502, Wednesday After Classes

[withoutverona]

Predictably enough, the gore in Titus Andronicus had left Romeo almost completely unable to sleep the night before.

However, he was young and he was resilient, and so he spent much of his free day making up for that deficiency. And if eventually he had company, and that company offered more pleasant diversions than mere sleep, what of it?

He snuggled closer to the girl, sleepily smiling and on the verge of drifting off again.

[OOC: Yurika modded with permission. Door closed.]

Comments

[withoutverona]

This was ... completely bewildering, actually, and Romeo was coming much closer to earth. He sat up and started rummaging for his shorts and a shirt.

"Should I assume it was a slip of the tongue?" he asked, stiffly. "You know I mean it, and I will keep meaning it, no matter if you deny all and never say it again."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"It wasn't a slip."

Yurika reached out to grab his wrist. "I just...I didn't realize I said it aloud, okay?"

[withoutverona]

It took Romeo a moment, but then the smile spread broadly on his face. "You did," he half-laughed. "Softly, and in Japanese, but you did."

He wanted to kiss her, but held back for the moment. "I'll keep it a secret."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika flushed bright red and ducked her head, trying to hide behind her hair. "Yeah, well, don't expect to hear it every day," she grumbled, biting her lip. "It's not something that's said very often, especially not aishiteru. It's a cultural-thing."

[withoutverona]

"Darling, you told me a long time ago you wouldn't even say it about your family," he reminded her. Though, now that he'd met her father, that made more sense. "You wouldn't be you if you were spouting poetry twice a day."

He squeezed her hand. "Just ... I'm very happy to hear it, even once. All right?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"If I used that word with my father, it would imply worlds of wrong," she joked, peeking out at him warily. "Don't worry, I'm not going to try and start writing poems or songs or anything, I'm still me. If I start acting like that, check me for one of those gremlin bites."

"But I'll still read those dirty poems to you, though. That was fun."

[withoutverona]

"I'll make you lie down in a dark room until you feel better," he answered, settling cozily against her.

The mention of poetry made him give her a curious look. "You don't know I write -- or, I suppose, used to write -- do you?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I thought we already established that you're the romantic one in this relationship," Yurika joked, relaxing slightly at the contact. "So the poetry-composing suits you better than me. I knew you were writing something, I've seen you at it, but I didn't want to pry."

[withoutverona]

"In faith, there's not much worth prying about," Romeo told her, relaxing further against her. "A lot of words, mostly. I'll have some worth reading for our anniversary, if I can."

He smiled. "I don't mind being your romantic."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to!" she laughed, shaking her head as the blush threatened to reemerge. "You're already my bold, romantic Romeo. If we add poet to your job title, I'm going to feel very outclassed."

[withoutverona]

"But you're my Yurika with the most beautiful eyes, and you keep me from falling apart," he said quietly, cheeks also pinkening. "I'm only trying to keep you."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Flattery is going to get you everywhere, you know," Yurika murmured, moving so she could kiss him. "You don't have to try very hard."

[withoutverona]

"And with such results, how can I resist such true flattery?" he asked, then deepened the kiss.

He had a question, but it could wait until they needed to breathe.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Really, Yurika should have just kissed him earlier. It would have saved her a lot of flailing and blushing and dealing with confessions that she had barely processed in the privacy of her own mind.

This called for more kisses, until both of them had to break for air. "I'm sure you'll get very good results," she giggled breathlessly. "You're very good with words, with your quick wit and clever tongue."

Completely dirty.

[withoutverona]

Which he could have kissed her again for saying, except laughing also required oxygen.

It was a dilemma.

Finally, when he was somewhat recovered, he composed himself. "Is it still going to bother you when I tell you I love you?" He wavered; bother was too strong a word, yet his clever tongue could not come up with one better.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika sighed and leaned her head against his. "You Americans and your 'I love yous'," she said, bemused. "At home, most married couples go their entire lives without ever saying it."

"It doesn't bother me, aijin, it just feels, ano, strange? To hear it?" Yurika answered, shrugging. "Just...don't be hurt if I don't say it back? It's not that I don't, it's just not a word I'm always comfortable with. Blame my very repressed and patriarchal society."

[withoutverona]

"I've said it within fifteen minutes," he returned, equally bemused, even though a voice in the back of his head was pointing out exactly how well that had ended. "Perhaps my culture is equally to blame."

"Though," he added, thoughtfully, "we cannot say it's all Japan and America. Some of it must just be ourselves."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Well, well already knew I have issues," Yurika replied cheerfully, reaching out to squeeze one of his hands. "I just like to think it makes me entertaining at parties."

[withoutverona]

"At least our issues balance each other out nicely," Romeo shrugged, squeezing her hand back and deciding to let the question drop. "Call it the best party trick."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Dropping it was good, dropping it meant Yurika didn't have to deal with thinking about that on top of all of everything else.

She took a deep breath and brushed her lips along his neck. "Suki yo," she whispered against his skin. "Just don't go spreading it around, nā? I've got a reputation to uphold."

[withoutverona]

He nuzzled into her, promising, "I'll keep your secret."

Then he confessed, "I'm just happy to see you can say it and neither of us will burst into flames."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I save that sort of thing for when I step on consecrated ground, or something else completely scandalous," Yurika purred, letting her hands wander down his sides. "Or would that make the priest ignite? I forget."

[withoutverona]

"No, that's for when we get up to this on holy ground," he told her, wriggling against her roaming hands. "I wonder if my tattoo would start to burn, too?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Get up to what?" Yurika asked innocently, letting her hands continue to explore. "Is getting a tattoo considered a sin, or just the artwork you chose? I think the level of burning depends on the severity of the crime."

[withoutverona]

It was hard to think about this while her hands moved that way, but Romeo would do his best. "Neither would be a sin," he explained. "I meant, if the priest were to burn, my flesh should too."

"This," he added, hand moving up to tangle in her hair, "is not exactly a cheery topic, love."

He knew he was damned. It did not need to be discussed just then.