#highkey inspired by straight into your arms by vance joy

[fallinfor-youreyes]

Straight Into Your Arms

For the Still Star Crossed 1 Year anniversary prompts by @dailystillstarcrossed. I just want to a major thank you to them for putting this together. It’s been great to see how many people still care about this amazing show that was taken from us.

Day 7: Comfort

Day 1 Day 2 Day 6 Ao3

(This is a continuation of the dance au but it’s not necessary to understand what’s going on.)

Everything hurts. She’s tired, exhausted, bone tired and with the beginnings of a migraine, but she can’t stop. Because stopping would be admitting to her vulture of an Aunt that she can’t. That she can’t figure out the dance Giuliana had choregraphed and performed 25 years ago, that she can’t perform the honorary dance at the newly christened Capulet Theater, that everything Giuliana had ever said about Rosaline was right.

She would never be as good of a dancer as the other Capulet’s before her, that she didn’t deserve the spot as head ballerina, that everything she was working to prove would be for nothing.

All because she couldn’t figure out a few simple moves to complete the routine.

She’s been practicing for over 8 hours and every bone in her body hurts. She has a few new bruises from falling, and worst of all, she’s alone.

Juliet had run off with Romeo, and by her last accounts, was teaching ballet for little kids in a prestigious California Studio. Livia was traveling Europe with one of the Verona Dance Academy’s investors son, who Rosaline had never met. And Benvolio, well, Benvolio was out in California as well, working on a music video that could change his career.

And she was the only one left, when she was the first one who thought of leaving.  

Rosaline does not agree with failure. She wants to prove herself, not only because it will be a slap in the face to her aunt, but also because this is one of the first times that her aunt and uncle have acknowledged that she is a Capulet, and one worthy of the family name. There’s some stupid part of her that is still 13, wanting the validation from her uncle. She wants them to be proud of her.

She falls again, landing harshly on her knee, and this time, she doesn’t get up.

The music continues to play, but she just folds into herself, bringing her knees up to her chest, and closing her eyes.

When she was 15, she made a promise to herself she would never cry over her aunt and uncle again. But this feels like a special circumstance.

She knows Giuliana gave her this dance because it’s difficult. Because it was the dance she used before she was a Capulet to make name for herself at Verona Dance Academy, that it was the dance that caught Rosaline’s fathers attention before Giuliana moved onto Silvestro.

She knows Giuliana wants her to fail.

So, she lets herself cry because her body hurts and now her knee is burning, and she only has 36 hours to learn this stupid dance.

Rosaline hears the doors to the dance studio open, but she doesn’t care. Let someone see her falling apart, she hasn’t allowed herself to do it in years.

The intruder is whistling along to the music, but they turn it off, and she can feel them sitting in front of her, but she refuses to look up.

“You know, most people expect happy tears when they come home after being gone for nearly a month.”

His hand brushes over her knee and she tries not to wince. Rosaline finally looks up at him. He’s tanner, his hair a little longer and a complete mess.

“Hi.” She says, and she throws herself at him, forcing him to catch her. “It’s been a long day.” She explains, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He presses a kiss into her hair, and pulls her closer.

“I can see that. I’ve missed you.”

She chokes back a sob, and holds on to him tighter.

“Hey, Rose, c’mon. What’s wrong?” He moves back slightly, so he can wipe the tears from her face.

“I can’t figure out the stupid dance, and my aunt is going to use it to massacre me, and god, I’ve missed you.” She slides her hands into his hair and tugs slightly. “It’s so long.”

Benvolio scoffs. “We’re not talking about me right now.”

She leans closer to him, until he’s close enough to kiss. “I’ve missed you.” She says again, because she has/

“I’ve miss you, too.” He surges forward and kisses her, and it’s been almost four weeks since she’s seen him, or held him, or kissed him, and for a minute, it makes everything feel better.

“Did you come straight from the airport?” She asks, once they pull back for breath.

He nods. “Well, first I went to your place, and when you were missing, I came to find you.”

“You should go home and get some sleep.”

He tightens her arms around her. “I’m not leaving without you.

“I have to practice. I need to get to this right.”

He brushes a tear from her cheek. “You can’t dance like this.” He presses a kiss you her forehead. “I know you Capulet. You are tired, and obviously emotionally drained. You need sleep. And then we can pick this up again tomorrow.”

“We?”

“I haven’t seen you in forever, Capulet. I don’t plan on leaving your side. And I can try to help you.”

She kisses him again, because he’s here, he’s present, because she might be falling a little bit in love with him.

“And you know, once this is over, maybe we can start thinking about California. A little more, permanently.” He says.

“What do you mean?” She asks.

“Romeo and Juliet were talking about maybe opening their own studio. And you know, we could move away from Verona and family grudges and have a place where ballet and hip hop and all other forms aren’t so separated.” He pauses, running his hands up her back. “Plus, I think you would love California.”

“You do?”

“Mhm.” He kisses her again, soft and slow. “I’ve missed you.” He mumbles against her lips, and she smiles.

“Let’s go home.” She says, and then Benvolio is effortlessly picking her up and spinning her, and her tears have dried, and she’s laughing.

She knows she doesn’t have the dance down yet. But Benvolio is home. And she might finally be able to leave.

Once Benvolio stops spinning them she grabs his face and leads his lips back to hers, and she lets herself relax. She can worry about her aunt and the dance and the new theater tomorrow.

Right now, all she wants to do is be with him.