SHERLOCK STRANGE IMAGINE

TIME TO LOVE FINAL [D.S]

Time passes by. Stephen hasn’t kept track of how long exactly. What he does know is that there’s a small velvet box sitting in the drawer of his nightstand, and tonight is the perfect night.

He picks you up at your apartment before dinner, the box sitting snugly in his pocket. It’s a cold night, so you’re bundled up in what he realizes is the outfit he’d seen you wear around the time he first met you—black tights, dark blue coat, red scarf, and the necklace from your brother. He doesn’t know if you’d done it on purpose, but it makes him smile. The choice of outfit seems perfect for what he has planned tonight.

“You look good,” he compliments.

You smile softly. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” He holds his hand out and you take it, locking the door behind you before you make your way downstairs to join the night life of New York.

The two of you get dinner at a cafe across from the street from Central Park. You sit next to the window so you can look at the park, illuminated by street lamps. From what you remember your friend telling you, an indie band was playing there tonight, and since you and Stephen had already planned to walk through, you decide you’d like to stop by and listen.

“This cookie is really good,” you mutter, evaluating the chocolate chip cookie you hold in your hand. You’ve nearly finished eating it.

Stephen chuckles and takes a sip of his coffee. “Do you want me to buy you another?” he asks, setting his cup down.

You grin sheepishly and nod. “Could you?”

Stephen smiles. “Of course.” He stands up and brushes any stray crumbs from his meal off his pants. He walks back to the counter and stands behind the few other people in line while you occupy yourself with your phone. As he moves through the line, he can’t take his eyes off of you. He is acutely aware of that velvet box in his pocket. He decides he’ll ask you later. In the park.

[Name] Strange.

That has a nice ring to it doesn’t it?

When he reaches the front of the line, he orders your chocolate chip cookie. This time he orders two so he can have one as well. In the middle of grabbing cash from his wallet, he notices a bright light illuminating it from the side. He furrows his brows in confusion, for there’s nothing in the cafe that would emit such a light. So he turns his head to survey the source, and the next three seconds feel like eternity three times over.

The light comes from outside the cafe, but it’s unmistakably the headlights of a car. The yells of a woman somewhere else in the cafe to “watch out!” is nothing but white noise, for you’re caught in the crossfire. He shouts your name, loud enough that his throat burns, but it doesn’t matter. The crash is deafening as the car bursts through the wall, ramming straight into you and bringing a pile of rubble down. Stephen can only stand there in shock.

No. No no no. This can’t be happening.

He knows you haven’t survived that impact. No one has to be a doctor to figure that one out. There are people yelling, calling 911 in a frenzied panic. People are trying to figure out what caused the driver to veer off the road so harshly—alcohol? A seizure at the wheel? But Stephen doesn’t speculate. That’s not his focus. His fingers twitch, the urge to rewind hitting him like a tsunami. But without the Eye of Agamotto around his neck he is powerless.

Someone sets a hand on his shoulder.

“Sir?”

Stephen shrugs off the hand and twists around, walking away from the wreckage. He fishes his sling ring out of his pocket and is quick to conjure a gateway on the opposite side of the cafe. He walks straight through it, not caring for the stares of people as they watch a portal materialize from nothing, only to disappear just as quickly right behind him. This time Stephen doesn’t feel tears gathering in his eyes as he makes his way to the Eye. He feels only anger because how dare Fate play him like this. He’s a sorcerer with the power to manipulate time and he will not bend. Not when it concerns you.