Once there was you, me, and us (Sinister Strange x fem!reader)

WHAT I REMEMBER

"Alright Stephen," (Y/N) cracked her fingers and neck in an attempted to release the discomfort in her muscles. "You're up."

Doctor Strange was sitting in the couch meditating while Sinister Strange was by one of the windows, gazing outside - in (Y/N)'s mind they looked like two territorial cats on the edge of attacking each other. Stephen opened his eyes, first looking at the other Strange - as if to check if he was still there - and then back to her.

He quirked his eyebrow. "Are you sure?" The sorceress nodded, "Maybe you should search harder. "

Dumbfounded, (Y/N) stared at him in silence before crossing her arms. She knew the reason for his strange - no pun intended - behaviour, Stephen had made it clear he did not want her alone with his dark counter-part. But (Y/N) was a grown woman who had spent the rest of the day studying and she had more than enough with his paranoia.

"Stephen, I spent the last 7 hours in the library. You better move your ass from that couch before I kick it." The heroic sorcerer raised his eyebrows as if challenging her. Sinister Strange's shoulders shook lightly. "The only thing close enough were some books about time manipulation and time travel."

While the two sorcerers discussed it - more like Stephen trying to convince (Y/N) to keep searching, they missed Sinister Strange's slight head turn after the young sorcereress mentioned the books she found.

"Be careful, please." Their eyes met. It had been so long since Stephen's eyes carried vulnerable emotions in their reflection - once, (Y/N) used to drown herself in the warm waters of his gaze -, emotions that he had swore to hide away from the universe.

(Y/N) winked, a comforting smile spreading on her features. "You know me."

Stephen sighed and made his way to the library with great hesitance, "That's why I'm worried."

The atmosphere was lifted once the two sorcerers weren't in each other's presence. (Y/N) aspired loudly and dramatically fell onto the couch - the dust hovered in the air but that didn't matter, she was thankful she finally had a place to rest.

Once settled, (Y/N) let her mind wander. So much had changed in the last six years, ever since The Blip, and ever since she...was gone for five years. Still, of course, it felt like it happened yesterday - she remembered her disappointment in Stephen after he gave the stone to Thanos, and the disturbing peace she felt when she was 'dying' - at least she wouldn't be here to see the aftermath.

"Stephen?" The sorcerer turned around to look at (Y/N). In this reality, it was not him who was snapped, it was his companion-in-magic. "What did you do?"

"I'm sorry." He wished he could disappear as well, the haunted yet grave look on her face was enough to make his stomach twirl in regret. "There was no other way."

The sorceress hissed at the memory - She believed in putting the greater good above others lives, but in her mind, there was a limit not to crossed. Even if they got everyone back, tried to bring normality to the world, it had a cost. Of course, everything had a cost.

And that cost was heavy on her shoulders.

"Those books I found," Strange remained stoic by the window, "We don't have them back in our universe. Where did you get them?"

"In a library." Now, the sorcerer turned to her with a cryptic smirk playing on his lips. (Y/N) quirked her eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Why are you studying about time manipulation and time travel...Strange?" A sting of fear made her second-guess her choice of conversation when the sinister sorcerer stood tall in front of her - she didn't even see him coming!

Sinister Strange slowly lifted her chin up to look at him - he had been so eager to feel her, to know that this wasn't another hallucination of his fractured mind. The sorcerer bored his gaze on hers, that trademark look that he has with his piercing blue eyes, and immediately followed by a crooked smile.

"It is not polite to interrogate the host, now is it?" (Y/N) could almost see the amusement behind his eyes, and his actions made her heart beat faster that she could feel it on her head - but defiant, she got up to level up with him as best as she could. This was not the time to let her feelings get in the way, he was still Stephen Strange after all.

"We're not your enemies."

Strange hummed and shook his head, "No, you are not." He cut her short before (Y/N) could reply, "My apologies." Strange took a step back, allowing her some space, "It has been a long time since I had...proper interactions with someone."

The sorceress could understand the feeling, somewhat, or at least she tried to. It had not been easy adjusting to normal life after being gone for five years. "I get it, I really do." She laughed to ease off the tension, "You try being gone for five years and adapt to life afterwards."

Now it was Sinister Strange's turn to feel confused - and of course, (Y/N) could tell by the curious yet surprised look on his (often emotionless) face that the Blip had not occurred here.

"What...What happened?" His voice, too, sounded softener. "Did you..." Strange couldn't even bring himself to finish the sentence. Did she die and her Stephen brought her back? Without any consequences? How?!

"Well, technically, yes, but then Bruce brought everyone back." A saddened look befell on her eyes, "But sadly that did not affect those who died during those five years."

There was silence, but a comforting one. It was like he was giving her time, and space, to feel her emotions and let them all out for him to see.

"Thanos used the Infinity Stones to kill half of the universe, all thanks to Stephen who gave him the last stone." (Y/N) sighed. "I'm sorry, you would've probably done the same thing."

"I would not." Strange narrowed his eyes as if he took offense to that.

Despite being the same person, having the same genes, Strange was proving himself to be...a different man than her Stephen was. (Y/N) did not know if she should be frightened or not.

She couldn't help but look outside.

"So is this what happened...?" It was more of a loud thought than a question, "You didn't give Thanos the time stone and...this was the result."

The sorceress did not expect an answer this time - Her theory was making perfect sense in her mind. The fog surrounding the distorted buildings in the distance gave her a sensation of deja vu, or maybe an impeding doom? She could no longer tell the difference.

Strange remained silent as he watched her.

"There is a..." Stumbling on his words, the sorcerer cleared his throat. "You can use your bedroom upstairs. You clearly need a shower and a change of clothes." (Y/N) stared back at him with widen eyes, "And try to get some sleep."

"Thank you," Gods, she could hug him right then if she didn't feel like it'd be evading his bubble, "Thank you so much!" Even if she couldn't hug him, she sure as hell could run upstairs like there was no tomorrow.

With her scene done, there came another character to the stage that was the Sanctum.

Hidden in the shadows, the heroic Doctor Strange was witness to his sinister counter-part interaction with his protégé - He was ready to defend them both if Sinister Strange attacked, but that was not the case, just yet - and once the protagonist was no longer in sight, all facade was put aside. The sinister doctor locked eyes with Stephen and unlike (Y/N), he saw a reflection of death and destruction behind his mirror.