Vile Attraction (Floyd Leech/Yuu, Jade Leech/Yuu)

1 ~ Promise Bite

Yuu thought it was strange. Floyd seemed to be popping up more than usual lately. It wasn't as though she minded, she just thought it was peculiar.

"Heya, Little Shrimpy! Fancy seein' you here!"

'Isn't this, like, the fourth time I'm seeing him today?'

It was around 7 in the evening and they were both in the school's gym. Yuu liked working out. It made her feel less useless. Plus, she had managed to beat up a few people that seemed to think she was completely helpless because she couldn't use magic, which was only an added bonus.

"Hi, Floyd," she greeted, taking a small sip out of her water bottle. "What's up?"

"Nothin' much, felt like working out today." A cheeky grin pulled at his mouth as he asked, "Ya come here often?"

Yuu let out a laugh, rolling her eyes playfully. "I do, actually," she replied. "I try to stay in shape. Y'know, since there's not much else I can do to defend myself."

"To defend yourself..." Floyd gave her a peculiar stare before his mouth split into another wide grin. "Think ya could defend yourself against me~?"

"Maybe, maybe not," she shrugged. While the two had technically faced each other in combat, it had mostly been her hiding behind whoever else was with her while they magicked the eels away. "Anyway, I should probably get to my workout, so—"

She just barely managed to dodge the fist that whizzed past her face. Floyd let out a high-pitched cackle and took another swing at her, which she was more prepared to dodge this time. "Hey, hey, Shrimpy, if you can beat me, I'll do somethin' for ya. In fact, anything you choose. How's that sound? I won't even use magic~"

Yuu took a step back, preparing to run and put some distance between the two of them. "I can't say no, can I?"

"Hehe, nope! But I'll give you to the count of three~ One..."

'Chances that I'll land in the infirmary are high. Hopefully, this is at least a good workout.'

"Two..." He drew out the number, his grin practically audible in his voice.

She took off in the opposite direction. If he was giving her time, she would use it to run and formulate a plan. There was no doubt his long legs would be able to catch up to her with just a few effortless strides, but if she executed this properly...

"Three! I'm coming, Shrimpy!"

As she heard him getting closer, she waited until she thought he was close enough to turn around and grab him, then attempt to flip him over her shoulder.

Floyd let out a noise that could only be described as a squeal as his feet were lifted off the ground and he was slammed on his back, knocking the wind out of him. Yuu wasted no time stepping over him and grabbing his wrists, pinning him to the ground.

He stared up at her, eyes wide and cheeks flushed, trying to catch his breath as she held him to the ground. "Whoa, Sh-Shrimpy... that—that was... just like Betta..."

"I win," she spoke, laboredly breathing. Her hair dangled below her face as she continued holding him down, not loosening her grip. "You owe me something now, right?"

"Y-Yeah... I sure do." He laughed, though it sounded more like a wheeze thanks to his breathlessness.

Upon hearing him concede, Yuu gave him a victorious smirk and released his wrists, climbing off of him and taking a seat next to his sprawled-out body on the floor. He stayed where he was, staying staring at the ceiling until his breath finally returned.

"You good now?" Yuu asked with a smug grin, still relishing her victory.

"That was so cool!" Floyd grinned, sitting up cross-legged and turning to face Yuu. "Betta told me that anyone could flip me like he did if they practiced enough, and I didn't believe him, but you just did! Wait... Betta was supposed to show me how to do that..." A frown appeared on his face for a brief moment before his bright smile returned once again. "I'll bother him about it tomorrow! Anyways, Shrimpy, how'd ya learn how to do that?"

Floyd's enthusiasm and energy were infectious and Yuu felt herself begin to grin as well. "Like I said, I train so I can defend myself." She ran a hand through her messy hair. "Now, about my reward..."

"Make it interesting, will ya?" Floyd rested his chin in his palm, his elbow propped up on his knee as he waited in anticipation.

Yuu wrapped her arms around her knees and tilted her head back, closing her eyes as she thought about what to ask of him. There was something about having Floyd's attention that made her want to try her best to keep him interested, especially knowing how easily he gets bored.

"Hm... Do you have anything I could use to blackmail Azul?"

"Azul?" He stared at her blankly. "I mean, 'course I do, but why d'ya wanna know?"

"I could use a contract that works in my favor," Yuu sighed.

Floyd gazed at her, curious about her sudden change in demeanor. "Why don'tcha tell me more about that?"

Her eyes flitted over to him. "Hm?"

"What wouldja get out of a contract with Azul?"

"Mmm..." She had a couple of ideas in mind, but none of them seemed to have the 'entertainment' factor that Floyd was looking for. "I haven't thought that far ahead yet. But doesn't Azul seem like a good resource to have on standby?"

Floyd's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Wow, Shrimpy's smarter than I thought," he mused, his lips curling into a grin. "Can you ask for somethin' else, though? If I told you stuff about Azul, he'd never let me hear the end of it..."

"Why don't you give me some suggestions then, Floyd?" She brought her water bottle to her lips and drank slowly, her eyes flitting over to lock with Floyd's for just a moment before returning to gaze straight ahead.

For some reason, the action caused Floyd's cheeks to tinge pink, though he paid it no mind at the moment. "Hm... Anything that doesn't involve Azul or Jade is good."

"Aw, that's cute," she chuckled as she set her water bottle down. "In that case... Yeah, no, never mind, I still don't know what to ask. I was gonna get Azul to give me money, but that's too boring for you, isn't it?"

He grinned. "Hey, if ya want money, I'll just give it to ya."

Yuu raised an eyebrow, then held out an empty palm. "Gimme money, then."

"How much?"

"Actually?"

"How much?"

"...1,000 marks?"

"Bet." Floyd wore a wide, toothy grin. "Can I give it to you tomorrow? I don't have any cash on me right now."

Yuu rolled her eyes, letting out a laugh. "I knew you were joking."

"But I'm not," Floyd replied. "I'll give you 1,000 marks tomorrow during lunch, 'kay?"

She turned to look at him, smiling with incredulity. "I don't believe you."

"Gimme your hand," he said. She tentatively put out her hand and he slowly brought her pointer finger to his mouth, gently biting the tip of it. "Promise bite~"

"...That's not some weird mermaid tradition, is it?"

"Nope, it's a Floyd tradition," he beamed before linking their pinkies. "Prepare to be 1,000 marks richer tomorrow!"

"You are so weird."

"I know~"