Work Text:
Despite expecting nothing spectacular to happen upon enrolling at Night Raven College, so many things have happened to Idia; he somehow ended up as an Housewarden, got caught up in overblots, and overblotted himself. Within that rather spectacular timeline of events, one thing stood out as seemingly impossible yet real; he fell in love. How does that happen? Surely an event like that should have a 0.00512% chance of happening, right? Of course, the strangeness of the situation simply can't end there; somehow, he had fallen in love with a prince. Not some fairytale prince, mind you. The prince he fell in love with is crude, utterly selfish, and—
"Hey." Leona stepped away from the shade of the trees, heading towards him in the open, flowery field. "I finally found ya, radish sprout."
"Uh, how? I didn't tell Ortho where I was going today." Idia clutched his tablet tightly. The once eye-catching pixels that entertained him now seemed like dull sparks in the presence of Leona's bright, emerald eyes. How do they shine so brightly? Just a glance at them seems to steal Idia's breath away, and it doesn't help that Leona tends to look at him more often these days after their return from STYX.
"I don't need that little sprout to find ya every time, Idia." Leona tapped his nose in response. "Followin' your trail is easy enough for me."
Sure, Leona is a beastman with superior tools for hunting, but seriously? His nose? Idia couldn't help but grimace at himself, does he smell? Is he easy to sniff out for a beastman because he smells bad? No way. "Do I stink? Like, I swear that I shower daily- there's no way I stink, right?"
"No, you don't stink," huffed Leona in response as he takes a seat next to Idia, "you just smell a certain way."
"Like- what way?"
Leona drew closer at his inquiry, nuzzling his way into the crook of Idia's neck. "Hm… blot."
It probably would've been a romantic moment if Leona kept his mouth shut, but Idia decided to keep that observation to himself. "Is it because I overblotted a few weeks ago?"
"Nah. You've always smelled a bit like blot… probably 'cuz of your curse. That isn't it, of course, but it's one of the more definin' things that I can make out in a crowd."
"Um, okay- besides the obvious blot, what else to I smell like?"
"Whatever products you use in the shower. If I had to guess, you washed your hair with somethin' minty, and your body wash is probably… pear scented."
"Woah, you're right on the money. Did you memorize what what I keep in my bathroom, by any chance?"
"You have so much shit in there that rememberin' all the products you have stored ain't worth it." Leona sniffed Idia's neck, and Idia couldn't help but shutter at the sensation." All that scented shit doesn't matter anyway. No matter what you cover yourself in, I'll always be able your natural scent."
"What- like, my sweat? My body odor?"
Leona hummed in agreement. "Yeah. It's a nice smell- It's the smell of my lover, after all."
"Geez, you're probably the only person on campus interested in huffing their lover's sweat."
"You're just as interested in huffin' me as you are in huffin' cats, Idia, you can't deny that."
"… You might be right, but trying to get a checkmate on me in this situation makes the two of us look like we're crazy about huffing each other."
"Aren't we already crazy about the smell of one another? Why deny the facts?"
Gosh, who is Idia trying to fool? Himself? Sure, Leona is a bit rude, and at times his personality is utterly unpleasant, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. He loves Leona in so many different, small ways. His dedication to those who follow him is admirable, his sense of leadership is unmatched, his confidence is something to envy, and his kitty-cat cuteness levels are simply off the charts. Idia knows he can go on and on about his beloved, sweet, and thoughtful feline of a boyfriend, but why would he ever do that? They're the infamous "villains" of Sage Island in comparison to the "heroes" over at Royal Sword Academy- it's within his right to remain silent and emotionally constipated.
In this complicated, heartless, and utterly cruel world of theirs, Idia only needed to know one simple thing; he just needs to know that he loves Leona, and that Leona loves him back. They didn't need to complicate their fleeting relationship any further with expressions of how much they loved one another, not when it's obvious that the two of them will one day be torn apart from one another to attend to the duties that come with their birthright.
"You… know that I love you, right?" Questioned Idia out loud. Such words are true, but in his voice? It felt wrong.
"Yeah." Leona flopped off of Idia's shoulder and onto his lap, making himself comfortable with a purr. "I love ya too, Idia."
I love you. Surely such words are enough for him, right? There is no point in seeking out excessive trivialities, like Leona magically saying 'I love you a lot' or 'I love you to the moon and back' or- whatever! It should be enough for him! To be loved by Leona, no matter how big or small that love may be, is an honor. Yearning for more than that is greedy, especially since Idia is destined to live in the dark. The artificial harshness of STYX is unbefitting for someone raised underneath the glory of the savanna sun and moon.
"D'ya mind if I take a nap here, radish sprout?" Leona peered up at him, the glimmer in his eyes rivaling that of the sun that loomed overhead. "On your lap?"
"Um- sure, I guess. As long as you don't mind that I'm over here grinding my dailies instead of paying attention to you." Idia pointed towards the tablet in his hand. "The whole reason I bothered to come out here and touch grass in the first place is because I wanted to play in peace while getting my clinically recommended vitamin D time… Ortho's idea, btw. Not mine."
"I don't mind." Leona closed his eyes. How peaceful. His eyelashes are so long. "Just don't make too much noise, 'kay?"
"I… sure, okay." Sure, he preferred listening to his game, but he could cope just this once. "Enjoy your nap, kitty-cat."
Idia made sure to mute his tablet before idling away at his dailies. The monotonous tasks were easy enough to do that Idia could probably complete most of them with his eyes closed… not that he would in this situation. These boring dailies are the only barrier between him and the bundle of cozy, napping adorableness in his lap. He can't look at Leona yet, not while he is still so easy to rouse, not while one touch could send his eyelids fluttering open. Idia needed to wait. Be patient. Each little activity brought Idia one minute closer to his hope of kitty-cat time. Before he knew it, Idia had discarded his tablet, left with nothing but the sight of Leona slumbering in his lap. Each breath Leona took was heavy and deep, rumbling lowly like a distant storm.
"How cute." Idia allowed himself the pleasure of patting Leona's ears. "You really are the cutest kitty-cat on campus, you know that?"
Leona would surely protest his words if he were awake, but thankfully he's far off in some dreamland.
"I know I said I love you, but do you know I love you more than that?" Idia picked a stray flower from the field around him, weaving it with ease into Leona's rather soft hair. "If I were Hades and you were Persephone, I'd work twice as quickly to get you to eat a pomegranate seed…"
Leona didn't reply to such declarations. How could he? He probably never will in his lifetime.
"I know, Leona, that we aren't some ancient myth, but I wish I could make our story a love story of the century." Idia plucked another flower mindlessly, weaving it in as well. "Could you imagine it? A would where duty did not bind us, and our obligations were flexible to change…" He couldn't help but laugh at his deranged delusions of loving Leona until the end. "Once we enter our fourth year, we might as well call it quits. We both know what awaits us. I have to go lock myself in STYX forevermore, and you have to go serve your country as the second prince. We couldn't be any more different if we tried."
Silence lingered heavily in the air before Idia dared to utter another question. "Is it fine if I dream of a future where the two of us remain together? Like, I'm sure the pull rate of such a thing is close to zero, but…"
I love you so much. I don't want to leave you.
What a fool he is, dreaming of the impossible now that the River of Lethe wasn't around to conveniently make this whole romance a bittersweet dream. Their love is not destined to flourish beyond Night Raven College's reach. Besides, what kind of prince would sully their reputation by adoring one who is bound to the underworld. Someone like Leona, who was born to lead and guide others towards greater horizons, would most likely cast away cumbersome lovers without a second thought. His people matter more than him, after all. The price of one life is worth the price of many; such reasoning is why his cursed family is forever bound to STYX, after all.
It is cruel that his family is made to suffer in darkness, generation after generation, all because the Jupiter family commanded it. Why must he live in darkness and serve as its guard when his family has not sinned? Why must he pay the price for some foolish ancestor? Because of some revolt long ago, he cannot love who he wants to. Unlike his father, who found love in a woman who was willing to follow him into the depths of hell, he doubted his love would do the same. His sacrifice is natural and expected, while Leona's sacrifice of all he has ever known is not.
"Man, who cares? I don't care." Idia found himself weaving flower after flower into Leona's hair. His hands needed to do something as his mouth and mind ran off to who knows where. "It's not like I dread the day where I have to let you go so that I can be bound to the underworld forever or anything. I man, what does it matter? I'm probably some passing fancy, and all this love I have welled up inside of me is nothing to you!"
Yeah, that has to be it. Why else would Leona spend his time with a cursed, whimpering introvert like him? A passing fancy! Their love is merely entertainment for Leona, away from the claws of royal marriages! That has to be it!
"Wow, if only you were awake to witness my genius rn, kitty-cat." Idia continued on with his weave of flowers, making sure to select different colors and sizes to add a little variety here and there. "I figured it all out, Leona. I'm just your fun as you finish up school, but I don't mind! I love you, after all, and no love is truly wasted, even if the ending is a guaranteed Bad End route. You'll probably break up with me after we're done with our fourth year because I can't follow you into the light, and vice versa with you following me into the dark."
Leona seemed to stir for a moment, causing Idia to pause. Id he awake? For how long? Did his insane, mindless ramblings wake up the cutely royal kitty-cat in his lap? Is he about to get mauled?! Idia clutched onto the freshly plucked flower in his hand tightly, holding his breath as he tried his best to remain still. All his suffering seemed for naught, for Leona merely turned his head inwards, as if facing him, before remaining motionless in slumber once more.
"Geez, way to scare me, kitty-cat," murmured Idia to himself.
At his point, he should shut up, right? He's spoken too much, and Leona had nearly roused from his nap. He shouldn't be a bother. His sole duty right now is to be a quiet pillow for Leona's royal nap time, but…
"It's fine if I tell you how much I love you while you're asleep, right? It's not like you'll remember, but maybe you'll feel it as you go off with the rest of your day…" That'd be nice, wouldn't it? For Idia's love to linger until the moment Leona went to bed? Maybe Leona will dream of him tonight, braiding flowers into his hair, whispering sappy words of love. If such a dream were to occur, would Leona remember it? Cherish it? Dream of a future where the two of them did not have to part due to their duties?
"I know I'm no good with words, but I do love you a lot, kitty-cat." Idia idly twirled the flower he held in his hand. "I try to tell you that with my actions. I make sure to come to all your games to cheer you on, and sometimes I sneak you a little meaty snack with your lunch through Ruggie… have you noticed that? I wonder sometimes if he takes credit for that… ah, I always make sure my room is stocked with jerky too, since I like watching you chow down on them as I play. Hmm, what else..?"
There are so many things that Idia wished to mention that have been left unspoken in their daily lives. For someone who once claimed that love is nothing but chemicals, he sure does tend to indulge in the bounties that love possesses. What would younger him think of present him? He's so needlessly led astray by simple brain chemicals but he can't help it! Love is so endearing, so possessive. It stays with his every heartbeat, and sings with every longing glance at his kitty-cat. He can't help but indulge in those fleeting brain chemicals, for he's sure they won't last for long.
"Well, you're pretty attentive to my physical needs." Supplies Leona helpfully. "You've never asked me what makes me feel good, but you took your time learnin' it all anyway. Ya know how I like my ears scratched when I'm layin', and ya know where I like my back rubbed when I'm sore after a game. Not just anybody knows that, not even Ruggie; the only thing he's bothered learnin' about me, after havin' to answer my every call, is my food preferences, where I like to place my wallet, and what size I wear."
"Yeah, exactly! There's a lot of things people can learn about being around you, but I've worked hard to learn more about you intimately! To love you better! I'm glad you picked up on that, Leona-" Idia paused as a dreadful realization hit him straight in the face. "Wait, Leona? Why are you talking to me?"
"… 'Cuz you're my boyfriend?" Leona kept staring at him, completely unbothered by the few stray flowers that brushed against his face.
"I mean, yeah, but…" Idia looked down at Leona, and his pretty green eyes are very much looking right back at him. "Aren't you supposed to be asleep during my angsty, love-stricken monologue?"
"It's hard to nap when you're yappin'. Also, you're an idiot, radish sprout." Leona flicked Idia's forehead rudely, causing him to yelp in turn. "Us? Splittin' after we graduate? Is that what ya want?"
"Of course not! I want us to stay together like some fairytale dream come true, but you have to understand that our standings are-"
"Irrelevant," huffs Leona quickly. "Don't ya remember? I never let my prey escape."
"… And that means…?"
"I'll never let ya scramble 'n' whimper your way out of my claws, Idia." Leona stood up dramatically, although the tension was slightly undercut by the cascade of stray petals that danced around his (very sexy and distracting) silhouette. "I'll prove it right now."
"U-Uh- how?" Nothing in the world could ever guarantee that their love will be everlasting, not even a wedding ring! Grand proposals and fancy weddings are simply human-made benchmarks in life that are not respected by the whims of fate. Even if Leona magically whipped out a ring right here, it'd mean nothing if their positions demanded them to part. It would mean nothing if Idia is forced into the depths of STYX, for Leona would surely not be quick to follow. How could mere mortals like the two of them even begin to prove that a future is theirs to own when they won't know what will happen several years— or even several minutes— from now?
"It's easy," claims Leona as he grabs Idia by the flimsy collar of his jacket. "The answer is in those myths of yours."
"M-Myths? Like, Greek myths?" Idia finds himself squeaking pathetically in Leona's hold. Sure, he could just slip out of his jacket and run for it, but he knows that such an attempt would not end well for him. It'd definitely be best for his survival rate to let Leona drag him to who-knows-where. "Most of them are tragedies, Leona! Greek tragedies! Are you saying we're a romantic tragedy?!"
"Of course not, Idia. We're a love story."
"What romantic Greek tale could we even be?!"
With Leona's expertise at dodging questions, Idia was completely helpless to his whims, cursed to be dragged across campus to… Sam's shop? Sure, Sam sells all sorts of helpful bits and bobs, like that ring that could make yearning ghost brides go poof (he still keeps one in his room, afraid of Eliza's eventual return), but he doubted that some run-down school store would have objects that'd help Leona defy fate itself.
"I think this is useless, Leona." Idia didn't dare to gaze at anything but his feet in that store, for he absolutely did not want to lock eyes with some concerned shopper. "Sam has some extraordinary finds, but not mythical or magical items that can prove we'll never part or whatever."
"It's not useless," proclaims Leona, "he has what I need."
"Which is..?"
"You'll know soon, radish sprout."
He'll know soon? Seriously? Who just says that? It's unreasonable! Inconceivable! Even if Idia wanted to offer his protests, he knows nothing will dissuade his rather persistent boyfriend. So, all he could do was pout as he gets dragged along like a beloved toy, allowing himself to be dragged further and further away from Sam's shop after Leona made his mysterious purchase. What's the point of returning to the woods anyway? If Leona wanted to make a purchase, he could've sent Ruggie to do so as the two of them idled their hours away in their original spot! Isn't this too many steps?!
When Leona felt satisfied with their deep trek into the woods, he let go of Idia's poor hoodie. "Alright, this is a good spot to prove my point."
"What point?" Idia rubbed the strained hem of his jacket as he turned towards Leona. "We're not godlike, Leona, or as powerful as the Great Seven. No trinket you could've found in Sam's shop would guarantee us a blissful future where our duties are not burdens that'll keep us apart."
Leona held a large pomegranate before Idia, waving it around idly like a set of jingly keys to really get his attention. "You're Greek, so you should know what this means."
Of course Idia would know what it means! Marriage! The indissolubility of a union! Is Leona applying that the two of them are going to eat this and consummate their "marriage" while trapping their souls together in the underworld?!
"Leona, you're making the wrong choice." Idia tried to swallow the lump he felt in his throat, but it lingered insistently. Growing. Threatening to choke out every word of protest he dares to utter. "Persephone and Hades aren't a love story- he tricked her! He bound her to the underworld with a few meager seeds! Unlike her, you have a choice not to be bound to me or- or to STYX! You could roam in the sun of your homeland freely without me dragging a blotted shade over your life, serve your people like you've always wanted, and be a good-"
"Quit your whinin', Idia." Leona broke open the pomegranate open with a snarl, allowing droplets of deep ruby fell from each broken half into the grass below them. "The King of Beasts embodies the spirit of persistence, and so do I. Whatever I want will be mine, and that includes you in my life."
"What about your duty as a prince? The plans you have for your people? If you marry me, you might have to go to the underworld, just like Persephone, and live in the Isle of Woe with me."
"That's fine. She got to spend the other half of the year on the surface, and we will too."
"What if we have to wear stupid helmets when we get married down in STYX like my parents?"
"That's easy. I'll get your mother to design mine- she has more style than your father." Leona frowned momentarily at whatever he was envisioning. "Maybe she can work in some ear holes, I don't like it when crap presses my ears down."
"It'll be suffocating in a helmet even if my mom works in some ear holes somehow!"
"It won't matter for too long when I'm with you."
Idia seriously wanted to tear his hair out. Love is just brain chemicals! Why is Leona letting it drive his choice?! His future?! "What about your people, Leona?! Don't you have a duty as a second prince? A vision? They need your brother, but they also need you."
"D'ya think I'd be happy just serving my people selflessly for the rest of my life? Yeah, I do want to guide them as a prince, but I'm selfish and greedy." Leona dropped the pomegranate he held in his right hand into the grass before kneeling next to Idia, who helplessly sat on the ground. "I want more in my life than senseless servitude that'll only be remembered in history."
"Like what? Me? A cursed Shroud heir that's chained to the underworld? Even if you love me, the duty forced upon my family will take me away from you."
"That's why I'm gonna keep ya forever with this pomegranate." Leona dug his claws into the flesh of the fruit, pulling out a needless bounty of juicy arils. "C'mon, radish sprout, let's share this lil' fruit here and tell the world to fuck off because we'll be together, no matter what."
Idia knows what it's like to tell fate to fuck off, saying that he sorta did try to bring his deceased brother back by building a robot, but does that apply to the living? Fate is something Ortho can forge as a being that is beyond mortal life, but the two of them are made of flesh and bone. Their hearts beat because fate wills it so. How can they tell life to fuck off so simply? It feels impossible. If it were a pull rate, the chances would be 0.001%.
"What are you, Hades?" Questioned Idia in some attempted to rationalize his boyfriend's inconceivable actions.
"Maybe," mused Leona. "I sorta of understand him. He saw Persephone being taken away to return to her mother, and found a way to keep her… what's wrong with me doing the same? You're bound to your duty like she is to her mother's affection. As someone who doesn't want to part from you, I can accept half of the year in your company."
"You're literally crazy, kitty-cat."
"Always have been, radish sprout."
The two of them are not close to being a glorious myth retold, filled with adventures and triumph where their love won over all that sought to retell their life story as a hushed, cautionary tale. Yet, he cannot help but wish to clutch onto Leona's madness, to find faith in the idea that a meager fruit could claim that their bond is everlasting. Idia sat there, helpless to his hesitancy, as Leona slipped the clump of ruby flesh into his mouth. The snap and crunch of the seeds in Leona's mouth felt deafening, and the dribble of crimson that fell from the corner of his lips made Idia envious. He couldn't help but yearn for the strange thoughts that bubbled and brewed within his mind; what if they really could be together forever? What if this fruit could truly prove their devotion to one another, and let their bond be unshaken by fate?
"Idia…" Leona says his name so softly, so lovingly. It's impossible for Idia to not lean forward when hearing his name upon his lover's lips. "Do you want this?"
"Want what?" Idia wanted many things. He wanted their bond to remain steady against the hands of fate, for example. He also yearned to be red upon Leona's lips, the flesh in his hand, and the crunch between his teeth. It's probably likely that Leona is not asking to cannibalize him in this particular scenario.
"Do you want us to be together in the future?"
"I- I mean- of course I do, but is it realistic? Just look at us, Leona. The positions we were born into don't exactly give us room for things like- I don't know, true love?"
"Reality doesn't mean shit. It's ours to change as we please, not somethin' we just dread comin' to control us." Leona dug his claws deeper into the flesh of the pomegranate, withdrawing a bloody share for Idia to partake in. "It's all up to you, Idia. D'ya wanna stay with me in sickness and in health, for better, for worse, to love and to cherish, till death do us part?"
"I do." Idia plucked a few arils from Leona's awaiting hand, slipping them into his mouth with ease. He has eaten this fruit in the Isle of Woe dozens of times, but something about this bizarre situation made it taste sweeter than ever. "I hope you're ready, Leona, because I won't stop loving you past death. I'm the king of the underworld, after all, you're going to be stuck with me forever in whatever afterlife we find ourselves in!"
"Does it look like I'd have it any other way?"
"Maybe? I mean, our cultures kind of have different visions of the afterlife, you know. I'm imagining some ancient boatman named Charon awaiting to ferry the two of us across the Styx river into the underworld, while you're probably imagining the two of us joining your ancestors in the sky-"
"Who's to say we can't have it work out both ways? We'll be in the underworld, but we can also make trips to the stars…"
"That's impossible!"
"Isn't that the whole point of our lives? To challenge the impossible and make it work?"
"I mean, I guess? But-"
"C'mon, Idia. We both survived an overblot. It should've been a death sentence, yet here we are, so I'm sure whatever other worries ya got in your head are nothin' to worry 'bout."
Nothing but a cakewalk? Seriously? If only that could be true! Sure, it's a miracle that they didn't become mindless blot phantoms, but that's wildly different from their obligations! Their people! They cannot effectively lead both, can they? Sure, Idia may be a pessimist, and he can't help but be riddled with doubt, but who can blame him? He needs to be realistic about their circumstances, even if he wants to be swept away in whatever fantasy Leona is trying to conjure with the pomegranate in his hand.
"I swear that I won't stop lovin' you, Idia, whenever it be in life or beyond death." Leona placed a few pomegranate arils in his mouth delicately, letting the redness gleam between the whiteness of his teeth as he spoke. "Just as the moon follows the sun, I will follow you, and I will show the world the light you bring to my life."
Leona wastes no time in kissing him sweetly, and Idia hardly had it in him to protest. He too wanted this, after all. This indulgence of love is something he can't find himself to run away from, even if it threatened to drive him to ruin. The warmth of his lover is comforting, and Idia can't help but melt against the warmth of Leona's lips. He's probably the most pliant prey Leona has had the honor of hunting, isn't he? As Leona's fangs nip at his lips, drawing them open ever so slightly, Idia can't help but relish the fact that no other prey has known such love, such intimacy-
At the feeling of sweet arils filling his mouth, Idia couldn't help but jerk away from Leona with a sputtered cough. What was that? Is Leona trying to feed him, mouth-to-mouth?! That's crazier than sharing an indirect kiss by passing around a straw!
"Don't run away from me, Idia." Leona gripped Idia's face, but held him with a sort of gentleness that would allow Idia to slip away if he desired. "Let's finish this fruit, together."
Sure, the suddenness of having pomegranate slipped into his mouth during a kiss surprised him, but it wasn't enough to truly deter Idia from sharing the fruit of his hometown with his beloved. "Does it have to be shared through- uh- kissing?"
"I'd like it that way, but we can just feed each other normally if ya want."
"Ah- no! It just surprised me, you know?" A warning would've been nice beforehand, but Idia didn't mind the surprise. It's romantic in its own right, and probably some rare cutscene that couples don't get to access often. It's fine if he kept indulging in the offer, right?
Once Leona popped a few more juicy arils into his mouth, Idia decided to show his dedication by leaning closer. Their lips found their place with one another easily, for it is an action they have practiced countless times over a long yet lovely span of time. He'll never get tired of kissing his beloved; no matter how sloppy, brief, or messy it may be. He found comfort in such sweet kisses. They are their prayers of love. Each one holds a different wish, and the one they shared now— full of tender flesh and teeth— was surely meant for their heartfelt desires to face every sunrise together. Whenever it be in life or in death, he hopes that each day remains as sweet as the pomegranate tucked in-between their lips.