Romeo and Juliet--Act Un: All the Impossibilities

Romeo and Juliet

Act Un: All the Impossibilities

Do you listen to yourself

Never live for someone else

Do you like the way your feel

Nothing hurts when no one's real

She wants to shake this scene

Yeah she wants to shake with me

She's not looking for the holes in all the lies

I wanna bulletproof your soul

Would you like to lose control

I won't let you fall until you tell me so

-- "Bullet Proof" by the Goo Goo Dolls

His name was Romeo. Romeo Montague. He should have been happy, because he lived in a big house with a happy, rich family and two parents who loved him. He should have been happy because he was allowed to do almost anything with almost anyone he wanted. Romeo should have been happy, but he was not.

Not really, at least. There were times he was happy, but those were few and far apart. Really Romeo thought he might be happier was he a poor peasent living on the streets. He thought that, at least.

It came to pass one fateful day that Romeo and his friend Mercutio (who was not quite in Romeo's parents' favor just then) were lounging on the lovely beach near the Montague house.

Mercutio was looking very bored with the cavorting girls (both slaves and freewomen) and his purple eyes were not very lively at all just then.

"Mercutio," Romeo said, cocking his head to the side so that some of his unruly blonde hair fell into his face, "what's wrong?"

"I am very bored," declared the other young man, lifting one finger. "I have nothing to do; therefore, I am quite bored indeed."

Romeo suppressed a snicker. "What would you suggest we do, then?" he asked, shifting his legs in the sand.

"Personally?"

"Yes, personally."

"I think we should go crash a Capulet party tonight." Mercutio announced, standing up suddenly.

"And how are we going to get in to this Capulet party, being Montagues, or at least associated with them?"

Mercutio brushed his red hair out of his eyes and produced two slips of paper from his pocket.

Romeo examined them. They were emblazoned with red and gold, the Capulet colors, and said on the front in elaborate letters, "Honored Reddrake and Friends." He laughed. "Ah," he said.

Mercutio bowed comically. "And I am the Honored Reddrake. Are you my friend, Romeo?"

Romeo laughed again and nodded vigorously. "I am!" he stood up beside Mercutio and then paused. "Say, it's a masquerade, isn't it?"

Mercutio produced a mask from his pocket and tossed it at Romeo. "Of course!"

"What are you going as?"

"A lovely butterfly."

"You're not!"

"I am!" Mercutio insisted as the two began walking down the stretch of beach towards the mansion looming in the distance. "You?"

Romeo's mouth curled up. "Devil."

Mercutio mock-applauded. "Nice choice, O master of evilness."

"Is that a word? Evilness?"

*****

Mercutio grabbed Romeo's arm and led him into a room of glittering lights. "Come on, O Friend of Reddrake!"

Romeo laughed and followed Mercutio (who was, indeed, dressed as a glittering butterfly) into the party. Mercutio flashed his "invitation" at the doorguard and batted his eyelashes.

Immediately Romeo's gaze focused on several of the females in the room and then flitted away from them again. There was not anything interesting to him here.

Mercutio was lost in a crowd already; he was surrounded by men and women a like and was conversing rapidly. He was like that; people seemed to be drawn to him.

Romeo sighed and tried to examine everyone in the room closely before picking one of the more suitable females and walking over. He smiled charmingly. "I don't believe I'be made your acquaintance, miss."

She dimpled. "I'm Rosalie, good sir. By what name may I address you?"

"You can call me Remeo." He took her hand and kissed it gently.

They danced a few times; the music was excellent. Romeo was bored. He said good-bye politely and went to find Mercutio to ask him if they could go (or if, at least, Mercutio had found something to do.)

Glancing through the crowd, said butterfly-dressed man was not apparant. Romeo sighed and readjusted his horns and tail, tugging on his shirtsleeves. His mask was annoying him but he did not dare take it off. Instead, he began shoving his way through the crowd.

Someone ran smack into him; obviously someone in a hurry. To go somewhere.

"Oh God!I'm sorry!" that person exclaimed, whirling to face Romeo.

Romeo saw an angel.

After a few moments, that initial impression wore off into a very pretty young man in an angel costume, but he still looked unearthly to Romeo.

"I'm Romeo," he muttered, taking the boy's hand and kissing it.

The boy turned an uncomfortable shade of pink. "Why did you kiss my hand?! I'm a guy!"

"I felt like you deserved it."

The boy looked up and locked eyes with Romeo. His eyes were an ethereal shade of cobalt blue and his hair (which was long, and in a ponytail) was absolutely ebony black and in the glittering lights its highlights were blue. He was tall, a little shorter than Romeo, though, and very slender. His white shirt was falling open; its violet laces were undone and sagging loosely.

Romeo's mask fell off his face but he did not care. He had not let go of the boy's hand either. Neither of them said anything.

Finally the boy whispered, "My name is Juliet..."

The crowd was still milling around them and Juliet tugged at Romeo's hand, pulling Romeo out into a garden.

They were silent again.

Romeo asked, "May I kiss you?"

Juliet blushed.

"Well may I?"

He did not wait for an answer; simply bent slightly and touched his lips to Juliet's. Gently at first, and then as Juliet's hands came around his neck, harder. He felt warm breath against his cheek and pressed his lips against the ethereal boy's even harder, running his tongue over Juliet's lips.

Juliet's mouth opened, warm velvet heat, inviting Romeo. He took the invitation and plunged his tongue into Juliet's mouth, exploring the ridged roof of the other boy's mouth, the smooth teeth, sparring with his velvety tongue.

Romeo pulled away and breathed and then plunged back in, wrapping his arms around Juliet's slender waist and pressing the length of Juliet's body up against him. Heat rushed through his body, obliterating any coherent thoughts at all. He continued to kiss Juliet until the boy was trembling and practically ready to collapse in his arms, and then pulled away slowly, looking into the hypnotic blue eyes.

Juliet panted heavily, and there was no sound in the garden but his breathing and the chirping of crickets. It was dark and the stars were just unveiling themselves. "My God...Romeo..."

"Yes, indeed, Juliet. My Juliet." Romeo whispered, nuzzling against Juliet and catching his lips again shortly.

"Yours," Juliet confirmed against Romeo's mouth, giving himself over to another deep kiss.

Romeo's world consisted of nothing but the lovely Juliet; nothing but the boy in front of him deserved any attention. Suddenly, though, someone began to scream, "JULIET! JULIET!" and said boy pulled away, wide-eyed.

"Oh Romeo…I…need to go…"

"You'll see me—I'll see you again!"

"Yes!" Juliet pulled out of Romeo's grasp and started to run, his stuck-on wings at an odd angle.

"Juliet!" screamed Romeo, desperate at the thought of not saying a real goodbye to his angel and finding out when, in concrete numbers, he would be allowed to see Juliet again.

Juliet whirled, his ebony hair spinning out behind him.

"When?"

"I don't know—tomorrow! As soon as you can! I'll be here!"

And then Juliet was gone.

Romeo left in a sort of pleasant haze, found Mercutio waiting for him.

"What's with you, man? Romeo? Speak to me, come on."

"I met someone."

"Who?!" the ever-curious redhead demanded, poking Romeo hard in the stomach. "Describe!"

"Black hair."

Mercutio narrowed down his suspects to the ones with black hair.

"Blue eyes."

Another narrowing-down of the selection. But he needed more. "More!" he demanded, jerking Romeo's sleeve.

Romeo tugged it back away. "Tall, thin."

There were still a few of them left. A few, but a selection worthy of Romeo Montague.

"Costume?"

"Angel."

Mercutio jerked away. "You idiot! He's not a girl! He's a boy! And a Capulet at that!"

Romeo appeared not to hear his friend. "All the possibilities," he murmured. "Being in love…all the possibilities."

Little did he know. Oh, little did he know, indeed.