Hot Take (?)

Uncle Stephen 

Pairing: Stephen Strange x Reader

Request: The reader has a sister, and she has a child and asks if they can take care of her baby for two weeks, Stephen is not happy about it, but everything changes when after some time the child hugs Stephen and calls him "uncle"

Tags: Fluff, Fluff and more Fluff

Word count: 3k

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“It is only for ten days,” you bargained with Stephen, chasing him around the room as he tried his hardest to ignore you. “I am talking to you, Strange.” You finally raised your tone, standing before him and forcing him to put his book down and look at you. 

“The Sanctum is no place for a child,” his response was short and generical, giving no insight into his desire or lack thereof to be around a toddler. His eyes returned to his book as he stepped aside, continuing his meditative stroll through the room. You, however, did not see it like that, reading between the lines. 

“So, what will we do when we have children?” The question came out in a tone more serious than you wanted it to, causing the doctor to stop in his tracks and look back at you. 

“That is not something we need to concern ourselves with yet, is it?” His eyes scrutinised your face before moving again, continuing the relentless pacing. It was a delicate topic, that of children. You were somewhat on the same page. You wanted children eventually. The day, however, had somehow been frozen in time in Stephen’s mind, continuously seeing the eventually as long from now while you counted every passing year as a step closer. Then the engagement had come earlier this year, and the promise to share the rest of your lives together had been spoken into reality. Having children had suddenly become more of a desire in your mind, yet Stephen seemed to be unphased by the change. 

“She is smart and well-behaved, and I already told my sister she can stay with us, so you’ll deal with it.” You answered before walking out of the room, frustrated at his lack of interest in your niece. Stephen had met her only once before on her first birthday; your sister living far away meant you rarely saw them. She was thankfully moving back to New York but that also meant she needed to look for an apartment and deal with the moving. Hence her request for you to take care of the little girl in the meantime. You had agreed instantly, not thinking Stephen would have any problem with it, but he had refused straightaway and dismissed the topic every time you asked about it. 

…

The day of the little girl’s arrival came quicker than expected. Stephen had been gone for the last couple of days on a mission with Wong and Peter, meaning that you had met with your sister alone to pick her up. She had invited you to brunch, and you had discussed some of the wedding plans and any needs little Cecilia had. Cece was a lively ray of sunshine who was starting to put her first sentences together and loved horses. There was no way Stephen’s heart would not melt as soon as he saw her. 

Eventually, at the end of your brunch, your sister handed you Cece’s bag and gave her a goodbye kiss. The little girl waved goodbye as her mom reminded her that she would be staying with her aunt for a couple of days. You and Cece went on with your day, eventually finding your way back home to the Sanctum. Wong had helped you bring some things she would need to sleep into one of the many empty rooms of the enormous property, making it easy for you to set her up. 

After such an eventful day, she fell asleep, giving you a minute to go to the kitchen and make yourself some late lunch/dinner. As you finished preparing your sandwich, you heard the familiar sound of a portal opening behind you; turning around to meet your sweaty and dirty fiance with a smile. “Hello there, handsome,” you gave him a dashing smile as he moved towards you, his hands cupping your cheeks into a passionate kiss. 

You broke the kiss catching some air, and gave him a preoccupied smile. He was usually only this passionate when something dangerous had happened, and he was terrified of losing you. “Is everything okay? I-“ you tried to speak, but the sound of another portal distracted you. Through it, Peter and Wong came out also looking pretty rough. “Oh god, are you guys okay?” you asked, moving away from Stephen, who stood there exhausted. 

Wong gave you a comforting look, but you noticed a tension-filled silence in the room. “Peter, are you okay?” you asked as the boy looked down with a hurt expression. 

“Oh, he is excellent. He almost got himself killed and ruined our mission, but he is perfectly fine.” Stephen answered for him, forcing you to give the doctor a fulminating look. Peter looked regretful enough; bashing him now would not help. 

“That is enough, Stephen. I will make everyone dinner. Go shower.” You spoke to the three men in an authoritative voice. The spiderboy spent so much time in the Sanctum that he had clothes and an assigned room. Peter and Wong left swiftly, going into their rooms to wash up, but Stephen stayed there, knowing you would want to talk to him. As soon as you were alone again, you spoke, “You cannot talk to him that way. He is just a kid. He is trying his best.” 

“He almost got himself killed. He wants to help everyone, save everyone, but he does not see he will end up killing himself like this.” Stephen’s words were filled with frustration. He worried for Peter's safety; you knew that was the truth. He had decided to let him die once before. He could not make the same decision again. “I have watched him die, and he does not understand that. Someday I won’t be there by his side, and he will actually get himself killed.” 

Just as you thought, he was not mad at the boy for the way he behaved. He was just scared of losing him. It was hard to keep in mind all the time that Stephen had to live with the burden of knowledge. You wondered how many times he had seen you go and how he felt about it, but he never wanted to speak of it. “You are doing your best, and he is doing his best. It is all we can ask for,” you finally answered, inviting him to lay his head against yours and embracing him in a tight hug. “I love you, you know? We all do, and we are so grateful to you for protecting us, but you cannot always keep us safe, and that is okay.” Your left hand caressed his back, hoping to soothe him slightly. 

Suddenly the sound of the baby monitor interrupted your hug as Cece woke up, startled by your absence. “Oh, when did she get here?” The doctor stiffened in your arms, unhappy that you had gone through with your decision. 

“A couple of hours ago. Wanna help me check on her?” You asked, breaking the embrace and giving him a hopeful smile. 

“I am gonna go shower,” he spoke, tightening his lips and looking away from you. You sighed and walked away, still confused about his dismissiveness. The sounds from the baby monitor suddenly changed as the little girl was no longer alone. Confused, you checked the screen and saw Peter approaching her bed. 

“Hello there! Who are you? I am Peter,” the boy spoke, slowly walking towards the sleepy child. “Do you need food?” he asked, and Cece nodded emphatically back, sweetly raising her arms for the boy to pick her up. You watched, amused through the camera, as Stephen left the room, feeling your heart ache from the cuteness. 

…

Peter helped you keep Cece entertained in the kitchen as you made dinner. He told you all about what had happened, and you finally completely understood Stephen’s frustration. The boy had been incredibly reckless, but thankfully nothing bad came of it. Peter was extremely patient with the toddler, who was just around that phase where she asked questions about virtually anything. It was lovely to see them interact. You could not help but imagine how much of an amazing big brother he would have been. 

Eventually, Wong joined the three of you, instantly entertained by the little girl running around the kitchen table, singing some non-sensical song. Food was ready shortly after, but Stephen was nowhere to be found. You excused yourself quickly, asking Wong to watch the children so you could look for the grumpy doctor. 

You opened your bedroom door carefully, spying your fiance sitting on the bed with his head between his hands. You pressed your lips worriedly, unsure of what to say to make him feel better. “Babe, would you like me to bring you your food here?” You asked careful, understanding how tough these missions were for him. 

“Yes, please. That would be great.” He responded, lifting his eyes and giving you a thankful look. 

…

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly as Cece, Peter, and you played with some relics that Wong thought would be appropriate. Eventually, the boy left, and you put Cece to bed, exhausted after such an adventurous day. You checked that the monitor was working properly and went to bed yourself as Stephen was already lying in bed, deep asleep. 

…

You woke up startled, unsure why your alarm had not rung. The bed was empty, and the monitor of Cece’s room was turned off. You tried to turn it on, confused, looking around for your fiance in the bathroom and adjacent office. He was nowhere to be found, and the monitor was not turning on. You decided that looking for Cece was the best decision, scared she had been crying all morning, and you had not heard her. 

The sense of urgency in your steps slowly calmed as you heard Stephen’s voice whisper from Cece’s room. You stopped, hesitant to enter and curious to listen to what he said, “finally, Cece, we managed to get you to calm down. I don’t understand how your aunt understands you. It would help if you spoke more clearly.¨

You giggled at the comment, deciding to enter the room. Stephen seemed slightly startled as you knocked on the door’s wood to inform him of your arrival. “Hello there,” you smiled at him as he quickly backed away from the child. 

“She was not letting me sleep with her crying and complaining, and it looked like you needed some rest,” he scrambled an excuse, scared you could suspect he could enjoy spending time with a child.

You hummed in agreement, thankful for his help and aware that he would not admit to anything else anyway. “Do you mind looking after her for a little longer? I will make breakfast for the two of you.” You kissed him and waved at Cece, leaving the room before he could argue against it. 

…

The next couple of days were a back and forth between Cece chasing Stephen around every room while he tried his best to ignore her. He would still manage to wake up before you with the excuse that the toddler was whining and play with her, entertaining her with some magic and making her breakfast. 

Eventually, he gave up on ignoring her and started answering some of her redundant questions. Cece tried her best to speak clearly to him, but the communication problems were still there. She, for example, struggled to pronounce Stephen, which caused both parties a certain level of frustration. 

Eventually, Stephen was called out on a mission again. You kissed him goodbye, and Cece waved at him, saddened. Your fiance tried his best to hold onto his stoic facade as he barely acknowledged the little girl, whispering a quick “goodbye little Lilia, see you tomorrow” as soon as he was sure you could not hear. His heart broke seeing the sad expression of the little child as he left. 

…

Stephen’s mission took longer than expected, taking him the whole week to complete. You had been left alone with Cece to enjoy the blooming spring. Peter had not been allowed to tag along in this mission, so he joined you most afternoons for walks and to play with the girl. 

Cece seemed to miss Stephen almost as much as you did, so you took the chance to teach her how to say “uncle Stephen.” It would be a pleasant surprise even if he would not admit it. 

Sadly, the ten days went by quicker than expected, and Stephen had yet to return from his mission. You met up with your sister to tour the new apartment and give her the toddler back, promising Cece that uncle Stephen would come to visit her sooner than later. 

…

You were lying on your bed that afternoon, enjoying the newly found silence of the house. It had been a great experience to take care of your niece, and it had given you a ton of baby fever, but you could not help but sigh in relief at the peace. The sound of a portal opening in front of you forced you to sit up and smile, excited to see your fiance again. Stephen walked through the portal and towards you, giving you a soft kiss on the lips, instantly scanning the room for the baby monitor. 

“I dropped her off today. She missed you,” you answered the unspoke question. The doctor tried his best to control his expression, but the disappointment in his eyes could not be denied. You caressed his hand, inviting him to sit by your side on the bed, climbing on his lap to stare into his eyes. “You can admit that you enjoyed having her around, you know?” you kissed his nose, cupping his face with your hands, enjoying the long-awaited closeness. 

“I barely tolerated it.” He shook his head, closing his eyes and smiling, knowing his secret was out of the bag.

“Why can you not just admit that the Sanctum feels more like a home when a little babbling creature is chasing you around?” you laughed, dramatically laying your head on his shoulder and shaking it. 

“I don’t want to get attached,” he responded thoughtfully, forcing you to lift your head and look at him again. 

“She is just our niece, babe. She cannot break your heart,” you tried to lighten the mood, hoping he would smile, but he lowered his gaze instead. 

“I have enough people to worry about already, you, Peter, Wong. Every decision, everything I do or don’t, I am burdened with the fear that it may hurt you. I cannot get attached, or I will think of little Lilia too.” 

“Lilia?” You asked, amused at the funny nickname he had chosen. 

“She refuses to say my name right; I shall do the same.” Petty old man, playing games with a little child.

“You don’t need to worry about us, my love. We love you regardless. I don’t want to be a burden in your life,” you spoke softly.

“You are not a burden. I just at times wonder whether the universe would be worth saving if it meant losing you or the kid.” The honesty made his voice softer as the words left his lips like a whisper, ashamed of his admission. “That is also why I have been delaying the ‘children’ conversation. I think I could no longer protect the world once we have children. They would be the only thing that’d matter to me, just them, and our adopted son and you.” He chuckled slightly at his recognition, finally realising that Peter had already become your de facto child. You felt a weight lift from your shoulders as his words brought some explanation to his dismissive behaviour finally. 

“I understand…” you exhaled, trying to put your desire aside and understand the stress it would put him in. “I was going to see Cece tomorrow for breakfast if you’d like to join me.” You tried to change the topic. 

“I would love that,” he confirmed, giving you a crooked smile. You looked into his eyes and wondered how you would live without seeing a mini version of you and your lover walking around this Sanctum. You would never know whether they would get his beautiful eyes with that little brown spot on the right iris. 

…

You spent the rest of the night cuddling with the doctor, talking about his time away and discussing his excitement to see the little monster tomorrow. The morning after could not come quickly enough as you hoped Cece had not forgotten how to pronounce ‘uncle Stephen.’ In the morning, Stephen went out to buy some pastries to take with you, letting you know that Lilia was a massive fan of chocolate croissants. You shook your head at the information, wondering what other unhealthy foods he had been feeding her for breakfast. He reassured you that he had checked his old introduction to paediatrics book, and 26-month-olds were allowed to eat chocolate croissants. 

The two of you arrived at the building at around 11 a.m., ready to see your family. You knocked at the door and were received, disappointingly enough for Stephen, by your sister alone as Cece was still asleep. She had apparently struggled to get used to the new bed the night before. You started catching up as Stephen politely asked about your sister’s moving struggles. Eventually, the commotion of your conversation woke up the little girl, who began to ask for help from the crib. 

You exchanged a look with your sister, who offered Stephen to go pick her up. The doctor refused initially, joking nervously that she probably did not even remember him. Your sister thankfully insisted, and he got up eagerly, walking towards the indicated room. The little girl squealed with excitement as soon as she spotted the familiar face, “UNCLE SFEFEN.” 

The doctor could not help but chuckle happily, hugging and lifting the toddler who held on tightly to the hug. “Hello, little Cece.”

“Lilia,” she repeated, confused at why he was calling her Cece.

“Lilia it is,” he reassured her, re-entering the room with her and keeping her on his lap. 

“They seemed to have bonded,” your sister looked at you entertained, giving you a cheeky smile. 

“Seems like it,” you responded, giggling as you observed them interact. The four of you spent almost the entire day together, and by the end of it, both Cece and Stephen were absolutely exhausted, falling asleep on the couch as they watched some cartoon. You had never seen him so soft and sweet with someone that was not you. It was genuinely heartwarming. The comical way Stephen's head had dropped onto the couch's backrest as the little girl laid her head against his side forced you to think of what an amazing dad he would be.

You shook your fiance's shoulder once it was time to leave, waking him up. The goodbyes were prolonged as Stephen had to promise the little girl to come to visit her again. The doctor was equally as saddened by the separation, but finally, after forty-five minutes, you managed to thank your sister and head home. Once the door was closed, the doctor moved to your ear and whispered, “maybe we should start planning on that first baby.”

-------

Liv's Note

Thank you so much as always for reading my work! If you enjoyed it please please reblog it, it makes sure other people can enjoy it too ♥️

Please feel free to check out my masterlist for more Dr Strange stories and join the taglist to be notified when new stories are posted ♥️

Taglist:

@scandalous-chaos @vipentin @stinkytootsies @diksy1112 @inas-thing @freakyat3am @lucywrites02 @missfalcon @blondekel77 @vexedvalerie @rlupinx @saturdaynightzemo @thewinterpoet2 @stephensidekawa @sherlock-holland @markywithissues @evelynrosestuff @daisesnerd @aephereal @hootoyakawa @luvbcumbers @sherlux @dogboyben @notfaithxo @weepingdreamerpanda @bloodyxsaint @persephonehemingway @gumgum78 @elzabethann @jessyballet @sherlockwatsons @iwishihadabettername @srapalestina @happyiidiot @theyluvjadi3 @sea040561 @put-the-smut-in-the-bag-rn @turkisherlockian @sleutherclaw @Will0wfairy @sharp-cheekbones-locked @crushingonfreddie @aalexdaviess @mytearsric0chvt @yourmajesty13 @fuckthealarm @cottagecore-cat @heartangel1331

I made a Spiderman!Enid AU thread on Twitter so I drew it lmfao

Her name is WolfSpider (duh) and her costume is BLINDING and she owns her own fan blog where she takes her own pictures ala the OG Peter Parker

Wednesday found out her secret identity the literal first day they became roommates and for the longest time didn’t say anything because she found it fascinating how someone so BAD at keeping their identity a secret could still REMAIN a secret.

Later on when the reveal happened (and subsequent confession) Wednesday would help Enid track down whatever the next villains plan was and they become an unstoppable due

Pt.2 of some behind the scenes photos from Wednesday🫶🏻

Ohh more headcannons please 🙏 For a road trip with karlnap 😊

omg yes yes tysm for the request ily

the most played song on your road-trip is

you guessed it

road-trip

gotta support the friends, you know?

sapnap drives the first leg of the trip

karl is on snack duty and buys a 12 pack case of monsters for the trip

they don’t last very long

idk why but i see you guys buying those car ride activities for kids

also playing the alphabet game

tweeting all kinds of random things and confusing the fans

at one point you fall asleep on karl’s shoulder (for some reason you were both in backseat) and sapnap took a picture of the two of you and posted it on twitter

everyone lost their marbles tbh

also when the a.c. is on you would 10000% steal one of their sweaters

when karl’s driving, you would be in the front seat while sap took a nap in the back seat

ugh holding hands with whoever is driving <3

karl would make you guys stop at every tourist trap

playing with saps hair while he drives >>>

it’s not a peaceful drive at all when you’re driving

karl and sapnap start yelling like little kids when you pass a drive through

after what feels like 20 minutes of them begging to stop (even though you don’t really have time for it) you pull into the parking lot

if you were nervous ordering then one of the boys would

idk why i’m thinking karl would be in the backseat so let’s go with that

anyways

karl would roll down his window and order for you guys

or sapnap would just lean over you and order depending on whatever is easiest

they r so sweet

you would make them play the quiet game when they get to loud

they r actually children fun fact

it would be so much fun tho and even if you had no destination in mind it would be the best trip ever

THEM IN EACH OTHERS COLORS <3

people forget that there are literally no rules to being queer. if you feel queer, congrats, you can be queer. its not my or anyone else’s job to investigate or interrogate you. you are the sole authority on your identity 

i am sick of the black phone hashtag. I WANNA SEE COOL BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTOS. NOT SMUT OF THE GRABBER.

Idc y’all better put ur whole fanussys in to the Wednesday show fanfic y’all write

Paul Dano: *plays a greasy weirdo*

me:

happiness looks good on you | stephen strange

pairing: stephen strange x widow!reader

summary: you and stephen attend christine’s wedding together (based off this request by anon).

warnings: established relationship, fluff, minor spoilers for multiverse of madness

word count: 2.3k

a/n: still getting used to writing for stephen so go easy on me lol

ever since the snap wreaked havoc on your universe, you had stayed behind at the compound while the others went their separate ways, each coping with their grief as they saw fit. just you and natasha were left behind, never giving up hope that a solution would arise so that those who were once lost could finally return to you.

stephen strange, in particular, became somewhat of a priority to you, not only because you had been harboring a small crush on him in the past, you had convinced yourself at the time, but because he had become a sort of friend to you after working together on a few missions.

five long years of fruitless planning and dread led into something more as the remaining team of avengers, you included, finalized a revolutionary idea that would no doubt bring the lost ones back to you.

once everyone had returned, safe and sound, as if the past five years had been put on hold, you decided that you wouldn’t risk another moment of your true feelings toward the sorcerer going unannounced, and the two of you had been inseparable ever since.

still residing at the compound with natasha, and most recently yelena, who had miraculously found her way back to her lost sisters, you were currently accompanied by the two in your bedroom as they assisted you in preparing for the wedding this afternoon. not yours, of course, but that of christine palmer.

your thoughts were interrupted by a lump of fabric being shoved in your direction as yelena urged you to try on her choice of which dress you should wear.

“i think this one would look best,” she insisted, her russian accent strong and so unlike the american one that had coated her tongue when you were younger. “this color suits your complexion. the one you are wearing now washes you out.” you look down at your current dress and frown.

natasha voiced her agreement from her position on the bed.

you rolled your eyes. “fine,” you huffed, “though i didn’t invite you two to help me just for you to criticize me.”

your sisters chuckled to one another as you slipped into the dress, the silk material sliding across your skin and fitting you perfectly. upon viewing your appearance in the mirror, you had to agree that maybe yelena had a point, although the reflection staring back at you seemed unfamiliar. after all, you had been used to strictly wearing the characteristic black uniform of the widows practically your entire life, knowing nothing different. you kind of enjoyed this, getting dressed up in pretty dresses and heels and actually wearing jewelry for a change—would you choose silver, like natasha? or maybe gold, like yelena?

“see?” yelena sidled up next to you, a proud smirk taking over her features.

“yeah, yeah. you were right, whatever.”

natasha rose from the bed to stand behind you, resting her hands on your shoulders and brushing your hair out of your face to gaze at the three of you standing together in the mirror. a soft smile pulled at her lips. “you look beautiful, sestra.”

“yes,” yelena said. “maybe one day we will help you get ready for your own wedding.”

your own wedding. you hadn’t really thought about it, hadn’t even allowed yourself the luxury to think about it, what with your time spent in the red room and then having to save the world over the past several years taking up most of your time. but maybe marriage would be something you could finally have, now that you were free from your past and happy with stephen. “maybe,” you said wistfully.

the moment was interrupted as the telltale golden sparks of a portal materialized in front of you, announcing the presence of none other than your sorcerer boyfriend.

“knock, knock,” a familiar voice echoed from within.

“go, have fun with your lover boy,” natasha teased.

you bid your sisters farewell as you stepped through the portal to find yourself in the cozy space of stephen’s bedroom at the sanctum. you had visited a multitude of times, having familiarized yourself with the magical books lining the library’s shelves and the curious items littered throughout the establishment, hiding in dark corners and behind hollow walls. you had even become well-acquainted with wong and had developed a sort of friendship with the sorcerer during those lonely five years of the snap. somehow, you had managed to annoy him trick him into teaching you a few things about magic, just a few simple spells here and there, and it helped fill the loneliness of stephen’s absence for a while. but you were overjoyed to be together with him now, having him be the one to show you around and share his knowledge of the mystic arts with you.

“well, don’t you look dashing,” you said as you approached your boyfriend, his broad back turned to you as he adjusted his tie in the mirror.

he met your eyes in the reflection and promptly dropped his hands to his sides. “if anyone should be receiving a compliment, it should be you,” he said as he drew closer, drinking in the sight of you from head to toe. “god, you’re breathtaking, honey. let me see.” he reached for your hand and urged you to turn for him like it was your own personal fashion show. you felt silly but did as he asked, giggling nervously as you went.

you returned to your original position, facing him fully now, and the look on his face made your toes curl. “you know what, let’s not go. they won’t even notice our absence.”

you laughed at how serious he sounded. “stephen, don’t be ridiculous. christine is expecting us to be there, and it’s the least we can do. won’t it be nice to see everyone again?”

“not when i could be here alone with you instead.”

heat licked up your skin at what he was insinuating. “stop that,” you admonished lightly, pressing your hands to your warm cheeks.

his smug laugh reached your ears and you swatted at him. “let’s just go, magic man.”

you followed after stephen as he led you to your assigned pew, pulling you in close, thigh to thigh, and holding your hand in his lap.

the man on the other side of him, doctor west, who you had briefly heard stories about and learned that stephen wasn’t a big fan of his, started up conversation about the unfortunate death of his cats upon returning from the snap. stephen grimaced as the unwanted information was forced upon him and as the man continued to fill him in on everything he had missed out on, you stifled a laugh and gently nudged stephen’s arm, urging him to play nice. he peered over at you briefly and winked before returning his attention to doctor west’s tragic story, playing with your fingers distractedly as the man spoke.

the topic of discussion quickly bled into doctor west recounting stephen’s numerous achievements, being a world famous neurosurgeon - turned heroic sorcerer, winning at everything in life, “but you still didn’t get the girl,” you heard him say, not so subtly hinting at stephen’s failed relationship with christine. your stomach dropped as the conversation took an unexpected turn. while you and stephen had been together over the past year and a half since the snap was reversed, you knew of his past history with christine palmer, and however foolish it seemed, you were nervous for him to see her again. the two of you were happy together, of course, but sometimes you feared that you had been somewhat of a replacement for his former coworker and that, upon seeing her again today, he might realize that he didn’t actually like you all that much after all. you cursed the thought, knowing you were being unnecessarily insecure and entirely foolish, but you couldn’t shake the feeling.

stephen tightened his grip on your hand and your eyes jumped to meet his blue ones, open and honest and swimming with unshakable admiration. he brought your hand to his lips and kissed it gently. “you’re mistaken, doctor west,” he said, though he was still looking at you. “i did get the girl.”

your heart stuttered at his admission. you knew he loved you, obviously, but hearing him say this aloud, his love for you unmistakable in the way that he was looking at you now, erased all of your previous doubts.

stephen ignored the other man from that moment on, his attempt at politeness long gone now that he had taken a stab at offending you, whether it was on purpose or not. stephen turned his body toward you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as if the two of you were in your own little world, protective and secure, and maybe it was also his way of announcing to the room that you were his. you felt giddy at the thought.

he kissed your temple. “don’t listen to a word he said,” stephen insisted, the deep baritone of his voice like music against the shell of your ear. “you’re my girl,” you looked up at him then, “and nothing is ever going to change that.”

“i love you,” you said suddenly.

he grinned, eyes lighting up and crinkling at the corners. “honey, you have no idea how much i love you.”

the ceremony was beautiful and elegant and everything you would hope to have one day. christine was radiating pure joy at this new milestone in her life that she was practically glowing.

everyone made their way to the reception area to socialize, and upon entering with stephen by your side, hand in hand, christine immediately welcomed you and thanked you both for coming.

congratulations and polite small talk were exchanged, but you knew the two needed some time to catch up on things. “i’m going to grab us some drinks,” you said kindly. you patted stephen’s chest as you walked by and he pressed a quick kiss to your cheek before watching you make your way across the room.

“i’m glad that you’re happy,” stephen said and he truly meant it. he and christine had been through a lot together, sure, but it was never going to work out between them, not like that. but knowing what he knew now, and how the relationship with christine led him to you and encouraged him to be better and learn from his mistakes, well, that was certainly worth it.

“i am. i really, really am,” she said, beaming.

“good.”

“are you?”

his gaze was pulled to you from across the room as you milled about, mingling and laughing with other partygoers as you ordered drinks from the open bar, your aura confident and carefree in a way that drew him in, and even if he weren’t already madly in love with you, if he had been a complete stranger having only seen you for the first time here today, he knew he still wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off you.

“i am,” he said, and there wasn’t an ounce of doubt in his tone.

“i’m glad,” christine said as she watched him watching you. “happiness looks good on you, stephen.”

stephen’s eyes were glued to you the entire time, waiting not so patiently for you to return to his side. he already missed having you near him. ever since he returned from the snap, he kept you close to him—physically and emotionally. it was definitely a challenge for him at first, what with not being very approachable or allowing people in for most of his adult life, but he knew he wanted to change that old mindset of his—for you. and you had been with him ever since.

“when are you going to ask her?”

stephen jolted slightly at christine’s sudden question, having forgotten she was standing beside him.

“ask who what?”

she nodded toward you from your place across the room, now with drinks in both hands as you moved gracefully yet swiftly in your heels, not a single drop spilling even as you were jostled from either side as distracted partygoers intercepted your path.

“oh,” he replied dumbly. stephen patted his jacket pocket self-consciously. “well, actually i have a—”

you approached the two now, your sudden appearance causing stephen to forgo completing the rest of his sentence. you offered one of the drinks to him and he pulled you in close, resting his free hand on the small of your back and releasing a comfortable sigh at having you in his arms again.

christine eyed you and stephen with a mischievous glint in her green eyes. “well, i better get going,” she said knowingly. “there are some other guests i should probably say hello to. thank you again for coming, i’m so glad you could make it.” and off she went to the next cluster of people, carrying on with the introductions and congratulations like clockwork.

“so what did you two talk about?” you asked stephen.

he took a sip of his drink and you watched his throat bob as he swallowed. “you.”

you choked. “what about me?”

…

“stephen, what about me?”

…

you leaned back enough so you could catch his eye. “stephen.”

he chuckled warmly and slid his arm further around your waist to bring you closer to him, the sound filling up your lungs and sliding through your veins. it was like his very being consumed every part of you. “nothing, honey.”

you hummed, not quite convinced. “somehow i don’t believe you.”

“somehow you’re just going to have to trust me, then,” he replied.

you eyed him suspiciously. “what aren’t you telling me, doctor strange?”

“i’ll tell you later,” he said, smirking at the use of his professional title. “for now, what do you say we ditch this place and head on home? we’ve stayed long enough.”

you rolled your eyes but agreed anyway, finally growing tired of the way your heels kept pinching your toes and making your every step a living hell. stephen pulled you off to an abandoned corner to create a portal that was far enough away from prying eyes.

“lead the way, magic man,” you said, entwining your hand with his as you stepped through the portal.