Carulia Oneshots

Shakespeare makes the Best Love Story

Day 3 of Carulia week!! - "Surprise"

Carmen pays Julia a surprise visit.
~set after s4, Julia is back at the university

Featuring a section from my report on Elizabethan fashion :D

~words: 700

....

Julia slammed the dryer closed and inhaled deeply, enjoying the mixed scent of freshly washed laundry and rain, the latter wafting in from the open kitchen window.

Rrrring.

Julia sighed. Visitors? Now? It was her one day off that month and she was trying to finish some house chores. It would be her luck to have company today and have a messy apartment for the rest of the month to show for it. But the visitor was persistent.

Rrrring.

"One moment please!" Julia dumped the basket of laundry on her bed and walked briskly to the door.

Rrrrring.

"Okay, okay!" Julia opened the door intending to tell the visitor off, but faltered when she saw her visitor, holding a book and smirking.

"Hey, Jules."

Julia's surprise must've shown on her face, because Carmen suddenly seemed apprehensive.

"Surprise?"

"I—yes I'm surprised." She opened the door further so Carmen could come in. "I thought you were in Quebec for the rest of the week?"

Carmen smiled warmly, accepting the unspoken invitation and walking with Julia deeper into the apartment toward her bedroom—and the waiting pile of laundry. She set the book down on the nightstand and turned to her girlfriend, a smirk now tugging at her lips as she snaked her arms around the shorter woman's waist.

"Finished early. Thought I'd come by and surprise you, actually using the door this time."

Julia pulled Carmen into a quick kiss, laughing against her lips. "I have missed you Carmen."

"Well aren't I lucky?" She teased. "Now come on, I have something for you."

She picked up the mystery book and handed it to Julia. "Feel like reading with me? I brought one of your favorites."

Julia stared at the book in her hand. The Guide to Shakespeare: Elizabethan Fashion. Even though it was out of her normal comfort zone, she couldn't help but admit that it was tempting. But on the other hand, she had a whole apartment to clean.

Julia looked up at Carmen with an apology in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't. Today is my only day off and I have to clean this mess of an apartment."

"No problem, you clean and I'll read. We can do both."

Julia rolled her eyes and smiled. Carmen was nothing if not inventive.

"Alright," she conceded.

Carmen settled in a chair by the bed and began to read.

"William Shakespeare lived in one of the most renowned times in English history, during the reign of Elizabeth I. This was a time of great artistic prosperity, and is remembered for other things besides the fashion, including the works of William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre..."

Carmen's voice washed over her like a wave, and Julia soon lost herself in the sound. How was it humanly possible for someone to have a voice that was sexy and full of grit one second, and smooth as silk the next?

It was times like these that Julia was convinced Carmen was a siren who had lured many a sailor to their watery graves. Or better yet, a goddess sent down to earth just so she would fall in love and get her heart broken. But they had been together for three months, and Carmen showed no signs of drowning her or breaking her heart. Goodness knows she had enough of that for a lifetime.

Suddenly Julia was painfully aware that she had been sitting idle for several minutes. Carmen had stopped reading and was staring at her curiously.

"Jules?"

Curse her all absorbing thoughts.

Julia met the Latina's grey eyes and shook her head, slightly embarrassed. "Forget this. Come read to me." She beckoned to Carmen, scooting against the headboard and under the abundance of blankets and laundry.

Carmen laughed and cuddled up against the shorter woman. "I was wondering how long you would hold out."

She started again, and Julia fully allowed herself to drown in Carmen's voice.

"William Shakespeare lived in one of the most renowned times in English history, during the reign of Elizabeth I. This was a time of great artistic prosperity, and is remembered for other things besides the fashion, including the works of William Shakespeare and the Globe Theatre..."