Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of The Lioness and the Wolf. Enjoy the 4200-Word chapter. I do not own AGK, Takahiro, Square Enix and a few others do.
(Empire)
Jace felt her nails cut into the side of his skin, it hurt, and yet he did not whimper. Even the smallest amount of weakness was something Leone would capitalize on, and it was clear she did not at all want to play around, not now. Jace would give it to her that she was rather powerful and skilled, but it was always going to be an issue for him, maybe he'd wake up with her slitting his throat before he looked around, too amused as to now.
Jace was only amused by her wrapping her claws around his chest as she rested her head on his, yawning as of now before she looked around. Leone yawned, exposing rows of fang like teeth as she tilted her head to the side.
"Are you ok?" Jace asked as she yawned, tilting her head once more before she yawned as she looked around.
It was worth noting she was still several times taller than him or at least it seemed like that. He felt more as if he were a toy than a warrior like her.
"Better with you here." Leone stated as Jace sighed before rolling his eyes at himself.
"That is the corniest crap I've heard today, and you know it." Leone heard as she rolled her eyes and simply glanced around, too interested in what came next.
It would be a while before either simply crawled out of this and she was well aware of what needed to be said and done. It was to be a while before either managed to get out as both were too exhausted to even try and move for now and all of this made it clear they would be inseparable for now.
Their dance was becoming more playful and amusing to them as they danced along with it in their minds. She mentally smirked as to how it would need to be for now and how little it worked at the end of the day. It would need to end sometime soon.
Leone tightened her grip around her new beau as she grew more amused by his tensing up. She had an effect it seemed and was clear increasingly they were close enough to where her moves would affect him. Perhaps it was simply her type of amusement that made all of it fit together more and more with certain issues as of now.
She felt him slowly wrap his arms around her as if taking a moment to try and return her affections. She did not at all hold it against them.
Leone knew that neither of them was used to love and romance and she and he were just dancing along to the beat of a song that was to be playing for a while. All of their pain and suffering would be like, and all their pain was going to need to go somewhere. Leone was not an idiot; they were at the time simply forcing themselves together with each of them seeming to get off the ground before she seemed to need to have to focus.
She curled her hands around his chest, nuzzling her head into his shoulder, giving her a clear cut of his scent. It was odd to see it grow to be more of an issue to focus upon.
Leone was honestly curious as to do next. If it were up to her? She would drag Jace to the nearest pub, get them so smashed they could barely walk, then spend the entire day snuggling up to him as their hang-up slowly started to look up and into the ceiling before now as she looked upwards and then slowly started to question what to do next.
It was all too much of an odd trivial problem for now. Leone could smell his scent; she could taste the power inside of his Tengu. Leone knew her attraction to him was not simple animal instinct but part of his Tengu drove her up a wall as she turned to look at her. Leone was all too amused by this as Jace embraced her, forcing her to look down before speaking a few seconds later.
"You know, we can do more than sleep and you act like you are going to do the deed to tease me all day, Leone… It is not like we are not going to be sharing a bed later." Jace said before sighing to himself.
"Jace, I have always been almost dead for now. We have been fighting an entire mercenary army; I have almost been killed again and again and the last thing I want to do is have to go do my job." Jace stated before Leone hummed.
"So, you're going to tell me you just want to sleep all day?" Jace asked to which there was a nod as of the time being.
Jace said nothing, he would have no damn reason to. It was not exactly like he could say anything for now and besides… It was worth it for the moment, and it would continue to be so for now… Then again? Well? It needed to be fixed and fixed properly. Jace could not fault Leone for enjoying sleep considering as of now.
Jace was a lot more to focus upon as she seemed to handle it as she seemed to fall silent for now as she looked around before now. She smirked to herself as she tilted her head to the side before, she looked up and into the sky while she questioned what to do next.
Perhaps it was just life for her. She could always simply vanish more. All of it was worth a shot for the time being and yet none of them came out for now, all done and done it was so worth it… Worth something to question for now. It would need to come and come said and done as of now, there was a lot more of an issue, and worth more for the time being. Leone was aware of the irony in owing her existence to the boy she tormented and yet it was natural to see it all come to a head in this manner.
There were increased problems and issues to see the end, for now, more and more issues were to be entirely fixed and ended properly.
"What do you think your boss is going to say for now?" Jace questioned as Leone hummed.
"Probably something about how I keep drinking or how little, for now, I get to relax. I do not have time to stress the details and she knows it, yet she constantly seems to critique me." Leone said, tightening her grip on her new mate.
"Maybe because you go charging in and you filled with enough bullets to count as a pincushion… Why do you suppose, Leone?" Jace asked, his tone half reminding her simply what needed to be done and dusted.
Jace was silent as he tried to let her soak it in, it was not an extremely dangerous or harsh surprise that the Achilles heel she held for now and for good. Jace did not hold her ego against her as if she was to be worth it, and she gave her best efforts to try and end it.
There were so many efforts to get her to heel and Jace did feel bad she would not listen to reason… Yet? There was not a single desire to see it like that anytime soon.
"I think your boss respects you a lot more than you want to, and it is clear she's simply trying to do what she can to fix things…. Honestly? I am glad you can cut loose and yet still have someone trying to fix things properly… Helps a lot when push comes to shove." Jace stated as he sighed to himself before he seemed to be capable of doing now.
Jace felt her claws tighten around his chest as if he did not at all expect it… Not that such a problem could exist with his Tengu which matched and exceed hers at times… He was plenty capable of such power and so was she. Leone did not if it was at all worth a small laugh to see her get it over for now. Well, such problems need to be addressed, they would be soon properly focused upon now and it was clear for now bigger issues needed to be done for now.
Jace yawned as he pondered just what Matias would do. The man was controlling far too much power to be taken down, far too much control to be conquered, and yet? Well, it would need to end and end before something else came crashing downwards and into the water, only curious more about what needed or could be done to see it end sooner or later. It was odd and yet she could allow no quarter to anything in any nook or cranny… All too eager to see it end before her, all too eager to see it end.
Jace yawned, tired to the nth degree over it all. Leone was honestly too curious, all too interested in what happened. One of her massive, pawed feet passed over his legs, trapping him to the bed. Her clawed hands left light cuts along his skin to which Jace barely avoided a reaction, a shuttering breath passing over his flesh like a warm whisper.
Jace would give Leone credit, he could not tell if she wished to tease him to which she was certainly trying her hardest or subconsciously doing it without noticing its effects on him. Her acting was skilled enough to try and find it increasingly interesting each other.
Jace was all too amused, interested in her antics as he decided if indulging her was worth it. Jace knew he could tease her for now and yet the second he'd do it would be the second she responded and would have him at her mercy. It was worth it for now and yet? Jace did not, knowing he attempted to mess with her before now and it would not at all end anytime soon, she wanted to get under his skin, and it was clear to him in his way did Jace desire to be around her in a way that it needed to be. Jace felt her yawn, pressing her ample chest into his spine. Jace simply rolled his eyes and tried his best to pull up the cover before looking at his body with the cover, all too much amused for now. It was clear Leone wanted to tease him before now and all this did was allow him to be taken more amused for now. Jace was entirely amused, yawning as sleep seemed to overtake him.
"I can't damn sleep." Leone stated to which Jace sighed, all too amused or at odds with everyone else, for now, yawning to herself at her wit's end.
There was also heat, the fact it consumed her, slowly started to find it worth more amusing for now. Leone sighed mentally, prepared to see that such issues needed to be ended for now. Leone was oddly on top of extraordinarily little while questioning entirely who would be taken down and whom for it. Jace knew she wanted to mess with him and yet it seemed to need to end and yet? Well? It needed to be considered and it'd be properly fixed itself.
Jace smirked, not letting her know such problems would need to be done.
"Stop moving, I want to be warm." Leone said in a tone that reminded Jace she was still very tall and strong.
"Make me, you're hogging all the blankets," Jace said before he realized the mistake, he had made in trying it and trying to see her as a problem Jace felt was able to be handled properly.
Her grip upon his body became ironclad, her tree trunk-like legs locking around his hips, preventing him from trying at all to retreat from his defiance punishment. It was clear she had planned something similar to this for when it came down to it.
Jace felt her fangs clamp down upon his neck's naked flesh, her tongue whipping across his skin and sending a shiver of mixed feelings upon him.
"Don't make me~." Leone purred as Jace turned and poked her stomach. "You're messing with a lioness in her den… You're enjoying it, aren't you?" Leone asked as Jace gripped her stomach.
"Don't bite my damn jugular, Leone…" Jace said before he sighed to himself a few moments later. "And a little, you're driving my imperial arms crazy right now and we don't have time for that," Jace stated to which he could almost feel her pout.
"Killjoy, we're not kids, Jace. You could afford to do something; we only live once." Leone stated to which Jace only rolled his eyes at her.
"You get 9 of those, Leone," Jace said before a giggle and a nuzzle of his neck cut him off. "I'm starting to wonder if you're going to turn my throat into a small steak," Jace stated before Leone hummed.
"Funny joke, jackass." Leone stated with amusement clear on his face, all too eager amusement for now.
Jace was all too eager to see Leone fight in some odd way. Perhaps it was wanting her to fight and see if he had not wasted his time in trying to save her. He did not regret the option when given it and it was clear now, she was capable of it for now.
Jace yawned, interested in what would be used against them. Matias did not lack any types of weapons for now and anyone who was used to it all for now.
"You want to fight soon?" Leone asked as Jace was silent, underestimated but not lacking in guts.
"Sure, if we don't go down a cliff. I'm going to try and sleep like I wanted to do for the past hour, Leone. Unless you want to do something besides THAT? I'm going to sleep for now." Jace stated before yawning.
Leone racked her brain for an idea and came up empty mostly. Not for lack of trying, but because it was still part of life and she needed sleep more, eager to lie down.
It was all too much, for now, tired and confused but amused by Jace's flirting for now. It was worth it for now and would always be worth it for the moment, interested at the end of the day, Jace was a gem to be protected… And HERS and hers alone. It would simply not do to see it end in such a manner, but it seemed as if life always had other ideas, ones she did not intend to deal with.
"You're going to keep flirting or are you going to do something?" Jace asked eyebrow raised to see if she'd react slightly and end it properly.
"No, I don't know to react." Leone stated before she crossed her arms across his chest.
"Are you going to be, ok? We need to get going eventually. Anything else isn't going to be fun enough to deal with." Jace stated before he frowned.
"Are you going to be, ok?" Jace asked before frowning and looking upwards and into the ceiling. "Are you going to be, ok? There are a lot more details to deal with a little down the road." Jace stated before frowning at herself before now.
"I'm sorry." Leone said, honest as of now.
"For what? Being yourself? You're a lot more interesting than all the reports stated, Leone. I'm sorry for being so damn abrasive… I'm a little rough around the edges for now and yet I can't ever stop myself from being like that." Jace said with a sigh.
"Matias isn't the problem, it's the fact you act a lot like a colonel, and we aren't soldiers anymore, we're people, thieves, scavengers, pirates, scumbags… We beat the empire because we're without morals. We aren't going to win a war by fighting far, we can't afford to do that… We aren't exactly nice and respected warriors." Leone stated and Jace knew she wasn't lying or attempting to.
It was clear more or less when push came to shove upon now, interested to focus upon it all at the end of the day. Jace could not afford to fight a war on the straight and narrow, they weren't super elite warriors on the frontlines but squatters, liars, thieves, backstabbers, soldiers who were skilled at cutting throats… Yes, it was easier to see them as that than anything else… Skilled in cheating and nothing else.
Jace was silent as her claws raked across his back, reminding him of what needed to be said and done. Jace could afford a few hours of lowering his guard down, the war with Matias would most likely claim his life so it wasn't like they were exactly going to be dealing with it. All of it would sink eventually… He could afford to let a small little crack in his armor form considering more or fewer problems seemed to be falling apart over and over again.
Leone snuggled deeper into his back, letting Jace as he looked upwards before tilting his head and yawning upwards. There were a few seconds as of now. Leone yawned before looking upwards and into the ceiling before he yawned before now.
Jace was too tired now. Jace seemed to look upon the moment with more amusement on his face for now and tilted his face for more and more amusement on his face.
Jace seemed to find it more and more interesting, he was tired at the moment as he looked upwards before realizing sleep was probably going to be a distant acquaintance, his mind raced so damn much, and his body was tired… But not enough to simply let himself rest for now, not enough to simply be amused and tired.
Jace realized more and more with every second he would not be as tough as he wished to think for now.
"I can't sleep right now… You? So much on my damn mind and all this? It ain't helping for now." Leone said to which Jace hummed.
"I can spare a few hours if you want to go down by the river… Ain't going to last, heard it might rain but I do know it's going to be easy." Jace stated to which Leone sighed.
She knew her body would hate her tomorrow, interested purely in what was to come and go. It wanted to rest, and she denied it, purely interested in something she could not afford to give it, but she still wanted it. Leone knew Jace also wanted to sleep even as she flirted with him.
She rolled onto the ground, interested in what to say and do next, cracking her super strong arms as her feet hit the ground and looking at Jace who already sighed, interested in her plans.
"You want to go down there and look around? Maybe see if there are any dangerous beasts? Maybe just walk?" Leone asked before Jace rolled his eyes.
"Maybe that, get hammered, come back, and let the hangover deal with keeping us out cold," Jace stated before Leone smirked.
"I'm keeping you." Leone said as Jace rolled his eyes.
"You're probably going to snap my pelvis before that." Jace joked before sighing. "Go look in the fridge, there should be drinks and grub… I'm going to hope the General can pay it back because all these odd jobs barely stocked the fridge when I was working pro bono." Jace said as he placed the coat around his shoulders.
"You are sure you're going to be ok for tomorrow?" Leone asked to which Jace was utterly silent, focused purely upon walking out the door.
"Focus on now and ask me later when we can relax in peace," Jace said before fixing his coat. "But for now? Yeah, just mad my brain won't let me sleep." Jace said before frowning while realizing simply what would happen when he and her went outside.
Jace did not mind it. It might even get his mind off it all, Jace felt it was at least earned and tomorrow would bring more and more terror as he'd forget all of this in pools of blood and terror upon soldiers' faces. It would be carved into his mind more than this for now. Leone simply smirked, eager to get out and yet all too somberly realizing it might do good to try and get it working for them both.
Jace expected himself to die more and more for now. He was glad more and more to try and see it as of now. Jace wanted it to try and end more amused, interested now more and more.
Jace was silent, only amused more and more interested for now. Yet? it seemed to be more of a problem of an issue before now, it slowly started to end sometime soon.
Jace yawned before clicking his tongue before now and looking upwards before now, Leone smirked and looked down at her boyfriend before slowly starting to look upwards and looked upwards, only becoming more and more amused, and confusing before now.
Jace yawned before looking at his girlfriend, bemused but not as annoyed as Jace believed he would have been. Odd, yes, but it was still understandable if not for certain caveats before now, it was all too amusing for now.
Leone yawned before stamping her feet upon tapping up and down on the ground, only smirking upwards at Jace before blushing and yawning, yet it seemed to become worse and worse, only seeming to unwind at a drop of a hat, it reminded Leone she was a smile giant cat and one only able to win or lose if she focused, cracking her fingers and smirking at Leone with all the same… Yet? Jace was amusing, slowly and yet surely becoming more and more now.
"You think she'll care more and more if we come in tomorrow, I don't know what to do now," Jace said before cracking his fingers and looking around, curious, only focusing upon now.
Jace was only amused before now, it was a lot more unsure before as to now, it was a lot more amusing little problem, for now, only reading for now.
"Are you going to be, ok?" Jace asked before now, curious before answering. "And I mean if we come in late. I don't know if Najenda knows your all good. Yet? I think we earned a few hours to sleep in and it isn't like I'm rebel army anymore so it isn't like I'm on the clock, anytime more." Jace stated before now.
It was a small matter of letting her smirk as Leone only felt more and more bemused, tired most, tired and yet eager to pounce.
"Maybe a day… She's got very few elite agents if Night Raid broke up. I don't know if she even owns spies anymore so it's going to take time… Plus? If Matias is already as big an issue as you keep saying?" Leone asked before Jace raised an eyebrow.
"That works a lot better because if Najenda can find out more about Matias? It will let me get some rest alongside training… And dealing with it more and more, I'm going to lose any time soon, we already have… I'm not dealing with Matias anytime soon unless it's for a good reason or someone is dying." Jace said before frowning.
"You mean until you're not drop-dead tired, don't you? you know that, right?" Leone said before Jace slowly started to sigh, realizing more and more problems would end today.
It needed to end today, all of it was going to end… Yet? Leone still wanted to relax, only amused, only confused as to what to need to do before now. Leone cracked her fingers before looking upwards and looking to the side, only amused more and more as to the next bunch of hours.
Leone and Jace were going to be busy for now. it needed to be done sooner or later, Jace watched a feral smirk slowly overtake her face, only smirking as of now, looking upwards at the roof, almost sweeping towards Jace who sidestepped before looking upwards and smirking and cracking her fingers.
"You are going to be, ok?" Jace stated before dodging to the other part of the bed and looking at himself before looking upwards and clicking his tongue. "Because I'm almost ready to get back down to bed before now… I don't even know what to try and do." Jace stated before clicking his fingers and looking upwards.
Leone smirked down at Jace before looking down at him, resting a hand on the wall, glancing at Jace, smirking at him, and looking around with amusement.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words. I apologize if it's rushed or such, I'm dealing with a recent death. Until then, Lighting Wolf is out!