Hello, friends! I, like a lot of people, rekindled my obsession with Loki after seeing Ragnarok this weekend. I've dabbled in writing fanfic before, but this is my first publish online! Happy trails & please enjoy :)
The first time the subway broke down, Nora considered it a rite of passage. Having only been in New York for three weeks, she had yet to experience anything that she could claim as unique to being a resident of the city. She'd dodged wayward cabs and befriended the greasy rats that scurried down the alleyway of her apartment but she'd done nothing that truly screamed, "THIS IS THE LIFE OF A NEW YORKER!"
Taking the subway to and from her new job as the Junior Project Coordinator at the Mason Publishing House had taught her many things. First, and most importantly, don't leave home without pocket hand sanitizer. It only takes one time to grab ahold of the pole and connect with a fresh wad of gum to remember that the hand sanitizer is as important as the apartment keys, maybe even more important depending on the day. Second, don't think that just because the next train is supposed to arrive in 15 minutes that it will do as it has promised. You'll wait an extra 10 minutes for believing such a blatant lie and another 7 for leaving the hand sanitizer at home again (dammit, Nora!). Finally, you've no right to complain about anything regarding the subway if you've never been stranded in a crowded train after a 10-hour workday sweating like a pig in a blanket with your ass awkwardly positioned at eye level with the lovely lady that scored an open seat behind you.
The first time the subway broke down, Nora considered it a rite of passage.
The fifth time it broke down, Nora considered attending the monthly anger management sessions offered by the wellness center in her office building.
The thirteenth time it broke down, Nora bought a bike.
The first time she was clipped by a taxi, Nora sold the bike to a cousin and promptly re-activated her subway card.
A full month into her new life as a New Yorker, Nora finally accepted her fate to devote a small portion of her life stuck in subway limbo. Her blouses now had perpetual sweat stains in the armpit area and she'd had more physical contact with strangers than the Pope at a meet-and-greet but no one could argue her status as an established local now.
She crawled up the stairs a full hour after her original arrival time, the sun now dancing cheek-to-cheek with the horizon. Her feet ached and her hands were sweaty and if one more person bumped into her she was going to head-butt them. As the violence of her thoughts settled into a manageable heat, a sharp elbow connected with the small of her back, pushing her forward and knocking her phone to the ground. The shock of the gesture seemed to paralyze her as her gaze lingered on the phone in front of her.
"Ma'am, I think you dropped this," someone said, bending down and handing her the unscathed phone.
She mumbled a half-hearted 'thanks' before lifting her head and locking her vision to the man who had ran into her. He wasn't in any particular hurry, no blood seemed to be visible, no shouts of getting to the hospital to see a sick aunt. In fact, he seemed to be lazily strolling down the street, his hands in the pocket of his all black suit and his long legs carrying him at a casual pace. So why the fuck had he ran into her like the goddamn subway was about to blow?
Without pausing to sort through her emotions to find a rational thought, she quickly tore off after the stranger, her feet taking her a twice her normal pace. Reaching out, she grasped his elbow, stilling him and causing him to whip his face down to meet hers.
"Hey, buddy, what the fuck was that all about? You just run into me and take off like you're out for a Sunday fucking stroll? No apology? Nothing?"
She took a brief moment to take in his appearance. He had to be at least a foot taller than her. He was lean but with her hand still on his elbow, she could tell he was fit, his muscles taut under her grasp. His shoulder-length black hair was roughly pushed out of his face revealing a pair of scathing green orbs. He took in a breath as if to respond to her line of questioning but decided against it, snatching his elbow out of her grasp and quickly moving away from her, his fists clenching and unclenching as he stormed away.
Once again, she was left stunned for a moment, almost as if she had touched a live wire.
"Fucking asshole," she muttered, the life suddenly flooding back inside of her as she sped up to him again. This time, she did not grab him, instead she positioned herself in front of him and blocked his path.
"Look asshat, it isn't that hard to apologize. You ever heard of being polite?"
He tried to step around her but she matched his movements. He stilled and let out a breath, a futile attempt to calm his rising temper.
"Can you just say that you're sorry so we can both move on with our days?"
"We could move on with our days quite easily, you see, if you would remove yourself from my presence," he spat, the elegance of his voice not soothing enough to mask the venom behind his words.
"And we could have even nicer days if you would recognize that you made a mistake and own up to it like a decent human being!"
He opened his mouth to speak and paused when his eyes lifted above her head, focusing on something behind her.
When he did not respond, she grew even more impatient. "Two fucking words! I'M. SORRY. How is that so hard?"
He went to step around her, his eyes still locked on some unseen being. This time, his pace wasn't lazy or even seething, it was a panicked like a rabbit that had been spotted by a fox.
Nora wasn't about to let him slime his way past her again; she was invested and she couldn't let it go now, even if he was a complete stranger with a fancy accent.
He seemed to remember her presence as he stumbled in an attempt to maneuver around her. His wide eyes flickered down to her almost as if he was seeing her for the first time.
"You need to let me go, now," he instructed, trying once more to side-step her.
She moved to counter his escape and stuck her chin up. "You need to apologize."
His eyes lifted once more to whatever had caught his attention and she saw his jaw tighten.
"I apologize. Now get out of my way."
"See? It wasn't even that hard! A full five minutes for something that would have taken ten seconds if you weren't such an asshole and- ".
As quickly as falling asleep, her world went black. There was no sound that preceded her loss of consciousness, at least none that she could remember. There was everything and then there was nothing. Nothing but a pair of angry green eyes in the darkness that swooped in and swallowed her.