Chapter Text
Chapter 33
1 year and 7 months…
Tony pushed back his hair looking at himself in the mirror of his small apartment. He was now 21, a fully-fledged adult, and still claimed as the sole survivor of the massacre in the Arctic. The items returned to him that was broken. Nothing left behind shows anything of value.
He fluffed out his hair, then sighed as he looked to the window seeing the fresh snowfall in New York. His mind ran back to the Arctic as he drew the blinds closed.
The newspaper marks the Second Anniversary of his dad’s passing. The death cult was being built under the father and son nose. The mother was shocked by it but held any opinions she had on the men in charge. She trusted Howard, and Howard made the call to have Tony hide. Tony agrees readily.
They ask if he was going to come. He said he would… but he didn’t make it.
Only, the part of the murders was not Stane and Killian alone… but it didn’t change facts to those with zero experience of the supernatural. The unnatural.
Tony pulled on his jacket, and pumped his air as he shuffled to the kitchen for the dinner he was preparing. The smell of warm stew and bread being cooked brought him back down enough. He hummed out in contentment as a warm body pressed against him.
“Hi, James.”
“Tony, are you sure?”
“Yeah. I mean the public has already seen us on dates. It might as well happen over a nice dinner… you know?”
“I know. I will be here.”
“I know… thank you.” Tony pressed a slow kiss on the creature's cheeks as those bright blues stayed unearthly. No matter the amount of glamour, those eyes give him away more than anything else of his body. Even larger than a regular human but for Tony, it will always be his eyes. “Just… two years almost. And… I still don’t quite believe it.”
Tony was grateful for silence as he thought about the past events of his life, “It is hard still I guess. The company wants me to take over but… I don’t feel good about it. There is a really smart woman, she is intelligent. Awesome even. Good with those things that I haven’t really been, like paperwork.”
“Pepper?”
“Yep! She, she is going to take over instead of me. I can’t do it. I can deal with it. I can come in. I have most of the stakes. And with other entities… you mentioned, it is a damn target. I don’t want them grabbing the company.”
“Tony,” Tony looked at the offered hand to him. He looked as the creature waited for him to make the move. Grabbing the hand, Tony went over to him. Arms wrapped around his neck hiding his face in the warm junction of James’s neck, “We will make sure it doesn’t happen.”
“I know…”
The sound of the door of his apartment rang. Tony pulled back staring at the door. Feeling his nerves kick up even at the gentle nudge of his partner to the door. He looked back as the snow beast got the food ready to be served.
Opening the door, Tony greeted his friends and family. Those who can come of course. The others he will tell them. Tell them the long story. The parts Steve and Rhodey didn’t get. Ha. He got hitched before they did. Damn… his life is off the rails now.
They met James who served the dinner. Greeted them all mutely but kindly. Guess even creatures from different realms can get nervous.
Tony looked at everyone as they complimented the dinner. His momma was most happy that he was doing well and was settling down after officially moving to Europe. Tony gave the best and calmest smile he could before admitting he need to tell a truth.
From the beginning to the end, he retold everything the best he could. James kept his head down as Tony came to a close. He stared at the eyes widening around the table. Rhodey and Steve know some of the stories already. Clint was surprised that he even survived all that.
“Yeah… I mean, I got lucky really.”
Enass looked to Yakov then to Tony, eyes big with concern, her lips curling up then releasing, “Are you good Antonio?”
He couldn’t lie but, “I am okay. It took a while but James and I found a routine…”
“I know that honey, I can see that, but are you okay?”
Nodding he, looked to James who could almost look like a wolf submitting to another alpha. He wonders how much of those wolf qualities are learned and natural. Turning back to his mother, he went over hugging her tight, “I am.”
Clint looked at the mother and son and then at the demon that sat at the table calm even with eyes flickering in worry, “How many… um… creatures are there like you?”
This had others look to Tony and James. Tony was unsure of that himself. They only met that one Lord that was itchy about them crossing into their boundary. So far, they weren’t sure how many Lords and other levels of demons are roaming around.
“I am not sure honestly,” James looked at them taking a quick relieving breath before he continued, “Some of us, my kind can be passive and others are aggressive like Johanne. We have been main concern about Johanne's presence.”
Steve looked at James's eyes narrowed, even in his small body, the blonde had enough fire that had Tony already putting his hands up to pacify the firecracker, “And?”
James this time rolled his eyes muttering a sound of punk, the blond spluttering where Clint laughed, “We haven’t gotten a sign of him.”
“Well that is a relief,” Enass sighed softly, hand pressed against her chest. Her smile lines appeared as she gave them a relief look. Even with the mother's worried likes around her eyes, she hugged Tony close before asking if she can hug James, “Please do keep each other safe.”
James promising. Tony agrees to the best of their abilities.
Even when the scent of sulfur crept up from the street level. Even as James looked out the window ice crackled at his left arm. Tony flipped the frames that had the symbols etched in. That his family and close friends know how deep that promise runs.