Cheka's visits always started the same way.
The peaceful afternoon in Savanaclaw was shattered as the little prince barreled through the lounge doors. Before Leona could even pretend to ignore him, Cheka had launched himself onto the couch—and onto Leona.
Leona cracked open one eye.
"I was enjoying the quiet."
Cheka only laughed before spotting you sitting nearby with a book.
He scrambled off Leona and ran straight toward you.
"I brought you something!"
He held out a handful of slightly squashed wildflowers, clearly picked with all the care a six-year-old could manage.
You accepted them with a smile.
"Thank you, Cheka. They're beautiful."
"I picked them all by myself!"
"They're my favorite gift today."
"They're thoughtful weeds."
Cheka puffed out his chest proudly.
"I knew Yuu would like them!"
Leona clicked his tongue and leaned farther into the couch, pretending not to notice the way your smile brightened.
The day passed in comfortable chaos.
You helped Cheka build little towers from playing cards.
You listened patiently as he told increasingly exaggerated stories about palace life.
When he begged Leona to join a game, Leona refused five times before finally muttering,
"...Quit looking at me like that."
After dinner, the three of you wandered outside.
The evening breeze was cool, and Cheka happily skipped ahead, chasing butterflies that had somehow stayed out this late.
Then he suddenly stopped.
His eyes slowly grew wider.
"Whatever it is, no, you didn't."
Cheka pointed dramatically at Leona.
"You let Yuu wake you up!"
"You let Yuu steal your food!"
"And you let Yuu play with your hair!"
"And one time, Mr. Hyena hugged you and you pushed him away, but Yuu hugged you and you didn't!"
Your face immediately warmed.
Leona looked genuinely caught off guard.
Cheka nodded proudly before grinning.
"Papa says when you really like someone..."
He leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing a royal secret.
You nearly inhaled wrong.
Leona stared at his nephew.
"...Your father told you that?"
"I'm having a conversation with him later."
Cheka ignored him completely.
"So are you gonna marry Unca?"
Before you could answer, Leona cut in.
Leona rubbed the back of his neck.
He stopped talking altogether.
"They wiggle when you're embarrassed."
Leona immediately flattened them against his head.
Cheka pointed triumphantly.
You couldn't hold back your laughter anymore.
"...Don't encourage him."
The conversation somehow got worse when Ruggie wandered over.
"Yo, what's everybody talking about?"
Cheka answered before anyone else could.
"Unca likes Yuu and they're gonna get married!"
Ruggie's grin stretched from ear to ear.
"So...how long've you known?"
"That Leona's got the biggest soft spot for you."
Ruggie started counting on his fingers.
"You let 'em wake you up."
"You let 'em touch your tail."
"You don't even let Cheka touch your tail."
"You keep one side of the couch empty because it's where Yuu usually sits."
"You remember their favorite snacks."
"You skipped your afternoon nap because they said they wanted to walk around campus."
Cheka's mouth dropped open.
"Unca! You have a cruuuush~"
Leona pinched the bridge of his nose.
"...Somebody come get this kid."
That night, after Cheka had finally fallen asleep, you found Leona sitting beneath a large tree just outside the dorm.
You quietly sat beside him.
For a while, neither of you spoke.
"...Cheka's pretty observant."
"I think he was onto something."
You looked down at your hands.
"I don't think I'd mind..."
"...if his little marriage theory came true someday."
For once, completely speechless.
His ears twitched despite his best efforts.
He looked away with a quiet click of his tongue.
"He picked the worst possible way to force that conversation."
It was the closest thing to a confession Leona Kingscholar was ever likely to give.
You bumped your shoulder against his.
He let out a quiet huff that sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
From somewhere inside the dorm came an excited yell.
Both of you whipped your heads toward the open window.
Cheka was leaning out of it with the biggest grin imaginable.
"I told everybody Unca likes Yuu!"
Leona buried his face in one hand.
"...I should've known he wasn't asleep."
You couldn't stop laughing, and even Leona's exasperated groan couldn't hide the tiny smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.Cheka spent the rest of his visit proudly telling anyone who would listen that he had "helped Unca get married"... despite the fact that there wasn't even a proposal yet. Ruggie, of course, never let Leona live it down.
