Belong - an adopted by Hamilton fanfic [Hamilton]

88. To explore: 2:0

[A/N: Part two, let's go!🎉]

After walking the High Line, we stopped at Chelsea market. Since it was busy and there had already been so much going on today, me and Sepi waited outside with Dom and Haley as Carson and Parker went in to order tacos.
"I think I've done more NYC things in the past 3 or 4 hours than I have in my entire life", Sepi said, drinking water from her water bottle.
"Honestly, same. Who knew touristing could be this exhausting? I could literally kill for some tacos right now", Haley added, looking at the market entrée just in case Carson's or Parker's head would pop up in the crowd.

I was hungry too.
My stomach was begging for food.
Yet I only felt more anxious at the thought of having to eat something.
I tapped my thigh rhythmically.
Blinked a little, starting out small only to hurry up after a while.

"You okay?", Dom quietly asked me as Haley and Sepi were excitedly talking to each other.
"Yeah", I said. "Just catching up", I told him.
He put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in.

He knew what I meant with that, and in all fairness, it could've been true.
I could've been catching up on routines I felt like I had missed.
But I wasn't doing that.

Parker and Carson emerged from the crowd, holding the paper bags of tacos high.
"Yeah!", Haley exclaimed as they started to hand out tacos to everyone. I had asked for one, but they had gotten me two. I suspected that Dom was behind that.

Everyone ate theirs gladly, but I could only manage to slowly eat a few bites.
In the end I had only eaten half.
Even Sepi had eaten more than I had.
She seemed fine.
I wished that I could be that.
She gave me a concerned look, trying to stare me down. I avoided her gaze and forced myself to take another bite so that she would stop looking at me.
"Hey, you sure you're not gonna eat that one?", Parker asked me.
"Yeah, um, I had a big breakfast this morning-", I said, trying to explain myself. "You can have it if you want", I told him, putting on a smile, relieved to get it off my hands.
"Really? Thanks", he said, thankfully taking it and not realising what this all was about.

It was refreshing, actually.
That someone didn't know this.

Dom looked at me with worry.
"Please have one more bite, Rue", he kindly and quietly told me, squeezing my hand.
I took one, just for him.
I forced it down.
I knew that was all I could manage.

After that we took another bus to see the Flatiron building and fought for a picture with the rest of the tourists there. That's the first time I could feel the day really taking a toll on me now. I was fanning myself with my hand to avoid the heat, as I waiting for everyone to get their pictures while Carson was reading loudly from Wikipedia. I was trying to listen, but I was starting to feel distanced from all of us.

It was frustrating; because I loved this.
I loved seeing places that I hadn't before.
Like, really seeing them.
And not just walking by them on a daily basis.

So, I put on a grin as we continued on to take a closer look at the Empire State Building.
I just had to manage.

"All I can think about is that weird Doctor Who episode with the pig people and daleks...", Carson said as we looked up at the massive building.
"Oh god now you've put that in my head-", Sepi said.
"You watch Doctor Who too?!", Carson exclaimed.
"Of course!", she replied, excited to hear that they had the same favourite show. I looked at Haley and Parker that were taking a selfie together, reportingly sending pictures of the day to Stella.
I felt the world shift, just slightly, which made me shake my head to wake up. It had gotten really hot outside by now, and I was noticing it more than before.
Dom kindly nudged me in the side.
"Hey, first snack of the day-", he told me, holding out a mini bag of crisps that he had just taken out from his backpack. "It's just plain salted ones"
He had kept his promise today, too.
"Thanks", I said, and took one though everything inside of me was telling me not to.