November 5th, 2019

When you're about to lose someone close to you, it opens to door for a lot of introspection. June was laying on her bed, staring up at the white ceiling, and contemplating what losing Stephen meant for her.

I won't be with him anymore... The thought almost broke her heart. Over the year that they had known each other, Stephen had become an integral part of June's life. It was hard not to grow close to someone when you saw them almost daily. She considered Stephen her best friend, someone who she could tell anything. The thought of Stephen being ripped out of her life left a deep ache in her chest – who could fill the void that Stephen would leave? Nobody. There's no one else quite like Stephen Strange. She rolled onto her side and stared at the blue walls of her room, glancing over all the music and movie posters that hung there. Who else will I share all this with? Her eyes wandered over to her guitar, which was propped up on a stand. Music was a hobby they both shared, and she would often play for Stephen. She felt a little sorrow in doing so- he used to be able to play piano, but couldn't anymore. She didn't want him to feel jealous of her.

A knock at her door made June jump. "June, honey?" May's voice floated through the door. June sat up, stretched quickly, and made her way to the door. When she opened it, she saw her mother standing there, holding a large basket of laundry. "You left these in the dryer." She explained.

"Thanks, Mom." June took the basket and managed to give her mother a small smile before going to lay the basket down on her bed.

"So, you're still upset about the council thing, huh?" May could always see through June, much to her daughter's chagrin. May chalked it up to her 'mom sense,' and always tried to do her best to understand her daughter's emotions and struggles.

"Yeah. It's just bullshit." June started as she began to idly fold her laundry. "They can't make me go, but I just know they're going to try anyway." May leaned against Juniper's doorway, listening to her daughter. It was a mother's duty to help their babies through hard times, and May wasn't going to leave her daughter to deal with this by herself.

"And what about your training? How will that be affected?" May knew her daughter took great pride in being a superhero-in-training. It made up part of her identity, it was who she was. Taking that away from her would be like taking away her ability to play music or to crochet. June let out a sigh and shook her head as she folded one of her shirts.

"If I go to Kamar-Taj, I can continue my training, but it'll be so different. I'll be in a class, held back by their slow teaching." She sat the shirt down and picked up another one, repeating the process. "If I don't go, they'll still probably forbid Stephen from teaching me anymore." Losing not only her best friend, but a large part of her daily routine was going to be devastating. The council had the power to dramatically alter her life, and June hated it. She felt so helpless- she wasn't in control of this situation at all. Instead, she was left to dangle by a thread, at the mercy of the council.

"So, either way, you won't be able to see him anymore?" May knew that her daughter was fond of her master – in more ways than one. Taking Stephen out of her life would be like abandoning a best friend or a boyfriend, and that's something she never wanted June to go through. June shook her head, moving onto a pair of pants.

"Probably not. Which really bites." Her heart hurt. She was helpless, in pain, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

"Well, you could always go to the council and beat them all up." May suggested. June let out a laugh.

"Yeah, that'll show 'em. I'll just kick their asses and they'll let me stay." June rolled her eyes and smiled. The thought of her bursting into the council chambers and opening a can of whoop-ass on them was just too funny to her. Realistically the council would annihilate her, but June was allowed to have her power fantasies.

"And then Stephen would jump into your arms, and you'd run away together." May added, grinning wildly.

"Oh yes, I can see it now." June made her voice as deep as she could to impersonate a man. "'Oh June, you destroyed the only form of government in the sorcerer world! Let's elope in Tahiti!'" She could barely keep from laughing, meanwhile May was in stitches at June's terrible impression of Stephen.

"I pray to god that he doesn't sound like that! I'd never be able to take him seriously!" She wheezed, making June stick her tongue out at her mother.

"I tried my best! Man-voice is hard!" June laughed. May wiped a tear out of her eye and grinned at her daughter.

"Hey, you know what we should do tonight?"

"What?"

"Let's go see a movie, as a family. April wants to see that new one about the possessed doll." April adored horror movies, and so did May. June, on the other hand, was a "huge pussy," as April described it. June wrinkled her nose at the suggestion, getting a chuckle out of May.

"Come on, it'll be fun! I'll get you some of those gummy candies you like." May tried to tempt her daughter into going. If there was one thing June couldn't resist, it was free food.

"Fine, I'll go. Only because you said you'd get me gummies." June pointed at her mom accusingly, passing her a quick wink. "When's the show time?"

"There's a 7:40 that we can make." At this, June looked over to her alarm clock, which rested on her nightstand. The red letters read 6:53, which left plenty of time to finish putting away laundry and to get ready. June was a bit of a "hot mess," as she'd put it. She was dressed in a pair of shorts that had cartoon characters all over them and an oversized t-shirt that she had managed to get hair dye all over a few years ago. Not to mention that her hair was misbehaving, with strands sticking out every which way from frizz. She was not ready to be seen in public.

"That works. Go tell April - you might actually get her to act excited for once." June teased as she finished folding her laundry. May smiled at her daughter before leaving the doorway and heading down the hall to April's room.

…

If Stephen said he wasn't worried, he'd by lying through his teeth. His footsteps echoed off the linoleum titles of his kitchen floor as he paced around. He wandered into the living room of his apartment, the grey carpet muffling the noise of his bare feet. To his left, ceiling high windows let in the warm light from the sunset, bathing the white walls in an orange glow. Tomorrow was the day. The council was going to inform him of their decision. Maybe he was going to lose his position as master of the New York sanctum. Or worse, June might be ripped out of his life.

If the council voted to have her stay at Kamar-Taj, then she would have to either go, or walk away from being a sorcerer. His heart ached to see one of his best friends go, but if the council voted that way, he would do his best to convince her to go. June needed training to control whatever new powers the book might give her, and if he couldn't teach her, Kamar-Taj was her best bet.

Stephen wanted to be selfish. He wanted to stop her from going, to keep her all to himself. He'd lost so many friends during his transition into being a sorcerer, the thought of losing yet another one was killing him. Strange never wanted to admit it, but he was a lonely man before June stepped into his life. Sure he had Wong and some of the other masters at Kamar-Taj, but their relationship was more professional than personal. Karl Mordo was his best friend during his training to be a sorcerer, but he stepped away from the Order shortly after Strange had defeated Dormammu. Even since then, Strange had saw himself as a loner, preferring to bury himself into his work.

Then Juniper came into his life, and he remembered how wonderful it was to have a friend. Someone you could share your dreams and hobbies with, someone who was always there for you – that's what it meant to have a friend. Stephen didn't want to go back to having every day be lonesome in the Sanctum.

Please, please let them see reason. Stephen silently pleaded to the universe. He wasn't a religious man, but every now and then, it felt good to call into the void. The council hung over him like a weight, pressing him down at every step. Yes, he had broken the rules. But not without good reason. For whatever punishment they decided, he hoped that they took it out on him, and not June. She was an innocent in all this, and had no idea what was going on. If they had any ounce of justice, the council would see that.

Stephen looked out his windows and noticed some grey clouds forming on the horizon. Snow tonight. Ugh. Stephen was grateful that he wasn't required to drive in that weather. One of the perks of being a sorcerer is that you didn't really have to drive anywhere, thanks to the sling rings. Ever since his wreck, driving was something Stephen actively avoided – it hurt his hands to hold onto the steering wheel, and it only brought up bad memories. The thought of his wreck often haunted him, occasionally manifesting itself as flashbacks and night terrors. He looked down and rubbed his hands gently, turning them over and examining the scars. Despite all the pain and heartache that wreck had caused him, it was still one of the greatest things that ever happened to him. Without that wreck, he would have never become a sorcerer. He never would have learned the humility and gratitude that he desperately needed. The world would have ended if he hadn't gotten into that wreck. I would have never met June.

At that thought, he paused. What did June mean to him? She was important to him, of course, but why? Stephen closed his eyes and contemplated. Why was he so attached to her? He sifted through is memories of her, remembering her wide eyes, her smile, her scent, how gentle her hands were on his. He had to admit, she was radiant and full of life. Her smile tended to be contagious, and she always seemed to bring a little happiness with her wherever she went. He would miss her, desperately. You don't know how much you need someone until they're taken away. With a sigh, he opened his eyes and walked over to the futon that acted as his couch. He flopped onto it and rubbed his eyes with a groan. Stop being so negative. There was a possibility that life could continue as normal, and regardless of how slim that chance was, he had to hold onto it.

I should remind her about tomorrow. Stephen reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The man didn't use it very often, and hardly ever texted. But reaching out to June magically would have taken more energy than he could spare at the moment. With shaking fingers, he pulled up the messaging app and clicked on June's name.

'Hey, remember to be at the Sanctum early tomorrow, around 7. The council's going to meet with us and give their verdict.' He paused for a moment before adding 'Wishing for the best.' Typing wasn't a painful activity for him anymore, but the shaking of his hands made it difficult. After hitting send, he minimized the app and looked at the clock in the top right corner of the phone. 8:38. There was no way June would be asleep, and she was usually really fast at replying. Hearing from her would do him some good. Hey, even if the council forbids me from seeing her, they can't stop me from texting her. He smirked. It always felt good to buck the council's authority. Although it was that attitude that often got him in trouble.

The silence of his apartment was starting to bother him. Stephen looked at the side table, and noticed the tv remote. He didn't watch much tv these days, but the background noise would be appreciated. Using a bit of magic, he made the remote float over to him, and he grabbed it out of the air. He flipped it on, and casually started scrolling through channels. Surely there had to be something on that could occupy him for a few hours. His phone beeped, and Stephen quickly grabbed it to check it. He frowned as he read the notification – just one of his apps requesting an update. With a groan, he laid it back down and tried to focus his attention on the tv.

…

A beep from the phone jolted Stephen out of his sleep. He blinked his eyes, being a little confused and a little disoriented. He was still in his living room, his tv droning on in the background. He rubbed his face and sat up, concluding that he must have fallen asleep watching the television. It's not something that he did often. His phone beeped again, and Stephen reached over quickly to check it, hoping that June had finally replied to him.

There were two messages from June. 'Hey, sorry was in a movie with the family. I'll be sure to be there, are we going to Kamar-Taj? I'd normally be excited, just wish it was under better circumstances.' 'Also do you want some leftover candy from Halloween? Can't eat it all by myself.' Stephen smiled at the last one. There were times that the formalities of being student and master were dissolved, and the two could just be friends. It was a nice, warm feeling. He texted her back quickly, not wanting to leave her waiting.

'Please bring the candy. I don't need it, but I want it. And don't worry about tomorrow. Whatever happens, we'll make it through it. ' He hit the send button a little harder than he needed to. Texting still felt so foreign to him, but it was the easiest way to talk to June that didn't involve some form of telepathy spell. He shivered a bit at the thought – he didn't want to be in June's mind anymore than he wanted her to be in his. There are just some things better left private. Stephen suddenly saw 3 little bubbles appear on his screen, indicating that Juniper was texting him back. She's much faster at this than I am, he thought with a small frown. He hoped that she didn't grow bored with texting him – having this human contact was easily being the highlight of his evening. The thought of stopping disappointed him.

'It's much easier to say 'don't worry' than actually doing it. Doubt I'm going to sleep tonight, too much on my mind with all of this. The more I think about it, the more nervous I get. And the candy is the good stuff – Snickers, Reeses Cups, and some Hershey bars.'

'Then we won't talk about it anymore. Excited about the candy, cheating on my diet is always fun. You mentioned a movie – was it good?' He sent the text, hoping that having some regular conversation would do June good. She needed to get her mind off of tomorrow, and he hoped that chatting casually might do the trick.

'Meh. It was that one horror movie with the doll – 'Belle from Hell' or something. Mostly went for the candy and popcorn. Horror flicks are not my thing.'

'So I'll take that as a no for a slasher-flick marathon, then? Didn't know you didn't like horror movies.'

'That'll be a hard pass for that marathon. I'll watch them if I have to, but I'd really rather watch anything else. A little miffed we didn't see that new James Bond movie – this is the second time in a row that April picked. I hear it's good, too.'

Stephen paused, his fingers hovering over the screen. Do I do it? What if she takes it badly? His stomach churned as he contemplated the possibilities of her rejecting him. It might make her feel better. Just do it. Steeling his resolve, Stephen took a deep breath and started typing.

'We should go see that after all this blows over.' After hitting send, he immediately regretted his choice. Would she see it as a date? That wasn't his intention – although it might be hard to convince her of that fact. He ran a hand through his hair and hoped for the best, trying to ignore the hammering in his chest. Those bubbles popped up again as June typed, and Strange froze.

'Sounds like a plan! You're buying the popcorn. ;P' Relief swept over him, and he let go of the breath he was holding. She didn't reject him, and she agreed to actually go out and do something with him. Stephen hadn't been out in a long while – a side effect of not having anybody to do things with. He had something to look forward to, and that thought gave him some hope for the future. Maybe he wasn't as socially inept as he was led to believe. But these plans were extremely conditional; depending on the council's decision, they might not have the opportunity to see that movie. I just have to hold onto the hope that they're not going to be assholes about this.

June going to Kamar-Taj just wasn't an option at this point. She would have to not only give up Stephen, but her family as well. Students at Kamar-Taj are forced into isolation for the betterment of their studies – only text based communications would be allowed. The masters believed that it allowed more time to devote oneself to their practice, and it reduced the chances of a fledgling sorcerer accidentally maiming someone with their new, usually uncontrollable, abilities. Stephen saw the reasonings behind it, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He remembered how lonely he was when he was studying at Kamar-Taj, how he wanted nothing more than to visit Christine again. Not that his old flame would have wanted to see him, but that was beside the point.

Christine. The name used to bring nothing but heartbreak to him, but now it just brought him a sense of… contentedness? Strange wasn't really sure. He loved her at one point in time, but he was too arrogant and self-centered to be the man that she deserved. Of course, she left him – looking back on it, Stephen was surprised that it didn't end sooner. Then he was hung up on her for two years, wallowing in his own heartbreak as he tried to become a better man. Then, when he saw her again… she had moved on. And Stephen was happy for her. It took time for Stephen to do the same, but he eventually did. Christine deserved a man who would have time for her, and Stephen usually didn't have enough of that to go around. He was proud of her for being strong and bettering herself, but that also meant that she didn't have time in her life for him anymore. It hurt, but Stephen understood. Besides, she would never truly understand the world of sorcery. She would always be an outsider, always be a stranger to that world.

But June isn't, his darkest thoughts hissed. Stephen shook his head to clear the thought, upset with himself. June was beautiful and lovely, he had to admit, but he couldn't allow himself to see her as any more than a student and a friend. Being with her would be… inappropriate. Scandalous. Enticing. Stephen stood up with a groan, disgusted with himself. Stop this!, he growled mentally. He rested his hands on his head and paced around the room a bit, trying to distract himself. There were apparently some needs that he had to take care of. I'd probably have a clearer head and be less… pent up. His phone beeped again, ripping him out of his thoughts. Grateful for the distraction, he grabbed it and read the displayed message.

'You there? Thinking of calling it a night.' Stephen read, mentally hearing June say the words.

'Sorry, it's been a long night. Trying not to pass out. Going to bed – goodnight!' Stephen disliked telling her a white lie – he was certainly going to be up for a long while- but it's not like he could explain his intentions to June without being disgusting. Oh yeah, going to jerk off like a madman and then go to bed. Talk to you later! Stephen rolled his eyes at the thought, and laid his phone down on the wooden side table. He stretched his back with a yawn, then decided to head into the bedroom, vowing that he'd have a clearer head tomorrow.