Not Fair - Floyd
Author Notes: So, I've been sitting on this fic for a while, editing it here and there, and I have finally come to the conclusion that I'm never going to be satisfied so I'm just going to post it now so it will stop haunting me. Nonetheless, I do hope you all like this piece. I wrote this, and edited it, while listening to the song "Forever and Ever, Amen" by Josh Turner and Randy Travis. As per usual, As per usual, reader is gender-neutral. I hope you enjoy!
Type: Gender-Neutral Reader/ sfw/ romance implied/ fluff/ mild flirtation
Word Count: 1760
Edit: Now featured in the Across the Mirror fanzine issue 1: Halcyon which can be found here! I highly recommend it for more Twisted wonderland fanworks!
Floyd was a difficult young man to describe. Words such as âwildâ and âfreeâ were accurate, but they were also putting it kindly at best. However, words such as âmoodyâ or âcapriciousâ were also accurate, but they often gave others a rather poor view of the young man that you found yourself spending more and more time with.
And though it was true that it was largely due to Floyd hanging around you that you kept interacting with him, it was also true that you had found yourself slowly growing more and more fond of him, though you sometimes wondered if the same could be said for him. Especially since getting a read on Floyd could be as difficult as divining what, exactly, was going on in Crowleyâs head.
You really couldnât blame your friends for worrying a bit about the fact that Floyd had been spending more and more time with you when you considered his rather⌠odd personality.
 After all, while Floyd was indeed laidback, he could also be quite sinister at times in ways that reminded you that he and his brother likely handled a fair bit of dirty work.
You twisted to the side to glance behind you at the young man in question, who was currently sauntering along behind you. His arms crossed behind his head as he looked off to the side at the horizon with a vaguely bored expression.
And the more you thought about it, the stranger it seemed that Floyd had started spending time with you.Â
It had started after Azulâs overblot, and youâd assumed heâd been intrigued but that heâd soon drift away after getting bored. In fact, youâd even reassured Jack, in particular, that hanging around you probably just served as a way for Floyd to kill time.
But that hadnât turned out to be the case.
Instead, Floyd continued to hang around, and rather than just killing time, he even made numerous and often startling attempts to get to know you better.
By now, you could easily state that he was a friend. Especially since heâd also shown that he could be quite protective of you if he saw you getting bothered. A fact that was touching, considering Iâd honestly figured that Floyd just hung around as a means of staving off boredom.
âShrimpy, look,â Your thoughts were interrupted by Floyd tapping you on the shoulder and then directing your attention off the side.Â
Following the direction in which he pointed, you looked towards the horizon where the sun was slowly setting over the sea. The clouds had turned a soft pink hue that made them look like cotton candy as the sun slowly dipped lower and into the steady ebb and flow of the ocean.
âMe and Jade used to swim all the way up to the surface just to look at the sunset sometimes.â You continued to look towards the horizon as Floyd spoke, smiling to yourself at the thought of the two young mermen swimming all that way just to watch the sun set.
âWeâd chat about all sorts of stuff, sometimes about what it was like on land⌠I was always sort of curious about that.â You twisted to look at Floyd as he finished, curious as he continued to stare out at the horizon.
It was odd, in many ways, for Floyd to reminisce in such a fashion, and a small part of you wondered if he was feeling nostalgic for simpler times.
 After all, it was something you could understand in a great many ways.Â
There were plenty of times that you thought of your home and wondered about things while missing both it and the people youâd left behind.Â
You had largely moved on, recognizing that it might be impossible for me to return home and that you needed to get used to life in Twisted Wonderland, but was it the same for Floyd? He could still return, and that simple fact might make homesickness worse.
But you didnât question him about any of that. Instead, you smiled at him and tilted your head, âAnd? Is land everything you expected it to be?â
Floyd glanced down at you, blinking for a moment before a lopsided smile crept across his face and he bobbed his head, âIâd always figured it was just dusty up here, soâŚ.â
He trailed off, leaving you to draw my own conclusions, and you snorted at his words before turning to continue on your way to Ramshackle dorm.Â
You could hear him strolling along just behind you, but your steps began to become more hesitant as I continued to truly ponder whether or not Floyd missed his life in the sea.Â
You didnât see how he couldnât, but the thought of him leaving brought an odd sadness that told you that youâd let Floyd get far closer to you than youâd initially realized.
Logically, you knew his leaving would be a long way off. It wouldnât be until he graduated, at the very least. But the thought still made you oddly sad. Which was something that was surprising and might have been the reason that you spoke without even entirely meaning to.Â
Your words were little more than a murmur as your steps slowed, âDo you miss living under the sea?â
In no way had you meant to actually voice such thoughts, and you almost froze up when you realized that you had spoken aloud. But at least your words had been quiet, and when Floyd didnât immediately respond, you relaxed. Assuming he hadnât heard me.
But then he spoke in a nonchalant tone that was somehow surprising, even though it was very characteristic of Floyd, âIt used to be worse when we first came here. But itâs gotten better recently.âÂ
Your eyes widened at his words, and you found myself turning to see Floyd looking off towards the horizon once more.Â
He tilted his head, though. His mismatched eyes sliding back towards you in an amused fashion that told you he was waiting.
And in some ways, a petulant part of you didnât want to say anything else since heâd made it quite clear that he knew you did have something you wanted to say. But you found yourself crossing your arms as you spoke once more, âWhat changed?â
Floyd grinned, his amusement coming through fully now as he leaned forward. His hands shoved their way into his pockets as he peered a little closer at you. Almost like he was looking forward to seeing your reaction to whatever he was about to say.
âYaâ forget stuff as you get older Shrimpy, and Iâve been forgetting about missing home more and more,â Floyd paused, looking at you almost expectantly before he giggled and grabbed your hands. Swinging them between us in a playful way that had you looking up at him in utter confusion.
His words made sense, considering you were in a similar position. Growing more used to living here and missing my home less and less. But his playful, almost giddy actions were confusing.
âYou arenât fair, Shrimpy~ Replacing my homesickness with your presence.â His words caused your eyes to go wide as you froze. Unsure of what to say in response to such an assertion.
You realized, of course, that he was teasing you, but you also couldnât let go of the large part of you that was incredibly flustered by his words.
You recovered slowly, though, as Floyd snickered at you and you tugged your hands out of his. âThatâs not fair, Floyd. You shouldnât say stuff like that,â You glanced away from him, finding yourself looking anywhere but his grinning face.
âEven if itâs true?â His tone had a distinct lilt to it, but it had you turning to look at him in surprise once more, only to see him smiling calmly at you.
And right now, in this instant, Floyd only looked gentle. Not teasing, moody, or even wild. But you were fairly sure that was one of the reasons you had been letting Floyd get gradually closer to you until you were feeling more and more affection for him.Â
Youâd realized quite some time ago that Floyd wasnât just moody. It was true that he was incredibly moody, wild, and free, but he was also gentle and, surprisingly enough, honest. It was true that his honesty typically came in the form of almost painful bluntness, but Floyd wasnât one to lie.
If Jade was highly likely to lie, then Floyd was highly likely to be truthful. Not to say that Jade couldnât be honest or that Floyd couldnât lie. It was just that both of them had their usual methods.
Perhaps it was his way of coping with growing up alongside Jade, who was a flawless liar, and perhaps Floyd just felt that lying served little purpose when the truth could hurt just as much. But either way, Floyd was probably the most truthful of the Octatrio.Â
And that was what made his words so alarming. The realization that he wasnât just teasing you right now.Â
While he was definitely picking on you, he was also being honest. And thatâŚ. That was startling.
âFloydâŚ.â You even sounded like you were at a loss. Not knowing how to feel.
 And in response to your confused emotions, Floyd smiled. A picture of amusement as he leaned towards you, âI like you, Shrimpy. Youâre fun and unpredictable, and I expect to continue liking you forever. Even if you arenât fair~âÂ
You fought to find words as he looked at you even as he sauntered on by you. A grin on his face that said he knew exactly what he was doing and found it incredibly amusing.Â
But that was another thing about Floyd. As honest as he was and as gentle as he could be he also did take great delight in toying with people.
This was the careful road that youâd been walking with Floyd and you had already found yourself slipping gradually closer to him even though you knew perfectly well of the risks even without your friendâs concerns.Â
But then who at this school was without risks?
So you trotted after him, bumping into him slightly as you did my best to match his pace and walk side by side with him, âPromise?â
You grinned at him, feeling oddly giddy and earning yourself a grin that matched mine as Floyd looked at me and leaned just a touch closer with glimmering eyes just before he winked playfully and made an idle slashing motion at his chest with one finger, âCross my heart.â















