[The answer doesn't come immediately. Instead, Leona quietly shifts from his knees to more of a thoughtful squat, contemplating. A deep breath, and a sigh.
He leans forward, putting his palm on Yoojin's head and ruffling his head.]
What are you talking about?
[His voice is as dry as it ever is, but a bit more tired, too. Not scolding, just tired.]
Not even I'm bad enough off to think it's a crime to be loved by someone.
[He lifts his face, looking... well, more baffled than anything. What Leona's saying is one thing; another is that nobody's ruffled his hair in--he can't even remember how long.
He's the big brother. It doesn't go the other way around.]
[Yoojin looks back at him with wide, stupid eyes, utterly arrested by the hand beneath his chin. The intensity of Leona's green, green gaze holds him just as inescapably still; like this, the words land as a fierce, quiet, breathtaking revelation.
For a moment, the only part of ever-restless Yoojin that moves is his heart. It thumps hard against the walls of his chest.
An honor.
Leona says that looking straight at him, at everything Yoojin is and can never be, holding his face up so he can have no doubt he's seen.]
[...Holding his face up. Awfully. Close, huh? To Leona's own offensively beautiful one, while he looks at him like this.
Blood rises in a hot rush beneath Yoojin's skin, coloring his cheeks and the outer curves of his ears. His complexion does him no favors hiding it.
Eep.]
U-um...!
[Thankfully, Peep-Peep chooses this moment to come barreling back from scratching in the weeds. She beelines for her daddy, who opens his hands for her while she insistently adds her two cents. Peep peep peep peep!]
Oh, uh, you think so, too, Peep-Peep?
[Yes! That seems to be what she's saying. She settles herself firmly in his palms and nuzzles him with her fuzzy head as he brings her to his cheek, a transparent attempt to hide his overwhelmed and overwarm expression.
But there's a wobbly smile visible beneath his hands.]
Then I guess I've got no choice but to believe you two.
[It doesn't take very much for Leona to pull back and let Peep-peep have the spotloght here, bringing his hands back to himself and watching. He can quite easily tell he's flustered Yoojin, actually, and even as fun as tht might be now is not the moment to dig in and make the guy more overwhelmed.
What he will do is drape his arms over his knees and watch this weird little monster bird comfort her papa.]
Yeah, yeah. See?
Listen to the bird.
[Small thoigh Leona's smile might be, watching Yoojin and Peep-peep, it's still there.]
[It's not particularly effective as a grumble, since he still looks caught between trying not to smile and trying not to sniffle, and still red as a beet. Finally, though, he transfers Peep-Peep to one hand, tucks her against his collar, and wraps the other around one of Leona's dangling wrists.]
[This time, when Leona pulls his hand away just enough so that his fingers catch Yoojin's instesd of their wrists being linked, it's a bit more deliberate than before.]
[That tips Yoojin's still pinkish expression firmly into smile territory.
He waits for Leona to lie down first this time before pillowing his head on his friend's chest. Like that, ear pressed to a beating heart, he lets out a contented little sigh.]
[Leona watches Yoojin settle against him and doesn't protest. Doesn't bother to. Instead, after a moment, he rests his arm over Yoojin's shoulder and lays his head back to stare at the stars, as he is so prone to do.]
Night.
[This isn't terrible. He has come to care about this herbivore far too much, far too fast, but this isn't the worst thing that's ever happened to him, at all. No, if he has to be trapped somewhere, if this does have to be the end, if the story stops here—
well, he certainly doesn't want it to, but it wouldn't be the worst.
Leona yawns, long and unashamed as always, and lets his eyes close.]
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monsterdaddy) wrote2025-04-29 12:06 pm
no subject
[Leona's voice must sound much closer, because he's rolled over to his knees in front of Yoojin. He doesn't touch him just yet, waiting, watching.]
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Because I have to have been one of the worst things that ever happened to you, but you're still here with me, anyway.
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He leans forward, putting his palm on Yoojin's head and ruffling his head.]
What are you talking about?
[His voice is as dry as it ever is, but a bit more tired, too. Not scolding, just tired.]
Not even I'm bad enough off to think it's a crime to be loved by someone.
Yoojin Han, look at me.
[Steady, warm, commanding. Like a prince.]
no subject
...?
[He lifts his face, looking... well, more baffled than anything. What Leona's saying is one thing; another is that nobody's ruffled his hair in--he can't even remember how long.
He's the big brother. It doesn't go the other way around.]
no subject
I've witnessed the way you care about the people you love.
It's nothing— and it was never gonna be anything— but an honor to be among that number.
1/2
For a moment, the only part of ever-restless Yoojin that moves is his heart. It thumps hard against the walls of his chest.
An honor.
Leona says that looking straight at him, at everything Yoojin is and can never be, holding his face up so he can have no doubt he's seen.]
2/2
Blood rises in a hot rush beneath Yoojin's skin, coloring his cheeks and the outer curves of his ears. His complexion does him no favors hiding it.
Eep.]
U-um...!
[Thankfully, Peep-Peep chooses this moment to come barreling back from scratching in the weeds. She beelines for her daddy, who opens his hands for her while she insistently adds her two cents. Peep peep peep peep!]
Oh, uh, you think so, too, Peep-Peep?
[Yes! That seems to be what she's saying. She settles herself firmly in his palms and nuzzles him with her fuzzy head as he brings her to his cheek, a transparent attempt to hide his overwhelmed and overwarm expression.
But there's a wobbly smile visible beneath his hands.]
Then I guess I've got no choice but to believe you two.
no subject
What he will do is drape his arms over his knees and watch this weird little monster bird comfort her papa.]
Yeah, yeah. See?
Listen to the bird.
[Small thoigh Leona's smile might be, watching Yoojin and Peep-peep, it's still there.]
She's got more sense than you.
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[It's not particularly effective as a grumble, since he still looks caught between trying not to smile and trying not to sniffle, and still red as a beet. Finally, though, he transfers Peep-Peep to one hand, tucks her against his collar, and wraps the other around one of Leona's dangling wrists.]
All right, bud. [He's all right.] Bedtime?
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Good. I'm beat.
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He waits for Leona to lie down first this time before pillowing his head on his friend's chest. Like that, ear pressed to a beating heart, he lets out a contented little sigh.]
Good night. Sleep tight, Leona.
no subject
Night.
[This isn't terrible. He has come to care about this herbivore far too much, far too fast, but this isn't the worst thing that's ever happened to him, at all. No, if he has to be trapped somewhere, if this does have to be the end, if the story stops here—
well, he certainly doesn't want it to, but it wouldn't be the worst.
Leona yawns, long and unashamed as always, and lets his eyes close.]