Just like that. Just like that and Chris coudl feel the sudden palpitation of his fucking heart over a situation that has a less likely threshold of happening than the world actually being safe. Or maybe it didnâtâ it wasnât like Chris operated on a typical schedule, and he knew that Leon likely didnât either, as most of what they did as far as Chris knew was a per-basis situation. Called in every other day, or week, gone for days and weeksâ he could only hope that there was a window in the future for them. There had to beâ it gave him something to push through his next OP for.Â
Not that he didnât have things beyond that that kept his fortitude strong regarding staying aliveâ Chris refused to be taken down by the shit they took care of. Even if he did think that that would be how it ended for himself in some sick twist of fate.Â
âIâll let you know when I get back, then.â The words fell from his tongue in a way that felt as equally unsure as heâd felt about the prospect; it wasnât uneasy, but perhaps a slither of surprise. He hadnât expected this to go outside of what was happening nowâ Hell, sitting at a diner wasnât something theyâd done before. Not outside of the context of work, anyway.Â
Though as they talk about Claire, heâd been able to feel the slight drift of tension from his shoulders ease itself into something that was ultimately more familiar, comforting, in a way. It was a mutual connection point between themâ though heâd never really thought of it that way, despite her being the reason they knew each other in the first place.
Maybe he did have some things to thank her for, in the long run.
Heâd hummed in response, a small smile playing at his lips as a break in the crease of his features, one that only fronted itself whenever he talked about her. âWithout a doubt. Sheâs been working on those things for as long as I can remember. Always liked to just⌠fix things. Didnât matter what it was, or is.â She was just like that. Maybe itâd stemmed itself from their own childhood; she was young, though. Too young to maybe remember the worst parts of it, but she was always there for him whenever it did get bad. More so as she got older, but as they aged, so did their parents, and the fighting began to dwindle itself the more they were out of the house. Chris normally took them different places, just to ease the tension until it all collapsed way too fast before his eyes.Â
I guess youâre not like most people.Â
He couldâve laughedâ in what context? He was a far cry from most people, though when it came to basic decency and appreciation? Chris could shower that in easy ways, and paying for Leonâs food was currently one of the easiest ones at his disposal. The price didnât matter to himâ they were both having a decent time, not working, and fucking sitting for once. Did Chris entirely think he deserved that time? No, but that was a different topic for another day.Â
âMânot expecting anything. Next time we do this, you can foot the bill.âÂ
He was not expecting anything from it, even if heâd been more flustered about the idea of it being a date or not. Regardless of what it was labeled as, Chris was going to offer. Again, it was an easy way for him to provide, and heâd been rather deliberate with his wording regarding it. Next time, which didnât seem like that large of a jump to him considering theyâd been planning to cook for each other at some point in the near future.Â
He blamed it on his desire to see Leon in something other than a gun holster and knee pads. He blamed it on the want to see what a life looked like outside of their worldâ outside of his own.
The saving grace of the flush of heat over his cheeks â the waitress â cornered him with a meal that was on par with the one heâd been sitting next to. It served as an eerily, perfectly time cut into whatever fucking moment was happening between them, and saved him from potentially letting words fall from his mouth that wouldnât align with his own tongue. Truthfully, he didnât even know what he was going to say, and there was nothing he could do to show his appreciation toward the woman other than leaving her a relatively nice tip once they were done.Â
Chris didnât get nervous. Leon was the first person to make him stumble over any decision, or even a sentence.Â
Heâd moved to grab the utensils off to the side, eyeing his steak with a hunger that he could feel rumble within his stomachâ but Leon was pressing the issue that he was hoping would just be swept away. It wasnât an issue, per se. Well. He was trying to not let it become an issue, but his mind kept slipping back those few seconds to remember how careful yet quick Leon had been with removing his tie, and it wasnât a far shot off from where his thoughts carried to from that alone.Â
He could feel his ears heating up.
Though, Chris shook his head. âNoâ no. You didnât make me uncomfortable, just didnât expect it. Thanks though, because the moment I get out of this, Iâm shoving it far back in my closet and not touching it for another year or so. Whenever the next goddamn anniversary party is.â Chris grabbed the knife and brought it together with the fork to cut at a few pieces of his steak. âOne less piece I gotta worry about, you made the job that much easier for once.â Despite finding his verbal footing taking a moment, the trail of his quip induced a smile over his features. Â