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"How. How could you have not told me this." Mercutio's eyes were full of anger, starting at the teen sitting across from him. Mercutio ran his fingers through his hair as he tried to compose himself. He and Benvolio were spending their free sixth period in the library, working on an English essay due at the end of the week.
"A. Capulet. You're dating. A fucking Capulet." Mercutio said. The argument lasted all day, beginning when Mercutio saw flirtatious, Tybalt-wannabe Sebastian Capulet pinning Benvolio up against the side of the outdoor gym, making out before school.
(Mercutio explained this to Romeo during lunch.
"I can't believe that Sebastian has his hands over my Benvolio. I mean the nerve of him!" Mercutio ranted, pacing the length of their lunch table.
"Your Benvolio? From the sound of it, I think you want to be the one pinning Benvolio up against the gym wall." He followed Mercutio's movements with a smirk. Mercutio stopped abruptly and started at his friend.
"No! I...I just..it... Benvolio's not mine. He's....well...it...It's hard to explain. Just. I don't like seeing Benvolio with other people." Mercutio's face burned a cherry red as he sat across from Romeo, who rested his head on his hand and grinned.
"Somebody's jealous." Romeo sang, and was smacked in the head by his best friend, who was still bright red.)
Mercutio shook his head, as if he were trying to piece together his next argument.
Benvolio sat in silence, staring at his 10th grade English binder, not daring to look up.
'So what if I'm dating Sebastian?' Benvolio thought. 'That's my business, and nobody else's.'
"So? Romeo's dating Sebastian's sister." Benvolio said after a moment. Mercutio rolled his eyes.
"Yes, but she's not one of the douchebags who's tried to kill us on a daily basis." Mercutio said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Benvolio looked up from his binder.
"He doesn't try to kill us on a daily basis, Cutio." Benvolio gritted his teeth, losing patience.
"Whatever. Seb's just going to use you. He's a Capulet. And besides, he's not trying to stop the fighting now is he?"
"NEITHER ARE YOU!" Benvolio half shouted, ignoring the librarian's "SHHHH".
"Neither...are you! In fact, you go around picking fights with the Capulets instead of at least trying to stop the fighting like you're berating Sebastian for not doing!" Benvolio whispered harshly, his eyes filling with tears. Mercutio scoffed, glaring at Benvolio.
"Sebastian--" Mercutio began, leaning on the table.
"Sebastian. And I. Are happy. I don't know for how long, but as of right now, we're happy. And he's different than Tybalt. I have to have faith that he is. Now I'm sorry I didn't tell you, and I'm sorry you found out like this. I was going to tell you after school today and I really would have liked your support. But it's really fucking obvious that you won't, so I'm done." Benvolio stood up from his chair and slung his backpack onto his back. "I'll see you around."
And with that, Mercutio was left alone. He could see that the librarian had been watching the squabble the entire time. She shook her head sadly before returning to the papers that scattered the tabletop, as if to say "Mercutio, you went too far."
***
For the next month, Benvolio ignored Mercutio: his texts, calls, emails. Benvolio changed the routes he used to walk to his classes. He walked with Sebastian to and from school. He ignored Mercutio's constant note passing and whispers. After two weeks, Mercutio gave up. Benvolio was happy, and didn't need him.
But after that month, Benvolio showed up to school alone. Mercutio saw the teen dragging himself to his locker. Mercutio slid up to him, hitting the lockers with a "BANG!". Mercutio shook off the abrupt pain in his right shoulder, and placed himself in front of Benvolio with a grin.
"I don't have time for this today, 'Cutio." He said, putting his binders and his lunchbox in his locker. He walked outside, into the senior courtyard at the back of the school.
"Oh, am I being graced with your words today? And where's "Mister Perfect"?" Mercutio said, with more venom than he intended. Benvolio froze in his steps. He turned around, and glared at Mercutio. Instead of a happy, bubbly Benvolio, Mercutio only saw dark circles, tear stained cheeks, and a pinkish nose.
Fuck.
"Not here. With some girl. Diana or whatever. I got the break-up text last night. He'd apparently started seeing her four days after we began dating." Benvolio said before crumpling into tears.
"Are you happy? You've proved me wrong. All Capulets are bad okay? I'm a fool. I knew I should have realized it when he was flirting with everything that moved." Each word stung Mercutio, and guilt filled his chest. He should have been there for his best friend, so maybe Benvolio wouldn't have felt as bad.
"No, nononono. Benny. Come here." Mercutio said, opening his arms to the shorter man. "I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve that from me or Sebastian." He kissed Benvolio's forehead. "Especially not from me. I should have been there for you, but I was a shitty friend. I'm so sorry." Mercutio hugged Benvolio tightly, until he stopped shaking.
"Thank you." Benvolio said, sniffing as he looked up at Mercutio who was scanning the courtyard. There they are.
The Capulet douchebags, standing in a circle around Sebastian and laughing.
Who knows what Benvolio told Seb. He trusts too quickly and falls too hard. Sebastian seems like the kind of guy that would keep no secrets about an ex.
And that made Mercutio's blood boil.
"Now. I have to go do something, you wait right here," He called over his shoulder. "If you hear I get suspended, just...." Mercutio's sentence trailed off, but Benvolio followed him anyway.
"HEY. Douchebag!" Mercutio barked, laughing as both Sebastian and Tybalt looked up. He had the intention to only injure Sebastian. Anything else would be a bonus.
"Oh no, Tybalt, I was talking about your idiot brother who used Benny and cheated on him for a month." Mercutio grinned cheekily. Sebastian and Tybalt sneered and walked toward Mercutio.
"Mercutio, stop. You know Principal Escalus said one more fight and you'll be suspended." Benvolio warned, trying hard to keep Mercutio from doing something that would ultimately end up on his transcript. "It doesn't help that they're assholes, but we have to deal."
"Yeah? I'm an asshole? I distinctly remember you telling me something different a couple nights ago." Sebastian said with a wink. Benvolio's face burned as Tybalt and his cronies laughed. "Well, it wasn't even worth the four weeks. He's a bad fuck anyway. Should've broken up with him--" Sebastian began, but was almost immediately cut off by Mercutio's fist connecting with his mouth. The Capulet lost his balance and fell flat on the ground, spitting out teeth and blood.
"Mercutio don't--"
"That's for stringing him along." He growled, as he kicked Sebastian in the groin. "And that's for cheating on him."
And then there was a blur of shouting and insults and fists and kicks between Tybalt and Mercutio, so much so that a crowd drew quite quickly. Sebastian got up soon after and tag-teamed with Tybalt.
Two teachers ran into the center of the fight and broke them up, pulling them apart.
"Who started this?" Mr. Montague asked, looking at the boys. Tybalt spit blood from his mouth.
"Mercutio." Tybalt sneered.
"That's true, bu--" Mercutio began.
"No buts. You know what Principal Escalus said. Come with me." Mr. Montague said. Tybalt smirked, his split lip still bleeding slightly.
"Assholes." Benvolio murmured, before running to catch up with Mercutio.
***
Mercutio sat in Nurse Capulet's office next to Benvolio, who held an ice bag to Mercutio's head gently.
Mercutio was instructed by the nurse to take his shirt off so he could ice his stomach, flaunting the large bruises that colored his abdomen a nasty combination of black and blue. He was punched in the mouth so many times that his lip was split open in three places. He had a black eye, and also possibly a concussion.
Mercutio just knows that he hurts.
Everywhere.
And was bleeding in places that shouldn't bleed.
Like his forehead for example.
And his lip….
And cheekbone.
"You didn't have to do that. You got suspended for a week." Benvolio said quietly, after sitting in silence. Mercutio turned to look at him.
"Ow. Yes, and yes, I di--oW." He said, grabbing his forehead. "He hurt you, and that isn't okay with me. And a week is practically nothing in exchange for getting revenge on what Seb did to you.
Benvolio considered the events of that day for a minute before leaning over to Mercutio. He gently kissed Mercutio on the cheek, close enough so that his lips grazed the corner of Mercutio's mouth.
"Thank you." Benvolio grinned. Mercutio blushed deeply, his heart skipping beats from Benvolio's kiss.
"Anytime."