Hello, everyone! This is rainbow-dolphin's drabbly thing. Again, it's in an AU - a University AU this time. Hope you enjoy it! :) Hopefully it's not too weird

Fandom: Romeo and Juliet

Characters: Romeo, Tybalt, Benvolio, Mercutio.

Prompt: Lunch

Warnings: Implied slash if you wish to take it that way. Or you can choose to believe it's just Mercutio's dirty mind.

Rating: T


"I got a pocket, pocket full of sunshine…"

Tybalt groaned, letting his head drop onto his desk. Ow.

"I've got a love and it's all mine…"

Deep breaths, he reminded himself. 1, 2, 3, 4…

"…sticks and stones are never gonna shake me, oh, oh oh oh…"

…7, 8… Screw this. "MONTAGUE, SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"Geez, someone's swallowed a few hairballs," Mercutio snickered from the living room. Someone sighed - it must have been Benvolio.

"Aw, come on guys, I'm making you lunch! At least let me have fun doing it!"

"Tell that to Mr. I've-Got-Hairballs-Stuck-Up-My-Ass, sweetheart."

Heavens above, what have I done to deserve roommates like these?

And then the luscious scents of home-cooked pasta and warm soup spread through the tiny apartment. Tybalt cursed his stomach.

"What's for lunch?" He stomped into the kitchen, and tried to look less like he was about to steal all four plates of fettucine alfredo.

"Cat balls," Mercutio quipped.

"I didn't cook cat balls," Romeo frowned. Tybalt dearly wanted to punch that genuinely confused look off his face.

"Mercutio's just joking," Benvolio assured Romeo, whose face immediately brightened, and he set about serving the soup with an even brighter, even more annoying grin.

Tybalt made sure to sit as far away from Mercutio as the tiny table allowed him. This brought him closer to Benvolio, but he didn't really mind; Benvolio might be a Montague, but he was the sanest person in Tybalt's entire life, including Tybalt himself, and most definitely including Romeo, Mercutio and his uncle.

The four men had been living together since their first year at university. Thankfully, they were all graduating this year. Words could not describe how overjoyed Tybalt was that in a few months, he would no longer have to put up with these idiots. Ever.

"Benny, aren't cat's supposed to be dainty?" Oh, god. This is why I hate him. "Apparently Tybalt's an exception. Absolutely no manners. Horrible reflection of upbringing."

And it continued throughout the entire meal. Just as it had for every meal they had shared for the past few years. Benvolio had long given up on stopping Mercutio; Romeo hadn't, but he was so dense that half the time he thought Mercutio was just jesting and not provoking Tybalt. Tybalt just wished Mercutio would shut up, if only because he didn't want to go for anger management again - and NO, not because Romeo's cooking was so damn good he always wanted more and he couldn't imagine not eating this goddamn awesome food for the rest of his life after he moved out and-

"Ty-Ty's throat is so full of hairballs, see, he can't appreciate good food. Romeo, you really wasted your time on this hopeless case."

When I graduate, the first thing I do will be to take a plane and fly to the furthest point on Earth from Mercutio.

So lunch passed, a grand happy affair indeed. Ah, yes, the usual sights, Mercutio jesting at Tybalt, with not the slightest hint of spite; Tybalt, gritting his teeth because he was trying so hard not to laugh - and no, he was not clenching his fists; Benvolio, sighing with happiness - and not exasperation, no, never! - and Romeo grinning happily at the wonderful show of camaraderie.

Tybalt would never admit it, but he couldn't be happier when lunch was over and Mercutio dragged Benvolio off to buy a motorbike, of all things - when they certainly had better things to do, like study.

And then - why were his roommates so bloody aggravating - Romeobegan singing that god-awful song again like some broken tape recorder and oh god why?

"WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP?"

"But I was only singing," Romeo said, eyes wide.

"No, you were- ugh!"

"Why, Prissy-pants?" Mercutio called from the doorway. "Maybe you should just release all that UST* and jump -" And thankfully, the rest disappeared as Benvolio pulled Mercutio away before Tybalt could pounce on him like the famed King of Cats he was (but really, cats just loved him - what can you do about that?).

Maybe I won't fly as far away as I can from Mercutio. Maybe I'll send him as far away from me as possible. To the Arctic. To... improve diplomatic ties with polar bears. Yep. He can annoy them, and we'll see how well they treat him.

He turned back to Romeo. "Look, just, just don't-" And then he stopped, because Romeo looked kinda down. I'm such a sap. "Okay. Fine. I don't care anymore. Sing. Sing your heart out! Go be an opera singer! Frankly, your cooking is the only reason I put up with you!"

And he stomped out of the kitchen, trying very hard to tune Romeo's joyful singing out.


*UST: Unreleased Sexual Tension.