Fluffy - Twisted Wonderland (ongoing)

(18) "Your Highness"

"Let me think." Leona said, he looks at a specific spot that was covered by shadows. "How about a wolf, and a little fox that likes to sneak around eavesdropping on others?" He asked.

☆*:.𝕋•ℝ•𝕆𝔽•𝕋•𝕊.:*☆

Both Jack and Nate came out of the shadows, revealing themselves.

"What do the two of you want, here late in the night?" Leona questioned the two. "Are you two so homesick that you need someone to sing you a lullaby?" He mocked.

Leona on the outside he seems fine, but on the inside he was internally panicking about Nate being in his room. It took a lot of will power for him to went towards Nate, grab him and throws him onto his bed. Another reason is because of Ruggie and Jack being there.

"I'll sing one for you two. Shishishishi!" Ruggie said, and did his laugh.

"Tell me the reason. Why are you guys doing something like this?" Jack demanded. "And don't try to deny it, ever since the incident started we know that what's happening around the school is your doing. So spit it out."  Nate demanded while gritting his teeth, and was glaring at Leona.

Leona smirked, fascinated at how observant Nate is. "Quite the observation skills, Little Fox." He said to Nate. He drops the smirk, and turn towards Jack. He got out of his bed and stood up. "I see. So you two want a bedtime story? Alright, I'll tell you." He said, and begins telling his tale.

"For two years in a row now, we played against Malleus and Diasomnia Dorm in the first match of the tournament." Leona informed. "The result, we were crushed. A participation trophy. Savanaclaw has taken down opponent after opponent, but even we were like newborn kittens who hadn't even opened their eyes." He said.

Leona clearly remembers the times Savanaclaw lost in the tournament, and how crushed they were especially for him as Dorm Leader. Leona hid his feeling pretty well to the others in the room, except for Nate who notices but kept quiet about it.

"That unsightly state was broadcast to the whole world. Do you know what happened in the end?" Leona questioned. Jack and Nate were silent, not knowing what to say as they listen to the story. "The Dorm Leader was branded as incompetent and scouts from pro leagues and sponsors dried up."

"That's... It's because you simply needed to do more..." Jack said. Nate was listening intendedly, not wanting to say anything just yet. "It's as you say. Until last year, we literally weren't committed to personal affairs." Leona said, his hands now on his waist. "Having an honest match with that monster-like opponent without coming up with something in advance was stupid. We knew we'd lose, but we still didn't come up with a plan."

Leona crosses his arms. "To hear that about Savanaclaw, the dorm that is founded by the King of Beasts, it must have been a shock." He said. Jack was irritated. "That doesn't make the cowardly way you're attacking people is wrong!" He stated, clenching his fists.

"It's wrong?" Leona questioned. "Jack... you know, I'm only thinking about what's best for all the members of Savanaclaw? If we shoot down Malleus, we'll get revenge of all of that and the value of Savanaclaw will be restored." He said. "It's already been decided, that if we don't win this year Malleus will be entered into the hall of fame. This is our last chance. But you want to give it up for your sense of justice? Do you want to destroy your seniors' futures?" He questioned.

"Th-that's...!" Jack stuttering a bit, looking down in shame. Nate knows what's happening, Leona is playing the blame game. Nate knows that Leona does in fact cares about the students in his dorm, but using Jack's sense of justice and blaming him for potentially ruining his seniors' futures, that's just low.

"Using your head when chasing prey is the basics of hunting. There's nothing cowardly about it." Leona said. Ruggie laughed. "In this school, its survival of the fittest. Goodie two shoes can't survive here." He said. Nate knows that what Ruggie said wasn't directed at him, but it still kinda hurts hearing that from Ruggie compare to what he told Nate, when he first got to the Dorm.

"Prefect, if you gave it your all you would have no problem against Diasomnia!" Jack said. "I still remember the way you played three years ago. I...!" He was about to say, but was interrupted.

"Don't speak as if you know anything about me!" Leona yelled. Jack went silent, while Nate flinched at the tone Leona used. Nate looks down at the floor, while his ears trembles a bit. He hated when people would yell at him. Ruggie was worried, but didn't want to interrupt Leona. Leona looks at Nate with guilt and regret, he wanted so badly to go comfort his Little Fox, but couldn't. He turn back towards Jack. "Give it my all? Utterly foolish. Even if I did, nothing would change... Leave. If you want to see the morning sun." He told the two. Jack was silent, and he quietly went out of the room.

"What are you still doing here, Nate-kun?" Ruggie asked, seeing Nate still in the room. After Nate calmed down, he looks directly at Leona. "You know, both you and Jack have a point." He said. Leona raised one of his eyebrows, intrigued at what Nate was saying. "Knowing that going up against Malleus and Diasomnia would be automatically defeat, but just like Jack said if you all went and used all of your strengths, you might just be able to win." Nate explained.

"So what? You're clearly taking Jack's side." Leona said, crossing his arms, and glared at Nate. Nate was not fazed by the glared he was receiving. "Perhaps." He said, with a shrug. "But to what extent?" He questioned, turning around and start making his way towards the door. "I have no proof that you and Ruggie-senpai were the one doing this, so I won't be reporting this to Headmaster Crowley."

Nate stopped just in front of the door. "Oh, that reminds me." He said. Leona looks at Nate, who turned around, they look at each other. Leona saw that Nate stood at the area, where the moonlight was shining perfectly on Nate. "I know what I said, probably won't do much. But..." He trailed off. "Do your best. I'm cheering for you(whether you decided to go with the plan or not). Your Highness." He said.

"Ba-thump" Leona's eyes widened, his heart beats at what Nate said "Your Highness". It has been so long for him, to hear anyone greeted him like that. One which doesn't include fear, discomfort, terror, mockery, etc. The way Nate used it on Leona doesn't have any ill-meanings behind them, it was with comfort. Nate soon leaves the room, closing the door.

"Well, seems like Nate-kun won't be a problem." Ruggie said, he sighs a breathe of relief he doesn't want to do anything that would hurt him. "But Jack's a liability. Should I get rid of him?" He asked, Leona who was still registering the effects Nate has on him.

Leona came back to reality. "No, don't." He dismissed. "Even if he goes and tells Crowley, like Little Fox said, they have no evidence. That and we need him to crush Malleus. Keep a close eye on him for now. And since Nate won't be a part of the tournament, we won't have to worry about him." He told Ruggie. "Ye~s." Ruggie said, and left the room. Leona tsked. "Damn fresh-babies... Sounds just like my brother." He muttered.

Leona thought back to what Nate called him. "Your Highness." "Ba-thump"  "What am I gonna do with you, Little Fox?" He asked himself. His tail was wagging rapidly.