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It was the kind of afternoon where the sky hung low and sullen, the rain a steady murmur against the windows—gray-skied, and humming faintly with the threat of a storm oncoming. The Mostro Lounge was unusually quiet for once, no bustling customers or rowdy servers to break the hush settling over the room. It was a lazy sort of stillness that made normal movements sound far too loud.
Azul was seated at the bar, frowning over paperwork and occasionally jotting something down. Most likely counting and recounting his contracts in his head and keeping track of everyone who owed him something. Across from him, Jade polished some dishware. They had to keep up a proper appearance, after all.
All in all, it was shaping up to be a somewhat peaceful and uneventful day. Jade didn’t mind these days, really. Days that were slow and predictable, moving like gentle currents through time. The rain lulled the lounge into a peaceful state. It was almost a bit too peaceful, Jade noted. He looked up and scanned the room. Ah. It seemed they were missing someone.
Floyd hadn’t caused a single incident, disruption, or inexplicable mess since this morning due to the mer's wishy-washy moods…In fact, Jade pondered, when had he last seen Floyd? Of course, he wasn't his brother's keeper but he was often the one left to clean up Floyd's messes. Yet there hadn't been so much of a peep from his twin, which frankly felt more ominous than reassuring.
Jade set his dishware down, now fully polished and gleaming, eyes narrowing as he swept his gaze around. Either Floyd was stirring up more trouble, or—
The door creaked open. Think of the devil and he shall arrive.
Floyd wandered in, his uniform in its usual state of disarray—buttons half undone, sleeves haphazardly rolled, and his tie hanging loose like an afterthought. His hair was a mess, sticking up in wild angles. Jade narrowed his eyes at this, while having a…peculiar look, Floyd normally styled his hair somewhat. His twin's eyes were half-lidded, and he swayed slightly on his feet as he made his way toward the couch, looking as if he was barely holding himself together.
"Ughhh, everything’s so boring today," he groaned, flopping down onto the couch with zero grace, only to spring up again a moment later, wincing. "Wahhh. My head feels all floaty. I should’ve just stayed in bed… I bet that would've been way more interesting than whatevers goin' on here."
Jade’s eyes remained fixed on his twin, but the corner of his mouth twitched. “You’re not one for stillness, are you?”
Floyd huffed and rolled his eyes. "Stillness? Thasall' just boring stuff." he whined, maneuvering himself into a comfier position on the couch.
Jade sighed and grabbed another dish to polish, sneaking a glance at Azul who was engrossed in his work still. "I suppose you could always find someone to bother, hmm?"
Floyd perked up at the suggestion, grinning. "Mmyeah, that’s true. Maybe Koebi-chan or Kingyo-chan.." He sat up abruptly as if the thought of playing with his classmates seemed the only thing worth doing, but immediately groaned and sank back into the couch.
"Geh…I feel weird, like m' gonna drift away if I move too fast." He put a hand to his head, wincing. "N' I'm tired. But I slept sooo much already." He stretched his arms up with a yawn. "My head hurtss…"
Jade sighed. "Have you considered that perhaps you’re ill?”
Floyd froze mid-stretch. He turned slowly to look at Jade, expression caught somewhere between disbelief and offense, as if Jade had accused him of being something wildly out of character—like punctual, or responsible.
“What? No. I don’t get sick,” he said, the words coming out stuffy and indignant. “Sick is for, like... regular people.”
Jade raised an eyebrow, utterly unconvinced. “Yes, how foolish of me. I must’ve mistaken the flushed face, headache and constant whining for something other than textbook symptoms. Of course.”
“I don’t whine,” Floyd snapped, before immediately groaning again and flopping onto his side like a sad seal.
His arm hung off the couch, fingers twitching with restless energy that didn’t match the sluggishness weighing down the rest of him. “I just feel... weird.”
Jade said nothing at first, only watched him with a kind of quiet scrutiny . Gently, he set down the dish he was polishing. When he spoke, his voice was even, almost soft. “You don’t look well.”
Floyd made a noise in the back of his throat—something between a scoff and a groan. “Yeah, well. I don’t feel great either.” He blinked up at the ceiling, unfocused. “It’s like… like I’m underwater but, not nice. It sucks. Or maybe like…syrup. Super heavy…slow moving."
That, more than anything, seemed to confirm Jade’s suspicions.
He stepped forward, slow and careful, knowing how Floyd's moods could be. “You should lie still and rest, then. Pushing yourself won’t help.”
Floyd didn’t argue, which was rare enough to be concerning. He just curled a little tighter into the cushions, uniform now even more crinkled, face half-buried in the fabric. The muffled patter of rain against the windows filled the silence between them—soft, steady, and oddly in sync with Floyd’s slowed breathing.
Jade crouched beside the couch, brushing a few strands of askew hair out of Floyd’s face before placing a hand against his forehead. Warm. Too warm.
“You’re running a fever,” he murmured. Floyd mumbled something unintelligible.
Jade leaned in slightly. “Hm?”
“Feels gross,” Floyd grumbled, a little clearer now. “Everything’s spinning.”
There was no fight in his voice—just frustration dulled by fatigue, the usual edge of his tone softened into a quiet discomfort. Jade studied him for a moment longer, then rose to his feet.
“Alright, let's get you back to our room.”
Floyd didn’t answer at first, just stared blankly at the ceiling, brow faintly furrowed like the act of thinking through it was too much. Then, with a small, resigned breath, he shifted—slow and uncoordinated.
Jade moved beside him without needing to be asked, offering a steady arm. Floyd leaned into it heavily, limbs loose, but not quite limp. “This sucks,” he muttered.
“I’m aware,” Jade said quietly. He glanced back at the bar, Azul wouldn't mind him gone for a while.
Floyd took another step, then faltered—his balance giving out. Jade caught him without hesitation, a hand slipping under his arm and tightening around his waist to steady him.
“Easy,” he murmured.
Floyd blinked, disoriented, then let out a frustrated breath through his nose. “Tch... stupid floor moved.”
“No,” Jade replied, adjusting his grip, “you did.”
Floyd made a face, but before he could argue further, Jade smoothly shifted his hold. With little warning, Jade swept him off his feet, lifting him effortlessly into a bridal carry.
“What the—?! Hey!” Floyd squawked, flailing slightly. “I didn’t ask for this!”
“Too bad,” Jade said, his voice cool and unbothered as he adjusted Floyd more comfortably in his arms. “You clearly can’t walk straight, so I’ll take over.”
Floyd squirmed for a second, a weak attempt to regain some semblance of control, but then let out a defeated sigh. “This is so embarrassing.”
“You’ll live,” Jade replied dryly, though there was a small flicker of something tender in his eyes. “Besides, it’ll be quicker this way.”
Floyd huffed, but his protests were half-hearted. His arms hung loosely around Jade’s neck, and he didn't try to wriggle out of the hold. “You’re lucky I’m too tired to argue, and that my head hurts too much.”
“I’m sure I’d hear plenty from you if you weren’t ill,” Jade responded, shifting his grip slightly as he began walking toward their room.
Floyd mumbled something inaudible, his face buried in Jade's chest as he let his eyes flutter closed. The rain pattered softly against the windows, the only sound other than Jade's steady footsteps as he carried his twin through the hallway.
“Stop bein’ all nice,” Floyd muttered weakly. “It’s weird.”
Jade let out a quiet chuckle. “I think you might be delirious. You’re the one letting me carry you.”
Floyd managed a half-hearted groan. “I could’ve walked… just needed a nap, not this...”
“Mm. And how would you have gotten to the bed? Better yet, all the way to our room?” Jade cooed. He wasn’t expecting an answer, but he got one anyway.
“I would've figured it out,” Floyd grumbled, though the words lost their bite as they reached their shared bedroom.
Jade stepped forward, carefully pushing open the bedroom door. The soft click of the door was drowned out by the rhythmic sound of rain outside, steadily increasing.
Floyd shifted slightly in his arms, somehow already fast asleep. "Mm, he must've been really exhausted then…" Jade muttered to himself, making a mental note to buy some medicine before carefully lowering him onto the bed. He tucked the blanket around his twin, ensuring that Floyd would be comfortable. He paused for a second, eyes lingering on the way Floyd curled up, looking completely helpless and unguarded in that moment.
Jade’s hand hovered over Floyd’s messy hair for a second before brushing a few strands away from his forehead, his hand lingered.
Floyd sighed at the touch, and for a moment, Jade just watched him.
“Look at you, all cute and helpless,” Jade murmured, leaning in closer, his voice almost a purr. His gaze softened as he studied Floyd’s face, feeling that rare warmth spread in his chest. Of course, he wouldn’t say it aloud, but seeing Floyd like this—vulnerable and tired—was oddly endearing.
As if it were the most natural thing, Jade leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Floyd’s forehead. It was a brief but tender gesture, his lips lingering for a heartbeat longer than necessary.
“Rest now, Floyd,” Jade whispered, his voice soft.
He straightened up, standing beside the bed for a moment longer, watching Floyd as his breathing deepened, drifting hopefully into dreams. After a few quiet moments, Jade turned to leave. He paused at the threshold, casting one last glance back at Floyd, his twin now curled up under the blankets, still as the room filled with the peaceful sound of rain.
Jade’s lips curled into a small smile—gentle. He closed the door softly behind him, leaving the room in stillness.