• The Stars Stay Up •

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe just smiled at him when he said he was taking care of her. She already knew that, and she was actually enjoying it to no end. It produced a reason for him to hold her hand and, while she couldn't really feel it, she was very aware of how close his skin was to hers. Then again, she always was whenever he touched her. Tonight had included more small caresses than ever before however, and Zoe was saving each and every one in her mind. She may have just been attacked, but Romeo was doing a fantastic job of ridding her mind of the terrorizing thoughts for now. Thinking about how hurt he might be made her panic again though. She didn't want him banged up all because of her. One bad hand was already enough. If his was as bad as hers, she'd be screaming at herself inside her head.

Hearing that he'd washed the probably bleeding knuckles quieted her self conscious up a little. At least he wouldn't get some nasty disease because of his heroic efforts of the night. Zoe knew it'd make a good story, but she wasn't planning on telling it to anyone. Her friends would guess something was up thanks to her quickly coloring hand and the fact that she'd be more jumpy and frightened than usual. Explaining would cause the unseen wounds to open again, and she'd be trying to heal them as fast as she could. "Maybe ya are doctor material then," she teased. His sofa was comfy, and she'd have no problem sleeping there tonight. She assumed that's where she'd be, anyways.

When he moved his arm and hand, a flood of relief washed over Zoe. If he could move, he was already in better shape than she was. That didn't mean he should be stressing the injury more over her however, which she knew but was too selfish to protest against. She wanted him to stay like this, keep holding her hand and smiling at her. "Promise? I don't want ya even more hurt just 'cause of me." If his hand ended up as screwed as hers was, that would devastate her. She knew how bad the pain was, and normally Zoe dealt with pain well. Complaining and blubbering weren't in her nature, and she'd developed a shield against most of the injuries that had happened in her past. They'd helped to build up the wall which had shattered in mere seconds this evening. She blocked herself from thinking about it though, for about the hundreth time. It kept popping up! It was starting to annoy her. That fact that her always controlled self was rebeling tonight was pressing her tolerance level. Things usually didn't get to her like this. She'd smile and brush it all off without a second thought, pack up her troubles and carry on her way. Not that she could pick anything up right now, thanks to her hand. Before the ghosts of pain could tease her again, Romeo was laughing, destroying the darkness with a ray of sunshine. "Maybe ya would win then, if she left me there all by myself," she smiled back gently, the words "by myself" scraping against her ears. It wasn't a phrase she liked right now, not at all.

They continued to bounce around as snippets from before flased up again as their conversation turned to her punch. The feeling of something brushing her neck, the smack of her hand connecting with the guy's face, the blackness that had taken over her as soon as Romeo spoke to her. His words calmed her rough mind and she looked back up into his eyes when he touched her chin. He was right. Everything was over. She was safe. And he'd promised not to let anything or anyone hurt her. Zoe would be fine. "It's over, I should be fine," she mused, pulling her face from his hand and looking down at her lap. The key word in that was should. She was far from fine right now, as her aching hand and soaring mind proved.

Thinking about her little cat seemed to relax her for the moment though. Tessie would be a comfort to her the moment she curled around her ankles, which Zoe knew. Sharing her would be hard for awhile, but she'd surrender the dear to help amuse Ellie. A small laugh fell from her lips and she nodded. The pet was definitely distracting, and had pulled Zoe from her studies more than once. "Just tell Ellie that she won't get to see her again if she doesn't multi-task," she said. "School work's more important than playin' with a kitten." Ha, where was this lecturing before her exams!?

Chinese food plus a possibly upset stomach. That sounded very logical. Not! Zoe should've caught this before! If the spices messed up her stomach, her head would have no problem with letting her vomit. And riding in a car wouldn't help anything either. Ugh. There was no getting around this, was there? Well, she'd just have to hope her body didn't fail her again. Going back to her apartment would allow her a chance to get clothes and, though it was childish, the quilt her mother had sent up with her. The rainbow of patches was very dear to Zoe, and she never failed to fall asleep with it wrapped snugly around her. It was the closest thing she could get to her Mama's hugs these days. "Some pj's would be nice right 'bout now. And I'll write it down for you before we leave," she smiled back at him. The building wouldn't be too hard to find, and she could tell you the way up to her apartment by heart now. At first, she'd gotten lost almost daily in the huge and confusing city. But, no she knew what streets surrounded her building and if she could find one of those, she could get home in a wink. She trusted Romeo not to get lost however. Afterall, cities were his element, right? Maybe teenage girls' sleepovers were on his list of "skills," too. Living with a younger sister probably meant he had to be. "Us? That mean you're punishin' her by makin' her wait on me, too?" she joked, hoping he hadn't been serious. Zoe liked Ellie already and she hoped the girl returned it, but she didn't want to see her running around like Romeo. One Jervis was enough for her!

Zoe chewed the inside of her lip when she saw how un-Romeo-like his hair was becoming. It was falling into his face, something she'd never seen it do before. Hesitantly, she reached out with her free hand, brushing a few strands of bronze from his gorgeous eyes. Her fingers lingered on his skin, tracing down his temple before retracting themselves. She smiled at him after, laughing quietly at his words. "I've been on my own for a few years. This havin' a personal slave stuff'll take a bit of gettin' used to," she teased, watching the playfulness die off his features. Her face moved almost willingly when his fingers touched her chin again, and she looked back into his eyes. Zoe gave him a nod, focusing on this gentleness instead of the anger she'd seen earlier. "You're scary when you wanna be," she whispered quietly, her voice trying to lighten the mood again by being playful. Zoe didn't want to think about how she believed Romeo to have scared the crap out of her attacker. She wanted to think about the fact that he was touching her. Again. And then his arms were around her, causing her heart to almost stop along with her mind. She instinctively cuddled into the embrace, allowing herself to bury her face in his chest again. His scent overwhelmed her senses and any ideas of fear washed clean out of her brain. Zoe was safe right here in his arms and she didn't want to move. She tilted her head to look up at him, smiling weakly when he said she was jumpy. "I know I am with you here," she replied softly, voice tender with the emotions she wished she could tell him about. She couldn't though, not tonight. Not after all this. "Yeah. Let's go," she nodded, pulling out of his cozy arms reluctantly. Her body felt a bit colder now without the strong girders around her, but she brushed it off. He was just being a good friend, nothing more. He couldn't possibly have feelings for her. She just had to keep telling herself that. It was hard for her to truly believe it though.

• • •

WORDS: 1562!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Household
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

He wanted her to forget. He wanted her to forget it all. It wouldn’t be easy and Romeo wished he could wave a magic wand and erase all the awful memories of today. She had been so full of smiles, jokes and laughter when they were in Borders and now she sat on his sofa, almost the complete opposite. Romeo had managed to crack a few jokes, draw out a few smiles here and there, but it was nothing like it normally was; nothing like he was used to. He was doing his best, pulling out all of the stops to help her relax and bring back the Zoe that he knew so well, but it seemed to be effective for only a short period of time. It was annoying ironic. He’d been there, helped her and known her for longer, yet the guy who was in her life for less than one minute had a bigger effect on her than one of Romeo’s goofy jokes and silly remarks.

Romeo had been in his fair share of scraps and scrapes. His mother had taught him basic first aid at a young age and his position at Borders meant that he had to undertake yearly courses on first aid, just in case anyone almost died when he was in work. He hadn’t had to attend to any injury, big or small though yet. Although, he did question what possible injuries could be sustained in a book store, other than a paper cut. Sure, they hurt like hell, but he doubted anyone would bleed out or require mouth to mouth because of them. He wasn’t exactly fit to enrol in college to study medicine or anything, but he could look after himself and anyone else who needed basic attention. Zoe’s injury and his own were nothing too much for him, he just hoped that her hand was simply badly bruised. Broken bones would require a trip to the hospital and with Zoe’s mental state and his busted lip and hand, they’d be a sight indeed for half of the people down there. Plus, he didn’t think that Zoe wanted the unnecessary attention and looks from people passing by them. “Finally, she sees sense.”

[/color] He joked, messing up her hair in that playful manner that he hoped she was accustomed to by now.

He smiled at her, his eyes flicking from her hand to her face. “I promise, alright? Now, stop ya frettin’. These are just average battle wounds from city scraps. I could show you worse scars, love.”[/color] He said, hoping that she would stop worrying so much about him now and focus on just relaxing and forgetting all about the nightmare that had been this evening. Even the toughest of people met their match at times. His sister was a tough girl and he knew tougher girls back home in Liverpool. It was a rare occurrence, but he’d seen most of them breakdown at times, when things became too much for them. He’d even help settle some of their problems at time, but usually that was with verbal diplomacy, not flying fists. He had a way with people; charisma that people lacked in the modern world some of the time, especially when it was important.
“’Ey, our El’s loyal. She won’t run off on ya, but she’ll prob’ly stand back and just yell at me. Not exactly the most use that she could be, like.”[/color] He told her, remembering countless times when Ellie had offered to help him with things and spent half of the time sitting on the sofa, telling him things were straight or hanging loose, never really noticing her struggling brother try and hoist something up.

Romeo knew she wasn’t alright. He could practically see the whole scene replaying in her dark eyes as if it were a movie. If only it were something as simple. Real life had a way of making things grittier though and even with the news and the sights he had seen over the years, city life still surprised Romeo from time to time. He wasn’t so much surprised by what had happened but he wouldn’t wish anything like that on anyone and especially not on Zoe. Hopefully, he’d roughed the guy up enough so that he was rocking back and forth now, scared that Romeo might just appear for another beating. Nasty thoughts maybe, but he didn’t see why he should get away with attacking Zoe when she was clearly still shook up by it all. “But are ya fine?”[/color] He hoped that she was honest with him. It probably killed her to think about it again, but Romeo would rather be told about it, so that he could actually help her, rather than sitting there, simply being the ice boy.

Romeo chuckled, scratching the back of his head as he imagined a small cat running amok around his relatively tidy apartment and Ellie chasing after it. He knew he should probably make Ellie do her homework, but as he often reiterated to friends and strangers, he was her brother, not her father and he wouldn’t ever act like that. She was making decent grades and one night wouldn’t damage her too much. No, tonight he was focusing on Zoe. He’d write the note for Ellie and send her on her way the next morning, explaining the situation without revealing too many details. “Aye, well, I think tonight, I’ll be too knackered to be chasin’ after her, chasin’ after a cat.”[/color] He said. The punches had tired him out a little, not enough for sleeping, but enough so that he would happily sit in one place for the entire night.

“Alright. You make feel a bit comfier once you’re changed.”[/color] Normally by now Romeo would have shed his own jeans and shirt into the hamper and be settled in a plain t-shirt and either an old pair of sweatpants or just his boxer shorts, depending on company and the weather. His attire wasn’t exactly high on his list of priorities for now though. However, comfort was important and given everything that the young girl had been through and the fact that she had been coerced into spending the night in a strange apartment, so Romeo’s next challenge would be to make sure she was as comfy as she could be. That would mean him sacrificing his queen sized bed hidden behind the only closed door of the apartment. His room was a lot cosier, comfier and warmer than the rest of the apartment and Romeo would spend the whole night feeling guilty if Zoe was on the sofa. As for him? He’d spend the night on the sofa, watching TV, reading a book...generally just staying awake in case either of his girls needed him. His girls? He probably had to stop thinking that, but it was easier said than done.
“Us? Oh, another thing I say. Us, confusingly means ‘me’. I tend not to say it as much now, but well, I’m at ‘ome, it’s natural for the native tongue to slip out.”[/color] He confessed, not even realising the sudden change in vocabulary.

He felt his skin tingle as Zoe brushed his hair away. He hadn’t even realised that it was falling out of place until that point. When her fingertips moved away, the sparks beneath his flesh lingered and Romeo raked his fingers through his hair, ‘fixing’ it entirely. He smiled reassuringly at Zoe. “You’re not alone now, love. I’ll prob’ly bug you to death forever now.”[/color] A joke to lighten the mood. Romeo’s methods never did change and clearly, he thought they were good enough to continue working with them.
He smiled a little more. Zoe thought he was scary?! That was a first. No one ever saw Romeo as the scary sort, but then again, maybe he’d inherited it from his father. He’d rather not get anything from that man, but he had to admit, he could be a terrifying presence in the home. “It’s just genetics. Tap into them when I want.”[/color] He said, unsure of what else he could say. His dad was in his head now and Romeo chewed on his already, extremely sore lip, to stop himself from saying something he’d regret or coming across angry as the flashbacks flooded his brain.
Romeo held her close, not wanting to let her go, liking the idea that she felt safe with him. “Well, ya stuck with me for now.”[/color] He told her with a smile, reluctantly pulling away before the overly long hug creeped her out and made her more scared than safe. He grabbed his keys and the ice and then held his hand out for Zoe. He wasn’t sure how steady she’d be on her feet yet and didn’t want her causing more injury to herself. “You’ll have to ‘old the ice yourself in the car, love. I doubt you want me to crash us into a lamppost.”[/color]
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1541
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe was trying her hardest to smile, she really was. She just... couldn't. Like Romeo had already noted, she was no actress. She couldn't pull off fake happiness, even if her very life depended on it. Besides, she was already nervous because of where she was, which made smiling harder. The whole attack thing just made everything worse. She was attempting to just focus on Romeo, the fact that he was sitting mere inches from her and that he was holding her hand. It worked for awhile, but every time she looked up she saw the scarred lip that marred his perfect features and every time she looked down, there was his poorly bandaged hand. They made the memories resurface, scratch deeper into her memory. It wasn't his fault though, and she knew that. The blame fell on the stupid, selfish guy that decided to attempt and steal her purse.

Romeo, however, could be accused of making her heart flutter and shooting sparks up her arm from his touch, though her hand was still very much numb. The cloud that was hanging over her face vanished for a moment when he ruffled her hair, and a faint smile touched her lips at his words. His playfulness was working slowly but surely, as she figured it would. If anyone could cheer her up besides her family, it was most definitely the man sitting before her. His comforts didn't stop her from worrying about him though. It was just her nature to be overly caring of anyone but herself. "I don't think that'll be happenin'. I'm the one who caused 'em, it's only right I fix 'em," she replied firmly. Zoe felt horrible already. She was staying in his apartment, she'd brought harm to him, and she was making him drive all the way to her apartment and back just so she could get her cat. The least she could do was worry about his well-being!

A light laugh echoed from her lips when he explained about Ellie, and her smile increased just a bit. It sounded like something her own sisters would do, and she couldn't keep the warm thought from entering her mind. Thinking of home helped to calm her, no matter what or who she'd been shaken up by. "Her bark's worse than her bite, huh?" she smiled gently, watching his eyes gleam over with memories like hers had done. She could picture Ellie screaming at Romeo, Zoe laughing as she sprawled across his chest, trying to get him to hold still and failing utterly. It actually sounded like a pretty pleasant scene, and she got caught up in the day dream for a moment. It was one of the only nice ones her mind had produced this evening, and one of the better ones she'd ever had involving Romeo. Her head couldn't stay rain free forever, especially since it was on a death march tonight. The sunshine quickly disappeared as their conversation turned to the darker events of the evening. Zoe couldn't help but shake her head "no" when Romeo asked if she was alright. She wasn't, not at all. She wanted to just curl up and cry, heal the tender wound with salt water. Actually, she wanted to curl up in Romeo's lap and cry, be snuggled and protected and feel as numb as her hand was becoming for awhile.

She tried her best to shake the thoughts though, watching their hands and regaining her focus. His laugh made her smile again, washing away a little more of her pain. The expression faded though when she realized the kitten might cause trouble for him, especially since he was probably as worn out as she was. She didn't want to burden him any more than she already was, especially not with something this selfish. "W-We don't have to bring Tess over if she'll be a problem. I just gotta feed her so she don't starve," she said quietly, keeping her eyes down as she spoke. Zoe wanted her pet there to cuddle with since she figured that was the last thing on the planet Romeo would ever want. She wanted to know that at least one being loved her. Sure, she knew he wouldn't let anything happen to her, but it wasn't like he would be sleeping right next to her tonight, wrapping those strong arms around her and reassuring her that she was still safe. Tess couldn't do the latter, but she could snuggle up to her owner and give her some sense of normality.

"Yeah, I probably will. Besides, I'd really like to brush my teeth 'fore I fall asleep," she joked, redeeming her smile with some effort. Zoe wasn't a germ freak, but she was in the medical field, even if it was for animals instead of humans. She liked to feel clean and to look, or smell, it, too. Would he let her take a shower tomorrow morning? It was an awkward thought, especially since she wouldn't be able to open any of the shampoo or body wash bottles herself if her hand was still this sore. Plus, bathing at another person's house, especially a guy's, was just straight-out awkward to her. Zoe figured he'd keep her hostage most of tomorrow, too, so she wouldn't be able to escape home for an hour. Not like she'd be able to find her way there, anyways. And it'd be rude to make him sit in her little apartment while she showered. Hopefully, she'd be able to find some perfume in her room and throw that in her bag. If she was most likely not going to be alotted a shower, she needed something to make her smell fresh.

Zoe's feverish forehead furrowed as he explained about his meaning of "us." She understood that she was in his place of relaxation now, so she'd probably be asking meanings constantly. "That is a bit confusin'," she nodded. "But, yeah. As long as ya don't mind me askin' what you're sayin', I don't mind what terms ya use," she laughed gently. Honestly, she didn't care as long as she clearly understood what he was saying. Not like that was ever possible when Romeo was around, but she'd gotten semi-used to it by now. She'd even picked up a term here and there, though she could hardly comprehend the conversation that he'd had with Ellie before. They had spoken quickly, with thicker accents, and with more combinations of words than she'd ever heard either of them use in past conversations.

"I don't think I'd mind if ya did," Zoe blurted out without thinking. The moment the words re-played in her mind, her pale cheeks colored a very light shade of pink. She couldn't believe she'd just said that! And to him, of all people! Averting her eyes again to try and cool her warming cheeks, Zoe blinked up in surprise when she heard his tone of voice change. Had she struck a nerve with calling him scary? He was frightening, that was for sure, but who had he gotten it from? From what she'd learned, his mother wasn't overly scary. She'd never heard about his father, not from him or Ellie, and she'd never been nosey enough to ask. Maybe that was the parent who gave him the fighting trait. His face seemed to have darkened though, and he was biting his split lip again. Hesitantly, Zoe placed one index finger on his lip, avoiding the most swollen area as much as she could. "Hey, stop bitin' it. You'll make it worse," she whispered, her hand going back to resting in her lap again. She dropped the previous subject politely, letting it get buried like she was trying to do with her own memories right now.

The tension coursing throughout her body eased when his arms went around her, and she leaned against him as much as she dared. She frowned a little when he released her, wanting to dive back into safety and comfort the moment she left it. "And you're stuck with me," she smiled back at him, watching him get up. When he offered her a hand, she blinked at it for a moment. He wanted her to stand up, but Zoe didn't know how stable she was yet. That was what his hand was for. Not because he wanted to hold her hand anymore. Carefully, she took his hand, biting her lip and pulling herself up. Her legs, surprisingly, only shook slightly, then regained their usual balance. A breath blew past of her lips as she tried to take in what he was saying. "I don't think either of us needs anymore excitement tonight," she agreed with a nod, internally sighing at the fact that he wouldn't be holding her hand for awhile now. "Did you want me to write down my address yet? And where's my bag?" she asked quickly, glancing around her. There was a scrap of paper and a pen somewhere in her purse, if only she could find it.

• • •

WORDS: 1625!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo knew that he couldn’t take away the painful memories of the night. They were everywhere. Zoe’s agonising pain for her hand was harder to remove than the rest, but he himself was wearing battle scars in the form of his busted lip and hand. If he could hide it, he would, but unless he resorted to wearing gloves (which he didn’t own) and a mask (which would take a while to find) he would simply have to grin and bear it.

He caught the faint smile on her face and if his lip would’ve allowed him, he would’ve grinned. That was all he wanted right now. He just wanted to see a glimpse of happiness that, hopefully, he could use to make Zoe laugh again; the laugh he was used to hearing. He didn’t realise how eerie it sounded when she wasn’t laughing until now. Romeo was determined to have her laughing by the time she left the apartment the next day. If he didn’t…well then there was every chance of a hostage situation occurring. The young Englishman wasn’t used to being unable to bring laughter to a person and he refused to fail at it this time. Whether that was because pride wouldn’t allow him to or simply because his heart was pounding hard enough to break free, was another matter entirely.
It would also make him happier if the young girl stopped fretting over him. He was taking care of her whether she liked it or not. Zoe had yet to see just how stubborn a guy Romeo could be. “You didn’t cause ‘em, love. It was me own stupid fault. An’ I don’t need fixin’. I’m good. Promise.”

[/color] He told her, trying so hard to convince her to relax. Romeo felt no pain at all aside from a slight sting of his hand when he moved his knuckles to brashly against the fabric of the bandages.

“Aye, that’s for sure. Partly my fault though. I taught ‘er to act tough, but only resort to it if she needed to.”[/color] It was kind of like his own approach to violence, but Romeo tended to fight to protect others more than himself. He had told Ellie only to do it if she was threatened. Maybe it was his brotherly instincts that made him do that. He was the guy who wanted to protect everyone he cared about, rather than worry about himself. He’d been lucky to never get into a great deal of bother with his own problems and concerns, but that was Romeo. He’d negotiate and use diplomacy to deal with his own life, but he’d quickly resort to his fists if someone else needed him to.
He watched as Zoe seemed to get caught in a pleasant daydream; well he assumed it was pleasant for the dark clouds seemed to fade from her eyes for a very short period of time, until Romeo questioned her wellbeing after the evening. The soft shake of her head make Romeo’s heart sink. If only he’d not spent so much time loitering at his locker, then maybe none of this would’ve happened. If he’d been outside a few moments earlier, he could’ve caught up to Zoe before the attacker even had time to target her and maybe now they’d be here having a different conversation.
Romeo didn’t quite know how the evening would’ve panned out if that had happened, but he knew how he’d have liked it to go, and maybe, that fantasy would be the thing to bring the sunshine back to Zoe’s life. “Listen, ‘ow about, we get comfortable for the night. We’ll make a fort of duvets and blankets if you like, veg out on the sofa and watch ‘appy cheesy movies. ‘Ow does that sound?”[/color] It was something Ellie did when she was feeling a bit down and a movie night would be the kind of thing he’d have done under normal circumstances if he had a beautiful girl sitting just inches away from him. It might just be the thing to get Zoe’s mind off the night and between Romeo and Ellie, they had a very impressive DVD collection.

Romeo feeling exhausted was a common occurrence for him. He had to balance work, his sister and his social life and half of the time he felt like a juggling dropping beanbags; he could never manage the three of them at once. Sure, he was more tired than normal right now, but that was something he could combat with sugar and coffee. Tonight, he only cared about what Zoe wanted and if Zoe wanted her cat, then her wish was his command. “She’ll be no hassle, love. It’ll keep Ellie and entertained and you ‘appy. Right now, that’s all I want; to see you ‘appy again, love.”[/color] He brushed her hair from her face again and tilting her chin once again so that she was looking at him. He didn’t want any more sadness from anyone this evening and especially not from Zoe.

He smiled at her, checking her hand quickly, realising that he hadn’t looked down at it in a while. “I’ll ‘elp you pack a night bag if you like. I’d offer ya my shower gel and bathroom stuff, but I’m sure you don’t wanna walk around smellin’ like a guy.”[/color] He glanced at the door behind him. “Our El’ll prob’ly ‘ave some stuff you can borrow…like shampoo and that jazzy stuff.”[/color] He didn’t know too much about toiletries. He usually hopped into the shower with whatever things his sister had picked up for him when they were at the store. He got bored waiting in the aisle with her and more often than not, left her to pick out what smelt good. So long as he was clean and not smelling of rose petals, lavender or whatever the hell girl’s bottles contained, he was a happy bloke.

Romeo chuckled, pushing his hair back from his face and scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Most people either didn’t bother asking what he meant or simply forced him to speak in ‘proper’ English. With Zoe though, he felt a lot more relaxed and able to speak in his own tongue. As for translating it to her, he actually enjoyed it. It was nice to know that someone actually wanted to understand the linguistic phrases he used and ways in which he spoke them. “Well, sorry if we confuse you, but feel free to ask translations. I’ve already contemplated a book of it for people in my life.”[/color] He joked, but seriously considering the book.

His olive eyes shot up to meet hers, a faint twinkle of hope appearing in the speckled green of his eyes. Was he reading too much into it, or was that an implied message of feelings? “I’m glad we’re on the same page then, love.”[/color] His voice was soft, gentle, but with a hint of affection.
All thoughts of romance fled from his mind though an instant later, replaced with more hideous thoughts of his father. Romeo never mentioned the man for reasons that he thought were seemingly obvious; he had destroyed the family. The fights with his mother, the constant yelling that echoed endlessly around the house and the booming voice that tried to strike fear into every living thing under that same roof…yeah, that was why Romeo and Ellie refused to acknowledge the existence of that monster. His fists almost clenched at the thought that he may one day soon, try and contact his daughter again. If that day ever came, it’d be more than one punch Romeo would give him.
He came rocketing back down to earth though as something sent electric sparks shooting throughout his body. He almost gasped at the delicate touch of her slender finger to his swollen lip. It wasn’t from pain either. “Sorry, bad ‘abit.”[/color] He pushed his hair back again, averting his eyes to the windows until he could control his thoughts once more.

A smile grew on his face, threatening to hurt his lip more. “I can think of much worse scenarios than bein’ stuck with you, love.”[/color] He told her, glancing momentarily at his jacket, but deciding against taking it.
He tightened his grip on her good hand, just a little, as she stood, wanting to be ready to sweep her up if she fell again. She seemed stable enough, but Romeo kept her hand in his. That gesture was partly because he wanted her to feel safe and also so that she didn’t slip crashing to the floor at any point. Mostly though, it was because he wanted to. If she asked he could use the previous reason as an excuse, but secretly, deep down, he enjoyed the feeling of her small hand in his and he revelled in the sparks that it gave him. “Prob’ly true, love. I think a night of normality is what we need now.”[/color] If normal consisted of them being close like this anyway.
His eyes panned the room quickly, falling on the bag just next to the sofa where they had been sitting. He scooped it up and handed it to her. “You want me to write it down if you just tell me it?”[/color] It was his right hand holding hers and Romeo was a rare lefthander, providing him with a nice excuse once more. Plus, he didn’t know if her writing hand was the one that was swollen like a balloon right now.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1631
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

If Zoe really thought about it, her life could make a pretty good movie. She, of course, would be the leading lady, one of the great heroines who saved the world in some way or other just by flicking a finger. The cliches were no problem at all thanks to the fact that she followed the age old tale of a small-town girl moving to the big city. But, her sights weren't set on cultivating culture or exploring outside the rolling fields of hay that she referred to as home. Actually, they were locked on the complete opposite: getting an education. Schools back in Adams were okay, but they were tiny. Everyone knew everyone's name, and the teachers were usually parents of students, which meant no one dared step out of line. Some people had pushed Zoe into becoming a teacher, specfically for the middle school. Growing girls were her speciality since she was still one herself, though she'd faced and defeated some of the dragons the current damsels were battling. But, teaching wasn't her cup of tea which is how she ended up in New York. Bigger schools, better teachers, and worse living environments. But, hey, she'd be home soon enough, right? A few more years and she was done with college. Nothing in the Big Apple would be holding her anymore; nothing but the friendships she'd developed along the way, one of which had turned into something more. It had saved her afterall, even if she figured Romeo would never be able to fall for something as innocent and freedom loving her. But, she could hope.

Zoe nodded reluctantly when he said he was fine, still not entirely believing that. From the gut-wrenching sound of it, that punch hadn't been too soft. Hers hadn't been either, but it had caused more damage to her than it probably had to the person it was supposed to hurt. Twist of events much? "Ya came 'n saved me, didn't ya? It is my fault," she protested. Nobody would be able to shake the harsh feeling of guilt from her stomach, not even Romeo himself.

Another tiny smile touched her lips when he talked about Ellie, perfectly understanding where he was coming from. It was an older sibling thing to want to protect the younger chickens, especially when they were female. Her older brother wasn't near being compared to Romeo, and Zoe didn't even want to try putting them up against each other. The oldest in her family was no where close to being as great as the man sitting before her, and she knew that perfectly well. What wouldn't she give to have a big brother like him, though? She envied Ellie in that. She had a strong shoulder to lean on when needed, the same one that Zoe was using at the moment. "You gave your sister fightin' lessons?" she smirked gently. If Ellie was a good as her older brother, Zoe would think before she told her to run away next time.

And, thank god, that girl had also trained her sibling on what can normally cheer girls up. Just from the way Romeo verbally planned out the events, Zoe figured it'd be wonderful. The two of them hopefully cuddled up together on a couch, him still holding her hand and keeping her close. That sounded like something that could maybe redeem the evening. "That sounds perfect, but I don't think I'll be helpin' much in the buildin' of forts." Her eyes flickered down to their hands, reminding the both of them that she was still injured. Zoe would've loved to contribute to the amusing past time, but what could she do with only one hand? She could pet her cat, that was something, at least. Factoring Tess into the situation made her smile again. The kitten would most likely curl up on the blankets or burrow under them and fall asleep. Zoe sometimes wished she could be as comfortable as her pet in random or awkward places, and that desire would probably pop up later tonight when she was trying to fall asleep here. Re-playing what Romeo had just said would help ease her into dreams though, and her faint smile brightened a hint. "Ya really want Ellie outta the way tonight, huh?" she teased, her eyes getting an ounce of sparkle in them. He had pretty much kicked the young lady out of the living room before, though she had come in a bit sneakily, and now he was looking for ways for other things to entertain her. It might've just been to create a less stressful atmosphere for her though. That thought nagged at the back of her mind, but it was no match for her romantic fantasies that constantly floated around her head on normal occasions. Tonight wasn't too normal, however.

Zoe had already made a plan for what she'd grab and had mentally figured out where it should be in her apartment. It would take her all of five minutes to get her things together, most likely less becuase she didn't want to keep Romeo waiting. Smelling like Romeo... that was a strange thought. She loved burying her face in his chest, and earlier events had increased that. But, she did like using her fresh-smelling shampoos and body washes. She liked to smell like a meadow or anything outdoorsy. "I think I should be good, 'sides zippin' up a duffle bag and opening the drawers of my dresser," she smiled in thanks. "I've got plenty I can pack, and I'm sure she wouldn't like me stealin' hears." Her face was lightening a little more as their conversation traveled to safer subjects, ones that helped to overrun the nightmares of before. The topic of translations was always interesting, and it usually could make Zoe's brow crease as he explained what his slang or phrases meant. They never failed to puzzle her, but, then again, Romeo was one of her favorite jigsaws to attempt to piece together. "That sure would help people like me who don't understand half a what your sayin'," she laughed softly. A book. That would definitely be of use!

Her blue eyes met his frankly, glimmering in return as they spotted the sparkle his had. There seemed to be something else hidden in them, but Zoe couldn't put her finger on what it was. There was also a smidge of double-meaning in his tone, and it made her heart do a little flutter. She pushed the thoughts away, nodding in agreement. This would probably be one of the only times they were fully on the same page!

The tingles running through her hand didn't die when her finger left his lips, making her body long to be cuddled up against the cause of the sparks again. "Might wanna cure it while your lip's bad, hun," she said, a small tone of teasing in her voice. Zoe's smile increased more as his grew, shedding yet another beam of light through her stormy clouds. "I'd rather not think of 'em right now." Her eyes dropped to her feet as she stood up, her good hand lying easily in his. The electricity the contact provided helped to keep her from picturing those "worse scenarios." She wanted to think about how natural it felt to be holding Romeo's hand instead, and the fact that he hadn't released her yet. "A hundred percent agreed," she replied when he spoke of normality. That was just what she needed now, along with some pain killers and some more hugs from him.

When he handed her bag to her, Zoe gently slid her arm through the loop, managing to get the thing on her shoulder that led down to her bad hand. He still held her good one, and she wasn't letting go of him for the world right now. She nodded when he offered to write for her, both of her hands being either damaged or busy at the moment. "There should be a pen in here somewhere, unless you've got one lyin' 'round?" she asked. If he didn't, she'd gladly look through her bag, but she'd need her hand back from him. And, she'd have to balance the huge purse on her shoulder while she did so. Hopefully, he'd have at least a crayon somewhere.

• • •

WORDS: 1488!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Borders Books, The Streets
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo had seen his life countless times on the TV. It was usually on a crime drama when the plot included drugs or violence of some kind. That was usually when the council estates got their fifteen minutes of fame. Romeo hated watching them. He hated the rough stereotype that they portrayed and he hated being associated with the TV versions of his home. Although, tonight, with the punches that he had thrown, he hadn’t really done himself any favours to distance himself from those stereotypes of the loud, aggressive and fiery young men that wreaked havoc and caused trouble for everyone else. To half of New York, he’d punched a guy, mangled his face and then potentially kidnapped a girl. It wasn’t a flattering image but then how was anyone who witnessed the incident supposed to know that? It wasn’t like Romeo has stopped to explain to someone and in New York, random acts of violence weren’t exactly a rarity. It was just rare for someone to actually step in and help. Romeo couldn’t sit back though, not even if it had been a total stranger getting mugged. It was his nature to be the protector and he would do almost anything to protect the people he cared about.
For Romeo, Zoe was a breath of fresh air. He had spent his life growing up with and knowing girls who were tough. They’d seen things that they had been too young to see, done things when they were too young to appreciate it and experienced the darker side of life long before they were ready. He liked Zoe’s innocence. It restored his faith in humanity a little bit. He wasn’t a cynic or pessimistic, but he knew that too many young girls were pressured into things and were forced to act stronger than they actually were, just to get accepted and to keep safe. He liked that Zoe was herself though and that she had uprooted altogether when she had moved from the country.

He sighed, smiling sadly when he noticed the uncertainty in her eyes. How could he reassure her any other way? He shook his head and reached out, rubbing her back gently, his hand moving in slow, soft circles. “But, love, I wanted to save you. And it’s not your fault that cities are filled with scumbags like ‘im.”

[/color] He hated mentioning it, but he didn’t know how else to say it now. “I can prove that I’ve been through worse. I ‘ave stories that aren’t pleasant, but ‘ave worse fights in ‘em.”[/color] She wouldn’t want to hear them, at least not now of all times, but maybe the mentioning of them would be enough.

Romeo had been scared senseless, only once in his life. It was the night he raced Ellie out of the house, leaving an unconscious father on the kitchen linoleum. That night, he had vowed to protect Ellie, no matter what and his actions had proved that. However, it had scared him. He didn’t know what he would do if Ellie ever got hurt and now that he was her guardian he would do whatever it took to keep her safe. She’d seen and heard enough in her short life so far to know that it wasn’t going to be an easy ride, but Romeo wanted to reassure Ellie that it wasn’t all going to be bad. He blushed, just a touch and nodded slowly when Zoe asked her question. “I didn’t teach ‘er ‘ow to kill or anythin’, but I figured she ought to know ‘ow to throw a decent punch and ‘ave a decent block, just in case. I love the city, but it’s not the safest place to be, far from it in fact.”[/color] He glanced out of the window, a smirk growing on his face before he turned back to Zoe. “Our El could prob’ly break a guy’s nose if it came to it.”[/color] He hoped it wouldn’t, but it let him sleep soundly, knowing that she could do a small amount of damage in self-defence.

Romeo smirked, happy that she liked his suggestion. Movies were always good for taking your mind off of something, especially something unpleasant. Plus, he’d get to sit close to Zoe and enjoy her company when they weren’t in bustling crowds or public places. It’d be nice just to relax in her company and not have to worry about the time or having some other place to be. “I’m a guy! Fort building is an innate ability for us.”[/color] He joked, remembering the many times he had collected the cardboard boxes from presents and constructed himself a castle where he would hide in until his mother called him for dinner. He missed his childhood sometimes, even if he had grown up fast the moment that Ellie was born.
His cheeks flushed for a split second before he regained his composure. Was he making it that obvious that he wanted Ellie to stay away this evening? She’d only badger them into talking and he didn’t want Zoe to feel uncomfortable. His sister had the natural ability to be blunt and she’d probably ask personal questions. She’d asked Romeo plenty over the years for him to know better. “She can join us if you like, but she’s a nosey little thing at times. She’ll interrogate you better than the bobbies prob’ly would.”[/color] He said, shrugging lightly as he raked his fingers though his hair. It was one of the excuses he could use, even if it wasn’t the main reason for wanted his sister occupied elsewhere.

Romeo listened to Zoe as he moved to Ellie’s bedroom, knocking on the door and quickly explaining where he was going, seriously instructing his sister not to open the door to anyone and to stay inside. He didn’t want her heading out to a friend, not when it was getting dark and he was heading out. It shouldn’t take them too long, but he had always been and probably always would be protective of her. She was his baby sister, it was how things were supposed to be. He smiled at Zoe and moved closer to where she was. “I can come in useful then. Duffle bags and drawers don’t stand a chance against me, like.”[/color] He joked boyishly. Romeo shrugged. “I doubt it’d be a big deal, like. Our El’s always tryin’ to rush through her things so she can try a new brand or flavour or somethin’.”[/color] It was not his area of expertise and it would probably stay like that. Romeo was happy with whatever cleaned the grime from his body and the wax from his hair. If it did the job then it was fine by him.
The idea of a book was probably something he should seriously consider, mainly for the point that Zoe had just made. “I’ll try and draft up some basics during my lunch hours.”[/color] He joked playfully.

Romeo peeked at her through his dark eyelashes when her finger moved away. He picked at the fabric of the bandage on his hand and nodded. “Prob’ly. ‘Owever, I do it without even realisin’ it. It’d prob’ly be easier to quit smokin’.”[/color] The latter would probably never happen. It may be a bad habit and a nasty vice, but it was part of his lifestyle now and he still kept healthy. Plus, he didn’t go through a packet a day; one usually lasted almost a week. He’d had the lecture before though, from his mother, but he’d shaken it off then. It was his stress relief, usually before he turned to the slot machines, which he hadn’t done in a while, he was proud to admit to himself.
He smiled, helping her to her feet, relieved that she didn’t crash back down instantly again. Carrying her had been a nice feeling, despite the circumstances, but he didn’t exactly want the concierge to come snooping around, wondering why some poor girl was being carried about like a damsel in distress.

A pen? Romeo’s apartment ate pens for every meal. No lie. However a beaming grin crossed his youthful features and he reached into the pocket of his jeans with his spare hand, pulling out a Sharpie and showing it to Zoe. “A supervisor’s best friend.”[/color] He explained, remembering the countless times he’d had to scribble on boxes or score out things. More often than not, a marker pen was really the only way to go and Romeo favoured Sharpies. Plus, when the staff got bored, they doodled smiley faces on their hands. “Alright love, hit me with the address.”[/color] He uncapped the marker with his teeth and held it in place whilst he hovered the tip over a blank notepad of Ellie’s.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1506
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe wasn't normally one to need hugs or kisses from anyone. Actually, she preferred to linger on the outside of all the physical contact. At home, she'd go around and give every familiar face a tight embrace because there was a rare level of trust that New York was lacking. There was no fear of having your pockets picked, or your purse stolen. It made walking outside in the middle of the night a lot safer and less nerve wracking. Here, Zoe didn't dare to do that. She would stay out with friends sometimes, but never any later than eleven o'clock. Getting home at two in the morning didn't suit her, and she rarely wasn't in bed by quarter to twelve on weekends. Actually, she'd normally spend the night cooped up with a book or a movie and bowl of microwave popcorn. Relaxing and calm, two things she needed to help clear up her stressful life. She worked all week, both at school and at her actual job, plus she tried to sneak off and see Romeo on some occasions. And then, of course, there were the calls back home. Speaking of which, she should've phoned her mother tonight. It was the "assigned" check-in day, where Zoe would go and attempt to convince her mother for two hours that she was still alive and breathing fine. Not exactly an easy task, but one Zoe wouldn't dare to trade for the world.

The soothing feeling of something touching her back made her flinch just slightly, then relax again. It was just Romeo's hand, just Romeo. Nobody else was even in the room. Zoe closed her eyes, quieting her mind again and trying to settle back down. She untensed her body as best she could, still being unable to shake the stress lines in her facial features. Her eyes instantly snapped up when he said he'd wanted to save her, and her body tried to tense back up, this time with hope. He really wanted to go an play Superman for her? Her heart did a little flutter at the thought. Maybe he wasn't just being a good friend. But, Zoe's eyes clouded again at the mention of scumbags and worse stories. She didn't like all this talk of fighting and low-lives. "I guess you're right, but I still feel bad for gettin' ya hurt," she sighed softly, looking down again instead of up at his face. He had a way of making her talk without thinking, and a habit of getting her to tell him the complete truth. She wasn't anything close to a liar, but she did hide things a lot. Like, for example, her own wellbeing. Ninety percent of the time, it wasn't about Zoe. It was about her friends, her school, her family, her job. Never her. And the people she saw daily never thought to ask if she was actually okay. Well, people besides Romeo. "Stories for another day. One where we haven't just lived through a new one," she said with her best attempt at a smile. Zoe liked to hear his stories, yes, but she didn't enjoy the thoughts of punches and scars at the moment. Even in a month or two, she figured it'd be hard to listen to tales of that sort. She be unable to keep her own from replaying itself in her mind, increased in fear and danger as time went on.

A small smirk pulled on her lips as she noticed a twinge of color enter Romeo's cheeks. She liked it when he blushed, though she hated it when her own cheeks betrayed her. "If she's half as good as ya are, I'm sure she could knock a poor fella unconcious." Zoe's smile became more natural as she spoke, easily complimenting both the Jervis siblings in one sentence. It was her job to make people feel better; specifically everyone besides herself. She didn't have too much of a problem letting Romeo take the reins for awhile though, and his idea of cheering her up was becoming sweeter and sweeter as the seconds ticked by. Zoe laughed weakly, "As long as it don't collapse halfway through the show, I'll let ya do your thing. Otherwise, I might be helpin'." She would find a way to help. What was the saying? "If there's a will, there's a way." She was definitely willing to help out in any small way she could, so there had to be something she could do. Even if it was just smiling and laughing as Romeo buildt the thing, it would still be something.

Her own cheeks colored at the mention of Ellie being nosey. Zoe had opened up to the girl, and had, in turn, gained a little trust from the young lady herself. She wondered just how much Ellie had gushed to Romeo, or if she had at all. The "secrets" weren't anything major. Just her first kiss, first date, girly things like that. They weren't amazingly interesting, but Ellie had seemed temporarily thrilled by them. Zoe figured if the Nosey Nellie came out now, however, the first question off her lips would be "have you kissed my brother?!" which would just cause unwanted awkwardness. Maybe it was a good idea to keep her tucked up in her bedroom. "I don't mind either way, though she's probably still mad at ya from before," she said, keeping her eyes on their hands as he brushed his fingers through his hair again. If she could, Zoe would be doing that herself. Caressing the bronze locks between her fingers sounded insanely enjoyable. When he got up, her face turned up again and she watched quietly as he went and talked to Ellie. She caught snippets of their conversation, but, again, only understood about half of it. She smiled a little at his joke, finding some comfort in the innocence of it. "Tes'll be all over ya when we get there, though. She'll be keepin' ya far away from battlin' any household items so she can get a few snuggles," Zoe said with a shake of her head. That cat could be such a spoiled brat sometimes, it wasn't even funny. While Zoe hadn't been anywhere in awhile, the last time she had needed to back a night bag, the kitten had sat on the top of her suitcase, not allowing Zoe to close the thing and delaying her from leaving. With another person there to amuse her, maybe Zoe would have better luck getting in and out of the apartment quickly. She shrugged a little, wincing as her hand twisted half an inch from the movement of her arm. "Still. I'd rather not smell like a wild mix of flowers," she laughed. Zoe liked to smell outdoorsey, yes, but she didn't like to have so many scents mixed together she stunk. She liked to use the same kind, or relatively the same kind to keep herself wafting the same aroma. Plus, she loved strawberry bodywash and shampoo. It made her smell delicious. "I call the first copy, and I'll be the first one in line to have ya autograph it," she smiled gently. The book would come in handy, though it might be annoying to be flipping back and forth between pages during the middle of a conversation.

Zoe's eyes met Romeo's, sparkling a little more now than before. They were still dull and faded, but they were slowly returning to normal. "I'd gladly help ya with that in a heartbeat and y'know it," she replied when he spoke of quitting smoking. It was bad for him, though it did contribute to the "Romeo Smell" she loved so well. But, Zoe still didn't like it all that much. He was the only one she overlooked the vice in simply because she did really like him, and he was usually polite enough not to smoke around her. A lot of people wouldn't have done that, so she didn't crack down on him as hard as she did with others. Zoe didn't like things like that, or smoking, gambling, or any of those various things. She was a goody-two-shoes all around, though she didn't turn her nose up at everyone she met. Usually, she didn't let anything effect her opinion of someone too much. And, unless she was already close to you, finding out that you commited one of these "crimes" led to her putting more distance between you and her. She wanted to keep her innocence for as long as possible, even if that was nearly impossible in these current times.

She grinned back when he produced a Sharpie from his back pocket, giggling softly after he spoke, "The corner of West 72nd Street and Central Park. It's a huge apartment buildin'; you can't miss it." Zoe adjusted her purse over her shoulder with her good hand, continuing to smile a little at him as she waited for him to scribble down her words. It would be hard to miss the ancient structure, which she knew. From there, she could show him where the parking lot was, and then lead the way up to her cozy nook. Perfect plan.

• • •

WORDS: 1637!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo was the kind of guy who saw nothing wrong in a hug between friends. He often hugged his friends of both gender and in the past it had riled up the jealousy in ex-girlfriends. That didn’t deter him though. He was a friendly guy and if he cared for someone, he liked to show it. Physicality was part of human nature and Romeo was proud to say that he still told his mother that he loved her whenever she phoned to check in or when they popped around to visit her. There were too many chances in life to lose the people you care about and one of Romeo’s biggest worries was that he would regret not parting on loving terms with someone if the cold hands of death were to snatch them away one day.
However, being in the city, Romeo often found that most people only accepted his hugs as greetings or partings. It was all fine by him, so long as he got to show them one little bit of affection. Normally, it was him and his friends who were the last to stagger out of the bars, hurling playful abuse and crude banter at each other as they tried to flag down taxis. People had commented on how ‘horrible’ they must be, but Romeo knew that it was a warped style of affection between them all. It may have been a form of reverse psychology or something along those lines, but people in the city were blunt and somewhat reserved. Proving loyalty usually meant sticking by someone in a fight, or throwing a punch if it was needed. There wasn’t anything about hugs and kisses in their dictionary.

As Zoe flinched, Romeo’s heart sank. He had thought that maybe she had recovered enough mentally for his small gesture, but maybe it had been a little too sudden and too presumptive of him to do that. She seemed to relax though, so he kept his hand there, moving it in soothing, gentle circles around the centre of her back. Playing the hero wasn’t part of his job description, but it was probably something that came with his name. His love for Shakespeare probably didn’t help either, but he simply adored living up to the expectations of his name. Sure, he wasn’t exactly down for the family feuds and long term rivalries, but he still enjoyed the poetic tragedy of his name and the life it had brought with it. He smiled at her and softly allowed his eyes to meet hers again. “Well don’t feel bad. I could’ve done this, puttin’ shelves up, or slippin’ in the stock room.”

[/color] His injuries were hardly a bother and there wasn’t really any need for a fuss over them, at least not in Romeo’s eyes.
He nodded softly at her comment and then smirked. “Maybe, but then I don’t have many cute stories.”[/color] It was true. Most of the stories that had a happy ending had usually involved a fight of some level before the scene in which everyone rode off into the sunset. Maybe it was city life, or maybe Romeo had just known too many bad situations that he made the best out of them. The rest of the tales that he could tell were the confusing ‘you had to be there’ kind or ones that involved childish pranks and not everyone found them so funny.

Romeo shrugged as the blush faded from his cheeks. “I’m not sure how good she is. I don’t exactly challenge her to a duel over the flicker.”[/color] He smirked at Zoe, his green eyes twinkling as the idea of a medieval duel flickered through his mind. A funny image, maybe, but hardly practically or sensible, giving the usual state of the apartment and his sister’s attitude in general. “Nah, I’m quite the handyman and fort construction happens to be one of my best talents.”[/color] He mimed rolling his sleeves up jokingly. It was slightly true though. Everything in the apartment had been built and constructed by Romeo. He found it to be quite a relaxing challenge and was often suggesting to Ellie that they buy more units for her room, not only for the amount of stuff that she owned, but also so Romeo could pull out his tool belt and old jeans and set to work.

Romeo noticed the blush rise to Zoe’s cheeks once more. He already knew that his sister had pried into her life, mainly because after every phone call to the country mouse, she’d skip about the apartment chanting ‘I know something you don’t know’ until finally storming off when she realised that her older brother couldn’t care less. Romeo hardly felt the need to know the detailed points of people’s life and he didn’t get sulky over someone knowing something that he didn’t, even if the person was his best friend. In his opinion, if they wanted him to know, then they would tell him. He was forever scolding employees for bookstore gossip.
His eyes travelled to the closed door and he smiled a lopsided smile. “Aye, but she’ll come around. Our El’ always does, like.”[/color] It was very true and on most nights Ellie would emerge in about an hour and act like they’d never even fought. Maybe it was a sibling thing or maybe it was just his sister realising how much of a drama queen she could be.
He smirked again, his little joke continuing as he tried to keep the mood and the topic light and something that Zoe was familiar with. “Well, it may be difficult, but I’ll try to handle a cat and a duffle bag. It’ll be a challenge, like, and one that may strike me down, but for you love, I’ll do it.”[/color] He winked playfully as he crossed the room again in a few, short strides.
When the topic turned to Romeo, he just nodded, shrugging a little. This wasn’t his area of expertise and he didn’t really know what scents went with what and which of them clashed. It simply wasn’t something that every came up in his life and because of that reason, he rarely noticed them whatsoever.
“I wouldn’t make you wait in line. Hell, I’d deliver it to your door!”[/color] He joked, making sure that he had the right keys in his pocket and hand before they left and ended up stuck in the parking lot later.

Romeo smiled, gladdened by the twinkle in her blue eyes. It seemed that the conversation, far away from all things dark and scary, was helping bring Zoe back to her usual self. It was all he wanted. However, he had to chuckle to himself when she spoke, commenting on his suggestion. It wasn’t the first time that he had heard about it and it probably wouldn’t be the last. “Well, if I ever decide to preserve me lungs so that the airborne toxins of the city can claim them instead, I’ll call you first, love.”[/color] He knew that his habit was bad for his health, but then people did far worse things than take a drag on a nicotine stick. He’d been lectured ever since he was sixteen about it and had taken the advice on board at times, but he’d never actually gone through with quitting. Maybe it was just his need for his hands to be doing something or maybe he enjoyed the smell or the taste. Whatever it was, it kept him doing it and he took the jibes and the comments in good strides, usually throwing a witty comeback at those who tried to scold him for the nasty habit.
He never smoked around people who weren’t okay with it though, and even in the apartment, he would sit on the fire escape or hang out of a window for a cigarette, rather than choke his sister with the light blue smoke.

Romeo quickly scribbled down the address, carefully recapping the Sharpie with his teeth before shoving the pen and paper into his pocket. “I think I know what building you’re on about. Big place, looks a little old structurally?”[/color] He told Zoe with a warm smile, his hand still holding hers as he led her out of the apartment and to where his small black mini was parked in the lot.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1558
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

With Zoe's amount, or lack of, relationship knowledge, she really couldn't tell you if she preferred a lot of "physical" things while with a guy. Not anything related to sex, because that was just out of the question until she actually got married, which was awhile off yet. She meant the snuggling in public, the holding hands, the people who decided it was called decent to romantically attack each other in the middle of Central Park. Those kinds of things. She knew she was no where near being comfortable with the last activity, but she could see herself strolling around the city snuggled under her beau's arm. It actually sounded kind of pleasant. The guy would have to be someone pretty special though, and someone who had managed to gain her trust. Those were two tasks not many people could accomplish together, or not at all. And, especially with her family, it was hard to get to Zoe. She may have been hundreds of miles away from those beloved people, but it didn't mean they weren't in her life anymore. The mere second her dad suspected a city lover, she knew he'd be either riding or flying out to New York to come and snatch his daughter away. It was a reminder that Zoe shouldn't be falling for anyone. She had things planned out for herself, had dreams that had been set in stone since she was a little girl picturing a future that seemed all too surreal back then. She was so, so close to it now. Why let one person screw it all up? If only hearts could see logical reason.

Currently, Zoe's heart was varying between jumping at the slightest movement and exploding with how hard Romeo was making it pound. It was weird how she could be switching so quickly between dark thoughts and giddy ones in a matter of mere seconds. She didn't like it! It was so confusing! Was she happy or sad? Still scared, or recovering slowly? So many questions, so many reasons why she couldn't possibly answer them at this point in time. "I doubt ya coulda gotten a split lip puttin' shelves up. Maybe a splinter if ya decided to bite 'em, but nothin' that bad," she smirked playfully, the expression being marred a bit by her still tensed body. Zoe was relaxing more and more by the minute, but it was only in little inches. She wasn't as jumpy as before, though she was still being freaked by the tiniest of things. But, though she wouldn't admit it aloud, Romeo's soothing hand was helping to calm her nerves. It felt nice, once she convinced herself that he wasn't there to hurt her. He was Superman, not the villian. She was the damsel in distress, so that was everyone, right? Well, besides Ellie. Where could she fit in? Hmm... Maybe Romeo and his epic story telling abilities could come up with something. She shook her head just slightly. Why was she thinking these things now, of all times? The pain must have really been getting to her head! "Cute stories?" she squeaked, blushing herself this time. Did he just call her... cute? No, he couldn't have been talking about her. It was simply impossible. Right? Of course, the whole "save the girl, sweep her off her feet, then serve her like a faithful slave" thing was kind of cute... and very fairy-tale like. If they continued the plotline, this would be where he did admit he thought she was cute, she said he was handsome, then la dee da everyone's dancing and singing some sappy song like in a Disney Movie. If only real life worked like that.

Of course, real life had much worse fights than Disney films, as the combat lessons Romeo had apparently given Ellie proved. "I could see you two doing that," she laughed with a small smile. From the previous events, she definitely could see Romeo and Ellie tackling each other. Not seriously, of course, but for something as silly as a TV remote. This talk of fort building was probably just as silly as the ideas of siblings' fights, but it amused Zoe and helped to keep her mind away from touchier subjects. She giggled gently as she watched him roll up his sleeves, "You're a handyman now, too, not just a book fanatic and a doctor?" Her tone held some of its normal playfulness and teasing, and it comforted her more. She could still laugh and joke, which meant she couldn't be too scarred mentally. Well, she hoped it meant that, anyway. The fact that she could still blush was also a little relieving. Not by much because she still hated how her face gave her away, but at least she still had some emotion. Some people would've totally shut down after an event like that, and taken forever to get over it. Zoe was healing faster than a normal person was, even if part of it was that she didn't want Romeo fussing about her too much.

With as many siblings as she had, Zoe knew what a tussle they could all get into, especially the girls. Andy was lucky because he was babied, but the girls all had to fight for themselves. Some of the things they did argue over were stupid, like who had to go muck the stalls while the other cooked dinner or who had control of the TV for the evening. It was hilarious and dumb all at the same time. But, then again, aren't most siblings? "I hope so," she muttered under her breath. Zoe still felt a little bad for "causing" the fight, though she hadn't really done anything at all but jump when Ellie magically appeared in the living room while Romeo's arms were around her. She didn't really want to make herself feel any worse though, so she kept her mind focused on whatever Romeo was joking about now. A smile tickled her lips again, and a shade of pale pink painted her cheeks at his wink and the "for you, love, I'll do it." "Good luck with that. I'll try to help ya, but I gotta focus my own self on packing," Zoe was glad their banter was slowly coming back. Like they'd already stated, normality was key in getting her back to normal. Besides, what would their conversations be like without the endless teasing? There were the translations, as well, but maybe those would die out if Romeo did decide to publish this book of his. "But, if I don't come, who's gonna fend off all the screamin' fan girls for ya?" she smiled back jokingly. After she spoke, she realized how her words could be interpreted. "Fend off screaming fan girls..." that could mean "show them they don't stand a chance because you're mine." Her mind was probably just always stuck on Romantic when it came to him however, which was why she thought of it.

With Romantic came the thoughts of savings, as well. And saving Romeo from the destructive habit he so loved would be one of the top things on her list if she ever got a real chance to do something about it. But, he had a point about the gross atmosphere most cities held. Factory smoke, car fumes, and god knows what else lingered in the air here, all of which were just as bad, if not worse, than smoking. "You'd better. I still gotta make up for this somehow," she answered, her eyes glancing around the apartment once. Zoe did have to make this up to him somehow, not matter what that "somehow" was. Maybe paying for gas would be a start, though she doubted that he'd let her do even that tonight. Tomorrow morning, she'd find a way.

She nodded when he spoke again. "That's the one. Looks old, but the inside's pretty as anythin'," she smiled, enjoying the warmth of his hand holding hers. Zoe followed him outside quietly, shivering a little as the cold night air slammed into her body. It made her hand ache, and she had to bite back the pain to keep it from showing on her face. His car seemed to be close, though, so she shivered in silence and awaited the snug seat in an automobile.

• • •

WORDS: 1471!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo hadn’t been on a date in a while and a relationship had been out of the question for a rather long time now. He was a busy guy with hardly any time to look after himself, let alone pamper a girl with dates and dinner. Ellie had often pointed out the girls who seemed to be flirting with him. Whenever the siblings were out shopping or Ellie had decided to meet Romeo in Borders she liked to watch him interact with customers, the assistants and the people that they bumped into and at least twice on those trips or visits, she’d point out how a girl stared at him a little too long, or glanced back at him as they parted.
Sure, it was nice to hear it, even if Ellie was completely wrong, but Romeo didn’t care. He had enough going on in his life that romance was forced to the bottom of his priorities. It wasn’t a big deal though; he was young and had plenty of time to find a girlfriend in the future. Right now, he was focusing on getting back into school and making sure that Ellie didn’t get herself into any trouble, which was a rather hard task. Plus, Romeo had vowed to never date a girl unless Ellie was also able to get along with her. No matter whom it was and how much he loved her, it would always be Ellie who came first in his life, even when they were a lot older, wiser and probably married.
The lack of recent experience was why Romeo hadn’t noticed his feelings for Zoe sooner. He hadn’t expected to find himself falling for anyone because he wasn’t looking for love. Now, it was hitting him like a ton of bricks and keeping his cool was the only way that he knew how to act. Normally, Romeo was a confident guy who would just ask a girl on a date; no games, no playing around, just get it all out there. He didn’t believe in waiting around for ages, especially if she didn’t reciprocate the feelings. However, this didn’t seem like the right time and he was so out of practice that he couldn’t even begin to think about how to go about it, not yet.

Romeo’s eyes gained a twinkle as he quickly thought up a clever response to give her. His bronze hair fell forward again as he turned his neck to look at Zoe, his green eyes focusing on her with a playful, boyish smirk growing on his face. “I could drop the shelf on me lip. I’ve almost done that before, like.”

[/color] Granted, it had been because Ellie had screamed about a spider and startled Romeo, who was up a ladder, trying to put a shelf up in her wardrobe. He had caught the piece of wood narrowly before it hit him full on in the face.
He probably had a few good stories to tell, but most of them were of either a sombre nature or were just completely goofy tales from his time at college and the crazy stuff that him and the guys had gotten up to, but he didn’t ever think that anyone wanted to hear them unless they were relevant; which they usually weren’t.
“Yeah, you know, I don’t ‘ave any fairy tale endings or happy surprises in my stories. I think ‘cute’ would be your area of expertise.”[/color] He said to her, a soft smile growing across his face as he reached the end of his sentence. He could imagine Zoe knowing lots of country tales that had happy endings, innocent happenings and safe havens; the things that Romeo’s experiences had rarely held for him.

He wracked his brain for a memory of a sibling duel. One floated up from the pile and he raked his fingers through his hair, again, as he remembered every detail about it. It had been over Ellie’s phone when he playfully took it from her and threatened to text embarrassing things to her entire contact list. “You’re right, love. We do that a lot.”[/color] It wouldn’t be right if they didn’t tease each other in a while, being siblings and all. Romeo may have been Ellie’s legal guardian, but he didn’t act like a parent. At the end of the day, he was her older brother and he’d looked after her for a number of years before the court appointed her as his responsibility and Romeo had never felt the need to change the way he cared for Ellie. Sure, he was a little stricter at times, but he was still the same big brother that Ellie had known her entire life.
Romeo laughed and shrugged his shoulders lightly. “I’m a man of many talents, love.”[/color] Growing up as quickly as he had to do, Romeo had picked up a few skills along the way. It was mainly things that his dad was useless at or didn’t think that he had the time for. It wasn’t enough knowledge to make a career out of anything, but he could get by and save a nice sum of money because he didn’t need to call a professional for the small jobs.

He waved thoughts of Ellie away with a flick of his wrist. He’d been used to her dramatic reactions and emotional personality since long before she lived with him and he knew better than anyone that Ellie was a peaceful girl, unable to hold a grudge for longer than one evening. If she didn’t emerge to wish him ‘goodnight’ then she’d be back to normal in the morning, chattering away as she coated her breakfast with sugar or syrup. “Ah, she will be.”[/color] Romeo didn’t worry about things like that anymore. Ellie was just a typical sixteen year old and he’d been there, done that and gotten the t-shirt himself only a few years ago. He remembered it all too well and unless Ellie gave him a real cause for concern, he usually let her run her own life.
He smiled and nodded. “I’ll be able to handle it, you just take your time packin’. I don’t want you gettin’ ‘urt tryin’ to rush.”[/color] He had visions of her tripping over a shoe or something in an unnecessary haste.
Romeo laughed heartily and smiled, pretending to daydream about thoughts of being a famously published author. The dream had once crossed his mind, but he hadn’t written in years, despite his attempts to start and stick to a blog. “Who says I’ll want them bein’ fend off?”[/color] He joked teasingly. “Nah, I think if screamin’ fan girls are in my future, I’ll prob’ly ‘ave our El pushin’ them away. You’ll just ‘ave to be the one to keep me company whilst she wrestles them away.”[/color] It would be true. Ellie usually liked to play his role when it came to relationships too. She’d encourage him to date a girl, but if he ever mentioned the name of a girl, Ellie would be online, Facebook stalking them and making sure they were ‘good enough’. She’d definitely disapprove of hyperactive fan girls near her older brother.

No one knew it, but Romeo’s destructive habits were more complex than what met the everyday eyes of his friends and family. The smoking was obvious yet, but when he found the slot machines, it was as if he was possessed, unable to pull himself away until his wallet was empty and his stress levels incredibly decreased. He hadn’t done that in some time though; a fact he was very proud of, but even Romeo knew that if Christmas managed to drag him down then he would find a bar and he probably would gamble away the extra shifts he had been pulling to make sure they had enough money for the holidays. In comparison to that, his nicotine addiction was safer. They’d never get kicked out of the apartment because of a cigarette, but unpaid rent was a different matter. “You’ll be waitin’ your whole life for me then, love.”[/color] He had no intention of quitting, at least not any time soon. He knew the dangers of the habit and he knew how many people would be incredibly happier if he did stop smoking, but this was really his only selfish trait. He’d put his dreams on hold to make sure Ellie was safe and he’d sacrificed a lot of his time to helping other people, even in small ways. If he did all that, then he was allowed one tiny selfish little thing.

Romeo nodded. “Yeah, I know it then.”[/color] He clicked the alarm button and the small whirring noise told him that the car was ready for them. He held the passenger door open for Zoe before making his own way around the trunk to the driver’s side, hopping in and starting the engine as he strapped himself in. “Be warned, I may curse at stupid drivers, so I apologise in advance, love.”[/color] It wasn’t necessarily road rage, but Romeo did normally holler something from his window if some jerk pulled out in front of him without warning, or tried to cut across the lanes without indicating it somehow. He’d never been in a bad accident, but slamming his brakes on at the last second was hardly a reassuring event either and it seemed that he did that a lot on the busy streets of New York
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1621
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Whoever Zoe did eventually end up in a relationship with, she knew her parents would be the final say in if her and her boy could go farther than just dating. She wasn't one to disobey, or one to run off and completely desert her family. True, she was now living in New York while they were still back down South, but she hadn't entirely cut herself off from them. Running away would include that, and Zoe didn't know if she could bare not knowing how her sisters or mother were doing. Then again, love did crazy things to people, especially if it was the first time you were really falling for someone. And, Zoe did eventually want to fall. She just wanted eventually to be awhile away yet, not now, and most certainly not in New York. What happened if she did fall in love, then graduated college? And, if it was by some miracle Romeo who she ended up with, would she be selfish enough to ask him to come home with her? She couldn't do that, not to anyone. But, she couldn't stay in the city forever, either. She needed her country air. Plus, wouldn't it be romantic to snuggle up under the stars, ones that could actually be seen for lack of light pollution? It sounded like the perfect date to her. A picnic dinner, then lying next to each other and gazing up into a dark violet blanket of twinkling lights.

She could've compared Romeo's eyes to her beloved Country Stars at that point in time. Though, they probably wouldn't won thanks to the fact she hadn't been home in half of forever. It cost a lot for a plane ticket, and driving would be a pain in the butt with how high gas prices were. And, she couldn't even think of going home now, not after tonight. They'd pick up on something right away seeing as absense usually brings realization quicker than if you see a person daily. They'd also notice her hand, which was sure to be bruised as blue as a berry tomorrow morning. If it wasn't broken, there had to be something else wrong with it. She'd hurt herself before. Heck, she was studying to work with broken bones, though they weren't human. There wasn't much difference when it came to telling if one was broken! "Ah, so Superman does have his weaknesses. Shelves attackin' his face," she smirked back at him, smiling soon after. Hesitantly, her hand rose again to brush his hair from his face. It kept falling into his eyes. While it did make him look even cuter, it wasn't normal. She had come to like his hair wild and messy, and it was normal for it to be. Her fingers lingered on his skin again and she gently relaxed back into his hand some more before setting her hand back in her lap. "I'm sure you'd be good at the sword fightin' and knights in shinin' armour parts of fairy tales, though you may not be at the happy endins'," she commented quietly. Zoe carefully turned the topic from herself again. She didn't like to talk too much about herself because she feared people would get bored with her "country" life. It wasn't full of daring street races or narrow escapes with cops. But, it did hold plenty of peaceful, innocent tales that not many people got to experience in these terrible times. Playful sibling fights were among those stories, and she pitied those who never had the chance to enjoy a brother or sister. "Try it with five other kids. It gets a bit interestin'," she laughed weakly. All five of the Tylers kids in a room at once. It got crowded, loud, and hilarious pretty quickly. Well, until their parents walked in, anyway!

"I'm startin' to discover that," she replied quietly, giving him a small smile when he laughed. Zoe was finding out a little more about him, however. Like where he lived, and how incredibly overprotective he could be when someone was hurt. She was quite thankful for the last part just now, and could easily understand why he was like that. With Ellie under his care, she could only imagine how much responsibility he had to take for her. Once his little sister got a boyfriend, Zoe knew she'd be in for a long talk about just how "unfair" Romeo was being. Teens were over dramatic though, and she knew that Ellie would soon realize her brother's actions were only happening to help keep her safe. But, she still didn't like haven't to sit in the middle of one of their arguments. It made her feel a little awkward, and increased her idea of "I shouldn't be staying" even more. There didn't seem to be a way out of it, however, because he was already reminding her not to hurry while packing her things for the night. "I'll try not to, Doctor. Don't want to cause more trouble for ya that I already am," she teased with another attempt of a smile. Zoe would end up rushing though. She knew how boring it could be waiting for someone, especially if that someone was already making a nuisance of herself. Fan girls, though. They were a lot more annoying than timid Zoe. And they usually caused a lot more injuries than she did. Her heart did a little flutter at the mention of her keeping him company instead of shooing girls away. "I'm sure that wouldn't be too hard, but you'd get bored havin' me 'round so much," she said, voice saddening just a twinge at the end. People had called her boring before, and more would in the future. It was an envitable thing, even if it was a hard blow to her confidence every single time. Zoe turned her eyes back down to her hand, pushing away hurtful words from the past. They were locked tightly into a drawer she dared not open, and that was where she was trying to trap tonight's earlier events. "There won't be a need for me to, 'cause the smoke'll kill your lungs long before mine give out," she answered coyly at the mention of her waiting forever for him to quit smoking. The idea of New York with Romeo was saddening though. Who would she bump into in Borders? What would she do on Saturdays when she was roaming around the city, and no familiar head of bronze hair happened to pop up beside her?

Zoe quickly followed to his car, giving him a smile when he opened her door for her. Gentlemanly things like that were what a guy had to use to win her over. No gifts, no fancy dinners, no special treatment. Just the simple old fashion ways of wooing a lady worked with her. She buckled her seatbelt up once he closed her door, having a little difficulty seeing as she only had one hand and her purse was in the way a bit. Amazingly, she managed to move so her purse was in her lap and her belt was securely in place. "Just don't get into an accident. No more injuries tonight," she sighed back, shaking her head at him jokingly. The swearing she dealt with when it came to Romeo merely because she thought it would be selfish to ask him to stop. She did with her other friends, but the "hells" and other profanities that left his lips were part of his language, and she understood it.

• • •

WORDS: 1391!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: Sorry it's short >.< <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Whilst family wasn’t a big thing to Romeo and other than Ellie and the occasional trip to visit their mother, he couldn’t care less about what happened. Aunts and Uncles back across the water rarely paid him or his sister any attention and he didn’t care for his father, not a bit. Regardless to that though, Romeo did value other people’s opinion of families and his mother had beaten into him at a young age the importance of getting to know the family of whatever ‘lucky’ girl he wanted to marry. At six, Romeo didn’t care and even now at twenty four, there was no one to impress, convince or persuade. Sure, he hadn’t dated in some while but he knew that when some girl came along that he tripped head over heels for, he’d have the upmost respect for her family and work his backside off to prove his worth.
Just because his own family was scarred and bruised in the same way as his knuckles were, it didn’t mean that everyone else had the same experiences and Romeo wanted to prove that to himself with a family of his own someday.

Romeo hadn’t been home to Liverpool in the longest of times and he also hadn’t visited his mother in a while either. If she were to see him right now though and hear his tale, then he was certain that she’d sigh in only a way that a mother can and shake her head. “Oh Romeo, when will ya learn that you don’t always need to play the ‘ero?” She’d said the same thing whenever he did something like this. His good nature and need to help people had often been his downfall too, but it had made him strong, mentally and emotionally, preparing him to deal with situations like tonight had brought.
He smirked at Zoe’s remark and glanced at her from under his thick lashes. “Aye, if I were superman, shelves would be me kryptonite.”

[/color] He joked, once again checking her hand carefully. The ice would help for now, but she’d need more medical attention later; whether it was simple enough for them to manage themselves or whether she’d need a trip to the hospital.
The shivers of electricity travelled through him again as her fingers brushed his hair away. It took him a few seconds to remember how to breathe, his last breath caught in his throat. When he regained his cool composure, he looked at Zoe, an almost sad look in his olive eyes when he spoke. “I like the ‘appy endin’s of stories, I really do, but, I’ve yet to find mine, so it makes it a little difficult to talk about ‘em. I mean, an ‘appy endin’ for me isn’t someone else’s perfection, so I skip ‘em.”[/color] Romeo didn’t even know what he wanted in life, but he knew that not everyone shared the same taste in fairytale endings and he knew more than most people about how tough life and a ‘perfect’ relationship could be. If he thought about it, this was the happiest part of his twenty four years alive, which was a depressing thought within itself. Nowadays, there was no fear of fighting or arguing and Romeo didn’t feel like he had to protect Ellie every evening of the week. That alone made Romeo’s stress levels decrease dramatically.
Sitting with Zoe made him remember so many memories that he had locked away, but he tried not to let them show. She’d been through enough tonight and Romeo knew that sharing those particular tales with her wouldn’t help either of them, but would just make him angrier and remind her of the dangers that she had been forced to experience tonight.
He laughed instead and shook his head. “I’d rather not. One sister is bad enough.”[/color] Romeo had dreamed of a big family, but he was more than content with only one sibling to care for right now. When he was a father, he’d have the time and be in the position to care for more.

Romeo knew that he had to allow Ellie room to grow and with every day that passed he did hand his sister a little more freedom, but with it also came that little bit of responsibility. He would always keep a watchful eye on her and step in when things got out of hand, but at the same time, he wanted Ellie to experience a lot of things for herself so that she wouldn’t feel dependent on her brother or suffocated by him. It was a big deal and a lot of hard work when Romeo had officially become her guardian and it wasn’t made any easier by the fact that Ellie had been almost dragged down the same path that he’d been forced to take; the one where they had to grow up too quickly. True, their mother did need all the help she could get, but Romeo didn’t want Ellie to be in school thinking about chores or how she couldn’t go to a dance because something may happen at home. It had taken a lot to knock those habits out of her, but Romeo had quickly given her those precious years back and taken on her responsibilities as well as his own when it came to life in their apartment.
He let his eyes meet Zoe’s once again, losing himself in just how beautiful she was, even with the nightmare of the evening still playing on loop in her mind. “For the last time, you’re givin’ us no trouble at all. I just don’t want you rushin’ on my account.”[/color] He could be patient and play with the cat. Besides, he was pretty sure that Zoe wouldn’t take as long as Ellie normally did; he had now resorted to telling Ellie that they were leaving at six whenever they had to leave at seven. That was the only way his sister would be ready on time.

Romeo chuckled and scooted just a little closer to Zoe, a lopsided smile on his face and a truthful, genuine look behind those green eyes of his. “You make me laugh more than most people in this overrated city can. I couldn’t get bored of you.”[/color] He confessed honestly. Even before this evening and the sudden moment in which he had realised his true feelings for Zoe, Romeo had always counted her as one of his closest friends and someone who he could spend hours and hours with, never wanted their time together to come to an end and always feeling cheerful from seeing her, but also sad from letting her return to her business. It may have been a little selfish, but Romeo enjoyed their meetings and often wanted to keep them going for longer than reality would allow.
He shrugged and then looked at her. “Maybe. Then again, maybe I’ll live forever, trapped in the pages of a literary masterpiece.”[/color] Romeo had always wanted to write something that in years and years to come would be studied in the same way that Dickens and Austen were today. He didn’t have the time though and was somewhat afraid that by pouring his innermost thoughts and feelings into a piece of ‘fiction’ he would be rendering himself vulnerable to criticism much deeper than his writing skills.

The car journey wasn’t a long one and Romeo pulled his car out into the street with ease, fitting in nicely between two blindingly yellow cabs. “Y’know, back in Liverpool, our cabs are black with big orange lights on top.”[/color] He said to Zoe, flicking the signal to the right when he turned off the block. “And they’re bigger than these ones ‘ere.”[/color] He added, increasing his speed just a little and moving in the direction of Zoe’s apartment.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1346
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe often wondered how much she would've been different if she'd grown up in a big city, one like New York. Would she be more of a brash, rough and tumble chick instead of the gentle, strong young lady she was today? There was a good chance of that, and there was a chance that she'd be striving away at a different job, trying to achieve a different future in life. It was working and growing up with animals in the countryside that led her to wanting to become a vet. If she'd been in a city, she wouldn't have been able to ride her beloved horse or learn the difficult task of responsibility at such a young age. She also would've probably been lacking of those strong morals that had been drilled into her mind throughout her childhood and teen years. Zoe vauled those, and couldn't even imagine herself as one of those girls who went around wearing barely there clothes or getting hammered every other night. It was just too disturbing and disgusting to picture herself like one of those poor girls. She didn't turn her nose up at the girls themselves, though. Actually, she pitied them for having to lead such a life. She knew there were exceptions to the stereotype, though, and those girls really were trying to free themselves of the early graves they'd dug for themselves. Those young ladies earned Zoe's respect for a number of reasons. For one, Zoe knew she had it easy when it came to working for what she wanted. It was by no means as "easy" as some people's lives, but it was a heck of a lot smoother than most.

Tonight had been a rutt Zoe wished she could erase. The hanging out with Romeo was definitely fun, but the events that had caused it would be haunting her for some time. She winced a little when he moved the ice off her hand again, biting her lip to keep the expression of pain off of her face. She smiled weakly when he responded, gazing back into the gorgeous green eyes that were helping to win her over more and more by the second. "And who would your Lois Lane be?" she smiled back at him, biting the inside of her lip gently and waiting for his answer.

With how close they were, Zoe could hear his breath catch. It made her teeth chew her lip a little harder with how nervous she was getting. They weren't jumpy, "ohmygod help me" nerves anymore. They were more butterflies, stomach twisting ones that clearly showed signs of feelings she knew she shouldn't have been having. "Ya just haven't found the missing pieces ya need to complete yours," she smiled back gently, continuing to meet his eyes. Zoe noted the hint of sadness in them, and she knew hers probably mirrored them. She wanted a fairy tale ending; wanted to ride off on a horse (literally, mind you) into the sunset with her one true love. But, then again, she'd always been a big dreamer. This one was probably the most fantastic and, in her opinion, least likely to happen.

She laughed weakly when he said one sister was enough. Zoe had plenty of those, and she occasionally wished she only had one younger female sibling. The bickering became tiresome on occasion, especially when both culprits tried to call her at the same time. Then things just got overly messy. "Nah, ya'd get used to it. More reason to practice your over protectiveness," she teased with a tiny smirk. Then again, Zoe had grown up with the large family. She was used to sharing between three or four people, and not picking favorites. Though, she had to admit, she did prefer one sibling over the other on occasion. Most of the time, that was Andy because he called the least to complain about "small town life" and how he'd be "running away to New York as soon as possible" once he graduated.

Zoe liked her amount of freedom and breathing space in New York. She didn't have to worry as much about embarrassing her family name here, because only a few people, her friends, actually knew her name and story. Back home, every little thing spread throughout Adams like a wildfire. It could be good, for engagements and such, but it was also a curse. You constantly had to be on your best behaviour because, no matter where you went, your parents had spies. Or friends. Whichever you liked to call it. Zoe figured that was the charm that drew her younger sisters to the conclusion of joining her in New York. There were no constriciting chains here, besides those Zoe had lived through tonight. That alone was a good reason to quench her younger siblings' want for a visit. She didn't want one of them going through that, or possibly worse. She wanted them to stay in Adams, be safe in the small town where they would easily be shielded from danger. Sometimes, she wished she had done that herself. If she'd followed the path her mother wanted, she'd be settling into a house by now, planning a wedding and a future with some lucky farm boy who had somehow managed to capture her heart. That haunted Zoe more frequently than she liked, and it made her second guess herself on bad days."I know, I know," she sighed playfully back at him when he said she wasn't causing trouble. Zoe still believed herself to be, and he wouldn't be convincing her otherwise, not even if he talked himself blue.

She blushed a light shade of pink when he said she could make him laugh. Zoe smiled at him, her face darkening a to almost red when he moved closer to her. "Ya make me laugh more than I do you," she replied, getting lost in the light forests of green once more. Pulling her eyes away, she looked back down at her hand, taking in how close he really was to her now. What should she do? She didn't have any experience with courting, or flirting as people called it here. Were she and Romeo even doing that? Ugh, it was too confusing.

"I think you'll already be subjected to that," she laughed quietly. His name had already survived for how many years, and it was still one of the most well known today. Romeo and his Juliet were bound to hold some place in the future, no matter how much the world changed in years to come.

Zoe settled into the passenger's seat, keeping the ice on her now numb hand. She smiled as he spoke. ""Back in Adams, ours are all different colors, and have actual personalities," she smirked back. ""And mine can gallop 'bout fast as these, but they have nasty effects on your hair," she laughed quietly. She'd come home to her mother on more than one occasion with wind-blown, snarled curls.

• • •

WORDS: 1237!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Car, The Street
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo didn’t think that he could cope if he lived in the country. He knew that Zoe saw it as her home, but she had spent her whole life surrounded by fields and quaint small towns. Romeo was used to pollution, noise and the sound of yelling in the streets, drunks staggering home, sirens racing towards the next emergency and the traffic constantly rolling down the street. He was convinced that if his parents had moved him to the country rather than New York, he’d have gone insane years ago. Romeo hated the silence and from the stories he had heard, the gentle breeze of the wind through the fields at night wouldn’t be relaxing to him. He’d rather hear the distant sound of rave music and industrial chaos when he was tucked up in bed.
He knew that Zoe and other people adored it, but Romeo was a city boy through and through and if he found himself in the country then he probably wouldn’t know what to do with himself. There were things to do there, sure, but he hadn’t heard anything that had caught his interest. Zoe liked to ride horses, but Romeo wasn’t a huge fan. He’d done it with Ellie a few times when they were both younger and every time he’d come away aching and smelling like straw. No, give him concrete and skyscrapers any day. It didn’t matter how rough the city was, it was his home and it always would be.

The evening hadn’t exactly gone as planned and he knew there was still a long way to go before it’d be over, but Romeo was secretly, a little glad that he got to spend more time with Zoe, even if they could’ve been in better circumstances and with less blood and injuries. It wasn’t exactly how he usually brought friends back to his apartment and an evening of hanging out had never consisted of ice packs and busted lips.
A small smirk spread on his before mentioned lips and he shook his head. “I don’t want a Lois Lane.”

[/color] He paused, considering how to explain his reasoning. He’d watched the original Superman episodes when he was pretty much a kid, and they had been the highlight of his Saturday evening. He remembered how confused he’d been when Lois couldn’t see the difference between Clark and his alter ego. “She didn’t see the real guy, like. I mean, she was fascinated with Superman, but let ‘im wear a pair of glasses and she couldn’t tell the difference. No, I want a girl who I could be the real me with once the cape was ‘anging up in the wardrobe.”[/color]

The strange rollercoaster ride that was happening in his stomach wasn’t a total stranger to Romeo, but it had been a long, long time since he’d last felt the train on the tracks. The tiny gap between him and Zoe didn’t help either and he suddenly felt like a loop-the-loop had been fitted and now this was the test run. He pulled his eyes away from her and glanced down at his knees, noting the worn denim on his knees, probably caused from kneeling on the floor in work so often. “I just hope my pieces aren’t the ones that ‘ave been sucked up in the ‘oover, never to be seen again.”[/color] He sounded a little cynical, but he was speaking from experience. His parents hadn’t been happy for as long as he could remember and he was constantly hearing stories about broken homes and divorces. It seemed like such a big thing to wish for the pier; the pier that he’d sit on when he was eighty, retired and with a large family waiting for him to return home, once his afternoon with his wife of at least fifty years had come to an end.

He laughed out loud, his deep voice almost echoing around the apartment. He loved Ellie and he enjoyed playing the role of the older brother, but Romeo seriously didn’t think he could cope with another sibling. He couldn’t take the bickering and the petty squabbles all the time. It would probably tip him over the edge from sane to insane. “Maybe, but I think I’m ‘appy with just our El. Life is chaotic enough with ‘er without needing any more Jervis’.”[/color] He ran his hand through his hair as normal and then smiled. The differences, the drama and the reliving of the teenage years was enough to keep Romeo entertained without anything else being thrown his way.

Romeo had been lucky. He’d been granted freedom from a young age and his mother had always trusted him to stay safe and to keep Ellie safe. In fact, becoming the legal guardian of the young teenager was a great honour, in many ways. It was a sign of trust and respect from his mother. Long before that though, Romeo had been able to live a life that he wanted and so long as he stayed out of too much trouble, his mother was happy to let him chase his dreams; even the foolish ones.
His father on the other hand, was another matter. He was convinced Romeo’s dreams of teaching were nonsense and had endlessly told his son to get a ‘real’ job; a builder or a plumber, something more manly than explaining why, at one point in time, men wore tights, dressed in drag and acted out love stories on a stage. It wasn’t exactly what he had planned for Romeo the second he placed in his arms as a newborn. Romeo had probably been a disappointment to his rugged father, but he didn’t care. Why should he, when the man had been more than a disappointment to both him and Ellie?
Romeo pushed the thoughts out his mind and focused on Zoe’s reluctant agreement. He could tell that she didn’t quite believe what he was saying, but Romeo let it go. He’d spend the rest of her time with him trying to convince her and he wouldn’t give up until he accepted it. “Good. Now remember it, love.” He ruffled her hair with his unbandaged hand and then flicked the tip of her nose playfully.

Romeo quirked an eyebrow. “Is that a polite way of tellin’ me that I’m a fool, like?”[/color] He aimed to make a lot of people laugh, but hearing Zoe say that he succeeded with her, made his heart flutter a little and his ego swell slightly with pride. At least it was something good to think about after this hellish evening so far. Maybe it would be enough to help ease her into a peaceful sleep later and Romeo could crack out the stupid and immature jokes for hours if that was what she desired.

Romeo scratched the back of his head and pulled a face. “Yeah, and no offence to ‘im or good old Billy, but ‘opefully I won’t make such a soddin’ mess of things like ‘e did!”[/color] Sure, he was bound to screw up a relationship at some point, but he sincerely hoped that it didn’t hope in her faking her own death, leading to him poisoning himself and then her waking up, finding him dead and stabbing herself (which had to be a slower, more painful death, than Shakespeare entailed).

He laughed when he realised that Zoe was talking about horses. He wondered just how long she could go without bringing up the animals she adored so much in conversation. It wasn’t annoying to him, but he had noticed that it was a trait of hers to mention the majestic animals rather often. He just didn’t usually have anything to retaliate with. “I’m sure they’re not the best way to get ‘ome from a bar when the ground and the sky are mergin’ into the same thing!”[/color] He said with a smirk, keeping his eyes on the road ahead, whilst also looking out for the apartment building that belonged to Zoe. “Is that the place, just ahead on the left, love?”[/color]
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1388
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Usually, Zoe didn't get to talk about her home town so much or about her country side at all. She had to act like a "city girl" in New York, though she was not exactly an amazing actress. The best she could do was tone her accent down and keep think over every word she said before it left her lips. She often had to watch herself and skim through sentences to make sure they didn't involve anything about Adams. If people would've let her, she could've talked about that place all day. But, they normally told her to be quiet as soon as "back home" passed her lips. The innocence of the courtyside wasn't appreciated here, and Zoe wasn't about to stand up and scream that at everyone who rolled their eyes when hers brightened at any mention of animals, cowboy hats, or grasses.

Zoe knew she had a tendency to make more references of home when around Romeo. But, he talked about his home almost as much, so she hoped it wasn't as annoying to him as to others. Speaking of home helped to keep Zoe from falling over board into the sea of madness New York presented. She doubted she could ever really crash and burn like so many other college students did. But, she could get sucked into the vortex and return home to find that it was in fact "boring". There had been stories like that, where a neighbour went off to college somewhere else in another state, much like Zoe, and returned home only to vanish again because they missed the rush city life presented. She wondered if that would happen to her, though she thought it nearly impossible at this point in time. Things changed, people appeared in your life that you couldn't bare to part with.

Thoughts of graduating made Zoe sad. She'd go back home then, put all that expensive knowledge to use and pay back every loaned penny her parents had spared. She'd also leave behind all of her new friends that she'd made only to return to those who she'd known all her life. That meant she wouldn't get to look forward to "randomly" bumping into Romeo around Borders or the town in general. Out of everyone she'd met, he had a good chance of being the one person who she wouldn't completely forget. He made her feel less like an outsider and more like she belonged here, even if the farm was her home. Zoe didn't worry as much about "fitting in" when around him. She was more focused on not blushing until she was blue, or laughing louder than society liked. Their conversations were always quite interesting, too, as the current one proved. They'd just been involved in a street fight, and they were talking about Superman and fairy tale endings. Talk about whiplash!

Zoe looked at him curiously when he said he didn't want a Lois Lane. What was Superman without his leading lady? It was like completely taking the cream out of oreos and just eating the cookie; impossible. "You'd rather have Juliet? Someone who would die for ya the moment she discovered your life had ended because she couldn't bare to be without ya," she answered thoughtfully, purposely relating the conversation about love to his name. Even if he hadn't shared the iconic title, Zoe figured she would've used that line. It was little hard not to. Whenever someone thought about love, Romeo and Juliet just seemed to spring up. But, when she thought about, why did they? Their love had been fast paced and ended in tragedy. Most people frowned on both of those things, especially a rushed relationship. Yet, the idea of falling head over heels for someone that instantly was delicious, even to those who had sworn off love for the present.

A smile tugged at her lips when his laugh boomed around the apartment. Just the joyful sound made her feel a smidge better, and his smile made hers widen. "I agree with that. The two of ya are hard enough to keep up with while you're talkin'," she giggled softly. It had been difficult keeping up with their conversation. Another person involved would've just had Zoe's head spinning even more than it already had been.

She pushed his hand away from her playfully after he flicked her nose, attempting not to show the effect the sparks had on her. Zoe's heart skipped a beat and she looked back down, attempting to keep herself from blushing. Her head snaped up though the next moment, and she laughed, "Of course not! It was a compliment! Makin' me laugh is a big accomplishment." She smiled at him, shaking her head when he spoke of relationships. "I'm sure ya won't. Most girls these days don't go 'round pretendin' to be dead for a guy," she teased lightly with a smirk. Well, some girls did fake death if they were actual actresses. But, in reality, Zoe didn't think many young woman would purposely do that to themselves.

"Never tried usin' them for that, and I don't plan on doin' it any time in the future," she said coyly. Zoe didn't drink, nor did she ever plan on doing so. She shoved the lecture she wanted to give him away, knowing he'd only laugh it off like every other time she'd vainly attempted to talk him out of going to bars. Her head nodded when he pointed out the building. "Yup. Park in front; the lot's probably full by now," she said, knowing that it was late and many of the residents would have their cars parked for the evening.

• • •

WORDS:1010!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Passenger's Seat, Romeo's Car
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3