Selkie Cove, Friday afternoon

[withoutverona]

As he spread out his blanket, Romeo was grateful that habit compelled him to often take his thoughts to the beach. It meant he'd easily remembered this quiet nook, a perfect place for a picnic.

He took a seat and glanced down the beach, smoothing his hair into place again and trying not to fidget. He knew Yurika would be along soon.

Comments

[dojima_hime]

Yurika had only stopped by her room long enough to drop off her award before heading out to find a Romeo.

Luckily, she appeared to have find one. "Hi, you."

[withoutverona]

Romeo's face brightened. "Hi, my diva."

[dojima_hime]

"Hello, my loud-shirt boy," she teased, settling down next to him. "This is a pretty spot. Come here often?"

[withoutverona]

He chuckled. "I like my loud shirts."

"I don't come here exactly, but close enough. The water helps me think," Romeo admitted. "It always has."

[dojima_hime]

"I like them too, makes you easy to spot in a crowd."

She leaned her head on his shoulder, looking out over the water. "So you come to the beach to think your serious thoughts? I think I'd get distracted during swimsuit season," Dōjima giggled. "Although I'd have to have a deep thought in the first place, which doesn't happen very often."

[withoutverona]

"Swimsuit season is distracting, but I don't mind that sort of distraction," Romeo said with a grin, hand going up to tangle in her hair. "And I think you have more deep thoughts than you'd admit."

[dojima_hime]

"I'll never confess, never!" she cried, sticking out her tongue. "Such slander! You'll never prove it!"

He probably could, but still. It was the principal of the thing.

[withoutverona]

He hesitated a moment, then grinned. "Ah yes, I forget, this thing - " and here he tapped her skull - "exists mostly so your (very nice, by the way) hair doesn't collapse. Forgive me for implying otherwise."

[dojima_hime]

"I'll have you know that being pretty is very hard work, it doesn't always leave time for serious and weighty things," Dōjima joked, snuggling a bit closer. "I don't know how you manage to do both at once."

[withoutverona]

He kissed her forehead. "I get up very, very early. And I multitask -- sometimes I have deep thoughts about hair gel."

[dojima_hime]

"When you start holding conversations with the gel, then I might start to get worried," she confided.

Forehead kisses were nice, and they ought to be rewarded. Not naughtily, just, nice. Yurika turned her head slightly, pressing a light kiss to his jaw. "What thoughts were you thinking before I arrived? Anything interesting?"

[withoutverona]

"I'm not mad," Romeo said, with a mock perplexed air. "I stick to talking to household furnishings, not grooming products."

What was the thinking about? Hmm. He ran a finger down her neck as he weighed his answer. "Mostly, I'm afraid, it's still about that thing we couldn't talk about in gun club," he said. "What did Reno tell you when you brought him noodles?"

Because he wasn't about to start spilling secrets, if Reno hadn't.

[dojima_hime]

"Things," she said calmly, leaning into the touch. "He had a rough week." Which was the nice way to put it, and really, Yurika was still trying to process it all.

Besides, she didn't really know what he'd told Romeo over lunch, and while she might be self-centered and shallow, Dōjima wasn't the type to tattle. "I'm tempted to leave another instant ramen and spoon outside his door, just to be difficult."

[withoutverona]

Romeo snorted slightly, looking over the waves. Of course she wouldn't tattle, any more than he would.

"It sounds like this week was not even the worst he's had, but yes." That much seemed safe to say. "I suppose it's between him and Rikku, in the end."

[dojima_hime]

"I told him to give her time." Yurika sighed and closed her eyes. "She obviously adores him, so I don't think it's unfixable. Bad, yeah, but not beyond hope."

"Or that might just be my inner romantic praying for a happy ending." She reached over to take his hand, needing more contact. "I did tell him I'd help."

[withoutverona]

"And I told her to talk to him before it was all too overwhelming and had poisoned her," Romeo answered. "But yes. They both adore each other, so ..." He took the offered hand and squeezed it. "I can't even claim my inner romantic is all that inner, so it's no surprise I want the happy ending, too."

"How would you help?"