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”Okay, I agreed to be here. Now what?” Tybalt wasn’t sure why he actually showed up, maybe it was guilt for almost mortally wounding him? No it couldn’t be because Tybalt hated Mercutio. Maybe it was out of boredom or because he knew Mercutio would bug him until he agreed? Yeah he was going with that. No amount of reflection could change the fact that Tybalt was standing in the outskirts of Escalus territory with Mercutio standing right in front of him.
“Always so impatient,” Mercutio clicked his tongue “But I suppose it is a part of the Capulet instinct.” He circled Tybalt smiling.
“And you’re incapable of getting to the point.” Tybalt was getting frustrated with the nonchalant attitude Mercutio had, he had been the one to invite him out here.” Might I remind you that I could walk away at any point?”
Mercutio pursed his lips “Fine,” he clapped, “I asked you to join me so I can make good on my offer!”
“Your offer?” Tybalt scowled. Mercutio has made a lot of offers to Tybalt and they ranged from annoying to horrific.
Mercutio stopped moving so he could face him again. “To show you what true madness is.” Oh right, the little rant Mercutio went on before the duel.
“This is foolish and I don’t know why I expected anything less from you.” He should leave. He should pretend this didn’t happen and go home.
“Foolish?” Mercutio put a hand on his heart like he was wounded. “If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it at all.”
“I should never speak to you again then?”
“You act like you could resist me and my undeniable charisma.” Mercutio tilted his head at him while doing that stupid pose he always does.
“Charisma? Don’t make me laugh,” Tybalt crossed his arms.
“Don’t you ever get tired of keeping yourself so high and mighty?” The Escalus rolled his eyes. Tybalt hesitated. “You ask so many questions and never just go with it.” Mercutio groaned.
The sun was setting. Tybalt should go home. “Fine.”
Mercutio instantly brightened and grabbed Tybalt’s arm. “Let’s go, my prince of cats!” Tybalt had no idea where Mercutio was taking him, but resisted the urge to pull his dagger and demand an answer. He knew he wouldn’t get one anyway.
The pair wandered around the city a bit, making sure to stay out of plain sight. Neither of them needed people to know they were hanging out without any violence happening…yet. The night was still young, Mercutio was very annoying, and Tybalt had been frustrating so who knew what would happen.
“I thought you said madness couldn’t be taught?” Tybalt asked between the bickering.
“It can’t. I didn’t say I was teaching you, I said I was showing you.” He began walking up the stairs to an old entrance in the center of the city.
Despite his better judgment, Tybalt followed. “Mercutio we’re in plain sight, I thought we were trying to be discreet.”
“Hah! When did I say that?”
“I just assumed you didn’t want either of us getting ridiculed for being seen together!” Tybalt stepped forward. Both of them were partially hidden in the shadows casted by the columns.
“Aw you’re scared.” Mercutio also stepped forward.
“Your mind comes to such interesting conclusions.” Tybalt stared him down.
Mercutio took one more slow step Forward. They were as close together as they could get without actually touching. His eyes were so stupidly green. “I knew you couldn’t handle it. The great Tybalt Capulet, just a scared kitten afraid of consequences!”
“Me? Look at yourself, you’re deranged and attention seeking maniac.” Tybalt ran his hand through his hair. “I hate you.”
Mercutio laughed exasperatedly, “God you’re stupid.
Tybalt furrowed his eyebrows. “What?” Mercutio just shook his head, a smile still on his face.
“It’s incredible how someone so self righteous can be so oblivious. I hate you too.” Mercutio grabbed Tybalt's shoulders and yanked him forward, slamming their lips together.
It didn’t last long, a few seconds at most, but once they pulled apart all they could do was stare at each other. Dark brown eyes burrowed into bright green ones and neither of them knew what to say. Just as shock was about to turn into indignation they were startled at the sound of a commanding voice,
“What the hell is going on here?” The natural reactions were obviously for Tybalt to hit the source of the voice and for Mercutio to violently shove them. Might’ve been a poor idea to shove someone near stairs because the person went tumbling down.
“Oh fuck.” Mercutio glanced at Tybalt who also looked mortified. Tybalt grasped Mercutio’s hand as they walked to the edge of the stairs to see who they had doomed.
“OH FUCK.” The person they laid their eyes on just happened to be The Prince. Prince Escalus. The Prince of Verona. Mercutio’s uncle was lying at the bottom of the stairs. “This actually can’t be happening.” Tybalt raced to the bottom of the stairs, dragging Mercutio with him. Once they got to the bottom all they could do was stare.
“Oops.”
“OOPS?” Tybalt looked like he was two seconds from throwing up. “Mercutio we just threw your uncle, THE PRINCE OF FUCKING VERONA, down a flight of very hard stairs!”
“WE DIDN’T MEAN TO!” Way to ruin the moment. “I’m sure he’s fine.”
Mercutio crouched down to shake The Prince. Nothing. Mercutio stood back up. “Okay so he might be dead.”
“What.”
“This is so fucked!” Mercutio couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdness of the situation. “We have to leave.”
“leave? Mercutio, are you stupid? we just probably killed The Prince! You just want to leave him here?” Tybalt’s eyes were wide and his posture was defensive like he was ready to fight.
“I’m sorry, would you rather get caught here and executed?” Tybalt hesitated, internally debating Mercutio’s words.
“Where do we go?” He could hardly understand anything that was happening. Why didn’t Mercutio just run off without him if he wanted to leave? Oh right, apparently Mercutio liked him enough to kiss him.
Mercutio grabbed Tybalt’s arm. “You’re gonna be a bitch about it, but please trust me for once.” He pleaded. Tybalt didn’t respond, but let Mercutio drag him to where he wanted to go.
Where he wanted to go just happened to be Benvolio Malvolio Montagues room.
“You can’t be serious.” Tybalt stopped walking.
“Come on! You know Benvolio is good at figuring things out.”
“I’m a Capulet in Montague territory,” He stepped back. “Not just any Capulet, the Capulet who tried to kill Romeo and almost killed you.”
Mercutio rolled his eyes. “You and I both know Benvolio doesn’t hate you.”
“…”
“C'mon you can’t be this stuck up when we literally just killed the one unkillable person in this City,” Mercutio yanked Tybalt forward. “isn’t it funny how we killed the Prince of Verona before managing to kill each other!”
“I tried.” Tybalt finally relented and started walking.
“I know.”
Benvolio was sitting on his bed staring at the pair before him. “You killed The Prince?” Mercutio nodded in response. Benvolio was silent for a moment. “You’re sure he’s dead?”
“Felt pretty dead, looked pretty dead.” Mercutio shrugged.
Benvolio sighed. “I’ll only help you guys if you explain what the hell you were doing alone at night at the top of some old stairs.”
“Well.”
“Um.”
“Never mind, I can’t deal with the awkwardness.” Benvolio glanced at Tybalt. “You guys suck, but I’ll see what I can do.”
A few moments of silence went by.
Benvolio shrugged. “I mean you guys could cause a bigger scene than The Prince dying.”
“I thought you were supposed to be smart-“
“How could we possibly do that?” Tybalt snapped. Benvolio looked between them and then down at their hands which at some point had interlocked. Tybalt was the first to notice where Benvolio was looking, he ripped his hand away from Mercutio’s.
“No.”
Benvolio blinked at him. “Tybalt, be real, you’d rather get executed or go into hiding than finally face your mess?” Tybalt scoffed and crossed his arms. He hated how Benvolio always seemed to know everything.
“Can you not be cryptic for once?” Mercutio chimed in. “I mean truly, I’m not in the mood to overthink your words.”
“Goddamn, fine,” Benvolio stood up. “To avoid getting caught I think you two should announce yourself as-“ he looked between them. “A couple? Or at least something like that,” Tybalt went to speak, but Benvolio cut him off. “And I know it’ll take the two of you a million years to figure out what you actually are, but I’ve known you’ve loved and hated each other for too long, so suck it up.”
Tybalt and Mercutio reluctantly looked at each other. They never lied, they hated each other, they’re rivals, animals fighting in the streets, but they also couldn’t deny the ‘feelings’ that at some point appeared alongside it. Walking on the thin line separating love and disdain.
“Fine,” Tybalt sighed. “If you’re up to pretending to be a couple then we can do it.”
“What other choice do we have?” Mercutio crossed his arms and shrugged. “You’ll find all of my previous partners have glowing reviews of their times with me.” He winked and Tybalt grimaced.
“Get out of my room.”
Tybalt and Mercutio left the Montague estate and Tybalt immediately started speed walking away. “Where are you going?” Mercutio followed him.
Tybalt glared at him. “Out of this territory, hopefully home.”
“And you expect everything to just work itself out?” Mercutio laughed. “We need a game plan, kitten.” Immediately Tybalt turned to him and cringed.
“If you ever call me that again I’ll stab you in a place far more lethal.” He huffed.
“And get stabbed by Romeo again? Wasn’t it already embarrassing enough the first time.” Mercutio tilted his head and moved closer.
“You’re right, it’d be easier to just cut your vocal cords out.” His eyes flickered down and up Mercutio.
“What a cruel punishment for all of Verona.” He grinned.
“I’d finally get a moment of peace.” Who knows who moved closer at this point?
“Peace? You hate the word.” Only Inches apart.
Tybalt pressed his hand flat against Mercutio’s chest like he was about to push him. “Do you ever shut up-“
“Get the fuck out of my yard!” The pair jumped away from each other as Benvolio yelled from his window.
“Let’s go to my place.” Mercutio grabbed Tybalt’s arm.
“You’re kidding.” Tybalt had been to the Escalus household once in his life and it did not go well. After that it didn’t seem like he was to be welcomed back with open arms.
“Well it’s not like my uncle’s gonna be there!”
“That’s not funny-“
“My uncles not home, Valentine wouldn’t question it, Paris is abroad, and Escalus guards and staff are not nearly as keen on killing you for showing up unannounced as the Capulets are on me.” Mercutio moved his grasp down to his hand. “We need to talk.”
Tybalt hesitated, but quickly his face morphed from defiance to defeat. “Goddammit, Fine.”
“Yippee!”
They made their way through the night and to the Escalus residence, arguing quietly as they walked. When they found themselves at the entrance Mercutio didn’t bother trying to sneak in. He opened the doors and dragged Tybalt in, quickly leading him up the stairs and to his room.
“Magical isn’t it?” Mercutio made a grand gesture as Tybalt entered his room and took in his surroundings.
Tybalt raised an eyebrow “Unimpressed, I expected more.”
“Rude.”
“I could say worse.”
At that Mercutio rolled his eyes and flopped down onto his bed. He sat up on his forearms. “Shall we get to discussing?”
“…”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He paused. “Can you stop standing like something’s about to come out and tackle you? Come sit, stay awhile, put your claws away.” Tybalt stared for a second before deciding to sit at Mercutio’s desk. “Lame.”
“Let’s just get to it.” Tybalt crossed his arms.
“About us or us?” Mercutio sat up fully.
“Mercutio.”
Mercutio looked at him “We kissed.” Tybalt didn’t respond. “You agreed to go on a ridiculous date with me and then we kissed and you agreed to help cover both of our tracks instead of just your own.”
Tybalt blinked a couple of times “Excuse me, a date?” He stared wide eyed and defensive at the brunette.
“It wasn’t the intention but it’s definitely what that was.” Mercutio’s voice was uncharacteristically serious.
The brown eyed man frowned “I hate you, I almost killed you, we fight all of the time.”
“We get antsy if we don’t fight, everything else pales in comparison, Verona would be so fucking boring without us!” Mercutio laughed almost hysterically. “I loathe you, you’re YOU.”
Tybalt didn’t say anything, but he did stand. Surprisingly it wasn’t to leave, but to sit next to Mercutio on his bed, admittedly still very far from him. “What do we want to do about the whole situation?”
“I don’t know, make out in the city center during the busy part of the day?”
“Maybe killing you for good would be a better way to cause a scene.”
“Unoriginal.”
“Shouldn’t you be like, mourning your dead relative?” This was exasperating.
“No love lost.” Mercutio stood and walked to the middle of the room to sit on the floor.
Tybalt watched Mercutio slightly confused. “Tragic.”
“How would you feel if your uncle died?” He squinted his eyes at the Capulet.
“It would be-“ Tybalt struggled for words. “Upsetting… none of your business.”
“Truly.”
“What are you doing?” He looked at Mercutio judgingly.
Mercutio shrugged, “Sitting.”
“On the floor.”
“My oh my aren’t you observant.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to face you.”
“Eugh.”
“I was serious about my suggestion.” He gestured vaguely with his hands. “Making out in the city center.” And Tybalt laughed. Not the cruel-mocking laugh that Mercutio was so familiar with, but something more genuine.
Were his eyes always so sparkly? Wait, yes, he already knew that about Tybalt. The soft music floating into the room was the only sound after Tybalt stopped laughing. Soft music? Mercutio clambered over to his window. Down in the field, just beyond the guards, was the strange little band that practically teleported around Verona. He hated Benvolio’s friends. He wasn’t gonna bother.
“Do you have any better plans than making out in front of everyone?” Mercutio discarded the jacket he was wearing and sat down on his bed, much closer than he and Tybalt had originally been sitting.
“No. But surely we can make one.”
They spent a good 15 minutes thinking before falling asleep fully clothed on Mercutio’s bed.
Tybalt was the first person to wake up and the sun was about to finish rising. He slowly came to realize exactly where he was and the events leading up to this. He was going to strangle Mercutio.
“YOU LET US FALL ASLEEP!?” Tybalt threw a pillow at Mercutio.
“Ow!” Mercutio sat up. “Why are you blaming me!?”
“Because you’re supposed to be the energetic one! Useless I tell you.” Tybalt ran a hand through his hair and Mercutio tracked the motion with his eyes intently. Only kind of for gay reasons. “I haven’t been home! What are people going to think?”
“Considering we’re about to go make out in public, probably not much.” He laughed. “Nothing that they didn’t already think of you anyways.” Mercutio winked and Tybalt scowled at him. So they were actually doing this. “Wanna practice?”
“No.”
“Disheartening.”
“Shut up!” Tybalt stood and looked out the window, he could definitely hear people starting their day in the city. “We have to go.”
“Lead the way, friend.” Mercutio laughed when tybalt gave him a blank stare.
It was difficult walking together through Verona, having to seem like they were proud to be seen together. It was unfamiliar and strange. Tybalt was sure that if they actually were together it would be different. It’s not like they would change as people. He pushed that thought into the back of his mind when Mercutio grabbed his hand. Tybalt resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the gesture.
Mercutio wasn’t scared of anything, he’s a dreamer, but as they approached their designated spot he couldn’t help but be a tiny bit hesitant on whether or not Tybalt would be able to go through with this. Well too late now. Mercutio looked at the Capulet whose brow was furrowed. He was sure that there were worse ways to die.
“HELP HELP!” A Montague woman cried out. “The Prince has been found dead!” that certainly got everyone’s attention. Chaos and questions rang through the street and Mercutio and Tybalt decided that it was probably go time.
They looked at each other for just a moment before Tybalt cupped Mercutio’s face and kissed him. Mercutio couldn’t help but feel a little bit surprised that Tybalt decided to initiate. Not that Mercutio was thinking much when he was kissing Tybalt. Besides the man himself of course. They held each other tight, wrapped up in their own world as cries were faint in the background.
“THE PRINCE IS DEAD?!”
“WHAT A TRAGEDY!”
“HOW WILL WE- Are Mercutio Escalus and Tybalt Capulet kissing?”
“A long time coming to be honest.”
“I mean, yeah.”
“OUR POOR PRINCE!”
“They say he fell down a flight of stairs!” Fell?
“What a tragic accident…”
Tybalt and Mercutio pulled apart to see if they heard correctly.
“They think he fell on his own?” Tybalt had his forehead rested against Mercutio’s as he whispered.
“They think it was an accident!” Mercutio whispered back gleefully.
Tybalt pulled back slightly. “So this was for nothing?”
“Guess so.” Mercutio shrugged.
“I hate you.”
“I hate you more.”
Mercutio pulled Tybalt back in for another kiss. This time they couldn’t care less about what the people were screaming. The Prince was kind of a dick anyway.