again | taylor swift au

chapter 11

Taylor has the jitters the next day as she sits on the sofa, waiting for Casey to come pick her up for their date. Gracie really can't believe now quickly the two have jumped in head first, seeing each other twice in twenty four hours. Still, she thinks that it is going to be good for Taylor to get out of her self-imposed shell and meet someone.

Taylor doesn't know what to expect. All that Casey told her was that it wasn't too formal-jeans would be fine. So as soon as she got home from work, she showered and changed into a pair of dark blue flare jeans and a white top with little red flowers on it. She straightened her hair and put on a little bit of makeup- just enough to give her a boost while still keeping a natural look.

Exactly on the dot of the time he predicted, a nervous Casey knocks on the door of Taylor's apartment, holding flowers and anxiously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Taylor answers and right away, a big smile forms on her face "Hey."

"Hey," Casey says to her. "You look beautiful, wow. Um... these are for you" he hands her the flowers and she blushes, her face turning a bright crimson. She's never been given flowers on the first date before.

Accepting the bouquet from his hand, Taylor states that she's going to go put them in water. "They're so beautiful."

"Thanks," he tells her, "but not as beautiful as you."

Taylor stops in her tracks and looks at him. Then, she stares down at the ground, a shy smile on her face. "Thanks." He's smooth.

"You ready to go?"

"Yep," she says, throwing out the cellophane wrapping from the flowers and ensuring that the vase is on the counter, safe from the reach of Gracie's dog Weenie, before she walks over and puts her coat on. "I can't wait to see what this big secret plan you've got is."

"Well, you've gotta just trust me a little longer," he winks at her. He slips his arm through the crook of her elbow and pulls her into him so that their sides are pressed together as they walk. "Come on."

He takes her to the subway, swipes his card to get her in, and holds her hand the entire time that they wait on the platform. Once they step onto the crowded train car, he gets a little bit touchier, wrapping his hands around her waist from behind. "Is that okay?" he asks. "I don't want you to go flying into someone's lap."

She giggles. "That's okay," she tells him, feeling like her cheeks have been perpetually pink tonight. She enjoys the subway ride in his arms, and knows that he would've stopped right away if she would've said it was too much. She likes that- she feels safe.

They make a transfer at Grand Central Station and then get off at Hudson Yards. It's not that late, but it's winter, so the sun is setting.

When they get off of the subway there, she has a pretty good idea of what he's taking her to do. That's confirmed when they walk to the High Line. "Care for a little stroll?"

She feels her heart start to race. Out of all of the things they could've done in this city, all the places he could've brought her... and he brought her here. To one of the only places in this city that has memories tied to... him. To Jett.

His name feels like poison as she thinks about their night together, when they snuck into the park after hours. How they stood there, they looked at the city, they danced, her without any shoes on, in the dead of winter, both tipsy and the alcohol keeping them warm from the chill.

But this is different. Casey is different. He isn't Jett. She knows that. So, she takes a deep breath and nods. "Let's," she tells him. And they start to walk.

It really is a lovely space in the city. There's a certain sense of quiet that there seems to be, in spite of the cars passing by on the street below. There's greenery- the city makes sure to have plants for every season so that New Yorkers can experience nature at any time of year. The sunset is full of wonderful and vibrant colors. The lights of the city are starting to come on, twinkling in the twilight.