Peachy

Melon (Calm Down)

Narrator's POV

"Stephen." Tony called as he walked through a garden. This is where Stephen has disappeared into after they had spared. "Stephen." He said, looking around.

He had gotten washed up and had received clothes to change into. He felt much better.

He finally spotted Stephen sitting on a bench, overlooking the lights and lanterns that lit up the villages amongst the Himalayas.

Tony approached carefully. "Stephen-"

"Ah!" Stephen gasped and got up quickly, summoning his shields.

"Wait! Wait!" Tony said, trying to cover himself with his arms.

"Oh." Stephen said. "It's just you." His shields disappeared. He turned his back to Tony, quickly wiping tears away.

"Stephen, are you crying?" Tony asked.

"What?" Stephen turned to him. "No." He sniffled.

Tony gave him a small smile. "I have told you that you're a terrible liar, haven't I?" He took Stephen's face in his hand and wiped a falling tear off his cheek.

Tony walked to the bench and sat down, looking back at Stephen and patted a spot next to him.

Stephen sat next to him, a little distance away. His stare fell upon the ground between his feet.

It was quiet between the two. Tony admired the beautiful view of the Himalayas. He took in a deep breath, letting the smell of sweet flowers and earth invade his nose. He exhaled, sighing with a smile on his face. "Now I see why you came back here." He said, still admiring the view. Soon, fireflies began to light up around them.

God, this place's beauty was beyond compare.

Stephen looked at him.

"Stephen..." Tony spoke, looking down at at the ground by Stephen's feet. "Listen...I wasn't trying to hurt you when I said those things back at the academy."

Stephen listened closely.

"I was just trying to convince Timothy that you didn't matter to me to keep you safe. If that makes sense." Tony said. "I was trying to protect you... I knew if I told him that you were nothing to me, he would leave you alone because you would be so hurt; and he wouldn't hurt you any further. That's what he does. He likes to hurt people. It brings him satisfaction." He looked up at Stephen. "The only way I could keep him from causing you further damaged, was by hurting you." Tony took one of Stephen's hands in his.

Stephen looked at their hands, then up at Tony. Tony's eyes were watery with tears.

"I never wanted to hurt you. It was never part of the plan, and by god, I will never do it again; but it was the only way to keep you safe. I'm so sorry, Stephen. The last thing I'd want to do is hurt you, but I had no choice. But please believe me when I tell you that I'm sorry. I truly am. I missed you every second we were apart. God, I suffered many sleepless nights with you running through my mind and not being able to do anything to bring you back into my arms. Everything reminded me of you. Stephen, I really can't live without you. Please forgive me." Stephen was quiet. Tony was growing a little worried. Stephen gave a small chuckle. "Stephen?" Tony asked.

"I missed your stupid self." Stephen smiled at him.

"Oh, Stephen." Tony felt relief in his heart. He pulled Stephen close and held him. Stephen wrapped his arms around him as well.

The two had never felt so in love with each other.

They pulled away after a few moments.

"Sorry for almost killing you earlier..." Stephen apologized.

"Psh." Tony waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. It's not like I haven't almost died before." Tony said. "Plus, I hardly remember what happened."

Stephen laughed a little. "I just need a little more practice and training." He said, looking at the fireflies around them.

Tony smiled as the fireflies made Stephen glow even more than he already was. He was wrong. This place's beauty wasn't beyond compare. Stephen had easily surpassed it.

>Ba-dum< >Ba-dum< >Ba-dum<

He could hear his heart in his ears when he saw the beautiful smile of Stephen as he laughed with fireflies flying all around him. Stephen looked at him, smiling.

Tony caressed Stephen's cheek. Stephen dove deeper into his touch and smiled. Tony pulled him closer and connected their lips.

Oh how he had missed this. The soft touch of Stephen's plump lips and the warmth of his breath. He had definitely missed the taste of strawberries.

They pulled away from each other. Both of their faces were tainted a light shade of pink.

"I'll never leave you, again. I promise." Tony said.

"Never?" Stephen asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Tony said. "You have no idea what I went through to get here." He said, standing up. "First, I had to fake a heart attack to get onto a plane to here. Then, I had jump out of that plane and totally destroyed a whole field with a sick landing..." Stephen smiled at Tony as he explained his journey to here. "Then there were the monkeys..." Stephen laughed. "Then I was lead here by a butterfly. BUT..." Tony continued with his story, and Stephen listened, enjoying every bit. He laughed as Tony imitated some of the things he'd seen and described smells and tastes.

The two stayed in the gardens for a few more minutes before they headed back to the temple.

///0///0

"Wouldn't you like your own room?"

"No, thank you. I haven't seen Stephen in forever, and I would very much like to share a room with him." Tony told The Ancient One.

"I have already gotten him a sleeping sack and a pillow." Stephen said, smiling.

"Well, alright." She agreed. "But you boys better not stay up too late." She told them before excusing them.

Tony and Stephen smiled at each other and walked toward Stephen's room, whispering things to each other and giggling quietly.

The Ancient One watched them walk away. She heard Stephen's door open and close. She turned around and began to walk to her quarters, smiling as she fanned herself.

///0///0

"I missed hearing your heartbeat." Stephen said as he laid his head on Tony's chest.

They were both staring at the ceiling. Fireflies flew about the room. Tony had gotten a jar and captured some, bringing them secretly into the temple, and releasing them in Stephen's bedroom. It was dark in the room, the only thing that could be seen was the light coming from the rear ends of the fireflies.

"And I missed the feeling of you in my arms." Tony said, laying in bed with one arm around Stephen and the other behind his head.

It became quiet between the two.

Tony looked down at Stephen. "Hey, Stephen."

"Yes?" Stephen responded.

"You know I love you?" He said.

Stephen smiled in the darkened room. If it were any brighter, Tony would've seen how red his face was. "You know I love you too?" He said.

"Yup." Tony responded and brought Stephen closer. Stephen snuggled him. "Goodnight, Stephen."

"Goodnight."