The Perfect Illusion

Take Your Time

Narrator's POV

Had enough?

Yeah! Yes!

Are you ready to talk?

I already told you, I don't know!

Stephen...

It wasn't-Ah!

"Stephen."

Stephen's eyes opened as Tony's voice rang in his ears. He was laying down on the grass of the backyard with his hands resting behind his head.

The clouds above him slowly made their way across the sky, and the wind blew past him, echoing in his ears.

Small patches of little white flowers around him swayed with the breeze.

"Mm..." Stephen groaned, getting up and dusting the grass off of his blue jeans and sweater.

///0///0

"Thor please quit bending the forks." Bruce said.

"But look." Thor showed Bruce a fork with two legs bent like horns. He had drawn a smilie face on the fork. "It's my brother." He said, smiling.

Bruce smiled. "That's very creative."

"Hah..." Thor sighed. "I miss him." He said.

"Don't be sad. I'm sure you'll see him again on Asgard." Bruce said.

"I'm not sad." Thor said. "I've got you." He smiled.

Bruce's cheeks blushed red.

"Just ask him out already." Tony said, walking into the room with a tablet. He looked up. "I thought Stephen would've alre-" He stopped when he heard the squeak of a sneaker come from behind him. "There you are." He smiled.

Stephen gave him a small smile. "Yeah." He said with his hands in his pockets.

"Meds?" Tony asked.

Stephen nodded.

"How're those knuckles?" Tony asked.

Stephen removed one of his shaky hands from inside his pockets and presented it to Tony.

Tony had found out about Stephen's self harm, and had been keeping an eye on him since.

Stephen had explained to him the only reason he abused his hands was because they were ugly and made his very self conscious.

Tony told him no matter what his hands looked like, they were beautiful and suited him. After all, they made Stephen Stephen.

The bruises and scars were already fading on that hand.

"The other?" Tony said.

Stephen was hesitant, but displayed the other anyway.

This one had old bruises and scabs, but also new cuts and bruises.