Chapter Text
Gidget sat on the lawn, watching his red hooman talk with the tall hooman. He had to get them closer...they were sitting on two different sides of a table, sipping the odd cups humans drank from, they were always filled with a strange sweet drink, with slight floral notes, he had no clue what it was called but they seemed to enjoy it. Gidget kneaded the grass with his paws, frowning in thought till he was catapulted off his feet by another small furry body. The young boar looked up to see his mother, large teary eyes, her blue quills messy and graying, the fur around her muzzle a light silver. The old sow chirped, nuzzling her snout over his face and cheek, grooming any strands that sat out of place, she sniffled, licking his nose in worry.
"Gidget! What in the name of the humans were you thinking running off like that?! You'll give your dam a heart attack!"
The young hog nuzzled his mother in return, and the sow sighed, relaxing as she noticed that her baby was alive and well, no pain or harm came to him while he escaped. Gidget churred, grooming his mother's ears,
"mama, I was finding red hooman a mate!"
She blinked down at him, smiling gently and licking under his eye, the motherly action causing slight relief within the hoglet, the sow laughed gently, the familiar gentle sound that matched the echo of windchimes, gentle and warm,
"ah, I see, and this odd man is his so...destined mate?"
Gidget nodded, jumping up on his paws with bright eyes,
"yes! I need them to get closer!"
She trilled, standing up on her legs, bumping her hip with his,
"why didn't you just say so my dear, you didn't need to do this alone... let's go get some helpers"
Riddle sat in peaceful quiet with Floyd, it was unexpected, but he wasn't to argue, it was too pleasant. Sipping his tea, the slight hints of honey and lavender were sweet on his tongue, mixing into a lovely concoction, Floyd seemed to be enjoying it too.
Floyd was baffled, what the fuck was this drink, he knew tea, don't get him wrong, but he had always been more of a coffee guy if no coffee green tea was his go-too. Whatever this was it shocked him, each time he sipped it changed fucking flavor, first it was fruity, then it was bitter and then it was sour, what the fuck is this?? Yet he couldn't bring himself to comment on the monstrosity, not when Goldfish looked so happy and content sitting there in his chair, sipping away like it was any other Tuesday.
Gidget smiled as his mother stood at the top of the barn, looking down at all of the hedgehogs with the influence of a queen, her voice loud and bright as she spoke,
"My hoglet has found a mate for one of our humans! as an offering to him! No matter what, by the end of today, they will be in love!"
There were jeers and cries from below, as she looked toward Gidget with a gentle smile,
"let's do this my little hogling"
The young rodent scurried out of the barn, three of his friends close behind, step one, he had to get near them, they needed to be standing for his plan to work, so, it was time.
Gidget moved closer so that Red Hooman and his awaiting mate could see him and his friends, they were going to start a fight, he just hoped he wouldn't get hurt too badly.
Gidget waited till the tall human and red human were watching via their Peripheral vision. Then all hell broke loose, he sprung forward onto his friend, Wister, biting his ear roughly, he heard the smaller hedgehog yelp, struggling and trying to claw at his stomach, it was all acting but there needed to be injuries or it wasn't real looking! Gidget would give him all his bug snacks later as an apology. His other friend, Kili, flung herself into the fray, biting Gidget by his quills, which splintered and cracked under her jaw it wasn't till he felt a hand pick him up did he knew the plan had worked. There stood Red Hooman, looking down in worry and disappointment, his soon-be mate was holding Wister and Kili in his hand, frowning down at them, perfect, the plan had worked!
Why did this have to happen, it was so nice to be at peace, yet he knew how bad hedgehog fights could be, he had watched as they had torn each other apart. He had shot up in a panic, grabbing Floyd by the hand, and yelling an order for him to pick the others up. He pried Gidget from the fray, the young hedgehog was still small, and on top of that, he had just been out amongst the school! It was normal for him to be on edge, he would be too, but that didn't give him a right to attack his brood, Riddle spoke attempting to keep his voice even and scolding,
"Now, we don't fight young ones! You'll hurt yourselves you ne-"
He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence before the little hoglets had wormed their way out of his and Floyd's hands, dropping to the ground and rolling away. Confusion was cut short when three more of their brood stumbled out of the brush, a large thick red ribbon in their mouths. They skittered forward, circling the students and tying the red rope around their ankles, Floyd attempted to step back, his foot catching on a rock sending the both of them tumbling.
Riddle's head hurt, it burned like a dull flame, bright and blinding, his face was pressed against something soft, it was comfortable, and it seemed to soothe his pounding head. He allowed himself to curl in deeper, the slight warmth bringing tingles and glee through his flesh and spine, his daze was torn when a giant hand settled amongst his hair, a worried raspy voice intersecting the consistent pound of his head,
"Goldfish? Are you ok?"
Riddle knew that voice, he just wished it wasn't true, opening one of his deep storm-gray eyes he met a bright yellow, and he knew, the comfortable pillow was Floyd Leech's chest, and he was laying right on his pec.
Floyd smiled down at his Goldfishy, the tall eel had attempted to shield the smaller house warden from any harm during the tumble, and he was happy to say that he looked relatively unharmed, apart from a growing bruise on his head. Floyd sat up, his back burning from the log he had landed awkwardly on, that would be a nasty blue tomorrow, but he couldn't find it in himself to care, on his lap, nuzzled into his chest sat the man he had adored since he had first flung him across the room in the first year, after he asked if the redhead was ok he sat up, stumbling back, the ribbon around their legs tugging painfully, Floyd almost missed the warmth the tiny man had left, but then he saw it, Riddle had turned reader than his hair, but not from anger, no...this was better, the color was more gently and the veins in his face didn't bludge, his nose dusted with the pink and his ears matched the color of his vest...wow...he was stunning, he swore he was falling all over again.
Gidget was successful (slightly) though he didn't mean to hurt his hoomans they seemed to be rather happy (ish) with being tied, step two of his plan can commence now.