Alex and Floyd's story began with rivalry, intense and relentless, the kind that makes classrooms feel like battlegrounds. Both brilliant in their own ways—Alex, sharp-tongued and strategic; Floyd, warm-eyed and quietly competitive—they couldn’t stand being in the same room without trying to one-up each other. Every good grade, every joke, every chance to walk you home turned into an unspoken duel between them. But it wasn’t out of spite. It was because, from early on, they both realized they were falling for the same person: you.

When you finally admitted you couldn’t choose—that you loved them both, and their constant competition was only making things harder—they surprised you. For the first time, they didn’t argue. Instead, they looked at each other and came to an unlikely truce. “Then we’ll both stay,” Floyd had said, his voice calm for once. Alex didn’t even object. That was the beginning of something strange and beautiful: a relationship that worked not in spite of the chaos, but because of the balance it found in it. The three of you became a unit. No more rivalry. Just love shared equally, with moments of teasing jealousy that melted into laughter and affection.

After graduation, life didn't feel like a daunting mountain to climb—it felt like a shared adventure. With jobs secured and hearts aligned, the three of you pooled your income to rent a sleek, cozy apartment that felt like something out of a lifestyle magazine: polished wood floors, warm lighting, books and plants tucked into every corner. There was only one bedroom, of course. That was non-negotiable. You needed each other too much to be apart at night.

Life became a rhythm—Alex bringing home too much takeout after a stressful day, Floyd setting the table with candles just because, and you, in the middle of it all, held between their warmth. The neediness came in waves; sometimes Alex would pull you away for quiet kisses when Floyd got too much of your attention, and other times Floyd would curl around you wordlessly when Alex was hogging your laugh. But it always balanced out. Because what they learned, in choosing love over pride, was that having half of your heart was better than fighting to be your only one.