December 11:th - Women Can be Condescending
Doctor Strange lit the third advent candle, humming for himself. It was Sunday, and Christine was off today, so she had promised to come over. He was very much looking forward to it. He was mulling some more wine, though a more reasonable amount this time, not wanting a repeat of last Wednesday. Especially not with Christine there. He didn't want to risk making a fool of himself.
He got one of the cakes out, grateful that his new friend had painted designs on it already. Christine had agreed to come over to talk, so he didn't want to do anything too date-like, but he did hold some hope, and he wanted to make her feel welcome.
Right on time, there was a knock at the door, and Stephen had to chuckle despite his nerves as his cloak took off to go and open the door. He walked out into the entry hall to greet her, and smiled as she entered, looking a bit unsure as she took note of the interiour, but she gave him a hug and asked him how he was, so he hoped it didn't unsettle her too much.
"So" she noted, as they had settled down into the kichen, the Cloak draping itself around the back of Stephen's chair in silent support, and she put cake on both of their plates. He held back a frown at the overprotective behaviour. "So?" He prodded after a few moments, when nothing more was forthcoming.
"I just thought... when you said you returned to New York. Stephen" her voice was pleading, but also the tiniest bit condescending, though he doubted that she meant or even knew about that "you could lecture. Teach! Help others with research by contributing expertise! I thought after all that... whatever it was, you were done with that cult!" "It is not a cult" he petted the cloak, which had crept forward over his shoulder. "It is a cult" Christine sighed "I know you wanted to save your hands Stephen, but you do not need to do all this! You could still matter even if you're no longer a surgeon!"
"I know" he noted, feeling slightly defensive now. He had expected them to talk things out, not a lecture against what he'd chosen to do with his life. "I am pleased with what I am doing now, Christine" he tried to reassure her. He just wanted her to stop thinking of him as one of her pity cases. "I am fine".
"Stephen, you're in denial" she countered, frowning at him "and you're obsessed, just like you were before. You need help, Stephen, if you'd only accept it!" "I do, but when I do I ask for it" he told her, sighing.
"When was the last time you asked anybody for help?" She interrogated him, making him sigh. "The day before yesterday". At her encouraging gaze, he shrugged "you didn't think I made those designs on a cake, did you?" She looked at it in surprise. "I figured it was just bought" she replied, blinking. He shook his head. He really had changed so that she didn't know him any more. Maybe he didn't know her, either. But he did know she was all for the pity cases, and he refused to be one.
John cursed at the phone. All those semi-failed dates were disheartening. This girl had taken exception of him being called in for an emergency surgery. Who yelled at you for something like that? He looked up at a slight sound, and noted Sherlock playing fetch with his magic carpet again, looking utterly unbothered. Crumbs, his flatmate's life was so easy. Why did people date, anyway?
Christine isn't all that accepting in this story. If that is not to your liking, then please forgive me, and I hope you can take comfort in the love story that is "Doctor Strange, Doctor Palmer and the Cloak of Levitation", which I just updated and in which they do get along splendidly. I just thought I'd explore the idea that they have too much bad blood between themm and too many new differences for them to work out. Also I am writing this for my friend and she likes slash. So there's that.
I do not own anything you recognise - I don't even know where some of it is from!
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