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“Happy birthday, Azul~” Floyd greets, sitting down on his bed and handing him a small plate of strawberry cream cake as he sits up and rubs the sleep from his eyes. “Time to eat up! Gotta get ready for your big day.”
“Yes, we have a lot planned for you,” Jade adds as he puts Azul’s glasses on for him. “Everyone in the dorm is excited to celebrate with you tonight.”
Azul blinks a few times as his vision adjusts. “Oh really? I didn’t expect there to be much fanfare from everyone.”
“Oh please,” Floyd scoffs. “Don’t act like you didn’t know.”
“Modesty is unbecoming on you, Azul.”
Azul grins. Although many are wary of his cunning, the students of his dorm admire him greatly for it and have always made a point of showing him the respect he deserves. Throwing a party in his honor is hardly something out of his realm of expectation.
“If you say so. Either way, I look forward to the party you and the others have planned.”
He then turns to the cake Floyd gave him. Normally, he wouldn’t indulge in such a heavy treat first thing in the morning, but the cake looked absolutely heavenly. Layers of strawberry filling topped with fluffy whipped cream and fresh strawberries, he’s close to drooling at the sight alone.
“Like it?” Floyd asks, inching closer. “Made it myself.”
“Yes, it looks wonderful, Floyd,” he praises easily. “Your presentation, as always, is top tier. I—“
Floyd slams the cake up to his face.
Azul blinks. He can feel whipped cream sliding down his cheek, cold and sticky, and slowly takes off his glasses. He looks at Floyd then at Jade, who’s barely holding in his laughter, and licks his lips.
“Floyd.”
“Hmm?” Floyd has the audacity to smile innocently at him. He snaps.
“Are you serious?! How could you waste good food like that! You’re not even supposed to do such stupid things until the party! And now you’re going to get cake all over my sheets! You—“
Floyd kisses the tip of his nose, a featherlight touch that immediately douses the flames of Azul’s ire and instead sets his cheeks ablaze in an unflattering blush.
“What was that for?” he mumbles, suddenly shy.
“Your first birthday kiss of the day!” Floyd chirps.
“It’s tradition,” Jade adds, holding him by the chin as he wipes his face clean with a damp towelette. “Eighteen kisses for the eighteen years you’ve been alive.”
“I’ve never heard of such a tradition,” Azul says. “Is this something that land dwellers do?”
“Not…exactly. Traditionally, they do ‘birthday punches’ for good luck and hit the person the number of times equal to their age.” Jade takes his hand and gently cleans his fingers, smiling. “But for someone as delicate as yourself, we thought a softer approach was appropriate.”
He leans down and kisses his hand, eyes alight with mischievous delight. “That’s number two.”
Azul takes his hand back and cradles it against his chest, suddenly feeling nervous of what’s to come. “Don’t tell me you’re planning on carrying out this tradition.”
The two morays grin, baring equally sharp teeth in clear amusement for his dread.
“Who knows?” Floyd drawls. “Maybe we’ll go easy on you and spread them out throughout the day.”
“Or do it all at once,” Jade says. “A rather difficult choice for us. Both have their appeal.”
“Should we let Azul decide then?”
“No, that’ll ruin the surprise.”
“True true.”
“There’s no talking you two out of this, is there?” Azul says.
“Nope~”
“Not at all.”
Azul sighs and resigns himself to his fate as the two drag him out of bed to help him get dressed for class. He hopes he’ll still have some dignity left after this.
On the bright side, he was still able to eat that delicious cake for breakfast as Floyd had made two of them in anticipation of his little prank. Soft and sweet, the flavors send him up on cloud nine, and the green tea Jade served alongside it only enhances the whole experience.
“Aha, Azul looks so cute~ Like one of those chipmunks with its mouth all stuffed with nuts.”
“Indeed. Perhaps we should make another to add more plump to that adorable face of his.”
“Ugh, don’t ruin the moment, you two.”
By the time they walk him to class, he almost forgets about that silly tradition until he’s pulled aside into a secluded corner, where Jade gives him his third kiss of the day right on his cheek. He looked all too pleased as he does so and before he could even recover from that one, Floyd leans down and gives him his fourth kiss on his other cheek.
They both smile at him.
“Have a good day in class, Azul.”
“Yeah, see ya, Azul!”
Once they’re out of sight, Azul slides down the wall, knees up to his chest, and lets out a tiny scream into his hands before promptly standing up and walking into class. It took him longer than he’d like to admit to recompose himself and his embarrassment at being so affected only worsens when Jamil gives him a funny look.
“For the sake of my own peace of mind, I have to ask. Are you alright?”
“Quite fine, Jamil. Though I appreciate the concern.”
“Good,” he says before ignoring him for the rest of the period as per usual.
For kisses five to nine, Jade and Floyd made a point to bump into him in the hallways between classes, kissing him on the forehead, neck, hand–any bare skin they can brush their lips against. He tried dodging them after the first two times, but they somehow manage to snag him every time even with the crowd of students surrounding them.
It’s absolutely mad, especially since he knew that their classes weren’t that close to each other.
“You’re going to be late,” Azul hisses as Floyd pushes him against a wall, his larger frame hiding him from any prying eyes. “Don’t think I won’t punish you if Professor Crewel issues another complaint about your attendance.”
You underestimate my parkour skills, Azul,” Floyd says, smug. “I’ll get there in time.”
And with that, he kisses Azul’s forehead, his lips lingering long enough to brush against his temple, his ear, before Azul pushes him away with a squeak. Floyd laughs and walks off with a wink.
The nerve, really.
And if he thought he’d get some sort of break when they opened up the Mostro Lounge, he is sorely mistaken.
“Ten,” Jade whispers as he places a cup of tea on his desk, brushing his lips against his ear.
“Eleven~” Floyd says, a lilt to his voice, as he passes by and kisses his cheek while he was in the middle of instructing some trainees.
A kiss on the top of his head. “Twelve.”
A peck on his palm. “Thirteen!”
All the attention is making his mind spin.
As he watches Floyd skip off to the kitchen after another kiss, one of the serves comes up to him with an amiable smile.
“You guys make a cute couple, Housewarden,” he says. “I used to find Jade and Floyd scary but it’s nice to see them treating you so well.”
Azul screams internally.
Smiling extra wide, he grits out, “We’re not dating.”
He blinks, confused. Then, “Oh.”
They stare at each other, an awkward silence settling in between them. The server mumbles an apology before excusing himself and scurrying off to the service room.
Azul prays to the Sea Witch for strength.
“So what did you think of your birthday party?” Jade asks as they enter Azul’s bedroom. “Did you have fun?”
“‘Course he did,” Floyd says, one arm slinged around Azul’s shoulder. “Look, he’s practically glowing.”
He pokes his cheek and Azul swats his hand away, smiling. “Must you tease me for enjoying myself? I’d think you had enough after shoving another cake in my face.”
That and kissing him again in front of everyone. Though he isn’t sure what’s more mortifying; the fact that no one blinked an eye at it or his own longing to kiss them back.
“Aha! You know I’ll never get tired of seeing you lose your cool,” Floyd exclaims.
“Incorrigible,” he mutters.
“Now that’s a mouthful. You sure you what that word even means?”
“Of course I do! And if you don’t, that’s not my problem.”
“Wow, mean. Are you seeing this, Jade? See how ungrateful he is after we threw a whole party for him?”
Jade’s smile is fond when they look back at him, his gaze so warm that Azul is taken aback by the sincerity of it. Sometimes he forgets how soft Jade is behind that sinister mask, but moments like these, when they find him watching them in quiet adoration, reminds Azul why he grew to love his morays back in the first place.
“Yes, I can see that, Floyd,” Jade replies indulgently. “But perhaps some squeezing may make him see sense.”
Floyd lights up and immediately yanks Azul towards his wardrobe. “Hell yeah, cuddling time! C’mon, Azul. Let’s get these clothes off already.”
“Floyd! Not so rough—“
He hears Jade chuckle before walking off, presumably to ready his bath because he knows Azul would want to freshen up after such an eventful day.
Meanwhile, Floyd helps him undress, taking his birthday jacket off and reaching over his shoulders to hang it in his wardrobe. He’s quieter now, humming a soft melody from home. Azul lets himself relax against him, content.
He sometimes forgets how caring and tender Floyd can be too. How his hands, which have fought and squeezed many, could hold him so gently and take care of him in little ways like this.
But he wants something more than that.
“Floyd, come here.” He beckons him forward and Floyd leans down.
“What is it, Azul?”
Before he can talk himself out of it, Azul turns his head and kisses him. He can feel Floyd freeze, shocked, and Azul trills in delight at the reaction, fingers caressing the smooth skin of his cheek before pressing his lips harder against Floyd’s.
It’s always so satisfying to catch them off guard.
A strangled noise escapes Floyd and Azul pulls away with a smirk, licking his lips.
“That’s seventeen~”
Floyd stares at him, starry eyed and mouth agape. It’s a cute look and Azul couldn’t help but coo and pinch his cheek, causing the eel to blush even more.
“Aww, are you embarrassed? To think you can’t take what you ‘dish out.’ How adorable~”
Floyd snaps out of his daze.
“That’s not fair!” he whines, pouting. “You’re not supposed to be acting cool now!”
“Oh so you two get to be all charming while I have to be the flustered mess?” Azul laughs. “I don’t think so.”
Floyd makes another low whining noise and wraps his arms around him from behind, hiding his face in the crook of his neck. His ears have gone a bright red. Azul shakes his head, exasperated but still so so fond, and runs his fingers through Floyd’s hair in a soothing gesture.
“What’s this?” Jade approaches them with a mildly amused expression. “Are you two having fun without me?”
“Why don’t you come here and find out?”
Azul beckons him forward and as soon as Jade is within reach, he grabs his face and pulls him down for a kiss.
Jade gasps, going stiff as a board, and Azul reaches up to ghost his fingers over his neck, rubbing the area lightly to calm him down. It works and Azul smiles into the kiss as hears a soft rumble of satisfaction leave Jade.
When they break away, Jade looks just like his brother, red faced and eyes filled with childlike wonder.
“That was…”
Azul giggles and pats his cheek. “Kiss number eighteen.”
“Eighteen,” Jade echoes, brow furrowing as he smiles at him in exasperation. “Impatient, aren’t you?”
“I was merely expressing my gratitude for you two,” he says and detaches himself from Floyd to walk past him and over to the bathroom. “After all, I didn’t want to seem ungrateful. ”
Floyd sticks his tongue out at him and Azul laughs again. He doesn’t think he’s smiled this much in a good while. His cheeks are getting sore.
“Anyway, go freshen up, Jade, Floyd. I expect you two to be here in half an hour for cuddles.”
“Pssh, make that fifteen minutes.”
“We’ll be here post haste.”
They end up falling asleep in Azul’s bed, limbs entangled, and even without the kisses, Azul already counts himself lucky to have such devoted mates by his side.