Work Text:
Romeo sat at his desk, scribbling sonnets into his notebook. Rose-tinted visions of the previous night, of Juliet, raced through his head. His study was a narrow little space, surrounded by bookshelves and piles of unfinished poetry. A look of intense focus took over his face as he wrote.
Meanwhile, down a busy street of Verona, Mercutio was sat on the edge of a little wall, gesturing wildly as he droned on about some fairytale nonsense. Benvolio was stood with his arms folded.
"You're being particularly insufferable today, Mercutio. Even for you." He looked down, amused.
"Ah, but you adore me when I'm insufferable." Mercutio grinned. "It's my most charming trait, is it not?"
"... Well..." Benvolio smiled and shook his head.
There was a beat of silence between them.
"... You've also been avoiding Romeo. Since the whole ball drama last night." Benvolio added quietly.
"Avoiding him?" Mercutio smirked. "Why on Earth would I do that? I love listening to your walking tragedy of a cousin practically weeping at his own shadow."
Benvolio raised his eyebrow.
"And besides," Mercutio continued. "I have important things to do. Like not listening to Romeo's love sonnets."
Benvolio took a step closer. "Really? Or is it something you don't want to admit?"
"What? That I find your cousin's dreadful poetry painful?" Mercutio giggled.
Benvolio smiled sadly. "Whatever you say, Mercutio."
Mercutio laughed at nothing in particular. Then there was a beat of silence. A happy couple strolled past.
"... Don't waste time hiding your feelings, Mercutio." Benvolio sighed. "It's an awful way to live."
***
Romeo's pen scratched softly against the paper. The entire city of Verona had disappeared, and it only came back when he heard a loud knock on his door. Snapping back to reality, he stood up and went to the door, gently pulling it open.
Mercutio stood there, his arms folded tightly. Romeo lit up.
"Ah, Mercutio. Come in!" Romeo said excitedly.
Mercutio walked in, staring at the bookshelves and the paper scattered around the room. Taking a deep breath he looked at Romeo.
"I... I have to tell you something-"
"Yes, well, hold on, because I met this girl last night..." Romeo interrupted. "Mercutio, she was an angel! Her name's Juliet... Juliet Capulet..."
Mercutio looked as if he had just been slapped. "... You never learn, do you?"
"What...?" Romeo looked a little hurt.
Mercutio swallowed. "Look. I didn't get to say what I wanted to say, so I really do need to say it now. Right."
Mercutio took a deep breath.
"We've... we've known each other a long time. We've been best friends...for a long time. We're...a team, a duo, a...pair. And..." Mercutio's voice cracked. "We've spent our entire lives rotting away pretending that we aren't...and I would like to spend..."
Mercutio let out a noise of frustration. Shaking his head, Romeo looked at his friend.
"Mercutio...are you saying you...?"
Mercutio tilted his head back ever so slightly, his vision blurring a little. Neither of them spoke for a few moments. The soft tick-tock of the clock on the wall was the only noise.
"I get you've got this Capulet girl now," Mercutio gasped. "But I just... Look, this whole Montague and Capulet thing is all just... We need to get away from all of that. Just be...us."
The weight of Mercutio's confession hung heavy in the air. Romeo looked at him with wide eyes, confused and torn. He found that he didn't actually know what love meant. Not really. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"... Say something." Mercutio folded his arms.
"I..." Romeo hesitated. "You are very dear to me... But I can't just..."
Mercutio let out a shaky laugh. "Right. Okay."
He turned on his heel and began to leave. "Have fun with the new girl."
Romeo's stomach dropped. He stepped forward.
"Wait...! Mercutio, you can't just leave... I... I need you!"
Mercutio turned around and looked at Romeo skeptically.
"But who do you need more...?"
His hands shaking, Mercutio took a few strides forward before gently but desperately grabbing Romeo by the shirt.
"What are you-"
Romeo's words were cut off as Mercutio pulled him into a kiss. It wasn't soft or tender like when he had kissed Juliet the night before. It was messy and desperate and went against all the poems and the stories Romeo had read about. The world around them faded away. Mercutio squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he rested a hand on Romeo's back.
Romeo let out a sharp gasp as they both pulled away. He looked at Mercutio with wide eyes, his breathing shaky. Tentatively, his hand touched his own lips where Mercutio's had just been.
He looked completely undone, his eyes wide with a helpless confusion. When he spoke, his voice was soft and gentle, as if he was trying to piece their world back together again.
"I... I forgive you, Mercutio..."
"... Don't."
Mercutio stared at the ground, biting his lip. Then, he looked at Romeo.
"Listen." he told him. "You hear that?"
The moment lingered, but the clock was all that could be heard.
Tick-tock.
"I..." Romeo's voice broke. "I can't hear anything...!"
"That's it." Mercutio smirked sadly. "There's no doves. No poetry."
Romeo opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. His throat tightened and he glanced at the clock.
"No..." he said softly, "there's not."
Tick-tock.
Mercutio exhaled sharply. He stared at Romeo, his hands clenched at his sides.
"You idiot..." His voice wavered. "You complete idiot. We could have been... Oh, forget it."
He let out a hollow laugh. "Good luck with your Capulet girl."
With that, Mercutio quickly turned around and left, the door slamming behind him. Slam.
Romeo flinched. His fingertips lingered on his lips. The rose-tinted visions of perfect, poetic love, of pure white doves, began to crack.
Tick-tock.
Tick-tock.