Chapter Text
Azul was livid.
The first cross-grade class in a long while, and it just so happened to have been a PE class.
Azul usually enjoyed the classes that were held jointly with the other years. When it was the freshmen, he was able to boss around—that was to say guide —the younger students. When it was the third years, he got to see techniques and things the older students had been learning. He never looked down upon an opportunity to learn.
Unfortunately, PE did not agree with him in the slightest and Coach Vargas was impossible to reason with.
Which was why, though he told Vargas twelve times that the decision was folly, Azul was stuck with Leona as a partner.
It was bad enough that the class was technically remedial.
Then to go and throw Leona Kingscholar at the problem… well, Azul didn't think Vargas was much of a thinker, but surely even he could see this pair up being a nightmare waiting to happen.
Azul finally bit the bullet and looked at the third year in question, who was several feet away and looking bored as Vargas explained what they were to do. The moment he caught Azul's gaze, however, the Savanaclaw Housewarden smirked at him.
Azul scoffed and looked away. He'd deal with Leona when it was time, and not a moment before.
“Fancy this, huh, Cephalo-punk? Had a nice little chat yesterday and now we're partnerin’ up today.”
Leona suddenly stood beside him. Azul tensed before forcing himself to relax.
He didn't look at the lion beastman as he replied.
“Nothing fancy about it,” he said dryly, trying very hard to not focus on just how close Leona was standing next to him. “What in the name of the Seven was he thinking, pairing me up with you of all people?”
Leona snorted at that. “Yeah, like I want t’be paired with a whiny brat? But of everyone here, I am the best choice. Just don't think Vargas realizes how much of a lost cause you are.”
Azul glared at him.
Not that what the third year said wasn't true. He just didn't need Leona Kingscholar voicing it out loud. He had a great support system in his own head, thank you very kindly.
“Oooh. Touched a nerve? Which was it? Whiny brat or lost cause?”
He grit his teeth and looked away.
Azul didn't know if he wanted to slap, punch, or kiss the other more and with his heightened anxiety at the moment, it was anyone's guess which it would be.
“Shut up,” he said finally, once he was certain his irritation had been under control.
Vargas went on about how each team would need to complete four full maneuvers in order to get passing marks for the class. The students paired up with them would get docked marks from their current grade if the student they were to train didn't pass.
The next month of lessons would see them paired up this way until the final lesson, when they would show Vargas what they could now do and see if they pass.
“Well, fuck that,” Leona said with a hint of a growl.
Azul forced a simpering smile. “Remember, Leona. Weren't you saying you were the best choice?”
Leona turned that snarl on him, and the mer tried very hard not to focus on how arousing it sounded and focused more on the slight fear and uncertainty that came to dealing with beastmen.
“Yeah, that was before bein’ informed that my grade in this class was gonna be messed with. I can find other ways to mess with ya that won't affect my grade.”
Azul blinked.
I'll come back to that ‘other ways to mess with me’ part later, he told himself as he forced a forlorn sigh just as Vargas passed them.
“WHAT WAS THAT, ASHENGROTTO? THERE SOMETHING WRONG HERE, BOYS?”
Azul tossed Leona a smirk, even throwing in a tiny wink, before turning to face the PE instructor fully.
He sighed heavily, the softest hint of woe in the very edges of it, as he held out his hands and shook his head.
“Oh, no… Everything is well enough, Coach Vargas. Leona-sempai has just informed me that he does not believe that even he has the ability to tutor one such as I. I believe the terms ‘impossible, never-gonna-happen, and pointless’ were mentioned in passing and—but that is fine. If he is really the best, and I don't doubt your expertise on the matter one bit, Coach Vargas—then perhaps it's safe to just finally put the matter to rest and make it well known that merfolk just aren't meant to take to the skies.”
Vargas listened and looked from Azul to Leona before blowing his whistle at them both.
“ASHENGROTTO! KINGSCHOLAR! NEITHER OF YOU ARE QUITTERS—”
“I am when it comes to this,” Azul muttered at the same time as Leona muttered, “If it's flyin’ and this clown, I am.”
Azul knew he really should keep quiet, but due to the other's comments from earlier—whiny brat and lost cause, indeed!—he couldn't help but add on. “And just about everything else for you as well, isn't that right, Leona?”
The growl he received for his insult was silenced by Vargas’s whistle.
“AH! SO IT'S A PERSONAL MATTER HUH? WELL, DOESN'T MATTER! ASHENGROTTO, IT'S LEONA OR IT'S DRACONIA. I'M AFRAID THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO COULD HAVE ANY HOPE WHEN IT COMES TO YOU.”
“Thank you so very much, Coach Vargas,” Azul said, highly sarcastic. He glared daggers at lion beastman, who just snickered before smirking in self satisfaction. Which had no business being as attractive as it was.
“SO WHO WILL IT BE? KINGSCHOLAR OR DRACONIA?”
Azul bemoaned such an awful choice. A lazy, asshole of a tutor, or an absent-minded, time-losing enigma of a tutor who was powerful enough to wipe him out of existence at the slightest offense.
Some people might have been extremely jealous of Azul in that moment. The choice between such experienced flyers? Two very attractive experienced flyers? Two princes who also happened to be experienced flyers?
Azul would happily give them this particular opportunity in a heartbeat.
“I'll take my chances with Leona, I suppose. If I must.”
“YOU MUST! IF THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS…”
He didn't even bother stepping away before blowing that cantankerous evil torture device. Azul squeezed his eyes shut against the pain and ringing in his ears.
Once the echoes of ringing were gone and he opened his eyes, he saw himself looking at a very irritated Leona Kingscholar.
A very irritated Leona Kingscholar with a devious smirk upon his face.
All signs pointed toward him having a no good, very bad time.