Work Text:
The air in the Scarabia common room was thick with the scent of jasmine and the low-frequency hum of morning activity. A first-year student sat at one of the low tables, nervously stirring a smoothie until the straw bent under the tension.
"Did you see Kalim-senpai come into the dorm last night?" he whispered, glancing toward the lack of bright colors and leopard prints in the common room.
A third-year across from him didn't even look up from his book. "Naw. Haven't seen her since club hours ended."
The first-year’s eyes widened, darting toward the mirror chamber entrance. "Should we go look for her? What if she’s… you know, had another attempt?"
The upperclassman was about to answer when the mirror shimmered. Kalim stepped through, yawning widely. She was practically drowning in an oversized, black and sand-colored leather jacket that smelled faintly of expensive spice and savanna grass-a garment that was distinctly not part of the Scarabia wardrobe or her's even.
"Good morning, everyone!" she chirped, her voice as bright as the desert sun despite the dark circles under her eyes.
The Scarabia student blinked in confusion. "That’s... not Kalim-Senpai's jacket, is it?" the first-year muttered.
"Nope," the third-year replied casually, continuing to read. "That’s Leona's extra."
The freshman looked entirely derailed. "Leona-Senpai...? But why??"
The older student shrugged. "They've been close since Kalim got to NRC. Childhood friends or they're secretly related, that’s my guess."
The freshman made a quiet sound of confusion, bending his straw back and forth as he watched Kalim happily nibble on a piece of toast. She was chatting amiably with Jamil, who didn't even bat an eye at the fact that his Housewarden was wearing another dorm leader's clothes like a security blanket.
Deep in the Botanical Garden, the afternoon heat was heavy. Kalim was sprawled across Leona’s back as he laid in his favorite patch of shade. She kicked her legs rhythmically against his calves, her ankle bangles and jewels making a soft, rhythmic clinking sound as she talked about her day..
"And then Malleus and I had tea! He’s actually really good at brewing Oolong," she chatted away, oblivious to the way Leona’s tail began to lash the grass with irritation.
"What’s wrong, Nana?" she asked, pausing her story to peer over his shoulder.
Leona huffs, his ears flattening. "You realize the lizard is just going to use those tea parties as ammo against me, right? He knows it gets on my nerves."
Kalim pouted, her lower lip trembling just enough to be dramatic. "Why would he do that? And don't call him a lizard! That’s mean, Leona."
"Fine. Malleus is an ass," Leona corrected, rolling his eyes as he felt Kalim’s fingers start to twirl one of his dreadlocks, mindlessly fiddling with the golden rings woven into his hair. "He likes to flex any time you spend time with him just to get under my skin, kay?."
Kalim made a long, drawn-out 'ooooooooh' sound,She kept playing with his hair, her hazy vision focusing on the glittering gold rings. "I see! But why would he want to annoy you so much?"
"Because he’s a dick."
"Heeyyy!! That’s mean! >:c" Kalim swatted his shoulder, but her touch was light. Leona let out a low, rumbling chuckle, his tail coming up to flick affectionately against her ankle.
The peace was broken by the sound of snapping branches. Ruggie walked into the alcove, pulling aside the foliage to reveal the hidden pair. Riddle followed close behind, their expression shifting from focused to utterly bewildered and confusion written all over their face.
"Yo, Leona! Crewel said the chrysanthemums were over here, but the patch is empty. You hiding 'em?" Ruggie asked, not even blinking at the sight of the Scarabia Housewarden using the prince of the Sunset Savannahs as a heated mattress.
"Left side. Behind the stone bench," Leona muttered, eyes closed.
"Thanks, dude." Ruggie gave a thumbs-up and let the branches snap back, plunging them back into green-tinted shadows.
As they walked away, Riddle turned to Ruggie, their voice hushed. "I didn't realize Kalim and Kingscholar-senpai were so… close?"
Ruggie snorted, a sharp, hyena-like sound. "Shishishiii! Not the first time I've heard that. Listen, they’re both influential as fuck. Their families have traded favors for decades. It makes sense they’d be thick as thieves-actuallllyyy wouldn't it make less sense if they hadn't met before coming here?."
Riddle paused, considering the political realities of their homelands. They nodded slowly. "I suppose that makes sense."
The collision had been an accident-a chaotic scuffle between two unruly students that Kalim had tried to de-escalate with her usual, naive bravado. She had stepped into the path of a stray punch meant for someone else.
Now, she sat dazed on the floor of the hallway,giggling abstractedly from the mild shock. Her head was tilted back as Leona gripped her neck with firm but careful fingers. "Come on, pipsqueak, we've tried this shit before,keep your head still. Stop trying to look up."
Kalim tried to protest, but it came out as a series of incoherent, wet mumbles.
Vil Schoenheit appeared, crouching down with a frown that was part irritation and part genuine concern. "The witnesses say she took a direct hit to the face stopping a brawl. Utterly reckless."
Vil forcefully pushed Leona's hand aside, his perfectly manicured fingers cupping Kalim’s face to inspect the damage. "It’s just a nosebleed, though a messy one." He flicked his magipen, summoning a small bottle of Afirin. "Kingscholar, hold her steady."
As Vil administered the spray, Kalim bucked slightly, coughing and sneezing as the medicine hits the inside of her nose.She was moving away from the older housewarden and dropping her face straight into Leona’s chest to prevent Vil from doing it again.
The lion beastman didn't push her away. Instead, he wrapped a protective arm around her waist to keep her from sliding off further down and forcing her head, his free hand rubbing the back of her neck in a slow, soothing motion to ground her.
Vil paused, watching the rough-around-the-edges prince act as a literal human anchor. "I must admit, I didn't expect to see you and Kalim so close."
Leona scoffed, hiding his protectiveness behind a sharp roll of his eyes. "Well, then expect the unexpected peacock."
Without another word, he slid his arms under her knees and back, effortlessly scooping Kalim up into a bridal carry. Her head lolled against his shoulder, her blurred eyes shutting tight. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to bring this girl back to her dorm before she passes out on the floor and I get screamed at by Jamil."
Vil watched as Leona strode purposefully toward the Mirror Chamber. "Huh..."
At the Monstro Lounge, the atmosphere was refined, but the table in the corner was anything but. Kalim was leaning across the table, a forkful of premium crab meat aimed directly at Leona’s mouth.
"Come on, Nanaaa! At least try it! It’s the specialty!"
Leona ducked his head, swerving away from the projectile food. "I don't even know why you’re so obsessed with me eating your leftovers."
"It's not leftovers! I ordered it because I wanted you to try it with me!" Kalim whined, finally putting the fork down and mumbling into her mocktail. "I just thought you’d actually enjoy something that wasn't a stupid slab of red meat for once..."
Leona blinked. He looked at her slumped shoulders, then sighed-a heavy, defeated sound. He reached over, snatched her fork, and ate the crab in one bite. Kalim perked up instantly, her eyes wide with anticipation.
Leona chewed slowly, clicked his tongue in annoyance, and looked away. "Sevens damn it… it’s actually better than the steak."
"See! I told you!" Kalim beamed, the gloom vanishing instantly.
From the bar, Azul watched with a raised eyebrow. "A fascinating dynamic, isn't it? The lion tamed by a piece of shellfish." Azul jolts at the sound of his vice warden's voice.
"Don't startle me, Jade!" Azul hissed as his vice appeared beside him. Jade chuckled, wiping his hands on a towel. "But it is rather interesting, isn't it? The way he allows her to cross boundaries that would cost anyone else their life."
"Bad hair day, Kalim?" Cater teased as Kalim entered the pop music clubroom, lightly rubbing the lingering sleep from her eyes.
"Huh?" Kalim made a confused noise.
Lilia snickered, reaching into his pocket and holding up a small hand mirror for her. Kalim squinted at her reflection. Her bangs were completely flipped upward, slicked back against her forehead in a rigid, damp pattern.
"...Oh! That!" Kalim laughed easily, entirely unbothered. "That must've been from when Leona and I were napping earlier. He likes to lick my hair sometimes when he's groggy."
The room went dead silent. Kalim stated it so calmly, as if a prince of the savanna using her hair as a salt lick was a completely standard daily occurrence. (To a lion beastman, it was standard social grooming, but to anyone else who has no knowledge of beastmen, it was beyond wild.)
Lilia burst out laughing, stepping closer to gently fix her bangs with a grin. Cater cooed, instantly pulling out his phone. "Aaawww, you're literally his chosen cub! That's so #HardcoreAdorbs!"
Leona stood in the center of the crowded Mirror Chamber, his sharp eyes scanning the sea of students pouring out of afternoon classes. He couldn't find a single trace of white and gold. Spotting Jamil walking toward the Scarabia mirror, Leona cut through the crowd.
"Herbivore! Have you seen the pipsqueak?"
Jamil turned, his composure tight, but a flicker of anxiety in his eyes. "No.... I thought she was with you?"
Leona’s jaw clenched. He looked around the now practically empty room, his predatory instincts starting to prickle. "Hang on..." He spotted a silver-haired student walking past. "Sleepyhead!!"
Silver blinked, pinching the corners of his eyes to fight off a sudden wave of drowsiness. "Huh?... Is there something wrong, Leona-Senpai?" "Kalim told me she was going to see you since her club ended early. Did you see her or not?" Leona demanded.
The second-year thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Riddle was looking for her while we were down at the stables, too. I think they got the same message saying she was on her way, but she never arrived."
Leona closed his eyes, taking a deep, controlled breath through his nose to keep from losing his temper. "Thank you..... I guess." He turned and vanished, his instincts screaming at him that something's isn't right.
Jamil followed close behind, his usual composure cracking into a sprint.
In an abandoned hallway on the far right side of the castle, Kalim hissed in pain as she slid down a cold stone wall. The copper taste in her mouth was overwhelming."Jami and Nana are gonna kill me," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Maybe Riddle too…no.....definitely Riddle."
She tried to wipe the blood from her forehead with the sleeve of her sweater, but the gash was deep, and the crimson liquid just kept coming, staining her beige sweater. She tried to stand, but her vision swam, and her head cracked against the wall again.
"Ouch… that hurt..."
She slumped further down, her bangles chiming a lonely, final tune against the floorboards. "My hair is ruined," she murmured sadly, her eyelids growing heavy as the world blurred into a dark, cold fog.
Then, everything went black.
"Where the fuck is she?!" Leona growled, kicking open the door to the fortieth classroom he'd checked. He stopped, his nose twitching. The scent of jasmine was there, but it was being drowned out by the sharp, metallic tang of fresh blood.
"Shit!"
He broke into a dead run, following the scent until he skidded to a halt in the abandoned corridor. There she was-a small, broken pile of white and gold.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Leona dropped to his knees, his hands shaking as he pushed her blood-matted bangs away to see the wound, "Fuck, where's my fucking—" He fumbled for his magipen, spawning a roll of bandages and wrapping them with a frantic, rough efficiency to stem the flow.
He scooped her up, her head lolling against his shoulder, and ran. He ignored the gasps and the terrified whispers of the students he passed. He burst through the Scarabia mirror, where Ruggie was already waiting, having sensed the urgency.
"Jamil! Get Jamil now!" Ruggie told the harpy boy standing next to him,who dashed down the hallway to get the vice warden.
Jamil appeared in seconds, his face turning ghostly pale at the sight of bloody Kalim on Leona’s arms. He ushered them into Kalim’s room, immediately setting to work with a first-aid kit and a basin of warm water. Leona stood by the bed, his jaw set so tight it ached, his eyes fixed on Kalim’s pale face.
"She’s stable," Jamil finally whispered, his voice cracking. "Now we just wait."
Leona didn't move. He dropped into a ornate chair by the bed, his gaze never wavering. Jamil stepped back, looking at the beastman’s shaking hands and grim expressio.
"I’ll go deal with the dorm… they’re terrified."
--
When Kalim finally blinked her eyes open, the room was dim. She saw a familiar silhouette slumped in the chair beside her.
"Hii, Nana," she whispered, a small, tired smile touching her lips. Leona didn't wake. Even a Prince of the Savanna needed rest after a hunt like that.
With painful slowness, Kalim dragged herself out of bed and limped over to the couch where Leona had moved to stretch out. she climbed on top of him, settling into the familiar scent of his leather jacket and the steady, heavy beat of his heart.
Leona shifted in his sleep, his arm instinctively curling around her waist to pull her closer, pinning her safely against him as they both drifted back into a deep, healing slumber.