the feeling of her in his arms once more, the feeling of the soft skin of her neck — he began to reminisce of their past, when they were happy.. when they were together. he knew that there was always something keeping them apart — and damn did he despise that fact. — but he would persevere for her, and always be there should she need him. that was what he wanted, nothing more.. he simply wanted her, and it always felt like the universe was spiteful in there always being something to keep him away from her, to keep her away from him. with these thoughts stephen simply squeezed her gently, sighing softly against her skin as he pulled back slightly, holding her until she would break away — should she want to. the thought of it tinged at his heart, but he could never stifle the flame of her wants and needs. nothing would get in the way of what she wanted — as evident that she was here, looking for.. allies, in her war.

her words made his expression fall ever slightly — enough to a keen eye would see that her words disappointed. he wanted her to have come to him because she missed him, but.. evidently the vishanti brought them together because he was the best bet of an ally in her war against dormammu. many a year ago he faced dormammu — and many decades did he receive a scar upon his back, flaming from the burning magics. the thought of his uncle-in-law’s death could bring an ease of this pain was.. tempting, in the sense that he wished to terribly to be able to help her. but life was not always that easy, it never was.   “   i want nothing more than to be able to say i could help you, my beloved..   ”   with this he released her, taking a step back to lean his hip against the front of his desk. gods — the sorcerer ran a scarred and shaken hand over his expression, showing his sorrow.

“   i am.. unsure if i can leave, at this time. billy is still too inexperienced to fill in for me in my absence, and wong is just.. not enough, wanda would not want to, voodoo is simply incapable —   ”   so many excuses and because of this he stopped, he visibly deflated, he hated that he couldn’t simply run with her to battle.   “   you know i love you more than life itself, clea, i.. cannot simply abandon my world — not until there is a new sorcerer supreme.   ”