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Maybe he shouldn't treat America differently from the other students at Kamar-Taj, at least not so blatantly. They might resent her for skipping classes. But the kid was special. Everyone could see that. She was funny, brave, and selfless. Stephen would never forget the resignation in America's eyes when she told him it was okay for her to die. He would never forget it and he would never forgive himself. Because it had been the other other him, the ponytail one, that had made her think it was okay to sacrifice a life for the greater good. He remembered saying the same thing to Tony Stark in that flying space donut and to this day he still regretted the harsh words. He had been a cold-hearted bastard to a man that sacrificed himself willingly in all the futures he had seen in Titan. He had chosen the only future where Tony was happy with Pepper and Morgan for more than a few months. He had hoped five years were enough... So, yeah, he would never forgive himself for being the reason America had that look on her face while she was lying on the altar like a sacrificial lamb. The kid will never go through that again, I would rather die than watch her suffer... As if sensing his dark thoughts, America ran to him and almost tackled him to the ground, her arms wrapping around him in a tight hug. He hugged her back just as tightly.
"What's up, Stephen?"
"What's up, kid?"
They let go of each other and Stephen looked down at her. Despite her power, she was so vulnerable. He wanted to protect her from everything and everyone. Maybe there's an everlasting spell for that, I have to do some research and...
"Where's Clea? Did she return to that creepy Dimension? I thought she was finally coming to Kamar-Taj."
"Mer, please don't say her home is creepy."
Stephen started calling her Mer one day and the short name had stuck. The kid seemed to like it or else she would have told him to stop. She wasn't afraid to mouth off at him or make fun of him. She respected him and trusted him, but she didn't tolerate any bullshit, specially his. Stephen appreciated her candor and admired her for it. He tried to treat her the same way, within reason. He was the adult in this unconventional friendship after all.
"You're right, Stephen. I would hate to hurt her feelings. The Dark Dimension is kind of cool if you look past the squiggly stuff. The colors are very pretty."
He chuckled, amused by her choice of words. He was also amazed by her capacity to see beauty even in a place like the Dark Dimension.
"Clea knows that the Sorcerer Supreme would feel uncomfortable, to say the least, if Dormammu's niece stepped foot on these grounds."
"That's so fucking unfair!"
"What have I told you about swearing, kid?"
America rolled her eyes so hard he feared they would fall off.
"It's unfair to judge someone based of their family members. Clea isn't evil. She's the complete opposite of evil."
"Wong knows that but he's the Sorcerer Supreme. He has duties, Mer."
"If you were the Sorcerer Supreme you would let her visit Kamar-Taj. She could teach us a lot. Didn't she meet Agamotto?"
"If I were the Sorcerer Supreme we probably wouldn't be together."
"Bullshit... You would find a way to be with her even if all the Masters were against it. You love her too much to let some stupid rules stand in your way."
"You know me so well."
He winked and then opened a portal to a place the kid had never been before. Clea was waiting for them on the other side. Upon seeing her, America squeeled in delight and ran to her. She didn't even ask him the name of the place. Her trust in him made his heart swell with a strong feeling of protectiveness. The only person who had trusted him unconditionally had been his sister Donna...
"Are you going to stand there or are you going to join us?"
Stephen shook his head and tried to focus on the here and now. He had planned this trip as a gift to America. One year ago, on this day, the kid told him she was glad she had fallen into his universe. His memory was that good. He would not mention it though because he didn't want the kid to remember Wanda's rampage.
"Such an impatient kid..."
He faked whispered and said kid rolled her eyes in equally faked annoyance. He stepped through the portal and smiled at Clea.
"I hope you weren't bored while you were waiting for us."
"This place is beautiful. I would never get bored here."
He kissed her chastely on the cheek and Clea smiled knowingly.
"You can French kiss her if you want. You won't traumatize me."
"You know what a French kiss is?"
"Duh... I'm not a baby, Stephen. You can smooch her all you want."
"Smooch?"
His laughter was cut short when Clea smooched him.
"Where are we?"
America waited patiently till the kiss was over to ask their whereabouts.
"We're in Italy."
"Oh, that's cool! I love exploring new places."
"I know, kid. And I also know how much you love pizza so I brought you to the place where the pizza Margherita was invented. According to Emanuele Rocco it was here, in Naples. There's a small pizzeria nearby. We can buy two pizzas and eat them here in the park or... "
He trailed off when he noticed that America's eyes were glittering with unshed tears. Her bottom lip was trembling.
"Are you okay, Mer?"
"You could have taken me to New York. There's plenty of pizza joints there. Last time we ate at Patsy's Pizza."
She was crying now and Stephen didn't know what to do.
"Mer?"
"You don't even like pizza that much, Stephen. You think it's unhealthy. But you indulge me anyway."
The kid hugged him, tears falling down her face. He rubbed her back in what he hoped was a comforting way.
"You care about me like my moms did. You do so much for me. I'm really, really, really glad I've fallen into your universe."
It was his turn to cry. Hearing her say those words again made him incredibly emotional. You're a sap, Strange.
"I thought I would never have kids, you know... And then you tumbled down from a bus..."
She looked up at him, a huge smile on her face. Good.
"So, I'm your kid?"
"Yep."
Stephen popped the "p" obnoxiously and she rolled her eyes. He opened a small portal to the Sanctum's bathroom and grabbed a box of tissues. They dried their eyes and blew their noses, then turned to look at Clea.
"Sorry about the drama."
"I'm officially a dad, I hope you don't mind."
"Nothing to be sorry about, sweet child."
And then Clea leaned over and whispered in his ear.
"Being a father suits you."
And then the three went to get their pizzas. When they returned to the park, Clea conjured a giant purple cloth where they all sat down. Stephen opened a portal to his fridge and grabbed some soda cans. They ate their pizzas Margherita, America praising it after every bite, Clea and Stephen enjoying the simple but vibrant flavors. They talked a lot. Specially his kid. She had so many questions about the Faltine and the Dark Dimension. Clea answered all of them with no hesitation.
"It sucks that you can't visit Kamar-Taj. Everyone would love to meet you. It would blow their minds. The Faltine are so badass."
"Not everyone, my child. The Faltine are too powerful to be around humans. I'm the only one who can control the heat and the flames. I'm half Faltine but if I unleashed my full power this whole city, this whole country, would turn to ashes in less than an hour. I understand why the Sorcerer Supreme is wary of me."
"Holy shit! No wonder Wong is afraid of your power!"
Stephen knew that Clea was very powerful, he had seen her in action. But this was insane levels of power. He wasn't afraid though. He trusted Clea the same way that he trusted his kid. Both were very powerful beings but he felt safe around them.
"It's not really a power. It's who she is. She doesn't channel it. That's why she has complete control over it. It's like flexing a finger. Just like you, Mer."
"If I'm allowed to be at Kamar-Taj then Clea should be allowed too."
"You're not letting this go, are you?"
"No. It's unfair and I hate it."
"America, please. It's okay. I really don't mind."
"Okay, I won't start a revolution at Kamar-Taj then..."
"Good because I don't want to fight Wong."
"You would fight him?"
"For you and Clea, I would."
"Wow, that's... I'm speechless..."
"You're my kid. I will protect you. I will fight for you. Always."
He would also give his life for her if he had to. But he didn't voice it. It would make her sad. So he changed the subject.
"Do you want to eat some gelatto in Rome?"
"What's that?"
"Fancy ice-cream."
"What are we waiting for? Let's go to Rome."
He glanced at Clea and caught her staring at him. Oh, she had listened. I'm sorry, Clea. Her response was quick and crystal clear. Don't be sorry. Being a father suits you. It makes me love you even more.