CHAPTER 13: WHY MUST OUR STORY BE MADE A JOKE OF?

5 a.m "Holy shit… Why the hell is the room spinning?" that was Juliet's first thought. She was starting to get annoyed to her world constantly re-arranging itself while she was sleeping. She tried to turn her head but the dizzing intensified and she fell back againt her soft mattress.

"Wait… Mattress?" Her face was smacked down against Romeo's chest; last night came back at her and she would have smiled if she didn't feel like throwing up. Actually her body seemed to be hesitating between curling back against her lover's body and enjoy his warmth against her coldness or visiting the toilets while throwing her stomach up.

The first option won and she closed her eyes again.

6:30 am. Romeo's eyes opened and he smiled. Juliet's body was curled over his, her hair in her face and in his neck. He kept his eyes closed for a while. His internal clock had woke him and he knew he needed to leave soon.

Sighing, her reached back for Juliet and rolled her on her back. "Baby… Love, I gotta go now." "Hum… What time is it?" she mumbled. Romeo kissed her temple and her nose, while checking his watch "6:30…I have to go back to my place and change. I have a long day ahead"

Juliet opened sleepy eyes and smiled groggily at him. He just looked at her, amazed that she could be so pretty first thing in the morning… Her supple body had litterally took his warmth over the night and she was still half asleep. "Thank you for last night… For staying".

"Oh baby… All the pleasure was mine. But, remember what you said in a few hours. You might actually hate me" he smirked. "When can I see you again?"

Romeo quickly thought. "You said you were allowed to stay here, at Angelica's, for the next couple of days, right?" Juliet nodded.

Benvolio and Mercutio were actually out of town today, on a localisation mission for the Montagues and he knew he could spend the night unsupervised and unjudged. "Tonight, then" he affirmed. Juliet's eyes grew big but she avidely nodded.

"Be ready at 7 pm. I'll pick you up" He was kissing her in between each words and Juliet was giggling. "Seems forever since then…" she candidly answered. "Angel… I gotta go"

Tears were shining in her eyes but she bravely shook them away. Romeo's heart broke a little but he reminded her about tonight hile pressing a deep kiss to her lips.

"Sleep, my love. You'll need it." He helped her curl under the covers and sheathily left when he was sure she was asleep again.

When he climbed on his damaged bike, he smiled: he will forever remember last night. Thinking about how brave his love was and what he had seen on her body, his eyes turned cold. "Her tears and my soul… They live a parallel life".

"I can't believe you've been this reckless…" Angelica was contemplating Juliet who was currently laying her head on the cold marble of the kitchen island. The prone form of the blonde simply groaned. "I'm never drinking again…. Ever. Why does anyone would do this?" Angelica couldn't help but laugh. "My dove, you are simply discovering life…" Juliet raised her head and gave her nurse the stink eye. "Are you making fun of me?"

Angelica's smile got bigger and she pushed a ginger and honey decoction in front of her charge. "Juliet… Don't take life too seriously. Punch it in the face when it needs a good hit. Laugh at it. You don't want to die old but young in mind! You were a carefree child, it's time you remember how to do it"

"2 minutes ago you were berating me for actually acting like a teenager…" Juliet mocked. "True, but you should be proud of it and in my face, not excusing yourself. Now drink this up before it's cold. It will cure you, trust me".

Juliet smiled and obeyed. The mixture was disgusting but she forged on feeling her heavy headache lifting up a little bit with every sip. "Where are the two of you going tonight?"

Juliet shrugged. "I didn't exactly thought about it… My head wasn't totally there" she blushed when she remembered the wantom way she had acted last night, the sensations Romeo had evoked in her body. She may find the memories fuzzy but her body knew what happened. Angelica took her silence for what it was and silently pushed a flyer toward her.

"What's that?" Juliet took the paper and saw it was advertisement for an mexican restaurant outside of Verona. "You could go there? It seems secluded and no one should know you over there". Juliet's eyes shone with excitement. She jumped from the stool and hugged Angelica before collapsing back on the chair, holding her head "Ouch… Too soon."

Angelica hided her smile behind her mug of tea.

She was a vision, standing just outside Angelica's porch. Her hair was curled, she was wearing a cute white dress and no make up. He could still see sequels of her beatings and her hangovers but a beaming smile was sitting on her face and he forgot how to breathe.

He felt like his world had been put on hold since this morning, leaving her. Knowing he was gonna see her again this night, he had all the trouble in the world to concentrate on his work and, once again, his team had suffered throught his mood swings.

But, now, everything was alright again. He quickly got out of his car and he hadn't completely closed the door that Juliet was rushing to him, flying. The second his strong arms closed around her tiny waist, they both breathed out in relief. He smiled and pushed her face toward him to kiss her but stopped, hearing Angelica's voice. "Try to bring her back in one sober piece, please…" she ordered, fixing the blushing pair. Romeo nodded and planted a chaste kiss on his love's lips. The two of them quickly ran toward the car… Angelica smiled and shout out one last time "Sober!". Romeo raised both their hands in a mock salute and laughed. Juliet blushed but laughed as well. Accepting Romeo's help she quietly got inside the car…

Romeo expertly drove away and immediately reached across for her hand. "I don't want you away in any way" he winked at her. Juliet blushed but squeezed his hand and got closer. She even pressed a kiss on his cheek and he beamed at her. He enjoyed her being relax around him. "Do you wanna go somewhere special?" he asked and curiously looked at her when she nodded furiously. She reached inside her backpack and showed a beat-up flyer.

Coming to a red light, Romeo looked at her paper "Bagnone, Mexican Restaurant, Enchiladas night, costume" He almost crinched at the thought of driving two hours to Bagnone, only to enjoy a "costume night" but one look at Juliet's expectant face convinced him to shut his mouth and endure it. "Mexicano it is, then!" Juliet beamed and even clapped her hands happily; Romeo forgot about his reticence and he thought "I'm really a fool for love…". And he didn't even care one bit.

3 hours later, he was even having the time of life but absolutely not because of the food. The restaurant was mediocre at best, the street busy with noise and the service very bad. He had been perplexed when she had ordered the vegetarian enchiladas but she had explained, as natural as that, that she couldn't eat meat or fish for the simple reason she could't bear to hurt a living beings. Filling this information in his "Juliet File" he was laughing with her while she was imagining the conversation of the couple next to them – a married man and his too-much make up mistress, in Juliet's opinion- and raised his eyes to her and immediately stopped laughing…. No, the reason he was happier than ever was because Juliet was eating and, as suspected before, she was an erotic sight doing so.

Completely unaware, Juliet continued talking while eating… Meanwhile, Romeo was gnawing through the knuckles of his right hand like a crazed animal. Once again, the sight of Juliet enjoying life's little pleasures was one of the most erotic things he'd ever witnessed. The way her eyes grew wide at the sight of the little cheese empenada, the flush that painted her pretty cheeks in anticipation of tasting it, the way she moaned with a half-open mouth, and the way her tongue darted out to pick up the traces of cheese that clung to her ruby lips…it really was too much. He couldn't deal with it and his dick was hard as granit. His fist closed viciously and he growled. Juliet's eyes surprisingly jumped to his and what she saw made her blush from head to toes. She was biting her lips while the waiter was taking away their plates and asking if dessert was wanted…

Without even opening the menu, Romeo growled about a part of chocolate cake and as soon as the man had left, he reached for Juliet across the table. If the table hadn't been separating them, he wouldn't have been able to keep his hands off of her. He settled for reaching across and grasping her face in his hands, pulling her lips to his roughly. He kissed her deeply; his mouth moved against hers hungrily. Her lips would be bruised later, but it didn't matter.

Juliet kissed back eagerly, opening her mouth to slip her tongue into his. She was vaguely conscious of other customers turning to stare at them, but she didn't care. Lust tugged at her stomach, and the familiar warmth flooded her body. She was also acutely aware of an overwhelming sense of pride. Romeo Montague was kissing her, and in front of everyone. She was his.

Stopping to let her breath, Romeo tugged on her hands and brought her to sit on his laps just when the waiter was coming back with the cake. "What…" she began but Romeo brushed his thumb against her lips. "Shhh… Trust me".

Juliet looked in his eyes and nodded. She simply relaxed in his arms and let him cuddle her. He bunched her hair at her nape with one hand and picked up the fork with the other one.

He cut a piece of the cake and brought it to her mouth. Unsure, she smiled and tentatively looked at him. "Open up for me, baby…" he whispered, the hand holding her hair caressing her neck slowly. Juliet opened her mouth slightly and he pushed the cake forward.

When her tongue unconsciously came out to lick the tiny bit of chocolae gathered at the corner of her mouth, Romeo moaned. Juliet moved a tiny bit and his erection immediately came in contact with her naked thight and she gasped. Romeo brought his mouth to her ear "Feel this? This is the effect you have on me baby…. Now, be a good girl for me and eat up". Her grey eyes startled open but he continued to feed her and she obediantly swallowed. Every now and then he was stealing a piece for himself and her ever watchful eyes were focused on his lips as well.

In a numbling silence, Romeo realized that everytime he was sliding the fork in her mouth right after his, she was keeping the metal a little longer in her mouth. He had no doubt that she was acting innocently, not even realizing it, but the reality that she was trying to absorb him as much as he wanted her made it incredibly more difficult to not throw her over the table and have his way with her.

When the whole cake was finished, she nearly collapsed on his chest, hiding her face and breathing hard. The erotic power of getting fed added to the constant caress on her neck was a bit too much for her. Romeo pushed away the plate and wrapped his two arms around her, keeping her close. He whispered in her ear, feeling her shiver "You know, the act of feeding someone is the ultimate act of care and affection…sharing yourself with someone else through food. And I've never seen anything sexier than you eating cake on my laps…". Juliet minutely moved against him and he growled.

Jumping up, he took hold of her hand and threw money on the table. Rushing away, not really listening to her, he turned at the first corner, Juliet bumping against him, surprised. "What are you…" she didn't have the time to finish her thought, Romeo pushed her against the wall and violently kissed her. Nothing was tender in this embrace, it was a mate claiming his territory and while he kept a hand under her head to protect her from the stone of the wall, his other hand wrapped around her throat, forcing her up and opened to his assault. Without exactly knowing what was going on, Juliet mostly tried to keep up with his pace but she suddenly felt dizzy. And not the good kind of dizzy… Her head was spinning and she pushed him away. "Ro… Please, stop."

In his fuzzy mind, he suddenly realised she was trying to communicate something to him. "What?" "I don't feel… that good".

Before he could understand what was going on, Juliet had fainted in his arms and he was left feeling lost.

"She is what?"

Romeo was pacing the halls of the emergency room he had dropped Juliet at, one hour ago. Her fainting spell hadn't been long but her stomach had started cramping and when she convulsed with pain, he took no chance and rushed her to the nearest hospital. All the while thanking the Heavens no one knew them in Banglione.

And now the doctor was looking at him like he was stupid "She's coeliac, meaning she's gluten and lactose intolerant. What did she eat last?"

Romeo's mind was rushing. Gluten and lactose? A food intolerance? But Juliet hadn't mentioned anything about it. "Hum… Tacos and cake."

The doctor's face closed once more "You fed tacos and cake to a coeliac? Are you out of your mind? She could have died of intoxication!" Romeo blanched. "I didn't know!"

"Who is this woman to you?" the doctor suspiciously asked and Romeo reminded himself to be calm. "She's my girlfriend, but it's all pretty new. And I'm pretty sure this intolerance is also new to her"

The doctor wanted to say something but Romeo stopped him "What's next now?" "Well, she needs to be on a life long diet, I'm afraid. No more wheat, gluten or lactose but only plant based products. Shes also severely famished and carenced: iron, vitaminc B12 and C, calcium… Anything, you name it, she lacks it."

Romeo's fists closed once more, his eyes shutting in anger. Isabella and Funicio Capulet's restrictions and cruelty against their own daughter now had lifetime consequences. Something broke inside him and he resolved to put his plan forward now. Thanking the doctor, the young man quietly walk to Juliet who was waiting for him in the waiting room.

Oh, yeah. He was gonna protect her, even if this was the last thing he ever did.

Juliet was softly whimpering, asleep in the car. Her back pushed against the door and her feet resting softly on his laps while he was driving. She had excused herself numerous times but he had simply held her. "Hush, baby love. Please. I'm just so glad you are ok, I've never been more scared then when you suddenly collapsed on me".

He had quietly explained to her about her food poisoning and she had been as surprised as him. She didn't even know what was gluten! Seeing her panicking he had simply drew her feet on him and massaged her ankles until she slowly fell asleep.

While his Chevrolet car raced in the night, he knew he wouldn't fell asleep until he had read everything on the internet about the coeliac illness.

Angelica was waiting for them when they arrived quietly… Romeo opened the door for her and they stepped inside, hand in hand. The Nurse beamed at them but quickly jumped to her feet when she saw their grave faces. "Something happened? What? Are you ok? Did somebody see you?"

Juliet couldn't help but smile at her Nurse's antic and she lovingly looked at Romeo. . "Don't fret, Angelica. Everything is ok and no one saw us…"

"Something happened, I know it! This was a bad idea, I should have listened to Friar Laurence and never helped you with this non-sense". Romeo's face closed and he drew his arms around Juliet's waist, squezzing her. "Leave Laurence to me. And stop fretting, woman, you're giving me a headache".

Angelica started to chastiste him but Juliet simply squeezed her hands on his and the young man relaxed. He helped Juliet on one of the stool and kissed her forehead. "Now, are you ready to listen to us?" said Juliet. Speechless, Angelica simply nodded. "Then we'll need your laptop and internet connection".

30 minutes later, Juliet was still trying to understand it all. Her chin on her hand and she was contemplating the screen in front of her, absorbing all the informations. Eventually sighing, she closed the laptop and relaxed against Romeo once more. "Well, at least, we don't have to worry about my parents feeding me the bad things. The only food they allow is rice cake and we've just established that rice is safe for me".

Romeo pressed a kiss on the top of her head while Angelica was scribbling everything down. "It's nothing dangerous if you are fed correctly… The doctor said you were under-weighted". Juliet shrugged but Rromeo whispered in her ears "I guess that means more feeding session from me, then…" and he smiled when she shivered.

"Baby… Go to sleep. You need it and you had enough emotions for one day." "Come tuck me in?" she asked in a sleepy voice and he simply took her in his arms and helped her in the bed.

He kissed her and tuck her in quietly. Once she was asleep, he went back to Angelica who handed him a fresh pot of coffee. "I guessed the night will be long…" she muttered, opening her laptop again.

The time was long before any of the two people who loved most Juliet accepted that they had gathered all informations needed.