Chapter Text
At first, Floyd thought nothing of the sort when it came to jobs, mundane clean-ups that required his brute force and his brother’s persuasive charm. Sure, he had come across the occasional cute kid, but nothing else.
This was his drive, something he could do besides skateboarding every evening after a long day - until he met [Reader]. If he remembered well, his first encounter with [Reader] was nothing short of a surprise, a new order to monitor the streets and eradicate the “vermin”. The “vermin” in question happened to be a short-tempered, bull-headed older brother of [Reader] who insisted on keeping their territory, their lackeys echoing the same sentiment.
“How bothersome,” Jade muttered woefully, adjusting his satin gloves. Floyd ignored him - most of the time, Jade, with his butler-like temperance and icy smile, would handle negotiations swiftly and civilly. However, this incident warranted Floyd’s brute strength and sharp wit. Naturally, when one twin faltered, the other would provide support (begrudgingly).
“Now, now, what do we have here? A stubborn brat with their dogs..” A smirk danced on Floyd’s lips, seeing those hostile gazes, their leader glaring daggers at him.
“Oh no, Floyd, you must be polite to our guests. Calling them ‘dogs’ wouldn’t simply do.”
Jade quipped along, his smile mirroring Floyd’s.
“Why not? They’re surrounding him like a horde of dogs,”
Floyd snickers, his eye catching a pattern of white amid a sea of black cloth. Ah, the young man wasn’t liking the way his heart skipped a beat. A thrill different from his adrenaline-driven moments, it felt as if he won a fight against his brother - exhilaration permeating his senses.
What is this feeling? Floyd remembered asking himself when he first laid eyes on [Reader]. He recalled this first counter, a livid [Reader] ready to fight even the most intimidating figures in the streets, shielding their older brother and putting themselves in front of Floyd, hands on their hips. On that day, [Reader] had struck a deal with the twins: a skateboarding competition to determine who can keep their turf. Their older brother was a master in such with the other gang members in the same caliber, while Floyd was the better skateboard out of the Leech twins. Out of fairness, the competition was narrowed down to Floyd and the leader.
“Good luck, Floyd.”
Jade, out of the kindness of his heart, bid, mild disinterest showing on his frown.
“Thanks.”
Blessings from his other brother were rare, but it seemed appropriate to take it anyway. The skateboarding competition, located at a small abandoned skating park, demanded skill and agility on the skateboard. The judges of the competition were the more vocal out of the audience, jeering as one who didn’t demonstrate their prowess on the skateboard properly or cheering who did. [Reader] merely watched, noting who was the true victor between the two competitors.
Many thought the winner would be the Leader with his perfect ollies and tactful maneuvers as the victor, and some thought Floyd with his spontaneous bursts of energy and insane heights on his jumps. Discourse divided the group, opinions split between Floyd and the Leader as the victors in the competition. Looking back to this moment, Floyd remembered a sense of clarity and relief when [Reader] stepped out from their stupor, their figure emerging from the crowd of lackeys with a calm demeanor.
“Big Brother, you did well today,”
They say as their eyes train on Floyd intensely, a sad smile by their lips.
“But, Floyd’s skating was different, something I’ve never seen before. On top of that, it was reckless in the sense that he did pull off maneuvers at the last minute and getting height from them.”
The grimace from their older brother’s expression was evident to see.
“Thanks, [Reader].”
A bitter smile was all he could muster for a loser’s crowning. Pride swelled in Floyd’s bosom, almost outweighing the thrill from the competition.
“Congratulations, Floyd. You’ve won. Since you’ve won this fair and square, the turf my brother and his boys have called home is now yours. Is there anything else you’d want on top of your prize?”
“Your hand, if you please.”
Floyd blurted. His twin looked at him in disbelief. What kind of romantic troupe did Floyd just pulled off? Jade thought to himself; yet, he lacked the words to scold or even patronize Floyd for his brashness.
Even [Reader] was speechless. Sure enough, this person, a total stranger, a lackey under the famed Octavinelle group no less, wasn’t that bold enough to ask for [Reader]’s interest in romance. Yet, there was something intense about the Leech twin’s gaze, a look that would knock the absolute wind out of his opponent, but one that [Reader] somehow knew that he was serious.
“Let me think about it.”
Those words echo in the forefront of Floyd’s mind as well as [Reader]’s. An apologetic smile curls on [Reader]’s lips before they collect their indignant brother and his lackeys. As if he were in a dream, he saw a beautiful flower blossom before him.
~ ~ ~
“Hey, Floyd,”
“Yes, [Reader]?”
“Do you remember when we first met?”
“You mean the time when I was beating the crap out of your brother?”
An affable snort slips from [Reader].
“Yea, what about it?”
“I don’t know how to say it outright, but when I saw you that day. Maybe the adrenaline was getting to me..”
A burning sensation permeates his cheeks, a feeling he wasn’t too keen on himself. Maybe he was having a fever? He could fathom [Reader]’s silhouette in the moonlight, their smile a faint line in the distance.
“You don’t have to say it outright, Floyd.”
A faint warmth hovers over Floyd’s hand, a pair of eyes conveying nothing but patience and a sliver of kindness.
“But…”
Floyd removes his hand away, his gaze elsewhere, anywhere but [Reader]’s face. This foreign sensation in his heart befuddled him - what was it? The words couldn’t seem to come out. He hated how his heart pittered-pattered against his chest and how his cheeks flared up upon the sight of [Reader]. What am I, an elementary school student?
He sighs, fixing his gaze upon [Reader] once more.
Before he could budge, they stood in front of him, their height barely reaching up to his torso. Yet, they lock eyes, a look of determination and patience bearing into him.
"Floyd, you're a funny guy, you know that? You really asked to court me as soon as you beat the crap out of my brother from a skating bout and multiple fights, and he is considered the BEST out of our group. Sure, my brother would make you fight him to test you after that, but you kept on beating him, one way after another. But after all that fighting, my brother had a hard time accepting that someone else could protect his little sibling. Well, you've also made me realize that I can love someone other than my big brother. I don't know if you were impulsive, stupid, or both. But, I respect that, Floyd, and you're so silly for it."
Silly? What a way to describe the debacle years ago. He lets out a dry chuckle, letting those memories slip by as [Reader] regaled the story. What else did he see in [Reader] when they first met? Sure, they gave him a striking impression after that fight, or the selfless act of Floyd would dub stupidity after they would come up to him and pat his head like he was some kid. This thinking got him hungry.
“How about we grab a quick snack before going home, huh? My stomach is killing me.”
[Reader] doesn’t seem to pay mind to the serious tone from before. They followed along with a pleasant smile on their lips.
I'll keep on reminding you until that memory is embedded in your brain, Floyd Leech.
Some would say a curse, but to [Reader], it was a memory worth cherishing.