Miss Candie 🍬

Your future with Leona Kingscholar that never was.

Leona Kingscholar x gn!reader. Angst. No comfort. Bittersweet.

Inspired by “Sienna” by The Marías

There are moments in time that seem dreamlike. Beautiful memories created so far in the distant past that they now are nothing more than cruel illusions. Perhaps that's exactly what Leona Kingscholar was to you.

Your time with him had been nothing short of sweet. Contrary to popular belief, Leona Kingscholar was quite the quietly caring partner. Attentive, loving, treating you as his equal. He had his quirks, you both did, every being with a soul does. But in spite of everything, you loved him, and he loved you.

You didn't try to "fix" him, but rather you were present for him as he slowly gathered the strength to live with himself as he was, and make strides toward change of his own merit. He was grateful for all of it. He truly couldn't begin to express how appreciative he was for everything. For you. You who stood by him as he strived for growth as difficult as it might've been. You both grew as individuals, as equals, together.

So much so that you both imagined futures together. You were precious to each other. You let yourselves dream of a possibility of forever until you were old and gray and even in death you might never part. Adoring each other was just that intense. That's why love is a scary thing. It lets you hope. It lets you dream, and dream you did.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Back in NRC in the winter months, you encountered Leona on one of the school's rooftops. You'd been looking for him all day. You couldn't find him in his usual nap spots. But for whatever reason, you ended up here. Leona had several places around the school to nap in and shut his mind off from his racing thoughts, to be left alone, and get away from Ruggie's nagging. But you're quite the stubborn thing, aren't you? So you looked and looked until you ended up here.

The breeze was chilly. No, freezing at this altitude, but you had finally found your lion, so you felt at least a bit of internal warmth. He was sprawled out, eyes shut with his arms behind his head, letting the setting sun paint his face in gold light. He sensed your presence even in sleep. He cracked a piercing green eye open to see you. You with your thin layers and your subtly chattering teeth from the cold. Yet you still wore that smile of yours when you looked at him. He sat up and lightly scolded you when he reached a hand to your cheek. His knuckles grazing your skin gently.

"Tch. You're freezin', you're gonna get sick like this then I'm gonna be roped into taking care of you…ya seriously didn't think to wear something thicker?"

Still, despite his scolding and the sigh that escaped his lips, he pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around you. Leona doesn't like the cold. He's actually pretty sensitive to it. But unlike you in this moment, he was smart enough to have worn thicker layers.

"Won't you be cold?" you asked, even though you wrapped his jacket tighter around yourself.

"I'll feel colder if I sit here listenin’ to the chatterin' of your teeth. You’re gonna chip a tooth at this rate. What are ya doin' up here anyway?" he asked, raising a brow at you.

"I couldn't find you, so I came looking for you. I missed you," you said, scooting closer to him.

"Heh. You missed me, huh? How sentimental." he said. It was ridiculous really. Just because you missed him, you scrambled around campus and came all the way up here. Just to see him. How cute, really.

He pulled you close against him with one arm as he rested his cheek on your head, nuzzling you contentedly. His tail swishing into a curve.

You watched the sunset together until you shivered. Leona did too—he'd given you his jacket after all, but no way would he admit he was cold. He took your hand in his. Ice cold. He brought it up to his lips, brushing your knuckles against them as he murmured,

"Let's go, you're shiverin' like a leaf."

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Now you stand here. Again. On the same rooftop as back then. Somehow you ended up here once more. It had been years, yet here you are. Watching the sunset. Alone.

You wore his jacket. Even a scarf of his he rarely wore because he hated his neck being constricted. His presence lingered here. It always had lingered within you.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Back then you used to have silly thoughts really. Thoughts of forever. You couldn't help it, but who could blame you? The shared laughter, the vulnerability, the trust. It seemed like your future together was set in stone.

So sometimes you allowed yourself to dream. To think and imagine. Her. A little girl. No older than 5. With dark brown wavy locks. Deep tan skin. And beautiful piercing green eyes. Just like him.

Leona isn't even particularly fond of children. You knew that. You have your own opinion about them. Even so, you couldn't help but imagine.

She would've been cute. Would look just like him.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Now you went down. Walking through familiar spaces of campus. You ended up outside his door. Well, what used to be his door anyway. That was years ago. It surely belonged to someone else now. Lucky for you, campus was empty. It was likely winter break.

The season brings you back.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

You waited outside his door. Waiting for him to be done with Spelldrive practice. Eventually you heard the creak of the wooden floorboards of him going up the stairs.

He found you leaning against the wall. Your arms crossed and waiting near his dorm room door. Endearing, really. He gave you a key a long time ago when he began wanting your presence in his space. So why haven't you gone in?

"You're back!" you said, expression brightening as you took in the sight of him. Dashing as ever in his Spelldrive uniform with his hair tied up in a high ponytail.

"Hmm. Why didn't cha go in?" he asked.

"I wanted to see you walk in." you said simply.

You're an odd one, aren't you? Leona surely thought so. But he couldn't help the tug at the corner of his lips.

"You've got nothin' better to do than wait ‘round for me, do ya? Guess I can't blame ya. I'm pretty irresistible," he said. Cheesy, you thought. But despite his words, he pulled you close.

You melted in each other's embrace. The December cold for a moment felt warm. He kissed your temple. A content sigh leaving his lips before he opened the door and the two of you stepped in.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

You're here outside his door again. And you'll wait here tomorrow. For him to come back. But he won't.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

That image appeared again. Of her. The cute little girl who looks like your beloved lion. You followed the mirage. You must have lost your mind. But she looks so tangible in this moment.

The pitter-patter of tiny feet. Running around. A bright ray of sunshine. That's what she reminds you of.

You end up near the Savanaclaw pool. You remember how in the summer months he'd jump in to cool off.

She'd do the same. In a home you and he created together. The same strides as him. The same way he'd jump in.

He'd hold her tiny form to make sure she was safe. Her little laughter would bring a smile to your lion's face as his cub splashed about. You'd sit there by the edge observing with a fond look.

Later she'd go look for that "cat" of yours. Grim maybe? And sing him a song. Grim would pretend to hate it, but how could he, when she sang to him in the way you did.

Her temperament? Just like his. Laid back, competitive, clever. Sensitive, like him. He'd never admit it of course, but he was secretly quite the sensitive one. So it was unsurprising that she'd end up being the same. But unlike him, your precious girl was more open about her emotions. He was grateful for that.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Your feet took you off campus at some point. To the beach near Foothill Town. You smile into the crystal clear water. The waves were mad just like back then. Back then when you stood here hand in hand.

You smiled thinking of all the times you had with him.

You see her face again. It's not exactly clear. It never had been. You just know her resemblance to him is uncanny. She has sprinted off. Her pace so similar to his. You went after her. You couldn't let her run off. What if something happened to her?

You end up in the forest. Once again, your gaze fell on her blurry face. Those lovely green eyes. She smiles at you. At least you think she does. She waves at you. And she disappears.

Ah…

That's right. You never got to meet her. She never existed.

He's not here with you either. You were never able to make that mirage your reality.

You return home eventually. Wherever home was for you now. You still have your old phone Crowley "oh so generously" gave you years ago. A notification pops up. You see his face again. It's a news report.

The Second Prince of the Sunset Savanna was working on a new regeneration project for the slums.

He seems to look well in the photos. At least that's what everyone thinks. But you knew him better. The forlorn gaze in his eyes tells you everything.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Leona Kingscholar had gone through changes over the years. Slow but sure improvement. You had definitely left your impact on him.

You still exist in every aspect of his life except physically by his side.

He was handling some paperwork. He sighed, slumping into his chair from exhaustion. The words on the page were practically floating by now.

He closed his eyes to rest for a moment. But he can't even have a moment of peace. He's cursed with the image of you existing each time he closes his eyes.

He should've told you not to go back then. Maybe he wouldn't feel as pathetic and empty now if he had.

You live under his eyelids. In every corner of his mind…

You'll always be his.

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Leona Kingscholar is a lot of things, but forgetful isn’t one of them. So why does he keep leaving behind his wallet at your dorm?

Leona Kingscholar x gn!reader. Unestablished relationship. Leona cares about you more than he wants to admit.

A significant amount of time had passed since you and Grim first started fixing up the guest room in Ramshackle Dorm. The two of you had worked tirelessly (or rather, you had done most of the work while that lazy furball lounged around devouring endless cans of tuna leaving the empty ones scattered everywhere, creating even more work for you…) But, despite the setbacks, you managed to gather the right materials and use your newly acquired magitool to craft intricate pieces of furniture. Eventually, you furnished the guest room exactly as you envisioned, feeling satisfied with how everything had come together.

But what was a guest room without guests? Naturally, you began inviting your friends over to hang out. The Heartslabyul duo, Ace and Deuce, were among the first, followed by plenty of others. Soon enough, you had a steady stream of visitors from all seven dorms

With guests came feedback, and you gladly considered their suggestions to improve the space. This was especially important to you because there was one particular guest you hadn’t invited just yet — this was none other than Leona Kingscholar, the notoriously picky Savanaclaw dorm leader.

You knew Leona had high standards when it came to his lounging spots, so you wanted to create a space even the particular lion prince would find comfortable. Once you were satisfied with the room’s cozy atmosphere, you extended more invitations — including one to Leona himself.

What was his reaction to the guest room you ask? Well in his exact words:

“Hm. It's less dusty than the lounge. Guess you're serious about hostin' people here.”

He said with a sly, teasing smile, his gaze sweeping over the room with apparent indifference. Sure, it wasn’t exactly glowing praise — but coming from Leona, you’d take it.

However, despite his seeming indifference to the room, after the first few invitations, Leona started showing up frequently — and unannounced. Not that you minded. In fact, you found it pretty amusing (and oddly endearing) to see the lion prince sprawled out on your couch, napping away as if the room were his own. Chances were, he was dodging his dorm leader responsibilities. Or maybe Ruggie’s nagging, either way, you didn’t complain.

As more of your friends would visit you and use the space as either a hangout spot, a place to relax, or as a study room it wasn’t uncommon for them to leave things behind. Some of the things you would find ranged from Ace’s playing cards (that boy never tired of showing off his card tricks), Vil’s mauve nail polish, Ortho’s power cable, Jade’s tea guide and…Trey’s portable dental hygiene kit? (Okay…well someone certainly cares about their teeth it seems! That’s not weird at all…Good for him!)

Like the good host and friend you were, you always made sure to return everyone’s belongings as soon as you saw them again. And after misplacing their things a couple of times, most of your friends got the message and stopped forgetting their stuff so frequently.

Except for him…

Leona, for some reason, no matter how many times you returned his designer wallet, would always, always, always forget it somewhere in your guest room. It was strange, really. There was no way he was that careless. Aloof as he may be, he wasn’t the type to be so absentminded, especially with something as important as his wallet.

But, little did you know that the lion prince was doing it on purpose. Obviously, someone as observant as Leona wouldn’t constantly leave his belongings behind unless… it was intentional. And in this case, it definitely was. Just like how he’d “accidentally” overpay Ruggie or “carelessly” leave his wallet out in his room for his sticky fingers to find, he was doing the same thing with you. He wanted you to take the hint and use it to fix up this dingy dorm of yours. But you just weren’t getting it.

The first time you returned his wallet, he was a little confused but didn’t outright show it.

“My wallet? I left it in your dorm?… thanks I guess…”

Alright. Maybe it just didn’t click for you yet. He’d try again.

“Hah?… Again…thanks…”

The second time, he expected you to understand. But no. You just handed it back to him like before.

Fine. Maybe he had to be more obvious. This time, he’d leave it right in plain sight. On the coffee table that Grim had proudly dedicated to displaying his empty tuna cans (his contribution to the décor, if that wasn’t obvious enough).

But there you were, cleaning the guest room again only to find that once again, Leona had forgotten his wallet. You have to return it to him of course!

And so the cycle continued. Over and over again. Each time, he made it more obvious, certain that this time, you’d finally take the hint. But no. You just kept giving it back.

At this point, Leona was exasperated.

Alright, herbivore, just how dense are ya?! Do ya seriously need me to spell it out for ya?! He thought internally.

He felt like his intentions were so obvious. But was he going to outright tell you? No, of course not. He’d rather keep up this nonsense than admit, out loud, that… he cared about you enough to want to subtly provide for you. He wanted you to have enough to buy yourself something nice, to make this dorm a little nicer, or even buy Grim that fancy tuna if it makes you happy. But since you were clearly too dense to understand, he’d just keep “forgetting” his wallet until you finally got the message.

Or were you really that dense?…

Little did the poor, frustrated lion prince know—you were well aware of what he was doing. You had figured it out long ago. But, well… watching the gradual frustration build on his face every time you handed his wallet back was just a little too entertaining for you to end the game so soon!

So, you decided to keep it going.

Whether you’d take pity on his frustration or wait until he finally snapped and admitted he cared about you—that remained to be seen. But for now, you were more than happy to let him suffer just a little bit longer.

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Doing nothing with Leona Kingscholar is much more eventful than it may seem. Leona Kingscholar x gn!reader. Established relationship. Leona is completely smitten, but only subtle gestures give him away.

Inspired by the song “Nothing” by Bruno Major. (I really recommend taking a listen, it’s such a sweet song! ᵕ̈ )

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Leona Kingscholar could’ve never imagined himself sharing his space with anyone. He liked being left alone and wasn’t the type to enjoy close proximity. Keeping others at a distance came easily, thanks to his intimidating nature, and he found it simpler to deal with people that way.

But despite all that, the aloof lion prince was now curled up by your side on the couch, his head resting on your chest and his tail loosely wrapped around your ankle. It had been a long day for both of you, so some much-needed rest in each other’s company was exactly what Leona needed—not that he’d explicitly tell you that though.

Still, you know your lion well enough by now. So there you lay running your hand gently through his wavy locks, being careful around his fluffy ears. To anyone who knew Leona’s usual gruffness, this would have been a completely foreign sight. Hell, even Leona himself was amazed (and a bit unsettled) by how vulnerable he became around you. You just had to weasel your way into his heavily guarded heart huh?

This wasn’t an easy feat however. You’d put in tireless effort to get to this point in your relationship with Leona. He commended you for it and was quietly grateful that you never gave up on him. How could he not fall for the “stubborn herbivore” who was determined to bring a little light into his life?

There were several things Leona began to enjoy doing since entering a relationship with you. But his absolute favorite thing? Doing nothing. Yes, nothing. Your mere presence was enough to make him feel content. You brought a sense of peace to his usually racing mind; there wasn’t anything you needed to do. Just being with him was fulfilling. But, of course, he’d always go along with your whims.

So when you suggested playing video games on that new console you’d received as a gift from Ignihyde’s dorm leader, he couldn’t refuse. In your matching loungewear, the two of you played several rounds together—with you winning almost every time.

It was an odd outcome, really. Leona wasn’t particularly fond of video games, but he is competitive to his core. The same Leona Kingscholar who wouldn’t go easy on anyone—whether in a game of chess or pool—was now sitting here, doing just that with you.

There aren’t many people Leona doesn’t mind losing to (or anyone, for that matter). So how were you winning? Simple, really.

As you focused intently on the TV, completely immersed in the game, he watched you with the same intensity. Though you remained blissfully unaware. How oblivious you were to how your eyes sparkled with joy after winning yet another round, or how the grin on your face had Leona wanting more.

“Ha! That’s game 7/10 for me!” you declared, winning yet again.

“You’re real happy, aren’t ya?” Leona remarked, scrutinizing you with a slight tug at the corner of his lips.

“Of course!” you replied gleefully.

Eventually, you grew tired of video games and opted to watch a cheesy romance series you and Leona had seen multiple times. You loved it; it always pulled at your heartstrings. Leona, on the other hand, acted indifferent—but you could catch the way his eyes glazed over every time you watched it.

“Ah, that stupid show again? Fine, if you like it. No, I’m not tearing up. The TV light is just hurtin’ my eyes…” he grumbled, earning a smirk from you.

After a couple of episodes, you and Leona fell into various nonsensical conversations. Your mindless chatter kept him amused, and despite himself, he found it endearing.

“So… do you think fish ever get thirsty?” you ask, dead serious.

“Wha— the hell are ya on about now?” Leona asks, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s a serious question, Leona! Do you think they drink the water around them?” you press.

“You—haa, you know what? Sure, yup, that’s exactly what they do. But if you’re genuinely curious, you could always ask those guys from Octavinelle. Actually, nah…scratch that—don’t go near that shady cephalo-punk…” He replies, indulging your nonsense while throwing a jab at the Octavinelle dorm leader.

Your dumb conversations continue late into the night, with you both eventually clutching onto each other, laughing uncontrollably.

That laugh of yours had him melting. The way your eyes crinkled when you grinned—Leona was charmed. He couldn’t help but notice how your eyes seemed to glisten, and in a rare moment of poetic thought, he mused that if the sky were ever deprived of its stars, it would surely be because they existed in your eyes. It was a cringy thought, sure, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he had these disgustingly cheesy thoughts about you frequently.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that when the laughter subsided, Leona simply stared at you, his gaze soft and fond as he took in every detail of your features, committing them to memory. His deep green eyes glinted, giving away his emotions and just how completely enamored he truly was.

Unable to resist any longer, he reached out, his fingers brushing gently across your cheek before cupping your face with his warm hand. His thumb softly caressed under your eye, searching your features for the green light, he leaned in closer once your eyes fluttered shut. Finally, his lips met yours in a chaste kiss, his adoration fully conveyed by the simple, tender gesture.

When he pulled away, there was a playful glint in your eyes, and Leona looked at you, utterly love-struck. You pulled him back into a gentle kiss of your own, then upped the intensity by playfully biting his lower lip. He stared at the cheeky look on your face when he pulled away slightly caught off guard, yet amused by your antics.

You had him wanting you even more. Eventually, Leona pulled you closer, capturing you in a deeper kiss. Between the kisses, you fought for dominance, occasional burst of laughter slipping from your lips. This little game of yours ended with the two of you in a tangled heap on the floor.

The thud from hitting the ground made you both pause, taking in each other’s mildly disheveled appearance—still wrapped in the blanket that had draped over you both earlier. You couldn’t help but burst into laughter, and soon enough, Leona joined in.

If Leona had the choice to be anywhere else, doing anything else in that moment, he’d refuse without hesitation. Because, to Leona, there was nothing like doing nothing with you.

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