The Imagination Latibule: Moon Knight - The Rise of the Moon

Chapter 4

"Ow," he cried, turning to you. You slammed the door.

"What the fuck," you said, storming up to him and hitting his shoulder. "Where were you Steven I was going out of my mind!"

"y/n, I don't know what happened," he said. "What happened to me, what happened to Gus, what happened to -"

"Gus? What happened to Gus?" you asked, staring at the fish.

"His fin grew back."

"What d'you mean, grew back?"

"Yesterday, that fish had one fin," Steven said, pulling his hand out of the tank and wiping it along his chest. You stared at Gus. He had two fins. But that wasn't your pressing concern.

"Yesterday? How would you know? You weren't here yesterday."

"Yes, I was. We both were."

"That was Thursday."

"And today's Friday. Today. Right?"

"Welcome to Sunday Steven," you said. Steven fumbled with his words as he wiped off his wet hands on his joggers.

"Come on, no. I think Friday still comes after Thursday, don't it?"

"It doesn't change the fact that today is Sunday," you said, tears falling from your eyes. "I was so worried."

"It wasn't a dream," he said quietly, and then like he'd just caught up with how much turmoil he'd put you through, he brought you in for a hug. "I'm so sorry love, I really am. I didn't mean to scare you," he said and you shook your head.

"It's alright," you said into his shoulder. "I was just so worried about you. Where were you?"

"I don't know," he said, "but I think... I think I'm going crazy." He sounded scared, and you led him to a chair, kneeling in front of it with your hands in his. That's when you noticed his knuckles, bruised and swollen, and you sucked harshly though your teeth.

"Steven," you mumbled, inspecting them as he tried to pull away. "What happened? Did you get in a fight? Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"It doesn't matter," he said, sitting nervously as you ran a flannel under the cold water and dabbed it against his knuckles.

"Tell me everything."

"It's insane. This is all insane."

"Not to me," you said. "No matter what you tell me, I'm here for you."

Steven took a deep breath, hands shaking. "I think I'm being haunted."

"You think you're being haunted?" you repeated slowly. "By what?"

"By a deep voice," he said, and something inside you stirred with fear. Like a memory you couldn't quite place. "I had the weirdest dream that I woke up in some village in the Alps – that a man wanted a scarab and that I couldn't give it to him. But I woke up here so it can't have been real? But then you tell me that I've been gone 3 days? Was it real?"

"No," you said, rubbing the back of his hands soothingly. "You must've just wandered somewhere. I'm so sorry. I must have fallen asleep too."

"S'alright y/n," he said, and then he winced slightly as he shifted in the chair and you gave him a stern look.

"Show me," you said, and he lifted his top a little to reveal an ugly bruise on his ribs. "Jesus, Steven," you whispered. He stayed quiet, watching you timidly as you held the cool flannel to his side. You noticed his abs and your mind wandered slightly. He didn't work out. Hmm. Must have good genes.