#azul fluff

But right when you leaned forward to take a bite, he immediately looked away and cleared his throat, a bit loudly.

"Um, you got a stain, i'll just, clean it." motioning vaguely your chin before awkwardly swiping the napkin to your chin delicately, cheeks burning.

It was cute to look at him struggle to his first date with his stiffness and it was also tempting to tease him about it but it was almost certain he'd turn into a tomato. Riddle could sense your gaze on him yet he refused to meet it, his fingers fiddling with the edge of the napkin.

"What are you smiling at? Honestly, this is unnecessarily difficult...!" he muttered, finally daring to glance your way, only to immediately avert his eyes again when he saw your smiling face.

It was in his territory, the botanical garden that you sat beside Leona who was dozing off arms crossed and in a sitting position, sunlight not being a bother. And despite not giving any remarks, you knew he noticed you by his tail swished just a little closer to you, brushing against your leg.

Then, without warning, he leaned his face against the top of your head with gentleness.

"Is something wrong?"

"…always smelling nice...i like it. Your company. 'n that's it." he muttered, did these words slipped out without thinking? You blinked, stunned, not expecting these honest compliments coming from Leona.

Who, immediately avoided to look at you by busying himself with a stubborn curl of his hair, twisting it around one finger like it was the most fascinating thing in the world, ears twitching when you chuckled at his attitude.

"Forget it. No, don't tell anyone about it. It's bit embarrassin'...but i did meant it." groaning, he ironically rolled his eyes when you leaned against him a little more, him in return not moving away.

Siting in front of Azul, facing a ready table set for two in the Monstro Lounge, with him looking uneasy dismissed your doubts of suspicions.

"Like i said...tonight is a test, for our new menu! Very romantic and not a date!" clarified too quickly with a pitching voice, he took a deep breath with his mouth close, cravat adjusted with trembling finger when your brow slightly raised.

And the table didn't helped his excuse: candlelight in the middle of petals arranged in a near-perfect heart. The evening continued with awkward yet sweet gentleman gestures:

Him pouring your glass without demand, nervously laughing at the compliment of the ambiance, and at one point he even tried to quote a line from a book he read only to choke halfway through, muttering a flustered apology into his sleeve.

"Can't believe it...i rehearsed this in the mirror so many times, you know? Yet i'm losing it in front of you..." utterly defeated and even ready to slid under the table to hide, he confessed with a blushed face that made you smile as you rested your hand over his.

"Maybe because you didn't needed to do all of this for me." he froze for short seconds at your touch before his lips tugged into a softest smile.

"That’s very dangerous for my heart..."

It isn’t hard to make Jade laugh, you’ve learned. All you have to do is crack a pun or two about the current situation, and you’ll be blessed with the most undignified snort and giggle combo you’ve ever heard. It makes all the more willing to make jokes about his “morels” and more recently how “cap-tivating” he is, just to see him take his hat off and hide his laughter. His shaking shoulders give him away though, even when he puts his hat back on and hides his toothy smile with a hand to maintain some sort of professionalism. It’s only after a particularly cheesy fungi joke you make when sitting right next to him that you notice his pink cheeks behind his hat, and it gives you pause. Has Jade Leech been blushing over your mushroom puns this whole time?

Floyd isn’t easy to fluster. One would say it’s impossible—but you’ve learned that it’s very possible. Floyd just has to be in the right mood. He has to be a little bit clingy, a little bit sweet, and just the right amount of whiny. Snuggle up with him in one of the Mostro Lounge’s booth, pet his hair and kiss his forehead, really love on him no matter who is around you and before you know it he’ll be pliant in your arms, his hand clenched in his hands as he holds it over his pouty lipped face. He may look grumpy but don’t be fooled, this eel is so in love with you and he’ll never get sick of your affections.

TAGLISTS -> azul's business partners . . . @cookiesandbiscuits @vivigoesinsane @identity-theft-101 @dove-da-birb

-> jade's mushrooms . . . @cookiesandbiscuits @vivigoesinsane @identity-theft-101 @welcometomypersonalhell098 @dove-da-birb

You and Rielle hadn’t been super close growing up—sure you were twins, but you weren’t in any of the same classes. you didn’t even attend the same school, as for some reason, your family thought it better to separate the two of you for safety reasons.

not only that, but when it came time for mage schooling, Rielle was chosen by Royal Sword. You were chosen by Night Raven.

when you get to Night Raven, you’re sorted into Scarabia—you thought you’d be put into Octavinelle due to your upbringing in the Coral Sea, but oh well! you were excited as all hell to start your new life.

during orientation, you were practically shaking from your excitement. you hadn’t been on land for long, so you were stoked to see what it was like up here.

your appearance, however, caught a certain silver-haired man wearing glasses. Azul. because why in the hell did he feel like he knew you? the vibrant red hair that seemed to flow like smooth waves behind you. the bright blue eyes that viewed the world with rose colored lenses. and that damned upbeat personality that he knew only one other person with..

no. that was impossible. because you weren’t Rielle—there were some features you had that were different from his. plus, why would rielle ever be at night raven?

when orientation was finished, you happily bounced along with the other Scarabia members, and even started engaging in conversation with a man with long, dark brown hair that was pulled up in a ponytail. he introduces himself as Jamil Viper.

you were told to not boast your last name at Night Raven. you’re royalty and were away from your twin brother for safety purposes, as your parents informed Crowley. so, your last name was erased from the schools records. only your first name would be used here.

so, you introduce yourself to jamil, leaving out anything that would give you away. as you talk, you feel a pair of eyes burning holes into your back. you turn around, trying to read who might’ve been staring, only to find nothing.

the next day when classes start, you find yourself in 1-A, with Crewel as your homeroom teacher. you’re sitting at your desk, absently tracing circles with your finger, when a silver haired guy with glasses came in, sitting a couple desks away from you. you notice he keeps looking over at you.

Azul can’t seem to keep his eyes off of you. he felt drawn to your presence, and couldn’t figure out why.

as you wait for homeroom to begin, Jamil comes in and sits in the desk next to you, separating the line of azuls sight from you.

“jamil! we’re in the same class!? oh this is awesome!” you gush, and he gives you a small smile as he sits down. you remind him of kalim, in more ways than one.

crewel saunters in, and begins talking about pups and behaving and all this other stuff. a good majority of whatever he was yapping about you didn’t really understand—you had only been on land for a short amount of time, still trying to acclimatize being out of the water. hell, even walking was still weird. you’re used to swimming.

at the end of the school day, you’re sitting on the edge of the courtyards fountain, your pants rolled up with your feet in the water, shoes and socks discarded next to you.

“bored?” a smooth voice asks from behind you. you look over your shoulder, seeing the silver haired guy from earlier. “azul ashengrotto, octavinelle.” he introduces himself, sitting next to you.

“hello!” you greet, then introduce yourself—first name only. “i don’t wanna be awkward, but i noticed you staring at me a lot today. do i look weird..?” you ask shyly, messing with your long, silky red hair. there was a small bun on the back of your head, being held with a fork.

azul hums in response, “no. just familiar.” he replies, his eyes raking over your form. the two of you begin engaging in a small conversation, mainly about what you think about night raven so far. nothing of the Coral Sea was mentioned—azul wanted to leave his past behind, and you need to hide who you are.

over the next couple months, azul and you grow close. you also meet Jade and Floyd, whom you also befriend. once Kalim transfers into NRC, you two become pretty close too.

in your free time, you help out at the Mostro Lounge. your bubbly and optimistic attitude towards everything draws people in, earning more money.

azul falls head over heels for you. he didn’t think he’d fall for someone who reminded him so much of a traumatic part of his childhood, but you weren’t rielle. you weren’t related to him in any way, right..?

but he’s curious. he blackmails crowley into giving your information.

“Corallia..? from the Coral Sea? race is merfolk!?” azul exclaims, finally understanding why he thought you were too much like rielle.

that night, you’re sitting in the mostro lounge, sipping on a drink after closing. azul comes up behind you.

“hey azul! long day today, huh?” you beam, flashing him a bright smile. he’d normally reciprocate your greeting with a small smile of his own, but this time he stared you down with hatred in his eyes.

“you’re a liar.” he sneers, holding up your file from crowley. your heart drops when you see your face staring back at you, your information on display. “you’re a mermaid, right? obviously, since you’re the twin to Rielle. you ruined my life as a kid.”

“azul, what-?”

“don’t play dumb. quit being ignorant—you’re no different from the rest of them. i know how you royals are too, thinking you’re above everyone else. especially the octopi like myself!”

tears well in your eyes—you have no clue what he’s talking about. “azul, wait—you don’t even know me!” you defend, trying to get in your side of the story.

“you’re right. i really don’t, considering you’ve been lying.”

“no, azul! you’ve never met me! i- i never went to school with Rielle! we’ve been separated socially since we started going to school.” you explain desperately, tears streaming down your face. “it’s all for safety purposes, i guess. cuz he’s the heir, not me.”

his eyes go wide at your explanation, realizing that the reason he never knew Rielle had a twin was because you were covered up. hidden from the world. you sat there, quietly crying into your hands.

“wait, i’m- i’m sorry, i..”

“no. azul, you could’ve just asked if you were curious. i’d have explained. but you went behind my back, and then assumed the worst of me.” you said in a small voice, looking up at him with teary eyes. “i need to go back to the dorm.. it’s late.”

with that, you get up and leave, not looking back at him. you were heartbroken, considering that the guy you fell in love with thought you were the villain of his story.

azul watches you leave, and jade comes up to him. “my, you blew that.” he hummed, taking your empty seat. “you better go apologize, or you’ll regret it.”

azul didn’t say anything. he knew jade was right. he knew you were right. azul assumed the worst just because you shared the last name of a prince—a prince who was never anything but nice to azul.

azul came up with a way to talk to you, and hoped that things would smooth over.

the next couple days, you didn’t show up to classes. Jamil and Kalim said it was just because you weren’t feeling well, but azul knew the truth. so, he decided that if you wouldn’t come anywhere near him, he’d go directly to you.

after classes that day, he shows up to Scarabia. he finds your dorm room, and comes in after not getting a response to his knock. he sees you curled up in bed, your hair fanned out around your head like a fiery halo. you were pretending to be asleep, he could tell. he sits down on the edge of your bed, placing a tentative hand on your hip.

“hey,” he calls out softly, “i know you’re not sleeping. can we talk..?” you huff, rolling over to look at him. that was enough agreement to a conversation that he’d probably get.

he takes a deep breath before speaking. “i’m sorry. i shouldn’t have assumed anything about you, especially when your brother has been nothing but nice to me. i think i was just upset, feeling blindsided. but you were right.”

you start becoming more responsive as he talks, sitting up and facing him with tired, puffy red eyes. “it wasn’t fair to me.” you mumbled.

“it wasn’t fair to you at all.” he agrees gently, cupping your face with one hand. the other reaches for yours, holding your hand and rubbing his thumb across your knuckles. “i think im in love with you.” he suddenly confesses, then leans in. when you don’t retract from him, he closes the distance and gently presses his lips to yours.

in that moment, the dynamic between you two shifted into something more intimate, special.

. . . . .

One day, you and azul decide to hit the town between night raven and royal sword. as you’re walking around, you spot a familiar redhead—rielle!

“rielle!!” you exclaim, running up to hug him. he exclaims your name and hugs you tight, happy to see his twin. he looks over at azul, recognizing him immediately.

“azul! it’s been a bit, hasn’t it? how are you!” rielle asks, bubbly as ever. you go back to azuls side, taking his hand in yours.

“rielle, azul and i are dating!! isn’t that so cool? i didn’t know you guys even knew each other growing up.” you comment, not letting azul answer your brothers questions. rielles jaw drops, and a huge smile makes its way across his lips.

“awww!!! i’m so happy for you guys! aw, you’re adorable, oh my goodness.” he gushes, fawning like a fanboy over the two of you. azuls face is bright red, and he pushes his glasses up with he free hand, squeezing your hand tighter.

the three of you walk around, catching up and reminiscing on old times. it was interesting for you to hear about the relationship between rielle and azul, considering you were absent from that narrative.

when you and azul get back to night raven, he looks exhausted.

“is everything okay?” you ask sweetly, worry etched on your face. you pepper his face with little kisses, trying to wake him up.

“i’m just fine, my pearl. i’m surprised your brother was that accepting of me dating you.” he pointed out, but didn’t seem mad about it. he seemed grateful.

“of course he was. who wouldn’t be accepting of you?” you ask in return, hugging him tightly.

he’s not able to respond, because the biggest smile graces his face. he holds you tight against him, stroking your hair.

you two sit like that for awhile, just enjoying each others presence.

azuls never felt so seen in his life. he feels like he can take on the world, without any schemes or tricks. he’s never been happier than he is with you—and he hopes to any divine presence above that this never changes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Yeah yeah, I heard ya perfectly fine the first time,” the burly man grunted, waving you off like a bothersome fly. “Still, yer so green behind the ears, I first thought ya were growin’ algae there. Makes it hard to believe ya, ya know.”

“And if you don’t it’ll cost us all greatly,” you hissed back, fixing your eyes on the horizon again. “In any case, I suggest you think this through carefully, it’s almost time to make your decision.”

“Hah, as if I needed advice from ya,” the captain scoffed before stomping down the deck again. You exhaled more forcefully than necessary.

Either way, you could soon part ways with him again, pockets lined with a hefty sum of gold for charting a course that shortened trading routes significantly. You’d also see your beloved again. Those thoughts comforted you and kept you from decking one or the other member of the crew. Sea spray reached all the way over the railing to sprinkle your face with thousand kisses from the ocean and you smiled fondly.

By the time the cliffs loomed high over the ship, the only natural light source illuminating the deck was the pale moonlight, intersected by the shadows of clouds travelling with you. The few lanterns people were holding floated like wisps in the fog. Since daylight, the temperature had dropped steeply, a chill creeping from the sea onto deck, wafts of mist licking and coiling around your ankles. 

“It’s time to pay the toll, Captain,” you announced, voice strong even among the uneasy shifting of the crew. “Let me see what you chose.”

Arms like tree trunks crossed over a wrinkled uniform, the skin around his elbows grey and dry from years of being exposed to salty air. His bushy eyebrows were knit tightly together in what could only be a foreboding omen of trouble. “Now tell me why I wouldn’t throw ya overboard for even suggestin’ something so ludicrous. Reckon ya’d be enough to pay yer nonsense toll?”

“While you’re right that me and my skills are worth quite a lot of gold, you need me to navigate your way through the waters up ahead.” You mirrored his stance, determined not to budge either. “Though if you want to crash against a wall of rocks and sink your ship, be my guest. Well, if something else doesn’t sink it first.”

“Pah, as if I’d throw valuable treasure overboard because of some little fairy tale you’ve spun, guppy.” The captain’s voice was a mixture of amusement and a scoff as he made the biggest mistake of his life. “I won’t part with a single coin to appease your little—“

A cry cut him off, the head of a crew member slamming against the grimey wood before his nails scratched along the deck as he was dragged backwards and overboard by his ankle. It happened again. And again. And again.

All around you, crew members were pulled into the endless abyss of the sea, screams of terror and dread following them into the depths. The captain’s eyes wavering with regret as his gaze trailed along the shadows eclipsing the moon, reaching higher than the ship’s mast, curling and uncurling languidly as if savouring the moment before crashing down on the deck.

“Kraken! It’s the Kraken!”

The crew’s shrieks broke whatever daze their disbelief had them in and panic broke over them like a wave against a cliffside. Not that any of their running and crying could save them now. Wood splintered under the assault of tentacles that stretched longer than the ship by far and more men were caught in coils of inky black. The ship started to dip where the bow had been crushed mercilessly, water now pouring in.

You watched on in apathy, a hand on the railing where you could feel the sea spray against your skin. The scene did not come as a surprise to you. Honestly, you had expected it when the captain first hired you.  In all fairness, you had warned them, had made it abundantly clear that the condition for passing through this shortcut was that the Kraken’s toll had to be paid if you wanted to sail on unharmed.

It didn’t take long until it was only the captain and you left tumbling along the wreck of the former deck. His face was contorted in an expression that could only be described as pathetic and it robbed you of every urge to gloat. You couldn’t hear his stammering over the crashing of the waves, and you didn’t care for it either, as eight winding appendages ensnared the ship whole and pulled it underwater for good.

Closing your eyes, you embraced the familiar caress of the ocean as you held your breath.

You awoke in the soft blue glow of a rocky lagoon, the bioluminescence of flowers growing in the dim light reflected in the vast pool of water murmuring gently just a few steps away from you. Sitting up somewhat groggily, you checked for any injuries, certain as you were that you had none, and only found pulsing marks littered across your skin, some the size of dinner plates. You reached your hand into the water, speaking fondly.

“A little eager, were we, darling?” 

Water rushed down in streams from the figure emerging from the depths of the sea, pearling on his lilac and onyx skin and making him glitter like a million jewels. Shells and corals adorned his body in elegant clusters and perfectly framed the golden sundial shell dangling around his neck. However, nothing compared to the gorgeous pair of sea-blue eyes shining down at you.

“My apologies, beloved.” His voice echoed around the cave, melodic and more beautiful than any song, as he swam closer to you, submerging himself back into the water up until his neck, so he could be at least somewhat on eye-level with you. “But it has been so long since I last saw you and I missed you dearly.”

“Well, I can’t blame you,” you mused, stretching out your arm so he could lean his face against the palm of your hand. It hardly covered his cheek at all, yet you still stroked along the smooth skin adoringly. “Azul, I love you.”

“And I love you more, my pearl.” The giant octopus merman gently returned your affection by coiling a tentacle around the length of your leg, the width of which thicker than your own thigh. Its tip slipped under the hem of your shirt, mirroring your soft caress against the dip of your lower back. “Even if that foolish captain had thrown three chests of gold overboard, I might have sunk the ship anyway just for the way he spoke to you.”

“You heard that, huh?” Smiling you let yourself be pulled closer to the water by the alluring tug of the tentacle massaging the flesh of your thigh. “Though it wouldn’t exactly help our business model if you also drowned the people actually giving you their valuables.”

“Dead men tell no tales,” Azul simply said, shrugging his beautifully sculpted shoulders as he closed his eyes in faux sympathy. “You could have just said they did not listen and paid the price.”

“Mhm, and it wouldn’t be suspicious at all if I am always the only one to miraculously survive these attacks of the scary, merciless Kraken,” you teased, sliding your hand up to push some of his silvery strands out of his eyes so you could admire more of his beautiful face. “Besides, people would start avoiding this area again if nobody made it out alive anymore.”

“Must you always be right about these things, my dear?” His sigh was one of deep sorrow, a melancholic air to the way he slowly rose and sank in the lagoon’s pool. Another tentacle slowly curled around your middle as two strong, human arms encircled you, clasping together behind your back, so your lover could lean further onto land. “Is it so wrong of me to wish that you would never have to part from me again? That I could appreciate and hold your lovely form whenever I wish to?”

“But you said it yourself, didn’t you? That I came up with a very efficient way of generating wealth,” you reminded him, playful lilt to your voice as your hands wandered over his slick lilac skin. “And it has been pretty effective, hasn’t it? Word of the Kraken’s toll has spread far and wide from what I’ve heard.”

“It’s true, most ships passing through here have thrown some of their prized possessions overboard,” Azul admitted. Something flickered in his gaze and the appendage around your middle tightened its hold on you, though careful not to hurt you. One of its smaller suckers latched onto the exposed skin of your collarbones to leave a possessive mark, soothing your partner even if he was the only one who knew of its existence. “Don’t you think your work is done now? You’ve successfully planted the scheme in people’s heads, there’s no need for you to sail with them now. Stay by my side, don’t return to the ports.”

The rippling of the water was comforting to your ears, moving with your lover’s languid movements, inky tentacles unfurling and curling around you. Never had you believed that you would survive your first meeting, let alone come to love Azul. Now, however, his presence was soothing and safe, knowing full well he would never hurt you, nor let you come to any harm.

“Are you sure?” Your hand slid down his shoulder, then stroked along the smooth black limb still holding you close. “You know I hate to be away from you just as much, but I also want to help you wring the most profit out of this.”

“I’d rather lose out on some of that gold, it’s pocket change in the grand scheme of things anyway. But I don’t want to see you leave again, waiting for you while not knowing if you’re safe, whether some sleaze is trying to steal you away,” he gravely confessed, sliding closer to you than he already had been. Soft lips placed a kiss on the crown of your head, light as sea spray, though it covered far more than just that. “You’re the one treasure I can never part with.”

Something heavy draped around your neck, droplets of water hitting your face as you angled it to look at the octopus arm hovering over your head. When you glanced the other direction, a pearl necklace gleamed up at you, soaking your shirt. You felt more tentacles wrap around your wrist, your waist, your ankle and even sliding gently over your ear, slowly and intimately leaving gleaming golden accessories in their wake, tickling the pads of your fingers in parting.

“You’re so beautiful,” Azul whispered meaningfully, oceanic eyes drinking you up with the reverence people usually reserved for deities. “I’d lay the world down at your feet and pluck the stars from the sky if you asked me to. If you say the word, whatever you long for shall be yours. As long as you stay with me, I’ll gladly grant every one of your wishes. Just don’t leave me again.”

The jewellery clinked as you moved, equal parts gift and claim staked on you. Standing on your tiptoes you started trailing kisses over his shoulders, avoiding shells and corals, his skin slick and cool under your lips. With equal rapture as he bestowed upon you, you charted a course from his collarbones, over his throat and up to his jaw, a path you had mapped out multiple times before. A soft sigh grazed your ear as your kisses reached the corner of his lips, the beauty mark you adored so much receiving special attention. 

With the utmost care, your affection was returned, the pads of human fingers brushing over the curve of your back and down the slope of your arms, making Azul hum as the various valuables adorning you clinked pleasantly under his ministrations. The lagoon’s blue luminescence reflected off the pieces and bathed your skin in a soft azure glow, reinforcing his supposition that you had never belonged with those humans, but that it had been preordained for you to be a part of the ocean; a part of him. “What’s your answer, my pearl?”

“Well, when you ask me like that…” You trailed off playfully, leaning against the comfortable pressure of the hands holding you, knowing he’d never let you fall. Languidly, you ghosted your fingertips along the sable appendages embracing you, then lifted your gaze to meet his, a smile coiling around your lips. “It’s a deal.”

It was always a welcome sight to see his bright eyes go wide in surprise before a smug smile illuminated his face. Clearing his throat, which did nothing to dispel the flush of colour dusting his cheeks, the merman swiftly swept you up into the palm of his hand to bring you to his eye-level. Azul hadn’t always been so comfortable with touching you or being touched himself, so the fact that you could now lean in and flutter kisses against his eyelids, and he let you without any complaints, warmed you from the heart out.

“You know what that means, right? The contract is binding now.” His eyes were positively sparkling now, more dazzling than ever as he slowly reclined backwards, slowly drifting towards the open sea with you. However, instead of drinking in the splendid grandeur of the sun rising over the waves, the two of you were completely enchanted by the other. “I never break my contracts, as you are aware. And I can only hope that you are much the same, my love.”

Grinning fondly down at him, you were certain you could put all his worries to rest. Meeting Azul had been a mercy granted on your poor soul, so until the song of your heart ended and the sun set on the two of you, you were more than happy to bind yourself to him. It was a deal you would honour for the rest of your life.

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Azul has a plethora of secrets, some that he holds for others and some that are his own. That is an undisputed fact. And you respect him for being such a good secret keeper. It must be very hard to keep all of that information to yourself, which he does with such ease.

However, all of that information can bog one down, and things can slip through the cracks if one is not careful.

Which is exactly what happened to the poor dorm leader of Octavinelle.

You were on your way to the Mostro Lounge on request of the Leech twins. Apparently, they were short-staffed and needed your help to step in as a waiter. You were more than happy to do so, because all of Octavinelle made working at the Lounge so much fun. You were already dressed in the appropriate uniform, thanks to Jade allowing you to keep one after you kept covering shifts at the Lounge. You'd never say it to his face, but you felt like the vice dorm leader had a soft spot for you.

When you arrived, you realized you definitely had your work cut out for you. For starters, the only wait staff were the Leech twins. The kitchen staffing situation wasn't much better. And it didn't help that the Lounge seemed fuller than usual. Without waiting for instruction, you jumped right in, seating students, running orders, and bussing tables. Jade and Floyd were impressed by your work ethic and Jade even thanked you for stepping up to the challenge. But you assured them both that you were happy to help and to rely on you more often.

Once things started to settle down and you managed to catch your breath, Floyd snuck up behind you. "Shrimpy! I have a huge favor to ask you!"

You were about to argue, wanting to tell him that you finally managed a moment off your feet, but you smiled at him instead. "Of course. How can I help?"

"Well, you saw the dire circumstances we were in but minutes ago." He dramatically sighs. "It threw our poor leader, Azul, into quite the tizzy. He hasn't been out of his office since you got here. You don't mind checking in on him, do you?"

You were a little surprised by his words. He wanted you to check up on Azul? Well, that was easy! And something you were more than happy to do for him!

With a nod, you turn to head to the office, calling out to Floyd. "You got it!"

Arriving at his office door, you gave it a sharp knock. "Azul? Are you in there? Can I come in?"

You heard a muffled voice behind the thick door, making it hard to decipher what he was saying. You assumed he was buried in documents or pacing frantically in front of his desk. So he shouldn't mind that you were entering.

As you opened the door, you called out, "I'm coming in!"

"NO!"

It was too late for the poor dorm leader, as you saw exactly what he hoped you would never see. Azul quickly pulled his tentacles further into his octopus pot, in a vain attempt to hide himself from you. But you had already seen his most shameful secret, the one that he kept the most guarded to himself.

You simply tilted your head to the side when you heard him begin sobbing inside his pot, a frown tugging on your lips. You had never seen his mer-form before. Sure, you've seen the Leech twins on more than one occasion, and you've even spoken to Azul's mother over a video chat once while Azul was busy. Based on his interaction with his mother, you knew he had octopus tentacles that were as black as night. But you had never seen it in person.

"Go away!" He blubbers, still crying his heart out. "You can't see me like this! I don't want you to see me like this! Just get out and never return!"

"Azul." You softly answer him, slowly making your way closer to his pot. "I'm not leaving."

"NO! You need to leave! Now! Go away! Get out of here!"

"Azul, listen to me, please." You softly beg. "I'm not leaving you like this. I can tell you're scared and embarrassed, but you have nothing to be afraid of."

He lets out another loud sob. "Yes I do! I am hideous! I'm a monster!"

"A monster? You are not a monster!" You assure him, reaching out a hand to put it on his octopus pot, but stopping just short from actually touching it. "You are most definitely not hideous. If anything, you are beautiful."

"You're lying!" He accuses you with a harsh shout. "You're making fun of me! I am nothing but a hideous monster!"

With a sigh, you run your hand through your hair. This was going to be even harder than covering the Mostro Lounge. How could you get through to him? He wasn't going to listen to you if you constantly praised how handsome he looked in his mer-form, which you had to admit, was very handsome.

And that's when it hit you. "Hey Azul? Can I tell you something?"

"No. You're supposed to be leaving."

"I'll tell you anyway." You sit next to his octopus pot and begin talking. "You know what's cool about octopi? They have big brains and three hearts! They can use tools to hunt and problem solve. It's kind of like what you do here. You're super smart and use a bunch of tools to make all of your clever plans work."

You hear him sniff and his crying begins to subside. Your plan is working.

"Also, they can build underwater cities. And isn't that similar to the Lounge you made here? It's like your own community and I like to think the Lounge helps keep things running at Night Raven College. I mean it's the biggest social hub on campus and everything."

You notice him peeking around the lip of the pot, but you don't look at him. You don't want to scare him. You're so close to getting him to calm down and finally show himself to you.

"A lot of octopi are masters of camouflage, which I think is really cool. I mean, I can't do that, but I'm sure you can! I mean how many people do you know can blend into their surroundings? It's like having your own super power!"

"I can camouflage." Azul mumbles, and out of the corner of your eye, you can see him slowly emerging from the pot. He's not looking at you, so you don't look at him. "I don't use it often, but I can do it."

You nod. "That's so cool! See? You're not a monster. You are one of the coolest people I know."

You hear him give a small wince and it makes you panic for a split-second. "I wouldn't go that far. I'm not that cool."

"Well, I think you're super cool."

He gives a breathy laugh. "Thank you." There's a pause before he speaks again. "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. You didn't deserve that. I was just scared. I've never shown anyone this side of me before. I was terrified you would hate me and be disgusted, like everyone else I've shown this too."

You shake your head, finally turning to face him. Azul flinches away, but he doesn't hide again. You can see more of his mer-form which is just as spectacular as you imagined. "I am not disgusted or horrified. If anything, I'm curious. What can you do in this form?"

A bright blush appears on his cheeks. "I... can do a lot of things in this form."

"Can you show me?"

Everyone knew that Azul Ashengrotto was notoriously stingy. He was a firm believer that if you wanted to cross a bridge, you had to pay the toll. He never gave anything for free.

Except with you. Azul tutored you quite a few times, and he'd even get you snacks while he was at it. Why? Was he trying to scam you?

As you chewed on a piece of the candy he'd given you, you couldn't help but ask.

"Hey, Azul," you said. "Can I ask why you're giving me all this free stuff?"

Azul's eyes widened a bit.

"It's of irrelevance," he said.

Weird. He didn't usually get defensive this quickly. Maybe he was just upset because you'd caught him trying to scam you?

"Is this some weird plan to sucker me into a contract?" You asked, eyes narrowed. "Because I'm not signing anything."

Azul seemed to get irritated at that, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No, no, I assure you, that isn't the case," he said.

Why was he getting defensive like this? That wasn't usually how he reacted to your prodding. There was probably something you didn't know.

Scratch that, there was definitely something you didn't know.

Whatever. You'd just have to find out later, it seemed.

"Fine, fine," you said. "But-"

Azul rolled his eyes, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of awe that you got to see him so openly annoyed.

"I'm watching, Azul. You'd better not scan me, or else I'll punish you, okay?"

Azul groaned.

"What sort of phrasing is that?" He asked. "You aren't powerful enough to enforce anything upon me either way!"

"But it's funny!"

"Hmph, cretin."

And yet, you couldn't help but wonder, if Azul really thought you were a cretin, why did he give you so much free stuff?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time passed, and things between you and Azul changed. You'd even begin dating. He still kept giving you free stuff though.

Why? How was it that he could call you an absolute cretin and then shove a bowl of soup cooked by him your way in the same breath?

But then, one day, you realized why he did it.

It was to show his affection.

In hindsight, it should've been obvious. Everyone had some form of expressing their care for others, right? And this was Azul's. It only made sense.

You were going to ask him about it. Mostly because his reaction would be fun.

"Hey, remember that time I asked you why you gave me free stuff so much?" You said one day while the two of you were cuddled together in his bed.

Azul just silently pulled back the hand you'd used for emphasis back to his head, shooting you a bleary glare.

"Mm," he said in what was probably an affirmative. You could never be too sure though. Not with a tired Azul. For all you knew, he could just be expressing his annoyance with the fact that you weren't giving him enough headpats.

"Well, I think you were always doing it to show your looooove."

That seemed to wake Azul up.

Hastily, he swatted away your hand - though you could tell he wanted it back right after, turning away from you with a huff.

"That's utterly preposterous!" He said, though his cheeks were flushed. "I certainly wasn't pining after you like some buffoon!"

He absolutely was. He showed you he loved you since way back then, while all his free tutoring sessions and carefully prepared meals.

"Are you embarrassed about it, Azul?" You said. "Don't me. I think it's cute, you know."

Azul scowled.

"You're a mongrel," he said, before standing up with a sigh. "I'll make you some food, perhaps the added energy will help restore your ordinary intellect."

That actually sounded like Azul was calling you smart and stupid at the same time. Bravo, Azul. Impressive.

Wait. He was doing it again!

"And you're making this because you looove me, right?" You said, batting your eyelashes.

"Think whatever you wish," he said. "But we ought to get back to bed once you finish your food."

He just wanted to cuddle, didn't he?

"Anything for you."