I Will Always Catch You Even in Freefall

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Dr. Strange Genderbend
Summary: Strange and Chris finally go on their date.
Word Count: 445
Rating: Gen

          In the end, she goes with simple—a nice silk blue button-up shirt that brings out the grey in her eyes nicely, a grey skirt that’s dressy and fun to twirl and not too confining because she hates pencil skirts with a passion, a blue silk scarf, and some rather beautiful grey dress boots that she’s tempted to use on a daily basis until she remember the ichor present in some of the idiotic monsters that love to attack Earth.
          The Mirror World only protects architecture and people, not clothing.  Unfortunately.
          She doesn’t miss the impressed surprise from Chris as she opens the door when he knocks.  He’s suddenly shy and dumbfounded again and it’s a nice feeling.
          The Cloak is sulking, but is slightly mollified by the fact that it’s Chris.  Wang is doing her library work from the Sanctum Sanctorum, as there’s been no others assigned to this Sanctum yet and no one feels comfortable with leaving one unguarded so soon after—
          She swallows.  After Dormammu.
          Chris notices her sudden tension and takes her hand, lacing his fingers through her own.  It’s more reassuring than she remembered.
          She’s glad that he chose to do their little date after Valentine’s.  She’s not sure she can handle the crowds yet.  At least she’s admitting that now.  And that, rather than driving her anywhere, he’d opted for ‘a romantic walk’.  She’s sure that it’s a concession to her fear of cars, now, and equally grateful that he’s not saying a word about it.
          He brings her up to date on the latest hospital gossip, which includes West looking stupid all of her own volution.  He listens patiently and doesn’t interrupt as she explains several of the creatures she’s fought since then, though his grip on her hand tightens slightly.  He’s more at ease with the few stories she has of some of the novices at Kamar Taj.  Actually asks about possibly visiting, to which she smiles shyly.  “Well, it’s not like I don’t visit you at work often enough,” she responds dryly.
          They have to stop at the park for Chris to sit in one of the benches long enough to stop giggling helplessly.
          And then they reach their destination, and one of her eyebrows raises.  “Santiago’s?  Really?”
          “It’s expensive, I remember, though my salary has gone up since you…retired?”  He almost swallows the last word, but she waves him on.  “I have been eating ramen for a few days to save the room,” he admits, and that earns one of Strange’s deep, resonant laughs, and they step forward together, ready for the world, and Palmer thinks he’s never seen anything more beautiful.
          (Strange privately agrees.)