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“Ughhhhh, what should I do, Ortho?”
Whining gets him nowhere, he is quite aware, yet it is all he could do - other than waiting for something to inspire him that is. Which also gets him nowhere just as quick. He brushes away a lick of his hair that shrouded his view of Ortho. If only uncovering the mystery as to what he should do was as easy as tucking hair behind his ear. Idia groans; it isn’t like him to struggle coming up with a novel, convenient idea that can blow the minds of many. Yet here he is, about to wave a white flag over something that he considers somewhat trivial. But it isn’t really trivial if he spends this much time worrying over it now, is it?
“Well, you did say it’d be fun to approach it like how the characters in those gacha games you play do it - make homemade chocolate for your loved ones!”
“I would do that if Leona actually liked chocolate. That guy only ever eats meat.”
Idia buries his face into a pillow, disappointed he doesn’t get to pull off what his faves have pulled off - baking chocolate-flavored pastries and acing it on their first try, totally not thanks to plot armor. Technically, he can make them if he wants to but he guarantees that Leona wouldn’t even bother trying them. He knows his boyfriend would prefer to have something more filling than sweets and chocolate. Idia cusses to himself for Leona’s leonine characteristics, the very characteristics he also has come to love. He does love those stupidly cute lion ears he has that remind Idia of a housecat’s, that tail he occasionally loves tugging if he’s feeling bold, his tendency to nap wherever and whenever he wants…
Fucking hell! Why does he have to be so adorable? I mean, Leona Kingscholar? Adorable? Those two shouldn’t even be in the same sentence but here we are.
“Displaying search results…ahah! Brother, I may have found a few solutions.”
“Y-You did?”
The gift doesn’t exactly have to involve chocolate - but Idia couldn’t really ignore the significance of it during Valentine’s Day. Again, it could be a mere side effect of playing too many Valentine’s events in those gacha games but chocolate plays an important role in expressing one’s affection to another, he realized earlier. Or at least, that was the lame excuse he gave Ortho for wanting to incorporate some of his beloved sweets into the gift for his beloved boyfriend. Either his younger brother actually bought it or he’s simply playing along with the excuse. Either way, Idia’s grateful that his brother didn’t question his line of thinking.
“Mhm! Apparently, a lot of meaty dishes do go well with chocolate, but I’ll try and find one that suits your cooking abilities.”
Cooking abilities. Idia scoffs at the phrasing. He doesn’t even possess an ability, let alone abilities. But like hell he’d tell Ortho that, not when the latter is trying his best to support his big brother’s agenda. An agenda that has a higher percentage of failing rather than succeeding, he calculated so. But perhaps gifting a loved one chocolate on Valentine’s requires a more normative approach rather than empirical, a thought suddenly occurs to Idia. Maybe the fact that he could possibly set a kitchen on fire by trying to cook up a Valentine’s gift won’t contribute to the failure meter, although the thought of it is akin to getting mostly R cards in a ten-pull.
“...What was the top result?”
Idia finds himself asking. It takes him a few seconds to fully register his own words. His eyes widen at the realization. Wait. What am I saying? Wouldn’t it be easier for me if I let Ortho find something that I can actually make without potentially setting the kitchen on fire? I already made up my mind that I don’t want anyone else helping me other than Ortho. Get it together, Idia! You may be a prodigy but this is cooking we’re talking about! COOKING! At the end of the day, you’re just a lousy gamer who wants to make a Valentine’s gift because it’s what your stupid fictional characters did for their partners and totally not because you hold so, so much love for that guy who you call your boyfriend-
“Hm? Well, that would be steak with melted chocolate. Why do you ask?”
Ortho’s reply snaps Idia out of his trance. Ah…he was overthinking again. It certainly feels as if his brain and heart are in conflict much more this time around; the former is telling him that he would, for sure, mess up the gift and incur Leona’s dislike for it (and hopefully not Idia himself, though Idia doubts Leona is that shallow, considering the latter is dating Idia). Yet his heart is whispering to him that Leona would like it as long as Idia’s intentions are genuine…or at least if it’s meat. Either way, he wouldn’t know for sure if he doesn’t at least try.
“Let’s go with that,” Idia utters once he lifts his head from his pillow, his tone a tad bit more confident and hopeful than before. There’s even a slight twinkle in his eyes, the younger brother could see that much. Ortho finds the flame burning in the left side of his chest wavering and burning a bit brighter too. The brothers smile at each other, one grateful for the other, the other happy for one.
“Hehe, if you say so, Big Bro!”
~
“So. Whatcha got there?”
Leona is no longer weirded out by Idia’s occasional visits to Savanaclaw - his room specifically, even if the latter is a hermit that’d do everything inside the comfort of his own room if possible. But instead, a container in Idia’s hands catches his attention. Idia’s gaze is to the floor, which is nothing foreign, yet somehow he seems more nervous than usual (if that’s even possible). Leona taps his foot curiously, arms folded casually so as to not give away the fact that he’s eager to know what’s in the container. He can only hope that his tail isn’t exposing his true feelings.
“W-Well, it’s nothing really…just a gift for you since that’s what boyfriends do, right? Get each other presents and stuff, ahaha…” Idia half-mutters and his gaze shifts to look at something, anything, but Leona himself. The way he’s acting is getting on Leona’s nerves, even if only slightly. Though he has come to terms that this is simply how the hermit is - and he, somehow, likes that aspect of Idia anyway. Leona’s brain finds excuses to see everything Idia does as endearing. He found it annoying the first time he came to that realization. Seriously, Idia Shroud, endearing? The socially anxious guy who can only talk and sass someone out through a tablet? Leona might as well have a chance at claiming the throne.
“And somehow it just turns out to be on Valentine’s, huh?” Leona teases, one corner of his lips curving slightly upwards; teasing is, as Leona had told Idia before, “part of my job as your boyfriend”. As embarrassing as Leona's comments can be, he can’t deny the warmth and the butterflies that flutter in his stomach when he plays with him like that. Nor can he deny the tips of his hair turning a shade of pink, giving him away even when he tries to hide the pink on his face. Fuck, Idia thinks, he’s so annoying. Remind me why I like this guy again? Oh yeah. It’s because he’s annoying that I like him. Of course. If there’s a prize for rotten judgment, I guess I’ve already won that.
“Y-Yeah exactly! See, you know me and you know that this is definitely not a Valentine’s gift,” Idia argues, Leona nodding to play along with him. Idia doesn’t exactly understand why he’s denying it now, especially after all the work he went through for that gift, but all the thoughts in his mind are too scrambled and clouded for him to form more excuses for his behavior. Is he really that fearful of Leona disliking the gift? Maybe more so than he thought. “Uhuh, sure. But it’s still a gift for me, isn’t it?” Leona inquires before Idia can overthink for the umpteenth time. Idia tries to argue back…he fails.
“A-Ahaha um. I said that, huh. W-Well, yes, it is a gift for you. I, um, hope you like it,” Idia merely says as he extends the container towards Leona, his gaze still downwards. Even so, Leona can peek a shade of pink on his boyfriend’s face - not that he needed to do that anyway. The pink tips of Idia’s hair are already as pink as cherry blossoms in spring. Well, as pink as cherry blossoms in geography textbooks at least. Sunset Savannah is more known for its rocky terrain and persistent plantlife; and cherry blossoms don’t quite fit into either category. And even still, Leona doesn’t mind Idia being his first experience of seeing cherry blossoms in real life.
Leona casually takes the container out of Idia’s hands and lifts it up to inspect it further. He doesn’t bother taking a whiff of it - he could already smell it from a mile away, a mere consequence from being leonine. Which, in this situation, does not help whatsoever. Leona could tell it’s some type of meat, to which his brain responded I swear, if my own stupid tail snitches on me… Leona can’t tell what exactly is contained in it so he decides ah, fuck it and takes off the lid. He is met with a red steak smeared with chocolate. It would be fine if it’s just that. Only, the steak itself is in the shape of a heart. He admits it. He’s stunned. It takes him a bit to regain his composure and put on his cool, confident bad boy mask again.
“Wow. You made this?” Leona says, maintaining a balance of nonchalance and genuine shock so as to not hurt his boyfriend’s feelings; being a sarcastic genius for so long takes a toll on a person, he realizes. No one finds him sincere anymore. It’s a wonder Idia even likes him in the first place. Leona is not the type to pry so he doesn’t bother asking why Idia likes him but… now he’s a bit curious. Why does he like him so much to the point where he’d cook a heart-shaped steak smeared with chocolate, despite disliking both cooking and Valentine’s Day? Idia’s a weirdo. Leona has known that for a while now. Yet liking him makes Idia more of a weirdo.
Leona supposes he’s into weirdos now.
“Y-Yeah, though Ortho helped, obviously,” Idia trails off, lifting his head slightly so that he’s at least looking at a piece of furniture in Leona’s room. The brunet rolls his eyes. Duh, he did. Who would you be without him? Or even me? Definitely not here with a cute Valentine’s Day gift for me of all people, Leona muses, amused by the fact that Idia even feels the need to confirm that fact. Leona spares one last intent gaze on the gift. Then, taking off his gloves, he doesn’t bother grabbing any cutlery - he simply tears the steak with his hands, prompting Idia to look at Leona for the first time that day. So the glorified housecat’s been hiding his claws all this time, Idia thinks to himself. With no hesitation, Leona chews on the piece of steak he tore off.
Oh.
“...It’s good,” is, quite literally, all he can say. It’s good. It’s really good. Absurdly good. Leona would start to question if Idia (and Ortho) really made it but ruining the occasion with his cynicism is the last thing on his list that day. For just one day, he needs to drop his guard, shut off his brain and just accept whatever affection is thrown his way. Or at least, affection from his literal fucking boyfriend. He allows a soft smile to play on his lips. And also for warmth to spread across his chest. What a wonderful feeling. Maybe he should take off his snarky senior mask more often.
“T-Thank you…I was worried you would hate it,” Idia admits as he straightens his posture, brightening up at Leona’s reaction, a small smile on his face to match with Leona’s. Though his gaze still differs from Leona’s eyes, every trace of irritation disappears from Leona’s body and soul. He feels genuine affection for once. He feels like kissing Idia with no intention of teasing him. He just wants to kiss him because a kiss is what he’s missing. Not a startled expression, not lighthearted scolding, not stammering. Just a kiss.
“Sigh…has anyone ever told you not to play with your food?” Idia suddenly chimes in and that’s when Leona realizes he’s zoned out, with his hand fiddling with a piece of steak absentmindedly. The unimpressed expression meets his eyes then. Of course Idia’d look him in the eye when he’s annoyed. Idia’s words remind him of a certain someone - a someone he’d rather not remember - yet his feathers remain unruffled. Leona drops the piece back into the container and licks his fingers, intentionally in a way that would ruffle Idia’s feathers. And not exactly in an upsetting way. Idia’s expression quickly changes.
“But I play with you often, don’t I?” Leona flirts once he’s done cleaning up whatever remnants of chocolate that was on his rugged fingers. Despite all the fuzzy feelings in his chest, he can never deny his nature, and that is that he’s one hell of a tease, especially when it comes to Idia. He guesses Idia doesn’t bother to hide his face this time - the cherry blossoms return home. Petals paint the tips of his flames. Idia raises his balled hands in front of his chest, as if to gate whatever dignity’s left in him so that it doesn’t escape.
“W-W-What’s that supposed to mean?!” Idia stutters, which worsens his case. Leona lets loose a chuckle at his reaction, victorious once more. With that chuckle, an affectionate sigh and all his intention to tease leave as well. Leona takes a step to relocate the container somewhere else and takes another, towards his boyfriend. Idia’s breath dances on his sunkissed skin, tickling every nerve and sending chills down his spine. Even so, the brunet musters up the strength to cup his boyfriend’s face. The cherry blossoms are warm, tender, and in the wrong season. Yet it all feels so right either way.
“Take it how you will, my beloved boyfriend.”
A pair of lips shut Idia up before he can come up with a reply. So Idia merely wraps his arms around the other’s waist to pull him close as Idia reciprocates. His lips taste…rich. No, not in that way. Velvety? It must be the steak. Huh…I could get used to this, Idia notes. Leona moves his hands so that one runs through the other’s flames, one on the small of Idia’s back. Their bodies press against each other hungrily as they keep going for more, as if their souls are intertwining and becoming one.
Ah, this is…that’s one quest completed, mwehehe, Idia can’t help but wonder. Yet his thoughts only linger for naught but a few seconds - his head is drowning in his boyfriend’s scent and taste. Nothing but the tingling and warm sensation remains. Though all things must come to an end; after a few, they pull away from each other, gasping for air. Cherry blossoms, too, have to wither to usher in lush green leaves.
For that is simply the circle of life.