Stephen sighed heavily as he stared into the ceiling above his makeshift bed in a spare room of the Sanctum. It was well after midnight and sleep had eluded him for the past several hours.
Rolling over on his side, he sighed again as his thoughts drifted to Hermione, as per usual these days, who was lying in his own bed just down the hall. They had all had a tough few weeks.
While Stephen was pleasantly surprised at how well her recovery had been coming along, they all were attempting to get used to the new normal in which they were currently living. After her apology, things had, unfortunately, become stilted and awkward between the pair, with Hermione obviously tip-toeing around him in order to avoid his (imaginary) ire. Their conversations were polite, with soft spoken words and agreeable smiles - The topics never wandering more than surface deep.
Stephen hated it.
He missed the hours they used to spend talking about anything and everything under the sun; The fire in her eyes as he intentionally goaded her into a debate. The flash of teeth he would see in her smile as she finally realized she had taken his bait once again.
He missed working alongside her in the kitchen as they cooked; their movements around the other reminding him of a well-practiced dance. Never, before now, had he ever considered he would miss the sheer domesticity of having her in his day-to-day life. The minuscule taste of what it would be like to actually share a life with her created a tightness in his chest he wasn't quite ready to address. He had gone from world-renowned neurosurgeon to a bitter, drunken asshole, to Sorcerer Supreme to a lovesick sop.
He could hardly even recognize himself these days…not that he necessarily minded.
It had hardly been two weeks since her rescue from the raft when Hermione began to feel as though she had overstayed her welcome. Stephen, and even Wong, himself, had refused to listen to the protests of the woman and were resolute in her staying exactly where she was.
Stephen huffed in amusement as he thought about the witch's insistence. He wasn't sure that Hermione had even realized yet that she, quite literally, didn't have anywhere else to go if she didn't stay with them in the Sanctum. Granted, he knew she would be more than welcome to stay with Stark in the Tower or Headquarters, but the thought of Hermione leaning on Stark during her recovery instead of Stephen, himself, didn't sit well with Stephen in any way.
Not to mention, the Sanctum is the only untraceable location in New York, and therefore, the safest by far.
Hermione's apartment had been completely ransacked by the time that Stephen and Stark were able to make their way back to the residence. They had literally taken anything and everything that the witch had owned - Her potions, her electronics, even her clothes and furniture had not been spared. Although he suspected that she had anticipated it, Stephen had not enjoyed relaying to Hermione that everything from the life she had built here in New York was lost.
Stephen smiled softly as he absentmindedly rubbed the soft satin bedding between his fingers. Hermione had forged through the loss of her possessions much like she did everything else that had been thrown at her. She had buckled down and begun to rebuild.
Once they had finally convinced Hermione to stay put in the Sanctum, (Temporarily, of course, at her insistence.) she had begun to replace all of her old life. Frequent trips out were almost a daily occurrence in the beginning, although the initial argument regarding her secret solo trips into New York was not something Stephen could look back on without rolling his eyes in exasperation. Hermione, for all of her overwhelming intellect and cleverness, could be a downright stubborn mule when she felt like it. His request that she be accompanied by himself or Wong, (Preferably himself, not that he dared say that aloud to her.) had nothing to do with clipping the wings of her freedom, and so much more to do with ensuring her safety. Regardless of the spells she cast to ensure her anonymity, the fact of the matter was that she was, technically, an escaped convict and was considered a terrorist by the United States government. If Ross found out Hermione was in New York, he would tear the city apart to find her.
Not that Stephen would allow Ross to come within a mile of Hermione ever again.
Giving up on any hope of sleep, Stephen exhaled and swung his feet off the bed. Reaching over for the lamp he had placed beside the bed, he felt a sudden awareness descend over him. Closing his eyes and focusing on the sensation, it only took a moment before they flew open once again.
Someone was in the Sanctum.
On his feet and tearing out of the room in an instant, Stephen yanked the bedroom door open and sprinted down the hallway, his normal combat attire already having replaced his pajamas and his cloak resting securely on his shoulders.
The pounding of his boots against the hardwood floors and the furious flapping of his long red cloak were the only sounds that could be heard echoing in the dark corridor as he rapidly approached the stairwell. Pausing for only a moment, he raised both of his hands, waving them in a complex series in front of Hermione's door then quickly continued past it, effectively barring anyone but himself from entering or exiting.
Stephen reached the top of the staircase just in time to see a flash of light fly through the air of the foyer and shouts heard from all around.
"What the hell, mate? I told you to wait!" A figure shouted from the darkened corner near the front door
"He's got a bloody whip!" A second voice shrieked in response as he continued waving what appeared to be a small instrument in his hand. "I feel like that should bloody-well change the plan!"
Seeing the figures crouch behind the corner and using the wall as a temporary cover, Stephen glanced over and saw that Wong had, indeed, conjured an energy whip, but appeared his ever-calm self. Feeling confident in his friend's uninjured state, Stephen smacked his hands together, quickly conjuring his own two shields as he made his presence known to the intruders.
"You are trespassing in this Sanctum." He called out. The cold timbre of his voice along with the eerie glow of the orange energy made his underlying threat clear. "I suggest you leave now."
He saw the two huddled figures stiffen immediately at his words before he was barraged with a torrent of brightly colored lights. Jerking his hands up, he quickly redirected the enemy blasts right back at the unknown trespassers. The pair quickly dove behind various pieces of furniture for cover as the blasts made contact behind them, essentially demolishing part of a table and the wall. Stephen couldn't help but feel a sense of grim satisfaction as one of the figures yelped as debris rained all over them.
"Christ, Ron! Are you thick in the head?" One of them bellowed. "What the hell do you think 'wait' means?"
"M'bad"
Wong silently joined Stephen at his side as the two sorcerers cautiously began inching their way towards the two intruders.
"We aren't here to fight!"
"Then throw your weapons to the side and stand." Stephen commanded.
"Oh, hell."
Stephen didn't even flinch as a man quickly popped up from behind a couch, his hands held loosely at his waist in an effort to appear non-threatening.
"Drop the stick."
"Not a chance." The man replied.
He was shorter than Stephen expected, with a pair of perfectly round glasses perched haphazardly on his face. His dark hair was almost black, and Stephen wasn't sure that it had ever seen a brush. Although his vivid green eyes were seemingly focused on him, Stephen couldn't help but think the man was working through several different scenarios in his mind.
"If you won't drop it, then I'll make you." He threatened coldly with a slight tilt of his head.
The man took a half step back, but his grip tightened on the stick as he raised it again, pointing directly at Stephen's chest. As Stephen began to step forward, a burly red head jumped up and joined his friend's side.
"Just give us Hermione!" The ginger snarled belligerently, his own stick now mirroring that of his friend's. "Give us Hermione, and we'll leave!"
"Over my dead body." Stephen shot back through gritted teeth.
His words hung in the air only a moment before the main entryway of the Sanctum lit up in spell fire once more.
Stephen twisted and blocked alongside Wong, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Blocking jet after jet of brightly colored light, he knew it would be a cold day in hell before he allowed the two intruders any opening to reach Hermione.
Hermione woke with a start as she felt the frame of the bed beneath her shake violently.
"What in the world?" Hermione mumbled groggily.
Looking around in confusion, Hermione startled as another distant boom echoed through the Sanctum. Throwing the covers back, her bare feet hit the floor quickly as she hurried to her bedroom door.
Intending to fling the door open, Hermione was brought up short as the door didn't remotely budge.
"Alohomora" Hermione said quickly before frowning at the still locked door.
"What is happen-" Hermione began before understanding. "...Stephen." She grumbled in irritation.
"Overprotective, handsome bastard…" Hermione muttered as she turned several feet down from the door frame.
"Bombarda!"
Hermione groaned as a shock of pain stabbed at her temples even as debris littered the hallway and tiny bits of drywall floated down like snow all around her. Rubbing her head with both hands, she glanced up and gave a slight smirk at her newly formed "doorway".
She knew Stephen would be disappointed in her…again…for breaking out of her room while she was still recovering. He and Wong, both, had agreed that she should be taking it easy with extremely limited spell use while she continued healing from her experience on the Raft. She couldn't imagine that this is what they had in mind when they had firmly told her to "take it easy".
Hermione wasn't arrogant enough to believe that Stephen and Wong couldn't handle whatever was happening by themselves…but they had both become so dear to her. She couldn't stand not helping them if she was able.
The sharp stab of pain through her temples at the use of her blasting spell was enough to give her pause, though. Massaging her head again with scrunched eyes, she felt a flicker of fear wash over her. She wasn't ready for this, physically. She would be a liability if she joined the fray. Was Stephen right to lock her in her room?
Another distant crash was enough to dislodge the thought from her brain and Hermione tiptoed her way through the debris before making her way towards the Sanctum entryway.
The crash of another deflected jet of light off his shield had finally pushed the limits of Stephen's patience.
"Alright. I've had enough of this."
Stephen quickly slapped his hands together before twisting them into a series of complex motions.
"Wait, what is he doing?" The redheaded one asked in confusion before countless long strings of glowing energy wrapped themselves tightly around both intruders.
"Ack!" He yelped as both men fell roughly onto the floor of the Sanctum, their legs secured together with their arms pinned down to their sides.
Stephen and Wong calmly made their way over the prone intruders as the redhead let out a slew of curses. The messy-haired man looked on at the two sorcerers with a hard glare, his glasses now laying askew on the ground after the tumble to the ground.
"Who are you?" Stephen demanded coldly.
"No one." He responded immediately. "We just came for Hermione. We don't want a fight, and we will leave as soon as we have her."
"Not an option." Stephen snapped. "Again, who are you?"
The redhead was still frantically trying to break the restraints of the orange energy ropes surrounding him.
"Better question. What the bloody-hell IS this?" He yelled belligerently.
"Pure energy." Stephen quipped back. "You can't break them." He added with an arrogant smirk.
The redhead responded with another slew of curses at the two sorcerers.
Stephen glanced up as Wong walked back towards him from where he had been searching through the debris surrounding them.
"Master Strange." He murmured quietly as he handed him the two sticks that the men had been holding during the invasion.
Turning his back momentarily to the two intruders laying on the ground, Stephen took one of the sticks from Wong and began studying it. The black wood was smooth in his hand, but he could immediately feel the power radiating in his fingertips. He glanced up and locked eyes with Wong.
"Wands." Wong murmured again.
Turning back towards their captives, Stephen addressed them once more.
"Why do you want Hermione?" He tried again.
"Because she's our best friend! That's bloody-well why!"
"Christ, Ron." The green-eyed man rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"Wait." Stephen said as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Ron?...Hermione's 'friend' Ron?" Turning his gaze quickly towards the other man, Stephen continued. "If he's Ron, that would make you-"
"Harry."
Stephen and Wong turned quickly, hands immediately raised in a defensive position at the possibility of a new threat before realizing that Hermione was standing at the top of the Sanctum staircase looking down on the scene below.
"Hermione!" The two intruders gleefully responded together.
Hermione was already sprinting down the steps before the two sorcerers were able to stand from their defensive crouches. Crouching down beside the restrained man, Hermione turned to Stephen, her curly hair flying about her shoulders in her movement.
"Stephen, let them go!" She pleaded.
Stephen narrowed his eyes. "How did you get out of your room?"
"Please, Stephen." She responded, ignoring his question. "Release them."
"They said they were here to get you." He replied, unwilling to believe the threat was completely gone.
Hermione huffed as she rolled her eyes. "Stephen, I can assure you. These two can't take me anywhere against my will. They wouldn't dare, even if they COULD get the jump on me."
Stephen's eyes unfocused as he thought through the pros and cons of releasing the binds on the two intruders. He could faintly hear the soft patter of Hermione's bare feet as she walked towards him.
He almost jumped as he focused back on the present as he felt her soft hand take his. Looking down into her pleading brown eyes, he knew that he was beat.
"Please." She whispered.
Sighing heavily, almost aggravated at his own unwillingness to upset the small woman standing in front of him, he waved his arms at the two captured men, releasing their bindings immediately. The two gasped as the tight energy rope dissipated, allowing them to breathe freely once again. Flicking his wrist once more, his cloak flew from his shoulders and wrapped snugly around Hermione's own.
Hermione threw Stephen a bemused expression, tilting her head in confusion.
"It's…chilly in here." Stephen mumbled back in embarrassment.
The sound of Wong's laughter was only interrupted as the man called "Ron" finally made it to his feet.
"Will someone PLEASE tell me what is going on?"