Room 503 - Thursday Evening

[dojima_hime]

Dōjima was feeling a bit better after her chat with Hannibal, even if she did still want to shake a certain poet senseless.

It was not, however, enough to lessen her desire to binge on more junk food as she went over the handouts from today's Thaumaturgy class, and wince slightly at the meanings and uses of liliesWell, no one had ever tried to

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[withoutverona]

Romeo waited in his room until he heard footsteps, the opening and closing of Doji's door, and what sounded like they might be happy noises across the hall.

Then he dared leave his room and tap tentatively on her door. "Dojima?"

[withoutverona]

"How much do you remember of what I told you about how I came to get married the first time?" Romeo asked, honestly curious. It wasn't either of their favorite subjects, after all, but it did help to put marrying Angela in a lot more context.

"And I wouldn't want you back if you would forgive me for so little as a few sweets, a few flowers and a picnic. I know it was an insult to you, and I need to make it right."

[dojima_hime]

"You're just encouraging me to play hard-to-get now," Yurika teased lightly, glancing over at him.

"I...I know marrying Juliet was an impulse. That you thought you had to do it then or get separated by your families, right?" she said slowly. It wasn't something Yurika tended to dwell on, least she get caught up on feeling inadequate against the incomparable Juliet.

[withoutverona]

"The chase is part of the fun, isn't it?" he asked, and for a second his tone was light before the surface gladness faded out.

"An impulse, yes. And it followed so closely on my feelings for Rosaline that, when I came to ask Friar Laurence to wed us, he thought I had spent the night with her."

This probably wasn't helping Dojima's insecurity, and Romeo stammered a little, realizing that. "I - I don't mean you'd be replaced so easily."

[dojima_hime]

No, it wasn't helping, and her posture stiffened. "So I should be happy not to be in Rosaline's place, then," she managed. "Fantastic."

[withoutverona]

Romeo shot her a look. "Rosaline's happy and alive," he reminded her. "She could not have less interest in me, and never has had any. That's not what matters."

"My point is," he resumed, because he had been thinking about this, "that was love, and Angela was the drink, really, but they both end with me saying words too fast because saying them felt romantic. I'm older now; I have no true excuse, and I do know I hurt you."

[dojima_hime]

"I meant that I guess I should be happy I'm not so easily discarded, not anything about your cousin-in-law in particular," she sighed, "but it's not helping."

[withoutverona]

Romeo huffed out a quiet noise that would have been a laugh if there'd been any mirth in it. "I don't know what point I was even trying to make, really," he said. "Clearly I missed it, whatever it was."

[dojima_hime]

There was a pause, then: "Well, at least you knew the bride for more than a few days before marrying her this time?"

It was probably a poor attempt at a joke, but it was the best Yurika could come up with right now.

[withoutverona]

"I'm working my way up?" Romeo tried gamely. "I might last through a proper courtship, if I ever marry again."

[dojima_hime]

"A proper courtship? So, you'll know her favorite color too? Meet the parents first?" she joked, looking down at her hands and grinning slightly. "I don't know, that's an awful big step. You might even know her middle name."

[withoutverona]

Romeo smiled himself. "With you, of course, I have a head start," he pointed out. "I know it's blue, your father loathes me appropriately, and ... if you have a middle name, it's one of your secrets."

[dojima_hime]

"No middle name," she answered. "Unless you're going to make one up for me."

[withoutverona]

"But I like your name the way it is," Romeo answered reasonably. "So, no middle name."