Chapter Text
╰┈➤ ♯ જ⁀➴ ♡ ✩₊˚.⋆⛓️⋆⁺₊✧ ✦•┈๑ᝰ.ᐟ
Lately, Leona’s mind had been crowded with all sorts of things, but the one who had practically rented a penthouse inside the poor lion’s head was that arrogant peacock.
Leona had already lost count of how many times Vil had appeared in his dreams, but it had been weeks since he last had a night where the blond didn’t somehow make an appearance.
Sometimes he was only a voice.
Sometimes just a silhouette standing somewhere in the distance.
And sometimes he showed up in full detail, looking exactly as irritatingly beautiful as he did in real life.
It was getting ridiculous.
Leona was tired of seeing the model’s face.
Not because it was unpleasant to look at.
Quite the opposite.
The problem was that it was too beautiful.
After seeing it every night for weeks, even that had started to become exhausting.
Whenever one of those dreams decided to bother him, Leona would usually wake up just in time to see Vil disappearing from view like a mirage. Then he’d spend the rest of the night staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep again no matter how hard he tried.
By his calculations, it had already been a week since he’d gotten proper sleep.
Which was honestly impressive considering he was Leona Kingscholar.
Sleeping was practically one of his greatest talents.
╰┈➤ ♯ જ⁀➴ ♡ ✩₊˚.⋆⋆⁺₊✧ ✦•┈๑ᝰ.ᐟ
Once again, he woke up thinking about Vil.
This dream had felt different.
Far more vivid than the others.
Almost real.
It was as if he could still feel someone lying beside him even after opening his eyes.
Leona slowly rolled onto his side and dragged a hand across the empty space next to him, his fingers brushing over the sheets as if he expected to find lingering warmth there.
Nothing.
Just cold fabric.
Yet his hand remained there for a moment longer.
It was the same spot.
The exact same place where Dream-Vil always seemed to be.
Thinking about it now, at least seventy-five percent of those ridiculous dreams ended with the blond occupying that side of the bed.
Leona immediately regretted thinking about it.
With an irritated groan, he dragged a hand down his face and accepted the fact that he wasn’t falling asleep again tonight.
Turning toward the nightstand, he grabbed his phone.
The brightness hit him instantly.
His eyes watered as he squinted at the screen, blinking several times before the numbers finally came into focus.
5:55.
Before he could get annoyed at the absurd hour his stupid dream had decided to wake him up, something surfaced from the back of his mind.
An old memory.
A very old memory.
His mother was carrying him through the center of some city.
He couldn’t remember which one anymore.
The buildings were blurry.
The people were blurry.
Even the sounds had long since faded away.
But he remembered her.
She had pointed toward a large clock mounted on a building nearby.
Her voice sounded distant now, warped by years of forgotten details, but he could still hear it.
“My little prince can tell the time now?” the queen asked warmly, a smile tugging at her lips as she looked down at him.
Leona couldn’t remember what he answered.
Probably something simple.
Something like yes.
“Very good. Those are matching numbers. Do you know what that means?”
Again, he couldn’t remember his response.
“Hm? No?”
She laughed softly.
“Matching numbers are a sign. Especially a lucky one. You can even make a wish.”
The memory ended there.
With her smiling at him.
A smile filled with affection.
Leona stared at the ceiling.
What a useless memory.
Since when were matching numbers supposed to be lucky?
Maybe if they happened in the afternoon.
Not before six in the morning.
Not when he still had classes later.
With a frustrated sigh, he tossed his phone back onto the nightstand.
Now all he could do was hope he’d somehow fall asleep again.
╰┈➤ ♯ જ⁀➴ ♡ ✩₊˚.⋆⏰⋆⁺₊✧ ✦•┈๑ᝰ.ᐟ
Unfortunately for everyone living in Savanaclaw, their Housewarden never managed to fall back asleep.
And unfortunately for them, he still had classes.
The atmosphere inside the dorm that morning was tense.
Painfully tense.
Leona’s expression alone was enough warning for most people to stay out of his way.
“Ruggie.”
The way Leona said his name sounded less like a greeting and more like the beginning of a threat.
The hyena immediately looked up.
“What now, Leona?”
It wasn’t that Ruggie was scared of him.
He just wasn’t stupid enough to poke a lion that clearly hadn’t slept.
“I don’t feel like going to class.” Leona stood from his bed and stretched lazily, looking even more irritated than usual.
Ruggie immediately frowned.
“And?”
“I’m gonna sleep in the Botanical Garden.”
Leona started walking toward the Savanaclaw mirror without another explanation.
Ruggie watched him leave.
Then sighed.
At least he wasn’t threatening to kill anyone today.
That counted as progress.
╰┈➤ ♯ જ⁀➴ ♡ ✩₊˚.⋆💥⋆⁺₊✧ ✦•┈๑ᝰ.ᐟ
For the first time since waking up in the middle of the night, Leona was finally sleeping peacefully.
The wooden bench inside the Botanical Garden was far from comfortable.
The wood dug into his back.
The armrest was in the wrong place.
And yet, after spending an entire week being dragged awake by his own dreams, it felt almost luxurious.
The shade of the surrounding trees covered most of his body while a gentle breeze drifted through the garden, carrying the scent of flowers with it.
Nearby petals swayed softly whenever the wind passed through.
The garden was unusually quiet at this hour.
Most students were trapped in classrooms.
Most professors were busy teaching.
And for the first time in days, Leona’s mind was silent.
No dreams.
No Vil.
No irritating thoughts.
Just peace.
Unfortunately, it didn’t last.
“Thought I’d find you here.”
Leona didn’t even bother opening his eyes.
He recognized that voice immediately.
“Go away, Ruggie.”
“Not even a good morning?” Ruggie let out a short laugh as he followed the stone path toward the bench.
“Go away.”
The hyena shook his head.
“You’ve already skipped three classes.”
“Congratulations. You can count.”
“And, somehow, you’ve ended up sleeping in the Botanical Garden again.”
“Congratulations. You can see too.”
Leona’s voice came out slow and lazy, still heavy with sleep.
Ruggie crossed his arms.
The dark circles beneath Leona’s eyes were deeper than usual.
Far deeper.
Even someone as lazy as Leona didn’t normally skip this many classes in a row.
“You’re acting weird.”
“You say that every week.”
“This time I mean it.”
Leona finally opened one eye.
“I haven’t been sleeping. Happy?”
“For how long?”
“Dunno.”
“That’s a lie.”
Leona clicked his tongue.
“Maybe a week.”
That answer immediately made Ruggie frown.
A week was a lot.
Especially for Leona.
“And you didn’t think about doing something about it?”
“Aren’t I doing that right now?” Leona gestured vaguely toward the bench beneath him.
“Sleeping on a bench?”
“Exactly.”
For a moment, neither spoke.
The only sound came from leaves rustling in the breeze overhead.
“This is actually starting to get concerning.” Ruggie rubbed the back of his neck. “You being cranky means I end up doing more work.”
“You worry too much.”
“And you don’t worry enough.”
Leona immediately turned his head away.
The conversation was over.
At least from his perspective.
Ruggie sighed.
“Fine. I’ll let you sleep. But if you die, I’m stealing your wallet.”
“Get lost.”
“Aww, and here I thought we had something special.”
Ruggie’s footsteps gradually disappeared down the stone path until the garden fell silent once again.
Finally.
Leona settled deeper against the bench and closed his eyes.
Maybe he could get another hour or two.
Maybe he’d have a normal dream for once.
Maybe he could go a single day without thinking about that arrogant peacock.
The thought alone annoyed him.
Damn it.
Even when Vil wasn’t around, he somehow ended up thinking about him.
Then he heard the sharp sound of heels clicking against stone.
Leona immediately hoped it wasn’t who he thought it was.
Though somewhere deep down, a very small part of him wasn’t entirely against the possibility.
A shadow fell across his face.
He frowned but kept his eyes closed.
Probably some lost student.
A few seconds passed.
The person didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
Didn’t leave.
Just stood there.
Watching.
Leona slowly opened one eye, already preparing himself to tell whoever it was to get lost.
The first thing he saw was a piece of purple fabric.
His eye immediately closed again.
Wonderful.
He should’ve stayed asleep.
╰┈➤ ♯ જ⁀➴ ♡ ✩₊˚.⋆💥⋆⁺₊✧ ✦•┈๑ᝰ.ᐟ
“What do you want, Schoenheit?” Leona didn’t even bother turning his head toward the blond, remaining sprawled across the bench as if Vil’s presence alone wasn’t worth the effort.
“I’m simply wondering what kind of person ends up sleeping on a bench inside a greenhouse. Aren’t you supposed to be a prince?” Vil placed a hand on his hip as he looked down at him, his expression carrying the same judgmental look Leona had come to expect from him.
Leona finally glanced in his direction, only to be met by those amethyst eyes staring right back at him. For a brief second, he forgot what he was about to say.
“And aren’t you supposed to be kinder than that? You’re hurting my feelings.” Leona closed his eyes again as he spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Vil rolled his eyes so hard it almost looked painful.
“As if anything could hurt your feelings. Frankly, it’s an insult to common sense that someone like you was born into royalty.”
“If my heart’s made of stone, yours doesn’t even exist.” Leona shot back immediately, not even needing a second to think about it.
A faint twitch appeared near Vil’s eye.
“The only thing that doesn’t exist here is your self-care routine. You waste perfectly good looks acting like a complete slob.” Vil crossed his arms tightly over his chest, clearly pleased to have found something new to criticize.
Leona let out a tired sigh before opening one eye again.
“So you think I’m attractive?” A familiar smirk spread across his face as he watched the blond’s reaction.
Vil immediately regretted speaking.
A faint blush appeared beneath his makeup, subtle enough that most people wouldn’t notice.
Unfortunately for him, Leona noticed everything.
“Leona, let’s be realistic. You’re attractive, yes. Unfortunately, you’re also lazy, irresponsible, arrogant, and remarkably dense.” Vil started counting each flaw on his gloved fingers, his voice becoming sharper with every word.
“I think most of those are personality traits.”
“And they’re terrible personality traits.”
“Yet you keep talking to me.” Leona rested his cheek against his hand, looking far more entertained than offended.
Vil felt his eye twitch again.
“Because somebody has to remind you that you’re capable of behaving like a functioning human being.”
Leona laughed.
The sound only made Vil more irritated.
“You act like an overgrown teenager. Honestly, I’m amazed none of those girls you flirt with have thrown a drink in your face.”
That actually caught Leona’s attention.
“Oh? You’ve been paying attention?” He raised an eyebrow as he sat up slightly, a teasing grin still lingering on his face.
“Hard not to when your reputation follows you everywhere.”
Leona finally pushed himself upright, now looking directly at the blond.
“Says the guy who can’t go five minutes without commenting on my appearance.”
“Oh, please.”
“You keep calling me handsome. You somehow manage to show up wherever I go.” Leona’s grin widened as he leaned back against the bench.
“If I didn’t know any better, Princess, I’d think you were obsessed with me.”
Vil’s left eye twitched.
For the first time since arriving, he looked genuinely annoyed.
“I am not obsessed with you.”
“Could’ve fooled me.” Leona answered immediately.
“You have an inflated ego.” Vil crossed his arms tighter, his nails pressing against the fabric of his sleeves as he tried to ignore how irritatingly pleased Leona looked with himself.
“And yet you’re still here.” Leona leaned back against the bench, one arm stretched across the backrest as if this entire conversation wasn’t worth taking seriously.
“You know, talking to you is exhausting.”
“Then leave.”
“Trust me, I’m considering it.”
The smirk on Leona’s face faded slightly. A week without proper sleep had left him with little patience, and Vil’s constant criticism wasn’t helping.
“Then what’s stopping you?” The question slipped out before he could stop it.
Vil frowned.
“What?”
“If I’m so awful, why are you still standing here?” Leona finally stood from the bench, towering over the blond with little effort.
For a brief moment, Vil didn’t answer.
The question caught him off guard.
“Because despite everything, I thought there might be something worth saving underneath all that laziness.” Vil looked away for a second before forcing himself to meet Leona’s gaze again.
Leona let out a dry laugh.
“That’s rich coming from you.”
Vil immediately narrowed his eyes.
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you’re in no position to lecture anyone.” Leona’s voice lost most of its teasing edge.
The atmosphere shifted.
Both of them noticed.
Neither stepped back.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
Vil took a step forward.
“Then explain.”
Leona should have dropped it.
A reasonable person would’ve.
Instead, the exhaustion and frustration that had been building for days pushed him forward.
“You couldn’t stand losing to Neige.” His words came out colder than intended.
Vil froze.
Only for a second.
But Leona saw it.
“You became so obsessed with beating him that you nearly destroyed everything.”
The blond’s expression hardened immediately.
Pain flashed across his face before anger replaced it.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t I?” Leona folded his arms across his chest.
“You spend your entire life chasing perfection, but no matter what you do, somebody always gets there first.”
Vil’s hands slowly curled into fists.
His jaw tightened.
“You know nothing about me.”
“And you’re jealous.” Leona continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “You’ve always been jealous.”
Something flickered in Vil’s eyes.
Anger.
Embarrassment.
Hurt.
All at once.
“And you have the nerve to talk about jealousy?” Vil’s voice rose slightly as he pointed directly at him.
Leona’s ears twitched.
Now they were entering dangerous territory.
“You couldn’t accept losing to Malleus.”
The words hit harder than Vil expected.
Leona’s expression darkened immediately.
“You spent years blaming everyone else for your own failures.” Vil refused to look away even as his heart pounded in his chest.
“Careful.”
“No.”
Vil stepped closer.
His voice shook slightly, but he kept going.
“You act like the world owes you something.”
“Watch your mouth.”
“But the truth is you’ve been hiding from your own potential for years.” Vil lifted his chin defiantly, refusing to be intimidated.
Now they stood face to face.
Close enough to see every tiny change in expression.
Close enough to see the exhaustion hidden beneath Leona’s irritation.
“At least I’m honest about who I am.”
Vil laughed bitterly.
“Honest?”
Leona felt irritation crawl up his spine.
“You’re terrified, Leona.”
For the first time since the argument started, Leona visibly tensed.
The blond noticed.
And kept going.
“You’re scared of failing.”
Another hit.
“So you never try.”
Leona clenched his jaw.
“Shut up.”
“It’s true.”
Vil’s voice grew sharper.
“You spend your life pretending not to care because it’s easier than admitting you’re afraid.”
Something inside Leona snapped.
“And you spend your life chasing approval you’ll never get.”
Vil immediately went silent.
Leona saw it.
The hesitation.
The hurt.
And despite knowing he should stop, he continued.
“You keep trying to become perfect.”
The blond’s stomach sank.
“But no matter what you do, you’ll never be satisfied.”
“Stop.”
The word barely came out above a whisper.
Leona ignored it.
“You compare yourself to everyone around you.”
Vil looked away for a fraction of a second.
“Neige.”
His shoulders stiffened.
“Anyone who gets attention.”
His hands trembled.
“Anyone who gets praised.”
“Stop.”
This time it came out louder.
His voice cracked slightly.
Leona opened his mouth again.
Vil slapped him.
The impact wasn’t strong.
Barely enough to sting.
But the trembling hand told a different story.
“You’re an idiot!” Vil’s voice echoed through the greenhouse, louder than he’d intended.
Leona stared at him.
Completely caught off guard.
“Do you have any idea how impossible you are?” Vil’s breathing had become uneven as frustration spilled out faster than he could contain it.
“I hate how lazy you are.”
His voice shook.
“I hate how arrogant you are.”
Leona remained silent.
“I hate how you never take anything seriously.”
Vil’s hands trembled at his sides.
He tried to steady them.
Failed.
“And I hate—”
The words stopped.
His eyes widened.
For a brief second, panic crossed his face.
Too late.
The sentence was already falling apart in front of him.
“And I hate that I fell for someone like you.”
Silence.
Complete silence.
Leona simply stared.
The anger disappeared from his face so quickly it almost looked unreal.
Vil felt all the color drain from his face.
His hand immediately flew to his mouth.
“I…”
He took a step back.
Then another.
“Forget I said that.”
Another step.
“Please.”
For the first time all day, Vil looked genuinely frightened.
Then he turned and hurried away before Leona could say a single word.
Leona watched him disappear between the rows of flowers, his mind struggling to process what had just happened.
A minute passed.
Then another.
Slowly, he sat back down on the bench.
This felt like a problem for Future Leona.
Present Leona was exhausted.
His last coherent thought before drifting off was simple.
How the hell does Vil Schoenheit like me?
╰┈➤ ♯ જ⁀➴ ♡ ✩₊˚.⋆🍃⋆⁺₊✧ ✦•┈๑ᝰ.ᐟ
But those who watched that scene from afar already had a plan in mind