AAAHHH, THIS WAS SO SWEET!! I Don't Usually Ready Baby Ones, But This Was So Fluffy :)

AAAHHH, THIS WAS SO SWEET!! I don't usually ready baby ones, but this was so fluffy :)

Uncle Stephen 

Pairing: Stephen Strange x Reader

Request: The reader has a sister, and she has a child and asks if they can take care of her baby for two weeks, Stephen is not happy about it, but everything changes when after some time the child hugs Stephen and calls him "uncle"

Tags: Fluff, Fluff and more Fluff

Word count: 3k

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“It is only for ten days,” you bargained with Stephen, chasing him around the room as he tried his hardest to ignore you. “I am talking to you, Strange.” You finally raised your tone, standing before him and forcing him to put his book down and look at you. 

“The Sanctum is no place for a child,” his response was short and generical, giving no insight into his desire or lack thereof to be around a toddler. His eyes returned to his book as he stepped aside, continuing his meditative stroll through the room. You, however, did not see it like that, reading between the lines. 

“So, what will we do when we have children?” The question came out in a tone more serious than you wanted it to, causing the doctor to stop in his tracks and look back at you. 

“That is not something we need to concern ourselves with yet, is it?” His eyes scrutinised your face before moving again, continuing the relentless pacing. It was a delicate topic, that of children. You were somewhat on the same page. You wanted children eventually. The day, however, had somehow been frozen in time in Stephen’s mind, continuously seeing the eventually as long from now while you counted every passing year as a step closer. Then the engagement had come earlier this year, and the promise to share the rest of your lives together had been spoken into reality. Having children had suddenly become more of a desire in your mind, yet Stephen seemed to be unphased by the change. 

“She is smart and well-behaved, and I already told my sister she can stay with us, so you’ll deal with it.” You answered before walking out of the room, frustrated at his lack of interest in your niece. Stephen had met her only once before on her first birthday; your sister living far away meant you rarely saw them. She was thankfully moving back to New York but that also meant she needed to look for an apartment and deal with the moving. Hence her request for you to take care of the little girl in the meantime. You had agreed instantly, not thinking Stephen would have any problem with it, but he had refused straightaway and dismissed the topic every time you asked about it. 

…

The day of the little girl’s arrival came quicker than expected. Stephen had been gone for the last couple of days on a mission with Wong and Peter, meaning that you had met with your sister alone to pick her up. She had invited you to brunch, and you had discussed some of the wedding plans and any needs little Cecilia had. Cece was a lively ray of sunshine who was starting to put her first sentences together and loved horses. There was no way Stephen’s heart would not melt as soon as he saw her. 

Eventually, at the end of your brunch, your sister handed you Cece’s bag and gave her a goodbye kiss. The little girl waved goodbye as her mom reminded her that she would be staying with her aunt for a couple of days. You and Cece went on with your day, eventually finding your way back home to the Sanctum. Wong had helped you bring some things she would need to sleep into one of the many empty rooms of the enormous property, making it easy for you to set her up. 

After such an eventful day, she fell asleep, giving you a minute to go to the kitchen and make yourself some late lunch/dinner. As you finished preparing your sandwich, you heard the familiar sound of a portal opening behind you; turning around to meet your sweaty and dirty fiance with a smile. “Hello there, handsome,” you gave him a dashing smile as he moved towards you, his hands cupping your cheeks into a passionate kiss. 

You broke the kiss catching some air, and gave him a preoccupied smile. He was usually only this passionate when something dangerous had happened, and he was terrified of losing you. “Is everything okay? I-“ you tried to speak, but the sound of another portal distracted you. Through it, Peter and Wong came out also looking pretty rough. “Oh god, are you guys okay?” you asked, moving away from Stephen, who stood there exhausted. 

Wong gave you a comforting look, but you noticed a tension-filled silence in the room. “Peter, are you okay?” you asked as the boy looked down with a hurt expression. 

“Oh, he is excellent. He almost got himself killed and ruined our mission, but he is perfectly fine.” Stephen answered for him, forcing you to give the doctor a fulminating look. Peter looked regretful enough; bashing him now would not help. 

“That is enough, Stephen. I will make everyone dinner. Go shower.” You spoke to the three men in an authoritative voice. The spiderboy spent so much time in the Sanctum that he had clothes and an assigned room. Peter and Wong left swiftly, going into their rooms to wash up, but Stephen stayed there, knowing you would want to talk to him. As soon as you were alone again, you spoke, “You cannot talk to him that way. He is just a kid. He is trying his best.” 

“He almost got himself killed. He wants to help everyone, save everyone, but he does not see he will end up killing himself like this.” Stephen’s words were filled with frustration. He worried for Peter's safety; you knew that was the truth. He had decided to let him die once before. He could not make the same decision again. “I have watched him die, and he does not understand that. Someday I won’t be there by his side, and he will actually get himself killed.” 

Just as you thought, he was not mad at the boy for the way he behaved. He was just scared of losing him. It was hard to keep in mind all the time that Stephen had to live with the burden of knowledge. You wondered how many times he had seen you go and how he felt about it, but he never wanted to speak of it. “You are doing your best, and he is doing his best. It is all we can ask for,” you finally answered, inviting him to lay his head against yours and embracing him in a tight hug. “I love you, you know? We all do, and we are so grateful to you for protecting us, but you cannot always keep us safe, and that is okay.” Your left hand caressed his back, hoping to soothe him slightly. 

Suddenly the sound of the baby monitor interrupted your hug as Cece woke up, startled by your absence. “Oh, when did she get here?” The doctor stiffened in your arms, unhappy that you had gone through with your decision. 

“A couple of hours ago. Wanna help me check on her?” You asked, breaking the embrace and giving him a hopeful smile. 

“I am gonna go shower,” he spoke, tightening his lips and looking away from you. You sighed and walked away, still confused about his dismissiveness. The sounds from the baby monitor suddenly changed as the little girl was no longer alone. Confused, you checked the screen and saw Peter approaching her bed. 

“Hello there! Who are you? I am Peter,” the boy spoke, slowly walking towards the sleepy child. “Do you need food?” he asked, and Cece nodded emphatically back, sweetly raising her arms for the boy to pick her up. You watched, amused through the camera, as Stephen left the room, feeling your heart ache from the cuteness. 

…

Peter helped you keep Cece entertained in the kitchen as you made dinner. He told you all about what had happened, and you finally completely understood Stephen’s frustration. The boy had been incredibly reckless, but thankfully nothing bad came of it. Peter was extremely patient with the toddler, who was just around that phase where she asked questions about virtually anything. It was lovely to see them interact. You could not help but imagine how much of an amazing big brother he would have been. 

Eventually, Wong joined the three of you, instantly entertained by the little girl running around the kitchen table, singing some non-sensical song. Food was ready shortly after, but Stephen was nowhere to be found. You excused yourself quickly, asking Wong to watch the children so you could look for the grumpy doctor. 

You opened your bedroom door carefully, spying your fiance sitting on the bed with his head between his hands. You pressed your lips worriedly, unsure of what to say to make him feel better. “Babe, would you like me to bring you your food here?” You asked careful, understanding how tough these missions were for him. 

“Yes, please. That would be great.” He responded, lifting his eyes and giving you a thankful look. 

…

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly as Cece, Peter, and you played with some relics that Wong thought would be appropriate. Eventually, the boy left, and you put Cece to bed, exhausted after such an adventurous day. You checked that the monitor was working properly and went to bed yourself as Stephen was already lying in bed, deep asleep. 

…

You woke up startled, unsure why your alarm had not rung. The bed was empty, and the monitor of Cece’s room was turned off. You tried to turn it on, confused, looking around for your fiance in the bathroom and adjacent office. He was nowhere to be found, and the monitor was not turning on. You decided that looking for Cece was the best decision, scared she had been crying all morning, and you had not heard her. 

The sense of urgency in your steps slowly calmed as you heard Stephen’s voice whisper from Cece’s room. You stopped, hesitant to enter and curious to listen to what he said, “finally, Cece, we managed to get you to calm down. I don’t understand how your aunt understands you. It would help if you spoke more clearly.¨

You giggled at the comment, deciding to enter the room. Stephen seemed slightly startled as you knocked on the door’s wood to inform him of your arrival. “Hello there,” you smiled at him as he quickly backed away from the child. 

“She was not letting me sleep with her crying and complaining, and it looked like you needed some rest,” he scrambled an excuse, scared you could suspect he could enjoy spending time with a child.

You hummed in agreement, thankful for his help and aware that he would not admit to anything else anyway. “Do you mind looking after her for a little longer? I will make breakfast for the two of you.” You kissed him and waved at Cece, leaving the room before he could argue against it. 

…

The next couple of days were a back and forth between Cece chasing Stephen around every room while he tried his best to ignore her. He would still manage to wake up before you with the excuse that the toddler was whining and play with her, entertaining her with some magic and making her breakfast. 

Eventually, he gave up on ignoring her and started answering some of her redundant questions. Cece tried her best to speak clearly to him, but the communication problems were still there. She, for example, struggled to pronounce Stephen, which caused both parties a certain level of frustration. 

Eventually, Stephen was called out on a mission again. You kissed him goodbye, and Cece waved at him, saddened. Your fiance tried his best to hold onto his stoic facade as he barely acknowledged the little girl, whispering a quick “goodbye little Lilia, see you tomorrow” as soon as he was sure you could not hear. His heart broke seeing the sad expression of the little child as he left. 

…

Stephen’s mission took longer than expected, taking him the whole week to complete. You had been left alone with Cece to enjoy the blooming spring. Peter had not been allowed to tag along in this mission, so he joined you most afternoons for walks and to play with the girl. 

Cece seemed to miss Stephen almost as much as you did, so you took the chance to teach her how to say “uncle Stephen.” It would be a pleasant surprise even if he would not admit it. 

Sadly, the ten days went by quicker than expected, and Stephen had yet to return from his mission. You met up with your sister to tour the new apartment and give her the toddler back, promising Cece that uncle Stephen would come to visit her sooner than later. 

…

You were lying on your bed that afternoon, enjoying the newly found silence of the house. It had been a great experience to take care of your niece, and it had given you a ton of baby fever, but you could not help but sigh in relief at the peace. The sound of a portal opening in front of you forced you to sit up and smile, excited to see your fiance again. Stephen walked through the portal and towards you, giving you a soft kiss on the lips, instantly scanning the room for the baby monitor. 

“I dropped her off today. She missed you,” you answered the unspoke question. The doctor tried his best to control his expression, but the disappointment in his eyes could not be denied. You caressed his hand, inviting him to sit by your side on the bed, climbing on his lap to stare into his eyes. “You can admit that you enjoyed having her around, you know?” you kissed his nose, cupping his face with your hands, enjoying the long-awaited closeness. 

“I barely tolerated it.” He shook his head, closing his eyes and smiling, knowing his secret was out of the bag.

“Why can you not just admit that the Sanctum feels more like a home when a little babbling creature is chasing you around?” you laughed, dramatically laying your head on his shoulder and shaking it. 

“I don’t want to get attached,” he responded thoughtfully, forcing you to lift your head and look at him again. 

“She is just our niece, babe. She cannot break your heart,” you tried to lighten the mood, hoping he would smile, but he lowered his gaze instead. 

“I have enough people to worry about already, you, Peter, Wong. Every decision, everything I do or don’t, I am burdened with the fear that it may hurt you. I cannot get attached, or I will think of little Lilia too.” 

“Lilia?” You asked, amused at the funny nickname he had chosen. 

“She refuses to say my name right; I shall do the same.” Petty old man, playing games with a little child.

“You don’t need to worry about us, my love. We love you regardless. I don’t want to be a burden in your life,” you spoke softly.

“You are not a burden. I just at times wonder whether the universe would be worth saving if it meant losing you or the kid.” The honesty made his voice softer as the words left his lips like a whisper, ashamed of his admission. “That is also why I have been delaying the ‘children’ conversation. I think I could no longer protect the world once we have children. They would be the only thing that’d matter to me, just them, and our adopted son and you.” He chuckled slightly at his recognition, finally realising that Peter had already become your de facto child. You felt a weight lift from your shoulders as his words brought some explanation to his dismissive behaviour finally. 

“I understand…” you exhaled, trying to put your desire aside and understand the stress it would put him in. “I was going to see Cece tomorrow for breakfast if you’d like to join me.” You tried to change the topic. 

“I would love that,” he confirmed, giving you a crooked smile. You looked into his eyes and wondered how you would live without seeing a mini version of you and your lover walking around this Sanctum. You would never know whether they would get his beautiful eyes with that little brown spot on the right iris. 

…

You spent the rest of the night cuddling with the doctor, talking about his time away and discussing his excitement to see the little monster tomorrow. The morning after could not come quickly enough as you hoped Cece had not forgotten how to pronounce ‘uncle Stephen.’ In the morning, Stephen went out to buy some pastries to take with you, letting you know that Lilia was a massive fan of chocolate croissants. You shook your head at the information, wondering what other unhealthy foods he had been feeding her for breakfast. He reassured you that he had checked his old introduction to paediatrics book, and 26-month-olds were allowed to eat chocolate croissants. 

The two of you arrived at the building at around 11 a.m., ready to see your family. You knocked at the door and were received, disappointingly enough for Stephen, by your sister alone as Cece was still asleep. She had apparently struggled to get used to the new bed the night before. You started catching up as Stephen politely asked about your sister’s moving struggles. Eventually, the commotion of your conversation woke up the little girl, who began to ask for help from the crib. 

You exchanged a look with your sister, who offered Stephen to go pick her up. The doctor refused initially, joking nervously that she probably did not even remember him. Your sister thankfully insisted, and he got up eagerly, walking towards the indicated room. The little girl squealed with excitement as soon as she spotted the familiar face, “UNCLE SFEFEN.” 

The doctor could not help but chuckle happily, hugging and lifting the toddler who held on tightly to the hug. “Hello, little Cece.”

“Lilia,” she repeated, confused at why he was calling her Cece.

“Lilia it is,” he reassured her, re-entering the room with her and keeping her on his lap. 

“They seemed to have bonded,” your sister looked at you entertained, giving you a cheeky smile. 

“Seems like it,” you responded, giggling as you observed them interact. The four of you spent almost the entire day together, and by the end of it, both Cece and Stephen were absolutely exhausted, falling asleep on the couch as they watched some cartoon. You had never seen him so soft and sweet with someone that was not you. It was genuinely heartwarming. The comical way Stephen's head had dropped onto the couch's backrest as the little girl laid her head against his side forced you to think of what an amazing dad he would be.

You shook your fiance's shoulder once it was time to leave, waking him up. The goodbyes were prolonged as Stephen had to promise the little girl to come to visit her again. The doctor was equally as saddened by the separation, but finally, after forty-five minutes, you managed to thank your sister and head home. Once the door was closed, the doctor moved to your ear and whispered, “maybe we should start planning on that first baby.”

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Liv's Note

Thank you so much as always for reading my work! If you enjoyed it please please reblog it, it makes sure other people can enjoy it too ♥️

Please feel free to check out my masterlist for more Dr Strange stories and join the taglist to be notified when new stories are posted ♥️

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