Disclaimer: I don't own Netflix's "The Rain" or any of its characters, wishful thinking aside.

Authors Note #1: I just fell face first into "The Rain" and I'm really digging the Simone x Martin pairing. This is just a little character-driven drabble regarding how Simone was late for her school presentation in the first episode. And how being late is a common theme in her life.

Warnings: spoilers up to 1x06, drama, angst, post apocalyptic setting, romance.

Tidsoptimist

It wasn't until everything stopped that she realized how much she owed to time.

She was used to being late. It was a product of having a scientist for a father. Someone who could ignore the ticking of the clock in favor of just five more minutes, darling as her mother's high heels started tapping pointedly in the hall outside his study. Seemingly about to yell they were going to be late for the third time before she realized she was only wearing one earring and her dress was missing a button.

They'd never arrived for anything on time. Not even for Rasmus' birth. They'd been a half-mile from the hospital when her mother had yelled for her father to pull over. Crushing her shoulder for leverage as she pushed once, then twice, and suddenly she was a big sister. She'd picked him up, marveling and maybe a little bit afraid. Leaving mom to wilt into dad's arms as he handed her a blanket and smiled with uneven lips. Staring down at the angry, scrunched face of her brother as he howled. Almost indignant enough drown out the wail of approaching sirens.

She'd loved him immediately.

Innately.

And that was something time had no effect on.

Still, inheriting that same chronic lateness had been all but her birthright.

She'd spent her life bullied by the march of the hour, minute and second hands. Hating the constant chime of the grandfather clock in the landing. The subtle tick-tick-tick of her watch. But especially her phone that blared its alarm, more or less impotently, as she raced around trying to yank on her pants and jacket at the same time. Hopping around with the strap of her bag caught between her teeth. Tripping into mis-matched socks as Rasmus hogged the bathroom and her mother clipped around downstairs, wondering out loud where she'd left her keys.

The day the rain came had been no exception. She'd woken up late. Having to run to the neighbors to frantically print off their term presentation when the one in dad's study blinked low ink and the ancient one in the basement refused to stop eating the paper she shoved in as she danced around in panic. Trying to read the bus schedule on her phone as the others started texting, asking where she was.

She hadn't had time to dwell on the fact her mother had kept Rasmus from going to school when he wasn't sick for the fifth day in a row. Or that she was home alone, but there was no note. That Rasmus told her yesterday when she was neck deep in editing that a black helicopter had picked dad up from the park across the street even though she'd barely seen him in a week.

All she'd been able to think about that morning was getting to school on time. Getting on the right bus. Not dropping the stack of papers. Not tripping over her feet. Not throwing away her future because she'd never learned how to be on time for anything, let alone a presentation where three of her friends were counting on her.

It wasn't until the world ended that she finally had more time than she knew what to do with.

After all, there was nothing to be late for anymore.

Which made it ironic that somehow, by some miracle, she'd been right on time to meet him.

She supposed there was a first time for everything.

A/N: Thank you for reading, please let me know what you think.

Reference:

- Tidsoptimist: swedish, a person who is always late because they think they have more time than they do; a time optimist.