Stuck on the Puzzle (Ella)

[James Lawrence]

James stood outside of the dormitory building, finishing the last of a cigarette with a bag of takeout from one of the local restaurants in town in the other hand. He made sure the lit embers burned out, crushing it into the ground with the toe of his boot until the orange glow was no more. With his now free hand, he opened the door to the building and began making his way down the familiar hall to Apartment 3.

He was sure it was a sight for some, a source of interest for those who saw just how often he visited and stayed the night. Never one to shy away from the attention, James did little to hide his presence coming and going from her apartment. Especially now, since it was a routine. Nowadays he spent more nights at her place than his own, only going back to his apartment if he needed something that hadn't been brought over yet. With her job, it was difficult to spend their time together at places that weren't the school but they made it work.

Tonight, James had decided he would go out and grab dinner to bring back to Ella's. Nothing too exciting, but it was nice. No pressure to always prepare something to do, to spend their time. Just being with her was enough. And the majority of his free time was spent with her.

Twisting open the door to her room, he knew it would be unlocked. Waiting for him to arrive. James entered the apartment, shutting the door behind him. As soon as his gaze landed on her, a smile appeared on his face.

"Hey, I just grabbed the usual." He said, gesturing with his head towards the bag in his hand.

[Ella Robbinson]

Ella was working tonight, just as she was most nights. And on those nights, it meant there was little she could do to get out of it. She was confined to the dorms, and for the longest time that hadn't been a problem for her. After all, she had no reason to leave, nor did she really have an adept reason as to why she should get into another line of work. When she wasn't trailing halls, she was finishing the last of her classes through the university. For the hemokinetic, all steps were leading towards a newer way of life.

But for now, she was where she was. And he was incredibly accommodating.

He had no reason to knock by now; she knew he was there before he reached the door, just as he likely knew where she had found herself in the small apartment space. She immediately glanced up from where she was sitting on the couch, a smile forming from the corner of her mouth before the general sight of him could force it to grow so easily.

"Perfect." She replied, forcing herself to stand a second later. Quick steps brought her closer to him, and with a hand settled on his arm, she leaned in to steal a small kiss.

[James Lawrence]

Honestly, James didn't mind spending his time at her place in the school. Which was surprising considering how he use to go out almost every night, to get out of his apartment and feel part of something. The difference between then and now was he had someone to be around; someone he wanted to be around. By now, he practically lived here and it showed with the personal touches that had showed up; the hair gel in the bathroom, the faint smell of smoke among other things.

He could hear her from outside the room, and knew she would hear him enter anyway. They always could sense each others' presence.

Seeing her smile caused his own features to light up in response, each of her movements working to cause a reaction of his own. James began closing the remaining distance in between, his hand moving up to her cheek as he willingly accepted the kiss, keeping the pressure light and short.

He drew back only far enough so he could speak. "I can dish up." He offered, even though they usually just ate their respective meals in the take out box itself. For James, it was chicken chow mein. Always part of the routine.

[Ella Robbinson]

Domestic life by any means wasn't something Ella expected to find in a dorm building, yet it seemed there it was. Somehow, though, she still found herself completely oblivious to the fact of its existence. She simply moved as she felt she should; a stark cry from keeping distance because it seemed like it should have felt fitting. A few steps on his part and he caught her in turn, forcing the distance shorter and she was grateful for the few seconds it saved.

"You should." She replied with a small nod, the simple act forcing her nose to brush against his lightly. Then, she forced herself to take a step back. Distance was required if he meant to get anything done.

Stepping back through the small living room, she refused to watch the way he moved. She refused to even look, because university finals could already make her anxious despite their distance. She really should have been studying. She knew that.

"So tell me about your day," Ella offered instead, a slight spark to the question posed; "Since mine has only technically just started, I don't have anything interesting to tell you."

[James Lawrence]

The more he thought about it, the more James realized he didn't want to be anywhere else. When he was around Ella, everything just felt right. Even if they were still on school grounds. Even if his life hadn't gone in an expected direction. Being around her was enough and as the distance between them closed, a sense of familiarity and relief washed over him.

His hand lingered a moment longer, fingertips running the length of her cheek before letting go, a bit unwillingly. He could stay like that, in that moment, all night. But it was a little unproductive. He watched her walk to the living room before taking the necessary steps to the nearby table. James set the bag of takeout on the surface, taking containers out of the bag and setting up their respective meals.

A minute later, and he was making his way to the living room. "Saw one student today, Max. The one with the same ability as me." James mentioned as he set the food down on the coffee table in front of the couch, before sitting down next to her. "We've been working to try and find ways to elevate the side effects. The ringing really bothers him."

"Your night's just started. Something will happen, inevitably." He said with a small grin, eyes catching the title of a book as he picked up his dinner. "What're you reading?"

[Ella Robbinson]

Ella had never imagined the simplicity of life would be of genuine interest to her. Weeks formed months, and in that time she had become adept enough at carrying usual conversations with James. Now, she could ask him how his day had gone and she would listen to the things he said. But more than that, she could register the things he was saying and understand them. He spoke of a student, and she knew exactly who he meant. in turn, she could do the same. it was just that... Easy.

She didn't feel the overt need to point out how she knew James must have seen something similar in the student he had. Either he could figure it out on his own, or he already had. But the tides passed over the thought for now.

"Progressive readings." She replied as he sat beside her. "It's only a few months until I have my teaching degree. And then..." Her voice trailed off, as did her attention as eyes averted his and sought the comforts of the place she called home. "Then there are decisions to make." And when had she ever been good at that?

[James Lawrence]

Effortless; the relationship between himself and Ella was second-nature at this point. No overthinking, nothing overly complicated. It was nice, and James never expected to feel this way. About her or about the life they lived now.

With Max, James had a few ideas of what to do. The only problem was his student didn't work outside of class time nearly as much as he should. At least he was honest about it, though. So they continued to work on it together and he was sure it would continue next year.

Settling into the couch, he glanced over as she spoke. She'd been working hard for the teaching degree; some nights, Ella would be studying and the two would sit in comfortable silence as she worked towards her goal. "Decisions." James repeated with a nod. Necessary, but difficult.

"Something in particular calling out to you?" He asked. Talking things out always helped keep a clear head.

[Ella Robbinson]

Decisions. Even the word felt daunting. Ella had never really been the type to make decent judgement calls for herself, and she wore those mistakes in her usual, somewhat unique and highly detrimental way. Leaning back in her half of the seat, she rested her head against the back of the couch and quickly turned her eyes back towards him. His question was perfect. He was perfect.

Reaching forward, she pressed a hand gently to the side of his face, fingertips tracking the length of his jaw lightly.

"Isn't it a little sad if this is all I do for the rest of my life?" She asked genuinely. Detrimental as the statement might have been, it still carried a ring of truth for Ella; "We'll never get out of here."

Because there weren't many people in the world who would willingly find themselves in a dorm room full of teenagers just about every night. And she hadn't even asked for the commitment, yet there he was regardless, turning up like he lived there and like he could genuinely find comfort in doing as such. "I want to help people, and I've got to believe there are better ways for me to do it in this place than wandering hallways every night."

[James Lawrence]

James watched as she leaned forward, her fingertips running across his jaw, an unconscious smile spreading across his features. His own hand reached up, traversing down her arm before settling on her thigh. Dark eyes flashed back to her features as she spoke, taking in each and every word she had to say.

It sounded like there had been thoughtful deliberation behind the question. James shrugged, lifting a shoulder in response. "It's one thing if you enjoy the work that you do." He said. Because if she enjoyed monitoring dorms, then who was he to say she needed to find something else? "I think we've done good here, though." He added, nodding around the space that they called home for the time being. Creating a place for the two of them.

Even if it meant staying in a dorm full of teenagers. Most days, James didn't notice. Only when a student came knocking on the door served as a reminder as to where they were. "There are lots of positions here you could look into." Because she could help people. She helped him and believed when no one else would. She was the most genuinely kind person he knew, and she never sought anything in return. "You could teach a school subject. Become a trainer. Something like that."

"Though, I'll miss the stories about what dumb things the students get up to." He said with a laugh. But it was in the move for a better life. For something more substantial.

[Ella Robbinson]

Though the work seemed mundane, Ella had to admit that there was some kind of comfort in having a solid place to live and work. It had been hers for years, now, and as such she had watched people come and go with ease and difficulty; students and teachers alike. Yet somehow she remained.

He laughed at the words he placed in the air, and the very sound dragged a smile to her features. She could never ignore the lighter side he wished to show her.

"Someone like me? Training people?" She asked him, and she even managed to laugh at the thought. Because surely a position like that implied some kind of better connection with people in the first place. By proxy, placing the idea between them sounded like a stretch. But there wasn't a sense of unfamiliarity to the concept; it wasn't like she hadn't thought of it before. Hadn't considered. Hadn't inevitably dropped the idea because it seemed like too much.

"I'm not like you." She added, which in turn meant it was some kind of compliment.

[James Lawrence]

"Don't laugh," James said with a slight frown. "You know, I'm being serious. You could be a trainer." His hand on her thigh moved in what was hopefully a reassuring motion as he leaned into the back of the couch. "You'd get to help other people out." And though at times it was a frustrating job, he had to admit there were rewarding parts to it.

She was more than capable; James had the utmost of confidence in her abilities to be a trainer. Reassuring, helpful and patient were a few words that came to mind when thinking about her. The only thing that dragged her down was the still persistent low self esteem. Which was a contrast when compared to his own ego.

He got lost in a moment, just staring at Ella, losing his train of thought. A smile found its way back onto his features before laughing. "Yeah, which is probably a good thing." The world could only handle one James Lawrence. Besides, where was the contrast if she were like him or vice versa? There would be no balance, which was important in a relationship.

"I think you should at least consider it, if you want, that is." He told her, leaning in and closing the distance to rest his head near hers.

[Ella Robbinson]

Of course, Ella should have expected that he would so expertly find a rebuttal for all the things she did and didn't offer. She didn't need to verbalise the way she felt about herself to express reasoning as to why she assumed training students was a bad idea. If anyone could shed light on the life of a trainer, it would be James, lost as he previously seemed to be before the job found him.

But then, she still wasn't sure how invested he was in it. As far as she knew, it was a placeholder for something greater. Perhaps that was an ill-thought assumption based on who he was, not who she was with.

Tilting her head a fraction, she pressed her lips against his forehead lightly. For all he did his best to offer, he had to know that a portion of that made it to her. That fact was a feat within itself. When she drew back, she exhaled a short sigh. Hardly defeated, but rather, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"What's it like?" Ella asked him finally, though slowly; "Day to day, I mean."

[James Lawrence]

His career change was something James seldom thought about nowadays; he had already spent a lot of time being bitter and resenting the necessary shift towards training. Maybe if he had given it more time, he'd be doing what he loved. But now, James couldn't even imagine a life where he didn't get to see her again.

A necessary shift, he decided. And he was more than happy to be sitting next to her, on a couch in the dorm monitor's room at the school. He saw something substantial here; a future. Which had to be something worth noting.

His smile widened, closing his eyes as her lips pressed gently against his forehead. A hand shot forward, palm resting against her cheek as she drew away. Maintaining a physical connection felt important. James opened his eyes again, fingertips moving across her jawline with slow motions.

"Well," He began, "You usually see a couple students per day. Most days we work actively on trying to find ways to elevate side effects." To deal with the potentially harsh consequences of being a meta. "Then as things progress I'll develop a plan for the student that they should try and follow. Work on their powers a bit, both using and suppressing, depending on what kind it is. And I try and meet up to chat with them at least once a month to see how things are going." James finished. It sounded sort of overwhelming. "So a bit of everything, depending on who you see that day."

[Ella Robbinson]

Ella felt the natural nerves that came along with the inevitable decision making process; this wasn't simply one job to the next, it was something definite to look forward to. It was something she thought she wanted. There was something to the fact that James could see her reaching greater heights, even if she couldn't. She never really could, after all.

She listened to the best of her ability, but she knew the question was as vague as his answers likely couldn't help but be. She knew much of how his days went already, but it was the first time she'd approached the topic with something better in mind.

"There's no one way to go about it." She denoted aloud, doing her best to consider how her own routines had gone when she was a student, "It took me six years to make it through training. That can't be easy for anyone involved."

[James Lawrence]

James wasn't surprised to see Ella's doubt about becoming a trainer. He knew she had the capability; he was sure deep down she knew she could too. The next progression that had the ability to be something more. To be a career. Something she could do and possibly enjoy for the rest of her life.

It was hard not to give vague answers. Each day was something different, and to narrow it down to a definitive list seemed impossible. He just hoped it helped a little bit. "Yeah, exactly." He answered with a nod. "And some things don't always work so you gotta change it up."

"No, it's hard on the student and the trainer. Because as a trainer, you want to help out, but sometimes.. you can't." James thought to the handful of students that had been rotated through him; finding a more suitable match after time. "And it's frustrating on both ends. At the same time, when you are able to help out, it is really rewarding."