While art is subjective, your hate for Stephen Vincent Strange was pure and simple. An arrogant, crude and tasteless man. One of close-minded thinking and a lack of creativity.
This was the type of person any artist like you would despise.
~~~
All...
Stephen slowly awoke to the sound of clamouring by his side. The light took moments to adjust to, blinding in an artificial glow, ears ringing like an irritating sting. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw Bruce checking his IV.
"Oh, you're finally awake," he gives a gentle smile. "We were getting a little worried," Bruce suddenly caught Stephen looking around, his darting eyes becoming frantic. "Y/n is fine, hasn't woken up yet, but all vitals are stable,"
"I need to see her," he tries to get up but evidently lacks the strength even to sit up. A rush of memories and emotions was put to the side with only you on his mind. His heart was rapid at the thought of you alone, unconscious and likely severely injured.
"You need to rest," Bruce insists, "I'll let you know everything you need to know, okay? Y/n is strong,"
Stephen adjusted his position in the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling with guilt-promoting tears at the edge of his eyes. Every scratch and scrape on your body, he could never forgive himself. After all, he was the one that put you in that position.
~~~
"Stephen!" You gasp awake, the rush of pain surging through you like lightning. "God- Fuck-" Every movement you made only contributed to the stinging.
"Oh god, you're okay!" Natasha had just passed by after visiting Stephen, just in time to see you jolt up. She rushed to your side while calling for Bruce through her radio.
"Nat? Where's Stephen? Is he okay??" You ask in a sudden flurry, holding back the tears. "Please, tell me he's okay-"
"He's okay," she immediately assures, "he woke up first, immediately asking if you were okay," she laughs gently until Bruce interrupts.
"I'm glad you're finally awake; started to worry us there," he took out his usual tools to examine you. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm... in pain," you admit, a banging feeling against your skull. "What happened?"
"Don't you remember?" Nat took your hand. She let you silently retreat to your memories, waiting for them to flood back.
Flashes of horrific faces, creatures, and a bloody, bruised Stephen come back instantly. Your eyes widen, "oh my god-"
"Don't worry, Nightmare didn't get any of the relics. They've been separated all around the world to different sanctums," Nat continues to explain. "Listen... it's going to take longer for you to heal than Stephen. He's still on bed rest, but I think he's nearly there,"
With this knowledge, you slowly sink further into the bed with a guilt-ridden look on your face. "It's all my fault, Nat,"
"No. No, it's not, don't blame yourself for this bullshit, okay?" She affirms, "Y/n, Nightmare's actions aren't yours, you didn't do this to Stephen, you didn't do this to yourself,"
Regardless of whether you believed her words, you continued, "Uhm, how long was I out for?"
"A week. Stephen was awake in the first two days," Bruce explains, "though, that reminds me, I promised to tell him when you woke up,"
~~~
Stephen slowly paced the medical room, gaining his strength back bit by bit, when Bruce walked in with a clipboard, "how is she doing?"
"She's awake-" Those two words instantly prompted Stephen to leave the room, "Wait! Hey, you shouldn't-! oh, why do I bother?" Bruce shakes his head and follows suit as Stephen runs to the other room in a hurry.
"Y/n? Y/n, are you okay??" He could see Nat slowly helping you drink water. "Oh, thank god you're okay!" he hardly took into account Nat as he rushed to your side.
His hair was a mess, gorgeous but a mess nonetheless. It was unkempt and unruly, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. Even with his facial hair more grown out, you still found him as handsome as he always was. His grey sweatpants and hoodie bagged a little as his trembling hands reached for yours.
"I'm so sorry, I should have done more- Oh god, I'm so sorry," he put his forehead against your knuckles, holding a multitude of emotions back as best he could. Nat slowly backed out of the room to leave you two, leading Bruce away from the halls.
"Stephen... there was nothing you could do," your hand weakly held his face, "you're safe, and I'm safe, isn't that enough?"
His eyes close at the feeling of comfort on his skin. "But you got hurt... because of me, because I..." he swallows the lump in his throat, "because I fell in love with you,"
"We fell in love with each other, and while I never thought I'd say that, it's true," you sigh and lift his head, "what Nightmare did wasn't on you or myself; we got hurt, but as heroes that's what happens,"
The sinking feeling continued in Stephen; he would give everything he had to make sure you never got hurt. Moon and back, stars and sun, you were his whole world. And while he vowed to keep the universe at bay, if it meant your pain, then he would turn against the multiverse to keep you safe.
"I know that look," you see the furrow in his brows, "whatever monologue you have going on, quit it; I'm safe now," painfully leaning forward, you kiss his temple. "And so are you,"
"For how long?" He says pessimistically.
"As long as I'm alive," you chuckle, "after everything we've been through, I would be an absolute idiot not to relay exactly how much you mean to me,"
Stephen finally let his smile form, chuckling lightly before leaning into your arms. "Well, I suppose you'll be getting special treatment at the clinic," he hums in content.
"I'd expect no less, Doctor Strange,"
~~~
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