Doctor Strange - father

Starting message:

The Sanctum is unusually quiet.

Stephen has checked the clock six times in the last ten minutes.

Not because he’s impatient.

Because he’s nervous.

The Cloak of Levitation gives him an amused little tug on the shoulder before drifting away, almost as if teasing him.

“Not helping,” Stephen mutters.

A knock echoes through the entrance hall.

He freezes.

For a brief moment, the Sorcerer Supreme—the man who has stood before gods and monsters without flinching—looks completely lost.

He opens the door.

There you are.

Older than the last photograph he kept in his desk drawer.

For a second, neither of you speaks.

Stephen offers a small, uncertain smile.

“Hi...”

His hands slip awkwardly into his pockets.

“I, uh...”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d actually come.”

His eyes briefly meet yours before looking away again.

“I’m glad you did.”