[[ I do NOT own the art or music. Please enjoy this chapter - L RANDY ]]
[[above is another Leopoldo reference, just ignore the clothes]]
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Alana stood on her balcony the morning after the discussion about essentially her death plot. Mamoru has not visited yet, but then again it was morning, so she tried not to be disappointed. That was another thing reeling through her mind, the kiss.
Leopoldo... now Momo... what am I doing? She thought it was confusing when she felt strong emotions for all of them, but now after kissing two of her loves, she still had no clarity.
I am going to lose my mind...
Alana shook her head at herself. "I don't know what to—" Her sentence was cut off by a loud knocking at her door, and for a split second her heart dropped.
It has to be one of them.
Last night the pirates never came back to the inn, but she heard them each individually enter their hotel room periodically, the last one coming in just an hour ago. It was a heartbreaking feeling of guilt and regret, but she promised herself she would not show it bothered her.
They need women who can give them what they need... not a fickle idiot like me. She would say to herself.
"Come in," She called from the bathroom, stepping in off the balcony.
The door creaked open, and Alana met her visitor with a bright smile.
"Good morning, Leven." She greeted.
"Morning," He grumbled, shutting the door behind him.
He looked worse for wear, his blue waist sash was messily tied, and his white hair stuck up in different places. Even his boots were not laced up.
"How are you?" She smiled.
"Death," Leven muttered.
"Excuse me?" Alana chuckled.
"I feel like Death." He stepped closer to her.
"Too much drinking?"
He shyly nodded his head, Alana finally noticing his flushed cheeks and dazed eyes.
"Do you want to get coffee?" She offered.
Sometimes her tutors would look like that, and they always had coffee when they were like this.
Leven shook his head no, taking another step forward.
"Oh," Alana sounded disappointed, not knowing what else to offer. "What would help?"
"Hug." He mumbled.
"You want a hug?" She giggled, to which he again shyly nodded.
Alana did not hesitate to close the gap and wrap her arms around the drunk Leven. She hugged him close to her, his head rested on her shoulder due to their height difference.
So warm... everything is always so cold... but my idiot is always so warm.
Leven slowly brought his arms up to wrap around her as well, and her eyes widened.
He... he is hugging me back?! Alana was shocked, Leven never reciprocated her friendly gestures, not even so much as a smile her way.
"The hole... it was always cold... but you feel like sunshine..." Leven slurred, hugging the girl tighter.
"T-thank you." She did not know what he meant, but her cheeks flushed a warm red.
"Warm..." He muttered again.
They stayed in this embrace for what felt like seconds, but in actuality was five minutes, but another knock on the door sounded.
The person on the other side of the door did not even give Alana the chance to say come in, and the door swung open.
"Dear, have you seen—" Leopoldo came waltzing in but stopped dead in his tracks at the sight he witnessed.
You little— "My dear brother." Leopoldo finished with a smile.
"I don't think he is feeling well." Alana shyly smiled looking down at the dozing-off male attached to her.
"Yes, we all had a long night." Leopoldo came to remove his younger brother.
Oh, yeah.
"How was last night?" Alana asked before she could stop herself.
Leopoldo became the new target for Leven's hug, and the brothers embraced, Leopoldo more unwillingly.
"It was... lackluster." Leopoldo smiled down to the girl, swaying his brother to a deeper sleep so he may carry him out without a fuss.
Alana nodded awkwardly.
"Was I?"
NO IDIOT!! Alana cringed at herself again for not filtering her words.
"I'm sorry?" Leopoldo tilted his head confused by the question.
"Nothing, nothing at all." Alana nervously laughed waving both her hands. Before the conversation could continue, Alana blurted:
"What is the 'hole'?"
Leopoldo's countenance grew darkened, and his eyebrows furrowed in. Alana realized she made an even bigger mistake, and she shifted awkwardly.
"Wait here," Leo darkly commanded, and she quickly nodded.
In a swift movement, Leopoldo bent down and let his brother fall over his shoulder, and stood back up.
Leven hung like dead game over his elder brother's broad shoulder, his limbs flailing slights when Leopoldo turned to walk out the room and shut the door behind him.
"Idiot!" Alana scolded herself, lightly hitting her forehead with her palm.
Why can I not keep my big mouth shut? It has gotten me trouble again for the fourth time, in less than twenty-four hours!
The sound of her door opening drew her attention back up, Leopoldo was stalking in, locking the door behind him.
He looked her over with pensive, ocean blue eyes before nudging his head toward the bed, telling her to sit.
She did as motioned, and sat on the edge of the twin-sized bed, Leopoldo joining her rather close.
He sat leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, his long slender fingers interlocked.
Alana could not see his face, as his snow-white hair was down, and covering it from her viewpoint.
She sat straight, as she is been trained, with her hands in her lap wringing them together.
"Do you know what Fubukimouth is, dear?" He finally decided on how to begin.
"Yes, the snow and ice village in northern Taycia." She nodded.
"A village of ice slaves," He corrected quickly, and her stomach knots. "Forced into ice cutting year-round for the royals and nobles, no pay or benefits, and not permitted to sell to anyone else. Those unfit to chip the ice, smaller children, elderly, the ill- so on," Leopoldo inhaled deeply with a shaky breath. "Are auctioned as exotic slaves for our snow-white hair, pale skin, and bright eyes."
Alana began to shake listening to him speak.
All the ice that swirled around in my cups... it was from Leopoldo and Leven's village.
"Leven... he has always been small and could barely lift a pickaxe... so he was chosen to be sold when he was ten-years-old." Alana shuddered.
"But Leven has always been a badmouth," Leopoldo chuckled softly, sadly. "They did not like back talkers..." He trailed off.
"SO, the Hole was a pit in the snow, really there was about ten of them. Human-sized, more than enough room to fit a small boy like Leven." Leopoldo's voice shook.
"They put him in there... I would say once a week, for an entire day. The Fubukimouth villagers can withstand extreme amounts of cold, but it was it still freezing, it did not matter if he got frostbite or not, it was still chilling torture."
Alana felt the tears welling up in her eyes.
I am so sorry; I am so sorry! She sobbed in her mind.
"One day, he bit an auctioneer... and I heard them saying they were going to put my little brother in the Hole for three days with no food or water." Leopoldo's whole body shook. "So, while everyone slept, I snuck out to the Holes and pulled him out. After that, we ran, we ran into the woods and never looked back, I carried him most of the way. We ran until we got to a port, where we met Captain and Ivo, who at the time were just boys as well. And I think Leven is still running from the cold in some ways."
"Are you?" Alana's voice cracked as silent tears ran down her soft cheeks.
The bright morning sun glistened off Leopoldo's shining hair with an almost blinding light. He moved to sit up, leaning back on his hands, stretching his long legs out, crossed at the ankles.
"I suppose so, in a different way." He quietly said, letting his head fall to the side to look at the girl.
His eyes widened as he saw the tears trailing down her cheeks like rivers. He immediately sat up and began to wipe away the tears.
"Dear, why are you crying so much?" He held her face, his face softened at what he thought was a quite adorable expression.
"I-I am so s-sorry." She wept quietly.
"No, no, dear. It is no way your fault to be sorry over." He assured her, running his fingers through her hair.
He was extremely panicky from seeing her cry, as the girl is only really ever seen wearing a true smile.
She is only meant to smile! Why is crying over the useless past! She cannot cry over us; she needs to smile for us!
Yes, it is, I could be helping Fubukimouth! And here I sit! In enemy lands playing make-believe!
"It is horrible," Alana cried, gently holding onto Leopoldo's wrists. "I p-promise..." She hiccupped. "I will be your and Leven's sunshine, I promise." I will make everything right, I will rebuild Taycia until no one is suffering at royal hands.
Leopoldo melted at her words, he grabbed her cheeks and pulled her in. Their lips connected, and the warmth Leopoldo had been searching for exploded within him.
He did not try to slip his tongue in, as this kiss was not supposed erotic, it was a 'thank you'. He held his pale pink lips on hers for a few moments, until he was satisfied.
"Just keep smiling, and it will be just like the sunshine..." He whispered to her, pressing his forehead to hers. She giggled, wiping away a stray teardrop.
"Okay, Leo, I will keep smiling." She promised.
"And" Leopoldo leaned in to whisper in her ear. "You are nothing close to lackluster, you're the most dazzling creature that has ever crossed my path, our path." He kissed her earlobe, sending a shiver up her spine.
Leopoldo hated to admit the last part, but he was being honest.
Alana's face heated more from his words than from the kiss.
"I feel the same way about all of you," She smiled. "My life before the ship it was..." she trailed off. "Lackluster."
They chuckled together at her attempt at a joke. Leopoldo patted her head and stood from her bed.
"Then don't carelessly give us away to other women," He playfully scolded. "We drank ourselves to sleep at the tavern we were so heartbroken." He dramatically placed a hand over his heart.
"You mean you didn't ...?" Alana, a little more hopeful sounding than she was going for.
Leopoldo smirked, seeing her reaction. "No," He began towards the door. "we would never let another man have you, so echo that respect, please, and keep us all to yourself." He unlocked the door and twisted the knob but paused. "Or just me." He looked over his shoulder and shot her a wink before walking out.
Oh my— Her lips pulled back into the biggest smile she could muster. Alana skipped all the way to the bathroom to wash herself up. Oh my, gods! She squealed to herself like a schoolgirl.
"Keep us all to yourself." Alana mocked Leopoldo with happiness spilling from every pore.
Is this... love?