Room 503 + Beyond, Monday Evening

[withoutverona]

After work -- and the shop really couldn't close too soon for his tastes -- Romeo made a quick stop at Taste of Thai for takeout, then dashed back to his room. He neatened things, just because he liked to live in hope, before going up to the roof and arranging a picnic blanket, iPod and speakers, and the food.

And then there was nothing to do but dress himself (dress shirt, suit jacket, no tie, and he actually brushed his hair so it would stay out of his eyes) and collect his lady.

He drew a deep breath as he tapped on the door of 503.

[OOC: For the girl. Note, the roof is a public space but Romeo will oh-so-cleverly put a sign on the door when he and Dojima get there.]

Comments

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"That's the joy of having different ringtones for different people," she agreed. "You can chose if you want to pick-up without even looking at the caller ID!"

"I still have to find a job or a TA gig or something if I want to stay, otherwise they won't let me hang around, but I've got plenty of time." Yurika leaned over to steal a spring roll before he could eat them all. "It's barely even March!"

[withoutverona]

"It's barely March," he agreed, stealing some chicken but letting her have the spring rolls. He was inclined to say it was already March, and after March came April and then May and graduation, but right then it was a warm evening and she wasn't acting like she hated him.

He leaned back on his hands, staring down off the building. "What would you rather do? Work, or be a TA?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Being a TA seems easier," she mused, licking some of the spring roll dipping-sauce from her fingers, "and it would give me more free time."

"I miss Aly-sensei's classes. I could talk to Garrett-sensei, or even Robin-san if she teaches again, but otherwise I'm doomed to trying to find a shop to hire me just for the summer."

[withoutverona]

"You do," Romeo pointed out with a grin that wasn't as casual as it looked, "have rather an in with one of the managers, if no one will take you on as a TA."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika laughed and leaned forward, propping her chin on her hand to give him a lovely view of her cleavage. "You're not worried about any claims of favoritism or impropriety?" she purred, eyes dancing.

[withoutverona]

It took effort for Romeo to keep his eyes on her face, and he swallowed distinctly. "If any dared complain, I'd say I hired the way Ms. Bell did, and took the prettiest applicant."

He reached out for the rice, letting his fingers brush her knee along the way.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

She didn't acknowledge the touch beyond a slight smile as she reached for her drink. "Then it's to my advantage that I'm pretty and you have a weakness for blondes," she said cheerily. "Although I don't know that I'd be much good at it. I'd probably try on the clothes all day, and ignore the customers."

[withoutverona]

"You could be a living model," Romeo answered cheerily. "And we don't get so many customers that your doing that would likely be a problem. I spend half my shifts writing."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you should hire more pretty girls, to be your living models. It might encourage sales in the male demographic," Yurika teased, smiling to take any sting out of the words. "But then I guess you wouldn't get as much writing done."

[withoutverona]

"You don't think it would encourage sales for girls as well?" Romeo asked. "Though of course my scribbling is the crucial thing."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Depends. Is the girl going to be insecure that the shop girl is prettier than she is?" Yurika mused. "Women can be fickle."

[withoutverona]

"But you can be encouraging, I've seen you do it," Romeo said seriously. "You draw Jen out, you get Rikku to look like a lady. I know it's not your calling in life, but, love, you'd be a fine shopgirl."

Of course, he thought she'd be fine at anything she tried.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

She laughed and favored him with a smile. "So being a bad influence counts as being encouraging?" she asked. "If only I'd known that sooner!"

[withoutverona]

"I think it's the best kind of influence," Romeo laughed, setting his spoon aside and unfolding to his feet. He was starting to get restless. "And might I influence you into a dance?"

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika held out her hand so he could help her to her feet. "I think you can," she replied. "I think they're required, actually, for picnics on the roof."

[withoutverona]

He took both of her hands between his, and pulled her into place. "And we wouldn't want to disappoint whatever god takes charge of picnics on the roof," he noted. "We might never get another."

As if on cue, the iPod started a slow song. "I think this is our song."

[OOC: Forgive the random video, it was the only one I could find that had the whole song.]

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

She laughed as he drew her to her feet and let him lead the dancing. "We can't disappoint the picnic gods," she agreed, swaying slightly. "It would be a shame, if people couldn't have more roof dates because of our heresy."

[withoutverona]

Romeo brought a hand around to the small of her back, swaying with the music, nothing fancy but easy on his feet. "And then we'd be kicked off the island, sad and alone," he said, lips near her ears.

[OOC: Night!]

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika's breath caught in her throat for a moment before she shifted just slightly to put some more space between his lips and her neck.

It wasn't that she didn't trust him, she just wasn't ready for quite that level of closeness yet.

"Ah, but then we could run away and find a new island with new friends," she said lightly. "Somewhere that the gods of rooftops wouldn't know our transgression."

[withoutverona]

Romeo noticed the shift away, and it sent a dagger through him as he stood, still dancing.

"Silly gods," he said lightly. Always lightly. "To lose track of mortals so easily."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Yurika knew that tone, and stomped down on the desire to apologize. She was having fun, truly, but she just couldn't. Not yet.

Instead she smiled at him as they kept dancing, silently hoping he'd understand. He didn't have to like it, but she did need him to understand.

"Maybe a large floppy hat and some sun glasses would be enough to confuse them," she said cheerily. "There's so many of us, after all. I bet one pretty mortal looks much like another, after a millennium or so."

[withoutverona]

He understood it completely, but liked it very little.

No matter. She was smiling again now, and she was in his arms. And more than that, he would have to earn.

"I've heard some gods are confused if you change your name," he said. "A new name and a large hat, and we'd be safe to go on roofs anywhere again. We're clever as well as pretty."

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"Clever, incorrigible, and exceedingly pretty," she agreed. "Although I'm rather attached to my name, despite all its connotations. What would I be, if I wasn't a Yurika?" Or a Dojima, for that matter.

[withoutverona]

"You could be Ai," he tried, which was a little cheesy. "But you'd be the same, even if I called you Ethel or Winifred. And you know I like your name, even if you don't think it suits you. I'm rather attached to being Romeo, too."

It was an absurd name to have outside Verona, but it was his.

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

"I could be an Aiko," she laughed, "Although I don't think 'Love Child' translates well as a name into English..."

"And I learned in Garrett-sensei's class that lilies have different meanings outside of Japan. Instead of being sweet and pure, I can also mean danger, caution and deadly beauty." Yurika winked at him impishly. "I'm not quite sure which one I like better."