Strange Connection (Stephen Strange x OC)

Chapter 3

Arianna had barely knocked on the door before it opened. She smiled when she saw Doctor Strange on the other side of the door. "Doctor, I hope it's okay that I'm a little early. I thought it would be better to be early than late."

"Not a problem, Ms. Miller, please come in," he said as he opened the door wider and motioned her in.

As she stepped in a shorter, more stout man came out of the library office she had been in earlier.

"Wong, may I introduce you to Ms. Arianna Miller, she's our tech support from Stark Industries."

"Oh, so you do remember my first name? With your insistence on not using it, I thought perhaps you'd just forgotten," Arianna said with a smile. She was surprised to see the Doctor get a bit flustered and...was that even a bit of a blush in his cheeks?

"Ms. Miller, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm so glad you're here. Perhaps he'll finally get off my back about the wi-fi at Kamar-Taj. We should really have you look at the system here as well, it's slower than an ant swimming through honey."

Arianna raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm not sure how slow an ant swims through honey, but it sounds sticky, and slow. We can always discuss that once we address the issues at Kamar-Taj, if the good Doctor wishes it."

"Did Stephen give you a tour of the Sanctum this afternoon?"

"We weren't exactly on a sightseeing trip, Wong," Stephen interrupted.

"No, he did not," Arianna said, smirking at the exchange between the two. She playfully looped her arm through his. "But I'd say it was a good thing I came early. Could you give me that tour, Wong?"

"It'd be my pleasure, Arianna."

"Oh, so it isn't forbidden to call women by their first name?" she said playfully glancing at the Doctor, who seemed somewhere between embarrassed and annoyed.

"No, just his hang up," Wong responded, playing along as he escorted her up the stairs. "I believe we have just enough time for me to show you the ancient relics stored here."

Arianna couldn't help but look back as they rounded the corner of the stairs to ascend further. Stephen stood there, at the bottom of the stairs, watching them. Their eyes met, and she smiled, hoping she hadn't gone too far in her banter with the Doctor.

Later, as Wong regaled her with a tale of one of the relics, a throat cleared behind them. "Sorry for interrupting, but it's time for us to head to Kamar-Taj, Ms. Miller—" He stopped himself. "Arianna."

She gave him a small smile. "Alright, let's get to work," she said, clapping her hands together and following him. She glanced back to Wong. "Wong, I hope we can finish the tour another time. Thank you!"

After she was sure they were out of earshot of Wong, Arianna caught up with Stephen and glanced up at him. "I apologize, sir, if I was too informal earlier. Technically I work for you right now, and it's not appropriate for me to be so personal in my banter. You, of course, can continue to refer to me formally, if you choose. I just mean, that's your place and your right, and I shouldn't push you to be informal with me."

Stephen stopped at the entrance to the library. "If you don't mind, I think I would prefer for us to consider each other on equal footing and not me as your superior, or employer, or boss, or whatever—I wasn't at all bothered by your banter, at least not in that way. I apologize for being so formal, it's just in my nature, particular since assuming this position."

"How long have you been in the position you're in?"

"I've been Protector of the New York Sanctum for only a few months. I've only been practicing the Mystical Arts for a short time—before that, I was a neurosurgeon. I was a—quick study."