Ceremony and Devotion
What felt like eternity later, only it were 4 hours or so, you found yourself back in your room, preparing your new robes again. You hear a knock on your door and drop the belt you've been fixing on the bed.
Opening the doors, you see a small figure standing there, smile as big as the moon.
"Y/n!" America shouts, and your breath is knocked out of your lungs as she crushes you in a hug.
"Oh, kiddo! I missed you." you laugh, only now noticing that she came not alone. Awkwardly, tall figure of Doctor Strange appears in front of you. America lets you go and now you and Strange awkwardly stand before each other.
"Stephen..." you whisper and then run to hug and him. "What are you doing here?"
His cologne and warmth embraces you, along with his hands that push you closer to his chest. "I couldn't miss the ceremony."
"Oh, you shouldn't have." you sign and unglue your arms from his back, so you don't give certain thoughts to America, but she's studying the belt on your bed.
"Is this your new belt?" she notices how odd you look in your robes without it.
"Yes, trying to implement something new." you plop on the bed and Stephen sits near the table, eyeing the huge orange folder on it.
"What you have in mind?" America asks, sitting next to you.
"Well, I wanted to have red and gold somewhere in my attire, but it kinda doesn't work with the robes, soooo I'm thinking about a belt."
"Hm. What if you added one thin line of red on top, and then one of gold at the bottom?" Stephen says, looking at you and America.
"Okay let's try." you say and wave your fingers, two lines of colored leather appearing on the belt.
"Looks good." America says, and you look at the belt and the girl for a moment, before putting your finger on the back side of the belt and a white star appears.
"A star?" America asks, confused, but Stephen already knows the meaning of it.
"Yes, it's you. You're the little star, gotta have you close all the time." you smile at the girl and her eyes light up. "But wait. How did you know where to find me?"
"Mordo. Dude's just fuming." Stephen sighs, tapping his fingers on the orange folder.
"Anyone would be too if they knew that in couple of hours they are going to lose their position. And that you're both here again. " You huff and look around the room.
"When does the ceremony begin?" America asks.
"At 6."
"Oh, great, I'm going to the city for a while." she quickly jogs to the door.
"You need some money?" you ask in a motherly way, and the air in the room shifts.
"Uh, no, I'm good." she hesitates for a moment and then leaves the room.
You look at Stephen and see a little smirk playing on his lips.
"What?" you let out a laugh.
"Nothing. This was just very... Domestic."
"Yeah... Probably." you clear your throat.
He stands up and gently picks up newly designed belt. "Want some help with it?"
"Yeah, that would be nice." you stand up and walk to him. He slowly hugs your waist whilst putting the belt on.
Turning you around, he stands behind you, and although you can't see his face, you know that he is frowning a bit and eyes are laser-focused on the job.
"You, know I've been thinking about you. Quite a lot, actually." he says, and feels his cheeks get warmer.
"I would be concerned if you weren't." you laugh, but Stephen doesn't. Turning around, you notice him with a serious expression.
"I want to settle down. With you. Somewhere. Anywhere. Only if that were possible."
"I-" wow did he just confess that he feels something for you? Stephen? The same Stephen Strange who said 'I love you' after almost a year of secret dating? You look at the man before you, all flustered and ready to be judged. Now you notice just how different he is from your Stephen.
"Stephen -"
"I know, I know that it's not possible." he waves his hands and starts walking back and forth, clearly regretting his words.
"Stephen, if there was a place where we could be together, I'd drop everything and go there with you. But we both know that it's not possible." you sigh.
"This life just gets worse and worse. I'm afraid to make a mistake because everyone will judge me. I can't have anything to myself because that means that I'm a threat to the world" he says frustrated, and you understand the pain, because you feel exactly the same.
"Oh, Stephen, believe, I understand this too." you grab his hand and pull him into a hug. "The thing about being a hero is that we are never meant to have our own happiness." you say into his sweater, now properly noticing his clothing.
"Shit, y/n. I had this dream couple of days ago. About you and me."
"Together happy" you finish the sentence, and he looks at you with almost teary eyes.
"You had the same one?"
"Yes. We both were married." you smile sadly and touch his beard. "And you know, what varies throughout the multiverse is your beard."
Strange laughs a little but then touches your cheek and presses his forehead to yours. "You truly are something incredible and special."
"Is me becoming the Sorcerer Supreme in a matter of hours gonna make me even more special?" you try to lighten up the mood, as much as it hurts, there is no time to be sad.
"Yeah, definitely." he laughs and lips softly land on your forehead.
The moment is ruined as you hear a fierce voice in the lobby, "where are you hiding her, Mordo?"
"Shit, it's Leta." you quickly look at the clock on your table and see that she's here earlier than she promised.
"Who?" Stephen asks, confused, hands defensively placed on your upper limb.
"My friend, she, uh, used to train here too. Fuck, you need to hide." you say and begin pushing him towards the wardrobe.
"I need to what?"
"She can't see you, remember you're dead in this universe." you whisper loudly.
"Oh yes." you grab the orange folder from the table, push it into Stephen's hands and push him in the wardrobe. "Are you crazy, I'm not hiding here."
"There's no time, hurry." you completely push him into the wardrobe, which is strangely exactly his size and quickly peck his cheek, close the door and run toward the bathroom.
A loud knock is heard, and you shout from the bathroom, heart beating loudly in your chest, "I'm coming!"
You scurry to the door and open them, and see a huge bouquet of wildflowers. The bouquet descends and a familiar head of curly hair appears in front of you. Grin on her face, Leta says, "and that's exactly what she said."
"God, I've missed you!" you laugh and hug her, she presses you towards her with one hand, lifting the flowers with another.
"These beauties are for you, picked them myself." she hands you the flowers and enters the room. "Well, well, back in the old room, yeah?"
"Uh, yeah, sort of." you put the flowers on the table and steal a look at the wardrobe.
"So, tell me everything." she plops on the bed and crosses her legs. She's even more beautiful than the last time you saw her.
"What? There's nothing to tell, actually."
"Yeah, you're bad at lying, y/n." Leta laughs and looks around the room, then at you. "Wow, new uniform? I like that red on the belt."
She's at your side, pulling you from the chair and spinning around once. "Have you lost weight? I feel like I can see through you."
"No, are you mad? I've been stress-eating non-stop since..."
"Since what?"
"Eh, never mind. But look at you, you're literally glowing!" you touch her shoulders gently.
"Well," she smiles brightly, "you're looking at new mamma."
"What??"
"I'm pregnant."
"WHAT? Shut up, really??"
"Yes, did the ultrasound yesterday, doctor said that I'm 2 and a half months now."
"Still with Dean?" you wiggle your eyebrows.
"Yep, we're actually getting married next month, I thought I'd give you the invitation now." She pulls out a card decorated with flowers and fancy lines.
"So soon?"
"Yeah, don't really want the baby bump to be visible in the photos. Okay enough about me, this is your day, so, anyone new who stole your heart?"
"Uhh." you take a look at the wardrobe again before putting thoughts in order. "Well, there is someone who I deeply care about, but it's just never going to work."
"Hey, don't say that! You're the Sorcerer Supreme, anything can work your way, slip him a love potion or something, don't miss your chance to be happy again!" She softly nudges your arm and a sigh from the depths of your soul escapes.
"It's just... We're the victims of unfortunate circumstances, even a big desire isn't enough. AND I'm not freaking Harry Potter, that I would go around making potions, Leta."
Stephen clutches the mysterious folder tighter, closer to his chest, where another huge tear appeared. He knows that things won't work out between you, but a miracle for him at least once would be nice.
"Okay, okay, but you know, shag as much as you can, lord knows you need to get laid." She laughs at your horrified expression.
"Leta! Fuck off!"
"Okay, I'm done. So, how did you get that juicy hot seat in the world of magic?"
"I brew a potion that deletes memories."
She deadpans, and you laugh a little at your joke. "Okay, so I took advantage of the circumstances, that's it."
"Just like you will take advantage of that stud, yeah? I bet he has really muscular arms, as I recall, you really liked these things."
"Oh, shut up! What has gotten into you? When did you become such a -"
"Whore? I've always been one, chipmunk." she smirks and gets up as the door loudly opens.
"I- hi." you see America holding a bag of what seems like candies. "Where's-"
"Your dad? He left to Kamar-Taj, I think you should wait a little, and then I'll open a portal for you, honey." you spill as quickly as you can so that she wouldn't mention Stephen, who's probably sweating in the wardrobe. Sending a wink at the girl, you anxiously wait for her next words.
"Oh, yeah, great, I'll wait in the uh lobby! Yeah, I'll wait in the lobby." she awkwardly waves at Leta and closes the door.
"Hm, what a nice kid, you said her dad is in Kamar-Taj?" she suspiciously looks at you, and you can almost stop yourself from stammering.
"Yeah, yeah, one of the sorcerers' child, very smart girl, actually she's been learning some spells too." You feel like your robes became a river of sweat.
"Oh, well, on that note, I think I have to go to Kamar-Taj too, gotta catch up with some old fellas. You portal me there, hun?" she stands up and fixes her clothes.
"Yeah, sure, absolutely." you grab the sling ring from your pocket and put it on, hands shaking a little. A sizzling sound appears and portal to Kamar-Taj opens.
"See you at, what, 6? Yeah? I'll be in the first row, or I'll beat someone for that place. Oh, what about that girl? She can come with me too." Leta smiles and stops mid-portal.
"Oh, no, she'll come there later, have fun though!"
She looks at you strangely, but goes in nonetheless. As the portal closes, you let out a breath you've been holding since America burst in.
"You can come out." you say, and the wardrobe opens, Stephen emerges from your pile of dresses and tops.
"Did you seriously close me in a closet?"
"Yep."
"You do know that I could've just opened a portal?"
"Fuck, of course." you slap your forehead and slump on the chair.
"Her dad?" he raises an eyebrow at you, and you slightly blush.
"Well, what was I supposed to say?" you laugh now.
"Okay, okay, doesn't matter. What's in here?" He waves the folder.
"Uh, some papers that Stark left. Wants me to join something."
America opens the doors again, chewing something "heard you guys talk, is she gone? Who was that?"
"That was my friend, she's gonna be at the ceremony. And did you buy a whole bag candies?" you ask, hands at your sides, very 'motherly way' of standing.
"Yes, and before you say, I'm not going to get a stomach ache."
Stephen's eyebrow is almost touching his hairline, but he refrains from any comments.
"Okay, yeah. So." you think for a moment before realizing something, "you need a disguise." you point at Stephen who looks more confused than ever.
"I need a what? Why?"
"You can't go looking like Doctor Strange, he's not here anymore." America answers for you, swallowing the candy.
"Oh, right. Well, what the hell I should do? Change my clothes?"
"No, no, the clothes... You should wear robes. Maybe uh grey ones? The beginners are usually not bothered during ceremonies and shit. And uh... Any ideas on how to make him less... Him?" you turn to America with a desperate face, but she just shrugs.
"Maybe I should wear a hood or something?" Stephen suggests carefully.
"GLASSES!" America shouts, scaring the crap out of you.
"Yes, yes, I had them somewhere." you hurry towards the shelves, opening random drawers until you pick up a pair of reading glasses with thick black frames. "Perfect, now, put them on."
"You need glasses?" Stephen asks, carefully taking them from you and putting them on.
"Yeah, for reading. Only sometimes. Especially when the letters are small."
"Wow, it's like your secret identity." America whispers. You're surprised as well on how simple glasses made Stephen look less himself.
"I look ridiculous." he states, looking at himself in the mirror and then back at you two.
"You look like a nerd, which means that this is going to work. My Strange didn't have a beard, so this thing on your face actually helps us now. Great." you clap your hands and look at the time. 15 minutes until the ceremony. "Now, you" you point at America, "put the candies down and go with Stephen, who apparently is your dad for today, and find yourselves seats. If you see a girl beating someone up for a seat at the front, that's my friend Leta. And you" you now point at Strange, "act like you don't know shit about Mystic Arts. I hope you're a good actor." you grab your slingy again and open a portal to the garden of Kamar-Taj.
"See you soon?" America asks, dropping the bag on your bed.
"Yeah, if Mordo doesn't change his mind and kill me." you laugh, feeling how hair sticks to your sweaty forehead.
"Good luck, we'll try to behave." Stephen smirks, fixing the glasses on his nose.
"I hope so." you wave them off and close the portal when they step into the garden.
"What madness is happening today?" you sign and go to the bathroom to wash your face before the consecration.