A Little Longer [Leona La Bonbonnière Drabble]
Leona x Reader (Yuu), 1200 words, Based on his La Bonbonniere vignette. Inspired an ask I got recently, I'll work on birthday asks today and this week I'll be Leona birthday posting!!
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By the time the stylist finished fluffing Leona's mane over shoulders, the little barbershop had grown noticeably busier than when the two of you had first arrived. Customers filtered in one after another, conversations gradually overlapping as more than a few curious glances drifted toward the dour lion beastman seated in the corner.
He never acknowledged them outright, but you knew him well enough to notice the subtle signs of his dismay. One of his brown ears angled back toward the growing chatter by the doors, and his tail gave a few taps against his chair, and by the time you turned to glance back at him, he was already standing.
“'Bout time, mmm?” The words were a gruff mutter as he brushed past you, offering the stylist a curt thanks before slipping through the door.
You had to admit, the streets and warm summer air felt quieter and cool somehow, despite the crowds. An Leona’s shoulders lowered with every step farther from the barbershop you two got.
You smiled to yourself, it wasn't a long walk to the cafe, and Ace had already rushed out to meet you two there, though…neither you or Leona seemed particularly interested in rushing there. Your one-sided conversation flowed easy as it drifted between you gushing to him about the footage you'd managed to capture, bitching whether Crowley would inevitably find something to complain about, and which pastries looked the most promising from the photos you'd seen online.
You never noticed...you'd left your phone behind.
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Leona had noticed, though little got past him.
He'd spotted it almost immediately, abandoned on the little table beside the barber's chair in your hurry to follow his orders to get outside before the shop grew any more crowded.
“Be right back.” Retracing his steps had taken all of thirty seconds, and by the time he'd caught up with you, he'd already slipped it into his jacket pocket without a word.
He couldn't think of many reasons to complain about having your full attention for a little while longer. After all, you'd remember eventually...maybe. If not, well…better for him. Besides, there wasn't much point in interrupting the walk over something so...mundane, right?
It wasn't until the shop came into view at the end of the street that he saw your hand reach for your pocket. “Shit...My phone.” You groaned.
Your bag came next, a lil knit in your brow as you searched the pockets you already knew were empty, before stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. “I think… left it at the barbershop. We gotta go-”
Leona glanced over, the corner of his mouth lifting just enough to betray his game. He figured that his expression was enough for you.
A chuff, and the way you rolled your eyes at him made him wanna smile wider for some reason, revealing a bit of his fangs to you.
He didn't bother denying it, just observed you further. Watching as the sudden relief seemed to wash over you, before it quickly gave way to an almost cute attempt to intimidate, all with a narrowed and suspicious glare in his direction. "Thanks, but...uh can I have it back?"
Leona chuckled as his fingers brushed against the outline of it inside his pants pocket, tapping his nails on the screen through the fabric, though he made no move to take it out.
“Later. Ya clearly can’t handle havin’ custody of such an important thing. You'll put us both…at risk of having to re-record if you had lost your phone and the footage. And we wouldn’t want that, eh? I'm no stranger to babysittin’ after all, I'll take care of it for ya.”
You frowned as he went on, and he could tell his cheeky move was a surprise to you, but he liked to gently ruffle your feathers. “...L-later?” You balked.
“Mmhmm.” He drug out the low purr in his chest with a shrug as he leaned toward you, sharing the shade of his hat brim.
The combination of the sun and the shade of his fedora brim made his green eyes almost glow and you shallow.
“We're almost there anyhow… I’ll give it back to ya to…get a shot of the cafe, then after that…we’ll see. Could be mine for the rest of the day at this rate.”
The way he had said it made your cheeks tingle, like he was softly scolding you, and looking out for you all at once. It was endearing and... infuriating all at once. That was just Leona though, as you come to know him this school year. Your eyes lingered on the pocket of his pants before drifting back up to his face.
Hm. He could have just handed it back the moment he'd caught up with you, you would have been grateful for his thoughtfulness. Instead, all these games…he had continued walking beside you as though nothing had happened for the last 15 minutes.
The realization settled on you. You saw him now, his real angle. Couldn’t just say he wanted to hang out…that would be too easy. A laugh escaped before you could stop it, quiet enough that it barely carried over the bustle of the street. “Fine whatever. Weirdo…”
A soft huff escaped him, somewhere between amusement and satisfaction you thought. “You have no idea, prefect.”
After a while, only when the café stood directly before you both did you hear him sigh and pull the phone from his pocket, holding it out as though the whole affair had never been anything worth mentioning. “Ere’ Was...just pullin’ your leg.”
“Oh-” You reached for it, your fingers closing around the case before pausing, a part of you a little disappointed that he had, and a little disappointed that you two had made it to the cafe already. A part of you wondered what a true full day with Leona would have looked like.
The silicone case was still warm against your palm. Not from the afternoon sun, but because it spent time tucked safe inside the pocket, carrying the lingering warmth of his body heat with it. It was a silly thing. You found yourself blinking at him, for just a bit longer than necessary before slipping it safely into your bag.
You took him in, how he was looking at you. It wasn't as though the stylist had done anything dramatic, especially since he just threw it in a bun and stuffed it back in his hair as soon as they were done. “You look nice, Leona.” You shrugged, the words escaping before you had the chance to think better of them.
Leona’s brow softened some, one ear flicking in your direction.
Or maybe it wasn't the haircut at all.
“Course I do.” He tugged at his lace jacket lapel. There wasn't any vanity in the answer, only that usual confidence he always seemed to wear, or maybe…he wasn't quite sure how to accept a compliment.
“They always do a good job there, a lion beastmen’s mane is-”
“I wasn't talking about your hair.” You interrupted with a smile, shaking your head at him.
For perhaps the first time all afternoon, Leona looked genuinely caught off guard. His brows drew together ever so slightly, as though he meant to ask what the hell you were talkin' about, but…he didn’t. Instead, you heard him click his tongue beneath his breath, looking away with a shake of his head before stepping ahead of you to pull open the café door.
“C'mon. Time to eat, bet you're starving after tailing me all day.”
He held it there until you stepped inside before him, falling into step beside you after the door had swung shut behind him.
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