𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐂𝐊𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄- 𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐀 𝐗 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑

BREATHLESS, AREN'T YOU?

"Have you done it?"

"No, far from done."

...

"Finished?"

"No... wait for a while more."

...

"Done?"

"Leona, it has only been a minute." You looked up from the laptop and sighed helplessly.

"Can you just leave it there? You have been working on it all night." Leona frowned a bit while looking up from his phone to you who was sitting in front of his wooden desk.

"You know Crowley'd be annoying me until I finish the list." Rolling your eyes, you let out another sigh while turning back to the laptop screen.

Leona got up from his bed and walked towards you. Standing behind you, the lion rested his chin on your shoulder while caressing the other side. "What is it exactly?" he asked.

"The participant list of Culinary Crucible and their combination and other arrangements." I replied, "You have applied for that either, haven't you?"

Leona nodded with a bit of annoyance, "Ya, if it wasn't for the scores I would never joined that troublesome stuff."

Chuckling, I scrolled down the list, "Let's see who you're teaming up with..." I said while checking the names and stopped when I saw Leona's, "Ah, Apel-kun it is. Spelldrive duo."

Hearing that, Leona raised an eyebrow, "Not bad, at least. I've heard that that kid is quite a chef, especially those apple-related desserts." Apel could not have a training session without mentioning apples, he added.

"Are you kidding me? Lilia is joining the Culinary Crucible? I swear he almost got us poisoned that time in the Junior Form party." he doubted in surprise and disbelief.

"Good luck for Jade-senpai then." I laughed a bit.

"You know, maybe you can accidentally let me see the theme of my round, like what kind of ingredients I'll be using, so I can prepare it in advance." Leona suggested with a smirk.

You immediately pat his hand which was in an attempt to open another file, "Absolutely not. You're trying to cheat again. Have you learned no lesson, Leona?"

Shrugging, Leona smirked, "C'mon just a little peek."

"Crowley said it was a top secret." I smiled and rolled my eyes a bit.

"Really, now? Not even your dearest boyfriend." Leona snickered and squeezed your cheeks to make you look at him while lowering himself to your eye level.

"Nope, not even you." you pouted and replied with an unclear voice due to the squeeze on your cheeks.

Faking a sigh, Leona moved his hands to your wrists and pulled you up from the chair. "Well then, I guess you can only compensate me by lying down with me for a while."

"Leona, I really have to work. You know how annoying your headmage is." You protested, but you didn't push him away.

"Your headmage." You smiled back while following his lead and eventually laid on the mattress with his arm around your shoulders.

"Don't you know resting is as important as being hardworking?" he asked and rested his cheek on his palm while lying next to you, with his free hand toying a strip of your hair in his fingers.

"Alright alright, you won." you smiled helplessly and moved closer to Leona. "As always." he chuckled and replied.

You nuzzled your cheek against his pillow and adjusted to a more comfortable position, "I swear, your mattress and pillow are much more comfy than that of Ramshackle Dorm."