Strange Connection (Stephen Strange x OC)

Chapter 19

It was the middle of the night when Stephen was stirred awake by the Cloak.

"What in God's name are you waking me up for?"

The Cloak continued to pull at him and finally he got up out of bed with a sigh. It wasn't till he got to the doorway that he heard noise on the other side and frowned. He slowly opened the door, maintaining as much quiet as possible as he crept down the hall towards what he now realized was familiar music.

When he finally arrived at the source of the music, he stood with mouth agape.

A laptop sat open at the table in the sitting room, and though at the moment he saw no one sitting at the table, it was clear it was being controlled by someone. He frowned, pretty certain of what was going on. Though he couldn't see her because it required intentionality for ones astral form to be seen by those in their physical form. He found a chair close to the doorway to sit down in before separating his astral form from his physical. As soon as he did, he saw her sitting there at the table. Ariana, in astral form, was working at her computer.

"What are you doing?" he projected mentally, loud enough for her to hear over the music. She jumped in shock and turned towards him.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting some work done."

"Why are you out of your body?"

"Because my body needs sleep. My mind doesn't."

His eyebrow raised. "Your mind needs rest just as much as your body does."

"But not as much. I can go to bed, separate from my body, get two more hours of work done, then join back and let my mind rest too. It's just a couple extra hours."

"What kind of work are you needing to get done that requires you to go through such great lengths?"

"Nothing really. Just tinkering, researching, learning."

"All those things can be done during the day. You should go to bed."

"Look, I'm sorry the music woke you. Wong is a heavy sleeper so it's never bothered him. But you aren't my father, you aren't my teacher, you're not going to give me a curfew or a bedtime, Doctor."

He stared at her a moment. What had happened to his Ariana? "It's Stephen."

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Stephen, Ariana—it seems you've forgotten."

She stared at him hard. "I haven't forgotten."

"Then why won't you call me by my first name?"

"Why won't you just let it go?" she said louder this time.

"You know what— Fine! Stay up all night tinkering on your computer. I'm sorry I came to check on you." He whipped himself around and rejoined his body, immediately standing and marching out of the room.