#same tumblr post as yesterday

Underrated Character: Dove and Neptune

Dove rubbed at his knuckles. They weren’t really sore, but there was a light layer of blood on them that smeared. It wasn’t his blood. In front of him, the guy he’d punched glared at him while holding his- most likely broken- nose. He ignored him in favour of Neptune. The other boy stood off to the side behind him, shielded by him, playing with his fingerless gloves with a frown. When he turned to him, making sure to keep the other guy in his peripheral in case he got the bad idea to attack him, Neptune’s eyes snapped to his.

“So why did I have to punch that guy?”

Neptune gaped for only a moment before he protested. “I didn’t ask you to!”

“You didn’t.” Dove shrugged. Of course Neptune didn’t, Neptune didn’t tend to fight unless he absolutely had to. ‘I’m a lover, not a fighter,’ Neptune had once told him. And he figured it translated into others fighting for him. But he’d seen the guy messing with Neptune and stepped in. “So why was he fucking with you?”

“He’s upset over all the female friends I have and won’t believe me that I’m not dating any of them,” Neptune mumbled, no doubt embarrassed. And no doubt unaware his constant flirting might be at least part of why the guy didn’t believe him. A much larger part was definitely the guy being a dick, though.

“He harassed you for something so stupid?” Dove said, letting a touch of anger seep into his monotone as he sent a look toward the guy who flinched. Neptune looked sheepish and Dove had to physically hold himself back from rolling his eyes at it. Someone could literally pour soup in his lap and he’d probably apologize.

“It’s fine,” Neptune said. Though he faltered when Dove turned the look on him. He looked at Neptune hard before he closed his eyes and sighed. Well, it wasn’t exactly how he’d wanted to do it. But it was something he’d wanted to do for a while at least. No matter what he wouldn’t regret his next actions.

“I know how to solve this.”

“You d-” Dove yanked Neptune down to his level using the scarf around his neck, cutting him off, and kissed him soundly. Before Neptune had the chance to do anything but flail he pulled away.

“He’s not dating any of his female *friends*. He’s dating me,” Dove told the guy pointedly, who looked just as confused as he assumed Neptune probably was. “Neptune doesn’t tend to lie.” Which was true, so Dove really hoped Neptune kept his mouth shut and let him handle it.

The guy looked between them, looking angrier that he’d been proven wrong than that Dove had quite possibly broken his nose. Then he huffed and turned away. His tart 'fine’ sounded off.

“You should get the nurse to look at that,” Dove said before the guy could walk very far, both a parting taunt and warning. A reminder that he *did* hurt him and could again. The 'worse’ could hopefully remain unsaid. When he finally turned back to Neptune, his eyes were already on him, wide and blue and bright in their intensity. For a long, almost drawn out moment Neptune just stared.

“Did you just ask me out?”

Dove tilted his head and shrugged after a moment’s thought. He supposed he did. Neptune’s fingers paused where he’d started to play with his gloves again and his mouth twitched a moment before he laughed. *Really* laughed. Sparks of indignation rose in Dove, but it was more mock than anything. He knew Neptune wasn’t laughing at him. Instead, he was likely laughing at the situation more than anything. Like an infectious thing, Dove could feel a few bubbles of humour rising in his chest and popping into laughter as he thought about it himself. Not even once had he considered he’d confess to Neptune and definitely not in such a way. Well, not like he’d take it back. “I did.”

“Oh.” Neptune looked surprised and finally looked away. Though now his eyes were on their shoes. There was a moment where neither of them said anything. He took off his glove to run a fingernail across the lines of his palm. “… yes, then,” Neptune said eventually. It was quiet, though. Too quiet for Dove to hear him.

“What?”

“Yes,” Neptune repeated louder. He looked back up to meet Dove’s eyes. That was one thing Dove really liked about Neptune. Even when he was scared or felt intimidated, he could still push himself to meet that head on. Though he still had trouble when it came to his thalassophobia. But even that, Dove could tell he was trying to face as best he could. “I’ll go out with you.”

“Okay,” Dove said. “Then this Friday night, movie and popcorn. I’ll pay.”

“Alright,” Neptune said and he smiled something small and sincere. Something that actually reached into Dove to make his chest flutter. Gross and gushy. But not so bad with Neptune, he supposed. He grabbed Neptune’s scarf to pull him down again and this time Neptune met him halfway.

Not too bad at all.