Summary:OC is a lawyer visiting her best friend in New York. Will she fall for the charming doctor? Or will her neverending conflict with the god of mischief lead to more?
Tags:Post-Endgame, AU where everyone is alive and well, Eventual Smut, Fluff with some Angst, Second Person POV, No Y/N, Avenger Loki.
Summary:OC is a lawyer visiting her best friend in New York. Will she fall for the charming doctor? Or will her neverending conflict with the god of mischief lead to more?
Tags:Post-Endgame, AU where everyone is alive and well, Eventual Smut, Fluff with some Angst, Second Person POV, No Y/N, Avenger Loki.
You tried to look inside the building while maintaining your distance at the bottom of the stairs. “Give me a second.” The man walked inside the apartment, leaving the door ajar. You stood there a little embarrassed, feeling extremely out of place. ‘This would probably be the stupidest way to get kidnapped’, you thought to yourself, holding Bjorn’s leash tighter, hoping the gigantic dog would discourage them from taking you.
You could hear mumbling inside, “no… noo… you are a doctor. Help her… she seems nice… just help her.” The door opened again, and a tall well-groomed, handsome man stood there, wearing the same intriguing clothes as the other. You shifted your weight between your feet, unsure whether this was the doctor the other men had spoken of.
“Wong has told me you hurt your shoulder. Do you need any help?” He spoke stoically, almost mechanically; however, you could feel a faint hint of annoyance in his voice.
“Well, I am okay. He told me he knew a doctor and that maybe my shoulder was dislocated. Are you the doctor?” You asked, feeling extra self-conscious about your looks now that this handsome stoic man was looking at you from the top of the stairs.
“Oh, yes, I am the doctor. Call me Stephen. I would be happy to give your shoulder a look. However, I guess you would have to come inside for that,” he sighed, looking down at you, “and I am not sure how comfortable you are with coming inside a stranger’s house.” The message was loud and clear as he obviously found this request a waste of his time. You felt instantly more uneasy, as he seemed bothered by your presence.
“It’s okay. I’ll just go home and put some ice on it. Thank you and sorry for bothering you.” You decided to leave, unwilling to let the doctor continue to make you feel uncomfortable. You started to walk away, missing the disapproving shove Wong gave the doctor.
“I am sorry. I think I unintentionally came out as rude. Give me one second.” Stephen walked behind you, and Wong followed. “I will just give it a look here. Wong, can you hold the dog?” Wong looked at you, asking for permission to grab Bjorn, and you gave him the leash. His tone had changed drastically between sentences, sounding more eager to help now.
“Can I touch your shoulder?” He asked patiently. You nodded, and he started moving your arm, trying to figure out where it hurt. His touch on your skin was delicate and surgical as he tried to come into contact with it as little as possible.
After a couple of minutes, he stated, “everything seems to be fine. However, it would be best if you tried to not put any pressure on it for the next couple of days. Although you seem to have just slightly over-stretched your ligament, it is important to be careful because you could sprain it.” His eyes were still on your shoulder as yours searched for his. He eventually backed away and stood by his friend, distant and dismissive.
You smiled at him awkwardly “well, thank you. Ehm… Wong? Could I have Bjorn back, please?” You used the name you heard the doctor call the other guy.
“Oh, I think you should let Strange walk you at least to your street. As he said, you may sprain your shoulder, and this guy seems to have recuperated all his energy already,” Wong responded, pointing at Bjorn, who was going in circles and trying to chase a wild squirrel. The doctor and his friend exchanged a look. You were unsure if Wong expected Stephen to flirt with you or just liked to put him in awkward situations, but you would not have minded the extra help.
“It’s okay. I am sure you are both very busy.” The doctor did not seem particularly keen to do it, and you were not gonna push it. Wong moved closer and elbowed him.
“I would be happy to walk you to your street. Wong is right.” The doctor cleared his throat and spat out the words quickly, looking at the street.
“Ehm… I mean, sure.” Wong gave Strange the dog’s leash, and you started walking towards Central Park. The shorter man waved at you as you exchanged an entertained look, hoping he had not just set you up for the most awkward walk of your life.
…
Stephen walked in silence by your side, his jaw tightly clenched as he tried to think of something to say. You hated awkward silences and could not understand how such an attractive man could be so inept at socializing. “So.. you are a doctor… What type of doctor are you?” You asked, kicking a small rock in front of you as you walked.
“I wa- am a neurosurgeon.” He answered, adding little to nothing to the conversation. You pressed your lips, unable to understand what his problem was.
“Wow, you don’t strike me as somebody with a god complex.” You joked, hoping it would help him relax and open up the conversation.
“Do you think all surgeons have a god-complex?” He looked at you curiously, letting the corner of his lips lift just so slightly. Your sincerity had taken him slightly aback.
“I don’t think, I know. I am the daughter of one.” You responded, kicking another tiny rock and keeping your eyes on the street. “Big egos and an even bigger need to always have everything under your control.”
He grinned, entertained. It was not the first time he had heard that. “What do you do?” He tried to change the topic. Sure your perception of surgeons would not help him impress you.
“I am a lawyer, recently qualified. I work in London.” You looked at him, scanning his face for a reaction. He shook his head incredulous as soon as you finished speaking, smiling, thoroughly entertained. You had not quite understood what was so funny.
“A lawyer judging a surgeon for his god complex, a bit hypocritical, wouldn’t you say? What brings you to New York?” You were looking at each other properly for the first time, and you could not help but appreciate his handsome features. His gaze had softened significantly since you first saw each other, offering you a friendlier, more welcoming expression.
“Lawyers are nothing compared to surgeons when it comes to ego.” You tried to defend yourself, although you knew he was right. “My best friend lives here. I have five weeks off before I start full time as an associate, and she has taken it as a personal challenge to bring me here and make me fall in love with New York so I won’t go back.” You broke the eye contact and looked at the trees.
“Well, you must be enjoying the nicer weather here.” He commented, leaving out that he had been in London visiting the Sanctum just two hours ago, “I hope to be helping her case.”
“There are places with good weather all year round that I like more,” you replied unamused, already annoyed at New Yorkers’ obsession with New York.
“So, what direction are we going?” He asked as you had been walking for a while now.
“I need to get to Central Park. I am having lunch with my friend there. It is quite a long walk, so I am happy to continue alone,” you responded honestly, slightly saddened at the thought of having to say goodbye already, just as the conversation was finally improving.
“No, it’s alright. I need to leave my house more often. A long walk will be good.” Maybe he was more charming than you initially believed. You relaxed instantly, hoping to talk to him a bit more.
Bjorn was behaving nicely. He seemed to like Stephen. You looked down at the leash instinctively and could not stop yourself from looking at the doctor’s hands. Although faded, you could see he had severe scarring on them. You looked up before he could catch string, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.
“So, do you have any plans for your time here?” He asked politely, opening the conversation again.
“Not really, my friend Sophie spends most of her time at work during the week, so I was hoping to find my way around and have some solo adventures. I like doing things by myself. I feel like people don’t do many things they want to do because they don’t have anyone to join them, which is a wasteful mentality. Life is too short to wait around.” You answered, smiling without taking your eyes off the street.
“Well, if you ever need a city guide, I am sure Wong or I can show you around.” He awkwardly offered. You pressed your lips together as you smiled, noticing his intentional inclusion of Wong in his proposal.
“That sounds great; yeah, Wong seems super nice. Not a man of many words for sure, but very nice.” You teasingly specified, trying to see if he was just being polite or if he actually wanted to hang out with you.
“Well, I am sure Wong would love to show you around, but now that I think about it, he has been very busy lately. Also, I think I am better company generally, a lot more talkative.” You felt your cheeks grow warm as you had the confirmation that he was at least somewhat flirting with you.
“Oh really? You don’t strike me as particularly chatty.” You teased him again, hinting back to the initial awkwardness and silence.
Your conversation was interrupted by Sophie calling you, “Babe? Hello? I am so so sorry, but I won’t be able to grab lunch with you. There is a situation at the office. I will tell you all about it once we see each other. We can meet at home at 4 pm?”
“Ehm, yes, no worries. I am in good company anyway. See you later.” You answered, referring to Bjorn but hinting to the doctor and hung up. “Well, my lunch plans are cancelled, so I think I’ll just head home.”
“If you’d like, we can grab something to eat. You need to try a sandwich from a deli while in New York.”
“Sure! Let’s do that.” You agreed, smiling down, hoping he would not notice your excitement.
…
You grabbed the most giant sandwich you had ever seen and sat down together on a bench. You got some water for Bjorn from your backpack and a little snack.
You eventually told him your name, giggling about the fact that he had not asked earlier. The two of you spoke about music and art. You told him how much you loved galleries, and he asked you what your favourite painting was. You answered that The Swing by Fragonard was one of them, so detailed and full of hidden meaning. You could look at it for hours and continue to find new elements.
He told you he was not a huge art nerd but that Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro style had always called his attention. You asked him which of his paintings was his favourite, and he thought about it for a second, “the betrayal? The taking of Christ, I believe, is the full name. The light in the armour makes it so realistic.” You thought of the painting in your mind, thinking how the expressions of shock and betrayal had always stopped you from appreciating the realistic lighting of the image.
You continued walking after a while, lost in your conversation. Stephen was a well-travelled man, dwarfing your travel achievements. It seemed like he had been everywhere, visited every city you had and more. You eventually arrived at Sophie’s apartment’s street, letting him know this was your stop.
“Well, I should get going,” You announced awkwardly. Stephen gave you Bjorn’s leash and opened his mouth hesitantly.
“You know, I should probably look at your shoulder again in maybe a couple of days to make sure you did not sprain anything.” He tried to keep a stern expression, but the nervousness was tangible, making you smile as you felt your cheeks grow warmer.
“Wanna check it out over dinner, maybe? I pay, you know? For the medical fee?” you gave him a confident smile, and he chuckled, smiling back.
“Sounds good, but you have to let me pay. Please take it as a welcome gift to the city. I am sure you’ll have another occasion to pay back your medical debt. Could I have your number to send you the dinner details?” You smiled. He wanted to take you out.
“Yes, of course.” You proceeded to give him your number. “Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Doctor.” You gave him one final dashing smile and entered the building.
….
Sophie got home around 4:30 pm, and as soon as she entered, she ran to Bjorn. “Hello! How is the goodest boy in the world doing?!” She asked him, ignoring your presence.
“Well, he is okay, except he almost dislocated my shoulder and ate some guy’s sandwich!”
“Oh no! My baby Bjorn would never ever do that! He is just a playful boy. He would never hurt anyone!” She kept the baby talk while petting him. “He is so tired! What did you do to my poor baby?” She added.
“Well, he should be super tired. We walked more than 8 kilometres this morning!” You responded, moving to the side of the couch so she could sit next to you.
“Why would you do that? Oh my god. You know we have public transport here too, or how do you call it? The tube,” she tried to pull off a posh London accent, forcing you to roll your eyes.
“Well, I was first supposed to only walk to Greenwich Village, but then I hurt my shoulder, and this guy told me he knew a doctor, and well then we went to the doctor’s house, and the doctor was this super handsome man and his friend forced him to walk me back, so I walked back with him.” You spoke, trying to summarize your morning in one breath, hoping she would not hear the part where you followed a stranger to another stranger’s house.
“What happened with do not trust strangers in New York? People here are weird. I am glad you did not get killed.” She answered, alarmed. There was a weird dismissiveness in your friend’s gaze as she refused to look at you properly, keeping her eyes on the dog.
“He kind of asked me out on a date. It was more like me asking him, but I gave him my number, so we will see.” You decided to ignore her dismissiveness, knowing that if she needed to tell you something, she would do it herself.
“OH my god … that is awesome! He is a doctor too?! That’s fantastic. How old is he? What’s his name?”
“He is for sure older than us. He has some grey hairs but in a hot way. I don’t think he is old, though, he is maybe in his late 30s, but I am not sure. He is a surgeon and has a house in Greenwich, so he cannot be too young to be done with all his specialization and be making that type of money. His name is Stephen.” You said, laying your head on her shoulder as Bjorn tried to spread across both of you for pets.
“Okay, well, he sounds nice, and he walked you all the way here, which is insane. So let’s hope for the best. I found the perfect bar for us to go to tonight on other interesting news.”
…
The two of you started to get ready together and ordered some sushi for dinner. You sat on the ground doing your makeup while eating pieces of nigiri. Sophie had kept the weirdly fidgety attitude going, letting you know she was close to breaking her silence.
She finally spoke up, pausing the music, “I have something to tell you, and I know you are gonna kill me once I tell you, but like I had to wait until I knew it was okay.” There it was. Years could go by, but your best friend’s lack of capacity to keep a secret had not improved.
You looked at Sophie, putting down your mascara. “What’s up? What did you do now?” You asked her to continue.
“I am so sorry for not informing you before. You know my job, right?” She spoke shyly, sitting closer to you on the ground. You cocked your head, unsure where this was going.
“Yes…what about it? You are starting to worry me. Just tell me.” You reached for her hand.
“So… you know how I work in 'Risk Management’? That actually translates to I deal with all the fuck ups and problems the Avengers have. I am like the new Pepper Potts, except I am not gonna marry any of them.” She joked. You looked at her, not sure if she had been drinking already before coming home or if she was trying to be funny. “You know the dog? Well, that’s like Thor’s dog,” she added.
The silence in the room grew thick as she expected an answer. “Mmh mmh,” You hummed, going back to putting on your mascara, unsure what was the point of her joke.
“Is that all you have to say?” Don’t you wanna kill me for not telling you before?“ She shook your shoulder and looked at you in shock.
"Well, if it is true. Why didn’t you tell me before?” You looked at her sceptically, putting down the mascara once again before you would end up poking your eye out.
“Because we are not allowed to and I was waiting for Tony to be okay with it and I have been talking to him about you for the past weeks and he is finally okay with it. He even wants to meet you and see if you vibe with the team.” She rambled, looking at you seriously.
“Sure, Sophie, well, we can meet him after I am done hanging out with Matthew Grey Gubler next week.” You joked, not understanding where she was going with this random lie/joke. Sophie was incapable of keeping secrets from you. This was practically impossible, or it meant she had been in constant agony for the past couple of months.
“Babe, I am being serious. Whatever. You are meeting them all next weekend anyway, Tony is throwing a party, and we are invited. So somewhere next week we have to go shopping for dresses.” She stated, getting up a little irritated that you refused to believe her.
“Yep, I’ll make sure to organize a dinner with the queen of England next time you visit.” You laughed at yourself, grabbing your mascara again. Bjorn was sitting next to you, so you patted him on the head “you are the dog of the god of thunder, huh? That totally makes sense.” Sophie let go of the topic, for now, unwilling to ruin the night.
Right before you finished getting ready, you received a text from an unknown number:
'I have made a reservation for this hidden gem in the city. It’s a little difficult to get there, so I am happy to pick you up. The reservation is for Tuesday 8:00 pm.
Stephen’
You saved his number and answered quickly:
'That’s perfect. I’ll send you my address so you can pick me up on the day.’
…
The night was fun. You drank a lot of tequila and danced with a group of bankers. Sophie was a little annoyed at you for not believing her, but you just could not get over the fact that she would somehow keep this a secret from you for so long and then randomly decide to tell you before you went out. She got over her bad mood pretty quickly once you started drinking, and then you had a lovely night reminiscing your years partying together.
After you had lost the count of the shots at some point during the night, you had the amazing idea to text Stephen. A fantastic drunk idea that you would surely regret in the morning. You grabbed Sophie’s arm and took her away from the dance floor into the bathroom.
“I am gonna send Stephen a message!” You screamed at her in the bathroom, smiling like a drunk dumbass proud of your 'clever’ idea.
“OMG yess! Take a selfie in the mirror!” She cheered you on just as drunk as you. You made two terrible decision-makers while drunk.
You took a picture of yourself trying to look as sexy yet innocent as humanly possible and wrote:
'Wishing you were here xx’
You closed the messaging app and went back into the dance floor, forgetting about it completely a couple of minutes later. The bankers offered to take you guys home, but you refused, not accepting their advances. You got home at around 3 in the morning, completely drunk. Sophie took the keys out of her bag, trying to open the flat door.
“Do you need help there?” you asked her as she missed the hole at least twice.
“Nope, you are drunker than me. No chance you can be of any help right now.” She finally got it on the fifth or sixth try.
You entered the flat and turned on the lights. Bjorn woke up from all the noise, a little confused about what was happening. Sophie petted him, and you threw yourself on the couch after taking off your shoes.
“Oh man, we drank a lot. Maybe a little too much. Do you have any aspirin? I don’t wanna be too hungover tomorrow.” She answered your query with a glass of water and two aspirins in her hand, anticipating your request.
“Here, take this, and let’s go to bed.” She said, moving your legs, sitting next to you, downing her glass of water, and then dropping her head on the back of the couch. You took the aspirins and put the glass on the coffee table.
“I want nuggets.” You spoke, hungry.
“Well, you should have thought of that before we got home.” She looked back at you, annoyed.
“Well, can you not get like Spiderman to deliver us some?” You joked, causing her to punch you on the arm.
“It is not funny bitch. I am being honest with you. I have been only working for them for like two months. There was no chance for me to tell you any earlier. Come on, believe me.” She begged you, “also, Peter is probably fast asleep, probably spent the night doing math homework or something” she laughed at herself.
“Oh man, is Spiderman a teenager?” You looked at her incredulous.
“Anywayyy, let’s go to sleep.” She responded evasive, trying to get up and pulling your arm to take you to bed.
“But nuggetsssss…” you complained, standing up with her.
“Tomorrow, you can get nuggets.” She said, pushing you into the bathroom to brush your teeth
…
The warmth of the sunlight on your face brought you back to life. The killer headache took over your senses as soon as you regained consciousness. You tried to open your eyes, but the mere thought of it made you feel stupidly dizzy. Next came nausea, forcing you to run eyes closed and all into the bathroom and throw up whatever was left of the sushi in your stomach.
'What a great start to your Sunday morning’, you thought while lying on the bathroom floor by the toilet for what seemed like forever before Sophie came in running and screaming, “MOVE.”
You barely moved in time before your friend met the same faith as you, throwing up as she tried her best to hold up her hair. You crawled out of the bathroom towards the kitchen looking for water but were met by a gigantic excited puppy running your way.
“Good Morning Bjorn. Please let me go, or I will throw up on you,” you warned him as he jumped on you, making you lay flat on the ground.
“I cannot do this. What the fuck did we drink yesterday night?” Sophie grunted from the bathroom.
“I only know one thing, I am never ever ever eating sushi again.” You answered, still lying face down on the floor.
“Bjorn needs to go on a walk.” Sophie let you know, asking the unspoken question.
“Well, that is not my responsibility. I walked him yesterday, and he is your friend Thor’s dog.” You replied, knowing damn well you would have to walk him anyway.
“You may see the handsome doctor on your walk. You can go to Greenwich.” The handsome doctor… those words brought an image back to you from yesterday night, and just like that, your nausea from the drinking was substituted with nauseating embarrassment. Your eyes opened wide, and you got up from the floor, running towards your phone that lay dead on the couch.
“FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. WHERE IS YOUR CHARGER?” You screamed, running into the bathroom to find Sophie slowly getting up.
“What’s wrong?? It is in the kitchen! Calm down!” Your face turned as warm as possible as you ran to the kitchen and plugged the phone. “What’s wrong?!” Sophie shouted again.
“Oh my fucking… I texted him while I was drunk at like one in the morning. I sent him a picture of me. You told me it was a good idea! Aaaah” you screamed dramatically, standing by the phone, hoping the pressure would make it charge faster.
“Oh fuck yeah haha, I remember. I am sorry about that haha,” although still dying, Sophie found this funny incident to be the silver lining of a shitty morning. “I am sure you looked hot,” she lied to you between giggles.
“It does not matter how hot I looked, Sophie! I was drunk! I met him yesterday! He is gonna think I am insane!” You replied, dropping yourself on the couch and giving up on your phone turning on any time soon.
“You are overthinking it! Everybody sends drunk texts to people they find attractive. He will be flattered, and if he is not, you dodged a bullet because you hate boring man.” She said, going to the kitchen and grabbing glasses of water for the two of you.
“Can you check if it is on?” You asked, covering your face with a pillow on the couch.
“Nope, still nothing.” She responded, bringing you the water.
“I am just gonna block him and never step a foot on Bleeker street ever again. I am just gonna take the next flight to London.” You announced theatrically, chugging the water after sitting up.
“Everything is okay! New Yorkers are not as presumptuous as British men. He won’t judge you for it.” She tried her best to make you feel better, giving Bjorn some food before sitting by your side.
“But he is not a twenty-year-old rugby lad Sophie, he is a proper sophisticated man, and I wanna die.” You cried out, putting your head on her shoulder.
Although minimal, the vibration of your phone made you spring up from the seat faster than you should have, as you instantly felt nauseous again. You opened your phone as if it was a time bomb and opened the messaging app.
1 - Unknown Number
2 - Stephen
“Oh my god, I have two messages from him. I don’t wanna open it, Sophie. I am gonna throw up.” You cried out again.
“Don’t be such a baby! Open it!” She said, walking to your side and opening them for you
Stephen
Wishing you were here xx
1 Attachment
Well, this is something nice to wake up to.
Hope you enjoyed your night out, darling. Don’t overwork your shoulder.
“See! Everything is fine! He is flirty!” Sophie reassured you, looking over your shoulder. You opened the other message.
Hey! It’s Hunter from Goldman Sachs. It was nice to meet you yesterday.
“Who the fuck is Hunter, and how the fuck does he have my number?” You looked confused at your friend.
“Oh shit, I think I gave it to him on our way out. Sorry, Babe. He was cute, though and seemed to be very into you. Keep your options open! It is New York!” She answered apologetically.
“Sophie, he is an investment banker. I would let a mass murderer rail me before an IB man. He would probably have better karma anyway.” You joked, closing your phone.
“Oh well… I take Bjorn on a short walk, and you buy us some breakfast? I don’t want you to overwork your shoulder.” She winked at you teasingly.
“Sounds like a plan. I need a baseball hat, sunglasses, and black coffee in my system.” You declared, turning around and putting some water to boil on the kettle you had gifted your friend years ago. You were glad she kept it.
…
Sunday was uneventful at best. You both felt dead inside and ate little to nothing in fear of throwing up. You finally ordered some burgers for dinner and finished them. After eating, you took Bjorn for a short walk around the block, staying away from Greenwich completely.
Monday morning, Sophie left for work early, and you had breakfast on the couch with Bjorn. After your morning walk, you received a bunch of emails from London requiring you to sign certain documents and jump on a quick call with the firm’s employment team. At some point in the afternoon, you finally took the chance to explore the building’s gym and exercise a little. After a warm shower and another quick walk with the Golden Bear, you sat on the couch watching the news. Sophie had gone MIA, and it was almost 10:00 pm. You sent her a message checking if everything was okay, but your phone started vibrating just as you finished sending the message.
Incoming Call - Stephen Strange
'Oh God, why was he calling? Like who even calls people nowadays without texting them first,’ you thought as you picked up.
“Hello?” You answered.
“Hi, how has your day been?” He replied smoothly on the other side of the line.
“All good, boring, doing lawyer things. What about yours?” You responded as a smile formed on your lips at the sound of his voice.
“It has been good. I wanted to check if you were still up for tomorrow?” You could hear a faint hint of nervousness in his voice again.
“Yes, of course, I was worried you were gonna cancel on me after my drunk messages from yesterday night.” You responded, laughing at your drunk self.
“Why would I ever do that? As I said, it was a great surprise to wake up to, and you looked stunning. I am flattered to know I occupied your thoughts while you were out partying.” You could not help yourself but smile cheekily.
This man knew exactly what he was doing. You were surprised; he really did not give you any playboy vibe the first time you saw him. I guess everyone has a little of a hidden past.
“Well, I hope to not disappoint with my looks tomorrow night.” You said, obviously asking for more validation from him as he tapped on keys that he had not before.
“Well, I hope the same too. My expectations are even higher now.” He was good. He was not gonna give you more than a taste of his advances. He knew how to keep a woman wanting. You bit your lip.
“Goodnight, Doctor, sweet dreams.” You cut the conversation short, hoping to leave him wanting for more.
“Goodnight, darling, sleep well.” He hung up; however, you could hear the smile in his voice.
—–
Liv’s Note
A huge thank you to everyone that is reading this story. You have my heart, my soul, and everything else. Looking forward to hearing what you think of the story or its improvements haha Please please reblog the story to support my writing ♥️
Summary:OC is a lawyer visiting her best friend in New York. Will she fall for the charming doctor? Or will her neverending conflict with the god of mischief lead to more?
Tags:Post-Endgame, AU where everyone is alive and well, Eventual Smut, Fluff with some Angst, Second Person POV, No Y/N, Avenger Loki.
You shouldn’t have left this early. The train to the airport was empty, and your head felt like it was on the verge of exploding. Waking up in the middle of the night to secure the cheap morning flight never felt worth it at 3 a.m.
Your phone vibrated in your left pocket as you were falling asleep, forcing you to move uncomfortably to get it out as the bag on your lap weighed you down. “Hello?”
“Good Morning! Are you at the airport already?” A cheerful voice asked on the other side of the line.
“I am on the train, should be there in fifteen minutes. Are you picking me up from the airport?” You asked as your voice gained some energy. You were exhausted, but the excitement to see your best friend after so long tramped it all.
“Of course, I will! What type of host would I be otherwise? Excited to see New York?” She tried to continue the conversation after hearing the sleepiness in your voice, scared you would fall asleep on the train and miss your flight.
“I am more excited to leave London. I am only visiting to get away from this city and maybe meet an Avenger or two.” You joked, pushing the bag from your lap to the floor before your blood circulation halted completely.
“Bitch, you don’t want to meet the Avengers. 99% of the time they are around, something bad is about to happen. You don’t wanna be there” Sophie was not a big Avengers fan, but who could blame her? She lived in New York. She had to live through every fuck up Tony Stark, and his friends caused.
“Whatever, I hope I get a picture with at least one of them. I will be snooping around the city for them."
…
You talked with Sophie for the rest of your train ride, got to the airport safely with plenty of time and boarded. The flight was quick, and you slept most of the way.
You were starving by the time you went through security and picked up your bag. Thankfully, your best friend would want to grab food as soon as she picked you up. You were excited to have access to all the American food chains you could not get in London.
As soon as you stepped out of the security area, you spotted Sophie waving at you excitedly. You ran towards her as fast as your backpack and gigantic suitcase would allow.
"Aaaah, babe, I cannot believe you are finally here!” She hugged you tightly. It was like a suffocating breath of fresh air to hug her again after so long. So much had changed since you last saw each other, and although phone calls helped, it was nothing like having her by your side. She smelled like your childhood and felt like home, even after all these years.
“You look super hot! Where are you coming from?” You asked her as soon as she let go of you. She was wearing a lovely fancy red dress that gave her a corporate look you were not used to.
“Just work, I had to deal with a last-minute issue, but everything should be fine now. I am all yours for the rest of the day.” She reassured you, grabbing your suitcase. “Let’s get you some food now.”
“Great! I am starving!”
…
You grabbed a quick bite and caught up on the latest news in your life. You were both still very much single, but she was hoping to fix that. On the other hand, you wanted to stay away from any serious commitment, too busy with work. Sophie told you that she was working in some Risk Management corporate position, and well, you were about to make associate at a law firm in London. Five weeks from now, you would not have time for anything or anyone but work. So this was the perfect opportunity for you to enjoy your last weeks of freedom before working in something completely different from your original law school dreams.
After grabbing brunch, you headed to Sophie’s place. She must have been making good money from the looks of her beautiful apartment in a building in Manhattan. You did not know a lot about rental prices in New York, but if they were even close to anything in London, this was an expensive place to rent.
“Girl! I guess they are paying you very well at your new job!” You teased her as you entered the beautiful flat.
“They have to. I am constantly saving their asses. They make me work 24/7, so the least they can do is give me enough money to have a nice place to crash after work.” She responded dramatically, taking off her heels.
“Look at her, Sophie Meyer, Columbia Graduate,” you pointed at the graduation pictures on her wall. That had been the last time you two had seen each other almost four years ago (or nine if you counted the time you were gone). “This city is magnificent at night, and I must say, this is a little nicer than my view in London”, you added, pointing at the breathtaking skyline surrounding her living room.
“So, although I may be making enough money to have a nice apartment is still a one-bedroom, so we will have to snuggle up together. Like the old times.” She said, reminiscing all the times she visited you in London, and you had to share your bed. “I have work tomorrow, but I should be free all weekend just for you. Feel free to do whatever you please, go Avengers hunting in Central Park or whatever,” she joked.
You spent the rest of the afternoon giving her the gifts you had brought from London and catching up on gossip about your families and friends from school. By 10 p.m., you were exhausted and jetlagged and decided to head to bed while Sophie sent some more emails.
…
The morning after, you awoke to the smell of coffee and the tumbling of objects in the living room.
“Yes. I will be there in 20 minutes. No problem. Have a good day.” Sophie mumbled on the phone while trying to sip on her coffee as she put on her heels. Today she was rocking another dress, this time a navy blue one which was flowier and had a ribbon on the front.
She ended the call and screamed, “fuck, fuck, fuck I have to go. Now."
"Well, good morning to you too, sweetheart. Where are you headed to at….” You looked at your watch “7 in the morning?”
“My boss needs me. There has been some complication with a contract that was leaked to the press. I have to solve it. Ouch,” she added as she finally managed to put on her shoes.
“I will see you for dinner?” You asked.
“Yes, yes. I’ll try my best to be here. I’ll ask my boss if I can introduce you to our team. You know, I need you to move to New York instead of starting that dumb, boring job in London.”
“Yes, whatever, Sophie. It is one of the most coveted positions in London. You should be proud of me like the rest of the world is.” You rolled your eyes at her, tired of her honesty and persistence on the topic.
“I am proud of you. I just think you are giving up everything you believe in, all your dreams. You know success is great, but your values have always been more important than that. We both know no amount of money or success will fulfil you as much as chasing your dreams. You need to do what makes you happy, not what others think you should do.” She argued while putting on her jacket, “Also, a friend from work asked me if I could take care of his dog while he is away, so we may have to do that. It is only for a couple of days. Anyway, I gotta go! Love you! Please be careful out there. This is not Notting Hill! Do not trust any strangers on the street! My spare keys are here. Please don’t lose them!” she added before walking out the door.
“Byee!” You screamed as she closed the door. Although Sophie was right, this job was not per se your dream job. It was the dream of 90% of lawyers. Giving up this opportunity would be naive, and it would disappoint many people, including your parents and law school friends. This was too much pressure for you to simply not go for it. You would find happiness in other aspects of your life, in your apartment in Notting Hill, in your nights out in Shoreditch, in the cat you wanted to adopt and in the men that would entertain your evenings.
…
You got ready to go on a walk; the day was super sunny, and the smell of spring filled the apartment. You painted your nails. You did that every day. It was inevitable; at some point during the day, you would start peeling it off and wouldn’t stop until it was all gone. It was a habit you had developed through your years in uni. It was either the nail polish or your nails and cuticles, so it was a tedious but necessary habit.
Opting for a comfortable yet stylish outfit, you wore a dress with flowers. You never know when you may run into an Avenger.
You spent the day on the streets of New York, window shopping and grabbed a slice of pizza for lunch before heading to the MET in the afternoon. Galleries were your favourite place in the world. Nothing giving you more peace than standing in front of a beautiful painting. Sometimes you wished you could just meet these artists and hear what they were thinking about while painting.
…
It had gotten dark by the time you got back to the flat. You took off your shoes and laid on the couch immobile and exhausted, until the entrance door opened again.
“Good afternoon, babe! How was your day out?” Sophie sang tired as she entered the flat and took off her heels.
“It was beautiful! I went to the MET, almost as nice as the National Gallery!” You joked, making her roll her eyes. “Anyway, how was your day, businesswoman? Chasing your boss around?”
“Yeah, whatever, it was nice, I ended up having lunch with the team, and I told them about you. My smart best friend from London sounds like somebody everyone wants to meet. I don’t think you wanna meet them, though; corporate Newyorkers are not as nice as corporate Londoners.”
“The fact that you are calling any corporate sell-out nice already says everything about your judgement on people”, you answered sarcastically.
“Woa woa woa, look who’s talking? Miss ‘I will work in Banking and M&A and watch the world burn’” she spoke, throwing her jacket at you.
“Now, to the important things. Is there anyone within your team you would like to set me up with? Because I did not come all the way to New York to go on Hinge dates.” You asked, lifting your eyebrow and making an insinuating face.
“I don’t know, really. I don’t think anyone in my team is soo up their ass to be your type. Wait.. mmh… Nah, but I will ask around. Maybe they know some narcissist, tall, skinny, dark-haired asshole. That’s still your type, right?”
“Yes, indeed. I am glad you still remember,” you matched her sarcastic tone, getting up to grab some water.
“Anyway, my coworker is coming later today to drop off his dog. He will be with us just for five days. I am sure you will be happy to have somebody keep you company while you walk around Central Park. He is a cutie, a big cuddly golden retriever, so all the eyes will be on you.” Sophie let you know and then added, “but going back to what we talked about before, babe. I don’t think you should go back to London, I really don’t. You were always keen to do something good for the world and help people, and now you are throwing all of that away."
"That’s not true. I will still do pro bono work once in a while,” you argued.
“You know that is not enough, and you will be unhappy. New York is a great place for you, and I will talk to my boss and tell him how awesome you are. We help people, babe, and you could do it too. I also know quite a few people that work for the UN. You could work there too.” She answered as you both sat on the couch.
“Is this why you invited me to New York? To kidnap me?” You laughed, and she kept her serious look.
Your conversation was interrupted by the intercom ringing. Sophie got up in a hurry to answer. “Yes, yes, I will be down in a second.” She hung up the phone and started putting her heels back on.
“Are we going downstairs to pick up the puppy?” You asked, curious to meet her coworker.
“No need, you can wait up here. I will be back in a minute.” She said, closing the door behind her.
…
After 10 minutes, the door slung open, and a giant golden retriever entered, dragging Sophie in with him. As soon as he saw you and Sophie dropped the leash, he ran and jumped on your lap, covering your whole body and almost suffocating you.
“Well, hello boy, what is your name?” You spoke to him sweetly, petting his head, trying to keep him calm as he tried to lick your face.
“His name is Bjorn. It means bear. He kind of is a bear.” Sophie answered for him, and you giggled as he moved from your lap to the side of the couch so you could finally pet him properly.
“Thank you for not suffocating me, Bjorn, you cutie.”
“I have just been informed that they need me to go into the office tomorrow morning. Will you be okay?” Sophie asked. “Also, I may have found somebody I can set you up with, but I am not 100% sure yet."
"Uhm, interesting; keep me updated.” You winked at her. “This cutie and I will go for a walk in Central Park, and then we can meet you at your office?” You asked without taking your eyes off the furball.
“That’s okay. I’ll meet you there, I’ll bring lunch, and we can eat in the park.”
…
You had a quick dinner, chitchatted while playing with the pup and then headed to bed. Sophie refused to show you a picture of your possible set-up, letting you know she needed to check some things before it was confirmed. Bjorn decided there was not enough space for the three of you on the bed and slept on the couch instead.
…
Around 8 in the morning, you woke up hearing the shower in the bathroom turn on. You got out of bed, went into the living room, grabbed Bjorn’s food from the bag the owner had prepared for you two and served him some kibble. He was still half asleep on the couch but jumped up as soon as he heard his food being served.
Sophie got ready and ran around, as stressed as the previous morning. “So plan for today, I go to work, we meet at Central Park, you find us a nice place to sit down and have lunch and tonight we go out for drinks? Saturday night fun?”
“Yes, sure,” you answered while petting Bjorn, who had joined you on the couch after devouring his breakfast.
“Please take care of Bjorn! Love you!” She said, closing the door behind her as last morning.
You made yourself some coffee and a sandwich and then proceeded to sit down on the couch, turning on the news. Tony Stark was being interviewed on his decision to accept Loki Odinson into the Avengers after what he had done in New York. Stark explained how Loki was under the control of Thanos and had now shown loyalty to the protection of earth and the Avengers team.
You did not know how to feel about it. It must be so difficult for the families of the people that died in the attack. Seeing the killer of their loved one free and revamped as a hero. However, if it is true that he was being controlled by Thanos, then he may deserve a second chance. You guessed this was another Winter Soldier situation where villains are not truly villains, and heroes are not true heroes.
After eating, you proceeded to repaint your nails, going for a baby blue. Once they dried, Bjorn started bothering, wanting to go for a walk. So you went into the bathroom, took a shower and changed for the day.
“Okay, okay, cutie, we can go now. You gotta find me a man in the park or a job at the UN, whichever is easier.” You joked, putting his collar on, excited to have some company on today’s walk.
You left the flat and started walking towards Greenwich Village, looking to see a different part of the city. It was a 30-minute walk from the apartment in Chelsea, and you would take the underground to Central Park later to meet with Sophie.
Once you made it to your desired destination, you started to walk down this beautiful wide street. Although a cutie, Bjorn was not the best-behaved dog. He kept on trying to chase pigeons and wanted to play with every dog he saw on the street. Given his insistence and strength, it had gotten increasingly difficult to hold him back. Your whole upper body had started to get sore as you held tightly onto the leash while he pulled.
You took a deep breath as you finally managed to calm him down enough to stop for a second and look around. Almost as if he could feel you finally relax and look away from him, he pulled with all his strength to your side, making you trip. You tried to keep him calm, but he pulled your shoulder, causing you to cry out in pain. He was uniquely strong for a dog, or you were just particularly breakable.
“Ouch, Bjorn! Stop it!” You pulled the leash again, holding it with your opposite hand, getting him to finally sit. You looked up, realising he was trying to jump on a man holding a sandwich between his hands.
“I am so sorry! He is a little too excited to be outside. Your sandwich must smell delicious,” you apologised profusely while trying to stop the pain in your shoulder to no avail.
“No problem. He is a big dog. Did you hurt your shoulder?” The man answered unimpressed, noticing how you were slouching your shoulder.
“Oh no, it is okay. He just pulled harshly. I am sure it is nothing.” You responded, looking down at Bjorn, that was now behaving properly, sitting by your side.
“It looks like it could be dislocated. That is pretty bad. I can call a doctor if you want?” He replied, taking a bite out of his sandwich and breaking off a piece for the hungry dog that had just eaten breakfast.
“Oh no, doctors are super expensive in the U.S. I am fine. I’ll just go home and put some ice on it."
"I am sure he will look at your shoulder for free. Wait, he is just around the corner. Follow me.” He started walking along the street. You did not know whether to follow him. Sophie had told you people may be dangerous in New York, but he seemed pretty normal. You prided yourself on having a good vibe detector, and he seemed nice, a straightforward guy. You started to walk behind him. Bjorn seemed to have understood he had hurt you and was walking at a better speed.
The man in the peculiar clothes stopped in front of 177A Bleecker Street and opened the door screaming, “Strange! We have a situation. Come here. We need your medical assistance.”
—-
Liv’s Note (please read)
I hope you enjoyed reading the first chapter. Given the length of the work, I have created a separatetaglistfor it, so please join it to get notified when a new chapter is posted. I have tagged people who are on my general/marvel/Loki/Strange taglist for this chapter but please join the taglist if you want to be tagged again. Please read the PSA linked at the top of this chapter or here. Sending you all my love! Please reblog the story to support my writing ♥️
SUMMARY:Stephen had all the time in the world, capable of reversing time on a few occasion, but it was only when he sees you happy in the arms of another man did he come to realize he had made the biggest mistake of his life. PROMPT(S):“Don’t go on that date.” “Why?” “You know why.” “Say it.” CHARACTERS:Stephen Strange x F!Reader; Wong; America Chavez. Bruce Banner WARNINGS: Angst. Stephen regretting not getting the girl(again). Reader having her happy ending with someone else instead of Stephen. WORDS:1,408 REQUESTED BY:@d0ct0rstrangewife
It was in this very moment, as your glowed against the lights above in the Sanctum with you continuing with whatever conversation with Wong and America you were having, did he realize what he had lost in all of his own thoughts. You looked beautiful, always did in his eyes, but never truly appreciated until now when you were wearing a beautiful white dress that drastically brighten your face and the smile that was so big he often sees every single time your conversations was with Wong and America. But never him, he had the privilege of a special smile that only he gets to see–a privilege he evidently just wasted.
Over and over, you had showed him your interest with him, openly admitting your feelings for him but never once did you get a proper answer–at least, not an answer that could finally progress what relationship you might think the both of you could have. Push comes to shove, he would act like an asshole, push you away for one reason or another. You tried your best to understand where he was coming from–from the lost in his former life, to the responsibilities that now rested upon his shoulders, but there was this cruelty in his words that finally got you to realize it wasn’t worth it to chase him anymore.
“So who is the lucky guy?” It was America that finally inquired, Stephen remained at the top of the stairs, away from anyone’s line of sight but he could very well listen to your conversation.
“Just someone Tony had tried shipping with me in the compound.” You muttered, even without Stephen seeing you up close, he know there was scrunch in your features at the mention of Tony’s insistence of playing match maker for you. “Thought I’d go this one time just to get him off of my business.” You added.
“So you and Stephen…” America trailed off which was quickly reprimanded by Wong.
“What about me and Y/N?” He finally thought to bring the attention to him, not wanting to here what you might say about the situation.
All eyes were on him now–besides you, that is.
“What did Stark drag you into this time?” He inquired, it was new for him to actually ask about your outings. He never truly cared, until it was too late it seems. How you were glowing and seemed shaking with excitement for whoever the douchebag arranged with you.
“Just a simple date, nothing too tedious.” You reassured finally taking at look at the man and as always you took his breath away. Those God damn doe eyes will be the death of him if he wasn’t careful. “If you’re gonna go and stop me, I swear to God, Strange I’m gonna stay in the Compound for good.”
That was another thing Stephen had to battle with on a day to day basis. When you started working for him as an infamous researcher by trade, but a once hunted down assassin by SHIELD and eventually the Avengers which eventually led to you also working hand in hand with them when the need would arise. Your time was mostly dedicated to helping the Avengers and what little time you had in the Sanctum was spent with research alongside Wong and America and that small glimpses with him was spent with him pushing you away.
“Don’t go on that date.” He find himself saying. All the reasons for him not to even utter such words was ignored as this was far more important for him to say. He had regretted not choosing his own feelings for once.
“Why?” The bored look was the last thing he would have expected to see from you. All the little chances that he would give you attention, your eyes would brighten, but now in this moment when he was finally come to acknowledge his feelings–it was bleak realization for him that it was far too late for him to come to terms with his feelings.
“You know why.” Yet, the pride and arrogance he was known for was still rearing his ugly head.
“Say it.” You spat voice raising an octave from your usual ones.
Because I love you. I am a coward for not saying it. I am an idiot for pushing you away over and over again. Those had been the words that Stephen wanted to say. But silence was the response he had given you. The silent encouragement from America and even Wong were not enough for him to finally say those words. Something was stopping him–it was one thing or another. Fear. Fear that you would not feel the same way for him when he has finally realize what he would lose. The fear of your rejection. Fear of being responsible for your death like what your fate had been in numerous Universe aside from this one.
The knock on the door broke the tension and it was your sign to go. Without waiting for a response from Stephen, you made your way to the door to the sight of a far to familiar man.
“Dr. Banner.”
Inside steps Dr. Bruce Banner. Stephen’s first encounter with the man was when he flew out of the skies during the battle against Thanos, how the years had grown good to him. Seeing him back into his normal body was also something that surprised him. The last he remembered the man was still in his green form. In a black button down shirt and jean, wherever the both of you were heading to would be–casual.
“Dr. Strange. Wong. Ms. Chavez.” The meek doctor greeted with a small smile before his attention turned to you. The sparkle in brown eyes at the sight of you, it truly scared Stephen. How you were quick to take hold of the man’s hand in front of him as if he didn’t get to do that in the past. “We should get going.”
Stephen stood, alongside Wong and America, watching as you walk away, and seal his fate once again.
“I saw this before.” America spoke. “In one universe, Y/N and Dr. Banner had a handful of kids. White picket fence, and everything.” she continued, adding more and more knife through his chest.
“Will you not do anything again, Strange?” Wong inquired.
“In every universe that she gets to be with me, her fate was death. In every universe where she isn’t with me, she gets to live the life she truly deserves without me in it.” He spoke.
“Not in this Universe if you make the write choice.” America protests.
“It’s too much of a risk, I’ve stopped bargaining life with another.” He shook his head.
He finds himself heading back upstairs, with America and Wong sharing a look and the hopelessness that was a fraction of what Stephen was to endure from now on. ~ One date turned into two, into three until it had become a daily occurrence and eventually you found yourself moving all of your stuff in the Sanctum and moving in with Bruce. Eventually, with the weeks turning into months, and the months creeping into two years, Stephen found himself in the same position he had been when he was watching Christine marry a man that wasn’t him.
You walked down the aisle, and Stephen could feel America’s hand holding into his own in reassurance and in comfort for what he had failed to do for the second time. Fear, fear of a possibility. Fear of his own choices affecting you. Now, as he stands watching you walk down the aisle to another man, he realizes his lack of action, lack of any indications of his own feelings–his greatest fear has finally come to life.
Losing you.
As the single tear fell from his cheek, he wiped it away. Accepting this was his fate. To see you with the biggest smile on your face, to see the man that he knew would treat you right standing besides you. Promising in front of a hundred people of the vows he could never truly fulfill should it have been him that stood besides you. You were happy, to marry a man that loved you and was brave enough to admit even in his own faults and misguidance in life.
He loved you in a way he could have never be brave enough to admit.
Summary:All your life, from the moment you had stepped into med school to finally making a career for yourself alongside your college sweet heart and eventually husband, ambition and ego somehow always finds a way to drive you both apart. When things got too far and miscommunication from both finally tears you away—it was an opportunity after years of being apart that finally brought the two of you back together. But it was never easy, especially with unresolved past still trying to haunt them on a daily basis. Characters: Stephen Strange x Estranged Wife!Reader. Chapter Warnings: Angst. Mention of Miscarriage. Words:1,766
“Shouldn’t you be happy the test result came out negative and it’s just the horrible stomach flu we had.”
You should have, but every single time you thought about that few minutes peeing in a cup and waiting a few minutes for the test results to come up—there was this hope. A hope for something that shouldn’t be there anymore. Your lawyers had informed you that Stephen had talked to his own lawyers and an arrangement is being set in a few days to handle your shared accounts as well as properties you never realized either of you still had at this point.
If Stephen was agreeing, everything was now finally coming to the end. So why were you as miserable as the moment you had lost everything you had loved the most in your life?
“You know she’s right.” Loki added, fueling more of your anxiety and continually getting on his girlfriend’s good side.
“You should start dating again.” Reggie pointed out with a knowing smirk.
“Fat chance.” You snort, just the idea of dating again somehow brought dread in you.
Who would even think about dating a divorcee-to-be? Not to mention the almost 24/7 job you had at the compound. Marriage and dating was no longer in your card and you had slowly but surely grown to accept that part in your life.
“I mean come on, you’re young and beautiful. You should hear what the rest of the Agents are saying about you. Some of them going as far as injuring themselves just to stop by your office.”
The idea of another man having the hots for you as the woman would constantly point out only made you roll your eyes in both wonder and in disgust. No one would look at you, you were just a doctor with a bad string of relationship coming to constantly haunt you.
“If a guy comes, he comes.” You muttered not wanting to put too much thought of the idea of another man being part of your life now. ~ The last place you would want to deal with your divorce was the confinement of the meeting room inside of the Compound—on your lunch break of all times. You sat beside your lawyer, Matthew which Tony had provided for you per your agreement as you started working for the team and in front of you sat your husband, with your former lawyer, Rodney, that had drafted the prenup before you had married the man—a good thing you had both agreed to do to make things a little less complicated.
“She can have the apartment.” Stephen spoke, eyes never once focused on you, his attention was solely on your lawyer. Never once did he acknowledge you and it hurts to think that it was all your doing after the last time you were in the same space as the man. “I have no use of it with the Sanctum.” He continued.
“I have an apartment in California and I’m staying in the Compound 24/7, so I don’t need the apartment.” You spoke, all the memories, both happy and painful still lingered in those walls and you feared what the consequence it might entail should you come back there.
“The cars?” Rodney inquired.
“She can have it.”
“I don’t like driving.” You bit right back. You were not about to tell him that after his accident, you had somehow found yourself growing to fear going behind the wheels in fear of being in the same accident as him. You drive, but avoided it as much as you could and if you could. “He can have it.”
“As if my hands could let me.” He snorts.
“That’s what you get for texting and driving.” You spat and halted seeing the pain that now lingered on the man’s face at the venom of your words.
“I get that you’re mourning our child’s death and no matter what I say or what I do, I know you can never forgive me for not being there for you, but you’re not the only one that lost a child. You mourned and blamed me for everything and I accepted all you’ve thrown at me and I swallowed it all because I love you, in every moment and in every single instance in my life. You had been the first thing I had thought of when I got into that accident, the first person I had worried about when the snap had happened. But you are not to disrespect what I had lost in all of this, in that accident. I had lost you, I’ve lost the baby, and I’ve lost my career. I had nothing when you left me.”
“I think it’s best if we discuss all of this when everyone is a little more level headed.” Matthew had finally cut in.
You stood, checking your watch, frowning as you realized it was Stephen’s watch, one of the few you had taken before you had left. You had a few more minute before you were needed back in the office. Slipping off the watch, you slid it towards the man, making a mental note to check your closet if there were a few more watches that he owned still in your possession.
“There is nothing more to discuss.” You assured, eyes turned to your husband. “I don’t want the apartment, the cars, and the money. All I want is to remove you from my life once and for all so I can move on with my life.”
“So the party was like a goodbye-fuck to you? I never thought you’d be like that.” Stephen pointed out, the smug look on his face had both of your lawyers jerking their head towards him in confusion.
“I see you’re still an asshole.”
“You married me, as far as I recalled.”
“I’m trying to undo that, if you don’t remember.” You spat through gritted teeth.
“I think my hands are too shaky to sign any papers. Maybe next time.” He abruptly stood and with whatever magic powers he had, summoned a portal. The divorce papers were left untouched after he had promised he would finally signed them.
“You are not gonna run away, Strange.” You spat running through the portal with him just in time for it to close and you joined him in what you believed to be the Sanctum, a different room from what it looks like.
“What are you doing?” You turned to come face to face with your husband and only now did you realize that it was his bedroom—judging from the four poster bed smack dab in the middle of the room and the array of books that range from medicine to books about witchcraft—this man had a lot of time on his hands from the looks of it.
“You said you would sign the papers. I had your words.” You questioned him now, caring less if your voice rose at this point. “You said you would sign those papers for my sake and for the sake of our baby?”
“You can’t keep using our dead child on me, Y/N.”
You winced at his words. It hurts, over and over when he uses those words it still hurts you so. But at this point, what were you expecting, this was self-sabotage on yourself among other things. There was nothing to get to him but you didn’t have any other choice.
“It’s either we talk through this like mature adults or you keep wallowing away in your own self-pity for all of eternity and I don’t sign a damn thing.”
“Why are you doing this to me?” You spat.
“Because I want us to talk!”
In the silence, you wondered what else was there to talk about.
“You’re eleven years too late.” You spoke, the coldness in your voice unfazed him.
“No, I’m not. I will do anything and everything to convince you otherwise if I have to.” He continued to urge.
“What do you even want to accomplish out of this?” You questioned. “Had I known about you being this close to my new workplace, you wouldn’t have ever seen me again. Why now? Why when I am ready to just move on and forget about you and about every little thing that has anything to do with you?”
“Because I need you.” He spoke honestly. “I’m living this new life, far from whatever we both had while I was a surgeon, but it’s something. An honest job that still lets me save people like I use to do before. I have this life now and I want you to be part of it—to make up for everything I’ve fucked up on.”
“Two months.” You found yourself giving in from his words. “Two months and if you fuck up, I will drag the divorce straight to a judge even without your signature.” ~ “So who are you and what have you done to the Doctor we know and love?” Loki was the first to question the moment you had informed him, his girlfriend, as well as your boss about your new living arrangement for the next two months with your estranged husband.
“It’s two months, I’ve already made my decision, and I’m just making sure he gets it too.” You explained as you continued to pack an overnight bag. You’ve decided that your day-offs would be in the confinements of the Sanctum—or whatever location he saw fit for the two of you.
“And what if you change your mind?” Loki wondered, handing you another book you would be bringing with you for your stay in the Sanctum.
“Doubt it.”
“But what if you do?”
“Loki Laufeyson, I can bet to you everything I own and it still wouldn’t happen.” You snort finally shoving the book into your bag.
“Whatever lets you sleep at night.” He relents, a mischief in his smirk walking towards the door—halting as he held onto the door knob. “But if you do, don’t say I told you so. And if for the perceivable future, I nominate your first born son to be named after me.” He closed the door behind him before you could throw your bag at him.
First born? You snort at the mere mention of it. Your supposed first born was long dead and that was what has and forever keep you from forgiving Stephen and the shitty marriage you had had with the man throughout the eyes most especially the later parts of it when you needed him the most.
SUMMARY: Your relationship with Stephen was never normal. You love him just as much as he tells you he loves you, but it was not enough for him to finally come clean to the people you care about when it comes to your relationship. With a mission bringing you in the brink of death, he was still unable to tell them the truth, instead finds himself getting head to head with your father in the process. PROMPT(S): "Do you really want me? Or is this your way of getting back at my father?“ CHARACTERS: Stephen Strange x F!Reader; Tony Stark WARNINGS: Angst. Canon Typical Violence. Regretful Stephen. Injuries. Amnesia. WORDS: 1,740 REQUESTED BY:N/A
"I’m not having this conversation with you again.”
Once again, you found the underlying conversation that you wanted to resolve instead of try to avoid over and over again. It’s been well over a year and a half since you had started dating Stephen Strange, the Wizard that does party tricks, just like what your father, Tony, would often call the man. Over and over the year that had passed, you tried to reason with the man, as to why he refused to let the world know about the both of you, but more and more it was getting so ridiculous you were slowly losing fate of it ever actually happening.
“I don’t you ever will.” You muttered under your breath as you continued to shove your clothes into your duffle bag. In a couple of hours, you will go head to head with one of the greatest threat the world has ever known since Thanos.
You had believed that the team had eradicated Ultron back in Sokovia, but never would you have ever believed that he would come back, worse than anyone would have ever thought possible. It was this dreading sense of chaos, of the perplexity of what machine could become at the wrong hands–at the hands of your own father of all people. But now, with the tension getting high between everyone, each and every single individual within the team was picking a side and for once, you did not want to side with your own father on this. This was wrong, what he had done all those years ago was finally come to bit him in the ass.
This fight would end with you having to pick and choose what was best for you and for what you believe in–that of which was being away from your own father if he continues on with this road he was placing himself into. Stephen was on your side when it comes to the creation of your father. Far too much out of it, and far too many people craving to have it only spelled trouble.
“It doesn’t always work the way you want.” Stephen spoke, knowing him for as long as you did, you know he was simply hurting you to pull himself away.
But this time around, you just felt numb. Numb for always never having what you want. Never were you the loved child, your father had Peter and Morgan for that. Never were you the loved member of the team; that was Steve and Nat. All your life, you know perfectly well that the world does not revolve around you–but there were moment that the man in front of you made you feel like it. How his world revolves around you. It was a wake up call now, that he couldn’t even make the effort to let even the team know about the relationship.
“Do you really want me? Or is this your way of getting back at my father?”
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but this is not the time and place.” He snapped, voice raising and instinctively made you flinch. “You are an Avenger. Our relationship means nothing if you cannot do your duty to the world, it means nothing to me if it means I do not get to do my duty this world and throughout the Multiverse.”
You blinked and without another word left him and hoped for the best, for your life, for the fate of the world, for what was to be left of your supposed relationship with the man that choses anything and everything besides you without an ounce of hesitation. ~ “You are a fucking neurosurgeon, why can’t you help?”
The last thing Stephen would ever want to be in was be so helpless as he was in this moment. The world was saved, like it always was when it comes to the Avengers. But there would always be casualties. It never occurred to him until it was too late that it would be you this time. One too many android going right at you, your mind and your body going to great lengths to ensure everyone’s safety including his own.
You caught sight of one Android making a direct line of attack toward Stephen from behind and there you were saving him after all that you’ve been through before the mission. He hurts you, over and over again, hoping and praying that you would see him for what he always was. An asshole that doesn’t deserve your love. But over and over again, as he tries to push you away, you pull yourself right back.
He had his reason for never truly telling anyone about your relationship. It was for the better, for when the time comes that you realize he wasn’t worthy of your love. You wouldn’t need to explain yourself to your team and your family. You didn’t need to deal with the fact that everyone would be far too aware of your past when you were both out saving the rest of the world.
“Every single head trauma patient has a different healing time.” He finally regain a sense to finally explain your condition.
In your attempt of saving him from the brink of death, you slammed your head right through the concreate floor in the process with a resounding crack. The memory of you in his arms as he shook you awake. The tears falling from his eyes at how he had failed you. How he constantly failed the people that he loved the most. Over and over again, he could do nothing but swimming in the never ending pool of his own regrets and of the things he could have done to save you.
“If it wasn’t for you my daughter–” Stephen had watched the anger continue to linger at the face of Tony.
You might not see it, but your father loved you in his own little way. You were the kid that he had when he was still not ready to be the father that was always meant for you. He compensated in whatever way that he could. If it meant working side by side in the lab, numerous projects that often lead to mass destructions, or the safety of the entire team and the universe in the process. Two peas in pod the two of you were, you never saw the love your father was already giving you in those moment, you couldn’t see the love that he was showcasing now as concern over your health and safety was his top priority over having to deal with the team, having to deal with the aftermath of the destruction on half of New York.
Stephen stood, unable to say how much he regrets being there too. Being in that very position, giving you the opportunity to save him when you shouldn’t have. He bit his lips and remained mum at how his concern was match with the Billionaire’s own. Concern for the woman he had loved more than anything else in this world. How he was scared to death of the possibility of losing you in the process after all that was said between the both of you back in the Sanctum.
“I’m sorry–if I could operate on her, I would in a heartbeat.” Stephen finally whispered unaware of the cold of the Compound Infirmary until he felt the prickle of his skin.
He should have been so used to the clinical setup in the compound, living nearly half of his life in this hallways walking down to anywhere and everywhere that might need him. Saving people more for the fame and fortune that came to his line of work. But now, when it was the person he truly loved the most, it felt different to be on the flipside of things, helpless to what the possibility could be for you.
“Then what the fuck are you still going here when you can’t do a damn thing?” Tony’s voice echoed, loud enough to finally take everyone’s notice and Stephen had watched Pepper and Peter make their way towards where they both stood, behind the door where you were resting and recuperating.
“Tony, please. Not here.” Pepper tried her best to calm the temperament of her husband.
“Mr. Stark, Y/N will be okay. She always does.” Peter second hoping to reassure the stressed Tony.
“I wish I could do something, I truly do.” Stephen continued, hoping to placate the man’s anger. Any other day he would have gone toe to toe with the man and his ego, but not now, not when his concern was solely on you, on your survival above everything else. “And every single second, I wished that was me. I wished I took the hit instead of her. I wished I could change time all over again just to make sure she is safe with her family.”
He didn’t mean to get so emotional, but the first line of tears had fallen from his eyes. Everything weighed on his shoulders now, all of which he didn’t know if he could truly have a control over.
“Daddy!” Your voice was faint, but everyone could hear it enough to open the door to your room to see you awake, panicking and trying your best to remove most of the wires placed on you.
“Don’t go pulling those off, Little Lady.” Tony spoke and Stephen found himself simply standing by the door, watching you with your family. How Tony was in tears as he asked you thousands upon thousands of questions about how you were feeling if you remember anything to which you simply shook your head to. Tony instructing for his AI to call for your doctor.
“What’s with the Magician, Dad?” You asked, shaky hand pointing right at him.
Stephen blinked as he comes to realize what was going on.
“That Magician that does party tricks is Stephen Strange.” Tony points out, brows furrowed but was coming to realize what Stephen was realizing. “You don’t remember this douchebag responsible for you being in this bed?” He questioned.
You shook your head but your eyes still focused on him, almost as if trying your best to remember him.
“I never seen him in my life.” You whispered and that was all Stephen needed to know that he was far too late to make things right with you.
Summary: Stephen colours you in the deepest shades of desire.
Warning: Fluff, Smut
Word Count: 1.6k
a/n:. Requests are open.
Calmly, the rain tapped against the windows of the apartment. Vibrant light poured into the flat and kissed the features. His hands vanished under your hoodie. Lights flickered. The responsibilities were forgotten; the books were closed and the only sign that you were once sitting at the table was the monitor lighting up a part of the living room.
Stephen guided you away from the table, ignoring the slowly dying protests. The words full of responsibility no longer escaped, muffled by his soft lips. You lost yourself in the depths of his intense gaze, struggling for breath, searching for support even though you knew Stephen would never let you fall to the floor.
The long coat once resting on his shoulders slid to the ground, followed by the shoes and the suit jacket in dark tones. The minute Stephen stepped into the flat, he knew at once you still hadn’t left your spot at the table. You had rejected his offer to watch a movie, aware you had to finish the project, but the second his lips tenderly caressed your neck, the burden faded from your mind. His heavy breath collided with your flesh, conjuring goosebumps over your skin, sliding down your body in the shape of waves, unstoppable by any dam of the world.
You returned his gaze as the darkness disappeared. You saw him clearly, the man who towered high above you, the man your heart was longing for. Desire and hunger were in his gaze. His hands melted into your skin and your body turned to liquid gold and all the sorrow, all the pain, departed and dared not return. Unintelligibility came over his lips. His voice was unusually rough and when you closed your eyes and listened to the voice, you were sure it could not be Stephen speaking to you, but a stranger. Stephen’s masculine smell clouded your senses.
Without noticing, Stephen guided you through the flat. His gaze was sharp and walked towards the closed door leading into the bedroom. Stephen’s fingers clawed harder into your skin as his lips caressed your shoulder, wandering up the side of your neck. An indignant sound wanted to escape you, felt his hand, the warmth disappeared but before a complaint could reach his ears, you heard the sound of an opening door and immediately you understood what had happened.
“I love you.” Stephen breathed out of breath between the feather-light kisses he placed on the way up your neck, leaving a wet path behind.
The kisses began to tingle and suddenly he elicited a soft giggle from you, but it was quickly swallowed by an unstoppable moan as he caressed the sweet spot of your neck with his lips.
You whispered his name as if you were praying to a deity. You felt a widening grin forming on his lips, had closed your eyes in pleasure. Deeper, Stephen led you into the shared bedroom, knowing the way by heart, not wasting a moment with closing the door, passing the wardrobe and heading straight for the made bed, almost tripping but catching himself quickly, not falling over the small pile of clothing by his side of the bed.
The last pieces of clothing slid to the floor and his long fingers played with the hem of your shorts. A cold shiver danced down your spine as the cold wind kissed your skin but the warmth his body radiated banished the bumps.
The bed creaked softly and the mattress gave way under your weight. The fingers of his right hand traced the contours of your face and brushed the loose strand of hair away, behind your ear.
Stephen breathed a kiss full of passion on your lips and saw the marks appearing on the side of your neck. Your trembling fingers clutched the buttons of his shirt, undoing one button after the other, feeling his eyes burn into your flesh and wandering down your body. His muscles tensed. Your name escaped him over and over again. It was a serenade, an unforgettable melody of love and adoration. Accidently you rolled your hips against him and a growl, thunder and lightning escaped his throat. The kiss was soft, delicate, breath-taking, unforgettable.
Air no longer filled your lungs. Soft moans filled the room as his clothed manhood grew under your accidental touch. Your cheeks were heated. Stephen’s hands roamed your body, his fingers hid under the warm material, lifted the hoodie and tossed it away into the far corner of the room. Stephen didn’t bother with questions, knew exactly what you desired, your deepest wishes, saw the longing in the look in your eyes.
Your mind was clouded yet you saw sharply, his face, the serene smile spreading on his features, kissed by the light of the moon pouring through the wide and narrow windows flanked by curtains. His chest was moving unevenly and his breathing was hoarse. The button-down was gone, followed by his trousers matching the rest of the suit. Why Stephen had left the flat you no longer could remember, but you knew it was important. His fingers coloured your body in the shades of love.
Coldness journeyed down your spine and his keen eyes witnessed the unconcealable unevenness on your skin. A low scream echoed across the room. You closed your eyes as you felt his tongue softly licking your right nipple after he placed a kiss full of passion on your flesh. His fingers played with the neglected nipple, took it between thumb and index finger and saw how you turned to liquid gold under his touch. Again and again, his tongue flickered over the unevenness and suddenly the warmth vanished and returned. Your fingers clawed in the depths of his hair, trying to force him to rise, to kiss you, to spread warmth and love but he didn’t listen to your pleading voice and continued to leave a trail of wet kisses on your body as he travelled further down.
His hands followed his lips, touched your lovely body and stopped at the sides of your underwear. Featherlight kisses his lips placed on your skin. Searching for friction, you rolled your hips, but your skin didn’t collide with your lover. Stephen’s hands pressed you into the mattress, forbidding you to dare to move again.
He pumped the shaft of his manhood, spreading wetness and delight. Your gaze moved up and down, unable to keep your eyes from darting down to the middle of his body, and you gulped noticeably. Gently he grabs you by your hips, his thumbs caress your sides as he pushes you closer to him and then suddenly his grip tightens. A soft plea escaped your lips, but your lover didn’t answer. His breath collided with your core. He placed a featherlight kiss over your panties and his fingers remove the dark underwear in one swift motion. Stephen spread you open with his thumbs, brushes over your entrance with a widening grin.
“See how wet you are, my darling,” said Stephen teasingly.
In the barely prevailing light, Stephen presented what he had done to you, knowing he hadn’t properly touched you yet. Grateful for the darkness you lower your gaze, you were nevertheless sure he had certainly seen the expression in your eyes. A translucent circle formed beneath you. You moan, unable to hold it back any longer as he carefully pushes his finger into your depths. His fingers disappeared and came back into the light, was slow and careful, ignoring the words crossing your mind, letting his thumb circle in slower getting circles over your clit. He flicked your clit with his tongue and you moaned in delight, and he smirked as he saw the effect, he had on you. He pulls your hips against him, wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you closer to his broad chest.
Stephen whispered your name in a moan as you rolled your hips. Suddenly the warmth faded away and a low scream muffled by your lips dared to escape as he pushes into your wet core, had rubbed the head into your entrance. Small whining whimpers leave your mouth as you arch your back. He rolls his hips, stretches you, hitting your tender spot over and over again. Praising words slipped after curses and words full of adoration. The sound of skin slapping and creaking of the bed roared and echoed in the apartment. Mist was rising and clouds clouded your mind. Rolling your eyes back a soft prayer resounded.
“I’m going to cum.” you whisper, no longer able to hold back.
The words didn’t need to escape your throat, Stephen felt it, felt how your walls tightened around his manhood. He was breathing heavily and suddenly the world was still, deep in slumber. A wave of ecstasy washed over you, but your lover didn’t stop, continued at a sloppy pace to vanish in your depths till the wave captured him entirely.
Summary: After Stephen saves the world he arrives after months of departure and faces his pregnant fiancé.
Warning: fluff, Angst
Word Count: 1.5k
Requests are Open
Lovingly, her fingers stroked the curve of her belly and stared into the far distance of the city, watching the tears of the dense clouds dancing across the windows of the flat she shared with her husband.
The stiff wind knocked on the high windows. Exhausted, Y/N leaned her head against the cold glass and exhaled loudly as the pleasant cold banished the uncomfortable warmth from her body. A weak smile adorned her face. Y/N had imagined it differently. Every sunrise the young woman hoped the door to the apartment would open and she would find herself in his arms again, but slowly Y/N understood she would never find a moment of peace in his firm embrace again, never be able to let him know how much she loves him.
Firmly, Y/N clawed her fingers into the fluffy blanket, imagining she was in Stephen’s arms. Her forehead left a spot on the window. She turned and let her gaze wander around the living room and a faint smile graced her lips as her eyes fell on the only picture in the flat hanging on the other side of the wall in beige tones.
She wished she could dimly remember the day the picture was taken but the moment was unforgettable and the ring on her finger reminded her every day of how she had answered the question of all questions.
Y/N was unable to see his belongings anymore, it pained her too greatly and made it nearly impossible to enter the various rooms of the home. She had put all his belongings in a box after Stephen had not arrived after six months and the rumours came to light that he was maybe no longer among the living.
More and more lights went out as the clock ticked. The mobile phone in the depths of her pocket was on silent, knowing exactly what would happen if she took the calls of her friends. She didn’t desire to hear the reassuring words, telling her Stephen would soon come, but with each passing hour, Y/N doubted more and more that she would ever see him again. The fear gnawing at her soul disappeared. The smile on her lips spread and the darkness threatening to cover her as a veil faded away. Laughing, Y/N stroked over the ever-growing belly.
“Hey little one, you’re so small, yet you have so much strength. You are going to be such a strong girl.” Y/N breathed in a loving tone, forgetting fear and anger rising in her heart.
Tears took away her vision.
"I’m sorry, my little sunshine. I love you dearly. I wish I could offer you something my mother couldn’t, but I see I can’t give you a father to be by your side, either. But hey, look at me, I’m relatively normal and I was raised without a dad. And you will have great uncles and aunts who have promised to help us. Uncle Peter, for example, hung outside the window and wouldn’t stop knocking on the glass until I let him in.” Y/N added, laughing after a few moments of silence.
Grinning, Y/N remembered the boy who came over every day to not to leave her on her own, even if she didn’t want anyone by her side, wanted to grief alone. Yet Y/N couldn’t chase the boy away and the bag in the guest room was a daily reminder that Peter had nearly moved in.
There was an uncomfortable chill reigning in the flat, but Y/N didn’t mind, looking off into the distance and back down at the barely trafficked street. The lights were no longer blinding. He hadn’t opened the door, and the portal vanished soundlessly. A strange, indescribable feeling spread through his heart and the uncommon dressed man took a step into the lovingly furnished living room. Stephen feared the worst, but as soon as his eyes witnessed the woman, his heart was longing for looking out of the window the heavy burden dropped from his heart, realising nothing had happened to her.
The dark hair was dishevelled, not lying neatly on his head. A few grey strands, mirroring the tone of a spider’s web as morning dew danced down the fine threads, broke through the darkness. No blood dripped from his healed wounds. Scars and scratches adorned his body, but none of them ached as much his heart yearning for a loving touch. Guilt dripped from his lips, knowing he had made a horrible mistake, but he was unable to take back what he had done.
Y/N had not noticed the man who made no sound, who was looking at the calendar hanging on the wall near him. He wanted to destroy the space between them to hold her tightly in his arms but he couldn’t take his eyes off the numbers framed by a red circle. His eyes widened and he felt his heart tighten. Names and times were written in curved letters under the various dates, had heard the names at least once in his life. Questions blazed in his eyes and suddenly he turned, unable to remain silent.
“Y/N/N?” breathed a voice.
She was no longer breathing. Her hands rested on her stomach in a protective gesture, fearing, but then she recognised the eyes settling on her, piercing like a sharp dagger through the dimness of the apartment.
The shadow moved swiftly across his face. Y/N couldn’t believe her eyes, was sure she was dreaming, thought she had fallen asleep on the sofa, but then she felt the hot tears streaming in great rivers down her cheeks and was sure she wasn’t asleep. Shocked, the tall man let his eyes wander over his fiancée’s body, immediately seeing what not even the blanket resting on her shoulders could hide. All the hatred, pent-up anger and grief she had been storing up for the last few months disappeared, were carried away by the warm breeze, by his unmistakable smell.
“You’ve been gone for a long time,” Y/N breathed, still unable to believe her eyes.
He witnessed the ring gracing her hand sparkling in the faint light like a lone star. The question laying on his tongue did not cross his lip, knew it did not need to escape, knew the answer.
“I can explain everything, my love. Please forgive me. I couldn’t leave them, they needed me, the world needed me, but I know you need me too, I can see it clearly.” he said in a broken voice.
Hatred and anger no longer rooted in her heart.
“You couldn’t have known Stephen. I found out two weeks later, I felt very sick and made an appointment. No one knew where you were and I realised after a while that there was no point in searching for you. I tried to find you.” Y/N answered weakly but loud enough to know Stephen could hear her loud and clearly.
Cautiously Stephen took one step at a time, leading the way. His arms wrapped gently around her body, pressed her tightly to his chest and smiled, forgetting the pain of his wounds as he felt a hand collide with his torso, appearing to reach for him.
“May I?” he whispered weakly in a quivering voice.
Tears blocked his vision but Y/N could not see them as they dared to cross the borders and travelled in narrow streams down his features.
“Of course, my love, you don’t have to ask me, it’s our child. A part of you. I’ve told her about you every day. You don’t have to fear, I told her only nice things about you.”, "Her?” he probed, wanting to be sure he had heard correctly.
Y/N nodded.
“A little girl, I haven’t decided on a name yet, I was hoping we could choose a name together but I’ve already decorated the nursery. Peter helped me a lot, he more than less moved in and refused to leave me alone and I am glad he stayed. He brings me the groceries and I have even sent him at the stroke of midnight to get me some ice cream.” Y/N told.
Her eyes glistened.
“Would you like to see the nursery? I hope you like it and you don’t need to worry, I didn’t throw your things away, they are in a box. I’m sorry but I couldn’t see them anymore but I kept the engagement ring and pictures.” Y/N breathed.
Knowingly, Stephen nodded, understanding his soon to be wife completely. Tender words slipped. Gently, his hands stroked down her back, caressed her skin and he felt the cloak disappear from his shoulders and slowly fly to her and settle on Y/N’s shoulders. Lovingly, his lips settled on hers and then he kissed the tears away before they could move further down her face kissed by the faint light of the waning moon.
Summary: Stephen and his girlfriend dance through the night.
Word Count: 1.3k
a/n:Requests are open!!!
The sky was full of stars. The light of the chandelier shone down on the dancing couples who moved to the beat of the delicate tones, mirroring a sunset by the sea, where the sun kissed the end of the world and wrapped the world in a reddish veil.
The hall was lavishly decorated, resembling a castle from ancient, almost forgotten times of king and queens, of high-born ladies and princes. Peals of laughter echoed and merged with the sounds played by the musicians standing on the tribune in dark suits and dresses. Important looking men wandered in the rows of people filling the hall with the wide windows wrapped in white material as soft as clouds.
In the sea of suits, Stephen stood out, was a rock piercing through raging oceans. The suit suited him well and at first glance, Y/N did not recognise her boyfriend standing in the chandelier’s light. Piercing eyes rested on Y/N, escaping the shadows. Her heart was beating fast, nearly racing, and her palms resembled a wet surface as a murmur of voices rose and fell. The flowing material of the dress enveloped her body. The fabric, wide and flat, was adorned with glittering stones, little stars, stolen from the firmament. It shone like silver, like spider webs reflecting the rays of the rising sun in the early hours of the day. Her hair framed her soft features, adorned with a loving smile. The smile on her lips grew widened and her teeth emerged. The necklace Stephen had given his girlfriend for their first anniversary rested on her skin high above the neckline of the long dress flowing in waves down her body. Stephen’s lips were no longer touching, gaped open. Y/N thought he was whispering her name, not entirely sure, but when their eyes met, she was convinced he was calling her by name, calling her to him, to his heart, inviting her to lean her ear against his chest and dance in his arms.
Incessantly, her heart was beating faster, ignoring the stares settling on her. She could hear the people asking questions, but she didn’t answer. Y/N brought the staircase behind her, covered by a red carpet and illuminated by the rays of the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Her eyes shone in vibrant hues.
Y/N didn’t want to come, had hundreds of excuses, from that she had to study, that books demanded her full attention, to that her best friend was suffering from heartbreak, that her pet couldn’t stay home alone, but still she had come, unable to forget the invitation of her boyfriend to be his plus one to the party.
Joy filled her, grateful she had changed her mind and accepted the invitation. Y/N took one step after another, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, but then a wave arose from deep slumber and the last traces of fear disappeared from her heart and mind.
Stephen could not believe his eyes, was convinced Y/N would not come, and was sure he was seeing an illusion slowly approaching him. The illusion was perfect: the tone of the hair, the sparkling eyes, and the curves of her well-shaped body.
“Surprise.” a voice breathed and Stephen knew it was not an illusion, but his girlfriend.
The voice, almost shy, was music to his ears and Stephen moved closer to the woman who had come to a halt a few steps away from him.
“I was sure.”, “That I wouldn’t come?” Y/N completed the sentence Strange had started.
Weakly, the man laughed and lost himself in her eyes.
“Exactly.”, “And I’ll be honest, I wasn’t going to come, these parties aren’t my cup of tea but then I imagined spending this night with you, but I saw you talking to important-looking people, you’re welcome to join them, I don’t want to intrude.” Y/N breathed.
Again, Stephen laughed, having forgotten the men in almost identical looking suits he had left the moment he witnessed his girlfriend coming down the stairs.
“No, I can take care of those things another day. I’ve seen a few futures but you’ve only arrived in one.”, “Stop it, you’re just saying that.” Y/N joked, feeling the last spark of fear being carried away from her body.
“I’m glad you came and I’m even happier that you’re wearing the necklace.”, “The necklace is beautiful.” Y/N answered.
“You’ve already thanked me too often. You mustn’t thank me again, my beloved. You’re my girlfriend and you deserve the most beautiful gifts.” he answered.
Stephen finished the sentence, knowing exactly what Y/N wanted to say, feeling it in every fibre of his body, yearning for her closeness.
The music resounded again, and more people found the strength to rise. Laughing and chatting, couples danced. Other men, seated in the far corner by the bar, found themselves in the depths of the glass, trying to forget the darkest days for a moment, even if only a brief one.
“Still, I am not used to receiving such gifts and you make me feel guilty. I could not give you such a gift.” Y/N spoke and let her hand, the tips of her fingers, rest on the necklace Stephen had given her.
“I don’t want to get any gifts, you’ve already given me the gift of being my girlfriend, spending your precious time with me.”, “Did you know I was going to be your girlfriend?” Y/N breathed, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.
His gaze was speaking volumes, and no darkness wandered across his face.
“No, I saw you and fell in love with you at first sight. I don’t have to search for answers. I know them, all of them. One day you are going to be my wife and together we will live in a house and the rest is written in the stars.” Stephen replied and Y/N nodded.
Tears veiled her gaze, but none fell, danced down her cheeks. The words struck her heart and summoned tears of joy. The surrounding people did not notice her, did not hear the heart-warming words escaping, seeing only the love in the eyes of the lovers, seeing the love was long-lasting.
“May I have this dance?”, “Just this one? I know I’m not the best dancer and the last time I danced was probably years ago, but if you lead me right, I’m sure I won’t step on your shoes so often.” Y/N breathed jokingly.
Mischievously, Stephen grinned, clad in the dark suit, his eyes speaking volumes, but Y/N expected an answer.
“Not just this dance, I reserve all future dances,” Stephen clarified.
He reached for her hand, clasping her fingers tenderly, almost as if he feared he would crush her hand. Bringing his hand to his face, directly to his lips, he felt Y/N’s eyes widen and breathed a loving kiss on the back of her hand.
“And I can buy new shoes. I really don’t mind. You can step on my shoes as much as you want for all I care.” added Stephen after kissing each of her fingers.
From her hand, Stephen let go. Lovingly, Stephen let his hand rest on her shoulder, bringing Y/N closer to his body, feeling his heart collide with his chest, longing for closeness. Fingers entwined like tendrils of flowers. The world faded away. Voices merged and drowned in the delicate tones of flutes and the piano, telling people to rise from the chair and dance.
If you’ve followed me since Multiverse of Madness hit the big screen, then you’ll know I’ve developed quite a passion for the Stephen Strange Variants. Defender Strange is my favorite, and he’s lodged himself in my noggin, demanding to be fic’d. I finally came up with a concept, and I have no idea if I’ll continue, but please indulge my little flight of fancy—won’t you?
summary: You had a hard day of training, honing your fighting skills, as you have finally been placed on permanent rotation to assist the Sorcerer Supreme himself, in his constant battles to keep Earth and our Universe safe from merciless Evil. You admire Stephen Strange, and set him as a high example of the sort of Sorcerer you hope to someday become—while you heart harbors a secret, unfulfillable crush. This evening, you’ve proceeded to the sauna, to help you relax and work out the knots and muscle strain from the training session you subjected your self to. You are gobsmacked to find yourself in the company of Strange himself, seeking the same sort of relief.
rating: general audience (except for one naughty word)
word count:2.5k
A long, intense session of hand-to-hand combat training had pushed you nearly to your physical limit, but evening brought the chance for some much-needed relief. You had headed directly to the red cedar sauna at the far end of the compound, knowing that the heat and steam would be the best balm for the muscle strain and exhaustion that seemed to infuse every cell of you body. Grateful to find you had the place to yourself, you doused the coals—enchanted to burn continuously with no need for replacement—with water enough to swiftly fill the narrow room with a cloud of steam, and then took a seat on one of the lower benches that lined the walls.
You bowed your head, kneading the back of your neck a bit, while ruminating on the trials that lay before you, as you were nearing the tests that would at last determine if you were finally qualified to earn the rank of Master. You felt confident and well-prepared—and surprisingly happy in the vocation that you had stumbled upon in the wake of the sudden loss of the future you had planned with your late fiancé. Though your heart would forever mourn him and the hopes that you had shared, it now seemed to you that Fate itself had guided your course to Kamar-Taj for the healing of your forlorn soul and the repurposing of your life.
Your training in the Mystic Arts had gifted you with heightened awareness and keener senses. A whisper of cool air prickled across your skin, telling you the curtain separating the sauna room from the antechamber had been silently pushed aside. The slight creak of the floorboards confirmed that someone had joined you. You felt a powerful yet restrained presence loom over you—and looked up to meet the unwavering gaze of the man upon whom you heart now secretly rested. Stephen Strange.
Stephen Strange, bare-chested, and scantily clad as was appropriate for the setting. The strong breadth of his shoulders—always obvious, even beneath the several layers of his usual tunic and robes—took your breath away. You could hear you pulse pound in your brain, from a mix of surprise and unquenchable desire.
genre: friendship, pining, angst, hurt/comfort (if you squint)
rating: general audience
word count: 1.7k
You had been happily surprised at how swiftly the Sorcerer Supreme had drawn you into his life. Barely three weeks ago, a chance meeting in the compound sauna, moments of soft vulnerability shared there, the beginning of an unexpected friendship. Why me, you had often wondered since that evening. You were nothing special among the ranks of those who dwelled in Kamar-Taj, yet somehow Stephen Strange found your company pleasant enough, your conversations interesting enough, to ask for more.
That evening had led to regular evening tea and conversations—on an astonishingly wide range of topics—on those nights when he wasn’t ranging far across the globe or multiple dimensions, fulfilling his duties as humanity’s staunchest, most dutiful, defender. All too soon you began to miss him when he was away. And worry for his safety. Not that you could speak of such feelings to him. The balance between you was strictly platonic, and mentor to student—transforming the crush you had harbored for months and months into a bittersweet secret you needed to guard more religiously than any secret of your life.
➳a/n: this is for the friends with benefits (sfw) starters. if you want to see me write any of these, drop them in my ask :) there are probably typos, so bear with me.
**i need a tall glass of Stephenwater**
➳pairing: Stephen Strange x Female!Reader
➳summary: It happened in a whirlwind. One minute, you two were talking. The next? He was ripping your clothes off.
➳warnings: smut; oral f!receiving, fingering, unprotected sex [wrap it before y'all tap it]
➳FWB SFW starters: “wasn’t really under the impression you thought of me that way”-> requested by: @/justwanted2dance
The clothes were being ripped off at supersonic speed. Stephen’s hands caressed your exposed flesh as he lowered your back to the bed. The kisses were passionate and fervent, laced with an underlying emotion of desperate want and desire. His hair was silk in between your fingertips as his mouth hovered over your neck, leaving fresh marks of purple and blue to mark your pretty skin.
What started as an argument, one that neither of you could even remember the purpose for, turned into this.You had tempted the man, pushing his buttons. Stephen wouldn’t deny the intense attraction he felt for you. You were gorgeous. You made him so sexually frustrated, he could hardly keep his dirty thoughts at bay when he saw your hips swinging.
