Head Over Heels - - -

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo stood in front of his wardrobe, absentmindedly drying his hair with the soft blue towel as he stared blankly at the rows of clothes in front of him; shirts hanging crisply from their hangers, jeans folded neatly in piles. He never thought he’d struggle for something to wear when he was usually the guy who rolled from bed and grabbed the nearest things he could find. Tonight he wanted to look like he’d put in an effort though and didn’t want to show up looking like he did every other day when Zoe saw him.
Finally, he gave up and turned towards the door of his room. “El?! Get in ‘ere will y’, kidda? I need your ‘elp decidin’ what t’ wear tonight.”

[/color] There was definitely an upside to having a female opinion at hand for whatever reason one might be needed.
The sixteen year old padded into the room and rolled her eyes at the state of her older brother. “Put some clothes on, stud.” She said in a dry tone as she pushed him aside to reach his wardrobe. Romeo glanced down at his boxer shorts and shrugged. “I ‘ave.”[/color] He said, like it was no big deal.

Ellie shot him a look of death and Romeo winked playfully at her whilst discarding the towel on the edge of his bed to be dealt with later. He watched as nimble hands dug into the wardrobe and pulled out a dark red shirt and neat jeans, still with the price tag on them. “’Ere. These, with the black shoes our mam got y’ for Crimbo last year.” She instructed, dropping herself on the edge of the bed as Romeo slipped into the outfit. “Y’sure, Ellie?”[/color] He questioned, ignoring her eye roll as she groaned in mock annoyance. “Y’ look good in red.” She told him with sincerity shining in her green eyes.
He nodded, fastening the shirt all the way up before changing his mind and popping the top two buttons. “’Ey, isn’t it supposed t’ be us ‘elpin’ you with dates and such?”[/color] He grinned as he began to work on his hair, though his usually messy style would probably win.
“If by ‘elpin’ y’ mean threatenin’ any guy I so much as smile as, then yeah. Besides, y’re ‘opeless.” The teenager was staying at a friend’s house, but still had a bit of time until she got picked up.
“Ta, El.”[/color] He planted a quick kiss on Ellie’s head before moving to find his shoes, catching a glimpse of the clock on the way. He had to leave soon if he was picking Zoe up on time.
“Oi, lover boy, before y’ go…” Ellie vanished into their small kitchen and then emerged with a small, but pretty bouquet of flowers, nicely wrapped and everything. “Y’ can pay me back tomorr’a” She grinned, holding them out to her older brother.
“I’m raisin’ your damn allowance, y’ brilliant geg!”[/color] He hugged her tightly, just as the buzzer rang, signalling Ellie’s time to leave.

Once the sister was gone, Romeo was not far behind her, fastening his watch to his wrist and looking at his rugged reflection for a second before heading out of the door, locking up carefully behind him before rushing to his car, flowers carefully deposited on the passenger seat as he started up the engine and began the twenty minute drive to Zoe’s apartment.
Tonight, he planned on killing her fears of the city and after dining her with a meal to die for, he already had a wonderful plan in mind that, hopefully, would ease the nightmares recent events had plagued her with. He still woke up, expecting to see her thrashing in her sleep, even though it was only him in the room.
The drive did not do much to ease his nerves and it didn’t help that it seemed to be over sooner than he had anticipated. Nevertheless, he parked the car outside and slipped through the door behind another resident. Checking the arrangement of the flowers, he took a deep breath and then pressed the button in the elevator for Zoe’s floor, stopping himself from running his fingers through his hair like he usually did.
Soon, her door lay before him and he took a few seconds to breathe, gather himself, raise his fist and knock gently.
Here it goes…
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• • •

TAGGED! His Juliet <3
WORDS! 795
OUTFIT! Sexy Mofo!
LYRICS! Speechless - - - The Veronicas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe was sitting on the edge of her bed, one hand brushing over a sleeping Tessie as she stared at the mirror across the room. Ember had done wonders with her hair, taming the normally unruly locks with a spritz of hairspray and a couple pins and bands. The curls actually looked beautiful for once. And her face... it didn't look like the girl who'd existed only hours before. She almost seemed to be glowing. A tiny smile tugged on her freshly glossed lips. This was really happening, wasn't it? She was actually going on a date with Romeo, her personal Superman. This wasn't a dream. With how many lectures she'd gotten from Ember today about "girl stuff", it couldn't be. In her dreams, Zoe was always the one lecturing her, not the other way around. Her blonde friend had helped her, though, and there was sure to be a fresh baked batch of something at the Grants' by the end of next week. Honestly, she'd never felt more beautiful in her life, and she hadn't even slipped into her dress yet. The dress... that was a whole nother story. It'd been buried away in some deep box in her closet but, somehow, Ember had managed to find it and deem it "good enough" for the date tonight. Zoe still wasn't sure about the tight, feminie top, but she'd wear it yet. Tonight was all about looking her best, after all.

Taking a deep breath, Zoe flickered her eyes off of the mirror and to the alarm clock on her night stand. She had about a half hour before Romeo was supposed to be knocking on her door; just enough time to change and re-apply a few dabs of lip gloss. Tessie yawned as she got up, and Zoe smiled, scratching the kitten's belly one more time before grabbing the dress and slipping into the bathroom. She carefully shed her sweats and t-shirt, taking pains to not muss her hair as she did so. Ember'd spent so long attempting to tame the mass of curls that it would surely be an insult if their owner destroyed the delicate hair-do now. Pulling the dress over her head, Zoe waited for the feeling of the fabric brushing a bit below her knees, frowning in confusion as there was no soft tickling against her skin. She looked down, eyes widening in utter horror as she noticed the freshly chopped hemline of the dress. Who could've... Ember. Damn her! Zoe fidgeted nervously, knowing she had no time to change, or anything nicer to change into, for that matter. How was she supposed to work with this?! The dress barely hit above her knee now, leaving her legs exposed. Gosh, she was screwed. Showing skin wasn't her thing, as she'd already pointed out to her friend. Apparently, that hadn't mattered too much as Zoe stared once again at her reflection, this time in a new mirror. The dress hugged her body modestly and it was the only piece of clothing that no longer hinted at the toned legs beneath. Damn Ember.

In a rush of panic, Zoe swiped another glob of borrowed lip gloss across her pink lips, giving herself a cursory glance-over before disappearing out of the room once more. She put on the cardigan she'd gotten approved, using the excuse that she surely couldn't freeze, and took another deep breath. She could do this. Besides, the warm brown fabric reached a bit below the dress. It was at least some coverage. Zoe turned her eyes to the shoes perched in front of her closed closet door. They'd also been borrowed from Ember, and Zoe was still very much afraid of putting them back on. She'd gotten a twenty minute lesson on walking in the death traps but, still, she'd be amazed if she didn't trip with every other step. With one more deep breath, she slid her feet into the mile high shoes, eyes blinking a few times as she caught herself in the mirror once again. Her legs looked... wow. She stared for a good five minutes, amazed at the masterpiece her best friend had managed to create. It was like Cinderella sneaking off to the ball.

And, as the thought rolled through her head, Prince Charming himself knocked on her door. The noise made Zoe jump at first and she made a squeak that had Tessie whining in annoyance. Her heart beat quickly as she headed towards the door, butterflies errupting in her stomach. It was really happening. She turned the doorknob as gently as she could, a shy smile lighting her face as she revealed her city boy, who looked more dazzling and handsome than she'd ever seen him before.

• • •

WORDS: 820!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Cloud Nine, With Romeo
OUTFIT: special thanks to ember! <3
LYRICS: "Let Me Down Easy" by Billy Currington
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

It had been a long time since Romeo had been on a real date. He had been so caught up with work, looking after Ellie and trying to find time amidst all of that for a social life. The last time he could remember going on a date had been a few days before college graduation and it was with an art major called Elizabeth who he had casually dated for a short while before they went their separate ways once NYU no longer needed them. It had been nothing serious, nothing to write home about and Romeo barely remembered her, as terrible as that may seem to anyone who didn’t know him back then. He had just been given the responsibility of Ellie, who was barely fourteen at the time and his life seemed to be one big whirlwind of chaos that he had been unable to gain control of until he was out of university and offered the promotion to supervisor at Borders.

He didn’t think that things had changed all that much on the dating scene, but he also didn’t know if city dating was totally different to dating back in Adams. He figured that there would be some striking differences, but he hoped that the premise was still pretty much the same. Dinner seemed to be a universal symbol for a successful date, but it was the post-dinner plans that had his stomach tying itself in knots - unless that was just hunger pains ripping through his gut.
A midnight stroll always seemed like a romantic idea…if it was on a beach, or in the countryside. Romeo was planning on taking Zoe around New York, showing her the most beautiful sites that could only truly be appreciated by moonlight, or neon lights if the moon was too far away to be seen; clouded by the fluorescents that just made Romeo love the city even more.

Romeo wanted Zoe to stop living in fear of the concrete jungle after her unfortunate incident that had led to Romeo asking her out tonight. Nevertheless, he knew how one bad experience could ruin everything and it wasn’t what he wanted for his young country mouse and if someone could convince her that the city wasn’t all bad, in fact, most of it was dead brilliant then he hoped it would be him; the city veteran who had lived on both sides of the world and experienced it in more ways than one. There were so many things that he wanted her to see and he wanted to be the one to see her reaction when her mesmerising eyes fell upon them. Tonight, he wanted to revel in the beauty not of the city, but of Zoe when she saw it in all of it’s glory. Romeo could show her things that weren’t on the tourist attraction list, but that were amazing all the same and more breathtaking than Lady Liberty herself.

When the door opened, his breath hitched in his throat, his heart seemed to thump behind his breastbone and it took him a few seconds to snap back to reality. He could hardly believe that it was Zoe standing before him. She looked so different, yet so like her. It was weird feeling and he didn’t know how to describe it, other than to release the breath he had been holding, smile and… “Wow…”

[/color] He beamed and resisted another urge to run his fingers through his hair. “Y’ look amazin‘.”[/color] He told her sincerely, offering the flowers out to her with a rather shy smile, not like his usual grin or smirk. “These are for you, m’lady.”[/color] He said, keeping his charm about him, even if his nerves were elsewhere.
This was really happening and he couldn’t believe how beautiful the country girl looked at this moment in time. There was a spark in her eyes, and…heels? Oof, maybe walking wouldn’t be the best idea for tonight either, but then, if her feet did get sore, maybe he’d get a chance to carry her or piggyback her around the city. Any excuse to hold her close really, especially when he still thought about how she felt in his arms that morning after they had accidentally fallen asleep together in his bed.
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• • •

TAGGED! His Juliet <3
WORDS! 745
OUTFIT! Sexy Mofo!
LYRICS! Speechless - - - The Veronicas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

It was true that life was a lot different here in New York than back in Adams. This place was full of strangers; each with their own agenda and own history that had gotten them where they were today. Back home, life was so much simpler. Everybody knew everybody else, and there was always a familiar smiling face to greet you the moment you stepped into town. Zoe missed that feeling of knowing people, and of being known by others. Here, in the big bustling city, she was lucky with her tiny group of college pals and various other friends. Well, friends and... Romeo. He alone made the city life even more complicated for Miss Tylers.

She had no idea what he expected of her tonight, or out of this at all really. Zoe'd hopefully proven that she could stand up to the challenge of looking like one of those sparkly, beautiful city girls who strutted down the streets like they owned every square inch of them. But, beyond that, she was a country girl through and through, which meant she would not be doing some of the more adult things she'd breifly heard about from Ember earlier. And, really, she'd more blocked those out than heard them. The preacher had been preaching to the wrong choir in that case. Zoe was used to innocent dates where there wasn't pressure to be able to brag about the sex to friends the next day. She didn't want that, in fact. She wanted to keep her pride and dignity in tact enough to be able to phone her mother about this sometime soon, and not be ashamed of anything she'd done.

Zoe wasn't afraid of telling her family back home about Romeo... not a lot, anyways. Nobody even knew about the other night yet! Though, she was guessing Ember'd suspected something was seriously up and so had her mother. She'd just dodged the questions as best as she could. This dating thing wasn't like her, but neither was keeping secrets. She didn't do romance and love; that was why she was here in the first place. But, she'd have to tell them all sometime soon. Romeo wasn't a part of her life that she wanted to keep hidden, especially not from the people who mattered most to her.

Her stomach was fluttering wildly as she opened the door, big blue eyes looking up at Romeo in slight awe. He definitely cleaned up well, definitely different than the Borders tags and casual shirt she'd grown used to seeing him in. However, Zoe liked the change. "Thank ya," she smiled back softly, cheeks blushing a faint pink at the compliment. Zoe's heart skipped a quick beat as she realized she'd done it; she'd stopped his breath, made his eyes look twice at the transformed Cinderella standing before him. She'd done it.

A smirk tugged on her lips as he held out the flowers to her. Pink tulips? She'd definitely pegged him for a roses kind of guy. Unless... "How much money do I owe Ellie for these?" she questioned, eyes shining bright. Zoe'd talked to the teenager the other day after the whole incident with her hand, and she'd endured some major interrogation, most of which had been about details involving this date. Flowers had come up once or twice in that conversation.

• • •

WORDS: 609!
TAG: Superman to her Rescue ;3
LOCATION: Cloud Nine, With Romeo
OUTFIT: special thanks to ember! <3
LYRICS: "Let Me Down Easy" by Billy Currington
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo has been lucky enough to avoid the interrogations for now. The only person who knew about this date was Ellie, obviously and Romeo wasn’t in a rush to tell anyone else. It wasn’t that he was ashamed or embarrassed about tonight; he just wanted it to be private and something that only he and Zoe could share. He’d tell his mother soon, if tonight went well, and then he was fairly certain she’d be nagging at him to ‘invite the girl around for dinner’ and that…well, his family wasn’t exactly the calmest bunch when they were together and there was always some form of chaos going on and Romeo wanted to spare Zoe from suffering that, at least for now.
People had noticed something different at work. Simon had commented on how cheery the scouser had been over recent days and even the employees were teasing him with lines of ‘so what’s her name’ and the more incorrect ‘that’s a stride of pride if ever I saw one’. For him, it was all in jest and he would just laugh it off, remaining tight lipped over the date or the girl.

Tonight was about them, no one else.

Romeo couldn’t get over how beautiful she looked tonight. He thought she was gorgeous anyway, but tonight there was a twinkle in her eyes that he’d never seen before and she seemed to tantalise each of his senses, threatening to turn his legs to jelly and him into nothing but a puddle on the floor outside her apartment door.
She was still Zoe though, behind the make-up and the dress; he could see the shy look in her eyes and the adorable way that she held herself. God, she really was stunning and he really had to close his mouth before a pool of drool formed at his feet. So, instead, he turned to the charismatic joker that he always was when Zoe was around. He feigned hurt, putting one hand over his heart and gasping dramatically. “I’m ‘urt that y’ think such a thing. Besides, roses are overrated these days.”

[/color] He was stunned that she’d managed to peg it right away, but Romeo had intended on getting flowers on the way to her apartment and they definitely wouldn’t have been roses. As beautiful as they were, he was not a fan of giving them to a girl. His name was already suggesting romance enough without him needing to add another stereotype to it. Plus, the tulips did seem more apt for Zoe; they were dainty and held a hidden beauty that most people didn’t notice.

They weren’t in a rush to leave for the reservations he had made at the rather modest restaurant, but he did want to move past the awkward hovering in the doorway. “Are y’ ready, love?”[/color] He asked, throwing her a soft, loving smile as he leaned casually in the doorframe, his eyes momentarily flashing to her glossed lips and the thought of kissing them. No, that would be later, if she let him, which he sincerely hoped she would; it had been all he could think of for the last few days.
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• • •

TAGGED! His Juliet <3
WORDS! 561
OUTFIT! Sexy Mofo!
LYRICS! Speechless - - - The Veronicas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe was comfortable around Romeo. That was one of the reasons she'd even agreed to this date tonight, though it was one of the smaller ones compared to others. He didn't scare her like so many of the other city folk did, and he wasn't totally intent on getting her in his bed. Though, technically, she'd already been there, just not for the things most people seemed to want these days. Again, it all went back to comfort. The only reason that had happened was because he'd calmed her from the terrific nightmare she'd been engulfed in; one he'd already saved her from in real life. That nightmare kept coming back to her, however, after she'd left the safe circle of his arms. It'd only been a few days, sure, but every time she'd lain down, that had come back to her. Zoe had tried to block it all out, desperately clinging to the memories of snuggling up to Romeo on the couch, of how they'd almost kissed, of waking up in his arms, buried close against his chest. She'd tried, but none of it had worked.

Her fears were keeping her from telling the few friends she did have here in New York. Sure, Ember knew, but only because Zoe had asked the other blonde to transform her into a country-fied Cinderella for the evening. Nobody else could even guess about it because she hadn't ventured too much farther than her apartment the last couple days. Sure, she'd gone to class, but was home quicker than the blink of an eye. If she was out alone too long on the city streets... who knew what could happen again. And, there was nobody else besides Romeo who'd jump in and save her. It was generally safer to hide in her apartment until the paranoia died done some. If it ever intended to.

Romeo still looked like Romeo to her. The handsome green eyes, the messily styled hair, the charming smile. He was still her Superman, though she did like the dressy shirt and jeans. Aside from that, though, he was still the same guy she'd fallen for while roaming Borders. Nothing had changed between them. Well, besides the more rapid beating of her heart and the nerves that were eating away at her stomach.

"She didn't tell you?" Zoe smirked up at him, trying to keep herself from laughing. "Tulips are my favorite," she smiled, burying her nose in the sweet flowers to hide the light blush painting her cheeks. It was a wonder the girl hadn't spilled that conversation to her brother; it'd given plenty of clues to some of the country mouse's favorite things, like the tulips.

Zoe stepped back in the doorway quick saying, "Lemme put these in some water, then we can get'a move on. Come in an say hi to Tess while I tend to 'em." She smiled brightly, walking back into her pocket-sized kitchen to pull a vase down from the cupboard. Her purple knuckles winced in pain, but she'd grown used to brushing it off since he'd last seen her. With a quiet whistle from Zoe, who was know trimming the stems of the tulips, Tessie came stalking out to Romeo's feet, purring and whining for attention. Zoe filled the vase, arranging the flowers in it before setting it in the windowsill and turning back to him. "Ya ready?"

• • •

WORDS: 612!
TAG: Superman to her Rescue ;3
LOCATION: Cloud Nine, With Romeo
OUTFIT: special thanks to ember! <3
LYRICS: "Let Me Down Easy" by Billy Currington
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

He was a city boy to the core. He thrived on the loud noises of the city and the neon lights flicking through the blinds during the midnight hour. The sirens and the pneumatic drills were all just part of the heartbeat of the city and they were the soundtrack to his life. He barely noticed them anymore, but when he did, they always brought a smile to his face and warmth to his soul. It was a strange sensation that Romeo couldn’t explain, even if he tried and it was something that he hoped to share with Zoe. Maybe it wouldn’t be tonight or tomorrow, but he wanted to show her that the city was more than just loud noises, skyscrapers and varying shades of grey. There was a beauty to it that a lot of people didn’t take the time to see, but he did, every day on the commute to work.

Romeo would be lying if he said he hadn’t worried about Zoe whilst he was dancing up there on cloud nine at the prospect of a date. He panicked late at night when he was smoking on the fire escape, wondering if she was sleeping soundly or whether the nightmares were still there. What had happened to her and what could’ve happened to her were things that no one would be able to get over easily and he knew that Zoe would try to hide the fear and the pain the same way she had tried to that night, before Romeo pushed her into being honest and opening up to him. He had been there, he had carried her and he had seen the frightened look in her amazing eyes whenever she was alone for longer than she liked.
It still came back to him when he was resting in bed and sometimes his thoughts travelled to what could’ve happened if he hadn’t been there at that exact moment in time. God, if he could see that guy again he’d do more than just punch him a few times, the guy would be lucky if he’d ever walk again. No, it didn’t happen though, Zoe was alright, everyone was alright and he had a date with her and another chance to prove to her that not everything about New York was bad.

He made another mental note to treat his brilliant sister to a short shopping trip and dinner of her choice this coming weekend for being clever enough to scope this sort of thing out for him without Romeo even asking her too. He supposed it was her way of offering her approval; all siblings are strangely overprotective, regardless of age or order. “I’m allowed t’ figure things out on me own with whatever resources are available.”

[/color] He answered, cleverly implying that Ellie was one of those resources whilst at the same time not admitting to his sister being his saviour this one time. Though, he was curious as to what other bits of helpful information his little sister may know and planned on asking her about it tomorrow when she got home.

Romeo stepped inside her quaint apartment and then bent down to give Tess the attention she desired from him. He couldn’t help checking Zoe out once as she walked to her kitchen, but that was it. He didn’t want anything physical from this date tonight, though he had to admit that it was hard to keep his eyes off her legs when he was crouched at this height and her dress combined with those heels showed off so much of them. He swallowed hard and pushed the ‘guy’ back inside, scratching Tess’ ears instead and cooing to the cat about nothing in particular. He pushed himself back to full height at her voice and grinned charmingly at her. “I’m ready when you are.”[/color] He said, offering her the crook of his arm in a rather gentlemanly fashion. “I figured we would drive t’ the restaurant and then walk after that.”[/color] He explained, keeping the details vague for a reason. He wanted to surprise her tonight.
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• • •

TAGGED! His Juliet <3
WORDS! 718
OUTFIT! Sexy Mofo!
LYRICS! Speechless - - - The Veronicas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe felt... good. This was the best she'd been in days now, and it was nice. She'd missed Romeo these last couple days, missed seeing him smile and hearing his booming laugh. And now, knowing that they were about to go on what would no doubt be a fairytale worthy night, it made things ten times better. She was glad he was here, happy they were able to spend one on one time together without having to worry about disturbing customers in a store. Finally, she was looking forward to something again.

The emergency makeover from Ember was helping to boost her confidence to a level Zoe had never had before. She felt like a "real" girl now; one who could have the boys dropping to their knees with a simple flick of her wrist. Not that she'd ever abuse power like that, but, it was still a pleasant feeling to have. There wasn't so much of that shy, unsure young woman who had been spooked the night her Superman had swooped in. She was still there no doubt, just hiding for the time being and hopefully for a long time after that. The helpless feeling didn't suit Zoe at all, but this confident, cool one did. She was already walking taller in the heels, not fidgeting so much with the surprisingly short dress, and not trying to peel the makeup off her face. Maybe she'd have to try this look a little more often.

Zoe smiled with glossed lips as she looked up at Romeo, shaking her head. She knew Ellie was a smart girl, and that the answers to those questions would later be popping up all over the place. Her flower answer was already sitting right in front of her. Unfortunately for her, she had no sibling to pry for her, and was left to her own devices about finding out the little things about Romeo. Maybe she'd have to drill Ellie. "Just remember to thank yer resources for me," she replied, trying not to laugh. It was quite obvious he meant his sister, but Zoe didn't mind. There had been a line of reasoning behind the sudden interrogation, and, now that she entirely realized what it was, she had no objections to it.

Ellie deserved to be a part of this, too, in any little way she could. Zoe didn't want to cause conflict between the two Jervis siblings, and she didn't want Ellie to feel replaced in Romeo's attentions. There would be times where she'd want him to herself, of course, but, ultimately, she knew Ellie came first. She'd seen it on Romeo's face the moment they'd been in a room together. It was plain as day, and it only made her fall harder for him. He sacrificed so much for the girl, a trait Zoe was quick to admire in anybody, and one she wouldn't stand in the way of, no matter how serious or hard things got.

She could feel the eyes on her as she bustled around her apartment. It only brought a flush to her cheeks, making her bite her lip as she trimmed stems. Did he like what he saw? This was the most skin she'd shown in... ever. But, it had seemed to catch his attention. Zoe really should start taking more advice from Ember. "Then let's get'a move on," she smiled sweetly back up at him, slipping her arm through his and pulling him towards the door. She dug her keys out of her tiny purse, stepping outside and closing the heavy piece of wood. Her key slid into the lock, clicking loudly as Romeo spoke again. "Yer still not tellin' me where we're goin', are ya?" she sighed playfully, linking their arms back together, smile bright on her pretty face.

• • •

WORDS: 668!
TAG: Superman to her Rescue ;3
LOCATION: Cloud Nine, With Romeo
OUTFIT: special thanks to ember! <3
LYRICS: "Let Me Down Easy" by Billy Currington
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo hadn’t felt this good in a long time. Maybe he’d never given himself the chance to date again or to give romance another chance, or maybe he was just too swamped with work and Ellie before, but he was more than certain that this lovely, light feeling that had had him floating on air for the last few days was all to do with Zoe. If it was just a date he was looking for, he could’ve asked anyone in the city, but he wasn’t that kind of guy. He wanted something special, something that would mean something and Zoe made him feel good in an indescribable way.

It was like all his worries and stress had been erased and replaced with a sickly happiness that made some of the people around him want to kill him. Ellie was happy for her older brother, but even she had voiced some complaints about his lovesick smile that seemed permanently fixed in place and the way his daydreams would keep him away from reality for prolonged periods of time, usually until one of the employees hit him with a book or until Ellie launched the nearest object at him with great force. A bread roll had caused a food fight so epic that no one should really have been proud of it in the end, but Romeo declared that it would go down in Jervis history and snapped a rather unflattering photo of Ellie with dough and cream in her long, dark locks.

Romeo grinned at her, but didn’t say a word for a few minutes. Siblings had their uses, as he was sure Zoe already knew, given her large family, but he wanted to take a second to mentally remind himself how much Ellie was capable of. Tonight was all about Zoe, and it would be, but he definitely couldn’t have pulled this off without his little sister, which was suicidal to admit out loud, but he promised silently that he would do something to thank her the next time they had a brother sister day and when he had the money spare. Luckily, pay day had just gone by, but he still had normal things to do with his money, like pay the bills and the rent on their small, but homely apartment. That was all stuff he could think about later though, when he didn’t have a beautiful young woman standing before him waiting for him to take her on a date he hoped she wouldn’t forget in a long time. “I’ll pass the message on.”

[/color] He vowed with a small and sincere smile.

He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. He knew Zoe was beautiful, but tonight she was a whole new being, and beautiful didn’t seem to cut it for her. Before now, Romeo had always found it cheesy when in the movies, guys were stunned by a girl’s appearance, but tonight, Zoe really was radiantly breath-taking and the English Literature student with an infamous motor-mouth was rendered speechless.
When he finally pulled himself together, he flashed her the traditional Romeo grin and shook his head. “It’s goin’ t’ be a surprise, love.”[/color] He answered, prepared for a possible onslaught of questions that she may throw at him now in order to get an answer from him. Well, she would just have to trust him, because he wasn’t about to say another word to her.
He led her to where his car was parked and then, like a true gentleman, he held the passenger door open for her, watching as she climbed in to make sure she didn’t hit her head, or the seat didn’t shoot back like Ellie so often accused the furniture of doing whenever she climbed in.

This was it.
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• • •

TAGGED! His Juliet <3
WORDS! 662
OUTFIT! Sexy Mofo!
LYRICS! Speechless - - - The Veronicas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe was feeling things she'd never even thought were real. All those butterflies girls swooned over in romance novels? Yup, they were there. The breathtaking moments where she and Romeo got so close, it was a miracle they didn't end up kissing? Yeah, those had happened already. Her falling head over heels faster than she'd ever thought realistically possible? Mhm, that was real, too. But, after the shock at noticing that all the lovey-dovey crap existed, Zoe was happy about it. She was glad her heart could flutter like this, and that she could have somebody who never failed to make her smile, even when she'd been in one of her worst of nights. She was glad Romeo was here, and that they were going on a date, and that this was all happening. She was glad she was finally getting out of the tiny bubble she'd long ago created for herself.

She was very aware of his eyes on her, and it brought a faint blush to her already colored cheeks. Zoe wanted him to look at her tonight. Heck, that was the whole reason Ember had even found out about all of this; she needed the advice on exactly how to catch her Prince Charming's eye. It seemed like it was working, and it caused a small breath of relief to pass her lips. She was afraid he wouldn't like the change, or would think she was trying too hard for something she honestly just wanted to work out well. If that meant her taking a little extra care of her appearance for a night or two, then she'd do it, as long as he'd keep looking at her with those handsome eyes like he was now.

"A'course, I shoulda known," she laughed softly, smiling back up at him as they made their way back downstairs. Zoe was only partially oblivious to the people they passed, but she did pick up a few curious stares and the shocked look of the doorman. Very rarely did she get dressed up, so that in itself brought many eyes to her. The fact that she was with a guy, however, was probably what was drawing the most attention to the bright-eyed blonde. This was the first time she had ever walked down from her apartment on the arm of a guy, or even with a guy for that matter. Andrew had been upstairs a few times to get Ember but, other than that, it was the oddest thing many of these residents saw. Zoe wasn't concerned about all that tonight, though she would be questioned tomorrow, there was no doubt about it. For now, all she needed to focus on was surviving the date without falling over in these death-traps her friend had conned her into wearing.

She stopped in front of his car, smile softening as he opened her door for her. "Thank ya," she said, climbing into the car as gracefully as her heels allowed. This was all officially starting now; it was time to see if Miss Zoe was as ready as she claimed to be about taking to the town.

• • •

WORDS: 551!
TAG: Superman to her Rescue ;3
LOCATION: Cloud Nine, With Romeo
OUTFIT: special thanks to ember! <3
LYRICS: "Let Me Down Easy" by Billy Currington
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Tonight, Romeo intended to sweep Zoe off her feet and show her exactly what the city could offer. He was concrete jungle through and through and whilst he never wanted his country mouse to lose her own ways, he wanted to introduce her to his world through more than just words and stories he had been told across the many years. So, he had planned this date accordingly, hoping to woo her like no other guy could. He knew the secret places that went missed by so many of the tourists and students and had memorised the shortcuts down to the harbour to avoid all the pestering locals who swarmed the sidewalks throughout the day and night. He didn’t know if Zoe would care if anyone she knew saw them tonight, but Romeo had hoped that it would just be them, alone, together without needing to politely greet anyone else. New York was a big city and theoretically, the chances of it happening were slim, but in real life scenarios there was a legitimate reason why the phrase ‘it’s a small world’ was coined in the first place.

Plus, on a more selfish note, he didn’t want anyone else to see her like this. Tonight, he wanted Zoe all to himself and whilst it was an innocent first date, he was still a man and he would still revert to the caveman if anyone else’s eyes landed on the small blonde woman. It wasn’t that he was a jealous man, but Romeo did want to pick Zoe up and keep her all to himself for the foreseeable future, though kidnapping was frowned upon for a reason, and he would simply have to control himself on those grounds.

Once in the car, Romeo lowered the radio down, the sounds of The Fray providing the background music to their journey. He didn’t want to dwell too much on the night that had recently passed, but he was concerned about Zoe and felt it rude not to address the matter of her hand. “’Ow’s the ‘and?”

[/color] He asked softly as he moved out into the rest of the traffic and towards their first destination of the night. He didn’t want her to remember too much, but he was determined to quell any fears or nightmares that may try to haunt her tonight. He had already been the hero once before, so why not again, now? It was a role he was more than happy to fulfil and hopefully, Zoe would continue to let him play Superman without the ridiculous costume.

The small, quaint restaurant Romeo had opted for wasn’t all that far from Zoe’s apartment, and with the traffic not as bad as usual, they were there in plenty of time for them to enjoy their meal without any need to rush. He was feeling a little nervous now as he parked the car in the lot by the restaurant, quickly moving to play the gentleman and hold the door open for Zoe, offering her his hand to assist her out of the car. Not all girls liked that chivalrous game, but Romeo was the kind of guy who still believed in it, and if his name didn’t suggest that, then he didn’t know what else would. “I insist on y’ gettin’ dessert ‘ere, by the way.”[/color] He told her, smiling cheekily at her.
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• • •

TAGGED! His Juliet <3
WORDS! 599
OUTFIT! Sexy Mofo!
LYRICS! Speechless - - - The Veronicas
NOTES! Eurgh, this is shocking >.<

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Even though she'd never admit it out loud to another soul (other than Ember, of course) all of the change in Zoe tonight was for Romeo. Her hair, the makeup, the heels: they were all for him. She did it to make him look at her tonight, just her and none of those other girls who'd no doubt be lurking in the background. This evening was supposed to be all about them and, if he got bored staring at plain little her, she'd feel insanely horrible. It was why she'd called in the cavalry also known as her closest and dearest friend. From the amazed look on his face earlier, Zoe was hoping she'd done a good enough job to please him.

Honestly, she joined in the idea of not seeing anyone else tonight. Zoe wanted to have him all to herself for once. No other employees or customers, no little sisters, simply the two of them finally alone. And finally on a perfect date that she still had no clue what contained. It was amusing her how he'd still stuck to keeping the secret, but it also gave the night a very romantic surprise feel that she'd never gotten the chance to experience before. These were all things she should've been expecting, sure, but they still surprised her and made her fall one drop harder for her Romeo.

Zoe's smile didn't falter as he questioned the well-being of her hand. It seemed to be a popular topic with those closest to her today, didn't it? Between Ember and him, how was she ever supposed to forget about it? Shaking the slightly frustrated thought off, she answered quietly, "Better. Not as bad as the last time ya saw it, at least." The bruising was still there, and it was still sore as soon as her pills wore off, but it was healing. Slowly. "And yers?" Switching the topic off of herself was a habit of hers, though a useful one. Plus, maybe he wouldn't delve deeper into the nightmares of paranoia she'd been having since he dropped her back at her own apartment. But the sooner this subject was out of the way, the better. Then they could finally move past it and embrace what was already promising to be a wonderful night.

Her eyes quickly took in the restaurant as he found a place to park. Already, that dark fear was clawing at the back of her mind. It was dark already, early as it was, and that put her on edge. Zoe could honestly say she hadn't been out past dark since that night and wouldn't be for awhile at least. It was too frightening to consider the idea of Attack #2, this time minus the Superman. Taking a deep breath as his door closed behind him, she carefully unbuckled her seatbelt, smiling as he reappeared on her side. Zoe's wobble as she stepped out was barely noticable, but she did clutch his hand tighter for a second as she regained her balance. "I'll be sure ta order somethin' vanilla," she teased, keeping their hands together as she gently closed her door. Zoe smiled back up at him, the most at ease she'd been in days.

• • •

WORDS: 572!
TAG: Superman to her Rescue ;3
LOCATION: Cloud Nine, With Romeo
OUTFIT: special thanks to ember! <3
LYRICS: "Let Me Down Easy" by Billy Currington
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo hoped that he looked good enough for tonight, especially with Zoe looking so damn amazing. He wasn’t the kind of guy who could find that medium between casual and formal so easily, which was why he relied on Ellie to point him in the right direction. Without the sixteen year olds help there was every chance he would’ve turned up in a full blown tuxedo, looking like he was about to embark on a save the world mission complete with futuristic gadgets and with Zoe as his love interest, though at least the latter part would be correct.

He sneaked a glance at her hand when his attention wasn’t fully needed on turning the car, or merging lanes. It didn’t look as bad as the night she had injured it, or the morning after, but he caught a glimpse of the bruising that remained and he figured it would be safe to bet that it still hurt like hell when Zoe moved it too much. “At least it’s gettin’ beh’er.”

[/color] He said, before chuckling at her question and looking down at his own fingers wrapped around the steering wheel. The bruising was a sickly green shade now and only the worst of the cuts remained on his knuckles, though they were tiny now and the healing process was well under way. In fact, until she had mentioned it, he hadn’t even paid his own injury much attention. It had been his lip that bothered him the most, but it was healed now, if just a little tender when he grinned for longer than a few seconds. “Aye, mine’s good now.”[/color] He stated with a soft nod of his head. Romeo didn’t want to dwell on the horror of that night anymore when they were supposed to be on a date and good things were meant to come from this, not fresh reminders of the nightmares of reality and the brutish sense of humanity that possessed the minority of mortals who roamed the streets.

He smiled as he held her hand, chuckling softly as she mentioned the dessert. “Coincidentally enough this place does do an amazing vanilla cheesecake.”[/color] He told her, smirking in amusement as he led her across the concrete towards the dimly lit porch of the restaurant. Romeo held the door open for Zoe, his hand still clutching hers as they stepped inside, waiting patiently for the host to come and seat them. It happened to be a rather sophisticated man with a humble New York accent who greeted them and Romeo managed a smile back at him as he mentioned their reservation. “Aye, I called earlier and booked a table for two – Jervis.”[/color] He said, watching as the man marked his name from the book and then led them towards the back of the restaurant where the wall was almost entirely of glass and provided a dimly lit view of the water and a small garden area that in the summer months provided way for outdoor seating. The table was almost perfect for tonight and Romeo was thanking his lucky stars for being on his side tonight. He hadn’t even thought of requesting a table, but at least over here they were far away from any families or rowdy customers. He held Zoe’s chair out for her, keeping up the gentleman act that was part of his natural disposition.
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• • •

TAGGED! His Juliet <3
WORDS! 598
OUTFIT! Sexy Mofo!
LYRICS! Speechless - - - The Veronicas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

They hadn't even been together an hour yet, and, already, Zoe couldn't keep a shy smile from her lips. She was so happy to finally be back around Romeo after their tragic night, and to see him smiling back at her much differently than he had a few days ago. Tonight, all those fears had lifted for awhile, leaving behind a light-hearted atmosphere that suited her well. It was better than being worried about injuries or nightmares, at any rate. Hopefully, though, tonight would leave her with some new memories to fill dreams instead of dreaded alternatives.

Zoe's own eyes flickered down to her bruised hand, saddening for one moment. It was the only piece of her that couldn't be covered with makeup because, surely, that would be rubbed off in a matter of minutes. And, to her, it ruined the "country princess" look she was trying to pull off. A blue and black hand was not, in any world, pretty and it therefore caused her to frown. And, every time her eyes caught sight of it, it was also a reminder of the night that had led them to this current state. If only she'd been able to heal faster. "It'll be fine soon anough," she promised. Holding her hand up, she made a show of wiggling her fingers slightly, proving she could move them and that the hand was in fact healing. It stung, sure, but she didn't mind. She needed to get used to moving it again. "See? Almost good as new." Zoe's eyes flickered to his hand on the steering wheel, trying to see if his answer was as half-true as hers. His hand looked better than hers, at least, and his fingers seemed healed enough to grip the wheel. Then again, his injury also hadn't seemed as bad as hers; at least not to her. Maybe she'd need to take a few private lessons on throwing punches. "Yer lip healin' well, too? That split was pretty nasty," she questioned, not daring to examine that feature of his face. If she did, the temptation would flare in her again and, at the moment, she couldn't afford that slip up.

With a deep breath, Zoe focused on the heel walking lesson Ember had been drilling her in. One foot in front of the other, heel before toe, and let your hips swing... easy enough. Right? She let most of her mind repeat the words over and over as she walked across the parking lot, clutching Romeo's hand tight and trying to catch what he'd answered her with. "No ice cream?" she teased back, managing a small smile between her teeth-gritting battle with balance. Her hand felt tingly and warm linked with his, and it caused her smile to widen a bit. She was still very much concerned with not falling but it was letting up as they reached the door. Zoe strutted through with all the confidence she posessed, not releasing Romeo's hand as they entered and waited for their seats.

Zoe let her eyes wander around the place as he spoke with the host, smiling to herself and the quaint surroundings. For her, it was perfect and simple; not too much or too little. Of course, she loved it ten times more when they were cuddled up on a couch whispering and "flirting" with each other, but that was hardly right for a first date. Blinking back to reality, Zoe followed after Romeo as they were led back to their table. Her eyes filled with awe as the large window came into view and she had to keep herself from nearly tripping as her attention froze. She recovered as best she could, taking refuge in her chair and giving Romeo a big smile before turning her eyes back to the view. "So this is the big surprise. A fancy dinner with a view," she said, eyes twinkling as her glossy lips continued to grin.

• • •

WORDS: 700!
TAG: Superman to her Rescue ;3
LOCATION: Cloud Nine, With Romeo
OUTFIT: special thanks to ember! <3
LYRICS: "Let Me Down Easy" by Billy Currington
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo didn’t want Zoe to relive the pain and nightmares of the other night. He wanted this date to stand out as something much different than what had happened outside of Borders and the…somewhat crazy night that seemed to follow from that incident. He wanted there to be another night she would associate with him, one with happier memories and much less pain. Hopefully this date would be the start of it for her; for both of them.

He glanced momentarily at her hand, wanting to see the damage for himself, knowing how Zoe had insisted it was ‘fine’ the other night, repeatedly, even when Romeo commented otherwise at several opportunities. The injury was still there, plain for the world to see if they were seeking for it. It did look like it was healing a bit better and Romeo could see that it would soon be fine, almost as if it didn’t happen. Physically, Zoe would look like there was no harm done, but her mind would remember for a long time, even when she didn’t realise it. Romeo, if he knew anything, knew that. However, that was something he didn’t want to think about tonight, either. He smiled softly, nodding along for now. There really wasn’t much he could say. “Aye, it’ll be right as rain soon enough.”

[/color] He said quietly.
At the mention of his lip, Romeo ran his tongue across the surface and it tingled where the skin was still a little tender. “The lip heals faster than you can imagine and I’ve had worse over the years.”[/color] He said with a grin, though in his mind he was counting the amount of times that same injury had marred his features. At least now, this time, it was healed and Zoe wouldn’t see it every time she looked at him tonight.

He chuckled softly, smiling again as they walked across the parking lot, his hand in hers. He could sense the small struggle she seemed to be having with her heels, only recognising the signs from when Ellie brought her first pair of killer heels; the pair that now lived in her wardrobe. No sixteen year old had a need to wear shoes like that, but owning them, Ellie had said, was like a rite of passage. “Ice cream, with me, only comes from that diner I took y’ too.”[/color] That place really was heavenly when it came to cold sugary treats that warmed everyone’s heart. In Romeo’s opinion, there was no place in the city that compared to that quaint diner, but tonight he wanted something more date-like, more special with which to impress and charm Zoe and this restaurant was one of the best choices out there.

He took his seat and smiled across at the beautiful Zoe. There was an affectionate and charming twinkle locked into his green eyes every time he looked at her and this time there was nothing different. Hell, it even came with that lopsided smirk he wore so well whenever he was relaxed and happy. “This? No, this isn’t the surprise, this is just coincidence. The surprise comes after the meal.”[/color] The waiter came to their table and handed them the leather bound menus and topped up the complimentary water glasses. It was never like anyone would pay for them anyway, by now, Romeo believed the whole of New York knew the tap water/bottle water scheme. “So, what’s grabbing your attention?”[/color] He asked as he unfolded his menu, his eyes flickering from her to the words on the paper.
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• • •

TAGGED! His Juliet <3
WORDS! 628
OUTFIT! Sexy Mofo!
LYRICS! Speechless - - - The Veronicas
NOTES! <3