November 7th, 2019
Alright Stephen, just calm down. It's just a dinner. You can do this.
Stephen was standing in his small bathroom, examining himself in the mirror. He tilted his head to examine his goatee, gently rubbing it with his hand as he did so. Tonight was the night – June was expecting him at dinner, and he had no intentions of backing out on her. That didn't change the fact that his insides were screaming at him from the sheer anxiety he was experiencing.
You can do this! He told himself with false bravado. He had been on more dates than he could count – why was this one making him so nervous? Maybe because I'm out of practice, he thought. He hadn't been on a date for about 3 and a half years – he was definitely rusty when it came to this.
It's not a date. He hated the fact that he had to remind himself of this fact. Juniper was a friend, not a potential lover. He shook his head to clear the dark thoughts brewing inside it, and grabbed his toothbrush, intent on brushing his teeth.
She's just a friend. Don't assume things. She didn't intend it like a date, so don't think of it as one. He tried to talk himself through his anxiety as he brushed his teeth, but the effects of the mental coaching were miniscule at best. There was still a hot knot in his stomach, and it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. At this rate, I'm not going to be able to eat dinner.
After rinsing his mouth, he quickly inspected his teeth in the mirror, making sure he didn't miss a spot. Personal hygiene was the easy part – finding an outfit would be more difficult.
Stephen looked through his closet, and somehow found a way to hate every article of clothing he had. The advice of 'clothes make the man' rang very true with him. Before his accident, he always made sure he was dressed well, attending every social event in expensive clothes that only a man of his wealth could afford. It was a symbol of his superiority, and he used to revel in that feeling.
Thinking back on it all, he felt disgusted. I was such a terrible person. He paused, suddenly feeling unsure of himself. What if I am still a terrible person, and I can't realize it? The thought filled his heart with fear. Sliding back into his old ways and habits was something that he swore he'd never do, but the possibility of doing it unknowingly always existed.
No, he told himself. I'm not like that anymore. He had learned to talk himself through moments of doubt, and the technique usually worked remarkably. Would Juniper be with me if I was truly terrible once more? Stephen ran a hand through his ebony hair. Of course not. He sighed and turned his attention back to picking an outfit for the night. Something casual, but not too casual. Buttons, probably. Maybe a collar. Mulling over the possibilities, Stephen sifted through his closet. As he passed each piece of fabric from one end of his closet to the other, a grey piece caught his eye. It was a simple, yet classy, knit sweater, with some raised threads creating a weaving pattern down the front. Not too formal, not too casual. This is it.
He grabbed it out of the closet and laid it out on the bed, giving it a once over. There were no picks, stains, or unseemly lint balls – it was ready for the evening. Stephen finally felt a little better about the situation. With each piece that fell into place, he found his anxiety a bit soothed. There's nothing to worry about, he reminded himself. It's going to work out just fine.
…
"Juuuune! Get out of there!" April yelled through the closed bathroom door.
"I'm not done yet!" June yelled in response as she stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body. "I just got out of the shower! I've only been in here for 10 minutes!"
"10 minutes too long! I need in there now!" April banged on the bathroom door with a closed fist.
"Why, so you can practice the dark arts and stop me from getting ready?" June ran a second towel through her hair vigorously, and then stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. Brown and white hair stuck out every which way, reminding her eerily of Beetlejuice.
"Exactly! Besides, I need the mirror to do my mascara!"
June groaned and grabbed the hairbrush from off the sink countertop, and ripped it through her hair with several strong strokes. She winced with every tangle that was pulled out, but it was a necessary evil – it was by far the fastest way to get her hair done. "You have a mirror in your freaking bedroom! Get lost!" She yelled back at her sister.
"But if I do that, it doesn't disrupt you!" April banged on the door again. "I'll stand here and bother you the whole time until you give me the bathroom!" June rolled her eyes.
"Why, so you can come in here and use my liquid eyeliner again? Fat chance, turd." June grumbled as she grabbed her folded clothes from the other side of the countertop. She unfolded the shirt and gave it another look over. She told Stephen the event was casual, and she intended to dress so. Stephen's going to over-dress, as usual. He was the kind of man who believed that looks really mattered and that first impressions needed to be perfect. June didn't share the sentiment. She didn't fret about dressing to the occasion that much, and hoped the anyone she met would judge her by her actions, not her dress. The Led Zepplin shirt in her hands attested this this mindset. Besides, who doesn't like Led Zepplin? June smiled at her thoughts before setting the shirt down and unfolding the rest of her clothes, intent on getting dressed.
"Hey, sharing is caring!" April yelled after a few moments of silence.
"Hah, did it take you a while to think of that one?" June called back, a smug grin on her face.
"Shut up, you ass! Let me in there!" Her sister banged on the door yet again, and June laughed.
"April! Don't talk to your sister like that!" The muffled voice of May floated up the stairs, just barely audible enough for June to make out the words. June let out an even harder laugh.
"You got in trouble!" June practically wheezed between laughs. If April could have seen June's smug face, she'd probably be furious.
"I'm going to sacrifice you first." April growled. This just made June chortle more as she put on her clothes. "If you don't let me in there, I'm going to tell Stephen that you want him!"
"Fuck off, you wouldn't dare!" Now April was starting to annoy her. She reached into the cabinet that was under the sink and pulled out a small, zipped up cosmetics bag.
"Watch me!" The reply was quickly shot back. June rolled her eyes.
"Hey, I was cool when you brought Darian over!" When April last brought a boy home, June didn't do anything to embarrass her sister. She hoped that reminding April of this would appeal to her better nature, but June knew it was a long shot.
"I never promised that I would do the same for you." April sounded smug and devious, and June groaned.
"You bitch, come on. Don't do this."
"Juniper!" May yelled once more from down the stairs. Curse these paper-thin walls, June mentally hissed. April let out a laugh.
"Yeah, you have to be nice to me! I'm you precious baby sister, remember?"
"April, I swear to god, I'm going to send you to another dimension and leave you for dead." June scowled as she patted makeup onto her face, attempting to even out her skin tone.
"Hey, you're supposed to be a super hero! You can't do that!" April replied teasingly.
"Consider this my super villain origin!" June yelled. "God, April, you're such a brat. Just leave me alone so I can do my makeup!"
"Fine, but if your eyeshadow goes missing, you have only yourself to blame." April threatened ominously.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Watch me. I want that dark blue you have."
"I will destroy you, April."
…
Stephen tugged on the collar of his shirt nervously as he waited for June in the foyer of the Sanctum. She agreed to meet him here, and they would sling to her home together – at least, that was the plan. June sometimes liked to completely disregard plans and instructions, preferring to do things her way. I hope she gets here soon. His belly felt like it was in knots, and he hated himself for it. It's just a dinner, there's no reason to be this nervous. Get it together! Stephen mentally chastised himself, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that weighed in his belly like a stone.
A loud swish of fabric made Stephen whip his head up, and he saw the Cloak of Levitation eagerly flying towards him. It ran into him with enough force to make Stephen stagger, and it wrapped itself around him tightly like a snake.
"I missed you too." Stephen coughed out, trying to ignore the Cloak's tight squeezing. The grip on him loosened, and Stephen sighed with relief as the Cloak gently floated off to the side. It bounced in the air, and he smiled at the enchanted cape with genuine affection. "How do I look?" He asked as he stepped back, showing off his carefully selected outfit. The Cloak merely floated in silence, it's collar tilted a bit.
"Right." Stephen said with a small frown. He wished that Cloak could talk – it would at least make their interactions less one-sided. Stephen reached out and gently pet the soft velvet of the Cloak, and it pressed up against his hand. He smiled softly. It's kind of like having a puppy sometimes, he thought. The cloak had to be entertained and loved, much like a pet.
The trademark sizzling of a sling portal broke through the silence. Near the edge of the room, a circle of orange sparks appeared. It expanded as it swirled and hissed, and Juniper stepped gracefully out of it. Strange blinked as he saw her – her hair was down, a sight he had never seen before. The brown and silver hair flowed around her, and Stephen wondered why she didn't wear it down more often. It's really pretty, he thought. She was dressed casually, in tight jeans and a t-shirt with a thick jacket, and he mentally hissed at himself. I'm overdressed.
"Hey, Stephen." June said as she brushed her bangs to the side of her face, a small smile on her lips. She noticed the Cloak, and nodded in its direction. "Cloak." She greeted simply before walking over to the pair. "It's nice to see you."
Cloak floated backwards a bit, putting distance between it and June, and it shuddered a bit. June frowned.
"I don't bite, you know." She said, crossing her arms. Cloak quickly flew behind Stephen and peeked out a June a bit, making Stephen roll his eyes.
"Cloak, be nice." He said. Cloak quickly shook it's collar from side to side, a clear imitation of a person shaking their head.
"I take that as a no?" June asked with a small smile. She found Cloak amusing, although she wished that it liked her. The cold feelings between the two often caused minor problems, and they could be avoided if the Cloak didn't resent June. The Clock paused its shaking, and quickly flew away, fluttering as it shot out of the room and up the display room stairs. Stephen chuckled and shook his head.
"You know how Cloak is. Don't take it personally." He said with an apologetic smile.
"I try my best not to. I just wish that it would just give me a chance." June shrugged. "It doesn't matter." She looked at Stephen, then the portal, which was still open. "You ready to go?"
Stephen fought a gulp. "Well, as ready as I'll ever be."
"Come on, don't worry about it. My mom doesn't bite." She smiled before motioning to him to follow her. Stephen stepped in line behind her without a word, and they walked up to the portal. Inside of it, the image of a brick townhouse appeared, squished between the two buildings on either side of it. "You look nice, by the way." June said quietly.
The comment caught Stephen a bit off guard. He wasn't expecting June to comment on his appearance. "Uh… thanks. You too." He managed to force himself to compliment her – not that the compliment wasn't genuine. He just found himself flustered and embarrassed at the thought of letting June know that he liked how she looked.
June smiled softly and stepped through the portal. The cold November air stung and nipped at her exposed face, but it wasn't unbearable. Stephen was right behind her, and he let out a soft hiss as the cold ate through his meager sweater and undershirt. Should have brought a coat. Didn't know we were entering the house the old fashioned way, he thought.
"So I assume you remember how to use a door?" June asked with a sly grin and a raised brow. Stephen huffed in response.
"Funny. Of course I know how to use one. Just because I sling everywhere doesn't mean that I don't use doors!" He couldn't help his smile, and to be fair, he deserved it. June only teased him as much as he teased her, which was quite frequently. Juniper grinned back warmly as the two ascended the few steps up to the door.
"Prepare yourself." She said as she grabbed the doorknob. June turned it and gave it a quick push. The door swung open, and the warm light cut through the night air like a knife.
Alright, it's showtime. Stephen mentally steeled himself for the experience that awaited him inside.
The first thing that hit him was the smell – it was warm, and it was immediately obvious something was being cooked. Stephen couldn't quite place the smell, but it was honestly mouth-watering. His belly growled a bit, and Stephen was painfully reminded of his decision to skip lunch and work instead.
The room itself was small, but not cramped. The walls were painted cream, and the carpet a shade of brown that screamed "we didn't pick this color." A green area rug stuck out against the brown furniture that was pointed to face the tv, and there was a small selection of family photos on every wall.
"We're here!" June called out.
There was a sudden scuttling noise in the kitchen, like slick shoes trying to grab linoleum tile and the clattering of a pan or two hitting something, and a woman popped into view. She was dressed in various shades of green, and her hair was thrown into a messy bun, not unlike the one that June would occasionally wear.
"Hello!" She nearly yelled in excitement as she approached the pair. "Well look at you! So nicely dressed!" The woman looked Stephen up and down before extending her hand for a shake. Stephen met it with his own hands, hoping that she wouldn't comment on the compression gloves that he wore, or worse, his hands. There was no mistake: this was absolutely June's mother. They looked eerily alike – they shared everything from the same hair color to the same nose and brow shape. "I'm May Jones, June's mom. You must be Stephen Strange." May grinned widely, and he was a little taken aback. This woman radiated so much life and energy, the waves of her aura were noticeable to him without even entering the astral plane.
"You'd be correct. Doctor Stephen Strange, at your service." He said with a confident smile which pulled more to the right side of his face. June saw the smile, and she couldn't hold back her own. She loved that smile – something about it was so genuine, and that made it naturally contagious.
"It's a pleasure, doctor." May said with a slight nod. "Well, feel free to make yourself at home – the lasagna won't take too much longer - it's got about 8 minutes on it. I'd stay and chat, but I figured I'd start on dishes before we dirtied some more." May passed a smile to her guest, and then her daughter, and made her way back into the kitchen.
The air between June and Stephen was a little awkward. A moment of silence spread between them, and Stephen pretended to busy himself by examining the room once more.
"So, are we going to just stand here like a pair of jackasses, or do you want to sit down?" June was the first to break the silence, and without waiting for Stephen, she flopped down on her couch. Stephen took the cue and made his way to the recliner that was next to the couch, and sat down in it tentatively. It was soft and a bit worn down from years of repeated use, but it wasn't uncomfortable.
"It's, uh… it's a nice place you have here." The second the words flew out of Stephen's mouth, he kicked himself. He had perfected his persona of confidence and aloofness, but the ability to don it abandoned him. He was too nervous, and afraid of being too snarky with June's family. Upsetting them accidentally, or coming off like an asshole, wouldn't bode well for his relationship with June.
"Ah, thanks. We've been here quite a while – I think 8 years? It was my senior year in high school when we moved here." June scratched behind her ear and looked off to the side. How do I kill 8 minutes of time when we're acting like this? She racked her brain for ideas, and quickly found one.
"Alright, question game. You in?" She asked.
"Bring it. You start." Strange smiled. Playing this game would hopefully ease the tension between them, and start to cut through of the initial awkwardness they were experiencing.
"Okay, fine." She paused and rested a finger on her chin as she thought. "What's your honest opinion on lasagna?" June cracked a cheeky grin.
"Ah, testing me to see if I'll like tonight's dinner?" He smirked back at her.
"You're under oath, you can't lie about it! So spill!" There were only two rules to the question game: 1.) You can't ask the question you were just asked, and 2.) you couldn't lie in your answers. While there was nothing preventing Stephen from slipping a white lie into an answer, he never had found the need to. Being honest with June was important to him, and he hoped that she felt the same way.
"I love Italian food." He raised his brows for emphasis. "Lasagna is no exception."
"Excellent! I'd feel really bad if you had to eat something you didn't like here." June leaned forward and rested her forearms on her knees. "Your turn."
"Favorite AC/DC song?" Stephen grinned, knowing this question was borderline torture for June. As if on cue, she let out a groan.
"Aaaugh, you know I can't pick! It's the same as last time – I'm torn between Back in Black and Thunderstruck." June answered. She wanted to ask the same question back – Stephen really struck her as a Shoot to Thrill kind of guy – but it was against the sacred rules of the question game. "Alright, here's one. If you could have any superpower, what would you pick?"
Stephen laughed. "Okay, that's a good one." He said with a grin. "I don't want to pick one that I already have so… maybe super strength?" There was a pause in his words, and he shook his head quickly. "No, no. Is having money a superpower? That's the one I want."
"I'll count it." June chuckled. "What's wrong, busting ghosts not paying the bills anymore?" She smirked at him teasingly.
"Hah, good one." Stephen rolled his eyes, although the smile on his face remained. June usually made jokes about their profession in stride, often calling them "palm-readers," "party magicians," and "shrunken-head collectors."
"Juuuune!" The voice of May cut through the air, making both June and Stephen look towards the kitchen. "Get your sister down here! Dinner's going to be ready in a few minutes!"
"Alright!" June called back to her mother, getting up off the couch. "I'll be back. Try not to be intimidated by my sister – she's a fairly low level demon." She said with a grin.
"She sounds lovely." Stephen replied. June made her way up the stairs that started on the left side of the living room, her feet making soft thumping sounds as she ascended quickly.
This left Stephen alone in the living room. He idly twiddled his thumbs, feeling a little out of place. Part of him wanted to go upstairs with June, so he wouldn't be alone and would have something to do. Being left by his lonesome was making him more nervous than when he came in – he felt he should be doing something. Anything. Stephen stood up out of the chair, with some difficultly as he had sunken into it a bit, and rolled his shoulders. Just relax¸ he coached himself. The photos on the wall caught his eye, and he made his way towards them.
Contained within the frames were snapshots of smiling faces and good times. One had May, a young June, and one girl he didn't recognize – he assumed this to be April, due to her resemblance to the other two – all at the beach. The photo was a little hard to make out due to the harsh sunlight that the photo was taken under, but it was clear enough to understand. It was the three of them grouped together, sitting on their towels and smiling at the camera. Stephen could only imagine what that day had been like for them – with hot sun and the smell of the ocean. In his mind's eye, he saw a younger May splashing around with her daughters, laughing and having a great time.
It was just like how his mother would take him to the beach. He stiffened at the thought, a little unprepared for the nostalgic sorrow that hit him. His mother used to take him to the beach quite frequently. Most times they would go by themselves, but sometimes a friend of his would come along with them. He sifted through his memories of this time, cherishing each one as it played in his mind's eye. They were a bit faded, a result of time, but he still remembered the important bits. He saw his mother teaching him how to swim, when they built their first sand castle together, and when they would hunt for seashells under the light of the sunset, before heading home. His eyes softened as he continued to look at the picture, lost in his own thoughts. I miss her so much…
"Stephen, honey." May's voice pulled Stephen out of his contemplation, and he was grateful for the distraction. He turned to face the entrance to the kitchen, and saw May poking out of the doorway. "What would you like to drink?" She asked, a friendly smile on her face. "We've got several sodas, some milk, and water."
"Water will be fine, thank you." Stephen replied with a small nod. May nodded in return and slipped back into the kitchen. Stephen could hear the opening and subsequent closing of the fridge, and in a second May was back at the door way, a bottle of water in her hand. She held it out to him, and he approached her.
"Here you are, sweetie. Can I get you anything else?" She asked. There was just something about her that made her disarmingly charming – Stephen had a hard time imagining her being mad, or someone being mad at her.
He shook his head. "This is plenty, thank you so much." He said with a grin.
May smiled back at him, the expression warm and genuine. "Alrighty, just let me or June know if you change your mind." She ducked back into the kitchen suddenly when a timer went off, filling the air with synthesized beeps. "Finally, I thought this thing would never cook." May muttered to no one in particular.
More thumping on the stairs – this time it was two sets of feet coming down – made Stephen swivel his head to face the end of the staircase. June came down first, her body loose and relaxed with her movements. Stephen was a little jealous, he envied her ability to relax in this moment. Behind Juniper, there was a younger girl – probably in her late teens, Stephen guessed- with long, straight brown hair and a little too much eyeliner. Her lips were turned in a slight frown.
"Hey." She greeted with a light tilt of her chin.
"Hey." Stephen replied, a little unsure how to respond to such a dry greeting.
"Stephen, this is April. April, this is Stephen." June introduced the pair with a motion of her hand between Stephen and her sister. In response, Stephen stuck out his hand and took a step towards the teenager.
"Nice to meet you." He said with warmth.
"Don't make it weird." April was curt and dry, and it made her a little hard to read. Much like her mother, April seemed to exude an impressive amount of aura, but hers wasn't warm and golden like May's. It was more of a dark purple and gave off the same vibe that a rattlesnake does before it bites.
Stephen's hand dropped to his side and he pursed his lips. "Alright, then…"
"April, be nice. It wouldn't kill you." June was visibly annoyed by her sister's blatant lack of hospitality. April wrinkled her nose in response and narrowed her eyes.
"You don't know that." She replied before heading into the kitchen, cutting the conversation short.
"She's just a doll." Stephen whispered to June sarcastically. June let out a small chuckle.
"Don't let her bother you. She's always this lovely." June said with an apologetic smile. "So, shall we?" She motioned to the kitchen with a nod of her head.
"Let's." Stephen said with a nod, and they both headed into the kitchen. It was small, like the rest of the house, with a tight dining area that had a table which was just barely able to fit. The appliances were old, Stephen noticed, but well maintained. Everything was clean and appeared to be in order, each item in its place. Could be OCD, or could be just standard guest preparation. Could go either way, Stephen thought. On the stove, a lasagna sat inside a glass pan, and next to it was a cookie sheet with a loaf's worth of toasted garlic bread. The smell was phenomenal, and Stephen could feel his mouth watering. He looked over at the table, intent of putting the water bottle he held down, and noticed drinks were set for 3 out of the 4 seats. Guess I know where I'm sitting. It took only a few steps to get to the table, and he sat his bottle down.
There was a clattering of plates, and Stephen turned around to see April and June each holding one. April was using a spatula to get a square of lasagna, and she lifted the saucy mess up and onto her plate. Juniper stood patiently behind her sister, waiting for her turn. Well, the system's simple. He looked to May, who used her hands to motion towards the space behind June, implying he should get in line.
"Oh no, you should go first, Ms. Jones." He hoped she was a miss, and not a missus – it didn't look like there was a man in the picture, and she held no wedding band on her hand, but he didn't want to assume, either. "You made this meal, you should go first."
May laughed. "Ms. Jones? I haven't been called that in years. I usually go by Doctor Jones, but that's really just at work."
Stephen raised his brows. "You're a doctor? I didn't intend any disrespect-"
May raised a hand and smiled at him. "I have a D.M.V. It's not like I went to med school or anything, I only get called 'doctor' when I'm at the clinic." She paused for a moment. "Besides, I don't feel right taking the title when there is an actual doctor in the room."
"Ah, well, I'm not really a doctor anymore. I still hold a PhD, yes, but I'm no longer in the practice." He explained, before looking over his shoulder for a brief second. June and April had sufficiently filled their plates, and had already sat down. Stephen looked at the pan of lasagna and looked to May once more. "And are you sure you don't want to go first? I feel rude, going before you."
"Stephen, please, I insist. Get you some food, I'm sure you're starving. Ideally you would have gotten your food first, but some manner-less heathens came and cut in line." She passed a look to her daughters, her eyes narrowed a bit.
"Hey, you snooze, you lose." June replied before taking a sip of her water.
Stephen rolled his eyes and looked at May. "Pay it no mind. I know better than to get between June and some food." He said with a grin. Stephen grabbed a plate from the small stack that had been set out on the counter, and approached the food. His stomach panged with hunger, and the sight of the food made it only worse. The lasagna looked wonderful – it was cheesy, with golden noodles and bright tomato sauce. It looks like something out of a professional kitchen, Stephen mentally commented. After scooping some onto his plate via spatula, he grabbed two slices of hot garlic bread, and then headed towards the table.
This is it. There was going to be no escape now – he would be in close proximity to these strangers and be completely at their mercy in the conversation. There would be nothing he could busy himself with, besides the food, meaning he had to face any questions head-on. A small amount of nervousness settled in his belly as he sat down – not as intense as before, but still quite uncomfortable. He was entering the belly of the beast, and he knew that he wasn't quite prepared.
Sorry for the wait on this one - the chapter ended up being unintentionally humongous. Can you believe that I intended to have the whole dinner in this chapter too? This would have been a 10k word update if I didn't split it up! So you'll have to wait until next time to see how the dinner goes. c: I hope you guys like the chapter, and like always, reviews and favorites are always appreciated! 3