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val-kay-rie · 3 years ago

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Good Day {Steven Grant x Reader}

Summary: You and Steven work at the museum together, little did he know you had a crush on the man. After getting yourself into trouble, you and Steven are both punished with an evening in inventory.

Warnings: None! Spoilers for Moon Knight ep 1. Pure fluff.

“You’re late.”

“Good morning to you too Donna.”

You felt rough. Your head was banging and everything was a little too bright. Throwing your jacket on the counter, you leant with your elbows on the surface, putting your face in your hands as you groaned.

“Late night?” Donna questioned, chewing gum as she folded her arms. You only groaned once more in response. “Go out for some nice cocktails? Go on the pull?” She continued, as you knew she was trying to irate you, almost as punishment.

“Please-“ You huffed. “Don’t mention alcohol.” You fought the urge to gag.

“I can smell it on ya.” She raised a brow. “Did you even brush your teeth?” You rolled your eyes as you turned to look at her before pursing your lips and blowing air in her direction with a small smile. She grimaced, shaking her head.

“Get yourself in a tidier state.” She looked you up and down. “We’ve got 3 school trip visits today, don’t want the teachers thinking I’m running AA meetings in a museum.” You watched as she waltzed off, you fought the urge to make a retort, lamely grabbing your jacket from the counter as you dragged yourself towards the staff locker room.

You stood at the information desk, feeling your eyes itching to close shut. Luckily you’d found a brush in your locker, deciding you had better try at least to look more presentable. It was a Wednesday. You had gone out on a Tuesday night. You were hanging on a Wednesday. God, you’d hit a new low. Rubbing your temples you didn’t notice the person approaching your desk, the chattering of kids around the museum was making your headache worse.

“Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey.”

You jumped at the sudden voice in front of you as you felt relieved to see a friendly face. Steven stood before you, a smile on his lips as he held up a pastry bag in one hand and a coffee in a takeaway cup in the other. You almost gagged at the smell of food.

“If you don’t take that bag away from me in the next two seconds, you’re gonna have vomit over your shirt.” He furrowed his brows at your words as he slowly dropped his arms in defeat. “I’ll take the coffee though.” You pursed your lips, reaching out in a grabby gesture as he immediately popped the cup in your hand.

“Late night?” He asked, raising a brow as you hummed, taking a gulp of the hot liquid.

“Don’t give me the lecture, Donna has already done that.” You placed the coffee down on your desk next to the leaflet stand as he looked at you closely. “Heads-up, she’s on a warpath today.”

“Oh, brilliant.” He nodded slightly, holding the strap of his bag that hung off his shoulder. “Have you seen the new posters?” He gestures over his shoulder to the entrance. You shook your head.

“Not going to lie Steven, I can just about see you.” You commented.

“Right.” He paused. “Well, they’re wrong. I was gonna tell Donna, but if she’s in a mood- Best not.” He muttered the last part as you laughed lightly.

“Unless you want to be stuck on inventory, I’d suggest against it.” You agreed, but before he could respond, one of the new tour guides had approached you both. You looked over at her as she came over, a sultry smile on her face.

“So, we still on for tomorrow?” The woman asked, smirking at the man before you.

You furrowed your brows, taking another sip of your coffee as you felt somewhat awkward in the conversation.

“Sorry?” Steven also seemed to have furrowed brows.

“Steak House? Seven o clock?” She paused. “Best steak in town apparently.” She raised a brow, tilting her head slightly. You peered at Steven, who looked extremely lost at the conversation.

“Are- Are you asking me out?” He questioned as the woman laughed lightly.

“You’re funny.” She stepped back, holding her walkie in her hand as she began to turn away. “See you then.” As she left, you watched at Stevens confusion.

“A date, huh?” You raised a brow, breaking the silence. Steven wore a small smile. You couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealously hit you. Truth be told, you had developed a small crush on the man. He was sweet, kind, smart and incredibly handsome. It was hard not to. Sure, he was a little odd, but that wasn’t a bad thing. “Kept that one quiet.”

“Yeah… Yeah, I did didn’t I?” He pondered for a moment. “So quiet I don’t even remember doing it.”

“Sounds like I wasn’t the only one drinking last night.” You joked, placing your cup back down, before feeling your stomach rumble. Sighing you reached out your hand once again. “I’ll take that pastry now.” He seemed spaced out, before registering what you had said and gave it to you.

“I- I better get to clocking in.” He said, still dazed, as you rolled your eyes.

“Men.” You muttered under your breath, abandoning your post to go scoff down the pastry, although you weren’t entirely sure it was fully due to being hungry…

“Oi!”

You groaned, your head falling back as you heard the familiar voice call to you.

“And where the bloody hell have you been?” You turned, seeing Donna walking towards you just as you were heading back to your desk.

“The loo.” You lied. “Really needed to take a pi-“ She shh’d you as a group of kids wondered by as she sent them all a wide smile.

“Is that why you’ve got crumbs all round ya mouth?” She raised a brow, as you quickly went to wipe away the left over evidence of the pastry you had eaten. “Surprised you could stomach it after the state you were in this morning.” You shrugged, going back round to your desk, as you grabbed the empty coffee cup, throwing it in the bin. Donna pursed her lips, before leaning on the desk in front of you. “Have you heard about our Stevie?” She smirked. “Bagged himself a date. I don’t know how he did it.” You gave her a forced tight smile.

“Well, he’s a nice enough guy.” You tried to pretend to not care. “And she seems like a nice enough lady.” Donna narrowed her eyes, seemingly analysing you as you frowned. “What?”

“You like him.” She said in realisation as she wore a cocky smile on her lips, standing up straight. You laughed, shaking your head.

“Don’t be stupid.” You scoffed.

“You do, you like Giftshop Stevie.” She smirked, feeling pleased with her conclusion. You rolled your eyes, ignoring her as you began to pretend to arrange leaflets. “He likes you too, you know.” You gave her a glance, before choosing to ignore her still. “He’s always bringing you breakfast when you’re on the same shift. Don’t think I ain’t noticed the sneaky cups of coffee.” You stopped, letting the leaflets fall out of your hands onto the desk.

“Donna, please, I have a headache, the lights are too bright, I feel sick and there are kids running around the place asking me if mummies come to life at night like in night at the museum, please, can we drop it?” You snapped as she kept her smirk, wiggling her brows as she decided to leave you be. The last thing you needed was her meddling. Or knowing that you did in fact like Steven.

The next week rolled around pretty quickly. You hadn’t seen Steven in a few days, guessing he was sick. However, upon your arrival today, you saw Steven was already at work, stood at the gift shop counter as you heading straight towards him. He looked tired. More than usual. And a little on edge. Approaching him, you gave him a wide smile.

“Hey stranger.” You greeted him as he looked up at you. “Where have you been? I’d started to think Donna had murdered you and hid your body in one of the sarcophaguses.” You joked as he gave you a slight smile at your words.

“No, just been… A little out of sorts the last few days.” He told you, as you sent him a concerned stare.

“How’d the date go?” You asked, curious. You began picking at your fingers to try and play it off cool.

“Not good.” He told you shortly. “My fault. Entirely.” He sighed, looking disappointed, as you gave him a small smile.

“Hey, it’s ok.” You shrugged. “Plenty of lucky ladies out there looking for a guy like you.” You said without even thinking, his eyes lit up a little at your comment.

“Ha.” He shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that.” He said defeatedly. You furrowed your brows at his words.

“Well, I am.” You told him sternly. “Now, I’m gonna go put my stuff away, then I’m gonna go stand behind that damn information desk for the next six hours wanting to shoot my brains out.” You said with a wide smile as he laughed lightly at your statement.

You couldn’t help but feel somewhat happy his date didn’t go well. You felt awful feeling that way. Of course, you were upset for him, he was clearly excited about it. But the selfish part of you felt relieved that you still had a chance. If you could ever get yourself to admit it to him.

When you’d come back out onto the floor, you saw Steven at his counter, but he wasn’t alone. The woman from the date… She was stood there… And she didn’t look happy. Steven looked cornered. You narrowed your eyes, approaching the pair.

“I hope you deleted my number.” You could hear her telling him. “I can’t believe I ever gave you a shot!”

“Look- I’m-I’m so so sorry.” Steven was apologising profusely, holding his hands up in surrender. “I don’t know what happened-“

“I do! You, Steven, are just like the rest of them-“

“Woah woah woah.” You cut in, scoffing as the woman turned to you. “Easy there Tiger, let’s cool it down, yeah?” You looked at her, trying to defuse the situation as Steven looked like a deer caught in headlights. The woman laughed, looking you up and down.

“It’s her isn’t it.” She turned back to him, glaring at him. “You stood me up, for her?” You furrowed your brows.

“N-no- I didn’t stand you up!” He exclaimed. “I-I mean, I did, but I didn’t!” He tried to explain.

“You had your chance. You blew it. Delete my number. Weirdo.”

You instantly felt rage as you narrowed your eyes. She turned to leave as she prepared to walk away. You shook your head, feeling the heat rushing to your ears as you tried to stay calm. Steven quickly noticed the change in your posture. He could see what was coming.

“I want this.” A child’s voice spoke as he looked over to see a small girl stood at the counter, a keyring in her hand.

“O-one sec.” Steven told her before he rushed round from behind the counter, seeing you go to move towards the woman. He quickly grabbed your wrist, pulling you back before you could get to her.

“(Y/N).” He said to you, trying to calm you down. “It’s fine, leave it. It was my fault.” He told you gently.

“Doesn’t give her the right to be a stuck up bit-“

“Excuse me, Mr, I want to buy this.” A small voice stopped you from finishing the sentence, as you both looked over to see the little girl still stood at the counter with the keyring in her hand.

“Stevie!”

You both sighed at the familiar voice of Donna.

“What are you doing?” She exclaimed, walking over to the both of you, seeing how close the two of you were and how annoyed you appeared. She sighed. “Right that’s it. Stock room. Now.” She narrowed her eyes. “Both of you are on inventory.”

“I can explain-“ Steven tried but she wasn’t having any of it.

“Both of you are starting to take liberties.” She commented sternly. “Grab a hand set and go.”

Rolling your eyes, you pulled your arm away from Steven’s grip, as you began to storm off, heading in the direction of the stock room. Steven apologised to Donna, before quickly stumbling after you.

“Can I buy this now?” The little girl asked as Donna sighed, forcing a smile onto her lips as she went behind the counter to serve the little girl.

You both sat in silence, as you counted stock on opposite ends of the room. You felt stupid. You’d overreacted. But the woman deserved it. She didn’t know Steven like you did. You felt embarrassed. You had allowed yourself to get heated in a conflict that wasn’t your fight. And now Steven probably thought you were an idiot. Or even worse. However, unbeknownst to you, Steven had been feeling like the idiot. He kept glancing at you out the corner of his eye, hoping you’d make a witty comment to break the tension. He would’ve, but he felt like he had upset you. However, one of you would have to speak at some point to make the shift go quicker.

“I still haven’t told Donna the posters wrong.”

You peered over at him, as you saw him glancing over at one of the posters that sat in the room.

“I think if I did, she would definitely murder me and hide my body in a sarcophagus.” He joked as you let out a small breathy laugh.

“If looks could kill, we would both be dead right now.” You replied. “‘Both of you are starting to take liberties’” You mimicked her as Steven let out a laugh, the tension slowly easing. “I’m sorry I got us stuck in here.” You said softly, sighing. “I don’t know what came over me.” You muttered, scanning another item of stock.

“It’s alright. Beats being out there.” He commented. “This table is so much bigger than my counter.” He joked. “And don’t worry about it. Friends stick up for friends, right?” He shrugged, also scanning another item. He didn’t notice you staring at him.

Friends.

“Y-yeah.” You nodded, clearing your throat. “She was well out of order.” You raised a brow. “She doesn’t even know you. Who is she to judge.” You angrily scanned another item. Steven stayed quiet for a moment, before speaking.

“Honestly though, I understand why she’s mad.” He began. “It was my fault, I missed the date. Got the days wrong.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Well, I didn’t get the days wrong, I thought it was Friday… But it was Sunday.” He explained softly, his eyes glazed over slightly as he seemed a little dazed. “I don’t know how it even happened. I fell asleep on Thursday, and woke up and it was Sunday.” You furrowed your brows at his words.

“Steven-“ You put down your handset and walked closer to him. “Have you spoken to someone about this?” You inquired softly. He shook his head, laughing lightly.

“They’d lock me up.” He raised a brow, scanning another item. “Put the loony in the loony bin.” He tried to joke, but you could see through it. He was genuinely worried. “Besides it’s fine, it’s just a sleep disorder.”

“Yeah, but maybe speaking to your GP will help put your own mind at rest.” You suggested. “And they won’t throw you in a loony bin.” You retorted. “Even if they did, I’d break you out.” You smirked, he stared at you across the table. “What? I can’t risk not getting my breakfast on my morning shifts can I?” You teased as he gave you a small smile. Anyone else would’ve been alarmed at his words, but you took it on the chin. You didn’t seem to be bothered… Only concerned… For him. For his well being.

“Is that all I am to you?” He raised an amused brow. “The breakfast bringer?” You hummed in thought.

“Pretty much, yeah.” You nodded playfully as you both stared at each other before laughing together. “You’re a great guy Steven.” You paused. “You need to start believing it.” You wondered back to your section of the stock room as he watched you closely, a new look in his eye as he pondered your words.

Finally. You were done. Donna ended up making you both stay over time to finish the stock count. You didn’t particularly mind. You had Steven for company, plus it got it done quicker than you had imagined with the two of you on the job.

“Thank god that’s over.” You commented as you both stood in the entrance to the museum. It was dark out and even inside the museum was darker since the main lights were off. Only display cabinet lamps were on which emitted a low glow throughout the rooms. “I think I’ve got cramp in my thumb.” You wiggled it. “Those damn handsets.” You muttered as Steven smiled slightly at you.

“You get used to it.” He then made a point of wiggling his thumbs in front of your face as you wafted his hand away. “I’m a pro at inventory.” He said. “In fact, you could call me Steventory.” You cringed at his bad joke as he also pulled a face. “I don’t know why I said that.”

“Yeah.” You laughed lightly. “Wasn’t your best.” You told him as he couldn’t help but smile with you.

“Yeah, I need to start thinking before I speak.” He replied, as you both still stood at the entrance of the museum. It seemed like neither of you wanted to move. In fact, you felt like you wanted to stay all night, just to be with him. “Whenever I stay late, I always think of that movie.” He continued on, breaking you out of your thought. “The one where all the exhibits come to life.” You raised a brow.

“Night at the Museum?” You asked as he clicked his fingers.

“Yes! That’s it.” He nodded. “Too bad they got rid of Dippy the dinosaur.” He joked as you rolled your eyes at his antics.

“Steven, you would shit your pants if a dinosaur exhibit came to life.” You laughed, as he seemed to ponder for a moment, seemingly imagining the situation.

“Hmm.” He raised his top lip for a second. “Yeah, I think you’re right you know.” He agreed, as you found yourself staring at him with an amused expression on your face.

Sweet Steven.

You both looked at each other for a few seconds before you pulled your gaze away, much to Steven’s disappointment. You cleared your throat, pulling out your phone as you checked the time.

“I should probably get going.” You told him, a hint of your own disappointment in your voice.

“Y-yeah.” He stuttered out. “Course. Can’t keep you here all night.” He breathed out. You gave him one last glance before beginning to walk towards the doors to the museum as he followed a few steps behind. Finally, you were outside, the brisk cold air touching your skin as you shivered slightly at the change in temperature.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.” You told him, as you prepared to split ways.

“Yup, 10am sharp.” He gave a small awkward smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring the usual. Can’t have your breakfast bringer letting you down.” You smirked at his words before turning to leave. You walked down the steps, leaving Steven stood still at the top as he watched you leave.

Unbeknownst to you, he was having an internal battle. He liked you. A lot. You were the only one in the museum to get his name right. You were the only one in the museum to make time for him. You were the only one in the museum to listen to him rant about random Ancient Egypt facts. Hell, you were the only one in his life who seemed to care.

“Oh… Bugger it.” He muttered to himself as he quickly began to move down the steps, making his way after you.

You couldn’t help but feel a little sad that the evening was over. Sure, you couldn’t wait to get home and get to bed, but spending time with Steven was always worth it. God, how were you ever going to get over your stupid crush if he kept being so… so… Steven! You sighed to yourself.

“(Y/N)!”

You furrowed your brows at the familiar voice yelling after you, as you turned, seeing a rather out of breath Steven approaching you. You looked at him confused, as he stopped, leaning over for a moment with his hands on his knees.

“Steven what are you-“ You tried to ask, but he held up a hand.

“H-hold on-“ He breathed out as he stood back up straight. “God, they make it look so effortless in the movies.” He put his hands on his hips as you still looked at him bewildered.

“Make what look effortless?” You inquired, raising a brow.

“Oh well.. Er-“ He seemed to stumble over his words. “Y’know, when the guy c-chases after the girl-“ He awkwardly said as you felt your heartbeat fasten by his words.

“What? What are you trying to say?” You asked, your voice barely above a whisper as you felt nervous.

“I’ve been told, I need to grab life by the balls-“ He began, before closing his eyes and shaking his head. “N-no, that’s not how I’m starting this. Ignore that last bit.” You raised a brow at him, anticipation evident on your face. “I guess what I’m trying to say is…” He stated at you, eyes a little unsure but full of warmth. “You’re lovely.” He blurted out finally. “You are one of the nicest people I know, and bringing you breakfast is the highlight of my day.” You felt your heart melt at his words, as a small smile crept its way onto your lips. “Even when you are grumpy from a hangover.” He joked as you narrowed your eyes at him playfully. “So, what I’m trying to say… is… is-“

“I like you too.” You told him, your impatience taking over. Bless him. He seemed instantly relieved by your admission.

“Y-you do?” He asked, so innocently and almost child like. You laughed and nodded.

“Yes.” You confirmed. “It’s not so hard to believe is it? I mean… I meant what I said before… You’re a great guy… You need to start believing it.” He looked at you so softly, it made your stomach do flips, the cold suddenly not bothering you anymore as you felt warm inside.

“That went better than I expected.” He breathed out. “Don’t quite know what to do now.” He admitted as you smirked.

“Maybe exchanging numbers would be a good first step?” You suggested as he nodded.

“Yes. Yes!” He said enthusiastically, as he grabbed his phone from his jacket pocket, allowing you to pop in your number. “Good plan. Very good plan. Excellent.” You smiled at his excitement, you don’t think you’d ever gotten this much happiness from the man before. You handed back his phone after popping in your number. He seemed to be staring at the number on the screen for a little while as you laughed lightly.

“It’s my actual number. Don’t worry.” You joked as he immediately popped his phone away, nodding at your words. “I better go though. Otherwise I will not want to get up for work tomorrow. Then you will have to drink two coffees and eat two pastries.” You told him as he smiled.

“Yes. Right. Of course.” He stepped back slightly. “I’ll text you.” He told you as you nodded briefly.

“You better.” You smiled at him. “Goodnight, Steven.” You gave him one last look before turning away and continuing your walk to your bus stop.

“Night!” He called after you. “Don’t let the bed bugs bite!” You smirked to yourself at his words, as he furrowed his brows, slapping himself on the forehead with the palm of his hand at his words. “Why would you say that? That wasn’t cool.” He muttered to himself as he himself turned and walked the opposite direction to you, peering back every so often to watch you walking away.

Well… Today ended up being a good day.

#fic rec

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val-kay-rie · 4 years ago

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Apprenticeship Romance (Doctor Strange x Reader)

Summary: After obtaining a nasty injury that causes you to lose some of your memories, you are sent to the sanctum by the avengers, in hopes of your healing and maybe mastering new skills to defend yourself. You become Stephen's apprentice and with time you slowly fall in love with each other.

Warnings: Injury, cuss words, maybe some grammar/spelling mistakes. overall, okay tho.

A/N: My first Stephen imagine; hope you like it. Not what I hoped for but I can say it turned out pretty decent. hope you like it tho.

Word Count: 3,808

It was a Friday afternoon that really put everything into perspective for Stephen.

He had been mentoring you since you'd arrived at the sanctum three months ago. And he, whether he'd admit to it or not, was completely smitten by you the moment he had laid eyes on you.

You were a biologist who worked alongside the Avengers, namely Tony Stark and Bruce Banner, helping them out with research and experiments whenever needed.

You used to work alongside Bruce in the Virginia University lab and had become close friends with him over time. When he turned into the Hulk, you didn't back down and cut him off, but instead, you stood by his side and supported him.

Thus, when the Avengers initiative came to be, you'd be the one they'd call on for help whenever they had scientific concerns. You had even helped design some of the machines that doctor Cho uses.

But your relationship with the Avengers wasn't all mellow sometimes; sometimes a group of bandits would use you to get back at the Avengers, and sometimes that'll result in near-fatal injuries and partial memory loss.

Yeah...sometimes it got really bad.

When you got kidnapped by a group of bandits, getting severely hurt in the process, the Avengers vowed to do what they can to keep you, their dear friend, safe.

So, they cashed in a favour with the renowned master magician.

They had phoned him, requesting that he'd take you under his wing, keep you safe in the sanctum, and maybe even teach you the mystic arts while he's at it, in hopes of helping your memories return and to ensure that you'd be able to defend yourself if ever needed.

Not that you'd ever need to...right?

Once you were able to walk and function again, the Avengers arranged your moving to the sanctum, preparing a vehicle and providing you with all needed commodities. Banner even stayed with you the first two days of your stay at the sanctum to help you settle in.

The first day at the sanctum was probably the most embarrassing experience of your life.

You and Stephen had gotten acquainted before, many weeks before your accident, but you didn't remember a thing about him. All you knew were a few details you'd picked up from when the Avengers would talk about him. You knew his name, and that he was once a neurosurgeon, you also knew that he'd acquired a career-ending injury that resulted in him turning to the sanctum for help, however, the details of said injury were unknown to you.

When you'd met Stephen, or rather re-met him, your first thoughts were of awe at how beautiful of a man he was. He was probably one of the most handsome men you'd ever seen, if not the most handsome.

But the meeting was awkward as fuck.

Tony had, somehow, failed to mention the most important detail of your injury, resulting in Stephen being absolutely clueless to your amnesia.

When you'd looked at him, confused, expecting him to introduce himself to you, he felt rather insulted. He truly thought that you were pretending to not know him, and that had quite the impact on his ego, especially considering how smitten he was, and still is, by you.

When he hadn't said anything to you, you took it upon yourself to find out of his identity.

"And you are...?" you question him tentatively after Wong had introduced himself to you.

Stephen frowned at you, looking annoyed, yet his eyes portrayed the hurt he'd tried to hide. He thought you cared enough to at least remember him.

"Do you think this is funny?" he asked you, his tone angry.

You stared at him with wide eyes, your mouth hung loose slightly. His tone was so intense that you had to fight off a gasp at his reply.

oh...so he was someone I knew then.

"I'm sorry...whoever you are, but since my accident, I can't seem to remember half the shit I once knew. So, if you wouldn't mind, can you tell me who you are?" you requested of him, your tone quiet and slightly apologetic.

Stephen stared, baffled, but before he could question you further, banner interrupted.

"Y/N, this is Stephen Strange, also known as Doctor Strange. He's the Sorcerer Supreme here at the sanctum and will be helping mentor you," he informed you quickly. He'd begun to notice some of the students at the sanctum had begun to stare at you and you and Stephen and wanted to prevent you from noticing, fearing what would happen if the stress of embarrassment would take place.

But he was too late, you had already noticed the inquisitive and criticising stares that were being shot at you, and you couldn't help but curve onto yourself slightly, feeling self-conscious.

"I take it Stark didn't fully explain the details of Y/N's um...injury, did he?" Bruce asked with a chuckle, attempting to ease the tension.

"No, I guess he did not," Stephen answered, his eyes not leaving your form.

Wong showed you to your room as Bruce accompanied Stephen to his office to explain your situation to him.

You felt embarrassed that you'd had to put Bruce into that situation, especially knowing that he wasn't that close to strange and didn't fancy chatting with those he didn't know.

The judgemental stares you felt on your back weren't helping, and neither were the whispers about you being "that avengers' girls".

You were thankful once you made it to your room, finally able to relax now that you were alone.

You fixed up the room to your preference, took a quick shower, and hopped into the surprisingly soft bed, cursing Stark and hoping that tomorrow would bring better fortune.

Your hopes were misplaced... a little.

Stephen took the day as an opportunity to grill you with question after question about your injury.

How did it take place? When did it happen? What do you still remember? Any other side effects? What were you hoping to achieve with your stay?

"Fuck Stephen, I don't remember much honestly. All know is that a group of bandits took me hostage and roughed me up a bit as retaliation for what the Avengers did to their associates," you answered.

"Honestly, I don't know what I've forgotten...considering that, you know, I forgot it," you replied to that question with a chuckle. "According to Bruce, I've forgotten most of what I knew about herbology, despite me working with it for quite some time." you chuckled once more.

Stephen had merely nodded to your answer, presenting no other reaction.

"I also forgot how I met Steve, Natasha and Wanda; I remember some flashes...but not a complete enough memory for it to provide meaningful context. I also don't remember you entirely, or the past three weeks before my accident, merely just some bits and pieces, like me picking up the Avengers' coffee at a Starbucks, or driving home late at night and listening to my playlist, just stupid shit like that." you continue.

Stephen nods once more, signalling you to continue.

"And I'm here because...well, the Avengers sent me here. They wish to protect me, and they believe that this place is relatively safer than the outside world. They also believe that if I were to learn the mystic arts, I can maybe help heal my scrambled brain." you finished with a chuckle as you point to your head to add emphasis.

Stephen remained quiet, looking at you with calculating eyes.

You began to fidget with your fingers nervously, not understanding his silence.

"Anything else?" you asked shyly, his gaze having quite the effect on you.

"No." he'd replied before whisking you up and dragging you behind him to the practice area.

"Any good with these?" he questioned as he picked up two escrima sticks.

You nodded with a nervous chuckle.

He smiled in reply and threw you one, which you caught mid-air.

"I used to practice with Thor and Nat, but I've forgotten most of what they've taught me," you say.

"But were you any good?"

"I believe I was," you answered.

"Good. You don't forget muscle memory, Y/N." he'd informed before lunging at you, forcing you into a defensive position, attempting to ward off his attacks.

Eventually, your body started to take control and initiating swift attacks, countering those of Stephen's.

Your little match ended an hour later after you somehow managed to trip Stephen so hard that he merely groaned and didn't even attempt to get up.

You had rushed to his side, checking up on him, making sure you hadn't seriously hurt him. Embarrassment flooded your system; you've only been here for a day and you had already caused someone injury.

He had waved you off as he stood, trying to ward off the pain. Despite that you had just beat his ass, he felt...unbothered, perhaps proud too.

You apologized countless times before meekly running off to your room to shower, hoping the warm water would loosen your now-sore muscles.

In the weeks that followed he tried to teach you the mystic arts, alongside physical training such as escrima and hand to hand combat.

You were shit at the beginning, but Stephen was patient with you, something that he rarely ever is.

And slowly, with time, you improved. You were now able to picture a place and form a portal to it, albeit small. Still, a portal is a portal.

Stephen was your number one cheerleader, gathering you into his arms and jumping excitedly with you when you made your first portal, spending late nights reading and explaining books on the mystic arts to you. He'd even reward you with small, bite-size cookies every time you'd answer a question correctly whenever he'd quiz you after explaining a new concept to you.

Sometimes, your nights would be spent sitting side by side in the library, listening to his many playlists as he'd drop factoids about every song that plays. You'd always laugh at how adorably excited he'd get whenever he'd remember a detail about the song and excitedly share it with you.

It was more than just sharing song factoids or mystic knowledge. It was Stephen sharing himself with you, letting you in and allowing you to explore his very being, intertwining yourself with his every fibre.

He had begun to look forward to every minute you'd get to spend together. He found himself laughing more often with you around, setting out the inner child trapped in him loose so he'd mingle with you. Eventually, he started to crave your touch, your laugh, and your mere presence.

He just wanted to be there for you, with you, around you.

Your presence, just as it brought him elation, also brought a deep sense of calm and stability that he'd never had before you.

He was yearning for your presence, and not just for his own benefit, but also in hopes of returning the favour and bringing you the same tranquillity you bring him.

You wouldn't part his thoughts. Every waking moment was spent pondering about you, and how your smile made his heart skip, or how your nose scrunch was the most adorable thing ever, and even how your small touches brought him a sense of euphoria that he couldn't explain.

Every sleeping moment was spent entertaining thoughts of you as well. How you'd feel, cuddled up in his arms, your head against his neck, or how his lips would feel against your neck, or against your lips or maybe even against your--

Stephen is irrevocably, undeniably and utterly in love with you.

He didn't even realize it as it came to happen, didn't realize how he'd let his barriers down enough for you to worm your way through his chest and make a home in his ribcage, every beat of his heart thumping out whispers of your name.

But he was terrified.

Because he didn't know that you thought about him too.

Didn't know that you yearn for his lips against yours, dream of his lips on your neck, fantasize about holding him in your arms, muse about bringing him blissfully sweet pleasure.

He didn't know how you'd itch with the urge to run into his office to spend time with him, chatting about magic, or Wong's Beyonce obsession, or anything really, it didn't matter as long as you were with him.

He didn't know about the joy and safety you'd feel around him, or about the warmth that'd fill your chest every time his name was mentioned.

You are irrevocably, undeniably and utterly in love with Stephen.

But you were both cowards and decided not to confess these feelings, holding this secret close to your chests, hoping the other wouldn't figure it out in fear of rejection.

What fools you were.

Whatever fear you both felt at the thought of your little secrets being out in the open did not compare to the mind-numbing, heart-gripping terror that came to be on that cursed Friday afternoon.

Stephen was away from the sanctum that day.

Three days prior, on Wednesday, he had been sent an ominous note informing him about a valuable artefact that could help protect the timeline better and ward off any unwanted guests, preventing them from tampering with time and reality.

Stephen's curiously piqued, thus he decided to gather a few of the best attendees at the sanctum and journey off to the given location to retrieve said artefact.

It was a trap.

He should've foreseen it.

The note was too ominous, too vague, providing a simple description, alongside a diagram, a location, and a simple "We await you."

All the sanctum had when he left were a few trainees, Wong and yourself. By no means would that be enough to protect the sanctum if it were to fall under attack, just like it did today.

A group of magicians, all ex-students from Kamar-taj, had come together two years ago to learn the dark arts together, despite explicit directions not to, but their curiosity had gotten the best of them, much like Stephen's did him when he received that note three days ago.

Now, they've decided to strike after years of preparing. They deceived Stephen with the existence of this valuable artefact, taking advantage of his departure and lack of protection to attack the sanctum, destroying its walls and stealing its books.

You could only do so much, considering that you weren't as skilled as the others, yet skilled enough to stand your ground and fight.

As expected, they were stronger, and you were in their way.

So, a simple sleeping spell was placed on you.

They left you in an abandoned corner of the sanctum and went off to wreak more havoc. None of the trainees noticed your disappearance, and neither did Wong, as they were all busy warding off the attacks.

Thankfully, Stephen had pieced two and two together when he'd arrived at the given location only to find nothing but an expanse of plain fields, and hurriedly formed a portal to the sanctum, rushing through with only one thought on his mind: making sure you are okay.

He ran through the sanctum, taking down as many of the schismatics in his path as he searched for you.

He's beginning to feel frantic now. The more he runs and doesn't catch sight of you, the more his heart races uncomfortably. He takes notice of the fire eating through the higher levels, a horrifying thought entering his mind.

Could Y/N be--?

No, no... you were probably out on the grounds fighting or helping round the trainees in the library.

Please, be okay.

He continued moving through the corridors, taking down more intruders, once none were left, he runs to the library, the assigned meeting point/shelter.

He moves through the trainees, trying to spot you, but fails, causing his heart to race with panic.

However, he spots Wong and rushes to him, in hope of reassurance that you were somewhere safe and sound, but instead, Wong offers the complete opposite, opening his mouth and exclaiming "Where's Y/N?!"

"What? Isn't she with you?!" Stephen questions back worriedly.

He doesn't wait for an answer, but turns and runs out of the library, moving through the corridors of the sanctum as he calls out your name.

He pauses, catching his breath after he'd run through the entire sanctum.

Well, almost the entire sanctum.

There's only one place left where he hasn't looked.

Please, please be okay Y/N.

He creates a portal to the top floor, moving through it as he coughs and waves away smoke, attempting to seek you out.

And he does, rushing toward where you're laid collapsed on your side by the window, the same position you were left in after the spell hit you.

Stephen rushes towards you, gathering you into his arms and portalling out of the room.

Thankfully, the corner you were laid in wasn't touched by fire, but rather only the books shelved on the back wall were affected.

He lands in his office, where he keeps a first aid kit, and lays you down on the plush rug.

As he looks at you, obviously in need of medical assistance, he can't, for the life of him, recall what to do in a case such as yours.

He's too gripped by fear, his eyes sting with tears, turning his vision kaleidoscopic.

A sob of worry almost releases through his throat but he holds himself together. You need him right now.

He takes your pulse, feeling it to be slower than usual, but not worryingly so. He takes note of the gash on your forehead and immediately starts to clean it and patch it up, being extra cautious about keeping his hands as steady as he possibly could.

He checks you over for any missed injuries, uses his stethoscope to check for internal bleeding, only to find none.

Your vitals are alright, you're okay besides a minor head injury and some smoke inhalation.

But...you're mostly okay, so why the fuck aren't you waking up?

Stephen, in desperation, begins to shake you, calling out your name.

"Y/N? Y/N, please get up, it's okay now," his begs fall on deaf ears.

Still, you remain placid, not much movement besides the slow rise and fall of your chest.

Stephen's mind begins to wonder, could it be her previous head trauma? Is it shock? Did I miss something? could it be a slee--

A sleeping spell?

Could it be a goddamn sleeping spell?!

Stephen closes his eyes and runs an astral scan over you, spotting the spell and yanking it out from your subconscious.

He opens his eyes, staring at you expectedly. You are supposed to be awake now that the spell is no longer affecting you, yet you still lay there in forced slumber.

Stephen's eyes sting once more, uncontrollable tears run down his face. He tries to stop the tears, hold himself together for your sake, but he just can't.

His body shakes slightly, more tremors running through his hand than usual as he moves it to re-check your pulse.

But he couldn't focus, couldn't take an accurate read of your pulse because his hands are shaking and he can barely see your neck and you're not waking up and his--

Your body lurches upwards, coughing and sputtering as it does. Stephen, now slightly shocked, helps support you, wrapping his arms around you to keep you from collapsing on the floor.

He sighs in relief, feeling his heart slow and the pain in his chest ease. He holds you closer, squeezing your body against his.

As you calm, you begin to notice your surroundings, taking in the feel of his arms around you, the wetness on your shoulders.

You turn in his arms slightly to look at him, the sight of his teary face makes your heart clench.

"Stephen?" you whisper quietly, your voice hoarse.

He offers you a soft, teary smile as he reaches his hand to rest at the back of your neck, tenderly pulling your head down to rest against his chest.

"I was so worried, Y/N," he begins quietly, "I thought I was going to lose you, that I was to have to let you go before I've even had you."

Y/N's brows furrow slightly as she lifts her head to look up at him.

"God, Y/N," he sighs in what could only be described as loving exasperation. "I love you; I love you so fucking much and I was so scared of losing you before I'd even had the chance to tell you." he sighs once more.

"I was scared of telling you before but seeing you like this, almost losing you, terrified me. The possibility of never telling you how I feel and possibly missing out on being with you scared me."

His words make your heart flutter. You gaze into his cerulean eyes, seeing the honesty and love shining in them, prompting you to reach up and grasp his face, pulling him down to you and making your lips meet.

His soft, plump lips mould with yours, softly kissing them as his hand reaches to tangle with your hair, his other hand pulling you flush against him by the curve of your waist.

He parts his plump lips, moving his tongue to brush your lips, seeking to deepen the kiss. You part your own, allowing Stephen to take your tongue with his, caressing it and exploring your mouth.

He slowly pulls back, offering your lower lip a soft bite, then retreats to look at you, locking eyes with you.

"Do you...does this mean you like me?" he questions quietly.

"I love you, Stephan, I've loved you for quite some time now," you profess.

His eyes light up, a soft smile shines on his face, before growing into a full-fledged laugh, the adorable sound makes your heart flutter and your stomach swim with butterflies.

Fuck, you really love this man.

"I love you," you repeat again, your tone soft as your head reels with bliss, all the stress from the day forgotten entirely.

You lean up once more, offering him a tender kiss, lasting merely a few seconds, your attempt at conveying your love for him physically.

You pull back, staring up at him through your lashes. He returns your stare, his eyes warm, a loving smile plays on his lips.

"I think, we should maybe go see the others?" you suggest in a whisper.

"Yeah, maybe we should." Stephen answers just as quietly, yet he makes no move no get up, and neither do you.

The others can wait, for now, you'll just sit here, enjoying the feel of being in each other's arms.

masterlist

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