Love is a Battleground

NYC

So... This is New York City.
  
Standing on the sidewalk outside the subway, the handle of her suitcase tightly in her grip Kyla waited for a taxi and stared up at the intimidating skyline. It's louder than I thought it would be. Finally, a yellow car with black checkers on the doors pulled up to the curb. The driver got out and took Kyla's small suitcase, tossed it in the trunk while motioning for her to get in the back seat.
       
"Where to?" he barked before Kyla had gotten settled.
       
"Um..." Kyla quickly searched through her purse. "Here," she said and handed him a piece of paper with the address to her new apartment written on it. A deep nervousness settled into the pit of Kyla's stomach as the driver swerved into traffic, laying on his horn when someone nearly cut him off. This was the start of a new chapter in her life, and she wasn't sure if she was ready.
       
As Steve said, Tony Stark quickly took care of all the legal work that went into selling a house. Kyla and Lucas were positive he just bought the house and the surrounding property from the bank. When the topic of an apartment came up, Kyla told Steve she didn't want to live in the middle of the city. She claimed it would be too much of an adjustment for her to go from a quiet Virginia town straight to the chaos of New York City. Steve was very understanding - though he would have preferred she be a little bit closer to the Avengers Tower where he lived - and faithfully secured an apartment at the edge of the city. Tony insisted he pay her rent for the apartment, as a personal favor to Steve and his newfound family.
  
Immensely grateful, Kyla promised herself that she would make it up to them somehow. After a series of interviews over the phone, she successfully landed a job at a popular restaurant and bar in the city. This meant she'd have to take a bus to and from work each day without a car to drive herself. It wasn't ideal but it was doable.
       
Before Lucas flew back to Texas, and Steve went back to New York, they helped Kyla pack up the house. Everything she was taking to fill the apartment was loaded onto a moving truck. Kyla packed a few things in a suitcase to have with her just in case anything happened before the truck arrived. Lucas and Kyla had a hard time saying goodbye to the house they grew up in, but they knew this was the best thing to do. Lucas had Kyla's new address, so whenever he got a chance, he could come to their new home. Steve abruptly left for a mission, so he wasn't able to bring Kyla to New York himself, but he promised to go see her as soon as he got back.
       
The taxi hit a large pothole literally and figuratively jarring Kyla back to the present. She drummed her fingers on her thigh and looked out the window, trying to memorize the area she would be living for the foreseeable future. After about fifteen minutes, the driver turned down a quiet side street, and four minutes later came to a complete stop. He got out, opened Kyla's door, took her suitcase out of the trunk, and set it on the curb. Kyla stepped out of the taxi and looked around in awe. Thankfully Tony hadn't gotten anything extravagant - Steve probably told him she would prefer something simple and cozy - in a safe neighborhood. The narrow two-story apartment was perfect as a storybook. Crunchy brown leaves dusted the ten concrete steps that led up to the dark green door. Wrought iron handrails were on either edge of the steps. Rectangle windows were on either side of the door, and on the top floor, a large window took up most of the wall.