Room 502, Sunday Morning

[withoutverona]

Romeo had plead a headache to stay home from Cal's party the night before, and Yurika had been too excited to do more than a little concerned clucking before heading off for ice cream. But in truth, he had been busy with some private preparations for the morning. It was, after all, a rather important day.

Once he woke up, he slid out of bed taking care not to dislodge Yurika from where she lay, still asleep. He kept things simple; an enormous fan of blood-red roses in the bed beside her, fresh orange juice and champagne for mimosas, chocolate croissants from J,GOB's, and coffee bubbling away. Finally, Romeo put a folder of some papers on the bed beside her.

And then there was nothing to do but watch her sleep and hope she woke up before impatience killed him.

[OOC: For one. Dojima modded with permission.]

Comments

[withoutverona]

Romeo yanked his boxers back on under the covers be. This was not a conversation to have naked, as much as his grin showed his appreciation of her innuendo.

"I've been doing some research," he began, almost timid as he retrieved the folder.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Papers. Yurika leaned back on the pillows, pulling the sheet up around her chest out of reflex.

"What type of research?" she asked, eyes flickering over the folder. "Don't tell me you're trying out a new lingerie supplier at the store?"

Wishful thinking.

[withoutverona]

"Things I could do into your Tokyo," he said, voice barely a breath as he sorted out things in the folder. "These are places that hire high school graduates to teach English. These are places I could volunteer, mostly through the church. And these are schools I think I could get into."

And he stopped there to watch her for any reaction.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

There was silence for a long moment as Yurika reminded herself to count to ten before yelling.

"We discussed this." It came out flat, and probably slightly harsh, but it wasn't shouting.

[withoutverona]

"No, we discussed if I could follow you," he pointed out, with a stubborn tilt to his chin. "We said nothing about if I might find something I really wanted to do that just happened to be in Tokyo."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"And did you look for similar opportunities in other countries, too?" she asked sweetly, turning away to hunt around for the t-shirt that had gotten abandoned sometime during their earlier fun.

She was not going to lay here naked and break his heart again. She just wasn't.

"What would you go to school for, anyway? What's wrong with schools in the States? Or England? Or even France, for that matter?"

[withoutverona]

Romeo folded his arms. "You won't be in other countries. You'll be in Japan. At least pretend that you know that matters to me."

He hated how cold she was.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Of course she was cold. She was a Dojima. Father Juliano never would have chosen her as an operative if she was some soft-hearted child.

"Then how is this any different from following me?" she asked, yanking the clothing on over her head. "Because I'm not seeing it."

[withoutverona]

"I thought you might see a difference if I had a job or school there, or something beyond hanging around knitting socks and waiting for you to come home," Romeo said sharply. "The Dojimas don't own all of Tokyo, you know. I can go on my own if I want."

He knew he sounded like a spoiled child.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Go to school?" Yurika glanced at him over her shoulder skeptically. "For what?"

His Japanese was better, but Yurika doubted he'd survive at University level if the classes weren't in English.

[withoutverona]

Romeo hadn't thought that far, but that had never stopped a Montague from improvising. "There's an American university there," he answered. "I might study business. My father would likely pay, if I did."

And if he managed not to flunk all of his courses.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I thought you weren't interested in the family business," she replied, folding her arms over her chest as she regarded him. "And he wouldn't have a problem with sending the prodigal Montague overseas, especially once he realizes that you're following a girl?"

The again lingered between them, unspoken, but it was probably obvious.

[withoutverona]

"So I'll get a job instead of going to school and it won't have the first thing to do with my father," Romeo answered in an impatient change of direction, his slight glare indicating that he knew damned well what she was trying to say. "Lands, you act as if no one ever moved to Tokyo!"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I don't want you moving to Tokyo, because I don't want you resenting me when it doesn't turn out the way you want it to," she snapped through gritted teeth. "I'm not going to play house with you, aijin."

[withoutverona]

"I can get my own apartment, I'm not stupid," he commented, seething. "And how do you think I want it to turn out? All I want is a chance."

He wanted more, of course. But a chance would do.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

The day that Romeo Montague was satisfied with 'just a chance', Yurika would laugh herself sick.

"Give." She held out a hand, demanding the folder. He wasn't going to listen unless she changed tactics. "Let's see what you've dreamed up."

[withoutverona]

There was nothing else to do.

He gave, all but shoving the folder into her hands before his palms fluttered to his side in a gesture of resignation. "You see."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

She was silent as she skimmed the contents, paying studious attention to the documents. A few of them were clearly scams designed to lure in unsuspecting foreigners, but most of them seemed legitimate.

Finally she looked up, quirking an eyebrow at him. "Teaching? Volunteering?" she asked, holding it out for him. "Is that really what you want for yourself?"

[withoutverona]

Romeo's confidence crumbled just a little. "In truth, love, I want to be with you," he said gently. "I know I need a profession, but I don't feel called to anything. If I teach or volunteer, at least I'm doing some good while I sort that out, and certainly more than I would in Verona."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I don't think you get it," she sighed. "There isn't a 'happily ever after' waiting for me, Romeo. Even when I finish this assignment, I'm a Seed. I'm never going to be done with SOLOMON, even if I'm not working for them. Honestly, would you be able to deal with them looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life?"

"Besides, my mission could take years, depending how deeply Zaizen's buried the secrets of the Orbo, and even if I manage to get the information," and yes, she was going to emphasize the 'if', "what if I don't want to stop Hunting?"

It was a job that needed doing, and it wasn't like Yurika could think of anything else she was qualified for.

[withoutverona]

Romeo didn't understand. Or, rather, he did and it was crumpling him and he couldn't breathe.

She would never be his, she'd always belong to SOLOMON. Romeo couldn't change that -- she wouldn't let him. He believed love could do everything, but this seemed to be its limit.

"So where does that leave me, beloved?" he asked.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

She was never listening to Reno again. Ever. He gave terrible advice, if it left Romeo looking like that.

Yurika shook her head and reached out to brush her fingers over the back of his hand. "I don't know," she answered. "Here. Now. Same place we were when you woke me up this morning."

Just a little bit more jaded, maybe.

She looked down at the bed, twisting the sheet between her fingers as a million different thoughts flitted through her head. Bad ideas, mostly. His comment about doing good while finding his own way had hit home in more ways than he had probably intended.

"If...if it's what you really want, I'll think about it," she said suddenly, still not looking at him. "That's the best I can do. But you need to be sure."

It was more of a concession than he would have gotten from her three months ago.

[withoutverona]

"It's really what I want, more than I've ever wanted anything," Romeo assured her as his body relaxed from relief. "We have months before graduation still. I'll send in applications, and we can talk in the spring."

Everything would be better when it was warm, anyhow.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I'm not saying 'yes'," she pointed out rebelliously, "just that I'd think about it."

[withoutverona]

"And you still don't own Tokyo," Romeo reminded her, and he was going proud and a little cold. "I would rather you wanted me to go, but you can hardly stop me entirely."