Ballet and Capes

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Pain shot through Juliet's shoulder when her bad arm was grabbed and she was shoved toward the brick wall. She would have hit it, but last minute used the momentum of the shove to her own advantage this time and instead of hitting face first into the wall, pushed her foot against it, using the force to leap over his head gracefully this time, and while above him, grabbed his shoulders to force him down as she landed, pinning his arms with a smirk on her face, "Well, well, look at the position you've found yourself in now." She lifted her hand, fingers sparking, ready to knock him unconscious so she could escape, when the sound of sirens coming down the street caught her attention.

A witness had seen the two supers fighting and ran off, calling the police, who were heading their way rather quickly. If she let him go and run, he would catch her for sure and take her down. But if she shocked him and tried to run down the street, she would run straight into the cops.

Suddenly, there was a strange tug on her body and she was pulled from the boy by some unseen force, confusion clearly on her face as the different things such as heavy crates and boxes began to move, separating the two supers so that they could no longer fight, while the entrance to the alley was blocked off to the incoming police. Now Juliet was trapped with Frost behind the crates and boxes to her back and at her front blocked by the same things was the police, her smack between them with the only way out being the ladder on the side of the building.

No. No way. She couldn't. That meant climbing on the roof and--

A yelp escaped her as the invisible force yanked her by the back of her costume toward the ladder, forcing her at first to climb until she gave in, telling herself not to look down as she made to the roof. She was still trembling with fear, but did her best to push through it, with some more nudges from whatever that force was to keep going, jumping roofs and not looking down, and finally went down another ladder to an empty alley way close to her apartment. With all the attention on the alley she had been in, them not seeing her climb the ladder from how high the crates had been piled, all attention was likely still on that side of town and she was scott free.

She finally made it to her apartment and walked inside, going to take care of newest sets of injuries.

"Why did you stop them from finishing their fight?"

"It was clear she was out numbered. She would even be taken out by Frost or the Police. So, I felt a little mental help was needed to help her escape."

"Heh, you overthink things way too much. She could have gotten out of that on her own."

"Did you really want to risk loosing our biggest clue?"

"Hmm, I suppose your right."

"I'm always right." The little boy said, looking up at the man beside him, "And I'm right about her. She'll help us. But first, it might be best to wait it out and approach her when the boy isn't in the way."

"Which will be...?"

"Soon," He said, turning his calculating green gaze to the girl's apartment, "Very soon."
 
Juliet was late to dance class the next day, but Stefan was still fuming at the escape of Shock Wave. He tried to focus on channeling his energy into dance, but his knees and elbows hurt because he had been too angry to heal them the previous night.

"Monsieur Brightinger," said the teacher, just as Juliet walked in. "You are not performing at your best." Madame LaLaurie had no problems with shaming her students in front of the rest of the class.

"Sorry, ma'am," he said. "I fell down the stairs of my apartment building last night."

The boys snickered and the girls looked worried. Madame LaLaurie nodded and made Stefan sit on the bench on the side of the room while a pretty girl, Jess, fetched ice packs. Stefan caught Juliet's eye and pretended to pout.
 
When Juliet got home, the first thing she had done was soak her hurt muscles and scratched legs in the warm water of the tub to soothe them and after words went straight to bed. She had gotten it worse this time and she had a feeling if she fought with hi next time it would be even worse. She would have to be sure to be more sneaky when getting her jobs done because with her dancing on the line there was no way she could afford to keep getting hurt like she was.

Once she had gotten a bath, she had went straight to bed and hadn't woken up til late that next morning. She knew she was going to be late for class, but at this point she was so sore that she didn't care and honestly thought about skipping, but decided against it for the sake of not worrying Stefan about where she was. And so, she got up and got dressed into some practice clothes and tights to hide the fresh cuts on her legs before she went to her class, walking in just in time to hear something about Stefan not dancing as well as he normally did.

She looked at him with a small frown as he told the professor he had fallen at his apartment. Walking over to him, she spoke softly to him while Madame, who figured she was just talking to him as his dance partner trying to figure out what was going on, let her do so and got the others back into doing their dancing, "You fell yesterday? Are you okay?"
 
"Yeah, I'm fine," said Stefan, rubbing his knees as Juliet sat down. "I fell down the stairs yesterday after I got home from class, because I'm an idiot."

Jess came back with the ice packs. "Here you go, Stef," she said warmly, handing him the two cold packs. Stefan was aware of her lingering touch on his arms but was too enveloped in the irony of someone giving Frost an ice pack to help his wounds.

"Thanks, Jess," said Stefan, pressing the ice packs onto his knees.

Jess briefly glared at Juliet for whatever reason before resuming her smile and turning to Stefan. "So, Stef, it's Friday. I was wondering if you'd like to go out tonight? Like a date?"

Date? Stefan looked up and said carefully, "I appreciate the offer, Jess, but I have a girlfriend."

She looked genuinely saddened. "Who?"

"Juliet." There was nothing but pride in his voice when Stefan said her name. Why should he be ashamed? It was her problem if she didn't like Juliet.
 
This was was purposely, in front of Juliet no less, flirting with Stefan. The blonde bit her tongue and averted her gaze as the very pretty girl was continuing to come on to her boyfriend and shooting her small almost un-noticeable glares her way. She knew the girls in class hated her and had come to terms with it, so the glares didn't bother her. But this little 'you know what' was coming onto her boyfriend right in front of her! She had to have known something was going on between she and Stefan, after all, the two of them had left together the last class, and from the glare she had sent her way, she clearly knew. And she had the nerve to ask him out anyway.

Yet, Juliet wasn't ever one for drama. Sure, she could have snapped at the girl, told her to get away from her boyfriend, but she didn't. She sat there, looking away from the two, silently keeping her annoyance in check. She had never been jealous before. It was a completely new feeling that she wasn't accustomed to. But she felt it and wished she could just snatch Stefan by the hand and drag him away from the girl.

Then, she asked him for a date! Oh, now she was boiling with jealousy on the inside. What if he said yes just to be polite? Or just to save face in the dance class by not letting them know he was actually dating her? She didn't like the idea of that, frowning softly until she heard his reply to the girl.

He told her no, that he had a girlfriend. And that she was his girlfriend. And he said with with any hesitance, and even with pride as he talked about her. This brought a soft smile as she looked over at him and soon the girl walked away defeated to go practice with her partner and she, sitting beside him, took his hand gently, feeling silly for ever thinking he might accept the girl's offer to look good. Stefan wasn't that kind of man. That had just been her worry and anxiety of loosing him making her think like that, "You're amazing, you know that?" She said quietly so only he could hear and then looked to the others practicing, Madame having finished her small class lecture and given them a little time to do so, though the two of them couldn't, not with Stefan being hurt, and her hurt as well because of her little fight last night.

"Well, I guess our dance practice is postponed a little more, huh?" She said in a joking manner, before smiling, "Hey, I was thinking. Maybe tonight you could come over to my place? I'll cook you dinner and we can watch a movie again?"
 
"Whatever you wish, princess," said Stefan quietly, kissing Juliet's knuckles. A few girls shot her another set of dirty looks. "We should probably stop hurting ourselves. At this rate we'll both be dancing in full-body casts, though of course you'll still be the best in the class."

Class finished, Stefan rose to his feet with stiff knees -- he was limping -- and he walked from the practice room hand-in-hand with Juliet after changing. He mentally deflected the bad looks Juliet was getting from girls and the weird glances he was receiving from the guys as they left the studio and made their way to his car.

"You're going to start to owe me for the gas money," Stefan joked.
 
Juliet smiled lightly as they walked back out to the car, holding his hand and ignoring the looks the two of them were being given. At this point, not that Stefan had told them she was dating him, she could care less what they thought as long as they didn't try to snatch him away from her. She had lost enough people in her life and now that finally for the first time since her life went to hell that she had someone who actually cared for her, she wasn't going to let anyone steal him away from her unless e himself didn't want her anymore.

"Well, I never got a car because I never really went anywhere before I met you. It was always school, work, and the grocery store, all of which are within ten minutes of my apartment by walking." She shrugged, "It just didn't seem like a necessity at the time. Plus, I walk walking when I can and when I'm not with you or hurt. Its refreshing."

Getting into the car, she rode with him, chatting quietly to one another until they had finally made it to her apartment. Walking inside, one thing that was blatantly clear was the lack of pictures. One thing that was given in anyone's home was pictures of family, such as parents or siblings. Or even old friends. But not one picture sat or hung in her home.

"I'll start cooking while you pick out a movie. Sad to say I don't have many horrors in my collection, but you might find something we can watch that will be interesting."
 
Stefan strode to her movie collection and ran his fingers over the titles. "How about The Avengers?" he suggested, plucking the superhero movie from the shelf. He had not seen it before.

While she cooked, Stefan stood behind her and softly wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her on the top of the head and leaned his forehead against her hair.
 
"The Avengers? Sure, we can watch that." She said with a smile as she continued to cook, and then laughed softly to herself as she felt his arms around her waist, "You are so clingy. What in the world am I going to do with you, Stefan." She joked, leaning back to his kiss his cheeks. She didn't mind though that he was like that, she really loved that she could always be with him like this.

After a little while of cooking, she had finished the chicken casserole she was making and the two sat at the table, eating together before moving to the couch as she started the movie. She had seen this movie before and every time she would notice different things, especially in the fighting, that she felt were flawed. Certain ways they would move and such. But, she kept her criticisms to herself and leaned against him, enjoying her alone time with him.
 
"That was delicious," he said. When they were seated on the couch Stefan decided to lay horizontally, so he pulled Juliet into his chest and wrapped his arms around her as they watched the movie. The fighting was so flawed that he really couldn't enjoy it.

"Does Iron Man even have any powers? Or is he just rich like Batman? And Thor is not a superhero he is a Norse god. Loki's kind of hot," he joked.
 
Laying on the couch with Stefan, Juliet smiled slightly and laughed at his comments, "Yeah, Iron Man is pretty much rich and smart. He used to make weapons and bombs but changed his ways to build his suit and fight as a hero. Thor indeed is just a Norse god who joins up with them. Hmmm, Loki? He's okay. But Steve Rodgers is definitely hotter." She looked to him and smiled, kissing his nose playfully, "Of course, you're much hotter than him in my opinion."

She curled up against him and continued to watch the movie, "Black Widow and Hawkeye seem to do absolutely nothing for the team. Just shoot guns and arrows. Not very production against a bunch of destructive aliens." She commented toward the end and when finally the movie turned off she continued laying against him, looking at him again, "Hopefully that movie wasn't too boring for you."
 
"Well there was no cannibalism, mass-murder or other kind of senseless murder but I was barely concentrating anyway," said Stefan. "How could I focus on some boring movie when I have you here with me? You're gorgeous."

Stefan took comfort in her breathing and movement. Just knowing that Juliet was there, alive, with him, completely devoted to him, made him feel so happy and alive despite the pain in his knees and elbows. He would take the thought of her into everything he did and it would come out so much better than before. Maybe Stefan had always needed a Juliet.

"Oh, shit, I forgot, Sabira wanted to take us to lunch in a few days," he mentioned, twirling her hair around his fingers. "It might be a surprise wedding. I wouldn't put it past her. She should get her own boyfriend so she can stop fawning over us."
 
Juliet giggled softly and leaned her arms on his chest, resting her head on her arms as she looked at him, "You're always saying romantic things, you really do spoil me too much." She softly kissed his lips and listened to his explanation of how his sister wanted to take them for lunch soon, "Well, you can't blame her. You are her brother after all and she hasn't seen me or talk to me much yet. That, and she's probably not used to someone taking up so much of your time like I've been doing lately." She smiled, "I'm sure it will be fine, Stefan."

She lightly played with his white hair as well, running a hand through it before resting her forehead against his, "I'm surprised you haven't gotten tired of being around me so much yet. I can be such a handful sometimes."
 
"Well I don't exactly have much of an elaborate dating history to compare you to, but I don't you're a handful," said Stefan. He enjoyed the feeling of her fingers in his hair. "I think you're lovely ... and beautiful ... "

He kissed her again and smiled, before sitting upright and pulling her with him so she sat on his lap. "But you're probably getting sick of my sappy romanticness."
 
"No, I like them." Juliet said with a smile, "To tell you the truth, you're one of my first boyfriends. The first one since I was a young teen anyway. So I'm not used to people giving me so many compliments. It's nice." She said as she sat up with him,

"Though it makes me feel like a horrible girlfriend. I feel like you do so much for me and I do absolutely nothing for you because I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do because I've never been in a real relationship before." Which was true. He was always giving her compliments and taking her places. She felt like the words she gave him and spending time with him were so small compared to the ways he had brought her happiness in the small time they had been together.
 
"Oh, believe me, you're first proper girlfriend," he assured her. "And I don't expect you to do much for me -- I just do things because I like seeing you happy." He smiled. "And I had a few years practice where I took Sabira everywhere because she never had any money."

"Please don't feel bad," he begged her. "Because that will make me unhappy, and that is the last thing I want to feel when I'm around you." He kissed her. "I love you."
 
"I love you."

Hearing those three words come from Stefan it was like someone had jump started her heart because it was beating so fast in her chest. He loved her. For the first time since her parents death, someone actually truly loved her. It was like a relief and relaxation had just poured into her veins, like so much weight had been lifted all her shoulders in hearing those words come from him. Without even realizing it at first, tears had formed in her eyes.

When they escaped and rolled down her cheeks she did realize it and went to quickly wipe them away laughing at herself and shaking her head, "Sorry. Don't worry. I'm just really happy." She finally gave up trying to wipe them away and instead wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him, smiling under his lips and when she pulled back a little to rest her forehead against hers, she spoke again,

"I love you too, Stefan. So much."
 
Stefan smiled, wiped her tears away with the back of his hand and pulled her face to his. He kissed her passionately, falling backwards so she lay on top of him with one of his hands in her hair, the other on her waist. The kissing wasn't heated or frantic; it was calm and slow. He loved her and he was channeling it into how he treated her.

He couldn't believe that she actually loved him back. She was so beautiful and talented and caring -- what had he done to deserve Juliet Karmen?

He regretted pulling away, but he had to. "How late is it? I have early work tomorrow ... " He checked his watch. "Eight."
 
Juliet was so relaxed and at peace as Stefan kissed her and she layed there against him, kissing him back just as gently until he finally pulled back and checked his watch. She playfully pouted, kissing his lips with a light peck, "Aww that means we can't stay up late again then." She nuzzled her forehead against his. She had to work tomorrow as well. Not as early as he did, but still, after the past few nights of either staying up late with him or going out as Shockwave, a good nights rest was surely to be in store for her.

"But I understand. You should get home and get some rest. Besides, if you were too sore to dance then me laying on you like this has to be uncomfortable." She joked softly, looking down at him.
 
Stefan scoffed. "Please, you weigh about the same as a marshmallow." Though she was right. He was starting to ache.

He sat up, kissed her again and moved to put on his shoes. "What are you doing tomorrow? Its the weekend which means no classes, so after work ... ?"
 
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