As They Were || Stephen Strange ✓

xxiii

Alex knew something was wrong, things have been going great since Alex proposed, almost too great. Alex realized something was wrong when Stephen would leave in the middle of the night, he was astral projecting more while Alex was sleeping. He was present but he wasn't present.

Instead of talking to Stephen about it, Alex followed him. He didn't want another secret to break up their relationship, Alex wasn't going to let that happen.

Stephen having powers was like he had eyes in the back of his head, which means Alex had to be stealthy, not his clumsy self. Alex raised a jacket over his head to block at the rain, he pursed his lips in thought when he saw Stephen go into the library.

Alex felt the ground sink as he walked towards the library doors, he put his ear up to it but he couldn't hear anything because of the thick doors. So with a deep breath, he slowly opened the door opening it wouldn't make a sound. Somehow the door didn't creek, Alex ducked behind a bookcase quickly before anyone saw him.

A quick look around the library told Alex that from what he can see, it was just Stephen in the library. They were alone, Stephen was sitting at a desk in the middle munching on an apple surrounded by books.

Alex wouldn't call Stephen a book hater but since coming to Nepal it's been different, Stephen eats the knowledge for breakfast, Alex takes shallow breaths as he weaves his way through the bookshelves to try to get a better look at what Stephen is reading.

He's no superhero but he's quiet enough that Stephen doesn't hear or see him until Alex has to go and be clumsy. "Fuck." Alex whispers as he tries to catch the book that is falling off the table.

Alex hears a slam before Stephen calls out. "Who's here?" Alex huffs and turns to walk out from behind the bookcase, the book that was previously open was shut harshly, went told Alex that Stephen was doing something he shouldn't be.

"Oh, it's just you. Wait, why are you here Alex?" Alex's heart was pounding in his chest, he didn't want to tell his new fiance that he didn't trust him. "What are you working on?" Alex asks stepping closer, Stephen shakes his head and steps in front of the table to block his view.

"Why are you here? Did you follow me?" Alex didn't say anything, which was enough explanation for Stephen who scoffed. "You don't trust me, after all this time." Alex put his lip between his teeth, he didn't want that to be the case but it was, it wasn't for no reason it seems because he was right, Stephen was hiding something.

Alex stepped closer like Stephen was a hurt animal. "Stephen, what are you doing? I followed you because you are hiding something, I don't want to be lied to. If you are afraid of me telling anyone, I won't." Alex held out his hand like he was begging for Stephen to let him in.

Stephen sighed, he stepped aside so Alex can see the still closed book but he could see the cover. Stephen grabbed Alex's outstretched hand and pulled him closer towards the book. "I'm sorry, just no one here wants me to do this. But I know that I should, I need to do this." Alex knew Stephen was being truthful, he could see it in Stephen's eyes.

"Please, tell me when something is going on. I don't want any more secrets." Stephen nods in agreement, he steps aside and opens the book. Alex reached his hand out to touch the necklace that was placed in the middle of the book but he took his hand back at the last minute, choosing not to touch the ominous necklace that was in the shape of an eye.

"What is this?" Alex looks at Stephen, he saw this in the middle of a dome on a stand, he wasn't sure if it should be moved. "It's called the Eye of Agamotto, it appears to be a containment device for the Time Stone but other than that I don't know what it is."

Stephen picks up the necklace carefully and puts it around his neck, he turns the page until he gets to a spot where there used to be a page but it's been ripped out. "What are you gonna do?" Alex asks watching Stephen in rapt attention.

"I'm going to piece the page back together, something important is missing." Stephen turns back over to the page that has a giant illustration of the necklace. "First, open the Eye of Agamotto." Stephen reads off, Alex was shocked, he didn't know that Stephen could read another language that must have been new.

Stephen exhales deeply before moving his hands' crisis cross, it was quiet but if Alex listened he could hear soft gears turning, he looked and sure enough, Stephen was opening the Eye of Agamotto with his powers. They both let out identical gasps when they saw the glowing green stone in the middle. "The time stone," Stephen whispers in amazement.

"Alright," Stephen mutters as he puts his thumbs together out in front of him and he starts to slowly turn them, it took a second but it appeared. Alex held his breath as he watched Stephen in amazement.

Stephen lifted his left hand as the gear grew, he turned his right hand and started to make the apple he was eating disappear like it's being eaten by an invisible worm. "Holy shit." Alex covered his mouth when it slipped out, he didn't want to break Stephen's concentration.

He moved his right hand the other way so it started to become a whole apple again instead of an eaten one. "Flip to the page," Stephen mutters after doing the apple thing a few times.

Alex flips the pages to the torn page as he was instructed. Stephen turns his hand and it starts piecing the torn page together again like it was never gone.

It turned out to be two pages instead of one. "Dormammu," Stephen mutters, they both jumped when the doors to the library slam open, hitting the walls with a loud clack.

"Stop!"