𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐄, doctor strange.

Comfort

                           The house was silent except for the soft sounds of Ana's quiet breathing and the occasional creak of the springs in the couch both her and Steven resided on, Ana's head leaning comfortably on Steven's shoulders, who the latter looked down at the peaceful woman with great admiration, smiling softly as he watched her lips curl into a gentle smile as she sometimes sighed in delight, a dream of great happenings obvious, the once absent rise and fall of her chest restored. The past few days of the week had taken an obvious toll on her, leaving her exhausted and starving, but he didn't mind her constant complaining and moaning of her upset stomach or painful migraine. At least she was alive.

                            He leaned his head backward, grimacing as his eyes furrowed in his own exhaustion. Mordo was gone. Dead. The mere thought of the word made his stomach churn; even being a surgeon, having to explain to a family how their beloved was gone always broke him apart piece by piece. Losing Ana truly  destroyed him, though. The scene of Mordo's spear firmly planted in her side, her warm blood over his fingers was still firmly planted in his mind, rooted to his core, and he shuddered, groaning under his breath as he inhaled sharply. A sudden movement broke him of his trance, however, and he looked down to see Ana staring up at him with concerned brows and calm eyes, grimacing.

" You alright, Steven?" she whispered, cocking her head in a knowing manner. 

She knew he wasn't alright. But she didn't say anything; she had heard the yelps of anguish he had made in the middle of the night when he awoke from a nightmare, before falling into another uneasy sleep. He inhaled sharply, sending her a solemn glance, his jaw tense. He shrugged, trying to dismiss the matter, but it still weighed on him like a pound of cinder. 

" Have you ever felt something about somebody that you have never really felt before, but your scared to tell them?" he said quietly, hoping she wouldn't notice the worry laced through his words; she did. 

" I do know that feeling. When I'm around him, my stomach flops and I lose my words and thoughts, and get this strange flutter that I can't describe. I don't think he feels the same, though," she then added darkly, looking down at her hands as she pulled at her fingers nervously. Steven's eyes widened momentarily and out of her sight, but the thought of the 'he' she supposedly kept talking about was him quickly left his mind, making him frown in guilt and loss. She deserved better.  He quickly slid his fingers in between one of her hands' fingers, and gave a light squeeze, feeling her warm palm slightly tense before relaxing into his grip, her head leaning back down against his shoulder as he lemon-scented hair filled his nostrils.

" I have a feeling they do."