Twisted Fates | ironstrange (Book 1)

part two: lonely (stephen strange)

Stephen Strange had always been lonely.

Growing up, his parents had never particularly cared for him, until he announced that he wanted to be a doctor. Before that, they couldn't care less. His siblings were marginally supportive, but it wasn't the same.

He had friends, yes, but they had never quite gotten along and the few friends he managed to keep were annoyed by his rough personality, pushed away by his thorny walls.

Stephen had been told on many occasions that he pushed people away and it was true. If he didn't have anyone to care about, he couldn't have anything to loose.

Until Mira Hours had come along. His first love, his sun and stars, his entire world, but it didn't last. She said that he wasn't showing her that he actually loved her. He was always buried in his school work without giving her any thought. Stephen had tried to explain that he loved her dearly, but she said it wasn't working.

Again, he had pushed someone away, someone who was close to him. A non-existent friend had told him once, "expect disappointment and you won't get disappointed."

~

Stephen sighed, resting his forehead against the cool black wood of his grand piano. Breathing out a sigh, he closed his eyes and listened to the low rumbling of thunder in the distance. Not long after, the soft pitter-patter of rain drummed against the dark windows.

Stephen had always liked the rain. It was calming.

It was nice.

Lulled by the soothing rain, Stephen began to drift off, his mind numbed by the cold wood, his hands still resting on the keys, singing a chorus of forgotten notes still echoing on the silence, the sound harmonizing with the sound of the falling rain.

~

Waking with an unpleasant snort, Stephen sat up and looked around, confused. Where was he?

With a quiet "oh", he realized he was still sitting at his piano. The night before was a bit of a blur but he paid it no mind and instead, wondered what time it was.

Staring out of the large, floor to ceiling windows in his apartment, he watched the sun rise and bath the city in a soft, golden light. Stephen took a deep breath and allowed himself to relax, staring out across the waking city.

A few minutes later, Stephen forced himself to stand and stretch. Back popping and muscles straining, Stephen rolled his neck, wincing at the criks and soreness he had gained from sleeping on the piano.

Moving into the kitchen, Stephen put on a pot of water to make some tea.

Everything would be fine, he assured himself, blinking sleepiness out of his eyes. Picking the phone he had left on the kitchen counter, Stephen checked the time. It was 6:15 am.

He had two hours until he had to be at work. Stephen sighed and  leaned against the counter near the stove.

He truly believed that everything was going to be okay. But that belief, that foolish, naive belief he so desperately held onto to, couldn't fill the gaping hole in his heart left from Mira and Christine Palmer, the most recent person who had broken up with him because his barriers were so thorny and hard to get past. The last person he had pushed away.

Stephen closed his eyes once more, imagining that he had someone there, someone who actually loved him a d wasn't constantly being pushed away, sitting at the kitchen table, smiling when Stephen made her or him breakfast, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

But, that wasn't going to happen.

Stephen wanted it, yes, but he couldn't have it. He pushed people away; that was who he was. Fate had already taught him that he was unlovable.

And even if he did find that perfect someone, who would love someone like him?

A/N
I wrote this when I was single and ;-;
Now I have a bf and feel so bad for Stephen-
But like, he's legit channeling single me.