Time Warp: Don't Wait (Ella)

[James Lawrence]

Date: July 8, 2017
New York City

It was their second time going to New York City together.

The first time was in December, 2014. Almost three years ago. While James loved visiting his home town, he had been almost anxious about suggesting the possibility of a second trip. What had happened the first time around was no secret, still burning in the background of their minds. A trip forever marked and changed by one night. But he didn't want that to be the only memory associated with the city of lights and skyscrapers; so he had suggested to Ella that they visit again.

Much to his surprise, she agreed. Maybe she had sensed his nervous behaviour and the way his pulse shifted when mentioning the idea. They had decided to go in the summer this time. With both of their jobs, it was easy to take advantage of the few weeks off and take some vacation time to themselves. Just themselves, without the interruption of students and daily life getting in the way.

Almost a week had passed. This time around, there were less sights to take in; the landmarks were still the same, the buildings still towering overhead. But there were always surprises, always new people walking the streets, James and Ella amongst them. The streets were packed, people visiting from all over the country and world. Even during the night. Still, it was a little easier to handle. A little less to take in.

The dark sky was illuminated by lights. James walked with an arm around her, a hand on her back. Still stable. Still supportive. He glanced up, before his gaze fell to Ella's face; a little distant and lost in thought. "You good?" He asked, concern gracing his features. Maybe the city had been a bit much to take in today; overwhelming. 

[Ella Robbinson]

At a glance, New York City hardly suited a hemokinetic, let alone a person with enhanced hearing. Crowded places naturally forced headaches, either from the reaction or the energy it took to try and block those reactions in the first place. On paper, there was nothing about the busy city that suited either of them. Yet something about it would always remain as undeniable as it was imperative. So when he asked if she would go with him, of course she said yes. How could she not?

A little part of it was theirs, just as it was to so many others for so many reasons.

There was obvious support in the way James took the lead without leaving her behind. A hand to her waist constantly reminded her that he was there; as if she could ever forget the imprinted rhythm of his heart as it played through her mind with comfortable consistency. When she heard his voice, she turned her eyes towards him instead.

"Absolutely." She replied easily, and quiet enough despite the natural noise. After all, she was sure he could hear her.

[James Lawrence]

Really, the crowds that came with New York City only pushed them to their limits, causing strain and taking conscious effort to ignore. So far, James felt alright with only a couple of minor headaches to complain about during their trip. It was a small detail he chose to ignore, instead turning his attention towards Ella. She made it easier; her presence alone had a calming effect on James.

The connection in between them eased the burden that being in such a loud city caused. His only concern right now was making sure that she didn't feel the pressure from being around a thousand plus bodies. His hold around her tightened, dark eyes meeting hers. There was no hesitation on her side and so he took it as the truth. A smile pulled on his lips. "I'm glad." He answered with a nod.

"There's a park closeby, it's pretty quiet." Not as busy as some of the more popular ones in the city. James brought up the suggestion, but was just as willing to let Ella take the lead and make a decision. They could stay out longer or call it a night and head back to their hotel.

[Ella Robbinson]

New York City left no room for hesitation, it seemed. Even someone as introverted as Ella had learned that in the time she had been there, both the last and now. It was naturally difficult for her to find any form of comfort in the place itself, so instead she worked to find it all in his presence. James was something of a stoic rock in a mess of nameless body's and their erratic heart beats. Rhythms upon rhythms to so easily get lost in, but she didn't.

She nodded her head once to his idea, a hand circled around his waist to ensure she could remain just as close as she wanted to be. Fingers worked an idle pattern into the material of his shirt, but that was just nerves. "As quiet as a place like this can be, I bet." She replied, though her tone was light. She could hardly allow herself to be annoyed by the natural traffic the city provided; that wouldn't be fair, and it wouldn't be right.

"Do you miss it here?" It might have been a loaded question, but truth told, it had been on her mind since they left.

[James Lawrence]

A hand to her waist made it that much easier to find comfort in the city. The more extroverted of the pair, James has the means to give the impression that he could handle things just fine. But a closer look would always reveal the way certain sounds made him wince and the throbbing headaches that were sure to follow.

But, he couldn't stay away. New York City was the place where it all began for them; that had to count for something.

His suggestion of going to the nearby park was a way to offer a way out for the two of them without completely giving in. There was something less daunting about natural landscapes in comparison to the concrete of the sidewalk and immense skyscrapers. He grinned at her comment about just how quiet the park was going to be, which was a fair observation. He leaned down, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

James took a moment to think about it. "I'm not sure." He answered, thinking more deliberately. "I think I miss the idea of New York more than the city itself."

[Ella Robbinson]

Despite how Ella knew James struggled, she could never deny his interest in the city itself. Nor could she actively avoid it with a power-based excuse in mind. Of course it took getting used to - just as it had the last time they were there - but she could tell it was utterly worth the potential pain.

She wore an easy smile as his lips pressed against her, genuine as it seemed and in turn, completely was. Little moments in time provided the kind of comfort she had taken her time to get used to. Every little thing James offered helped, and he knew that.

His answer was definitely an interesting one. The kind Ella hadn't honestly expected. She assumed James would find himself missing the city when time dragged on and he was away for as long as he was; surely, it harboured a great portion of his dreams. "How do you mean?" She asked, sure a further explanation had to be required for her to understand where his head was at.

[James Lawrence]

Comfort was something James strove to maintain while visiting the city. While it once might have been out of her comfort zone, she wore no signs of regret or anxiety. Her smile worked wonders, lighting up his own features more than the illumination of the lights around them.

Gut instinct told James to say yes; that he missed the city. The more he thought about it, the more he actually wondered. All paths seemed to lead back here; his home town, the place where his dreams had simultaneously started and ended. "Like, I think I miss the idea of New York and what it could have been versus reality." He said, unsure if that made any sense. "There will always be something drawing me back but I have to wonder why."

"It allowed us to connect, though." James added, glancing down to hopefully catch a pair of dark eyes looking up. "I don't know if I could see us here permanently, you know?" Settling down in a city where both of them were sort of uncomfortable.

[Ella Robbinson]

From what little Ella knew of the city, she couldn't figure out just how someone could miss a city so much. There was always a sense of home that appealed to most people, but the strain of her young life made such an idea a little fruitless. St Paul was the place where she grew up; it was where her adoptive mother called home. But Pilot Ridge was the place she considered when thoughts of home worked to find her, and it had since a forced move took her away.

As she felt the way he moved, she shifted to stare up towards him instead, working to catch his eyes at the silent request. Somehow, it was as if they considered the same concept at the same time. His words carried a exhale of relief from the hemokinetic.

"I don't think so, no." She replied, shaking her head at the thought. "I love that you love it here. And I love it, too, but-" A generous pause. Of course the city itself could only provide quality memories, "I can't imagine a life in such a naturally hectic place."

[James Lawrence]

Home was a subject that rarely came up; James knew little about Ella's situation or her life before Pilot Ridge. For all he knew, the small Vermont town was the place she considered home. Why she never left after graduation. Why, when he came back, she was there. Pilot Ridge was home, though, and there was something comforting to be found there after settling down.

As soon as his eyes caught hers, a smile dragged across his lips. Like she read his mind or knew exactly what he was thinking. Like she was on the same page. His arm around her waist tightened.

While it was nice to escape to the city every once in awhile, it was nice to visit and not commit to the vast city. "Exactly." He said with a nod. "It... it's just not for us."

"We've settled in Pilot Ridge." And it was fair to say that they were both happy there. "And truthfully, I can't see us anywhere else."

[Ella Robbinson]

Just as his arm tightened, Ella's hand instinctively balled into the material of his shirt. It was difficult not to find some kind of joy in a similar thought, after all. The last thing she wanted was an active discussion about where they should live next, like Pilot Ridge wasn't perfect for them. Though at face value it didn't seem like a place that would suit a person such as James, that proved to be completely false given just how comfortable he was there now. Though really, she had to wonder just how much of that had to do with the location itself.

"It's definitely a place to build a future." She reasoned, glancing forward at the thought. She might have found his eyes far too overwhelming at such a thought if she continued to look, so she turned her attention away.

So she thought as quickly as she could to continue. James himself was an incredibly overwhelming individual by nature, and time in a developing relationship couldn't make such a thing any easier. Not that it was ever a bad thing, "But I like visiting here." She continued on, the corner of her mouth dragging upwards at the thought.

[James Lawrence]

There was relief to be found in the way that they both agreed on where things where and how their relationship was progressing. By nature, both of them had a natural tendency to fail when it came to properly expressing themselves through words and say it outwardly. It was nice to be reassured that she was comfortable as things stood. Happy, even.

"Definitely." James repeated with a nod, unable to hide the way the tempo of his heart kicked up a notch at the thought. Nervous was the wrong word for it; but maybe he was a little nervous about what uncertainties the future brought with it. "It's a nice place for a family." He added, his own eyes averting forward.

"I'm glad." He said, lips working to form a smile after seeing hers. "And we can come here then. Maybe once a year, or something." Whenever they felt like it. New York was only a handful of hours away from Vermont, afterall. "Is there anything you wanna do before we go back?" He asked.