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Stephen was no stranger to loneliness. He felt it before and he felt it now. It ripped his heart apart, shards of it falling to the ground like broken mirrors. It consumed him.
The first time he felt loneliness was when he gave up Christine. He truly loved her and letting her go hurt. He had Wong by his side, but most of the time, it was just him and the Cloak drinking tea in the morning and protecting the multiverse together.
But then she came. With sparkling eyes and a bright smile, she collided into him and tore his walls down brick by brick. She worked at a bookstore near the Sanctum Sanctorum. He stumbled upon the bookstore one day he took it all for himself, and started going there ever since just to see her, to relish in the peace she gave him by just being in his presence.
Today was no different. The bell above the door chimed when he entered. Smells of chocolate, books and dust drifted in the air and filled his lungs. The bookstore was cramped with books from top to bottom, unevenly placed. The Rolling Stones were quietly filling the silence. Light was streaming in from the small windows near the front desk and the door. It gave off cosy vibes, something he didn’t find at the Sanctum. The place reminded him of her, in that way. Warm. Nice. Homey.
“One sec!” said a voice from the back.
He could recognize that voice anywhere. It was hers.
He approached the front desk. An open book laid faced down on it, a bookmark with sunflowers drawn on it sticking out.“Wuthering heights” by Emily Brontë.
“Sorry for the delay, I was just putting some things in the back!”
Her voice sounded so much closer now, a vanilla scent wrapping him in a warm embrace.
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
She was now next to him, going around behind the desk. Her eyes met his, a glint in them. He wondered if she saw the emotion swirling in his own eyes, if she could read him like an open book.
“You read Wuthering heights?”
“It’s a classic.”
“Should I take that as a yes?”
She was smirking now. Stephen felt his own lips curling up.
“It depends. Do you like it so far?”
Her smirk turned into a blinding smile, her eyes crickling.
“I do.”
“Then, yes, I did read it.”
She shook her head, picking up her book, a smile still edged on her face.
“Can I do something for you, Stephen? Do you want some books? Maybe serve you some tea while I’m at it?”
She knew his name. Somehow, he thought she saw him as an old client, an avid reader who came by almost every week.
“You know my name?”
She sat up straighter and looked him in the eyes with a soft smile.
“Well, you’re not just any client, are you? Everyone knows you, especially after that Thanos, or whatever his name was, happened.”
“Do they?”
She turned her gaze to the book in front of her, a pink dusting her cheeks.
“I know I do” she muttered.
He still heard it though, and it made his heart skip a beat. He started toying with his wrist watch,a gift from Christine. He still had it, the watch kept him grounded and reminded him of a time he no longer missed, but cherished.
“I’m flattered.”
She hummed, her attention still on the words in front of her.
“So? Books?”
He smirked, looking at her.
“Or tea.”
Her laughter filled the bookstore, over the music playing from the pick-up in the corner. It reached his ears, like wind chimes. It was angelic, pure even. “If this is how heaven sounds like, I wouldn’t regret dying tomorrow”.
“That was a joke.”
“This one wasn’t. Have tea with me. Or coffee, whatever you want. Just let me take you out one time. We can talk about books, music. About each other. I’d really like to get to know you, Y/N.”
At first, she didn’t say anything. She just stared at him, an eyebrow arched. Her hands were still clutching the book, and her eyes were searching his. Stephen was starting to think he screwed up, until her face morphed into soft, warm eyes and a sweet smile.
“Earl Grey is my favourite. Remember that, as I have a feeling we’ll see each other over tea often.”
Bonus:
“How did you know my name?”
“Your name tag.”
“Right, of course.”