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Leona frozen in his room staring at his doorway after Idia walks away.
He fucked up again. Like he always does.
He considers himself to be pretty damn smart. People have told him so, all the way from the royal tutors back home pleading with him to put some effort in, to the Night Raven professors admonishing him for putting his talent to waste.
But Idia, the well-known eccentric genius, always has one up on him. He can’t quite predict what Idia is going to do, and instead he tries his best to just fluster him at every turn. The blushing is cute, from the way his pale cheeks get taken over with red to the cotton candy pink in his hair.
Leona is well aware that what he’s doing is childish. He’s the second price, but acting like an adolescent boy, teasing the person he cares for instead of admitting his feelings.
(If his brother were to see what he’s been up to, he would no doubt be made fun of to no end.)
But it’s just easier that way; he’s never been one to be direct, anyway. Letting people come to their own conclusions has always been more his style. If things go south, he can run away and pretend to be unaffected.
He doesn’t want to act like that with Idia; it only harms their relationship, and he’s well aware of it.
Still, habits are hard to break.
Leona has always found Idia intriguing, even from the first time he laid eyes on him.
It was back when Leona was in his second year - first second year, before he had to repeat it - and Idia was in his first, only a few weeks into school and somehow even more timid than he is now. Leona was, as usual, cutting class and wandering around campus looking for a place to take a nap. All of a sudden, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a blue flame whizzing by and running towards the botanical garden.
Leona quickly yelled to the other boy, shooting a “Hey!” across the courtyard. Once he turned around, Leona strolled towards him. The other boy slowly took a few steps forward, tugging at the sleeves of his uniform’s blazer.
The dark blue eyeshadow and practically milky white skin would catch anyone’s eye, but even more noticeable was his hair, bright blue and… pretty. His hands were balled into tiny fists in front of him, and he refused to look up and meet Leona’s gaze. It was painfully obvious this kid was a first-year.
He spoke, but kept his eyes glued to the floor. “Y-Yes? Do you need something?”
“What’s your name?”
“Idia… Shroud.” Something about the last name registered as familiar, but Leona stores that information for later. “I doubt you called me just for my name, Leona-shi…”
Leona smirked, “Oh? You know me already?”
“Of course I do..” He trailed off again before he suddenly shot his head up, surprised gold eyes finally meeting Leona’s for just a split second before he looked down again. “I-I-I mean–! N-Not in a weird way! Everyone knows who you are…”
He laughed, “Right, right. I believe you.”
Idia glared at him for just a moment before he schooled his expression, suddenly looking very calm. Leona figured the first-year probably just remembered he was with an upperclassman.
Leona continued, “You’re headin’ to the garden, right? Mind grabbing me some—”
“S-Sorry! I can’t, I’m actually running late already.” He made a show of backing up with his hands surrendered, “Crewel-sensei will scold me, so I really can’t waste any time.”
The beastman swore he saw a mischievous glint in the other boy’s eyes, and he felt his eyebrow twitch, “Hey, you—”
“I have to go! Sorry!” He grinned.
Before Leona could say anything else, Idia had already turned and sped off.
He sighed as he stretched his arms out and decided to drop it instead of chasing the first year. Leona had something better to do anyways, which was to take a nap away from where any staff would see him. Still, he couldn’t help but think of how the other kid didn’t listen to him. Usually, he would be irritated, but instead, he fought back the urge to smile.
(Leona ended up getting detention over cutting class and had to make the potion after school hours, but it was worth it. Both for the nap and the unforgettable fire-haired freshman he met.)
Now, two years later, Leona still can’t figure out what Idia’s thinking most of the time. He’s also just as infatuated with him; if he could find out a way to always have Idia’s attention, he would do it all the time. And they still bicker over the smallest things and compete in anything and everything they can turn into a challenge.
So it’s no surprise he keeps suggesting they spend time together, whether it’s gaming, playing chess, or just laying around talking about useless things. They slowly go from spending time in the courtyard or Yuu’s living room to instead staying in both of their housewarden rooms.
One day after classes, Leona is suddenly pulled out of his nap when he feels an ice-cold poke on his cheek. He didn’t notice falling asleep; the last thing he remembers is watching Idia relentlessly tap away at some rhythm game at his phone.
Idia groans, “Leona, you’re always lying on my lap. I just wanna get a full combo, but you really are like a cat~”
Leona yawns and sleepily blinks a few times before he looks outside, and is almost blinded by the sunset. He didn’t mean to sleep as long as he did, but Idia’s surprisingly comfortable. It’s probably the hoodie. He opens his mouth to reply but gets cut off by another yawn.
Idia takes the moment to speak, “Hey, I think I’ll head back now. It’s getting kinda late, you were out for a while…”
“Do you want to stay over? It’s my bad for wastin’ all this time anyway, we barely talked ‘cause I just passed out. I could just let you borrow a shirt or something.” He fully expects Idia to refuse, but in his post-nap haze, he asks anyway.
Surprisingly, the other boy nods. Leona has to take a second to process it before walking over to the dresser.
He digs through his drawer, grabs the first shirt he finds - a bright yellow one with the Savanaclaw logo - and throws it to Idia without any warning.
Idia struggles to catch the shirt and instead almost drops it, as Leona fights back the urge to laugh. He notices anyways and shoots the other housewarden a tiny glare before turning to walk towards the bathroom.
When he comes back out a few moments later, Leona freezes.
(And almost drops the king piece of the chessboard he’s setting up.)
Fuck.
Idia looks so cute.
The two of them are practically the same height, but Leona’s clothing looks totally different on Idia than it usually does on him. Idia’s thin, small frame makes the shirt look huge on him. Because of his tiny shoulders, his collarbones are exposed, and Leona can’t help but stare.
He thanks the Great Seven for how focused Idia gets on tasks, because he’s too distracted with setting up the chessboard where Leona unceremoniously left off to notice the heat rising to Leona’s cheeks.
The way he’s just standing there makes him feel like a fool. Idia has him stunned like always, this time without even realizing it. He doesn’t even notice how long he’s there before Idia waves a pale, thin hand in front of his face.
“Hey, Leona-shi~” Idia drags out with a smirk, still putting pieces down, “Are you gonna just stand there or come play?”
He sighs, “I told you not to call me that. I’m about to absolutely kick your ass, radish sprout.”
Leona collects himself and moves on, like always. He tells himself he isn’t running from his feelings, that he’s just being composed. Like always.
A few weeks later, on what Leona thinks is any other typical afternoon, they’re in the Ignihyde housewarden’s room lazing around. Idia is rapidly tapping his phone again, playing the same rhythm game Leona recognizes from earlier.
He wants to ask what the point is - Idia’s literally just tapping his phone, he doesn’t even have the sound on - but he doesn’t have the heart to insult or even question something Idia clearly cares about.
Instead, he asks, “You’ve been playin’ that a lot, huh?”
Idia turns and grins at him, “Yeah! Everyone’s been talking about it lately since it came out a few weeks ago, so I finally tried, and it’s so fun! You should too!”
Leona sputters as Idia practically shoves his phone in his hands and turns the volume on.
“What–” He starts, but shuts his mouth right after. There’s no refusing Idia when he gets like this, so the beastman quickly accepts the humiliation he’s about to face.
The song starts and his life bar depletes within what feels like two seconds.
Idia starts laughing at him, “Wow, Leona~ They didn’t even start singing!”
Leona lets out a grumble in response, but can’t hide his small smile. “It’s not my fault! I don’t play games besides with you. Especially this kind.”
“There’s a bunch of different groups and one has this cute va–” He cuts himself off, brows furrowing, “Actually, wait, that isn’t important! Isn’t it fun? Despite how bad you are, of course~”
He sighs, “Sure, sure. Fine, it’s fun. You win, you happy?”
Idia grins, “Very!” His eyes shut, crinkling cutely at the corners, and Leona is taken aback by just how beautiful he looks like this. Leona can’t help but smile at the sight, and he catches a glimpse of Idia’s hair turning a light yellow matching his eyes.
Leona voices his thoughts before he can think twice, “You look really pretty when you smile, you know.”
Rather than shooting back a lighthearted insult or telling Leona to shut up, the Ignihyde housewarden suddenly looks away and goes silent. The yellow tips of his hair fizzle out back to blue, and Leona feels anxiety settle in his gut at the sight.
“...Idia?”
“Why do you keep messing with me?”
He freezes, “What– What are you talking about?”
Idia looks back up at him, eyes shaking, “It feels like you’re just flirting with me for entertainment. Is that it? You get to watch me make a fool of myself blushing all the time, or something? Not only that, but you saw everything with S.T.Y.X…” He pauses, as if reconsidering what he’s about to say, then continues, “It doesn’t make any sense for you to like me… so you’re just being cruel.”
Leona can’t stop the way he flinches. And he guesses Idia can’t ignore it, because he looks hurt for a moment before he simply shuts his eyes.
“Idia, please,” he pleads, “I’m not being cruel to you. Or, I’m not trying to be.”
Idia takes a deep breath, and Leona’s green eyes meet gold again. There’s a quiet determination on Idia now - the same kind Leona is so fond of seeing when he gets focused on something difficult - and he stays silent to let Leona speak.
For once, he can’t immediately come up with what to say. It’s as if his mind goes blank and all he can think is Idia, Idia, Idia.
Leona does his best to continue, unsure if he even sounds coherent, “I didn’t mean to play with your feelings. As fucking insane as it sounds, I just didn’t know what else to do. I care about you a lot, and I have for the past three years. I really don’t see that ever changing.”
Idia sharply breathes in, “So you care about me… And what? I care about you too, obviously.”
“I like you, Idia. I think I have since we first met and you tricked me into leaving. And I have during all the times you tricked me after that, as we compete over small things and while you tell me about things you love. I’ve meant it every time I’ve called you pretty, from your hair to your smile. Please believe me.”
He doesn’t get a response. He closes his eyes and pushes away the urge to run.
Leona suddenly feels cold, thin hands gently holding both sides of his face He immediately shoots his eyes open and is met with Idia’s face just a few inches away.
He’s smiling. “Leona.”
“Yeah…?”
Idia giggles, “I didn’t know you were capable of talking like that. You sounded like a real prince for once~”
Leona can feel the heat rising to his face again. Idia makes this happen far too often. “Oi, don’t change the subject!”
“I’m not, I’m not! I just think your speech was praiseworthy.” Idia pauses, and a slight pink tint rises to his face and hair again. “And… I like you too.”
He smirks, “The pink is back! I was startin’ to miss it. Thought you hated me all of a sudden or something. Guess not, since—”
“Leona-shi.”
He holds Idia’s intense gaze in place of a response. The pink in his hair keeps moving up and taking over more of the blue, as bits of yellow start to appear at the bottom of his hair.
“Can I kiss you?”
Leona nods and shuts his eyes before finally feeling Idia’s lips meet his. His hands easily find Idia’s waist as he feels one of Idia’s hands tug at the back of his hair.
After a few seconds, Leona pulls away. The two stare at one other again before they look at Idia's light pink bangs in between them and start laughing, and Leona dives right back in.
He won’t run away this time.