#featuring azul

🐬˙∘

“wait, seriously?”

your mouth hung slightly agape as you stared at the octopus across from you. a fact you never discovered had just come up in conversation, just some small talk you made with azul.

you and jade always have dates on tuesdays. it was an unspoken but mutual agreement as it was the one day of the week he gets his shift off a little early. today just so happened to be an off day with the lounge being much busier than anticipated.

“my apologies, dear. i’ll be working a bit later than usual today.” jade sighs, wiping down the bar counter while cleaning up after the last guest. “it’s fine, no worries! i can just go back to my dorm or something while i wait.” you wave off reassuringly. he didn’t want you walking so far after coming all this way.. but he would take quite awhile.

“hm.. how about resting in the VIP lounge? azul surely won’t mind the company after all, fufu.” he smiled, not exactly waiting for your response before ushering you there. “yeah? and what’s the catch?” you tease, allowing yourself to be taken forcefully.

“suspicious of me? your own love? must you be so cruel?” jade sniffles, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye.

and thus how you ended up talking to azul for 50 minutes straight. you both grew close ever since you started your relationship with the infamous leech twin. like a sibling bond, if you will.

“so your eyesight got worse when you got onto land?” you laugh, much to azul’s dismay. “unfortunately so. all octopi are near-sighted, so glasses were a given.” azul shrugs, finishing up a contract.

“i guess the transformation potions can’t cure blindness, huh?” you joke, playing a game on your phone mindlessly. azul merely scoffs, waving a hand in the air. “oh please, my eyes are not nearly as bad as the twins.”

that statement caught your attention. “wait, seriously?” you mutter, mouth hung slightly agape. azul’s brow raised as he looked up at you.

“did you not know?” he asks, a bit surprised.

“moray eels are known to have poor eyesight. naturally, merfolk akin to morays would also have poor eyesight. as far as i know, jade has some of the worst eye prescription i’ve ever seen.” azul laughs a bit to himself, flipping his contract over.

this newfound information was quite a bit of a shocker. your own boyfriend, who you loved and trusted, failed to tell you about such an interesting detail about himself. “i’ve never seen either of the twins wear glasses though!” you protest with a frown.

“eye contacts. they both preferred them over glasses.”

“..do you know why they preferred contacts over glasses?” you prod, trying to squeeze every bit of info you could before your free trial of information expires and you’d need to sign a contract.

“floyd always complained they make him look nerdy and lame. personally, i believe they make me look like an intellectual.” azul smiled proudly, acting as if the thin-rimmed glasses made him look smarter. “jade, on the other hand, just doesn’t like them.”

“huh.” you murmur with a dumbfounded expression. it never occurred to you, such a simple fact. jade in glasses.. what a sight it was to imagine. lenses perched over the bridge of his nose, adjusting the frame each time he looks down..

the particularly attractive scene where he’d have to remove his glasses to kiss you. the look you were making must’ve made your thoughts obvious as azul cleared his throat to get back your attention.

“before you start ah.. drooling over my contracts, perhaps you should get ready to meet jade. his shift should be over soon.”

you shoot out of your seat, giving azul a pleased look. “thank you for this wonderful intel you’ve gave me. it won’t go to waste.” he gives you one last stare of disgust before waving you out the door.

jade was already standing by the doorway as you walked out, eagerly awaiting your arrival. he puts his arm out for you and escorts you away from the lounge.

after talking with azul, you can’t help but stare at your boyfriends face. it was such a small detail about him, but how could you not know about it? morays had poor eyesight, you knew that! it’s just.. i guess you didn’t expect him to have poor eyes.

and on another note, why doesn’t jade like glasses? they can make someone look insanely attractive.. him especially. could it be he’s ashamed of having bad eyesight? you wouldn’t mind! no.. no not at all..

“hm? is there something on my face?” jade mused, his finger brushing over his cheek. you snap out of your momentary haze and remind yourself of where you are. “o-oh! uh, no it’s nothing.” you shrugged as you quickened your pace. jade raised his brow, but chose not to make a remark.

∘˙☆

while jade was washing up in the dorms bathroom, you rummaged through his drawers, trying to find the case that would unleash every fantasy you’ve dreamt of. it’s not snooping by if jade lets you explore his room!

so far, nothing. maybe a few terrarium cases and small notebooks of all the flora and fungi he’s discovered, but no sign of those thin-rims yet. until..

“what’re you searching for?”

“GAH! nothing!” you turned around to see jade standing over you, resting his chin on your shoulder. you jump slightly, gripping the black case in your right hand.

jade noticed the time in your hands, raising a brow with a sly smile on his face. he couldn’t quite make out what it was, but there was no harm in probing the answer out of you.

“oh? then what might this be?” he hums, leaning in closer, caging you in with his arms. you keep the case behind your back, trying to slide the glasses out of its confinements.

“what’re you talking about?” you made an attempt to feign ignorance, but jade wasn’t having it. he takes hold of your wrist and brings it forward. “hm..” he tilts his head, trying to get a good look at the item in your hands. he didn’t have his contacts on him right now.. but it looks like..

in a fraction of a second, you slide the glasses onto his face.

jade flinches as you place the rims onto the bridge of his nose, adjusting them absentmindedly before realizing what had been done.

“..dear?” he mumbles, looking at you with a questioning look. you stare at him wide-eyed, taking in the scene in all its glory.

this was all you could’ve asked for and more.. seven bless.

jade turned his face away, trying to hide behind his hand. you scoff, grabbing his hand and moving it out of the way. “don’t hide. not after i worked so hard to find them!”

his face is dusted in a light pink hue. you’ve never seen jade look so small before. “you look cute.” you grin, giving him a small peck. jade melted into your arms with a pouting expression. “to be honest im not quite fond of glasses..” he mumbles.

he wouldn’t say it, but it shows an imperfection in his perfect persona. there should be no signs of faults or weakness in someone designed to be feared after all.

but alas, you chose not to pry any further. “well, i think you should wear them more often. at least around me.” you hum, rubbing his back.

“..you seem to like them quite a bit. have my looks entranced you?” jade teased, giving you a sly smile. “oh you have no idea.” you sigh, shaking your head.

for awhile, you both remained at a resting position. he laid his head atop of your stomach as you toyed with a few strands of his hair. that’s when it clicked to him. how did you find out?

“may i ask how you discovered such an embarrassing secret of mine..?” he asks quietly, fixing his glasses as he looked up at you.

“an octopus passing by told me.” you hum, not dropping names but not leaving it unknown. he grimaced at the indirect mention, but quickly fixed his face to a much scarier smile. “ah, i see. i’ll be sure to give this octopus a thorough lesson on confidentiality.”

“of course.” you chuckle, punctuating your sentence with a final kiss to his lips.

jade has in fact started wearing his glasses much more often around you. still not fond of them though.

A/N: only slightly gave up near the end 🥀🥀 anyways first post of the new years!! im hoping to be more consistent with my posts this year so be on the look out!

date published: 01/02/26

I looked up, immediately smiling as the door opened and in strolled Jade. An ever polite smile on his seemingly flawless face as he looked over at me with practiced gentility, “Good morning, Y/n.”

I nodded at him, reaching down under my desk to grab the package Azul had left for him just moments earlier, “Good morning, Dr. Jade. Mr. Carews called and requested that you call him back, and Mr. Ashengrotto just came by and left a package for you.”

Jade let out a hum as he eyed the small package, a slight frown appearing on his face at the mention of the first man before his two-toned gaze flickered up to meet mine. Amusement flickering in his mismatched eyes as he tilted his head, the motion causing the singularly long, dark grey strand of his otherwise short turquoise hair to swing wildly, “Did Azul say anything?”

I shook my head, as I sifted through a pile of papers. All appointments, letters, and general paperwork, “No, he and I chatted for a while, but he didn’t leave a message for you. Why? Are you expecting something from him?”

I paused to glance questioningly up at the doctor, who shook his head. An amused smile spreading across his face as he rested one gloved hand against his chin, “No, but it is as I feared. You have quite charmed my work partner.”

I snorted at his teasing, shaking my head slightly, “Hardly. He was just being polite.”

Jade hummed, straightening as he balanced the package in one hand easily, “I sincerely doubt that, my dear. I do fear he might soon come to steal you away.”

I rolled my eyes, meeting his gaze once more, “Azul has no need of a receptionist, so I doubt there is any real fear of that.”

Jade let out a quiet chuckle as I held out a slender sheet of paper, “Here, this is Mr. Carews’s number. He sounded very upset when he called, so I imagine he’ll want to schedule an appointment.”

He quietly eyed the paper before accepting, “Yes, I suppose he will, considering everything that’s going on.”

I frowned at his words, perfectly used to Jade’s occasionally ominous statements by now, but I tilted my head at him nonetheless as I gave way to my own wary curiosity, “Are you talking about that new criminal that supposedly looks exactly like you? ‘Mr. Floyd,’ was it?”

Jade’s characteristically discreet smile split into a grin. One that displayed his pointed teeth that he always kept hidden behind close-lipped smiles whenever any patients were nearby, and in many ways I genuinely believed that the first time I’d seen it had been entirely accidental on his part. But at this point I also honestly suspected that Jade only smiled like that when he was truly, and perhaps villainously, amused. 

His voice was filled with humor, as evidenced by his slight chuckle as he spoke, “Ah, yes, that fellow. So you’ve heard of him too?”

I blinked slightly at his words before smiling in slight disbelief and shaking my head, “Hasn’t everyone? It seems like everyone’s talking about him. People on the streets, patients in your waiting room, the newspapers….”

I trailed off amusedly as Jade tilted his head at me, his eyes flashing with a far-too-clever glimmer, “And what do you think of this ‘Mr. Floyd’?”

I felt my eyebrows raise at Jade’s question. But, in all fairness, I suppose it only made sense for him to be at least slightly curious about the criminal that everyone had been likening him to.

Though, knowing Jade, I doubted that any of the gossip actually bothered him. In fact, Jade would be more likely to find their gossip rather amusing.

“Well, I suppose he may have a passing resemblance to you based on what people say, but it can’t be anything too awfully close. After all, neither the practice nor your reputation have been hurt by any of the rumors,” I finally answered. Lifting one shoulder in a half-shrug before I frowned slightly, “Beyond that, I haven’t heard much about him. No one actually talks about anything he’s done. Just that he supposedly looks like you and apparently can’t be caught.”

Jade blinked at my words, his eyes widening in an almost comedic fashion before a slow smile crept across his face as his gaze shifted back to something more amused, “Yes, I suppose there isn’t much information about him, is there?”

He paused, tilting his head slightly before finishing in an oddly pleased manner that had me frowning slightly, “I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see how things pan out, won’t we?”

I was almost tempted to question as he turned to go but I stayed silent. Instead, watching as he walked off with his package, as I idly considered his words before tilting my head with a slight frown.

Because it was odd, now that I considered it. The way Azul kept sending mysterious little packages so cryptically.

The rest of the day rolled by uneventfully, though, with patients coming and going. Ever-thrilled to be seeing that the esteemed Dr. Jade. Though how Jade kept up the ‘esteemed’ part of his reputation was beyond me.

It was true that he was the perfect image of a gentleman and was by far a good employer whom I got along well with. But it was also true that it hadn’t taken me very long after getting hired as his receptionist to figure out that there was far more to him than just his good looks, intelligence, and faux-polite smile.

If nothing else, Jade was a master of manipulation, and he could be beyond slippery at times. And then there was the way he’d emerged from his office with a distinctly smug expression to tell me that Mr. Carews did indeed want an appointment and for me to be sure to schedule plenty of time.

And that was, of course, in and of itself perfectly innocent. Jade was a well-respected doctor after all. If Mr. Carews needed an appointment, even a long one, that wasn’t really very strange. 

But the way Jade’s pleasure had seemed all too villainous was odd and had me shaking my head with a frown even as I was walking down the street on my way home.

It wasn’t the first time I’d questioned Jade’s flawless reputation, though.

I might have bought into it at the start, when I’d applied for the job of his receptionist, but I didn’t now. 

But I also had no idea why he seemed so perfectly villainous sometimes, and the fact that I got along with him so well despite my occasional concerns had me questioning my own sense.

Jade had appeared out of nowhere, with similar timing to Azul’s appearance in town. Both reasonably well-respected from the start, and by now they’d built up quite the reputations as well as quite a bit of money.

Jade, as a supposedly moral character who helped the sick and ailing with all sorts of problems, and Azul, as a businessman who could help most anyone find what they needed.

The two of them had already been friends when they’d both shown up within days of one another and set up their businesses with the implicit understanding that they worked together.

Both of them were a bit of a mystery, and both of them were men I’d ended up working with and getting along with rather well. But all of it was still odd enough to make me sometimes question their sudden appearance and the way Jade seemed to always know stuff about people.

After all, that was why he was regarded as so good at his job. The sheer amount of information he had about what troubled individuals. 

I paused mid-step as something caught my eye through my peripheral vision, causing me to turn and look down a darkened, trash-filled street before my eyes widened in recognition.

Because there, of all people, sat Jade himself with a hand pressed to his now bloodied right arm, even though he’d only left the office shortly before I had.

My mind swirled with questions about how he’d gotten hurt, what exactly had happened, and what on earth was doing here when his house was in the exact opposite direction. But none of those thoughts slowed me down as I darted across the street. Heedless of others passing by.

I all but dropped to the ground beside him, my hand reaching out to try and shove his hand out of the way so I could get a better look at his injury as words flew from my mouth in a garbled mix of distress and genuine concern, “What happened to you?!! We need to get you some help! I’ll call the hospital and-”

He jerked back at my sudden appearance, staring at me with wide eyes, and I felt myself go still as my words came to an abrupt halt as I stared back at this young man who was so familiar but also wholly foreign to me.

A yellow right eye and an olive left one, both of which were slightly drooped at the edges, giving him an almost gentle appearance. But Jade’s eyes were sharper and more upturned at the edges, with his right eye being olive and the left being yellow.

And then there was the hair. The same shade of turquoise, but where Jade had his longer stand of dark grey hair that framed the left side of his face, this man’s longer strand hung on the right side of his face.

He was a perfect mirror image of my employer, but the simple fact of the matter was that this man was not Jade. And suddenly all I could think was the rumors of the very criminal Jade had questioned me about just today.

Mr. Floyd. The criminal that no one could catch, who looked uncannily like Jade.

I swallowed thickly as he blinked back at me, his expression slowly shifting to surprise to something more intelligent that had me both mentally and physically retreating.

I slowly let go of his hand, pulling back as I let out a nervous laugh, “Sorry… I must have gotten the wrong person….”

I trailed off as I hurriedly backtracked, about to stand and scurry away only for him to catch my hand in his, which I noticed all too late was also different from Jade’s. 

I froze at his sudden touch as I stared at where his hand now held mine captive before my gaze darted back up to his face.

If he was bothered by my sudden wariness, he didn’t show it as he stared back at me and clearly identified me despite the fact I’d never met him, “You work for Jade.”

In no way were his words a question. They were a statement. Like he knew it for a fact, and I felt myself nod even as I scrambled to figure out what I needed to do now.

I had no idea what sort of crimes this man had committed or anything about him. And even if I had paid more attention to the gossip about him, I still wouldn’t know anything. 

“Dr. Jade? Yes, I- I’m his receptionist,” And I only faltered slightly as I responded to him. Feeling both very much out of my depth.

He stared back at me, his expression oddly, before a sharp-toothed grin crossed his face that had my eyes widening as his grip on my hand tightened slightly, “I guess I’d better get you back home then? Hm~ It’d be a shame for something to happen to the respected doctor’s receptionist.”

I blinked at his lilted words. My confusion only increasing as my wariness remained. I didn’t know if he was being patronizing towards the fact Jade was well-respected due to something akin to jealousy or if it was something else entirely. But either way, I wanted to get away from him, and I certainly didn’t want ‘Mr. Floyd’ anywhere near my home.

I might not know what crimes he had supposedly committed, but I definitely wasn’t going to take any chances.

I pasted a nervous smile onto my face and pulled my arm back towards me, my motions doing nothing to break his grip as I shook my head, “Oh no. Thank you, but I’ll be fine going home on my own.”

He stared at me, almost like he was surprised by my words before he let out a harsh sounding laugh, “Nah, there are a lot of criminals out and about right now. A lil shrimpy like you might get in a world of trouble on your own.”

And just like that, he shot down my polite refusal as he stood, hauling me to my feet with him as he turned and took off down the street. All but dragging me along behind him as I stumbled along, “I’ll getcha back home safe and sound, though. But-”

He paused, his long stride coming to a stop as he suddenly tugged on my arm, pulling me up alongside him so he could grin down at me. Sharp teeth perfectly on display as I swallowed thickly, bracing myself for whatever he was about to say.

“You gotta keep it a secret from your boss, ‘Kay~?” His tone was oddly sing-songy, and I felt myself distantly nod before I immediately frowned at myself. Because I wasn’t about to agree to letting this man walk me home. Even if he had caught me wholly off-guard.

But before I could hardly object, he took off down the street, somehow knowing the exact direction to head in as I stumbled after him. But after a moment, his long-legged pace slowed so that I could keep up as he glanced down at me.

“Jade’ll be mad if he finds out I walked you home, so this’ll be our secret~” I blinked at him in utter wary confusion as he held up one long finger to his mouth and winked at me.

Because was this man, bleeding though he was, really the criminal that everyone had been gossiping about? He certainly seemed…. Odd. But despite my initial panic, he hardly seemed as horrifying as the rumors made him sound.

He was, however, still suspicious.

I felt myself distantly nod even as I eyed him warily, “Right…. But how do you know the way to my house and that I work for Jade?”

If anything, his grin spread across his face, “I remembered it. You had to put your address on your paper when you applied to be his receptionist. Remember?”

If I could have frozen in place, I would’ve, but instead the man just kept pulling me along with him as he started humming. His jaunty tune wholly at odds with my chilled thoughts.

Because his words had one painfully obvious meaning. That he’d seen the paperwork for everyone who’d applied for my job. Which meant he definitely had some sort of connection to Jade.

I trotted hurriedly through the office, feeling like I was already far too deep into whatever the mess Jade, Floyd, and Azul were all working with was.

I was already having to deal with the police since they’d come today wanting to talk to Jade about his resemblance to the supposed criminal ‘Mr. Floyd.’ And for all I knew, maybe Floyd was a criminal and I was aiding and abetting by not reporting him everytime he came for a visit.

After all, he was all too frequently at least mildly injured when he came by for a visit and I knew he was involved without whatever shady business Jade and Azul were doing.

No matter what, I was almost positive that while I’d initially thought that getting hired as Jade’s receptionist was a lucky break, in reality it was anything but. Even if it had led to me meeting and getting to know Jade.

At this point, I was who knew how close to tripping into what was likely some very dangerous grounds, and yet here I was rushing to get to Jade’s office and let him know what was going on.

After all, Azul could probably only keep the police held up for so long, and I wasn’t about to leave Jade hanging.

Besides, at least with what I was doing right now, I could plead innocent. After all, I was just doing my job as a receptionist and letting Jade know he had visitors.

I burst through the door, half out of breath with definitely frazzled nerves as I looked up. Ready to rush through a hasty warning to Jade about the police’s presence only to stare in dull shock at what was in front of me.

Because rather than seeing Jade looking up at me politely from behind his desk, I was staring at Floyd and Jade, who were both staring back at me in blatant surprise. Though, to Jade’s name, he recovered fairly quickly as a wide grin spread across Floyd’s face and he waved casually, like we were meeting on a street and he wasn’t a wanted man, “Heya Shrimpy~”

I straightened, swiftly stepping the rest of the way into the room and pulling the door shut behind me without ever looking back as I all but glowered at both of them, “What are you doing here?”

Jade sighed slightly while Floyd laughed, and both of them started talking at the same time. 

“Y/n-”

“Shrimpy’s mad~”

I felt my left eye twitch, “The police are here because they deduced that you two have a connection. Azul is holding them up in the waiting room, but they want to talk to you, Jade.”

It was like I’d flipped a switch, and both men fell silent. Floyd’s expression going from one of humor to one of annoyance, while Jade merely pressed his lips together.

But both of them realized what a sticky situation this was since Floyd was here.

If the police decided they needed to search the building, them finding Floyd would be all too easy, and there was no denying that the two men were practically identical mirror images of each other.

Even if Floyd got away, Jade would no doubt be taken in on suspicion of aiding and abetting for questioning, at the very least. And even if he managed to slide his way through that with his silver tongue, one test would be all it would take to prove they were related.

And then we would well and truly be in one deep mess.

And that was assuming Jade didn’t just flee with Floyd, though that would certainly seal the deal as well.

“Y/n, can you stay here and take care of Floyd’s injuries while I handle them?” It wasn’t often that I got to see Jade wear that cold expression, and I felt myself nod wordlessly. Stepping to the side to let him go out even as I turned, letting my worried gaze follow him as he strolled forward.

“Be careful,” My words came out surprisingly soft, but evidently enough he heard me considering the way he paused in front of me. His mismatched gaze flickering my way and a half-amused smile almost crept onto his face before he continued on his way. Shutting the door behind him as I turned to look at Floyd. Crossing my arms as I looked at the young man who wore a deep frown on his face.

And unlike with Jade, where I had seen him wear that serious look on brief occasions, I’d never seen Floyd look like this.

I walked over to where the now moody young man sat though, before I picked up some of the bandages, “So what was it this time?”

It was the same question I usually asked him when I ended up bandaging him, and he usually would spin me some sort of whimsical, if slightly worrying, excuse.

But this time there was no lightness to his tone as he glowered at the door and answered in a distinctly blunt tone, “Carews was stirring up trouble, so I met up with him. He’s probably to blame for the cops being here.”

I felt my eyebrows arch at the name that I recognized. He’d been calling the office almost daily, constantly wanting to talk to Jade even though he knew how busy we kept the schedule.

“So he knows about the relationship between you and Jade?” I maintained my calm as I quietly questioned him, and I felt Floyd’s gaze shift so that it rested on me.

He bent forward, looking me in the eye and forcing me to stop in my work as he eyed me, “You sure you want to know? I thought you’d decided curiosity really would kill the cat?”

I frowned at him, my shift in expression causing him to grin as I shook my head, “I imagine I’m already ‘in too deep,’ as you put it.”

He chuckled, the sound almost making me roll my eyes fondly even as he spoke in his usual sing-songy tone, “So long as you know~”

I hummed in response, half-impressed by how quickly Floyd’s mood could change as I focused on wrapping the bandage. I felt myself frown, though, as my thoughts inevitably drifted to Jade and what he was dealing with right now, “Do you think Jade’ll be alright?”

Floyd’s hand landed on my head, causing me to glance up at him in honest surprise as he shook his head amusedly, “I wouldn’t worry about him, Shrimpy. Jade’s got a better lie dance than anyone I’ve ever met.”

I snorted, smiling despite both myself and the situation, “And yet even I can tell when he’s keeping a secret.”

Floyd outright grinned at me, “But that’s why we like you, ya’ see? You’re a fun one, Shrimpy. Not like the rest of the guppies.”

The fond words that were cooed at me with blatant affection. But I didn’t let myself overly ponder that as I blinked up at him. Doing my best to remain unimpressed even as I finished my work and read between the lines of his statement, “So if I was like the rest of the ‘guppies’ I wouldn’t be having to deal with both you and your brother right now?”

Floyd’s eyes were all alight now, “You definitely wouldn’t have gotten my bid for hire. I’ll say that.”

I blinked, my eyes widening slightly before I realized exactly how much that made sense, and I crossed my arms, frowning up at him, “Are you saying you’re the reason I got hired and that Jade just did as you said?”

“How hurtful. I would’ve picked you out even if he hadn’t cast his vote,” I twisted to look back at Jade as he came back in, his footsteps somehow silent as he looked at me with a faux pout on his face.

“Shake the cops already, huh?” Floyd’s tone was almost bored as he looked towards his brother, who merely smiled with unconcealed smugness.

“Azul’s finishing up, but yes. It wasn’t particularly hard since everyone knows that I’ve been here at work while you’ve been out and about causing trouble,” Jade looked positively pleased with himself, and I felt myself smile.

Oddly relieved, even though I knew perfectly well that the police had actually been on the right path until he’d shaken them. 

It almost made me wonder what other horrible ways my views had shifted because of these two. Demons that they were.

My thoughts were interrupted though as Floyd’s arms wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me back towards me. Startling me slightly even as he pouted against my shoulder, “You could’ve taken a little longer. I was having fun with Shrimpy.”

Jade hummed, his amused gaze flickering between Floyd’s pouty expression and my sighing face, “And sacrifice my dear receptionist to you for any longer than necessary? I’m not that cruel, Floyd.”

Floyd snorted, and I braced for his choice commentary only for Jade to continue with a mere flick of his long fingers, “Now give them back, Floyd.”

I blinked slightly at Jade’s words, only for my surprise to grow even further as Floyd muttered something that I couldn’t quite catch and let me go.

Jade held out his hand to me with a smile, watching amusedly as I accepted it and let him pull me to my feet before I glanced back at Floyd in a mixture of surprise and confusion before I frowned and glanced back towards Jade, “I feel I should state that I’m not yours.”

Floyd outright laughed at me, causing me to frown his way even as Jade chuckled, “Well, of course not. But even you have to admit that satisfaction does keep bringing you back even though you know what a dangerous game you’re playing.”

I looked his way with arched eyebrows, ignoring the way my hand continued to rest comfortably in his, “Who's to say that it isn’t my job and salary that’s bringing me back?”

Jade sighed, his acting rather over-the-top as he shook his head before he met my gaze once more with a perfectly villainous grin, “Then I suppose I’ll just have to do better, won’t I?”

I snorted, shaking my head slightly at him even as Floyd grinned, his voice drawing my gaze back his way as he stood, “And on that note, I’mma leave. See ya’ next time, Shrimpy.”

I nodded, pulling my hand from Jade’s to wave farewell even as Floyd vaulted out the window. Leaving me to sigh and wonder exactly how long his bandages would last with that kind of activity.

I glanced over as I felt Jade’s hand lightly touch my shoulder, only to see him smiling amusedly at me, “Can I take this to mean that you’ll be staying for a while yet despite my brother and I’s antics?”

I hummed, not bothering to keep my own amusement out of my voice as I turned to face him more fully, “Well, I can’t get better pay anywhere else, and I guess I’m still at least a little bit curious about the strange case of Dr. Jade and Mr. Floyd.”

Jade’s grin split, his sharp teeth glinting slightly in the lamplight as he bowed slightly, “Then I shall have to do my very best to keep your interest up then.”

I grinned at him, “Best of luck then, Doctor.”

He straightened, far-too-pleased with himself as his gaze held mine, “And to you as well, my dear. I do hope our relationship continues to be a long one.”

And though I certainly wasn’t about to tell him, I couldn’t help but agree with his words. Even despite the risks.

I determinedly kept my gaze pointed down at the papers in front of me as Jade leaned against my desk in silent amusement. His gaze resting weightily on me as he waited patiently for me to crack.

It had been like this ever since I’d initially met Mr. Floyd. The infamous criminal who, since that first day when he’d walked me home, had turned up at my home several more times since with a wide grin on his face as he’d ask me to patch up his newest injury.

Somehow, as perfectly ridiculous as it seemed, Jade knew that I was keeping a secret from him. An issue only made more frustrating by the simple fact that I couldn’t say why I was going along with ‘Mr.’ Floyd’s request to keep our meeting a secret. Just like how I didn’t know why I kept patching up every time he showed up.

But then, Floyd really didn’t strike me as nearly as horrible a person as people made him out to be. 

He was bad, yes. And he definitely got into plenty of fights, as evidenced by his numerous injuries. But he also didn’t just randomly attack people since he hadn’t shown the slightest bit of aggression towards me.

In fact, it was more like he found me amusing. Just like how Jade currently seemed to find me.

Yet another similarity the two almost identical men shared, which only made the entire situation that much more suspicious.

I’d yet to figure out what the connection between the two young men was beyond their appearance and that they definitely knew each other.

Twins seemed most likely, since the only other option to explain their similar looks was that they were mirror-image doppelgangers, which seemed highly unlikely. And though neither Jade nor Azul had ever mentioned anything about a secondary Leech, they both had their secrets.

I’d known that since almost the very start.

“You know… You’ll hurt my feelings if you keep avoiding eye contact like that,” I almost sighed at Jade’s faux-hurt tone.

So much for him being patient.

I shook my head slightly, continuing to flip through the papers on my desks that were filled with canceled appointments, requests to meet with the esteemed Dr. Jade, and gifts from his numerous admirers who were convinced they’d seduce him with their cookies in particular, despite the fact all others had failed.

“You really are quite the actor, sir. I almost believed you for a moment there,” My tone was dry, and I heard Jade chuckle. I didn’t have to look up to know exactly what expression he was making. He always was oddly pleased when I saw through his acting.

“And you’re quite the charmer. I can’t help but wonder who you’ve charmed this time that you’re being so secretive about, though.” I frowned slightly at his words, their meaning perfectly obvious. 

He wasn’t about to let this drop.

I merely hummed though, continuing to evade eye contact since I knew perfectly well that the moment my gaze met his would be the moment my secret-keeping came crashing down, “I don’t recall having charmed anyone, though you certainly have a lengthy list of new admirers.” 

He hummed back at me, amusement continuing to leak into his voice as he responded, “Do I?”

I nodded lightly, scanning the list of names that were increasingly feminine in nature, “Yes. But rumor has it that a single second of eye contact with you is enough to woo anyone.”

The sad thing was I hadn’t even made that one up. That was quite literally what people were saying. And while Jade was hardly difficult to look at, that was stretching things a little.

He may be perceptive, but eye contact hardly leads to instant wooing.

“Is that why you’re avoiding my gaze then? Attempting to protect your heart even though you seem rather immune to my supposed charms?” His voice was a barely restrained chuckle and I almost snorted.

“Hardly, sir. I imagine you know why I’ve refused to meet your gaze for the past few days,” I half rolled my eyes as I spoke, not even bothering to keep the smile off my face anymore.

Through my peripheral vision, I could see his gloved hand shift as he held out to me, almost like he wanted to shake, as he spoke, “A deal then; I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine?”

I finally lifted my gaze to meet his, staring at him in silence before I held up my hand. But rather than shaking his, I linked our pinkies together, causing his mismatched eyes to go wide as I stared back at him, “Only if you’ll be honest.”

A smile curved across his face, infinitely smooth as he held my gaze and curled his finger around mine responsively, “Will you trust me if I agree?”

I snorted, shaking my head slightly, “Hardly, but at least I’ll be able to say that I tried.”

Jade’s smile only spread at my words, like he was oddly pleased by the fact that I wasn’t just going to trust him based on his words alone. His words didn’t match his pleased expression, though, “I’m beginning to think that you really are trying to hurt my feelings.”

I smiled at his coyness that was so very like him and his teasing nature, “If I were, then I’d be failing horribly.”

His lips finally parted into a fully genuine smile that no longer hid his too-sharp teeth. They had been one of my first indicators that he wasn’t nearly what he presented himself to be. But I could respect that, even if it did cause a great many questions.

After all, I imagined that everyone had their secrets.

He tilted his head, the motion causing the dark grey strand of his hair to sway in an almost playful fashion as he eyed me, “I suppose I’ll go first, then. Did you meet my brother?”

I held his gaze, half-smiling at what his words indicated. Clear support for at least one theory I’d held about the connection between him and Mr. Floyd, “If ‘Mr. Floyd’ is indeed your twin and not some sort of doppelganger, then yes. I have met your brother.”

Jade hummed as he continued to gaze back at me, not breaking eye contact as our hands remained connected, “I imagine he told you to keep your meeting a secret.”

It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway, confirming his words, “He did, but I’ll just tell him you twisted my arm.”

Jade snorted, a surprisingly inelegant sound coming from him, “So you’ve seen him more than once?”

I nodded again before leaning forward, grinning back at him, “Yes, but I do believe it’s my turn for a question, don’t you, ‘Doctor’?”

Jade chuckled at my teasing, but nodded anyway, “Of course. My apologies for getting overexcited.”

“Why was he, Mr. Floyd I mean, worried about you being upset with him when I met him?” I tilted my head as I questioned him softly. Idly wondering how long our question and answer session might last. Until patients started coming in, or until one of us got done answering the others' questions?

I wouldn’t put it past Jade to cut me off if he felt necessary after all. Though, to be fair, I was quite likely to do the same I felt necessary, though I didn’t expect our conversation would shift in that direction.

Jade hummed, his gaze moving to our interlocked pinkies as his face shifted from one of amusement to a careful mask that I’d seen him use numerous times, “Perhaps I told him to keep you out of ‘that’ business.”

I felt my eyebrows arch suspiciously at his words as I continued to watch him, looking for any clues he might give away even though I knew how unlikely that was, “‘That’ business?”

I echoed his words back at him and surprise flitted across his face before his eyes met mine once more. And there it was. The expression he used when he wanted someone to do what he wanted.

It wasn’t difficult to imagine how a person could easily melt under that gaze, but I remained unmoved even as he spoke with a teasing tone slipping back into his voice, “Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Curiosity killed the cat’?”

I nodded, smiling back at him, “‘But satisfaction brought it back’ is the proper ending for that saying.”

He chuckled, shaking his head slightly at me, not disappointed in me in the slightest even as he answered, “Our family business isn’t the most well-accepted. I simply told him to leave you out of it.”

I tilted my head, doing my best not to think too much about what, exactly, his family’s business might be if it had something to do with the injuries Floyd had, “But you let him see the paperwork from my interview.”

Like him, I hadn’t phrased it as a question, but he nodded anyway, “He’s the one who helped me pick you as my receptionist.”

I felt my eyebrows arch as I laughed slightly, “So you lied when you told me I was at the top of your list?”

Mirroring my amusement, Jade smiled as he shook his head, “No, I was quite truthful in that statement. It was just that I wanted another’s opinion.”

He paused, glancing at the clock before me as his smile spread before his eyes locked with mine once more, “There’s enough time for one more question.”

I almost faltered at his words before nodding with a smile. It was a warning. My time was almost out. But it was also an offering. The last question would be mine to ask.

“Are you in danger?” The words slipped from my mouth with very little thought, but Jade’s eyes widened in genuine surprise, and I realized exactly how pointed, and perhaps accurate, my question might have actually been.

But that was what had come to mind when he’d confirmed that Floyd was his brother. What if their family business, which led to Floyd getting injured, also placed Jade at risk?

After a brief moment of silence, Jade swallowed, and a careful smile appeared on his face once more, “It’s under complete control.”

I glanced over, feeling my eyebrows arch as I made eye contact with the tall young man who lingered in the shadows nearby my home. And, rationally speaking, I should have been far more concerned about his presence, but by now I was used to it.

He glanced over, his mismatched gaze that was so similar to Jade’s snagging on mine before a wide smile curved across his face, and he sauntered out into the open, “Heya Shrimpy~”

His words were all but cooed as I unlocked my door, humming my reply with a smile slipping onto my face despite the fact that I knew, perfectly well, he was under suspicion of numerous crimes.

“Did you get hurt again?” My voice was soft as I barely glanced his way, my gaze sweeping over him as I checked for anything obvious as he raised his shoulders in a devil-may-care sort of way.

“Not too bad, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to come by and get patched up,” His grin held no remorse, and I shook my head. Wondering, not for the first time, if I was doing the right thing.

Jade hadn’t answered my most important question earlier about if he was in danger. I’d planned to base my assumptions regarding Floyd’s activities on his response, but Jade’s statement that everything was ‘completely under control’ was hardly comforting.

But, in the same sentence, it felt wrong to not help Floyd. He’d never done anything to hurt me, and though his injuries were rather condemning when paired with the rumors that circulated about him, it didn’t feel quite right to judge him based on others statements.

I’d already seen how poorly people’s popular descriptions of Jade fell short of the full picture of the man himself.

I sighed slightly as I finished opening my door, stepping in and continuing to hold it open for Floyd, even though I knew that might not be the right decision as I glanced back at him once more, “Come on in then.”

At the very least I could warn him that Jade now knew what we’d met. 

I really didn’t know what that might mean for Floyd since I really didn’t know why he’d wanted to keep a secret from Jade. But at the very least I could tell him I’d failed on that front.

He sauntered in behind me, ever-relaxed as he plopped down in a chair and looked up at me, tilting his head in a way that caused the dark grey streak in his hair to swing wildly in front of his face, “Whatcha thinking about Shrimpy?”

I frowned slightly at his words, idly wondering if I was that easy to get a read on before I shook my head slightly, “Jade ended up finding out about us meeting.”

Floyd shrugged, half-rolling his eyes, “Took him long enough.” He paused, a grin weaving its way onto his face as he continued to look up at me, and I felt my eyebrows arch. Because, somehow, I wasn’t entirely surprised that he wasn’t bothered.

To be perfectly honest, Floyd struck me as a mercurial individual. What might bother him one day might not on another.

“Where are you hurt?” At my words, he obediently rolled up one sleeve and I all but frowned at the tiny scratch on his arm.

My eyes slowly met his again as I frowned, and he all but beamed at me as I questioned him exasperatedly, “Do you even need a band-aid?”

He outright grinned at me before rolling his sleeve back down, “Ya’ know, Shrimpy, there’s a saying, ‘Ask and ye shall receive.’”

I felt my brows furrow at his words, but in no way was I confused because his meaning was obvious. After dealing with Jade long enough, I could tell when he wasn’t necessarily talking about the matter at hand but something else entirely. And if I applied those same rules to Floyd, then I knew what he was saying. He was offering to let me in on whatever secret it was that he and his brother had. 

The only problem was, I wasn’t sure if I wanted in on that secret. 

Depending on what, exactly, that secret might be, it could be dangerous. Whether it really was ‘under control’ like Jade had said or not.

“You and your brother are playing a dangerous game, aren’t you?” I eyed Floyd closely, and, if anything, he looked pleased by my words in a way that was at odds with how Jade had shut down our conversation earlier.

I crossed my arms as I held his gaze, frowning at him, “If that is the case, then I don’t know that I should know everything.”

“I don’t know, Shrimpy. Curiosity might kill the cat, but satisfaction’ll bring it back,” I frowned even more at his words. A direct callback to my conversation with Jade.

Almost like he’d been there, or Jade himself had told him about it. And at this point, I was just about willing to believe either option.

I leaned forward though, eyeing him closely as I exhaled, “Fine then, are you and your brother in trouble?”

He giggled at my words, an almost raspy sound that had my eyebrows lifting as he spoke in a teasing voice, “You gonna help us if we are?”

I shook my head slightly, “I don’t know if that’s even possible. Jade said it was under control.”

Floyd’s gaze continued to hold mine in an almost playful fashion that should have made me far more wary than it actually did, “And, did you believe him?”

Believing Jade…That was yet another dangerous game in and of itself. But it was one that I might stray into playing if I didn’t watch it. 

Sometimes Jade was perfectly trustworthy, like how I could trust him to tease me. But believing him when I knew exactly how skilled he could be at lying just from having watched him interact with people….. That was another matter entirely.

I let out a slight huff, surrendering to my own spiraling thoughts regarding the dangers of Jade and my concerns about his safety as I met Floyd’s gaze, “Fine, what’s going on?”

Floyd’s grin only spread at my words as he sat back, his long limbs splayed as he stared at me, “Our family has a unique business with unique needs. Jade gets the info, and I keep folks off our backs.”

I frowned, my fingers digging into my knees slightly as I braced my arms against my legs, “And that’s how you get hurt?”

He nodded, and I inhaled, because that practically told me everything I needed to know. Jade got information of the sort that people were willing to injure others over.

“A unique business, huh?” The words were mumbled under my breath, but Floyd heard them. 

His face lit up, and he leaned forward, almost pressing his forehead to mine. Causing my eyes to widen even as he spoke in a hushed but excited tone, “It’s like this, ya see-”

“No, that’s fine,” I leaned back, holding my hand to stop him before he got started, but even despite his often moody nature, he didn't get upset when I interrupted him. Instead, he just grinned at me. Amused by the way I cut him off.

But I was positive now that whatever it was they were doing was definitely something dangerous. Something that could put me at-risk just by knowing about it.

Jade hadn’t just been being shady when he’d avoided the topic. In his own way, he’d been protecting me. Because curiosity really could kill the cat sometimes. Which really only brought up conversations about whether my writing off his playful behavior as him just being teasing had been foolish.

But then the idea of Jade being fond of me wasn’t an idea I was entirely ready to entertain. Not with everything I was having to deal with right now.

I met Floyd’s gaze for a final thought, pressing my lips together before I spoke, “I just want to know one more thing.”

He hummed, a perfectly musical sound that was at odds with his strange voice, and I swallowed, “Is Azul in on all of this?”

His lips parted in a grin that displayed his too-sharp teeth, almost like it was a warning in and of itself even as he answered, “Well, yeah. He has been the whole time.”

Floyd paused, seemingly reveling in my tense silence before he reached out, snapping the heavy atmosphere by patting me on the knee affectionately, “Don't worry though, Shrimpy. Jade can handle himself, and even if you do get in too deep, we’ll all look out for you.”