Chapter Text
Inked
Neptune didn't know how long he sat upon that couch in his dim living room. How could he move? How could he think? What was he supposed to do?
We just wanted cheaper tuition- is he serious? Did he actually mean it? I figured we'd just get a divorce or something- so why is it like this all of a sudden?
And since when did Sun start wearing a fucking ring?
Maybe this all started with the tattoo. He paused, picturing the image which was imprinted on his shoulder- a small trident in a shield to represent his namesake. Sun had gotten his Monkey King tattoo for the same reason. Yes, it had been a dare- yes, it had been painful- yes, Yang had blackmail photos of him crying-
But Sun had held his hand and smiled at him through it all. Maybe that was when this thing had all started.
The front door creaked open slowly, a thin sliver of light coming in from the hallway indicating what he'd been dreading. "Neptune- dude, you there?" Sun's wary voice called from the foyer.
Neptune grunted in return, still pensively seated upon the edge of the couch. He didn't dare to look up.
He could hear Sun's plodding footsteps echo through the silent room. "Hey man. You okay?"
"…Been better," he admitted at last.
"…did I fuck up?"
"No." The words were out of his mouth before he could think twice. That was, after all, the undeniable truth that he had to come to terms with- Sun hadn't done anything wrong. Neptune was the one who had fucked up.
What else could he call it? He thought of Sun as attractive. He was straight- hell, he'd been crushing on Weiss for years now, and he'd never felt attracted to any dude before. Yeah, Sun had always been attractive objectively, but that was okay. He had also always just been his best friend, and nothing more.
But now, everything was different.
He thought Sun was attractive. Really attractive, as it turned out- over the course of the last week, even just by scrolling through photos of their silly antics over the years, Neptune had found himself feeling more and more at a loss every time he saw the other boy's joyous face.
He was attracted to Sun. It wasn't Sun's fault.
This is gonna mess everything up, isn't it?
The dread of losing him hurt more than anything, and Neptune didn't know what to do to fix it.
The couch dipped downwards beside Neptune, and out of the corner of his downturned vision he could see Sun's foot nervously tapping next to his. "You… Man, you've been avoiding me lately."
"Yeah." Neptune sighed heavily, running his hands over his face. "Yeah. Sorry about that."
"But why?!" Sun shifted to bring one leg onto the couch in order to face Neptune, and the boy flinched with the proximity. "Did I do something? It can't have been nothing!"
"Just- leave it-"
"No." Sun roughly grabbed his shoulders and twisted him sideways to face the blond, preventing Neptune from escaping his iron grip. "You need to tell me what's up right now. I'm not playing the waiting game any longer."
"I don't know what you want-"
"How would you know what I want- you don't even know what you want!"
Neptune winced. "…Yikes, man, lay off it."
"I'm not." At that, Sun shifted so that he was seated cross-legged on the couch facing him, expression troubled. "You ran away back there. Why?"
"I don't know-"
"You do know-"
"Fuck off, I-"
"Just tell me!"
"No, back off-" He shoved Sun backwards, sending the boy sprawling onto his back along the couch. Chest heaving, Neptune just closed his eyes and stood up, trying to calm himself down.
He looks upset. He had every right to be upset. The thought only filled Neptune with more despair- how could he be hurting his best friend like this?
You won't be friends for long if you tell him.
Angrily, Sun righted himself. "Spill it, you asshole," he spat. "Why did you run? Why have you been avoiding me all this time? If I haven't done anything then-"
"I think I love you."
Sun froze, eyes wide. For a moment, his mouth just opened and closed, his brain slowly catching up with the words just shared. It was clear when he finally understood it, though- Sun's face, from the tips of his ears all the way to past the neckline of his shirt, flushed pink.
When the blond still didn't respond after a few minutes of tense silence, Neptune sighed, running fingers through hair long-since mussed due to anxiety. "Fuck it. I'm leaving-"
"No, wait!" Sun scrambled to his feet, reaching out to grab his hand. His voice was pleading, desperate. "Dude, are you serious?"
"Why would I say it if I wasn't?" Neptune groaned. "Look, I dunno- I think I like you at least, and it's just- it's a lot. I'll just… go."
Sun skirted around him to stand between him and the door. "You should've told me earlier, man." His voice was soft, his face twisted with a mixture of confusion and regret and what Neptune could only describe as… elation?
"Why-"
And then, Sun kissed him.
It was the clumsiest kiss he had ever experienced- hell, even the few sloppy kisses he'd had with Weiss (although she'd never admit it, it 'wasn't proper') while drunk in their first year had been better- but all Neptune could focus on was him. The scent and the taste and everything about how the other's muscular body fit perfectly into his arms, the hands cupping his face the perfect size to hold him close, the long blond eyelashes Neptune could see resting upon lightly freckled cheeks just millimetres away barely brushing flushed cheeks… everything felt familiar. It felt right.
There weren't any sparks. No fanfare, no big procession. It just… felt like Sun. And he liked that.
Neptune was stunned, barely able to move long after Sun finally let him go, taking a long, ragged breath in- what? Fear? Arousal? Anticipation? He didn't know.
Sun leaned back in.
"No, dude!" Neptune squirmed away, striding across the room until he had put the kitchen table between himself and Sun. Why, he didn't know- but it had to be better than being next to Sun.
That's a lie. You liked that kiss, his traitorous heart insisted. His mind, however, was screaming.
Wasn't he supposed to be straight? And not in love with his best friend?
And not having his feelings apparently reciprocated?!
You're also not supposed to be a husband, but here we are, a small voice offered amidst all of his confusion.
He was losing his fucking mind.
Sun looked hurt beyond belief. "What the hell, dude, what's wrong-"
"What's wrong?" Neptune's eyebrows shot to his forehead. "What's wrong is you kissed me! Don't mess with me, man! I didn't think you were that low- you're not into me, so why?"
"Did- did you-" Sun's disbelief rang through Neptune's very core. "Did you really think I'd marry you just to get an exemption for tuition?"
The stunned look in his eyes caught Neptune's attention. "…yes?"
"Fuckin' A, man." Sun walked forward, his arms wrapping around Neptune's waist- solid, strong. It was a sensation so unlike what he imagined it would feel like to be with Weiss. There was no delicacy, no grace to Sun's touch. "You're worth more than that."
He's… serious.
Neptune blushed despite himself, hiding the heat in his cheeks and ears by ducking his head down. There wasn't anywhere to go, though- not really. "Since when?" he mumbled at last, feeling drained.
Sun shrugged. "I don't know. I just… realized that I liked you a while back."
"Before or after the wedding?"
Sun blushed. "After… I think."
"You think?!"
Sun shrugged defensively, looking cornered as Neptune advanced, demanding an explanation. "I don't know! I thought it was all normal, and then after we got those tattoos Blake cornered me one day and I asked her out on a date, and-and she told me to ask you out and I didn't know why, and she called me an idiot so I went for a run and did some soul-searching or some shit and then-"
"Breathe," Neptune interjected, watching the boy in his arms fall apart.
Sun sighed. "I don't know, dude. Blake told me I should stop trying to use her as my beard for you." He snorted. "I… always thought I liked her, and she liked me too, but-"
"But she thinks we're apparently better for each other?"
The blond grinned toothily, a little bit of his old glow entering his expression again. "Yeah. Apparently."
Neptune let out a heavy breath, tilting his head back to stare at the dim fluorescent light fixture illuminating their tiny kitchen. "…I guess you liked me first then, huh? I only realized it last week."
To his surprise, Sun snorted. "As if. You've been hot for me for years, you just never had the guts to-"
Neptune punched him in the shoulder, satisfaction lancing through him as the blond winced and recoiled a little. "Shut up, dude. Your head's gonna explode one day from that ego."
"You wouldn't have me any other way."
And the embarrassment was back.
Sun's fingers slid up to Neptune's shoulder blade, pressing against the tattoo. Quietly, with his other hand, he reached up and grabbed Neptune's left hand. "I wouldn't get a tattoo with someone I didn't intend to stand beside. I, uh- I got you this, too."
The simple ring that Sun slid onto his finger fit perfectly. Neptune didn't even need to see it to know what it was. At that, Neptune's throat let out a little squeak despite himself. "Fuck off, dude, you said it was just-"
"And then we got married, so my point still stands," Sun insisted.
"You actually bought a ring, though."
Sun's grin was nothing but sheepish and earnest. "Hey, Weiss and Blake helped me pick it out, so… at least we've got fans?"
"…you're an idiot." Neptune glanced up. Sun was just as red as he himself felt. At least we're both way out of our element here. "So… what now?" he murmured, bringing his eyes to meet Sun's at last. "Are we dating, or something?"
"…dude, we're already married."
"Oh. Shit. Yeah."
It was silent.
"…you make breakfast tomorrow?"
Neptune barked out a laugh. "Nah, no way, I'm pretty sure it's your turn to burn eggs. I cooked last time we ate together."
"I'm pretty sure you didn't," Sun teased. And, as the blond dragged him close for another clumsy, hesitant, far-too-timid-to-be-Sun-Wukong kiss, Neptune realized that he really didn't mind- not as long as that ring sat on his finger, that silly tattoo on his shoulder representing a stupid moment in his life still engrained in his skin. This was new, and they weren't sure how to be in an actual relationship, but that ring would stay on him always. The ink on his skin would, too.
-fin-