Dissonant Harmonies (Reneé Rapp x Reader)

The Longest Elevator Ride in History

"Shit-Shit-Shit!" I muttered under my breath, my sneakers pounding the pavement as I sprinted down the final block. With the morning sun casting long shadows, I raced towards the towering glass doors I'd grown accustomed to over the past two years. Suddenly, I came to an abrupt halt in front of the imposing entrance. Fumbling in my bag, I finally extracted my badge and swiped it, the scanner chiming its approval as the doors slid open.

"Good morning, Y/n! How—" Ethan, the security guard, began his usual greeting, but I cut him off with a hurried, "Morning!" as I dashed past him. "Sorry, I'm in a hurry!" I yelled over my shoulder, already regretting not having my daily chat with him.

Note to self: Buy Ethan a coffee later to make up for skipping our usual morning banter.

"C'mon..." I muttered impatiently, jabbing the elevator button repeatedly as if it would summon it faster. Finally, with a soft ping, the doors opened, and I practically leapt inside, mashing the button for my floor. Glancing at my watch, I saw I'd managed to make up some lost time, but not nearly enough as i would've wanted.

Then, just as the doors were about to close, a hand wedged between them, forcing them open again.

"You've got to be kidding me," I groaned inwardly, the words escaping my lips more audibly than intended.

"Sorry?" The doors revealed a blonde woman, her raised eyebrow betraying mild amusement at my evident frustration.

Realizing I had definitely sounded rude, I took a deep breath, feeling a pang of shame as I couldn't bring myself to meet her gaze. "Uh, sorry about that," I mumbled as the elevator began its ascent.

"About what exactly?" she replied, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips, evident even from my peripheral vision.

Was she baiting me into a full-blown apology? More importantly, was she actually finding it amusing? I stole a sidelong glance at her, but she kept her gaze fixed ahead, her smile evidently struggling to break free. I couldn't stand it. I already had enough on my mind, and I didn't need some random woman making my day harder.

"Sorry, I'm just in a hurry, and trying to get to my floor as quickly as possible," I offered, focusing on the closed elevator doors.

"Still don't know what you're apologizing for exactly," she teased, and irritation prickled at my patience. For the love of god, Why couldn't she just accept the apology and move on.

"I'm sorry for being rude." I stated monotonously, with a straight face, deciding to swallow my pride and apologize one last time.

"What did you do that was rude?" she replied, and now I couldn't help turning towards her in annoyance.

"You know, I could also have NOT apologized either? Can you just accept it and move on?" I said to her, feeling a surge of frustration building up inside me. It was definitely not in my nature to lash out like this, but today, of all days, It kinda made me want to punch her in the face. 

I watched as she turned to me, entertainment glazing her face, and I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes.

Suddenly, as I looked at her longer after lashing out, I got a feeling of recognition. I've seen her somewhere before....but I couldn't seem to remember where.

"I'm just fucking with you," she chuckled, her amusement palpable. "You should really loosen up a bit," she added before turning away from me.

"Funny," I replied, lacking enthusiasm, as I turned back towards the doors. 

After that came a  blessed silence descended for a moment.

"So," she began, shattering the silence against my oh-so dear wishes. "What's with the stick up your ass?" The words hung in the air, taking a moment to register.