stephen groaned tiredly, entering the room you both shared. furrowing your eyebrows, you blinked yourself awake. he sat on the bed carelessly, causing the mattress to dip.

sitting up, you rubbed your eye. you watched as stephen leaned over, turning on the lamp beside your bed. after a moment, he twisted to glance back at you. in the dim light, you noticed the cuts and scrapes that decorated his features.

you still wondered to this day how they didn't scar at all. his eyes were dull and his shoulder's sagged.

❝long day at the office?❞ you quietly joked, reaching up a hand to smooth across his shoulders. the cape wasn't there.

stephen sighed, wordlessly nodding to you. with a nod back, you propped a pillow against the headboard and lied back. beckoning to him, stephen climbed up to lay against you. fitting his head between your jaw and shoulder, he sighed again as you gently ran your fingers through his stiff hair.

probably caked in hair gel and who knows what...

his trembling fingers found your waist, giving it a gentle stroke with his thumb, up and down.

not long after, his thumb stopped and you noticed his breathing regulate. he'd fallen asleep in mere minutes. smiling, you kissed his hairline before closing your eyes.