when we met

chapter 2.2

"Either get in or get out of my way!", the stranger barks at you, looking straight into your eyes.
Ocean blue eyes scrutinize you, peeking out from between brown hair strands, framed by a prominent jawbone, thick dark eyebrows, an almost perfectly straight nose and full pink lips.
His perfectly wavy brown hair falls on his forehead and as he clenches his jaw, his three-day beard, it gets accentuated. You don't know if you're just imagining it but suddenly everything is happening in slow motion. Like those cliché high school movies.
Even though it's only a few seconds, you feel like it's an eternity. You look him in the eyes and all of a sudden an oppressive feeling spreads in your stomach. It's not uncomfortable but you really don't want to get used to it either. It doesn't exactly feels like butterflies in your stomach but a little squirming animal curled up in your stomach to sleep is closer to the weird feeling.
The stranger turns his head to the side in a flash and literally runs into the farthest corner of the elevator.
Because of the weird man crushing into your shoulder, you trapped over your own foot and see the bottom of the elevator getting closer and closer but Steve catches you and takes your hand.

"What's that got on your liver?", Steve asks the unfriendly guy who leans against the elevator's glass wall and only answers Steve's question with a grunt.
Instead of continuing to look at the stranger, a hint of a blush appears on Steve's cheeks and he quickly puts his hand on your back to calm you down.

"It's going to be alright JN. We're going to get through this. I'm with you.", Steve whispers in your ear.
You nod petrified and cling onto Steve even tighter. You glance over at the stranger and you feel your pulse slowing down a bit. However, he notices your gaze and stares at you with an almost expressionless face.