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It Began with a Goodbye
by Riley Berg
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Chapter Thirteen
I do not bother knocking on the entrance doors; it would not be much use. Stephen hesitates half a moment to follow me across the threshold without invitation. As I suspected, no one is in sight.
"Put your coat there," I instruct Stephen, pointing to the coat rack as I sit on the bench to remove my old-fashioned galoshes from over my rarely-worn stilettos.
Stephen eyes me as if pondering the wonders of female fashion and I laugh. "At least I do not carry a purse!" I protest jestingly as I stand and unbutton my coat.
"Here," Stephen says as I finish the last button, gesturing for me to turn around.
With a look of confusion, I do so. And find my coat sliding from my shoulders. As the last inch of material slips from my hands, I turn around to watch Stephen hang my coat beside his own.
"Feeling gentlemanly this evening?"
He shrugs almost undetectably in answer but offers me his arm. My instinctual reaction is to laugh. Not at him, but in amusement at or enjoyment of the whole situation. But I keep my mouth shut, only allowing a smile to tug at my lips, as I accept the proffered arm and point in the direction we are to go.
Releasing Stephen's arm as we approach the doors of our destination, I listen for a moment at the noise coming from them. Hesitantly, for Stephen's sake, not my own, I open the door a crack and peer in. Everything looks normal. Well, normal for this exceptional life we lead. I open the door wider and look around for Charles or Ororo, the two people Stephen at least knows of, even if he is not yet acquainted with them.
I have to work quickly, and since I spot Ororo first and not far away, I choose her.
"Ororo!" I call happily, leaving Stephen standing behind me, just inside the door.
"Sophy!" she returns, genuine happiness in her eyes. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you for a while."
I nod. "Well, I decided that even if I can't live here right now, that doesn't mean I can't visit for a special occasion." I lean in and whisper, "I brought Mr. Antisocial with me, in case Charles did not forewarn you. Can I introduce you two?"
"Of course."
We turn to Stephen, who is still hovering by the doorway, and exchange knowing looks before approaching him.
"Stephen, this is Ororo Munroe, or…" I look at Ororo, wondering if it is appropriate to use her codename. She nods. "Storm," I finish.
She extends a hand.
"Ororo, this is Stephen Strange."
Stephen shakes it.
"It's nice to meet you," Ororo says in an attempt at pleasantry, and I hope she does not add something like 'I've heard so much about you.'
She does not. I sigh in relief.
"Have you met Charles?" Ororo asks Stephen.
"No, though with the way this one goes on," he gestures to me, "sometimes I feel like I have."
Ororo laughs and I glare at Stephen.
"Yes, she does like to brag about her friends," Ororo replies and I huff.
"Brag! I never! These things just… come up in conversation."
The door opens, blessedly interrupting the conversation.
"Speaking of," Ororo laughs, as she sees that it is Charles rolling through the doorway.
"Ah, Sophy, I'm glad you decided to come." He turns to Stephen. "And you are Stephen. I remember from the video call. But we haven't been properly introduced."
Charles extends a hand up to Stephen who accepts it, looking more relaxed with Charles than he was with Ororo. I wonder why that is.
"We only just arrived," I smile at Charles. "Would you care to make the rounds with us? Stephen has yet to be introduced."
Unsurprisingly, Charles agrees.
Marie is with the other students, of course, so I cannot say hello to her, but maybe I can sneak in there before I leave. Jean is chaperoning that party, so she is not here either. Logan is nowhere in sight. He is a loner himself, one to rival and probably overcome Stephen. But Charles and I introduce Stephen to my other friends as well as some of the other teachers and past students and others of Charles's circle. The attendance is quite extensive for a 'little get-together.' I am glad I convinced myself to delay our arrival until eleven; I think Stephen is already overwhelmed.
But he finds an apparently comfortable spot in the corner, talking to Charles and Scott, and so I venture over to Ororo for the usual idle chitchat, humorous stories, and a bit of catch-up on our lives since parting.
"It's almost midnight," Ororo announces, looking over my shoulder at the clock.
I turn around to observe the time. Fifteen minutes until the new year. I glance at the corner where Stephen is and find that he… isn't. I purse my lips and look around for Charles. When our eyes meet, he gestures through the door in answer to my unspoken question. I sigh.
"Sorry, Ororo. I am going to go find Stephen."
"You know, you might just leave well alone."
I look at Ororo in surprise.
"He obviously doesn't want to be here right now, or else he would be. Not everyone is so enthralled with friendship as you are."
I sigh. "Humans, mutants, my father's people, and every other higher species I have ever met… they are all social creatures. They need it."
Ororo replies quietly, "Well, maybe he doesn't need it as much, or he needs a different sort than most."
I ponder her suggestion. So far, Stephen has shown a dislike for crowds, but that could also be a result of his lack of familiarity with the particular crowds I have dragged him into.
"Perhaps you are right. Dragging him back here would be a disservice."
"But maybe leaving him alone would be, too."
I raise an eyebrow at my friend.
"So, go find him, just don't 'drag him back here.' Celebrate New Year's with him in his way."
I smile at Ororo. She is a good friend.
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"Stephen?"
He looks at me over his shoulder, apparently unstartled by my sudden appearance.
"Enjoying the view?" I nod to the large window which he stands in front of. The snow is falling gently on the other side of the glass.
"Yes," he replies simply, turning back to said view.
I sigh quietly and approach him slowly. "I was wondering where you disappeared to. It is almost midnight."
Stephen says nothing as I stop beside him and set two drinks on the windowsill.
He looks down at the drinks in surprise. "Sparkling cider," I assure him, uncertain about his opinion of alcohol.
With the drinks unburdened, I use one of my free hands to extract my phone from the hidden pocket in my dress. We still have a few minutes until the new year.
"I… I am sorry, Stephen."
He turns his head to look at me but still remains silent.
"You were rather clear about your opinion of Thanksgiving. I should not have… tried again." He still says nothing. I groan inwardly. "It is… a part of my character to value my friends highly. You have seen that. You know that, even if you do not quite understand it." I take a deep breath. "But, not all my friends are the same. Some enjoy one thing while others hate it and still others are indifferent to the matter.
"We have agreed to be friends. And I am afraid I have done you a disservice already. So, I was thinking that a quiet chiming in of the new year is in order. Just the two of us." I look out the window. "Right here, in view of the gently falling snow."
"You don't have to—"
"No," I interrupt. "I want to."
A moment of comfortable silence passes before Stephen finally speaks.
"Is that why you pretended to be out all night every Friday?"
I sputter. "What?"
"Well, you did go out sometimes. But you always came… home. Slept in your bed in the dormitory, though."
I stare at him. "You knew!"
"Of course I knew."
I groan.
"You did that to encourage me to make use of the time. To socialize, I mean."
"Yes," I admit, defeated.
"No need."
"I am beginning to understand that."
Another moment of silence, somewhat less comfortable on my part.
"Stephen, I am willing to accept your… less social nature."
He opens his mouth, I suspect to make a sarcastic comment, but I cut him off with a gesture.
"I understand that the… mundane world is, well, mundane. That is why I have always gravitated toward the exceptional even when out in the world, away from the wondrous confines of Kamar-Taj. And friendship can seem something from the mundane world, but… you still need friends. Even if they are few in number. Perhaps… well, as you may have noticed, my friends are not… ordinary. That takes some of the mundane out of it. Perhaps you can make some… exceptional friends."
He makes no reply.
"Wong," I suggest. "He is odd in his own ways, but I think he would make a good friend. Might even tolerate you enough to be one," I jest. "Just… start somewhere."
"I already have," he replies without looking at me.
I tilt my head up at him.
Oh!
He means me.
I smile warmly and stare out the window with him.
Muffled sounds of celebration reach my ears and I check the time on my phone.
"Midnight," I inform Stephen.
He smiles slightly but does not turn to me. I look at him through narrowed eyes, considering. And then decide to throw caution to the wind.
Grateful for the inches my heels add to my diminutive height, I reach up a hand to steady myself on Stephen's shoulder and plant a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Happy two-thousand seventeen," I whisper.
I turn away to avoid seeing his reaction, realizing it was perhaps not the wisest course of action to take, but what is done is done. Hopefully, he does not get the wrong idea.
Reaching for my glass, I hold it up in a toast.
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year."
The delicate ring of crystal fades as we contemplate the snow falling on a new year in companionable silence.
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