Lover Behavior (Floyd Leech/Yuu)

19 ~ Laced Tea

Every day, Yuu would wake up and go into a panic about Grim, about how she deserved death, about how messed up she was in the head, and every day Floyd would be there to comfort her, saying just the right things to console her.

Upon seeing Floyd she would go into a deeper panic, but one hug from him and it would all dissipate. He was the only one that seemed to be able to comfort her this way. Even if when Ace and Deuce tried to comfort her, they did nothing to help her; and yet her best friend's murderer instantaneously made her feel okay again.

She hated the vicious cycle.

"Shrimpy, I hafta go take care of something, m'kay? You can stay here~" He held her for a few seconds and kissed her before leaving her behind in his bedroom.

She'd come to learn that 'taking care of something' had a much more sinister meaning than she'd initially thought. He'd started going around, killing the people who bullied her for not having magic or being a girl or who were simply mean for no reason. Sure, she'd wished they would disappear on multiple occasions, but she never truly meant it.

But as much as she felt guilty admitting it, she'd rather they die than someone else close to her. She was glad he wasn't killing people out of jealousy anymore and that her friends would be safe for the time being.

Jade walked in silently, handing Yuu a cup of tea. She blinked at him a few times, but he only smiled at her, not saying anything as he sat next to her on Floyd's bed, crossing his legs.

As soon as she took a sip, he said, "It's laced." She glanced to the side out of the corner of her eye before taking another sip. His expression made it clear that it didn't have anything abnormal in it.

Though at this point, if it did, she'd probably drink it anyway.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

Yuu glanced at the time. Floyd had left just about five minutes ago, so he'd probably be back in half an hour. She set the teacup down and folded her hands together, laying back on the bed.

"I feel bad about this," she said.

"You shouldn't. I assure you, Floyd doesn't feel bad about killing Grim, so you shouldn't feel bad about letting your feelings out."

She felt a pang in her chest. "You... know?"

"Of course I know."

"You say it so casually."

"Well, how would you like me to say it?"

"I dunno, a bit of... concern, or something? Fear? Terror at knowing you sleep in the same room as a murderer?"

"It doesn't change much for me, either way. He's still my brother, regardless. My condolences about Grim, though."

"...Have you killed anyone before?"

"No. Though I don't doubt that I could. I've simply never had a motive."

"Is Azul as crazy as you two?"

"He's certainly not as criminal, but he has his idiosyncrasies, as I'm sure you've noticed."

Yuu stared at the scabs that had formed around her thumb. "This is the second time you're asking to know what's on my mind. Why? I'm wondering what you're thinking."

They locked eyes for a moment. "You may not believe me, but it really is only because I'm intrigued. Being able to watch everything unfold while getting both yours and Floyd's thoughts on matters is truly a fascinating spectacle."

She simply grunted in response. Jade brought a hand to his chin as he turned the conversation to Yuu. "Why don't we get back to you, now? I'm still very curious. You're quite peculiar, Yuu. In a good way, of course."

A quiet laugh escaped her. "You're easy to talk to. Unlike..."

"Unlike my brother?"

She nodded and fiddled with her sleeve, glancing down at the almost fully healed bruises circling her wrist. "If I say one wrong thing, it's like his personality changes completely. He used to always be so mindful around me, and now..."

Yuu rambled on and Jade silently listened to her, just like the first time they'd spoken like this. After finally getting everything out of her system, she sat up, giving Jade a smile. "I don't know why you find that interesting, but thanks for letting me talk. Something about talking to you is... therapeutic, I guess?"

"I'm glad to be of assistance. I expect Floyd will be back any moment, now, so I should probably leave."

He began to stand, but Yuu caught his arm. He turned to her with an amused look in his eyes. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

'What the heck am I doing?'

She tugged at her hair shyly and looked to the side. "Can I... have a hug?"

Jade's eyes widened for a brief moment before a strange smile played on his lips. "Of course." He wrapped his arms around her warmly, and she involuntarily curled closer to him.

"I hope that helped settle whatever you were thinking about," he said as he drew away from her, pausing in front of the door. "If you ever want to have tea again, do let me know. I'll make sure to set aside time for you."

With that he exited, leaving Yuu on Floyd's bed in disappointment. She didn't know what else she'd expected, but whatever she was hoping for was dashed away.

'Jade's hugs aren't as comforting as Floyd's.'