[AUTHOR'S NOTE] I had a sudden urge to write Benvolio/Rosaline friendship, and I went with it. That's all I really have to say about this.
When she arrives at the edge of the woods, she's pleased to see that he's there, sitting on the overgrown bench and staring absently at a yellow butterfly perched nearby. She moves toward him, and the butterfly sees her first; he looks up when it flies away. It takes him a moment to return to reality, but when he does he flashes her a smile. She smiles back. He shifts himself to one side of the bench, motioning for her to sit with him.
"Good morning," he greets her as she lowers herself beside him.
"Morning," she replies bluntly, only out of politeness. She's never understood greetings - they see each other here often enough; there should be no need to introduce anything. "What brings you here today?"
He shrugs. "Tried to stop a fight, didn't succeed, your cousin tried to kill me."
She grins, eyes betraying a hint of seriousness. "The usual, huh?"
He smiles and dips his head sheepishly. "Yeah."
After a short pause, he gives her a look of concern. "How about you?"
"Hm?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh – well, you know." She sighs dramatically. "Parents pestering me to marry, men chasing after me... it's rough being this damn pretty."
He laughs. "I pity you."
"Of course you do."
They stop talking after that, slipping back to their own troubled minds, but finding comfort in having someone to share the silence with. They welcome it warmly; quiet is a difficult thing to come by in the busyness of the city and the chaos of their family lives.
The sun hangs high above them, a light breeze lessening the harshness of its heat. Plants rustle and insects hum, but the noise seems unreal and distant. A yellow butterfly drifts past, dancing effortlessly on the air.
In the stillness of the forest, two strangers forget that they're supposed to be enemies, and they become friends.