Lights → Doctor Strange

{I'm just scared I won't wake up}

"What do you remember?" Strange asked.

He held her hand, and hadn't let go of it since she had woken up. Riley opened her mouth, ready to talk, but her mind couldn't seem to form the words. She made a sort of squeak, her eyes filling with tears.

Strange squeezed her hand, "It's okay, it's okay. That's completely normal. You're gonna have trouble speaking for a while."

"Coma?" Riley managed.

Strange shook his head, "No, from the surgery."

Her brow furrowed and he realized she didn't even know that her tumor had made another reappearance. He sighed, leaning back in his chair. It was going to be a long story. Riley brushed a strand of hair away, her fingers grazing over the bandage on the right side of her head. She gasped, how had she not noticed that? Strange gently moved her hands away from the bandage.

"They have you on enough pain killers to fell a horse," Strange explained, "If you give me a few minutes, I can explain everything."

Riley nodded, moving to clasp his hand with both of hers. She was scared of what had happened while she was asleep, and she wanted the comfort. He leaned a little closer to her.

"It started when Mordo sliced your Amulet. You fell, and I..." he stopped, guilt making his throat close up. "I couldn't save you. You hit the ground hard. I fought with Mordo and he took the Eye from me. He went over to you and he, well, he made your tumor come back. And then he just left. Just left us there."

Riley closed her eyes, her heart beating a little faster as she heard what had happened. Strange's voice was cracking as he told the story, his voice betraying his emotions.

"I took you to the hospital and had an MRI done. Your tumor was worse than it had ever been. I went searching for Mordo, because I thought that if I got the Eye back, everything would be fine."

Riley's eyes caught on Strange's chest, where the Eye was staring at her. She pursed her lips as she listened. Her stomach sank further and further with each word out of his mouth.

"I found Mordo after a couple of weeks," Strange continued, "I fought him, and I won. I took the Eye and his sling ring and I left him stranded in the Mirror Realm. When I got back here they were... They were resuscitating you."

Riley's eyes widened. "I died?" her voice tripped over the two words, struggling to even make a complete thought.

Strange shifted in his seat, clutching her hands a little tighter. "Technically, yes."

Riley just nodded. This story was odd enough as it is. "O-okay."

"Do you want me to go on?" he asked worriedly.

She nodded.

"I stepped forward with the Eye, but it wouldn't work. The time stream is too weak around you for me to use the Eye again. So, you had to go into surgery."

The longer she was awake, the more her brain was willing to co-operate with her. "Did you?" she left the question hanging in the air.

He was silent for a moment. "No, Doctor Nico did."

Riley swallowed hard. It must've been torture for him to let another surgeon do her surgery. She could imagine him now, in the waiting room, sitting for hours in silence.

"When you came out of surgery, they put you in a medically induced coma to reduce the brain swelling," Strange continued, "and I waited for you to wake up."

Riley smiled, "Awake now."

"And I'm glad," Strange whispered. "It'll get easier, talking I mean. It's just that your brain is still in shock."

"Good," Riley said. She had a lot she wanted to say. Her hand reached up and felt at the bandage on her head. She realized uncomfortably that they had shaved half her hair off. She probably looked ridiculous.

"Home?" she asked, "Can we?"

Strange thought about it for a moment, his eyes flickering to the stats on her heart monitor. "I don't know, Riles."

Her face fell and Strange frowned. "I suppose we could go," he muttered, "You would be with a neurosurgeon."

She smiled, pulling out her IV and beginning to stand up. He helped her up, holding her steady as she stood. Her legs immediately collapsed under her, not having been used for over a month. Strange caught her, holding her close to him.

"Can you walk?" he asked.

She shook her head, sighing and leaning even more heavily on him. He quickly opened a portal and then scooped her up in his arms. Strange carried Riley away from the hospital, going through the portal and into the hallway of the sanctum.

He started to head to her room, but she tugged on his cape. "Strange," she whispered. He looked down at her, curled up in his arms with a half-shaved head and a smile. "The window?" she asked.

Strange smiled, "Alright."

He took her down the hallway and opened the window. It was rolling hills dotted with windmills today. Carefully, he sat down. Riley stayed sitting on his lap, curled up against him. Her head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck. She looked out on the green, rolling hills, and sighed.

Strange closed his eyes and focused on holding her. He had missed her so much, and he didn't want to lose a moment with her now.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him in bewilderment. "What?" she asked.

His face flushed, "I said that out loud?"

"You missed me?" she whispered.

"Of course."

Riley paused a moment. "And you don't want to miss any time with me?"

He gave her a shy grin, "That too."

They both stared at each other, not daring to breathe. Riley sat up straighter til their faces were level with each other. They both looked deep in the others eyes, brown into blue. Strange leaned forward slowly, and Riley closed the gap.

They kissed slowly, full of passion and unspoken words. Strange reached up with a shaking hand and cupped her face, his thumb tracing a pattern on her cheek. After a moment, they broke apart, resting their foreheads together. Riley gave a happy hum. She'd wanted to do that for a while now. Strange opened his eyes and drank in her delighted smile. She looked tired, he realized. He stood and picked her up, walking slowly down the hallway to her room.

Strange sat her gently down on the bed, turning away to leave. Riley quickly grabbed his hand as he walked away, holding on tightly. He stopped, turning to her.

"Stay?" she whispered.

Strange gulped, pulling away slightly, "I don't know if that's a good idea."

Riley's face twisted as she forced her brain to think of the words she wanted to say, "I'm just... scared I won't wake up."

Strange's heart stuttered as he paused, weighing his options. He gave in and she moved over to give him room. He climbed under the covers with Riley. She migrated to his warmth, curling up and leaning her head on his chest, mindful of her bandage. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her. They curled up together, close and warm and perfect.

A/N

DRUM ROLL PLEASE

They kissed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

okay you know what to do -Lady_Loki_00