The Flames of Amarra - DR STRANGE x OC - COMPLETE

NOT SO FINE

So far, Stephen wasn’t being very supportive. Nora asked him to come along because he already went through this once, and she wanted to be sure she wasn’t making a horrible mistake. But he couldn’t stop complaining about every single thing. 

She followed the real estate agent through the rooms until Stephen gave the woman a suspicious look. “Why is it so cheap ?”

“Oh,” the woman said, suddenly a bit bothered. “It’s just that it’s the seventh floor, and since there’s no elevator…”

“It’s cold,” he quickly added. 

“Perfect for me !” Nora quickly said with a smile on her face. “I don’t care about the stairs since I can teleport, and I don’t really care about the temperature either. That’s perfect.” She looked at the woman. “Can I look around a little more ?”

“Sure, yes !” 

Stephen followed Nora to the bedroom and shook his head. “Are you sure you should be doing this now ?” he asked. “You have time. Decisions like this…”

“I like it,” Nora whispered, closing the door behind her. “And I really don’t know what it will take for people to leave me alone about it. Yesterday you were mad because I was… how did you say ?”

“Hostile.”

“Yes,” she said. “And now I’m trying to get you involved in something important, and you’re not satisfied either.” She paused and rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t hostile, by the way. I was just saying that I didn’t want to talk about therapy.”

He sighed. “It’s not the things you say, but how you say them, Nora. You were serious.”

“I wasn’t.” Or maybe she was. Or maybe it was the ring talking when she casually said that if she ever wanted to talk about how unsafe she was feeling, he’d be the last person she’d talk to. “So. What do you think about that one ?”

“It’s in Seattle. You’re working in New York, DC, and Nepal. Why would you stay in Seattle ?”

“That’s where my family is,” she replied, looking through the window. “The view is amazing, and I’m used to be jet lagged by now. It's second nature.” 

“Because you barely sleep.”

“Whatever,” she said, brushing it off. “I’m used to being all over the place. I like Seattle, and if I have to choose between work and my family…”

“I’m in New York. Which category do I fall under ?”

“Stephen,” Nora said, closing the door. “Do I need to remind you that we can both teleport ? Sure, I’m way cooler than you but that’s not the point. My family can’t. Besides,” she added, making sure the woman in the other room wouldn’t hear, “nothing ever happens on the West Coast. New York is a magnet for supernatural stuff. I’m even considering asking Carol to get me to space just to be sure I’m far from New York.”

He looked at her and smiled. “I don’t recommend space. I went there once. I died.”

“You committed suicide, it’s very different,” Nora replied. “Would you have agreed to this place if it was in New York ?”

“Well,” Stephen finally admitted, “it’s true that you don’t have to worry about getting cold. But if you think about having people over, your electricity bill will go through the roof.”

Nora shook her head. “I’ll warm it up myself. Not when you come over, though.”

“See ? That’s what I’m talking about when I say you’re hostile,” he said.