Doctor Strange One Shots

Delicate Hands- Part 5

"So..."

The two had been sitting there, for several minutes now, in total silence. 

An awkwardness had settled into the room. But for some odd reason, their hands remained entangled together, quite comfortably.

"So..."

(Y/n)'s attention then, quite harshly, turned towards the searing pain in her leg, her hand tightening its grip around Stephen's. She winced, her other hand moving towards her head in agony. Stephen's eyes shifted towards her injury as he turned his body further. And something broke inside of him hearing her in such pain. So, with his free hand, he conjured a projection of her leg's skeleton in the air, analysing it and sighing.

"It is healing. But I'm afraid there's not too much that can be done apart from wait. Let time heal it. Now that you're awake, you're likely to feel the pain from the femur-"

"Wait, what do you mean now that I'm awake...?"

Stephen turned back towards her with a concerned expression.

"(Y/n), you've been unconscious for a week..."

(Y/n)'s eyes widened with that information. 

A week? B-but how?

"Wow..." Her voice was quiet, clearly in shock, "I guess you should be feeling extra terrible about yourself then." She gently chuckled, which caught Stephen off guard.

A statement like that would usually be accompanied by several daggers masked as insults. But here she was, actually joking with him? He met her face just to be sure, and sure enough, she was smiling. An ever so gentle smile playing upon her lips as she got used to the pain.

Stephen returned the smile, a soft chuckle catching his breath, "If it means anything to you, I really do."

But (Y/n) could feel the genuineness of his words. And she felt an odd but comfortable warmth flood her insides. The feeling of knowing someone kind of cares? Someone like Stephen?

"Well, don't. I was only joking. But on a serious note: I thought we talked about not bringing actual medical professionals into the sanctum?"

Her questioning tone was much less questioning, and more... curious?

But Stephen's playful eyebrow raise and smug little smirk had her rethinking her words.

"What?"

"Y-you think I called an ambulance?"

"Strange, who else would have strapped me up this- well..."

Then it clicked.

"Wait- you did this? You actually... you know... took care of me?"

Stephen sat quiet with the stupid smirk still wiped across his lips as he watched her take in her surroundings once more.

The books on her desk - they weren't hers.

They were his.

Her wardrobe had been tidied - but so had the rest of the room.

And now that she had turned over slightly, she saw the sleeping bag sprawled out on the floor by the bed.

"Y-you've been staying here...? with me?"

"Well, someone's got to make sure you don't do something stupid in your unconscious state." He replied through a breathy laugh, seeing the realisation come alive in her features.

"I-"

(Y/n) was speechless. And while she wouldn't deny that she would have done the same for him in the event that he found himself unconscious and badly injured by her hands, she just couldn't fully fathom why exactly he would go through all this effort... for her.

"Thank you, Stephen."

Her words were quiet but filled with appreciation. And Stephen could pick up the slightest hint of red blushing across her cheeks. Something swelled up inside of him knowing he could have such an effect on her.

So, he smiled, feeling so much closer to her in this moment than he had in the whole time they had known each other, whether that be in Kamar-Taj and living together in the sanctum. And without another word, Stephen picked himself up, and leaned across to her, placing a delicate kiss atop her forehead before turning to leave the room, stopping just as he reached the door.

"I'll be back in a little while. With only one master around, there's been a lot more chores for me to do." He smiled, his eyes scanning her over one last time out of worry before turning to close the door.

-

(Y/n) sat there with her thoughts for a little while. And the more she thought, the more she felt incredibly stupid.

After all this time.

Her feelings of irritation and hate towards this man she once considered her rival.

She now realised it all stemmed from something else.

An appreciation?

She wasn't too sure.

But she felt giddy inside, thinking about how his lips touched her skin and how gently his hands were holding hers. How delicate his touch was against her. And how he cared.

Because now, she realised, she, too, cared.

To what level she wasn't too sure. But she knew now, that she didn't want to annoy him. And she wanted to see where this all went.

---
Firstly, I want to say Anna, you're amazing and someone I genuinely look up to in this writing space so it means the world to me that you think my work was worthy enough to share. So thank you again.

But now, I would like to say WELCOME to anyone new here! I hope you enjoy whatever you read here and don't feel shy to comment! I love reading you're thoughts as you join me on these literary adventures. ㄟ(≧◇≦)ㄏ

Until next time <3