Work Text:
Varian and Hugo walked side by side down the river front, their interlocked hands swinging idly in between them. The sun was setting, and a few lonesome stars were twinkling distantly. All in all, it was a picturesque scene. Varian wouldn’t quite meet Hugo’s eyes, a faint blush forming on his cheeks. Hugo nudged him playfully.
“What’re you thinking about, Hairstripe?” He asked gently.
They stopped walking. Varian turned to face Hugo, who looked back with equal part amusement and concern. Varian took a deep breath.
“Hugo, when we first met, I despised you. You had stolen from us. Then you changed your mind, and I was suspicious. But we slowly became friends. I discovered that you were…actually fun to be around. Then we found out that you were working for Donella, and I’ll admit, that hurt. But you saved my life. You saved my mother’s life. You didn't have to. So I forgave you, and we moved on. These last few years together have been amazing. I loved every moment of it. And, most importantly, I love you, Hugo. Even through all of the ups and downs, I wouldn’t change anything. And so…” Varian trailed off and pulled a small box out of his pocket.
Hugo’s face went slack. Then he turned red, his face scrunching up. “You bastard!” he exclaimed with a laugh. Varian’s face fell.
Hugo’s eyes went wide. “N-no, no no no, Varian, wait—“ he hurriedly pulled out a box of his own. “I love you too. That was beautiful. You ruined my plan, is all.”