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If there was one thing Ruggie actually enjoyed about his time at Night Raven College, it was all the rich friends he made.
As cynical as it was to say, Ruggie had to admit it. He was a street rat, a nobody who spent years scrounging for food even when he lived with family. If it wasn’t for his magic, he honestly expected to starve to death before he turned eighteen…
But here he was. Friends with two princes, a model and movie star, and so many people of importance… In his past life, before his magic, before all this, would those people have even noticed him?
It was a sad thought, really. But he was here now, and he was happy. And he was especially happy being at a summer beach party with all his friends.
He wasn’t sure who actually paid for it. It sounded like the wealthier parts of his friend group decided to come together and pool their cash in order to pay for this little vacation, considering whispers about “not screwing up their security deposit” and stuff like that. But he was happy to be invited to this party.
Unfortunately, as he returned to the back porch carrying a tray full of various mixed drinks for everyone to cool off, he noticed the unhappy form of his boyfriend Azul Ashengrotto. The merman was still in his human form, sitting on the covered porch and looking out with a frown over the beach where their companions played. Ruggie sat the tray down on a nearby table and grabbed his drink and the drink he had ordered for Azul.
“Hey there grumpy gills. You doin’ okay?” Ruggie asked as he offered Azul the drink.
“Ah- Thank you.” Azul said as he took the drink. “Sorry, I’m just feeling annoyed for no good reason…” He sipped at the drink. He gave a hum of appreciation, almost surprised that he enjoyed it.
“What is this?” He asked before he took another sip.
“It’s a… Some sort of ginger beer drink thing, I don’t know.” Ruggie muttered. Azul takes a few more sips before he hummed again.
“...I believe this is a Dark and Stormy… non-alcoholic of course…” Azul sipped again and nodded. “Yes, that’s the one.”
“And that’s why you’re the owner of the Mostro Lounge.” Ruggie laughed, and soon the two fell into silence again. They sipped at their drinks, and Ruggie looked out over the beach to their companions. The group played on the beach, and out there Ruggie saw the full merman forms of the twins as they played in the water with Riddle and Che’nya…
The hyena glanced over at his boyfriend before he spoke again.
“...You know, I don’t think… Any of us would make fun of you if you wanted to turn into your octopus form.” Ruggie said comfortingly. Azul almost choked on his drink but managed to catch himself with a few coughs.
“W-What gave you that idea?” Azul sputtered out nervously.
“I-I mean, you weren’t doing too hot and I thought…” Ruggie motioned out to the water, towards the twins. Azul looked out at them, then back down at his drink.
“I’m not… Okay that’s…” Azul muttered. “I still don’t feel comfortable doing that, but that’s not why I’m annoyed…”
“...Then what’s the problem?” Ruggie put his own drink down and looked over at his boyfriend.
“Idia is the problem.” Azul tipped his head back into the beach house. “He still hasn’t recovered from the dehydration and sun burns from yesterday, so he’s just cooped himself up in the room he has with Ortho. Ace is helping take care of him too, but… I don’t think we’ll see him leave his room tonight…”
“Oh.” Ruggie said. He glanced back at the house, knowing that somewhere in this beachside home there was a nerd struggling with being in the sun for five minutes. Of course, that didn’t really answer the question…
“...What does Idia being down for the count have to do with you bein’ miserable?” Ruggie asked.
“I’m not-” Azul tutted and shook his head. “I just had plans to have a bit of a board game night, and him being the only other Board Game Club member meant that he was the only guaranteed competition I’d have.”
“What about Leona?” Ruggie suggested. “Don’t you play chess with him sometimes? Or is that Idia…?”
“More Idia, but both of us do it on occasion.” Azul answered. “But it doesn’t matter. That’s chess, and my board game collection is different… Plus you’re assuming that Leona is going to want to play after being on the beach all day. What he’ll probably do is come inside, shower, take a nap, eat dinner, then grab Cater and go back to their room…”
“...Fair…” Ruggie bit his lip. “...I mean, I’m probably not the best at board games, but I could try.”
“Really?” Azul looked surprised, but not shocked. It was merely a possibility he never thought of. “You’ve never really been interested in my games before.”
“Ya never even invited me.”
“Yes, because you never seemed interested.”
“But you invited Leona and Jack.”
“That was different. It was an apology gift.”
“Because you wanted to get in Jack’s pants.”
“I didn’t… There are nicer ways of phrasing it…” Azul finally trailed off in thought. Slowly Azul reached over and took Ruggie’s hand.
“...We really are bad boyfriends, aren’t we?” Ruggie laughed and looked back out to the speech.
“...Yeah… I still… After everything we still don’t get each other, do we…?” Azul said.
“No, but… For a pair of dumbasses who clearly keep not gettin’ each other… I think we’re doin’ alright.”
“...Well, I do hope you have fun tonight with the games.” Azul smiled. “I won’t be going easy on you.”
Little did he know that Ruggie would be the best negotiator at the table.