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When Uncle Graham (who is also the President of the United States) called you a few hours ago, begging for you to go to Spain, this is not how you think your day would flesh out.
For your information, you were just in the middle of capturing a terrorist. Someone named Karina Clark, a business woman who apparently has a side job in collecting bio-organic weapons from the black market. You need to find proof of her connection with the new type of B.O.W., then stop the chain of supplies.
You found it of course, with your team, it didn’t take too long.
With Damian on the other side of the line, ready to deploy any backup and vehicles. Lily, a junior you recruited a year ago whose programming skill could probably hack the White House. Spencer, the science expert (including chemical and biotechnology) and everyone’s favourite medic. Then last but not least, Isaac, the team’s weapon specialist and the lovely hitman.
Yeah, right. Lovely. Well, he could hit someone’s head or shoulder or knee perhaps to immobilise them in no time. Despite your team’s mad skills, they were just a bunch of children. Not technically one, but even in a mission, they often bicker at each other. Betting whether Isaac could make the shot from miles away, or whether Damian would try to flirt with a girl. Maybe finally moving on.
It wasn’t a secret anymore that your best friend took a liking towards you. Ever since Raccoon City, even before that, he never left your side. You saw him as a twin, a guy you knew could always rely on, and vice versa. However, it seemed you were the only one who saw it as platonic.
Years after Raccoon City, however, after you met Leon and lost him at the same time, he finally gave up. Damian knew that from one look in your eyes, a part of you is stuck in that nuked city. Inside the Police Station, in those blue eyes you always rambled how beautiful it was whenever you got shit drunk.
The man’s like you, perhaps even more than just that, but he knew his place. And he respected your feelings, just like how you respected him by letting him down slowly.
Back to your mission — you were practically just shoved Karina Clark inside the chopper for the FBI to take her away when you saw your phone and found dozens of miss calls from President Graham.
He was panicking, but relieved when you finally called him back. In just a few minutes, you were dragged to a hangar in Colorado. You had to change and shower in a nearby hotel, then buy new, clean clothes because you didn’t have time to go back home. Damian already informed you about everything you need, including how you are going to be partnered up with someone from the Strategic Command.
You wonder who it would be. The USStratcom is a bit secretive when it comes to their members. Them, D.S.O., B.S.A.A., different from the FBI which is open for the other organisation to take a look at.
This is probably the first time the two organisations work together. Probably because it’s rare for the FBI to actually cross paths with bio-organic weapons. Except for your team, of course. The five of you often called up to handle terrorist attacks or cutting the sales of said weapons. A small number of people found out about what you did back in Raccoon City, so no wonder you were given such a task.
“There’s no information regarding your partner here, Dagger.”
“That’s fine.” You are already nearby. From the window, you could see the hangar right on the mountaintop. “I will be seeing them soon anyway.”
“Aight. Goodluck, girl.”
“Thanks. I’ll talk to you later, Damian.”
You jumped down from the helicopter once it landed. From afar, you could see Mike, a familiar face. You waved at him, and you wondered whether your partner would be him. However, that thought immediately wiped off when you remembered he wasn’t working for the USStratcom. Your eyes were trained on his figure at first, before it darted to someone behind Mike.
That must be them. Your partner for this mission. You couldn’t wait to get to know this person, so you decided to jog faster. Your leather backpack slung on your left shoulder, bouncing lightly. You opened your mouth to shout, telling them to wait.
But nothing came out from your lips when you saw those strands. Those beautiful, familiar dirty blonde hairs were swiped by the wind as they stepped up the airstairs. Your heart ached for a moment there as memories from six years ago tried to drown you once again. Stilling your body, foot rooted to the ground.
No, it didn’t try to drown you. Those memories resurrected because it begged to be let out at this very moment.
Because even though your brain couldn’t believe it yet. Your heart already knew.
“Rookie?”
It was him in the flesh. You were sure of that. His face was still turned away, you couldn’t see those magnetising blue eyes yet, but you felt it in every fibre of your being, you knew it was him. When he finally turned around to face you, your lips parted, allowing more oxygen to get inside your lungs.
Six years. Six years had passed ever since the night you met him. Since you left Raccoon City with the remaining survivors, leaving him there without knowing whether he made it out alive or not.
For years you were searching for him. Asking your friends from one organisation to another about a guy named Leon. Which none of them could provide you with just a slight of information. Nothing. As if he was wiped out from this earth, buried under the ground alongside Raccoon City.
But here he was. There he was.
Standing a few metres away from you. With the same dumbfounded look on his face, disbelief was written all over him and you had a feeling you were too.
Until your arms found his neck, and his arms found your waist and back.
“Leon.” That is his name.
He changed. His hair was a bit longer. His face got a bit thinner. After years, his body also became more muscular. You could feel how small you were to him compared to the first hug you gave him when you two met inside that Police Station.
But he was still Leon.
The Leon who celebrated your birthday, who cursed like a sailor, and smiled so sweetly like a golden retriever. The same Leon who wanted to be a cop because he wanted to be a good help to society, to fight crimes and protect innocent people.
This man — he was real. You always believed he was, but, when you couldn’t find someone even on the database, your brain tried to mess with you.
Your lips quivered, tears were threatening to be spilled. It took all of your willpower to not cry and sobs. The emotion you felt right now, everything just mixed into one. All of the longings you buried, the way you drown yourself in sorrow, thinking of what could have been if only you stayed with him that night.
But none of them mattered now, right?
He was here with you.
Leon is finally here with you.
“What…?” You have this nervous smile plastered on your face when you realise he has been staring at you for a while now. “Is something on my face?”
“Just beauty,”
You gasp, not expecting him — Leon Scott Kennedy (yes, now you know his full name) to flirt with you just ten minutes after you two board the plane.
“Who are you and what have you done to my rookie?”
“Your rookie, huh?” That makes you jut your lips. “That’s cute.”
He sat beside you when there was practically a bigger space inside this private jet. It wasn’t that you disliked it, instead, he made you nervous now. Especially when you felt guilty in so many ways because you never told him your name before.
Now he knows though. Just like you, now he knows.
Leon had his arm around your waist after you leaned away from that warm, long hug. Mike who saw the whole thing could only look at the two of you with confusion before scurrying inside since he is the co-pilot. Leaving you and Leon there alone, and this man seemed to not want to let you go with the way he kept following you.
It was adorable, really. Some things could never be changed. There is this smile on his face that never leaves. You are aware of that. He never took his eyes off you, even when you’re busy with the file that is filled with lead and information regarding Ashley.
“So, FBI Agent, huh?”
“Yeah,” you close the file and throw it to the seat in front of you. “I am sorry, Leon. I should have—”
“None of that.” His breath is shaky, eyes soften while he scoot closer to you. As close he could be with the seatbelt on. “We are here now, aren’t we? Even though I never expect the both of us to actually work for the government.”
Ah, the government. You needed to talk to President Graham later. Leon is here, alive and well. So why couldn't you find him anywhere? There must be an answer to that, but you would save it for later.
You take a deep breath, holding it before slowly releasing the air. There are so many questions you wanted to ask. The flight from the United States to Spain took about ten hours, possibly more. You will have time to ask him anything, and he can also ask everything to you. You promise you would lay it all out.
No more lying. Just the truth.
“How are you?” Your hand gingerly went to his. Covering his larger one as you lock your gaze with his blue eyes. “The past six years, have you been in USStratcom all along?”
“Yes, I have been… dragged into this position.” He chuckles, not really a playful one at that. “When they knew I survived the outbreak, they took me in. Forced me to work under their command.” You squeezed his hand subconsciously. The soft smile on his face shows that he appreciates the gesture. “The training is, well, far more intense than the Police Academy. They almost kill me with each mission. Killed members of my team, sometimes.”
Your lips pursed, not imagining the hell he had been through. First, he had to survive Raccoon City. You didn’t know yet what happened after you two parted ways (slightly curious what’s going on with him and that agent), but you knew it must be hell.
“You are one hell of a fighter though, Leon.” And he had survived so many types of it. “Look at you, now even appointed to save Ashley.” So many nightmares, over the last six years. It made you wonder, “Those missions brought you here, now.”
Who does he rely on all this time? Is it — her?
“You’re right. At least, those missions keep my head out of things.” You want to ask that, but Raccoon City might be a spot that shouldn’t be prod too much. Not unless he’s the one who wants to open up about it.
“Yeah?” So you could only ask in between the lines, hovering, not touching the topic. “Things like…?”
“You.” Well, you didn’t expect that answer. “I-I have been searching for you. Asking my friend. Remember Claire Redfield? Her brother was a STARS member, Chris. Imagine my surprise, and disappointment, when he told me there was no one with the nickname Dagger in their team.”
He looks dejected. Shoulders slumped, his mind taking him somewhere else. “Try to find you anywhere, but, after three years, I started to think you are just in my head. No records about you. I went to the FBI and any other organisation once, asking if they deploy agents back on September 29th. They sent none.”
“I worked alone since September 25th, Leon. Heard about the outbreak, receiving intel that the President or the government would wait until October 1st, if there is no progress, then they would nuke the city.”
You sighed, hands trembling when you realised that if he just — waited for another hour, if he didn’t get out of there in time, he would be no more.
He took off his seatbelt, fingers gently doing the same to yours. You felt so awful, not believing that in the past you didn’t even tell him anything about that. If he just took his time, he wouldn’t be here with you. Becoming your partner for this operation.
If only you told him your real name, not hiding yourself like that, maybe you could have met him again a few years back.
Life is often — cruel, isn’t it?
“Take me 6 years, but,” You close your eyes when he gently pulls you towards his embrace. “I found you,” He calls your name, so softly under his breath. “Sorry it took me so long,”
“No, it’s–”
“I found you.” He repeated the sentence. Over and over again in your ear until he realises that his body is shaking. “God, I finally found you. I thought… You are not…”
“Oh, Leon.” You hugged him tight, feeling tears prickling at the corner of your eyes. “I am here, I am real. I promise! That night, we survived that night together.”
A small sob escapes him, and you can only caress his hair, not being able to say anything again with how you too, had tears streaming down your face.
Half a day. You only knew him for no more than a day before, and yet that night in Raccoon City had left a lasting impact in your life. About the families you saved, the terror of the bio-organic weapon, and of course, him.
Whose smile could probably light up the dark, someone who could make you feel like the loneliness and fear that crept your mind for days were all worth it.
You never thought he would stay in your mind and heart for that long. For years, you have tried not to think about him, to accept invitations for a date from men and women trying to ask you out, but none of them felt right.
The uncertainty, whether Leon was real or not, whether he was alive and survived Raccoon City, it only made you stuck in time.
So maybe, you can finally release your breath now.
The two of you never let go of each other. Your hand on his intertwined, eyes locked with one another while you two talked about everything that happened in the last six years. He told you about his missions, the enemies he met and so on. You are curious about something, however, and it turns out, he wonders the same.
“Did Damian ask you out?”
You told him back in the Police Station about your best friend. And from your story just now when you explained to him about your job and your core team, he had a feeling Damian had a feeling for you. “He’s your best friend, right? The one who helps you out back in the day too? The F.S.O. agent?”
“Yup.” You answer his second question first. “And yeah, he asked me out.”
Leon said nothing in response. He just nods, eyes darting down before he fixes his position a bit so he doesn't get too close to you. Your shoulder touches him for more than an hour now, but he leans away slightly. You are sure he’s going to pull his hand from your grasp too.
But you didn’t let him do that. “I said no, though.”
“Really?” He blinks, nodding his head faster now, but his lips only shape into a thin line. “I see. I mean, you can’t rush things like that, right?” His eyes, however, showed relief. “Some people are just — not for romantic partners.”
You look at him with one raised eyebrow. “Is that how you told me I am not suitable to be one?”
“No!” He groans, not liking how you tease him and he knows it from the way you smirk. “That’s not what I mean. You will be a great romantic partner, and Damian can see it, but he’s not right for you. Maybe? That’s why you turn him down, right?”
This is amusing. You wouldn’t have thought the conversation would lead to this.
“I don’t know, Leon.” You chuckles, crossing your legs before leaning closer to him. “What do you think?”
“You… are just not interested in him?”
“And who do you think I am interested in?”
He knows. Someone as smart as him shouldn’t be this clueless, right? His eyes, however, those blue eyes really show that he’s unsure. “Don’t worry your pretty little head, gorgeous.” Poor him. “You’ll have a lot of time to solve that.”
But what you said is true. You knew him by name, by his full name and sure that he’s alive. He also knew who you really were, sure that you are real.
You and him just had to work this out. Save Ashley Graham, and survive together.
Raccoon City had shaped the two of you into not just an agent and a cop. But also into some kind of great sentinel. You had a feeling you could do it, especially when your partner is Leon. Before, he was already more qualified than any other rookie you knew, let alone now when he had been trained well, shaped into an obedient soldier.
Then after the mission,
Well, you didn’t know what the two of you would do, but a vacation would be nice.
Especially if it’s with him.
───── ※ ·❆· ※ ─────
An hour before landing on a private hangar.
Mike cracked his neck, ready to inform the two agents that they are already in Spain. The flight was smooth, no turbulence whatsoever. And it seems, both you and Leon hit it off quite well. Maybe they have a history together with how they hug for five minutes (he was counting, checking his watch to see how long).
“Alright, everyone. We—”
He covered his mouth with his palm the second he opened the door to the cabin.
In front of him now, there are two agents sleeping side by side. Your head dropping on Leon’s shoulder, while his head on top of yours. The seatbelts are on, but that is not the only thing that clicks. Leon practically had your hand on his lap. Subconsciously hugging your arm, like a child not wanting to let go of their favourite toy.
Mike doesn’t have the heart to wake them up yet. Not when the two look so tranquil, no weight on their shoulders. So he smiles, tipping his head before walking back to the cockpit. The pilot gave him a questionable look, but he only smiled.
“Let’s just leave them for now.”
He knew there would not be much rest once you two landed.
Another dreary night — might ensued.