fire flower; leopold vermillion x oc [Black Clover]

Fire Flower Logs [#2]

A short little side fic on how Mari and Leopold would spend their holiday season :)

POV: Mari

Time: 9:37am
Day 1

I wake to the sound of someone knocking on my door. Rubbing my eyes, I throw on a bathrobe and hastily comb through my hair. I open up the door to find Leopold standing there with a bouquet and an envelope in his hands.

"Wha–"

He tackles me before I can even get a single word out, hugging me tight and giving me a kiss on my cheek.

We're both sprawled on the ground, and I'm too dazed to say anything before he goes, "Mari, will you go to the Hearth Ball with me?"

"The Hearth Ball?" I ask.

"It's the annual festival hosted by the Golden Lions Squad every winter."

"Of course!" I sit up and pinch his cheek. "I'm your girlfriend! Why would I say no?!"

"Ouch! Sorry, it's just tradition to ask." He gives me his endearing grin.

I chuckle and take the bouquet from him, breathing in the smell of the roses. "So, when is this ball?"

"A week from today. I already got us tickets." He unseals the envelope and hands me a golden, shiny slip of paper. "So, I'll pick you up at 6:00?"

I smile. "You got it."

***

Time: 6:00pm
Day 8

I grab my purse, smooth over my dress one last time, and open the door for Leopold.

"Mari... wow. You look great!" He strokes my hair and I smile, blushing.

"Thanks. You don't look too bad yourself," I tease. And he really does look stunning, in his black vest suit on top of a dark red shirt. His tie has a little jewel in the center of the tip; a ruby, maybe? "Hey, you actually combed your hair this time."

"Hey, what do you mean by that?!"

"Just teasing. You look great, Leo." I lean against him and wrap my fingers in his.

He leads me down the hallway towards the Great Hall. Two guards stand in front, along with a ticket collector. We give him two golden slips and he lets us through.

Immediately, loud music blares in my ears, along with the chatter of hundreds of people. The inside of the Great Hall has been completely transformed into a winter-themed wonderland. Icy blue lights hang from the ceiling and bedazzle the chandeliers. The floor has been renovated to resemble a frozen-over pond. I look up and see that an illusion has been cast so that snowflakes seem to fall down every few minutes or so.

"Look, over there." Leopold points towards one of the walls of the Great Hall.

I immediately notice the huge hearth, lined with pine leaves, bells, and ornaments. Even from here, I can feel the blaze and warmth of its fire.

"Wow," I breathe. "It's like I'm in a fairy tale!"

He chuckles and starts to lead me to the dance floor.

"I never knew you nobles had a penchant for dancing," I remark as he puts his hand on my waist and spins me around.

"Of course we do. We're all trained at a very young age."

I snort. "Of course."

"Hey! I think it's pretty fun."

He leads me through the basic steps, like where to put my hands and how to stop stepping on his feet. Soon, I'm spinning along to the beat of the music, laughing joyously in his arms. The world becomes a blur of gold and red and blue as we dance the night away.