#val is very much antagonistic AND awkward af she cannot win

[thatfanfictionchick]

TWST - Collar

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Leona x Val[OC]

Rating: Suggestive

Warnings: Hands around the neck; Collar wear

Word count: 1534

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“Val! Grim’s eating my food again!”

Val let her head fall back with an exaggerated groan, ignoring Ace’s angry yells. Grim, Deuce, and Ace had gone through the line ahead of her and were already seated, halfway through their lunches. She looked at Ruggie who was in line next to her loading up his and Leona’s lunches. “I don’t know what they expect me to do about it. You take life and limb in your hands trying to stop that furry black hole.”

“Hey, as long as it’s not my limbs in the fray,” Ruggie said.

“Come again, Grilled Cheeseburglar?” she teased.

“That was a fair trade!” Ruggie insisted.

“Fair how, exactly?” Val pushed.

Just then another Savanaclaw student came by, patting Ruggie on the shoulder. “Hey man, Sam’s looking for you. He says he’s got your stuff.”

“Now?!” Ruggie said. “He said it wouldn’t get here until tonight!”

“His efficacy is problematic?” Val asked.

“No,” Ruggie said. “But it’s…delicate, and I need to get it delivered ASAP.”

Val looked at the tray in his hands. “Do you want me to take Leona his lunch?”

“Would you?” Ruggie’s ears shot up eagerly. She nodded and Ruggie started moving food onto her tray.

“Where’s he at?”

“He should be in the greenhouse.” Ruggie shoved some marks, presumably from Leona, into her hand, shoved some food into his pockets, snagged an extra sandwich, and took off. “Thanks Val, I owe ya!”

As she reached the end of the line another angry shout rang out, and she turned to see Ace and Grim grappling with Deuce caught in the middle. Deciding she wanted nothing to do with all that, Val slipped out the door into the hallway and made her way to the greenhouse. It was delightfully warm, as always, and after a few minutes following the winding path she spotted the fluffy tip of Leona’s tail peeking out of some foliage. “My,” she drawled. “What a lovely tail. Would be a shame if someone were to step on it.”

“Ha ha,” Leona’s humorless laugh made her smile and the tail disappeared. Using one hand to push the broad leaves aside she stepped into the small clearing the beastly housewarden had chosen to nap in. He was lounging on his side, his head propped on his hand, his scarred eye closed. He was, she was loath to admit, disgustingly handsome for someone she wanted to kick in the ass every time she was forced to cross his path. “Ya know, I could still make good to take that tooth I wanted last time.”

“Dear, sweet, Leona,” she said haughtily, a wicked grin twisting her features. “If you want to put something in my mouth so bad there are nicer ways to ask.” That startled a legitimate laugh out of him, and she bent to put the tray on the ground. She lowered herself to the ground intending to sit cross-legged as she usually would. Halfway she was suddenly struck by the idea of doing something so crass, in a skirt, in front of literal royalty and hastily sank down with her legs folded beneath her. “I bring food.”

“What happened to Ruggie?” Leona asked, pushing himself into a sitting position and grabbing the roast beef sandwich that Ruggie had picked for him.

“Black market, probably,” she said with a shrug.

“And you came alone?” Leona teased. She picked up the bowl that held her salad and popped the lid off, ignoring the sound of disgust he made. Her nails were painted with gold glitter that flashed in the light that filtered through the plants as she poured dressing into the bowl, replaced the lid, and shook it vigorously. It was as good an excuse as any for watching her slender hands.

“Grim and Ace were fighting. Believe it or not, this was the better deal.”

“Should put a collar on that weasel.” Leona muttered.

“You could always try, if you’re feeling froggy.” Val said. She took a bite of her salad and Leona grimaced.

“Should collar the both of ya,” he taunted. “Little leaf-eaters ain’t good for much else.”

“Uh, excuse you!” she snapped, stabbing her fork into a piece of tomato. “In case you’ve forgotten, Señor Grumpy Cat, of the two of us sitting here only one of us has actually been collared.” Leona growled and while a smile played at the corner of her lips her eyes stayed firmly rooted to the dirt. She knew she had essentially taken her life in her hands with that jab, although she was mostly sure he wouldn’t actually do anything about it.

Of course, she’d been wrong before.

Quite suddenly Leona’s leather clad hands were wrapped around her neck. She squealed, frozen in place. All jokes aside, she was very aware that he could probably snap her neck with hardly any effort and the expansive greenhouse would afford him any number of places to hide a body. There was also the matter of his gloves being ridiculously soft, warm from the heat of his hands, and that if she weren’t scared for her life it would likely otherwise be an enjoyable experience. But his hands were gone just as suddenly, and she looked at him with wide eyes as he recreated the size of her neck, a sneer on his face.

“Would be such a little thing too.”

“Shut up!” she snapped with a burst of indignation. “You are so mean!” She only succeeded in making him laugh so she stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry, having nothing but childish retorts left. “Like you even actually would!”

She really didn’t like the look on his face when she said that.

°•. ♚ .•°

Two days later, as she was making one last clean sweep of the kitchen before bed, there was a knock at the door. A ghost courier was there, a neat black box in its hands. “Val of Ramshackle?” 

The package signed for, she sat on the sagging couch and untied the silky ribbons that held the box together. Lifting the lid revealed another box, this one with a swirling typeface imprinted on it. The second box felt soft and velvety and entirely too luxurious to be in a place like Ramshackle. She opened it and tilted her head, looking at its contents with confusion. She couldn’t immediately tell what it was, lifting the deceptively hefty leather strap out and turning it in her hands to admire the golden buckle. It was lined with what appeared to be gold velvet and as she rubbed it she realized there was something stitched near the end. Tilting it in the light, her body stiffened when she finally made out the lion's head embroidered in the velvet. She flipped it, her breath coming in angry huffs, and only then saw the small lion’s head embossed on the leather right under the buckle.

It was a collar.

“That son-of-a-bitch!” She sprang to her feet, the box and the collar falling to the floor. She stormed out of the dorm, the door clattering shut behind her. She made it halfway to the main building before the cool night air cleared her head enough to make her stop.

No. She was going about this the wrong way. If she stormed into Savanaclaw to yell at him, he would only think it was funny. And that would just make her angrier. No, she needed to do something better. If he wanted to play, she’d play too.

°•. ♚ .•°

The next day was the start of the weekend, but as usual in Savanaclaw there was no rest for the wicked. It was Spelldrive practice first thing in the morning and as Leona made his way to the field he spotted a lone figure leaning against one of the pillars. She was facing away from him, her hair in loose waves down her back. Unfortunately her facing away from him also gave him the opportunity to notice how very snug her jeans were. “What’re you doin’ here?”

“I’m here to watch, obviously.” She didn’t turn to face him, instead continuing to scroll her phone until he reached her. She looked up at him then, a warm smile on her face as she reached up to loop her finger through the D ring on the collar. She’d gotten up early and spent a lot of time getting ready. Her lids were coated in gold shimmer and her eyes carefully lined with kohl. Gold earrings lined both ears, the lowest ones dangling to her collarbones so that no matter what the eye was drawn to her neck. It was absolutely worth it, because the moment Leona saw the collar his ears plastered back against his skull and he bit down on his bottom lip. It only lasted for a moment before he composed himself, but it was enough to supercharge Val right down to her toes. “Well?” she chirped cheerily when he still hadn’t moved several seconds later. “You gonna get out there or what?” He looked like he wanted to say something. At that moment he felt like he wanted to do something. Instead he walked away.

Forget winter, Val thought as she watched him go. War was coming.