• The Stars Stay Up •

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo made no effort to hide his heritage from anyone. His accent remained as thick as it was back in Liverpool and he still used the slang that he had grown up with, even if he did have to explain it to people who looked at him like he was speaking an alien language. Sure, he toned it down in work, but he didn’t go out of his way to make people accept him. He was proud of being from Liverpool; a northern trait indeed, and he wouldn’t let anyone make him feel ashamed of his accent or where he called home.
Moving to New York hadn’t been easy, but he didn’t regret his parent’s choice to make the move. It had provided Romeo with opportunities that he would never had had if he’d spent his entire life on the small council estate, lying awake at night listening to the latest drunken drama unfold on the street.

He was thankful that he had met Zoe. She may not have been from Liverpool, or even a city, but she kind of understood what it was like. She saw Adams as her home and shared the same tales about differences and things that she missed; conversations that to Romeo were interesting and allowed him the opportunity to recall some of his own memories and experiences. Normally, with his other friends, if he mentioned Liverpool, they’d laugh, roll their eyes and his best friend would even attempt to fake the accent that Romeo shared with Ellie. He often failed and it led to even more drunken banter and jokes, but it was nice to be able to sit down with someone other than his sister and be able to talk about the old docks and the footballs stadiums and the gigantic plasma screen that the council had placed in the middle of the city for the benefit of football scores. Temptation to return to Liverpool often filled his mind and heart, but he knew that, for now, he belonged in New York, for Ellie’s sake and for some gut reason that Romeo couldn’t quite understand. No, he wasn’t ready to exchange the cities just yet, if he ever would be.

Romeo’s life was running at a steady pace at the moment. He’d graduated two years earlier and was still pretty much in the same position now. However, he was beginning to look back over his old notes and some new books that he picked up from work when he got paid. When September rolled around again, Romeo planned on returning to university for the final time to earn his teaching qualification. Ellie was almost old enough now to gain a bit more freedom and spend a bit more time away from her brother. She needed her independence and it was a great opportunity for Romeo to finally chase the dreams he’d put on hold for the sake of his baby sister.
He didn’t regret sitting back for a few years, watching his friends get the jobs they’d chatted about for years whilst he still stocked the shelves at Borders, ordering about young students who reminded him of himself most of the time. In fact, he liked the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the best parts of his life before throwing himself into what would be the rest of his life behind a desk, quoting Shakespeare to acne ridden teenagers who were unable to find the relevance in the Old English speeches and grand gestures of yellow socks and mistaken identity.

Romeo pondered Zoe’s words for a few thoughtful seconds before responding. “Yeah. Well, the sentiment of that, yeah. I wouldn’t exactly want ‘er to throw ‘erself off Brooklyn Bridge and leave the kids or somethin’.

[/color] He shook his head and looked at Zoe again, thinking before he spoke. “Just give me star crossed lovers and a love that’d last through the ages. That’d do me.”[/color] He confessed. He knew relationships needed work put into them to make them last, but he didn’t want any of the nonsense that he saw on some of the shows that Ellie watched. Like One Tree Hill, he couldn’t be coping with the Peyton and Brooke issues that Lucas had. He just wanted something simple. A girl who loved him for who he was and who he could be himself with. A girl who he could make laugh and cheer up when it had been a crummy day. He just wanted to grow old with his soul mate and wake up every morning feeling like the luckiest man on the planet because he had the kind of love that only existed in the pages of a Shakespearean masterpiece.

He smiled, that infamous mischievous twinkle glittering in the depths of his olive eyes. “Be glad we don’t ‘ave a chat show.”[/color] He said playfully. It would probably be a live television mess if Ellie shared a chat show with him. It’d result in her drooling over anyone famous with a pulse and Romeo trying to keep her in line. It would be like Jerry Springer, only with the two hosts bickering and rolling on the ground wrestling with each other, whilst concerned, disturbed and generally freaked out celebrities watched on, unsure of what to do.

Romeo pulled a playful face, his eyes screwing up as he looked at Zoe with a growing smirk. “Then, I’m either a comedy genius, or you’re exaggeratin’ a little.”[/color] Romeo was a joker, that much was true, but his jokes and comments were usually hilarious to people. Normally, he was chided for making silly jokes that were too immature or made no sense. Yet, according to Zoe, it was the opposite. Maybe it was a country thing that he didn’t understand, being from the city.
“That’s prob’ly a good thing. Imagine the chaos that’d come about if there were new girls on the scene when she came back. Nah, it’s too complicated for that horsin’ around these days.”[/color] Romeo decided.

“You’d prob’ly end up with an even bigger headache the next mornin’.”[/color] Romeo mused, keeping his eyes on the road as the stream of traffic continued to flow through the city.
At her request, he pulled the car up at the front of the building and killed the engine, leaning over to pop Zoe’s buckle carefully, so as not to hurt her hand anymore. Then he dealt with himself and his own safety belt, before he climbed out of the black mini, waiting for Zoe to join him on the street, before he locked it securely, patting the bonnet twice as he moved around it to proceed into the building.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1150
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

The question 'What do you really want, Zoe?' had never truly been asked. It usually her asking someone else what they needed, or what was bringing their spirits down so much at the moment. She was the one person who stayed strong for everyone else, and who was always pushing her own needs or wants to the background so she could assist someone else. It had been that way for as long as she could remember, and as long as her family could recall. It was one reason she was having a difficult time letting Romeo do so much for her. She rarely ever recieved true attention from another creature, unless she was the one who was listening to them vent or allowing them to cry on her seemingly solid shoulder. But, it was her who needed that structure tonight. She was the one who wanted to be hugged and cuddled and told that everything was fine. It had all just been a bad dream, none of it was physically real. She'd fallen and hit her head in the apartment and these terrible events were the product of it all. And, believe it or not, she'd tried to convince herself of that already. This whole thing with Romeo had to be imagined. He wouldn't swoop in and save her, wouldn't drag her unmoving body back to his apartment, hadn't spent the last who knows how many minutes tending to her injured hand. It was all just a dream. Yeah, definitely. More like definitely not.

Zoe smiled gently at Romeo as he thought, focusing on how numb her hand had become. She couldn't feel it anymore, which was probably a good thing. Taking pain killers wasn't an open option, in her opinon, and she wasn't up for suffering through that this evening. Though it wasn't like she had a choice on it anymore. "If she did murder herself over you... would ya be even somewhat glad?" She found herself asking the question without realization. It was almost like her curiousity was overriding her usually controlled mind. But, considering she was around Romeo, that was a highly possible assumption. He changed a lot of her 'normal' character traits. Like the smoking. If this had been anyone besides him, she would've already have hampered down on him ages ago. She also would've done her best to cure the swearing. Zoe knew better than to even try with this particular friend, however. It was just who he was. She figured that was why she was growing to like him more and more though. He was like a summer fresh breeze in her sunny and stifling life, one that was both admired and cherished. And, honestly, that was exactly what Zoe did. She admired the way Romeo wasn't afraid of showing himself off, and she most definitely cherished the conversations they had. They weren't like other people in New York. They were different, they were 'outsiders' in the perfect world many tried to create. And, if she thought about it, Zoe was pretty darn glad she was.

"I don't think many people here would be able to keep up with y'all if ya had one," she smirked back at him, noticing the twinkle in his eyes. They were getting back into their usual playful manner, and it was a good sign to her. This unexpected change of events apparently hadn't altered too much in their relationship. Well, besides Zoe's feelings growing stronger every second she sat this close to Romeo. Other than that, everything was the same. Right? The smirk on her face increased a smidge at his next statement, and she couldn't help laughing very weakly. "Am I 'llowed to say its a bitta both?" Zoe smiled up at him as he smirked back, silently wishing this was another one of their normal conversations completely with playfulness, discussions on books, and whatever else popped up in their meetings. Though, that 'whatever' could've referred to quite a wide range of things. Their talks were normally very random and surprising, Zoe had to admit. And the current moment was a perfect example of that. She giggled very gently, nodding in agreement. "It'd be even more drama than relationships already are these days. But, someone is probably still tryin' it somewhere." She didn't doubt that. Girls these days... you never knew.

A light nod was her response to his comment as he pulled up outside her building. She was more anxious now about getting inside and past all the people who might recognize her. Her, the young lady who you usually came home alone, not with some stranger who, honestly, looked as banged up as her bandaged hand. What a gossip nightmare this could turn into. She gave him a smile and a mumbled 'thanks' when he unbuckled her, and she carefully climbed out of his car. Zoe walked around to his side, walking with him quietly into the apartment building she currently called home. She made a bee-line for the nearest elevator, wanting to avoid any curious gazes at the moment. Once they were both inside the tiny space, she let out a held breath and pressed the button for her floor. "Be prepared for Tess. She'll be curious 'bout ya," Zoe warned with a small laugh as the doors slid apart once more. She walked down to her door, biting her lip and slowly moving her purse so she could grab her keys out of it with her good hand. Her fingers grasped them tightly, yanking them out and shoving the correct key into the slot. The bolts clicked, and she turned the doorknob.

The outdoorsy smell Zoe so loved met their noses right away as she waltzed inside. Home sweet home, at last. "Nothin' much, but I still like it," she grinned back at him, slipping her arm out of her purse strap and throwing it on a fluffy seeming couch. It sat in front of a small TV, one that was surrounded by picture frames full of dozens of different photos. The whole apartment was, actually. A lot of them were of Zoe and her family back in Adams, and a good portion were of Lizzie and Zoe, the unstoppable duo. Those were the best decorations the place wore, besides a few home made quilts or rugs scattered in places. There was a tiny kitchen, and a door off of it that led into her bathroom. A short hallway off the miniature living room paved the way to a hall closet and Zoe's bedroom. This was where a shadow of grey and black fur emerged from. "Tessie, come say hi," Zoe said carelessly, giving Romeo a small smile before disappearing into her room. She left the door open so she could talk to him, but got to work right away on pulling things out of her closet and drawers. Meanwhile, the curious kitten was winding itself between Romeo's ankles, purring loudly for attention. Zoe hadn't given her a stroke at all, which was probably why she wanted some petting from this stranger.

Zoe bit her lip in frustration as she tried to open the bottom drawer of her dresser for her pajamas. It was simply imposisble with only one hand. "R-Romeo? Can ya come help with this?" she called uncertainly, hating having to ask him for anything else, even this simple task.

• • •

WORDS: 1296!
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 had spent most of his life putting everyone else’s needs above his own. When he was a child, he helped his mother take care of Ellie and look after the house when his dad was in work. As a teenager he had a paper route to help buy his own things so that his family would have enough money for the bills and food. He thought he may have finally found his freedom and chance to be just a little bit selfish for the first time in his life when he went to college. For a little while, he had that opportunity, but he couldn’t give up his selfless nature and often found himself lending money when he hardly had it to spare and offering a compassionate shoulder to anyone who needed it at 4am in the morning before Romeo had a major literature exam. Then, he ended up gaining custody of his younger sister, meaning that he once again put his freedom and dreams to one side for her. Although he didn’t regret the decision, it did get tiring hearing people judge the Jervis family when they jumped to conclusions about incompetent parenting without even hearing the full story from Romeo. That was one of the things he liked about Zoe; she didn’t ask unnerving questions or push for details that Romeo didn’t like to share with too many folk.
However, not sharing his own problems pushed him to the slot machines. There was always something relaxing about hearing the coins drop from the bandits when he won and then the temptation of pushing his luck kicked in and that was how he ended up with an empty wallet and a bad mood.

Romeo smiled a lopsided smile and shook his head. “’Ow could I be glad with ‘er death on me conscience? Whether I was already dead or not, I don’t want some judy killin’ ‘erself for me. I like to think that Romeo’s story ‘as moved on from the senseless double suicide thing. I’d rather ‘er live on with me memory and give cupid a second chance to find ‘er ‘appiness.”

[/color] It was terrible leaving someone behind and life could be cruel, so cruel at times. Romeo knew people were scared to move on after the death of a loved one, and it was easier said than done, but if anything were to ever happen to him, he’d want his memory, the good memories to live on in the hearts of those he knew. He didn’t want to keep them back from living their own lives.
“Why you askin’, love? You ain’t plannin’ on gettin’ yourself killed for me are ya? ‘Cause, I’d ‘ave to save you again.”[/color] He smirked a boyish smirk and winked at the young country girl sitting in front of him.

He chuckled a warm chuckle and pushed those bronze locks from his face once more. “Then maybe we’d ‘ave to air it back ‘ome in Liverpool. Although, I think back there, it’d just be one of those trashy talk shows filled with family problems and lies.”[/color] He could just imagine Ellie and himself giving poor people of the north a proper Scouse grilling in tongues they couldn’t understand. He was glad that his relationship with Zoe was balancing out again. She seemed calmer now, more like her usual self. Romeo knew that he couldn’t change what had happened tonight, but he could help ease the haunting nightmares that would float around her head for some time.
“And I suppose you can, but it deflates me ego just a little bit.”[/color] He joked. He enjoyed being in Zoe’s company despite the circumstances and the reality of his feelings were growing more and more obvious to the young Englishman, despite being in the dark for so long before. However, he had to keep his head about him. He was sure that it wasn’t the case, but there was every chance that these sudden feelings were just a side effect from him playing the hero of the evening. As a literature geek, Romeo knew that once the hero saves the damsel in distress then cupid fires his priceless arrows and they all live happily ever after. He had to make sure that his novelist mind wasn’t getting the better of him and rose tinting the situation. Romeo needed time to consider the feelings, the closeness and Zoe once tonight was over and the excitement had died down, fading away until the next great heroic adventure.
He shuddered and scrunched up his nose. “I ‘ope there’s not! I think I’d find it just a little too freaky for my liking if some girl who I thought was dead showed up and tried to explain that it was ‘ow she was expressin’ ‘er love for me! I’d definitely ‘ave a restraining order slapped on that, like.”[/color]

Subconsciously, Romeo ran his hand through his hair as he climbed out of his car. This was Zoe’s home and people were bound to recognise her, but not him. Experience told him that that situation would raise more than a few eyebrows and so he thought he’d try and neaten his appearance before anyone passed judgement. Sure, his hair was always messy and held a carefree air about it, and running his hand through it helped with nothing, but it was a gesture of good intentions. He dabbed at his lip with the back of his hand, wiping away any blood that may remain, before sucking the lip into his mouth, running his tongue over the wound habitually as they made their way towards the building. His hand he hid under the sleeve of his jacket. At least this way, he shouldn’t look too much like a rough guy off the streets who people may assume was involved in gang crime or drugs. Not that people jumped to that theory often, but then Romeo wasn’t often covered in cuts and bruises. “Very much like Ellie then.”[/color] He remarked at the mention of the cat, Tess. Ellie was a curious creature too, always venturing out to meet new people and make a cover opinion on them.

As Romeo looked around the strange apartment, he smiled, his eyes falling on the many family portraits. His placed lacked many family photos for his own reasons, but it was a rather sad feeling to see so many here when his apartment held about three of them, and they were only of Romeo and Ellie. He picked one of them up and smiled fondly at the happy faces before moving his olive eyes to the rest of the apartment. “Yeah, you’re definitely not a city girl, love.”[/color] He stated in an warm tone.
At the feel of the cat against his legs, Romeo crouched down carefully, reaching out with his good hand to give the animal the attention she craved. “Hello Tessie. Aren’t you a precious little thing, ‘ey? You’re almost as pretty as your owner.”[/color] The words slipped out without Romeo realising and even once spoken, he still didn’t realise it. He continued to stroke the cat until Zoe’s voice floated from the bedroom to his ears.
Romeo stood up and moved cautiously into the bedroom, pushing the door open a little more before stepping inside. “Yeah, love? You need a hand with…your hand?”[/color] It wasn’t funny, but Romeo had to chuckle at what he said, hoping Zoe understood what he was implying.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1284
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

If Zoe had to pick a personal vice, she would call it her need to be helping someone or something. Whenever she was in a bad mood, she'd get extremely fussy over the closest person, or in Tess' case, animal. She didn't like to dwell on her own sorrow and tried to wash it out with someone else's. She would go an listen to their problems and try to fix them instead of focusing on her own, which seemed selfish to her. Or, they were just too tender to think about. Tonight would be one of those times where Zoe didn't want to think about it. She wanted to go and help somewhere, not be helped herself. It was nice, though, especially since Romeo was the one waiting on her. That made it both more and less bearable. She didn't like it sitting while he ran around for her, but, she had to admit, she liked that he wasn't protesting against it. He seemed to want to, and that gave Zoe's heart the faintest bit of hope.

A small smile played with her lips while he spoke. She had half-expected him to say something along those lines. "Some people thought them killin' themselves for each other was romantic," she shrugged back with her lips smiling. "Y'know, movin' on isn't as easy as ya make it sound, hun. 'Specially for a girl who's head over heels in love," she laughed sadly, shaking her head as countless stories of 'I'll never forget him!' flooded her mind for a short moment. Zoe couldn't understand people like that, especially if they were her age or younger. She knew people got attatched to each other, but if they loved each other, wouldn't they want each other to be happy? It was all too confusing for her.

Her cheeks flushed a becoming shade of scarlet at his question and she quickly ducked her head, shaking it. "Last time I checked, neither of us was plannin' on gettin' married to the other and dyin' soon after. No reason to kill myself for ya, then, dear," she said as calmly as possible. "But, I'm still glad I've got someone to save me if somethin' happens." Zoe peeked up at him, now smiling, though her cheeks were still pink. She definitely didn't want anything like this to happen again, but she did like the idea of Romeo swooping in and saving her again. Actually, she wanted him to be the one to. None of her other friends held as much appeal in the super hero position as Mr. Jervis did. On the other hand, that may have just been her rose-tinted mind talking.

"Ya missed a piece," she whispered, gently moving her good hand up to his temple and brushing a few stray pieces of hair from his face. Sparks tickled her fingertips as they touched his skin and she attempted to keep her face from showing that she enjoyed them. She retreated her tingling hand, setting it back in her lap and biting the inside of her lip. Things seemed so different for some reason. It was like someone had flipped a switch, and she was suddenly much, much more aware of everything Romeo was doing, saying, how close he was. Zoe had known she was developing feelings for him, despite her constant attempts at quenching them. She hadn't, however, had this happen before where their banter seemed more like subtle flirting, and their holding hands felt like more than medically-required.

Zoe shook her head at him, scowling playfully and scolding, "But then I wouldn't get to see it! I'm sure it'd do better than the stupid ones they've got on nowadays. Least yours would be fun to try'n keep up with." But, she'd rather be backstage in the situation, waiting to hug Romeo - and Ellie - and tell them how wonderful they'd done. That sounded better than sitting at home, wishing she could see them in person and re-living conversations with Romeo during commercials. "Then you're a comedy genious who I am very lucky to have as a friend," she smirked back at him, even though the 'as a friend' cost her a bit of effort to say. Zoe knew they couldn't be more than friends. She was, after all, leaving once she graduated. Did that stop her from falling for him? Nope, not at all. "Aw, c'mon! She'd die for ya. Isn't that romantic?" Zoe teased, laughing softly at his sour expression.

She smiled slightly as she caught him trying to neaten himself up. Zoe was glad he wanted to look nice for her, but she really didn't mind that he looked a little... rough. It was her business, not the entire building's, who came and went with her. Why should they care if she showed up with a guy? Not like she'd ever done it before. "Trash talkin' her while she's not here?" she joked, clicking her tongue at him jokingly. It was a sibling thing, however, which she understood perfectly well.

As she walked into the apartment, she noticed him looking around at her pictures. She laughed at his comment, smiling easier. "Took ya that long to figure it out?" she teased, smiling gently at the picture he'd picked up. One of her, her sisters, and mother. "Frankie, Hannah, me, Maddie, and my Mama," she said fondly, listing the names in the order of faces from left to right. Zoe rummaged around in her room quietly, not purposely listening to him and Tessie in the other room. When his words reached her ears though, she could feel even them turn red. He thought she was pretty? The thought made Zoe's heart flutter. He thought she was pretty. She tucked a few more things into her bag, trying to calm back down as she heard him getting closer. Zoe rolled her eyes sarcastically at him, nodding at her drawer. "Can ya open this for me, hun? I got almost everythin' else," she smiled gently at him.

• • •

WORDS: 1101!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Her Bedroom, Tylers' Apartment.
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

When life got the better of Romeo, he didn’t really have a helpful outlet for his problems. The way he had been forced to grow up so quickly had meant that he was always the fixer. If his mother had to cover a shift at work, Romeo finished cleaning and kept his eye on Ellie. When his dad was too drunk to care, Romeo did the caring. When Ellie had any problems, of any shape or size, Romeo always did what he could to fix it. No one had ever taken on his problems though and he didn’t know how to talk about them, even when someone pushed him. In fact, pushing him only made him more frustrated that he didn’t know how to deal with them.
That was why he gambled. However, he believed he was in control of it all. Sure, some months he had to scrape by, feeding Ellie and not himself, going without his cigarettes until Simon lent him a few dollars to buy a pack before he bit the head off of every Border’s employee and customer. Romeo was careful though. Never, under any circumstances, would he end up getting involved with criminals. No, he was stronger than that, even if the gambling made him weak. Blaming the parents and the childhood may have been the oldest trick in the book, but it was what had caused Romeo to believe that he had to be the tough guy; Zoe’s superman when she was getting mugged and more than just a big brother to Ellie. In his mind, he couldn’t be weak, he could have any problems and he certainly couldn’t admit to them.

Romeo’s smile faded, a quote he believed by flooding into his mind. His olive green soul was bare, no defensive twinkles of mischief or playful winks to mask them as he met Zoe’s eyes. When he spoke, his unique accent was replaced with a much softer tone, his ellipsed letters making a cameo appearance this time. “’ I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say 'I love you'. ‘”

[/color] He fell silent for a moment, his whole heart suddenly feeling very tight in his chest. A small smile finally graced his lips and he looked down. “Shakespeare. Henry the Fifth. Act five, scene two.”[/color] He explained, identifying the quote like he had only studied it yesterday. It had stuck with him since he had been assigned the text in high school and was almost the perfect way to explain his opinion on the matter of the heart. Some guys liked to be over the top, surprise their love with gifts and treats, just because it was Monday. It was a sweet gesture and one that Romeo understood, but a lot of the things that came along with that particular attitude to love, simple weren’t him. “Life is short enough as it is, love. Take out the mistakes we make, the amount of times that we beat around the bush, hidin’ ‘ow we really feel and you’ll discover that most of our lives we play a game of waitin’ and chasin’. Things should just be simple. Everyone ‘as this fear of rejection and gettin’ ‘urt, but people dwell on that fear so much, that they end up missin’ out on what could be the best part of their life.”[/color] Romeo swallowed, thinking back on his own memories and then shook his head. “No. Keep it simple. If a girl wants to show her love for me, then just tell them to say it to me. Don’t dress it up with a fancy restaurant and elaborate gestures of death when words are more than enough.”[/color] His eyes flicked back up to Zoe, unmasked once more. It was almost like this particular conversation was one that he wanted to continue. Romeo wanted to talk more and hear more about Zoe. Was he comment from experience? Or just part of her romantic novel collection? “And what makes you think it’s easier for a guy?”[/color] Romeo didn’t often show it or mention it, but there had been heartbreaks in his life too. He’d had to watch his best friends date the girl he believed he was enchanted by, hold the same girl when he went and broke her heart and every time, Romeo had put the interests of others before his own. He’d tried moving on himself when he was a teenager and just wound up making himself more miserable.

Romeo switched back to his light hearted, playful attitude. He was aware that he was exposing a part of him that he’d locked away the day that he’d taken Ellie in. His feelings for Zoe were becoming more evident; almost like cupid was repeatedly firing arrows into the stubborn Scouser like he wanted him to overdose on supressed emotions. “Good, because I don’t want my li’l country mouse to die just yet. And I still think I ‘ave a lot of things that I could give before the reaper comes knockin’ on my door.”[/color] He had dreams that were so much bigger than this apartment, Ellie and Borders. Romeo shifted position to get a little comfier and then realised that he had accidentally ended up closer to Zoe than he already was. He blinked in shock a little before pulling himself together with a mental slap. “’Ey, I’m always goin’ to save you.”[/color] He smiled, sincerely this time and hoped that it didn’t freak Zoe out. He was just protective over the people in his life who he cared for and he was slowly realising that he cared deeply for Zoe.

He laughed and then looked back at Zoe, ignoring the tingles from when she had brushed his hair away again, and trying to pretend like his heart wasn’t trying to betray his strong exterior appearance by reverting to his usual, joking self. “Are you kiddin’? You already see it. ‘Ell, you’re part of it. You already ‘ave to try and keep up with us and deal with Ellie’s strange teenage girl drama, not to mention you’re in Borders so much I should employ you!”[/color] He decided to omit the part where she was paying visits to his recent daydreams.
He smiled at her reply and gently, very gently stroked his thumb over her hand. “Thanks, love. Means a lot.”[/color] He whispered. It felt like a stab in the heart to hear her say ‘friend’ but it had been a long evening and things were a little more than crazy right now. However, it was still nice to hear that Romeo’s company wasn’t completely pointless. Sometimes, he needed to hear just how much someone liked him, or appreciated him, just to give him that little boost that everyone needs at some point. Tonight, was one of them. In his mind he had been reliving past, sometimes violent, confrontations with his father as well as coming to terms with the fact that he may harbour stronger feelings for Zoe than he originally thought. It was a lot to process and he needed to hear something like what she had just said to calm him down, keep him sane.
He smiled again, shaking his head. “Like I said, I’d rather she’d just tell me than spell it out with spilt blood.”[/color]

Romeo didn’t really do ‘smart’ in general, not when it came to fashion. He didn’t exactly walk around in rags either, but he valued comfort. Places like this one usually made him feel a little like the odd one out in his beat up Chucky T’s, worn down jeans and open shirt over plain vest. It didn’t make it much easier that the first impression he was going to make on the people here was that of a city kid who must’ve been caught up in some bad nonsense and now be preying on some quiet, innocent girl from the country who he had probably deceived into something bad. It was probably a bit melodramatic and sensational, but so was Romeo’s imagination. “She probably does the same about me when she’s with ‘er friends.”[/color] He said in his defence with a small smile.

He smiled and then shook his head, glancing at Zoe over his shoulder before looking back around the quaint apartment. “Nah, I knew it long before now. I just didn’t realise ‘ow cute it could be.”[/color] Romeo had only ever known the city and the country was something that never interested him before now. Fields weren’t entertaining in his mind and he couldn’t imagine living in someplace so small that everyone knew everything about everyone. The idea freaked him out a little.
When Zoe asked him for his help, a smirk grew on his face and he stepped towards the troublesome drawer. “Superman to the rescue.”[/color] He teased affectionately, pulling the drawer open with ease, but keeping Zoe’s eye contact the whole time. Romeo didn’t know what was in the drawer and he had more than enough respect not to look, just in case it was more intimate items that may cause an awkward moment or three.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1565
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! I got carried away, but I totally adore the start of this post <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Growing up, science hadn't really been Zoe's strongest subject. Don't get it wrong, she was quite intellegent. But, she'd never considered the science related aspect of becoming a vet. She had been more focused on the helping hurt animals part. Not the blood, the paper work, the possible frustrating cases that would try her until she seemed at wits end. That had all come to a painful realization with high school studying and college work. The innocent "Mama, I want to learn how to really take care of those horses y'all love so much" had morphed into an actual, realistic dream. No fantasies of running around in a cape and saving every kitten that found its way into a tree's highest branch. Zoe knew there was more to it that just helping. There was learning, as well, mostly on her part. There would be more of it even after college and her first few years as an assistant somewhere, and Zoe would have to grow up all along the way. She had certainly done a lot of growing up tonight. Being mugged generally did that to a person, though. Or, at least, that's what she'd heard before actually going through the horrible disaster. Plus, she was getting more experienced in other subjects as well. Ones that involved a bit more... romance and butterflies.

Zoe watched Romeo quietly enjoying the way his whole face seemed to be slowly unwrapping before her. And, she figured hers must be, too. They were getting so comfortable, more comfortable than was probably good for them at this point in time. His face was so close to hers, and his hand felt warm against hers, even if the ice hand basically numbed the pain away by now. The weird part was, Zoe didn't mind at all. She wasn't scooting away from him, or trying her hardest to get away from him, politely of course. She wanted to stay here with him, wanted him to keep holding her hand and smiling just for her. It was nice. Much better than their random conversaitons in the streets, even though the circumstances leading up to them being here weren't too fun. "That's very lovely, darlin'," she replied after he cited the name of the play. Zoe figured it was Shakespeare from the way he'd recited it, but she was a little surprised that he could name the act and scene and such. "So, any lucky girl gonna get to hear you act that out sometime soon?" she teased softly, trying to lighten him back up again. He seemed to have dived off into a deeper topic, one that Zoe herself was actually fidgety about. Talking about love, especially with the person you were falling for, was both awkward and nerve wracking. She'd had enough of the latter to last her awhile, even if this time it was a bit different.

His next speech made her heart pound harder against her ribcage and she averted her eyes for a moment, trying to keep her cheeks from flushing scarlet again as yet another huge give away. Did he know she was falling for him? Could he tell? Did he want her to say something first? Which, of course, she wouldn't be doing. She'd been brought up with traditional values, and those would be what she followed, no matter what lucky guy ended up with her heart. He'd be asking her out first, and he'd most definitely be paying for the first date or two. And, he'd be the one confessing his love first, not her. Zoe nodded quietly at his speech, giving him a gentle smile when he shook his head. She decided to shift off the lecture, though, enjoying it but not wanting to make him talk so much. It was her job to lecture, after all, not his. "A-And if she prefers to have it the other way? She stays quiet while you're the one paradin' 'round with your heart on your sleeve,"

[/b] she questioned, peeking up and meeting his eyes frankly. Zoe noted the absense of the wall that usually seemed to be in front of his expressions, and she was enjoying getting to see what was on the other side. "Hey, I never said it was," she smiled with a light laugh, "Only talkin' from the point of view I understand. Guy's brains aren't exactly my specialty." She turned her eyes back down to their hands again, wondering how many times he had had his heart broken. Zoe figured he had, though she couldn't tell you why. He just seemed to be more... learned in that department that she was.

Romeo's next comment had Zoe's cheeks flaming against her will, despite her strong efforts from before. She smiled wider, laughing again and looking back up to meet his handsome eyes. "Ya don't need to give me anythin', Romeo; ya know that. Just talkin' to you is enough for me," she whispered quietly, keeping her eyes locked on his the entire time she spoke. There was a double meaning to her words again, though Zoe was blinded to that fact. She hadn't meant to put one, but her heart seemed to be getting the better of her this evening. That particular organ beat more rapidly than ever as Romeo shifted even closer to her. She tried to force it away again, smiling at his next words. "Now you're makin' it sound like I'm your sister," she teased softly, taking the sentiment to heart. It meant a lot to her to hear him say something like that. All of this truly did. "I have to keep up with ya to make sure Ellie doesn't carry out some of her death threats when she's mad at ya. And, I do need my books for school and such," she said quickly, coming up with a random excuse as fast as she could. Zoe was in Border's a lot, and she knew that. But, she went because Romeo was there. And, anywhere Romeo was just happened to be quite attrative for the country mouse. "Least I can do seein' as you've kindly kidnapped me," she replied gently, reaching over to slowly take his free hand in hers. Zoe gave it a soft squeeze, not releasing it for awhile as she enjoyed the sparks that coursed through her veins.

She laughed softly, shrugging instead of replying to his true statement. Zoe had been sworn to secrecy on some things, though she would've told Romeo if he had honestly wanted to delve that deeply into his younger sister's private life. He was in charge of her, and Zoe wouldn't be the one to allow Ellie to get into any trouble because she'd promised not to tell her older brother something huge.

The flush on Zoe's cheeks darkened at his country comment and she forced a soft laugh. "Most think it's weird," she admitted quietly with a shrug as she moved farther into the apartment she called home for the time. It was laid out to Zoe's satisfaction, and for her comfort alone. Well, and Tessie's. Things were in places some people found confusing, and there were quite a few more pots and pans than one young woman seemed to need. But, it was all Zoe's quirkiness and she adored it.

"Yet again," she added, smiling back and going to pull a pair of shorts and a long-faded tee out of the drawer he'd opened. "Thank ya, hun," she smiled, pushing herself up by her knees and standing. She tucked the clothes into the bag on her fluffy bed, looking over at him and giving him a sheepish smile. "Can ya zip this, too? And carry it out to the couch for me?"[/blockquote][/blockquote]

• • •

WORDS: 1400!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Zoe's Bedroom, Her Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[/justify][/size]

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

During his high school years Romeo had been able to make reasonable grades. From day one though, his heart and soul went into English, resulting in an almost top mark when he graduated onto bigger and better things. Although he managed B's in most and a C or two in a few less important subject, Romeo found it difficult to study or prepare for the subjects he had no interest in. For example, when it came to maths, Romeo did the work when he could be bothered, but most of the time would just drag out the classwork and rush through the homework without checking them both. Maths, he just could enjoy nor understand all that well.
However, when it came to Ellie and her school work now, Romeo insisted on looking over the things she was struggling with. He was by no means a genius, but as he had grown up and matured a little, high school work seemed so much easier now and he didn't mind sitting down with Ellie and re-teaching her the bits she found complicated, even though most of the time in resulted in a paper ball fight and a last minute rush to finish the homework at breakfast.
He didn't want to see his baby sister screw up her life. Ellie had potential and Romeo knew that she was socially smart too, but he remembered only too well the pressure of those testing teenage years and the peer pressure that came with them. He didn't want her to throw everything away because of some boy who would eventually break her heart and then run over it on his cheap, dangerously homebuilt motorbike.
The dreamy romances would come and go for her, he knew that, he'd been through that, but he just hoped that Ellie would keep her head about her...even if alarm bells were telling Romeo that he was nearly close to losing his head altogether every time he found himself moving closer to Zoe.

Romeo hadn't really opened up to anyone in quite some time. He had other friends in the city, yes, but they were the kind of friends who he spent time with so that he could forget his troubles or push his concerns and worries away. Most of them were old high school or college buddies and their meet ups usually consisted of copious amounts of alcohol and many tales of their memories that were overly exaggerated and biased, depending on who was telling the story.
Tonight, things were becoming so much more than that. He was comfortable around Zoe and things just seemed to naturally flow without care nor concern apart from what he already had for her well-being after the attack outside of the bookstore. He knew things could have been so much worse and that made him even more protective over her right now. Romeo also knew that the events of the evening had brought underlying emotions and feelings to light; feelings that he wanted to act upon so badly, but refrained from doing so. Tonight had been a whirlwind of excitement and surrealism, even if it held more nightmares than daydreams and Romeo didn't want to appear that he was taking advantage of Zoe when she was possibly at her weakest. Plus, he had played the hero this evening and maybe that thought alone was messing with his clouding mind, taunting him with ideas of romance and chemistry that he had never noticed with Zoe before.
Romeo's green eyes fell on hers and he smiled softly. A small, playful part of his mind sparked to life and he took a few moments to mull over his possible replies, before finally settling on one that was a little more risqué if Zoe caught the undertone to his words, but he hoped it would be subtle enough to deter her from doing that. “Not right now, no...but, there is one girl who keeps catching my attention, so you never know.”

[/color] He said, smirking softly as he fought back the laughter that was threatening to erupt from the pit of his tight stomach.

Romeo was the type of guy who believed that a girl should speak up and be honest. He'd gladly play the gentleman and pay for dates and the such and he wouldn't want a girl to try and control him, but at the same time, if he took her to a restaurant she didn't like or picked a movie with an actor she hated, then he'd want her to tell him. Sure, it might hurt his feelings a little, but he could get over it and do something better for their next date. He kind of wanted a nice medium, where the relationship was balanced and they could be honest with each other and with Ellie. It was a turn off for most girls who were attracted to him, but Romeo and Ellie kind of came as a bulk deal. He'd never push his sister to one side for anyone and any girl who wanted to share Romeo's life would have to accept the fact that if they ever had nights in his apartment, eating take out and watching movies then Ellie would probably be involved for the food and even possibly a film or two. She'd give them some privacy eventually, but Romeo was adamant on never letting Ellie feel left out or pushed away.
He smiled at Zoe's comment though and shrugged lightly. “Then,she'd 'ave to get used to me paradin' around with me 'eart on me sleeve.”[/color] He joked, delicately brushing his thumb over her hand subconsciously. “Nah, honestly, I think I'd like it that way. So long as she at least mentioned that she was datin' me to people, then I'd be 'appy. I don't think it'd be fun or romantic to be with someone who was announcin' every li'l detail about us to the world.”[/color] It was a bit of an odd one. Romeo would like a girl who could a least hold his hand in public, but he didn't want someone who would throw themselves at him everywhere they went; even he had limitations and he definitely didn't do big public displays of affection, not unless there was a romantic reason to do so.
Romeo chuckled and shook his head lightly. “Believe it or not, us guys are simpler, more fragile souls than girls. We'll prob'ly never let you see our heartbreak, but believe me when I tell you that it kills us.”[/color] His mind was filled with memories of his own experiences and those of his friends. “Even some of the best guys I know 'ave been left gutted and almost broken beyond repair in some New York gutter. It takes a lot to bring 'em back from there.”[/color] He forgot about the memories and smiled warmly at Zoe instead.

He shrugged his broad shoulders again. “Then think about all the amazin' conversations that I could give you. You don't want to be missin' out on some of the best verbal entertainment the modern world has to offer in the form of the reincarnation of Shakespeare's great – and he was great albeit a total bell end – Romeo.”[/color] He said with a small laugh. The conversation had been getting heavy and a little too deep for the evening. It was time to lighten matters again and a good joke and banter was a sure-fire way of doing that!
Romeo laughed and shook his head vigorously. “Love, if I wanted to make it sound like you were me sister, then you'd 'ave just been insulted several times in a language that only five hundred thousand people, on the other side of the freakin' ocean, can understand.”[/color] He was enjoying how close they were and how much more relaxed she now seemed compared to the part of the evening when she had fainted in his arms and almost died when she came to in a strange apartment.
The next thing caught his attention the most and he sat up a little straighter. “Death threats?”[/color] He questioned, confused, but wondering whether it was time to swap Ellie's shampoo for purple wash in-wash out dye again. That had been more than hilarious for the older brother when it came to getting revenge on her for unplugging his alarm to charge her mp3 player.
A twinkle appeared in his green eyes and he smirked his infamous lopsided smirk. “Well, it's where most kidnappers go wrong. They forget to be polite, kind and oh so charmin'.”[/color]

His eyebrow quirked at Zoe's lack of reply and Romeo wondered just how many secrets his baby sister had. He wasn't worried though. He had a knack for knowing when something was really bothering Ellie or playing on her mind and recently, his little sister had been fine. Usually, if he was worried enough, he could coax a confession from Ellie with a little persuasion, ice cream and the teeniest bit of guilt tripping.

Romeo laughed heartily and he shook his head, speaking before he had a second to register the words that passed his lips. “You ain't seen me bedroom yet!”[/color] He cringed suddenly at how bad that sounded and just how wrongly that could be interpreted. Luckily, he jumped to the rescue almost immediately after (once a short pause had passed) and spoke again. “It's full of stuff from back home. It's all hidden in me room though, so not everyone can think both and Ellie are mental. Though, Ellie's room does resemble somethin' out of a teenage Barbie image.”[/color] There was too much pink in there to be explained. His room, was a little more grown up though, with just splashes of childhood memorabilia and hometown landmarks. One of them landmarks consumed his entire back wall, but for the reason of a story that Romeo wished everyone knew.

He playfully narrowed his eyes at Zoe, but zipped up the bag and flung it over his shoulder with ease. “I'll pretend to be your personal servant if you like. Make your neighbours think that you're some country duchess.”[/color] He said with a wink and a smirk as he exited the room.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1754
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe liked to consider herself a pretty young lady, much like any female in the modern world today. She wasn't obsessed with her physical image, though, unlike a good percentage of them. She enjoyed feeling like she could pull off a cute outfit, or make a hairstyle suit her face just right. It was the female part of her brain that longed for it. The rational, tom-boyish side wasn't afraid of getting down and dirty if circumstances called for it. The girly side, however, had been making a stronger appearence as of late as her feelings for Romeo became more and more known to herself. Zoe was suddenly more aware than ever of how dingy and plain her clothes could come across, especially those that had traveled from home and not a department store clearence rack here in New York. It was a bit of a blow to her confidence level, now more than ever as she felt this need to impress someone. Well, two people rather, though she hadn't been expecting to physically be meeting Ellie this soon. It made things harder for Zoe, even if the sister was younger than her and she had seemingly already gained her trust. She still wanted to make a good first impression, and looking nice helped with that. Plus, she wanted to feel beautiful for Romeo. She wanted him to think she was pretty, like those beauty queens who strutted up and down the bustling New York streets every day. The feeling was confusing to her, as it was a new, but demanding, one. She felt more plain than ever every time she looked in a mirror, and the words 'he'll never fall for someone like you' seemed to be written in large black letters all around her reflection. They made her feel even worse than she already did, and Zoe supposed tonight would just be added to the list of made-up reasons why Romeo wouldn't ever be conveying his love to her. She was too country-fied, he found her boring and simple, her mass of curls wasn't the sleek, smooth ones that were in style. Zoe had made up plenty of them, and yet she couldn't revoke her feelings for him. Her heart wouldn't allow her to step back into that stage when all she'd had were platonic feelings for him. And, honestly, she was doubting it would ever allow her to do that.

Zoe could almost hear the small 'crack' of her heart as his next words re-played themselves in her mind. He was falling for someone else, someone that wasn't her... he couldn't be talking about her, not in a million years. She really was just a friend to him, nothing more. A friend, only a friend. She turned her eyes down to their hands, blinking back the burning in her eyes. She wouldn't cry anymore, not in front of him. He'd already seen enough of her at her weakest; hitting rock bottom was not an option now. "S-She's a lucky girl, then. Must be great if she caught you're eye," she whispered, keeping her eyes down and forcing her voice not to quiver and betray her slowing heart. All those sparks from before... they were one-sided. Their intertwined hands: only a mere medical need because she couldn't hold an ice pack. She'd been wrong. He hadn't ever been flirting with her, only talking like he did to every other person in New York. She was nothing special to him. Only a country girl who'd fallen blindly for a guy she knew she shouldn't have. Those stupid fairy tales and love stories were all fictional. Fictional wishes that Zoe had thought could come true for her. But, they couldn't. She should've known that from the start. The whole topic of love and hearts seemed like posion to her now. Her hand wasn't the only injured piece of her body anymore, and it was definitely not the most damaged. She was still trying to accept the fact that none of this was what she had originally thought. It was only a friend thing. Romeo had only been saving her because she was a good friend, not because he liked her. Not because he was her private Superman. Because she was a friend.

She simply nodded as he spoke, now unable to imagine herself strolling around New York with her fingers lace sweetly through his. All those day dreams of them, all the lovely untaken pictures, were gone. She was no longer seeing herself as that girl, his one and only, who he kept going on and on about. There was now an image of a tall, blonde barbie doll in her place, one of those girls who were usually frowned upon by Miss Tylers. But, then again, her views were a lot different than she knew Romeo's were. "I'm sure that wouldn't be too hard to adjust to," she mumbled again, staring down at their hands instead of looking back up into those handsome eyes she'd memorized only too well. Zoe now winced as his thumb stroked over her skin, though the electricity between their skin was the same as it had been five minutes ago. It now came against her will, though. She'd need to start building that wall again, the wall that kept her from being too emotional with people. She needed to become strong, independent Zoe once more and give up this feeble, princess-y side that Romeo had somehow coaxed out of her. She felt like a turtle without its protective shell now, and it seemed as if the lack of a shield had resulted in her being wounded. The scars, though, were different than ones she'd had to bare before. The blade of rejection stung worse than one of her parents' stern 'talking to's, or recieveing a bad grade in school. This was harder than it all, and Zoe couldn't quite tell you why. She wasn't in love with Romeo; she couldn't be. She shouldn't be. He wasn't even her type, for crying out loud! And yet, it felt almost as if that dagger used by Juliet had been plunged through her heart instead, but not by herself. By her Romeo, and the unknown girl who was slowly capturing his heart, stealing it away from Zoe. "I don't believe that one. Girls' lose their hearts to fellas and don't say a thing mosta the time. They're the ones who gotta carry 'round the broken pieces and try'n find some poor guy to paste 'em back together," she replied, keeping her eyes down still. Zoe didn't believe she had a strong enough hold on her emotions to look at him yet. That wall had vanished as they'd gotten to talking in their usual random but endearing way, and it seemed that when she wanted it back, it wouldn't come. True, she'd never been this desperate to find it before. Maybe that was what it was. She was being touchy because of this whole being attacked incident. Her emotions were playing cruel tricks on her still, making her react out of character. Zoe Tylers didn't cry just because some boy she was falling for wasn't returning her feelings. She didn't give up hope because her heart was shattering. She'd been raised to keep carrying on, no matter what, and to smile along the way. Tonight would just be another one of those battles. It would get added to the growing list of times Zoe had had to grin and bare it.

That was what she resorted to now, as he continued to speak. She fell silent, letting his words bite into her skin as she attempted to get a hold on herself again. You're fine, Zoraline. Why're you bein' sucha priss? Not like you would've been able to go far with him anyways. Her own thoughts weren't helping too much with the rapid healing of her heart, surprise surprise. Her whole body had been through more than it wanted tonight. All she wanted to do was curl up and cry. And, amazingly, it was the second time she'd felt like that all night. There were normally months between those rare moods for her, not minutes. All she had to do was last through a couple more hours, maybe some snacks and movies, and then she'd hopefully be left alone, able to silently cry herself to sleep and muse over all the crap she'd survived today.

She let out a faint, weak laugh at his sister joke, secretly wishing she could be loved in some way by him, even if it was sibling-like. Zoe gave him a tiny smile, forcing it to be wider when she realized her lips had only twitched. His question made her internally smirk, thoug, recalling all the times she'd listened to Ellie complain about and threaten her older brother. "Girls do drastic things when they're upset, 'specially if they're young," she replied quietly, that double meaning holding no hint of romance anymore. The earlier conversations of dying for lovers sprung to her mind again, but Romeo wasn't her lover. She didn't have one, not even someone close to that. She was being a melodramatic female for the first time in her life.

Zoe's eyes stayed anywhere but on his, though she'd regained some of her self control now and wasn't on the verge of collapsing anymore. The charming joke, made her bite her lip, however. He was so, so charming. And handsome, and adorable, and amazing, and- shut up, Zoe! She shook her head lightly, trying to clear it. "I 'spose you're right. But, most kidnappers aren't friends, either," she smiled a little, trying to get back into her playful self so Romeo wouldn't ask what was wrong. She'd never be able to explain.

As she made her way into the apartment, the small talk was starting to get her back to normal. Slowly, oh so slowly, but it was working, much like it had when Romeo had first brought her into his apartment. She blushed darkly at his words, wondering for the first time if she really was safe in staying over at Romeo's for the evening. Ellie would be there, though. He wouldn't try anything on her while his sister was there, right? "This place is pretty full of home relics, too," she said, fondly looking around at the picture frames, rugs, and blankets that dotted the simple room. "You already said I'd have a slave 'til I was better," she teased in return, surprising even herself with the playful remark. Maybe she was better at acting than she gave herself credit for.

She walked back out of her bedroom into the living room, scooping up her kitten and burying her face in the soft fur for a moment. Zoe's hurt arm hung limply at her side, so all she could do was cuddle the cat close to her chest and move to go find her carrier. She spotted it in the kitchen along with the little food and water dishes, and set Tessie down to go put everything inside the crate. Zoe put a bag of treats in, a blanket, and some toys before going back over to Romeo. "Ya want the crate or the cat?" she joked, finally looking up and meeting his eyes.

• • •

WORDS: 2000!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: Poor Zoe D':

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo was a simple enough guy. He didn't enjoy seeing girls caked in layers of make up that made their skin tone look artificial and their eyes heavy. The tight, revealing outfits they wore may earn a double take from time to time, but he couldn't fall for someone who lived in them. He liked the girls who didn't play mind games, didn't set out with the intention of pulling a guy into their clutches and who he could just relax with. He didn't care if they wore the latest designer clothes or hand me downs that were too big for them and had the colours so faded that they looked like they'd make better dish towels than outfits. He wanted a girl who didn't care if he saw her without make up and with flat, unwashed hair. Someone who he could talk to about the randomest of topics and who he could, occasionally, rescue from the reality of the twenty first century with just a hug or a kiss, not always something more epic and movie worthy.
His heart told him that those reasons were probably there because of Zoe.

The girls he had dated in the past had been nice enough, but there was always something that pushed him away. The girl he took to prom was always moaning that he looked a mess compared to her whenever they went out. One of the girls he met as soon as they landed in New York thought that he didn't act like he wanted to be with her, that his normal conversations were a sign of disinterest. The girls back in Liverpool always saw him as their best friend, the one who helped them when they were heartbroken, but the moment he confessed his attraction to them, they told him that he wasn't protective enough for what they were looking for. They wanted someone to fight their battles, where Romeo believed that if he got too involved in their fights then it'd cause more trouble.

Tonight, a new feeling had overwhelmed him. Romeo would've stepped in regardless of who was being mugged, but the instant he realised that it was Zoe...something snapped. His anger hit a new high and if Zoe hadn't still been standing there and his heart hadn't been pounding out of his chest to make sure she was alright, Romeo didn't know what he would've done to that guy. He hadn't been aware of his feelings there and then, but he always saw Zoe as his little country mouse and if any other guy had captured her heart then surely it would shatter his.
Romeo had been there before, and it was gutwrenching to see another guy hold the hand of the girl he had fallen for, kissing her like Romeo wanted to kiss her and making her smile that way, where she'd bite her lip to try and hold back the grin, but fail and end up smiling the cutest smile and all because her heart was skipping a beat as she fell that little more for him.
He couldn't have gone through it again, not with Zoe. In the past he'd managed to smile and hide his heartbreak but Zoe...there was something different about her. On reflection, Romeo realised that every time he saw her or a memory of her cropped into his head, he end up smiling, nervously raking his fingers through his hair without even realising he was doing it. Ellie had noticed, but had never said anything, secretly using the phonecalls to Zoe to try and catch a hint of how she felt so that she could help give her brother a chance at the happiness he had been forced to put on hold because of the younger Jervis.

Romeo wasn't the most socially aware guy out there though, not when it came to words. He could communicate brilliantly, but his joking side often led to results less satisfactory than he anticipated and he'd just proved this, probably in the worst way possible. However, it wasn't a ploy and he didn't think that Zoe would have any reaction to it. In his mind, he had convinced himself that Zoe was a friend and always would be, not hearing his heart as it screamed his true feelings. Right now, he was telling himself that Zoe was one of those girls who could shatter him beyond repair. She'd never fall for someone like him. He was loud, brash and from a city still recovering from World War II. His hair was rarely brushed, he smoked more than he ate and when he wasn't in the company of someone who wasn't Ellie he could be crude, but in a language no one would understand. He scraped by most months and currently was in a state of 'one day I'll do this' because he was dedicated to raising Ellie as best as he could and no girl wanted to be second to the guy she liked.
No, Zoe deserved a better guy than Romeo. One who didn't slip when life got too much, who didn't have almost off-white teeth because of a nicotine love he'd developed in his late teens, who could put her before everyone else in the world and who could give her everything that she wanted.
What did Romeo really have to offer to an amazing, well mannered country girl other than a bit of banter? Even then, there was every chance that she was only being polite to him.

He was too caught up in admiring her though and what he'd probably never have when he replied. His eyes never left Zoe the whole time he spoke and his smile just grew wider as he accepted just how strong his emotions were for the girl. How he adored her shyness. He loved making her blush because of how cute she looked when she tried to hide her face. Her smile widened his and her laugh made his heart swell. “She's more than great. She's extraordinary and funny. She's the sweetest girl I've ever known and she lets me make bad jokes and act like a total fool without gettin' embarrassed or runnin' away. She's beautiful and perfect...but I don't think she knows that.”

[/color] He realised what he was doing and shut up - fast, clearing his throat and sitting up a little straighter, urging his feelings to get themselves under control before things got awkward between them and he lost a friendship as well has having his heart broken.
Mentally he reminded himself that he wasn't worthy of Zoe. They were from completely different places and probably wanted completely different things in their lives. If she knew about his past, his nightmares and his problems, she'd head for the hills and never look back. One day, she'd be back in the country with her dreams coming true and she wouldn't even remember the modern day Shakespearean city boy, who only wanted to make her his Juliet.

He took a deep breath, noticing the sudden change in her attitude. The smiling, happy girl seemed to have sank into a more sadder disposition and Romeo didn't know why. He chewed his lip and cast his eyes to the floor, reminding himself that his head was in the clouds. That, in real life, his Juliet wouldn't take one look at him and fall madly in love with him and that Zoe deserved more than a Romeo; she deserved a Claudio – even with a broken heart, he'd still love her with the pieces and make sure that she was immortalised through words.
“Maybe, but then, how can anyone be sure of another's feelin's? Romeo never was that in sync with cupid as he thought he was.”[/color] He sighed, examining her injured hand once more, so that he could avert his eyes until he got his mask adjusted, smile back in place.
The broken heart conversation was dropping a little too close to home and he knew that if it wasn't approached with care and thought, then it could go horribly wrong and result in an argument over something that could never be cured and no one would ever know the true answer too. “As horrible as this may sound though, love, girls are expected to be broken-hearted. I don't remember anyone ever telling us that it was alright to be hurtin' so bad that you thought your world was over. I remember me dad tellin' me to 'just go out and pick another bird'; his words, not mine. Truthfully, it's the last thing we want to do.”[/color] If the topic of love wasn't dangerous territory enough, then the mention of his father certainly was. Romeo never spoke about the man to anyone, not even Ellie and the thought of him riled up feelings of angst that Romeo was cursed to carry with him for eternity.

He hated him and he hated thinking about him or the fact that relatives would say 'ooh, you've got your father's eyes kiddo!' He wanted to kill them when they said it, just yell that he was nothing like that man. He had ruined so much of the future for his wife and children and Romeo had worked so hard to put it all back together. He didn't even know why he'd mentioned his dad to Zoe, when he didn't even acknowledge the man as a father any more. Romeo pulled himself together though before he threw something across the room or had to go to the window to light up a cigarette. Not a lot got the twenty four year old angry, but thoughts of the man who was supposed to have raised him, made him madder than anything.
His father's actions were the only things that had ever reduced Romeo to tears and now was not the time for him to have a breakdown even with the rest of his emotions going crazy.

Romeo was still confused as to why Ellie had threatened him to Zoe. He couldn't recall any logical reason for her to do that and was now a little paranoid about his little sister when her hormones raged. “I've upset 'er?”[/color] It wasn't his nature to upset anyone, not deliberately and especially not Ellie.

He smirked and leaned a little closer, only to pull back a second later when his heart went into overdrive as her intoxicating scent hit his nose. “Actually, most kidnappers and killers usually know their victims well and in an intimate nature before they commit the crime.”[/color] He paused, eyebrows furrowing, “Don't ask me how or why I know that.”[/color] It was from reading one to many books, but it still sounded a little creepy to reel that off after the evening and its events.

“Yeah, but you managed to make it look like you're not twelve, love. Mine resembles a young teenage boy's room in places.”[/color] It was mainly because most of it was Everton memorabilia from back home and most grown men didn't usually have it floating around, especially not in New York since it was an English team.
He smirked and nodded. “True. I'll be a genie too. Your wish is my command. Only I'm not goin' to be stingy on wishes like the one in Aladdin. You get unlimited wishes from me.”[/color] He winked once more and licked his throbbing bottom lip. It was still healing over and it was annoying him to no end.

He looked at his options and then smiled. “I'll take the crate. She might run off from me.”[/color] He picked it up and held it in the opposite hand to her bag. “Is that everything, love?”[/color]
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 2000
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! Ellie needs to slap them both I think! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe had been raised to be simple. She'd gone through life knowing that the easier things were, the less likely they were to become complicated and eventually wind up hurting you. She'd gone nearly eighteen years without learning how to put eyeliner on correctly, or how to use a hair straightener to make her curls look sleek and shiny. Her whole life she'd only been taught the basics of surviving, not the frivolous things most city slickers were practically born knowing. It'd taken her nearly a month to figure out how to work her cell phone correctly, and her laptop was pretty much the same story when she'd first bought it. She'd lived in her older brother's worn out and torn jeans for quite a few years, and had even sported some of his tee shirts and jackets on occasion if she was feeling a little lazy.

Zoe'd been expected to follow in the quaint foot steps her mother did, just like her younger sistsers would be doing a few years from now. She had even planned a wedding when she was young, complete with a neighbor boy as the groom and her father as a preacher. Needless to say, that childhood play had never yet become a reality. Zoe had never really fallen in love, not even the simple, typical one her parents had lived through when they were in high school. No one had caught her eye, not until she'd moved to the Big Apple, anyways. She'd never met the boy who could convince her to give up her dreams of being a vet and stay in the small town for him, content as a farmer's wife with ten kids running about at her feet. Even now, she cringed at the thought. She would've made an excellent mother, as her own mama pointed out many a time, but Zoe couldn't see herself twenty years from now wearing a checked apron and darning old, wool socks. The children aspect was faintly appealing, however. She wanted daughter or two so she could pass down all of her stories, tricks, and tips into someone. Plus, her mother had always said how wonderful it would be to have a granddaughter. And, deep down, Zoe wanted to be the first Tyler to give her one.

But, those 'simply traditional' traits that had been ground into her sprung up in her mind every time the topic of children was brought up. She would be happily married before she made love to anyone, and that wouldn't be changing for anyone or anything. It was one rule she strongly refused to waiver on for more than one reason. The main one was she could practically hear her mother going "Zoraline Diana Tylers. How dare you disgrace yourself by getting pregnant out of wedlock?!" and the other was because she could see her sisters staring at her differently, like she was a fallen angel or something along those lines. Zoe needed to be a good role model for them, and by waiting until she was truly in love to do certain things, she set an excellent example. Plus, she couldn't take the risk of getting pregnant, no matter how small the possibility was. A baby right now would be impossible, though it would cure her of her slight loneliness.

The dagger that had already been poised against her heart seemed to plunge deeper and deeper inside now, twisting and leaving as many cuts and bruises as it could. Each turn came with one of Romeo's words, ones describing the girl who was so much better than Zoe. The girl who was good enough to catch Romeo's eye, to make him fall in love with her, to make him say all these insanely sweet things about her. Why couldn't she do that? Why couldn't she get a guy to really love her, a guy like Romeo? Why wasn't he falling for her instead? Was she that horrible? Zoe couldn't help the need to ask why this girl was so much better than her, what made him like attracted to her, but not Zoe. It made her furiously depressed. "Ya should go after her if ya like her so much. Introduce her to me," she said quietly, clearing her throat halfway through as she tried not to let her voice crack again. Zoe didn't know if she could handle meeting this girl. Well, she certainly wouldn't be able to if she and Romeo were together. That would nearly kill the poor country mouse. She'd never had to go through that jealousy before, not in all her years. And, frankly, she didn't like it all at. Just the thought of Romeo holding hands with another girl, smiling that handsome smile of his and pressing those warm lips to hers made Zoe's heart squeeze and almost shatter. She wanted to be that girl so, so badly. And yet... she couldn't be. Somebody else was going to be, and that somebody seemed to have Romeo wrapped tightly around her fingers already.

Zoe would have to discreetly question Ellie about it during their next phone call. Maybe the younger Jervis could give out a couple details on the mystery girl, or maybe some hints on how to win Romeo over for herself and steal him away from the stranger. The animalistic side of Zoe wanted to do that with such a passion it was almost frightening. She wanted to cuddle up with Romeo at night, talk about their two different days, have movie nights with him and Ellie. Zoe wanted to be that girl who won over the sister, and then later on the older brother and they all lived happily ever after. But, her recent experiences with fairy tales told her that wouldn't happen. She had a life to get back to in Adams, had a career to pursue. And yet, her heart didn't want to do any of that alone anymore. For the first time ever, Zoe wanted to share all the with someone. She wanted to come home to a strong pair of arms, curl up against a chest that smelled like a mixture of smoke, new books, and the cologne Zoe knew belonged to the one and only Romeo. And, within seconds, all of it had traveled farther out of reach than ever. She'd never factored in the part of him falling in love with someone else; she'd never really wanted to. "Love's a game of risks and heart breaks. Just how things work," she shrugged, now understanding how bad a broken heart could feel. No matter how hard she tried, her lips wouldn't move back into the smile they'd held so easily before. Zoe couldn't go back to being the go-lucky girl who naively thought herself flirting with the handsome city guy, who was willingly flirting back with her. All she could think about was if the other girl ever did this with Romeo. Had he ever saved her before? Been so gentle and out of typical Romeo style? "Boys never needed permission for anythin', whereas girls had to ask for centuries if they could merely go out to a store to buy yarda fabric. The broken hearts were the one thing we didn't have to ask permission to have," she replied quietly, surprised a little by the mention of his father. Zoe found herself talking more about her family than Romeo ever did about his. Sure, she'd heard countless stories of Ellie, but that was about it. Snippets like this about his parents were about all she got on them.

Not that she minded at all. It wasn't her business, unless he one day decided to really open up to her about all of it. Zoe wasn't one of those girls who ran away at the smallest hint of 'extra baggage'. She had enough of her own, and not every person on the planet lived as simple a life as the blonde barbies that got every little thing they wanted. No, Zoe preferred the people who weren't like them. She preferred to be in the company of someone who had lived and seen both the light and dark sides of life. It almost helped her to bond with someone. They could comfort each other, then, and therefore learn more and more about the other.

"Hey, I'm sworn to secrecy," she smirked weakly, feeling smug about the fact that she could hold something over his head, even if it was only this little. Now he wasn't the only one with a secret. She knew Ellie's complaints, and he knew some girl who was stealing him away from Zoe. The standings weren't too fair, but at least she had one thing now, right?

Zoe's heart stopped suddenly as he leaned closer, and she had to force herself not to gasp. He was right there... so, so close to her face. She could smell him, the smoke on his breath, the cologne, the Romeo perfume she loved so well. She cleared her throat softly when he pulled back, one of her eyebrows raising in curiousity. "That mean you've been plannin' this for awhile?" she teased lightly, though she was still quite curious as to if this all was planned. The mugging, the heart break, the everything. Maybe it was just a set up... But, that seemed kind of extreme, even for Romeo.

"I've got my childhood stuff, too. You're not the only one," she smiled weakly over at him, nodding towards the quilts and pillows on the couch. They were hand made by her mama, and some of the most precious objects Zoe owned. "You're just gonna be my everythin' tonight, aren't you?" she teased, blushing as she realized what her words could be seen to mean. Zoe wanted him to be her everything... but that couldn't happen, and she couldn't let him know her heart's blind desires.

Zoe nodded and bent down to scoop up Tessie, blinking as she realized she had forgotten something. Her quilt. "One last thing," she added quickly, going over to the couch and grabbing the patchwork quilt off the back. She draped it over Tessie, then looked back over to him and nodded. "Now'm ready," she said with a small smile as she looked up into his eyes.

• • •

WORDS: 1800!
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 had never really sat down and imagined his future. His life had been such a whirlwind of one thing to the next that it was never really something that Romeo liked to sit down and plan. He didn't like the idea of thinking about how the next ten years would play out, only to be disappointed when it ended up nothing like his ideal. He knew too many people who, when they were still teenagers, had their entire lives planned out and he couldn't understand how they could do it when there were still so many choices and opportunities waiting ahead for them that even they could guess or comprehend. Some of the people he grew up with had been in accidents, lost loved ones, dealt with their own problems and so much more. However, no one ever planned any of that out when they were fourteen and talking about dreams and aspirations.

Romeo had only ever planned to be a high school English teacher. However, gaining custody of Ellie had put those plans on hold; something he never ever thought would happen. Although, none of that was to say that he didn't know what he wanted, he just didn't like to plan it out detail by detail. He wanted to one day meet the girl of his dreams and then marry her. He wanted to have children, possibly three, if fate would allow it. He wanted to teach English and he wanted to return to Liverpool, just for a while, to see how it had changed and to visit old relatives. Other than that, Romeo was clueless and was willing to accept, fight and deal with whatever else destiny decided to hand to him.

His beliefs were subject to change though. Whilst he didn't have anything forced upon him as a child, Romeo respected and understood people who did attend a regular church service, who maybe had a more traditional view of the world or who didn't approve of some of the social aspects that he adored. He respected their views, so long as they weren't so closed minded that they couldn't respect others. He had friends who wanted to wait until marriage before they'd share a bed in the biblical sense with another human being. On the other hand, he had friends (himself included) who had done that quite a few years ago and with more than one person by now. He had friends who smoked, drank, gambled, some had even dabbled with drugs, but then he had his straight edge friends who did nothing of the sort, but were willing to joke about that. Romeo was the first to admit that he was far from perfect, but he also wasn't exactly the worst person alive either. He wanted to be a role model for Ellie, but at the same time, he wanted her to make her own choices about her life, make her own mistakes and find her own happiness.

Romeo was thinking entirely about Zoe now. She was unlike any girl he had met before. It may have been because she wasn't city born and bred like almost everyone else he knew, but there was something else there...something deeper and much more intense than just geography. He did wonder if this was how Shakespeare intended to portray Romeo's feelings for Juliet, because this modern day romantic was somewhat enchanted by the thought of the country mouse sitting before him. He reeled off his little speech, imagining their first encounter in Borders and now totally oblivious to the pain consuming the girl all because Romeo's joke hadn't considered the fact that she may have feelings for him.
She couldn't though. Romeo was just a grotty city boy who, at times, could be vulgar and coarse. He was rough and loud and everything she wasn't. In his eyes and heart, he told himself that Zoe deserved more than what he could give. She deserved some charming prince who could sweep her off her feet and give her a life in the country with the horses and all the characteristics of a Jane Austen novel.
Romeo could only give her a Shakespearean tragedy, complete with fights to the death, rivalries and passion that was so short lived, it could only ever survive on the stage.
“I wish I could.”

[/color] For a split second, he considered acting upon his feelings then and there, but told himself very quickly that was inappropriate time and probably a lost cause. “She can do and will do better than me though.”[/color] He said a little quieter this time. He liked to think that he could make a girl like Zoe happy, but she was so sweet and innocent compared to him. He wondered if half of the stories he could tell her she would even be able to comprehend happening in real life. It wasn't that he was thinking in a patronising way, it was just that to see such an innocent beauty in a big, manic city seemed such a strange, almost Hollywood blockbuster, occurrence that he had to wonder. He didn't want to be the guy who would taint some man's daughter with brashness and horror stories of urban life.

Maybe he could accept a date from one of the guys. They'd been trying to hook him up for months now with various girls who they knew and every time Romeo would politely decline. He wasn't too determined to find himself a girlfriend or to even find someone who was short term, but maybe now it would be worthwhile to take his mind off the country girl even just for a few dates.
This was the kind of thing that Romeo preferred to avoid; imagining the perfect romance and the nights on the sofa watching movies that were so bad they were good for it. Envisioning them walking arm in arm down the snowy winter streets, picking out things in windows that were cute or appalling and then keeping his eyes on her, so that the moment they lit up and she fell in love with the sweater or the jewellery he could surprise her with it a little later.
Usually, he wouldn't think about anything like that, but now, now he wanted to and he wanted it to happen but the voice of logic and reasoning was telling him to calm down, to stop thinking such romantic thoughts and to accept the fact that there was a strong chance that Zoe would not reciprocate his feelings.
“Yeah, but sometimes is the heartbreak worth the risk?”[/color] The question was more to himself and the internal demon that he was fighting with all of a sudden.
He chewed on his lip, forgetting about his injury and wincing when it split right open again. He acknowledged her little speech with a small nod, but he wasn't enjoying how deep things were suddenly getting. He'd already mentioned his father in passing reference and to stay on the topic would mean more of his own pain would be exposed and tonight was about making sure Zoe was okay, not the other way around.

He nodded again, accepting that Ellie had secrets just like every other girl. Unless he had a good enough reason to, Romeo wouldn't pry. He respected his little sister and he respected Zoe even more for not blabbing everything Ellie told her to Romeo at the drop of a hat. It wouldn't really bother him all that much if she did, but it was nice to know that Ellie had someone to confide in when her brother simply wasn't right for the role.

Romeo chuckled softly, composing himself again after almost grabbing Zoe and kissing her with so much passion and adoration that they may both have burst. “Aye right, I'm the kind o' guy who'd bust up your hand and injure 'imself just get a kiss from you, love.”[/color] He shook his head softly. “I like to think that I'm at least a little bit classier than that.”[/color] He said, smiling softly and wishing that he would have the chance to show her exactly what he meant one day by that.

“True, but yours looks a little more in place than mine does, love.”[/color] Maybe it was a girl thing, but Romeo knew that the fairer sex could get away with keeping objects around for longer than guys could. Luckily for Romeo, not many people in New York understood his remaining childhood collection and so it was either unnoticed or people just kept quiet about it for the sake of something unspoken.
Everything in Romeo's heart and soul took a serious turn again, his heart skipping a beat almost at her words. He wanted to stop it, he wanted to just smile and laugh it off, but the words were out before he knew what the heck he was doing. “I only wish that I could be, love.”[/color] He stopped and mentally slapped himself before clearing his throat and turning to look around the apartment. Romeo had to control himself before he swept her off her feet there and then, kissed her and spun her around somewhat dangerously.

He smiled and opened the door for her, walking slowly down the hallway whilst she locked up. Soon they would be back at his place and they could get settled for the night. He just wished that she'd be in his arms and not in another room.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/justify]

• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1624
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe shook her head slightly at his words, wishing she could let out a soft laugh that was meant to be joking, but would probably end up sounding more sad than anything else. She kept her eyes down on her hands while she spoke, knowing he'd be able to read the bursting emotions shining through if she looked up at him. "Nobody could'do better than you, Romeo. Not ever," she whispered quietly, unable to keep herself from her uttering the words. Zoe meant them, however, with all her heart. He may have been damaged according to himself, but to her, he was more than amazing. He wasn't horrible because he smoked or swore, and he definitely wasn't irresponsible thanks to the living proof also called Ellie. Sure, the city-taint was usually a bit of a turn-off for Zoe, but, he wasn't exactly the typical city boy. Yes, Romeo was a great guy, despite the faults every person had. Even Zoe knew he was wonderful, and her standards were generally extremely high, as any males she knew could explain for you.

But, her head told her that her little sentence was a mistake. What if he read into what she was trying not to say? That'd be a disaster. Why set herself up for more heartbreak by admitting she was falling for him? It was like a twisted form of self-infliction, one that was a lot more deadly than some. Besides, what if he felt bad for unintentionally hurting her? Zoe couldn't take his pity, especially not if it was over her stupid heart allowing itself to fall for someone it shouldn't have. She couldn't taint his happiness, too. If that other girl made him happy and got him to smile, she had no reason to disturb it. Even if she seriously wished she could.

"Depends on who you're riskin' it for, I 'spose," she shrugged lightly, not looking up at him. Zoe didn't want him to see the pained expression in her eyes. Though, she could probably brush it off with the fact that she had had a decently tramatic evening, minus the present conversation. Still, she didn't want to chance it. She didn't want to lose their banter-filled friendship because she was so careless with her heart. Without Romeo, who would she talk over books with? And converse about the randomest things with? Zoe didn't want things to get awkward between them.

Seeing him with his maybe girlfriend would be difficult for her, however. There was the part that she would be a stranger, and Zoe didn't typically do well with being introduced strangers. She always got very shy and quiet, and usually retreated behind her hair more often than not. Plus, Zoe already hated this girl with a passion. That wouldn't be helping matters in the slightest if Romeo ever chose to show the mystery girl to Zoe. Part of her hoped he would, though she knew it'd be the definition of torture itself. She wanted to see what was so wrong with herself that Romeo couldn't fall for her. Was she that flawed? Or did her country-ness really bother him? She didn't exactly live the most exciting life, that was true enough. Maybe that was it. Zoe wasn't exciting enough for him. She wasn't the beautiful, dramatic Juliet he needed. She was merely a boring country mouse who couldn't tell stories about bar fights, how many guys she'd slept with, or wild parties that lasted until six a.m. Heck, she couldn't even talk about romantic evenings spent in the most expensive, cliched cafe in New York. All she knew were horses and bluegrass, home cooked meals and picnics enjoyed under a gorgeous blanket of stars. She was too boringly simple for someone as magnificent as Romeo.

At the mention of a kiss, Zoe couldn't stop herself from flinching. He didn't want to kiss her, though. He wanted to kiss that other girl. He'd be classy and nice for her, and probably plan splendid dates and fun evenings where they'd stay in with Ellie. And Zoe'd be pushed out of the picture, forgotten because she wasn't good enough to be remembered. She'd go back to staying cooped up in her apartment with a novel and her cat, or being dragged out by Ember to make sure she got home without a scratch on her.

Zoe shook her head slightly, staring down at the floor and letting her curls tumble into her face again. She brushed the back of her good hand over her cheek to catch the very tiny droplet that had wriggled its way out, shaking her head again to try and clear it. No more crying, not tonight. Later, when she was all alone and everyone else would be sleeping. Then she could cry without someone asking if she was okay. Because, honestly, she wasn't.

"They make good decorations, no matter what they are," she shrugged, hugging her kitten close to her chest again. Tessie was squirming a bit from Zoe's tight grim, but Zoe wasn't planning on letting go of her. She wouldn't be pushed out of the way by her cat, and that was some form of comfort for Zoe. At least one being wouldn't let her fade away.

His next words made her squeeze the poor cat even tighter. What...? No, he couldn't mean that. He wasn't in love with her; he said he was falling for someone. It couldn't be her, not even in her wildest dreams. "Who said you couldn't be?" she mumbled before she thought better of it. Her face was practically buried in Tessie's fur, but she knew her words were still audible from the way the cat flinched and tried to move its head away from Zoe's face. It made Zoe's cheeks flame, and she quickly wished she would've held her tongue. She'd said too much; much, much too much. He'd surely guess everything now, and she'd be found out. Their friendship would be over, he'd storm out of her apartment, and she'd be left all alone to cry her heart out. Good going, Zoe.

• • •

WORDS: 1094!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Living Room, Her Place
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Babygirl" by Sugarland
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

It didn’t take much to realise that there was something playing on Zoe’s mind. Romeo looked her over with a concerned eye, but in the end he dismissed it as exhaustion from the events of the evening. Everything that had happened was starting to take its toll on the city boy himself and he could recall a number of nights just as eventful and as heart pounding as this one. She’d stopped looking at him though, which worried Romeo slightly. What could possibly be going on in her eyes that made it hard for her to look at him? She couldn’t be scared of him, surely? Yes, Romeo had quite a temper on him at times and Zoe had witnessed exactly what he could do when his mood turned and the need arose for such violence, but surely she understood that he’d never do it to her or anyone else who he cared so much for?
Her words brought a smile to his lips, but the young man believed that he knew better. Tonight, she was a little emotional and Romeo told himself that this emotional side of Zoe; one that he knew she kept locked away most of the time, was the cause of the words that rolled so eloquently from her tongue. In this evenings main event, Zoe had been cast as the damsel in distress and Romeo lived up to his name by playing the hero. Now, she was convinced that Romeo was some superman who saved the world from a terrible disaster, when in fact, all he did, was assault a stranger in the street. He told himself - repeatedly - that this was the reason why she said what she did. “Nah, I’m nought special. You’ll see that for yourself one day when some guy comes along on his noble steed and sweeps you off to paradise where you’ll live happily ever after.”

[/color] The thought of some guy doing that, made his stomach churn. He wanted to be that guy, but he had convinced himself, long ago, that he didn’t deserve someone as pure as Zoe with a bright, shining future ahead of her.

He pushed his hair back, fighting away at the sudden nicotine craving that flooded his body. The atmosphere was getting tense and Romeo knew that he should probably change the conversation for the sake of both of them standing there, but at the same time, his heart was tugging at him, trying to convince him into saying, doing more than just beating around the bush now. If there was a line, then there was a chance that he’d edged Zoe over it with him a short while ago.
However, he was human though and the Superman disguise that he had donned for tonight wouldn’t last forever and he was just as susceptible to heartbreak as Clark Kent was to Kryptonite. So, maybe it was worth the risk, as Zoe just said herself, but the chance of a slow and painful destruction may wait on the other side. “It still kills like a -” [/color] Romeo stopped himself, biting his tongue before the curse could role from his lips. “The biggest risk can also lead to the worst fall though. And there ain’t a safety net to catch you then, love.”[/color] He clarified, voicing the inner demons that were his own paranoia about the situation. He didn’t want to voice his honest opinions and feelings towards the beautiful country mouse out of the paranoid fear that he’d lose her for good. He’d miss the banter and the laughter that they shared more than anything else. For a short time when they were together, Zoe helped Romeo forget his problems and allowed him simply to live the life he’d been neglecting for some time now.

Romeo didn’t realise that his joke earlier had caused Zoe’s rapid change in mood and he was still oblivious to it now. Romeo spent a lot of time so far since the attack, reminding himself of the vast differences between himself and the girl who was the subject of his sudden and incurable infatuation. He was using them differences to convince himself that she wouldn’t feel for him, what he felt for her. Most of it was pathetic, but it was the technique Romeo had used for years, mainly to protect his vulnerabilities from being too exposed. If something effected him greatly, then it was sure to rub off on Ellie and he couldn’t let that happen. Regardless of everything life threw at him, Romeo had to be strong for his sister in order to protect her from the harsh truths that the city could hurl at them. He’d done it for years, never pushing people away, but almost pushing himself away and playing the role of the happy, every day guy who cared for his sister like no one else could comprehend and who had dreams, yes, but those dreams were realistic and his private life didn’t exist. It was the best way to keep Ellie safe and despite how much he wanted to reach out and touch Zoe; hold her in his arms, kiss her and promise her the world on a string if she so wanted it…he had to hold back and keep control of his emotions and his actions. He’d spent his life perfecting it with his temper and love was only a heartbeat away from that, so he supposed that it couldn’t be that hard. However, a few moments later he would be proven wrong and the temptation to give in and do something that he wanted to do may become overpowering, even for him; tonight’s Superman.

“Yeah, but they’re more than just decorations. They’re part of you. Who you are and what you’ve done. They may just be decorations to someone else, but to you, us and the people in you’re life, they are, and always have been, so much more than that.”[/color] He said, smiling softly, hoping to pull her out of this lull that she seemed to have slipped into all of a sudden. It was a little sentimental and a little out of character for the usually grinning joker, but he was too concerned with finding a way to make Zoe happy again, bring a smile to her face.

Her words shocked him and his green eyes widened at the same time that his jaw fell slack. Never had he expected anything like that to be spoken, not to him from Zoe anyway. It took a good few moments for him to react and when he did, alarm bells began deafening his logic. Romeo shuffled his feet closer to her, his strong hand finding her slender arm. Resting it there, he used his other hand to tilt her head upwards, forcing her to look at him. His fingertips brushed her jaw softly and he studied her face, almost, almost giving into the temptation that had been taunting him all night. He leaned a tiny, almost microscopic bit closer to her, before his senses kicked back in and he smiled softly down at her. “It’s been a long day. How about we just ‘ead back to mine and eat our take out? Everything will be different in the morning.”[/color] He hoped that she’d capture the double meaning in his words.
For a split second, he allowed himself to believe that Zoe reciprocated the strong feelings he had for her, but after everything that had happened today, it would be unfair and unjust to act on that assumption. So, as much as it killed him to do it, he stepped back, offered the girl his hand and cast away the Superman costume, replacing it with that of a gentleman.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1342
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! I love these two more than words can say <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe's heart was not an organ that performed any task lightly. Once it had its sights set on someone, that's the only person it would take. She didn't fall for a new guy every week like a lot of girls. Heck, she barely fell for anyone at all. But, once she did, you could bet that it'd take a world-changing miracle for her to move her feelings to someone new. It was a little extreme, yes. But, you've got to remember, Zoe didn't fall for people. The one person who caught her attention was bound to be worth her time, even if her head told her he wasn't. And, that worked for some people. They listened to their hearts and let the wind carry them wherever it pleased. Zoe, on the other hand, was rational. She thought her decisions through, went over all the consequences and results a million times before finally saying "yes" or "no".

This gave her a clear head, one that was sometimes too careful for its own good. It made her attempt to keep her mouth shut right now. It knew that being with Romeo, falling even further in love with him, was a bad idea. Then again, the other fairy-tale loving, side of her was flashing a quote from one of those sappy chick flicks in her face: "Why'd you move to New York?" "To fall in love..." She wanted to fall in love. Oh gosh, yes. But, she kept telling herself she couldn't. Not yet, anyways. Somehow, though, Romeo had snuck his way into her heart and slowly captured it, leaving Zoe more confused than she'd ever been. All she wanted to do was curl up in his strong arms and feel the warmth of his body surrounding her smaller one. What she needed to do was finish school well and travel back home to Adams to help the community there. She couldn't stay in the busy city with Romeo forever, though the idea had floated around in her head more than once. Why shouldn't she be allowed to roam New York with him for the rest of her life? Couldn't she spend night after night with him and Ellie in a naive state of bliss?

"And if I don't want a fella on a noble steed?" she countered, running a hand through her curls agitatedly. "What if I don't want paradise, like everyone else? What if all I want is a guy who won't hurt me, or give up on me 'cause I'm not his typical, city slickin' whore?" Her voice got stronger with each word, and she had to bite her lip to keep herself from saying more. She didn't like the feeling of being inferior to a city show-girl, who she was imagining Romeo's mystery girl to be. And, she was tired of the cliches. She didn't want to be classified as one anymore. Being the country girl in the big city who fell in love seemed too over-done, as did the idea of returning home to become a docile little housewife to a crude, unrefined farmer. Zoe wanted to be Zoe, and nobody else. She wanted to do what she pleased, fall in love with whoever the hell she wanted, and not be seen as the girl who wasn't good enough. But, more than anything, she wanted Romeo to tell her she wasn't only an undiscovered Hollywood movie. She wanted him to tell her she was "the sweetest girl he'd ever known" and beautiful and perfect. She wanted him to say he was in love with her as much as she was with him.

"I am rubbin' off on ya," Zoe muttered more to herself than him as he caught himself from what she knew would end in a curse. It was nice to know he was attempting not to swear around her, though. It gave her just a smidge of hope that maybe he did like her. "That's when ya trust that ya won't need a safety net because you'll be caught by the person ya risked yourself for," she replied quietly, staring at their hands once again to keep her eyes away from his. Zoe wished she could do that with him. Fall for him and know she wouldn't scrape her knees at all because he'd so willingly catch her. He'd promised he'd save her and protect her, but did that include keeping her heart from shattering? No, probably not. Those breaks would be hers to prevent, even if he was the initial cause of all of them.

One reason Zoe figured she'd fallen for Romeo was the fact that he wasn't afraid of speaking his mind. And usually when he did, she understood the point of view he was coming from and got the feeling he understood hers. They were different in so many ways, and yet, there were things that tied them together. Like the fact that both of them had home lives, relics, and whatever else that reminded them of the past. A lot of people would've tried to "grow up" and get rid of any childish piece they saw, and it comforted Zoe to know she wasn't alone in her love of childhood items. She gave him a shadow of a smile, keeping her eyes anywhere but on him again. This time, at least, she had an excuse. She could pretend to study the things in her apartment. "I 'spose you're right, hun," she answered quietly, her eyes staying on a picture of her and her mama. It made her feel a smidge better to think about the kindly woman, who Zoe would more than likely be calling tomorrow once she was freed from Romeo's care. Before that, however, would probably be an interesting conversation with either Ember, Jack, or both. She needed to get this heart-situation figured out, and she sure as heck had to learn how to forget about him.

Zoe pressed her face tighter into Tessie's fur as silence followed her previous question. She closed her eyes tight, waiting for the sound of footsteps and a door slamming to greet her ears. He'd surely leave now that she'd dropped that huge mistake of a bomb. He'd think her stupid for falling for him when she'd made it clear more than once that she wasn't interested in romance of any sort. But, it didn't sound like he was leaving. Actually, she heard him moving closer to her. The feeling of his hand on her arm made her jump a little and her eyes blinked back open, uncertainly letting his hand guide her face up from Tessie's soft coat. And then his fingers were stroking her skin, making her shiver ever so softly. He was so close... right there, inches away from her face. She could smell his breath, see the smile she loved so much up close. It was like a dream, standing there and letting him touch and caress her cool skin. But, it quickly turned back to reality as he spoke.

"Everything will be different". This, this would be gone. He'd be gone. He wouldn't touch her like this anymore, he wouldn't be gentle and sweet as a lamb. And she would wake up wishing she could go back to when she thought he was falling for her, when he hadn't told her about the girl he was actually falling for. But, her feelings wouldn't be different. Zoe knew that. They'd been the same for awhile, only changing by getting stronger. She'd still be in love with him, and he'd still be breaking her heart every second he smiled at her. So, really, nothing would be different at all.

Zoe's lip quivered as he finished speaking, and she pulled her face out of his grasp, stepping further away from him. Her eyes wore the devastation her face refused to show and she went back to hiding herself in Tessie. She didn't want to leave now, knowing that he wouldn't even believe her if she said she didn't want to only be his friend. He'd think it was just her being mental and sentimental from the events of the evening. He'd probably even laugh at her. And Zoe couldn't take being laughed at.

Her eyes flickered to his outstretched hand for a moment, then towards the floor. No. She wouldn't. Zoe Tylers could take care of herself. She walked away from him silently and over to the couch, fishing her keys and phone out of her bag before going over to the door. Zoe opened it, keeping her eyes back on the floor as she waited for him to go. Whether she was following after him or not was still undecided.

• • •

WORDS: 1540!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Twisted" by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: Grr to you >.<

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo had fallen for a few girls in his life. He had never exactly kept track of every one of them, but there had been three who he seriously cared for. Clearly, none of them had worked out in the long run and since taking on the responsibility of Ellie, he hadn’t had the time to date or even casually hang out with girls the way he used to. Even with Zoe, these newfound feelings had emerged over a number of chance encounters and coincidental meetings rather than anything exclusively planned.
Throughout his life though, he had always succumbed to the desires of his heart, often allowing the overwhelming emotions it contained to block out all rational thoughts. It was only when he realised that his responsibilities now extended to his little sister that he allowed the voice of reason a role in dictating his choices over the last year or so. The more time that he spent with Zoe though, the meeker that voice got and his heart, once again, began to control his actions, gestures and words. Whilst he didn’t fall lightly, Romeo did fall fast and currently he was experiencing that sudden drop, that never ending spiral of passion and love that he hadn’t felt for at least a few years now, maybe not even since high school.

Whilst Romeo acknowledged the fact that nothing in life could be won with just the power of the heart, he also didn’t believe in allowing the head to hold people back. He had seen kids in college, knew it from Ellie and her friends and even experienced in with his own colleagues; people were fighting harder to become what they thought they should be and not what they wanted to be. It saddened Romeo whenever he saw a missed opportunity or a ‘too late’ exclamation. And whilst he knew that he was far from perfect himself and had a whole catalogue of those moments, he always vowed to never let it hold him back, never let worries or concerns block chances for happiness. He was willing to sacrifice so much for people, as he had already proven with Ellie, but there was so much more that he would do for the right person and over thinking things could make fickle love more on before he had a chance to realise it.

The sound of the small swear word coming from Zoe’s innocent mouth almost caused Romeo to fall over backwards. He moved a little closer to her, brushing the curls gently from her face before he spoke, his voice softer than it had been all night. “Sure, that’s all any of us really want. It‘s all that - I suppose - we need to be content. But what about the magic, Zoe? What about that indescribable feelin’ when you’re with that person who can only be described as your soul mate? The feelin’ that you can move mountains together, that you can slay dragons?”

[/color] He sighed quietly, casting his gaze at the floor before moving his green eyes to meet hers. “It’s human nature to never be content with contentment. We need the magic to thrive, to be the person we can only dream of bein‘.”[/color] It was probably the most honest he had been in a long time and currently, he was revealing thoughts that he’d never shared with anyone else before, not even Ellie.

Romeo scratched the back of his head, smiling softly as he just caught the muttered words. Despite his coarse nature at times, he did try to hold back his vulgar language around those who didn’t share his over usage of the harsh terms and derogatory phrases, even if he failed more than he succeeding in that area.
He gazed down at her. He’d catch her if she fell, but that’s not to promise that everyone else would, though they‘d be a fool not to. “It all comes down to whether they catch you in time though, love.”[/color] The nicotine craving was biting at him now and he cracked his knuckles as a distraction, wincing when his fingers burnt, reminding him of previous events of the night. He had to bite his lip and muffle a groan to prevent a string of swear words and profanities escaping his busted lip, which didn’t exactly improve when he bit it, reminding himself of how absentminded he could be at times, especially when it came to this particular topic.

“Y’know I’m always right.”[/color] He joked, nudging her playfully as he studied her eyes moving around the apartment before they found a place to settle. Maybe she’d have preferred to be around things that reminded her of the safety of home after the nightmare of this evening. Maybe the last thing she needed was to be in an apartment that was completely a reflection of the two cities Romeo had had the excitement to grow up in. However, he wasn’t planning on leaving her alone tonight and he wasn’t going to allow Ellie to invade Zoe’s private area either, so there really was no other option. He’d do everything he could though to make Zoe feel safe in his small, but homely apartment, no matter what it took.

The temptation to lean in and kiss her had almost been overwhelming and it took every fibre of Romeo’s being to stop himself from doing just that. He wanted to kiss her, he really did. He wanted to feel his lips against hers so much that it ached at this very moment. However, the magic that should come with that amazing first kiss between two people only existed when the time was right and whilst tonight had possibly laid the seeds for that magic to grow, now was not the time. Now, it could interpreted in so many wrong ways; pity, deception, loneliness…none of those things were what Romeo wanted her to associate with their first kiss, if one were to ever happen.
He wanted her to see fireworks, to feel her heart skip a beat as the butterflies whipped up a tornado of bright colours in her stomach. He wanted to take away all words with his lips, silence her of worries and of thoughts altogether. He only wanted her to feel that raw connection of soul; the magic that most people disregarded as romantic codswallop and dreaming fantasies. He wanted to prove to her that it was real.

Romeo knew that they had moved forward with their friendship this evening, if that was all. He couldn’t go back to being the same laughing and joking Romeo that she had first met. Sure, he’d still do those things, but he knew that the softer, more honest guy would appear a lot more often too now and he hoped that she wouldn’t mind that, or get too freaked out if he started acting this way around other people when he was with her. Maybe it was because of his feelings for her that he knew would happen, or maybe it was just because for the first time in a while now, Romeo felt like the guy he was when college first began; the guy who achieve anything.
He just hoped that, eventually, he’d achieve everything with her by his side.

His thick eyebrows furrowed together as she stepped back and he noticed the sudden change in her mood more now. He was unsure whether to question it, or to allow Zoe some space after putting up with him fussing over her all evening.
However, when she ignored his outstretched hand, his heart cracked a little. What had he done? What had he said now? Mentally, he slapped himself and swallowed hard, his eyes glued on her as she moved through her apartment.
Romeo flicked his gaze to the open door and then back to her before shuffling his feet through it, eyes once again fixed on her, silently, waiting for her to follow him.
The tension was thick, and everything seemed to be moving in slow motion all of a sudden for reasons that Romeo couldn’t quite describe. All he could say was that something had happened and it had once again, changed their relationship of the evening.

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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1408
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3