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Mercutio had found him.
He was a child that consisted of all limbs and Mercutio was not sure if he reminded him more of a baby bird or a kitten after a bath. He had a head slightly too big for his skinny body and had features that would make his Nonna say ‘he'd grow into them’ or his Nonno say he was ‘the runt of the litter’.
He probably was the runt, he did not look very well fed. He was probably pushed out of the way at mealtime. Mercutio made a note to feed him.
All he knew was that since he had been the one to find him that meant that the boy belonged to him. Finders keepers.
His mother would probably tell him that you could not just keep a person, but Mercutio would like to argue that you totally could.
The boy was smaller than he was and was very quiet so Mercutio assumed that he was probably younger than he was, because that was how it worked, the taller and bigger you were the older you were. That was why Romeo was so little, it was because he was a baby. Romeo had not grown as much as Mercutio had and sometimes Mercutio worried that his brother was going to be stuck a baby forever.
Nonno was shorter than his Babbo but that was because he was very old. Mercutio felt like age was like a hill. You start off small and you get bigger but once you're old enough you start getting small again. He had not quite worked out if Zio Antonio was shorter than his Babbo because he was younger or because he had reached the point of old that made you shrink. He did not get an answer from his Babbo because when he asked whether Zio was shrinking because he was old, his Babbo had burst into laughter and went to call Zio Antonio immediately, not answering the question.
Mercutio wondered if the boy had a name, but ultimately it did not matter because seeing as Mercutio had claimed him for his own that meant he could rename him if he did not like the one he had.
His mother would probably have things to say about that opinion as well, but Mercutio would argue wasn't that the point of nicknames? And besides, his mother called him Terremoto and Puzzettone all the time and they weren’t his name.
"We're friends now." Mercutio informed the boy, grasping hold of the boy's hands in his own. The boy, all wide eyes and tight trembling lips like one of those haunted looking porcelain dolls, nodded uncertainly and allowed himself to get dragged along to see some ladybirds.
Mercutio thought he was so cool, even if he did not want to lie down on the dirt with him to watch some ants. It made sense, he was so pale that he would probably stain and it would be hard to wash out and he'd probably come out looking all grey. That was why Mercutio was not allowed to wear anything white anymore.
The boy was quite funny, he seemed scared of lots of things, even dirt and getting his shoes wet. Mercutio found that he had to grab hold of his hand and pull him along in order to even cross the river. He said river,but it was more of a light trickle of a stream, barely coming above the large stones you could use to cross but that was less fun to say than a river.
It was just easier to hold his hand from that point on, the boy seemed braver with Mercutio holding onto him. So Mercutio did not let go.
He dragged him all over the park. Showed him all his favourite places, even the secret spot through the bushes that lead to a small clearing in the woods that surrounded the park and the Summerdream residency. He was not supposed to go into the woods, so he mostly did not but here was the exception. He had found it quite accidentally one day, he had been following a little bird, a small stout one with brown feathers and a red belly, as it hopped through a gap he had not noticed. He had also seen a rabbit and a frog go that way before on separate occasions so Mercutio knew that whether it led to must be pretty good.
Mercutio did not know why but he knew this place was protected. There was a barrier of flowers around the clearing and it just felt safe in a way the rest of the woods with its tangled dark branches and thick canopy did not. He had this feeling if he went past the circle of angelica and heather he might get lost forever. It was like letting go of his mother’s hand at a supermarket but without a help desk to go to. Speckled light shone through the leaves above creating a soft glow that hung in the air and waves across the floor. It was like being under the sea.
He was the one who found the place so it was his as well. He was just letting the boy share it with him, it made sense to let him see it because both the boy and this area both belong to him anyway.
When it was getting late and his mother told him it was time to go home, Mercutio nodded dutifully and was quite prepared to just bring the boy home with him.
“Mercutio. What are you doing?” His mother interrupted, taking note of the extra child she had apparently gained. Mercutio smiled at her as sweetly and innocently as he could muster.
“Going home?” Mercutio said sweetly, not letting go of the boy's hand.
“That one isn't mine.” His mother answered, a thin smile and crossed arms after she had finished adjusting Romeo’s straps and red sunhat. She did not seem very amused but that was okay Mercutio was not joking so she did not need to find it funny.
“He is mine though, I found him.” Mercutio argued, finding that merely holding the boy’s hand was not enough to prove his claim, he clung onto the other boy's entire arm.
“Please, please, please let me keep him.” Mercutio begged, complete with his biggest possible eyes and a lip tremble. “I'll feed him everyday!”
“He's not some stray kitten, Mercutio. This is a human being. Someone else's son. We cannot just keep him.” Olivia sounded tired, she made another check on Romeo whose cherubic little face smiled at her from the pushchair. He even still had his hat on. Mercutio still could not keep a hat on.
She turned her attention then to the small ginger child that Mercutio had apparently acquired. He reminded Olivia of a small Victorian orphan child, thin and pale with large staring eyes and sad little lip. If it was not for the modern looking dungarees that revealed stick-like legs, Olivia would have believed he had come straight out of a Dickens novel.
She supposed she could see why Mercutio was so desperate to keep him. He had that degree of pathetic attached to him that Mercutio so liked, the boy had the saddest looking little face. If you asked Mercutio to pick between a puppy eager to play with him or an older dog with a bad leg, Mercutio would pick the bad leg. Show him a picture of a penguin? Nothing. Show him a picture of a penguin in a little jumper as it recovered from an oil spill however?
Olivia hoped that was just his face and Mercutio had not upset him in some way. Mercutio was the type to drag someone along with him regardless of what they wanted. The poor boy did look shell-shocked by it all. Mercutio was a good kid but he was also a handful, he could easily overwhelm someone.
“Hi, sweetheart. Has Mercutio been bothering you?” She asked kindly. Mercutio looked at her in such offense she nearly laughed.
The boy's answer had her straining to hear him. Shy little thing. Ultimately he just shook his head violently. She thought she worked out a ‘nice’ in there somewhere.
The boy clutched at Mercutio’s arm in return.
Well look at that, Mercutio had not scared this one off. He must be made of stronger stuff than he looked. Mercutio was very good at making friends and finding people to play with, little whirlwind as he was. He just had a problem with keeping them. Most kids could not keep up with his energy.
“What’s your name, honey?” Olivia asked. The boy refused to meet her gaze.
“He doesn’t have one, I haven’t named him yet.” Mercutio interrupted, Olivia sighed and looked at Mercutio. She took a deep breath and instead looked at Romeo who was sweetly smiling up at her. Her little angioletto. She kissed his forehead and briefly hoped he would stay this size forever even though she knew it was inevitable.
“We don’t make up names for other children, Mercutio, he already has a name. Let him speak.”
“Tybalt.”
Mercutio blinked at the boy.
“Teeble?”
“Tybalt.”
“Yeah, we're changing that.”
“Mercutio!” Olivia scolded. “You're being rude.”
Mercutio was most pleased to see that the boy was back. When he had tearfully had to say goodbye to his new friend he had told him to meet him again in the park the next day, and he had kept to his word.
Mercutio practically knocked him off his feet in his eagerness to see him, he hugged him so tightly that the boy had to pat him on the back to get him to loosen his grip.
"Mercutio, leave the poor boy alone. He can barely walk with you clinging to him like that." His father sighed, Mercutio had to beg his Babbo to take him to the park because his mother had more important things to do according to her. Mercutio did not know what could possibly be more important than this, he did not think there was anything. She took Romeo with her so it was probably an appointment. Mercutio did not know why but his mother liked getting Romeo’s weight and height checked. It could be that. She had a book with a chart in it. Mercutio no longer needed a book, he was practically a man now. His Nonna called him her little man all the time and they used the doorway in Nonna's kitchen to measure his height now. He was already taller than his Babbo was at his age. Romeo was not very good at growing.
Mercutio ignored his Babbo because what did he know and wondered what they should do today. There was so much he wanted to do and say but they had so little time. They only had two hours. It was forever when he visited his Nonna and Nonno. He liked watching soap operas with Nonna, everyone acted so funny in them and it was the only place aside from rollercoasters he had seen screaming be allowed. It only took forever when Nonno decided to give a lecture or talk about llamas. Mercutio did not know how his Nonno could make llamas boring but he did. The time was over so fast when he was playing, It was practically no time at all. Mercutio had not worked out why two hours meant two different times yet but he figured it was because time was not real and this was one of the many reasons he should not have a bedtime.
Mercutio took Tybalt to the secret clearing again through the hedge. Tybalt was still a silly name. It should really end in an o, all the best names did. Like Mercutio.
They played until Mercutio could hear his Babbo calling for him. Mercutio ignored him at first, he did not want to have to say goodbye again. He stayed quiet hoping he would not be found. Mercutio hoped that no one would ever find them, that they could just live here in secret forever without having to be split apart.
But his tummy grumbled and they were supposed to be visiting Nonna today so that meant cake. He only got cake when they visited Nonna aside from on his birthday.
He reluctantly had to say goodbye again and he still was not allowed to bring Tybalt home or to Nonna's house with him. It was unfair, Nonna would like him, Mercutio was certain of it.
He sulked all the way home where they collected Mamma and Romeo, he then sulked all the way to Nonna's, he sulked whilst he was there too. Well, until Nonna snuck him a cookie before even dinner because she could not bear to see her happy little man looking so sad. This was why Nonna was the best.
He enjoyed his cookie happily snuggled up against Nonna as she watched a rerun of her soap opera. His Mamma had joined them, Romeo was sleeping against her chest. They had all abandoned Babbo to have to suffer through Nonno's story.
Mercutio frowned at the screen.
“Why are they doing that?”
“Kissing?” His Mamma asked, briefly wondering how appropriate this programme actually was for Mercutio’s young eyes. Ultimately she decided it was mostly harmless as she and Claudio had kissed a lot more passionately than what was on screen. She also felt that Isabella had enough sense not to show her grandson anything too graphic. Barely an extended peck although the music swelling pretended it was more.
“It’s how you show someone you like them. On the lips is only for someone you really, really like though. Like how Mamma and Babbo really like each other.”
Mercutio nodded in thought.
It took a few more times meeting Tybalt for Mercutio to decide that yes he did really like Tybalt. He was even okay with his name now, though thankfully Tybalt was allowing him to call him Tybie.
Mercutio was not sure when he realised how much he liked him, it was probably when Tybalt could hop over the rocks in the river without holding his hand. Or maybe it was when Tybalt was brave enough to lay down in the grass with him without worrying about grass stains.
He wanted to show Tybalt how much he liked him so he kissed him. A little stolen peck on the lips.
Tybalt covered his mouth, looking at Mercutio in horror. His cheeks turned a violent red like blood on a tissue, like when Mercutio had lost his tooth by climbing a chest of drawers which had proceeded to topple and had lost his.
The ginger boy screwed his face up in clear displeasure. He folded his skinny arms and glowered at Mercutio, from a few paces further back than he had been. His cheeks, nose and even his ears still a fiery scarlet.
"That's only for adults!" Tybalt hid his lips from Mercutio, eyes looking as if Mercutio had betrayed him in some grand way.
"Nuh uh. It's for people who really like each other, my Mamma told me so. I really like you."
Tybalt, to Mercutio’s immense surprise, managed to go even redder. Mercutio hoped he did not turn into a tomato. He had watched a film with nonna where someone had turned into a blueberry so it was possible. Mercutio liked tomatoes but he would prefer if his friend was not one. He looked at Tybalt’s red hair in suspicion. Was it always that red?
Tybalt made a squeak sort of sound. He covered his entire face, only daring to peer at Mercutio through his fingers.
"I… I like you too."
Mercutio beamed. “See, it's fine.”
This time Tybalt was actually the one who had to go home first, Mercutio wanting to spend as much time as he could with the boy as possible followed him dutifully to his mother. Mercutio had not actually seen Tybalt’s parents before then so he was a little curious about who was the people stopping him from just taking Tybalt home with him. He wondered if they were as beautiful as Tybalt was, it would make sense. He was a handsome little man because his mother was beautiful after all. She was tall, maybe even taller than Babbo was, he wondered if that meant that she was older than him. She had blonde hair like Mamma but she was very pale like Tybalt.
Mercutio hugged Tybalt tightly, promising to see him tomorrow before giving him a goodbye kiss.
Tybalt’s mother did not like that, she sucked her lips so far into her mouth that all that remained was a thin line of a mouth like she was a cartoon character. Her plans of leaving the park suddenly seemed to change and she really wanted to meet Mercutio's parents all of a sudden.
She was raising her voice and Mercutio was not sure why she was so angry. He wondered if she had accidentally hammered her finger instead of the nail because that was what usually made his Babbo swear and rage. She did not have a hammer though. Maybe her shoes were hurting. They did look uncomfortable. When his Mamma wore shoes like those on the occasions she abandoned them to Zio Antonio or Nonna and Nonno to go out and have fun without them, she always complained about them so Mercutio wondered why she kept wearing them if they were going to hurt.
When Babbo appeared, the woman made a noise that made Mercutio check to see if there was a horse nearby.
“I should have known.” Tybalt’s mother harrumphed. Mercutio felt quite upset on his Babbo's behalf, the woman was looking at him as in the same way his nonna looked at ants. Mercutio knew what his nonna did to ants. He tried to rescue as many as he could.
Babbo straightened his posture at the sight of her. He did not seem happy to see her either.
“Capps have lowered themselves to yelling at children now? I thought your family had some standards, evidently I was mistaken.” Claudio said as the blonde woman sniffed at him and decided to fire back with a complaint of her own.
"What are you teaching your child? He kissed my son." Cordelia scowled, gesturing towards Tybalt who was looking confused at the two adults and clung to his mother’s leg uncertain what was happening.
"Apparently not good taste if he's kissing your son." Claudio remarks, glancing towards the son in mention, a boy he recognised well at this point, before groaning to himself and sending Mercutio a disbelieving look.
“Oh come on.” Claudio lamented, looking at Tybalt with some regret. There goes any potential plans of actually letting Mercutio have a sleepover with the boy, let alone introduce him to Isabella like Mercutio was so desperate to do. Why couldn’t he have befriended basically anyone else? Someone with a little less baggage.
Mercutio grew bored of the adults fighting, he did not know what they were talking about anymore. He wondered why Tybalt had to leave before. It did not seem very important now. Grown ups were so silly like that. He looked at Tybalt instead, tucked away behind his mother’s legs. Tybalt seemed a lot more bothered by the argument than Mercutio was so Mercutio decided to cheer him up. Mercutio pulled funny face after funny face at him.
Tybalt hid his face trying not to giggle, peering over his fingers just to see Mercutio pull another face. It became a game, Mercutio pulling a different face every time Tybalt’s face emerged from behind his hands or his mother’s legs.
“Tybalt, stop being silly.” Cordelia scolded, not really paying attention but she could evidently feel Tybalt against her legs. Tybalt guiltily withdrew and clasped his hands together. Tybalt pouted at Mercutio for getting him into trouble.
Mercutio blew a raspberry in annoyance and once taking note of the adults not actually paying them attention decided that he was going to make the most of the extra time he had with Tybalt. He tested it by walking away a small distance.
They both tried to be as quiet and sneaky as they could and went a little way away, not far enough to get into too much trouble but just enough they could make some noise.
They quietly just played together as the adults grew louder, Mercutio was watching entranced as Tybalt did witchcraft with his fingers and turned daisies into a bracelet. Tybalt giggled as Mercutio turned his hands over trying to work out how he had managed that.
Mamma was approaching, drawn by the ruckus and her husband's voice, Romeo on her hip. Mercutio waved cheerfully at her.
“What's going on, bambino?” Olivia asked him. Mercutio tilted his head in thought, he had stopped paying attention and they had started fighting so long ago that he could barely remember what it was about.
“I was saying goodbye to Tybalt and that lady got really mad. I think her shoes hurt. Now her and Babbo are fighting.” Mercutio shrugged, holding his wrist out for Tybalt to slip the daisy chain upon it.
His Mamma nodded and inspected the scene before sighing as she realised who the woman was.
“I think I understand.” Olivia lamented. So much for this park being a respite for the silly feud she had married into. If she had known about it and it was not for Mercutio, she might have never had Romeo or married Claudio.
Mercutio admired the daisy bracelet and really liked it, he liked it and Tybalt so much that the most apt way seemed to give him another kiss. His Mamma gasped a little at the surprising sight.
"Mercutio!" Claudio finally seemed capable of paying attention to his son and was not happy, "We've literally just talked about this."
Mercutio wondered when, it was probably during the time when he had stopped listening.
"Mamma said kisses on the lips were for people you really like! I really like Tybalt!" Olivia flushed a little at this, she had said this. She had not expected to evolve into this, let alone Mercutio to actually pay attention to something she said for once.
"Well yes… but… you’re supposed to ask permission first." Claudio faltered, not wanting to go against anything his wife had told Mercutio.
"Fine.” Mercutio sighed with a weariness beyond his years. Claudio felt like Mercutio had learnt the sigh from probably one of them. “Tybalt, can I kiss you?" Mercutio asked.
Tybalt blinked and made a soft squeak as everyone looked at him. He covered his red face with his hands and just nodded embarrassed. “O-Okay.” The small ginger managed out.
"No." Claudio is frustrated. He should have probably worded that better, but having Cordelia Capp here was frazzling him. She had her arms folded, one delicate eyebrow arched and was no doubt judging his parenting skills. This was a matter of pride for him now. If he let her win, it was a lost for all Montys. "You're too young to kiss people."
"But I can kiss Mama and Nonna?" Mercutio queried.
"It's different."
"How?"
"There's different kinds of likes. Olivia, help a poor guy out." Claudio looked towards his wife who took pity upon him.
"Bambino. Kisses are special. You can kiss Mama and Nonna because we are family. Tybalt isn't family, so you can't kiss him. Babbo and Mama can kiss because we're married. You're not married to Tybalt so you can't kiss him." Olivia explained, she gave Romeo a cuddle as he blinked sleepily up at her. She hoped he was listening to, she did not want a repeat but she had a feeling that Romeo was going to be easier to guide than Mercutio was.
Mercutio nodded in apparent understanding.
"Problem solved." Olivia smiles at Claudio a little smugly.
"Easy, then I'll marry Tybalt. Tybalt, we're getting married." Mercutio grabs hold of Tybalt's hands. Olivia's face falls. Cordelia choked, she shook her head in dismay. Suddenly she was thrown off her high horse.
"I don't want to marry you." Tybalt said simply. The adults forgot to intervene. This was going in a direction that no one had expected.
"Huh?" Mercutio is taken aback. "But why not?" Mercutio felt a little hurt by the rejection because he had thought Tybalt had liked him too.
"Because I like you." Tybalt is very red. Mercutio was just confused now.
"But that's why people get married in the first place?" Mercutio argued. He could not think why anyone would get married to someone they did not like. His Mamma and Babbo really liked each other, Zia Hero and Zio Antonio liked each other. He thinks Nonno and Nonna liked each other but Nonno did not seem to like a lot of things so it was hard to tell.
"No they don't. They get married because of responsibility." Tybalt said. Cordelia's face fell a little at hearing that from her young son, she turned her head away a little ashamed.
"What does responsi-bubble-tea mean?"
"That's easy, it is another word for because Grandfather said so." Tybalt answered. Claudio chokes a little trying to hold in laughter. Wow, he wasn't expecting that.
"Oh. That sounds dumb. Love sounds like a better reason." Mercutio scoffed.
Tybalt frowned. “What is love?” Mercutio did not know what to say to that. He blinked at Tybalt wondering how he could not know what love was.
"Love is when you are happy around the other person. It just makes you smile, see, like this." Mercutio beams as an example, hooking his fingers into the corners of his mouth in an attempt to make his smile even bigger.
Mercutio pondered another example for him. "I love Mammina because she makes me smile. I love Babbo because he makes me laugh. I love Nonna because she lets me eat cake." Mercutio explained. Olivia clutched at her heart, her sweet boy. She was probably not going to mention the cake thing to Isabella though.
Tybalt looks stricken. Tears begin to well up.
"Does that mean no one loves me?" Tybalt began quietly before a huge sob escaped. "Not in my entire family? No one has ever smiled at me."
Mercutio looked at him horrified, a feeling echoed by the adults. Mercutio had never been one to really cry, he hurt himself quite often with his antics but had never cried over it. He was the kind of kid who blinked in confusion and carried on whenever anyone else started crying. Maybe a dazed pat on the arm or a hug. The sight of Tybalt crying just made too much sadness happen, it swelled up within him and his body was not big enough for it so it had to come out of his eyes.
"Tybalt!" Mercutio wailed, hugging Tybalt hard. "I love you, Tybie. Don't cry."
Both their children crying broke the parents from their revelry. Claudio looked at Cordelia in disgust whilst Olivia knelt down beside Mercutio to comfort him. Romeo’s little hands coming up to pat at his brother’s wet cheeks.
Mercutio refused to let Tybalt go though. Romeo’s fingers patted at Tybalt’s cheeks as well and the ginger boy almost stopped crying as he stiffened up, not certain what to do at this sudden development.
"What the fuck. I knew you were all miserable sods, but this is something else. No one ever smiled at this kid?" Claudio turned his ire towards Cordelia.
“Mercutio, you can marry him." Claudio declared, mostly out of spite. He felt done with this nonsense, the stupid feud was affecting their children now. Look at the two boys both crying their little hearts out.
Olivia looked at her husband in disbelief. She was all for letting the kids play with each other, but marriage was a little early. They weren’t even in school yet.
Mercutio squealed in excitement, wiping away his tears but his eyes were still red and watery. He gave Romeo a little peck on the forehead because he was there before plastering many wet kisses on Tybalt’s face, whose sniffles faded away into small giggles.
"Stop. It tickles." Tybalt wheezed out. Mercutio beamed at him.
“You're not married yet, no kissing!” Claudio shouted towards them. Mercutio nodded, he was just so happy that he got to marry Tybalt that he did not mind waiting.
“There's not going to be a marriage! Your son will not be marrying my son.”
“My son can marry whoever he likes, including your son. In fact, I encourage it. Your kid needs the win. Look at him, he looks like someone left a kitten out in the rain. Some soggy bedraggled kitten.”
This started off another screaming match. Mercutio wished Nonna was here, she would probably enjoy it. It seemed very silly like her programme. He hoped that the two grown ups did not end up kissing at the end though, he did not think Mamma would like that very much. It was a bit boring though, they kept saying the same thing over and over again. It was like listening to Nonno's stories.
Olivia sighed and put Romeo down, they were probably going to be here a while. Romeo proceeded to immediately try and eat a mouthful of grass with one of his chubby little fists.
“We're going to get married and we'll kiss everyday! I'll bring you flowers every time I make you mad so I don't have to sleep at Zio Antonio's just like Babbo does.” Mercutio told Tybalt matter of factly. He had stopped paying attention to the adults now he had been given permission to marry Tybalt.
“We're getting married?” Tybalt questioned, still a little blubbery. Mercutio was truly beaming. He nodded excitedly at Tybalt.
“Yes. Because I love you.”
Olivia sighed, she pinched the bridge of her nose. This was very cute and all, but her husband had set something off that he likely did not know the scale of. Mercutio had gotten this in his head now and it was going to be really difficult to persuade him otherwise now.
“You're only five, you don’t understand the love you need to get married yet. You're too young to be getting married, mi bambino.”
“But Babbo said I could marry him.” Mercutio pouted.
“You cannot marry him now though. When you're older, and if you still love him, you can marry him.”
Mercutio blew a raspberry in annoyance at the idea of waiting. Romeo looked at him in expectation at the noise. Mercutio smiled at him before blowing a raspberry into Romeo’s chubby little cheek. Romeo burst into giggles.
Mercutio decided sitting was boring and just sprawled over Tybalt. He was his after all.
“You will marry me when we're both old though?” He asked Tybalt, head in his lap and he blinked up at him.
Tybalt thought about it.
“Okay.”
“Good. When we're married we should get a kitty. I wanted a kitty for forever, but I got this baby instead.” Mercutio wrinkled his nose up in disgust and gestured towards Romeo who smiled at Mercutio with mostly gums, happy to be acknowledged. Mercutio grumbled as Romeo clambered over to him and tried to climb him, but he affectionately rubbed his brother’s curls regardless.
“I like kitties. Can we get a fluffy one?” Tybalt asked, eying Romeo with suspicion.
“The fluffiest.” Mercutio agreed.