Chapter Text
“Oh, Roi du Poison, how do you like this one?” Rook inquired, gesturing towards a mat on the center shelf. “Produced using the finest vegan suede, extra thick as not to cause unnecessary strain on the knees, why, c’est magnifique!”
Vil hummed in response, turning to survey Rook’s suggestion. “It appears it will do the job. Let’s hurry on then, we’ve still a few more stops to make.”
It wasn’t infrequent that Vil went out to the mall by their college campus. With the constant need to better improve himself, he often sought the latest handbag or tried out the newest selection of cosmetics, and sometimes even experienced a run in with a fan. Today being no different, Rook made it his duty to stay by Vil’s side, occasionally giving input and more often than not, holding his bags.
As the two Pomefiore students headed towards the checkout area, Rook let out a gasp. “My if it isn’t our Roi du Léon!”
Just as the hunter said, Leona and Ruggie stood up ahead, waiting in line.
“Ugh couldn’t you get this done on your own?” Leona grumbled, turning to question Ruggie, who was busy looking through the articles of clothing in his hands. “I don’t get why you had to drag me here in the middle of my nap.”
As always , Vil thought, Leona and his indolent nature. Is he incapable of doing anything himself?
Ruggie looked up, holding a hand to his hip. “We’ve been over this already, you tore your sports clothes during Magift practice, and you needed to tag along so I could get the right size.” He shook his head. “This isn’t like running your usual ‘get me lunch’ errands, I need to make sure this fits you.”
As per usual, he was returned with a sigh.
Seeing as though their conversation dried up, Rook made his way up across the lane and called out, “Ah, Roi du Léon, Monsieur Dandelion!”
Leona scowled, pinching the bridge of his nose. “..Rook, just the guy I needed to see. I assume you’re here with Vil?”
Rook chimed, “But of course, mon Roi du Poison had an item to pick up.”
Vil eyed the green-eyed man in disgust. “Hm, you’re here, looking as slovenly as usual? What business might you have?”
Leona sighed. “..Just.. None of your damn concern, that’s what.”
“Excuse me? Ugh, forget it, Rook, let’s get going, I need to get new shampoo.”
Ruggie snickered. “Take Leona with you, he’d be better off replacing that 4 in 1.”
Leona glared at him, but before he got the chance to speak, Vil began, barely hiding his disdain.
“He uses a 4 in 1? ” the blond paused. “..No, it isn’t even a question,” he shifted his gaze to Leona, “Of course you do..”
Vil muttered under his breath in disbelief as Leona gathered his words, scoffing.
“What’s it to you? It’s not like you’ll ever get a whiff of i-”
Vil pondered for a moment. “That’s it,” he declared.
Leona stopped. “..What’s it ?”
“That’s it,” Vil responded firmly, locking eyes with the brunet. “I’m taking you shopping with me.”
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“Ah what a lovely idea!” Rook exclaimed, “As you do, I’ll go try the new menu item they’ve added au l’aire de restauration! May I treat you to a meal, Monsieur Dandelion?”
The boy's blue eyes widened. “Sure, don’t mind if I do!”
“Traitor!” Leona muttered, scowling.
Vil led Leona towards a large beauty shop covered with posters of people- mostly women- promoting the latest naturally scented cleansers and facial creams.
“Ruggie did a good thing, suggesting this idea. Maybe it’ll teach you a thing or two on the importance of personal hygiene.”
“...”
Ruggie that little- ! He’ll get what’s coming for him..
The second the two made their way into the store, Leona got a nauseating breath of heavy handcreams and hair sprays claiming to be ‘Organic!’ and ‘Vegan!’
Leona waved a hand across his nose, coughing. “The hell is this place!?”
Vil rolled his eyes. “Oh, drop the act, you’re so overdramatic.”
“I’m serious! This place smells disgusting!”
The other man narrowed his eyes, “You’re so infuriating. You do realize these are all naturally made? Nothing here is artificial.”
The brunet grunted. “Tch, I can read okay?! I don’t give two damns whether it’s made of leaves and sticks or plastic, it’s all the same in the end.”
“..And that’s why you’re so stuck on using a grocery store brand? How befitting for a prince, I must say..You really are nothing but a handsome layabout.”
“Shut up, it’s from Sam’s Mystery Shop, Ruggie got it on a deal.”
Vil raised an eyebrow, “A deal? Since when was that appealing to you? And here I was thinking you had money..”
“Ugh shut up. Just hurry up and pick something, will you?”
Realizing they were still standing at the front of the shop, the two quickly gathered themselves and made their way into the hair aisle.
Eyes flicking tentatively, Vil peered across the shelves humming. “How would you describe your hair type?”
“...”
He looked up to meet Leona’s eyes and paused. “You seriously don’t know your own hair type?”
“I don’t know!?! Look at my hair and tell me, for the sake of The Seven!”
“Dullwitted as ever I see..” he muttered. “Okay, come here.”
Vil led the green-eyed man to a sink at the end of the shop, pulling out the chair.
“Here,” he gestured, “Sit.”
Leona scowled. “Seriously?”
“They have these in place for those who want to test their makeup products, but I’m sure they’re used for hair just as often. As it stands, this shop is well known for it’s styling services.”
“Alright, keep your head facing forward, and tilted slightly downwards.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
Without hesitation, Vil pushed Leona’s head down swiftly, making his jaw snap shut, causing him to bite his tongue. A second later, he grabbed a lock of the brunet’s hair and tugged it forcefully, wetting it with a spray bottle.
Leona winced, gritting his teeth. “UGh Stop that!”
“Then do as I say,” Vil replied with an air of nonchalance.
Hastily, he worked through a few more curls, this time more gently. Leona closed his eyes as the man ran his fingers through his hair, brushing it out and occasionally spraying it. His fingertips stroked the back of his ears as he collected more strands, sending shivers down Leona’s spine. How long had it been since anyone touched him like this? The brunet couldn’t quite recall. Maybe at one point his mother had brushed his hair, as a child..
Vil cleared his throat and Leona let the thought go.
“Alright, let’s wait for it to dry.”
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..It’s surprisingly soft , Vil contemplated. Perhaps he hasn’t been using those rubbish products long enough for them to have taken effect..?
Looking at him now, Vil knew Leona was nothing shy of beautiful. With his unkept yet silky waves, his scarred and still seemingly flawless visage, those emerald eyes.. How he never bothered to put in any effort and still looked stunning, Vil couldn’t help but to envy. And to imagine if he were to seek further improvement? The blond sighed.
What an absolute waste of a handsome face..
Vil hummed, running his hands through the damp locks. Carefully, he untangled any knots, stretching out the curls to let them dry quicker. Once he was sure they’d waited enough, he let go, the tips of his fingers lingering on the strands still slipping down his palms. He sighed, ignoring the beating of his chest, and swiftly let the last few curls fall.
“Ahem,”
Vil began, breaking the silence. “So, it seems you’ve got naturally wavy hair-”
“Wow, who’da thought?”
Leona scoffed mockingly.
Vil scowled. Can you not let me have a second’s worth of peace with you?
He narrowed his eyes. “Shut up and let me finish. You have naturally wavy hair that falls into dense locks, and rather than it being brittle or prone to breakage.. it’s somehow on the softer side..” He paused squinting. “Are you using any products you haven’t mentioned?”
Leona rolled his eyes, “Hey, if I did, don’t you think I would have used that to argue how unnecessary this is? I admit it, I don’t do anything special, really.”
Is he serious?! How can his hair be so silky when.. Ugh forget it.
“Hmph. Well, fine then. At least we won’t have to worry about any specific labels for xerotrichosis, or hypersebacious scalp treatments.”
“...I don’t understand any of the gibberish you just spat, but alright.”
“Excuse me? Gibberish? Have you never taken a class in biology?” He paused. “Oh, of course you haven’t, you’re too busy napping in the botanical garden. That explains your pitiful grades, and even duller mind.”
Leona cocked a brow. “You wanna run that one by me again?”
Vil chuckled. “You know, I’d been informed by multiple people that you’re more clever than you let on. Heh, seems I was right to doubt them.”
“Oh shut up, I don’t need marks on a paper to tell me if I’m intelligent or not. Getting good grades in school doesn’t mean jack, at least not to me.”
“Enough with the nonsense. Get up, won’t you? We’ve wasted plenty of time with your mindless arguing.”
Begrudgingly, Leona stood up. “Let’s just get on with this,” he murmured.
—--------------------------------------------------
Living up to their name, the shop had a wide variety of organic shampoo, ranging from sweet lemony citrus aromas to cool wafts of burdock and pine. Knowing Leona, Vil figured it didn’t particularly matter what scent they chose, yet still, he wanted to decide on something worthwhile, that he might somehow grow to like. In all honesty, it pained Vil to think just how little Leona knew of aspects so important as hygiene. Growing up and being raised as royalty, it was obvious these sorts of things had always been done for him, and knowing so, Vil wondered why he left in the first place.
Did he really hate his family so much that he’d give up a life of luxury just to be away from them?
“Do you have anything particular in mind? A favourite fruit, maybe? Or perhaps something more nostalgic?”
Leona blinked. “You dragged me here, remember?”
“You could put in the slightest bit of effort to be cooperative , you know. It would make this a whole lot quicker.” Vil crossed his arms. “Wouldn’t you like that?”
For a moment, the two were interrupted by the sound system, alerting them that the store would be closing soon. The blond man sighed.
“Fine, then.. uhh,” Leona looked around, eyes scanning the row of shelves.
Lavender Melon, Ginger Peppermint, Sandalwood..
“..Lemon Pomegranite?”
Vil hummed, nodding. “Alright then, lets start with that.”
—--------------------------------------------------
Upon unscrewing the cap and wafting in, the green-eyed man scrunched his nose. They moved on to try different aromas, first fruit scented, which Leona complained as being ‘too sweet’, and afterwards, wood and bark.
‘I’m not trying to smell like a freaking tree over here’ he’d protested.
“Leona, will you please make a decision already? You’re being overly fussy, and frankly, it’s quite childish.”
“Shut up, lets ju-”
‘Attention, all shoppers, the doors are now closing. Please vacate the area as soon as possible.”
Vil had sighed. “See? Please, for the sake of The Sevens, just hurry up so we can pay!”
“Alright, alright..”
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“Stop banging on the door, you imbecile!” Vil shrieked, “They’ve already left, there’s no use.”
Leona let out one last throw before giving up and slamming his back against the the glass frame. “Didn’t you bring your pen? Can’t you just use magic to unlock the doors?”
The blond shook his head, “For safety reasons, mages aren’t allowed to use magic in public areas.”
Leona grumbled, massaging his temple. “You know, this all wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for-”
“Oh? Playing the blame game? In that case, remind me who’s fault it was that they couldn’t decide whether they liked honey more than sandalwood? Seriously, I told you to make a decision. In all truth, it’s because of you that we’re stuck here.”
“Well who’s fault is it that we’re here in the first place?! HM?” Leona blinked, adjusting his eyes to the darkness.
After the last warning announcing the closing of the shop, they had been too preoccupied making a decision (Leona) and getting sidetracked by the newest shea butter (Vil) to make it to the entrance before the doors shut.
The green-eyed man grumbled. “They could have at least done a last minute check to see if anyone was still inside before they decided to shut off the lights and lock the doors.”
Vil sighed. “Well it’s no use now. Have you tried contacting Ruggie? I’ve called Rook but he hasn’t picked up.”
“My phone’s dead.”
“...”
Through the pale moonlight seeping through the glass doors behind them, Leona saw Vil’s lips curl in disdain. His eyes fluttered from Leona’s to the floor, eyelashes casting shadows on his cheekbones. Leona watched as the blond shifted forward, letting his head fall back and his eyelids close.
“...”
“...”
“I know it’s hard to look away, but can you stop staring at me? Spit it out.”
“..Are you going to sleep like that?”
“I’m not trying to sleep you buffoon. Just.. I don’t feel like arguing with you right now.”
And right now, it sounded like Vil really meant it. His voice was tired, almost hollow. Leona felt a twinge of guilt deep in his chest.
After a century’s worth of silence, Leona spoke up.
“Ahem..”
Vil peered at him, eyes half lidded.
“I’m sorry..”
The blond sighed. “It’s no matter.. What’s done is done.”
Silence.
Feeling restless and somehow on edge, Leona pushed himself down the window pane, landing in a crouch, his face mere inches to Vil’s.
“Hey.” he whispered.
“...” Vil let out a deep breath. “What is it?”
“Do you want to play 21 Questions?”
Vil knit his eyebrows, creasing thin lines between his eyes. “What?” he hissed.
Leona shrugged. “Come on, this is boring as hell. We might as well entertain ourselves.”
Clearly too tired to argue, Vil turned to face him. “..Fine.”
“Alright! Care to start?”
He paused. “Why did you give up being a prince?”
“What do you mean? Technically, you’re still in the presence of royalty.”
“You know what I mean. You left your old life of grandeur to come here. It’s obvious how much you hate not having everything handed to you on a silver platter. Heck, you barely do anything on your own.” he stopped. “You’re afraid of working hard and you don’t care about anything unless its Magift or pfft- sleeping . But at the same time you believe you’re still entitled to everything.”
“Fine, maybe that’s all true then. You know everything don’t you? I’m just a lazy, spoiled, entitled prince who’s always gotten his way in life, am I?”
“Well maybe you are. You haven’t answered the question. Am I expected to think any differently?”
Leona took a sharp breath. “I was no longer happy living with my brother and his family, alright? There.”
“Why? Because he’s going to be king, and you aren’t?”
“Hah. Well maybe.” he paused. “After my nephew was born, my brother’s family and me were no longer intertwined. I just didn’t need to be part of whatever they had going on, and well, I definitely wasn’t up for babysitting that kid.”
“Fine, you don’t want to tell me. You could have said that from the start. Moving on,” Vil let out a deep sigh.
“Hm. If you were given a gun with a single shot, who would you target.”
Waiting expectedly for Vil to say ‘You’ , Leona was quickly met with disappointment.
“Ugh.”
“What is it? Is the amazing star, Vil Schoenheit, too in love with the world to hate anyone in it?”
“Quite the opposite actually,” he chirped. “I’m afraid to admit, but there certainly is someone.”
Leona smirked. “Me?”
Vil blinked. “What?” He shook his head. “No, not you, Neige.”
Leona’s brows shot up. “Seriously? That little Royal Swords jerk?”
The blond sighed. “Yeah.” he smiled dryly as he went on. “Heh, at times like these, I guess my inner ugliness seeps, doesn’t it. There’s no point in denying it though. I might as well stay true to myself, if not anyone else.”
“Hm, no, I think that’s normal actually. Everyone’s got someone they hate more than anyone else. Maybe you aren’t such a weirdo after all.”
Vil chuckled softly. “What about you, then. Would you pull the trigger on your brother?”
Leona closed his eyes. “Nah. I may resent him but he’s still family.”
“My, how contradictory. Then?”
“Draconia.”
“Seriously!?” he paused. “Actually, you know what.. Despite how much I respect him, I understand that.”
Leona blinked, straightening his posture. He turned wide eyed to Vil. “What?”
“?”
“Did you just say you.. understand me? Pfft-”
“Laugh all you want, I mean it. He has something you never will. He will be the heir to Briar Valley, and no matter what, you will never amount to anything near that. I understand how that feels. It’s more or less the same with Neige.”
Leona gaped at him before letting out a snicker. Vil went on.
“The only difference between you and I is that you accepted your fate and gave up long ago, whereas I continue striving to better myself and hope to achieve greatness. You might think that hard work will never amount to anything, but I assure you, there will always be something waiting at the end of the rainbow.”
Leona turned to face Vil, drawing closer.
“Hey. I-” he cleared his throat. “I.. didn’t think we’d ever agree on something like this.”
Vil raised a brow. “Ever?” he began, but Leona shushed him.
“I didn’t think you of all people would get me, but.. Hey, maybe you aren’t so bad after all. Not just a ‘pretty face’ at least.”
To that, the blond rolled his eyes, sighing. He let his eyelids close, and his head dropped gently to one side, hair falling over his shoulder.
“Can we..just end the game here?” Vil yawned, covering his mouth with his hand.
Leona smiled lightly. “Yeah, I’ll let you sleep.”
I guess he really.. Isn’t so bad. Leona yawned, hoping the night would pass by quicker.
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It wasn’t long before the blond began to stir, his head falling over to his side. Leona leaned him against his shoulder, angling his head to put less strain on his neck.
Leona cleared his throat as he felt his heart skip a beat, hoping the blond couldn’t feel his quickening pulse. Without thought, he reached out his hand and brushed a few strands of hair away from Vil’s face, tucking it behind an ear. The brunet struggled to think straight, the drumming of his chest ringing through his whole body. He felt blood rush to his head as he neared the man’s face, inching closer. His vision narrowed. Surroundings silenced. Leona felt overwhelmed by Vil’s presence, and struggled to collect his scattered thoughts.. The brunet huffed quietly, closing his eyes. His chest ached heedlessly with longing.
Badump.
He neared the blond’s visage, stroking his cheek with his thumb.
What am.. I doing..
As he inched impossibly closer, thoughts racing, his heart clanging like pots and pans ringing through his ears, he brought his lips to the man’s forehead, the distance between them a matter of milimeters. Vil stirred and Leona closed his eyes.
Leona was immediately broken out of his trance when he heard the front door swing open, the glass pane rattling.
—--------------------------------------------------
“Table for two, please.” Rook requested.
The waitress nodded, leading them to a table on the far right. She placed a menu before the two of them, informing them of the additional dish they had recently incorporated.
“Merci beaucoup! We’ll have two servings of that, then.” the hunter gave a charming smile as she dipped her head and turned to leave.
“This place sure is fancy,” Ruggie snickered.
“Ah, Monsieur Dandelion, is it perhaps your first time eating at a five star venue, then?”
Ruggie nodded, eyeing the menu. “So this new dish you’ve been meaning to try, what exactly is it?”
Rook placed a hand on his chest, “Ah, but one of the most desired Japanese-style kobe beef, juicy and tender, et remplie de saveur. That is, filled with flavour, not to mention sans de graisse, or minimum fat.”
The blue-eyed boy blinked. “Wow, that sounds.. Amazing I can’t wait to try it!” he chuckled, “How much is it worth?”
“35, 000 Madol a pound, roughly.”
Ruggie coughed. “Th-that much? For a pound?!”
Rook smiled, “Well, this isn’t just any steak, you know. C’est sans précédent!”
What seemed like ages later, the waitress presented them with their dish, lifting the domes to uncover their meals.
“Enjoy,” she smiled, gesturing.
“Oui, merci!” Rook gripped his utensils with grace, ushering for Ruggie to start.
He nodded. “Thanks for the meal!”
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“Is there anywhere you would like to go for dessert?”
Ruggie pondered for a moment. “Oh right they have an great donut place around here, how about I pay this time.” he shined his teeth.
“Merveilleux! Allons-y~”
The shorter of the two led them around the court and to a line of small pastry shops, finally stopping before a pocket sized cafe with a bright banner.
“Choose anything you’d like!”
Rook skimmed over the glass showcase, a finger curled around his chin. “My this Dulce de Leche delight looks most appetizing.
Ruggie nodded genially and thrust a few bills towards the counter.
As they left the cafe, donuts in hand, Rook inquired. “Is there anywhere else you’d like to go? It seems Roi du Poisons and our feline friend are still in the midst of their search.”
“Well, there’s an arcade with these cool FPS games. I’d bet you’d be great at it.” he chuckled.
“Oh is that so? D’accord, I shall give it a go.”
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“DAMN!” Ruggie remarked, eyes wide as saucers. “You just beat the record!”
Rook laughed, “Oh, this is child’s play! Hunting in the real world is much more demanding, yet this is enthralling in it’s own way. C’est magnifique!”
The hunter stood strong-willed, a hand on the joystick, the other spread across the buttons. Ruggie cheered him on from behind, his head perched over the taller man’s shoulder, watching intently as Rook ruthlessly shot down the npcs through the arcade console. One after the other, the opponents fell, and Rook pushed forward without a second thought, making his way from one level to the next.
“No one’s ever beat this rank, think you can do it?”
“Hah! I’ll give it my best shot-”
The two were swiftly interrupted by the speakers, announcing the mall would be wrapping up for the day.
Ruggie sighed. “Welp, guess that’s our queue.. We should come back here another time, and you can beat it then.”
Rook laughed, “Of course, Monsieur Dandelion!” he checked his phone. “Mais, the stores all seem to be closing now, I wonder how dear Vil is doing.”
“Hm, they’re probably fine. We should go meet up with them, though. Do you think they’re still buying shampoo?”
Rook pondered as they walked across the mall, passing stores, most of which were locked and dark from the inside. He paused quickly, looking up ahead.
“Did you hear that?”
Ruggie looked at him perplexed.
Up ahead, they heard the sound of pieces of metal clinking against each other. Rook promptly approached the shop, Ruggie just behind him.
“Oh my, seems we’ve got some trouble here.”
Careful as not to make a sound, the two peered into the store. A man, donned in all black, struggled to pick the lock on the side of the glass casing along the entrance.
Rook turned to Ruggie and began in a hushed voice, “Would you like to join me as I apprehend the culprit, or would you prefer to sit back and enjoy le spectacle?”
Ruggie snickered under his breath. “Can’t miss this, can I? I’ll watch from here.”
Rook nodded, approaching the man steadly with poise. He spoke up, gesturing with his hands. “Oh my, how unrefined, if dear Vil were to see this, he’d be horrendously appalled.”
The man turned to him, stumbling. He reached into his pocket and thrust a dagger towards Rook shakily.
“G-get lost and you won’t get hurt-”
Rook shook his head with disdain. “My, with that stance, the only one possibly get hurt is you, Sir,” he pointed, “All your vital points are easily targetable, for starters.”
Wasting not a single second, the hunter swiftly turned to stand behind the man, kicking him just above his calf causing the man to fall to his knees. The man winced, gripping his knife, swiping the air before Rook’s torso, who dodged and instead shifted to the side, twisting the man’s unarmed hand and forcing it behind his back. The man grunted, trying to worm his way out of Rook’s clutches. His laugh echoed through the empty mall as his phone rang, blasting Heigh Ho. The man, still struggling, cursed as his dagger slipped from his hands and slid across the floor. Ruggie snickered from beyond the scene.
“Monsier Dandelion!” Rook called out, making a signal with his hands to imitate a telephone.
“On it,” he echoed, pressing his foot against the knife.
‘911, what’s your emergency?’
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“Wow..what a scene,” Ruggie uttered, sighing in relief.
“Indeed, it was.”
“That was crazy,” the blue-eyed boy turned, eyeing as the police cuffed the robber. “You really know how to attack don’t you?”
Rook chuckled. “I’m a hunstman, it goes without saying~”
“Oh right, what was that random song that started blaring all of a sudden? I admit, it was great for hype music.”
“Ah, oui! A cover my idol sang at a championship not long ago. I made it my ringtone because it never ceases to enthrall m-” Rook stopped for a moment before checking his phone, eyes wide with dread. “Oh non!”
Ruggie blinked in confusion.
“Vil’s been trying to reach me this whole time-”
“Oh? What gives?”
Rook hurriedly put his phone to his ear, apprehending his missed voicemails. He shook his head in distress.
“Monsieur Dandelion, Vil and our dearest Roi du Léon have been locked into the cosmetics store!”
—--------------------------------------------------
The doors shutting them in swiftly slide open, the glass frames rattling as they collapsed like an accordion.
“-DEAREST VIL, ROI DU LÉON, ARE YOU THERE?”
Rook barged in, his footsteps tapping along the tiles, hastily approaching where, Ruggie just behind him.
“Leonaaa,” Ruggie called.
Leona inhaled sharply, clearing his throat. “Yeah, we’re here..”
He let his hand fall to his lap, and straightened his posture as Ruggie made his way to the back of the store where Vil and Leona sat.
“Oh Vil!” Rook exclaimed, covering his mouth.
“..Rook?” Vil rasped, squinting.
Hearing his sleepy voice, the brunet’s heart pounded.
“I do apologize for my tardiness! Monsieur Dandelion and I witnessed a robbery- although we seized the criminal, I wasn’t able to attend your calls!”
Vil closed his eyes and cleared his throat, before locking gaze with Rook tiredly. “..No worries. You’re here now..Sounds like you had quite the adventure.”
Rook nodded, his face expressing much guilt.
Leona scowled, his chest feeling hollow and twinging with unbeknownst loss.
They could have arrived just a couple seconds later, but no..
He grunted, standing up as Rook helped Vil to his feet. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he grumbled, “Alright let’s get out of here..”
Leona delayed as the other three made their way out of the shop, overhearing them look back excitedly on their lively incident.
“Rook managed to beat their high score like it was nothing!”
“Heh, is that so..?”
“Oh you flatter me, Monsieur Dandelion,”
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“Man, it’s raining? Bummer..” Ruggie muttered, shielding his eyes.
“We should hurry back to our dorms,” Vil suggested. “Being exposed to rain for an extended period of time can lead to sickness.”
“Of course, dear Vil, let us be on our way.”
“Wait-”
Rook and Vil turned to Leona in unison.
“Ugh just.. Take this,” he held out his leather jacket, “The clothes you’re wearing won’t help you in this weather.”
Vil blinked. “That’s not necess-”
“Wouldn’t want you calling in sick at your next photoshoot, now would you?” Leona smirked, pretending his stomach was completely subtle and not twisting in knots.
Vil rolled his eyes. “I suppose..” he clasped the jacket and pulled it on with ease.
The Pomefiore students turned to head off, Vil’s eyes still lingering on Leona’s before facing forward and stepping in line with Rook.
“Alright, cool, I’m taking your stuff to your room, see you when I see you~” chirped Ruggie, leaving Leona standing alone in the rain.
Once the blue-eyed boy was out of view, Leona let out a shaky breath, and thrust a hand to his chest, recoiling.
What the hell is wrong with me? He ruffled his hair, his mind immediately visualizing a replay of Vil’s hands in his hair, gentle and soft, his fingertips stroking his ears and brushing out his locks- and Leona was once again reminded of how good it felt.
The brunet looked up and took a sharp inhale through the nose, letting the rain fall across his face. Droplets of precipitation caught in his eyelashes blurred his vision as he made no effort to wipe them away. He stood for a moment longer, heart racing. Leona tightened his grip on the shopping bag in his hands.
Fuck.