No-One But You (The Mystic Consultant) - Part 2

Chapter 41:Emberkreiss (Part1)

…

"What's that one called again?"

…

Victor Strange was playing dumb. The lecture he received from Ezekiel Stane continued for a short while, but then the baby Sorcerer Supreme convinced him to get some sleep. Victor also convinced him that they could share a room. He made sure to emphasize that they both could fit on the small bed, and that he would behave himself.

Ezekiel wasn't convinced about Victor behaving, but he followed his lead and joined him in one of the rooms. The Kamar taj wasn't known for being comfortable. Luckily, Ezekiel and Victor had smaller frames. They both managed to fit on one of the beds, and Victor was being taught how to play chess.

If you recall, the spell Donna Strange made was broken by Oshtur. Oshtur had the ability to eliminate any spell that could bind a person's mind, so that meant Donna's hold on Ezekiel's technology was also cancelled out. The White Jackal created a translucent screen in front of the two of them, and that's where he showed Victor all of the different pieces in the game.

"That's called a rook."

"And that one, goes straight? Right? Just down the line?"

Victor tried to take it all in and also hang onto a semi-serious expression. I mean, he KNEW what chess was… but Ezekiel lived his life by the rules and what the game represented. Victor knew that, but they hadn't ever discussed it. He kept looking at Ezekiel too, and Victor moved in a couple times when he could. His behavior was beyond obvious…

Ezekiel was doing his best to remain composed as well. Victor's behavior was amusing him. He smiled several times..

VICTOR SAW THAT SHIT. He smiled back every time, but then that crime-lord would do something with the screen and make something chess related show up. Victor was getting super restless, so Ezekiel glanced down at their feet. The baby Strange kept moving his legs, so Ezekiel almost laughed.

"Yes. It goes straight. Back and forth, right or left. I've told you four times."

He had to laugh a little, because Victor was…

Obadiah's son cleared the screen completely. He absently stared at a blank chess board as Victor processed his response. Obviously, Ezekiel was thinking about setting up a game between them. He wanted to see if Victor was actually paying attention. The baby Strange fixed the front of his hair a little, then he turned more toward his right.

He thought about chewing on the small blanket. Actually, he wanted to chew on Ezekiel's shirt. Victor concluded that he was acting crazy, so he closed his eyes again and tried to focus. His focus was really wearing out when it came down to the chess stuff. He opened his eyes up again eventually, and he focused more on how close they were.

It started with a brief touch on the cheek… Victor made his own sort of chess move, and Ezekiel saw it coming from a mile away. Victor kissed the side of his face first, then he moved in a bit more and lost his focus. Victor's advance was welcomed, at first, because it had been a while since the two of them were intimate. Ezekiel enjoyed Victor every time, so… for a long moment he gave into a slow-moving kiss.

"I told you, I want to be respectful."

He didn't want to engage in anything that Victor clearly had in mind. Their kiss came to an end, and Victor's soul slipped down somewhere toward the cold-hard ground. He even closed his eyes again, because the words he heard struck a cord. Respectful? For WHO? The baby Strange kept his eyes closed for a sec. He chewed around his bottom lip as well as he processed.

YES. Ok, Victor promised he would behave. He was about to declare that they didn't have to actually hook up right there in that super-small space. Victor didn't even see how it was possible. He took a moment to open his eyes and scan the room. His heart sank again, because he thought for a moment that Ezekiel might leave. It didn't seem like he was going anywhere, so Victor settled himself back on his side of the tiny bed.

"I know. I'm sorry, but, I couldn't help it."

He wanted to kiss him and, do stuff. For Victor it really didn't matter where they were. He felt happy there, and the baby Strange was glad that they seemed to be in a better place. It felt natural to be there in that moment, and just… talk. Victor almost said something about it, but he just let what he said hang out to dry for a bit. Ezekiel turned his body more toward his left.

He looked at Victor and he studied the look on his face. He seemed very affected, and Ezekiel started processing that Victor's emotions could be felt. He felt them in that moment and it made his body warm. Truth was, he felt the exact same way whenever they were together. He understood how Victor was feeling and he didn't want the experience to go away…

"You do remember that Tony Stark gave me the Mind Stone, right?"

Ezekiel had to ask. Having the Mind Stone in his possession meant that he was very in-tune with Victor's thoughts and emotions. Processing the power of the stone was one of the reasons Ezekiel left. He hid himself for multiple reasons. Recovering his body was one, but adapting to the Mind Stone was the next. Victor blinked a few times as he heard Ezekiel's response.

He brought his eyes up to Ezekiel's.

"I remember. Why? Are you reading my mind or something?"

"Not reading, I'm just understanding everything your mind is generating."

Ah. Ok. Victor swallowed down his soul for a sec. Soooo…. The two of them spent some time looking at each other. Victor moved beneath the thin blanket, then he spoke out the first thought that came to his mind.

"So, then, you know how I feel about you? It's how I've always felt.."

For friggen centuriesss mannnn. Victor had built up some strong feelings for that crime-lord right off the bat. Victor had never vocalized what he was feeling out in the open, but the two of them tried to build a relationship around it.

Things went south a while ago, but Victor knew what he felt never changed.

Ezekiel gave Victor a small nod as his response. He was very aware of Victor's affection for him, and it had always been a welcomed gesture.

"Soooo, that means you understand why I hate Wade Wilson? Right?"

Victor friggen hoped so. He was dreading explaining the reasons why he wanted Deadpool to die in a fiery pit of doom. He wanted that smart-mouthed psycho fuck to disappear forever, but obviously, that wasn't going to happen.

Ezekiel gave Victor another quiet nod. The White Jackal more than understood, but the notion wasn't as dramatic in his mind. Victor had nothing to worry about when it came to Wade Wilson. And, on some level, he felt the same way about Clint Barton.

Victor's "friendly" ex-roommate/boyfriend/person was someone that Ezekiel only tolerated because of their involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D..

Clint Barton obviously ended things with Victor and he made his dramatic exit from the team. Ezekiel was glad for it, and he even encouraged the archer's departure. The White Jackal pushed that thought from his mind. He wanted to say something about Wade, perhaps to clarify his intent.

"I want you to think of Wade as a rook. Actually, his skill set makes him more of a bishop."

Ezekiel thought it over, and he concluded that Wade was definitely more than a bishop. The chess piece analogy reached Victor's mind after a sec. He stopped spazzing out over his gentle confession, then he brought his focus back up toward Ezekiel's face.

"Vic, he's an ally who might come in handy one day."

You never really know, but all of Ezekiel's instincts were telling him to explain that to Victor. He wanted the two of them to think on the same level, and truly get themselves on the same page.

In his mind, survival has to come first. He needed Victor to understand and share that mentality, because you can't love someone or be with someone when they're dead..

Victor kept his eyes closed again after Ezekiel spoke. The baby Strange was hearing him, but his soul was struggling with what he heard. Accepting Wade, or just being in his presence made Victor's blood boil right there on that crappy Kamar taj bed.

He sucked it up tho, in that moment. Victor felt like he had to, so he responded to Ezekiel with a gentle nod.

Chapter: END

Thanks for reading.