Something Stupid

No Distractions

Narrator's POV

"Hm." Stephen smiled, shaking his head as he stepped back into the Sanctum through his portal.

Suddenly a swoosh hurried over to him and and embraced him.

He laughed. "I missed you too, bud." He said to the red cloak wrapped around him.

"You went to see him, didn't you?" A shadow at the top of the staircase said.

The lamps in the Sanctum slowly lit up, revealing Wong making his way down the staircase.

Stephen jumped a little. "Oh. It's only you." He said. "You scared me for a minute."

"You left the Sanctum unguarded." Wong said.

"It was only for a few minutes. It wasn't long." Stephen said.

"Do you know what kind of dangers could've entered here and brought chaos?" Wong asked.

"Oh, come on Wong." Stephen said. "Ease up, it was only a few minutes. Plus, the Cloak of Levitation was here to protect it while I-"

"It could not handle a threat on its own." Wong said.

"Wong, I'm sure I'd be the first one to know if any sort of threat made its way into the Sanctum." Stephen said, walking past Wong.

"Strange, you cannot just leave the Sanctum like that." Wong followed after him.

"I thought I just did." Stephen said, coming into his kitchen and opening a cabinet.

"Don't get smart with me." Wong said.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't leave the Sanctum." Stephen said, taking out a peanut butter jar and some bread. "Goodness, I feel like Rapunzel." He said, placing the food on the counter.

"Hm?" Wong looked at him.

"Don't tell me you haven't heard the tale of Rapunzel." Stephen said, taking out a butter knife from a silverware drawer.

Wong sent him a confused look.

"The girl who lived in the tower with long golden hair." Stephen said, opening the jar of peanut butter.

"I have no knowledge of this girl you speak of Strange." Wong said.

"Or any sort of basic knowledge, clearly." Stephen said, spreading some peanut butter on a slice of bread.

"I don't have time to read these fairy tales you talk about." Wong said.

"So you do know it." Stephen said.

"No." Wong said.

"It's a fairy tale." Stephen said, finishing the sandwich he was making, handing it to Wong. "How'd you know it was a fairy tale if you've never read it. Hm?" He began to make another sandwich for him.

"I didn't." Wong took a bite of his sandwich. "I just assume everything that comes out of your mouth is a made up story."

"Of course." Stephen said, finishing making his sandwich. "You know what?" He looked up at Wong. "For that, I'm not making waffles tomorrow."

"You're cold, Strange." Wong said.

Stephen shook his head, smiling.

///0///0

"You don't drink tea." Pepper said as she made her way downstairs into Tony's shop.

She had found the cup Stephen had his tea in.

"You are correct." Tony said, connecting some wires together, looking trough a magnifying lens in his glasses.

"So, who was he?" Pepper asked.

"Old friend." Tony responded.

"Just an old friend?"

"Yup." Tony popped the p at the end of that.

"He's gotta be more than just and old friend." Pepper said.

"Why do you say that?" Tony asked, reaching for some pliers as he focused on the tiny wires.

Pepper snatched grabbed them and handed them to Tony. "Because you don't welcome just any friend into the house to talk and have a cup of...lavender tea by the way it smelled."

"Yes. He likes it." Tony said, connecting the wires together.

"So who is he?" Pepper asked.

"Is that really any of your business?" Tony asked.

"Why are you being so protective over him?" Pepper asked, laughing a little.

"Because he's a friend from the academy." Tony said. "Stephen. Stephen Strange. The Stephen Strange."

"You never mentioned a single Stephen Strange to me."

"The wizard."

"He's a wizard?" Pepper asked.

"The wizard. The wizard, wizard." Tony said.

"Oh." Pepper remembered. "As in long time ago ex-boyfriend wizard." She said.

"Yup." He popped.

"That was him?" She asked.

"Yes." Tony said.

"He looked nothing like the pictures you showed me from the academy." Pepper said. "He's-"

"Taller. Yes." Tony said, removing the thruster from under his boot.

"And handsome." Pepper said, seeing is she would get any reaction out of Tony, and she did.

"Watch it." Tony said.

"Oh, over protective, huh? You still have feelings for him?" Pepper asked, smiling a little.

"No." Tony said.

"You guys haven't seen each other in twenty one years. He's probably met others along the way." She said. "I know you've met plenty."

"Alright, alright." Tony said, taking the thruster apart.

"Oh no." Pepper said. "Did he dump you?"

"No." Tony said. "Hand me the torch." He said.

Pepper did so. "Did he cheat?"

"He would never." Tony said, staying quiet for a few minutes. "He broke my heart."

"Aww." Pepper frowned. "Was he mean about it?"

"No, he was gentle and calm about it." Tony said. "We were leaving each other anyway. Some stuff came up and-" Tony looked up at her. "Why am I even telling you this?" He asked.

"Because you're still a little hurt and talking about it makes you feel a little better." She said.

"I'm still not hurt about it." Tony said, returning to his work.

"It kinda seems like you are." Pepper said, handing him a drill.

Tony took it. "Am not."

"Are too." Pepper said.

"I am not." Tony said, taking his boot apart.

"Are too."

"Alright. That's enough of that." Tony said, looking up. "Don't you have papers to file or meetings to set up?"

Pepper laughed, walking toward the door. "You know you're still hurt about it." She said, making her way out the door.

"Am not." Tony grumbled. "I just want to make sure that if he does have someone, they're taking good care of him." He said under his breath.

"Tony." Came a voice over the house system. "I'm home."

"I'm in the shop." Tony said as he continued working.

"What are you working in this time?" The voice asked. "Don't you think you spent enough time down there, already?" The voice chuckled.

Tony could hear footsteps making their way down to the shop.

"Nope. Not enough." He said, turning to the figure that was now at the glass doors of the shop. He smiled. "Welcome home, love."