Avengers Imagines (Part One)

Stephen Strange X Reader - Your Love Alone

A/N- This imagine is based on the song "Your Love Alone is not Enough" by the Manic Street Preachers. It's a good song and I thought it fit Stephen's story/personality pretty well? I hope you enjoy it.

Stephen stalked through the doorway of his apartment, flinching when the door closed louder than he had intended. He was late again, for the second time this week, and it was only Wednesday.

"Nice of you to finally show up." Your voice caused him to jump, but his frown was deep when you sat up, looking over the back of the sofa at him, "I get it, you were busy saving the world, but you could at least call to let me know that you're alive." He sighed when you climbed to your feet, moving away from him and into the kitchen. He followed, watching from the doorway as you pulled open the fridge, bringing out a plate of food and tearing the wrapping from it before shoving it into the microwave and hitting a few buttons.

The hum of the machine filled the room, breaking the silence between the two of you. "I'm sorry," he grumbled slightly, and you simply shrugged in response. "I didn't know I was going to be late this time," he added softly, taking a step closer to you as you shook your head. But you remained silent, saved by the beep of the microwave, and you tugged it open, pulling the plate from it before realising how hot it was and dropping it onto the counter.

"Fuck," you spat, tears pooling in your eyes as you shook your hand, glancing down at it in shock.

Stephen moved even closer, holding his hand out, "let me see."

"It's nothing," you started but he shook his head.

He sighed slightly, "please just let me look," he pressed and you finally lifted your eyes to look into his, finally holding out your hand for his to take. He glanced at it for a moment, before looking up at you with a small smile. "It's nothing to worry about, just run it under the tap for a minute."

You pulled your hand away, moving over to the sink. "You're foods getting cold."

"I wanted to come home earlier," he started again and you scoffed slightly.

"Just stop talking," you groaned, the cold water soothing the sting in your fingers. "I'm tired and I don't want to talk about it," you added and he nodded slightly in agreement.

"I'm sorry," he told you softly, watching as you shrugged once more.

"I know."

*Time Skip*

That night you slept on the sofa, knowing how much it killed him to think you didn't want to be beside him, but you just couldn't bring yourself to break the tension and crawl into his bed. Being in love with a man like Stephen was always for easier when he wasn't busy, and you had known it from the moment you had met him, knew that you would always come second to his job, though at that point his job had been saving lives in a hospital rather than with his magic.

When you woke in the middle of the night you were curled into a ball, the blanket having fallen to the floor long ago, and you fingers tinging from the cold in the room. Winter in Manhattan was never fun, even when the snow fell it never lasted long enough to enjoy, and other than that it was all icy winds and rain. It had been a welcome change when you had first moved, but now it was the kind of weather that left you grumpy and uncomfortable. You pulled the blanket back up, wrapping around you and tucking it under your legs to hold in place, letting out a sigh of relief when it warmed your arms.

"Please just come to bed," Stephen mumbled from the doorway of the bedroom, and you lifted your head to glance at him, "you'll get ill if you keep freezing yourself every night," he added and you shrugged slightly.

"I'm fine," you told him, laying back down and turning over to face the cushions at the back of the sofa.

"Come on, just for the night, at least," he continued, and you heard his feet pad across the tiled floor, stopping behind you, and suddenly you were filled with the cold and he pulled the blanket away from you. "Go on," he told you, gesturing at the bedroom with his head as you glared up at him, "I'm out here for the night."

"You're being an idiot," you grumbled, grabbing at the blanket only for him to move it out of your grip.

"Which is why you deserve the bed tonight," he pushed, watching as you got to your feet, moving away from the sofa and towards the bedroom.

You sighed slightly as he settled himself down on the sofa, "fine, but just tonight," you answered and he nodded his agreement.

"I'll see you in the morning."

You spent the next twenty minutes staring at the ceiling and feeling guilty that Stephen was probably freezing half to death. You let out another small sigh, turning over in an attempt to calm your raising mind, but it did nothing to silence your thoughts. You groaned slightly, recognising the problem, realising that you loved Stephen too much to want him to be uncomfortable. You sat up slightly, glaring at the door to the living room for a moment before finally opening your mouth to speak. "Stephen," you called out lightly, but there was no response, "Stephen are you awake?" you added, a little louder, watching as the door handle jiggled and the door opened slightly, revealing his head.

"What's up?" he asked you quietly, and you gave him a soft smile.

"Can you come back to bed?" You patted the spot beside you in his bed, watching as his confusion turned into a smile so small that it was hardly noticeable.

"You sure?" He moved through the doorway as he spoke, crossing the space between you and pausing at the side of the bed as he watched you.

You nodded slightly, "I'll get used to you being late eventually," you grumbled, laying back down as he climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up over his body. Raising his hand to run it lightly over your cheek as you rolled to face him, the two of you looking at one another in silence.

"I'm trying to be better," he promised you, tucking some of your loose hair back out of your face as he continued to run his eyes over your features.

You nodded, "so am I," you told him softly, lifting your hand to link your fingers with his, "now go to sleep, you need all of your energy for saving the world tomorrow."

He chuckled at your words, but did as he was told, rolling onto his back as he shuffled slightly to get more comfortable, his fingers still twined with yours.

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