~Part Five~

"The robes suit you."

Ciara, who had been deep in thought, lifted her forest green eyes and smiled as she focused on the man who'd spoken. He had been silent upon entering the library, though somehow she knew he hadn't intended to startle her. He rarely did, though the man was naturally as quiet as a mouse when he walked.

It had been a week since Ciara had decided to stay at the New York Sanctum, though it felt like it had been much longer. The first couple of days of her stay, she'd merely tried to learn her way around the massive building. That and get used to the idea of not being on her own...

Now, after days of mental pep-talks and getting lost in the labyrinthine corridors and galleries, Ciara was finally beginning to get the hang of it all. She'd even donned the boots and Mystic robes that Wong had gifted her. They were a simple dark blue and tan combination- not too different from Strange's- though she personally thought he pulled them off better.

She now examined him thoroughly 'just to be sure', and allowed her eyes to linger on his frame for just a little too long. Finally she answered him, smiling bashfully as she noticed that he was staring at her.

"Right back atcha, Stephen. You look amazin' too… Though what's new? Ya always look fresh an' gorgeous."

"Fresh and gorgeous? Really? You sure about that?" he teased, blushing slightly underneath his well-groomed facial hair, before shaking his head. "That fatigue must really be hitting you. I thought you said you'd been sleeping well?"

"Ah stop it, ya shite-poke! I'm not in any way sleep deprived, thank ya very much," Ciara retorted as she shifted in the chair where she was seated. "And I meant what I said. Yer as handsome as yeh are intelligent, so ya better learn to accept it."

Strange studied Ciara for sometime before he shook his head. "Oh you should have met me two years ago. My ego was through the roof. Took more than a couple tough lessons to bring me down to earth."

"Conceited were yeh?"

"You have no idea."

Ciara was still for a moment, before she winked at him. "Well you are a catch, lovie. Can't blame you fer being aware of it. . . But since ya aren't fond of boasting these days, I suppose it'll be my duty to do it for yeh from now on~"

The Mystic Master barked out a short surprised laugh, rolling his eyes, before he moved to change the subject. She'd embarrassed him with all the praise, though it was well earned.

In his eagerness to start a new conversation, Strange gestured curiously towards the tome that Ciara currently held in her hands. It was an ancient book, with weathered pages and a leather cover, though it was obviously well cared for- as were all books of the Sanctum.

"I see you're doing some light reading..." Strange observed in a conversational tone, making Ciara snort.

"Ya call this thing light? Sweetie, it weighs more than I do! Besides, ya shouldn't make fun of a scholar at work. It's just plain rude."

Stephen's brow rose with humor, and more than a little skepticism. "Don't even pretend you were reading the whole thing, Ciara. I saw you skimming through the pages to get to the good part."

For a moment, the woman held onto her flabbergasted expression before she cracked and grinned up at him. The lovable bugger knew her far too well.

"Aye, ya caught meh. I was just flippin' through. . . I was just curious about something."

Strange came to stand behind her, piercing blue eyes peering over the top of her fiery head to glance at the page she had stopped on. "If you're looking for a particular passage, I could help you find it. What were you curious about?"

Ciara blushed despite herself, as she reached up to scratch her head. "Oh just a bit o' this and that~ Nothing to worry yer head over-"

"Ciara." As Strange said her name, Ciara craned her neck to look up at him, and fell silent.

As soon as she met his eyes, she completely lost her train of thought. They were so beautiful and warm, that they seemed to swallow her whole. It was only as she realized she'd been staring at him for several minutes, that Ciara cleared her throat and laughed. Curse the damnable bugger, using his handsome face to stump her. He'd been doing that more and more often, though if Ciara was being honest, she'd done her fair share of flirting and teasing too. . .

"Uhh… Y-Yes, Stephen...?" She finally answered, making his eyes twinkle knowingly.

"Cut the bullshit, okay." When her mouth swung open he held up a finger, pointing back to the book. "You were looking for something specific before I came in. What was it?"

"It's nothing important. I swear..." When he continued to stare at her unrelentingly, Ciara sighed in defeat. "Oh fine, you impossible man! I saw you with this book yesterday and I was curious about what you were reading! So I thought I'd try ta guess what you'd been so enthralled by….. There, are ya happy now?"

"Tickled pink," Strange retorted with a small smile, before he reached over and flipped to the following chapter in the book. It was written in ancient symbols that Ciara couldn't read. When she stared at it blankly, Strange translated the chapter title for her.

"The Morrígu. Also known as 'The Morrigan'."

Ciara's evergreen eyes grew wide as he said the familiar name. "Why were you reading about the Morrigan, Doctor?"

Strange let his finger trace over the chapter heading, his gaze skirting over the page. "Well, your memories were pretty clear. You gained your mythical powers from an eon-old entity. As I recall you were directly named a Child of the Morrigan."

"Yes... but that doesn't explain why you were researching it, lovie." Ciara said quietly, regarding the Mystic without judgement or anger. She trusted him completely, though was undeniably eager to understand his line of thought.

He didn't disappoint.

"Your past is important to you, Ciara." His voice was soft, as he met her gaze unblinkingly. "I figured you'd like to know more about where your powers stem from. I was going to wait until I'd learned more before I presented my findings… Though if I've overstepped my boundaries, I apologize."

Ciara shook her tousled redhead. "Don't worry. You haven't overstepped anything, Stephen."

In truth, the fact that he cared enough to research the Morrigan touched her. Doctor Stephen Strange really was a kind man, though his way of showing it might not have always been orthodox. Every day they spent together she respected and cherished him more, and deep down, Ciara felt that perhaps he might have felt the same way about her. It made butterflies rise in her throat and stomach, making her shift in her seat.

The Mystic studied the woman, gauging her sincerity. "Really? I haven't upset you?"

"Not at all. Quite the opposite, in fact," she reassured him, before tapping the page with her own pointer finger. "Now, why don't you tell me what this says. I cannae read pictograph scribbles, and you seem ta understand it jus' fine."

"It's old Sanskrit, actually," he corrected humorously, before he conjured up a chair of his own and sat beside her. "Hand it over."

Ciara complied, before settling back, hands propped behind her head in a state of relaxation. "Story time~!"

"Would you like me to read it? Or just summarize the key points?"

"How on earth would ya summarize somethin' tha' big?"

Strange tapped his temple with a smirk. "Photographic memory."

Ciara's eyes rolled as she laughed. "Stephen, of all the gifted buggers-"

"I know," he joked. "I'm one of a kind."

Ciara looked at him affectionately, her forest green eyes dancing with warmth as she nodded. "Aye, Strange, ya are. Best o' the best."

Stephen Strange reclined back in his chair, as his lips quirked at the corners, before he began to read the passage. Ciara did her best to listen, finding that most of the information was interesting and new. . . But as he read in his deep, clear voice, she found herself lulling into a stupor. He purred through the words, and she grew more and more relaxed, her eyes slowly drifting closed as the tranquility of the moment overtook her. And before he had finished the chapter, she had fallen into a peaceful sleep.

It was sometime later that Ciara was awoken by the odd sensation that she was floating. Groggily, the woman cracked open her eyes and instantly yelped. She was levitating almost five feet in the air! Though as a calming hand came to rest on her shoulder and a gentle voice called her name, she flopped back and cursed.

"Son-of-a-! . . . Stephen, is this yer doing!?"

Strange looked down at Ciara somewhat sheepishly, shrugging. "You were sleeping. I thought I'd just levitate you back to your room. . ." He held up his shaking, scarred hands for her inspection. "I'm afraid carrying you the old fashioned way, was out of the question..."

Now that he'd explained why she was floating, and the initial shock had worn off, Ciara let out a deep exhale that turned into a tired giggle. He really just kept outdoing himself on the sweet factor, though she doubted he was even aware of it. Strange seemed oblivious to the good that came from his actions. Dear man that he was. Or perhaps it was just his newfound modesty again. . .

"Sorry for cursing at ya, lovie. Ya just scared the shite outta meh!" She chortled merrily, as he slowly set her down to stand. She could feel his magic fade from her limbs, as she once more gained complete control of her body. Ciara felt the need to explain her outburst, as her laughter subsided.

"I didn't mean ta act so adversely. . . It's just that when I was younger, right after I'd first gotten ma powers, I used ta wake up suspended an' floating mid-air. My magic would kick in while I dreamed, and I'd end up falling from the ceiling or slumped against the door when I woke up. . . I thought I'd started doing it again just now! ...But it was just you being a gentleman."

Strange stared at her, his sympathy and intrigue clear. "Your magic was active, even when you weren't conscious?"

"Yep, it sucked somethin' fierce!" Ciara nodded emphatically. "It got the point where I started tying myself down to the bed posts before I conked out. . . But with time I learned how ta control it enough to sleep peacefully."

Strange shook his head, while an odd expression crept up to capture his handsome face. "You know Ciara, the more I hear about your magic, the more fascinated I am. . ."

"Aye, you and me both, sweetie."

The two were silent for a moment before the Mystic Master cleared his throat. "So… I take it you'll want to retire to your quarters for the night?"

Ciara blinked. "Whatever gave you that impression, dove?"

"...Well you were fast asleep just moments ago…" He seemed hesitant, as if he wanted to say more, but he stopped himself. Ciara saw it and instantly made the decision to do something about it. Reaching out, she hooked her arm in the man's, grinning up at him.

"I just needed a power nap, Doctor. I'm bright eyed and bushy tailed now!" She squeezed his bicep before bouncing her brows up and down. "I'm all yours."

"All mine, huh?" He replied with amusement, chuckling when she nodded. "Well I didn't have any plans... Was there something specific you'd like to do?"

The woman considered for a long moment. "...How about we take our magic for a spin? We promised each other we'd try to share our vast wealth of knowledge."

"We did, didn't we?"

"Aye, we did and there's no time like the present." She smirked. "Are ya up for an adventure, Strange?"

Doctor Strange paused as he studied Ciara, before mirroring her smirk with one of his own. It lit up his face with a challenging, if not affectionate glow, that was quite contagious.

"Let's do it."

Ciara cheered and clapped her hands together. "Yes! That's the spirit! … Now, where do we go ta spread our figurative wings?"

"The sparring room?" Strange offered helpfully.

"... That's brilliant, that is. Ta the sparring room, Strange! On the double!"

"Aye-aye, Captain Red."

Ciara chortled as they began to walk through the Sanctum, arm in arm. "Captain Red? That's a new one."

"Figured it would suit you. With the lovely red hair and all." Strange let his free hand lift one of her long wavy, red curls. His touch was gentle as he rubbed her silky strands through his fingers, and Ciara immediately wanted to know what his hair felt like... but she stopped herself at the last moment. Instead, she opted to laugh and blush, while wrapping an arm around the Mystic's waist.

"C'mon, love. Let go show off."

Stephen leaned down to whisper in her ear, his breath ghosting across her lobe, making her shiver despite herself. "You read my mind, Miss Duncan. Ladies first."

A/N: Stay tuned guys, next chapter is almost finished and has a lovely surprise for you all!