Work Text:
Riddle had a soulmate. This wasn't exactly a shocking revelation to him, just a fact of life. Everyone had a soulmate in this world. If you lost an item, it went to your soulmate or, alternatively, if you found a random item, it came from your soulmate.
Riddle was careful with his things. Everything had a spot, and he always put his things away where they belonged. Since becoming housewarden of Heartslabyul, this was even more important as a leader and the one ensuring all of the Queen's rules were being followed. He simply did not lose things.
His soulmate, on the other hand, lost things, frequently. As a child, Riddle would wake up with sopping wet old coins, rocks, bits of coral and, once, scales that had clearly once belonged to what was certainly a most beautiful fish. Riddle found that he was not eager to meet his soulmate if these were the kinds of things he was collecting and subsequently losing—and why were they always so wet? Collecting wet things was not a proper or appealing habit for his soulmate to have.
When he arrived at Night Raven College, his soulmate's lost items changed. No longer were they wet bits of trash, but random, expensive shoes, sugar-filled candies, or chips in the strangest flavors. He was quickly dismayed when he realized that there wasn't a lost and found system in place at their school, and so he had no proper way to dispose of these items. Besides, in a world where people were constantly finding and losing things, wouldn't it make sense to have a set location for items to go and be properly returned to their owners?
And yet, people around him told him that was ridiculous. If you lost something, it went to your soulmate, so why would anyone want to just abandon the items instead of using them as clues, or keep as a reminder of a deeper connection? Riddle thought they were the ones being ridiculous and promptly set up a lost and found system. He would then drop off the random things his soulmate lost and each time he returned to the bin, he'd find the items gone. Clearly his soulmate wanted his items back. Riddle at first refused to entertain the idea that since the items were always taken, that meant his soulmate attended the same school. And, he ignored the feeling that he was being watched from the shadows, especially since there was clearly no one present whenever he looked. In the end, it all mattered not, since he had a dorm to straighten out and no time to think about a soulmate. Not to mention, soulmates, dating, and the like were all a distraction from studying, anyway. He didn't need the distraction a soulmate would bring.
Then, about half-way through his first year, an Octavinelle arm band appeared on the floor of his room. Riddle had scrunched his nose at the thought that his eccentric soulmate was someone in that dorm, though he had heard talk that Ashengrotto was working to make changes, much like he had in Heartslabyul. However, his soulmate was certainly not Ashengrotto since Riddle couldn't imagine him spending his hard-earned money on sneakers or candy, and he definitely wouldn't be losing his items so often.
So Riddle, despite now knowing that his soulmate was someone at his school, and knowing the dorm they were in, didn't try to figure out who it was. He focused on reforming Heartslabyul into something the Queen of Hearts herself would be proud of. He focused on his homework and staying at the top of his class. He focused on knowing exactly where everything was so that nothing went missing.
Of course, then his second year happened. His dorm rebelled, he overblotted, and things started changing more quickly than he'd ever anticipated and what was once ordered chaos became unordered chaos almost overnight. He was trying to keep his head and adapt to the new order but then the unthinkable happened.
He lost his bow tie. That in and of itself shouldn't have been the end of the world since multiple students at Night Raven College had the exact same white and black tie. No, the problem lay in the fact that it was the bow tie that had his crown pin attached to it, which would have told his soulmate exactly who he was if he was paying attention.
Thankfully, he had an extra tie and pin and no one said anything or approached him during his morning classes. He ate his lunch quickly, or as quickly as the Queen's rules allowed (he was loosening up but some things couldn't change), and disappeared into the library for extra study time. He scanned the aisles and was relieved to find only a handful of Heartslabyul and Pomefiore students studying, and not a single one from Octavinelle. He took a seat at his favorite table, opened his book, and began reading.
"Hey, goldfishie~!" rang through the library not ten minutes in. Riddle could feel the vein in his forehead already throbbing as he knew that whatever peace and quiet he was going to have had just evaporated, so he shut his book with a resounding thud.
"Can I help you, Floyd?" he asked through gritted teeth while internally, he winced. Closing a book hard enough to make a sound meant he would have to serve a hedgehog tea in the early evening.
Floyd bounced up to him, smiling in a way that showed off his sharp teeth. "Can't a guy just say hello?"
Riddle shoved his book back into his bag and stood, trying not to be bothered by the fact that Floyd towered over him. It almost wasn't fair that he could be so tall and so hand—Riddle froze. Where had that thought come from and he absolutely was not going to entertain the rest of it. "Hello, Floyd," he said in a dismissive tone and moved towards the door.
Floyd reached out and grabbed onto the strap of his bag, pulling it, and, by extension, Riddle, closer to him. "Hey, now, what's the rush? Classes don't start for a while. We have plenty of time to hang out!"
Riddle stared blankly at Floyd, not noticing when he let go of the bag. "Why would we hang out? We aren't even in the same class?"
Floyd shrugged and began herding Riddle out of the library. "Why not?"
Why not, indeed. Riddle, having already learned it was (marginally) easier to go along with Floyd than to go against him, found himself back in the cafeteria, alone at a table. Floyd had said to sit tight and he'd wrangle them up some dessert, and Riddle had the faintest image of him taking it from some poor first year.
So, he was surprised when Floyd returned with a beautifully decorated cupcake that could rival something of Trey's, and one he was certain he had never seen in their school cafeteria before. It was decorated in pale pink frosting, perfectly swirled, topped with pieces of… "Pistachio?" Riddle asked, confused.
"Strawberry pistachio," Floyd confirmed, flopping into the seat across from Riddle. He rested his head on his hands as he watched him, and Riddle tried to hide a shudder from the intensity of his gaze. "Testing it out for the lounge."
Riddle nodded and took a bite, before the implications of what Floyd had said sunk in. "Did you make this?" he asked after a hard swallow.
"Maybe." Floyd's stare was unnerving as he quickly finished the cupcake. "What did you think?"
"It's fluffy, not too dense," Riddle said immediately, and then tried to think of some other descriptions Trey may have liked to hear about his pastries. Unfortunately, despite all of the reading and studying Riddle had done, the art of pastry making was not part of them. "The flavors worked well together?"
Floyd considered him for a long moment before giving a loud, boisterous laugh, different from the mocking ones Riddle was used to hearing. "You ain't the baker in Heartslabyul, huh?"
Riddle felt himself beginning to turn red, so he collected his bag, and stood in a huff. "Thank you for the cake. Have a good day, Floyd," he spat out as politely as he could and fled before Floyd could tease him any further.
That evening, Riddle was shocked to find his missing tie sitting in his bag.
Riddle was determined not to lose anything else. He was a responsible dorm leader, there was simply no excuse for misplacing objects. The tie could be excused as a consequence of the stress and events resulting from the overblot, nothing more, nothing less.
The school year continued, and the weather changed, growing colder. Riddle added mittens into his daily uniform, practical in their ability to provide warmth. They were simple in design, wool, dyed black, blending seamlessly with his normal school uniform. Every morning he pulled them on, taking them off and placing them deliberately in his bag before class, before returning to his dorm and laying them out on his desk.
He was careful. He had a routine.
Mittens, gloves, socks, even shoes, were some of the most common items to go missing and wind up in a soulmate's possession and Riddle refused to let that happen to him. And yet.
"Where is it," he snarled, rifling through his bag once, twice, thrice, to no avail. He held only one, singular, solitary mitten in his hands. And, while multiple curses flitted through his mind, he stayed calm, composed.
"Ya look constipated," an irritating voice came from behind and Riddle closed his eyes and counted to ten. He was calm. He was composed. What was that inane thing Cater would say? He was in zen mode. He would not—
"You're even redder than usual!"
"Floyd," Riddle said through gritted teeth. One, two, three, all the way through ten. "You're not in this class. Why are you here?" He opened his eyes and momentarily thought he was seeing double.
"I do believe he has come to visit me." Both twins were staring at him now, and he felt vaguely like an animal caught in a trap. Jade was smiling a close lipped smile, but there was a glint in his eye that was anything but kind. Floyd was grinning, sharp teeth peeking through, acting as if he was in on a joke only he knew. Riddle stifled the urge to immediately leave his things and flee.
"Well, I will not intrude on a visit between brothers," Riddle began, gathering his things. He wanted to move quickly, but he was careful, not wanting to lose another item. A hand rested on his shoulder and he froze.
"Jade was just leaving," Floyd said and Riddle looked up just in time to see a flicker of something cross Jade's face as the twins seemed to have a silent conversation.
Then, Jade's smile sharpened. "Yes. I do believe I need to go see what plans Azul has for the party tonight," he said and with a bow of his head, he disappeared, leaving Riddle and Floyd alone.
Riddle slowly stood straight, moving Floyd's hand off his shoulder. Floyd let out a noise that almost sounded like a chuckle, and moved back. "So, what were ya lookin' for?"
"Excuse me?" Riddle asked, blinking as he was caught off guard. He guiltly looked at his bag and then back at Floyd. "What makes you think I was looking for something?"
Floyd shrugged, tilting his head back, closing one eye, and peering at him with his bright, golden eye. "I dunno. Ya seemed determined to find something in that bag of yours. Ya know, they say your soulmate ends up with your lost things."
Riddle huffed and made a step towards the exit, deciding he'd rather have cold hands than talk about soulmates with Floyd Leech of all people. "'They' can say whatever they want. Have a good day, Floyd," he said with an air of finality and flung the door open.
He was met immediately with the reminder of the icy cold winter waiting for him and his mitten-less hands, and took a deep breath to brace himself.
"Where are your mittens, goldfishie~?" Floyd asked in a sing-song voice and Riddle whipped around to glare at him.
"Back at the dorm," he answered quickly.
Floyd smirked, looking as mischievous as ever. "Is it proper manners for a dorm head to lie?"
Riddle ignored him, which he should have done to begin with, and stepped confidently into the cold. Floyd let out an amused sound and followed him. They walked in silence, Riddle doing everything in his power not to let on how cold he was, but he couldn't help his gaze shifting to the side, noticing how unaffected Floyd seemed to be despite not wearing a coat, mittens, or anything for the winter weather except that scarf. Just then, Floyd also looked to the side, catching Riddle in the act.
"Ya wondering how I'm doin' when you're freezin' from a lost mitten?" he asked, almost as if he could read his mind.
"Not at all." Riddle mentally winced at once again lying.
Floyd's expression grew wide and he suddenly reached out, grabbing Riddle's hands and forcing them both to come to a stop in the middle of the snowy courtyard. He held his hands in his, and Riddle couldn't deny how much he enjoyed the warmth enveloping his hands.
"I grew up in water colder than this," Floyd told him, his demeanor entirely different from before, intense, wanting, as he continued, "I'd love ta show ya around one day."
Riddle furrowed his brows at that comment and when he looked up, he was startled by how close Floyd's face had gotten to his own, those eyes blazing with a look he couldn't quite identify. His breath was visible, combining with his own breath. Riddle had the notion that if he leaned up, just a little bit, he could probably kiss Floyd. But then, why would he want to and where did that idea come from?
"You're really cute," Floyd continued and Riddle, for once, had nothing to say, especially as his own thoughts began to betray him once again.
Floyd drew back, and Riddle found himself both lamenting the loss of warmth and watching curiously as he dug into his pocket, producing a single, solitary, black mitten, a perfect match to the one in Riddle's bag. He gaped at him as Floyd reached out to again take one of his hands. He slowly slipped the glove on, tilting his head at Riddle when he finished.
"Ya got the other in your bag, right?" he asked and Riddle nodded, swallowing hard. Floyd helped himself, pulling the mitten free and slipping it on Riddle's other hand just as easily as the first. "There, reunited. Almost like soulmates coming together after a long absence, eh?"
Riddle blinked once, twice, then shook his head, breaking his trance. "Soulmates? What makes you think we're soulmates?"
Floyd smiled in that predatory way, his golden eye glinting. "I never said we're soulmates. Got something to admit?"
Riddle's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. Floyd grabbed Riddle's newly mittened hand, pulling him along to continue their path across campus. He hummed and finally pointed out, "I found your mitten."
Riddle tried to shrug, though he found it hard to do so while walking hand in hand with Floyd. A part of him knew he should pull away, fight it more, but another part of him, the one that always wanted to give in to his desires despite the inner voice that sounded much like his mother, won out. It was just holding hands, nothing more than that. "Could be a coincidence," he said, once again lying, but not wanting to admit it to himself just yet.
Floyd laughed and Riddle's traitorous thoughts pointed out that this was Floyd at his most genuine, and something about his carefree, go with the flow attitude was so appealing to that side of him he frequently refused. "I also found your tie. Who else wears a little crown pin like that?"
Riddle opened his mouth to protest but Floyd again stopped them, all humor gone from his face, causing Riddle to shiver from something that wasn't the cold.
"I dunno what ya have against soulmates," Floyd continued, more serious than Riddle had ever remembered him being. "But I've been looking for any signs of mine for a long time. Ya don't lose things very much. Do ya know how happy I was when I saw you at that silly lost and found? Those were my things ya kept dumping, but I don't think ya realized." Floyd looked away briefly before meeting Riddle's eyes. Riddle's breath caught at the depth of emotions hidding in those mix-matched eyes. "I was happy to have a soulmate, and even happier when I realized it was the cute little goldfishie on campus."
Riddle felt a blush rising. "Floyd, I—I," he stammered. What could he say? He had to say something. Floyd being serious was so unusual, so unlike him, and, oh, what should he say? "I just wanted to focus on school," he finally said quietly, though it sounded lame, even to him.
Floyd's shoulders relaxed, and a smile returned to his face. "I can keep ya company when ya study in the library."
Riddle couldn't help but give Floyd a look, resulting in another laugh. "What, doncha like my company?"
The question made Riddle freeze in a way different from the cold surrounding them. Floyd was always around. No matter where Riddle was, Floyd wasn't far behind, always making his presence known. No matter how much Riddle fought and tried to send him away, he'd always persevere and return. Riddle had always assumed he thought it to be a fun game to see how red he could make him, but now that he knew they were soulmates…and Floyd had known for over a year now? That changed those interactions. And the million thaumark question—did Riddle actually enjoy his company?
Floyd held a hand out, grinning broadly, almost beckoning Riddle to answer. "I—am loathe to admit it," Riddle grit out, then sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "I do believe I have gotten used to your company. But—" he squeaked when Floyd suddenly entered his personal space and embraced him, picking him up and spinning him around in a hug. "Put me down!" he cried, but Floyd ignored him, giving another spin, before placing him, surprisingly gently, back on his feet.
"We have to work on boundaries," Riddle continued once he had regained his bearings. Floyd was watching him curiously, his head tilted again. "I suppose we can at least entertain the idea of being soulmates," he conceded, hesitantly reaching his mitten-covered hand out to Floyd, who immediately took it in his.
"Great, because I've already got an idea for our first date! Let's go!" Floyd exclaimed, once again pulling Riddle along. Riddle brought his other hand to his mouth, hiding the smile he couldn't quite keep off his face. Maybe he could loosen up a little more and learn to have fun. Maybe, just maybe, having a soulmate wouldn't be the worst thing ever.