remslumber

leon x fem!reader (gn pronouns used, but reader does have more "feminine" accessories and such)

word count: 1.6k

warnings: vaping (DONT SMOKE PLS I DONT CONDONE VAPING), language, soft leon? arguments, typical resident evil violence, nothing too graphic, ooc leon i know he is not for smoking i just thought it was funny. NOT PROOFREAD PLEASE IGNORE ALL MY MISTAKES PLS PLS PLS

the meeting you were just in was complete and utter dog-shit. the failure of a mission in eastern europe was put on your shoulders. as an information operative, you should have been there to warn your assigned agent of incoming b.o.w.'s that were infiltrating the lab he was exploring, according to your boss. only, you did just that. the agent, some rookie who had an in with the head of the counter-bioterrorism unit, took out his in-ear, saying that he didn’t need a ‘“babysitter.” now, he is in a hospital room at risk of losing his ability to walk.

you had people that could vouch for you. ingrid, your lead information operative, was literally in the room as you were screaming through your microphone, looking horrified as the cameras showed the brutal attack. there were no mechanical doors you could close or electronic locks that you could hack into. you were there as an extra set of eyes and ears, and they knew that. the agent just didn’t think he needed them.

the lab was decrepit and old, leftover from the cold war. a perfect place for experimenting under the radar. it had gone largely unnoticed by every government agency, until you were the one to pick up strange radio frequencies coming from–what seemed to be–a pile of snow. from there, you found nearly sixty-year-old blueprints of the lab and presented it to your unit lead, explaining that a crew of agents needed to investigate as there was no way to help technologically, besides with cameras. your lead sent one cocky man in that building, believing your research to be exaggerated.

you knew that your appearance could make people not believe you were… reliable. you did your hair cutely and tried to dress more stylish than the minimalist officeworker fashion that had become so prominent lately. you loved having a fresh full set of acrylic nails and occasionally some tooth gems that sparkled when you smiled. you had piercings and loved maximalist jewelry, the metals adding an extra shine to your figure. it didn’t mean that you were any less serious about your job, which is now on the line for something that you warned them about.

what was even more embarrassing about that meeting was the fact that the lead investigative agent, leon s. kennedy, was there. it was a childish kind of embarrassment, being berated in front of someone that you respected so much, but you understood why he had to be there. all of the different units' lead agents and information operatives were there. it didn’t help that he had to look so good today, though.

leon and ingrid sat next to each other in their assigned seats as you sat at the end of the table, the head of the counter-bioterrorism unit screaming that this was your fault. you remember screaming back at a certain point that you told them this would happen, that you requested a team and you weren’t taken seriously. that the agent went against your direct orders and went as far as taking out his earpiece to ignore you. you think the argument fell on deaf ears, as the man kept yelling. you don’t remember the end of the meeting, all you remember was leaving while he was still shouting, still threatening your job security in the unit. more muffled voices began to fill the room, you let your mind think it could possibly be ingrid and leon sticking up for you, but you would never know.

you grabbed your bag from your cubicle before taking the elevator to the ground floor and exiting through the back of the skyscraper. there were benches just outside the building, underneath the construction scaffolding that covered the sidewalks of the city around you. you sat down and closed your eyes for a moment, leaning your head back against the concrete wall behind you. your breathing was a bit shaky, the emotions of the meeting not fully hitting you yet. deep down, you were proud that you didn’t cry at the verbal abuse from your boss.

it is at times like these where the craving kicks in. the nasty nicotine withdrawals. your dirty secret from your highschool year, back when you used to sneak hits in the bathroom. back before you knew who you really were, you thought it would make you fit in better. It didn't, and now it has been a many-years-long problem with the fruity vapor of your adult binky. it was embarrassing, but at least you could admit it.

“you got a smoke?” you jump at the voice beside you, opening your eyes and stiffening your body to assess who was there. leon looks down at you from where he is standing, his shoulder is against the same wall your head was leaning on. his back was slightly slouched over and his arms were crossed over his chest. it made the arms on his jacket tighten over his biceps… quite distractingly.

you hadn't had many conversations with the infamous man. ingrid had you fill in for her on one mission he was on that he barely even needed help with, but he still made small talk with you when the lab was too quiet or the hallways too dark. maybe it was comforting to him, maybe it was to show you that he was still alive. you appreciated it. you sometimes spoke about how shitty the coffee machine was in the break room or how overworked you were, which seemed unfair to speak about with such a seasoned agent. he complained right back though. he was kind for a man with a history so vast.

“oh. uh, no. sorry.” you responded, fiddling with your bag in your lap, messing with one of the many charms hanging on the strap. “you come out here way too often to not be dealing with some kind of substance. after what you just dealt with in there, i can't blame you. care to share?” leon has an eyebrow raised at you. “you’re not going to like it.” you say, unzipping your bag, the charms clinking together as you pulled out the small device of your personal poison.

leon grabbed the pink vape from your hand and laughed a little, “strawberry lemonade,” he read off the side of it, “you know, this will kill ya.” “hey, i’m not the one that asked for a smoke.” you argued back. "youre making fun of a poor employee that just lost their job?” you asked, half sarcastically and half in self-pity. leon’s eyebrows furrowed, “you didn’t lose your job.” you turned to face him completely on the bench, “i am totally sure that after what happened in that boardroom, i am now jobless.”

leon laughed again, “i had a… talk with the head after you left. you’re just fine.” your eyes widened, slightly, “what did you say to him?” “well, uh. it was hunnigan and i, y’know. she would do anything for you, she almost jumped over the table at him after you left.” leon rubbed the back of his neck, deflecting, you shook your head, “i didn’t ask what ingrid did, i asked what you said to him.” you were being a bit more bold than you realized.

“i told him that idiot almost lost his life because of his own stupid decisions and that you had done everything right given the circumstances and the technology available.” he couldn’t hold eye contact with you. “and that losing you on the team would be worse than losing him.” you felt a weird power-thing in this moment. his shifty eyes, his skin warming up, that ridiculous pink vape still in his hand. “you’d be even better if you didn’t have popcorn lung, you know.” he added.

“wow okay, you ruined the moment.” you laughed. “listen, if i'm going to hurt my lungs, i’m not going to do it with strawberry lemonade.” he says, but he brought it up to his mouth inquisitively, taking a hit from it before grimacing with a short cough. “how does your generation even enjoy this?” “depressingly and in secret.” you said. “well okay, we do have something in common.” leon opens and closes his mouth at the taste again.

“looks like we got the problem sorted-” a voice came from the doorway as it opened, before cutting themself off. ingrid stands there as leon looks broodingly tough. leather jacket, work boots, combat belt still strapped on. pink vape in his hand. his eyes were wide as he shoves his hands in his pockets, the device goes along with them. “interesting choice.” ingrid smirks. “i don’t know what you’re talking about.” leon shakes his head. ingrid scoffs, turning her attention to you, still sitting down. “sorry about everything in there. the problem with the head seems to be solved after leon’s conversation with him.” ingrid shares a look with leon. he remains stone faced.

the first thing you looked at as soon as you get back to your cubicle was the security camera footage of the board room after you stormed out. you popped your headset over your ears as you unmuted the footage so as to not let anyone pick up on what you were watching. the door slammed shut behind your figure just as leon begins to stand to talk to the still-yelling man. the audio on the footage isn't crisp, but you can hear leon mutter “too fucking good to be here.” ingrid raises her voice to affirm about the work you have done. the office head stands up and goes nose to nose with leon, who still has to tilt his head down to make eye contact with him.

“if you like your job, you’ll sit your ass back down.” leon says to the man, and it makes your insides warm. it makes you giggle at the fact that he still has your strawberry lemonade vape tucked in the pocket of his leather jacket, and you knew he would never give it back to you.

you needed to quit anyway.

-

-

all you could feel was the harsh pulse of your own heartbeat coming from your neck. you wish the beating came from your carotid, but it came from the hand shaped burn that now covered the right side of your neck and the connecting point to your shoulder. the green crystals of the catacombs shine above you, but you can’t focus on them well enough to admire them. aang had just been thrown back by azula when she had shifted her gaze to you and katara. you had been fighting against her using your earth bending, but your senses were nowhere near as sensitive as toph’s. you couldn’t even feel when zuko came up behind you, gripping your shoulder to pull you back. he used that same hand to let out a burst of fire that seemed to shock even himself; you went crashing into one of the stone walls of the cave, then fell to the ground. 

your neck was raw. the skin covering it now charred and flaked, exposing the slick under layer of cells and blood. you’re able to peel your eyes open to see zuko. he is standing, watching. azula yells something towards him that you can't make out, it takes him a second to start running toward her, back to the fight with aang. you can faintly see katara fall after one of azula’s attacks. the last you remember was the entrance of the dai li surrounding katara as she tries to get back up. 

waking up on a fire nation ship was… terrifying to say the least. not to mention the thick layer of bandages that covered your neck and shoulder. you felt like you could barely move your head. sokka was the first person you saw when you woke after three days in a coma. “thank goodness, you’re alive.” he said, you tried to push yourself up on the cot you were laying on, but you were still weak. sokka helped push you up from your back as to not disturb the bandages. “katara tried to heal you, but she had to use the spirit water on aang.” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “is everyone okay?” you managed to ask, your voice raspy. “aang… hasn’t woken up yet.”

it took three more weeks for him to wake up, even longer for the plan on the day of the black sun to come together. the time in the fire nation passed too fast for your liking, and the feeling that the end was soon caused your anxiety to heighten as you stayed at the western air temple. the fight in the crystal catacomb gave you a sense of your own weakness, mortality. 

zuko’s arrival after being beaten by the fire nation only heightened those feelings. you hadn’t managed to bend properly with him still around, his presence only made your burn throb more. it was still firmly wrapped in cloth bandages, barely scarring over in the past month. when aang had asked you and toph your opinions on letting him stay with the group after he defeated the assassin tracking you, you only gave a nod after toph said she’d get back at him. even with apologies from him to both you and toph, you couldn’t help the feeling of fear that consumed you when he was firebending with aang. 

it’s only when zuko and aang returned from the firebending masters did your tension start to lessen. it had taken you a while to get back to feeling comfortable around fire, but something you couldn’t handle was the freezing nights at the western air temple, sucking up your fear was a necessity. something you didn’t expect to be comforted by, though, was the warmth of the tea that zuko had brewed every night. he’d sometimes tell stories of his uncle, or poorly thought out jokes. it helped. it made the fire feel more human. it made the skin on your neck and shoulder cool down. helping sokka bring back suki his father, then avenging katara’s mother with her made it difficult to ignore his changing. 

a few days before the arrival of sozin’s comet, you had spoken to him maybe a handful of times. it was a warm night at the fire lord’s beach house when he sat next to you at the shoreline. your scar didn’t throb. the rest of the team was sleeping inside, in a food coma as a result of watermelon juice and barbecued veggies. even with the heat of the island, you had your bandages on. 

“is your neck… healing well?” he asked without looking toward you. “uh, yeah. it just needs a few more weeks. i’m trying to keep it clean.” you responded. it was a complete lie. in full honesty, katara said you could stop wearing the bandage about a week prior. you wanted to keep the scar to yourself for now. the area was pulled taut as the fresh layer of new skin covered what once was a mass of char. you felt yourself sweat through the bandage a bit. he turns to look at you, his hand balled into a fist in the sand, “i can’t tell you how sorry i am.” his eyes shift to the bandage. 

he was never the best at apologies, but you could tell he was trying. you were never the best at comfort, but you could also try. “you were doing what you thought was right. we all make mistakes.” “doing that to someone is never right. i regretted it as soon as i touched you.” he leans his body away from you. “well, you just gotta make sure you don't do it again, i’ll beat your ass now that my bending’s gotten better.” that actually got a chuckle out of him. “if that ever happens, i hope you do.”

he spoke of how his father was planning on burning down the earth kingdom, your home, a day later. although you were separated from your family at a young age, the people in the earth kingdom and the fighters that trained you were the closest people you had in your life. training amped up tenfold. aang disappeared, you all found zuko’s uncle, the comet changed the sky into a deep orange, you were split up from the group and caught in a fight against azula with katara and zuko, and then, suddenly.

aang won. 

the fire lord could no longer bend. aang put out the fires at the edge of the earth kingdom and you reunited with the rest of the team. you stayed with toph at zuko’s coronation and to the celebration afterwards. the fire nation regalia laid thinly on your body, made for the heat. it was a high enough neck to cover what you wanted to be covered. everyone was in the traditional deep red for the celebration. 

“so, do we have to call you ‘my lord’ now?” sokka asked, leaning on zuko’s shoulder. “please, never call me that.” zuko seemed to cringe. “then what is your first plan of action, firelord zuko?” you asked, making toph cackle. zuko would have to get used to it at some point. “i’ve already set up meetings with the other nations to start rebuilding our relationships with them. i’m just hoping they’ll believe in me.” “they will,” aang says. 

-

ten years later proves that they did believe in him. the fire nation has majorly supported the other nations in their efforts to rebuild after the hundred years war. zuko has worked with royals as well as local communities to establish what is needed for their homelands as well as what is necessary for the construction of republic city. aang and katara have worked on peace treaties between all nations in connection with the new firelord. toph has set up a strong law enforcement team to protect against those that still may believe in what ozai once tried to enforce. sokka has become the new chieftain of the southern water tribe. 

you, over the past ten years, have made an effort to find your family. and you did. only katara knew of this venture, and that you located your grandmother using old earth kingdom records tied to your last name. you found an orphan with the same birthdate as you and tied it back to two deceased parents. you almost gave up until you found one last grandparent–your mothers mother. she lived in the mountains in solitude, away from any main city, but she said she would recognize you anywhere. 

you were shocked to receive the invitation to this fire nation event celebrating the ten year anniversary of the end of the war. first, you didn’t know if any of the original team knew your location. spending ten years trying to find your one last living relative did not give you a lot of free time to stay in contact with anyone, which you regretted deeply. second, you didn’t expect fire nation soldiers to knock on the door of your grandmother's small cabin in the early morning, nearly scaring the spirit out of her. 

one of the soldiers said your name as you opened the door, ready to use your bending to send them all the way back to the fire nation, but you pause at his next words, “we are delivering a letter from firelord zuko, we apologize for the early interruption, he asked for us to get this to you as soon as possible.” the soldier put the letter in your hands and gave you a stiff bow. both of them left swiftly, leaving you and your grandmother shocked. 

“the firelord, huh?” your grandmother looked at you with a naughty look in her eye. “spirits, please stop.” “haven’t you seen him lately, dear? handsome boy.” she said, smirking. “how have you even seen him? we don’t get any mail up here.” “you think i spend all of my time out in that garden? the city is a beautiful place to explore, even if i would despise living in it.” you decide to ignore the information that was just thrown at you to open the letter in your hands. there is a large chunk of cursive on the page written in red ink. it addresses you by name first, some of it is a little messy, but it looks like it took some time to write.

“i hope that the delivery of this letter did not startle you. you certainly did not make it easy to find your whereabouts over the years, but i felt it was important to share this event with you. katara was gracious enough to talk about your mission to find your loved ones after the end of my fathers rule. i admire you deeply for dedicating yourself to this for ten long years.

i am writing to invite you to the decennial celebration of the end of the war at the fire nation palace. i understand completely if you would rather spend time with your grandmother (this invite is extended to your grandmother as well), but i hope you do consider being in attendance. everyone from our original group will be in attendance and it would feel like something would be missing without you. 

please do not feel as if you are being forced to come. i understand that the whole ‘firelord’ title can make official invitations intimidating, but i would appreciate writing with you like this just as i would seeing you in person. 

i hope to see you there, 

zuko” 

“a special invite from the firelord himself.” your grandmother reads the letter over your shoulder, “and he only signed it as zuko! no ‘firelord,’ no ‘lord,’ oh, you have to go!” she claps. for an old woman, her energy is out of this world. “i don’t even know how i would get down there on time, i don’t even have anything to wear.” you said, putting the letter down. “we have enough money saved to call a carriage, and i’m an old woman who has lived by herself for twenty years, you think i can’t sew? i have many traditional dresses in my closet, i can tailor it any way you’d like, you would just have to choose one.” she opens her closet door to show her collection of traditional earth kingdom gowns. their vintage designs and traditional fabrics almost seemed to shimmer in the early morning sun. you just smiled and nodded toward her, she jumped with excitement. 

-

now, standing at the foot of the fire nation palace, it is almost like all of your original confidence has washed away from your body. the carriage dropped you off just minutes ago, and yet you still haven't moved an inch. 

your dress was perfectly tailored, a silk green and gold gown. it is low cut, and you have finally stopped wearing bandages around your neck and shoulders. the scar was a mix of reds and browns, but had healed with only a slight difference in texture to your unharmed skin, you still wore a shawl to fight against the cool evening breeze outside. your grandmother even put some light makeup on your face and gave you her precious gold jewelry to wear for the night. in the carriage, you felt beautiful. as you stare up at the palace, knowing that everyone from your past is in that building, it all feels too much. 

ten years was too long of a time to not see any of your friends, though. instead of remaining stuck in fear, you made your way up the staircase into the bustling palace. music surrounded you along with warm firelights lining the walls. the main foyer was crowded with aristocrats and citizens alike. the first person you make eye contact with is aang. 

his eyes widen as he says your name, the woman in front of him turns around to look at you too, katara. you smile at them as they rush toward you. “it’s really you, oh my god.” katara says, pulling you into a hug, aang comes in for one next. “i’m so sorry about being in the mountains for so long. i’ve been catching up on lost time with my grandmother.” you take in both of their appearances in shock. aang has somehow grown taller than both you and katara, and katara has grown into a gorgeous woman. you notice something different about her, particularly her necklace. instead of her mothers, there sits a blue crystal with a combination of air and water nation symbols. 

“is that what i think it is?” you ask, looking deeper at the necklace. aang’s face bursts with red at the recognition. “we thought nobody would notice!” katara says, “notice what?” another person cuts across the foyer, you instantly recognize the voice as sokka, toph is beside him as he comes up. she is already smirking, probably from overhearing the conversation. katara’s eyes widen, aang splutters for a second before yelling out your name, “she thought nobody would notice her, can you believe it?” sokka instantly looks shocked as he looks at you and then pulls you into a hug. “holy shit, we didn’t think you’d come!” he pulls back but still has his hands on your shoulders. “neither did i, to be honest.” you said back. “you finally came in! i heard you thank your carriage driver outside like twenty minutes ago.” toph hits your shoulder. “your senses can’t be that good.” katara furrows her eyebrows at toph, “it’s been ten years, my senses are only getting better and better.” 

conversation flows like it did ten years ago, like it did before the war. you realize how much you missed all of your friends. you loved your grandmother, but this little found family of yours was still by your side, even after a decade. 

the sounds of drums interrupt your conversation as guards come up to the top of the grand staircase. the drums stop as the main guard begins to speak. “please join us in welcoming firelord zuko.” the guard says. the foyer erupts into applause as zuko stands atop the staircase and gives a bow. 

he looks so different, his hair is long, near his waist at this point. he has grown much taller over the years, and he looks older. the weight of war cleanup and firelord duties has taken a toll on him. his eyes are slightly sunken in, but despite this, he looks happy. he looks good. 

he gives a greeting toward the crowd and invites everyone to keep celebrating before descending the staircase. aang rushes to greet him first, still pulling him into a bear hug despite both of them being far too large for it not to hurt anymore. sokka and toph make jokes about the introduction while katara laughs. despite the chaos, he looks at you. 

the shock on his face was astounding. he looks both happy and stunned at the same time, but he smiles at you nonetheless. “oh, yeah, we brought a surprise for you, dude.” sokka says, gesturing to you over his shoulder. you are pulled into another hug, this time from the firelord, who approached you at a shocking speed. despite his put-together facade, he really seems to act just like aang in terms of excitement. he pulls away from you, “i am so happy you came, did you bring your grandmother?” you laugh a bit but shake your head, “i tried getting her to come, she said parties aren't her thing.” 

even after ten years, they were all still here. you couldn’t believe you hadn’t followed up with anyone for that amount of time, you couldn’t believe how fast time had even passed after the end of the war. the night nearly flew by, and suddenly the room was getting stuffy with the amount of bodies that filled up the palace. you stepped out into the garden for some cool air, slipping the shawl off your shoulders and sitting on a small bench by the fountain. 

you heard him before you saw him, the thick fabric of the firelord robes made it hard to hide from anybody as it rubbed against itself. “what are you doing out here?” zuko asks from behind you, coming to sit next to you. “got a bit too hot. i havent properly partied in a decade, y’know?” you smiled back at him. “that is a fire nation issue, we tend to run hot.” he looks at you properly. 

he takes you in little by little, maybe you notice, maybe you don’t. from your hair, to the slope of your nose, to your lips, to your chin. 

to your neck. 

all fire lord zuko could focus his gaze on was your neck. the last time he had seen the dull red mark, it was covered in bandages. in the dark of the night it appeared more purpley. it was very faintly shaped like a jagged oval. like his hand. the previous smile that was on his face has disappeared as he looks away from you. you notice it. 

“why, um, why did you end up coming?” he asks, looking down at his hands that are now clasped together. he still isn't looking at you. “just wanted to see people that i cared for again.” he nods, “i think they really appreciate that. i mean, katara and aang haven’t stopped talking about you over the years. toph missed you so much-” “that includes you, zuko.” he closes his mouth and his eyes still shift on the grass covering the garden ground. 

“you don’t have to say that, you know? i know i’m the firelord but i’m not going to, like, force you to be friends with me. especially not after what i did.” he can’t look at your face, so he settles by looking at your hands that were resting on your thighs. 

“can i tell you something?” you ask, “anything,” he responds, so fast it almost shocks both of you. “for the longest time after… that fight, i was scared of fire. it didn’t matter how cold it was or how numb my fingers were, i was just too nervous to be around it. i was terrified.” he looks away from you again, but you continue. “i had made this connection in my head that you and fire were one, one being made to try and hurt my friends.” he nodded, you could barely even hear him breathe. “when you came to the western air temple saying you wanted to help aang with his fire bending, i felt myself really start panicking.” you had to remind yourself to breathe while talking to him.

“but then you started making us warm tea and staying up to kindle the fire, and even trying to keep appa warm even though he is covered in fur. i felt myself getting more and more comfortable with the presence of fire. maybe even sheltered by it.” that made zuko let out a breath. “i realized the connection i made between you, fire, and danger was unfair. we are just products of our environments, and during that fight, reacting with fire is what you were taught. somehow, during everything, you also taught me that fire isn’t always dangerous and uncontrolled, it’s also warmth and protection.” you finished. 

“you are being too nice for this situation right now.” zuko says looking back at you, from your eyes, to your neck, and back again. you sigh and look away this time, “i know that this is your first time seeing it, firelord, but it has been a part of me for ten years. i have taken all the time i have needed to heal and grow from the war and this is just a mark of the past. it means nothing about your future or our future.” 

“what i have heard from everyone is that you are a good firelord, a kind firelord, and i have a feeling that is a fact. you have grown into a great man and probably the best firelord your nation has known. your past doesn’t define you, zuko, especially when you have made such a change for the world.” 

judging by the sheen covering his eyes, you got through to him. he looks away to wipe his face with his robes, but turns to look at you in the eyes. he smiles, “will i have to ask you to stop calling me ‘firelord’ for the rest of my life?” you laugh, “oh, definitely.” “thank you for coming tonight. i’ll be honest, i couldn’t sleep with how anxious i was at the thought of seeing you again.” he said, there was a tint of pink coming up his neck to the bottom of his cheeks. 

one thing you weren't, after all these years, was a coward. “hm, do i make the firelord nervous?” his skin heated up. you couldn’t tell if it was from a blush or if it was a result of his bending. you leaned closer to him, “thank you for inviting me and, y’know, finding me.” he splutters a bit, “oh! it was nothing, yeah, no problem. easy, easy work. yeah.” you brought your lips to his cheek, giving him a soft peck that made him freeze. your lips felt warm from the heat of his skin as you pulled away. 

he was still looking at you, eyes widened, as he touched his cheek. he looks down at his hand before it makes its way to cup the side of your face, “can i?” he asks, you just nod. he pulls you into a kiss, soft and deep. his hand is warm as it shifts its way to the back of your head, pulling you closer. his other hand grips your waist. you hold onto the front of his robes as he separates your lips with his tongue, making you gasp. 

“zuko! did you find her- oh!” you hear sokka’s voice as a door slides open. you and zuko separate quickly, not looking at each other or sokka, standing in the doorway. “ten years and you couldn’t wait one more night? damn. well, i’ll leave ya to it.” sokka’s eyes light up mischievously as he shuts the door and enters back into the palace. 

“he is going to tell everyone in there.” you said finally looking back at zuko. he was already staring at you. he puts a hand on the back of your neck to pull you in again, this time kissing up the area of your scar. he brings his lips up your jaw to your cheek, and finally to your lips. 

“let him.”

-