The Odd Couple

Mercutio had spent most of the morning after the fiasco at breakfast in his bedroom, sprawled out on his bed. He’d tried to slink back to his chair to sit quietly and finish his breakfast, but then, Tybalt had to just open his mouth, looking at Mercutio.

“You just can’t do anything right, can you, Lord Mercutio? Must you fail at everything?”

Mercutio had frozen, about to sit again, before slowly standing and excusing himself from the dining hall. He was proud for not saying anything, for not rising to the bait, but still, the words hurt, and he did start to cry as he ran back to his rooms.

It wasn’t his fault it had caught on fire... Really... He had been trying to be helpful, he didn’t think Atl wanted to be traipsing around with the shimmery dust clinging to his private areas... He sniffled again, face buried in a pillow as he murmured, “It’s all my fault... Atl hates me, and he’s going to rescind the bond, and it’s all my fault...”

The words alone made his heart ache, remembering the relieved look on Benvolio’s face when their bond was finally broken, and the pain that tore through him when Benvolio clapped a hand on his shoulder and smiled apologetically at him.

“Still friends?” he had said.

He didn’t say what he’d really meant. He really should have, though. But he didn’t.

“Sure,” he had said.

“Go to hell,” is what he wanted to tell the Unseelie who just looked at him with that pitying look, and reminded Mercutio, there were fates worse than Death, and continuing to live on alone while everyone else finds true love and happiness was about as close to hell as the Fae would ever come...

He nearly leapt out of his skin when he heard the door open in the parlor. Sitting up quickly, he wiped at his face before creeping over to the door, opening it just a fraction in time to see Atl throw himself on the sofa, sprawled there on his back, his form glistening with sweat as he started to doze.

Standing there, staring at the black wolf, Mercutio bit his lip in indecision.

Should he?

No, he should leave Atl alone, let him come around in his own time, allow him to relax and unwind, and come forth to Mercutio with the apology he was owed for the spectacle he had made that morning.

But then, this was sheer torture. Laying out a feast before a starving man, and then expecting him to be all polite and sweet and keep his hands to himself?

It was like Atl was asking for it...

That devious grin crossed his face before he slipped into the room. What he doesn’t remember won’t hurt him...

Well, okay, first he did have to clean him up. Sighing, he moved to drag Atl into the bathroom.

***

It took longer than he liked to admit, though he had found, much to his delight, that the spell he’d spent ages learning had actually worked and paid off nicely.

Well... sort of... Sure, the spell did a wonderful job getting the subject naked very quickly, but it meant that they were torn at the seams in a now useless pile... Shaking his head, he sighed as he lugged the still unconscious but now freshly cleaned Atl to the bed. Tossing him upon it, Mercutio sighed, admiring the sight as he bit his lip. Ignoring the increasing urge, he gently tucked Atl back into the bed before stripping himself down and slipping beneath the sheets. Sighing happily, he smiled as he pressed his back along Atl’s side, bringing his arm around him. When Atl rolled over and laid his arm across him, the Fae almost squeaked, but didn’t move, smiling as he sighed, closing his eyes, feeling Atl's breath across his neck, telling him the wolf was still fast asleep.

He could pretend... He could pretend for a little while that they were happy about all of ths...