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“I already told you; no,” Riddle said firmly, keeping his gaze forward, as to not make eye contact with the tall figure looming over and hovering around him.
“Yeah but your reason was stupid!” Floyd snapped back, grabbing a plate of food he knew Riddle would like and setting it on the other’s lunch tray before continuing down the line.
Riddle scoffed, but did the same for the other with a different dish, trying to keep his temper in check.
“How is visiting my own home over spring break a ‘stupid reason’ exactly?”
Floyd rolled his eyes like it was obvious as they started walking towards the tables in the cafeteria to sit down and eat.
“‘Cause your mom sucks and you’re gonna be miserable all break if you go! I don’t understand why you’d want that over coming to the Coral Sea with us!”
Riddle finally fixed him with a glare, gritting his teeth as he tried to defend, “Do not speak of my mother that way. You’re going too far, Floyd.”
Staring as the two sat down, Azul couldn’t help but sigh. “He’s right, Floyd. Insulting his family is not going to get you the results you want.”
Jade nodded along in agreement, expression stern instead of his usual passive smile.
“While I agree with your point, it’s true that Riddle loves his mother regardless if she deserves it or not. What would you do if someone spoke of Mama that way?”
Floyd immediately scowled. “I’d eat ‘em.”
Jade smiled then and nodded like it was a perfectly reasonable response.
“Stop talking about me as if I’m not here!” Riddle finally snapped, face turning red with anger. “If all you three plan to do is criticize me, then it was a mistake sitting here-“
Just as Riddle went to stand up, Floyd quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to sit back down.
“You’re not running away until I know you’re gonna be ok over break,” Floyd told him, unusually serious and almost angry-looking.
Riddle blinked in surprise, cheeks flushing for an entirely different reason before he finally pouted and began eating his food silently.
Floyd sighed heavily and laid his head on the table. “Goldfishie is so stubborn,” he complained.
Jade chuckled slightly from behind his hand, reaching over to pat his brother’s shoulder. “Ah, I thought that’s what you liked about him though. Don’t you remember how many nights you kept me awake saying,” he put on an exaggerated impression of Floyd, “‘Goldfishie looks so cute when he gets all angry for no reason~ Oh I love when Goldfish gets an idea in his head ‘cause he’s so serious about it!~ and his blush is so pretty-“
Floyd smacked his brother’s hand away, practically growling at him. “You talk too much,” he snapped.
Jade smirked mischievously, “Do I? I’m often told my quietness is unsettling, so this is good to know.”
Suddenly, Riddle bursted out laughing, his cackles even drawing a bit of attention from a few nearby students.
Azul couldn’t help but join in, albeit a bit quieter.
“Ah, it’s been a while since you too have bickered quite like this,” the octopus-mer said teasingly.
Even as Floyd turned bright red and pouted, Riddle couldn’t help leaning into his side, unable to stop his laughter.
“You really said all those things?” The redhead asked through giggles, wiping tears from his eyes.
Floyd scowled, though couldn’t stay mad for long seeing his boyfriend’s bright smile.
“‘Course I did,” he grumbled. “Goldfishie is cute. Jade’s just an ass for sharin’ it like that.”
As he finally calmed down, Riddle pulled the other down slightly to kiss his cheek.
“I will.. consider traveling with you over break, alright? It’s breaking plenty of rules, but perhaps… Perhaps it can be a valid exception.”
Floyd finally smiled then, squeezing Riddle close until the other started complaining for him to let go.
…
Two days later, Floyd plopped down onto the seat next to Riddle in the library, huffing.
“You’re doin’ it again,” he complained, though did look over the other’s shoulder to peek at what he was studying.
Riddle didn’t look up, but did pull the book slightly closer to protect it from Floyd’s view. “Doing what, exactly?” He asked boredly.
“Keepin’ your nose in a book instead of taking care of yourself.” With that, Floyd suddenly snatched the book from him and held it up high. “And clearly, Goldfishie doesn’t want me to see why~”
Riddle gasped before glaring at the other, already reaching up to grab the book back, to no avail.
“Be gentle with that! You’ll tear it and I need it!” The shorter whisper-yelled, trying not to disturb the rest of the library as it was still afternoon. “And how could you possibly know if I’ve been taking care of myself?!”
Floyd’s smirk grew, standing up to keep it even further out of reach as he began looking through it. “Sea Turtle told me,” he said distractedly, waving Riddle off even as the other started jumping to get the book back.
“…’How to learn to swim’?” The taller boy read aloud, blinking in surprise and looking down at his lover, who seemed so embarrassed that his face was bright red and little tears pricked at his eyes.
“Goldfishie, can you not swim??” He asked, shocked.
Riddle suddenly started gathering the rest of his stuff, quickly trying to flee. “This was a mistake. I’ll be sure to tell Trey to mind his business next time- forget you saw anything!”
Floyd quickly snatched the other into a hug, even as Riddle tried to squirm his way out. “Nah, I don’t think I will,” He said softly as he rested his head on top of bright red hair.
Riddle let out a frustrated noise, before finally sagging into Floyd’s hold and hiding his face away into the other’s chest.
“I don’t want to be seen like this,” Riddle whispered. “This is so pathetic, what sort’ve student and housewarden doesn’t know something as basic as swimming?”
Floyd sighed, already walking them out of the library so they could go hide away somewhere more private, though still nearby so they could get to their next classes, lest Riddle have a true meltdown.
“Th’s your mom talkin’, Goldfishie. And last I checked I’m not dating some old lady with a superiority complex.”
Riddle barked out a laugh, still wiping the tears from his cheeks. “I’m shocked you even know what that term means.”
Floyd pouted, taking them into an empty classroom and sitting down at a desk with Riddle in his lap.
“So mean to me,” the mer-eel whined. “‘Specially since I’m gonna be the one to teach you to swim!”
Riddle blinked up at the other, still all flustered and embarrassed. “I can’t, Floyd. Between our classes, my duties in Heartsbyul, our clubs, your work at Mostro Lounge-“
“Goldfish-“
“On top of that- I might not even be good at swimming; certainly not as good as you three. If I can’t perfect it, it’ll be a disaster! I have to perfect it. I should’ve been studying how to do it all along and yet instead I pushed it all aside and now-“
“Riddle!” Floyd called louder.
The smaller stopped, stunned into silence before he was pulled into a gentle kiss.
Floyd sighed in relief as he pulled away, staring at the other in what seemed like worry. It didn’t look right on the boy’s face. Riddle made him worry.
“You’re taking it too seriously, Goldfishie. You’re worrying about this ‘cause you wanna come with me on spring break, right?” Receiving a nod, Floyd continued, “So we’ll figure it out! I don’t need ya to be perfect at it. Hell, if you don’t wanna swim at all that’s ok! I’ll just squeeze ya and carry you everywhere!”
Smirking a bit, Floyd started nuzzling his cheek annoyingly against the others, hugging him tighter. “Actually, I might do that anyways!”
Riddle finally laughed again, leaning away from the ticklish feeling.
Floyd gave a brighter smile then, stealing one more kiss. “We’ll get ya swimmin’. You’re my goldfish after all, of course we gotta get you in the water! You worry about your little minnows in Heartsbyul and whatever other silly studies you do for fun, and I’ll take care of everything. I won’t even pass it off to Azul.”
The tension finally seemed to ease out of Riddle as he let out a long breath, hugging Floyd again and letting himself be squeezed close.
“Ok. If it’s you teaching… I suppose it’s alright. I just… don’t want everyone to know that I can’t do something.”
Floyd shrugged. “I think that’s silly ‘cause you’re already like wayyyy smarter than they are, but if that’s what it takes to bring you along and make ya happy, then I guess we can do it.”
…
“I feel ridiculous.”
Standing on the tile in front of the moon pool, a place under Octavinelle where the dorm was open to the sea, Riddle was wearing white swim trunks with little goldfish on them, as well as a pink flamingo donut floaty around his waist.
Floyd, in his eel form, rested against the rim of the pool, hands holding his chin up as he looked his boyfriend up and down.
“Well, I think you look sooo cute!~ Plus, the floaty is so you feel safe! Azul said it’d be a good idea for someone so stressed to be in water.”
Jade nodded from the other end of the pool, also in his eel form as he blew up a few other floaties, all in various shapes.
Taking a break from his task, the other twin added, “He seemed particularly sympathetic at the news, even gathering supplies to help teach you. And only at the low, low price of letting him take the reins at the next Housewarden meeting~”
Riddle huffed, glaring at the other across the room before looking back at the water, hesitating.
Floyd opened his arms then, grinning wide. “Aw, cmon baby! You got two experts right here to get ya if anything goes wrong, and your little floats to hold you up!”
“Ok,” Riddle breathed out. “And you both promise no matter what, you won’t laugh?”
Floyd nodded eagerly while Jade gave a single one, even adding, “Don’t worry, Floyd has me under strict rules. Pretend as though I’m not even here.”
Riddle pouted, staring at the water once more before finally going for it and hopping into the water with a little squeak.
Landing with a tiny splash, Riddle bobbed a little in his float, eyes shut tightly until he suddenly heard laughter from his partner.
Blushing furiously, Riddle started hitting at the man’s chest even when the taller was moving in for a hug.
“This is against the rules, Floyd! You agreed you wouldn’t laugh, we wrote it down and everything!” He shrieked.
Floyd continued to laugh anyways, bright and happy. “You’re just so great! Such a little jump and ya worked yourself up so much!”
Finally he calmed down a bit and cupped Riddle’s cheeks, squishing them together.
“Sorry, sweetheart, I know I broke your rules. Your little face just made my heart go all funny, I couldn’t help it! Cmon, you got all these floats on that ya can’t even get your arms in!”
Before the shorter could argue, Floyd had already pulled the float up and off of him, causing the other to quickly cling to him for safety.
“See? It ain’t so bad!”
“It’s terrible!” Riddle snapped back, furious. “You’re terrible! Teasing me, breaking all the rules- you’re just messing with me!”
Floyd just hummed, leaning back a bit to lay Riddle flat on his chest.
“See? ‘M just like your float now. Rules don’t count anyways, I ate the paper they were on so they’re gone now~”
Riddle looked shocked before scowling again. “That is not how that works! You can’t just eat the rules! I-“
As he had shifted, the boy finally took a moment to take in their position. How his hands could perfectly feel Floyd’s chest, how much bigger the other was compared to him, even the way his skin seemed cooler and almost like scales.
Looking down at the other’s body, Riddle suddenly bursted into a bright red blush, gulping slightly.
Floyd smirked then, silently letting the other examine him.
“Baby steps,” Floyd promised after a few quiet moments. “Baby steps for my baby Goldfishie~”
…
After several sessions full of paddling, diving, and learning what to do in different scenarios, Riddle was finally at his final lesson, with only two days left until break.
Having swam from the very opposite end of the pool right into Floyd’s arms, Riddle was feeling very confident in himself, finally feeling like he could relax after such a stressful few weeks.
Floyd grinned, easily holding Riddle and pecking him on the cheek.
“I think you’re all ready, Goldfishie~ Though I am gonna miss playing in the water with you,” he sighed.
Riddle flushed under the praise, but still held his head high. “Yes, I certainly do feel much more prepared for visiting the Coral Sea. Perhaps a bit more time could’ve been dedicated, but I believe my skills now will suffice. Now, let’s get out of here. It’s already evening and rule #509 says that when one accomplishes a goal they must drink tea standing beneath the moonlight just as the sun sets-“
“Actually,” Floyd cut in, looking more serious. “There is one more test we have to do.”
“Which is?” Riddle questioned with an eyebrow raised. “We’ve covered every step the book said was necessary.”
Floyd sighed. “Yeah, but it’s just…”
Suddenly, without warning, Riddle felt something grab his ankle tightly and begin dragging him into the dark water below.
Panicked, the boy quickly tried to hold his breath and kick his legs to break free. Once he finally managed to kick off whatever had grabbed him, he quickly began his ascent.
It was much more difficult than it seemed, finding himself completely turned around and barely able to make out the light above through his fear.
When he finally managed to right himself, he quickly started towards the surface, lungs burning with the need for air.
Breaching the water, Riddle let out a desperate gasp, clinging to the wall and letting out a string of coughs.
As he looked around the room, he saw Floyd in his human form again and smiling, as well as, surprisingly, Jade, just reaching the surface as well.
Riddle looked between them wildly, heart still pounding so hard it felt like it would explode.
“Goldfishie did it!” Floyd cheered, looking completely unbothered. “He passed the last test! Bet you’re feeling so good having gotten a perfect score~”
“What?” Riddle croaked out, already feeling his anger rising.
Jade smirked, exiting the water and drying himself off as he transformed back as well.
“Yes, you did quite well. I’ll take my leave now, considering I’ve gotten my end of the deal.”
Floyd laughed, helping Riddle out of the water, even as the other shivered and coughed.
“Ah, we should celebrate! I have snacks in my room we can-“
“You set this up?!” Riddle snapped, wrapping his towel around himself and practically drowning in it with how large it was.
Floyd just blinked. “Well, yeah. I mean we’re not gonna be swimming in a kiddie pool like this over break-“
Before the other boy could finish, Riddle yelled out, “OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!!!”
“Wahhh!! No fair!” The taller cried as he reached up to feel the collar around his neck.
…
“Cmon, Goldfishie it ain’t that bad!” Floyd insisted as he followed a furious Riddle back to Heartsbyul.
“‘Not that bad’?! Do you have any idea how dangerous that stunt was?! Here I thought you were helping me but no! It’s all just some game to you!”
Floyd scowled then, finally stopping Riddle right in front of his bedroom door and gripping his shoulders.
“I ain’t messing around this time!” He insisted. “The Coral Sea is full of assholes who’d love to chase you down. If ya don’t know how to get away, you’re practically fish bait!”
Riddle huffed, thinking that over. “…I’m still furious with you. And who do you think you are, cursing in my room like that?! The rules clearly state that such foul language is completely inappropriate.”
The mer-eel rolled his eyes, opening the bedroom door and pushing the two of them inside. “Yeah well I just got an earful the whole way back so I think I earned a lil ‘foul language’.”
“You were going to let your brother drown me!!”
“Was not! If Jade was serious I woulda grabbed you right away. He just wanted to mess with some prey, that’s all.”
“I am not prey,” Riddle seethed. “If you are only going to argue then you can leave. I don’t want to hear your excuses! I want to get dressed, finish studying, and go to bed to forget this whole thing.”
Floyd’s frown deepened. “So what, you’re not coming with me anymore? You’d rather go back to your place and what- let your mom hit you again?!”
Riddle tensed, the words clearly having struck a nerve.
“You promised you wouldn’t bring that up,” he whispered, curling in on himself.
Floyd winced, already regretting his words before hugging his partner from behind.
“I can’t send ya back there, Goldfishie,” he whispered, kissing the top of the other’s head. “The Coral Sea ain’t exactly a cake walk, but at least there I can keep you safe…”
Riddle was quiet for a long time after that, though eventually turned so he could hug back.
“You swear to me you’ll never pull a stunt like that again? I was… really scared, Floyd.”
The taller nodded, already pulling back just to squish the other’s cheeks together. “Promise. ‘Sides, I was giving Jade a head start. If it were real you’d never get that far away from me. I just needed to make sure you’d be ok if anything happened.”
Riddle groaned, pouting but finally nodding. “Then… I guess I can forgive you.”
Floyd smirked. “Yeah? Good. ‘Cause I wasn’t leaving til you did. Now, Goldfishie is still all cold so I gotta squeeze ya to warm you up!”
Riddle groaned, but allowed it, reminding, “We will not be getting into bed without cleaning ourselves up.”
“Oooo a shower with Goldfishie? How scandalous~”
Turning bright red, Riddle scolded, “Floyd!! I said nothing of the sort!”
He was only met with laughter.
…
With winter break finally arriving, Riddle filed into the mirror room with Floyd, Jade, and Azul.
Wearing a white linen shirt and his goldfish swim trunks, the redhead felt extremely embarrassed, only comforted by the fact everyone else was too excited for their own breaks to notice.
Still, it was breaking several “meeting the parents” rules to dress like this and Riddle had to keep frantically reminding himself that this was a special case and he couldn’t very well wear a suit underwater the entire time.
“The potion should last plenty long, however we’ve brought extra just in case,” Azul explained, pushing up his glasses.
Riddle nodded, finally pulled out of his thoughts as he examined the vials before tucking them away in his bag.
“And what exactly do I owe in return?” He asked suspiciously.
Azul coughed, looking a bit sheepish. “Your complete silence on anything you see down there.”
Floyd smirked, piping in, “Azul’s afraid you’re gonna blab about his squishy lil mer form~”
Riddle blinked in surprise, but nodded anyway. “In which case, you don’t have to worry. I don’t exactly plan to spread rumors, especially considering the help you’ve given.”
Azul nodded, seemingly satisfied with that response.
Riddle had just finished downing the potion as their turn to step through arrived.
“Ah, it’s time Goldfishie!~” Floyd said happily, squeezing the other’s hand tightly.
Riddle cleared his throat and nodded, hesitating. “Yes, but perhaps I should prepare more for your parents; my gift may not be enough-“
“Too late!” The taller boy cheered, shoving Riddle through the mirror before practically skipping in after him.
When the Heartsbyul housewarden opened his eyes again, all he could see was the vast blueness of the sea, seemingly stretching on forever.
It was a breathtaking sight, second only to the scene of Floyd happily zipping around the water in his natural form, laughing as he and Jade swam in circles around each other.
Behind him, he could sense Azul examining him and turned to look.
He was met with a form much bigger than Azul’s human one, with the other being just as lean yet towering over Riddle, his black tentacles floating around them.
“I don’t see what the issue is,” Riddle said, adjusting to the feeling of speaking underwater. “You’re quite intimidating in this form. Had I not known you previously, I would think you could most certainly out match me,” the boy informed, nodding his approval.
As Azul’s cheeks flushed, he simply cleared his throat and used one of his tentacles to begin guiding Riddle around.
“Yes, well, let us just pray that this break goes by swiftly. Now, we better catch up to those two before we lose them entirely.”