• The Stars Stay Up •

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Yes, Zoe was simple. It was just her nature to be, especially after the "simple" life she'd grown used to having and being surrounded by back in Adams. This place, New York, the city in general, it was too complex for an innocent like her. There was too much temptation, danger, and all around strangeness that had taken her a couple years to truly figure out. Even now, after a few years of living in the city, she still didn't understand everything about it. It went against her simplistic take on things, everything did. And that included Romeo. But, he did have those few traits Zoe always (though not aware of it) looked for in a guy. He was sweet, he could make her laugh, and he had the most amazing smile she'd ever seen in her life. He was what she wanted, while also being the one thing she didn't: the city. Not that it truly mattered now when she was clearly head over heels for him, and there was no turning back now, not until she left.

But, Zoe wasn't thinking about graduation day anymore. She was thinking about how handsome Romeo was, and how happy she always got when she was around him. She was thinking of the hilarious phone conversations with Ellie, and how much she'd miss the girl once they were hundreds of miles away from each other. True, she'd only met her once, but Zoe already felt a sisterly bond over the younger Jervis. She was maternal hen, so it was to be expected, though it wasn't exactly the same with Ellie. The girl was a "special case" because, well, she was Romeo's little sister. And, part of Zoe reveled in the fact that he trusted her enough to turn the girl over to her, which led to her taken especial care. Plus, it would be a good thing in the long run, right? If Ellie liked Zoe, surely that knocked one reason off the list of why he wouldn't like her. Right?

"I haven't been back home in years, hunny. 'Sides, I'm not a city girl. I've got country blood coursin' through my veins," she laughed up at him, though her eyes dimmer a little at the mention of not being home. Zoe wanted to go back so, so badly sometimes. It would be easy to, she knew that. The only problem would be the wasted money, but everyone there kept saying she'd give up anyways and come home to be a "normal" girl. That life would be complete with the horse she loved, kids, a husband... everything that people told her she was supposed to want, supposed to already have. But, looking at Romeo, Zoe knew she couldn't leave. Not yet, anyways. She didn't want that, not really. She wanted him and a life split between their two very different lives. Bits of the city, bits of the countryside; a combination of two worlds that molded perfectly together to form the relationship she kept wishing they could have.

Zoe shook her head at him, "I'm quite observant, hun. I'm sure I'll pick up on it." Then again, she tended to be very aware of what Romeo did while he was around her. But, that was the fact that most of the things he did caused her breath to stop, her heart to flutter, or her body to tingle with sparks that were slowly becoming expected by her. "It'll be my kitchen and my pans. And, 'sides, I'll be watchin' her. She can't do too much damage that way," she laughed with a smile. Zoe was a good cook, it was true. And, she'd given lessons to her own sisters, though she had had her Mama's help back then. Still. She could teach Ellie a thing or two while also making food that wouldn't kill Romeo the second he put it to his lips. He didn't need to be poisoned; and she definitely didn't need daggers being brought up! Punches were enough to leave her with dangerous memories and dramatic flairs.

Her lips quirked at his words, and Zoe couldn't help smiling as they embraced their tiny moment of silence. Hopefully, no phonecalls would ruin anything this time. It'd happened twice tonight already, and she was seriously considering turning her phone off when she got back to his apartment. There had been enough interruptions for one evening. Though, she figured Ellie would be causing enough once they got back to the apartment. If she'd been the younger sibling in all of this, Zoe would bet she would've done the exact same thing. Even if she was being kept in the dark for her own good, she knew it'd be hard, especially for nosey Ellie. Maybe she'd end up retelling all of it to her later... or maybe Romeo would do it and save the poor country mouse the mental trauma of reliving her attack.

It was her turn to cover his mouth as he started to shout, and she quickly shushed him while giggling and blushing a light shade of red at the eyes that turned their way. "Ya're gonna make everyone stare!" she scolded, giving him a sweet smile before eating another bite of her ice cream as if nothing had just happened at all.

Her eyes flickered to a clock on the wall, reminding her that they had to get back out to Tessie soon. Zoe didn't want her little kitten to freeze in the cold of the car, though the pet was probably curled up in a blanket by now, fast asleep and completely oblivious to the world around her. Zoe was really hoping to join in on that soon.

• • •

WORDS: 1000!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Twisted" by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: Whoah long o.O

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

The city was something that literally flowed through Romeo’s veins. Without the sound of the pneumatic drill every morning, the sirens racing past his window in the middle of the night and the neon lights that more often than not lit the way better than the streetlights, he honestly didn’t know what he’d do. These things were part of him, things that he was used to and he often joked that no one could weave in and out of traffic light a city boy like himself could. Zoe was all about the country, yes, and it was one thing that he knew very little about, even with all the books in Borders at his disposal whenever he needed to seek their council. Truthfully, he’d much prefer to hear about the country from her than from the crisp pages of a $20 textbook. Nevertheless, he hoped she felt the same about the city. There was much more to it than muggings and crime rates and every city held a world of history and tales that could only be learnt by discovering the secrets of the city through experiencing it first-hand. He knew so much of it about Liverpool and had plenty on New York to make a career as an adequate tour guide if that happened to be his calling in life; though, luckily, it wasn’t. He only wanted to share the magic of the concrete jungle with those who he cared for and that extended to Zoe.

There was something telling him though, that he wouldn’t care if Zoe still remained cold to the thought of the city. Sure, he’d spend almost eternity trying to sway her judgement, but somehow, he knew that he would be happy to spend time with her no matter what she thought about the place that he called home. Well, maybe if she started really insulting Liverpool, he’d have something to say about it, but New York didn’t quite come up to par with the northern English city that thrived on football and jokes that were probably more insulting than funny to those who weren’t from the region. Maybe, one day, he’d get to take her there, but right now there was the chance that she’d see enough when she finally saw his bedroom; the place where he was still mentally insisting that she would be sleeping tonight, if she could look past all the blue print that he kept in there to remind him of home. He suspected that she would understand it though, considering the quaint country touch that he’d been admiring in her apartment.

He smiled affectionately at her, brushing some hair from her face again before dropping his bandaged hand back to his lap. “Maybe, but you brought as much of the country to this place as you could, or ‘ave you not seen your apartment, love?”

[/color] He joked, silently thinking about how cute it was that she was so determined to stay in touch with her roots when he had heard endless accounts of people who had fled from the country to find their freedom and fame in the city, only to have the city consume them so much that they didn’t recognise themselves anymore. Romeo had known a few people who this had actually happened to and his couldn’t understand how someone could so easily lose touch with everything that had defined them at one point, even if they didn’t like it so much when they were younger.

“Ah, but I could be a ninja and you’d never notice. I’m that good a ninja.”[/color] He boasted, pretending that he was being deadly serious. If he was a ninja then she would never really be able to guess, because surely that was the point in being a ninja? Boy, this had been a long day. Even if he had enjoyed the time with Zoe this evening, it was starting to become clear to him that he would need sleep soon before his literary mind swept him into a land of make believe.
His eyebrows almost hit his hairline and he took another swig from his drink, his eyes never leaving Zoe the whole time. “I think you underestimate the power of our El. She too ‘as ninja powers and if somethin’ can go wrong then she’ll manage it.”[/color] He was fairly certain that Ellie wouldn’t destroy a kitchen if she was put in it, but as her older brother, he had the obligation to tease, playfully insult and wind up his baby sister.

As her hand clamped down over his mouth, Romeo narrowed his eyes at her in a mischievous fashion, a dark glimmer of a twinkle appearing in his olive eyes as he darted his tongue from his mouth, licking along the palm of her soft hand with all the immaturity of a five year old throwing a stroppy tantrum. “Who? There’s ‘ardly anyone ‘ere!”[/color] He said, staring around the almost empty diner. Not many people were here this late at night, when closing time was fast approaching.
He continued to spoon his ice cream into his mouth before it melted. As much as he was enjoying this night, their time was coming to an end and if he was feeling tired then Zoe must have been exhausted. The quicker they got home, the better rested she could be before morning and Ellie’s overly loud morning routine would probably stir her from her slumber. “’Ow’s the ice cream, love?” [/color]
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 955
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe was very determined not to become one of those stories about a "city transformation". She was more than happy as she was; limited money, hand me down clothes, and microwave meals in all. Changing to the glitz and glam of the city, therefore leaving behind the bluegrass and natural beauty of her home, was like poison in itself to her. She couldn't do it without facing more pain than was imaginable. Throwing away her life... it would be devastating. Zoe would never do it, no matter who asked her to. And, even if it was Romeo and that was the one condition that held their relationship back, she wouldn't change. Zoe was a country mouse through and through; not a city rat dressed up as a purse dog. If people couldn't accept her for it, then forget them. That was her policy. Sure, she put up with the jabs and playful teasing with some people, actually she did it with most. But, she wouldn't change, no matter how cruel the teasing got. If worse came to worse, she'd show up for class, then scurry home to her country-fied apartment and the comforts of tissues, textbooks, and old photographs filled with hundreds of cherished memories.

That was really the one place where Zoe didn't feel so different. She wasn't being told to put makeup on, or wear skirts that went inches upon inches above her knees. There was no pressure about remembering to cover up her accent, or to not talk about anything involving her home. And, she didn't have to pretend to be someone she wasn't outside of the comforting walls. In there, she was the studious little girl who had driven off from Adams with tears in her eyes. She was the one who'd gotten lost on her way through Virgina, and who'd had to call her parents for directions while sitting in the middle of a desolate moutain road. It was the country version of Zoe that not many people got to see. And, it was also why she was somewhat hesitant about letting people inside. Part of her was afraid they'd make fun of the endless number of pictures, handmade quilts, quirky decorations, or strange horseshoe pieces that were screwn across the place. Plus, it was her sanctuary where none of them could really upset her or point out, yet again, that she was different. With Romeo, though, it'd been an entirely new situation. He was one of the very few people she trusted not to laugh at her for her countriness or prim manners and innocent nature. Really, he was one of the only people she trusted.

She smiled prettily up at him as he brushed some stray curls from her face, reveling in the sparks that transferred from his skin to hers. "That's not even half of what I coulda brought," she laughed, shaking her head softly and causing the curls to tumble back into her face. "And weren't you sayin' you did the same with yer hometown stuff?" she reminded with a tiny smirk, reaching up to brush a few strands of hair from his gorgeous olive eyes. Zoe loved touching his hair, even though she'd reprimanded him for it earlier. Then again, she also wasn't greasing up an injured wound, so it was a bit different. Shaking the thoughts off, she pulled her hand back again, the sparks tingling her fingertips as they slowly died away.

"I thought ya were gonna be an literature master, not a ninja!" she joked as he kept up his mock seriousness. Zoe wanted to play around and not focus on serious things; not now. She just wanted to forget about everything, laugh and be graced with that handsome smile of his every time she thought she said something witty. And, it looked like that was the road they were heading down now. No deep, zen-related topics. Just their banter at its best and highest.

"You aren't givin' her anough credit! I'm sure I can teach 'er to make brownies without the world crashin' and burnin'," she giggled in response to his words and the shocked expression on his face. Zoe knew he was joking about Ellie and that not a word of this would be breathed to the younger Jervis, no matter how much she begged and pleaded on the phone to know what had happened. And, Zoe was kind of planning on that happening. Her and Romeo had been gone for quite awhile now, and the breathless way Romeo had answered her call in the middle of what would've been their first kiss was going to rasie eyebrows. She just hoped she'd have vague enough answers by then, ones that left out the dark events that had even led to this night happening.

A squeak of surprise left her lips as his tongue pressed against her palm, making her quickly withdraw her hand. She wiped it on the front of his shirt, glaring back at him and smacking is chest playfully as he spoke. "There still are!" she answered, hiding behind her curls for a moment as she tried to force the burning blush off her cheeks. Being the center of a room was not Zoe's thing, even if she could easily hide next to Romeo. It still made her nervous and fidgety, no matter who she was with or what she was doing.

Zoe took tiny scoops of her ice cream, trying to ward off brain freeze as the cool treat worked its way through her body. It was freezing her more than she already was but, she was hoping to fight it off when she snuggled up into her quilt tonight and drifted off into a dreamless sleep. "Mm, good. But I like yours better," she said, giving him a playful smirk as she ate another spoonful of cookie dough.

• • •

WORDS: 1031!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Twisted" by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Whilst Romeo had merely exchanged one city for another in the eyes of most people, something much bigger than that had happened, for no matter how much of his life was spent in New York, it would always be Liverpool that he referred warmly to as ‘home’. Plus, the cities were completely different to him. New York didn’t have the same run down council estates like the one he had grown up on and it didn’t have the same market vendors who adorned the streets in bright scarlet or royal blue, attracting customers and fans with witty banter and joyful chants about the merchandise. He had yet to find a decent place in New York that did ‘proper’ fish and chips and there was something missing every time he found an ‘authentic’ bar that disguised itself as a traditional English pub. None of it was quite the same for him and whilst he could get on quite well without it, sometimes it was the little things like that that made him feel incredibly homesick at night.

That was why he was glad that he lived with Ellie. Whilst he had grown used to the American accent and the many forms it came in, there was just something about coming home to his sister’s slightly shrill, but lovable Scouse accent that made his heart swell with joy, just a little. Some days, he was tired of repeating himself to those who he believed were blatantly refusing to listen just a tad bit harder to what he was saying when they were having difficulty understanding his sometimes thick accent.
It was the one thing that he knew he would never change. Romeo was proud of where he was from and was technically a walking encyclopaedia on the northern city. All he needed was for one person to set the ball in motion and he could happily spend hours talking about the city where he grew up, reeling of the facts of its’ past and the myths and legends that had surrounded the port city for decades upon decades. So, no matter how much stick he got for it, or how many people criticised his common drawl, he would never abandon his accent or the way he spoke. As Zoe had seen, when he was with Ellie everything was much stronger, much thicker and way more confusing to decipher, but none of that really mattered to the rest of the world. It made Romeo happy and whilst he believed strongly in his heritage, it would take more than a miracle to make the literary hero change his mind on that particular matter.

He smirked when she called him out on his own hometown belongings. His room did resemble one of the market vendors that happened to support the Toffee’s, but he could simply put that down to being a guy. However, Zoe had yet to see that he had one entire wall in his room that was a photograph of one of the best images in all of Liverpool; the Liver Birds themselves, perching proudly on the rooftop, guarding the city just like the legend said. In fact, she’d probably have a bit of a fright when she saw it later, but Romeo was secretly hoping that he’d get to tell her all about them and why he had them plastered on his wall in their six foot glory. “I never said there were anythin’ bad about it, now did I?”

[/color] He joked, shaking his head lightly as he held his hands up in mock surrender. “Though, I doubt there’s much room left in y’ apartment for anythin’ else, love.”[/color] He teased lightly, hoping she took his words in good stride, and didn’t think he was criticising something that he actually found rather cute and adorable.

“Ah, the literature master is part of my disguise. Not everyone can know I’m a ninja otherwise I’d be failin’ at bein’ a ninja.”[/color] He said, speaking as though it was the most obvious thing in the world and as though everyone should understand it, even though it really was just one huge joke that he was having a little too much fun carrying on. Maybe it was the big kid in him, remembering the early morning’s before school when he’d watch Power Rangers on cable TV and then run around pretending to be the white ranger, when he was cool and not retired and returning in a modern day series that simply was not as epic as the original that Romeo had grown up with.

He scratched the back of his head and put on a worried expression. “It’s not the world I’m worried about; it’s y’ kitchen.”[/color] Ellie would probably give him hell when he got in later anyway and wouldn’t let up until long after Zoe was asleep and Romeo was threatening her with extra chores or something, so at least this way, he was getting his digs in at the teenager whilst he still could. It was only fair after all in the world of sibling rivalry and fights, even if the Jervis siblings had very little experience of either; they were too used to winding each other up and then hugging it out over a classic Adam Sandler movie or comedy DVD that reminded them of home.

A grin crossed his rugged face and he sat up a little straighter, preparing to tease Zoe even more than he already had done this evening. “So? Le’em look! Or are you all embarrassed that your real identity as the ice cream chief ‘as been revealed?”[/color] He kept his voice a little louder than necessary, hoping to keep the cute blush in her cheeks as she tried to hide it with her long hair. He had way too much fun making her blush and his heart skipped a beat every time it happened; the girl was just too damn cute for her own good!

He swirled his spoon around his bowl, gathering the bits of melted ice cream up and raising it to his lips. “That’s what you get for tryin’ to stick to a simply flavour. Ice cream should be experimented with on every possible occasion.”[/color] He joked, quickly leaning over to steal a generous spoonful of hers and jamming it into his mouth before she could say or do anything. The cold sensation nipped at his gums and he took a moment to give thanks that he didn’t have sensitive teeth and then swallowed the melting gulp quickly before it could form into brain freeze and make him look like a right idiot in front of Zoe.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 1,146
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe smirked back at him, shaking her head in return as he held up his hands in surrender to her. "It was implied," she joked, laughing softly and smiling again. "It's crammed anough as is. Nonea my ridin' trophies are up, and only 'bout a third of my photos are," she said proudly, giving him another smirk. Her riding trophies were reminders of some of the greatest moments in her life, as were all those photographs that were either stuffed in albums in her hall closet or still packed in frames in boxes. Zoe wished she could've had them out on display, as well, but she knew they were probably safer in their hiding places, or back home in Adams where a good chunk of her award collection was. Dangerously balancing them on the ends of shelves didn't sound too smart and she'd be crushed if something got damaged because she was selfish enough to want to crowd every last childhood memory into her "adult" apartment.

The giggle that passed her lips was unstoppable as he spoke. Literature ninja. That was definitely a new one for her. "Weren't ya Superman b'fore? Ya can't just keep changin' yer mind! Yer gonna give people whiplash!" she scolded jokingly, smiling up at him and scooting just a bit closer to the warmth of his body. Zoe was more than just a little cold; but the sparks he kept sending through her were doing well enough to keep her decently warm. Or, at least fool her into thinking she was warm.

With a roll of her eyes, she dismissed his worry about Ellie blowing up her beloved kitchen. And, frankly, Zoe really did love the place. It was the first real one she'd had that actually belonged to her, and wasn't shared with her mother. She was allowed to arrange things how she wanted, place things where she thought they'd be most useful. Though, it had ended up looking a lot like her Mama's, but she wouldn't admit to that one. Besides, it wasn't like anyone from back home could really come and check, and nobody in New York would, either. Cooking for her friends wasn't a normal thing, though Zoe would make soup or meals for whenever somebody got sick, especially in her apartment building. The people on her floor were kind to the studious, good hearted country mouse, and she'd often bake for the family that lived a few doors down. They had two little girls who adored Zoe, especially the huge chocolate chip cookies that "mysteriously" appeared outside their doors on holidays or random Saturday evenings when Zoe had been bored and without large piles of homework or studying to do. "It'll be fine!" she insisted again, more stubborn this time. "Ya should be happy I'm gettin' 'er ta cook for ya, not fussin' over my kitchen," she added, giving him one of those infamous Zoe looks that clearly stated she knew she was right, and she wasn't about to let him convince her otherwise.

As Romeo sat up straighter, a little piece of Zoe began to panic. She saw the teasing glint in his eyes as he continued to speak louder than was normal, the amused looks from the few other patrons causing her cheeks to burn brighter as she quickly ducked her face into his side to avoid them. "Yer so mean!" she scolded jokingly, hesitantly moving out of the safety of his shoulder to finish up her ice cream. The sudden attention from the whole diner still had her a bit frazzled, even if she knew he was just playing around with her. Zoe didn't like being in the spotlight, especially when she had a very handsome, teasing guy with her.

"But, if I get somethin' safe and you get somethin' crazy, I can always just steal yers," she joked back, gasping dramatically as he scooped up a good chunk of her remaining ice cream. Her lips quirked into a wicked smirk and she quickly scooped up a bit of ice cream on her finger tip, tapping the tip of his nose with it as her revenge. "And yer callin' me a thief!" she teased, finishing up her bit of ice cream in a few more bites.

• • •

WORDS: 800!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Side, '50s Diner
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Twisted" by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

He chuckled softly at the thought of how packed her apartment could really be if Zoe had put up everything she said. “At least you can redecorate with photos if y’ ‘ave that many of ‘em.”

[/color] He pointed out, forever looking for the good in everything, even if the situation wasn’t necessarily bad to begin with. His own room had pictures of his past, but most of them never got changed, aside from when Ellie insisted that she didn’t want to see a photograph of herself when she was eleven and sitting in a tree with her older, much cooler brother. Apparently those were the days when she was fashion challenged and he was the brother all her friends found themselves crushing on, although, he had overheard her exclamations of disgust whenever he greeted her friends and they giggled in response.

Romeo grinned and proudly stuck out his chest, almost like a peacock showing off his plume of feathers. “I was raised to be anythin’ I want to be. If I wanna be Superman and a Literature Ninja, then I can be.”[/color] He said, keeping up the slightly immature persona that accompanied the boyish charm his mother had always scolded him over when he was younger and still living at home in the small house, back when the family actually lived together instead of the chaotic shamble they had become ever since moving to New York.
He felt her scoot a little closer to him and playfully nudged her arm with his, smirking down at her with a soft twinkle in his eyes. He loved feeling her so close to him and if he wasn’t eating his ice cream then he would’ve draped his arm around her again and let her cuddle fully into him. It was just a bit awkward to try and do both when one of his hands was already bruised and beaten.

He had tried to teach Ellie how to cook himself, but whenever the Jervis siblings found themselves in a kitchen together, it usually resulted in nothing more than a messy food fight in which Romeo would try to cover Ellie’s hair with as much flour as possible, just for the hilarity of the mood she got into when she was trying to wash it out. Her cries of distress were enough to have him in hysterics on the floor and as the older brother, it was only right that he tortured the sixteen year old like that.
Ever since the last time that had happened, Ellie had refused to ever step foot in the kitchen when Romeo was actually cooking real food other than bringing in the take out or throwing in an oven meal for them both.
It would probably be good for Ellie to actually learn to cook, rather than learn what was best to throw in Romeo’s hair; topically, the best thing was chocolate syrup. He hated the stickiness of the gloopy product and the way that it seemed to cling to his hair wax and make the situation even worse atop his bronze locks of wild hair. “Fine, but if she ‘appens to burn me place down at a la’er date, I’m blamin’ you.”[/color] He said jokingly, pointing the end of his spoon at her.

A loud laugh escaped his lips as Zoe’s blush grew and she buried her face in his side as she tried to control the embarrassment that he had bestowed upon her in only a few short seconds. He reached over and messed up her hair affectionately as the chuckles rocked his body, his shoulders heaving up and down with each laugh that rippled up from the pit of his stomach. Being loud and causing a scene was something that Romeo had brought from the streets of Liverpool and whilst he had toned most of it down quite a lot since moving to New York and actually growing up, it still was his favourite way to embarrass those around him, though it was usually Ellie, who gave just as good as she got, until they were both aware of the looks coming their way. “Aw, but would y’ ‘ave us any other way?”[/color] He queried, once his laughter had subsided enough for him to speak again.

“And what right d’y’ ‘ave to steal mine?”[/color] He asked, raising an interrogative eyebrow at her. He crossed his eyes to look at the dollop of ice cream on the end of his nose and then playfully glared at her as he whipped his tongue out to lick as much of the ice cream off as he physically could before using his sleeve to wipe away the rest. “Nah, that was compensation for me losses.”[/color] He clarified quickly, before noticing the empty bowl in front of her. “You wanna ‘ead back t’ mine now? Or ‘ang ‘ere a li’l longer?”[/color] He asked, smiling gently.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS!857
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe had really only had one plan for herself all her life. Finish high school, go off to college and study to be a vet, come home and open a practice as close as possible to her family's homestead. She'd never be able to change her mind as quickly, or as much, as Romeo kept kidding about doing himself. "But then you'll be too busy to come'n save me," she sighed back dramatically, as if the Superman part of that really required work. "And, I wouldn't recognize ya if ya were a ninja, so that don't work, either," she added on, shaking her head though a smile still tugged at her lips. No matter what they were talking about, he almost always got her to smile. The idea of him not having enough time to come and "save" her made her want to frown. Zoe kept it off her face, however, not wanting to tip him off that the idea of not seeing him saddened her. But, really, was it dangerous? Friends liked to see each other, right? That couldn't raise too many eyebrows.

Her eyes found his easily as he nudged her side. They brightened as she saw his twinkling down at her, and it took her a moment to remember she had to breathe. Part of Zoe wished they could cuddle up to each other again, much like they had been back at her apartment. She hoped they'd get to when they watched a movie later, if they were still doing that. And if Ellie didn't insist upon sitting inbetween the two of them. Knowing her own siblings, there was a very high chance that that could happen. Zoe could only hope that it wouldn't.

"Then we'll stick to cookin' at my place. That should keep yers safe from harm," she joked with a small laugh before saying, "And then we can make sure whatever she stirs up won't kill ya in split seconds." Zoe did feel things would be a bit safer that way, both for Ellie, Romeo, and the apartments in general. She wasn't so worried about getting burned or scratched herself because she'd done it so many times in the past. It was Ellie who the concern was aimed at, and sympathy for Romeo who would end up eating the crazy cookings of his sister.

As Zoe hid in his shoulder, she couldn't keep herself from smiling behind her curtain of blonde curls. She knew he liked to embarrass her from their many encounters at Borders or around the city, where he tended to make her blush and draw a bit of attention to the pair of them. It was one thing Zoe wasn't entirely crazy about, but if it got her more of this "cuddling" then she was fine with it. "No, I like ya just the way ya are," she answered without thinking, turning her face to peek out at him, her cheeks still a bright red and a tender sparkle in her eyes.

"I'm yer country mouse, I get all sortsa rights," she replied with a smirk, tossing her curls over her shoulder as she tried to look confident and haughty, both traits Zoe would never in her life be able to pull off. She laughed as he wiped the ice cream off his nose, rolling her eyes jokingly. "We should probably get back. Tess'll be freezin' in the car and I'm sure Ellie wants to know where we are," she sighed softly, wrapping her arms around herself to try and rub some of the chill off of her arms. Zoe gave him a tired smile in return, really not wanting to leave but knowing they'd have to go back to reality soon.

• • •

WORDS: 750!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Side, '50s Diner
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Twisted" by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo’s dream had been known to him since he was still pretty much a kid. He knew that he wanted to teach English literature in a high school and he knew that he wanted to accept the challenge to evoke emotional responses from his students with powerful texts and empathetic extracts. He hated when people assumed English was an easy subject; the ‘cop out’ at college. There was so much hidden between each and every line of a book and the author’s clever talents were put to an amazing test when the reader was challenged by his very words to feel something for the fictional characters who, more often than not, found a warm and welcoming place in his heart. At some point in his life, he’d like to write his own work of fiction too; a novel perhaps that would capture some of his own imagination and the fantasies that unfolded there. “Nah, ‘cause, see, I’ll combine the two t’ make an unstoppable ‘ero that not even the god could defeat.”

[/color] He said casually with a small shrug as though it was really no big deal and as though he did actual possess the power to be everything she wanted him to be and even more. “So, you’d know it was us and I’d ‘ave a catchphrase anyway; like every good ‘ero does.”[/color]

Romeo hadn’t even been worrying too much about his sister and what would happen when they returned to the apartment. Sure, she was nosy and would probably try to interfere some more if given half the chance, but Romeo knew how was best to deal with Ellie and a few hushed words in the kitchen, along with a few promises and sibling exchanges and the sixteen year old would sit in silence or retreat to the girly bedroom that she called her own. He’d definitely be in for a grilling tomorrow though, probably either before Zoe woke up or after he had freed her from his apartment and no longer played the role of hostage taker.

He held out his hand to shake on it, closing the cookery deal between the two very different characters. Romeo knew already that Ellie was a fan of the country mouse he found himself attracted to, but envisioning them together, in the kitchen, was the stuff of…well, he didn’t quite know if ‘nightmares’ was too strong a definition to use, but he knew right now that he would be keeping far away from there for as long as they decided to play with the pots and the pans. “Deal, love, but if she ‘appens t’ burn your place down, I am not bein’ ‘eld accountable.”[/color] Plus, Romeo didn’t fancy the possible courtroom drama over it, though he knew it would never come to that. Truthfully, he’d just had enough of courtrooms to last him a lifetime after the whole situation with him obtaining legal guardianship over Ellie.

The best thing about embarrassing Zoe was the way that she would then curl into his side, as though he could protect him from what he had already caused. It was true that he both could and would do so, but still, the feeling of her coming to him, even if she didn’t realise she was doing it, was enough to keep the city boy doing it. Plus, she had yet to really tell him that she disliked it strong enough to want him to stop doing it deliberately; Romeo made no promises about accidents for he had a habit of slipping up sometimes, his words and jokes coming out louder than intended and an audience soon peering back at him to see what exactly was unfolding.
He smiled a lopsided smile of bliss when he heard her words and it widened when he saw the soft twinkle in her pale eyes. “Ditto.”[/color] He responded softly, quietly and with a hint of adoration in his tone.

He stretched his arms up in the air, his shoulders cracking as he moved the stiff joints that had locked up from sitting in the small booth. “Ice cream thievery is not one of ‘em.”[/color] He teased, rolling his shoulders once to get that ‘normal’ feeling back. He pushed himself to his feet, his body almost crying out in a combination of cracks and aches for a soft sofa or bed as his next stop. Romeo offered his hand out to Zoe to help her to her feet, purely out of chivalry and then handed Clara a couple of notes as she sailed on by to clean up their empty bowls. “Aye, we best get goin’ then, love. Plus, I wanna be settled before it gets any colder outside.”[/color] The temperature had dropped considerably during their time away from his place and Romeo knew only too well how difficult it could be to get warm again was the burning iced feeling hit the exposed parts of your body; something he didn’t want for either of them tonight.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 872
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe shook her head at him again, trying not to laugh at his utterly serious expression and shrug. Part of her mind focused on how handsome he looked, how entirely relaxed he was. Or, at least, he seemed like that. She wanted him to be as comfortable around her as she was around him; it was what led to their playful, banter-filled relationship. And, right now, that seemed to be shining through at full force. "You've gotta promise me somethin' then, if yer turnin' inta some unstoppable hero," she smiled at him, affection clearly written in her sparkling eyes. "No disguises 'round me. Everyone else can be fooled, but yer not gettin' rid of me." Zoe bit the inside of her lip, a hopeful smile on her lips as she continued to look up at him. She didn't want facades or masks between them. He was the only person she could really be herself with, and feel at ease while doing so. If he suddenly became a "super hero" and began hiding that big of a part from her, she knew it'd break a piece of her own heart. Zoe wanted to be close to him, to know all his secrets, to believe that he trusted her with anything and everything. She didn't want to be left in the dark where she was of no help. Because, let's face it, helping people was what Miss Tylers did best.

A smirk tugged on her lips as he offered his hand. Against her will, Zoe's heart jumped at the idea of touching him again, and she easily took his head. The sparks flooded her body as his skin met hers and she had to hold in a smile. "I won't let 'er. 'Sides, we won't be doin' anythin' dangerous. The most she'll do is chop off a finger, which I'm sure her brother the doctor can sew up in a snap," she joked, reluctantly pulling her hand back from his so she could eat her ice cream. Zoe would never let Ellie do anything to hurt herself. The most the girl would probably be doing is mixing batter for things, maybe stuffing a turkey if they did some big elaborate dinner that showed off Zoe's excellent country culinary skills. The chopping would be up to Zoe, as would the setting of the oven and the temperature for cooking things on the stove. She'd craft it so it looked like Ellie was doing things, however. How many years had she done that with her own siblings, and how many years had her Mama done it with her? Heck, even now, Zoe knew her mother would try and keep her eldest daughter away from the sharp knives and scorching pans. It was a protective, maternal instinct that Zoe her, thankfully, inherited.

One of the things Zoe both loved and hated about Romeo was his tendency to embarrass the crap out of her in public. She only hated it because the shy, quiet side of her didn't like all the attention he drew. She loved it because he usually wrapped an arm around her when she then tried to hide, or he'd give her some other subtle nudge. That alone made her heart flutter, even if her cheeks flushed from the amount of eyes glued to them. Right now was one of those times where she was glad he let her hide her reddening cheeks. He never seemed to mind when she'd press her face into his side, and, truthfully, Zoe loved it more than she cared to let on. Peeking out, she couldn't help her breath from stopping as her eyes found his. What was that in his tone? Pushing that away, Zoe gave him a smile in return and tried to ignore how close they were to each other. But she couldn't; she was always way too aware of their proximity.

"It isn't? I wasn't told 'bout this," she teased back, leaning away from him as he stretched. Zoe knew he would probably be cramped after being squished in a booth with her for the half hour or so they'd been there. Her, with her tinier form, was fine, but she figured he didn't have the same priviledge she did. Zoe took his hand with a smile, her fingers fitting themselves between his strong ones again. It felt so familiar by now, and she loved it. The smile faltered a bit as he slipped the money to Clara, but she kept her mouth shut. "It's already cold 'nough to snow," she sighed softly, shaking her head at the inconsiderate weather. Zoe walked quietly out of the cafe, unable to help the shiver that shook her body as they stepped into the chill of the night's icy air.

• • •

WORDS: 840!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Side, '50's Diner
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Twisted" by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

Romeo was the kind of guy who felt relaxed around most people, but that didn’t mean that he’d open up to everyone who he hung around with and joked about with. That was how secrets got revealed and rumours were spread. There were very few people in New York who knew any of Romeo’s personal feelings and secrets and even fewer who he would trust with them all. Maybe it was dangerous that he was starting to rapidly believe that Zoe would be the person to fill that role in his life, but he couldn’t help it. There was something about being with her that just made Romeo want to share every part of his life with her, including the parts that he tried to forget; the parts that caused him more pain and inner turmoil than he ever cared to mention. He wanted her to know everything, no secrets, no lies, no beating around the bush when it came to awkward moments, no matter what they were about, or how hard it was to find the words for. “I promise, love. I don’t think I could be anyone else around you.”

[/color] He looked her square in the eye as he spoke, a small affectionate smile playing on his lips and his warm hand covering hers gently, confessing almost everything without him needing to actually say it.
Besides, every hero needed the girl who saw through their disguises and their cover story, so Zoe would be his.

His eyes widened at the thought of his sister cutting off a finger. As an overprotective brother, Romeo had planned to protect her from the boys who he only remembered too well from his own high school experience. He already had the words planned for the day Ellie finally brought a boy home, or her date to prom. The boy would be leaving with more nerves than when he arrived and there would be a lot to answer for if Ellie’s heart was never broken. He planned out the ways in which he would help her get revenge on the backstabbing teenage girls who had lower self-esteem than they let on and who were all subject to the sin of envy. He was prepared for the stress of exams and college, the reality of the big bad world and all the tears that Ellie could every cry in front of him. All of that stuff, he was ready for, he could deal with and he was prepared to handle. Cutting off the tip of her finger was something that had never crossed his mind, but now it was there, he was even more reluctant to let Ellie in a kitchen and was already mentally planning to move the knives to a shelf where the sixteen year old couldn’t reach them. “Yeah, maybe she can wait another year or so until she needs to cook. I mean, she’s got me, ‘er big brother for now.”[/color] He said, shrugging and looking as though he was really thinking about the idea, weighing up the pros and cons like it would actually help.

Outside, the temperature had dropped considerably and instinctively, Romeo wrapped his arm around Zoe’s shoulders even though they only had a short walk across the lot to his car. “Sure, it’s right there in the fine print of the contract y’ signed when you became my little country mouse.”[/color] He joked, keeping his face serious and glancing sideways at her whilst he fished in his pocket for the keys to his car, pressing the button and blinking at the flash of light as the doors unlocked.
“Would snow be so bad? I love it when it snows. I wake our El up in the middle of the night for a snowball fight on the fire escape.”[/color] He said, grinning at the many memories of pelting his little sister with melting snow whilst she was still half asleep. “You could join in with ‘er and I could take you both on!”[/color] He suggested as he held the passenger door open for her, laughing like a small child at the thought of the white blanket that come morning would make the city hell to get around, not that he even cared. To Romeo, the beauty of freshly fallen snow was worth it.

He climbed in and started the car up. “’Ome sweet ‘ome.”[/color] He joked as he backed the car from the spot and merged with the traffic on the street, happier that it was less gridlocked now as he signalled and turned towards the street that would lead them back to his apartment building. “D’y’ wanna watch a movie, or just get some rest?”[/color] He asked Zoe as he checked the mirrors before changing lanes and neatly turning his car onto the street where he lived. The lights were still on in the apartment and Ellie’s blind flitted as her eyes fell on the small car and Romeo flashed the lights to signal her. It had been their little trademark ever since Ellie had moved in with him, so that she knew when it was safe to open the door and when to grab the baseball bat.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 905
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe had already opened up more to Romeo than anyone else in the state of New York. It was why she was here now, snuggled up to him in a booth eating ice cream at what should be considered a very improper hour. It was why she wasn't protesting too much against spending the evening at his apartment, and why she'd been cuddled up to his chest not too long ago. Any other guy, and she would've been throwing punches. Again. But, Romeo was the exception to that little rule. Sure, Zoe had other male friends, though she definitely didn't talk to them as much as she did to Romeo. Heck, she rarely spent time with them when she was out playing "Mom" in a group of her friends. One on one time like this? Unthinkable. Unacceptable. Alone time in general with a boy? Zoe would've been cringing under her Mama's disapproving glare. She should be still, even if she kept reminding herself that nothing was going to happen. Nothing could happen, no matter how much she wanted it to. They were just friends. And that was how it was going to stay.

Her eyes gazed back up into his, a smile on her lips as his hand found hers. She slipped her fingers into his strong ones, nodding gently in response. Zoe's eyes were speaking for her mouth at the moment, and she didn't think she'd be able to find words to say, anyways. She was lost in his eyes. Again. Why it kept happening, she didn't know. But, she did know she needed to get herself back under control before she turned into a lovesick puppy in his lap. This wasn't some romance movie; no big kisses, no huge revelations tonight, nothing. This was him helping her out and saving her from what would (and probably still would be) a night full of nightmares and more crying.

Zoe couldn't help laughing as she saw the worried expression her words had caused. "I was kiddin', Romeo," she scolded softly, shaking her head at him. "Ya really think I'd let her that close ta somethin' sharp?" she gave him a playful bump with her elbow before continuing to eat her ice cream. If she re-suggested the idea to Ellie, Zoe knew the girls would be having a cooking lesson whether Romeo approved or didn't. She had ways up her country sleeve to keep him busy.

As they made their way outside, Zoe was aware of how cold the New York nights were. She usually wasn't out this late without a group of people and she was very thankful for Romeo's strong, warm body hugging her close. It made her feel a bit safer as they passed through the semi-darkness to his car. Who knew what could be lurking in these shadows? She shook the thoughts off, giving him a tight laugh and smile. Zoe could feel the panic slithering its way down her spine, and she didn't like it. She was with Romeo; nothing would be touching her as long as he was here. Nobody could hurt her while her city boy was playing body guard.

"We'd have ya beat in minutes," she joked back, giving him another smile before climbing into the car. Tessie jumped into her lap nearly the moment she sat down, making Zoe flinch unexpectedly before cuddling her kitten close. She ran her fingers over the cat's soft fur, buckling up and grinning at Romeo once again. "I'm sleepin' on the couch anyways. Put a movie on and I'll probably crash halfway through," she answered, a note of defiance in her tone. Zoe would be sleeping on the couch no matter how much he protested. She wouldn't be kicking him out of his own bed when he was already doing so much for her tonight.

• • •

WORDS: 700!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Twisted" by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: It's short... >.< <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

If anyone had been watching the events of the night unfold and if anyone could see them now, then it would be obvious to even a total stranger that Romeo had feelings for Zoe. He wasn’t flirting like guys do when they just want a random hook up and he was definitely acting more than ‘just friends’ with her, regardless of how much he was trying to keep everything casual and innocent. He just liked the feel of her hair tickling his neck, her fingers in his and the way she would cuddle into him when he draped his arm around her. Friends wouldn’t do things like that so often, but Zoe didn’t seem to be protesting and maybe that was just because of how tonight had played out, but he didn’t care. If his experience of life had taught him anything it was not to take things like this for granted and if he only got one night of this innocent intimacy, then he would appreciate it for the rest of his life, even if Zoe rejected him at a future date.

He relaxed a little bit when she told him that she was joking, but still, the idea had been placed in his mind and it was going to be a long time before the image vanished from memory and until that time come, you could bet all the money in the world that he’d be keeping his eye on Ellie when she was in the kitchen, making sure that she wasn’t trying anything too challenging for her amateur cooking skills. Romeo wasn’t exactly Gordon Ramsey, but he’d rather cut himself and have to deal with that than ever have to deal with Ellie having the same injury. It was that overprotective brother instinct kicking in again and he knew that no matter how old the Jervis siblings were, that instinct of Romeo’s would always be there, no matter what happened between them either. “I’m still keepin’ ‘er away from the kitchen.”

[/color] He mumbled, stubbornness kicking in as he kept a straight face. Things weren’t funny when he panicked, but he wasn’t mad at Zoe and smiled across at her to reassure her of that.

As they moved to the car, Romeo held her closer, his hand running up and down her arm in an effort to keep her warm. The short journey didn’t faze him at all and he didn’t notice the panic creeping through Zoe at all. Growing up in the city, Romeo had walked through plenty of places that were darker and much more dangerous that the parking lot of this diner and so, to this day, it took a lot to make him nervous when he was out. Ellie was usually a different matter and Romeo still picked her up or met her when the night began to draw in and the sky turned to a velvety black. He’d be doing the same with Zoe now after tonight and he just hoped that she would appreciate it and not find him irritating or stupid for doing so. Nowhere was safe in this modern day, but he could at least do his best to make it safer and if that meant that he got a busted lip and split knuckles then so be it; it was worth it to keep Zoe safe and he’d do it all again if he had to.

It was a good job that he wasn’t driving fast and that he had already turned into the parking garage of his apartment building when Zoe mentioned that she would be sleeping on the sofa. If the situation had been different, then he was certain that the brakes would have been slammed on and there would have been a rather nasty accident on the road. “No, you’re not sleepin’ on the sofa. The thing won’t be comfy enough for y’ and I refuse to let y’ sleep on it. Your ‘avin’ me bed, love and that is that.”[/color] He would argue this for the rest of the night, but if she did fall asleep on the sofa then he would be carrying her to his room and placing her in his comfy bed before returning himself to the sofa. That was the one thing he wouldn’t back down on, no matter how much the country blonde insisted. Hell, he’d even get Ellie on his side and then she’d have the two Scousers to contend with and, well…she wouldn’t be winning that round, not by a long shot!

He parked the car and killed the engine before jumping out and picking up Zoe’s bag for her, before waiting for her to climb out the car so that he could lock it up for the night and lead her back up the three flights of stairs to his apartment and to his annoying little sister who was probably already waiting to pounce the moment she heard the key in the door.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 862
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Zoe had never been good at noticing when a guy looked at her. Not even when she went out with Ember did she pick up on the men who did a slight double-take as they saw the tiny blonde woman. Heck, Ember ended up pointing them out to a clueless Zoe ninety-nine percent of the time. It was mostly because she wasn't interested in relationships, of the romantic sort, anyways. Or, well, she hadn't been before her heart had decided to lose itself to the charming Romeo. Still, Zoe didn't look at guys or gawk at male models like lots of girls did. She didn't need a guy to make her life complete, and she wasn't desperate enough to throw herself at them like a lot of people do in this twisted, modern world. She could stand on her own and be perfectly happy. And, honestly, Zoe was very proud that she could. Though, the incidents this evening had provided were breaking that self-drawn, heroic image she'd sub-consciously painted of herself. She was starting to realize maybe it'd be nice to have someone there to help keep her spirits up. Maybe having someone around to hold her and protect her would take away a bit of the loneliness Zoe feared she'd fall prey to. And, maybe, it'd only work if that special guy was Romeo.

She'd never been able to picture herself with other guys. And, when she did dream about a future with grandbabies and retirement, the person at her side was always faceless and nameless. Zoe had never seen herself snuggled up to someone at night, or sharing a kiss in the rain. It had only occured to her to be independent and alone during these crucial years as she studied and began to build up her career as a vet. Not once had she seen herself in a dream with a "real" boyfriend. Until her exception to everything came stumbling into her life, confusing language and all.

Zoe pressed into his side as they walked outside to his car. She was trying to focus on the sparks walking up and down her arm as Romeo's fingers moved over the fabric of her jacket. The panic was still there, however, a snake coiled and ready to pounce any time Zoe let her guard down. But, all she could do was gulp it back and try to remember she wouldn't be hurt anymore, at least not tonight. Not while Romeo was here, and certainly not while she was practically cuddled up to his side in the romantic way couples do in movies. If only they could have a kiss, too.

She climbed out of the car, tucking Tessie under her arm as she closed her door and looked over the top of the car at Romeo. "I am sleepin' on the couch, Romeo. I'll be plenty comfy. 'Sides, what if I need ice er somethin' for my hand? I'd wake ya up if ya were in the livin' room," she said, walking around the car to go and stand by him. "Yer not givin' somethin' else up for me tonight," she mumbled, gently taking her quilt from his arms and wrapping it around the shivering Tessie. Zoe didn't want him sacrificing even more things for her when she'd easily survive a night on the couch. It wasn't like she hadn't slept on one before when she'd fallen asleep while studying. Besides, if he gave her those pain killers, it wouldn't matter where she crashed; she wouldn't be able to feel it anyways.

• • •

WORDS: 650!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: this classy sass!
LYRICS: "Twisted" by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Romeo Jackson Jervis]

It was hard for Romeo to talk or even think about his own physical appearance. He knew that there was something attractive about his looks, because he had had girls hitting on him when he was down at the bar on a Friday night or in the Marquee Club on the rare occasions when he was treated to a real night out with the guys who he had been to college with. Romeo was never interested though and he had never been the kind of guy to bring someone home to his apartment, especially not since Ellie had moved into what was once the spare room. He was far more considerate than that and she had been the one girl who for years had trumped the rest. Now though, thoughts of Zoe were creeping into his mind, even more so since the near kiss earlier. That was something that had earned Ellie at least two weeks of persistent sibling teasing and pranks. Romeo couldn’t exactly tell his motormouth of a sister what she had interrupted, but he was sure as hell that he’d make her pay for it in the subtlest way he knew possible and with torments and tricks, he could put it down to ‘his mood’ if she questioned the unfair treatment of why her shampoo was switched with strawberry syrup. Right now though, he was starting to see a chance of a life where he wasn’t just playing the big brother and the guy who had his dreams on hold for his sister’s happiness. Right now, he could imagine doing this with Zoe all the time; hanging out before curling up for movies until they both fell asleep under a fort build solidly of duvets and pillows.

Romeo knew what he wanted in life, but there had never been a girl who filled the void in his future. There was no one who he could easily see spending the rest of his life with and whilst he wasn’t in a relationship with Zoe, he couldn’t help but notice how easy it was to be around her and how much he loved having his arm around her, her hand in his, her hair tickling his coarse stubble…it was all so blissful, so right to him that it could be deemed as terrifying under most circumstances, but not to Romeo. The literature geek inside of him was pushing to the surface, reminding him of how easy love could be to fall into and how hard it was to clamber back from. The novels from his past were telling him how worthwhile it could be, whilst alarm bells were ringing at the other end for him to stop all of this romantic thinking now, before it got him hurt when he realised that Zoe didn’t feel the same way.

He looked across at her as they entered the building where his apartment was. His stubborn trait flared and the battle was on. One way or another, Zoe would be sleeping in his bed, even if he had to wait for her to pass out on the sofa and then carry her through to his room. There was no way in hell she was sleeping on the sofa for the whole night; Romeo was a gentleman and not raised in such a way that he would allow her to do that. “Love, ask our Ellie, it’s useless arguin’ with us over this. I’m stubborn and you’re ‘avin’ me bed. I’m a ‘eavy sleeper anyway and not even an earthquake could wake us, so you movin’ for some ice won’t even stir me. And it’s my apartment, so there. You’re takin’ the bed and our El will agree with us on that point too.”

[/color] He then turned and smirked lightly at the small girl standing next to him. “Do y’ really want to fight two of us?”[/color] He asked teasingly as he pushed his key into the stiff lock and then kicked the door open with his foot, surprised that he wasn’t greeted with the gremlin he called a sister the minute it swung open. A few seconds of listening and he realised that she was on the phone in her room, squealing over something that he was positive he didn’t want to know about, for the sake of his sanity. “The DVD’s are over by the telly, the bathroom is behind the bookcase and I’ll get the duvets and food.”[/color] He said, dropping his keys on the side unit and closing the door behind them, slipping the chain lock into place.
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• • •

TAGGED! Romeo's little country mouse
WORDS! 799
OUTFIT! This Little Number
LYRICS! Lonesome Swan - - - Glasvegas
NOTES! <3

[Zoe Diana Tylers]

Out of all the Tylers sisters, Zoe was most definitely not the cutest or prettiest. Or, at least, that's what she thought. She'd always thought Hannah and Maddie were the beautiful ones, the ones who would be the blooming roses that got cooped up in little houses with dozens of babies running amuck around their feet. Her, however, she'd always been the plain one whose nose was buried in her school books or had been locked up in science lab. She wasn't the one who had lots of adoring beaus or who was taking horseback rides at sunset and having romantic picnics under the stars. She was never that girl; though, she'd lived through it all between her three younger sisters. Part of her regretted not having that, the high school romances and experimental relationships. It left her even more dazed and confused now, as the feelings now hit her harder than ever.

Luckily, though, she had Ember. Zoe considered the girl like her older sister in times like these, even if she'd never had to turn to her friend with matters relating to dating before. Later, she would need to call her and definitely vent some of these feelings that were pulsing through her. The fear, the paranoia, the heartbreak, the sparks. She needed to let it all out to someone, and her Mama was the last person she wanted to know about this. Anything else on the planet, and Zoe would've already been on the phone to her mother, spilling her guts and seeking the comfort she'd always had throughout her life. Now, however, now she couldn't. Zoe couldn't tell her mom she'd been attacked, or that she was sleeping over at a guy's house, and falling hard for that particular guy. She wouldn't be able to take the inevitable "I told ya this would happen, Zoey baby, di'n't I?" and the "What is tha' dau'hter of ours comin' to?".

Zoe met Romeo's gaze evenly, her own determination shining through right now. She wasn't about to let him give up a night in his own bed for that couch when she knew he had to work tomorrow along with dealing with Ellie, as well. It wasn't like she couldn't survive a night on the sofa. "I'm not argueing with ya. I'm politely declinin' yer offer. I'll be fine on the couch, even if it's in yer apartment," she answered with a playful smirk in return.

She shook her head at him as she smiled, walking into the apartment and going to set her quilt down on the couch. Zoe kept Tessie cuddled up to her chest, nodding at Romeo. "You're pickin' a movie," she said matter-of-factly, taking her bag from him and going to set it on the couch, as well. She pulled out her pajamas and her bag of toliettries, setting Tessie down on her blanket and running one hand over the kitten. "Be a good girl," she whispered to her as Tess purred in response, already curling up on the quilt and drifting back to sleep again. Zoe smiled once more at Romeo before walking off to the bathroom to switch clothes.

Zoe changed with a bit of difficulty and a few flashes of pain as her fingers brushed some piece of fabric or other. But, she made it through, glancing down at herself once to make sure she looked somewhat alright. Her eyes widened slightly as she now remembered just how short these shorts were. Ah, crap. Her mother would definitely be killing her if she found out about this. Ember, however... Zoe was cringing from the things she knew her best friend would be saying. And thinking.

She brushed her teeth and her hair quickly, still fidgeting over how short her shorts were as she packed up her things once more. Her hand was flaring in pain again and she was looking forward to those pills now more than ever. Zoe shook it off though, emerging from the bathroom and going to tuck her things back into her bag.

• • •

WORDS: 719!
TAG: Wherefore art thou, Romeo?
LOCATION: Romeo's Couch, Jervis Apartment
OUTFIT: CUTE PAJAMAS!!
LYRICS: "Twisted" by Carrie Underwood
NOTES: <3 <3 <3