidnappers were not very smart, or they felt very safe.

It was a fucking cliché: an unused office building on a street with lots of warehouses, most of which were empty.

The kids seemed to be locked in a barely furnished room next to an empty open-plan office that covered almost the whole floor. All the doors were glass, but most were covered with newspapers. So were the windows, so they had no visual contact.

Tony had called his Iron Man back down and stepped in it to get a better read of the data.

There were five armed guys in the open office space and two more in another adjacent room.

Stephen, Tony, and Peter quickly came up with a plan: Stephen and Tony would take care of the armed guys, while Peter snuck to the kids. Once it was safe, he would get them out.

They had the element of surprise on their side and between the sorcerer’s magic and Iron Man’s blasting beams, they should make enough commotion to create a clear pathway for Peter.

But, somehow, everything went to shit.

Apparently, the guys had been prepared. Maybe they knew that human trafficking was prone to vampire attacks – or they had done business with them in the past and had taken precautions. Their weapons carried silver bullets and they were both good marksmen and skilled fighters.

They caught Peter on his way to the kids and engaged him in a fight as well.

The guys guarded their merchandise well.

One moment Stephen was dealing with two guys at the same time, only relying on his magic, while Peter dodged the swings of his opponent, and Tony engaged the boss of this little gang in a hand to hand fight, repulsor vs knife.

The next moment, Tony was suddenly in a headlock with a gun to his head. He was wearing his helmet, but he had never tested it if it would withstand a close-range shot. Or several of them at the same spot.

"Freeze or I'll shoot his head off!" the guy yelled at Tony's companions.

The Were growled and clawed his opponent's arm, but the grip around his neck did not loosen. He didn't dare to turn because the guy's finger twitched on the trigger.

Stephen and Peter stopped what they were doing – the sorcerer ever calm, but his gaze was dark and he seemed to be calculating his options in his head. He gave a secret signal to the cloak, which was currently not on his back, but was stealthily approaching Tony's attacker from behind.

Peter on the other hand was still a kid and seeing his mentor in this immediate danger made him go pale. "No, Mr. Stark!" He jerked on instinct as if he wanted to leap over to him and rush to help, but forced himself against it.

Still, it was one move to many.

Tony's attacker aimed his gun at the boy instead and pulled the trigger – one, two, three times.

The Were thrashed against his hold. “No!”

But it was too late. Nothing could beat a bullet.

Except maybe a very skilled vampire.

There was a blur. A flash of blue and red. In the same instant Stephen stood in front of Peter and threw his arms around him in protection.

He hissed in pain as the bullets hit his back. They were perfectly aimed, and they burned so badly that they must be spiked with silver. A metal that was bad for Were’s and Vamp’s alike.

These people certainly knew their stuff.

Peter shrieked, first of surprise at the sudden appearance of the sorcerer, then because Stephen’s protection hug grew very heavy as he slumped to his knees.

Tony went feral. He saw his pack threatened and retracted his faceplate to bite his opponent in his arm. Then he turned in his grip, his claws extended as he transformed.

The armor adapted to his four-legged body like the masterpiece of technology that it was. It no longer covered Tony's entire body. In this form, he preferred to keep his face and paws exposed while fighting.

It was easy to overpower the traffickers after that. Growling angrily, he barely cared about how much he hurt the people who dared to attack his pack. As long as one of them survived in case the authorities wanted to pry more information out of them.

One of them tried to crawl with a broken leg towards the door. A ridiculous attempt to escape. The Were grabbed his trouser leg with his jaw and yanked him back. The man gave a startled yelp as he was thrown ruggedly against a cabinet, where he remained motionless on the floor.

Tony looked around for the other two traffickers, but there was nothing more than a pathetic bunch left of them. That hardly calmed the Were down, even if the enemies were all neutralized. The smell of fear, sweat and adrenaline was still in the air and kept him on edge.

He whipped his head around when he heard Peter’s panicked voice. “Mr. Stark!”

The boy kneeled next to Strange, his eyes wide and worried. The sorcerer sat scrambled, his head hanging low. He was heavily breathing – and bleeding. Shit.

Tony rushed over to the two of them and ducked under Peter’s arms right into Strange’s personal space. Something wasn’t right.

Stephen turned away from him, hiding his face.

The Were was too big for this, needed too much space, so Tony shifted back into his human form, still wearing his armor, and laid his hand onto the other man’s shoulder.

“Doc?”

“I’m fine,” Stephen gritted through his teeth.

“Like hell you are!” The anger that hadn’t completely shifted into worry blazed back to life. “You got shot!”

Those bullets were meant for Peter. How the hell did he manage to get over there in time? Tony hadn’t seen his signature glow of magic.

“I just need to return to the Sanctum.” Stephen had trouble talking under the intensified burning in his back. He needed to get the bullets out of his body. The wounds would heal regardless on the outside. But his flesh would be burned alive from the inside. Like a slow and very painful poison.

The Vamp felt his control slipping. Not on his mind but his body. The urge for blood, for regeneration became stronger. His fangs were out and so were probably his claws, which was why he cradled his hands close to his chest.

It made reaching for his sling ring in his belt all the way harder.

Peter hadn’t left his side, the brave boy that he was.

And now Tony appeared right in front of him. Stephen tried to turn away again, to hide somewhere. Anywhere.

But Tony held him by his shoulders.

Why wouldn’t they leave him alone?

“Please,” Stephen tried again, his throat dry. “Just take the children home. I can manage.”

“You must have hit your head pretty hard if you think we would leave you like that.” Tony's voice softened with his next words. “Stephen, look at me.”

The Vamp shook his head, his eyes shut close and his lips tightly pressed together. That was difficult due to his heavy breathing.

He was a vampire. Undead. He didn’t have to breathe at all, but it helped with the pain and besides, it was a force of habit. He had gotten so used to blending in.

Tony's finger gently but forcefully pushed his chin up. “Stephen.” His voice was so very concerned.

The Were was too stubborn to let this one slide.

And Stephen couldn’t fight it anymore.

Finally, he looked at Tony. His eyes wide in anticipation of the man’s reaction. And glowing red. The open mouth allowed the heavy breathing to continue, his fangs now on display.

Tony needed a second to understand the meaning of what he saw. His eyes darted over the sorcerer’s face, down to his hands – still scarred – but also with long claws.

The fact that the man was still alive – ha – minutes after being shot in the back several times.

He let him go as if burned and stumbled back a few steps. His face is a mixture of betrayal, anger and disgust.

It couldn’t be.

He would have known it. He would have smelled it.

But sorcerers didn’t smell of anything.

“Peter,” Tony addressed the boy that was still crouching next to Strange and who watched the whole interaction concerned and confused. “Step away from him. Now!”

There was no room for arguing in the command.

For the split of a second Stephen’s face showed the hurt he felt. Not the pain from the bullets. Then a carefully put together neutral mask slid in the place.

The boy hesitated only a second before he finally obeyed. But it stung as bad as Tony’s change of behavior.

Stephen was still looking at the man, unsure what he would do next.

Tony seemed not sure himself. He raised his hand with the repulsor glove and it made this little noise signaling that it was active and ready to shoot. But he didn’t fire at the vampire.

Their eyes met. Stephen did not avoid his gaze, nor did he not look away. There was acceptance in his eyes – in those red glowing eyes that didn’t blink.

Tony wasn’t sure he had ever seen the guy blinking.

His ears twitched as his fine hearing picked up the sounds of the children that were still sitting frightened next door, still waiting to be rescued. They needed him. Maybe they even needed medical help.

He grabbed Peter - who had stepped next to him - by the arm and pulled him with him, walking backwards to the door. He kept his hand raised and the repulsor activated until they left the room. Only then he turned around and away from the vampire.

Peter looked at him with big eyes. “Mr. Stark…”

“We got a job to do, kiddo.” His voice was stern, cutting off any further objection from the boy.

Tony tried not to think about the fact he left the man he called friend – the man he probably had preferred to call other things too – behind, injured and bleeding.

That man was a Vamp – an enemy. He had lied to Tony, had deceived him.

Had everything been just pretended? An illusion?

Tony’s heart ached at the betrayal he felt.

He should have killed him immediately. But the sorcerer had saved Peter. And even if he hadn’t, Tony wasn’t sure if he could have killed Strange – even if he was a vampire. And that was alarming in a whole different way.

__________________

Tag list: @jekyllhydetrash @goopierthenyou Tell me if you wanna be added/removed

#ironstrange #doctor strange #tony stark #Vampire Stephen Strange #Werewolf Tony Stark #stephen strange #marvel #mcu #strangeiron #The Vamp and the Were #spacemermaid writes

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space-mermaid-writing · 24 days

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The Vamp and the Were [IronStrange]

Summary: Tony would mark the day he met a vampire that did not immediately jump at his throat. Just for once – that would be a nice change.

Relationship: Werewolf!Tony Stark / Vampire!Stephen Strange

Tags: hurt/comfort, idiots in love, angst, fluff

Chapter 11: Shit goes down (down under)

Roughly, they fell through the air and landed on sandy ground.

"Ouch," Tony complained, "what the hell?"

Stephen scrambled to his feet, wincing in the process. The graze that had hit him must have been infused with silver, because the wound on his arm was straight up burning. And the magic that had been blasted in his face wasn’t so great either. “You shouldn’t touch magical artifacts.”

“Sorry. They really should come with warning labels, though.”

Stephen would have laughed at those familiar words, if he hadn't currently been so worried.

It was quiet around them. The landscape had changed and smelled different, too. The wand must have teleported them a good distance.

“Let’s go back.”

Stephen reached for his sling ring in his pocket – only to find it empty. He patted down his clothes. But there was nothing. Muttering a curse, he looked around to see if he could find it lying somewhere on the ground.

In the meanwhile, Tony paid little attention to him. He was busy trying to figure out where they had landed.

Around them was the endless expanse of a steppe, almost desert-like, and stars shone in the night sky above them. There were hundreds and thousands to be seen, he could even point out the Milky Way. There was no light pollution at all, and that meant they had to be far away from any city.

The changed landscape and the fact that it suddenly was much warmer, made him come to the solution that they had been sent to a different country.

His gaze dropped to his glasses on the ground. They were smashed by the explosion and he had also fallen on it. He put them back on, hoping that there was still a signal coming through.

It was to no avail. The connection to Jarvis was dead. There wasn’t even so much as a glitch.

This wasn’t good.

“Please tell me you can get us out of here, doc.”

“I’m afraid not.”

Their eyes met.

“Shit.”

So thanks to the unknown attackers who had surprised them, they were now stranded in… wherever this was. It was still night, but Tony couldn't tell if it was a later hour or if they at least had been given more time until the sun came up and became fatal for Stephen.

Either way, they shouldn't waste this time standing here idly.

"Let's go this way." Tony turned left and started walking.

Stephen followed him. "Do you know where to go?"

"No. But it's West. If anything it may delay sunrise a bit."

It would make little difference, but for once Stephen kept any comments to himself.

The ground was red-ish and barren, with only some small trees and bush scattered. There was no road and no path, but the ground was firm enough that it did not make walking unnecessarily difficult.

Tony ruled out Afghanistan as their current location. There had been nothing there except sandy dunes and a small rock now and then.

He didn't need to repeat that trip.

Nevertheless, they absolutely had to find a shelter before sunrise. Preferably a shelter with some form of internet connection.

“I think we’re in Australia,” the vampire noted.

“Oh, great.”

They had been walking for maybe an hour when they crossed a road. A real, paved road. Tony thought it was beautiful.

Now they just had to decide whether to turn left or right.

Tony glanced at Stephen.

Stephen shrugged his shoulders. He had become unusually quiet for the last hour. Tony wondered if the temperature was already getting to him, but it was barely 15°C / 60°F degrees.

He took the decision in his own hands and turned to his right. The vampire followed.

Not only had he been quiet, he also was slowing down. Tony matched his speed and watched him out of the corner of his eye. The smell of sweat and blood was on them both – a result of the fight before. But there was something else on Stephen. Something metallic. The cloak on his shoulders was a familiar sight, but Stephen's posture under it was odd. The way he hunched and kept his arm angled at his body. As if he was…

Tony stopped rooted to the spot.

"You're injured!" He was angry for not realizing it sooner, and also with Stephen for keeping it a secret.

"It's nothing. Barely grazed me." Stubbornly, the vampire continued moving forward.

"Morning will be arriving soon. You should have a drink." With his thumb Tony pointed toward the bright streak on the horizon behind them.

"No."

The Were moved right into Stephen's path and looked him in the face. "If our roles were reversed, you'd be suggesting the same thing."

"But it's not." Stephen had stopped, but wasn't looking directly at him. "I'm fine. Really." He hesitated for a moment. "There's a spell that will protect me against the sun so I won't burn immediately."

It would buy him time, but he was realistic: he was still in need of a hiding place. No vampire survived the sun for long.

He started walking again and circled Tony.

Sighing, the Were trailed behind him.

For Stephen it became more and more exhausting to put one step in front of the other. The bullet had only scratched his skin, there was barely any silver in his blood. But his vampiric body was still not happy about it. He also felt incredibly warm, although the temperature had barely risen since they arrived.

The increasingly bright line on the horizon told them that the sun would soon appear. His cloak still protected him from the light, but to be on the safe side, he put the spell over him, even if he felt exhausted.

They still hadn't encountered anything or anyone on the road. No car, no house, not even a sign that could have told them how far it was to the next city. They really were in the deep vastness of Australia.

Tony remained by his side, casting worried glances at him from time to time, but said nothing to their ever decreasing pace.

This was not how the engineer had imagined their camping trip. Fucking hunters! They had been clearly prepared for Weres.

He hoped the others had survived.

Unfortunately, he had no way to contact and inform his business partner, the owner of the cabin, about the incident.

He had no working technology. That alone was bad enough. But they also had no water while being in the middle of a desert.

It had to be worse for the Vamp at his side.

The first rays of sunlight tickled Tony's face. Normally he liked the feeling, liked the warmth of the sun, but now his focus was on Stephen.

The Vamp knitted his brows together and squinted his eyes. They were sensitive and everything already felt too bright. But otherwise there was no spontaneous and instantaneous combustion to dust on his end.

Still, he was clearly uncomfortable.

The cloak had lengthened and its collar had also grown, as if to do its best to shield its owner from the harmful sun. It did not quite succeed.

Tony took off the plaid shirt he wore to the BBQ and again stepped in front of the other man. “Here, maybe this makes it less worse.”

With practiced hand movements he folded the shirt to a turban on Strange’s head. Maybe he had watched some tutorials after being rescued from the last desert he was trapped in. You never know when you need this kind of knowledge.

Stephen looked at him while the smaller man handled the fabric. “What about you?”

Tony scoffed. He still had his undershirt. “I tan nicely. Worst, I will get a bit sunburned. You can make it up by rubbing aloe on it when we’re back home.”

He looked at his work. Stephen's face was a little bit more protected. He did look pale. More pale than usual. And he looked like he tried to make himself smaller, as if that would help to escape the inevitable trajectory of the sun.

"Let's keep moving," Tony said, but Stephen's hand shot out and stopped him, holding his arm.

“Tony, if…”

The Were turned back to him, concerned by his sudden change of tone.

Their eyes met and Stephen swallowed. His throat was dry and he tried again. “… if we don’t find a shelter and my skin starts burning, I want you to go on without me.”

“I won’t leave you behind, doc!” Indignation resonated in his voice.

Stephen shook his head because Tony didn’t understand. He now grabbed the Were's shoulders with both hands. His grip was weak and his hands shook a little, but his face was more serious than ever.

“Tony, I will lose control at some point and I don’t want you or anyone else near me when that happens. You have to be so far away, that I can’t even smell you. In fact, I should stay here to give you more of a head start. If anything happened… if I killed anyone… if I killed you – I could never…” A kiss from Tony interrupted him. Gentle, like a butterfly on a flower, but it was enough to shut the vamp up.

Tony’s eyes were determined when he looked back up to him. “I won’t let that happen. If you go feral, I will keep you from harming anybody. I promise.” He said it with all the conviction he could manage. “But I will not leave you here to die. Not if there’s a chance we will still make it. Okay?”

Slowly, Stephen nodded, but still objected. “It would be safer for you.”

“I’m perfectly safe with you. You’re the most composed vamp I’ve ever met. C’mon, let’s keep going.”

He pulled Stephen along and it took only a few steps for the vampire to start walking on his own again.

Tony side glanced at him. They were still holding hands.

“Besides, it would be less of a problem if you would drink my blood now to give you strength.”

The answer was as curt as last time he brought the topic up.

“No.”

“Why not?”

Stephen looked away. “I know if I tasted you, I would never want to have anything else. You smell like ambrosia."

A blush crept onto Tony's cheeks at those words. He wrestled a smile from himself. "Only you manage to seduce me while we are in an emergency situation. I gotta keep you alive just to hear more of that.”

Tumbleweeds accompanied their way. Driven by the gusting wind and with only the sounds of their own steps. They fell into a silence to conserve energy, and it grew heavier with each mile they traveled.

They had been walking for hours without encountering anything other than sand, stone and some shrubbery along the road.

They had let go of their hands at some point for it had gotten too warm and Stephen's skin seemed to crack even under the light touch of the Were, who was afraid to hurt him. Now Stephen's arms hung weakly down the side of his body. The cloak dragged him more than he was walking himself. His legs moved forward only mechanically.

His tongue hung heavily in his dry mouth and he had the feeling that if he spoke, he was hardly able to form a coherent word. He longed for a sip to drink.

He noticed how his skin became brittle and cracked. The protection spell slowly wore off and the sun began to take its toll. He would not last much longer.

Greedily, his eyes wandered to his companion. With iron willpower he suppressed his instincts, but his senses sharpened and he could hear Tony's blood pulsing softly in his veins.

It was calling to him.

And it promised to be delicious.

Stephen looked down at the ground, watching his feet as they took one step after another. They seemed foreign to him. As if they were not part of his body, but something alien.

They were getting faster and faster, driven by an invisible force.

It took Stephen a moment to realize that Tony had grabbed a tip of his cloak and was pulling him forward with renewed vigor.

It took a little longer for Stephen to understand that Tony was talking to him.

„… c’mon, doc. We’re almost there. I will bathe you in slushy and ice.“

They passed a sign announcing a gas station in three miles. Stephen stumbled. His awareness of his surroundings was slipping again. He trusted the Were enough to just follow it, even though his subconscious told him that in his current state it was a bad idea to go to a place with people.

Another, louder voice in his head disagreed. He was thirsty and this would be a great opportunity.

When the building finally came into view, Tony spurred him on even more. He dragged the vampire into the shadow of the gas station.

A big out-of-order sign hung on the gas pumps, and the building's windows were taped shut with foil.

But fuck it. Shelter was shelter.

The doors were locked, but with a well-aimed kick Tony kicked them open. He didn't care if he demolished them in the process.

Inside, empty shelves and refrigerated displays greeted them. There was a cash register on the counter but no merchandise. It looked like the gas station had been closed some time ago.

The air in here was stale but cooler than outside in the sun. A small hallway led to the restrooms and staff room.

That was where Tony dragged Strange and dumped him on a worn-out couch. The cloak flew off his shoulders and hung like a curtain on the window, darkening the room even more.

Stephen lay there for a moment as if dead. His joints burned when he tried to move even a few inches.

"How are you feeling?" Tony asked while he was searching the closet, the only other piece of furniture in the narrow room. It was empty except for a few old newspapers. Nothing of use.

The vampire stared at him, only partially present mentally. It took a while for the words to get through to his brain.

He licked his lips. It felt so incredibly hot even in here. And the delicious blood was only a few feet away from him…

He shook his head to dispel those thoughts.

But he wouldn't be able to hold out much longer. In the end, his survival instinct would win, he knew that.

The irregular panting he had gone over to and the pale look on the vampire's face did not please Tony at all. He took off the shirt turban to help him cool down faster.

"I'll be back in a minute."

Slinging the cloth over his shoulder, Tony exited the building through the main entrance and circled around it. At the back he had seen what had looked like a power generator when they arrived. And he indeed found such a device of considerable size in the shadow of the building.

The engineer examined the controls and hoped to get it working.

"Please don't leave me hanging," he muttered as he tried to fire it up.

On the second try, he heard the familiar hum.

"Yeah, that's it, baby."

It gave him hope that they would get out of here soon. He hurried back inside.

There was a cistern outside next to the generator, and when Tony turned on the tap in the bathroom, water came out of the pipe. A little stale and brown at first, but soon clear. It was lukewarm, but it would do.

He soaked the plaid shirt in it and then returned to Stephen to use it to wet his forehead and wrists like a fever-stricken patient, hoping it would regulate his body temperature down a bit.

Unfortunately, he had no ice on hand. It would take too long for the ice machines to produce any if he turned them on. But maybe he could knock over one of the refrigerated displays and use it as a cooling bed for Stephen. It would probably be quite uncomfortable for the vampire, but in his current state he could not value such luxury. This was a matter of survival.

Stephen stirred awake under him and interrupted his train of thoughts. The vamp still breathed heavily and his body felt like it was burning. With eyes glowing red, he stared at the Were above him.

Tony cupped his face. „I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken you camping.“

The vamp’s face leaned into the touch, turned his lips towards it. He sensed the blood pulsing behind the delicate skin.

He opened his mouth, fangs out.

Tony was able to pull his arm back just in time before Stephen bit him. The vamp followed the movement, sat up jerkily. He noticed Tony's horrified look, and only now realized what he had just tried to do.

„Get out!“

Stephen’s voice was hoarse.

„Doc-…“

„No, please! Leave and lock the door.“

Stephen could feel his mind slipping. He tried to maintain control but it became harder and harder with each second passing.

He could see himself pushing his sharp teeth into Tony's neck and tasting the engineer's delicious blood. He would drink until there was nothing left. And he wouldn't care.

He wanted the blood.

He needed it.

Everything before his eyes blurred yet again and the smell of blood in his nose grew stronger.

He forced himself to remain still, to not move a finger in fear he wouldn't stop until they caught their prey.

When the Were heard the low, bestial growl from the vamp's throat, he finally complied.

„It’s going to be okay,“ Tony promised him.

There wasn’t any answer from Stephen. His scared fingers clawed into the wet fabric of the shirt to hold back from jumping at Tony.

The Were left the staff’s room. There wasn’t a lock on the door, so Tony pushed an empty vending machine in front of it.

Then he got to work: his sunglasses were still in his back pants pocket, still broken. He fished them out and gathered some additional equipment from the shop.

He happened to find no actual tools but managed to craft ones that would do the job. He also swiped some cables from a machine and microchips from the cash register. As long as he had some form of electricity, he could use it to power a temporary tinkered signal transmitter.

It wouldn't win any beauty contests, but that didn't matter.

Tony held his breath as the glasses, after everything was hooked up, made a soft beeping sound. "Jarvis?"

„I’m glad to find you alive, Sir.“

Relieved, Tony exhaled a breath he didn’t know he held and smiled. If he could, he would hug his A.I.. "Do you have a visual?" he asked instead.

„Negative. I do have your coordinates, though. Do you want me to send a suit?“

"Absolutely. And message Wong. Tell him I need him ASAP. And he needs to bring blood bags."

"Sir?" Concern resonated in that one word, but now was not the time to explain everything that had happened.

„Use a satellite to get a proper picture of this gas station. Hell, use google street view if available. He’ll need it to get here.“

„Understood. The suit’s ETA is 23 minutes and 45 seconds.“

A noise in the staff room made Tony look up briefly. „I might need it faster than that.“

„You are literally on the other side of the world, Sir.“

„I know, I know.“ Tony had yet to master instant transportation. In that regard, magic with its portals was really more handy. „What can you tell me about this area? Is there anything nearby?“

„There’s a town twenty miles in the west and another one a hundred miles in the south.“

Well, Australia was one big empty hell space. At least people were far enough off to be safe from whatever was going on with the vampire.

There was scratching on the other side of the door.

Tony, on the other hand, should probably be more worried about himself.

„Doc? You okay in there?“

There wasn’t an answer. Just eerie silence. Tony kept an eye on the door just in case.

„ETA 21 minutes and 26 seconds,“ Jarvis offered unhelpfully.

Without another warning, Stephen burst through the door. The vending machine fell over with a loud thud and its front glass shattered.

The vampire bared his sharp teeth as he sniffed the air. Bright red eyes zoned in on Tony.

He had lost any composure and now bore more resemblance to the bloodsucking monsters the Avengers normally fought.

Tony was standing perfectly still, not breaking eye contact. „You don’t want to do this.“

Strange snarled at him. Then he leaped.

Tony jumped over the counter. Fortunately, his reflexes were faster than those of an ordinary human.

He shifted mid-air, not caring about his ripped jeans and undershirt. When he hit the ground, he did so with four legs. Immediately he yanked around to keep his eyes on the vampire, which turned out as too slow anyway. Stephen was faster and crashed right into him, knocking him off his feet.

Tony collided with an empty store shelf and huffed.

That would give a big bruise tomorrow; if he survived today.

The vampire snarled and Tony was too slow to avoid the greedy teeth. But before he could bite him, Stephen was yanked back by the cloak. That gave Tony enough time to get back up.

The cloak was wrapped around Stephen's torso and arms, forcibly holding him back. The vampire thrashed, the sound of tearing cloth was heard, and the cloak flinched. With his superhuman strength, Stephen managed to free himself.

He didn’t use any magic, only working with his primal instincts. He was hungry, desperate for blood, and that made him unpredictable and dangerous. But also weak.

Tony didn’t want to hurt Stephen. Not really. But between dying and surviving he might have to make a tough choice.

Normally he preferred to fight against undead in his armor in human form. In it he was safe from bites, had his weapons and also the advantage of two thumbs. As a werewolf he wasn’t helpless, he had his claws and teeth, but on the other hand he didn’t truly want to hurt Stephen.

They demolished more and more of the furniture. Shelves fell over, the glass of a freezer broke when Stephen was hurled against it.

Tony managed to push Stephen with his weight on the floor near the front door, growling warningly at him.

The vampire thrashed, not thinking about calming down. Even if Tony had been able to speak to him in his present form, the vampire would not have listened to him. The rational part of his brain had shut down. There were no emotions left but rage and hunger.

Stephen didn't even recognize the Were. He needed blood and his primal instincts had taken control of his body.

An encounter with a vampire in this condition was usually fatal. To voluntarily offer him blood was bordering on insanity. No Vamp would be able to stop until they emptied their source out.

Tony shifted his position and moved his front leg in front of the vamp’s face. Strange took the bait. He managed to free one of his hands, grabbed the furry leg and sunk his teeth into it.

The Were whined in pain. The vampire was anything but gentle. With each sip he drank his sharp teeth moved in the flesh. Tony felt the life energy being drained out of him.

He waited only a few moments until he found he had given enough blood and before he became too weak to fight back. Then he kicked the nearby front door open. Sunlight poured in and Stephen hissed in agony. He let go of his meal and scrambled back into the darker corner of the room.

Tony moved in the other direction, limping slightly. To the door and outside.

There he was safe. For now.

The Vamp hissed. Where the sun had hit him, his skin turned dark like burnt coal. He was angry about the pain. But he was even angrier about the fact that his food source had disappeared.

He followed the trail and approached the windows. But he wasn’t able to face the sunlight.

The blood he got from the Were took off the edge of his thirst, but it was nowhere near enough. It also didn’t magically change him back into his regular self, like Tony had hoped.

Did he need more blood to regain awareness?

Or was the Vamp forever lost? Doomed to stay this mindless, instinct-driven monster? Was this the fate of vampires? What had happened to the others Tony had fought so far? He had never considered it necessary to ask these questions until now, and therefore, unfortunately, he had no answers.

A throbbing pain went through the bite wound on his leg and some more blood spilled. Stephen's eyes were fixed on it and he made angry noises for he couldn't reach him.

Tony felt the magic before he even heard it. It might have been because his senses were on high alert. It was the familiar feeling of frizzle and his ears twitched in that direction.

A gold-orange circle appeared in front of the gas station sign, forming a portal. It was probably the image Jarvis had found and forwarded.

Wong had a cooler bag shouldered and he hurried to the Werewolf as soon as he spotted him. „What happened?“ His gaze followed the Were's.

The man wasn’t known for emotional outbreaks but Tony recognized the signs of worry in his face when the sorcerer realized Stephen’s condition. “Oh no…”

He needed a second to collect himself, before he opened the cooler bag and pulled out a blood bag. „He won’t drink it if he smells us nearby.“

So, what he was saying was that they needed to shove it down his throat. Tony shifted back into his human form, not caring that he was now standing butt naked next to the other man.

„I’ll take care of it.“ Between the two of them, he was the better choice than the human. „J,“ he called inside. „What’s the ETA?“

„Two minutes and four seconds. Sir, might I add it is quite dangerous to-“

But Tony had stopped listening and turned back to Wong. „I need your magic as backup. And a pair of pants.“

The sorcerer only raised an eyebrow, but complied with the request and with a gesture he magically fetched a pair of pants from somewhere. They were slightly too long but would do.

Tony trusted his armor but still didn’t want to risk certain body parts getting injured by what was probably a stupid idea anyway.

Right on time, he heard the familiar sound of thrusters as his armor descended and landed next to him. It opened automatically for him to enter.

It was one of the sleeker versions, still agile and – the most important part – vampire safe.

Tony stepped toward it, turned, and the armor closed seamlessly around him. He took the cooler bag from Wong and ripped the first blood bag open when he stepped back inside the gas station.

To the normal eye, Stephen was invisible. He had adopted a new tactic and was hiding. Tony's sensors found him anyway and on his screen Tony saw that he was lurking behind a shelf.

Even mindless, the vampire wasn't an idiot.

"I got your juice box, doc." Tony waved it. "Come and get it. It's very yummy." He felt Wong rolling his eyes at him, which was totally unnecessary.

His focus remained on Stephen though, and when the vampire attacked him, he forcefully stuffed the red liquid down his throat.

At first the vampire swallowed the stuff reluctantly and he glared angrily at the armor. Then, however, his thirst took over and he went for the blood.

Tony immediately threw two more of the bags at him.

Like a junkie, Stephen tore them open and feasted on the tasty liquid until his face and clothes were smeared all over with red.

His breathing slowed. He was still pale, but his burns were already beginning to heal.

When the last reserve was emptied, Stephen looked back at Tony and growled softly. Though his thirst was quenched for now, his mind was still not back.

He had only grown stronger and used that to fling Tony away from him. He was about to jump after him as well, but before he could do so, a spell from Wong hit him, knocking him off his feet. He slumped down, unconscious.

Tony waited a few seconds to make sure the vampire didn't get up again before he opened his faceplate, still sitting where Stephen had thrown him. "Couldn't you have done that earlier?"

“No.” Wong didn’t elaborate.

Tony stood up and looked at Stephen's bloodied, motionless form. “Will he be back to normal when he awakes?”

Wong hesitated slightly before he answered. “Probably.”

The Were didn’t like the wavering uncertainty in his voice. But before he could ask, Wong moved his arm in a familiar circle and he portaled Stephen away.

"Where did you send him?"

“Somewhere safe to regenerate and wake up.”

He didn’t mention if it was safe for Stephen or for everyone else, and Tony didn’t ask. He was exhausted. It had been a long day and a long night even before they arrived involuntarily on this continent. He wouldn’t mind sleeping for a day or two.

Tony turned his head to Wong and noticed that he was watching him. But Tony was too tired to wonder how battered he looked on the outside.

Fortunately, Wong refrained from commenting.

“Can you give me a lift?” Tony asked and Wong nodded.

“Where to?”

Home. As much as he would like to stay close to Stephen, he would be to no use right now. And he had other stuff to take care of.

So he collected his glasses and had a portal created onto the roof of his tower.

This hadn’t turned out to be the camping trip he had had in mind.

________

Tag list: @jekyllhydetrash @goopierthenyou Tell me if you wanna be added/removed

#ironstrange #doctor strange #tony stark #Vampire Stephen Strange #Werewolf Tony Stark #stephen strange #marvel #mcu #strangeiron #The Vamp and the Were #spacemermaid writes

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space-mermaid-writing · 13 days

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The Vamp and the Were [IronStrange]

Summary: Tony would mark the day he met a vampire that did not immediately jump at his throat. Just for once – that would be a nice change.

Relationship: Werewolf!Tony Stark / Vampire!Stephen Strange

Tags: hurt/comfort, idiots in love, angst, fluff

Ko-fi | Read it on AO3 | Masterlist | Word count: 1.1k | Previous

Chapter 13: Epilogue

What was planned as a quiet and uneventful patrol turned out to be rather an inconvenience when Tony and Peter got attacked. Their radars had been set for the regular humanoid undead. So it had been a surprise when their attacker turned out to be neither humanoid nor undead.

“What the hell is wrong with these raccoons? Why are their eyes glowing?” Tony blasted at least three of them with a repulsor beam off their feet, but there were still so many of them clinging onto his Iron Man suit. They were hard to shake off even using his best flying maneuvers.

Peter had a similar problem. Plus, since they were in a villa area, he had trouble swinging. The houses were not high enough and too far apart to be of use to him.

“I’m still analyzing the data, Sir. But based on their movement pattern it seems like they seem to share a mind.”

“Do you think they are being possessed?”

This was clearly no normal raccoon behavior, even if they regularly became a problem in the outer parts of the city.

Tony blasted some raccoons that had their sharp claws on Peter’s suit. He took the boy’s hand and pulled him into the air to get them both out of reach. For now, he set him on top of a streetlight.

The raccoons tried to climb up it. Their eyes were still glowing in that creepy yellow-green light and it was creeping Tony out.

“It’s possible,” Jarvis answered his last question.

“Great. Call Doctor Wiz-…” Before he could even finish the sentence, there was a familiar circle of sparkling light that formed a portal.

Stephen stepped through it and into the street. He was wearing his typical sorcerer garb and looked around. His eyes locked onto the raccoon tower that was forming at the bottom of the street lamp, and they darkened.

Glancing up briefly, he saw Peter and Tony on and next to the light. The boy waved at him, while Tony raised his hand in greeting.

Stephen did not reply, which would be considered rude. Instead he approached the raccoons to solve that problem – so Tony let it slide.

The raccoons sensed the newcomer and some of them turned to him. They made their little raccoon sounds – like angry chittering – before they attacked him as well.

The sorcerer was not having it. The cloak took him up in the air and Stephen called upon his magic.

His eyes began to glow the same color as the critters, and for a moment Tony was afraid that something had gone wrong.

But Stephen was skilled. He was shifting into a state that allowed him to see the bond by which the raccoons were held. With that, it was easy to conjure sharp magic blades that he threw at the bond to break the connection.

There were a lot of raccoons.

The cloak helped him to move above and between them, to cut every single connection.

To Tony and Peter, it looked like he was randomly cutting through the air. But one by one the critters froze before shaking their little heads, the glowing fading from their eyes. When it was gone completely, one raccoon after another fled into the darkness of the night. They no longer had the urge to attack people.

Tony and Peter moved from the lantern to the ground.

“Hey Doctor Strange,” Peter greeted him cheerfully, while Tony stepped right into his personal space. His faceplate opened, and wearing the suit, he was almost the same height as the sorcerer.

“Did Jarvis call you?” he asked, standing closer than regular friends would do.

It was hard for Stephen not to focus on the peak of Tony’s neck and the sweet blood he sensed underneath the skin. Ever since he had a taste of it, the awareness of Tony’s blood had become stronger whenever he was in proximity.

He cleared his throat, trying to find words. The amused look on Tony's face told him he was taking a second too long for it.

“No. I sensed some witch activities nearby and followed the magic trail to investigate. I didn’t know you were here.” If he had known that Tony had been in trouble, he would have arrived sooner.

“Well, you still arrived like a knight in shining armor, so I guess it’s just fair to reward you.” Tony used the same height advantage to press a quick kiss onto the Vamp’s lips.

He would really just take any excuse to kiss him. And if it happened that the vampire was flustered by it because he hadn’t expected it, so it was just a bonus.

“Uhm…” Stephen cleared his throat again.

"What?" Peter, who had been standing by and watching them, obviously had not been informed about this turn of events.

The sorcerer, finally remembering he and Tony were not alone, turned to the boy. “What are you doing here anyway? Isn’t it a school night?” He asked both Peter and Tony.

“Don’t look at me,” the Were defended himself. "It told him that if he got caught, he had to bear the consequences. ."

"He is your responsibility."

“What can I say? I’m the cool dad. And even if I had forbidden it, he would have gone off on his own anyway. So, isn’t it smarter to accompany him in the first place?”

With that Stephen couldn’t argue. He did open a portal to Peter’s room at home though.

The boy pouted but finally complied. “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow, I guess.” He gave the two adults one last glance to see if they were really sending him home, but found no mercy.

“Good night, Peter.”

“See you after school.”

Sighing, Peter waved them goodbye, before the portal closed between them. Stephen turned to Tony. “You two kind of seem to make it a habit that I have to come in to your help,” he grinned, laying his hand on Tony's arm. Well, on the suit part of it.

He liked the Iron Man suit. It was an engineering masterpiece and kept Tony safe. But he preferred him without the metal around him, so he could touch him and actually feel him. His skin and his pulse. Feeling that he was alive.

“Two times is not a habit.”

“Is it not? Then how many times would you say it does?”

“If I answer that you’ll keep a score in your head and I don’t like that.” Tony looked at the Vamp and sighed. “And knowing you, you will start that score anyway just because I just mentioned it.”

Stephen’s smile was sharp and showed a lot of teeth. “You know me very well indeed.” He winked at Tony, before he changed the topic back to business. “Do you want to accompany me in tracking down that witch who did this?” he asked.

“Absolutely.”

_________

Tag list: @jekyllhydetrash @goopierthenyou Tell me if you wanna be added/removed

#ironstrange #doctor strange #tony stark #Vampire Stephen Strange #Werewolf Tony Stark #stephen strange #marvel #mcu #strangeiron #The Vamp and the Were #spacemermaid writes

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space-mermaid-writing · 18 days

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The Vamp and the Were [IronStrange]

Summary: Tony would mark the day he met a vampire that did not immediately jump at his throat. Just for once – that would be a nice change.

Relationship: Werewolf!Tony Stark / Vampire!Stephen Strange

Tags: hurt/comfort, idiots in love, angst, fluff

Chapter 12: Brooding in the basement

Tony entered the Sanctum. The text message he got from Wong had been very concerning.

It was a message that told him to come over. No specifics added. So, mentally, Tony prepared for everything.

Wong met him at the stairs. “Good, you’re here.” He signed the Were to follow him. To Tony’s surprise, they didn’t go up the stairs as usual, but walked past them.

"He refuses to come out."

"Is he...?" Tony wasn’t sure how to phrase it.

"He's in his own right mind."

Relieved, the Were exhaled. That was good news.

Wong stopped in front of a door Tony had never seen before, or at least never noticed. "Where does that lead to?"

"Into the basement. Well, the safe part of it. Stephen is down there. Good luck."

Contrary to his expectation, Wong did not leave immediately, but waited until Tony had opened the door and entered. There was a flight of wooden stairs that creaked with each step down.

The basement was an old vault with high, rounded ceilings, and no windows. It was dark except for the light in the hallway that came in through the door.

"Is there a light switch around here somewhere?"

He heard a 'woosh' and then a soft 'click' as the cloak helped him again. Immediately, the room lit up.

“Thanks, buddy.”

There was little furniture down here, and most of it seemed to be junk: a worn-out couch, some shelves, and a stack of moving boxes whose outlines were barely discernible under a thick layer of dust and cobwebs.

He only spotted Stephen at second glance; his legs were sticking out from behind the couch. Apparently he had made himself comfortable there on the stone floor, and was staring at the ceiling. The cloak settled over him again like a blanket.

"Nice place," Tony commented. "Very fitting for a vampire. Where's your coffin?"

Stephen didn’t bite. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Yeah, well, you see, I do a lot of things I shouldn’t. But I don’t think this here counts as one of those things.”

He stopped beside Stephen, but the Vamp ignored his presence and continued to stare straight up.

Tony's eyes followed his gaze. The view at the ceiling was not particularly spectacular. Gray stone with an ornamental pattern that had faded over time.

Looking back at Stephen, Tony tried to grasp the situation while the sorcerer stubbornly refused to look at him at all. His face was a carefully put-together mask and Tony could sense the self-doubt and shame underneath it.

He sat down next to him on the floor, and then he also laid back – using Stephen's belly as a pillow. The cloak folded back its fabric to welcome him.

“What are you doing?” the Vamp asked, surprised.

“I’m doing exactly what I should do: being with the person I would like to call my… ” He noticed Stephen tensing under him and steered back a little. “I mean we haven’t talked about exclusivity yet… or anything really. But I thought we had something good going on on that trip before we got interrupted so rudely.”

The vampire disagreed. “I lost control and attacked you. Even worse, I drank your blood without your consent.”

“I told you, if you go feral, I will keep you from harming anybody. And I did.”

“I harmed you!”

“I let you drink my blood and I also stopped you before you took too much.”

“I could have killed you.” Stephen sat up abruptly, forcing Tony to sit up as well.

The Were turned towards him. “But you didn’t.” He took Stephen’s hand and caressed it with his fingers. “Everything turned out fine. I handled it.” More or less.

The sorcerer opened his mouth to argue but Tony shut him up by taking his face in both hands, looking at him. “Stephen, listen. I won’t force you into anything. But I also don’t want to hear excuses on why this is a bad idea, if your only argument is that you are too dangerous for me. Because I know you and I could be great together.”

Stephen's resistance crumbled. In fact, his blue eyes were watery and he took deep breaths as if he was trying to keep himself together.

There was so much the Vamp wanted to say. Deep in his core he didn’t want to give Tony up. But he felt like he didn’t deserve him. Not because of what happened in Australia. It was something deeper than that, hidden away. From before he had even met the Were.

That part that never forgave what happened all those years ago, when he was searching Kamar-Taj, and he was attacked by those vampires in the side alley. Those vampires who cursed him and made him a monster.

That was something he needed to work on if he ever wanted a healthy relationship with Tony. Tony, who had seen some of his worst sides and still wanted him.

Stephen felt his chest burning and aching, and if he hadn’t been undead he would have thought he was having a heart attack.

It was the feeling of a broken heart slowly getting mended back together.

The Vamp had to close his eyes for a moment, because everything became too much. His senses were overloaded.

Tony pulled the sorcerer’s face closer until they were forehead to forehead. The connection grounded Stephen. Tony’s thumb caressed his cheek.

“If you really need to,” the Were said, his voice more quietly now, “you can apologize one time. After that I don’t want to hear about Australia ever again.”

Stephen’s words were no more than a whisper. “I’m so sorry for what happened, Tony. I never wanted you to see me like that.”

“I forgive you.”

Stephen blinked at him in surprise. Tony's words were spoken with such earnestness, not just a dismissal of words. He truly meant it.

The Were added, “Also, I’d really like to kiss you now.”

The sorcerer beat him to it. It was all desperate and messy. They were still sitting on the floor like pups with their first crushes, not two middle aged men. There were so many emotions between them. And a hint of teeth, although it was hard to say whose.

Tony's hands moved from Stephen's face to his shoulders, grasping the fabric of his robes as if he never wanted to let him go. Stephen welcomed that thought.

The Were was the first to pull away, panting heavily. His lips were swollen and there was a slight blush on his face. Stephen heard his pulse racing and found it very distracting.

Everything regarding Tony was distracting.

“We’ll come up with something,” the engineer said. “Should a similar situation occur. I need to know you’re safe, wherever you are. Especially in daylight.” He exhaled. “I thought I would lose you. That you would fall to ashes at any point.” His fingers dug deeper into Stephen’s robes. “I don’t want to feel that fear ever again.”

The big brown eyes of the Were were all vulnerable. The smell of distress radiated from him, just from thinking about it.

Stephen calmed him down by pulling him fully into his arms and pressing a kiss onto the side of his neck. That space between ear and shoulder he knew werewolves used to scent each other.

Tony’s breath hitched.

Stephen could feel the warm blood pulsing under the skin as he grazed his teeth against it. Then, gently, he sucked on a mark.

Tony went slack in his arms, making a sound like a whine and a purr mixed together. He quickly pressed his teeth together to prevent further sounds from escaping.

Stephen didn’t comment on it, instead he answered to the previous proposal. “We’ll do that.”

He nuzzled the top of Tony’s head and pressed another kiss to his forehead. The cloak had wrapped itself around the both of them like a blanket, providing additional comfort.

They stopped talking, just basking in each other’s presence and proximity. Taking in the scent of the other.

It was Stephen who finally suggested, “We should go upstairs. Wong must be worried sick if he sent you.”

“He is.” Tony was hesitant to withdraw from the sorcerer. But he was glad that Stephen was ready to come out of his hiding place. “For the record, I would have come anyway at some point and tore that door down if I hadn’t heard from you.”

“That I don’t doubt.” Stephen's heart swelled with joy, imagining it.

They stood up reluctantly. Tony kept Stephen's hand in his.

“What happened to Dayan and his family?” the sorcerer asked.

“Most of them survived. They took care of the hunters and moved.” Tony had also talked to Marvan, his business partner, and informed him of the incident. For his own safety, since his cabin was nearby.

Stephen hummed in acknowledgment, while they were walking up the stairs.

“Did you eat these past days?” Tony asked.

"Wong put blood bags outside the door."

They could always count on Wong to take care of Stephen, and Tony was glad to know a friend at the Vamp's side.

“Good. If you need another snack, though…” He pointed to himself with a suggesting grin.

Stephen looked at him, scandalized. “Are you being serious right now?”

“What? You once told me you can make it feel amazing. You were so rude and feral last time you drank from me. I think I deserve a session with better treatment.” Tony was mostly joking. If Stephen insisted on never laying teeth onto him again, he would understand and accept it. With the occasional quip of course.

The vampire thought about it. “I guess you’re right,” he finally said and thus surprised Tony. “But let’s just wait some more for it.”

“Anything for you, darling.”

__________

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#ironstrange #doctor strange #tony stark #Vampire Stephen Strange #Werewolf Tony Stark #stephen strange #marvel #mcu #strangeiron #The Vamp and the Were #spacemermaid writes

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space-mermaid-writing · 27 days

Text

The Vamp and the Were [IronStrange]

Summary: Tony would mark the day he met a vampire that did not immediately jump at his throat. Just for once – that would be a nice change.

Relationship: Werewolf!Tony Stark / Vampire!Stephen Strange

Tags: hurt/comfort, idiots in love, angst, fluff

Chapter 10: BBQ

Stephen stepped into the cabin’s kitchen. “Do you know if there’s any tea here?”

“You drink tea?” Tony asked, genuinely surprised.

“Not really. I need it for a spell.”

“There should be some in there.” Tony pointed to the cabinets on the right and Stephen rummaged through them until he found a box of bagged tea. He couldn't read the label, but it smelled like herbs which was good enough for the spell.

He took one of the tea bags and ripped it open with his sharp fingernails, before he dumped the herbs into a mug. Without adding water, like Tony would have expected, Stephen closed his eyes to concentrate on reciting the spell. It was in Latin, which was actually quite unusual for magic, despite what all the movies tried to tell. But Latin was a universal translation language, and that made it perfect for this magic.

Stephen moved his fingers in delicate patterns and gold lines started to follow his movements. They became liquid and poured into the mug, until it was full of a steaming, golden-bronze drink.

Tony eyed it. “You could open a fancy restaurant with that trick.” He watched the Vamp down the cup. “How come you can stomach that? I thought vampires can only drink blood?”

“Magic is an exception.”

Of course it is, Tony thought. “And what does it do?”

“It’s a translation spell. So I can actually understand our host later.”

“Oh? That’s handy,” the Were said, easily switching into Italian to test the spell. “I could also have Jarvis assist you in that.”

The corners of Stephen's mouth twitched. “It still does sound like English to me. But I will automatically answer in the language that was spoken to me without noticing it.”

“That would be an instant hit on any international press conference.” Tony easily switched into Mandarin.

“It would have made my life so much easier if I had known that spell back in my surgeon days.” Stephen took the cloak from the back of a chair it was chilling on and folds it magically into a scarf he wrapped around his neck. “I’m ready to go.”

Leaving the cabin, they headed northeast. They were in no hurry and took their time, making it a leisurely walk as the forest thickened around them.

“So what is this about?” Stephen asked, meaning the invitation in the first place. It wasn’t like they knew the people they were about to meet.

“It’s a peace offering. Also an act of courtesy. Kind of like: ’hey, I acknowledge you as someone who is to trust, you can trust me too’.” Tony shrugged his shoulders. “Also there’s free food. At least for me.”

He spoke casually about it, but Stephen knew Tony wasn't one to do things without a reason. He wouldn’t give a shit about something that wasn’t at least to some part important to him. Probably another one of those Were things.

Maybe it would reflect badly on his business partner, the owner of the cabin and someone Tony obviously considered a friend, if they didn’t go.

Stephen wasn't sure how Tony knew the way, but he was walking confidently enough that he didn't question it. Jarvis didn't help him, anyway, because Tony had put his glasses in his shirt’s breast pocket and the glasses had also remained silent so far.

Still, they had been heading in the right direction, because eventually they heard music. It was some kind of Balkan pop that sounded like it was being played from an old radio or speakers.

Then the smell of smoke rose to the vampire's nose.

Well, it was a barbecue after all. Even if Stephen wasn't a fan at the prospect of fire and foreign and thus unpredictable people. It had the possibility of becoming a bad combination.

Tony seemed to notice that he tensed up and bumped his shoulders. “We can leave anytime,” he told him quietly. “Just say the word.”

The Vamp nodded as a sign that he understood, but since they had already arrived and probably been noticed it would be weird not to actually show up.

They stepped into a mossy clearing with two cabins, similar to the one they had come from. They seemed to belong to a big family, most of them outside in the night.

The grill was nothing more than a fire bowl with an improvised grate laid on top. Fortunately, it stood more on the side of the clearing away from the cabins, so Stephen could have an excuse not to go too close.

There were three men and two teenage boys standing around the improvised barbecue. The adults were talking expertly about the meat that was already sizzling, while the boys were doing their best to join in the conversation and pretend to be adults. Both were a little stocky, one built a little narrower than the other. They wore their hair short but still shaggy.

On a bench next to the grill, an elderly man sat with his hands resting on a walking stick, listening to the conversations without joining in himself.

A woman brought two children into one of the cabins, no more than five or six years old, who seemed rather tired. It was well past bedtime but they probably had bothered to stay up. Now their eyes fell shut and the smaller of the two even had to be carried.

It was one way to wear pups out.

The men at the grill looked up as Tony and Stephen approached the group, and one of them broke away to meet them. Stephen recognized him as the Were from yesterday – Tony had informed him that the guy’s name was Dayan.

“Ah, you came. Great.” He said in the same broken English. Gone was the wariness from the other day, replaced by friendliness.

“Thanks for having us,” Tony replied in what he had told was a mixture of Hungarian and Finnish. “By the way, Stephen here did some of his magic and is now fluent in your dialect.”

“That’s true,” the sorcerer added for good measure.

“Oh good. That will make communication easier. Come, I will introduce you to everyone.” He gestured to them to follow him. “If you don’t mind the question, what kind of magic do you have?”

“I’m a Master of the Mystic Arts.”

“South Asia, right?”

“Not exclusively anymore, but mostly.” Stephen glanced at Tony. The engineer obviously knew about the New York Sanctum, being there on an almost regular basis. Stephen also told him about Kamar-Taj but never said where exactly it was located.

Tony smiled at him, not seeming to be openly interested in that piece of information but certainly storing it away for later.

“My Granna used to be a ved’ma. That was what they called her anyway,” Dayan explained. They arrived back at the grill and the conversation shifted to introductions. “These are my cousins Yusuf and Zahir. And Zahir’s sons Simon and Vincze.”

The adults greeted them warmly while the teens looked thoroughly unimpressed.

“You smell funny,” Simon accused the Vamp. As a response he got a smack at the back of his head from his dad.

“Simon! Be nice to our guests,” Zahir scolded his son. “They are staying over at Marvan’s house for a while.” Zahir turned to them. “Do you guys want a beer?”

Tony accepted the offer, while Stephen declined.

“I was already wondering where Marvan was," the other teenager, Vincze, said. He seemed to be the older of the two brothers and obviously the more mature.

“Yeah, he is currently enjoying the beaches of Valencia, Spain,” Tony told him.

There were whistles from the other Weres.

“If you ever happen to look for a trade again, we got two beautiful houses.” Yusuf pointed over his shoulder to the two houses.

And just like that they bonded and clinked their beer bottles for a cheer.

Dayan gestured to the old man on the bank near the grill who was watching them. “That’s my father, Virág.”

Tony stepped to him and offered his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Sir.”

You see, the stereotype of alpha werewolves was not true. Packs were family based with the parents looking out for their children and their offsprings. And as a Were Tony recognized the head of a pack when he saw them.

As a guest he showed respect by addressing him as such.

The old Were waved it off, grunting, and pointed back to the grill. Stephen wasn’t sure what he wanted to say with that, but neither Tony nor Dayan seemed offended by the lack of words.

Then Virág turned his head to the vampire and squinted his eyes. His face didn’t change, but there was something that made Stephen unsure if he in particular was welcome.

“The burgers are almost done.” The attention shifted to Yusuf. “It’s deer. We hunted it today.”

Stephen stepped back to Tony's side – who always made sure he stood somewhat between the Vamp and the flames – but still felt the old Were’s eyes on his back.

Ever since he was turned, he had avoided large groups of people – at least people from whom he had to hide what he was. And he was not sure how he felt about being here. He was glad to have Tony at his side.

The engineer was fully in his element, making conversation so that he could stay in the background.

There came a whiny howl from inside one of the cabins.

“Seems like the pups don’t want to sleep yet after all,” Yusuf commented.

“Give them five more minutes and they will be out. I saw Sara dozing off next to pops earlier.”

“Are they over their accidental shifting phase yet?” Tony asked.

“Yes, fortunately,” Dayan replied. Apparently, he was the father of the younger kids they had seen earlier.

For Werewolves, their transformation broke out when they were still children of just a few years old. For adults the shifting comes naturally, like a second skin. But for a young child, who had no idea what’s going on with their body, it sometimes was downright traumatic. Unfortunately, all puppies had to go through this. The pack was always there to watch out. That was their advantage, to work as a family and a team. And they had a lot of experience. It mostly went well and without further complications. Once the kids learned to control the shifting, they got comfortable with it. But every werewolf child went through a phase at some point in their young lives where they changed shape almost uncontrollably. It was like teething. Unfortunately, quite painful.

Dayan looked at the cabin the whine had come from. “Ah, there’s my wife Jamila.”

He took Tony and Stephen over and they met a slim woman with brown hair peeking out under a scarf she had wrapped around her head. She carried a plate with burger patties.

Another round of introductions was made, only cut short by another, older woman stepping out of the same cabin. In her hands a bowl with salad. She was small but had mindful eyes, with which she spotted the unfamiliar faces immediately.

“Ah, I was told we might have guests tonight. I hope you boys are hungry.” She noticed that Stephen wasn’t holding any beer or other beverage. “Did my son not offer you anything to drink? Where are your manners, Day’? Here, bring the salad to the table.”

Dayan knew better than to argue with his mother, so he took the bowl and followed to where his wife had taken the buns.

“No, ma’am, he did offer me a beer,” Stephen said politely.

The mother misunderstood that for his dislike of beer in particular. “Oh, I’m sure we will find something else for you then.”

Stephen doubted that. “Thanks, I’m good.”

“Nonsense. Don’t be shy, dear. There’s no need for that. We have plenty of food and drinks.”

“I’m afraid I also don’t eat.”

The sorcerer cast a help-seeking glance at Tony, but the engineer merely watched the conversation with amusement and had to stifle a laugh when the woman frowned at Stephen and asked, “Do you mean you don’t eat meat? Are you a Vegetarian?”

Another voice chimed in. “He means he is a vámpir, Maria.”

It was the father, Virág, who spoke, and the temperature dropped instantly. At least it felt like that to Stephen.

He hadn’t noticed Virág approaching them, but now the old Were was standing next to his wife with his eyes on the Vamp. His face showed the same stern expression as before.

“Step inside with me, will you.”

It was less a question and rather a command.

Tony moved, ready to step in, but Stephen signaled him not to.

“We should just leave,” the engineer said in Italian, knowing that Stephen with his spell would most likely be the only one understanding his words.

“I can handle it.”

“You sure?”

Stephen nodded before following the old Were into the cabin. There was a narrow hallway and one of the doors at the end led into the kitchen. There were dishes and leftovers from the meal preparations everywhere.

The Vamp expected the other man to be aggressive, to threaten him or at least lecture him about coming here and posing a danger to his family. He did not expect the man to get a mug out of a cupboard and then a plastic container filled with red liquid out of another. He poured some of it into the mug.

“You could have just told us what you are, boy. Then we’d have gotten you a fresher deal.”

He pushed the mug – it was dark blue with painted golden stars on the outside – into Stephen’s hand.

Sniffing at it confirmed his suspicion that the red liquid was blood. Animal blood.

He was so surprised about it, about the whole behavior, that he just blurted out, “Thank you?”

Virág just grunted as acknowledgment. He had talked enough for the night, maybe even for the whole week. He left the kitchen and thus left Stephen – a stranger and undead creature – alone in his home. The large amount of trust put in him overwhelmed the sorcerer.

He followed with slower steps.

In the hallway he met Tony, who had seen the old Were stepping out of the cabin alone, and was worried. Seeing Stephen unharmed calmed him down.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.” Stephen nodded. “He just gave me a drink.” He gestured with the mug, before finally taking a sip out of it. The blood was at room temperature. Not Stephen's favorite, but it was better than the frozen stuff. And since he knew he would probably get dark looks from Virág all night should he just put the cup down, he decided the drink wasn’t too bad.

“Is that…?"

“From the deer that’s on the grill? Yes, I believe so.”

“Huh.”

This was not how they thought their visit would turn out. But they didn’t complain.

“Shall we go back outside?”

“Sure.”

After that, they both felt more at ease. Stephen got no more food offered but his mug got refilled every time it was almost emptied, although Stephen assured them that it wasn’t necessary.

Tony enjoyed one of the burgers, and then another right after. The other Weres dug in as well and matched his appetite. The food went fast but there was a lot of it, in wise foresight.

Conversation came easily. Tony was no longer glued to the sorcerer’s side – still, he instinctively kept an eye on him, always aware of where he was. He was already so used to Stephen's presence that it would be weird when they were back in New York and went their separate ways in the tower and sanctum in a few days. It felt natural just to be together.

Something had shifted between them, in mutual agreement. Something solid.

Stephen turned his head and their eyes met for a moment. There was a lopsided smile on the Vamp’s face, before both of them focused back on their conversations. Still, it was good to see the ever-stoic man ease up.

Tony was discussing the pros and cons of living as a werewolf in the barren land of northern Asia. Those wild parts that officially belonged to Russia, even when little was known here about what was decided and controlled in the Kremlin.

It was highly interesting to see that this modern world still had its rural parts, that everyone agreed should be preserved as such.

Tony wouldn’t want to live here permanently, though. The lack of WiFi scared him and he was glad to have his own satellite in space that connected him to Jarvis’ server back home at all times; no matter where on Earth he was.

Right now, Jarvis was sitting in the form of his glasses in the breast pocket of the plaid shirt he got from one of the cousins. The night was cold and his typical style of clothes with a band shirt and a sweater had turned out not to be warm enough.

Everyone – besides the vampire – had huddled closer to the fire. The grill grate was taken off after all patties were finished and the benches were moved closer to use the fire bowl as a heat source.

Dayan stepped into the cabin to get some additional blankets. Unlike the last few nights, this one promised to be frosty.

Tony was offered another beer and gladly accepted.

Stephen sat down next to him on the bench, choosing the side that was further away from the fire bowl. He was the only one who was still just in a shirt, even had his sleeves rolled up.

Tony was a little envious, suppressing another shiver. His nose and lips were getting cold.

“Are you having fun?” he asked.

“A lot.” Stephen took off the cloak-scarf and wrapped it around Tony's neck. “This was a great idea. These people are very nice. Aren’t they nice?”

Those were a lot of words in a very upbeat tone of voice. Not used to that from the Vamp, Tony looked at him. The grin was still present on Stephen's face, and it was hard to see it in the flickering light of the bonfire but he thought the pupils of his eyes were dilated.

“Are you drunk?”

It shouldn’t be possible for a vampire, but he had no other explanation.

“No, but I’m probably on a sugar rush. I drank a lot of this.” He indicated to the mug in his hand, before he emptied it – again.

It took a second for Tony to understand what was happening here. Animal blood. That was like candy for vampires, like marshmallows.

Like a kid with too much sugar.

Tony laughed, and it was a rich sound. He tugged his glasses from his pocket. “Jarvis, I need a recording of thi-…” He stopped when Stephen cupped his face, looking at him in awe, before his gaze became darker and more hungry.

“You’re very handsome and I would love to devour you.”

Tony gulped by this sudden change of behavior. His shiver no longer had anything to do with the coldness of the night.

He couldn't look away from the Vamp’s enthralling eyes. He still had his hand on his glasses, but didn’t remember what he wanted to do with them. Then his mind blanked completely when Stephen’s hand on his face caressed his cheek, with a hint of sharp nails.

“Not here,” Tony managed to mutter. While he couldn’t seem to break eye contact, somewhere in the back of his consciousness he remembered that they were not alone. He senses the other Weres more by smell than anything else.

It didn’t really seem important, though.

Only Stephen was important.

“Later ‘t home.”

The vampire’s smile became sharper. “Promised.”

He withdrew his hand from Tony’s face and leaned back. Tony hadn't even noticed that he had come closer. Stephen's gaze shifted to a point behind the Were and the spell between them was broken.

Almost at the same moment a blanket was dumped on Tony’s shoulders.

Dayan had returned and started handing out more warming blankets to the other Weres as well.

Tony blinked, shaking his head to clear it. He wasn’t sure what just happened. He glanced at Stephen, who was back in his giddy mood, thanking Jamila for another refill.

And somehow Tony suddenly got jealous of a mug with animal blood, because he rather had the Vamp drunk from him. But he decided to store that feeling away to analyze it later.

Someone had brought an instrument outside as well. It looked similar to a guitar with just three strings and a more boxy shape.

Yusuf started playing and a few seconds later the whole family was singing and clapping along. It was an upbeat folklore song, one that made it difficult not to at least tap a foot along.

Listening to them, Stephen learned a weird side of the translation spell, because he heard an English version of the song. It was a mix of an analogous and a literal translation, and as a whole it made little sense. Nothing rhymed. And he wasn't sure if – should he join in – his words would be translated back correctly. So he kept his mouth shut.

But the rhythm was good and everyone enjoyed themselves.

It was a wonder that the loud singing didn't wake the pups.

Some of the Weres even started dancing. They pulled Tony onto his feet and into their midst. And Tony – all for cultural exchange – let them.

The mood was relaxed and boisterous until there was suddenly a whir as something shot through the air. It was so unexpected and fast that Stephen had just enough time to turn his head in shock but not for a sound of alarm before a crossbow bolt hit Yusuf's shoulder.

He let out a cry of pain and dropped the instrument.

There was a brief moment of shock in the sudden silence as the next bolt whizzed in. Stephen was faster, appeared next to Tony and pulled him out of the way.

“We’re under attack!”

There were shouts of swear words in various languages and several things were happening at once.

Stephen grabbed the scarf off Tony’s and onto his own shoulders after it transformed into its usual cloak form in his fingers.

Tony put his glasses on to help him identify the threat.

Dayan shifted into his wolf form right away and bared his teeth angrily before running into the night, towards the direction the bolt came from.

Zahir kept the teens from doing the same. “Go inside!”

“No, we can help!”

“Go inside! Protect the pups from the hunters.”

The boys looked scared but determined, and they finally nodded and turned to the houses. They shifted their forms anyway while rushing inside.

There were sounds of ripping clothes all around. Just Tony wasn’t shifting yet. He needed to get details first and operating Jarvis without the suit was more difficult.

“Four attackers on the north side, five more in the southwest,” the A.I. informed him, using a thermal image to show them on his glasses. “Judging by their bio scans, they are all human.”

Those fuckers had surrounded them. And all of them were armed.

“Great. Send reinforcements.”

Another figure appeared on the screen with almost the lowest body temperature Tony had ever seen. It was Stephen, which hardly stood out from the cold blue of the night. Only because he had drunk blood, there was a slight change to the background that made him recognizable.

The vampire appeared behind one of the hunters. A hooded guy with broad shoulders and a crossbow, which he snatched from his hands before he could fire another bolt. Then Stephen grabbed his head and spun it around with such force that the neck vertebrae broke.

It was nasty but effective.

Around him were the growls and howls of the wolves.

Before he could turn to another opponent, a wave of magic swept him off his feet. The cloak caught his fall and Stephen turned around searching.

One of the hunters was wielding a wand, pointing it at him.

Stephen dodged another attack and replied by conjuring a red whip that clung around the wand. “I’ll take that.” He pulled and the guy lost his grip.

Then a bolt grazed Stephen's arm and the pain caused him to drop the spell. It hurt vehemently. There must be silver in it.

Angrily, Stephen hissed at them. But there wasn’t time to attend to the wound. Instead he leaped to where the wand had fallen down.

He was a second too late. The hunter grabbed it first, and with a swirl, aimed it at the sorcerer. Stephen ducked down just as the hunter took a blow from behind and fell to the ground, unconscious. Tony was standing behind him, not looking happy about the fact that somebody dared to threaten his sorcerer.

The engineer bent down to pick up the wand he had seen the guy use.

“What is this?”

“Don’t touch that!” Stephen yelled. But it was too late. His fingers wrapped around Tony's arm to stop him just when Tony's hand closed around the wand.

It exploded in front of them in a burst of magic. And in the next moment they were gone.

________

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