Strange Nights ( Dr Strange #1)

Chapter 12 : Revelations

"Matt's fine with it," Stephen lied before Y/N could speak anything.

Matt would definitely not agree to this. Y/N thought glaring at him.

Matt knew him well. He didn't doubt if he called him, the man would disagree. But after his behaviour earlier, he wasn't expecting much of her to take on his offer.

"I'll call you guys after I reach home," she declared to her friends. The odd way he and Anna looked at each other had her considerably discomfited. Besides she needed answers. Cannibalism, sorcery and everything else - as dangerous as they sounded she felt Stephen radiated - though not warmth - but safety. "You better explain yourself, doctor," she whispered to him once her friends were at a safe distance from them.

Stephen smirked and looked at the grill. It wasn't much of a crowd. And with her having witnessed his murderous rage, he felt she would hardly feel safe when he would reveal his true identity. Somewhere crowded yet private. "Mind if we go somewhere else?" She glanced at him suspiciously before agreeing.

Y/N was surprised when Stephen called Matt and he agreed with her returning late.

But she looked quite uncomfortable as he held the restaurant door open for her. "Something's wrong?" he asked, looking at the sea of people that flooded the Asian restaurant.

"Too many people, there's-"

"Good evening, Welcome to Umigawa Canting. Please follow me." The hostess interrupted her. Y/N sighed and followed her. She led them to the near middle of the crowd towards a two-seated table. Stephen shook his head. Handing over her a bill, he requested the booths that looked over the shore.

Peeking at the bill, she led them to the far end of the walkway toward the less noisy booths. "How's this?" She perked up. "Perfect," Y/N unexpectedly announced before smiling widely at her. "Your server will be there shortly," she said resentfully before merging with the crowd. He tried to strife a chuckle at the scornful Y/N.

"What's wrong darling?" he playfully asked, sliding inside the booth. "You have brought us out here where I can barely escape you."

"So you want to escape me?" he asked, feeling a bit indignant, but surely it was his fault. When she didn't answer, he tried rephrasing his question. "Why didn't you protest when I lied about Matt? You know, you could have gone with your friends?"

"You seemed pretty adamant about letting me go," she answered immediately. He guessed that was right but it still didn't quench his curiosity over the fact that she was here with him when she wanted to escape from him. "Besides," she continued, "I wanted to know what changed your mind. You wanted to just drop me off and leave." He smiled at her apologetically. She sighed and looked away. "Dr Rochester-"

"Stephen," he insisted.

"You... are an s-sorcerer?" he nodded, getting a hint of why she had stayed. "Then you knew the other man- sorcerer?" He shook my head. "I was too busy fighting even to read his mind."

"You can read minds?" she asked, amused. "Yeah, I'm a sorcerer; I can do a few things that normal humans can't do."

"So you can read my mind too?"

"I'm not always reading people's minds, Y/N. It's their personal space and I respect privacy. I don't do it unless it's required to." She still looked at him disbelievingly. "You can trust me. I'm not reading you."

She sighed once again. "Why did you bring us here? I can't rush through this crowd in case your homicidal rage returns."

"Angry or not, I would never hurt you." She wasn't much surprised at his confession. "Always says the one who hurts the most," she whispered lowly under her breath. Stephen sighed at her. "I won't," he insisted. This time Y/N was taken aback. She had not expected him to hear her. "I brought us here so that by seeing the people around, you would feel safe."