The Flames of Amarra - DR STRANGE x OC - COMPLETE

ADDICTION

“I need a cigarette,” Nora said, her leg nervously bouncing up and down. She caught Wong’s brief glance at said leg and immediately stopped. “Do you think he’s still outside ?”

“Do you need another book ?” Wong asked. He finally looked away from the pages on his desk but still didn’t answer her question. 

She shook her head. “I need to smoke,” she said with a small laugh. “It’s an addiction, you know. Who knows what I’ll do if I don’t get my nicotine fix.”

“Didn’t you go an hour ago ?”

“I wanted to. But when I got to the door I heard him again. I don’t want to go outside if there’s a desperate guy banging on the door.” Nora leaned over the desk. “What if he attacks me to get in ?” she whispered. 

Wong stared at her and sighed. “Don’t you think you’re strong enough to protect yourself ?”

She leaned back on her chair and considered what he said. Wong was right. Whatever this man would try to get in, she was clearly equipped to protect herself. Not that she liked the idea of getting in a fight or doing anything to hurt anyone, but Nora had been deprived of nicotine for long enough. 

“Fine,” she finally stated, leaving her seat. “If he dies, I’ll tell everyone you said it was okay,” she added, leaving the library. 

After all this time, she still didn’t get why the Ancient One wasn’t letting her smoke in the courtyard. She surely wasn’t going to leave any trace of her cigarettes on the ground. There was never any. She wouldn’t need to go outside anymore. 

Where weird people were always trying to get in, or asking her for a cigarette, a lighter, the time of day, or her number. That had always been the thing she hated about smoking. People who wanted to bond over a common addiction. 

As Nora walked closer to the entrance, she started to hear the man again. A quick glance at her phone and she scoffed. He was really desperate. On her way to the door, she stopped by Mordo and briefly pointed at the door.  

“Are you going to let him in at one point ?” she asked.

“It’s not my decision to make. You’re going out ?”  

Nora nodded and showed him the cigarette in her hand. “Wong said I could kill him if he tried anything.”

Mordo looked at her for a second, knowing very well that she interpreted Wong’s words the way she wanted to. “I’ll talk to the Ancient One. Don’t kill him until I come back,” he quickly added.

“Hm.” She took a deep breath and opened the door. The man’s voice stopped echoing in the whole street the second he saw her standing in front of him.

“Please, let me in,” he just said. Nora realized how not scary that man looked. Just a homeless guy who wanted a place to stay. It made sense why they wouldn’t let him in. She didn’t know if he’d like the idea of anyone pitying him, but Nora definitely did. 

“I’m not in charge here. Please,” she added, looking behind him, “I need to get out.” After a second, he reluctantly moved aside and sat on the sidewalk. Nora closed the door behind her and walked to the other side of the street, facing the door. She leaned against the wall, right on her usual spot. Soon, there’ll be a mold of her back on that wall. “It’s not even locked,” she said, looking at the man. “You could just get in.”

The man lifted his head up and looked at her. “That man… The one who got me here. He took down a group of men who robbed me all by himself. I’m too tired to fight him.”

“Mordo ?” she asked. He nodded and Nora laughed. “You think you could take him if you were rested ?” She laughed and blew the smoke away. She instantly felt better. Not that the nicotine was acting that fast, but the familiar feeling was already helping her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.