aka: the aftermath of you explaining to rocky about the concept of “tipping” people
deets: gn! reader, they’re up in space, praying i didn’t get any eridian culture wrong, was written with romantic intent but could honestly be platonic so up to you!
this is a little self-indulgent cause i wrote this after a bad day at work, so 90% of it is word vomit, if you see any grammar/spelling mistakes plz tell me <3
there was a missing screw that needed to be replaced. well, it wasn’t really missing, but it was definitely gone forever now in space. with grace only having two arms it made sense he couldn’t catch the screw he just loosened. luckily, the newest crew member was able to recreate it with ease.
when grace had returned from outside he made sure to thank rocky.
”would grace say rocky was helpful, question?”
“absolutely,” grace replied, taking off his space suit. you’re seated nearby with your eye looking through the microscope, barely paying attention.
“so grace is happy with rocky’s service, question?”
“of course, bud.”
“grace is satisfied then, question?”
this grabs your attention. you move your head back from the microscope, raising a brow. rocky’s questions were a little odd, but grace doesn’t seem to notice and is more focused on putting the suit away so that he doesn’t make the room messy again.
“extremely satisfied.”
“good, good! then please leave rocky a tip!”
“wait, what?”
you both finally look at rocky. with his carapace tilted upwards, rocky has one of his hands outstretched, seemingly waiting for his “tip”.
“a tip! when humans provide good service they are usually given a reward!”
“i—where’d you learn about that??”
“from (name)!”
grace directed his confused look towards you now.
“… i did talk to him about being a barista one time,” you sheepishly smile.
“yes, (name) did! was very educational! made rocky wish to participate, too.” he tapped his “fingers” together as a reminder. “tip, please!”
“wow. you’re, uh, kinda putting me on the spot here. you know, tipping is usually done with cash and we don’t really have any—“
“is ok! rocky will accept any item as a tip.” his arm stretched out further, eagerly waiting.
out of excuses, grace turned to you. “help?”
you giggle. “i think rocky just wants a reward for helping us.”
looking around the room for something, your eyes catch onto the whiteboard that’s behind the desk you were working at and notice one of the magnets attached to the board. you grab it and hand it out to the eridian, your arm and his stretching out further so that it transfers through his ball.
“here you go: for a job well done.”
rocky let out a trill, something equivalent to a laugh that you both decided to not translate (it was nicer to hear the melody rather than the robotic voice go “ha ha ha”).
“(name) is rocky’s favorite human! grace is not. rocky will spit in grace’s food as revenge.”
“huh?!”
you burst out laughing at rocky’s words, but you’re practically keeling over in your seat because of grace’s reaction.
“i told him that we’d sometimes joke about spitting or sneezing in our customers orders if they made us upset.”
“he knows you were joking, right?!”
“he just learned about knock knock jokes, give him a few days. besides,” you manage to calm down enough, still grinning widely at grace, “eridians don’t leak; you’ll be fine.”
“i guess…”
grace fixes his glasses, seemingly having calmed down now that he knows he’s safe until—
notes: messy drabble, potentially ooc ryland since i haven’t read the book but you be the judge, gn! reader is referred to as “mx.” once, you can not make me stop using semi colons, much love to my bff for helping me with the ending ily
do you guys remember those tests online where you type your name and your crush’s and it’ll tell you how compatible you are? cause i got this idea and i can’t write it out very well so please hear me out:
ryland catching his students taking the test while he’s teaching and he calls them out for not paying attention, but then it derails into them trying to educate him on the latest ‘trend’.
“it’s totally accurate!” they claim. “they get it right all the time!”
“there’s no way!” he argues. “it only judges based on your names, if, at all, and it doesn’t take into account your personalities, your likes, your dislikes, your preferences—not to mention the other person—“
he rambles on, but it essentially boils down to: nuh-uh
this leads to him putting a pause to his lesson just to take this ‘test’ (which is totally not a test it’s just typing 2 random names but the kids don’t care) and prove them wrong.
he types in the names that his class suggests: famous celebrities, fictional characters, even those that weren’t even together cause it’s kinda fun seeing the number change
the results are mixed, only further proving ryland’s hypothesis that it was randomized (much to the students’ chagrin). it was a fun time until one student shouts:
“type in you and mx. (last name)!”
WHOA BACK UP‼️
ryland is very much aware of the fact that his students think he’s got a crush on you (he totally does) so he does NOT want to add fuel to the fire and refuses. he switches his computer back to the slideshow and resumes the lesson. the students are upset and try to protest, but they already wasted 10 minutes and ryland would rather not have one of his classes fall behind the others.
throughout the day, however, the thought to write down your and his name kept nagging at him. multiple times he caught himself about to say (name) while pointing at pictures that were clearly not you. (you always occupy his mind, but it’s been a long time [1] since it affected his lessons)
hours pass and the school day is finally over; the amount of students in the hallways have begun to trickle down and teachers were leaving for the day, yet ryland remains seated at his desk, hands clasped beneath his chin as he stares at the “soulmate test” on his screen.
it’s all fake—he proved it earlier so there’s no real truth to it.
he’s telling this to himself as he types in your name and his. he tells himself to not get his hopes up, there’s no real merit to it—
100%
he practically choked on air when he saw the number flash on screen with small, multi-colored hearts raining down the screen like confetti.
with his mind focused on the result he doesn’t notice himself smiling
ryland was a logical man: he was someone who liked to be thorough with his research, who analyzed every possible outcome before reaching his conclusion. he was a man of science through and through. and yet…
ryland grace, of all people, was smiling at a randomized test saying that you and him were soulmates.
it was far from logical—he knew this—but it was the only way to explain why his heart couldn’t stop beating so fast, why his hands were so shaky, why his smile had gotten so wide it was starting to hurt.
logging off the computer for the night (and making sure he closed all the tabs) he practically skipped out of the classroom, his mind constantly thinking about the idea of you and him together.
that idea gave him a high that he rode well into the night.
*cue ryland imagining his first name with your last name (and visa versa) and then crashing his bike*
[1] - it has not been a long time, on average it happens about every 2 weeks
spoilers for the optional dialogue between aino and flins towards the end of act 2 for the latest quest, but nothing lore-related
i thought the scene of flins basically bribing aino with sweets to fix something for him was really cute and it got me thinking about the concept for y/n being an older sibling/parental figure towards aino who flins is trying to ask out
being the sweetheart that he is, flins wants permission from your family to ask you out. of course, ineffa would have her own input to share, but this concept is more focused on aino
on god that girl will be abusing her position as being your family member to get all the sweets she can from the man.
she’s never given flins a direct “yes” so she can keep procuring them, but with each snack she’s given is another fact she’ll share with flins so that he’ll have an easier time talking with you.
flins knows, of course, that the little girl is just using him as a way to eat more sweets, but he can also tell that with each candy unwrapped and each story she shares that she’s slowly begun to approve of him as a boyfriend for you.
slight warning about spoilers for the fontaine update, mainly just about neuvillette so like be warned ig—but anyways—
—
you know how ppl say dragons hoard treasure and shit and will gift them to the one they love as a way to ask them out? and and you know how it’s basically canon that neuvillette is the hydro dragon??
cause i just recently had a dream where neuvillette keeps dropping his trinkets into the tip jar at your work and you and your coworkers have no idea what the hell those things are
you find so many things; small charms, tiny gems, rings—literally anything precious-looking will show up in that jar by the end of your shift, yet none of you know what to do with them
meanwhile neuvillette is just rushing out of the cafe/restaurant/shop/whatever with shaky hands and a fast beating heart. his mind keeps racing with thoughts overlapping one another with various questions like “will you like it?”, “was he being too bold?”, etc.
it’s not until he runs into someone (like furina or a melusine) that they point out 2 major flaws in his plan: did you even know that he’s the one leaving them behind? and did you know that they were meant to be gifts for you?
just just someone plz say they understand where i’m getting at here my brain has become dumb
soft yandere wanderer who makes no effort in correcting people who assume you two are a couple. honestly, he puts in more effort to make sure you don’t tell them otherwise
if he notices you about to correct them he immediately steps forward to take over, claiming that it’s because he doesn’t want to waste any more time making idle chit chat with these strangers
“oh, that woman is not a stranger,” you explain, “i see her at least three times a week.”
…damn it
soft yan! wanderer who now realizes how much more effort it’s gonna take for him to trick everyone into believing you two are a couple without explicitly saying so. he starts to memorize your shopping routine so that he can start doing it for you. he complains that you take far too long and he can do it faster, but you and i both know that that’s not the truth.
he starts to familiarize himself with the local shop owners, making sure they know you and he are together.
‘doesn’t want to waste any more time making idle chit chat’ my ass; he’s using up so much of their time just to talk about you!
as rude as he may appear, everyone takes notice of how his expression softens as he talks about you, how his eyes grow fond and sparkle anytime the owners recount a memory about you, how eager he is to learn more about you
he didn’t think it’d require this much effort to make sure everyone knew that you were taken, but he doesn’t regret it one single bit
☆ .* note ─ this is a prolouge for the story I'm working rn, it's a tgaa story a yandere barok and yandere herlock x reader story!! I've been reading the og Sherlock book so I can put some refrences!! Hope you like this prolouge and you can give me your thoughts about this story!! My mutual actually proofread this and shes actually helping me so props to her @lovetals ! :3 ♡
A small clanking sound, heard only outside the garden where the owner of the house was walking around her small garden holding a small basket, only halfway filled with white and yellow chrysanthemum flowers, each one of them looks fresh after yesterday's rain droplet hits the pedals making them glaze like a refine glass.
The woman still walking around her small garden suddenly stood still at an Indigoletta rose before her. She planted this rose ten years prior and still to this day she still always manages to take such delicate care of the rose. But no matter how gorgeous the rose she only brushed her fingertips to the glistening petals and her eyes full of longing when she touched it. Feeling that her staring will do nothing, her fingertips went back to her batch of flowers then back to what she was doing.
The woman looked at the baskets and noticed that it seemed odd. Like something was missing, she couldn't understand it, she has been doing this many times and why does she only feel this kind of strangeness, like she forgot something but not knowing what it is she can’t figure it out herself. Before the woman could succumb to her thoughts she heard a knock at her door.
With a quick movement and a slight sigh, she put away the chrysanthemums and walked into her living room to see who could be at the door.
Opening the door she found the tan skin, looped hair and pink wearing jōgakusei girl-her unofficial apprentice - Mikotoba Susato. The girl smiled brightly at the sight of her tutor and gave a small but respectful bow as a greeting.
“Good afternoon, Professor.” said the young woman with a gentle smile on her face. The tall woman nodded. “Good afternoon, Mikotoba. What brings you here today? I'm pretty sure that our next turtoring shall be next week and I'm also sure that you're going to be the last person who gets dates wrong, so what is it?"
With a soft giggle the young girl shook her head. “No, no, I am not here for another toturing. And I am definitely did not forget the date, but I came here because…” She paused and took some papers from her school bag, handing them over to her tutor. “Father wants me to give you this papers, it's legal papers for me to be recognised as a judicial assistant in the eyes of British law." She said while her toture receive the papers while looking with a mild dejected face. "They're still hanging to it huh?" said the woman who just sighed while she adjusted the papers to the nearby table.
"And also," the woman now perked "Kazuma-sama wanted your presence in our state after dinner, to be precise 7:40 pm sharp, he'll be waiting in his room he said, by the look at his face I feel like it's very serious so I guarantee that you may come and seek him." the girl said while the other woman listened intently.
The woman can only look at the girl and nod to her "Certainly, I wouldn't mind. If it's that important then I'll surely come over and talk to him." The young girl noticing the banjo clock behind the woman hitting an exact 8:50 am said, "Now then I think it's my que to leave, you do need time to read and sign all the papers," the girl said seemingly "So I'll be off and don't worry I'll be telling Kazuma-sama. Thank you!'' The young Mikotoba can give her a sweet smile and a small bow.
The woman nodded as a reply and waved goodbye to her before closing the door. She sighed again and put the papers on the table before heading to the bathroom to freshen up a bit. As the door closed behind her the young upcoming judicial assistant glanced at the door with the name of her female proffesor and looked at it with some sort of determination.
'I know that you'll find the courage to step foot on that place again,'
'...Judicial Assistant (L/N) (Y/N).'
✯¸.•´*¨`*•✿ ✿•*`¨*`•.¸✯
【𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞, 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫!】
► Susato can easily remember the dates and know what day is it today. So if you ever need help remembering what day is it today, ask Susato!
► (Y/N)s' House is half English half Japanese architecture and the outside is a small traditional Japanese garden with a lot of European flowers blooming. She gives them to kids and neighbours whenever she sees them or anyone gazing upon them.
► Despite the sakura theme jōgakusei that Susato is always wearing, her favourite flowers are actually Magnolias and Gladiolus. Because those are flowers that remind her of you during your youth based on the stories you've told.
◇ characters ◇ zhongli (ft. platonic!childe), al haitham, ayato, cyno
◇ tags ◇ fluff, crack, (character) is so totally not jealous, okay? okay.
◇ a/n ◇ i wrote this at like 2am don’t @/ me-
bad summary of content utc: 1) rip childe. 2) legends say you can foretell your future by the shape of al haitham's pecs. 3) ayato vs taroumarou; who wins? the result might surprise you. 4) cyno just wants some cuddles someone save him.
𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 ⬙ 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡
zhongli, jealous? ridiculous.
zhongli is unyielding and self-assured. he was a revered archon, for celestia’s sake; he knows he’s wanted, and even now as a mortal he’s not foreign to the longing looks, stuttered words, and the blushes that rise to his fellow mortals’ cheeks whenever he speaks to them.
and you - you want him just as much, if not more; yet you’re different than the others in the way that you’ve successfully managed to carve a perfect little home in his heart and chose to stay there, much to his delight.
you’ve promised him your heart and the entirety of your life. he’s promised you happiness and his eternal love. you’ve been bound by the most sacred contract of all, the proofs of your vows to each other clearly wrapped onto your ring fingers.
so really, what would such petty, shallow emotion like jealousy serve?
“wow, you’re really good with your hands!”
“i’m not sure if being able to use chopsticks is a good measurement of one’s proficiency with their hands, but... thanks?”
“isn’t it harder to-” childe pauses to speak when you offer him a bite of sweet-and-sour pork and rice, gratefully takes the food, and hums in appreciation before continuing his words, “-feed others with a chops-”
“chew and swallow first; you’ll choke.”
the harbinger obediently obeys, but not before chirping a playful “okay mom/dad!” with his mouth full. you sigh and turn towards your abnormally silent lover, finding him barely picking at his own food.
“li? why aren’t you eating?”
“hm? i was just… thinking.”
“thinking,” you repeat with a fond roll of your eyes and a teasing grin on your lips, “when are you not? well, i’m sure you haven’t forgotten how to use chopsticks, so i don’t need to feed you, right?”
your husband’s lips part, as if he wanted to say something, but right at the same moment, you notice childe trying to pick up his rice, failing miserably with his horrible chopsticks control. as if on autopilot, you used your utensils to pick up the grains from his bowl into his mouth.
zhongli’s words fizzle on his tongue. the way you fuss over the brunette fuels the rumbling growls of the slumbering dragon which has been sleeping for eons, slowly baring its fangs inside his chest. gloved fingers wrap around his teacup a tad too tight, but alas, you fail to notice your brooding husband's silent fury.
he knows it’s just your instinct, to care for others and to cater to other people’s happiness. it’s one of the traits he adores from you. if anything, it looks more like a parent-child(e) relationship rather than that of lovers - besides, no personage living in liyue would think of you as the snezhnayan's significant other. that, he is confident of.
but do you really have to hand-feed a grown-up man - a fatui harbinger who almost leveled your whole nation onto the seabed at that - who was most definitely capable of feeding himself, and with your chopsticks nonetheless- wait.
before you can bring the two sticks anywhere near the plates containing childe’s food, your husband's hand gently pushes your chopsticks away. upon the questioning arch of your eyebrows, he opts for a patient and calm-sounding tone, “darling, please. eat. you haven’t touched your food for far too long.”
he then replaced your set of utensils with his own; the movement so smooth and natural you didn’t even notice, before turning to childe and scooping the extra spicy vegetable stir fry towards the brunette.
childe’s blue eyes widen in half shock and half embarrassment, and you nearly choke on your food at the comical sight.
“um-”
“eat.”
“a-ah, miss xiangling, can i have a spoo-”
“eat.”
no, he most definitely isn’t jealous.
“-who’s my prettiest boy? yes you are!”
“… what in teyvat are you doing?”
you blink innocently at your boyfriend, who had just woken up judging from the way his coat is still missing from his person, and momentarily your eyes flit downwards to appreciate the way his muscles look in his tight black bodysuit.
hmmm. ah, yes. you can see it from the way his abs look today. it is going to be a good day.
“hey,” a condescending snap of his fingers right in front of your face, and you glare at the smug expression on al haitham's face, “eyes up here.”
“i wasn’t looking at your pecs.”
“i never said anything like that.”
“not your manboobs either.”
“for the hundredth time, i do not have manboobs. and for the second time, i never said nor implied anything even remotely close to that.”
“well, i would like to inform you that i was not.”
al haitham gives you a knowing smirk and you huff in embarrassment, choosing to ignore him by looking away and refocusing on the tiny sprout (the actual plant, not that little adorable sprout on the top of his head), smiling and going back to the higher, loving pitch you used previously.
“i’m sorry baby, ignore mr. narcissist over there. now. you’re growing up so well! i can’t wait to see you grow taller and see the beautiful blooms you make! i just know my little pogchamp will-”
“what in lord kusanali’s name are you doing?”
“shut your damn mo- ahem!” you sigh and throw a pointed look at the scribe, “i am conducting a research, mind you. kindly fu- i mean- kindly ignore me and go prepare for your day.”
“enlighten me, then. what kind of research involves baby-talking to a plant?”
you roll your eyes and turn to address him properly, “ugh, fine, if you’re soooo curious, i’ll tell you. so, i read a research journal that testified something along the line of ‘speaking positive words, such as encouragements and praises to a plant, will aid its growth and make them bloom faster’. i’m trying to test that theory. now - this is veveh. i am going to tell him he’s a good, beautiful boy every day and praise him and sing for him. that one,” you point towards the plant at the far opposite side of the room near the windows, “is hawky. i’m going to tell him he’s a bast- the opposite of what veveh is. and we have [nickname] in our bathroom, which will be the control group. i’m going to give them all an equal amount of sunlight and water, and i have a journal and a kamera to regularly record the state of the plants. i plan to monitor them at least three times a day, and-”
“and who named these stupid plants?”
you gasp, scandalized, and swiftly move to cover veveh as if you’re covering a child’s ears from harmful words. which, in this case, the image isn’t far from the truth in your eyes.
“hey!! what did i say?! watch your words!! and it was kaveh’s idea!”
“of course it was,” the scholar sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, “are you not my significant other? surely you’re smart enough to notice the implications behind the names and the assignments of the roles. why would you agree to make the plant named after me the specific sample that would have to suffer from derogatory words?”
“…”
“…”
“…… wait, haitham, are you jealous?”
al haitham blinks and looks at you as if you’ve told him that you’ve replaced him as the akademiya’s scribe and he’s been exiled from the akademiya because his performance is unsatisfactory.
“i never said anything like that.”
“awww, would you like me to tell you you’re a good boy too? want me to tell you how pretty and lovely you are? how you’re doing suuuuch a good job at work? oh, sweetums-”
“i will be leaving now, you’re creeping me out.”
you giggle uncontrollably and lean closer to the tiny plant, snickering and lowering your voice into a whisper as you watch your beloved running away in embarrassment finally leaving you to your own devices, “hey, veveh. your dad is adorable, isn’t he?”
. . . ⚘ ⚘ ⚘
veveh ends up flourishing and its first flower bloomed way ahead of the two, therefore concluding your research on a high note. however, the morning after you submit your first draft of your thesis, you find the plant missing.
instead, in its place is hawky. you also find your boyfriend sitting right beside it, reading his advanced quantum theories book outloud.
yes, your boyfriend is truly very adorable indeed.
ayato loves dogs, he really does.
he also does not condone animal abuse, and that principle is currently the only thread that’s preventing him from pushing the animal away from your lap. your lap, which should have been his pillow. his much-needed, much-deserved, comfiest pillow on teyvat that could make him fall asleep in minutes and is the only reason he would skip work.
“oh, darling, i thought you were busy?” you ask in surprise upon seeing his form standing by the door.
“i needed a break, i was getting a little stressed,” he says, walking towards your side to sit on the cushion, hoping you’ll catch on to what he’s implying with both his words and actions.
your eyes are shining as you regard him, and his heart jumps-
“good job, i’m happy you’re not overworking yourself, love.”
“... why, thank you.”
you nod and glance down as taroumaru twitches and whines in his sleep, crooning softly at the adorable sight of the animal’s twitching legs.
“i wonder what he’s dreaming about,” you giggle softly.
ayato doesn’t understand how you can make him feel as if he’s falling in love with you all over again, yet at the same time, you make him want to punch the nearest wall in frustration.
with a tired sigh, he flops his head onto your shoulder it should have been your lap darn it and he nuzzles into the fabric of your kimono like a cat that’s seeking attention. the sweet soft laugh escapes your lips once more and he waits.
….
….
.... your hands are still petting the dog.
this is ridiculous, he thinks. the mutt is asleep; surely you would turn your attention to your poor fiancé, right? surely you wouldn’t be so heartless as to ignore him when he’s seeking you out like this? surely you would pity his overworked self and grant him some comfort even just a little-
“you really don’t have any meetings?”
“…. no, i don’t,” he hums casually and adds an exaggerated yawn.
“i think you need a nap, ayato.”
one of your hands finally rests upon his cheek and caresses his skin lovingly. a content little smile stretches his lips, but it disappears when your touch retreats all too soon for his liking.
maybe he should consider having a ‘no pets allowed in kamisato estate’ rule.
the door suddenly slides open to reveal thoma, who took one good look at the two of you and being the ever so polite man that he is, immediately splutters an apology for interrupting what seemed to be an intimate, relaxing moment between lovers.
the yashiro commissioner seizes the chance.
“it's fine, thoma. you’re here to take taroumaru on a walk, yes?”
at the keyword, the canine’s ears flick and his beady eyes open.
“huh? no, i just-”
“wonderful! why don’t you take him on a long walk, i’d say he’s just itching for some exercise after napping for so long.”
“eh? um-” thoma freezes at the cold smile on the young master’s face and forces a laugh at your inquiring gaze, “-y-yeah! waka is completely right! c’mon boy, it’s time for your walk!”
with a happy bark, the dog leaps out from your lap and bounds towards the housekeeper, who gave the two of you a sheepish nod before sliding the door shut.
ayato hums in satisfaction and reclaims his throne. without him even needing to ask, your fingers settle onto his blue locks, blunt nails scratching his scalp. you bend down to place a loving peck on his forehead, your scent envelopes his senses, and he melts.
ah, the taste of victory is always sweet.
“just one more game!”
“but love-”
“just one more game, please please please please!”
cyno sighs, “you said the same thing three rounds ago.”
i’m tired, i want to cuddle you now, the general mahamatra tries to telepathically communicate right into your brain by staring at you with his soft and downturned vermillion eyes. alas, you are too focused on refining your tcg deck and testing it against the man and the legend himself.
“i swear this time it’ll really be the last!!”
being a rather new player that you are, you’re still clumsy in your actions and strategies, but he can sense you improving with every match you lost. the way you’re so passionate and fully throw yourself into the things you’re interested in never fails to bring a sense of pride into his heart, but seriously - even the most serious of men needs a cuddle every now and then. plus, you fit so well into his arms! can you blame him for being a little needy after a whole three hours of being denied any sort of affection despite the fact that you’re seated right across this stupid table??
you can’t and you shouldn't.
“you promise this will be the last round?”
“for today, yes!”
your boyfriend sighs and nods. yes, his need to cradle you in his arms is overwhelming. but when you look at him with eyes that shine brighter than the stars in the desert at night, how can he refuse? he’d give you a whole oasis if you asked for it. he can last just one more round of tcg.
... right?
cyno swears it has to be the longest match of his life.
you’re so cute when you’re thinking over your actions; eyes gazing upon your cards and his in contemplation as you mumble strategies under your breath. you’re so cute when you do a little cheer as the dice gods graced you with luck on your dice rolls. you’re so cute when you gasp in awe as he pulls a rather tricky maneuver that ruined your plans to attack his deck in this round.
archon kusanali give him strength, for you’re so cute and he wants a cuddle so badly.
“nooooooo,” you cry out in despair as he downs the last two of your characters at the same time with a well-timed elemental reaction, your body slumping against the table.
cyno can’t help but smile, although he does feel a bit bad from beating you yet again, so he decides to give you a little tip to hopefully cheer you up, “almost got me there. why don’t you try using a freeze team next time? you have the cards for it, and i think it'll suit your playstyle.”
at once, your head snaps up and you meet his gaze with determined eyes.
oh.
oh, he just dug a grave for himself didn’t he.
“[name]-”
“you’re right. let me- let me rebuild my deck, wait-”
“you promised-”
“i know, i know! just- fifteen minutes! give me fifteen minutes!!”
cyno wishes he could bang his head against the table, rattle his stupid brain and zip big mouth shut.
he just wants a cuddle.
why is it so hard to get a cuddle?
what’s a man gotta do these days for a cuddle??
cyno sees you staring at your character cards with your hand on your chin, clearly in deep thought. your boyfriend then opts to glare at his character cards, as if they were the ones who had stolen his cuddles, but a few seconds into that and he scoffs, looking away to the side as warmth rapidly bloomed across his cheeks.
seriously, what kind of man gets jealous of a card game?
summary: 5 times others know that leona is head over heels for you, and the 1 time he acts on it. 7.5k
note: just pure, innocent fluff ❤️ reader = ramshackle prefect
1.
Jack liked to imagine himself as a somewhat perceptive person, especially with his large ears catching wind of exchanged whispers and his outstanding olfaction that allowed him to pick up distinctive scents. As reserved as he seemed, he tended to watch things from the sidelines and keep note of different people's quirks and whatnots, and so more often than not he would surprise others with his hidden knowledge and observations. All in all, he knew quite well about people around him.
Or so he thought, because whatever was unfolding in front of his widened eyes was making him doubt all his previous judegements about his much respected dorm leader.
It was mid-afternoon with the sun hanging high in the sky, burning with murderous intent. Jack, having had the misfortune to be the first student spotted by Crewel, was tasked to 'bring him the disobedient cat who would rather sleep than attend his lessons'. Jack recalled the places Ruggie would go to find Leona and found himself in the botanic garden in no time, eyes scanning the lush green and distracting flowers. He smelled his presence first, then noticed something else mixed in that woody scent.
His confusion only grew when he recognized its owner, who was none other than the prefect of Ramshackle. The trail led him to a spot shielded by a thick canopy of banana leaves, and right underneath was Leona, serenely asleep and– wait, is he sleeping on the prefect's lap? And is that their hand in his hair?
Jack blinked. He wasn't hallucinating.
Your face brightened in recognition when he finally shuffled close enough. "Hey Jack! Here to check on the cacti?"
"...No," despite his initial shock, his voice gave nothing away. Leona spared him one glance before promptly closing his eyes again. "Crewel asked me to bring Leona to class, but… what are you doing here?"
As if just now realizing yourself, you removed your fingers from Leona's silky hair, earning a dissatisfied huff. "Your dorm leader here caught me passing by and made me his personal pillow. I haven't moved from this position for hours."
Jack hoped that you were only exaggerating about the time, but frankly he was too preoccupied with other thoughts to care. For one, the painfully arrogant, prideful, and self-assured prince was resting his head on your lap and letting you thread your fingers through his locks? The Leona who would scowl and glower whenever someone so much as brushed against his tail? The Leona who would bite someone's arm off before ever giving them the idea that he could be anything less than almighty, let alone soft?
"Just tell Crewel you failed. I'm not about to ruin my nap to brew stupid potions," Leona stated, stubborn as usual.
"No way, I'm not missing my classes so that you can have your fun in dreamland. Get up!" You nudged him. No movement. "Jack, can you help me drag him off?"
Before the poor boy could take a step, Leona growled. "Don't you dare. Just give me ten more minutes, damn it."
"That's the third time you've said it." You deadpanned, to which he responded with a half-hearted hum. Seeing as he wasn't moving any time soon, your shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Jack. I'll bring him over as soon as the ten minute mark passes."
It was less than ideal to have to go back to Crewel empty-handed, but there was no convincing Leona when he was hell-bent on doing something. With a defeated sigh, Jack nodded. "I'll be relying on you then, prefect."
If there was one person in NRC who could be deemed trust-worthy, it had to be you. He mentally gave himself a pat on the back before bidding goodbye.
In reality, didn't leave right away. He knew that he shouldn't intrude on his friend's life (let alone his senior's), but curiosity got him in a chokehold. Besides, he needed to make sure that you wouldn't get your wrist torn off if you tried anything else.
"It's quite unfair, actually," you mumbled. "All you do is lie around all day, how do you even pass your classes?"
"Everything the school’s teaching, I’ve already learned back home." Leona's mouth curled into a smirk. "What, are you jealous?"
"As if," you rolled your eyes. As if out of habit, you started smoothing his mane out again. With each gentle stroke, Leona's face relaxed into a peaceful expression, and his ears twitched in what Jack could only identify as delight. You must've noticed it too, because something akin to interest flitted across your feature. Jack's stomach dropped. He had seen that look many times before, and it was a telltale sign of trouble.
After only a bit of hesitation, your outstretched hand moved to touch Leona's fluffy ear. That's it, Jack thought. You'd done it– poked at the hornet’s nest, shoved your hand inside a tiger’s yawning mouth, threw yourself into a river filled with piranhas. It was nice knowing you. There was no way you were going to get away with this.
Leona's eyes shot open, his nose scrunched in annoyance. "Careful where you touch, herbivore."
"Fine. My bad," you removed your hand with great reluctance, returning to dedicate your attention to his hair. The moment carried on as if nothing had happened, and within seconds Leona was already snoring.
What the hell was that. Jack swiveled on his heels and let his legs lead him away. In his head was only thoughts darting around, trying to make sense of why exactly Leona acted so differently towards you. The fact that he had you stay during his sleeping time was already out of character enough, but to let you off after you touched his ear, one of the most sensitive parts of a beastman's body?
There could be something going on here. Jack had a hunch on what it was, but he didn't feel like jumping to conclusions just yet. For now, he should just sit and watch.
At the end of the day, he got caught by Crewel again. It turned out that Leona never showed up for his lesson after all.
2.
It was a breezy afternoon, but for Epel it was hotter than ever on the sports ground. The Magift Club was having its routine training, and everyone was dedicating their best even though it wasn't a real tournament.
His own heartbeat was the only thing he could hear as he dashed towards the opposing team's goal, the golden disk hovering right beside him. Yells and heavy steps followed him, but he was determined not to let his legs give out. Eagerness lurched inside his throat as the net neared, and he angled his arm to throw the disk–
-- only to get thrown off balance by a gust of wind. He landed on his butt with a groan, and looked up to see the disk in the possession of one Savanaclaw student. Cursing under his breath, he swatted the dirt off his knees and dived into action again.
After some more intense chasing and magic being thrown around, he headed with the rest of the team towards the benches, where Leona was sprawled out on a chair, sharp eyes heavy-lidded and coated with sleep. It wouldn't be a surprise if he turned out to have slept through the entire match.
"... Your weakness is that you only know how to charge forward." Leona commented just as Epel was about to take a sip from his water bottle. "You can't improve if you never learn how to look out for ambushes."
"Ah… thank you."
Alright, so maybe he hadn't been out for the count after all. Nonchalantly, Leona shifted into a more comfortable position, his face angled away from Epel. Even if he came off as detached and uncaring most of the time, there were occasions where he would give out short yet valuable advice and prove that he had been keeping an eye on his members. Epel only hoped that he could see the renowned player in action more often. Sadly, it only happened once in a blue moon.
"Ah, look who's here," Ruggie said. Epel followed his gaze and spotted you walking across the field, holding a paper bag large enough to topple you. It wasn't rare that you would drop by and visit. In fact, most of them had been looking forward to you and swarmed you with warm welcomes (presumably because they knew you were hiding snacks in that bag, but Epel decided not to comment on that when his stomach was rumbling too).
"Where's Leona?" You asked once you've given Ruggie a bag of donuts. The grinning hyena jutted his head to the side, "Lazing around as usual. Wanna stay and watch us play?"
You arched your head back and scanned the clock above the rows of seats. "Sure, I have some time to kill." You gave him a thumbs up and made your way towards the chairs at the front.
Epel watched as you kicked Leona's chair to wake him up. He was too far away to hear whatever you were talking about, but you looked pretty close, chatting away with an exchanged chuckle here and there. Even though Leona still looked sleep-laden, he rested his head on his fist and kept his eyes on you the whole time.
One was his club leader, and the other was his close friend. He was starting to wonder how you two had become so close when Ruggie threw his arm around his frame. "Time for round two! What, you still haven't finished the cookies? Need some help?"
Epel quickly shoved them inside his mouth. "No fran qu (no thank you)!"
Everyone had already spread out in two teams when Leona promptly stood up from his humble 'throne' and stepped onto the field. "Wait. You, swap with me."
The second-year student in question pointed at himself and blinked.
Leona frowned. "Do I need to repeat myself?"
"N-no!" The student ran off with his tail literally between his legs. Epel's eyes followed the man as he made his way to the front of the opposing team, stretching his muscled limbs.
The match started as soon as you blew the whistle. If Leona actually getting on the field was out of the ordinary, then him putting effort in playing was enough to leave one flabbergasted and dumbfounded. He didn't even have to lift a finger to weave his way through the wall of opponents. Yet, as Epel watched on, he couldn't help but feel both amazed and startled at the same time.
Amazed, because Leona really lived up to his name as one of the top players among the long list of magic schools. He was quick on his feet, never letting anyone so much as touch the hem of his shirt as he flashed past defenses. In fact, his moves were so unpredictable and fast that whatever formations that had been discussed dissolved within moments as everyone scrambled to block him. But that was not all– he was tactical. One moment he was making others chase him so that he could sweep them away with one single hit, the other he was planting traps on the ground and sneering as they fell victim. It was like he could predict everyone's move.
There was no chance of beating him even if he had his eyes closed all the way. Though Epel's eyes were trained on the lone figure, he could hear your voice booming across the field.
"Ruggie! Epel! Go get him!"
"Ugh, I'm trying!" Epel clenched his jaw and rushed forward, shouting as he prepared to launch a sneak attack from behind– then Leona turned his head and smirked.
–
It only took fifteen minutes for Leona to render everyone useless. Epel dragged himself towards the benches and dropped himself carelessly, limbs sprayed out as he tried to catch his breath.
"Did you have to go that harsh on them?" You said as Leona returned with nary a bead of sweat. There was a touch of playful reprimand in your voice.
"They need to be humbled once in a while lest they become too full of themselves."
You two moved somewhere else, the air carrying your words away. The temporary silence was replaced by Ruggie's wheezes. "Jeez- lemme catch my breath. That was hell."
"I know right," Epel answered weakly. "Do you think Leona-san joined because we weren’t doing good enough?"
"Please, he wouldn't bother," there were sounds of a paper bag being rustled. A moment later, Ruggie spoke up again, this time with food in his mouth. "The answer is pretty simple, actually. Why do you think he worked so hard out there?"
"...He wanted to kick our asses?"
"Nah, that's too much trouble. If he wanted to kick your ass he would've asked me to do it." Epel wasn't sure what to feel about that information. "The truth is- he just wanted to show off, duh."
Epel craned his head so he was facing Ruggie. "Show off? To whom?"
"C'mon. Just see for yourself."
He did as told, scanning the place and eventually spotting you still talking to Leona, this time playfully shoving at his arm at something he had said. There was this look on his face that Epel couldn't put a name to. He'd seen it on someone else though: Sebek as he gushed about Malleus, Rook as he read a magazine with Vil's face printed on the cover, Cater when he came across something Magicam-worthy. Epel knew exactly what these displayed feelings were, but then it would mean that–
"Leona-san worked us to the bone just so he could impress the prefect?" Epel all but barked out the accusation. Ruggie giggled at his reaction and shrugged, leaving the boy even more exasperated. That wasn't really the point, but irritance was clouding his senses at that time. It was only until he was back in his room and lying in bed that he would start to connect the dots and let out a loud, stunned gasp.
3.
The café near NRC had been flooded with customers all day, and the queue only lengthened as time passed. Cater squeezed his dry eyes shut, having scrolled on his phone the whole time he was waiting outside.
Ever since a famed influencer on Magicam had complimented this café in a post, it had been getting all the hype. Cater couldn’t miss out on the fun, even if everything on the menu was too saccharine for his liking.
After what felt like millennia, he finally got inside the shop. It looked like pink had vomited all over the walls, but it should look aesthetic enough for the folks on Magicam. Cater spotted a vacant seat by the window and rushed towards it. From the corner of his eyes he could see a man heading in the same direction.
“Shit-“ the man cussed as he tripped.
“Ah, my bad.” Cater raised his hands and stepped away. The man muttered something under his breath and looked up. The seat had already been taken by the… same man that had just run into him?
Cater chuckled quietly as the man looked around the shop, then back at him again. His unique magic really came in handy sometimes.
He ordered the most famous dishes and turned to his phone again. Perhaps he would give them to those adorable first-years later, or just send them all to Trey.
After a while, even the endless scrolling came to an end. Cater pressed on the home button and waited for the page to refresh. Emerald eyes wandered lazily around the room, rounding when he caught sight of a familiar figure.
If it was any other person, Cater would’ve thought that his eyes had deceived him, but there was no mistaking those ears and long tail. That was definitely Leona Kingscholar, standing in queue with his hands shoved inside his pockets. Much like Cater, he was still in school uniform, and the look of irritance on his face made him stand out like a sore thumb in this sugary world.
Just what could he be doing here? Cater knew that the man wasn’t particularly into sweets and pastries. He definitely wasn’t one to follow trends either. Not to mention that he had zero media presence… unless he had a private account?
Leona’s tail flicked. The man in front of him suddenly crossed his foot in front of the other and stumbled out of the queue. Leona quickly stepped up and silenced whatever the man was going to say with a glare.
In the corner of the café, Ruggie’s shoulders shook with laughter.
Even with underhand methods, there was only so much the two could do to shorten the waiting time. It took another fifteen minutes for them to finally get to the counter. Cater watched with intrigue as the barista stuffed two well-loved red velvet cakes into a white box and handed it to Leona.
Ruggie quickly finished one of them as soon as he got his hands on it, and Cater read ‘worth the effort’ from his lips movement. The two left with the untouched piece sitting peacefully inside the box.
Well, that was something. Cater shook his head and started snapping pictures of the desserts that had arrived moments ago. To think that Leona of all people would wait in line just for a piece of cake… his thoughts went on as he mindlessly typed out a caption. Could it have been for someone else ?
Nah. No way. He couldn’t imagine Leona ever lifting a finger for anyone other than himself.
Night was already creeping on the horizon by the time he finally finished posting. The walk back school was accompanied by more scrolling. The prefect’s profile icon popped up in the ‘story’ section. Cater clicked in without a second thought.
It was a photo of a red velvet cake. The red velvet cake. The text above it read ‘pleasant surprise from an unlikely party!’
Within moments, he was already scanning the entire photo like a detective. There, in the right corner, was a tail. No doubt about it. And he knew the tail— he had just watched its owner spend nearly half an hour lining up in the cafe.
"Now isn't this an interesting discovery…?" Mischief passed over his eyes for a split second, his legs picking up the pace. It seemed that desserts wouldn't be the only thing he would be delivering today.
4.
It was nothing out of the norm for Leona to spend Monday afternoons napping under the tall apple tree. In fact, he went there so routinely that he might as well become one with the background.
Today, though, something had changed. Or as Rook would call it, love was in the air, because under the tree were two figures in lieu of one.
You were sitting cross-legged against the trunk, sheets laid out around you like a protective shield. Every once in a while, Leona’s tail would mess them up, and if you berated him he would feign innocence.
“Come on Leona, you’re the only one who can help me with this.” You nudged his knee.
Rook squinted, his eyes locking onto the documents. There, on the top of what seemed to be the cover page, read ‘Sunset Savanna’.
Ah, a history project then.
“Ask Ruggie.”
“I would if he wasn’t busy doing your duties. So you’re stuck with me.”
Leona made a low grumbling noise, but Rook noted that his face showed no sigh of annoyance. How unfair! The first few times Rook approached the beastman during his nap, he received nothing less than distasteful glares and venomous threats.
One more evidence supporting his hypothesis.
“Fine. You have five minutes to ask questions.”
A smile bloomed on your face, one that Leona didn’t fail to catch. It was only a flash, easily overlooked, but Rook saw it crystal clear— the subtle tenderness intruding on his scowl. It disappeared as quickly as it’d come.
“Alright. So what’s Sunset Savannah like?”
“Hot.”
You heaved a sigh. “You’re not cooperating here.”
“Maybe your questions are too vague, herbivore.”
“Ugh- fine! Let’s start with the people. Do you guys have a mascot or something?”
Leona shifted so he was lying on his side, left arm propped up with his head resting on his palm. “There’s this warthog and meerkat everyone loves. They’re supposed to be related to the King of Beasts. Personally though, I couldn't care less.”
"How about something that cannot be found anywhere else?”
“Mm. Hot spring eggs,”
“You guys have hot springs?” With the way your eyes twinkled with interest, Leona couldn’t help but give in.
“No, it’s a volcano…”
Your ‘interview’ stretched out for far longer than five minutes, eventually jumping from general knowledge to Leona’s own experience with the place he grew up at.
“Sure, the sunset is beautiful, but the real show begins when night falls. All kinds of stars come out, perfect for sentimental beings like you.”
“I don’t believe that you’ve never looked at them before.” You challenged.
Leona scoffed, reaching to scratch the back of his ear. “Only as a kid. It gets boring.”
“The privilege is showing, your highness,” you sighed wistfully, angling your head so you were gazing at the bright sky. “I wish we had stars here too.”
“If you really want to see them, I can bring you there next time.”
Your face lightened up.
“Of course, it comes with a price.”
You rolled your eyes. “And what will it be?”
A dismissive hum. “I’ll decide later.”
“I’ll be looking forward to it then.” You started packing your things, missing the way Leona’s tail swished. Even if you had noticed, you probably wouldn’t have understood what it meant. Rook tittered into his palm as he watched on.
“Leaving so soon? I expected more questions,” Leona said.
“I'd rather not get on your bad side by keeping you away from your precious nap. I’ll come to you if I need anything—“ your words were interrupted with a sharp hiss. In your careless movements, the paper managed to slice through your skin, leaving a stinging cut.
Leona picked up the smell immediately, his eyes trained on your finger. The slit was unnoticeable at first, but red eventually started to bloom around it.
“Tsk. How careless are you?” He jumped onto his feet and snatched your hand, observing the cut. Your eyes danced between his face and the wound, much like a flustered rabbit.
“It's just a cut.” You started, trying to hide your hand. But his grip on you was strong, albeit not enough to hurt.
“No it's not. You could get an infection and end up troubling me again. I’ll get you bandaged up.” He began walking with his hand still holding your wrist, pulling you along.
You took advantage of the situation and dived into another round of questions for your project, and Leona, irritated that he might seem, answered them accordingly.
As the two of you neared the building Rook was in, his eyes suddenly shot up, practically shooting daggers at a particular window.
“What’s it?” You stood on your tiptoes. There was no one behind the glass.
His features remained hardened for a moment before he relaxed his shoulders. “…Nothing. You were sayin’?”
Rook waited a few seconds to reemerge again. Although you’d already vanished from sight, he had already gathered all that he needed: the lion had been captivated by none other than the magic-less prefect, and he barely needed his instincts and observations as a hunter to confirm that.
5.
It wasn’t that you hated group work. If anything, you enjoyed having someone share the workload. But when your group mates were none other than the red & blue duo from Heartslabyul plus a cat-shaped trouble magnet, you would really rather be left alone.
“We should make a body swapping potion. I bet it’ll be fun if Riddle and Floyd exchanged personalities.” Ace suggested with that look of his that often preceded undesired circumstances. You were heading to your next class along with the wave of students in the corridor.
“Can you please take this test seriously? I can’t get another fail!” Deuce slapped the back of Ace’s head, causing the redhead to stagger forward. A few students turned their heads around in curiosity, but most were already familiar with the two's antics.
Crewel had given each group the mission to brew from scratch one of the potions mentioned in the textbook as a part of the term test, not knowing what a mistake it was to leave the power of decision-making to you lot.
“How about a potion that can make all food taste like Tuna?” Grim asked, tail brushing your neck as he perched himself on your shoulder.
“Just ask Trey to do that for you.” You commented, not bothering to look up from the testbook in your hands.
“You’re right, henchman! Let’s go right now!”
“Focus on the test first, will you?” Ace was the one to complain this time, earning a hiss from Grim.
“Let’s narrow it down to potions that are easy to make. It’ll be more convenient if the ingredients can be acquired in the botanical garden.” Deuce went around the bickering duo to peek over your shoulder.
The mention of the botanical garden reminded you of a certain lazy lion. Being caught up in the test had kept you from meeting Leona in your free time. In fact, you hadn’t seen him for a whole week already. It didn’t help that he was in another year and had entirely different classes.
Perhaps you could pay him a visit later, but it’s not as if he would miss you or something. A foreign sadness crept up on you. You shook the thought off and opted to focus on the book instead.
It seemed that fate preferred otherwise, because a gust of wind carried Ruggie's laughter to you, followed by a gruntle from– speak of the devil– Leona. Your eyes were already searching for him through the passing crowd before you could contain your curiosity. The lurch in your chest told a lot more than you were willing to admit.
Leona, on the contrary, didn't need to search at all. His sharp eyes landed on you with infallible precision, as unreadable as ever. If it had been anyone else, you would've raised your hand and greeted them with energy, but this was the same person who once walked past you as though you were a mere stranger, leaving your open palm hanging in the air. As an attempt to preserve your dignity, you decided to avert your eyes.
Anyways, since when did Leona of all people go to classes?
Your heartbeat succumbed to a deafening rhythm the closer he got. Half hopeful and half desperate to suppress it, you held your breath the moment he was close enough that your shoulders touched.
As expected, he did not greet or even address you in any way. But there was something soft touching your cheek, the suddenness making your eye twitch in surprise. It caressed your face almost gently before cool air took its place.
You turned just in time to catch Leona's tail retreating.
–
Engrossed in the contents of the book, you missed all the meaningful gazes being shot around by your friends. Ace and Deuce had been at it for some time, while Grim pretended to understand.
Deuce was positive that he wasn’t on the same channel as Ace. Just earlier, when he’d caught Leona’s tail poking your face, he shot a quick look at Ace. A raised brow, a glance towards you, then back to Ace. It was supposed to mean ‘Did you catch that?’, and Ace took it as ‘Wanna ambush the prefect?’
The resulted mayhem when Ace tackled you was something you never wanted to bring up again.
Now Deuce wasn’t sure what went on between you and the fearsome leader of Savanaclaw, but Ace had an idea or two. Epel and Jack had both commented offhandedly about the weird atmosphere that surrounded you two. Deuce was present both times, but it'd probably flew right over his head.
Deuce wriggled his brows. Do you have any idea?
Ace mirrored him. Dude, what even is that supposed to mean?
Grim’s feigned participation was cut short when he caught sight of two familiar figures entering the canteen. “Hey! What is that sleepyhead doing here?”
All three of you snapped your heads towards the entrance. There stood the spotlight of their discussion, Leona, in his usual rumpled form, half-awake daze, sharp fangs catching the chandelier’s light as he yawned.
“First he heads to class, now he’s coming to the canteen himself. What’s up with that guy?” Grim gasped dramatically. “Is he plotting something again?”
“He’s not,” you came to his defense with suspicious rapidness. “Plus, what is there to plot about?”
“Mm. You have a point, henchman.”
“Alright,” Ace held his fist out. “Loser buys lunch. Rock paper scissors!”
Grim let out a shrill laugh as Deuce stared at his sole open palm in defeat. It wasn’t your fault that he only ever played paper.
While your cat proceeded to go off on a tangent the today's menu, you gazed over at the growing masses of students.
“So,” Ace craned his head. “Have you chosen the potion or are we going with body swapping?”
“Or the tuna one!”
“Neither.” You tore your eyes away and turned the book around. “We’re making a flower-growing potion—“
They groaned loudly.
“—because it’s easy to make. Do you want to pass or not?” You insisted.
“I would rather be well-fed! Flowers are stu- FNNGA!”
Grim jumped a good feet in the air when someone slammed their lunch on your table, his fur standing tall in alert. Leona sank onto Deuce’s seat, while Ruggie took the spot next to Ace. “You should try to be gentler, Leona-san.”
Before the lion could answer, Grim stood up and yelled, “Hey! That’s Deuce’s seat!”
“Yea? He’s tiny enough to squeeze in somewhere.” Leona said nonchalantly. There was a curiously excessive amount of meat in his dish. After a beat, he turned to you. “What’re you up to?”
Ace resisted the urge to tell him off, preferring to indulge in your interaction to preserve Deuce’s interests.
“Potion test. What, have you missed me?”
“A lil’ bit.”
That seemed to catch you off-guard. Ace snorted in his attempt to hold in a laugh, and received a kick under the table from Ruggie.
As you tried to come up with a response, he leaned in and grabbed your book. “Making something?”
“The one for growing flowers. Its ingredients are the easiest to find.”
“Ah. I know where you can find them in the botanical garden. I’ll show you later.” He closed the book and slid it across the table.
“Wouldn’t I be invading your precious rest?”
“Then you’ll just have to catch up and be quick.”
Just then, Deuce returned with an expression twisted between confusion and betrayal. Ace barely felt guilt-- there were many things he had to discuss with Deuce (and Grim, though he seemed ignorant).
For now, he just let the pouting boy squeeze in beside him and quietly observed Leona and you throughout lunch, utilizing whatever knowledge he had about love to analyze the situation. He picked up on the way you took Leona’s vegetables without having to ask and how you slapped his hand away when he reached for the meat on your plate. Occasionally he would throw in a snarky comment that aimed to drive you up and wall, and smirk when it succeeded.
And those looks, sevens. If Ace had to watch for a minute longer he might have to puke in his lunch. He reckoned that he’d already seen enough before turning to address Deuce, who was still hung up on his seat being taken.
It felt great, holding this kind of knowledge over you. If he played his cards right, he might even get some benefits out of it.
“Dude, what’s with that creepy smirk on your face?” Ruggie pointed out suddenly.
Ace shrugged, “Nothing. You’ll know sooner or later.”
6.
Ruggie was the first to know.
Leona had been upfront and rather transparent about his feelings, but the hyena had long before noticed the shifts in Leona’s attitude towards you. It was hard not to when he was the one kicking him awake and dragging him to class everyday. Leona's actions spoke a lot more than words could, and the occasional passing glances were impossible to ignore.
When Ruggie confronted him about it, he admitted it while making it sound as casual as he could. Ruggie never for a second bought his nonchalance.
And it was great, knowing that his dorm leader wasn’t a stone-cold heartless jerk. It was both leverage and great material for teasing even when Leona would threaten to tape his mouth shut.
That was until the people came in. First it was Jack, then it was Epel, then the many other friends and acquaintances who wanted first-hand information on Leona’s love life. Even underclassmen whom he’d only seen around campus approached him. At first it was a great source of income— nothing came without a price after all— but when it began to interfere with his work, it didn’t feel so satisfying anymore.
If Leona would just make it official, it would make Ruggie’s life so much easier. But no, that lion was so stubborn that he hadn’t even confessed his feelings yet. And he doubted that you were any wiser.
Now Ruggie knew better than to stick his nose where he didn’t belong. There were countless ways in which things could go wrong and he really didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Leona’s wrath. Yet if they went right, he could get those nosy students off his back and end the torture of seeing you dance around each other like two dumbasses.
No, he wasn’t concerned about your (or Leona’s, for that matter) love life at all. He just wanted Leona to spend more time with you so he could catch a break.
Plus it’d put Leona in a good mood, and that’s really all he could ask for.
As usual, Leona’s room was disheveled when Ruggie entered, a chess board lying at the end of the bed while its rightful owner was snoozing, wrapped inside a blanket like a burrito. With light steps he lurked further in, inhaled deeply, and flung the file toward the sleeping lion with all his might.
Leona’s hand shot out from the blanket and caught the document mid-air. “What did I say about interrupting my naps, Bucchi?”
“That I should never wake you even if the sky’s falling down?”
As Leona stretched his limbs after the satisfying rest, the bed seemed to shrink in comparison. “You better have a good reason then.” He said mid-yawn, opening the file to read the papers inside. He was supposed to pick them up from Crowley, but decided that they weren’t important enough to warrant his presence.
Well, here goes nothing. “I take it that you haven’t heard then.”
“Heard what.”
“That the prefect is leaving soon,” Ruggie walked around the room to pick up the miscellaneous items on the floor, unfazed under the lion’s relentless glare. “Crowley found a way to send them back to wherever they came from. They’ve already started packin’, emptying the building and all.”
The silence was heavy. A heavy cloak of tension draped over the room.
“No,” Leona turned in his bed. “If they really were leaving, they would’ve told me.”
“Yea, but why?” Ruggie pushed, stifling a titter at the way Leona's tail swayed to and fro in growing agitation. “It’s not like you’re close or anything.”
Leona opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. A laugh startled out of him. “You’re fucking with me, Bucchi. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing.”
"Whatever, man. I've said all I have to say." Ruggie took a peek of his meticulously concealed expression. It didn't matter that he wouldn't believe it now. He'd planted a fear in his heart, and fear was a vicious, powerful thing. He did one more round around the room, decided that Leona wasn't going to say anything else, and headed for the door.
“Y’know, I’m just saying, but we don’t know when, or if they will come back, so maybe you should get off that— okay! Stop throwing shit at me! ” Ruggie scurried out with his tail between his legs, cursing under his breath.
“The things I do for these dumbasses… they better pay me ten donuts if it works– no, twenty!”
—
The blanket was starting to feel constricting. Leona kicked it off of him and reluctantly opened his eyes, now wide awake and ruminating on what Ruggie had just said.
You're leaving.
He rolled over and turned on his phone– something he almost never did. There were over a hundred unread emails and messages, mostly from home, but he ignored them all and found your contact after some scrolling. The last time you'd texted had been about his absence at the prefects' meeting, and he'd left you on read. In fact, the conversations were mostly one-way, with occasional 'ok's and insincere emojis dispersed on his side of the screen.
It wasn't that you didn't talk a lot. You usually met up in person, and if he really needed you, he could just call you, though that was not an usual occurrence.
"It's not like you're close or anything."
His eyes flew up to your status. Last online: 6 hours ago. His thumb hovered over the keyboard, then retreated.
So what if you were really leaving? It shouldn't matter to him. You were just someone he tolerated more than most, and he'd known from the beginning that you didn't belong here. There had always been an expiration date on your stay. The horror of you suddenly vanishing from his life shouldn't be this hollowing.
But it was very, very hollowing, and very, very real. Perhaps a part of him had always thought that everything would stay the same– you and him here, where he was far enough from home that he could forget his empty, meaningless title as the second prince, the unwanted son, where he could rest knowing that nothing, and no one, could take you away from him.
Maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was nothing he could do, and he was destined to lose you the way he'd lost everything he'd ever wanted to someone else.
Or maybe– there was a tiny voice at the back of his head– maybe he still wanted to try and fight against it, as pointless as it sounded. Deep down, he only knew two things: that he would never forgive himself if he just let you slip away, and that you were always worth trying for.
Stupid herbivore, always planting this stupid hope in his heart.
He all but hopped off the bed, and pointedly ignored Ruggie's smirk as he made a run for the mirror chamber.
–
Trapped on all sides with arms so sore you could barely lift them up, you reckoned that the decision to deal with all this by yourself was a great mistake.
There was old and new furniture occupying the spaces around you, and some more that were stuck on the porch, all demanding your attention. You’d naively thought that the unpacking and moving would take no time. And now it was dusk already, and you’d barely gone through half of the deliveries.
After what had probably been months of requesting and protesting, Crowley finally allowed you to buy some new furniture for your dorm with the school’s money. It’d felt like winning a long, taxing battle, finally able to bid farewell to the drawers that wouldn’t open and the chairs that wobbled.
It was all fine until the furniture came. You’d been in class when the driver rang, and by the time you returned, he'd already left, leaving the heavy boxes outside the door.
Perhaps you really should’ve called some friends from Savanaclaw that were strong enough to help. Jack, for one. Maybe even the unmotivated dorm leader. Anyone would be a much better help than Grim, really, who was probably outside the building trying to claw his way into the unopened boxes.
In the midst of your wallowing, you failed to pick up Grim’s sharp yell, only the slam of the front door that shook the whole building. A scolding formed on your tongue, but quickly dissolved when you heard heavy footsteps come up the stairs. Squeezing your way through the furnishings, you poked your head out of your room and waited.
The stomps came closer, stopped. A pause later, Leona came around the corner, mane disheveled and eyes flying around, almost in panic. When they landed on you, his shoulders sank in relief.
“Leona? Wh-”
“Thank the sevens,” He marched up to you in a few strides, and when he’s close enough, his arms suspended in the air, reaching for a part of you that he could touch. After a long moment, he stuck them back to his sides.
Emerald eyes landed on the disastrous scene inside the room, especially the emptied shelves and belongings piled in a corner. Something strained passed over his features.
Once you got over the initial shock, you remembered what you’d just been thinking of. “Hey, now that you're here, do you think you can help me move-”
“Don’t leave.”
You blinked. “What?”
He clicked his tongue in annoyance, brows knitted in a frown. “Don’t make me say it again… I can’t believe you decided to keep me in the dark.”
You looked inside the room and back at him. “I mean, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“What if it is for me?” With a gentle hesitation that you’d never seen him exhibit, he reached for your hand. Your heart skipped when he brought your knuckles to his lips, his gaze solely focused on you. He’d always loved lingering around your personal space, but not like this. Not with his feelings being put on display, like a show you weren’t supposed to see.
“I came here in such a rush that I didn’t even have time to think over what to say. Just…” he closed his eyes. “Reconsider your leave. Please. Or at the very least, stay for a few more weeks. You can’t just stumble into my life and leave without a sign. I don’t even want to imagine returning to a life without you. For this once, I need you to choose me.”
And then, as if realizing his unusual display of vulnerability, his face hardened up. “...Look, I rarely ask anything of anyone. Whatever deadly grip you have on me, you gotta be responsible for it.”
You sucked in a breath, processing his abrupt spill of feelings, before lowering your head. For a moment he took the trembling of your shoulders as you crying, but soon enough he recognized the peals of laughter that fell out of you. If he hadn’t just laid his heart out in front of you, he would’ve taken the time to indulge in the sound that he loved so much.
“Is this funny?” He scowled.
“Mm. No,” you jutted your head towards your room. “Did you think I was leaving?”
Confusion passed over his face. “Of course. You have everything packed, and Crowley…”
He trailed off, the gears in his head turning. Suddenly it all became clear to him. The new stuff laying around. The absence of your clingy friends. The simple fact that no one seemed to know that you were 'leaving'. After a moment, something akin to fury dawned on his expression. “…has never actually been helpful. Damn it, Bucchi.”
Your heart dipped when he removed his hand from around your wrist, ruffling his long locks. “Just a house makeover then. Got it. Forget about it. Bye.”
“Wait, no!” You rushed in front of him, blocking his exit. “What about all the stuff you just said?”
He raised a brow, feigning ignorance, and earned a roll of your eyes, “Well, I’m not letting them slide. I’m not going anywhere, at least not yet.” You thought for a moment. “The truth is, I haven’t decide if I want to leave. I’ve built so much around here that it’ll just be like leaving another home. But if it soothes you, I’m sure the day I have to choose is still far away from us. So, in the meantime…” You reached for his hand in the same manner, kissing the knot of his knuckle. His ears twitched, giving away his carefully concealed emotions. “Let me be responsible for the turmoils in your heart?”
“About damn time.” Leona moved in, this time landing the kiss on your lips, and his smile spread into it easily, like a lovesick lover returning home.
synopsis. your partner’s sibling confronts you about your relationship with their sibling, once you admit it how would they react?
featuring :: akito, ena, shiho, shizuku, and tsukasa
theme :: fluff, gender neutral reader
notes :: hi.. i’m sorry i couldn’t do saki, this took so long and i’m just too tired rn to do her
✿﹢ akito shinonome
you’ve always been a subject of akito’s conversations with ena. she never understood why, though. you could be his best friend or perhaps the one he has feelings for…but she never had the chance to ask him herself, that’s why she comes to you instead.
the sun was bright and warm, the smell of honeysuckle in the air. ena called your name; you had heard her approaching footsteps on the dry ground beneath your feet. your eyes met hers, but you could not read her expression. “ah, hi ena!” you said cheerfully. “what’s up?” ena did not answer immediately. her gaze was distant and she stood in silence for a moment before speaking again, “i don’t mean to get on your business here, but is it true that you have feelings for akito?” she asked.
ena didn't mind if you were dating her brother, but she did need to get to the bottom of this. solving the mystery of the relationship between you two would help her accomplish that. but, even more than that, she feared that her younger brother was getting a partner before her.
“yes, i do. we’re together,” you answered nervously. ena’s face lit up like a lightbulb. you were confused at her expression; is she going to speak up about it? or worse: make fun of your decision?
“oh, that’s nice!”
you smiled and felt a sense of relief as you saw her smile, her smile more turns into a smug look at you and says, “akito talks about you all the time. he’s really in love with you.” you smile softly and reply, “he talks about me?” your blush deepened as you imagined akito talking about you to ena—the way his eyes would light up with joy every time he talked about you, the way his face would turn red when he got too into a story, how he would mumble your name during pauses in his stories or when he was trying to emphasize something.
surely akito would kill ena if he found out she said that to you.
✿﹢ ena shinonome
it was supposed to be a normal day. you were spending time with your girlfriend at her house, and akito couldn’t help being protective of ena. it wasn’t that he didn’t like seeing you two hang out; it was just that he knew ena was important to you, and he didn’t want to see anything happen to her. after all, she was his sister.
“so,” akito starts off, “you’re dating ena huh?”
the air was thick with tension. you couldn't even read his expression, but one thing you did notice was his intimidating gaze at you. it was normal for siblings to be protective over the other, but this could feel overwhelming for you.
“..yeah, i am.”
you answered, laughing slightly. you both didn’t necessarily hate each other, but you did get why he would be doing this. he chuckles softly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. he seems about to speak when at that moment, someone enters the room.— that someone being ena.
“akito- what are you doing with [name]?!”
ena cries out, the door slamming into the wall as it makes a loud thudding sound. causing you to flinch and akito blink in surprise. before he can say anything, you feel your hand being grabbed by ena and pulled out of the room.
she leans in close and whispers into your ear; “maybe we should hang out more at your house.”
at this case, probably.
✿﹢ shiho hinomori
shizuku has seen her sister staring at you, sometimes even blushing. she pretended not to notice, but it was cute. a few days later, shiho talked about you again, saying how happy she was you had started talking with them. shizuku couldn’t help but smile at that. however, every time she asked her sister if she liked you as more than a friend, she changed the subject or pretended not to hear her. that’s why shizuku happened to bump into you on purpose, in order to get a better idea of how shiho feels about you.
“oh, [name]! there you are!” you hear a voice coming from behind and turn to see shizuku, who smiles at you. “hey, shizuku. do you need anything?” you smile back at her, encouraging her to tell you whatever it is she needs to say.
“i only wanted to ask,” she says, “what is your relationship with my sister?” she cocked her head and raised her eyebrows, waiting for you to answer. the question had taken you by surprise; you didn't think anything of it at first, but as the silence between you grew longer and longer, it became increasingly clear that she was waiting for an answer.
you took a second to think before you spoke, rather than letting words just tumble from your lips. “we’re dating…” you said quietly, hoping that your relationship would meet her approval.
“that’s amazing! you two are so cute together!”
when you heard her words escape her lips and settle in your ears, you sighed in relief. a small smile returned to your face once again, adding a touch of color to your skin.
you nodded at the girl muttering a small “yeah” as you thought of your girlfriend, shiho. the corners of your mouth turned upward into a smile as a blush formed on your cheeks.
“thank you so much for telling me, [name]! it means a lot that you told me about your relationship with her, and it’s really nice to hear. i have to go now though; i’m really glad we could talk. it was very nice to see you again!”
the blue-haired girl took her leave, waving a hand at you as she wished your relationship with shiho well.
you wonder how shiho would react when she finds out you told her older sister about your relationship. it might be best to tell shizuku to keep this a secret.
✿﹢ shizuku hinomori
shiho was used to everyone having a crush on her sister, shizuku. she wouldn’t be surprised if you turned out to have one too. but there was one thing: she had noticed that her sister had shown some feelings over you recently-- the way she smiled when you were nearby, the way she kept glancing in your direction and stammering whenever she spoke to you.
noticing you looked at shizuku in the same way she did, made her question a lot. did you have a crush on one another? that was something for her to figure out on her own. knowing shizuku, she couldn't ask her because she would probably start ranting about you without giving a direct reply.
shiho sighs to herself as you pass by, talking to a random friend of yours. if she doesn’t ask you right now, she’s afraid she’ll never get the chance. it’s either now or never, and shiho has chosen now.
you wave at shiho as she comes toward you. her smile is a little bit subdued, but she still smiles at you. her voice is quiet when she speaks to you. “hey, can i ask you a question?” a little taken aback by the serious expression on her face and the tone of her voice, you nod. “ask away.”
“are you dating shizuku?” she questions, her eyes wide with curiosity. your cheeks redden at the sudden question, and you can feel yourself stammering as you try to make sense of her expression—which is a little unreadable.
“yes..” you answer with a nervous smile, feeling how your face also became warmer after you said yes.
“oh, cool. how is she?” shiho’s lips curl ever so slightly upward in a small smile as she thinks of her sister discovering her partner, your eyebrows arch upward in surprise.
“ah, she’s wondeful, she’s so nice to m-” “okay, i’m bored already.” shiho interrupts. her voice is playful, but she makes little effort to hide the slight annoyance in her tone as she says it.
“anyway, see ya. i got practice; have fun with shizuku.” shiho says, turning around and smiling at you slightly. you wave at her, relieved that she took it well.
✿﹢tsukasa tenma
when tsukasa introduced you to saki before you were a couple, and even though she seemed happy to meet you, it was clear that she already knew something was up. she’s been keeping her eye on her brother and you ever since, suspecting that you two were secretly a couple.
so, saki decided to approach you about what she had been suspecting. she wanted to see if her suspicions were correct.
“hey, [name]!~” saki sings, interrupting your thoughts. you look up and see her smiling at you. “yeah? what’s up?” you ask, confused by her sudden appearance. “i hear that you’re dating my older brother, is that true?” saki questions with a teasing grin on her face.
it’s true that saki was suspicious of tsukasa’s feelings for you, not only because the two of them were so close and he had been spending a lot of time with you lately. his bandmates teased him about it as well, saying that he was acting different around you and that he always had a smile on his face whenever you were around.
as you looked around, you thought it best to tell saki. after all, she is your boyfriend's sister. your mind raced with questions: how would she react? what would she say? could this get you in trouble with her brother? you turned back to saki, smiling. and already, she knew that your face meant “yes.” her pink eyes grew wide as if someone had told her a secret she was dying to know. she gasped loudly and her face turned into a big grin.
“i knew it!” saki exclaimed, her hands rising to cover her mouth. “i can’t believe you two—you make such a cute couple!” you felt your cheeks start to burn, your eyes darting quickly away from her gaze.
your lips quirk into a smile as you watch her take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “yeah,” you say quietly, looking at the ground. “please, [name]. take care of my brother.” saki’s voice is soft when she responds, but there is a strength behind it. “i will, i promise.”
she smiles again, “don’t tell my brother this, but you’re all my brother ever talks about.” she whispers to you and you giggle as your blush deepens. it’s cute to think about how he talks about you with his sister.
you keep saki’s secret to yourself, even though you know tsukasa will figure it out anyway.
High School AU, reader is wearing P.E outfit (to keep the gender neutral), SLIGHT yandere if you squint
You are just waiting outside your school, hand reaching out to play with the rain water when suddenly you heard someone behind you.
"Why are you still here?" They ask.
"No umbrella" you simply answer without looking back, knowing it's them.
☆▪︎☆
"I'll give you a ride home, come on"
These kids are rich RICH.
Of course, they will have personal driver to pick them up from school. They will softly taking your hand and pulling guiding you to their car, even if you hesitant as you voicing your concern on dirtying up their car with your wet shoes ; even if you suggesting to just borrow their umbrella and walk home. The grip on your hand seems demanding but their gaze at you are soft.
YOU. IN CAR. NOW.
Ayato + Ayaka, Ningguang, Diluc, Zhongli, Kokomi, Yae, Xingqiu, Eula(if they are classy, they fit here)
☆▪︎☆
"Oh..Would you mind sharing umbrella with me?"
Please please please please please say yes!!
They are begging for you to say yes! Oh? The umbrella doesn't fit both of you?No matter, as long as you are dry, they won't mind walking beside you with soaked shoulder.
Huh?you invited them inside to drink tea?
Don't mind if they do~
Thoma, Bennett, Ganyu, Tighnari, Kazuha, Jean
☆▪︎☆
"I have spare umbrella, here"
They've come prepared. They would still accompany you through walk home though. You guys shared a small talk and playing with pudd- hey...isn't their home route is the left turn?why are they still following you?
They don't care they got sick tomorrow, they got new memory running together with you. If you are the one who got sick instead, prepare for someone to knock and won't go until they feed you some soups and meds.
Non-drinker reader, modern AU, non-establish relationship, but Diluc is quite smitten, Adelinde ships you two, i tried to make the outfit as neutral as possible
SFW | Halloween Event | Word Count: 697 | Canon/Reader pairing | All characters are depicted as 18+
Summary: Halloween is in full swing. Like all his other classmates, Malleus has dressed up for the occasion. No Red Long costume would be completed without a tail - and Malleus just so happens to have one. He had no idea that one appendage would attract his Child of Man so.
Notes: Very, very late Halloween special, but what the hell. More will follow soon - including something related to this piece that is not sfw whatsoever.
ghfdeg youre probably right about clavell taking him to appointments and i took it too literally when arven said mabosstiff raised him and though thats sadder its also kinda really funny
No no you might be onto something
Someone edit this dog from peter pan to look like mabosstiff
