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sobeautifullyobsessed · 20 days

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'It's Not the Years, Honey - It's the Mileage'

a Whumped Doctor Strange one-shot

Inspired by a couple of pre Multiverse of Madness articles comparing Stephen Strange to Indiana Jones😉😁

genre: whump, hurt/comfort, light humor

rating: general audience

characters: Stephen Strange, Tess O'Neill (Healer of Kamar-Taj, OFC); established relationship; Cloak of Levitation

word count: 1.9k

It was supposed to have been date night, but Stephen was overdue. Three hours overdue. Again. Tess had taken these things in stride, right from the start. After all, you can’t be lucky enough to be the significant other of the Sorcerer Supreme without being incredibly patient, understanding, and flexible. Besides which, he was always so adorable when he finally found his way home, sincere in his apologies, and more often than not, presenting her with a fresh bouquet, which he managed to conjure even before he uttered a single word. Tonight’s transgression was bound to be a two dozen roses mea culpa--and she just knew he’d make them her favorite: pale pink American Beauties.

Not that he ever needed to. His company was dear enough recompense for any time he kept her waiting. Except for the worrying, of course, but Tess had quickly adjusted to that, and so far she hadn’t made any complaint, no matter how late her Stephen managed to show up. She’d rather spend their precious time on more pleasant pursuits--and on showing him however she could, how happy he made her simply by being...him.

And so, Tess had adjusted down their plans. First, from dinner out and a movie, to take-out and the latest blu-ray release. And then from that, to something she could whip up, quick and easy, in the Sanctum’s smaller kitchen. Stephen was bound to be hungry when he arrived, and she had a hearty pot of stew simmering on the stove and a batch of honey cornbread ready to pop into the oven while he cleaned up.

Tess had just given the stew another stir, when she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She turned to find Cloak looking battle singed and...well...harried. How this being without a face could express such a wide range of emotions was a continual wonder to her--but right now her immediate reaction was to ask if Stephen was alright.

Cloak’s collar shook a clear ‘no’, and then it tugged at her arm, to get her moving. She turned off the stove and moved the stewpot to another burner, and followed Cloak down the grand staircase. And there sat Stephen on the third step, head bowed and shoulders hunched, his bloodstained tunic rent in several places. Tess’s heart leapt to her throat, though she tried to remain calm, realizing that he needed her as a Healer tonight, far more than as the woman who loved him.

She dropped to one knee in front of him, noting that the shelf of his jaw bore a dark bruise, and that he had a nasty cut across the bridge of his nose, a black eye and a split lip. “Hey,” she said softly, reaching her sure hands towards him, studying his wounds with practiced eyes, evaluating which she should address first. Thankfully, the blood on his clothing was dried, so that Tess concluded he wasn’t actively bleeding. “What happened,” she asked quietly, concerned to see him breathe shallowly, as breathing any deeper appeared to make him wince.

“You don’t wanna know,” he muttered, as she placed both of her palms on his chest and closed her eyes, searching for any internal damage.

“Ow...ow...ow...owwwwwwww,” he grumbled, “Is this really necessary?”

Cloak was flitting back and forth, giving the closest approximation of pacing as possible. “It certainly is, as well you know...Doctor.” To that he only grunted, then followed with a heavy groan when she palpated his lower ribs and abdomen. “Stephen,” she informed him patiently, “You’ve got at least three cracked ribs...”

“I know,” he replied curtly, “Don’t you think I know that?”

Tess tried to placate him. “Of course you do--but there’s no need to be pissy about it. It’ll just take a simple healing spell to start them knitting properly together.”

“I...know,” he repeated through gritted teeth, attempting to stand. Cloak had to swoop in to keep him from landing hard on his bottom.

Tess rose and wiped her hands on her denim capris. “Cloak, can you get him up to the infirmary, so I can take care of him properly?”

Cloak nodded, but Stephen had other ideas. “No infirmary--just get me to my room...”

Honestly, doctors really do make the worst patients, she thought, although she held her tongue, telling Stephen instead, “Nope. It’s the infirmary for you.” He huffed, but didn’t speak up. “And that’s Healer’s orders, Stephen. I outrank you in this, at least for the moment...”

“Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled dismissively. He handed her his sling ring, “We can portal there--it’ll be quicker and a less bumpy trip than relying on...” He wagged his head in Cloak’s direction.

Tess had to suppress a chuckle, as Cloak’s reaction to that perceived insult was to turn its back to Stephen. “Alright,” she sighed, slipping his ring on and bringing the golden circle to life. She returned to his side and offered him a hand to help him stand up. “Just lean on me, and we’ll be there in a jiffy.”

She could feel his aversion to appearing so needy, even as he braced himself with an arm across her shoulders, but knew well that it wasn’t on her account. Stephen generally disliked showing weakness to anyone, although as their relationship had blossomed, his trust in her had been enough for him to reveal much of what he hid from the world behind sarcasm and bravado. Tess had always taken such precious trust as both a privilege and an honor. Stiff lipped against his pain and leaning on her heavily, they hobbled through the portal and Tess led him to sit on the nearest bed.

The infirmary was empty but for them, and she took a moment to close the portal, and then rushed to gather her supplies. Disinfectant and a basin of warm water, along with a washcloth and the softest, fluffiest towel she could conjure, for after she got him cleaned up. And bandages. Lots and lots of bandages. Tess returned to Stephen’s side to find him struggling to remove his tunic. She set down her things, telling him, “Here...let me...”

“I’ve...got...this.” he grunted, though it was clearly hurting him to raise his arms above his head.

“No. No you don’t,” she corrected him gently, “Please--just let me do my job, Stephen.”

“Alright...alright...” He did his best to relax as she worked the garment over his head and off. Tess gasped at the network of contusions across his shoulders and upper chest. “Dammit, Tess...that hurts!”

“I know, darling. I know.” To her relief, most of his bruises appeared superficial. “Let’s start by getting you cleaned up, okay.” Stephen nooded, and closed his eyes as she washed the cut on his nose, and several shallow scratches on his cheeks and chin, finally seeing to the split on his lower lip.

Next, she addressed the wounds on his back, circling behind him and perching on the edge of the bed. She was relieved again to find that they were rather shallow as well, and made quick work of cleansing them. Tess chose that moment to speak to him as his woman, rather than as a Healer. “You know--you’re extremely fit for a man your age, darling. But it wouldn’t hurt to be a little more careful out there.”

“It’s not the years, honey...” he snorted, “...it’s the mileage...” Stephen had stiffened despite her gentle approach, but when she applied the disinfectant, he hissed out a string of very un-Stephen-like curses.

“Don’t be such a baby,” she muttered, her patience beginning to strain.

“I’m not,” he responded petulantly.

Coulda fooled me, she thought, but bit back that retort. A few minutes more and she had his wounds properly bandaged. Tess set aside the basin and the towel, telling him, “Now let’s see about those ribs. Do you think you can lay back? It’ll be easier that way.”

“Of course I can,” he barked, “I’m not an invalid, you know.”

No, you’re just the crankiest Master of the Mystic Arts that I've ever encountered. Bravest and most selfless too, so I suppose I can forgive your churlishness.

He winced when she placed her hands on his shoulders, helping to ease him onto his back. Closing her eyes again, she skimmed her hands above the skin covering his damaged ribs, whispering the charm needed to bolster his body’s natural healing ability. Satisfied that she had succeeded once she could feel the spell take root, Tess pulled her hands away and opened her eyes. Stephen’s were closed, and his face had gone slack with a look of relief. Good enough, she concluded, hoping he would sleep a long while to aid in healing.

Still, she thought she could do a little something to speed the reduction in the nastiest of his contusions--and it would be best to try while he was asleep. She reached tentative fingers to Stephen’s right shoulder. His eyes flew open with a start, “Owwwwww...that’s still tender, you know!”

“I’m just trying to help...”

“Well...I don’t need a nurse anymore,” he groused, “I just want to sleep.”

“If you let me see to these now, you’ll feel much better in the morning...” Tess trailed her fingertips along his jaw, channeling her own energy into relieving his pain. “Any better?”

"A little,” he pouted, “But it hurts...almost everywhere...”

There seemed to be no pleasing him this way--but still, it was her nature to try. Exasperated, she blurted out, “Well, dammit, Stephen--where doesn’t it hurt?”

Looking defiant, he showed her his elbow, “Here.” Tess laid the softest kiss she could upon it.

“And...and here,” he added, pointing to his forehead, his whole demeanor softening in response to her tenderness. Cautiously, Tess leaned in and planted a loving kiss there. Momentum had turned in her favor.

Stephen pointed to his un-blackened eye, “Um...here?”

Tess smiled softly, watching his eyes flutter shut, and then brushed her lips as lightly as she could upon his eyelid. There was a moment as her face hovered over his, and the look when he opened his eyes made her heart start to melt--for within their mercurial depths, she saw both gratitude and an apology for his childish behavior. Stephen tapped his lips and murmured, “Here.”

She wondered if he felt her indulgent smile as their lips finally met, but before too long their kiss had gone from chaste to something deeper and more enduring, as he relaxed completely under her loving ministration. When she finally pulled away, Tess found that her kiss had worked a magic of its own, and her beloved Stephen was out like a light.

Tess arose and draped the sheet across him lightly, then levitated the next bed over and landed it flush against his. Her hunch was that he’d sleep through the night, but she wanted to be close by if he should need her.

Come morning, she awoke to find him gone--can’t keep a good Sorcerer down for long, she mused--but in his place, he’d left three dozen pale pink American Beauties, and a small piece of handwritten parchment. It was brief but to the point:

Thank you, honey. For everything. Love - your Stephen xx

tagging: @hithertoundreamtof23 @stewardofningishzida @ironstrange1991 @mousedetective @aphroditesdilemma @icytrickster17 @groovyqueer @battledress @aelaer @mckiwi @couldntbedamned

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strangelockd · 8 months

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His eyes & smile are just magical

#Babe looking damn fine in this photoshoot #benedict cumberbatch #because benedict cumberbatch #my muse #always and forever in my heart #doctor strange #doctor stephen strange #sherlock #stephen strange #bbc sherlock

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prettywitchiusaka · 4 months

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I'll be updating my blog with more posts tomorrow, so for now, let's celebrate No Way Home's two-year anniversary with a funny story from opening night in 2021.

I think like most people in the DS fan community, I was psyched to learn the good doctor would be in the third Spidey film (I'm pretty sure they hadn't dropped the title yet att). And I was even more psyched when we started getting more Doctor Strange projects (both in the comics and What If...?) in the second half of 2021.

In fact, I was so hyped to see my boy that it didn't occur to me until, as I was walking into the theatre with my friends that most of the people in the theatre...were there because they're either Spider-man fans, MCU fans in general, or they wanted to see all three cinematic spider-men team-up (a.k.a. the worst guarded secret for a big budget film ever!)...

What can I say? I can be a little dense sometimes. 😅

It did lead to this running joke (with myself) for whenever I talk about and/or watch No Way Home, though;

"Oh crap! Most of these people are here because they're Spidey fans, aren't they!? Uh...I see nothing! I see nothing! Don't mind me folks! I'm just here for the Dilf Sorcerer! And I will be out of your hair! Ha ha ha!...Please don't judge me! 😅"

#marvel cinematic universe #spider-man #no way home #Doctor Strange #Prettywitch Muses #Prettywitch Fangirls #single-mindedly #lol!!!#Stupid sexy Stephen!

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otometrashqueen · 1 year

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I was at the bookstore yesterday and saw the ‘Book of Vishanti’ that marvel had released and I kid you not this was the first page I opened up to!! 😩

I can’t make this stuff up!

I squealed a little in the store,

Such a cute picture of Stephen and Clea 🥺

My elation quickly turned to sadness after I read the little blurb about them 😞

“ In his subconscious mind, It is a partnership that will never be over, despite all evidence to the contrary,” 😭

This line says a lot about Stephen’s love for Clea even though he doesn’t express it very much, he keeps it hidden and close to his heart, defensively, so it can’t hurt him, under all that ego and posturing that he does, he’s really soft for his wife 🥺

Luckily, we now have the comics that are giving their relationship new life

I cling to them because their relationship means a lot to me, hopefully there are some more happy times ahead for them, they super deserve it 😩

#doctor strange #stephen strange #clea strange #cleaphen #stephen x clea #cleastrange #Clea #book of the vishanti #my musings

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mianmimi · 3 months

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I finally got around to watching What If season 2 and maaaaannnnnnnn oh man. Stephen baby. Where was this level of badassery with your powers during MoM? 🥲 Good thing the multiverse is vast. There’s bound to be a world where they showcase your brilliant magic AND give you a compelling story arc that doesn’t involve being an incel 😭 One day Stephen, one day.

#doctor strange #stephen strange #marvels what if #random musing

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jotatetsuken · 2 years

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singing in the rain

features: dr. stephen strange x f! reader

type of writing: drabble

trope: colleagues to friends to lovers

warnings: reader’s insecure about her looks, doctor strange and christine still break up, reader and strange meet up after the events of infinity war and endgame, overall it's pretty fluffy

song: singing in the rain - gene kelly

inspiration: from the moodboard @burnthoneymint made for her 3k event <333

beta reading: @/burnthoneymint (thank you so so much 😭😭 especially for the moodboard, you make such beautiful ones ♥️♥️)

(taglist form / library account, turn on notifications to be updated)

number of words: 971

a/n: finally!!! this is my first marvel writeup, and this is especially after i watched the dr. strange and the multiverse of madness movie. i forgot what it was to crush on the actor until i saw him again hehe. i hope y'all like this <33, likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated :D also, sil’s a fabulous author so go check out her works soon! (be mindful of the byf’s and dni’s)

He saw you stepping out of your house in a blue gown with (h/c) bun earrings and a silver necklace as Dr. Stephen Strange's car came up to you. As Stephen emerges from the vehicle, clad in a black suit, black trousers, a white shirt, and black shoes, his stare never leaves yours as you descend the stairs to the car, him being taken aback by your beauty. He approaches you with one hand which you hold, opens the door for you to sit in the car, and runs to his seat while maintaining eye contact with you.

He remarked, “Dr. (L/N), you look stunning!” when he got into the car.

You smile and respond meekly, “oh, really? Thank you,” while nervously tucking your hair behind your ears, your gaze fixed on the stereo.

He smiles and drives you to your normal hangout spot. You reflect on how your relationship with him has evolved in an unusual way.

While you two initially were colleagues, you as a medical researcher and him as an arrogant neurosurgeon, he was very gentle towards you, having known of your previous relationships with people like him, who were selfish workaholics, and he didn't want to treat you the same way. However, his established relationship with Dr. Christine Palmer, who was extremely nice & kind to you, despite her knowing of your feelings for him, for the sake of keeping the friendship intact, moved you, so you let it slide.

After his accident that caused him to lose control of his hands, and his attempts to restore them resulting in a breakup with Christine, you wanted to help him. So, you introduced him to Jonathan Pangborn, who'd gained miraculous healing, and encouraged Stephen to go to Kamar Taj, where he was cured. Strange, on the other hand, did not maintain in touch with you after being cured and studying the Magic of the Mystic Arts in order to keep you safe.

When you did meet him again years after he took up residence in the Sanctum Santorum and after “The Blip” occurred, in a coffee shop next to your apartment, you smiled at him, and to your surprise, he hugged you and spoke with you as if he didn’t just go to another country or another dimension or broke the laws of time for the sake of humanity.

“(Y/N),” he puts his hand on yours while you two were sitting at the table, “I need to tell you something.”

Nodding, you reply, “go ahead, Stephen.”

Taking in a deep breath, he asks, “(Y/N), I don’t know if you know this, but I’m now a-”

You put your hand forward and halt him, and say, “you’re now a superhero, is it?”

Widening his eyes, he asks, “wait, how did you know?”

You laugh and reply, “well, I saw you in the news on the streets of New York when you were fighting people,” then you shrug your shoulders and snap your fingers, “and the next thing you know, you’re taken away from the universe in a snap.”

With his mouth gaped wide open, Stephen asked, “wait, did you go away too?”

This time, you were shocked as you nodded in agreement. He then explained everything that happened and you somehow took it all in, responding calmly, “Stephen, I’m so sorry that you had to go through all that. I hope there’s something I can do to help.”

Suddenly, an idea strikes your head, “wait, are you free on Saturday?”

He tilts his head to look at you in confusion, “what for?”

You then reply with excitement, “well, I’m presenting a paper that I finally published after everything that happened at this conference, so would it be okay if you could be my plus one?”

He smiled, noticing that you were hinting at a distraction for him to be more involved with people, to which he nodded, saying, “okay, I’ll pick you up. Is that okay?”

You nod, “it’s a date.”

A few hours later, as you two left the conference room, Stephen broke the silence between the two of you, stuttering, “Dr. (L/N), that was such a beautiful presentation!”

As your eyebrows rise, you smirk, “were you talking about the presentation or about me?”

His hands were in his pockets and his eyes were pointed towards the door as he laughed, his smile turning into a frown.

“Oh, damn it!” he cried, as he held your hand and ran outside.

“Stephen, where are-” you asked as you were dragged in his direction as the clanking of your heels reverberated down the corridors until you went out the door and saw that it was pouring down rain.

He exclaimed “Oh, for goodness' sake, now what?” while you laughed hysterically.

As he furrowed his eyebrows at you, you run to the middle of the street to feel the raindrops patter against your skin. While you twirled around in the rain with your eyes closed, Stephen smiled at you and decided to join in. As he ran towards you and put his arms around your waist, jolting you out of your reverie, you focused your (e/c) orbs on his greenish-blue eyes, smiling at him as you wrapped your arms around his neck, combing through his jet-black hair and a few gray strands that tangled with the ends.

“You have such lovely eyes,” you say as you smile at him, while he strokes your cheeks and presses his lips against yours as he moves closer to you.

As you two began to kiss hard, locking lips, you didn't care about how you were soaked in the rain. After several moments, you two released each other from the kiss, keeping your foreheads touching and eye contact intact. At this moment, your heart was quietly singing in the rain.

tagging: @scandalous-chaos @leydileyla @scandescent @saintlike78 @moonbcrry @thesecretwriter @hyeque @wakatshi @akaashi-todorki @ceo-of-daichi @beware-of-the-rogue

#stephen strange x reader #dr stephen strange #doctor strange drabble #doctor stephen strange #doctor strange #dr strange x fem!reader #marvel x reader #marvel cinematic universe #shyna muses #musings of an extrovert

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thenexusofsouls · 1 year

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{i am the caretaker of souls} Just me sitting here shipping Stephen and Wanda hard because they both have heartbreaking closure to their previous loves and post-DSMoM there is such potential for real healing and bonding with them, change my mind. Except don’t, because I love the idea of this ship and all its messy hope. It would be an emotional rollercoaster, a rocky start, and forgiveness on both sides is needed, but like... the development. The slow burn. Them finding comfort in each other after losing so much. Him helping her not only because she’s a dangerous witch who needs help but also because he cares. Yes, please. Sign me up.

#{ i am the caretaker of souls } ᵒᵒᶜ #muse: stephen strange #wanda maximoff #scarletstrange

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starmen-in-the-sky · 6 months

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❛ you're always taking care of me so now it's my turn to return the favor. ❜ (Stella to Stephe )

He smiled tiredly at his daughter. She was probably the only one who could approach him while he was this sleep-deprived and not get his grumpy attitude. They've been reinforcing security checkpoints to keep trouble at bay. There had been so many cracks in security lately that they've been working seemingly over time, and not without finding trouble occasionally. The most he had were scrapes and bruises, but he was practically depleted of energy with how much magic he'd been using.

"I'm your dad. Taking care of you is my job. But if you insist...with how stubborn I am, it'll take someone with your power and authority to get me to comply," He said to her with a gentle smile.

#muse: stephen strange

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ironman-tonystark · 1 year

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I don't think Strange ever learned about the part in the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm.

#tony stark musings #shit post #tony stark #stephen strange

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aparticularbandit · 2 years

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838!Christine stands out to me in a couple of ways:

She is the only person to ask if Wanda is okay. in the entire. movie. When Stephen gets back from dreamwalking into zombie!Stephen, she asks how America is - "She's fine" - and then how Wanda is - "No" - and it is so telling to me that the only person in the entire movie actually vocally concerned with how Wanda is doing after everything is someone from an entire other universe whose only exposure to her is being chased by her like they're in a horror movie (which, admittedly, they are) and then being shoved into another universe and having to protect Stephen while he saves America. Like - she has absolutely no reason to care about how Wanda is doing, certainly not more than anyone else in the film, but she does. That stands out to me.

What kind of kooky nerd dork gets put in charge of numbering all of the universes and doesn't start with their own. Like Christine numbering all of the universes everywhere and then getting into the 800s and realizing fuck I forgot to include MY universe, we'll just put it here and hope no one notices - like if that isn't just one of the biggest moods.

#musings #dsmom #christine palmer #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #stephen strange #like these small characterization details are ones that i absolutely love #and they make her stand out to me more than she did in the first film #she's endearing

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sobeautifullyobsessed · 7 months

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how about a healthy serving of Stephen angst to warm you on a chilly autumn night...

14,000,604 ~ ch.four

Stephen reveals one of the most painful aspects of his search for a way to defeat Thanos

"…the initial attack had blasted the whole area down to bedrock, and once Thanos unleashed the full weapon fire from his ship, it cracked the remaining wall of rock that was holding back the lake.” Stephen’s voice had grown ragged, almost hoarse, as he revealed the details of the battle to come. "I’ve lost track of how many times I tried to set all the pieces in place…to marshal my forces so that enough of my fellow sorcerers would be standing ready to hold back that water—but I could never make it work. Moving just one of them away from their battle position changed the course of the overall battle by the littlest bit…“ His hand trembled badly as he held his thumb and index finger together, demonstrating the barest bit of the change that he had dared, ”…but always just enough to throw things off balance, enough that eventually Thanos triumphed—so that it always had to be me to work that spell."

Hope drew a deep breath, her eyes locked on his, and laid her hand against his cheek, like a benediction against the guilt deeply rooted in his soul. She had listened mostly in silence, only speaking up softly when he seemed to lose his train of thought, and patiently urging him to continue only if he felt up to it.

"And that was my last option,” he continued, nearing the crux of what pained him the most, “Only I could keep the battlefield from being flooded—so that the only man on the field who could secure the Stones, and use them to destroy Thanos and all of his forces, would actually have that chance.”

“But he’ll die doing it,” she surmised, “He’s going to die, and you can’t save him…”

Stephen nodded, and then hung his head, “Yes. I’ve tried and tried and tried, Hope…so damn hard…with every power at my command…with every…” He gritted his teeth, exasperated by his own uselessness, “…with every breath I’ve taken since first seeing that outcome…with the full scope of my imagination…to find a solution that won’t cost Tony Stark his life.” Stephen let his shoulders sag, the sting of his shame refreshed as he spoke his failure aloud.

“No,” Hope whispered, clasping both of his hands in hers. "No, Stephen—you have nothing to be ashamed of,” she insisted, her voice growing with conviction, "You’ve done infinitely more than any mortal man could…”

“But it wasn’t enough,” he groaned, shaking his head in denial, “I even explored more than a million outcomes, specifically looking for one where Stark’s fate would fall on me instead—but I could never make it work.” Stephen finally let his tears fall freely, grateful that he was safe in sharing the true depth of his heartache with his ever-gentle confessor. He looked to Hope again, saw only understanding and sweet mercy writ upon her face, and knew he had chosen well to trust in her. "In my old life, I took an oath to do no harm, but when I return to Titan, I’m going to have to save his life, only to ensure that this good man—this father and husband…“

In his mind’s eye, a series of images flickered at the speed of thought, from a newborn baby Morgan in her father’s arms, to her parents joy at each new milestone their child reached, through years of laughter, love, and the challenges of parenthood, and ending with the upbeat farewell that Tony had made to them both, before leaving their secluded haven to head to the Avengers compound in New York. Pepper had calmly kept her tears at bay, not wanting to alarm their precocious little girl; Tony had put on his most casual, cavalier face, but when Morgan tucked her head into the crook of his neck and reminded him that she loved him ‘3,000’, the look he’d exchanged with his wife had devastated Stephen seeing it the first time—and now, just remembering it as well, knowing it was inevitably the last time that Stark would ever hold her.

“…and true hero—will not only craft the method of our salvation, but also die to save the world,” he finished bleakly.

"Oh god,” Hope’s voice cracked with sorrow for his pain. "Stephen, please…please…believe me,” she ran her fingers through the streak of white at his temple, trying her best to assuage him, "You mustn’t do this to yourself…” She closed the little gap between them, drawing his head against her shoulder, sighing hard as she stroked his hair.

“My darling,” she crooned, the first time she had ever used such an endearment for him, “You’ve borne far too much, far too alone, for far too long. If I could just take a little of this burden from you, I’d consider myself blessed.” Through tears of compassion, she repeated his name, “Stephen…my darling, darling Stephen…you mustn’t torture yourself so.”

Soundlessly, he clung to her, his heart grown greedy for the softness she offered by simply being herself. Between this solitary, bitter journey, and the time spent in the loop with Dormammu, Stephen had lived out thousands of years apart from any companionship, let alone understanding and mercy. He had never asked for help or succor in all that time, being only ever focused on protecting and saving lives—nor had he ever expected thanks or any sort of recompense. But for the first time in what felt like an eternity, here was someone who recognized the price he paid to wear the mantle of Master of the Mystic Arts, Time-Stone Wielder and Protector, and guardian of this reality—and often even more.

“Yes, dear,” she murmured, feeling him relax in her arms, while laying the softest kisses he’d ever known on his cheek and near his ear, “Let it go for at least a little while. Know that you’ve done your best, Stephen; that no man could possibly do, or give more, than you already have.”

“It doesn’t feel that way,” he husked against the tender flesh of her neck, breathing in her sunshine warmth and the pale, citrusy scent of her skin. Another memory he would be sure to carry with him into the inescapable future.

“I know, darling,” she whispered against his ear, “I know—but trust me in this, okay?”

Stephen nodded and inhaled deeply, feeling her calm start to fill his lungs, replacing a share of his guilt with relief. When he finally felt ready, he sat back in his chair; Hope was quick to smooth the tears from his cheeks, “You are the best man I've ever known, Stephen Strange. Strong. And kind. And good." Words that felt to him like they came straight from her tender heart. She exhaled slowly, and the knot of anxiety and despair that had been lodged in his chest for a thousand years, began to unclench as he read the truth on her sweet face. "Now, my darling, beautiful, Stephen," she continued calmly. Gently. Lovingly. "There’s something you need to remember…something you might not have thought of…okay?”

He cupped one of her hands against his cheek and nodded again, even managing the ghost of a smile in answer to her request.

“Good.” She gave him the same sort of smile back. "Two things, really. First, that because of you, Tony Stark is going to survive Titan, and have those five beautiful years with Pepper and their daughter. From what you’ve described, it sounds like the life they have, the love they share, is something most people never even get to experience.”

"Alright,” he agreed, for she echoed what the small voice in the back of his mind had been insisting for some time now. "And?”

"And…” she informed him firmly, yet with the same gentleness that marked her regard for him at every turn, “…from everything you’ve told me about Tony Stark, I’m absolutely certain that if given the choice, he would step up to save the world for their sake alone. Don’t you think so?”

He had been so exhausted for so long, and so immersed in his guilt and desperation, that such an idea had not really occurred to Stephen. Now he could almost hear how Stark might exclaim it: If the only way they survive—and that Earth survives—is for me to lose…well, hell, I gotta be on board with that. Stephen closed his eyes, and his breathing slowed and steadied, as he shed another share of the guilt that had become his unflagging companion on this ponderous quest.

"Yes," Hope urged him, "Your burden is heavy enough already without piling on the responsibility for the choice which Stark is bound by his own nature, to make."

He nodded, the warmth of her palm against his cheek soothing him in equal measure to the wisdom of her words. "I don't think I realized until just now how much I needed to hear someone say that," he admitted, looking into her eyes once more, and seeing the gentlest of affirmations there.

Hope's brow furrowed a moment, as though she was perplexed, though her voice held no reproach, "You mean I haven't told you this already, in your previous visits here?"

"I never gave you the chance to," he confessed, regretting that choice in light of her merciful, sympathetic response. "I never confided the entire story to you before."

She hummed softly at that revelation, mulling it over. "Okay...I, uh...I guess I can understand that. But, um..." she lowered her eyes and hesitated a moment, "...what makes this time so different?"

Although Stephen was sure that she had already guessed the reason, he knew he owed her the answer. "Because this time, when I go back," his voice broke with the sad truth of it, "It's going to be for good.

Hope nodded and a couple of tears spilled from beneath her lowered lashes, sympathetic tears for the inevitability of his burden. "I kinda figured that was...that was why." When she met his eyes again, hers shone bright with further tears withheld. "I'm so sorry, Stephen. I wish there was more I could do than just...offer you words...I..." she sighed, "I wish you didn't have to face this all alone."

An unexpected sense of peace filled his chest, and spread throughout his body like the warm flow of blood in his veins. "Oh, honey," he promised her, "I won't be entirely alone. Not anymore. Stephen gathered her other hand in his, and lightly traced his thumb back and forth along the heart and life lines on her palm. "That's your gift to me, Hope. I'm here right now because I knew that you could grant me that last little bit...," he gave her a quiet, bittersweet smile, "...of very human, very humane magic. And that's exactly what I've been needing to see me through to the end of this battle."

Her smile at that was sunshine breaking through thunderheads, so lovely and purely for him that his heart felt like to burst with the bloom of love---the seeds of which had lain dormant since his life had been stolen from him in the shadow of that invading spaceship, too long ago for him to even reckon properly now.

Hope bit her lip, eyeing him with curiosity and her ready humor. "So, tell me, Mr. Remarkable---what comes next?"

"Well," he began, grinning at the nickname she had given him on the day they had met, "I was hoping you would stay with me a while longer. Now that I've nearly reached the end, I believe I can afford a little time to just...be. To simply enjoy your company. Maybe we can sit beneath that silver maple in Washington Square Park again, and I can finally breathe air clean of the haze of battle and feel the sun shine on my face after so much smoke and darkness." And death, he might have added, but for the happiness his suggestion had brought to her face. "And I'm going to take a long, hot shower, because it's been literally a thousand years since I had that luxury."

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything," she teased him, "But you might wanna do just that."

Stephen narrowed his eyes, enjoying her return to playfulness, for it was a form of healing that he had prayed to find in her. Cherishing every moment of their now, while his heart stored all of them up for future comfort---for he still did not know what future awaited him, let alone Hope, once the endgame of this epic, universal struggle played out in full.

“Alright then,” Hope concluded, rising and beginning to clear the dishes away, rinsing them quickly before depositing them in the dishwasher, “Whatever the Master of the Mystic Arts needs, I’m more than happy to provide---it’s the very least that I can do for the salvation of the universe.”

Silently, Stephen stood up while she went about her task, fascinated with---and grateful for---her resiliency, and thanking the universe that had seemed to be so unendurably cruel since Bruce Banner had come crashing through the Sanctum roof, for finally giving him a measure of mercy. He took Hope by surprise, sliding an arm around her waist, and turning her to face him. “Just leave the salvation of the universe in my hands, honey. It’s enough for me that you’re seeing to my own.” With that, he kissed her breathless, before they left the Sanctum arm in arm, in search of sunshine enough to ward off the darkness that awaited him once he resumed his dread task.

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#my writing #ANGST #with a wee side of comfort #14000604 #Doctor Strange #Stephen Strange #Hope Collins #OFC #OC #doctor strange fan fiction #doctor strange fanfiction #stephen strange fanfiction #stephen strange fan fiction #avengers: endgame #Endgame #Strangebatch #My Eternal Muse #Benedict Cumberbatch

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