Chapter Text
They weren’t ones to drink, but Jade’s been known to be a connoisseur of Beastman Nectar— Ambrosia as they call it in the savannah. A drink strong enough to sedate a beastman, too strong for normal humans but if mixed in with something sweet, blends seamlessly. A traitor that will give you a hangover so bad, drinking Ambrosia’s been considered an act of courage, enjoyed only by the strong.
And Jack is not one to partake as his workout regimen is accompanied by a strict diet ( the goodest boy ). And through the years, as he worked his way from university to being a cadet in training, he’s kept up in shape. Maybe even built himself up even more as he fully grew.
Ona fine day, out of the blue, he receives an invitation from Jade Leech. And he wasn’t quite sure why he went but he did. As far as he can recall, Jade didn't reside in Sunset Savannah but there he was, in an apartment complex so quiet, so bright that it made him nervous. Maybe Jade is finally going to chop him up and throw his innards into the sea. He gulped at the thought as he felt a tinge on the back of his stomach. But after coming out of the elevator Jack shook his head as he took a deep breath, before knocking on the door.
The door opens to a sweet scent of baked butter, sugar and houseplants. A familiar man offered him a smile as his oven mitts peaked as he held the door open. “Welcome,” sly and scarily sweet in tone, Jack felt his shoulders tighten.
Jack walked in after Jade and sat down on the couch as instructed. It looked like a normal apartment. With white and peach furniture with wooden elements. Lots of plants and lots of books.
“Tea?” Jade casually asked as he walked back behind the kitchen counter as if this was a normal thing, as if this was a typical occurrence.
“H-herbal tea is fine,” Jack looked around, his ears alert as he examined the room further. The smell of baked butter and sugar wafting through the air almost overloading his senses, dulling it with sweetness. With the scent of water and stones and salt. The scent of shampoo and lotion, the scent of cleaning agents sprayed all over the apartment. Someone else was in one of the rooms.
Jade sits across from him, eyes intently watching the younger wolf’s nervousness. Pinpointing it one by one as if he was playing whack-a-mole. Slowly grinning as he picked up the finebone china settled before him.
“Is he here?” a deep voice emerged from what seemed to be the bedroom and it only took Jack one second to realise he was already standing, half bowing. “Wha—” he gasps.
“Leona-san!” it was instinct, it was habit and surely being a cadet in training it was inevitable.
To bow down to such a presence. Leona Kingscholar himself.
Jack could feel his chest heave, his heart beating faster. Jack hadn’t seen his former Housewarden in years as he was rumoured to be travelling around the world with a famous sorcerer. And he is now here . Bulkier, visible scars on his arm and chest, a thicker scar down his jawline, a mane thicker, longer and darker than he remembered. Wearing nothing but jeans.
“Just in time,” Jack almost forgot Jade was there, too. Sitting prettily with his fingers curled around china, a relaxed scent enveloping him and the whole room along. You could taste the sugar in the air, lingering, almost masking, whatever scent was embedded in that room.
“This is Asami-san’s apartment,” Jade speaks again, breaking the awe all over Jack’s face as Leona languidly walks to sit on the couch. There was a thud inside him and then a long continuous high note, his lips stopped moving. Jack’s mind went blank.
“Jack,” Jade calls to him again as if to wake him from his daydreaming. Jack ultimately missed that part. What was that? Who’s apartment?
“Your crush’s apartment,” Leona’s low voice was a spotlight now shining on Jack Howl’s blushing face. Mechanically turning to his side in disbelief as he scrambled for a retort—something— anything that can be an excuse, a denial.
“Wha—” Jack couldn’t say anything other than his half-croaked attempt at an explanation.
“A-SA-MI,” Leona’s mocking voice was almost too much for his sanity, Jack could feel his heels wanting to rise, wanting to stand and run outside. “Who else?” Leona snorts once again, tapping the other man’s shoulder to make sure his consciousness is still intact.
But it makes sense. If Leona-san is sleeping here, surely, it means that they are back together. Jack wouldn’t know. He started avoiding her messages as soon as he got into the Academy *. Any group outing with Ace, Deuce, Epel or the others, he purposely found some lame excuse not to go.
So he wouldn’t know how she’s been doing. What she’s been up to. All he knew is that she still resided in the savannah.
“It’s her birthday today, you see,” Jade interrupted his train of thought again, and surprisingly Leona was tolerating him being in his space. Weird. Definitely weird.
“So, why am I here?” Was supposed to come out of the younger wolf’s mouth but Jade spelled it out, clearing the air. Helping Jack relax a bit as Jade poured him another cup of tea.
“On a fine night we were fortunate enough to enjoy some Ambrosia,” his voice cool, the pause was smoothly finished by a scoff. “She doesn’t drink,” Leona sighs as he settles into a reclining position. Jack’s ears twitching with renewed interest.
“But that night she did,” Jade turns to Leona with a knowing smirk. The dark-haired prince sighs as he hugs the throw pillow next to him.
“D-did you rehearse this?” Jack was worried. Last time he remembered these two being in one room they were ready to snap each other’s necks. Well, more like Leona simply couldn't tolerate Jade, and it appeared that Jade took pleasure in the fact that his mere presence provoked such a reaction.
Jade chuckles, delicately covering his smile with a slender finger as his shoulder shakes with excitement.
“This prick over here asked her who else she wanna add to this party,” Leona scratched the back of his head as he tried to wrap up the conversation. He wasn’t much for fun and games unless he knew he had the sole upper hand. Though nothing they were saying was making sense to Jack, and nobody’s yet to clarify what exactly he’s doing there, in what appeared to be Asami Oda’s apartment.
Jade clears his throat, a sly smirk on his face as he turns to Leona. “This prick came all over her this morning, your Majesty,” Jack’s neck sharply turned to Jade as his mouth hung in disbelief. His shock is evident in the flush that spreads across his face.
“Fuck off—,” Leona throws the throw pillow but Jade dodges it instantly.
“No matter,” Jade leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. Shining gold and burnt ochre eyes piercing through Jack’s confusion. That smile, almost bearing his jagged teeth, was enough to send shivers down Jack Howl’s spine. What do you want?
“Our dearest named you , Jack,”
Our .
“Our,” he says.