𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 — memory lane

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 𝐊𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐔 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐄𝐓 come morning. The amber glow of the rising sun warmed homes as beams of sunlight trickled through open windows. Glistening colours of the rainbow illuminated rooms as sunlight tangled with glass.

 Most slept silently, light noises slipping from open, relaxed mouths. Emilia however, was still on her feet with her own arms encircled around her waist, doing anything at all to soothe the spreading venom of numbness that had come with Karl Mordo's departure.

 Emilia wasn't selfish enough to beg him to stay, to cry and weep and grab his arm to pull him back. She understood his decision. Mordo was a man who was unmovable in his opinion and decisions, he was stubborn. He believed that each person should follow the rules laid out before them, and yet his own teacher had disregarded such rules, and now, so had Stephen.

 It was for the better — Emilia truly believed that, for had Stephen turned a blind eye, Dormammu would have devoured far more than Hong Kong. The city was safe, and the world was safe.

 But even so, the taste of victory was dead on her tongue, nothing more than a bitter poison as she leaned against the wall, watching with tired eyes as Stephen carefully pulled the Eye of Agamotto over his head.

 He balanced it in a single hand, eyes glued to the ancient metal that encased something powerful, something unknown. His hands trembled around the metal as he paused. A single, sharp movement of his shoulders was enough for the sentient crimson material to jump from his form.

 Emilia's lips twitched at the short exchange of the two, before the cloak retreated towards her, swiftly wrapping around her shoulders and dangling from her body. The material lightly jostled as a small breeze fluttered through the room and Emilia rose a gentle hand, carefully patting her own shoulder; something the cloak greatly enjoyed for it patted her back.

 "Hm." Stephen mumbled as he finally placed the Eye of Agamotto back upon its pedestal, "I think it likes you better than me."

 "Of course it does," Emilia muttered back, her voice flat, though it did hold a small teasing edge to it. Fatigue had swamped her, and she was grateful for the weight the cloak provided, knowing it would likely catch her if she toppled over.

 "Smart move." Came Wong's voice. His footsteps echoed throughout the spare room. He nodded his head towards the artefact that was once again in its rightful place. Even he didn't know the extent of its power, of the things it could potentially do... And in all honesty, he didn't want to know. It was a weight off his own shoulder upon seeing the Eye free from Stephen's neck. "You'll wear the Eye of Agamotto once you've mastered its powers. Until then, it's best not to walk the streets wearing an infinity stone."

 Emilia blinked. An Infinity Stone? She, of course, knew what they were, for the Ancient one had told her exactly how they had been created, how some had managed to fall onto their planet... And yet she never knew that the Eye of Agamotto had been housing one all that time.

 Stephen had wielded an Infinity Stone, and he had done so with ease.

 He had taken to it like a fish to water, he had bent the power of an Infinity Stone to his very own will, and he had won the battle because of it.

 "A what?" Stephen responded, his eyes drifting towards the ancient weapon once again, before he finally looked at Wong.

 The man chuckled, shaking his head at the lack of information Stephen still had; it was easy to forget that the man had been training for just over a year and a half, that he'd been with them at the Kamar-taj for mere months; such progress and power was... Astounding. "You have a gift for the mystic arts, but you still have much to learn"

 Wong's eyes flitted towards Emilia who had taken to resting her head on her own shoulder, an awkward angle, but she truly looked as though she'd stumble to the ground within a moment's notice. His words were grave, careful as he uttered them, aware of the effect they had on each occupant of the room, "Word of the Ancient One's... Death... Will spread through the multiverse. The Earth has no Sorcerer Supreme to defend it. We must be ready."

 Stephen sighed as he looked between both of his companions, "We'll be ready." A look of respect and trust was directed towards Wong as the man left the two alone, yet an entirely different look was gifted to Emilia.

 Fondness settled on his features as he took in her drooping eyes, the small, quiet yawns that would part her split lips. Each wound on her face, each speck of blood did nothing to take away the pounding of his heart as she slowly met his unrelenting gaze

 "So, you're staying?" Emilia spoke in a voice that was far too meek and small to have been spouting from such a lively, bright person. But it was her heart talking, after all.

 A year and a half had Emilia known Stephen, and though she oftentimes regarded him as a nuisance that liked to test her patience, as a target for her witty retorts; she truly cared for the man, deeply. He had so often left behind his ego and arrogance and instead brought forth comfort and kindness, he spent so many nights soothing the flames that flickered behind her eyes as the nightmares came once again.

 She wouldn't have been able to bear him leaving too.

 Stephen approached, bypassing the small pieces of rubble that lay on the ground, his eyes stayed on Emilia's, almost delighting on the way her back straightened as he finally stopped before her. He hated the way his fingers trembled by his side, each twitch causing them to brush against his robes, yet he brought them up nonetheless.

 A single calloused, shaking finger glided across Emilia's cheek. Soft skin, a healing wound, traces of blood. His eyes held her's the entire time, and neither was aware that the other was holding their breath.

 "I can't leave." His words were quiet and held more meaning than he wished to portray. He couldn't leave because of the burden that was now on his shoulders, he had to stay and he had to help... But he couldn't leave Emilia.

 A breath of a laugh stumbled from Emilia's lips as she curled her own fingers around Stephen's hand, staring at it for a moment, watching as each finger shook and rattled against her palm.

 He wanted to snatch it away, to keep his 'defect' to himself, but the way Emilia looked at him after trailing her thumb over one of his scars made any such thoughts fade away.

 "I don't want you to." She whispered, spurring a delightful pink to erupt on the apples of both their cheeks. She was being open, honest, and she was letting Stephen understand what she felt.

 It was scary, terrifying even, letting another person hold her heart within their hands, knowing that they could drop it and leave it behind in an instant as so many had done before. Fear was paralysing, Emilia knew that better than most... But the fear of being left behind was so greatly outweighed by the insurmountable affection that swirled within her blood for the idiot in front of her.

 And Stephen? His eyes were glued to her face, powerless to move as he felt their fingers intertwine and slowly fall to their sides. Warmth submerged him, a blanket of heat as he caught sight of the upturn of Emilia's lips. He felt like a teenage boy, fawning over the simplest, minute little details of her face, and yet every line, every flutter of her eyelashes that came to dance on her cheek, every smile; each was ingrained so deeply within his memory.

 He thought his photographic memory had once been most useful for his studies, for perfecting his talents... And now he was only thankful that his mind could keep such a vision of perfection, even despite the blood and bruises that littered her skin, under lock and key in his head.

 He'd never forget that smile, nor the eyes that looked at him unlike any other.

 "Stephen?" Emilia breathed, finally willing her lungs to have a hefty gulp of oxygen. Her throat bobbed, and her fingers twitched against his own. She didn't want to break their moment, a moment neither had known they wanted for so long, but she needed an answer. "Do you know what Kaecilius meant? He knew about me... He knew who I was. Do you know why?"

 His throat was immediately cleared and Stephen almost scolded himself. How had he become such an open book for the woman in front of him? With hesitance, his head slowly nodded, "I do." Oh how he wished he'd be able to stop there, that his short answer would be enough for her, but he knew Emilia far too well. Not only that, she deserved to know.

 His mind flashed with the gruesome grin of Dormammu, of the words he'd uttered with malicious laughter.

 Stephen kept a hold of her hand as he sighed, eyes clenching shut for a mere moment before he met her eyes once again, eyes that held fear, "Your abilities..." He stammered, words dying on the tip of his tongue as her eyes inched wider, "They come from Dormammu."

 Emilia stumbled backwards, fingers almost parting from Stephens as a short gasp left her lips, leaving the wound that tore at her bottom lip to sting with heat, "What?"

 "I asked him about you. I saw the way Kaecilius would look at you, that smile he'd give you as though he knew everything about you, I couldn't stand it." His hold tightened on her hand, "Dormammu, it... It wanted to cause chaos, destruction, and it thought the easiest way to do so was to send a sliver of its power to Earth where it would find a swelling, festering piece of destruction and latch onto it. It chose you. It said that its powers sensed the destruction that was going to happen the day Banner turned into the Hulk, and it picked you to thrive in."

 Emilia backed away, her fingers slipped from Stephens grasp and they trembled as she held them to her chest. A hollow feeling shrouded her. Dormammu, the Destroyer of Worlds... Its power had chosen to poison her of all people. Everything that had happened had been its fault.

 "It said that... It would be drawn to someone strong enough to house it, but someone who wouldn't be able to control it. It called you a vessel for destruction." Stephen cringed as Emilia's brows cinched together, as her breathing increased, "But it also said that it should have controlled you. That you shouldn't have been able to bend it to your own will. It said that it couldn't have foretold how its power would manifest in you. It deemed you a failure because you didn't cause enough destruction to keep it satisfied, and so it formed a pact with Kaecilius, a deal."

 Emilia closed her eyes as her back made contact with the wall behind her. Her breathing was coming out in short, uncontrollable puffs as the images of flames danced behind her lids, as screams filled her ears once again. Everything that happened led back to both herself, and Dormammu.

 "I use the power of the Dark Dimension?" She whispered, eyes snapping open. She kept her gaze firmly on Stephen, even despite the fact that his body was nothing but a blur to her now.

 "No, no." Stephen quickly responded, his scuffed books quickly carrying him closer, yet he stayed far enough away to give her room, "The power inside of you was Dormammu's, but the moment you controlled it, the moment you so much as picked up a teacup with it, it became yours. It told me that the... The chaos you caused." He hated saying that, watching as her lips wobbled at the reminder, "It could feel it all, but the moment you came here and the second you used the power as your own, all ties were severed."

 His hand repeated its previous actions and landed upon her warm cheek, fingers splayed over her cheekbone as his thumb swiped the delicate skin beneath her eye, "I'm so sorry that this happened to you, but I know you, Emilia. I know that you'll control it, that you'll use it to help people like you have already. You were strong enough to make it your own, to take it from Dormammu."

 "Why do you have such faith in me?" Her voice broke as she finally met his eyes. She blinked away the tears of terror that had gathered in her waterline and focused on the warmth that encompassed her cheek.

 Stephen chuckled as he shook his head, that one pesky little hair flopped back onto his forehead. How could she even ask such a thing? "Because you've always had faith in me."

 Emilia sniffed, a wobbly smile alighting her pink lips. Her cheeks were flushed from a tangle of emotions, anger, sadness, but staring at Stephen... There was one that made the others simmer down, she pushed those to the back of her mind and instead, mirrored his actions.

 Her hand grazed his cheek, careful of the wound that painted his skin, it was red and angry from the fight they'd endured, and if her fingers had touched it, he didn't show it. Her other hand climbed up his arm, lightly feeling the robe that covered his skin before she finally planted it on the back of his neck, the short dark hairs that rested there tickling her fingers.

 Her voice was hoarse as she looked at him, unable to break their locked gaze, "Thank you." and then she moved closer. It wasn't until her nose brushed against his own that her eyes closed, they fluttered shut, eyelash's resting on the apples of her cheeks whilst she stayed where she was, feeling the small puffs of hot air stumble from Stephen's lips as the warmth brushed her own like a feather.

 Then, with a short laugh, Emilia closed their gap. Her lips moulded against his own, and despite the shock that threatened to keep Stephen from moving, he fought it. He smiled against her lips and moved in sync with her, their breaths were tangled, heat crept up their necks, tinging the tips of their ears pink whilst adding to the flush that already dusted their cheekbones.

 Stephen had come to the Kamar-Taj as a broken, arrogant man in search of someone to fix him so that he could return to the life he once had. So that he could return to being praised for his talents, held upon a pedestal. Yet he found Emilia, a woman who used her time to teach him despite the inner turmoil she faced every day and the demons she fought every night.

 Her laughter had warmed his cold bones, the light in her eyes steadily influenced such a sight within his own cerulean ones. Her patience with him had helped him change; arrogance still crawled over his skin, it always would, and his ego had certainly been boosted by her actions... But he was a better man, and he could wholeheartedly say that Emilia was the leading factor in such a change.

 Emilia, much like Stephen, had retreated to the Kamar-Taj for fixing. She was dangerous, she needed someone to tame her abilities, and now she stood with the man who she had once seen as nothing but a stranger, an irritating, egotistical stranger. Now, though he had the ability to irritate her to her very core, Emilia couldn't see him as anything less than a good man, and a man she had such strong, rooted feelings for.

 Emilia was the first to pull back, her chest rising and falling as she forced air into her lungs, yet even so, she never looked away from the warmth that radiated from Stephen's eyes that were solely on her.

 "Thank you." She muttered again with a smile.

 Stephen, ever the man to ruin a moment, cocked his head as a sly grin erupted on his face, "For the kiss or—?"

 "You're the worst." Emilia groaned as she planted her forehead on his chest, head vibrating as he chuckled, "You really are."

 Stephen's chin rested on the mound of hair on her head, one or two tickling his chin as he hummed lightly, "I know. You clearly love it."

 "Whatever will help you sleep at night," Emilia responded, though she couldn't help the laugh that she let out. She pulled back, her steps carrying her so that they were an arms-length apart. Her stomach swirled with anxiety, and the hairs on her arms rose as she cleared her throat.

 "What is it?" Stephen asked.

 "I want to ask a favour." Emilia sighed lightly, her own breath jostling the hairs that limply framed her face.

 "Anything."

 Once again, his statement made a small breath tumble from her parted lips. They were swollen from the kiss, a metallic twang coated them from both the wound that lingered from their battle and the way her teeth had been chewing at them with worry and anxiety. Stephen had answered without an ounce of hesitance, and that mere action ceased Emilia's worry.

 Emilia lightly coughed, clearing her throat as it tried to constrict line vines around a trellis, "Follow me." Her words were a whisper as she held her hand up, eyes prompting Stephen to grasp it in his own, an action that also held no hesitance.

 A heavy feeling settled on Emilia's shoulders as her mind filled with images from her past; a glorious white cottage with fauna and wild animals surrounding it. The buzz of bees that happily fluttered from bee boxes to plant their tiny little legs on the petals of periwinkle flowers.

 With a single hand that held the sling-ring Emilia so rarely used, she summoned a portal. A few swift and precise movements and gold encased them, sparks fluttered to the ground and fizzled out like sparklers held within a child's hand; and there, through the centre, stood the very building that had flickered into Emilia's mind.

⋆⋆⋆

 Stephen was frozen to the spot the moment he followed Emilia through the flickering portal; a home, or at least a large cottage stood upon a field of wildflowers. Birds fluttered by as they sang their songs, bees drifted to and fro, bouncing from one sweet-scented flower to the next; a wild rabbit eyed the pair before swiftly hopping back into the thrush of berry bushes that lined the area.

 The two of them stood upon a cobbled path that twisted and weaved, slightly overgrown with weeds and dandelions that grew between the cracks of each individual stone. Ivy had sprouted on the brick walls of the building and crawled over the windows that had certainly not been cleaned for some time and stretched towards the roof of the two-story home, tangling with the tiles that protected the home from rainfall.

 "Where..." Stephen began, his attention taken away from his sentence by the bee that flew far too close to his ear, making him flinch back.

 "My home," Emilia answered, her tone saddened as she took in the wild plants that had sprouted so tall that she'd have to wave through them to reach the mailbox. The jingle of keys sounded out as Emilia slipped her hand into the inside pocket of her fresh robe. Three keys sat upon the chain, each clinking with the other as she tightened her grasp on them. "The home I bought when my career reached its peak."

 Stephen was silent as he dutifully followed Emilia up the path; the gates were already open, no doubt stuck in place from the luscious grass and bustling wildlife that had begun to climb the mahogany wood. He waited without words as Emilia twisted the key into the door of the building, the door took a moment to crack open; he presumed she hadn't visited the estate in a long, long time.

 Emilia blew a breath out, the mere action causing dust to swirl in the beams of light that filtered through the windows. It was just as she remembered, of course it was, she hadn't been back since the day she ran from her life and deemed herself beyond repair.

 The hallway they entered into was wide and long, stretching to the length of the home, another door with a window at the end, leading towards the rolling fields of berries, flowers and wildlife that had taken over where vegetables and fruit had once been growing.

 To their left was the living room; white furniture was now grey with a thick coating of dust that had settled in Emilia's absence. To the right was the spacious, modern kitchen of duck-egg blue and white; completed with an empty vase on the counter that had once held a bundle of lilies upon Emilia's departure.

 Through the archway of the living room was an office space; deep oak wood stood proud on the wooden flooring that had once shone as though repeatedly polished, now it was matte and dull with dust.

 A bathroom was tucked next to the kitchen, filled with sage green decorations, and white furniture. Opposite the room was the staircase that led to the smaller upstairs; up there, in the open planned area was Emilia's bedroom.

 Emilia could barely remember what it had looked like the day she had gathered her clothes and loaded them into her car. It, no doubt, had books and papers strewn about, pencils and pens littering the side table that held up a lamp. She dreaded to think of the bookcase that lined an entire wall, for she barely dusted it when she occupied the space, let alone after over two years time had passed.

 "It's the first time I've been here since... Everything happened." Emilia muttered quietly, rubbing one arm with the other, despite the fact that the home was relatively warm. Her eyes darted to the multitude of pictures that lined the walls and various surfaces, "I don't think I'd have been able to come alone, I don't think I would have been able to face the past alone."

 Stephen rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, looking over her head at the picture frame she'd been staring at; it looked as though an entire town was within the picture. Children beamed with toothy grins, some making silly faces and others acting as though it was picture day at school. Elderly couples held one another, small, loving smiles on their own faces as they looked at one another.

 Adults with budding families, though they had dark circles beneath their eyes, couldn't have looked any happier if they tried. At the centre stood three people; an older couple, probably in their late fifties or early sixties; the woman held a soft smile on her lips, and though her partner's eyes were on the camera, she was looking towards the woman who stood in front of them, with nothing but pride in her eyes.

 The man, looking to be older than the woman, had grey streaks in his dark hair and a firm hand planted on the woman stood in front. He, too, looked proud.

 And then there was the woman, clearly a younger vision of Emilia. Her features were a little rounder when the moment had been captured; her head was tilted ever so slightly as she grinned, small lines at the sides of her eyes and a warm fluster on her cheekbones. Her hair was darker, her posture just as relaxed as it had been on the nights the two of them would simply talk and laugh together.

 Then, a scraped, cut up finger drifted over the picture, hovering near the couple behind her younger self, "Those are my parents." Emilia uttered softly, guilt interlacing her voice that broke, "That's the day Bruce Banner came to me at one of my lectures, asking if I'd be willing to help him with a project... My parents were so happy, so proud of me... They ran from the house, mi papá almost tripped on the porch as they ran to tell the neighbours. 'Our little niña'  They had yelled, 'Our little girl working on a big offical project!'"

 Emilia's breathing rattled in her lungs and shook as it left her lips. Tears had been freely flowing down her cheeks as she recalled the memory, "They were so happy." A shrill gasp broke her sentence and Stephen wrapped his arms around her, his chin resting upon her head as he had done before, "I try to think of this whenever I wake up from my nightmares... But it always turns into the day I... The day I killed them."

 "Emilia..." Stephen muttered as he gently spun her to face him. Tears streamed down her face, their lasting trails illuminated by the beam of sunlight that illuminated her sullen face. He couldn't stand seeing her like that. It'd been gut-wrenching enough when he'd watch her sob from the nightmares that haunted her dreams, back when he had no real idea that loved her.

 That made him pause. He wanted to say those words now, just to reassure her, to make at least a spark of happiness fill those sad, downcast eyes. But even though it was true, she didn't need that now. Her emotions were twisted and tangled as she did her best to make peace and confront her past, he couldn't make that harder for her.

 "You didn't kill them." He finally spoke, ignoring the scathing look she sent his way, her mouth open as though ready to argue, "You didn't. Unknown powers were forced onto you, chaos was forced into your life, and you had no idea. The things that happened to you, the things you think you did? Those were Dormammu, and it alone. I told you, the second you gained a slither of control over your abilities, then they were yours and yours alone. But up to that point, they were strings Dormammu had tied to you, tied to himself. You broke free, and the moment you did, you helped save the world. Anything before that time was not your fault."

 Emilia didn't respond. She knew he was right, that Dormammu was the reason everything had happened, but being the one to see it, being the vessel that provided people for her abilities to kill... It made her gut churn. She still believed she was dangerous; for the powers she had, she was never meant to control.

 "I miss them." She sobbed, her head falling to his chest, seeking solace and warmth within his arms, "I miss them so much, Stephen."

 "I know." Stephen whispered, his voice settling over her like a gentle caress as his own throat threatened to close on him, "I know."

 They stood in silence, providing comfort and warmth to one another in the lonely home filled with memories that had been abandoned for far too long.

 "Can you tell me about your family?" Emilia muttered against the sodden fabric of Stephen's robes.

 Stephen's eyes clamped shut as his throat dried out. His heart hammered faster in his chest, and Emilia had clearly heard the change of pace, for she pulled back and looked up, searching for his eyes.

 Forest green that so eerily reminded him of the lush wildlife that grew around them stared up at him, curiosity lingered there, barely over-shadowing the family look of sadness and guilt that seemed to permanently live within her gaze.

 When his eyes met her own, Emilia's lips tugged further towards the ground. What she found staring back at her was nothing less than what she saw every time she looked into a mirror. His look was far away, as though trapped in his own mind, fear etched inwards, reminding Emilia of the mental battles she fought against every time a flash of her past lit the spark behind her eyes.

 Her fingertips ghosted the skin of his cheek, her thumb brushing against his lip, "Stephen?"

 "My family..." Stephen coughed as his eyes began to water, "They didn't have a happy ending either."

 "You don't have to tell me, I understand."

 He searched her face, yet found nothing close to judgement, nothing demanding, no malice. Just Emilia, and her ever comforting look of trust and comfort. "I had a little sister, her name was Donna. My parents were Eugene and Beverly Strange."

 Whilst Stephen paused to wet his lips and recollect his thoughts, Emilia let her hand drift to his shoulder, the other intertwining with his free hand. The word was rattled in her mind, and the grief that accompanied his voice was a clear indicator that she had passed some time ago.

 Stephen was as solid as a statue, frozen under a sheen of ice that came in the form of his past. His actions had once been meticulous, precise to the point that nobody could read his body language, unless he was angry, or up his own ass at the time, of course.

 During the down moments when he was alone, Stephen would listen to his own breathing and grow frustrated when it fluctuated and increased. He'd scold his own body for betraying him and letting his cold, arrogant demeanour slip, even in his own, sole presence.

 Stephen Strange rarely hesitated, he rarely slipped, but now, as the voices of his family that had once been long forgotten rattle away in his ears, he cringed. His throat bobbed as he tried to recall what they looked like. It had been years since he'd seen them face to face, able to call out the most intricate details that had been engraved in their skin; now they were shapeless voices.

 "I was a happy kid, annoyed when Donna came along, like most big brothers, but eventually... Well, I slipped into that role of an annoying older brother who secretly cared for his sibling. She was an oddball, I remember that much. Donna spoke to herself a lot, but she loved sports and reading." They were meticulous details, but even with his memory, Stephen couldn't find depth in his past, "I... I don't remember much, Emilia, the things I do remember, they aren't pretty."

 "I told you, you don't have to tell me. I told you about my past, but that doesn't make you obligated to tell me yours in return. I'm content with what I already know about you." Emilia muttered softly, her words slightly obscured as she nestled into his chest, feeling the way his body trembled.

 "I've never told anyone." He responded in a grave voice, one that was barely above a whisper, "How do you do it?

 "Do what?"

 "Make me want to tell you every little secret I have."

 "Because I listen. Because I care, Stephen, that's all."

 He shook his head, her hair frizzing beneath his chin at the action, "That's more than I've ever had." He then swallowed, a heaving breath fluttering down his throat, "Donna was eleven when she died. She drowned in the sea, and I couldn't do anything to save her. That's why..."

 "You became a Doctor?"

 "Yes. I wanted to help people, save them." Stephen paused, focusing on the thumb that lightly caressed the skin of his hand, "Just as I finished my five-year residency at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, my mother passed away... Her death... After that, my work became more impersonal. I couldn't save her either, and I started to only care about cases I could save, not the people. I suppose..." He trailed off for a moment, immense guilt tearing at his gut, "I suppose It was to protect my feelings, so I didn't care for people and then lose them again."

 Emilia nodded against his chest, the action spurring him to lift his head from her own. He stared down for a moment, a fond smile alighting his trembling lips at the way he could barely see Emilia's face as she tucked herself into him, "My talent in the medical field became unmatched, I picked people I knew I'd be able to save, never looked twice at people who couldn't be 'fixed'. You know how I became... Cold, egotistical. My interest in people began and ended at their bills. Two years after my mother passed away, my father grew ill, and to spare myself more grief... I never once visited him, and soon after, he died too."

 "I'm sorry," Emilia whispered, finally pulling back to meet his eyes again. Water had gathered in them, threatening to spill over and tumble down his cheeks; and the second Emilia swiped her thumb beneath his eyes, then they fell.

 She wiped them away with gentle touches. She smiled at him, it was broken, a little like they were, but it brought him so much more comfort than one could ever imagine, and as he repeated the action, tears still littering the bruised skin of his face, Emilia found comfort too.

 Emilia's eyes flickered between his own, watching as he stared at her, unrelentingly, and then as she trailed her eyes down, landing upon the collar of his robes, she blinked, "How long were you there for?"

 Stephen only hummed in question.

 "With Dormammu." She elaborated, fingers dancing across his chest where the Eye of Agamotto had once rested, "You can be persuasive, Stephen, but I don't think your talents would convince Dormammu to cease his actions in a few seconds."

 Ever the one to pick apart everything, Stephen thought with a sigh. His skin suddenly felt as though it was on fire again, as though pillars of Earth were shooting through him and shattering his bones. He had died more times than he could remember, and though Stephen repeatedly told himself that he was fine, he was alive and the world was safe... Flashes of his death split through his thoughts and burned at his flesh. It made his breathing ragged and harsh, and he had no control over it.

 "Eight months." He finally uttered, his features softening as Emilia closed her eyes and frowned.

 "Eight months." She echoed, "Eight months of what, exactly?"

 Stephen hesitated, the mere word on his tongue felt like poison, "Death." He bit out, "Dormammu killed me, and killed me again... multiple times each day, for eight months."

 "Stephen..." Emilia's thumb grazed his cheek again, the touch alone was enough to quell the simmering panic that had crawled over his skin. It wasn't as concealed as he'd have liked, for Emilia could hear his heart hammering away, she could hear his breathing coming out in short, sharp rasps, "I'm here, and so are you, it's over."

 They stared at one another for a moment, and Stephen did his utmost to match his own breathing with Emilia's, calming his heart that threatened to leap from its cage. He was the first to move, to rest his forehead against her own, "I know."

 "Let's go home."

 "Home?" Stephen questioned as he stood straighter, eyes glazing around the room before they landed on Emilia who pulled away from his hold, "You aren't staying here?"

 "I'll visit. I need to make peace with the faces on these walls at some point, but my life is different now. I'm not a physicist, I'm..." Her face scrunched up in the very way that brought Stephen a sense of comfort, "I'm not really sure what I am anymore. I'm still afraid of what I can do, more so now than ever, but I know that I can help people..." She smiled. Her cheeks rose and her complexion was doused in light pink as she turned away from Stephen and brought a portal to life.

 Stephen chuckled beneath his breath, and though the lingering thoughts of his family and the lingering pain of his encounter with Dormammu still burned at his being, he smiled too. The portal that jostled in front of the pair held a familiar scenery within it; A large window with an intricate pattern, old artefacts lined the walls... The New-York Sanctum.

 "You're staying with me?" He whispered, coming to her side and reaching for her hand.

 "As if I could leave."

━━━━━━━

16-11-2021

a very long chapter; but this is something i really wanted for emilia and stephen; the pair finally opening themselves up fully, showing their trust for one another. and yes, i did include stephen's own story here too; it's a mashup of some of his 'backstories', but still rains true.  honestly, this is one of my favourite chapters i've written!

it was kinda sad we didn't get to know more about him and his past or more about the whole time loop with dormammu (because that had to be traumatising), so here we go. we also finally got the pair 'getting together' and sharing another few moments; i adore them. 

anyway, please let me know what you think! especially about the whole power coming from dormammu thing! we have one last chapter for part one, and though it's more of an interlude, i truly wanted to include the doctor strange x thor scene from ragnarok; so look forward to that!