Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The afternoon sun filtered through the Botanical Garden’s dome windows, casting thin streaks of gold across the rows of magical and tropical flora. Students paced about, tidying remnants of their last assignment, gathering near the tables as Professor Crewel barked, “Puppies! It’s time for our next lesson!”

Everyone stared—more at the teacher’s crop than at Crewel, himself.

The professor’s ash-grey eyes gleamed with mischief, one perfectly arched brow raising to make Divus Crewel appear exceedingly impish. His thin lips lifted to grin. Not a hair falls out of place.

“Today’s ‘trick’, my hopeless whelps, should be manageable—even for the likes of you.”

…In theory. Passing depended, to a certain extent, on who one was paired with. Headmage Crowley believed a carefully chosen partner exercise would create a quieter harmony among NRC students. In turn, the seasoned-but-naive mage expected less work in return.

The assignment was obvious the moment it spread across the table, thanks to Professor Crewel using his levitation and manifestation magic: soil, clay pots, watering cans, and vials of magical seeds presented in four neat piles.

Expectantly, they all watched, gripped with anticipation.

“You!” Crewel snapped at the first student of his choosing, crop slashing through the air to point at Leona.

“Tch…” The lion prince’s ears twitched. With a slight roll of his eyes and a low groan escaping him, he already regretted showing up for class.

“And you!” The whip cracked again–but toward Malleus, scattering the murmurs into stunned silence.

Malleus blinked for a heartbeat, then he slowly half-smiled. Without a word, he raised his right arm, pointing to the pile, his glives glinting amber. Drawn by Malleus’ magnetic force, the items quickly shot his way for the dragon-fae prince to collect.

Since the announcement, Leona had frozen in place with a condemning scowl, his furry ears and tail bristling and frayed at the tips.

“That flower won’t last a minute…” a student muttered jokingly. Another whispered, “Does Professor Crewel want them to fail?”

Crewel rapped his crop against his boot. “Silence! Unless you mutts wish to volunteer for double homework, you’ll all hold your wagging tongues.”

Leona’s eyes slid to Malleus, who was approaching: Leona’s irritation simmered.

Malleus met his gaze without a flicker, unreadable as stone, and offered the satchel of fertile soil and pot to Leona by hand. The remaining items hovered.

Their fingers brushed, softly.

Why, Leona wondered, was he feeling slightly flustered? He should have seen this coming: him. Of all people, him.

Divus carried on without missing a beat, crop slashing through the air as Ruggie barely stifled a chitter by covering his mouth, amused at the tension between the two unfortunate princes.

“I can’t—! Shyeehee—!”

“You, wretched mutt!” Divus barked, wand snapping toward him. “And you, pitiful hound!” Another sharp crack of the wand split the air—now directing his attention to Rook.

Ruggie’s ears twitched before he blurted, “Wait—seriously?!” His voice cracked, pitch hopping like a startled hyena.

Rook smiled serenely. “Très bon!” he purred. Half-skipping over, he took Ruggie’s hands in his own, surprising the hyena enough for him to gawk, mottled ears and tail frozen upright before he blinked back to–several times.

With an invasive, theatrical outstretch, Rook drew Ruggie close, pressing their shoulders together in a long, intimate embrace that left the entire room staring.

“Monsieur Dent-de-Lion! Je répandrai mon amour en toi, jusqu’à ce que ton âme en déborde!” In a brisk sprint, Rook dashed to the table to gather their supplies so he could side by Ruggie (a little too closely).

“Sheesh…”

“Ha,” Leona snorted under his breath. A vague hint of temporary amusement lifted both of his thick, dark brows and the corners of his lips. He felt relieved that he didn’t get that guy, at least–not that Malleus was any better.

❀ ❀ ❀

The rules were elementary: plant the seed, impart it with ‘love’ by complimenting the partner and showering them with words of affection, and keeping the flower in bloom for one week.

Leona’s claws dug into Malleus’ gloved hands as he snatched the pot and soil from the other man and squatted down, tail flicking in agitation as he wasted no time scooping the earth and pouring it into the pot. He could have done this alone.

“You gonna say somethin’, or what?” Leona growled, emerald eyes fixed on the pot. “Don’t tell me the sun’s gone and dried you up, lizard.”

Ah, there it was.

Malleus blinked softly, slowly. His long, dark lashes cast soft, warm shadows over the slopes of his high, pale cheeks.

“Oh, forgive me. I was merely struck by your eagerness to take part.”

Leona bit back nearly all of the insults that he wished to hurl at the other Prince. Instead, his soft, full lips pressed together in a wiggly line before he half-mumbled:

“Shaddup.”

Malleus’ pale face remained composed, though a faint, teasing glint shone in his lime-green eyes. A single, thin brow lifted; clearly enjoying Leona’s flustered reaction–though he does not comment.

“Shall we begin?” Malleus’ tone shifted neutral, lowering himself next to Leona and sitting on his knees.

There were two things left to do. So, Malleus opened the vial containing the magical seed. He let the palm-sized seed rest for a heartbeat, lost in thought.

Pissing him off.

Leona’s ears twitched. Gruffly, Leona hissed, “Hurry up and plant the damn thing, already.”

“Very well,” Malleus softly agreed. Their hands brushed lightly, lingering just long enough to make Leona’s pulse spike.

Everything about Malleus and his aura was magnetic.

Without breaking eye contact from the side of Leona’s flushed, catty face, Malleus’ cool lips parted, a playful flash of his fangs given as he’d be the first to impart ‘love’.

“Such strength; such cleverness,” Malleus trailed, fingers brushing against Leona’s as he planted the seed gingerly. “It shall flourish with one like you guiding it.”

“Pfft…” Leona gulped and turned his face away until it was outside of Malleus’ view, wiping a bead of sweat from his temple.

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Draconia. Not that it ever does.” Leona scoffed, frowning as he muttered. “Guess you do have a way with magic, or whatever.”

That was the closest thing to a compliment he could ever hope to hear from me—even though that felt like pullin’ teeth, Leona irritably thought.

Malleus’ smile shone brightly, as his childish curiosity wished to know the reason why Leona was hiding his face when Malleus was speaking properly to him.

As aloof as Malleus was, one had to wonder which actions and dictations behind the darkly beautiful mask were genuine or fabricated.

Saying nothing more (and letting Malleus finish the rest of the work for him), Leona let his attention wander across the garden, emerald eyes squinting when they landed on that pair.

Rook, thrilled to tease Ruggie, made sweet, gentle kisses in the air to Ruggie, who, within the span of five minutes, was pushed to his limits and was seconds from giving up.

“Je meurs d’envie de caresser ton pelage scintillant!” Rook declared, hearts in his eyes.

“Uhhh, yeah. No,” Ruggie droned, fending off the affectionate, yet strange display of affection.

Crewel, his stern, yet menacing smile never wavering as the groups of students agonized.

Perhaps, Divus Crewel took pleasure in the suffering of the students at Night Raven College as much as Headmage Crowley.

‘Love’ makes people do crazy things.

❀ ❀ ❀

Love.

The word alone made Leona glare irritably at the tipped-over sprout of a plant that was on the floor near Leona’s bed. Farena had said the word a few times over the years; Cheka said it constantly.

Leona lets his frown resurface, thinking about how and why he’d gotten stuck with that guy.

Three agonizing days of enduring Malleus, the embodiment of perfection, and his stupid, petty remarks.

Every little thing that reminded him of Malleus made Leona want to wipe his presence from Twisted Wonderland, face-first.

But, before Leona could do that, he’d need a long nap. The Prince of Sunset Savanna yawned loudly: Ennui had struck, full force.

Doing what he knew best, Leona pulled his blanket over his face.

Some seconds pass. A gentle, warm wind stirred the palm leaves from outside Leona’s window. Within a minute, Leona managed to snooze until a certain someone’s voice roused him.

“You should wake, Kingscholar.” Malleus didn’t need to assume—he already knew Leona was awake and listening.

Shimmering with absinthe dust that twinkled in the air, Malleus stepped closer. A faint smirk tugged at Malleus’ lips as his lime-green, slitted eyes darted to the floor to assess the plant.

“Impressive. Even a plant cannot resist bowing before you.” Malleus chuckled. Interestingly, the mild smile lingered. His eyes then flitted to the blanketed prince.

The sapling glowed faintly. Malleus tilted his head, smile sharpening. “It seems your heart speaks even when your mouth refuses.” Something was going right if Leona hadn’t killed the plant.

“Keep runnin’ that mouth, Draconia.” Leona flatly threatened, claws flexed against his soft bedding to pull it down, so that he could glare daggers at Malleus.

“And if I do? Will you try to overpower me?” Malleus leaned over the bed, curious.

They both knew the answer; only one was willing to answer.

“...Or, perhaps, you’ll shower me with affection?”

Leona’s ears flattened back, fangs briefly bared. “Keep dreamin’, Draconia. Try harder than that.”

Before Malleus could reply, Leona sat up, snatched the pillow from under his head, and then hurled it at the Crowned Prince of Briar Valley.

The dragon fae blinked, sidestepping effortlessly. The pillow sailed past, smacking Ruggie in the face as the hyena cracked open the door.

“Oi!” Ruggie yelped. “First, Rook won’t leave me alone—now you’re throwin’ stuff at me? Give a guy a break!” Ruggie complained, stepping in and closing the door behind him.

Malleus chuckled low, retrieving the plant and placing it in the crook of his left arm, right hand raised, palm upturned. “I shall take my leave. I do look forward to our next meeting.”

Leona clicked his tongue, flopping back onto the bed like nothing had happened. Fuck that guy.

Rap-rap-rap!

A knock sent everyone’s eyes to the door. A familiar voice trilled something in a foreign language, the knocking growing faster before the door swung open.

“Monsieur Dent-de-Lion!”

“Uh-oh!” Ruggie uttered, then bolted out from the open balcony and made his escape—like Malleus, who vanished in the blink of an eye.

“...Tch. From one headache to the next…” Leona muttered, rolling onto his side with his back to the door.

Chapter Text

Malleus could not rest. Even now, hours after seeing Leona, the memory of Leona's scowling face and their three days of forced proximity preyed upon Malleus’ mind. The small plant on his desk drooped under his touch beneath the emerald-green flickers of the candles, with moonlight pouring in from the window behind Malleus, sitting before it.

“...Do you sense it as well, little one?” Even though he was alone, the air felt charged with an unreadable energy, one that beckoned the desire within Malleus, paired with something else Malleus couldn't quite put his finger on.

Given the plant’s state, it was more than obvious that it sensed something. Earlier, it appeared in good health, a lively shade of green, but the warped energy Malleus exuded, as well as Leona’s lack of affection, took its toll, causing its dull-olive shade and withered, primordial leaves.

No, this wouldn't do.

The soft clink of Malleus’ jet-black nails echoed in the moonlit stillness as he cupped the clay pot, lifting it to study its withered leaves. His decision was quiet, but firm. With a faint squeal, the chair slid back across stone, and Malleus rose, expression set. Perhaps a walk through one of his cherished haunts would soothe this restless ache.

“Strange, that I should feel this again,” Malleus murmured into the bleak stillness, the words more thought than sound. He had believed himself long resigned to loathing—but could Leona truly have roused it anew? The ache of loneliness, sharp and possessive, deepened as his thoughts wandered. Should he go to him…?

The image of the stone walls enclosing Malleus dissolved, replaced by the open, cloudy night sky, the pearly moon hanging full and bright. He turned toward the semi-dilapidated dorm, pondering what mischief Yuu and Grim might be up to. Raven strands kissed with sage tips brushed his cheeks as the prince, unaware, summoned a gentle gust of wind.

A subtle tug, insistent, pulled at him—by a thread of presence he recognized instantly: Leona. Even from here, Malleus could feel the prince’s dwindling aura hidden somewhere within Ramshackle. Curiosity sharpened into resolve.

He’d find him.

Soundless, Malleus set forth. His steps glided over the winding stone, the objects of the rune-like terrain seeming to part in deference to him. No destination guided him save for that invisible tether through the quiet echo of the night, drew him closer to Ramshackle, to the Prince of Sunset Savanna, whose very presence haunted his thoughts.

❀ ❀ ❀

There was something Rook mentioned hours before that killed any motivation for Leona to consider finishing the herbology experiment. Paired with Ruggie’s yapping about anything and everything related to Rook Hunt was driving Leona insane.

That’s why tonight, Leona refused to sleep in his room.

Besides, the spot he’d chosen was ideal for a little shut-eye. Hours earlier, Leona had marched into Dorm Ramshackle, insisting to the prefect that he would sleep over—just as Yuu and Grim were preparing for a late-night errand on behalf of their headmaster. With them gone, and the usual dorm ghosts mysteriously absent, Leona made himself comfortable on a simple pallet. He refused Yuu’s bed with a scoff, muttering that he didn’t want to smell like “an herbivore.”

Within moments, he drifted into sleep, blissfully unaware that someone was quietly tracking him.

❀ ❀ ❀

Malleus had expected nothing, yet Leona’s presence reached him even from the hallway. The lion prince’s scent lingered—bold, unmistakable—and it stirred a cold, dark thrill within Malleus, who moved with grace, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

Yuu’s door stood slightly ajar. With precision, Malleus pressed it open, entering the room with the poise of a prince who claimed dominion over all.

The phantom hush of footsteps heralded the fae’s arrival, slipping further into the room and closer to where the sleeping prince lay. 

“...Lemme sleep, Ruggie…” The words slurred out of him, half-asleep—sleep-talking, maybe. A twitch of his brow followed. Then, as his dream remained soured from recounting the day, Leona’s ears creased back against his waves of chocolate. “Damn…Now Hunt won’t leave me alone...”

‘Ruggie’? ‘Hunt’? Did he not have a place in Leona’s vivid dream?

It perplexed Malleus hearing another’s name in such an unguarded moment; unsettling. Even so…

Prince Malleus did not like it. 

He placed the plant on the mantlepiece with deliberate care, the faintest sound in the still room echoing like a warning.

The air thickened around him, heavy with a presence both elegant and threatening. He paused above Leona—poised, silent, and utterly unapproachable, the faint gleam in his eyes ignited by the dark thrill coursing through him.

Malleus lowered himself to the floor, his shadow draping over Leona until the distance between them dissolved. The dragon prince inhaled deeply, drawing in the exotic, intoxicating fragrance of the man he loathed to crave.

“Nngh…heavy.”

Leona cracked one eye open and immediately scowled. Above him loomed Malleus, impossibly close, radiating a dark, unyielding presence that made the air around him seem heavier. His tail flicked with irritation, ears staying pressed back—too close for comfort, too unignorable.

“Knew you’d show up,” Leona hissed, teeth bared. “Scram—before I make you regret it.” His deep voice stabbed deep like a knife with a dangerous edge, sharpened by sleep and irritation.

Malleus did not move. His bright, slit-pupil eyes lingered on every detail: the scar, the twitch of Leona’s pet-worthy tail and ears too fine not to touch, the lips that taunted him even in the tense silence. They berated him, yes—but in the same breath, they drew Malleus closer.

“Such a pitiful attempt at hiding yourself,” Malleus murmured almost cruelly, intonation deep. He began leaning closer, placing both palms against Leona’s warm chest.

“I expected nothing less from you, Kingscholar.”

Leona gritted his teeth apprehensively. He had the urge to try and squirm free, but he was bull-headed and refused to give Malleus the satisfaction.

Without allowing Leona time to bite back, Malleus’ hands moved, hooking the waistband of Leona’s sweatpants and underwear with finesse. The fabric slipped down in a smooth tug, pooling around his ankles before fully freeing him, leaving Leona’s lower half exposed.

Leona’s green eyes narrowed dangerously, a low, threatening growl slipping past his lips.

“Who said I was hidin’ from you?” he spat, chest heaving in shallow breaths, cheeks burning a vivid red under Malleus’ intense gaze. 

Malleus tilted his head, regarding him with a faint, amused hum. His hands traced lightly over Leona’s bare hips, fingers teasing against the smoothness of Leona’s bronze skin. They'd glide up the fussy prince’s sides, drifting to the center of the other man’s taut hills. 

“Oh?”

Leona’s throat tightened for several seconds before he gulped. He was too busy thinking about clawing out Malleus’ throat to retort.

Malleus slid Leona’s shirt upward, inch by inch, until the faint moonlight revealed Leona’s firm chest. 

A low note of awe escaped Malleus as his fingers closed in, pinching and cruelly twisting the sensitive flesh.

Leona’s back arched involuntarily, a sharp hiss ripping from his throat. His claws flexed, raking over Malleus’ hands as he shivered under the cruel pinch. Thin lines of crimson welled where his nails dragged, but the fae prince didn’t flinch—not a glance at the spilled blood.

“Nngh–! Fuck you!” Leona groaned, teeth gritted, his body betraying him even as his words seethed.

Leona’s effort to sneer away his shame only made his flushed face all the more obvious and widened Malleus’ grin.

For a breath, something flickered in Malleus’ gaze—his slit pupils dilating, widening with a brief glint of surprise. Then, the moment was gone, swallowed in shadow. The faint green of his irises seemed to burn hotter, hungrier, as though Leona’s defiance only whetted his appetite.

Without a word, both of Malleus' hands slid up, wrapping around Leona’s throat. His fingers tightened roughly, pressing down until Leona’s pulse thudded against his palm and quickened by the second. 

His claws scrabbled against Malleus’ wrists, seeking purchase, but the fae prince’s grip held Leona firm. Heat pooled low in Leona’s belly as his body fought for air. A flush of panic—and something dangerously close to desire—rising and leading Leona to an involuntary surrender.

Malleus’ lips parted as he drank in the sight—Leona pinned, struggling, yet flushed and undeniably aroused. His tongue swept across his lips in a slow, hungry lick before he dipped down, seizing Leona’s lips in a bruising kiss that left no room for protest.

Leona’s eyes snapped wide as Malleus’ mouth claimed him. His body’s struggle only made Leona’s pulse pound harder beneath Malleus’ touch. “Mmph—!” Leona choked out, betrayed by his throbbing desire as his body arched instinctively into the bruising kiss.

Malleus pressed harder, tilting his head slightly, forcing Leona to give way to his will. His lips moved against Leona’s roughly, fangs grazing his inner mouth in teasing dominance. 

“Do not fear me,” Malleus murmured against his lips in the heat of the moment, voice deep and darkly passionate, the warmth of his breath sending shivers down Leona’s spine.

Finally, he let go of Leona’s bruised throat.

Leona struggled with his building erection, tail thrashing against Malleus' thighs, but he couldn’t pull away—yet. Fear had nothing to do with this, despite what just transpired, but hate.

Leona vowed, after this is done, I’m gonna kill him. Or so he thought.

Sharply, Leona broke free from the kiss by turning his head and growling, “...Insufferable lizard.”

“Hm? ‘Insufferable’?” Malleus echoed, taunting. 

“I do enjoy your fire,” Malleus murmured, tugging gently at the fabric still clinging stubbornly. “Such spirit; such resolve.” Leona’s chest rose and fell in ragged gasps as Malleus pulled back just enough to let his piercing gaze sweep over him.

The dragon prince unfastened the button and tugged down the zipper, letting the cloth that restrained him fall away. A sharp outline pressed against the thin fabric of his underwear, and Leona’s eyes widened involuntarily at the undeniable size beneath. Slowly, savoring each movement, Malleus peeled down his boxers, revealing himself fully—long, thick, and veined, the pale shaft glistening faintly, and it was a commanding sight that made Leona’s breath catch.

Malleus’ hands gripped Leona’s hips, lifting and tilting him until he positioned Leona’s knees back until his thighs rested against his stomach, trapping him completely. 

Then, Malleus slowly guided himself to Leona’s tightness, then leaned down, letting a thick, wet drizzle of spit coat his cock. He repeated it, coating himself generously until the slick warmth glistened over his length, a hot, slippery mess that made Leona’s body tremble. Malleus began to press into the smaller man.

Leaning his full weight forward, Malleus forced Leona’s legs back. He sank into Leona with a slow, relentless press that stretched him taut. 

A strangled, ragged moan came from Leona’s throat as every nerve burned with the tightening tension, body trembling under the unyielding grip. 

“F-Fuck…” 

Leona’s arms lowered to his sides, gripping the soft blanket until his knuckles ached, breath hitching in a mixture of sharp pain and unwilling arousal as Malleus began to fill him more, molding him to his will.

“Kingscholar,” Malleus softly murmured, warm breath ghosted over Leona’s ear. “Struggle as you might,” Malleus continued breathily as he slid deeper after getting close to half of his cock buried, nipping the shell of an ear that flicked, “you cannot escape me.”

Leona’s tail lashed, but the sharp edge of his voice wavered. “Die.”

Finally, Malleus paused, pressing fully into Leona, letting him stretch and adjust to the full weight and depth of his body.

“Tell me, Kingscholar…how does it feel?” After all, Malleus’ size promised to ruin and possess Leona without a doubt.

Leona hissed, fangs bared, tail whipping violently, voice raw with spite and refusal. “Like you’re a pain in my ass,” he spat, every word tinged with both literal and figurative truth.

Malleus’ cock throbbed greedily as he pressed fully inside, his broad tip nudging deliberately against Leona’s prostate. His lips arched into a slow, victorious smile. 

“Is that so?”

Leona faltered slightly, shutting his eyes just to focus on relaxing his muscles and monitoring his intake of air. Damn that bastard. Even as one of his hands drifted to his own stiff cock, Leona refused to admit defeat.

Malleus began to move his hips to and fro with pained, teasing slowness, relishing every taut stretch and the way Leona trembled and writhed beneath him. His slick tip pressed again and again against the sensitive swell of Leona’s prostate, drawing pants, ragged breaths, and bit-back sounds from the smaller man.

…Though, gradually, Malleus increased his pace, tilting his hips, driving deeper with his sack pounding against Leona’s sensitive flesh. Each push made Leona arch, body quivering as the heat pooled heavily. 

Malleus’ dark nails dug into the backs of Leona’s knees, leaving thin, crescent-shaped streaks of blood.

As his tempo sharpened, Malleus’ thrusts became ruthless—hard, fast, unrelenting. The slick and heavy pressure against Leona’s prostate sent shivers of pain and pleasure through the lion prince, eyes fluttering open and shut.

Both men’s chests rose and fell erratically as they both neared the release they chased after, beginning to grow sticky with sweat; their scents filling the room.

Every thrust of dominance from Malleus pushed Leona further toward the edge. It was a sadistic reminder that escape was impossible. 

Leona hissed and cursed, every breath ragged, every muscle tensing under the relentless press. Slowly, inevitability overtook Leona—a guttural moan spilled from deep within his throat as his cock pulsed in his hand.  His back arched, hips twitching uncontrollably, body shuddering with overstimulation. 

Hot seed spilled over Leona’s stomach, trickling down his chest as his body clenched greedily around Malleus’ will-breaking length, responding without thought to the steady, merciless rhythm driving him higher.

Malleus didn’t ease up. For what felt like an eternity, nearly a full minute, he drove into Leona with relentless, unyielding force. Beads of sweat glistened on Malleus’ face and skin, dripping down his forehead, along his jaw, and onto Leona, warming him, slicking their bodies together as he continued to stretch and fill him.

Finally, Malleus sank in deep one last time, pressing fully against Leona’s prostate as he violently came with a hot, relentless torrent of cum spilled inside Leona, filling him fully and then some.

“You belong to me,” Malleus crooned, the apex predator admiring his prey.

Without another word, Malleus withdrew, pulling out. Leona lay there, gaping noticeably with the dragon prince’s cum seeping out, chest heaving.

Warm, slick seed marked Leona inside and out, trailing from where Malleus had filled him, trickling between Leona’s firm, spread ass and pooling slightly beneath him. 

Leona’s face was flushed crimson, eyes half-lidded, lips parted in a ragged gasp as he tried to process the mix of pain, pleasure, and overwhelming fullness. Malleus lowered his body back onto the floor, and Leona thought Malleus would go slithering back to Diasomnia.

Instead, Malleus lay against Leona to his dismay.

“...Oi,” Leona growled, glaring down to see a sharp set of dark horns that threatened to spear him, and soft, inky hair. Leona tried moving his limbs, but they felt too heavy to move.

After a minute, the dragon’s breath slowed, warm against Leona’s collarbone.

“...Seriously?” Leona complained tiredly, punctuated with a deep yawn. He realized the bastard had drifted off and left Leona exposed without a care in the world. Heavy, immovable, Malleus kept Leona pinned in place like some dragon guarding its prized treasure.

Leona’s ears twitched, his tail flicking irritably, tapping its tip against Malleus wherever it could, but escape was impossible. 

So, all Leona could do was glare at the other prince’s serene face until his own exhaustion dragged him under.

❀ ❀ ❀

Morning light spilled across Yuu’s room, golden rays slanting through the window and bathing Leona in a majestic, golden warmth. The sun hit his eyes, forcing him to squint against the brilliance as the remnants of restless sleep clung to his body. He closed his eyes to ready himself for the day’s nagging.

Sevens, Leona hated mornings.

Then, the calm fractured, shrill voices cut through, pulling him abruptly from the hazy edge of sleep as two figures approached Leona after he drifted back to ‘sleep’ and watched him with concern.

“Myaah! Yuu, he’s not movin’! He’s stiff—he’s dead!” Grim’s claws prodded Leona’s ribs. “Don’t say that!” Yuu fought back, crouching at Leona’s side to get a closer look at him. 

“Leona—wake up! You can’t just die here!”

A rough shove came and knocked Grim back. With a low growl, Leona cracked an eye open and glared at the magic beast and the herbivore.

“...The hell’re you two yappin’ about? I was sleepin’.” His voice rasped, fatigued and already annoyed.

Grim leapt back onto his paws. “Don’t scare me like that!”

Leona rolled onto his side, tail thumping against the floorboards. The corner of his mouth twitched, ready to frown, but he tried to keep a neutral expression by ignoring them. The weight that had pinned him last night was gone, along with the plant on the mantle. 

Almost like a dream.

His attention drifting down his front momentarily, Leona observed that his clothing looked as though it hadn't been touched. Yet, the raw throbbing of being taken still afflicted Leona—and his scent.

Grim and Yuu continued to speak to Leona, only for him to tune them out for another minute before he staggered to his knees, collected his blanket messily under one arm, and put on his sandals.

“Tch,” he muttered, half-rolling his eyes. “Buncha noisy herbivores…”

Chapter Text

“Grr…”

It was night.

The last thing Leona wanted was a nightmare with him in it. Leona would never forget how Malleus’ hands stripped him down; how they teased, tainted, and tempted his body that still felt the raw, throbbing ache of being filled.

Leona’s chest heaved. Now and then, his head turned as he stirred slowly. A full-bodied heat clung to him like a second skin. The remnants of his dream left him in duress.

‘You belong to me.’

Prince Malleus’ claim echoed as a hauntingly beautiful promise even in his absence. 

Those beautiful, sharp, bright-green eyes which beckoned Leona…

Suddenly, Leona jolted awake.

His damp, dark locks stuck against his face. Heat still burned through his chest, around his neck, and down his spine, a tormenting reminder of a dream he’d rather forget.

The damp sheets twisted beneath him as Leona sat up and rubbed at his face. Suddenly, a knock on the door made the prince’s ears twitch; the left ear twitched, swiveling toward the source.

Leona’s lips stretched in a deep yawn, and his brows furrowed immediately afterward, matching the intensity of his frown.

“...Ya better have a good reason for buggin’ me,” he huffed, sounding gruff, still tangled in sleep and frustration.

The door creaked open slowly. A familiar, slender figure appeared at the threshold, the faintest smirk teasing at the corners of his mouth.

“Ooh-la-la! Trouble sleeping, Roi-des-Lions?” The voice was low, almost teasing, carrying the same mix of annoyance and amusement that always seemed to get under Leona’s skin.

Leona’s tail lashed irritably beneath the blanket.

“What, now?” All Leona wanted was for his body to rest and recover after being put in his place by the other prince. Maybe he shouldn't have indulged Rook's pestering, but the quicker he was gone, the better.

“Ah! I was intrigued by a potent aroma, you see!” Rook gleamed as he courageously pranced to Leona’s bedside, leaning down to savor a whiff of the royal. Like Leona, Rook’s keen sense of smell could detect another scent besides Leona’s own: he smelled Malleus on him even when Leona had Ruggie thoroughly scrub him down.

Most interesting.

“Comment dit-on ça?” Rook murmured, tilting his head as if savoring the confusion on Leona’s face. 

“Haa...” Leona sighed exasperatedly, shooting Rook a peeved roll of his half-lidded eyes. It was too early to try to decipher what Rook was saying. Annoying, too.

“I’ve been interested in knowing something that may be personal.”

“Haah?” Leona was so tired that he didn't even bother using a full sentence. Anyway, what was there to know that Rook hadn't known?

“Tell me, how do you fare with Roi-des-Dragons, hmm?” Rook’s smile grew keen and fox-like as he folded his arms theatrically.

Leona scoffed dryly at the prodding. The last person he wanted to think about was Malleus. Even in his sleep, he could not get away from the guy.

Both of these bastards are gettin’ off to this, Leona begrudgingly thought.

“Huh. What about that asshole?”

What, indeed—and what a delectable reaction! Rook’s right hand raised near his face, his index and middle fingers to his lips to trace a line across.

Leona's poor attempt at intimidation nearly made Rook swoon; perhaps, Rook lewdly considered, he should chase two quarry at once.

“You appear to be out of sorts. Ah, non~!” Rook’s light moan made Leona’s skin crawl. His cadence had dramatically climaxed since he was excited about the two men’s relationship. “Don't tell me that you and Roi-des-Dragons—!”

“Don't,” Leona growled deeply, coldly, and laden with bitterness.

Rook was about to suggest that they’d been quarreling, but Leona’s reaction answered a question he had yet to ask. Putting two and two together, Rook deduced that this little project of his had produced interesting findings.

“Oh, pardonne-moi!” Now that he and Leona had gotten fired up, Rook desired to see where it would lead.

Rook straightened, one eyebrow arched, a sly smile playing on his lips. “Mon Roi-des-Lions! I never realized how fond you are of Roi-des-Dragons. I can sense the way you’re practically burning with the thought of him.”

Leona’s tail lashed violently, ears flat against his head. Hoarsely, Leona challenged, “Bite me!”

“...Do not tempt me so, Roi-des-Lions.” Rook’s expression hardened, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous gleam. He could—and would—do far more than that.

“I am afraid that I must cut this conversation short. Ta route, Roi-des-Lions: although I suspect you’ll be besotted before long!”

Leona’s face flamed. He let out a low, furious roar, baring his teeth. 

“Out!”

Rook chuckled softly to himself, turning his back, then retreated, tipping his hat. A devilish grin tugged wider at his lips.

“Bien sûr.”

Click.

❀ ❀ ❀

A grand door opened at Diasomnia: Out came Malleus, his heels clicking as the crowned prince approached the railed edge of the terrace with a distant look upon his noble face. 

To his subjects’ dismay, Malleus refused to be disturbed and made his intentions known.

The emptiness began to stir his mood, gradually unsettling the clear night sky and rousing a storm.

…He was lonely.

Must this feeling return so soon? He questioned himself as he paced the solitary terrace that jutted from the building like a narrow stage, slick and glistening with rain.

The prior night’s memories had affected Malleus more than he'd anticipated. Addicting was the warmth, the back-and-forth: the lust. 

Clouds gathered, heavy and low, their underbellies bruised in shades of violet and iron. The faint shimmer of moonlight fractured as thunderheads rolled over it,  swallowing the night whole. 

The drizzle that had kissed the stone earlier thickened, lashing sideways in sharp sheets as the wind whipped up, tugging at hair and cloaks alike. 

Lightning licked across the horizon, a brief, blinding snarl of white fire, followed by the deep growl of thunder that rattled through the air. 

The storm was no backdrop—it moved in time with them, as if the sky itself bent to the tension building between two princes.

A tug at the edge of his mind warned him something was off—though he hadn’t expected it to be Leona—he wondered if he had gone too far, unaware that Leona was already storming through the rain.

Leona stormed through the rain from Savanaclaw, fists clenched and every step fueled by a single purpose: to knock the spoiled Prince Malleus off his high horse and wipe that insolent smirk from his lips. Any obstacle daring to block his path was met with sharp, cutting words.

He paid no mind to the soaking uniform clinging to his skin, nor to who might witness his fury, as he thundered down the corridors, finally bursting through a set of terrace doors with unrestrained force.

Malleus’ eyes widened, genuinely surprised, lips slightly parted as Leona drew closer. This moment felt fated.

“Kingscholar,” Malleus breathed, lips parted, eyes intense, reaching out. If only Leona would meet his touch without deflection.

Leona shoved the hand aside, closing the gap between them. Rising onto his toes, he seized the towering prince by the tie, pulling him close and leveling his gaze with a fierce glare.

“...Bastard!”

His lips collided like fiery stars against Malleus’, fangs raking and tearing with a need so furious it bordered on rage. Every bite was defiance—a punishment for the hunger he despised. 

It wasn’t a kiss, but a battle—teeth and heat warring as Malleus’ pulse thundered.

Malleus crushed Leona against him, arms winding tight around his waist like iron restraints, and kissed him back with his fierce, demanding tongue.

Shaaa...

Rain pelted them, cold air whipping, yet the heat of their bodies pressed together defied the chill.

Malleus pulled back from the kiss, letting his lips trail upward until they rested against Leona’s ear, teeth brushing the outer edge, tone sinfully sweet.

“You are mine,” Leona’s body trembled with equal parts anger and ache, every nerve alight with the truth in Malleus’ words. It wasn’t gentle—it was a challenge, a command, a demand cloaked in lust.

Rain pelted down around them, whipping their clothes and hair. Malleus lowered his head to press against the curve of Leona’s neck, lips parting, teeth grazing and sinking into the taut, heated skin. 

The sharp bite drew a strangled gasp from Leona, mingling with the cold sting of the rain and the fire of their bodies pressed together. Every shiver, every tremble was magnified—storm and desire colliding with breathtaking intensity.

The private room beckoned.

❀ ❀ ❀

They stumbled inside, shedding rain-soaked garments, the room warm from candlelight, tension roiling.

Malleus wanted to take his time with Leona and thoroughly claim the smaller man as his, rather than frolick in the torrential rain.

The Prince summoned a small bottle of lubricant, opened it, and let the slickness pour all over Leona's ass until it was empty, trailing down his body. With a snap of Malleus' fingers, the bottle vanished.

“Every inch of you tempts me,” Malleus purred, the heat in his tone matching the fire he felt as he lingered over the small of Leona’s back and pushed Leona’s nude, upper half down against the bed. Then, Malleus raised his hips. 

Taking his time, Malleus continued to examine Leona from behind, taking in every curve and tight line of muscle. His hands spread Leona’s cheeks, lingering over what had been on his mind all day.

Malleus’ hands coated Leona’s ass and slickened his hole with the lubricant, spreading it carefully, letting the slick warmth trail over every sensitive slope. 

“Why do you resist?” Malleus asked, eyes sharpening as his fingers harshly swatted across Leona’s cheeks, leaving a stinging reminder of both ownership and desire.

“Submit to me.” 

The rhythm sped, unbearable. Malleus’ hands struck and pressed over Leona’s body with the same relentless fury as rain lashing against the windows, each movement hot, insistent, and inescapable.

“Ngh! Ugh, you—” Leona’s voice cut out, a sharp whine escaping his lips. “Hate you!” He thrashed against Malleus, fangs bared, cheeks flushed. Lucky for him, the room was magically soundproofed.

“Oh?” A slow smirk gripped Malleus’ lips. “Just now, what did you say?”

“N-Nothin’...” Leona’s voice cracked, betraying him. He hated it—how his bruised body shivered under Malleus’ firm grip. Heat pooled low, his aching ass quivering under the prince’s touch.

Leona kept his head hung low, averting his gaze.

Malleus drew back just enough to let his eyes soften, though the fire behind them never fully dimmed. He lingered over Leona, allowing the smaller man to squirm beneath Malleus’ gaze that he felt on his back, a subtle reminder of exactly who owned him.

❀ ❀ ❀

Leona was still tender and yielding beneath Malleus’ hands. His fingers teased, probing, twisting him open, coaxing him apart inch by inch, claiming what had been on his mind all morning.

Malleus watched from above, his gaze heavy with hunger, one hand stroking himself slick after Leona’s mouth had already left him trembling with need. “Let us begin,” he murmured, voice low and resolute, like a vow. 

The head of his cock pressed against Leona’s entrance, deliberate, teasing, until the lion’s tail brushed against the planes of his bare abdomen.

Slowly—agonizingly—he pushed inside, inch by inch, claiming space that seemed made for him. 

The stretch drew a growl from Leona’s throat, his body betraying him even as he resisted. Malleus’ hips snapped forward with a passionate rhythm, each thrust deep and possessive, pounding a single truth into Leona’s trembling body: he belonged to him. 

The air filled with the wet, obscene sounds of their joining, the sharp smacks of skin meeting skin echoing.

Those words—“You belong to me”—echoed into every breath of the night, chipping away at Leona’s defenses until he cracked.

“Hnnh—!” His legs trembled, lean thighs taut with strain.

Malleus drove into him with relentless force, and Leona glanced back over his shoulder, teeth bared, blush burning beneath the furrow of his brow as though it cost him everything to hold steady.

“...Prove it.”

❀ ❀ ❀

Panting, Malleus slowly drew himself out, leaving a warm, slick trace of his release on Leona. The smaller man collapsed onto his stomach, one side of his face pressed against the sheets, muscles still trembling from the intensity.

Across the room, Leona’s gaze drifted to the flower on the desk, noting its transformation. It had grown and was budding.

Malleus brushes Leona’s damp hair from his brow. Leona didn’t pull away.

“See? Even nature knows what we are,” stated Malleus.

Leona smirked faintly, voice rasped but still barbed. “Tch. Figures.”

The storm outside had begun to tire. 

What once struck hard and wild against the terrace now softened, the downpour easing into a steady patter. Raindrops trailed lazily down the glass panes, each streak catching the faint glow of the moonlight. 

The thunder no longer growled—it only murmured, distant, a reminder of its passing. 

Chapter Text

Their plant hadn’t bloomed yet.

Great. He was going to fail again, get nagged by Farena and his wife, and probably hear it all over dinner. Not like he’d ever be king—so why bother?

Leona glared at the plant, half-lidded eyes threatening to roll shut. Might as well go out with a bang and say everything that was on his mind.

The plant he held in his lap was gripped tighter as he scrutinized it. 

Even as he scowled, heat pooled low in his chest, twisting tight. He missed Malleus and the warm brush of his hand: the way his gaze lingered just long enough to make Leona ache. Every memory was dangerously addictive.

Dangerously arousing.

“Stupid lizard…can’t even let me hate you properly.” Of course, Leona grumbled on and on about Malleus, Rook, and the assignment.

Leona paused, loosening his grip on the plant slightly, and then bit his lip.

“You always act like you're better than me.” Leona's insecurity began to show just when he thought no one was listening.

“An’ you say I’m yours? Hah, don’t make me laugh.” Leona’s voice came out rougher, the words grinding past the tightness in his throat.

“Like I’d love you.” The words tumbled out low, almost swallowed, as if saying them scorched his tongue.

His jaw tightened, teeth grazing his lip, and he stared hard at the flower as though daring it to believe him. But the pulse in his ears and the heat prickling at the back of his neck betrayed him, louder than any denial.

It was as if it had been waiting for this heated moment to open.

A violent burst of petals caught Leona off guard. The heavy, spike-like petals radiated a deep gold, yet its thorns and petal tips were of a harmonious green, with accents of the darkest black.

Leona blinked his eyes open, cheeks burning after the damned thing shattered into bloom. 

Evidently, Leona didn't hate Malleus as much as he claimed.

Leona half looked back, tensing instinctively and shifting back a fraction, as Malleus stood at his side, framed by the filtered sunlight through the glass ceiling. 

“Is that true?” 

“Fuck off.” Leona snapped, heat rising to his ears, though the tremor in his voice made him feel weak. Recounting the nights he spent with Malleus Draconia felt so humiliating that Leona would never forget them.

“My, look how our flower has bloomed,” Malleus touted, fangs glinting as his gaze drifted over Leona’s flushed face. The faint, sweet scent of the plant mixed with the subtle cologne from the lion prince’s, making it impossible to ignore the tension simmering between them.

Malleus tilted his head, a faint, painted smile brushing his lips. “I find myself growing quite fond of you as well, Leona.”

For a fleeting moment, Leona’s mask slipped, shock breaking through the usual scowl. His breath caught sharply in his throat, shallow and uneven, while his heart hammered painfully against his ribs at the sound of Malleus speaking his name.

“Tch—!”

The flower pulsed in Leona’s lap, feeding off the energy of his unspoken feelings, as if it understood everything he wouldn’t admit. It was difficult when Malleus’ voice gave him chills.

The fae prince’s words registered devilishly deeply–especially when saying his name.

Rook Hunt watched from a top branch, binoculars in hand, watching the noble beasts as though it were a sport. Neither Leona nor Malleus seemed to heed his presence, and he couldn’t stop himself from grinning when ‘love’ was in the air.

Footsteps approaching drew close to the royals.

“Ahh…glad that’s over,” Ruggie muttered, fingers tightening around his bloom. “I swear, I’d rather work for free than deal with that nutcase!” He stopped short, ears twitching as his eyes landed on Leona and Malleus—and their flower.

Before the hyena could get another word in, Jamil approached the small group. He’d successfully blended into the background until now.

“Hm? You all managed to make your plants bloom?” Jamil asked, removing a glove and brushing fingers through his bangs.

“Slitherin’ over here just to talk trash, snake? What about you?” Leona grumbled.

“Naturally, we passed,” Jamil said flatly.

Azul smirked, clearly about to elaborate, but Jamil clamped a hand over his mouth before he could utter another word. 

SNAP!

“Heel, puppies!” Crewel snapped, his crop cracking through the air. Leona flinched, his eyes widening as the sharp sound echoed across the garden, while the others instinctively jerked back, chatter hushed.

And in that hush, Leona felt the shadow fall over him again; the weight of Malleus’ gaze pressed down like a storm about to break. 

The garden seemed to shrink, the faint rustle of leaves, and the damp smell of soil blurring into nothing, until it was as though only the two of them had existed.

“Deny it all you wish. My heart will never release you.”

Malleus lowered himself with grace, the faint brush of his lab coat whispering against the grass. He knelt, close enough that Leona could feel the ghost of his breath before the prince’s lips met his own. 

The kiss was eerily soft against Leona’s, yet carried a force that made the bloom in Leona’s lap shiver violently, petals trembling and stretching outward as if straining toward them, bowing to the intensity of their shared desire.

A collective of gasps rippled through the garden. Attention snapped to the pair, as if the air itself demanded witness. 

Malleus smirked proudly against the silence, daring all to see who he claimed as his prince.

Leona jerked back a fraction, hand flying to cover his mouth. His pulse hammered in his ears, cheeks blazing dark red.

“I fuckin’ hate you so much…”

Love made both princes do crazy things—like bloom in full sight of everyone with no place to hide; no place to run.