Work Text:
While in the premises of the city of New York, Nicole and Ari were springing through the city before reaching Lower Manhattan while having a good time with each other when being together for their trip of the day.
“This looks so much different compared to Virginia, huh?” Ari asks Nicole.
“Yeah. It’s definitely a place that could be wrong to cause havoc or get assaulted here, right?”
“Well, not really but as long as we're out of that, it’s not gonna happen.”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Are you feeling ok, hun? Cause it seems like you don’t feel ok about something.”
“It’s fine.. I’m just seeing how it is right now since it's our first time coming here.”
“Are you sure, cause it doesn't seem like it.”
“I'm fine..” Nicole said to herself on the outside, but on the inside has a different story that is never revealed by anyone, including Ari.
“Is it ok if you want to tell me about it, so I can help you..?”
“How about I show it to you..?”
“Ok, but how will you sho- whoa! Slow down!!”
And Ari was right about something that's on Nicole's mind when seeing her grabbed by the arm to run towards a memorial of some sorts that had two large pools of water that resembles something in Nicole's life that reminds herself of why she's actually here for.
“What is this place, hun?”
“It's a memorial, Ari.” Nicole said to Ari, reliving the memories of what one stood here that's replaced by other buildings and one building next to them.
“What type of memorial is it? And what are these pools of water symbolizing?”
“You might want to sit down if you want to know, cause now I'm not in the mood to be telling you this right fucking now..”
“But why-”
“Just sit down somewhere!”
“Ok…” Ari sits on the metal frame.
“Not on there, those are people names that have died on that frame!”
“Ok, ok, I'm sorry! I don't know where to sit..!”
-Nicole facepalms-
“On the bench, please..?”
“Fine.. so what is it that's got you all huddled up to me?”
-sighs deeply- “This was the place where one of my family members died. It was at the called the World Trade Center, the same exact place we're sitting on that's replaced with these pools, but I don't know why they wouldn't just make a brand new tower for fucking sake, but anyways…”
“It's on this exact day where.. I was young, stupid, not knowing as much about what's going on in the world, where.. wh.. where my.. mom was crying her eyes out like everyone else when seeing them collapse for the first time when I got home, to realize that one of my family members was in one of those buildings, and it was the last time I saw them..”
While trying to tell her backstory, Ari starts to feel how Nicole is where she saw the brunette tearing on her face which had her break down in front of her to have Ari comfort her when couldn't say anything more.
“Oh, Nicole… I feel so sorry for them.. and I'm sorry you had to feel this way years later..” Ari said, rubbing her back in comfort after seeing how it affected her..
“It's just not fucking fair… it's not fair..!”
“I know it's not, but it's what happened that got us here, right..?” Ari says.
-sniffles- ‘Yeah..”
When seeing this side of Nicole come out, it let her express herself of that time when not knowing how it would affect her years later.
“It's going to be ok.. I promise.. just let it all out..”
“Never forget who've we lost, ok Nicole..?”
“Ok..”
“I love you, hun.” Ari said, hugging and kissing her on the lips to have her be comfortable.
“I love you, too, Ari. And thank you..”
“Of course, now let's go get something to heal you.”
‘Ok then, but can we come back here later on?” Nicole asked.
“Absolutely.”