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Time stood still.
It had to, in a literal sense.
The whole universe, put on pause to give the two of them a few moments of peace.
Tears pricked in the Sorcerer's eyes as he glanced to his companion.
He hadn't changed. He was alive. He didn't know.
It hurt to breathe.
"..Stephen?"
No nicknames. No teasing. Just worry.
"I've.. seen it. All of it."
Breathe out, breathe in. Shaky hands pulled themselves into fists.
Pupils constricted, body stiff. Breathe in, breathe out.
"All of it."
"Breathe, Stephen."
"You don't. You don't know.. you can't."
Words felt heavy, clumsy in his mouth. The fear, the panic, was closing in. The weight of all those futures that couldn't be allowed to -
Everything moving toward the end, even as nothing moved at all. Pieces falling into place. Gears turning. Thoughts wild.
"Now's hardly the time to breathe."
"Now's exactly the time to breathe."
Concern laced its way through Tony's voice.
This was a man that he hardly knew -- but he knows the situation all too well. A man well into a panic attack, on the verge of breaking down, gasping for breath in a strange city. ..In this case, the strange city was a dead planet, but who was really keeping track? (He was. Holy shit he was.)
"..Stephen, I need you to look at me, okay? Come on. Eyes up."
Red-rimmed eyes reluctantly trail up, torn away from trembling hands still balled painfully into fists.
"Good, you're doing good. Can you take a deep breath for me?"
The words are so soft, Stephen feels sick to his stomach. It takes him to days that weren't to be, weren't supposed to be --
"Stephen."
Right. Right. Focus.
"I'm going to touch you, okay? Is that alright? ..You don't have to talk, just.. nod if you're comfortable with that."
A tight nod. His eyes are still wild, but Tony at least has his attention.
The touches against his hands are hardly registered at first -- they're so gentle. But the warmth is what drags him back to the ground; Tony's hands are always warm.. right? They're always warm when he's here and safe and okay.
"You're safe."
"But- you. You."
"..I'm safe, too."