Through The Multiverse [Dr. Strange]

Cape of Flotation

The drinks bring back all the memories, of everything we've been through
Toast the ones here today, toast to the one's that we lost on the way
Because the drinks bring back all the memories
And the memories bring back memories, bring back you

Throwing back the last drop in the bottle of an old liquor I found in the sanctum, I felt it's strength starting to settle over me. In just half an hour, Stephen would be coming into my room to help me move the last of my things from Tony's lab back here through the portal. I knew I couldn't do it sober or alone but I wish I could've at least been brave enough to say I was struggling. I knew I needed help but it wasn't in my natural nature to just blatantly ask. It was a true curse.

A few knocks at my door vibrated my head a bit and I let out a small aggravated groan. Maybe I shouldn't have drank the whole thing before ten a.m. After slowly pulling myself up and together, I trudged over to the large bedroom door. Pulling it open to reveal Stephen in my most favorite of his attires, sweats and a tee shirt with a simplistic cardigan draped over. He flashed me a happy smile but I could only return it with a small wave. "Jodie, have you been drinking?"

"Pfft, what? No." My answer came out just as childish as the grin on my face. Maybe I shouldn't have drank the whole thing period. "I'm totally fine. Let's just get this over with." Lifting my fingers up to open a portal, I noticed they were doubled. Shit. Straightening my back and trying to act as normal as I could, I circled my fingers. Or so I thought. When my eyes focused a bit more I realized I was barely making a circle and instead just moving my hand up and down. "Whoops, I can't believe I just did that." A hiccup escaped from behind my giggles and Stephen put his head down. I didn't like him seeing me like this but in my current state of mind I didn't give a single damn.

"Allow me." Stephen offered, taking a stance in front of me and opening the perfect portal to Tony's lab. Everything was in boxes and completely unplugged. It was as if this place was never going to exist by the time Pepper was done cleaning it out. She didn't want to risk Tony's plans falling into the wrong hands which I totally understand but, how can you just empty his place out?

"Smashing job, cutie. No wonder you were Sorcerer Supreme." What the fuck did I just call him? Alright Jodie, sober the hell up right now. Stephen was stopped behind me as I stumbled my way through the portal. It was surprisingly easy for me to have such recollection in a blurred state. All of the nights we'd spend in here perfecting Pepper's and working on the time travel bracelets. Even days when Morgan would sneak in and accidentally erase all of our hard work. Luckily F.R.I.D.A.Y always backed it up. "Well, are you coming?"

He finally stepped through the portal and analyzed the boxes with our experiments names on them. Most of them were just "experiment one" or "the one where we..." like Friends. A show we'd have as background noise when neither of us could agree on a decent working song. I started looking through the boxes Pepper had neatly packed and pulled out one of the first projects we did together. "This was my first jet blaster." Pulling out the mangle piece of equipment, I could feel Stephen's confused gaze on me heavily. "As you can see, it did not work."

"What would you need jet blasters for?"

"Well not all of us have a cape of flotation, Doctor."

"Cloak of levitation."

"Oh right, sorry." I put my hand over my mouth and giggled at the extremely incorrect term I used. He was always so stingy when people called his cloak a cape. I understand it's an ancient artifact and has the specific name but why so serious about it? Makes it more fun to call it a cape if it's such an easy trigger. "Basically to fly in situations I needed to. We were going to make a whole bunch of them for those at Kamar-Taj but as you can see this project, never got off the ground." I laughed at my own horrible joke as Stephen just stood with a bland smirk on his face.

"How about we just move the boxes into your room and you can tell me about them when you sober up?"

"Fine. Rush my grieving, Mr. Move-It-Along." I grabbed the couple of boxes that were sat on the table and slowly levitated them into the room as I picked up two more from the floor and carried them in simultaneously. Stephen followed behind with the last couple stacks of boxes before closing the portal. Once the orange sparks finally dismantled, I looked at Stephen who was looking at me with sad eyes. "What?" I didn't intend for it to come out so rude but I didn't have much control over my mouth at this point.

"I'm not trying to rush your grief, Jodie. I'm trying to help you. Tony wouldn't want you drinking ancient liquor, which by the way you stole on Wong's shift and he saw you, and I know he wouldn't want you to mourn him like this. Tony would want you to throw this big party for him and get drunk there, not at ten in the morning."

"How would you know what Tony wanted? You just let him die, you think he wanted that?" I know my emotions were getting the better of me while under the influence. I pray to god Stephen doesn't hold anything I say against me right now in such a fragile state.

"There was no other way, Jodie. There was nothing you or I could do. I'm truly sorry for the pain you're experiencing but you have to let me help you. I don't like seeing you in this scenario or the fact that you're much more brutally honest than normal."

"I'm sorry, Stephen. You just don't understand how hard it's been on me. I mean, you were gone for five damn years and I was completely lost. That blipped effected everyone differently. I know you've got it harder because you missed five years of life but we lived it and..." My sentence trailed off as the tears I didn't know I was keeping in started to break through the flood gates of my eyes. There really weren't words to describe the amount of pain and suffering that came along with trying to live without those who you weren't even sure were actually dead. "He's a pile of dust on the planet Titan." How does one sit with the sad fact of someone so prized to them being classified as dust rather than dead or alive? It's the unknown that was haunting every second of every year.

My thoughts were so intrusive I hadn't even noticed that Stephen had wrapped me into a hug. The scent of his strong cologne is what pulled me from the devastating facts of life. Now that I was aware I couldn't help but wrap my arms tightly around his back, my hands locking over his spine. Pushing my head against his chest a bit further to fell comfort emotionally for the first time. Who knew Stephen Strange was so good at hugs and the right time to give them? I sunk into his grasp as my own tightened and the tears started to fall. "I need help."

"I know." His deep voice sent vibrations to his chest that strangely relaxed my senses. I've never felt such comfort in someone's arms, which was making my feelings for Stephen grow that much more. God there was so much of my feelings involved in life right now, I hate it. "Come on, you need some sleep. I'll wake you up later for dinner."

"But I need to unpack this stuff."

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it." I pulled my head from his chest, changing my view from the end of my bedroom to my entire future in his sharp blue-green eyes. Those eyes that pierced right through and read me better than either of us are really aware of. It was difficult having to look into these eyes and not lean closer like my body so badly wanted to. I couldn't cross any lines right now, not with the state I'm in. It was complicate everything more than I need it to.

"Stephen, I-" I was beginning to sober up and stopped myself from letting the invasive thoughts have their way with my life. "Thank you," was all I could say as I wrapped him up once more before walking towards my bed and lying down. I felt him pull the covers over me and place his hand on my shoulder.

"You're going to get through this with time Jod, you've just gotta hang on for me." I gave a simple slow nod of appreciation before his footsteps quieted with distance and my bedroom door closed with a creak. How the hell am I not suppose to be in love with this man?

Memories by Maroon 5

This one is a little bit shorter but it's just giving you a feel for their dynamic and how extremely difficult it is to maneuver through life with strong feelings of love and loss. I hope you're enjoying this! 

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