The shy boy [AU - CW]

"It feels like it sometimes," he admitted with a soft scoff, flicking off some ash from his cigarette as he looked around the small smoking shed. It wasn't pretty, but it seemed like the teachers didn't care much for checking up on this place. "You make me feel comfortable," he said as he nodded a bit to himself. That was perhaps a good way to describe it. Chuckling he inhaled from his cigarette once again, looking up at Eden, "I get that I can come off as a jerk or annoying, but I honestly just want to know what I have to do to be your friend." It was sincere. It was raw. Romeo hadn't felt like this before and he felt almost liberated.

Not good at friendships. What an odd way to state it. "I don't need you to be good at it," he chuckled shaking his head as he inhaled the last bit of the cigarette, snuffing it out against the wall and throwing the bud in the assigned bin. Frankly he had thought that was that, but the vampyre asked something out of the blue. Was he trying? It at least seemed so. "I do," he smiled, "though I find that I mostly read non-fiction because of schoolwork and my other interests." He looked at Eden, thinking it through for a bit, "Do you like movies?" He asked.

"Well reading is more of an alone thing, whi movies are more of a together thing," he remarked, "I like both for different reasons and some things are just better viewed with actors like a play adaptation or a musical." It would be quite funny to just read a musical, he pondered. But that thought disappeared as the vampyre mentioned watching a movie sometime. "Well if you want you could come by my place this weekend? My parents will be out of town, so we'll have the house to ourselves," he suggested.

Romeo scoffed at his suggestion that his parents wouldn't be okay with it, "no, because then we can sit in the livingroom where my dad has gotten the biggest TV I've ever seen," he chuckled. No, his parents were bigoted at times, but they also had respect for quite a few vampyre families. "Unless you want to watch it in my room? I mean the TV is nice, but I haven't had time to hook it up to anything, so it's just standing there," he thought out loud. Moving had been a hassle and he knew more of their stuff were being sent from their home back in Italy, but fir now they had the basics.

The fact that Eden agreed made him feel a warm feeling inside. One that he hadn't really felt before, but perhaps it was the start of a minor crush. The vampyre mentioned having some things to finish up and he hummed before taking out his phone, handing it to him, "give me your number - I'll send the address." If he did, he would save the number, sending the vampyre a text so he had his number as well.
Afterwards they headed inside. Romeo got to chat with the rest of the club members, hearing about former productions and helping out where people wanted him. Sure, he had a pretty face, but he could use his hands to hold stuff or just generally be helpful.

Romeo was having quite fun, helping out and getting to know people, though most of them seemed to look at him as if he was someone to gawk at. When the vampyre poked his arm, he turned to watch the shy guy nod for him to follow, so he did, excusing himself to the person he had just been talking to. No, he was not going to waste this opportunity where he had come to the lycan. He was lead in to a room where the backgrounds were being painted, the way the girl had described it as psychedelic made a lot of sense now that he was seeing these bright backgrounds. His eyes took a bit of time adjusting, taking everything in as he hummed. "What was your plan with that tree?" he asked, genuinely curious. It seemed so normal compared to everything else.

Romeo listened, humming as he took it in, just letting himself imagine what the play might look like in the back. But then Eden seemed to get upset, turning away as he apologized. "Hey, it's alright," he assured him, walking over to place a gentle hand on the vampyre's shoulder, not trying to upset him. "I might have an idea to the fact that you don't have anymore colors," he said, smiling at him. Well, if the vampyre would listen, Romeo would try and explain what he was imagining. "Well, when you're high you get ups and downs ... So I would imagine that as cracks through the colors, you know, as if the real world is knocking and nothing is real - But Romeo is trying so desperately to make his high last before he gets hit by the low," he said. It was an idea. Maybe it wouldn't fit at all with what Eden had in mind, but perhaps him talking about it would make the creativity flow for him.

Romeo had expected that maybe Eden would be apprehensive, maybe even cautious, but as the vampyre grabbed his hand and pulled him with him he just looked surprised. Had anyone ever grabbed his hand like that before? Tell him what to do, well, that was easy enough, right? "Okay, but if this ruins it I'm buying some new paint for you," he said, not really sure why the vampyre trusted him like that.
Either way Romeo described and as Eden got to painting he hummed, showing him where he thought the cracks might fit. "Wait here," he muttered as they were about finished. He grabbed a white paint, putting a bit on a plate and took a smaller brush, "highlight small parts of the cracks ... Make them look harsh and sharp and in contrast to the fluid colors," he instructed him. They were a surprisingly good team. Once they were done, Romeo took a few steps back, a little nervous to hear what Eden thought of it all.

"What are you talking about, it was you who did all the hard work," he said, clearly not wanting any of the praise. No. Hearing Eden say that it was better was a relief and something he felt was reward enough. The last comment made him frown. "No, I just wanted to help," he said. He had felt inspired by Eden as he seemed so passionate about this.
Romeo pulled out his phone, sighing to himself, "I gotta go, my dad wants to gather the family tonight for dinner," he said shaking his head a little, replying to the message before looking at the vampyre. "See you tomorrow, right?" he smiled, lifting his hand as a goodbye before heading home.

Maybe Eden was right, but Romeo refused to take any praise. Maybe because he felt it was so undeserved. Eden had been painting this background, he had only made suggestions. Romeo left but his mind didn't leave the vampyre. What he was doing. What he was painting. What he was thinking.
The dinner was basically just an excuse for his father to entertain some new business partners. Romeo was a prodigy child in many regards, having been trained from a very young age and excelling at almost everything he had been tasked with mastering. He played multiple instruments, but tonight his father wanted him to entertain on the piano.
Afterwards he went to join them, sitting nicely as he felt his phone vibrate. Looking at the screen he excused himself, "a classmate needing some help," he chuckled. He had just had his first day, but this wouldn't be strange. He was quite clever. He went out in to the hallway, leaning back against one of the walls, seeing one of their servants rush by to prepare for dessert.

[Romeo:] It's boring
[Romeo:] I wish I had stayed back at school
[Romeo:] How's the painting coming along?

Better when he had help? Romeo couldn't help but smiling at the screen before shaking his head. No, it was stupid to be flirting, but he couldn't really help himself. So as the picture came in he sighed. He really seemed to like what Eden made and on top of that they seemed to work together pretty well - even better if you took in to consideration that they were from completely opposite races.

[Romeo:] You seem to be getting along just fine
[Romeo:] You're really good with your hands

Fuck why did he send that!? It was completely out of line but it also gave him a small rush in his stomach. It wasn't because he was mocking Eden, no, he was genuinely impressed with his talents, but then again it was always the shy ones that hid the best talent. He inspected the picture as the next message ticked in. Now the vampyre was suddenly very talkative, but Romeo gathered it was because they were removed from one another through a screen. And Kareema had mentioned a long distance boyfriend of him, right?

[Romeo:] It goes a little something like this:
[Romeo:] Daddy wants to impress the business partners and mommy wants to entertain
[Romeo:] The servants get busy, every room is thoroughly cleaned and afterwards inspected by mommy
[Romeo:] Daddy picks out the entertainment and what better than his own son?
[Romeo:] Son entertains guests, talks when it's appropriate, and then plays piano before dessert
[Romeo:] If he's lucky daddy will acknowledge his accomplishments, at best he'll have to hear daddy brag about his grades

He sighed, closing his eyes as he typed the next few lines. It was a risk, but it just felt easy to spill it all. He didn't have to worry about anyone staring, he just had to get it out.

[Romeo:] But then the son gets a text from this very handsome boy he's just met ...
[Romeo:] And now he's standing in the hallway smiling at a screen ...
[Romeo:] And he really just wants the weekend to come sooner, because he set up a not-date with said boy that he secretly wishes would be a date

Romeo watched as the dots appeared. Why did he feel nervous? He looked up, smiling as a servant went past him before looking back at his screen. He felt that smile get more genuine as he read the messages. Well at least until he read the latest. Leaning his head back, he looked up at the ceiling. Was Eden trying to say something? Normally he would've replied with anger, but right now he just felt sad. He felt like it was sort of a jab against him.
He packed his phone away, heading back in to his family, putting on a brave face. The rest of the evening he didn't reply. Mostly because he felt a little hurt, wanting to cool down before he replied.
Eventually he ended up laying on his bed, looking at the message. He felt like he had been staring at it for way too long before he finally replied.

[Romeo:] I don't want just anyone