Work Text:
Floyd didn’t get why Valentine's Day was so special. The fact that humans needed one day a year to celebrate their loved ones was stupid.
It had nothing to do with how many boxes of chocolate and cards Jade got every year. Floyd got candy himself, usually left on his desk, anonymous because no one had the balls to give it to him in person.
Well, except Crab-chan and Seasnake, but they were his teammates. Jamil gave chocolates because he had made too many when Kalim had asked for help, and Crabby was just that kind of guy.
Floyd didn’t really care about that, but seeing Jade smile politely as some random faceless third year gave him a Valentine's Day card just made him want to squeeze ‘em until they popped.
He turned away from the sight, teeth grinding. He couldn’t do what he wanted because Jade and Azul would both get mad. The Lounge was hosting some Valentines Day party, and if Floyd scared off customers, it would get annoying.
He decided to vent some steam in the gym, but when he got to his locker to change, he noticed a small box on the bench in front of it. The wrapper was mint green with metallic brown scrolling. Small but elegant. It didn’t look like anything his clubmates would have made so…
“Ehhhhhh? Looks like someone forgot their prezzie. I wonder if it was Crabby.” He picked it up curiously, flipped the gift tag, and blinked slowly as he read it.
“My Dear Floyd, I hope you’ll be my Valentine. Perhaps you’ll remember something sweet if you eat these? Aren’t you supposed to sign these?” Floyd flipped the tag, but it was still blank on the back. Oh well. That meant he didn’t have to worry about someone crying if he didn’t eat whatever was inside. Some of these chocolates were just too bitter.
He ripped the paper off. He knew Jade would probably call him a heathen, but it was paper. It was going in the trash anyway. Inside was a box of his favorite hard candies, and he was suddenly far more interested. As he opened the box and popped one in his mouth, a small note popped out.
It was a map showing the back of greenhouse 3 with a clock under it showing 5:30.
Floyd looked at the clock in the locker room. It was almost 5:30 now, and his interest was piqued. He left the locker room and walked towards the back of the greenhouse, sucking on the hard candy as he went. Whoever this was knew his favorite candy, but he vaguely remembered telling that to…someone. He couldn’t remember who.
He’d had these for the first time when his parents had been chosen to be The eels at his aunts wedding. He and Jade had been brought along, and Floyd had been bored most of the time, so his father had offered him candies to keep him distracted. He’d eaten nearly a whole bag.
Some old biddy had chastised him, saying that when he finally found a girl and got married, he wouldn’t appreciate brats stating they were “bored.” Floyd had gotten offended and said he wasn’t gonna marry some gross girl; he was going to marry Jade. The scuffle that had ensued when she said, “You can’t marry your brother,” had been fun. Biting her had been worth the punishment.
Floyd grinned at the memory as he continued to eat the candy. He followed the weird map to the back of the greenhouse, but all he saw was a patch of those weird mushrooms Jade liked. Annoyed at being tricked, he turned to leave, but a glint of mint green caught his eye from a box of gardening equipment above the mushrooms. Floyd grabbed the box, the paper matched the one from earlier, though it was a slightly different shape. The new note read.
“To my other half, I wonder. I’ve been yours for so long without thinking you were mine? If you are, come find me. Who writes this stuff?” Floyd grumbled as he popped another candy in his mouth. The new box contained a piece of coral, and his breath caught. It was polished and twined around itself. Under the sea, in the mer communities, worked coral was a traditional courting gift. That wasn’t what had made him gasp, though. He recognised this piece of coral.
“Hey, look at this! It looks like two Eels twined around each other. Isn’t it cool?”
“Hey, yeah! I want it.”
“I found it first, Floyd…”
“But I wannit. Come on Jaaaade. Let me have it.”
“No…”
Floyd had been so put out that he hadn’t talked to his brother for weeks. But then he had been the one to cave. To speak with him again. The coral had never been spoken of again, but Floyd still thought about it. He knew this had to be it. It was the same bone white. The same look of two eels curled around each other. But now it was polished, on a chain.
And the pieces were separate. He lifted the necklace and tugged up. The pieces came apart, two eels suspended…alone. Each hung on a thin gold chain. Like those heart necklaces humans used that linked together.
Floyd fingered the smooth surface of the necklace before slipping one half over his head. The cool coral settled against his collarbone; the other half he stuck in his pocket. He knew who had been leaving him Valentins.
His favorite candy, A childhood relic, turned into a necklace. The cards. Teal, brown, and gold. The note had said: If you are, come find me.
Find him where?
Floyd popped another hard candy in his mouth and leaned back against a metal shelf, staring at the sky through the clear roof of the greenhouse. The air was damp. It smelled like soil and something faintly rotten.
Jade liked it here. He liked humidity. He liked strange little mushrooms that most people didn’t even notice. He liked quiet places where conversations could be… cultivated.
Floyd laughed, a grin spreading over his face.
“If you are, come find me,” he repeated under his breath. “Jaaade. So silly.” But his chest warmed, and a tiny bit of hope bloomed.
It had been silly, but the coral hadn’t been silly. Two eels, twined together, made of something Floyd had coveted.
As children it had just been something he wanted. But under the sea, this kind of gift wasn’t subtle; it was a question, a promise.
Jade knew Floyd; he knew he’d find this interesting and knew he’d figure this out. It was time to give Jade an answer.
Floyd’s locker, where he spent a lot of time. Greenhouse Three was Jade’s favorite greenhouse for his nasty mushrooms. One place for him, one place for Jade. So that meant…
Floyd’s grin widened slowly.
“Found you.”
They had been out of their depth coming to a land-bound school, and reverting to their natural forms took either time or potions they didn’t always have access to. So they had found a spot they could sit at the edge of the water surrounding Octavinille. A place where they could dangle their feet in the water or swim without having to deal with other people. Learning to swim with legs had been something neither of them wanted everyone to see.
Floyd liked it because even though they couldn’t be seen, they could see people moving across the lake. It had become their place. He didn't turn it over, didn’t check the time. He didn’t care. If Jade wanted him there, he’d be there.
Floyd left the greenhouse without another glance back. Students scattered instinctively when he cut across the courtyard, long legs eating up distance. He barely heard someone call his name. Shrimpy and Crabby were waving to him. He ignored it; this was more important.
By the time he passed the dorm, the Valentine’s event was in full swing. Pink and gold streamers hung, inviting people to the Mostro Lounge, and far too many couples were waiting in a line that continued out the door.
Azul was near the entrance, greeting customers with a rehearsed smile. Floyd was technically supposed to be helping, but he didn't give a shit right now. He sped past even as Azul gestured frantically to him. He’d deal with it later.
Floyd circled the corner of the building and walked along the curve of the shore towards a small grove that sheltered part of the beach. Cool evening air brushed his face as he walked, snow and ice resting along the banks.
And there he was. Jade leaned against one of the trees, dressed impeccably as always. To most, he would look completely composed, but Floyd knew his brother better than anyone. Jade was nervous. Floyd grinned as his brother saw him and pointed as if they’d been playing hide-and-seek.
“Ehehehe. Found you!”
Jade’s eyes flicked down briefly. To the coral pendant now visible at Floyd’s throat.
“I see you discovered my gifts,”
“Mhm! Thanks for the candy.” Floyd sauntered forward, lazy and loose, but his eyes were sharp. “That was interesting…You made it fun for me.” He was happy that his brother had gone through the trouble, but nerves crawled up his spine as Jade just continued politely.
“Of course.” The wind tugged lightly at Jade’s hair. He looked perfectly composed, calm.
Floyd hated that.
“You’ve been getting a lotta stuff today,” Floyd drawled, scratching his neck casually.
“Have I?” Jade looked almost amused as he arched a brow. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Yeah.”
Some random third year earlier. Some second year from Pomefiore who couldn’t even look him in the eye. All lame. Floyd had watched, and he’d wanted to squeeze every single one of them until their eyes popped.
“You smile at ‘em,” Floyd continued almost petulantly. “All polite. It pisses me off.”
Jade tilted his head. “It would be rude not to.”
“I don’t like it.”The words came out flat, and it felt good to say them out loud. “ “You left candy. And a map. And that note.”
Jade didn’t respond immediately; he only studied Floyd with that careful, analytical gaze.
“Because,” he said evenly, “you have been watching me all day with an expression that suggests you want to strangle my admirers.”
Floyd’s lips twitched.
“Maybe I do.”
“I thought it prudent to redirect that energy.”
“Into what?”
“Into me. I also wanted to confirm something.”
Floyd stepped closer until there was barely any space between them.
“Confirm what?”
“That you were jealous of them, not of me.”
Floyd blinked once. “Ehhh?”
Jade’s gloved hand lifted slowly, brushing against the coral pendant at Floyd’s chest.
“That you felt I was yours,” He clarified.
Floyd’s breath caught for half a second.
“That’s stupid, Jade. Of course you are. That’s why it pissed me off.”
“I think,” Jade said, resting his knuckle against his lip, “that you are often uncertain of what you want.”
“That’s dumb.”
“Is it?”
Jade’s fingers lingered on the necklace.
“When we were young,” he continued, “you wanted that piece of coral very badly.”
“Yeah.” Floyd’s jaw tightened, remembering the fight they’d gotten into back then. It had been one of the first times Jade hadn’t given in and given him what he wanted back then. “You said finders keepers and wouldn’t give it to me.”
“I did.”
Jade smiled faintly. “I refused because I wanted to make it a courting gift.
Floyd scoffed. “No way you were thinking of that sort of thing back then.””
“Hmm….if I remember correctly, you’re the one who decided we were going to get married at our aunt's wedding,” Jade replied, a smirk on his lips.
“That’s different. We were five.” Floyd looked away for a second, annoyed at the way his cheeks heated.
Silence settled between them, broken only by faint music drifting over the water from the dorm. Floyd reached into his pocket and pulled out the second chain. He held it up between them.
“So…what do I do with this one?” he said.
“It is yours to give,” Jade replied, his shoulders stiffening imperceptibly.
Floyd stared at him. “You’re so dumb sometimes, Jade.” He grabbed his brother roughly by the shoulder and shoved the second necklace over his head. “You’re already mine,”
Jade’s brows lifted slightly, and Floyd could read relief in his brother's gaze.
“Am I?”
“Yeah.”
“And yet,” Jade teased, “you appeared quite distressed by the notion that others might claim me. Floyd…”
Floyd looked annoyed now, like he’d been caught saying something embarrassing, but he wrapped his arms around his brother.
“Because they can’t have you, you’re my other half!”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. That’s what the note said, right?”
“To my other half,” Jade repeated quietly
Floyd rolled his eyes.”Yeah. You admitted it, so they can’t have you.”
“I have no intention of doing so.” Jade’s eyes were bright.
Jade stepped closer into the circle of Floyd’s arms. His gloved hand came up again, this time resting lightly against Floyd’s cheek.
“I have belonged to you for a very long time, and you to me, it seems,” he said quietly. “It simply took this human holiday for you to articulate it.”
Floyd huffed a laugh.
“Valentine’s Day is stupid.”
“Perhaps.”
“But I liked the candy.”
“I went through a lot of trouble to get that.”
“And the coral.”
“Good.” Jade was smiling, different than his usual polite customer service smile, or even the grin he wore when something went his way.
The twin coral pieces resting against their chests clacked together. Floyd’s eyes got intense as he took them between his fingers and pressed them back into one with a soft click, resting his forehead against Jade’s.
“You’re not smiling at anyone else like that,” he muttered.
“I was never smiling at them in the way you seem to imagine.”
“Still.”
“Very well.”
Jade’s voice softened further.
“My smiles are yours.”
“Good.”
Floyd leaned in, lips pressing against Jade’s. It wasn’t delicate by any means, but they had never been delicate people.
Jade startled at first, then relaxed, tongue brushing against Floyd’s as he gave as good as he got. It was passion, and teeth, and years of suppressed feelings neither had managed to express before now.
When they finally pulled apart, Floyd’s eyes were bright, but he wrinkled his nose. “You taste like mushrooms.”
“And you taste like hard candy.”
Floyd laughed, hand curling around the back of his neck sheepishly.
“Ehehe… guess that’s fair.”
They stood there for a moment longer, the pendants catching the faint light of the moon.
“So,” Floyd said lazily, “you lured me up here to confess?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
“You could’vejust said it. We’re together all the time.”
“I could have,” Jade agreed. “But you might not have listened.”
Floyd considered that, then shook his head. “Nah. I’d have listened….well…maybe.”
Jade’s expression shifted to amusement. “You have to admit it caught your attention.”
Floyd bumped their shoulders together. “You’re my Valentine then. Because I love you.”
“If you will have me.”
“I already said you’re mine, Jade.”
“Indeed.”
Floyd laced their fingers together. “Next year,” he muttered, “I’m leaving you candy.”
“I shall look forward to it.”
“And if anyone else tries to give you stuff—”
Jade raised an eyebrow. “I will take it and repurpose it like I always do.”
“Fiiiine,” Floyd grumbled. He knew he wasn't going to get anywhere with that. Jade wasn't as greedy as Azul, but he did enjoy things he could use as bribes or leverage.
“Good.”
“Can I kiss you every time they do?”
Jade’s lips twitched. “Well, I’m not going to stop you. Their reactions should be amusing.”
“Hehe…” Floyd pushed him against the tree and kissed him again enthusiastically, while Jade’s hand tangled in his hair. Floyd groaned softly as Jade tugged the short strands, but didn’t pull away until his brother bit his lip, drawing blood.
“We should go back to the Lounge. We’re supposed to be helping, and Azul will be angry.”
Floyd snorted softly, going in for another kiss. “Let him.”
Jade entertained him, lips parting, and Floyd was happy to explore his brother's mouth again. They’d touched a million times before, fighting, playing…but this was different. The same heat that had risen in Floyd every time they’d gotten physical had an edge to it now. He pulled away to trail his lips down Jade’s throat.
Valentine’s Day was still stupid, and humans were still weird.
But if it ended like this—Knowing the person he loved, loved him, pressed against Jade, gasping as his brother's hips rocked against his own—maybe it wasn’t the worst thing.
And when Jade finally convinced him that they really should be helping Azul, Floyd behaved himself, because he knew he was going to be spending the night like the necklace resting against his collarbone.
Twined around the other half of himself.