Ex Proprio Motu

Extant

New York's autumn nip burned your lungs, and you had yet to leave your apartment building. Someone must've left the front door open. "Fuck." You adjusted and tightened your scarlet scarf as you ran down the stairs.

"Thanks again."

"No problem."

You almost fell down the last flight. Because you'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Matt?" Saying his name was impulsive — you wouldn't have been able to stop if you tried.

He was holding the door for movers.

He was in your lobby.

"(Y/n)." He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Are you ready to leave?"

You didn't even dignify him with a response. You wove around the movers and Matt, ran down the front steps, and started walking to work.

One of the movers laughed and shouted, "Your girl's pissed! Good luck!"

You huffed through your nose.

Eventually, Matt's hasty tapping caught up to you.

"If you grab me, if you so much as touch me," you whispered, knowing he could hear you loud and clear, "I'll tase you in broad fucking daylight, Matthew, I swear to god."

"Okay, fine, that's fair. But I got you something, so can you, like, wait? Stop? Please."

You didn't want to stop or slow down, but you were approaching a dangerous crosswalk whose signal displayed a raised hand in orange. Fuck. If you could, you would've jaywalked. But you doubted Matt would let you throw yourself into oncoming traffic.

So you stopped, and a second later, at your right side, he did too. You stared straight ahead and squeezed your purse strap — you didn't want to give him the time of day.

But he had other plans. He chuckled, his breath clouding. "I can't believe you left me, a blind man, behind like that."

You scoffed quietly into your scarf.

"I got this. Your favorite, if I remember correctly." Matt held up something. "I still don't know how you can drink this kind of stuff when it's this cold out."

You didn't even have to look — you knew he'd gotten you iced coffee.

When you didn't respond, Matt shook it to grab your attention.

Which you ended up giving him — to save said coffee.

"Give me that." You snatched it from him. "Before you do something stupid. Like drop it."

Matt's eyebrows rose, and the right side of his mouth twitched up. "I would never."

You held your coffee with both hands and stared at him. You didn't know what to say...but decided to start with something explosive. You didn't have anything to lose, right? "After yesterday, what made you think we were okay? That this was okay?"

A few strangers glanced at you and him.

Matt's face fell.

"We're done," you whispered so only he could hear. You took a sip of your coffee and exaggerated a happy reaction. "Mm! Delicious! Thanks!"

Everyone started crossing, so you did too.

━━▲━━

"We're in DEFCON one, Foggy." Matt paced in his office. "DEFCON one."

"We?" Foggy shook his head. "No, no, no. There's no 'we' in this. You know that saying, 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?"

Matt was so aggravated that he covered his mouth with both hands. He let out a quiet "fuck."