(Romeo's POV)
I walked along the street, my steps lighter and my pockets heavier. It felt indescribably good to be free of Mr. Vladimir, finally having the relief of knowing that he wouldn't be holding her past over her head anymore.
I felt almost like a completely different man than the one I had been before I met Talia. Before, I was haunted by my faults, past, and father. Wallowing in the despair of being alone and having nothing. I only had Jack and the food I could scrounge up from the dumpster, no money to my name. I had a demon inside that would rip me apart the first chance it got, constantly eating away at my soul.
Now, Talia's light had beamed into my soul, chasing away the demon for what I hoped was for good. I had food, money, and love. I had everything I could ever dream of and more. The money was a relief to have, I hadn't realized just how stressful it had been not to have it. Now that I did, I had the financial freedom to do what I wanted, which started with paying the bills on Jack's house in advance, getting the electric back on and leaving him plenty of money for food. I had paid him a visit this morning, right after meeting with Mr. Vladimir and calling the electric company. I could still see the smile of pride that had spread across his face when I flipped the lights on.
It felt good to be able to do something for him, after he had done so much for me. If the word father hadn't already been ruined for me, I would say that he was like one to me. Instead, he was the man I looked up to, someone I worked to impress, and a friend when I had none.
Though it felt odd to be spending money so frivolously, I knew every single thing I was doing was something needed and well deserved for who I was spending it on. I could spend all the money in the world on the ones I cared for and never feel that it was enough to repay them for being there for me.
Now I just had one more thing to do before I felt fully settled into my new life. It wasn't confronting my father, that would do no good. He is who he is, and the best way I can pay him back for everything that he's done, is to move on and live my life and not let his past abuse affect my future.
What I really wanted was to take Talia on a real date. Not one where she pays for the food and pretends it's her way of paying me back, but one truly surprising and romantic experience. I want to spoil her and give her everything her heart desires. I want her to know that she's the most beautiful woman in the world, and that I love her like she's air and I'm suffocating. Like she's the most decadent dessert and I'm a starving man.
She's the sun to my moon, the beauty to my world, and the beat to my heart.
I had things all planned out. I wanted her to have the most beautiful view for dinner, but I couldn't have her looking into a mirror. So I chose the next best thing.
In my mind, it was the best view in the city. I had found it one day exploring, finding my way up to the roof of the tallest, and recently abandoned, building in the lower part of town. You could look out over the ocean for the sunset, then turn and see the sparkling city lights afterwards. I hoped she would enjoy it as much as I once had and that it wouldn't lose its beauty in the light of hers.
I had to find the perfect thing for us to eat together. I had no knowledge of the best place to eat and no friends to ask for advice, but I had looked up reviews and tried to find something that way. Finally, I had made the choice, hoping it would be the right one.
I smiled. I was terrified of how this evening would go. Even though I had planned it all out, even heading up to the rooftop to prepare before hand, I knew it all rested on how Talia would respond to the question I would ask her tonight. Even with my fears of how it would go and what she would say, I was thrilled for the surreal opportunity of what could be.
(Talia's POV)
I woke with a yawn, the blinding sun that peaked through the curtains let me know that I had overslept well through morning and into the afternoon. Rolling out of bed, I checked the couch, where Romeo had insisted on sleeping last night.
Not that I could expect him to sleep in bed with me. We hadn't put a label on our relationship as of yet, we were friends. Friends who not only kissed, but had made out for hours on the couch the previous night. I didn't know why we hadn't talked about it yet, other than the fact that we had been running around in a tornado of crazy since meeting. I knew I would be moving soon, so it was possibly a good thing that we hadn't dove into a relationship.
The couch was vacant of my non labeled friend, making me wonder how long he'd been awake. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I searched the apartment for Romeo, coming up vacant.
I was in the bathroom, my last place to look, when I heard the front door open.
It was either him or another psycho I'd have to deal with. Honestly, I couldn't handle any more crazy. I might just shoot whoever it is and be done with them. I need some peace for awhile, but this is the kind of life I lived when I was a wanted hacker to develop in the shadier ways of life.
I glanced out of the bathroom, spotted Romeo as he closed the door behind him, his hair hanging down in his face. It needed cut, but I wouldn't be the one to mention it to him. I'd offer sometime and see what he said, but the decision on his hair would be completely up to him. It was his hair, not mine, after all.
Romeo looked up, his teal eyes leaning towards the blue side, looking pure and kind as they met mine. His smile broadened automatically, but not in the falseness I was used to seeing from others, he was honest with his emotions, and right now he was genuinely thrilled to see me.
His eyes slowly took me in, before he strode towards me. His steps never faltered, showing how far he had come in the short time I had known him. Now that he had someone that understood him and didn't bully him about it, he was opening up and becoming the man he truly was on the inside.
A thought crossed my mind, would he have still been the same man if he'd had a different past. I didn't care for the answer. I was just glad to have him here now, even if it was for a short time.
Romeo bent his head down and kissed me, his lips pausing for a second after touching mine as he froze and stiffened. With a sigh, he relaxed, dropping the bag in his hand to the floor so he could cup my face.
I wondered what he was thinking in that moment of pause. Was he still second guessing himself? Was there something I could do to ease those worries?
His lips brushed across mine in a gentle caress, tantalizingly slow. I wrapped my arms around his neck, my doubts fleeing my mind. How could I move away, when I felt so right here with him? I pressed my lips harder against his, silently begging for more. His lips were warm and welcoming, shocking me awake better than any of the coffee concoctions I had drank in the past. He pulled back slowly, his breathing heavy as he broke the kiss for split second to suck in a breath. In that split second, I felt hollow. Then his lips were back on mine, molding against mine and moving in perfect harmony until our bodies were vibrating with energy.
Romeo stumbled suddenly, hitting the wall with his shoulder. Our lips broken apart as my eyes opened. He shifted, propping himself against the wall as we laughed, me giggling while he chuckled silently. Our foreheads pressed together, my heart swelling with the love I felt for him.
We caught our breath and Romeo slid the phone out of his pocket to send me a text. I knew he was saying how he felt, but it was also how I felt for him, but was unable to put into the same magical words he was able to. "Your kisses are electric. Every time my lips meet yours, I can feel the current flowing through me, filling me with a life I've never felt before. Without it, I'm lifeless. But with it, I'm alive."
* * *
We walked hand in hand down the street. I had to admit, if I was walking through this shady part of town, I would turn back for a gun. I could handle myself in a fight, but I didn't want to chance be slower that a bullet. But I was walking with Romeo, who, with all his years of street experience, was weaving in and out of alleys to avoid the sketchiest looking men. It made me feel safe being with him.
My stomach growled hungrily and I tried to ignore it. Romeo had brought me breakfast in the form of decadent pastries this morning, but after walking around the city all day, I was hungry again.
He strode confidently towards an abandoned building and made his way inside, his hand grasping mine to insure I followed. It was good to see that he had lost his uncertainty, delving into the courage he had online for whatever he had planned.
We walked through another door to the stairwell, which had graffiti littering the walls and even the floor. We started walking upwards, not saying a word as we went up so many floors that I'd lost count.
Finally, he came to a stop and turned to me. He gestured to the floor of the landing and I raised my eyebrow in question before looking down.
The floor was covered in chalk, which made me realize that he must have came here earlier to prepare for this. Anticipation filled me. This wasn't just some random building, he had planned this out, whatever this was.
I read the words on the floor, which spoke for Romeo. It was actually a good idea. It was different than the phone talking for him, and I didn't have to wait for him to type it out, even though he was quickly becoming quicker with typing on the phone, almost as fast as he was on the computer.
"Since we met, I have found something in you that entranced me." I read the words out loud, then looked up at Romeo.
He smiled and continued up the steps, each landing holding each day from the day we met.
"Day 1- Spunky"
I smiled at the first one I came across, then darted up the steps, my pace quickening as I raced to read the next one. Romeo kept up with me, never releasing my hand.
"Day 2- Genuine"
"Day 3- Intelligent"
"Day 4- Witty"
"Day 5- Damsel in distress"
"Day 6- Quick witted"
"Day 7- Sleuthful"
"Day 8- Beautiful"
"Day 9- Perspicacious"
"Day 10- Generous"
"Day 11- Elegant"
"Day 12- Heroine"
"Day 13- Perfect"
I paused at the last one, gasping for breath. After catching my breath, I turned to him to tell him how sweet it was. Romeo held up a finger for me to wait, cutting off my words. His cheeks were flushed from the exertion of running up the steps with him and I regretted going so fast. He had been eating a lot more that he used to and he was quickly gaining energy and weight, but that didn't make him fit. His eyes were bright, letting me know he wasn't too exhausted, which I was glad for.
We walked up to the next landing, which led outside onto the roof.
There in front of me, was more words. "Each one of these things make you perfect. You're the Yang to my Yin, the light to my dark, the sun to my world, the beauty to my life. Will you be my Rose exclusively and give me the honor of being your boyfriend?"
My breath caught in my throat. I wasn't a crier, but I was overwhelmed with emotions. I could feel the love he had for me through his actions and words, and my heart beat ecstatically at the thought of being his boyfriend. It's what I've wanted since he opened the door of his house. Still, his home was here in New York City, and I couldn't live here anymore unless I wanted my past to catch up with me. It would only cause him more harm to stay, and I couldn't ask him to come with me.
I swallowed hard and walked out onto the roof, my hand letting go of his and I turned away from him. "I'll be leaving soon. I have to keep moving, so people can't find me. You'll never be able to settle down in one place. It's not a possibility in my future to have a white picket fence and settle down, have kids, grow old. It's not my lifestyle."
Romeo strode forward and grabbed my hand, entwining his fingers with mine. His phone spoke for him. "You're my love, my passion, my light, my life. I'll follow you anywhere. I don't need cliche, I only need you."
I turned to look into his honest and passionate eyes. Could it be that easy? I was a rose without roots, just passing between vases and trying to survive. I knew he didn't have much of a life here, but how would he handle constantly moving around?
I guess there was only way to find out.
"If you're sure." I said.
"I've never been more certain of anything in my life." Romeo typed into his phone.
"Now that's a cliche line." I said with a grin, trying to lighten the depressing mood that I had caused to wrap around us in the past few minutes.
Romeo just smiled and led me across the roof to where a small table was set up, two chairs setting on either side, with a vase and a single rose in it. Two plates sat in our places, and after I sat down, Romeo removed the covers.
There sat two plates of spaghetti and meatballs, ready to be devoured by two hungry lovers. Soft music played in the background, creating a romantic atmosphere. I wonder how Romeo had gotten the food there. I had been with him all day, with the exception of this morning. Had he hired someone to do the food, texting them before we came to make sure it was ready?
However he did it, it was amazing.
We didn't bother with talking, just digging right into the food and sipping wine that had been left chilling in ice. It was nice to be with someone who had the same appreciation for food as I did, though I knew with Romeo's past that food meant a lot to him. When you go without something for so long, then you enjoy it much more when you have it.
When we finished eating, we sat sipping wine and holding hands as we watched the sun set over the ocean, tossing the colors from the sky onto the reflective water.
I was content with the evening. The day had been peaceful, followed by this date with Romeo. I smiled across the table at him in the darkness and leaned over the table, kissing his lips in appreciation.
I sat back in my seat as color caught my eye in the opposite direction that the sunset had been in. I turned and what I saw took my breath away.
The city lights created a brilliant backdrop that would have been amazing on its own, but Romeo had did something else special.
Drawn onto the floor in glow in the dark chalk, was a huge, vibrant rose that took up the entire roof. Earlier I hadn't noticed it for all the graffiti, but now that it was dark, the rose shone through in the dark.
I stood and slowly walked until I was standing in the center of the rose, taking in the detail. Had he been up all night?
I felt his hand brush down my arm as he came up behind me, before slowly running back up. His other hand matched the other, only on my other arm.
Slowly, I turned and found myself in his embrace. I wrapped my arms around him and leaned in to kiss him in a way that I hoped would show my feelings for him.
The kiss quickly picked up from where we had left off earlier. Intense and passionate, it matched our relationship thus far. Our tongues created danger, each swipe enticing emotions that could lead to very mischievous things.
Our life may be twisted and complicated, but together we were perfectly balanced with love, romance, and danger.