Joke's On Me

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters portrayed.

Author's Note: IT. IS. DONE.
Okay, I know I've been having a slow-go with the fics lately. I promise I'll really step it up. All of them are at least near completion now, don't worry.
This one is for my friend Harpsiccord, who I met through Jeff. He wanted a George/Ron fanfic, and I was like, "Interesting. Hell yeah, I'll do it!" And after a long time working on it, vacations, concerts, and my mom looking at it and being like, "WTF is this?", it shall be posted!
Thanks so much for the suggestion, Harp, and I can't wait for another one!

Name: Joke's On Me
Pairing: George/Ron (Harry Potter)
Genre: Romance, slight fluff, AU (Ron was never with Hermione)
Rating: PG-13

Joke's On Me

The Weasleys were a very loving, accepting family. Arthur and Molly both believed that whatever someone wanted to do with their lives was their business, and they raised their children to think the same way. They hadn’t cared when two of their sons came out as gay and their daughter revealed her bisexuality. Still, Ron couldn’t imagine the look on his parents’ faces if they knew what he and George were doing in their shared flat above Weasley Wizard Wheezes.

It started with them working together. Ron was worried about George being alone in the store now that Fred had passed away, so he moved into the twins’ old flat with him. It began as a comfort for both of them – George now had someone to fill Fred’s bed, and Ron had someone just to be close to. It was almost a business transaction, in a way.

Then George said this.

“You’re gay, aren’t you?”

Ron jumped so violently that the box of Canary Creams he was holding fell to the floor. “W-What? What the hell are you talking about?”

George shrugged nonchalantly. “Nothing. Just saying, you’re gay. Right?”

Ron narrowed his eyes. Is he actually being serious? he wondered incredulously. It wasn’t ever like George to take a sudden interest in someone’s life, and it became even more unusual after Fred’s death. “Where’d this come from?” he asked. “You never seemed to care who I dated before.”

“That’s because I never thought you were dating anybody,” George explained. The old mischievous smile made its way to his face once again. “But I’ve seen the way you look at Lee every time he comes in.”

Ron blushed. He couldn’t help it – Lee had a great body and breathtaking eyes. And a smile that made Ron melt. But did that make Ron gay? Of course not! Any other guy would react the same way!

For some reason, George walked away laughing when Ron explained this.

Things returned to normal for a few weeks before George brought it up again.

“He’s straight, you know,” George remarked as he counted out the false wands.

“Who is?” Ron inquired. He was trying to break up a small fight between two Pygmy Puffs.

“Lee. He’s straight.”

“Yeah?” Ron asked, gritting his teeth. “Good for Lee.”

“But it’s bad for you, isn’t it?” It was as though George was discussing the weather – he didn’t seem to notice how uncomfortable the conversation was for his younger brother.

Ron sighed. There was no longer any point in lying. “Yeah, it sucks. Why do you keep asking?”

George shrugged. “Just seems like a real waste, that’s all.”

Ron hadn’t known what that meant, but he figured it out when George pinned him to the wall and kissed him roughly. All Ron could do was stand, frozen, as his older brother forced his tongue down his throat.

“What the hell was that for?” Ron gasped when George released him.

George shrugged. “Just needed to know.”

Only a matter of weeks later, Ron and George found themselves in bed together.

Ron had struggled with his feelings about George early on, but he never guessed that it would have led to this. An endless string of worthless crushes on both of their parts had somehow waned and left the two of them together. It was difficult, it was complicated, it was strange, it was confusing.

It was perfect.

The first time they made love, Ron was handcuffed to the bed. He kept expecting George to leave him chained there while he ran away to tell everyone he saw what a sick fuck his little brother was, and then the joke would be on Ron. He couldn’t believe that anyone could be in love with him, much less someone that he loved back.

He was proved wrong. George stayed with him from dusk until dawn, holding Ron in his arms.

Six months after they first got together, Ron found he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He tapped his sleeping brother on the shoulder. “Hey, George.”

George snuffled. “Huh, wha? Ron, what the hell? It’s two in the fucking morning. Go to sleep.”

“I can’t.” Ron shook George roughly. “Hey, listen to me, would you?”

George sighed. “I guess I’m already awake, so why the hell not?” He sat up, bleary-eyed. “What’s on your mind?”

Ron squirmed uncomfortably before muttering, “Uh… Never mind, it was stupid.” He laid back down. “G’night.”

“What? Hell no!” George pulled Ron back up by the scruff of his neck. “Jesus, Ron. You wake me up from one of the best damn dreams I’ve ever had, and then you just say, ‘Aww, fuck it’? No goddamn way. If you don’t start talking in five seconds, I’ll punch your bloody lights out. Now what?”

“Fine, fine,” Ron grumbled, shaking George off of him. “Well, I was just wondering… Why did you stay with me?”

George looked confused. “Are you high? What are you on about?”

“I mean it, George!” Ron snapped. “Ever since we got together, I’ve been trying to figure out why on earth you stayed with me that first night that we…” He blushed, still uncomfortable talking about sex. “The first night we, you know.”

George stared for a moment before suddenly starting to giggle.

“Hey!” Ron shouted, jabbing George in the ribs. “I’m pouring out my damn soul here! The least you could do is not be a dick!”

“I-I’m sorry!” George choked. “I’m sorry! It’s just… It ought to be obvious by now, shouldn’t it?”

“What should be obvious?” Ron asked, annoyed.

George sat up, a smile still on his face. He put a hand up to Ron’s face and gently brushed his cheek. “It’s obvious that I love you, you little idiot. Can’t you tell?”

Ron blushed, putting his hand over George’s. “You… You do?”

“Of course,” George said matter-of-factly. “Why else would I have stuck around? You’re not that good of a lay.”

Ron dropped George’s hand and swatted him on the shoulder. “Cute,” he said, trying to sound annoyed, but he couldn’t stifle his grin. “I just… That night, I thought you were going to leave me.”

George shrugged, his face serious. “Yeah, so did I. That’s what I was planning, anyway. I figured I would tie you up and go. Then I figured I’d give you a quick kiss first. The kiss turned to a lick, the lick turned to a suck, and the suck turned to a fuck. I couldn’t control it. I loved you too much.”

Ron grinned, settling in next to George, laying his head on his shoulder. “Wow. I mean… Just wow. To think, the joke you were trying to play on me turned into everything we have now.”

“Yeah,” George said quietly. He stroked Ron’s hair, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead. “I guess the joke’s on me, isn’t it?”

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed it, Harp!