Work Text:
A lazy Saturday afternoon. Leona finds himself at Idia's room, wanting to escape from the scorching heat of Savanaclaw's dorm for once. Perhaps he could've gone to any other napping spot on campus - yet his feet have a mind of their own. Sooner or later, his hand raises itself to push open Idia's room, no knock necessary. Leona silently thanks whatever higher being is up there, grateful that Ortho is out since that means Idia has his door unlocked.
It's not as if he frequents his room often enough that he might as well have a card that says Idia Room Pass: Unlimited Access - though he does have one in his pocket that says Idia Room Pass: Come Whenever You Feel Like It! which is basically the same thing but phrased more affectionately and considerate of the card owner's emotions, courtesy of Ortho himself. As much as Idia wanted to protest to the ridiculous idea of giving someone 24/7 access to his room just so he can make a friend, he could never say no to his brother (Leona had wished that Falena would be somewhat like Idia then).
"You're really here just for the AC, huh?"
Idia gives it to Leona straight as he spins around in his seat to face Leona. It's proven to be a great way to start a conversation and, consequently, a bickering session. Though their bickering isn't as prominent as Leona's bickering with the other housewardens due to Idia's anxiety, it's pretty much inevitable still. Leona recalls Vil describing the circle of housewardens akin to "a neighborhood moms group in the Shaftland suburbs."
"What can I say, you Ignihyde folks are the lucky ones blessed with all the technology on this campus."
Leona wittily replies, making himself at home on Idia's bed almost immediately, his body save for his legs planted into the deep void. He's already growing drowsy from how comfortable he is - but Idia won't let him rest so easily.
"Maybe if you took off that dumb leather jacket you wouldn't be sweating your balls off."
Idia spins again, facing away from Leona this time, towards his PC. Fortunately, he wasn't in the middle of some online multiplayer game or a rhythm game that could cause him to neglect his beloved guest who might as well be his roommate, what with that pass of his. Idia shivers at the flashbacks of having to live with other dormmates back when he wasn't a housewarden. Despite this, he starts imagining what it'd be like to be roommates with Leona. He ends up shivering more.
"Well, it looks like you need my dumb leather jacket more than I do. You're shivering like a hairless goat in the middle of snow storm."
"Pfft, what kinda metaphor is that?"
They continue bickering like that for the rest of the hour (and no, Leona does not end up giving Idia his jacket). Leona has become somewhat used to how talkative (and additionally, defensive) Idia can be given the opportunity but it still catches slightly off guard how foul his mouth can be. At least, the words are. His breathe surprisingly doesn't reek of some unpleasant never-leaves-his-room gamer stench. And he could only fantasize of the taste. His thoughts drift curiously to if those blue lips have some unique flavor to them. He doesn't realize how gay that is.
"Is there even anything that you like in this world that isn't nerdy, cooping up in your room and your brother?"
Leona asks, at some point. Whether in response to this question or not, Leona doesn't know, but Idia shuts down his PC and turns in his seat to face Leona once again. His expression is unreadable. Again, Leona is unsure if it's a response to the game he was playing for the past hour or to his question. Leona hazards a guess that Idia's considering at least something.
"Sweets. That one time everyone complimented me after that creepy ghost bride kidnapped me for some reason. A certain feline that doesn't like me back."
At this, Leona huffs out a laugh. Six things that makes this world bearable to live in isn't much better than three. But, it is a bigger number, he'll give Idia that. He's in no place to be insulting his much, considering he has around the same number of things on his list.
"Give it up, radish sprout. Lucius is never gonna let you pet him."
It's Idia's turn to scoff.
"Bold of you to assume I'm talking about Lucius."
"Oh, sincerest apologies, I forgot Grim existed."
Idia simply rolls his eyes at the reply. It's silent for a moment, Idia's eyes falling to his hands on his lap. He seems to be considering something again, Leona concludes. Leona can't tell if Idia is cuter when he's fired up and spouting out every word there is in the dictionary or when he's like this, deep in thought and less at risk of being generally condescending, at least in the time frame of him pondering. There's no guarantee that the words that will come out of his mouth after a minute of thinking won't get on someone's nerves.
"It's you, dumbass."
Idia finally speaks up. "Dumbass" isn't really as insulting as it sounds but still. Though Leona thinks he shouldn't really be paying attention to that.
"What?"
Leona doesn't know if Idia is saying what he thinks he's saying or if he's just playing a weird version of a game of tag - or both. Tag! You're being crushed on, dumbass!
"Y-You're the cat that doesn't like me back."
Oh, so he is saying what Leona thinks he's saying. Though his hypothesis is proven right, Leona finds himself at a lost of what to do with this information. Or rather, how to respond to it. He has a vague idea but he fears he says the wrong thing. And unlike Idia here, he actually thinks before speaking up - it's just a coincidence that most of the things he thinks of before speaking and when actually speaking are sarcastic.
"You don't get to decide that."
He finally says after a minute. This got Idia to look up from his hands, any sign of anxiety gone and now replaced with an unamused expression.
"What, about you being a cat? It's true as far as I'm con-"
"No, you dimwit. About me not liking you back."
He quickly interjects. Leona has grown accustomed of Idia's bad habits of denying and doubting anything remotely positive that happens to him. Leona doesn't blame him, with how he grew up and the fact that being a skeptic is basically required here in Night Raven College. But still, would it kill him to have a little bit of hope and some dreams in that big head of his?, Leona thinks.
"...Huh?"
Oh my god, this idiot.
"I fucking like you back, Idia. That's what I'm trying to say."
Leona confesses. Idia blinks once. Twice. Then rapidly in the span of 10 seconds, enough that it reminds Leona of that one time Ortho's eye modules malfunctioned and he couldn't stop rapidly blinking. He remembers thinking it similar to a glitch in a video game. And now Idia is doing the same. Glitching, though this time he figures it's his heart that's malfunctioning rather than his eyes.
"You know, maybe pigs really sprouted wings that day when you wished me well on my birthday and said I was worth celebrating. O-Or it's just you naturally being an ikemen stereotype only dudes in otome games can pull off as usual!"
Now starts the rambling. And it's in denial. Leona fights the urge to grab Idia by the shoulders and shake him until he runs out of nonsense to spout.
"Okay, I don't know the second half of what you're saying and it's kinda pissing me off but when I say I like you, I like like you, alright?"
Leona confesses... a second time. A second confession from the same person does sound like a luxury Idia can afford, at least wealth-wise. Leona doubts he can even prompt someone to willingly talk to him charisma-wise (or lack thereof). Yet there they are.
"B-But...why?"
It's Leona's turn to blink confusingly.
"You seriously just asked me why I like you."
"Yeah."
Though he lacks severely in the charisma department, Idia's nerdiness outshines any need for it. The ramblings and his adorable little smile when he's talking about something he clearly loves and is passionate about. His pout on the occasion Leona's teasing causes him to respond as such. And the day that "creepy ghost bride" as Idia put it made a mess for everyone but especially Idia and how Leona was there to witness Idia's pale cheeks and hair be painted a shade of bashful pink, though he didn't participate. In short?
They're all things he doesn't dare say out loud.
"Well, I'll do you one better - why do you like me?"
Crisis averted. If someone here's gonna be embarrassed, it's not me, Leona decides. He's not expecting much for an answer. But when Idia's eyebrows crook, making him seem fiercer, he knows he's in for more than just a simple reply.
"L-Like I've said, you can pull off stunts that'd have anyone swooning even without thinking too hard about it, even if you're kinda a jerk about it. And you're unbelievably hot, like actually, even Vil knows it! B-But unlike him, I don't think it's the only thing got going on for you, you're, like, super smart too, smart enough to actually make chess matches challenging for me and I can kinda tell you actually care for and about people and-"
While Idia was busy rambling, he doesn't notice Leona sitting up. Leona tugs at the collar of Idia's shirt with one hand and, with all his might, pulls him into a kiss. His other hand digs into Idia's flames, cool to his touch rather than burning his the skin of his hand away. Idia freezes for a few seconds before his hands eventually slither their way to the back of Leona's neck. Sooner or later, Leona tugs a second time and they exchange kisses on the bed.
Leona would've gone further but one: somehow, Idia's flames grow hotter when they're that shade of pink and the main reason he came here is to escape the heat, and two: the expression on Idia's face is saying I know you're half-beast but let's stop here for now, and so he stops because while he is half-beast, he is also half-decent-man.
"...To continue what I was saying, since someone so rudely interrupted me."
Leona only laughs while he wraps an arm around Idia's waist, the latter still on top of former and now propping his head up with his arms on top of Leona's chest. He buries his head into his arms, and consequently Leona's chest as well. He continues.
"And you're also a great kisser too, apparently."