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The post-midterm party at Scarabia was nothing like Riddle had expected. Typically, Kalim’s parties were boisterous, over-the-top events featuring more food than anyone (except, perhaps, Ruggie) could possibly eat, featuring lively but chaotic music and dancing. Riddle had declined numerous invitations to such events, but Kalim had a way of not taking no for an answer in the most annoyingly endearing way possible.
In that regard, except for the endearing part, Kalim reminded Riddle of someone else at this party. Someone whose eyes had met Riddle’s more than once already, and whose lips had curved into a sharp-toothed grin each time it had happened.
Ugh, he was so annoying.
“Riddle,” a soft voice to his right spoke. “Here’s the iced tea you wanted.”
Silver held out an ornate glass filled with ice and a deep, copper colored beverage. Riddle smiled as he accepted it, relieved to have someone who wasn’t Floyd by his side. He caught a whiff of berries as he took a sip. It was while his lips were wrapped around the straw that he could feel someone watching him.
It was Floyd. Of course, it was.
Riddle’s gaze met Floyd’s from across the room. He was standing with his brother and Ruggie, and while it was possible that Floyd was finding amusement in whatever Ruggie was saying, it was far more likely that Riddle’s obvious annoyance was what had Floyd practically giggling from across the room.
That and whatever he and Jade were drinking. Jade was better at hiding his inebriation, but he was swaying on his feet slightly, and his smiles seemed a little more genuine.
Not that Riddle trusted them – not the twins, not Jade’s smiles, and certainly not Floyd’s attention.
He scowled in Floyd’s direction and turned to Silver as he took a sip of his drink.
“This is quite good,” he said. “Crisp, not too sweet, with just a hint of…”
He trailed off as realized that Silver was fast asleep on his feet, his own drink clasped in his hand.
Silver’s habit of nodding off, no matter what he was doing, was exceedingly frustrating, especially now, at a time when Riddle was resolutely attempting to ignore Floyd. Still, it was rather impressive that the fingers curled around Silver’s glass hadn’t loosened their grip.
“Hmm?” Silver asked, blinking his eyes open.
Riddle swallowed an exasperated sigh and pasted on a polite smile. “Thank you,” he told Silver, lifting his glass. “For the drink.”
Silver was quiet for a moment, glancing at Riddle’s drink, then his own. “Oh,” he said. “You’re welcome.” He tapped the rim of his glass against Riddle’s. “And congratulations on coming in first.”
Riddle didn’t even try to conceal his smirk. “Well,” he conceded, “the midterm results have yet to be posted.”
Silver blinked at him. “Do you suspect you might not place first?”
Riddle felt his eyebrow twitch. “No.”
“Oh,” Silver said. “Then…congratulations.”
Silver’s expression was so earnest that if Riddle wasn’t used to his classmate’s sincerity, he might’ve suspected an insult was hidden in there. He acknowledged the compliment with a genuine smile and a quiet ‘thank you’ before wrapping his lips around his straw.
“Ehhh? What are we congratulating Goldfishie for?”
Riddle nearly choked on the small bit of liquid he’d sucked up through his straw, and he glared up at Floyd, who, along with his twin, was towering over him.
“Floyd,” he spat out.
Floyd grabbed the two locks of hair that formed a heart on Riddle’s head and tugged them lightly. “Tell meeeee,” he said.
Riddle would’ve knocked the annoying oaf’s arms away, but he didn’t want to spill his drink.
“I, too, would like to offer my felicitations,” Jade said. His cheeks were pink, probably due to the drink he'd been imbibing, but Riddle didn’t trust Jade any further than he could throw him, at least not without magic.
“Guys, guys!” Kalim said, gesturing for them to join him at a large, round table. “Come sit with us!”
Silver was the first to head toward the table, but then, he and Kalim had been friends since freshman year. Floyd and Jade flanked Riddle, and rather than storming off and causing a scene, Riddle quickly followed Silver, sliding into the seat between Silver and Ruggie, who was engaged in conversation with Azul.
“So good of you to join us, Riddle,” Azul said, glancing in Riddle’s direction. “We were short a few people needed to play a game.”
The fact that Azul hadn’t included Silver in his comment was reason enough to be suspicious.
Riddle’s eyebrows furrowed. “What game?”
“It’s really fun!” Kalim said excitedly. “And the more the merrier!”
“Kalim,” Jamil sighed. “Must you use gemstones for playing pieces?”
“They’re so pretty, though!”
“Worry not,” Azul said. “None of us here are thieves, are we?”
Everyone’s gazes, except for Kalim’s and Silver’s, swung toward Ruggie.
“What?” Ruggie said, holding up his hands. “I’m just here for the food!”
With another sigh, Jamil quickly explained the rules. Although Azul’s claim of needing more players was highly suspicious when mancala was a two-player game, the rules seemed simple enough. Riddle could understand Jamil’s concern over the rare, colorful gems being used as ‘seeds,’ but Kalim’s enthusiasm tended to be blind, deaf, and dumb to practicality.
Riddle couldn’t help feeling a bit of smug satisfaction when he won the first game, causing one of Azul’s eyebrows to twitch. The second game was more cutthroat, which meant that Azul made plenty of snide comments while Floyd made an equal number of nonsensical ones and Jade interspersed both with running commentary.
Despite his initial victory, it was frustrating to lose the second game. Riddle hated that Azul and his cronies had managed to get under his skin. Before either Riddle or Azul could propose a third game to claim a nonexistent throne, Floyd began bouncing his knee, banging the underside of the table hard enough to send one of the gems clean off the table. Fortunately, Silver had fast reflexes, and he caught it before it hit the floor.
Jamil hastily packed the game away despite Kalim’s protests, and Azul cleared his throat. As if that had been a cue, Jade suggested a change of pace.
Riddle didn’t trust either of them for a moment.
“I’m sure we have other games in the treas-” Kalim began, before Jamil slapped a hand over Kalim’s mouth.
“I did not bring any with me,” Azul said with a sigh. “Had I known, I would have been happy to introduce you to one that the Board Game Club recently acquired.”
“Does anyone have a deck of cards?” Ruggie suggested.
When Kalim leaped to his feet, ready to fetch a deck, Jamil grabbed his arm and pulled him back to his chair.
“We’re not playing for money,” Jamil said firmly.
“One needn’t wager currency,” Azul pointed out.
“No deals, either!” Riddle and Jamil shouted in unison.
“Floyd?” Jade asked. “What do you think?”
Floyd shrugged and drained the rest of the bottle that he’d nearly toppled over with his fidgeting. “No card games. Not feelin’ it.”
“While you argue over games,” Ruggie said, “I’m gonna grab something to eat.”
“I will stretch my legs, as well,” Silver said, getting to his feet. “It isn’t healthy to sit in one place for too long.”
As he passed, his baton knocked against the table, causing the empty bottle in front of Floyd to tip over onto its side. Floyd poked at the bottle a few times, and then he gave it a spin. Riddle watched as it made several revolutions, before coming to a rest, pointing directly at Floyd.
Jade and Azul exchanged glances, and that was never a good sign.
“Perhaps we could play a game of skill rather than chance,” Azul mused.
“Physical skill?” Silver asked as he returned to the table. “I would be happy to participate.”
“Not that sort of physical skill,” Jade explained. He gestured to the bottle.
Silver picked up the bottle and weighed it in his hands. “Is it a moving target?”
“Is it?” Kalim asked. “Do we have one of those, Jamil?”
“No!” Jamil shouted. “There will be no bottle throwing of any kind, at any kind of target.” His eyes drifted over to Azul, and it looked like he was reconsidering his position.
“Oh,” Silver said, oblivious to anything beyond the bottle in his hand. “I am sorry for making such a foolish assumption. It would be rather dangerous to use projectiles made of glass.”
While Riddle wondered, not for the first time, exactly what kind of training Lilia had given Silver and Sebek, Kalim was giving Silver a one-armed hug and assuring him that no apology was needed. It earned him the tiniest smile of appreciation from Silver as he took his seat next to Riddle.
Ruggie returned as well, his plate overflowing with food.
“What are we playing?” Silver asked, his eyelids beginning to droop. He blinked a few times in an attempt to stay awake.
“Spin the bottle,” Jade said smoothly, causing Ruggie to nearly choke on the food he’d just shoveled into his mouth.
The way Jade was smiling made Riddle immediately suspicious, but Silver was interested.
“How is it played?”
“You set the bottle on the table and give it a spin,” Jade explained. “Would you care to demonstrate?”
Silver nodded, and, without preamble, spun the bottle with so much force, it was nearly a blur. It began to slow, and then, finally, it came to rest with the neck of the bottle pointing directly at Riddle.
“And so, the game has commenced,” Jade announced. “Kiss him.”
“I’m sorry?” Silver asked, confused.
“Riddle,” Azul explained. “You spin the bottle, and then you kiss whoever it points to when it stops spinning.”
Silver nodded. “I understand.”
“I did not agree to this!” Riddle protested.
“Oh?” Jade asked.
“The rules of the game state that the person spinning the bottle kisses the person the bottle is pointing to.”
“I’ve heard of this game!” Kalim said. “But I’ve never played it before!”
“I never said I would play the game!”
“You are seated at the table,” Azul pointed out. “You did not get up and leave when the game began. But by all means,” he said, waving his hand. “Don’t let me keep you.”
“The rules?” Riddle asked. “The rules state that by sitting at the table, I am committed to this?”
“Don’t worry yourself about the particulars,” Azul said.
Riddle chewed on his lip, and then, glanced at Silver. “Okay,” he said. “You can… go ahead and… just… just do it!”
Silver brushed Riddle’s hair away from his face and brushed his lips lightly against Riddle’s forehead before settling back into his chair. “My father would kiss my forehead like that when I was feeling sick.”
Had it been obvious to Silver that Riddle’s stomach was churning?
“How kind of you!” Jade said, folding his hands in front of his chest. “Wouldn’t you agree, Riddle?”
“It was…” Riddle swallowed. “Very thoughtful.”
“It’s your spin,” Azul said.
Riddle’s jerked his head toward Azul. “What?”
“It’s your spin. The game play goes counterclockwise. That means you’re the next to spin the bottle. And it must spin at least 360 degrees for it to count.”
Riddle swallowed. “Are we allowed to use magic?”
“No, that would be cheating.”
Of course.
With an exasperated sigh, Riddle spun the bottle, hoping to spin it just hard enough to get it to turn exactly 360 degrees, so that it would point back to himself.
It ended up halfway between him and Ruggie, to his left.
“What if it ends up pointing to yourself?” Riddle asked.
“What if?” Jade mused.
“You would need to spin again,” Azul said. “But since it is obviously pointing toward Ruggie, that is a moot point.”
Riddle glanced at the plate next to Ruggie, and at Ruggie’s cheeks, puffed out with food like a chipmunk. The hedgehogs didn’t engage in this behavior, but Riddle remembered encountering a chipmunk who’d snuck into the pen one afternoon, and how it had stuffed its face with the hedgehogs’ food before scampering off.
(The freshman responsible for the hedgehogs that particular afternoon had found himself collared for his negligence, but Riddle had privately found the chipmunk’s behavior rather adorable.
Ruggie’s, less so.)
Ruggie swallowed his mouthful of food and crossed his arms over his chest, and then, a hint of a smirk appeared on his face. It was an expression much more familiar on Leona, who had foisted not only the housewarden duties, but his mannerisms, onto Ruggie while he was back in the Sunset Savanna serving his internship.
“Goldfishie’s right,” Floyd interjected. “He should get to spin again.”
Riddle’s gaze snapped in Floyd’s direction.
“No,” Riddle said. “I…if the rules state that I must…kiss the person it is pointing at, then…”
Ruggie rested his elbow on the table and rested his cheek in his hand. “Ya know, it’s not like I have cooties or anything.”
“Cooties?” Riddle asked, grinding his teeth again as he saw Jade not-so-subtly cover his smile.
“He means he thinks you find him ‘icky,’” Floyd said.
“I most certainly do not!” Riddle protested, his face growing hot.
Floyd frowned at him. “So you want to kiss him.”
“I…” Riddle took a deep breath, leaned over, and pecked Ruggie on the cheek.
“There,” he said, sitting back and folding his arms. “I believe it’s Ruggie’s turn now.”
Ruggie spun the bottle, and it landed on Jamil, who got a similar peck on the cheek. When Jade’s spin landed on the man to his left, he lifted Azul’s gloved hand and feathered a kiss over Azul’s knuckles. Azul’s turn at the bottle indicated Kalim was the next to be kissed, but just then, Silver pitched forward, his head nudging the bottle until it was pointed at Jamil instead.
“No,” Jamil said, and no one called him out on his failure to adhere to the rules of the game.
And then it was Floyd’s turn.
Floyd placed his fingers on either side of the bottle, rotated it left and right a few times, and then, he spun it nearly as hard as Silver had. Riddle held his breath as the bottle’s rotations began to slow, and then, to his horror, it came to a stop, the bottle’s long neck pointing directly at him.
He could refuse. Jamil had done so without consequences. Before Riddle could question the penalty for not following the rules, Floyd was leaning across the table to place his hands on either side of Riddle’s face.
Floyd’s eyes met Riddle’s, searching, and Riddle’s words of protest were caught in his throat. Any second now, Floyd would push Riddle’s cheeks together to make his lips look like those of a fish – or he’d do something even worse, like swipe his tongue over Riddle’s nose and then cackle loudly.
Instead, Floyd’s gaze dropped to Riddle’s lips, briefly, before returning to his eyes. Riddle had heard about Jade’s signature spell, and Jamil’s, too, and he couldn’t help wondering if his understanding of Floyd’s unique magic was completely wrong. There was something about Floyd’s mismatched eyes, boring into Riddle’s, that was almost hypnotic when their faces were this close.
Riddle was aware of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from Floyd’s. In fact, the room and everyone in it had ceased to exist.
He knew Floyd was going to kiss him. It was part of the rules of the game. He’d braced himself for it the moment the bottle had stopped spinning, pointing directly at him.
He wasn’t ready for the way his lungs constricted when Floyd leaned in, his eyelids drifting half shut. Floyd’s usually sleepy looking eyes made him look…
Sultry.
Floyd Leech had sultry eyes.
Riddle’s own eyes slid shut as Floyd closed the remaining distance between them, with Floyd swallowing Riddle’s tiny gulp of surprise. Floyd’s mouth was gently coaxing, capturing Riddle’s upper lip as Floyd’s thumbs ghosted over Riddle’s cheekbones. When Floyd’s lips left his, Riddle opened his eyes, meeting a gaze so intense, Riddle was breathless.
Someone – probably Jade – gave a polite cough, and Floyd’s fingers slid from Riddle’s cheeks, his thumb grazing Riddle’s lower lip as he did so and causing Riddle’s heart to skip a beat.
It wasn’t until Floyd plopped back into his chair that Riddle realized he was still leaning across the table, and he felt his cheeks flame as he sat back down, unconsciously touching his lips as he did so.
He felt a weight against his shoulder, and he turned his head to see Silver nodding off.
“I’m bored,” Floyd said, shoving his chair away from the table. He got up and walked away without another word.
“And I’m hungry!” Ruggie declared, bounding out of his chair and stretching. “And totally ready for dessert!”
“Oh!” Kalim said, jumping to his feet. “Let’s go to the kitchen! I’ll show you the little cakes Jamil made!”
Jamil was up in an instant, hot on their heels. “Those aren’t ready to be served yet, Kalim!”
Jade and Azul exchanged glances, and then Jade stood. “I should check on Floyd,” he said, giving Riddle one of his tight-lipped smiles before leaving the table.
“And then there were two,” Azul said.
Riddle wanted to get up and storm away from the table, but Silver’s weight against his side prevented him from doing so.
“Three,” he said, tipping his head to the side to indicate their sleeping classmate.
Azul made a dismissive hand-waving gesture and then pressed his fingertips together. “You know,” he said, “if there is anything bothering you, I am all ears.”
“I am perfectly fine!” Riddle huffed.
“Of course,” Azul replied airily. “However, my offer still stands.”
“Stand?” Silver murmured. He lifted his head from Riddle’s shoulder. “That is a good idea. Perhaps it will help me stay awake.” He got to his feet and clasped his hands behind his back, his posture straight and belying none of his sleepiness from a moment ago. “Riddle,” he said, his gaze so intent that it made Riddle feel like fidgeting. “I hope I did not make you uncomfortable. For earlier, I mean.”
Riddle swallowed. “You did not.”
Relief washed over Silver’s face, and he gave one of his rare smiles. “I have never played such a game,” he said, gesturing to the bottle on the table where it still lay on its side, pointed directly at Riddle.
“Nor have I,” Azul said.
Silver gave a slight nod. “Fa- Lilia suggested that attending this party would be a good experience for me.”
“And was it?” Azul asked.
“I’m not entirely sure,” Silver replied with a slight frown. “But I do not believe it was a poor one, either.”
With that, Silver walked away, and Azul looked at Riddle.
“And then there were two,” he repeated smugly.
“One,” Riddle corrected. He picked up the bottle and set it down properly. “I must return to Heartslabyul and tend to the hedgehogs.”
Azul’s eyebrows arched in feigned surprise. “At this late hour?”
“Hedgehogs are nocturnal,” Riddle said.
“Let me not keep you then,” Azul said.
Riddle pushed his chair away from the table and stood.
“You know, a number of sea creatures are nocturnal as well,” Azul said in a tone of voice that was almost too casual. “Sea turtles, for example, and certain species of catfish.” His lips curved into a smile that nearly rivaled Jade’s in terms of how infuriatingly calculating it was. “And, of course, morays.”
Riddle felt his face grow hot.
“As fascinating as I find this lecture of marine life,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I really must see to the hedgehogs.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
It was with supreme effort that Riddle refrained from stomping his foot in frustration.
“Good night, Azul.”
His attempt at leaving the table with his head held high was ruined by the way his foot caught on the chair leg, causing him to stumble. A hand under his elbow steadied him, and it was the shiver that suddenly ran down his spine more than the colorful sneakers that told Riddle just who that hand belonged to.
He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath before lifting his head. He expected a teasing comment from Floyd, something about his size almost certainly, but Floyd’s eyes were locked on his just as they’d been before their kiss.
Riddle’s stomach fluttered.
“I’m heading back to my room, Azul,” Floyd said, but his eyes remained trained on Riddle. “Don’t know why Jade wanted me to tell you.”
“Who’s to say why Jade does half the things he does,” Azul said.
“Whatever. I told you, so I’m done here.”
His hand was still on Riddle’s elbow.
“And of course, Riddle was just leaving, too,” Azul added.
Floyd’s fingers slid down Riddle’s arm, circling Riddle’s wrist as they had so many times before. This time, however, instead of simply walking away and dragging Riddle with him, Floyd stood there, waiting. When Riddle made no move to yank his arm away, Floyd gave a slight tug, and Riddle found himself walking alongside Floyd instead of behind him.
Still, this was unacceptable behavior. A sharp rebuke was lodged in Riddle’s throat, but his tongue was sticking to the roof of his mouth, and he was feeling a little lightheaded.
The iced tea had surely been spiked. There was no other reason why Riddle’s skin was prickling.
When they reached the mirror to lead them out of Scarabia, Riddle blurted, “Why did you kiss me?”
Floyd’s lips curved into a grin. “The rules said I had to.”
Riddle gritted his teeth. “But why did you kiss me like that?”
Floyd’s smile faltered, and he finally broke eye contact, looking over Riddle’s head toward some undefined point in the distance. After several heartbeats, his eyes met Riddle’s once again.
“Because I wanted to.”
Riddle felt like he was on fire. Floyd had wanted to kiss him? Like that?
“Do it again.”
Floyd’s eyes widened, and Riddle’s did, too, when he realized what he’d just said.
“Eh?” Floyd began, but Riddle had no patience left. He cupped Floyd’s face with both hands and brought their lips together himself.
Floyd’s hands slid behind Riddle, pulling him close, and the kiss that Riddle had so desperately wanted to experience again was a distant memory when Floyd’s tongue slid inside his mouth. Instinctively, Riddle sucked on it, causing Floyd to let out a moan, and Riddle found himself on tiptoe as he attempted to deepen the kiss even further.
It was not the most well-thought-out plan. Riddle made a slight gagging sound, and Floyd’s tongue slowly withdrew. Floyd pressed his forehead against Riddle’s as they both struggled to catch their breath.
Floyd was the first to speak, naturally.
“Goldfishie?”
“I’ve told you not to call me that,” Riddle murmured, his breath mingling with Floyd’s.
“Is it against the rules?”
Riddle lowered his heels until both feet were flat on the floor, and he looked into Floyd’s eyes.
Sultry, his mind supplied for the second time that night.
“Excuse me?”
“Callin’ you Goldfishie. Is it against the rules?”
Riddle’s eyes narrowed. “Of course not, but that doesn’t mea-”
Floyd kissed him again, and this time, Riddle’s arms looped around Floyd’s neck, bringing him closer so he didn’t have to crane his neck so much. Floyd growled quietly, a feral sound that Riddle had never heard from him before. It made him shiver.
No. It made him burn.
A strangled cry escaped Riddle when their lips parted, and Floyd’s eyes bored into Riddle’s. Without a word, Floyd removed his hand from the small of Riddle’s back and caught one of the tears tracking down Riddle’s cheek with the back of his finger.
Their eyes met again, and Riddle felt a pang in his chest when he saw the shimmer of moisture along Floyd’s lower lids. He wiped at them with his thumbs, and Floyd caught one of Riddle’s hands and pressed a kiss to his palm.
The ache in Riddle’s chest intensified, and he covered his face with both hands. He could hear Floyd take a deep breath, could hear him let it out slowly.
“Can I ask you somethin’?” Floyd asked quietly. “Without you getting’ mad?”
Riddle slowly lowered his hands and nodded.
“Why’d you kiss me? We’re not playing the game anymore.”
“It wasn’t a game to me.”
Floyd smiled weakly. “Yeah. Same.”
“I don’t understand.”
Floyd shrugged. “What’s to understand? I like you. I wanted to kiss you.” He hesitated. “I mean. For a minute there, it seemed like you wanted to kiss me, too. Didn’t you?”
“No.”
Floyd shook his head, letting his breath out slowly. “Yeah. That’s what I figured you’d say.” He gave half a wave. “See ya around, Goldfishie.”
This time, it was Riddle’s fingers wrapping around Floyd’s wrist. “I didn’t want to. Not…not until… we did. But now…” He released Floyd’s wrist and rubbed his forehead. “Now, I don’t know what I want.”
“I heard you say something about feeding the hedgehogs. Do you, I dunno. Want some help?”
Riddle licked his lips. Floyd’s expression was so hopeful, Riddle couldn’t help smiling, even as another tear rolled down his cheek.
He wasn’t sure what he wanted, not when it came to Floyd Leech, but he knew one thing.
“If you’re willing to be patient with them,
(with me)
I would appreciate your assistance.”
With the way Floyd was beaming at him, it was impossible not to smile back. Floyd Leech was not a stupid man. He might get easily bored, but he was also rather brilliant.
Riddle slid his hand into Floyd’s, and when Floyd bent down to place a small kiss on the tip of Riddle’s nose, Riddle’s heart beat a little faster.
He wasn’t lying to Floyd. He really didn’t know what he wanted. But a quiet moment with the hedgehogs, with Floyd…It was a start. Of what, Riddle didn’t know. But…
Floyd laced his fingers with Riddle’s, and Riddle gave a small, reassuring squeeze back.
Whatever it was the start of, it was definitely something.