November 7th, 2019

The first few minutes of the dinner were spent in agonizing silence, which left June screaming mentally. It filled the space around them and pressed downwards, making the air thick and heavy. Just say something! Anything! She had words on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't force them out. Everything sounded dumb in her head, and she was trying really hard not to embarrass herself tonight.

"So, I take it that the food is good, considering we're all eating instead of talking?" May was the one who broke the awkward silence, and June let out the breath she was holding.

Stephen finished the bite he was chewing before speaking. "It's wonderful. This is honestly the best lasagna I've ever had. Did you make this from scratch?" His words were genuine – the food really was delicious. It tasted too good to be anything store-bought, the ingredients were far too fresh to have been frozen once.

"I did, yes." May said with a smile. "I used store-bought pasta, but everything else is from scratch." She paused for a moment. "I'm glad you like it!" The urge to add "I'll make sure that June knows the recipe so she can make it for you" was something May had to force down. While June was obviously infatuated with Stephen, she didn't want to potentially embarrass her or imply something that June wasn't going to actually pursue. There was a big difference between simply being attracted to someone and gunning for a relationship, and she wasn't sure which side of the fence June was on.

"You're a very talented cook, Ms. Jones." Stephen smiled before taking another bite.

"Yeah, Mom's the best chef in the world. It sucks that I didn't inherit the 'master cook' gene." June commented after finishing her bite.

"I've tried to teach you! You just never listen." May playfully chided June.

"Hey, remember that one time you messed up spaghetti?" April chimed in with a small grin, hoping to embarrass her sister a bit.

"I told you, the store only had whole wheat spaghetti, so I ended up going with angel hair as an alternative. How was I supposed to know it was going to be terrible?" June laughed.

"You actually messed up spaghetti?" Stephen asked, with a raised brow and amused smirk.

"Hey, it was my first time making it, and I never claimed to be a good cook." She pulled her mouth to the side, feeling a little awkward and defensive.

"Fair enough." He said as his grin turned into a smile. A moment of silence passed as they all turned to their meals. Stephen felt awkwardness settle into his stomach, and he decided to break the silence by engaging the quietest member at the table. "So, April… Are you in school?"

April stared at him for a second, her eyes intense, and Stephen felt a shiver crawl up his spine. Did I offend her? I really hope not, he thought. He didn't want to break eye contact with her – he wasn't going to let her know that she scared him.

"Yeah, sadly. I'm a senior this year." Her voice was dry as ever, and Stephen blinked.

"Ah, that's always a fun year." Senior years were generally considered the best year of high school, but Stephen's wasn't very pleasant, in the standard sense. He spent almost all of his time studying for his entrance exams and SATs, as well as maintaining perfect grades. It was fulfilling for him, but he didn't socialize like the rest of the seniors did. Part of him wished that he had, that maybe his priorities would have shifted enough to make him less of an asshole.

"If you say so. I can't wait to graduate because then I'm going to have June turn me into a mermaid, so I can lure sailors to their deaths." She stared at Stephen, unblinking as she spoke. Another shiver made its way up his spine.

"April, don't be weird." June commented before taking another bite of food.

"Besides, I've specifically forbade you from becoming a mermaid." May added, passing a stern look to her youngest daughter.

"So, you're having your sister turn you into a mermaid? I don't recall teaching her transfiguration spells yet – have you been holding out on me, June?" Stephen asked with a small smirk.

"Oh man, you've caught me. I've actually been a master of magic this whole time – I've just been playing you." June said back, her tone equally as sarcastic as Strange's was.

"I always knew something was off about you. You've got to work on those acting skills if you're going to fool anyone at Kamar-Taj, you know." He replied before taking a bite of his own meal. If he kept talking instead of eating, it would get cold, and cold lasagna was just terrible. Thankfully his food was still pretty warm.

"Who are you kidding, they put me up to the task. You're too powerful, I've been sent to kill you." June winked at Stephen before turning her attention to her plate.

"Hah! They'd have to send someone with twice your magical ability to destroy me." Stephen said with a sarcastic arrogance.

"There's no need to kill each other." May chimed in, her voice a bit quieter than normal. She had been using this time to size up Stephen, and to get a good feel for what he was like as a person. Cross-referencing what June has said about the man with how he was acting today allowed her to make a few conclusions. He was sassy, but sweet. Selfless. He was humble, but not too humble – June had said he was arrogant while he was a neurosurgeon – which left May to wonder what had happened to this man to change him so drastically. He didn't seem like a bad person, and she doubted June would be hanging around him so much if that were the case. It was too soon to place her seal of approval on him, but she doubted that he would do something to make him unworthy of it. He did save the world, after all, she thought. How bad could he really be?

Moments of silence stretched out between them, each person mulling over their thoughts. The lack of talking made the situation a little awkward, and Stephen was anxious to resume small talk. He wanted to discuss June's progress, to explain to her family how talented she was. Although they would never understand what it was like to be a sorcerer, being in such close proximity to one would have at least introduced them to the magical world.

"So, what happened to your hands?" April's question seemed to make the temperature drop a few degrees. For a second, June and May looked at her with wide eyes that were full of shock.

"April!" May hissed.

"Stephen, oh my god, I'm so sorry." June blurted out as May scolded her daughter. "I didn't think April would be so rude." June narrowed her eyes at her sister.

"No, no, it's quite alright." Stephen was shocked at April's bluntness, but he wasn't unprepared for the question. He had figured it would come up eventually, especially since it was so noticeable. "It's a fair question, and a good story."

"A good story?" June asked, turning her head to look at him. "Are you sure? You don't have to talk about it."

"I know. But it's not like it's a secret or anything. To answer your question, April…" Stephen closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he began to tell his story – of who he was before the wreck, and what had happened to him. It was difficult for him in some parts, and he stuttered a bit when talking about the wreck itself.

"It all… happened so fast. I was driving one minute, then the next, I was weightless." Stephen's brow furrowed, and he clenched his hands.

Glass. Noise. Floating. Falling. Pain. Painful thoughts showed up in bursts, and Strange had to close his eyes once more, as he let out a ragged breath. He wasn't in the kitchen anymore, he was in his car, upside down and fading out of reality. The dark of night surrounded him. The smell of the hot engine assaulted his senses. He couldn't feel his hands, and the water level was rising, getting closer and closer to his head. Oh god, no, nonono-

June's hand on Stephen's arm pulled him back into reality. "Don't do this to yourself." Her voice was soft and full of concern, and Stephen felt as if he was hearing her speak for the first time. Their eyes met for a second, and Stephen became grounded in his surroundings once more.

"It's fine. I'm okay… I need to talk about this. I haven't really… done this before." He explained, looking down at his hands. He had always told a vague synopsis of his story when asked about it, never going into detail about what happened and why. He never talked about it, and as a result, never dealt with it. It was just far too easy to shove these feelings down into an abyss, and forget about them. The downside to this tactic, however, was that it prevented any sort of healing from beginning. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be… weird about it."

"It's fine, honey." May's voice was soothing and motherly, and it made Stephen long for the days when his mother used to talk to him with that tone. "Take your time. If you're uncomfortable with talking about it, you don't have to."

Stephen shook his head. "It's fine. We're past the rough part." A nervous smile played on his lips. He hated the fact that he let this conversation get so raw and emotional – letting people see this side of him was something he usually avoided. Everybody romanticizes opening up to people, when the harsh reality is that it hurts. There was a physical pain in Stephen's chest, as if his heart was aching from being torn open. It wasn't too different of a sensation from heartbreak, and Stephen felt a small lump in his throat. Three pairs of eyes were fixed on him – now was not the time to freeze up. He had an audience.

"As I was saying, after I woke up in the hospital…" This part of the story was easy to tell. It flowed naturally, and was a compelling narrative on its own. He talked about Kathmandu, and how beautiful it was. May and June were both hanging on to every word he spoke with an intensity that almost unnerved Strange. June had mentioned a desire to travel and see the world, and learning about new places must have fascinated her.

"Was the food good? And how warm was it?" June asked when Stephen paused between sentences. He raised a brow at her and smiled a bit.

"You know, you can always go there yourself. It's less fun if I just tell you what it was like." He replied.

"Well, you've got me there." She looked at her mother. "Wanna go to Nepal this Saturday?"

May laughed and nodded. "Sure, I guess. You make it sound so casual."

"Well, it kind of is." June explained. "I mean, we could spend a few hours there, and come home instantly when we're done."

"Tell me before you go – I'll give you a list of some places you should definitely check out." Stephen took a quick drink of his water. "And if you can find the door to Kamar-Taj without anyone helping you, I'll give you $20." He held a smug grin on his face. There's no way. She'll never find it.

"I'll take you up on that. I'll see you on Monday, and you better have the cash." June grinned at him. Competition was a natural high for June, and Stephen often used it as a training method for her. If you wanted her to do something well, just make it a contest - she'd give it her all.

"I will. Talk to Araav when you get there, so I can see if you really did it or not." It's not that Stephen doubted June's honesty, he mostly wanted to keep this light conversation flowing. Having banter with June was familiar and pleasant, and it was a nice distraction from his previous distress.

"So, did you find Hogwarts?" April asked, reminding Stephen that there was a story to be told.

"Sadly, no. I never got my invitation." He let out a chuckle. "So, where was I? Ah, Kamar-Taj…" This part of the story was his favorite. It's where he became a better man, and learned how to harness powers he had never even imagined. He spoke of the Ancient One and her teachings, of Mordo and his strength, and of Kaecilius and his misguided ambitions.

"So Kaecilius was a leader of an insane death cult?" April asked, her eyes shining with morbid curiosity.

"He tried to end the world, April." June said dryly. "Don't idolize him."

"I don't, I just like the concept. I want a death cult like that." April grinned.

"Trust me, you don't want to be a part of Kaecilius' band. They're currently spending eternal life in agony with Dormammu in the Dark Dimension." Stephen added.

"So, you stopped him, right? I mean, the world's still here, after all." May asked. Stephen passed her a quick nod.

"Dormammu and his zealots will never bother Earth again." He said. Strange looked down at his plate for a moment, silently wishing he still had a bite or two of the lasagna left. His plate was empty, and he noticed that everyone else's plate was too.

I spent the whole dinner talking about myself? God damnit, how could I? He kicked himself mentally, letting harsh words and stinging feelings fill his mind. "I'm sorry – I didn't mean to spend this dinner talking about myself." He rubbed the back on his neck nervously. "Forgive me."

"Stephen, we asked you to tell us this story." May said. "You have nothing to apologize for."

"She has a point." April said. Stephen blinked – was April actually being amiable to him? It was more than a dark look and a macabre observation, so Stephen chalked it up to making progress with her.

"They're right, you know." June gave Stephen a quick and light punch to his arm. "Don't beat yourself up over nothing." She paused for a moment. "I mean, I feel like you're going to do this anyway, but come on." Her eyes were soft, and a small smile played on her lips.

He sighed and gave a small nod. "I guess you're right."

May stood up, her plate in her hand, and reached for April's plate. "Please, allow me." Stephen quickly cut in, making May pause.

"Stephen, absolutely not. You're our guest. Guests don't clear tables." May's voice was stern, and there was a look in her eyes that said "I'm not budging on this."

Strange, however, pursued the topic anyway. "Please, it's the least I can do, as a thank you for the meal." He stood up and made a quick motion with his hands – June recognized it as the one for object levitation – and then held his right hand out. All three plates on the table floated upwards, and May's plate lifted out of her hand. With a wave of his hand, the plates floated over to the sink, where they settled themselves in the soapy water. He flicked his wrist, and both May and April's cups floated along into the sink as well.

May blinked, with her brows high and her eyes wide. She passed a quick glance to the sink, then to Stephen, then to June. "Why can't you do that?" May asked her daughter.

"Because it'll make you lazy!" Juniper laughed with a cheeky grin.

"Because god forbid that something is convenient in this house." April said. "If you have magic like that, then why don't you just clean the whole house with it? You could have a room done in a few seconds."

"To be fair, it takes a good amount of mental fortitude to do multiple things at once." Stephen commented.

"So, you're saying June's too stupid to do it?" April asked. June quickly punched her sister in the arm, which made April wince and rub her upper arm.

"You're the stupid one." June quickly said with narrowed eyes.

"Girls." May's voice held a strength to it, and a familiarity that implied that she warned her daughters often. "Stop it."

"She started it." June motioned to April, who rolled her eyes.

"And I'm finishing it!" May snapped at her daughter. "We have company, behave." Her voice remained at normal talking volume. May hardly ever had to raise her voice at her daughters, because her stern tone and the threat it carried was all she needed to rein them in.

"Alright." June said as she wiped her hands on her napkin briefly before standing up out of her chair. April followed suit.

"I'm going back upstairs." She said before making her way towards the living room.

"Fine, but you're helping June with the dishes!" May called as her youngest daughter began her ascent up to the stairs. She turned to June and said something, but Stephen wasn't paying attention. The time displayed on the stove had grabbed his attention – it was a little after 9.

It was late, considering the fact that he had to be up and at Kamar-Taj at 6 in the morning the next day. It was a Friday, meaning that Stephen had to report June's progress to the council. Additionally, he had to help teach a class with Master Bao that morning as well. Too bad Bao didn't need help with his 11 o' clock class… Stephen mentally grumbled.

"Hey June." He said after May had finished talking to her daughter. Juniper looked at him with a quick turn of her head.

"Yeah, what is it?" She asked, resting a hand on her hip.

"It's getting late. I hate to eat then leave, but I've got to be at Kamar-Taj at 6 tomorrow." He admitted to June and a listening May.

"That's fine sweetie." May said with a smile. "Here, let me box up some of this food for you so you can take it home."

Stephen raised his hands. "Oh no, that won't be necessary. I couldn't ask that of you!" May didn't press the topic further, but she did pass Stephen a look that said "This isn't over."

"Well, do you want to head out?" June asked.

"Yeah." Stephen nodded and stuck his hand out to May, who shook it gently. "It's been a pleasure, Ms. Jones." He said with his trademark smile, which he had mentally dubbed as "the charmer." "And thank you for the wonderful dinner."

"Thank you honey, it's no problem." May beamed. She passed a quick nod to Stephen as she spoke. "You'll have to come over more often – it's nice to have someone around here who appreciates my cooking." She said with a wink.

June groaned with a hint of sarcasm. "Don't be dramatic, Mom." She couldn't keep the smile off of her face. May grinned back at her daughter before turning back to Stephen.

"Goodbye, Stephen. It was a pleasure." She said.

"Likewise." He replied with a nod. He looked to June, who motioned towards the door with a small nod of her head. Stephen made his way out of the kitchen, and June followed close behind him.

"Want me to walk you home so you don't get mugged?" June asked with a grin as they reached the door. Stephen let out a small chuckle.

"What would I do without you here to protect me?" Stephen joked as he opened the door. The bitter cold bit his face once more as he stepped outside. June followed suit. Stephen pulled his sling ring out of his pocket, and slid it onto his hand. The cold air bit at his exposed skin and stung a bit, but the sensation was muted through his damaged hands. He quickly opened an orange portal, and inside of it was another living room – this one modestly decorated in a monochromatic color scheme. The furniture was much more modern than what was found in June's home.

"Now it's my turn." Stephen said before stepping through the portal. June stepped in as well, eager to escape the cold. The portal closed quickly behind her, leaving them both in the darkened living room.

"Welcome to my place." Stephen said as he flipped on the light. June looked around, quickly taking in all the details that she could. The room, and the connected kitchen were both very clean. Like, immaculate. Does he actually live here? It's spotless… June thought. Was he… expecting me? Did he plan this? This would explain why everything was so clean – there was no way this room was lived in.

"It's nice." June settled for the compliment, even though there were a few alarms blaring in her head. It's not that Stephen necessarily made her uncomfortable – it was more of a gut reaction than a logical one. "But why bring me here?"

June had him made. "Well, uh, it only seemed fair." And it has totally nothing to do with the fact that I want you to be able to sling here, he thought sarcastically. He wanted her to be able to reach him in an instant, should anything happen to her. The fear wasn't unfounded – her book made her a magnet for monsters and just trouble in general. What if the book started acting up in the middle of the night? What if a monster made a portal in her house? Stephen needed to prepare for these possibilities.

He would have been lying if he said his intentions were entirely pure, however. A deep, dark part of him whispered sweet tales of June coming to him in the night, lonely and cold and desperate for affection… Enough! He put his hands behind his back and pinched a tender part of his hand, hard. The pain was enough to distract him from the dark thoughts brewing in his mind, and bring him back into the current conversation.

"Besides, what if something happens and I'm not at the sanctum?" He asked, trying to convince himself that this was the only reason he brought her here. "You need to be able to sling here if something happens."

"Fair enough." June said. She looked a little uncomfortable, with her back straight and her fists occasionally clenching themselves. "Well, uh, I'm going to head back. Dishes, you know?" She let out a terrible excuse for a laugh, which came out as a shaky and awkward "heh."

"Ah, of course. I'd hate to keep you." Stephen said, looking down at his feet momentarily. June pulled her own sling ring out of her pocket, and quickly created a portal to the outside of her house. Before stepping through it, she paused.

"I had a great time tonight." She said quietly, passing a soft glance to him.

"Me too." He said with just the faintest of smiles. June stepped forward, and she vanished in a swirl of orange sparks.

You're a fucking idiot! What is wrong with you? Stephen placed his hands on his forehead and let out an audible groan. He felt like he was going to throw up. Why did you do that? He smeared his hands down his face with another groan and flopped onto the couch.

This was a mistake. I'm far too eager to let June in… It's not the June being a part of his life was a bad thing, but Stephen had been letting his guard down around her. He was letting himself get too close, too comfortable with her. The thought of a relationship with her was something that occasionally danced in his head ever since he met her, but they were always weak, idle fantasies that were very far removed from reality. But recently, something had changed between them.

He couldn't quite pinpoint what signaled the change, but their dynamic had certainly shifted. June wasn't just his student anymore, she was this bright, beautiful woman who called to him. His lack of self-control disgusted him. So, you lose your mind over a pretty face? Get it together! Anger boiled inside of him. Stop this. Get a hold of yourself. If he didn't get a handle on these newfound urges, he was going to destroy his relationship with June. June's friendship was one of the most important things in the world to him – she had become his best friend over the year they've spent together.

I'll apologize to her tomorrow, he vowed. But for now, rest. While it was tempting to stay up and let anxiety run wild in his mind over the situation, he had a class to teach in the morning. He ran one of his hands through his raven hair and sighed. The thought of teaching tomorrow wasn't helping his anxiety, and he was almost dreading it.

But there's no point in worrying about it. He closed his eyes for a second and centered himself. For a moment, he felt his chakras and became aware of them temporarily. He took a deep breath in, held it for a few seconds, and then released it slowly. His eyes opened after a few moments, and he finally got up, ready to begin his nightly routine.

I won't make a fool of myself tomorrow, he vowed as he made his way to the bathroom. Tomorrow will be better.

Sorry about the long wait for this weak chapter. This was just soooo hard to write. Next update shouldn't take early as long, I hope. As always, faves, follows, and reviews are always appreciated. 3