#mafishia

Ever so often you meet someone and the sensible part of your brain whispers, “Danger,” to you. And ever so often, for reasons unknown, you ignore that sensible part of your brain and smile over at the very person who set you on alert. 

Perhaps it was something akin to the call of the void that people felt when looking down into a long dropoff. That strange urge to jump even though you knew for a fact that you would never survive the fall.

Mismatched eyes had met yours that one day, and you’d suddenly recognized that feeling. The sensible part of you had whispered, “Danger, avoid at all costs.” All the while, another, more impulsive part of you had whispered, “This could be fun, and don’t you know better than to judge a book by its cover?”

And so, without hardly thinking twice, you’d jumped into your friendship with Floyd. Knowing full and well exactly how dangerous it, and he, could be.

Ace had been telling you for quite some time that you were danger-prone, and maybe he was right. After all, it was now quite common to find you walking and laughing alongside the infamous Floyd Leech of all people. But the more time you’d spent with Floyd and the longer you’d known him, the more you’d felt that maybe he wasn’t nearly as bad as people liked to make him out to be.

Oh, he could be dangerous to some. That much was obvious from the injuries he often sported from his numerous fights with people and the cover-up work he undoubtedly did for Azul. But he also wasn’t nearly as bad as people liked to make him out to be.

He could, you had discovered, be quite soft-hearted. Since you’d befriended him, he’d been stopping by your classroom each day. Just to say hi and check in on you. No other reason. 

During one of your now many visits to Monstro Lounge, Jade had told you that Floyd did the same thing for him. Neither of you knew why he did it, only that he did. But something about it was touching.

Just like there was something oddly sweet about how he would excitedly wave at you whenever he saw that you’d come to one of his basketball games. Then he’d playfully bicker back and forth with the Ace about who you’d come to watch. You always told them you’d come to watch Jamil just to watch them both sulk while Scarabia’s vice-housewarden rolled his eyes.

There was also the way Floyd seemed to adore sweeping you into an impromptu dance anytime, anywhere. You were getting quite used to being waltzed around the room by the lanky young man who crooned out whatever random tune was going through his head at that specific moment.

As for him being trouble…. Well, he was really no worse than anyone else at this school. Trouble and trouble makers were common at NRC. Floyd was just a slightly different brand of trouble.

It had been a long time since you’d first made eye contact with Floyd and your brain had whispered, “Danger.” Now when you looked at him you instead felt a smile raise to your face, no matter the situation.

Even if it meant being pulled into the rain to run to your next class with him, or being pulled over into an unplanned cuddle/nap session because he felt you were working yourself too hard. After all, “Shrimpys need rest too.”

For better or worse you were now close to Floyd, which was why the little trinkets he’d begun giving you were of no surprise. In fact they were a delight.

 Especially since, if Jade’s slyly amused looks that were almost always followed by Floyd shoving at his brother were anything to go by, it implied one thing. Floyd liked you.

Now you instead had classmates’ concerned whispers to deal with instead of those from within your own brain. 

“Floyd gets bored of everything. I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

That statement was almost immediately accompanied by someone else saying, “Yeah, he’ll get bored and just ditch you like he ditches everything else. It’d be best to steer clear of him Y/n.”

Such remarks were always met with Ace rolling his eyes and Deuce chasing off whoever was speaking up. 

All of these reasons, and so many others, were why you weren’t surprised when Floyd came back from a trip home and immediately came to Ramshackle. Sporting a grin as he came up the walk, waving at you all the while, “Got something for you Shrimpy!” 

The nervous giggle that bubbled from your lips was not faked. 

You were both thrilled to see the young man and nervous about what gift he might be bearing this time. While it was usually just seashells there was the time he’d caught a fish and brought it to you while it was still flopping about….

“Come on, I’ll show you what it is inside,” He seemed almost giddy as he pulled you through the foyer, into the lounge, over to your couch, and sat you down on one of the striped cushions.

His grin was large as he held your gaze and reached into his pocket, “Alright, don’t go getting embarrassed on me now.” With those words he produced a long, slim black box and handed it to you.

You glanced down at it and then back up at him, about to thank him before he waved off your gratitude as if it was a particularly annoying fly, “Don’t thank me yet. Just open it.”

You snorted slightly to yourself before opening the box to find a string of glimmering pearls. Your eyes went wide as your fingers hesitantly touched the glistening orbs.

It was a simple necklace, just a strand of pearls. But that, in and of itself, seemed to make it all the more charming.

“That was my Grandma’s,” At Floyd’s nonchalant statement your head jerked up to meet his gaze with a wide-eyed stare of your own.

He giggled at your reaction before taking the box out of your hands and gesturing for you to turn. Doing as he requested, you twisted in your seat, in a slight haze from his previous comment. While he began to calmly explain his previous words, you felt the weight of the necklace rest on your collar-bone.

“My Grandpa gave them to her as a promise and a request. Ya see, she wasn’t initially from around where he lived, and her folks wanted her to go home.” He patted you on the shoulder, and you twisted back to face him.

A smile was on his face as he continued, “He didn’t want her to leave, so he gave her those and told her if she would stay with him he would never leave her, make her sad, or abandon her. Evidently enough, it worked like a charm since she stayed.”

He paused, his expression softening slightly as he looked at you, wearing his grandmother’s necklace, with a uniquely gentle smile on his face. If only your classmates could see him now. Then they might understand that Floyd got tired of things, not of people. Never of people, and never of you.

“What do you say, Shrimpy? I’m not Azul, but I’m willing to make a deal with you. The same deal that my grandparents made all those years ago. Stay here, with me, and I’ll do the same for you.”

That cautious part of your brain whispered something new this time, instead of warnings of danger it asked you a question, “Are you sure about this?” You felt a smile rise to your lips as you nodded at Floyd, unable to find the words as you watched a grin spread across his face.

Sometimes, for reasons unknown, you’d ignore that sensible part of your brain. 

Azul templed his hands as he listened to Jade report his findings with an annoyingly amused smile on his face, “The prefect remains a mystery. There is no trace of them anywhere. In fact they do not seem to exist when one just looks at records. They have no social security number, hospital visits, memberships, or even  any email accounts. All told, they have no digital footprint or records.The only information to be gained is that which they share themselves.”

Azul nodded, at this point he wasn’t even surprised. He’d had Jade looking into the prefect since they’d first become an object of interest. First surviving and defeating the Riddle overblot and then Leona’s. They were definitely something special. That had only become more obvious when they’d beaten his contract and handled his overblot too.

From there his curiosity had spiraled, especially when they’d shown an interest in his past. If they were going to dig for his secrets he could do the same. It had seemed like a fair trade. 

Thus far it had been anything but fair though. While they could get information on him there was nothing on them. The only things he knew were, as Jade had said, what they had told him.

“Why don’t you just try to befriend Shrimpy and find out about them that way?” Floyd’s bored-sounding voice interrupted his thoughts and shined a light on the situation. Azul looked at Floyd with wide-eyes. 

How had he not thought of that? People were always more open with those they deemed close and the prefect was open to friendship anyway. They’d made that obvious when they’d asked about how he was doing post-overblot. “That’s… That’s actually a good idea Floyd.” 

Floyd only rolled his eyes in response and Jade chuckled as if that solution had been obvious. Ignoring their amused but blessedly silent mocking, he stood. 

Snatching his hat and coat from the hooks in the office, Azul glanced towards them, “I’ll be back shortly. Jade. Floyd. You two take care of the lounge till I get back.” 

They both nodded, differing smiles on their identical faces as they chorused their matching answer, “Yes sir.”

It didn’t take him long to get to Ramshackle. It wasn’t that far from the school, but then it was far enough that Azul couldn’t imagine walking the distance every day was pleasant. That said, walking the same distance for lunch at a Monstro Lounge offshoot would have been acceptable had his business venture worked out.

Azul rolled his shoulders as he stepped up on the porch that had seen better days and calmly knocked on the door. The answer was prompt as the door swung open to reveal the infamous prefect peeking out at him, Grim winding his way through their legs to look as well. 

Azul found he was struck, once again, by how average they were. There was nothing particularly outstanding about them. They were attractive enough, but nothing stunning. Their grades were as good as one could expect for magicless person attending a magic school, but certainly not top scores. They were friendly but not overly so and though they had a decent number of friends the number wasn’t unusual. Yet despite their overwhelming mundaneness they were always found at the center of anything of interest that happened at NRC. 

Unaware of his less than glamorous review, their eyes widened in a comical fashion as they opened the door a bit wider, “Azul?” 

Azul feigned a warm smile at them, “Hello prefect. I was wondering if you could help with something.” 

Their eyes narrowed almost immediately at his words and they started to shut the door, “No.”

Azul caught the door with a single hand, his other palm pressing to his chest, “You wound me prefect. I only come bearing the offer of a job.” 

They did not look impressed with his make-believe hurt but he didn’t let that stop him, “I heard you were in need of excess funds for your continued refurbishing of Ramshackle dorm. If you would be willing to help out at Monsto Lounge I will pay you handsomely.”

Their eyebrows arched and, ignoring Grim’s comments about how shady Azul was, they released their pressure on the door, “And what do you get out of my working for you?”

Azul released the door, no longer concerned about it slamming in his face, “I remember how quickly you and Jack cleared out that crowd at Monstro Lounge when you first visited my establishment. Having someone of such skill working for me would doubtless ease the press of serving all of our many, many customers.”

They frowned but glanced back at the house, most likely looking at something Jade and Floyd hadn’t worked on during those three days of repairs. When they looked back  at him their unimpressed defiance was slipping, “I can’t work often, Crowley keeps me pretty busy.”

Azul immediately nodded, a picture of compassionate understanding, “Of course, I can work out a schedule that takes your prior appointments into account.” 

He watched as they shifted, knowing he already had them hooked. Their uncertain expression gave everything away, “That could work… But Crowley doesn’t really tell me when I’ll be busy with his…” They waved their hand in the air for slight emphasis, “Jobs.” 

Well, he had them baited, hooking apparently was going to take longer. Unconcerned, he rested his hands on his walking stick in a relaxed manner, “That won’t be a problem, you can just be a part-time employee. Someone we call when things get to be too much for our usual workers.”

In an unexpected turn, they narrowed their eyes at him, “That sounds nice, but you're going awfully far to hire me.” 

Well, they weren’t a person of interest for nothing. When dealing with Ramshackle’s prefect there were bound to be surprises. Azul had never been one to back down from a challenge though, and he certainly wasn’t going to start now.

So he sighed, shaking his head slightly, “Things are just that difficult for us prefect.” He met their gaze in a pleading manner, “The usual crowd is bad enough but the lunch rush is pure chaos.”

They sighed, a sound of long suffering, but nodded, “Alright. I’ll do it. When will I need to show up?” 

Azul had to bite back a smug smile, instead settling for a polite one that better fit the image he currently needed, “How can I ever thank you? We’ll call when your assistance is needed.”

Azul’s return to the Lounge was marked by Jade and Floyd looking towards him with curious gazes that he replied to with only a smug smile and a nod of his head.

 He had gotten the prefect. Now it was just a matter of patience. It wouldn’t be long before he cracked their code and learned exactly what made them such a force of nature despite their mundane personality.

It was about a week before he called them though. True to his word he waited till there was an influx of customers. When he finally told them their assistance would be needed, he allowed himself a smug smile. After all, everything was going perfectly according to plan. He would likely know what made them special by the end of the night.

Or at least that’s what he thought. 

They worked all evening, putting out exemplary effort that would impress even the Great Seven. They left no opening for him to step in and assist. In fact they merely met him with a smile at the end of the evening.

“I must say… I’m impressed Prefect.” 

They shook their head, smiling all the while, “Call me Y/n. Prefect sounds too… lofty.” Well, not a total loss if they were requesting he use their name. Azul allowed himself a smile as he handed them their check. Perhaps this venture would pay off then.

He waited only a short while before he called them in again. This time he fully intended to have a nice chat with them since there weren’t quite as many customers.

Instead, they worked closely with Jade that evening but his vice-housewarden didn’t learn anything of interest. Or at least that’s what he said. Azul knew they’d had conversations. The only question was why was Jade not telling him what they’d said?

Had they somehow won his loyalty? It seemed unlikely and the thought of them two becoming close was rather annoying for some reason.

So he called them in again. This time they worked with Floyd who only reported they quite liked his cooking. Nothing truly important there, everyone liked Floyd’s cooking. That’s why he was the preferred chef. 

It was strange though. Azul couldn’t help but find himself questioning if they would like his cooking.

So he called them in for a fourth time and asked them to help him in his office. He wasn’t going to let them slip away with one of the twins this time. Especially since those two refused to tell him their findings for frustratingly vague reasons.

 “If you could, sort those in the order of importance so I could go through them more quickly.” They nodded, a surprised look flashing across their face. But then they probably weren’t expecting him to request they help with a job that was so seemingly important.

Despite their initial surprise they met him with a follow-up question “Do you want the least important first or…?” 

He was rather delighted, a good worker who ensured they did their job correctly. His smile wasn’t fake this time when he answered, “Most important first please.” 

They nodded and dutifully started their work, scanning each sheet carefully before stacking them accordingly. And he watched them as he worked, carefully observing how they went about their duties. 

Nothing really stood out about how they completed their task. But something about having them in his office with him was pleasant despite the fact there was no conversation occuring.

“Do you need something?” They looked up from their work, casually meeting his gaze and startling him. 

He faltered only briefly though, hurriedly coming up with a response to their nonchalant question, “I… No. I was just thinking that you're quite the hard-worker.”

They tilted their head, a common gesture from them, “Is it that odd? That is why you hired me after all.” 

Azul nodded, his ability to spin webs of half-truths as flawless as ever. Especially since he couldn’t deny their work was impressive, “That is true. But I suppose I’m just impressed. Few people can keep up with Jade and Floyd.”

It was strange that they were so relaxed with him even though it was just the two of them. Few people were. Yet another mystery to add to the mass of the curiosities that made up the Prefect.

“They aren’t so bad. Once you get to know them they can be kind of nice at times.” Azul’s eyebrows rose at their words. So they didn’t mind Jade and Floyd. Perhaps his suspicions were correct and they were becoming close to the twins. 

He fought against the urge to frown at the thought. There was nothing truly wrong with them getting along with coworkers. 

“Well, yes. I tend to surround myself with loyal people,” He almost missed their amused grin.

“Is that so?” He frowned immediately, confused by their playfully lilted question. Confused enough that he only responded with a slow nod which only seemed to amuse them further.

“Is that you asked me to work with you specifically?” As soon they spoke he understood. He’d inadvertently implied that since he’d been calling them in frequently they too were loyal.

Azul floundered at that amused, too-observant glance that they cast his way, “I… Well, you seemed like the best choice for the job.” They hummed in response, opting to go back to their job and the conversation fell flat.

Though it had been brief, their exchange trailed innumerable questions behind it. Why were they so comfortable with both him and the twins? Why were they working so hard at a job that didn’t really do anything for them? Why were they here? Why did they occupy his mind so often? Why did he enjoy them being here? The list went on and on.

Azul shook his head and decided to follow their lead and go back to working. Such questions treaded too close to a dangerous area of his thoughts that he didn’t want to approach yet.

Azul templed his hands as the twins looked down at him with matching expressions of amusement. His eyes flicked up to meet their mismatched ones, doing his best to keep his annoyance in check as he cleared his throat slightly, “So what do we know now?”

“The same things we knew before. The only thing we’ve added to our repertoire of knowledge regarding the Prefect is that they are an incredibly good worker.” Jade’s smile remained placid but the tell-tale sparkle in his eyes gave him away.

Floyd, on the other hand, was more obvious about how amused he was, “And that Shrimpy is charming. Wouldn’t you agree, Azul~?” Azul felt his left eye twitch, but other than that he remained impassive.

The problem remained the same as before. The Prefect. Special, they certainly were. Was it their mundanity that made them so special? And why did so many people flock to them?

Azul wasn’t stupid, he could see a certain charm to being close with the Prefect. A friendship with them certainly had its benefits and, if he were being wholly honest, they were rather endearing. 

He shook his head slightly, it made no sense. How could they be such a conundrum when they were so overwhelmingly normal? 

The situation was only made worse by the Prefect themselves. It seemed that each time he interacted with them he’d mistakenly believe he’d come out on top or the Prefect would simply trample over him with an amused and frustratingly charming smile.

It was beyond annoying. Azul had chatted with them numerous times and everyone viewed the Prefect and him as friends now. It wasn’t odd for them to wave at him when they passed in the hall. 

He’d also learned the very thing Jade had mentioned. They were an exemplary worker who was overworked by Crowley. Perhaps that was why they often found themselves in the center of all sorts of debacles.

But in each seemingly hopeless situation they received help from all sorts of people. Even Leona, one of the prickliest people in the entire school, had ended up helping them through various situations. 

This fact, of course, swirled back to the only point of interest Azul had found. Their confounded charm.

There was something about the Prefect that drew others to them. They'd won over their first year squad. They’d won over Sam. They’d won over the ghosts of Ramshackle dorm. They’d won over everyone of importance in Heartslabyul. They’d even won over Floyd and Jade.

A small part of his mind hissed at him that he was leaving someone very important out of that list but he ignored it. Opting to puzzle over the enigma that was the Prefect.

Perhaps the most annoying thing was that they frequently occupied his thoughts. It had progressed past mere questioning the curiosity of how they had become so crucial to the daily workings of NRC.

It had reached the point where something would happen in class and he’d wonder how they would react. Or he would idly think of a comment that he was simply positive would amuse them. At this point they spent so much time on his mind that they really ought to pay rent.

“Azul you’re really kind of…. Pitiful, “ Floyd’s bored sounding voice broke through Azul’s thoughts, shattering his reverie.

Azul looked up at him, wide-eyed and unsure if he wanted to be angry, shocked, or hurt. Just as he was opting for a mixture of the three there was Jade, sweeping over with that mocking smile, “You’ve been puzzling over them this whole time and you still haven’t figured it out?” His tone was cloying and caused Azul to wrinkle his nose but, unfortunately, he knew exactly what both of them were talking about. 

It was That thing that was lurking beneath his curiosity regarding the Prefect. That thing that always hid underneath his less-than-kind view of their mundaneness. That thing that caused his frustration towards Jade and Floyd befriending them. That thing that was the evidence that he too had fallen prey to their charm. That thing that he’d been stubbornly pretending wasn’t real.

The thing that had become the very reason he’d come to hold  them at arms length. Wanting to get closer, but desperately maintaining distance to the point he fought to keep thinking of them as ‘the Prefect’ and not Y/n.

And even now he refused to face it. Azul scowled up at the matching pair of faces that looked down at him with shared amusement, “So you admit you know something that I don’t?”

Floyd grinned, leaning towards his housewarden with a glint in his mismatched eyes, “Oooh~ Jealous?”

Jealous? Yes, Azul supposed he was. The twins seemed to have great ease interacting with the Prefect and they were frequently laughing alongside the two gremlins he called friends when the three of you came in to work. Together.

 It was beyond infuriating and he didn’t even know who he was upset with.

The Prefect, because their confounded charm had caused his childhood companion’s loyalty to waver? Or perhaps it was the twins for daring to find such ease chatting with the Prefect when he felt like the more he learned about them the further he fell into a deadly hole of feelings that could not be named for his own safety.

“Perhaps it’s time for you to actually confront what is causing this jealousy? Hm?” Jade’s advice was less than welcome, especially when it was delivered in such an amused manner. 

Azul glared up at Floyd and Jade, barely keeping his petulance in check as they grinned down at him. He at last looked away mumbling to himself, “Easier said than done.”

The twins shared a knowing look that only served to frustrate Azul more but when they looked back their expression was less mocking, “Just go see Shrimpy. I think they have the answer to your issue.”

Floyd’s voice brooked little room for argument and this fact was only solidified when the two of them swept out of the office. 

Azul let his fingers tap against the desktop agitatedly now that they had left. Unfortunately, they were both right. It was time to confront that unnamed feeling that had long been stirring deep within his heart. The Prefect had the answer, the name of that thing and the power to bring it into the light or forever banish it. 

And so he left, on the now familiar path to their dorm. The weather was the same it had been on that day he’d come to ‘hire’ them. 

He arrived all too quickly it seemed on their porch, pasting on a weak and fakely confident smile as he rapped against their door.

The answer was prompt and their eyes lit up as they spotted him, a smile appearing on their face almost immediately. In the background he could see an already bored Grim slinking away.

“Azul! What do you need?” If they noticed his nervousness they didn’t show it as they questioned his visit.

“I was wondering if you would be free this evening. It looks like the Lounge is going to be very busy so I thought-”

“Sure,” They all but chirped cheerfully back at him before continuing, “I can come now and help you and the twins get prepared if you want?”

He smiled at their offer, a more genuine grin this time as he nodded his head in lieu of answering. That was another aspect of the Prefect’s personality. If they weren’t having a job forced on them then they were actually rather willing to help out. 

He also couldn’t help but notice how different this visit was from the one where he first gained their assistance in the Lounge. They’d been far more guarded then. This time they were relaxed. Grabbing their bag and shouting to Grim that they were leaving to work before shutting the door, locking it, and turning to Azul.

The conversation turned relaxed, drifting into idle chit-chat that would lapse into long periods of silence as the duo of students, Prefect and Housewarden, walked back towards the mirror chamber.

It was peaceful, but that thing that lurked in Azul’s mind had been trying to force its way to the surface and make itself known ever since the Prefect had smiled at him on their porch.

And it seemed from the Prefect’s next words they were going to force his hand, something they had done before, “Azul…. Do you like me?” A seemingly simple question spoken in a soft voice that made him freeze. He glanced over at them to see them looking at him, a nervous expression on their face.

A part of him was desperate to keep the painful game up. Pretend it isn’t there. Avoid it. Play it off. Pretend that this love isn’t real.

But Azul knew his game was up. They had been far too perceptive for him and that had always been a part of their charm. He’d been trying to figure out their secrets and been holding on of his own this whole time.

Azul sighed, forcing himself to hold their gaze, meet them face to face and eye to eye in this singly terrifying moment. 

“Yes,” He was surprised that his voice didn’t tremble or break and that he himself didn’t flee the scene as soon as he answered. Instead there was an almost calm found in answering them.