Who: Stephen Strange and Scarlett Bernard When: Friday Evening Where: Their apartment What: Valentine's Day Things Warnings: TBD Status: Closed/In-Progress [TBC in Comments]
Valentine’s Day was simply one of those holidays that Stephen preferred to ignore. Most holidays were like that if only because he never had a need to celebrate them. Stephen, for quite some time, didn’t have a need for many things.
Christine had changed that, albeit briefly, but the truth was that he had always been married to his work. He wanted nothing more than to always be the best at what he did. Even upon finding his way to the Ancient One and learning magic drove Stephen to learn as much as quickly as possible.
There was a reason why he had been named Sorcerer Supreme and the New York Sanctum protector.
None of that mattered back home, though. Not when he was dead.
Which was why he had accepted the handful of questionable Valentine’s Day cards, gifts, and baked goods from some of his students. It was also why he had put together an elaborate dinner, bought some gourmet chocolates in a fancy box, and even let Ariadne talk him into something completely outside of his realm of comprehension. Who thought things like Naughty Dice were necessary?
“The item that is in that gift bag,” Stephen began, placing the vase of red roses onto the coffee table. “Was not entirely my doing.” Sitting down on the sofa beside Scarlett, he let out a sigh. “It seems you and Ariadne enjoy making my life as complicated as humanly possible.”
He wasn’t mad, though. Not in the least. Even he could hide the small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
***
“Oh hey don’t go blaming me for anything that Ariadne comes up with. I’m pretty sure whatever it is she did it to get me to tell stories later.” Scarlett stuck her tongue out at Steven but then she laughed. It was a little strange to her sometimes here how much she laughed. And it wasn’t all Stephen it was also the lack of intrigue, picking up after the supernaturals of her world and all the worry that people would get hurt because of what she was involved in.
But Steven didn’t hurt.
“What if I like the chocolates better?” She had no idea what was in the bag she was just being a pest.
***
"The mere fact that there are stories," Stephen sighed, his hand covering his face with a light groan. Of course, they would have girl talk or whatever it was they did. He just didn't want to think about it or accept it.
Looking over at her, Stephen's expression shifted to a small grin. "If you prefer the chocolate over the gift, then I did an excellent job in their selection and Ariadne is not as clever as she believes herself to be." Which couldn't be true considering Stephen considered both women to be too clever for their own good.
"Not that I didn't do an excellent job in my choices," he said, tucking a piece of Scarlett's hair behind her ear.