100 Marvel One Shots✔️

Half-Magic Bookstore Girl >> Stephen Strange X Reader

Somewhere across the world, there was a sorcerer supreme who seemed a bit down on his luck. Of all days, this could have potentially been a good one, but, alas, it was not. The magic he channelled into his hands to heal was not working so well, and he had woken up with an ache within his phalanges, riding up his arms until he felt mildly annoyed. Ever since he expended a lot of energy aiding the Asgardian prince Thor and his brother Loki in their quest, he found himself tired often. Perhaps he needed to consult some more ancient texts for guidance, or meditate.

But he wasn't doing those today. Instead, he was cataloguing the recent intake of relics found all over Earth and the known galaxies, and taking precautionary reasoning with all of them. Not all had come from friendly guests, and not all had been taken willingly, but, there was magic within all of them. Wong, the former librarian of Kamar-Taj, was helping him with this task, and within a short amount of time, they were nearly all secured.

"I do not see why we do not put them into a safe location after we find them," Wong grumbled, "letting them sit around isn't a good practice, Strange."

He nodded absently, tired, and not taking in the words of his colleague. "Hmm." The other man shook his head, and moved on to the next artefact to store. But the item, a small leather-bound book with strange markings on it moved from his reach, and with its own magic, flew itself into the hands of Doctor Strange.

"We've got a runner!" Wong cried, starting the spell for fire with his hands.

But Stephen waved him off, feeling a sensation run through his entire body at the mere touch of the book. He recognised some of the markings – one for protection, for balance, and upon the top of the spine, the mark of the Ancient One. Though misguided in her later years, he understood the gist of what his old teacher had gotten into, and in hindsight, understood her. His fingers fumbled at the edge of the book, working to open the pages when they moved on their own once more, opening to the near mid-centre, where eight words were written with penmanship he hadn't seen before.

"Did the Ancient One tell you anything about this book?" He asked Wong, showing him the marking upon the top of the spine. "...this is strange, I feel something bizarre about it, like...like it's supposed to happen."

Wong raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you're going crazy too," he said, and moving toward where he stood, pointed to the mark. "She had many secrets in her time, but..." he glanced around the room, making sure they were alone, "she did confide in me that she had created an artefact. Twin books, alike in every way, meant to be found by people who were destined to meet."

Stephen looks once more at the words, wondering what it meant for him.

"Do you have a pen on you?"

Closing the shop up for the day, you turned the key in the door, and set down the way with your messenger bag and playlist of Pink Floyd. The best part about being the primary owner of the store meant that you could close the store at five, count the draws, tidy up for the next day, and be out by five thirty. But today, with the sun going lower in the city skyline, night came faster, and so did the trouble that followed. While you loved living in Hell's Kitchen for all the great history and things found in impossible places, those same impossible places produced people who would do terrible, terrible things.

You turned down your music as you came to a street corner a block away from your apartment block, feeling a niggling sensation in the back of your mind that you were being followed. A quick glance in the streetlight-lit reflection of the deli behind you proved that suspicion correct; there were two men, and a woman following you. As soon as the light turned green, you walked out, but even though your fear is incensing you to fly, you don't stop long enough to see the speeding taxi.