He tells you how adorable your daughter is, all rosy cheeks and pinkish lips, her dirty blonde hair sitting neatly atop her fragrant head that smelled of baby shampoo and something sweet and uniquely her. She dozes off into her own little peaceful slumber, unaware and oblivious to the world around her. She’s dressed in a soft yellow onesie, and some little socks with frills around the edge. 

The taxi stops at the front of the federal agency headquarters office, and you carefully step out after paying the taxi driver with your fare. Supporting your baby’s head, you hold onto the little bag you’re carrying filled with lunch fit for a small family of three. You enter the building and are immediately greeted by people in uniform or corporate attire, holding folders or cups of coffee as they bustle about. 

Approaching the front desk, you smile at the woman named Myra. Because you frequently visited Leon in his office before, she’s quite familiar with you, especially now that word spread about you and your gorgeous, adorable baby girl born six months ago—healthy and perfect in every sense of the word, at least for you and Leon. 

“Hi, future Mrs. Kennedy,” Myra says with a teasing lilt to her voice. She glances at you, then the baby asleep in the carrier, her smile widening. “And little Kennedy too, huh? What brings you here today?”

Your smile widens as you readjust your baby girl’s position, feeling her stir against your chest, but ultimately going back to sleep. “I thought I’d surprise Leon with lunch,” you say. “Is he available? No meetings?”

Myra purses her lips. “Mmm, I’ll check. I’ll call the floor secretary and let you know in a bit. Why don’t you take a seat first?” she offers, nodding to one of the lobby sofas. 

You thank Myra before you pad towards the empty couch, sinking slowly so as not to wake your little girl who’s sound asleep, moving every now and then, but still remaining in her own little bubble of sleep. It truly endears you. Every little twitch and stir, every scrunch of her nose or quiver of her lips—all of it is precious. 

It’s not long before Myra approaches you, and there’s a wide grin on her face. “Okay so you’re just in time, Mr. Kennedy just wrapped up a briefing and he’s in his office. I didn’t tell him you’re coming so it’s the perfect surprise.” She tells you before handing you your visitor badge. 

“Thank you, Myra,” you reply with a smile as you clip the visitor badge to your blouse. Standing up carefully, you shift your weight to accommodate the mildly heavy bundle of joy in your baby carrier. “I appreciate it. We’ll see you later.” 

Myra steps close to touch Iris’s little hands, tracing her closed fist with a delicate finger. “And I’ll see you later, you cutie. Gosh, she’s just so adorable, Y/N! You and Leon made the perfect angel together, I swear!”

You laugh at Myra’s gushing, before you bid her a gentle goodbye and make your way towards the elevators. When you enter, you’re standing next to suits and corporate attires, who glance every now and then at your baby who’s practically a splitting image of your fiance, Leon. You know they know. Almost everyone knows, really. Just one look at Iris, and they know who the father is.

As if they didn’t see you visiting the field office when your belly was still round with your daughter. 

You press the number 11, and then you stand back, wrapping one hand around your daughter’s back, supporting her weight through the baby carrier. Each few floors, people either leave or enter the elevator, and once it reaches the eleventh floor, you wait for the doors to open before walking out of it. 

Familiar with the floor’s layout, you make a beeline towards Leon’s office down the hall. You greet familiar people, a few of his colleagues too, and then you stop by the door. You place the lunch bag on the ground before knocking, then picking it again before you push the door gently. 

Leon’s back is turned towards you while he grabs something from his desk. “... I’m about to go on my lunch break, can you come back later? I’m just going to—”

“Hey love,” you say, announcing your presence as well as your daughter’s, who chooses the right moment to wake up. 

Leon turns around immediately, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight of you and Iris standing in his office. “Baby, what—what are you doing here?” He approaches you in quick strides, taking the bag from your hands before leaning in for a kiss with Iris between the two of you. 

You kiss him back softly. When he pulls away, you smile at him, taking in the bewilderment and surprise written all over his expression. “I thought we’d surprise you with lunch. I had some free time this morning, and I made your favorite.” You explain.

Leon sets the bag on the small coffee table in front of a loveseat, before he returns to you. “Let me take her,” he says, referring to Iris who’s awake and squirming a bit in the baby carrier. “How was the trip? Was she fussy?”

You shake your head before you carefully undo the straps, all the while Leon hovers in front of you, supporting Iris’s weight as he carries her in his arms, swaying slightly. Iris babbles as Leon takes her, fisting his suit jacket in her tiny hand. 

“Hi sweetheart, did you come visit daddy?” Leon murmurs, planting a soft, sweet kiss on the top of Iris’s fragrant head. “Look at you dressed in that pretty little onesie… you’re the prettiest girl in the world. But don’t tell your mommy I said that.” He winks, as if Iris can understand her.

That makes you laugh softly. Shaking your head, you turn around to the coffee table and start preparing the lunch you’ve made for Leon, along with a portion for yourself and mashed avocado and bananas for your little girl. Leon takes on the duty of holding her for now—and you can clearly tell Iris is enjoying being bounced around and cooed on by him. 

“What did you do this morning?” Leon asks her softly, searching her cute face. “Did you have tummy time with mommy? Did you eat your favorite mash?”

As if understanding him, Iris babbles, making little coos while Leon stares at her. She squirms in his arms and grasps at his sleeve while she makes her point in little gurgles. 

Leon smiles. “Aw you did? I know you enjoy tummy time with mommy… and you had a banana mash this morning? That’s good.” He pecks his daughter’s cheek. 

Iris squeals a little at the feel of Leon’s lips tickling her round cheeks. She babbles again, little rosebud lips forming a sweet smile. “Ga! Ga!”

This never fails to warm your heart. The way Leon converses with your daughter even though she can barely comprehend his words yet. But Leon read somewhere in those parenting forums he reads through daily that it’s good for babies’ development, so he makes it a point to talk to Iris daily and encourage her to reply, even just through her little gurgles and babbles. 

Once the food is set up all three of you settle on the loveseat in Leon’s office. He doesn’t let go of Iris and keeps her seated on his lap while he reaches for her bib from your bag. He puts it on her with ease, and she’s never looked more adorable. 

“I’ll feed her,” Leon tells you with a reassuring smile. He reaches for the little bowl with avocado and banana puree. 

“Then I’ll feed you,” you retort playfully, twirling your fork around the pasta noodles in the container, gathering an ample bite for your fiance, lifting the fork to his lips. 

He takes the bite with a genuine smile, the corner of his eyes crinkling just a bit. “So good,” he says in between bites. “You make the best pesto ever, baby. I’m a lucky man.”

That makes you smile before you start eating as well, taking a few small bites while your eyes are trained over Leon and Iris. He’s doing little airplane motions with her pink spoon, lifting and twirling it around before bringing it to her lips that happily eat the mash, all the while Leon’s arm is wrapped around her. 

Iris starts playing with Leon’s tie, and you’re worried that she’ll make a mess on his lap, but when you see that Leon doesn’t mind, your heart just aches in a good way. You can clearly tell he’s happy that you’ve surprised him today, especially when you brought your daughter along with you. Just the sight of him, all small smiles and gratitude brings your heart an overflowing sense of love and affection.

How have you become so lucky with this man? 

You’ve always hoped one day you’ll be with someone who loves you for you, who makes you happy and will never abandon you nor hurt you in any way. Now that Leon’s here, you realize that he made your wishes come true. Not only did he give you a stable, and safe relationship worth fighting for—he gave you the greatest gift of all, and that is your daughter, Iris Kennedy.

You still remember the day you gave birth to her. It’s so vivid in your head, a memory seared together with the first moment you fell in love with Iris. You held her in your arms for the first time with Leon right beside you. She has your nose and lips, but she has Leon’s eyes. Those perfect blues that stared back at you. Those eyes that made your heart melt into nothing. 

“Can you hand me a baby wipe, love? Iris has mash all over her face,” Leon says with a soft chuckle, attempting to wipe away the green and yellow particles away from your daughter’s cheek and lips.

It takes you out of your reverie. You immediately grab the baby wipes from your bag, pulling a wipe from it before handing it to Leon. “Here you go, honey. She got it on her clothes too.”

“Yeah, I’ll take care of it,” Leon reassures you, smiling. “She got a little excited eating, didn’t she? I told you she’ll like the avocado mash.”

“She’s partial to it a few days ago.” You shrug, watching your fiance and daughter with a softening gaze. “Maybe she likes it because you’re the one feeding her.”

Leon successfully wipes away the green and yellow from Iris’ face, placing the baby wipe on the table. He lifts her a little, turning her around so they’re facing each other. “Does she now?” He coos. “You like dada that much, sweet pea?”

Iris gurgles as if saying yes.

“See? A total daddy’s girl,” you playfully roll your eyes, but there was no real bite to the gesture. “After spoiling her with so many toys…”

“Hey, those are good for her development.” Leon counters before he laughs a bit. “I looked it up online, plus I have some baby books on the way. We’ll read to her together, love.”

You thought you’ve seen how Leon loves a person when you and him got into a relationship that was built on solid ground. He spoils you, he brings you gifts, takes good care of you, and reassures you all the time. But now that you have your daughter, you realize his capacity to love and care for another human being apart from yourself has increased tenfold. 

In fact, you’re more than happy to indulge Leon’s whims of buying baby books, toys, onesies, all that whatnot because it makes him happy to spoil your little girl with the best and nothing but. He makes it his personal mission to make sure Iris doesn’t want for anything ever again, even though she’s barely grown to comprehend the fact. 

After finishing your meal together, Leon carries Iris in his arms as she turns drowsy. You’ve made the loveseat your makeshift changing table, making sure she’s all cleaned up before Leon begins rocking her gently. 

“Hey, it’s okay, I can take her, we’re about to go home anyway.” You quietly murmur, reaching for Iris.

Leon shakes his head. “It’s okay,” he tells you. “I got her. You just sit back and relax for a bit. I can extend my lunch break anyway, my briefing starts at two.”

The two of you sit down on the loveseat once more, and you just spend a few moments talking, catching up about each other’s day. You would steal kisses every now and then, with Leon gazing at you lovingly while he holds Iris in his arms as if it doesn’t strain him to do such a thing. 

“Thank you for surprising me with lunch today,” Leon tells you as he scoots closer, your shoulders brushing. “I know you’re busy, taking care of Iris, and planning our wedding together… but you made time for me today and even brought me food.”

He leans in to smooch your lips gently. “You know, I’m such a lucky man, Y/N. And it’s all because of you, and our Iris. I love you.”

Your chest tightens with an overwhelming feeling of love. 

In between wedding planning and taking care of your daughter, you never fail to show him how grateful you are that he’s taking care of all of your needs, as well as Iris’ needs too. This surprise lunch was just one of the many ways you want to show Leon how much you love him, amongst other things. 

“I love you,” you murmur back to him, before leaning against his shoulder, feeling a surge of contentment in your being.

It’s all you need, you realize—this is all you need.

Just you and your fiance, and your little girl and the simplicity of a simple love-filled lunch together.

⤷ a/n: so here's a brief interlude in between the requests and fics i'm writing. i hope you found it just as cute as i did 😋 and also, this came from a previous request and i'd like to apologize that it took a while for me to write and post!

anyway, my tag list is currently open if you're interested in being a part of it so you can also stay tuned in to my upcoming works 🫶 currently i'm working on part twos for letting it linger, handyman husband, and taking baby steps, so feel free to check the first parts while you're here!

thank you so much for reading this piece 🤍 i'll be sure to post more soon since i'm almost done with my internship portfolio :) have a wonderful day, wherever you are! 🫶

🔖 taglist: @rednnedy @eu4rialy @jqsjournal @ce98ne @itimisu @danigirls-missions @hugeblanket @midnightsummerrain @kennedysbbyy @achinglygentle

note: dividers are from @/cursed-carmine.

Of course that’s to account for the dose that cured him of his T-virus syndrome, but there’s just something so freeing about confronting his fears, and making sure he has no more regrets about not being able to make a difference. Because he did, this time. And that’s all he needs to rest easy tonight in your arms, hopefully.

Leon unlaces his boots and sets them by the shoe rack. His weapons and tactical gear are in a duffel bag, and he sets it down somewhere before he makes his way to the kitchen, grabbing himself a glass of water.

It’s quiet in your home. It’s only a little over nine, but he wonders—are you already asleep? It’s too early for you to be sleeping, especially since it’s a weekend tomorrow and you don’t have work. He thinks you’re probably resting, but then, a small sound interrupts his thoughts.

A squeak.

A tiny whine.

His brow quirks, and he sets down the glass before listening closely. His senses are heightened because of his missions and his training, and right now, he’s using them to his full advantage.

He follows the sound of those tiny little whines—sounding more like meows and little whimpers. Leon makes a beeline for your bedroom door, and when he pushes it open, there he finds you on the bed.

Except, you’re not asleep.

To Leon's surprise, you’re currently preoccupied by three small kittens, playing around in a basket while you nudge them gently with your finger, rubbing their backs or their chins with a gentleness that only you can be capable of.

Leon pauses by the doorway, watching you, your fond expression, and his heart aches. There’s something about you, about seeing you like this that just softens him. He’s all rough around the edges, but you give him that touch of softness he never knew he needed.

You’re leaning against the headboard, one kitten in your arms, and the other two are wrestling each other in the basket. The sight makes Leon smile, the corners of his lips lifting.

“Y/N.” He says your name to catch your attention, announcing his presence to you. “Hey sweetheart.”

Your heart immediately thrums as you hear his voice. Turning around, you see your boyfriend standing by the doorway, a smirk plastered on his lips. Without much thought, you set the kitten in the basket before you push yourself off the bed and practically race to his arms. Leon catches you without hesitation, pressing his lips to the top of your head, kissing it twice.

“You’re home,” you murmur, tilting your head up to meet his gaze. Smiling, you stand on your tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his cheek. “When did you get back? I didn't hear you!”

“Just now.” Leon answers you, but his gaze is drawn to the basket on your bed, one with cloth inside and three furballs that meow constantly for your attention. “Are those kittens?”

As if remembering your earlier activity, you turn around to gaze at the little furballs on your bed. There’s three of them—one is black and white, a black spot on its ears; the other is a tuxedo kitty, all black fur and white paws; and the last one seems to be a calico kitten. The tuxedo kitten explores your bed, sitting down while its other two siblings wrestle in the basket, making you smile.

You tug Leon close to the bed. As you sit down, Leon follows, and you pick up one kitten in your palms and offer it to him with an excited grin on your face.

“My coworkers and I found them outside our building, near the parking lot. I think someone left them there.” You explain to him gently, watching as Leon pauses, his eyes trained over the ball of fluff. It meows at him. And you can see his expression growing unreadable.

“I stopped by a pet shop to buy some supplies. Just goat milk and all that whatnot. Since they seem a bit malnourished.”

You’ve never really known what he’s like around animals, let alone vulnerable little things such as kittens, so seeing him react to them is a first. And somehow, you feel a little nervous because you took these kittens in without consulting them, though really you’re just fostering them temporarily while you find forever homes and people willing to adopt.

When Leon doesn’t respond, you set the kitten down on the bed. It crawls towards him, nudging his thigh with its head. Leon stills, watching how it moves, almost like he’s assessing a situation, except the “threat” he’s perceiving is a tiny fluffball.

The other two kittens climb out of the basket, fall gently on the mattress and approach Leon with curiosity. He offers a finger for one of them to sniff, and he stays very still so he doesn’t scare any of them.

You watch this scene unfold, nearly holding your breath as the kittens swarm him. The calico kitten nuzzles his finger first, approaching him without a second thought. Leon’s shoulders visibly relax, and you see that hint of a smirk on the corner of his mouth.

“Well, aren’t you brave?” He murmurs, picking up the calico kitten in between his large palms, and then starts petting them, slow and steady. He adjusts his hold, one palm serving as a barrier so the kitten doesn’t fall. “You look like… a rat.”

You snort. “Leon.”

“What?” he meets your gaze, smirking. “It’s just so small, plus its fur is sticking out in all different directions.”

That makes you laugh just a bit. “They’re just a few weeks old, Leon. Don’t be mean.” You say, a hint of teasing in your voice.

“I’m just being honest.” He shrugs, though he sets the calico kitten down on the bed. “They’re… cute.”

“Yeah? I’m thinking of names for them, but I’m coming up short. I think I’ll leave that to the people adopting them.”

Leon glances at you, watching as you nuzzle your finger against one of the kitten’s chin. “You’ve found some people wanting to adopt these… things?”

“Yup. One of my coworkers will, and then two of my friends came forward saying they want to take care of them. So that’s settled.” You smile a bit, knowing these kittens will be in good hands. “But they’ll adopt them next week. I just want to take care of them right now since they’re just so small and malnourished.”

Leon’s gaze falls onto the kittens once more. He reaches out to the smallest one. “This must be the runt of the litter,” he tells you, a note of assessment in his tone. “Smaller than the others.”

“Yeah. I feed him more milk than the other two since he needs to grow.” You explain, watching as one of the kittens climb your shorts, before settling on your lap. You chuckle softly. “And this one’s clingier.”

“Yeah?”

Leon lies down on the bed, propping himself up on one elbow. He suddenly forgets that he's extremely exhausted, his attention focused on you and how you're tending to these kittens with gentle care and affection.

One of the kittens comes to him, and they climb up his chest. He pokes and prods it, playing with the black and white kitten that seems enamored with his finger, mistaking it for some sort of toy. Leon trails it around, and the kitten follows, meowing when Leon won’t let it have what it wants—to sink its growing teeth onto the flesh of his index finger.

By then, all the kittens flock to him. It warms your heart, seeing him surrounded by balls of fluff, and you sear the image at the back of your head, hoping to remember this moment for as long as you can. Even though you have no idea what Leon is thinking of at this moment, you can tell he isn’t uncomfortable or uneasy having to play with kittens. He isn’t a cat person, but he isn’t averse to them either.

You reach for your phone, secretly taking a photo of them. Leon’s gaze is on the three kittens now, and vying for his full attention seems impossible when he’s focused on them. His eyes aren’t bored, but they’re calm, neutral.

“It’s time for their next feeding, I’ll go prepare some milk.” You say before getting up. “Watch them for me?”

Leon just nods without looking up at you. “Of course. They’ve already held me hostage so you don’t have to worry about me going anywhere.”

Giggling to yourself, you exit the room, padding towards the kitchen to prepare some warm milk for the kittens. Leon, on the other hand, lies on his side, head propped up on his palm while he dangles his finger over one kitten. He reaches down, scratching behind its ears while his expression softens even more.

“Yeah… you’ve got it easy, huh? My girl’s feeding you milk and taking good care of you… you’re all little lucky rascals.” He smirks to himself, before shaking his head.

Leon yawns quietly before relaxing onto the soft mattress of your bed. It’s cool and comfy, and it’s basically all he needs to fall into a restful sleep. He’s exhausted—muscles aching and needing to stretch lazily over the bed, but he’s occupied watching your kittens as they entertain themselves with each other.

Gazing down, Leon observes the kittens.

Such measly little things, but full of life nonetheless. And if they captured your heart, then he isn’t going to complain. Seeing you happy is just one of his many favorite things about you. If these kittens are the sole reason for your happiness right now, he’ll very much oblige your request to watch over them even though he’s feeling the tiniest bit jealous of the attention you’re giving to them, instead of him since he’s been gone for a few days.

He decides to relax against the mattress this time. Leon tells himself he’ll only close his eyes for a while, and he’ll be up and running when you return with the milk.

But when you do come back to the bedroom with a bowl of milk and a dropper a couple of minutes later, Leon’s already snoring softly, an arm covering his eyes. The kittens are curled over his side, all bundled up against each other, settling into sleep as well.

You almost melt into nothing then and there. Setting the milk at your bedside table, you sit beside them, careful not to walk your boyfriend or the kittens that are all settled on top of each other, finding a warm spot on Leon’s rib.

Something tugs at your heart. Maybe it’s these bundles of joy asleep next to the love of your life, or it’s just Leon himself, but it’s a definite feeling of love and affection that threatens to overflow from your chest.

Leaning down, you place a soft kiss on Leon’s cheek, and he just stirs, before he continues his sleep. He’s exhausted, you can tell. And you know it’s time for you to take good care of him too, without a second thought.

It’s not out of obligation, but out of love—out of the adoration that you feel for this man who fights tooth and nail to keep the world a safer place for you.

Your goal this week? Take care of three kittens.

And your boyfriend too.

Especially him.

🔖 taglist: @rednnedy @eu4rialy @jqsjournal

this was such a cute request! i hope this lives up to your expectations, anon 🤍 thank you again for sending this request and i hope you guys are having a wonderful day so far 🫶

my tag list and requests are currently open by the way, if you guys are interested (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡ i appreciate your requests so far and it's been fun writing them. tysm for making this blog so full of life!

— aali 𑣲

note: dividers are from @/cursed-carmine.

It was an oversight that you weren’t intending to neglect, but it just so happened it slipped from your mind without you even noticing. After all, it was one mission after another, and you’ve practically lost count on how many times you’ve gotten deployed in the past six months whether locally or halfway across the world. 

It was routine at this point. Expecting the next call, the next briefing, the next report waiting to be written. You’ve thrown yourself into the rhythm of work, and being in your prime meant you were in this constant momentum that rarely had you home just in time for dinner (with yourself).

But it was eventually catching up with you. You’ve only realized how exhausted you were when you slumped against your swivel chair, which was no less uncomfortable for your back and shoulders that were beginning to feel stiff as the night carries on. 

You stretched your arms outward, cracked your knuckles, and resumed typing away in your company-issued high-tech laptop. 

“I’m back.”

You nearly jolt in surprise. 

That low, gravelly voice has you turning your head, craning your neck as you look expectantly at the corridor. Leon emerged holding two cups of coffee, mirroring the same exhaustion you held in your body, though he’s more subtle about it than you were.

He approaches your table and places the cup of coffee near your hands. His fingers brush against yours lightly, and you feel a subtle tingle in your skin, which you ignore before he notices anything. It wasn’t the first time he lingered near you—why did it feel a lot more different right now?

“Thanks,” you say instead, reaching for the cup and sipping from the lid carefully, grasping the temperature. “How’s your report doing?”

Leon’s desk was right across yours, with a half-wall dividing the cubicle. While yours was filled with different memorabilia from your missions in different countries along with a few photos were pinned on the corkboard you kept behind your laptop, images of you and colleagues over the years, Leon’s desk was almost devoid of anything, except for the occasional souvenirs you got for him, and that one framed photograph he’d kept hidden away, which you’ve always been curious about.

The swivel chair creaks as he sits on it, leaning back while the laptop screen illuminates his face in the dim light of the office floor. It was just you and him now. All your other colleagues went home long before the sun was down. 

“Halfway through it,” Leon answers you. “I’ve got a thing or two coming up if I don’t submit this tomorrow.”

You huff out a sound—something half-amusement and another half-sympathetic. Because you knew your superior would expect more from you and Leon. “Remind me again why we forgot about this report.”

Leon shrugged, before straightening up, squinting slightly as he returned to his laptop. “After getting constantly shot at for two days straight, paperwork wasn’t exactly my priority,” he replied, before the familiar click of his keyboard began filling the air.

“You mean near-death experiences don’t motivate you?”

He clicked his tongue, his gaze zeroing on his screen. But he looked slightly amused. “Shockingly, no.”

You laughed softly into your coffee cup, and from the corner of your eye, you caught the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at Leon’s mouth, as though he’s amused that you’re laughing at him. 

Setting your cup aside, your fingers find the keyboard once again, the words blurring as you try your best to weave coherent sentences together. You and Leon fall into a rhythm of keyboards clacking and the occasional sigh every couple of minutes, either out of exhaustion, dread, or a mixture of both. 

Despite the grueling task of finishing this report, you find the silence comforting. Without having to say anything at all, you know Leon’s in this with you, as you are with him. Somewhere along the road, the lines blurred around being mission partners into good friends, and eventually, the lines had ebbed away slowly into something more meaningful.

Something far more dangerous than the bioweapons you’ve encountered had unraveled between the two of you, and you know when and where it began, but the how completely slipped past you, because you don’t exactly recall feeling something for Leon other than mutual trust. 

But it was that mission in Romania that completely changed things. 

It was the first time you had gotten terribly wounded, with a piece of shrapnel wedged on the lower side of your abdomen. You were bleeding profusely just as Leon hauled you up and held you close until you were quickly and safely extracted from the rendezvous point. At that point, you were losing a lot of blood, so when he helped you up to the chopper, he had you lying down on the floor, pressing against your wound to stop the bleeding. 

The image was vivid inside your head. The blurriness around your eyes, the black spots lingering in your vision, but all throughout there was an anchor tethering you to the world. Leon held you tightly when he pulled the shrapnel out of your skin, and you distinctly remember the fear that lingered in his gaze when he heard that cry tearing from your throat. 

He stayed beside you. Even when they wheeled you into the hospital, he stayed close—close enough that the doctors knew what happened to you because Leon was practically shoving the information into their hands, anything to get you urgent care and attention. 

Leon disregarded his own well-being for yours, and it was a sacrifice he was willing to make, just so he knows you’re there for another mission, for another time of braving through the monstrosity of the world with him. It was a close call—the blood loss could’ve seriously taken you away from him, and that thought scared him more than he’d like to admit. 

You have become an integral part of Leon’s life without you even knowing it. You have blended seamlessly into the routine he’s built for years on the weak foundation of isolation and individuality. It all started with one mission. And another. Until he’s realized he had fallen for you the way a person would fall asleep—slowly and then all at once. 

What’s not to like about you? You were so full of life, so independent and brave. You weren’t just an idealistic agent, you knew how bad things would get and braved through the storm with him. Even when he was being difficult and stubborn, you’ve worked hard along with him with that no nonsense attitude of yours that Leon found incredibly sexy. 

Somehow, you’ve managed to get under his skin as he’s gotten under yours. But you’re sitting there, unaware of the fact that the reason why Leon couldn’t finish the damn report is because he’s thinking of you, sitting across from him with your pretty, lower lip being bitten by you as you focus hard on the report in front of you. 

“Something on my face, Kennedy?” You ask him suddenly, breaking him out of the bubble of thought he’s been floating on for a few minutes now. “You’re staring.”

Leon huffed out a sigh. He’s been caught. “I wasn’t.”

“Yes you were.” You tilt your head to the side as if deciphering his expression. “You’ve been staring at me for like… thirty seconds.”

Leon leans back in his chair, looking rather unimpressed. “That specific, huh?”

“You’re dodging the question,” you counter, a small smirk plastered on your lips. You like knowing you could get him flustered, even when he tries to hide it beneath a thin veil of ignorance. 

His eyes flicker briefly toward the unfinished report on his screen before returning to you. “I could’ve been thinking, you know.”

That piques your interest. “About what?”

There’s that slightest pause, and that pause lingered and meant a lot of things all at once. You almost hold your breath while waiting. Waiting to see if he’ll admit that he was most likely thinking about you, as you were thinking about him too. 

“Work,” Leon says after a second. 

You snort softly at his deflection. “Yeah, sure. Thinking about work while staring at my face for almost a minute? You’re not so slick, agent Kennedy.”

Leon shrugged, before the corner of his lips pulled up in a lazy smirk. “Mocking a federal agent feels unwise, you know.”

“A federal agent who got caught staring?” You grin this time, feeling amused at the way he’s trying to avoid the conversation with his usual dry humor. 

He lets out a breath, almost a laugh but not quite. “You’re enjoying this too much. Don’t you have a report to finish?”

“Don’t you?”

You watch as Leon pursed his lips. “Fair point,” he concedes. 

There’s a silence that takes over you. It wasn’t entirely uncomfortable, but you felt as though the air was thick with a lot of things unspoken, and somehow, the atmosphere felt conducive enough for you to prod, if Leon would allow you to poke at the privacy of his thoughts, if not his feelings. 

“But really… what were you thinking about?” You ask him after a second, your voice softer this time. 

You observe him—he pauses, his face illuminated by the screen of his laptop, highlighting his features which you can’t help but inspect more closely, thoroughly. As if he alone was the subject of your thoughts. 

“I was thinking about Romania,” he confessed after a heartbeat. 

You swallow hard. You and him were both thinking about the same thing.

Clearing your throat, you shift in your seat, trying to act all unbothered. “What about Romania? Did we miss something in the report?”

Leon shakes his head. “No, no… we didn’t. I just… I was thinking about how I…”

“How I almost lost you.”

The air was thicker than it already had been. This is the first time you’ve heard him admit something to you that wasn’t an oversight or a mistake he might’ve made during his missions. No, this felt more raw—something unguarded and intimate in a way that it almost made you feel like you weren’t supposed to hear it.

At the same time, the words felt as though they were meant to be heard by you. And only you. 

“You didn’t lose me,” you exhale a quiet laugh, as if trying to diffuse the situation. But when you look at Leon’s expression, you suddenly realize that you being wounded affected him more than he let on. “I just happened to have a misstep and it almost cost us our directive.”

“Fuck the directive,” he muttered under his breath. “You were bleeding. A lot. You were barely conscious and you had wounds all over you—”

“Leon—”

“And I should’ve been paying more attention when we left the building. But I didn’t. I was too confident that we’ve gotten what we came there for, and you got hurt because of my complacency.”

You fall quiet in front of him. Suddenly, the report didn’t matter. The deadlines didn’t mean anything to you, not when you’re being exposed to the vulnerability in Leon’s entire demeanor—something you hadn’t seen before. 

He blames himself for what happened in Romania. 

You haven’t noticed it until now, but in your recent missions, he’s become more cautious. More careful. Always taking the lead in leaving and entering premises and making sure he’s covered all the bases before he declares an area as clear or safe. You almost pointed it out, wanting to say that he didn’t have to hover or worry about you when you’re more than capable, but hearing him now, your perspective shifts entirely.

“Leon, I’m okay now, I swear.” You tell him reassuringly. “I’m healed. The doctor cleared me after two weeks, didn’t he?”

“Doesn’t make it less frustrating to think about.” He answered, his voice low and quiet, as if he’s resigned to himself.

He looked so torn. Almost at war with himself in a way you’re not used to seeing. You hate being the reason for it, especially because you rarely see him like this. In fact, this might be the first time he’s shown you this side of him that you never thought existed. 

It rattles you more than you expect. 

“You didn’t lose me,” you say, quieter this time. “If you did, I wouldn’t be here with you.”

Leon exhales a short, quick breath. “I almost did. To me, that’s as good as losing you itself.”

Silence envelops you again. 

You don’t recall how your conversation shifted from just some playful banter, to something more serious. All of a sudden, you feel as though you were in the wrong for asking, for pushing further. It fueled your guilt, because you didn’t know what to tell him. You were completely flustered by the gravity of his words that they almost passed as a confession to you. 

You decided to stand up, the wheels of the swivel chair scraping lightly against the floor. Rounding the corner, you come close to him, carefully, as though you were approaching a delicate situation. Which you were, in a way.

Leaning against the space on his desk, you fold your arms across your chest. You watch as Leon avoids your gaze, brows furrowed and lips set into a tight line as he looks anywhere but you. He’s avoiding you again. Retreating. 

“Don’t do that,” you murmur. “You say all these things to me and then you’re suddenly just… pulling away.”

“I’m not avoiding you.” Leon stated as a matter of factly. His expression softened just a bit when he finally decided to glance at you. “I just… I worry about you often.”

You shifted your weight a bit, until you were nearly sitting atop his sturdy desk. “I know.” 

Unable to stop yourself, your eyes linger around his desk. Your eyes find that framed photograph behind a few stacks of folders and paperwork, and you reach out to it instinctively. A knot forms in your stomach when you realize what that photograph was.

It was a picture of you and Leon before you got deployed halfway across the world. You stood next to him, and he had his arm loosely wrapped around your shoulders, while he had his free hand in a thumbs up gesture. Both of you were in your mission clothes and gear, all small smiled and reluctant gazes.

But it felt… almost intimate. Almost deliberate, as if he’d wanted you to see it. 

You set it aside immediately, a flush creeping up your cheeks, just as your heart begins to race. Why does he have that photo?  

He notices your reaction almost immediately. 

Leon stands up, the swivel chair moving back as he suddenly crowds your space. His hands are flat against the surface of either side of your thighs, and his head was closer to yours than it ever was before. Hands braced against the desk. Still far, but a considerable new development from your usual proximity. 

Your breath hitches in the back of your throat, and you suddenly feel your heart skip a beat. His eyes don’t leave yours this time, as if finding courage to face you. 

“You don’t know anything,” he murmured, his eyes flickering from your face to the picture frame you’d set aside. “You’ve kept me up at night more than you think. Especially after Romania.”

A pause, and then his voice drops slightly. “I kept asking myself what is it about you… that makes me lose control like that.” 

“You lose control because of me?” The question slips past your lips before you even stop yourself from saying it. 

“All the time.”

Another wave of silence settles between the two of you again. This time, it was heavier. Not awkward, not distant, none of those things. It felt thicker than ever, almost having you run out of breath without intending to.

It was just… charged. With something you weren’t ready to accept, but you were willing to explore. You try to breathe, but it feels completely different now. Even though there’s ample space between the two of you, it feels as if you’re trapped in a box with him, and there’s no way out until you find the answers yourself.

“Leon…” your voice comes out quieter than you initially expected. “That’s not—” you cut yourself off, suddenly unable to figure out what to say next.

You have absolutely no idea what you’re trying to say. That it’s too much? That it doesn’t make sense at all? That maybe, just maybe, he shouldn’t feel that way towards you? The problem is that you do believe him. And that’s worse, because now, you’re compelled to confront the feelings you’ve thought you’ve buried a long time ago. 

Leon exhales a slow breath this time, like he’s only just realizing what he’s said out loud. His hand shifts slightly on the desk—not retreating, but not advancing either. He’s mindful of your space, even though he wants nothing more than to be close to you right now.

For once, he looks unsure of himself. “You asked.” He says quietly.

A beat of silence elongates into another, before you speak again. “When did it start?” 

That makes him pause completely. As if the question lands somewhere deeper than the others, as if he isn’t expecting you to suddenly explore the confession he just admitted to you. Leon’s eyes flicker to yours again, and you can see exactly the way his pupils dilate just by looking at you.

“Romania,” he says finally. “But before that… there was already something there.”

It’s a simple answer, but it changes everything completely. You knew deep within your heart what transpired in Romania. The close proximity. The easy camaraderie between the two of you. Until you got wounded, and he never left your side ever since.

“You’re telling me that this has been going on since then?” You find the courage to adjust your position, your hand falling flat near his own. Your fingers brush, and you inhale a sharp breath.

Leon doesn’t answer immediately, but when he does, it’s quiet. “I tried not to think about it.” he admitted. “I kept telling myself it was just proximity. It was just us and our shared missions.”

A humorless breath left him. “It made sense at first, until it didn’t. It was you getting hurt that changed things for me completely. I shouldn’t have waited around to watch you almost bleed to death to accept the fact that you and I, there’s… something there.”

“What does that mean?” You prod, your voice barely above a whisper in the quiet floor of your office. 

“It means… I stopped lying to myself about it.” He finally admits. It was only a couple of words, but it hit you more than it should have. 

Leon pauses, and then, “you know, I… I liked you back then.”

It knocks the breath right out of your lungs. You swallow hard, your heartbeat thrumming louder beneath your chest in his confession. You tried to ignore the way he says it—as if it’s in the past and nothing more in the present and the future, but it’s his next words that completely take your breath away.

Your eyes meet. There is a certain intensity in the way Leon looks at you, as if he’s trying to understand what’s going on inside your mind right now. His gaze searches yours, and you unconsciously bite your lower lip, to which his eyes follow the moment almost deliberately. 

“And I still like you now.”

Your breath catches, but you don’t look away. 

Your heart feels as if there’s a bird trapped inside a cage, begging to be broken free from its confines. The words vanish from your tongue, and you know you should say something, but even forming a single syllable feels a great amount of effort from you right now.

Overwhelmed by emotion, you decide to do the one thing your brain has been telling you to do over the last couple of minutes. You lean up, your head tilting slightly as you push yourself towards him just a bit. Leon’s eyes widen when he sees you moving towards him.

“Don’t do something you’ll regret,” he whispered, and you can feel his warm breath fanning over your lips.

You look down at his mouth, before you gaze up at him. “Never.”

The space between you collapses on its own, and Leon’s defenses crumble before he can even blink. 

Then, without warning, you meet him for a kiss.

⤷ a/n: i've been in a slow burn mood lately, and this feels a bit similar to a fic i've written, but i think this is more direct to the point, which is also straightforward in its own way. i did enjoy writing this, so i hope you enjoyed reading it as well 🫶 it's a bit over the word count i initially intended to write, but i just couldn't help myself haha

anyway, i hope you guys like this one! let me know your thoughts in my asks or in the comments 🤞 i always look forward to reading all your thoughts, so please don't hesitate in sending/commenting/reblogging them!

my taglist is open if you're interested in being part of it, and i'm putting a pause on my requests for now. but if you want to stop by and chat, please don't hesitate! i'm working on requests right now, so i do have to hit pause on some of the requests i received in my inbox.

nonetheless, thank you so much again for reading and i hope you liked it 💗 sorry, this is such a long author's note 😅 anyway, have a wonderful day, wherever you are in the world! 💐

🔖 taglist: @rednnedy @eu4rialy @jqsjournal @ce98ne @itimisu @danigirls-missions @hugeblanket @midnightsummerrain @kennedysbbyy @achinglygentle @cakeofhorrors

note: dividers are from @/cursed-carmine.

You had just gotten home at least thirty minutes before Leon arrived from the RPD.  

Leon brought home some takeout from your favorite restaurant and even a tart of your favorite flavor for dinner, which you heartily share with him. It endears you how he’s so easily attuned to all the things you like, whether from dishes to dessert, to colors and hues that fit to your liking. That’s just how Leon is—the man you fell in love with ever since you knew him. But the debate remains between who fell first and who fell harder.

He’s more determined to claim that he is both. After all, what’s not to love about you? What is it about you that drew him in the first time you’ve met? Leon believes it’s just one thing, even though there are other factors that had him falling head over heels for you the second he discovered that heart of yours.

You’re kind. The type of person who would open doors for others in cafes, or let an elderly woman take your spot at a grocery line even when you have a cart full of stuff. You were always so understanding of others, and because of your multitude of sympathy, Leon makes it his goal to make sure you have someone in your corner who understands you too. 

Maybe it’s also how sweet you are to him. He used to think he’d be on the verge of a soul-crushing devotion towards you, and he feared all of it would be unrequited, one-sided. He gave you his entire heart on a silver platter, and at first, he half expected you’d turn him down because he knew he could be a bit overwhelming with how he showed you his affection and interest.

But much to Leon’s surprise, you returned his love and affections tenfold, and without second thought. You showed him how devoted you are too—through small or big gestures that brighten up his day, especially his life. 

Just like now. 

The two of you were brushing your teeth in the bathroom. Though the space was slightly cramped, you didn’t think ill of it because that just meant you’d be closer to Leon with your shoulders and arms brushing as you do your business. He looks at you through the mirror and smiles; you look rather endearing wearing your little headband after doing your skincare routine. 

After he spits and gurgles, he wipes his mouth with a nearby bath towel, before you do the same. It’s the simple domesticity of this life you share together that makes your heart ache in a good way—you realize early on in your relationship how much you enjoy living life with Leon. Doing the little things together. Experiencing milestones with each other. The list could go on. 

Like a little puppy, Leon follows you to the kitchen when you grab a glass of water to soothe your throat before going to bed. When you set it down on the sink, Leon decides to wrap his arms around your waist, before burying his face into your hair. 

“You smell nice,” he murmurs. “I like it a lot.”

You smile at his gentle musings. “Yeah? I tried this new face cream and body wash. It’s supposed to smell like something sweet.” You answer him, your hand drifting down to settle on his arm.

Leon tightens his arms around you, before he spins you around and then lifts you to the counter without breaking a sweat. Standing between your legs, he watches fondly as you giggle, your lips curving into a smile which has him falling in love with you over again. He looks at you like all he wants to do is kiss you until he can no longer breathe and think about anything else.

You beat him to it though. Cupping his face with both hands, Leon’s hands settle on your waist, and you lean in to kiss him. It’s just a soft brushing of your lips against his, and he practically melts against you. 

It lasts for a couple of seconds, maybe two, three—who’s counting? Definitely not Leon who feels like he’s on cloud nine just from kissing you. But then you’re pulling away, and he nearly groans from missing your mouth on his again.

Then, you’re pecking his lips a few times, eliciting a surprised grunt from him, and a spectacle of giggles from you. You shower his face with soft smooches and quick pecks, from the tip of his nose, to either of his cheeks, his eyelids, his forehead, and then his jaw. 

You hear him giggle before you kiss his lips again. 

Leon giggling? 

That’s something new. 

You’ve never heard him giggle like that—like the sound is soft and carefree and almost… delicate as it echoes in the kitchen. He’s only laughed before, chuckled when he found something funny and wanted to share it with you immediately. But a giggle? A soft burst of happiness coming from his throat? Never; at least, not yet.

But now that you’ve heard it, you want to hear it again. You like hearing him happy, and if a ton of kisses on his face and a few quick smooches on his lips is what it takes, then you’ll gladly give him more.

“You like that, huh?” You say, almost playful.

A slow blush creeps along Leon’s cheeks. He avoids your gaze for a second before looking at you with an almost shy expression. 

“Well you’re kissing me. I mean, my beautiful girlfriend is kissing me. What more could I ever want?” He replies, trying to hide his mildly embarrassed face from you.

That endears you even more. You can’t help yourself; you cup his cheeks and squeeze them just a bit, until Leon’s lips are puckered in front of you, which makes you chuckle just a bit. Instead of being annoyed, though, Leon just lets you do what you want, because you seem so happy like this. If you find him adorable, then who is he to refuse whatever title you have for him? 

Afterwards, you lean in and kiss him again on the mouth, slow and steady this time, savoring the feel of his sweet lips against your own. Your hands circle around his neck, and you pull him closer as he stands between your legs. Leon kisses you back just as much, with his hands tightening just a fraction on your hips, his scent wafting over your senses.

Without thinking, you pull away, and Leon chases after your lips. But you’re pressing your mouth against his jaw, sweet and sensual, lathering his skin with a few soft pecks, until he’s tilting his head back to give you more access to his neck.

You oblige immediately, pressing more and more kisses underneath his jaw, until you reach the side of his neck. Leon groaned, the sound ragged and breathy, especially when you start sucking a sweet spot over it and down the column of his throat, littering his skin with small, reddish marks. 

By the time you’re pulling away, Leon’s breath is hot and heavy, puffing out in short rasps. The effect you have on him is indescribable, especially when you take the lead just like this. It’s not often that you do, but when you take control even just for a moment, Leon absolutely loses his mind over it. Over you.

“Gosh, Y/N…” he mumbles, almost dazed. “Did you just leave hickeys on me?”

You giggle as you watch him touch his neck, fingers brushing over the reddish marks you’ve left on his throat. “Maybe,” you answer coyly. “You don’t like it?”

Leon exhales a ragged breath. “Quite the opposite actually.” He muttered under his breath, but you heard him almost immediately. “The things you do to me…”

He trails off, avoiding your gaze as he clears his throat, almost awkwardly. When you follow his gaze, your eyes widen, seeing the obvious outline of his arousal straining against his gray sweatpants. You exhale a soft, breathless chuckle.

“Oh… I see,” you say, smirking. “Aren’t you sweet?”

Leon groans, burying his face onto your shoulder as you continue teasing him. You reach down, trailing your hand south, touching his bare chest and his abs, before Leon stops you, his hand wrapping around your own before you can even reach uncharted territory.

“Y/N…” He whines and the sound makes you shiver. “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”

“Who says I have no intention of finishing this with you?”

As if a switch flipped in his mind, Leon grunted against your neck, before he’s collecting you between his arms. He urges you to wrap your legs around his waist, his strong arms supporting your weight while you hold onto him. Then, Leon carries you to your bedroom, kicking the door behind him as he walks toward your cozy, unmade bed.

He lays you down gently before climbing on top of you, his hands on either side of your neck. You see his dog tag dangling down his neck, and the sight makes you blush. You can’t deny it—Leon is absolutely, mindblowingly attractive. 

You stare into his eyes, those oceanic blues that stare right back at you. His pupils are dilated—so much so that nearly most of it covered his irises. He looks at you like he’s looking at something he loves so much—reverently and adoringly so. Then, slowly, he dips his head, before capturing your lips with his own. 

You hold him close, wrapping your hands around his neck as you make out, and all the while, you focus your attention on him and him alone, just as Leon gives you his undivided attention. He reaches underneath your oversized shirt (it’s his), and cups your waist with his large, calloused palm.

“This is what you get for kissing me like that,” he murmurs against the shell of your ear, a low rasp that sends sparks flying around you. 

You smile, exhaling a soft breath. “I don’t mind. Are you about to punish me for it?” 

Leon shakes his head. “I’m about to love you.”

“But you already do.”

“Not enough,” Leon murmurs, before nuzzling into your neck. “After tonight, I’ll make sure you know and feel it until you lose your breath, until you will never, ever question just how much I do.”

⤷ a/n: hi! sorry it's taking me a while to post fics lately. i'm at the last leg of my internship so i intend on finishing it (i have 3 days left) before i post some more! for now, please have this little blurb i wrote impulsively, because i love re2 leon and he's absolutely one of my favorite leons ever!

by the way, my taglist is open if you want to be a part of it! also, i'm putting requests on hold for now since i want to finish the ones i have first before writing and accepting more, i hope you understand! 🫶

anyway that's that for me, expect another fic coming soon (and potentially a series i'm working on for RE9 leon!) have a wonderful day! 🤍

🔖 taglist: @rednnedy @eu4rialy @jqsjournal @ce98ne @itimisu @danigirls-missions

note: dividers are from @/cursed-carmine.

Jesus, you’re still young. At the prime of your life, where you’re supposed to be living life to the fullest, not getting your blood sugar checked every week or so. That reality is something you try not to think about, and because you did, you’re committing to changing your habits. 

“Hmm… are you sure, baby?” Leon asks, his hand gently massaging your thigh. You were sitting prettily on top of him while you conversed in bed. It was nighttime then, and you wind down with him while you talk about anything you could ever think of.

“What do you mean, ‘are you sure’?” You tilt your head sideways, confusion painted across your features, before it dawns on you what he’s trying to say. “You don’t think I can do it.” You say in that matter-of-fact tone that suggests you’re stating than asking. It makes your brows knit together, and you almost frown.

Leon sees this unfold within seconds, and he chuckles, the sound low and raspy. “Hey, hey… no baby.. It’s not like that.” He reaches up to tilt your chin to face him. “It’s not that I don’t think you can do it. Trust me, I have faith in your abilities to restrain yourself, except when we’re in bed together, you know…”

“Leon,” you warn him, to which he laughs again. You could get drunk on the sound of his laugh, especially when he’s with you. It sounded so carefree. “I can perfectly restrain myself around you, I’ll have you know.”

Leon’s lips curve into a smirk. “Oh yeah? What about that little incident we had after that benefit ball we attended last month? Or when we went out with your friends a couple of weeks ago and we did it in the car—”

“Okay that’s enough,” you cut him off with a tiny frown. “You’re just teasing me now.”

He chuckles again, finding you quite adorable. Leon pushes himself up to sit down, so the two of you would be face to face. A pair of strong arms wrap around your waist, holding you firm and close towards him. When you gaze into Leon’s baby blues, you can see the utmost sincerity swimming in those eyes that get you weak. 

Then he leans in, pressing a soft peck to your lips. “I have complete trust in your abilities, baby girl. If you want to commit to reducing your sweet treats to one day per week, then I’m all for it. In fact, it’s quite attractive that you’re trying to cut back on sweets so you can live a little healthier.”

“You think so?” you ask quietly, almost unsure of yourself. 

“Oh I know so,” Leon answers you with confidence. “You have drive, baby. And tell you what, if you successfully eat just one sweet treat this week, I’ll give you a reward.”

That makes your eyebrows quirk. “A reward? What is it?” You ask, intrigued. 

“It’s a secret, but I know you’ll like it.” He promises with a smile, pressing a chaste kiss to your collarbone. “Can’t spoil the surprise for you now, can I?”

You were immediately curious about that surprise he’s talking about. No, it wasn’t just a surprise, it was a reward. And if anything, it motivates you even more, especially when it’s from your boyfriend, because he’s rewarded you for your patience and self-control multiple times and it came in different forms—gifts and such, or a treat to your favorite spa.

But you liked it best when it came through the form of him pounding into you senseless, murmuring the dirtiest words in your ear. 

“Okay fine,” you answer him. “It’s Monday tomorrow, so I’ll start by then.”

Leon grins at you. “Perfect. I’ll give you your reward on Sunday if you succeed.”

“And if I don’t? You don’t have a consolation prize for me?”

“We’ll see about that.”

—

Not to get too overconfident, but you quite believed you could handle not getting a sweet treat every day. 

Whether it’s something iced like boba or coffee, or even fruit juice and soda, you were sure you could get through the week without getting either of all these. The same went for candy and chocolate, overly sweet pastries, and donuts, which were part of your list of favorites. It’s not like you couldn’t live without them. You just opted for something less… sweeter. 

By Monday, you were doing great. Throughout work, you’ve drank a lot of water instead of ordering coffee with your coworkers who were surprised by your sudden change of heart. While you were motivated to make a change, you were also intrigued by Leon’s reward that some semblance of stubbornness took over you. You were going to prove to him (and yourself) that you can completely hold your self-control and reign it in without breaking a sweat.

Tuesday, the craving began. You told yourself you’re getting your one and only sweet treat on Wednesday, so it’d be a mid-week sort of reward for yourself for doing great on the past two days. But by the second day, you were already craving for something sweet. Something that combats the savory flavors of your lunch, or something that complements the non-sugary pastry you’ve gotten before clocking in at work.

It’s all you’ve been thinking about, especially when you see your coworkers holding their iced coffees and eating a box of donuts. You even texted your boyfriend about it, who reminded you of the reward that lied ahead of you, and that you were welcome to break your one-day streak if you really couldn’t handle it. But he was still encouraging you to try because he had faith in you, and you didn’t want to break that. 

So you persevered.

Wednesday, you feel sort of relieved. On the way to work, you were already contemplating what sort of sweet treat you’ll get for yourself. The possibilities were endless—you could get coffee since you need the caffeine for two meetings you have. Or, you could get that strawberry scone from your favorite bakery. In the end, your need for caffeine came in first place, and you stopped by that cafe down the street of your office building, and grabbed a salted caramel macchiato for yourself, arriving at your office with a sort of giddiness that can only be brought about by the coffee you’ve gotten for yourself.

When Thursday rolled around, you believed you were just a few days away from your success and receiving that reward that Leon had for you. You were satiated with your coffee from yesterday, but now, the craving grew again, especially when your coworkers had decided to bring two boxes of those donuts you’ve been craving for since last week, from a well-known bakery downtown that had long lines and limited donuts they sold per day. It was temptation in its finest form, and you were none the wiser to resist. 

“Hey, Y/N! Janice brought some of those donuts you love, you should get one.” Your coworker told you with a smile.

God, it was too difficult to resist. You’d be a fool not to grab a donut, because your coworkers knew they were your favorite. You didn’t want to be the party pooper that refused just because you’re trying to reach Sunday without caving in. You were responsible for your sugar intake, and maybe, just maybe you deserved one donut for being such a good girl about it.

Oh fuck it. It’s just one donut, what harm can it do?

So you went and grabbed one. And another one. That’s basically three sweet treats from yesterday to today. You couldn’t bring yourself to regret it as much, but when you realize you just threw away Leon’s reward, you start feeling bad.

So much so, that when you arrived at your shared apartment with Leon, you looked so… guilty. 

You tried not to make it so obvious, but you were upset at yourself for not being able to resist the urge a while ago. Leon can tell something’s up during dinner, because you were avoiding his gaze, and you seemed a little downcast and upset about something he couldn’t quite pinpoint, even though he had his suspicions. 

After dinner, you climbed into bed with him, wearing nothing but that pretty little camisole you wore with a matching pair of cotton shorts. Leon’s eyes ogled you, looking at you appreciatively. He reaches for you in an instant, pressing soft kisses over the line of your neck as he had you between his arms.

“Hey gorgeous,” he murmurs against your smooth skin before pulling away to gaze at you. “You okay? You’ve been quiet since a while ago.”

You couldn’t keep it in you any longer. The words tumble out of your mouth before you can stop them. “I broke my streak because I ate two donuts today and I didn’t mean to since my coworker bought them and really wanted me to have one! I swear, I did try to resist it, but I just couldn’t help it and I know you’ll be disappointed in me—”

“Woah, hey… hey… wait,” Leon cuts you off gently, his brows knitting together as he looks at you, seeing that shameful expression painted over your face. “One at a time baby… one at a time.”

He shifts on his side, hand propped on his hand while he gazes at you, trying to digest the words you’ve mentioned in a rush. You lie on your side as well, and the two of you face each other. There’s shame written over your face, but you try not to show it. Though you’re failing miserably. 

“I’m not disappointed,” Leon finally says, his voice soft and almost sympathetic. His hand settled over her hip, the pad of his thumb rubbing circles over the flesh. “Why would you think I am, hm?” 

“Because you had a reward prepared for me, and I lost it.” You answer, your lips curving into a small frown. “Because I couldn’t control my impulses.”

While Leon doesn’t like seeing you this upset, he can’t help but find you adorable. There’s this cute little pout on your pinkish lips, full and ready, waiting to be kissed by him. He’d gladly kiss away your troubles if you’re worried all about the reward he had prepared for you. Besides, that reward isn’t absolute to your success of cutting back on the sweets—if Leon was being honest, he’d be able to give it to you at your every whim if you so much as asked. 

“And you think that’s enough to make me disappointed in you?” He asked, gentling his tone as he spoke to you. “My sweet baby angel, nothing you do could ever disappoint me, especially giving in to your impulses.”

He stares at you point blank, almost so intense that you melt beneath his gaze, reducing you to a flushed mess. Your heart skips a beat at the term of endearment—god it did little to stifle the butterflies in your belly, even more so the heat pooling between your thighs at the sound of your voice. Leon knows just what to say or do to break away at your self-deprecation, like chipping away at melting ice. 

“If you’re worried about your reward, you can just ask to have it now.” Leon scooted closer, burying his face in the crook of your neck. He peppers your skin with soft smooches. “The reward I prepared for you… it has unlimited redemption.”

His lips tickle you slightly that you squirm, but not enough to assuage his gentle assault on your neck. “Unlimited redemption? You mean it’s just not if I cut back on the sweets?” you ask, nearly breathless with how he nips and suckles at your skin. 

“Not really, no.” He answers, and you feel his lips curving into a smile. “It’s for every time you do something great—” he pulls away to look at you, dipping his head down to peck your lips “—no matter how big or small—” he kisses you again “—or when you show me how determined you are…”

Leon’s voice grows husky, a low murmur that has goosebumps rising over your skin. He captures your lips this time, a kiss that grows hungry over the seconds that his mouth moves against yours. He kisses you like he’s starving, as if you’re the only source of water and he’s been in the desert for miles on end. 

Wrapping your hands around his neck, you eagerly kiss him back, moving our lips with his in the same amount of fervor that has your head spinning the more you lose yourself in the feel of Leon’s lips against yours. Despite being together for a while now, kissing him feels just as electrifying as it does for the first time. No matter how much time has passed, you still feel butterflies around him, still feel that tickle in your belly whenever he’s close, and kiss you as if his life depended on it. 

When he pulls back, you’re panting slightly, and Leon has this smirk plastered on his lips, ocean blues staring into your eyes. Before you could say anything, his hand creeps underneath your camisole, fingers trailing across your rib, before settling on your bare breast, palming it just as your nipple hardens against his hand. 

Moaning, you tilt your head back, the sound soft and breathy. “Leon…”

“God, my name sounds perfect on your lips.” 

His lips find your jaw, your cheek, trailing down to your neck before he nuzzles your chest with adoration. Every inch of you is warm. You smell so good to him that he might as well lose his mind over it. Leon pushes the fabric of your loose camisole up and over your tits, baring them to his heated gaze. Without much preamble, he littered kisses across the round flesh, making your breath hitch slightly. 

Leon captures one of your tits in his mouth, palming the other as his tongue swirls around the perky bud. You moan his name again, one of your hands coming to cradle his head in your palm, as if pushing him closer. He suckles your breast eagerly, his teeth almost biting at your pliant flesh. His thumb and forefinger work your other breast, pinching at your nipple while he laves at the other. 

Then, he alternates.

“Leon…” you can’t deny the heat pooling between your legs, the moisture that’s beginning to gather in your panties. He just knows how to get that out of you, how to turn you on without trying so hard. “S’good…”

“Yeah, baby?” he hums around your tits, pressing moist kisses over your skin. “Want more?”

“Yes please.”

“So sweet and good for me, aren’t you?”

Leon’s lips head south. He leaves a trail of wet, open-mouthed kisses over your belly, pausing by your belly button to kiss it tenderly, before he continues his path down to your heated center. He settles himself between your thighs, his arms hooking either of your thighs, pulling you close to him. Leon mouths over your inner thigh, biting and sucking the flesh that he leaves a few reddish marks.

Breathing his name, you encourage him further, especially when he begins mouthing over your clothed pussy, inhaling deeply which makes you shudder. 

“You smell so good baby girl,” Leon tells you, low and raspy with barely-contained arousal. “I could just eat you up.”

“Please,” you breathe out, nodding. You just know you want him there. You want his lips and mouth over your cunt.

Leon doesn’t need to be told twice. He bites at the waistband of your panties, before dragging it down using his teeth. He keeps his eyes trained at your face, and you prop yourself at your elbows just to look at him, those piercing blue eyes that make you shudder. You kick off your panties before Leon’s face to face once more with your pussy.

“Fuck, look at you. This wet already for me?” he asks, almost in aroused disbelief. Your moisture gathered at the slit, and Leon’s finger trailed up and down, tickling you. When you nod, he looks triumphant. “Good girl.”

He leans closer, so much so that you can feel his warm breath fanning over you. Then, he dives right in, mouthing at the folds of your pussy which made you jolt. “Leon—”

Leon licks a stripe up your entrance, before his mouth lands on your clit, his tongue suckling and laving over the sensitive bundle of nerves. You whimper, the sound falling on his ears like praise. Encouraged, he continues, using his mouth and tongue to lick away at your pussy folds, spreading your thighs further apart to open you up to him.

He prods his tongue over your entrance, before carving a wet path to your clit, and then alternates a rhythm that has your mind spinning. Moans spill from your lips, all calling out his name and telling him how good he’s making you feel. It’s not enough to nearly describe what you feel when Leon’s eagerly eating out your wet pussy, now smothered by his spit and your arousal in one heady concoction. 

Leon mouths over your cunt in earnest, his tongue working in tandem with his lips to drive you crazy. He’s so aroused by the taste of you, that he can’t help but reach down with one hand to slip beneath his boxer briefs and pump his hard and aching dick while he worships your pussy fervently. 

“I’m so hard for you,” he confesses against your wet flesh. “I can’t help it—god you drive me crazy, baby girl.” 

You watch with dilated pupils and a breathless state of mind how he fists his cock while he’s eating you out. The sight makes you moan again, the sound shameless and unabashed. He was so hot like this—turned on by your pleasure. 

His tongue flattens over your clit, and you whimper. Leon starts stimulating it, swirling around the sensitive nub before his hand returns to grip your thigh so tight his fingers leave marks on the pillowy flesh. While he busies his mouth over your clit, his finger comes up, teasing your slit, before he prods inside, knuckle-deep inside your tight heat.

“God you’re so warm and tight.”

“Leon please—” you bash your head to the side, clenching around his finger which makes him groan on your pussy. “Want more…”

“I’ll give you more, sweetheart,” he coos. 

Emboldened, Leon eats you out more fervently, his mouth and tongue working overtime while his middle finger pumps in and out of your tight cunt. He tugs at your clit using his teeth, before soothing it with his tongue. 

Without warning, Leon adds his ring finger to the mix, fucking you with his fingers as he spits on your pussy, watching it dribble down to your slit. His fingers pumped in and out of you, the glide smooth and wet because of your own arousal. Somehow, you feel full. Stuffed full by his fingers, and worshipped by his mouth on your pussy. 

Leon zeroes in on your clit again, making your breath hitch. A moan tore from your lips as he tugs and twists it using his teeth, before his tongue twirls around it while his fingers fuck you in a pace that makes you clench. There’s that familiar tightening of your belly, especially when he rubs that special spot deep inside you that has you seeing white behind your eyelids. 

“Leon!” You whine, back arching just a little at his ministrations. “Oh… nngh… I’m…”

“Close?” he finishes for you, meeting your gaze again with his own hazy, lust-filled eyes. “Don’t worry baby, we’ll get you there.”

He dives right back in, redoubling his efforts. He suckles on your clit more fervently, his fingers pumping in and out of you at a pace that had you moaning loudly. The pad of his digits rub against that spot deep within you, making you squirm while he stimulates your clit with his tongue and mouth.

Your peak climbs higher. It feels like a bow wound up tight, waiting to be released. A coil that waits to snap. You feel it coming in waves as you fist your fingers in Leon’s dirty blond hair, holding him close to your pussy while he worships you with his tongue. 

In seconds, he has you coming on his mouth and fingers, and a loud moan tore from your throat. You clench tight around his fingers, your inner walls pulsing rhythmically as your orgasm hits. Your lower half spasms from the force of it all, and you let out a keening cry as he only continued his ministrations, drawing out your pleasure the more he can. 

Leon watches you fall apart on his mouth that he feels like he’s falling in love with you all over again. That, and his dick just twitched involuntarily in his boxer briefs. He’s so hard, it almost hurts. He knows he needs to be inside you this instant, and without wasting a second thought, Leon removes his fingers from your sopping cunt, making a show of licking them, humming at the sweet taste of you coating his tongue. 

Fuck, he needs you now. 

He knows this is for you—this is your reward, but watching you come like that, it’s more than enough for him to shift between your thighs. He pushes down his boxer briefs and kicks it off, the fabric falling onto the floor. Then, he yearns for your mouth, crashing his lips against yours, letting you taste yourself on his tongue.

You moan, wrapping your arms around him, circling your hands on his neck as you pull him closer. “I need you,” you murmur breathlessly, a needy little whine escaping your lips when Leon’s cock makes contact with your wet pussy. 

“Fuck.” 

He curses under his breath, reaching down to spread your thighs further apart. Then, he pumps his shaft, jerking himself off as he spreads the beads of precum pooling at the slit. He nudges your folds, coating himself with your sweet cream. Pinning your thigh down, Leon moves his hips, pushing inside as inch by inch of his dick sheathes within you.

Crying out his name, you claw at his back. Leon being well-endowed did things to you—he wasn’t modest about his size, but he wasn’t bragging either. He just knows you get off on the fact that he’s thick and girthy, that he fills you in ways no other man can and ever will.

“You’re so tight,” he groans against your mouth. “Fuck, you’re so perfect baby… I love being inside this tight pussy.”

He bottoms out completely, his pelvis flush against your own. Then, he’s pulling out, before slamming back in, tearing a whimper from your throat. Leon sets a rhythm that isn’t gentle nor rough, but almost needy. He fucks you like he means it, and he does. 

He means all of it—this is your reward. For being such a good girl and doing your best to cut back on the sweets, even though you failed just a bit. You made an effort, and for that, Leon wants to reward you regardless of your shortcomings.

“Yeah… just like that,” he grunts against your jaw when your hips meet his thrusts. “You love this, don’t you?”

“I do,” you choke out, head lolled to the side as he takes you. “You feel so good inside me—I feel so full—”

Leon groaned. “You do, don’t you baby? You love being stuffed full of my cock.”

“Yes, yes—”

His hips never falter in their rhythm. Leon thrusts in and out of your tight heat, his hands coming down to grip your thighs and encourage them to wrap around his waist. He buries his face into the crook of your neck, biting and sucking at the skin while he moves his hips, gyrating them at a pace that makes you cry out his name again and again. 

Leon quickens his pace, the sound of flesh against flesh reverberating across your bedroom. Your mouth falls agape of how good it feels that your brain scrambles on for words—but there are none. You can only moan his name and let out little needy whimpers here and there, tightening your legs around his waist and locking your ankles together. 

This encourages him. Spurs him on. Nudges him to fuck you harder and faster, until you can no longer distinguish where you begin and where he ended. You only know that you need him, all of him, over and over until you’re brought to fruition. 

You can feel the head of his cock kissing the soft ache of your cervix, and you whine. He’s so deep inside you that you can barely think straight. All rational thought slips—and you can only focus on the feel of Leon’s dick inside you, filling you up completely. It feels out of this world, a pleasure so good that only Leon can deliver it to you. 

He sucks a sweet mark on your collarbone, biting at your soft flesh, before soothing the sting with his tongue. Leon’s pace never falters, every grind of his hips against your own setting your body on fire. Every drag of his cock inside you makes you whimper against him, the sensation enough to bring you close to another peak.

Leon senses this, senses the rhythmic pulse of your inner walls clenching around his dick, and he knows you’re right there again. His free hand reaches down, the pad of his thumb brushing against your sensitive clit. It’s still throbbing from your earlier orgasm, but that doesn’t stop Leon from trying to get you to another peak.

“Cum for me, sweetheart,” he murmured low in your ear, the command almost a growl. 

The sound of his voice makes you shiver, sweet, sinful moans spilling from your lips. If anything, Leon is the one who has a sweet tooth, because he always craves to listen to your moans, those little whimpers and whines that give him that feeling akin to a sugar rush. He’s addicted to you, your scent, your sounds, the way you feel in his arms, the way you tighten around him when he praises and commands you.

You tighten around him as his thrusts grow faster, harder, slamming into you with a force that moves you on the bed by just a fraction. Leon lathers your skin with hot kisses, nuzzling in your neck, murmuring sweet, dirty words that get you hot and bothered. 

So much so that your toes curl when he particularly drives up that spot that has your eyes rolling to the back of your head. 

“M’close,” you manage to stammer out. “Keep going—”

“I won’t stop,” Leon growled in your ear. “I won’t stop ‘til you’re coming down on my cock.”

True to his promise, he doesn’t stop. Leon lifts your legs and hoists them up his shoulders, changing his angle to go deeper. And he does—god he does. It makes you mewl, hands falling beside your head as he starts pounding deeper, faster.

Leon turns his head to the side to kiss your ankle, smooching around the skin. You can feel the reverence in the way he kisses your skin, but he doesn’t shy away from making his desire known either. 

You reach down between your thighs and rub at your clit in tight, fervent circles, tipping yourself over the edge in just seconds. You clamp down tight around your boyfriend’s dick, your cunt spasming in intervals. A loud cry tears from your throat as your orgasm hits you, momentarily blinding your eyes with tears. 

Leon groans as he feels it—your pussy clenching tight around his aching dick that it heightens his sensitivity to the pleasure you’re giving him. Even though it’s you who just came undone, it’s him who feels as if he did too. You make him feel like he’s on top of the world, especially when you cry his name as you cum. His name feels like a branding on your mouth, a claim that you belong to him.

“Fuck, look at you,” he grunted, his hips snapping harder. “I’m close too, baby girl… I’m right there with you… fuck—”

Before Leon can say more, you reach out to him, pulling him down for a kiss. It’s all tongue and teeth and messy spit, and you circle your hands around his neck, pulling him closer as you spread your thighs.

“Fill me up,” you beg him, causing his hips to stutter. That brings you a certain triumph. “I need you… I need you filling me up, Leon…”

“Baby girl, that’s a dangerous game,” he says through gritted teeth. “You want me filling you up?”

You nod frantically. “Yes… need your cum in me—”

“You’re gonna get it then,” he smashes his lips against yours and then snaps his hips faster, his balls lewdly slapping against your ass. “I’m so close—fuck—”

Leon groaned deeply against your mouth as he felt his own orgasm hit. It’s cathartic, as if all his pent up desire accumulated in one singular moment. He shoots his load inside you in thick, white spurts, his hips stuttering in their rhythm as he grunts your name like a prayer.

“Ugh… fuck baby…” he closes his eyes, burying his face underneath your jaw. Leon smothers kisses all over your skin once more. 

“I love you… I love you so much, I love you…”

The sudden softness in his tone makes your heart clench. Immediately, you wrap your arms around him, both of you panting, chests heaving as you come down from your high. Leon briefly pulls out of you with a hiss, before he slumps over your body. He tugs your camisole back in place, but leaves your lower half bare and naked. You can feel the mixture of your release trickling down your pussy, but pay it no mind just yet. 

Smoothing your camisole, Leon looks down at you with tender affection, blue eyes hazy with love. He reaches up to cup your cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing your skin with delicacy as if he’s holding the universe in his palm.

“You okay?”

Nodding, you nuzzle his palm, as your breath begins evening out. “I’m okay… that was, wow.”

There’s a glow to your face, something along the lines of post-orgasmic bliss. You lean in a bit to place a kiss to his hand, and Leon’s heart melts.

“Was that supposed to be my reward?” you can’t help but ask, giggling just a bit. 

Leon hums with a smile to his lips, shifting positions so he’d be spooning her from behind. Legs tangled immediately as Leon pulls you flush against his sweaty chest. The both of you worked up quite the energy making love enthusiastically, so your hair is a bit of a mess, and so is Leon’s from all your twisting and tugging. 

“Did you like it?” he asked, pressing a soft kiss at the spot just below your ear. “That wasn’t just my reward, though. I do have something for you… but it’s a surprise.”

You nod, turning on your side to face Leon. There’s an honest look on his face, so you know he’s telling the truth. That it isn’t just sex, there’s something more. It isn’t just sex, it’s also a manifestation of his love for you. That even if you slip up or fail to meet your goals, Leon isn’t going to punish you for it.

But it was the complete, total opposite. 

“Yeah? What is it?” you ask curiously, reaching out to hold his hand.

Leon laces your fingers together, before he presses a soft kiss onto your knuckles. Short and sweet. “I want to keep it as a surprise for you, baby girl. I’ve already given you a portion of your reward, but I want to make sure this one really surprises you.”

“So this portion of my reward is called ‘mind-blowing sex’?” you ask, to which Leon chuckled softly. “I’m not complaining though, that was… that was nice.”

He leans down to peck your lips, happy that he’s made you feel this way. “Do you feel better now?” He asks softly, referring to your earlier disappointment when you gave in to your cravings without restraint. 

“I always do when I’m with you.” You answer him softly.

Leon pulls away momentarily to reach for a couple of tissues, getting up so he can give you a glass of water from your nightstand. Pushing yourself up, you accept it and take a few slow sips. “Mmm… thank you baby.”

You were about to grab the tissues from him when he stopped you. Leon nudges your thighs apart with gentleness, before he starts wiping you, his movements soft and slow, careful not to overstimulate you. After he’s discarded the tissues, you lie back down together, cuddling. 

“Don’t worry about not meeting your goal this week,” he murmurs at your hair. “There’s always next week to try… and I still have that other reward waiting for you. But this reward, the one I just gave you? That can be redeemed whenever you want.” He pecks your temple.

“My boyfriend’s giving me an unlimited coupon for sex, huh?” you ask playfully. 

Leon chuckles, shaking his head. “That’s one way to put it, baby girl.”

“But what about my sweet treat fixation?” you pull away briefly, meeting his gaze. “It’s just Thursday, and I’ve already failed…” Those piercing blues stare back at you, and you watch his pupils dilate as he looks at you. 

“So we will try again.” Leon answers you reassuringly, his tone gentle and cajoling. “You’re just starting out, you know. It’s okay to have some room for mistakes. Besides, at least you’re willing to put in the effort, and I admire you for that.”

He leans down, smooching your lips gently. “Just don’t be disappointed in yourself, okay? It’s okay to feel bad, but no negative self-talk. If you fail, we’ll try again.”

Leon stares at you then, his eyes softening, taking in a more delicate haze. You can see the sincerity in his eyes, and you know he isn’t just talking about your sweet tooth. He’s talking about things in general.

“You’re the best boyfriend ever.” You whisper before burrowing yourself in his chest. “I don’t know how I got so lucky with you.” 

He takes you in his arms before he pulls up the covers, making sure you’re warm and comfortable. Every last one of his actions were laced with love and affection, and he never failed in showing that to you. 

“Trust me baby girl, I’m the luckier one.” He whispers back with affection. “I’ve got my gorgeous girlfriend in bed with me, and she’s everything that I could ask for. What more can a man ever want?”

🔖: @rednnedy @eu4rialy @jqsjournal @itimisu @danigirls-missions @ce98ne

okay so i don't know how to feel about this because to be honest i'm not very good with smut writing, but i enjoyed writing this just as much >< i'm sorry for any errors or things that don't make sense, i wrote this in the middle of watching law and order svu and listening to a couple songs to get the mood going for writing. the end does seem a bit rushed, but i did the best i could :')

anyway, thank you for reading! i appreciate all of your kind words and feedback 🫶 and i see most of your asks but i'm just a bit busy so i haven't been replying to them, but i'll get around to them sooner than later. i have more fics in the lineup so expect another fic coming out soon, maybe next week or so!

have a wonderful day/night/evening wherever you are! 🤍

— aali 𑣲

note: dividers are from @/cursed-carmine.

You don’t know if it’s bad news. Somehow, you could never think of it that way, not when this is the fruit of your love, your passion. Still, it makes your breath feel scarce, as if any time soon you’re passing out because of how… grand this suddenly seems.

Eight weeks.

You’ve been carrying your baby for eight weeks in your womb without you knowing.

The timeline suddenly makes sense—you can easily recall when and how this came to fruition. The way Leon’s body moved along yours, how he showered your skin with the utmost delicacy and love a person can ever muster in his being. It was passion and love and everything in between. It didn’t just happen once or twice. It was frequent.

And yet, your mind reminds you that you chose not to use protection that day. Whether it’s because you forgot, or you were so lost in the throes of passion that you threw caution to the wind—it all comes down to this moment right here, when you’re leaning against the counter of your kitchen, and you reread the results over and over.

As if you can erase it with just a single glance.

Your mind wanders to different places. Though mostly, you can hear it nagging at you. The most rational part of your brain is scolding you for being so irresponsible, because now isn't the absolute best time for you to get pregnant.

For one, you’re graduating in two months. You’re basically just wrapping up your internship and waiting for the pre-graduation rituals to happen. By then, you’d be four months pregnant, and your belly will do the talking for you. You’re showing by the time you walk up the stage and receive your diploma. And your apprehension worsens when you think about what other people will say, especially your family.

Your parents.

Relatives that will mention your failed potential already.

But another thing that worries you is how you’re going to provide for this baby.

You think of already looking for a job right now. Waiting tables seem fine, and you swallow down your pride at the thought of searching for a minimum wage job. It isn’t what you’ve envisioned for yourself, but given the circumstances, who are you to complain?

Leon has just gotten his job at the Raccoon City Police Department. It’ll take at least six months for him to become a regular employee, and it’s just the right time for when you’re already eight months pregnant, about to give birth soon—and that’s another thing that scares you, but you don’t dwell on it long enough for it to bother you right now.

You’re more concerned with how this is going to work. Leon has a job, yes, but his salary isn’t enough to provide for a baby just yet. It’s already enough to cover rent and your basic necessities, and throw in a few wants here and there, but a baby? Where the hell are you going to get the budget to raise a baby in your apartment that’s big enough for just two people?

Then it hits you, like a brick to your face without warning. The question exposes itself to you before you’ve even had a chance to gather your bearings.

What if Leon doesn’t want this with you?

You feel bile rising in your throat, and you toss the papers to the side before you’re hunched over the sink, vomiting the lunch you barely ate after your appointment at the OB-Gynecologist earlier.

Hot tears stream down your cheeks. You’re so overwhelmed that you can’t breathe. The world feels as if it’s caving in around you, and just thinking about Leon not wanting this with you feels like a physical blow to the chest, and you place your hand over it, as if it will ease the pain that you feel right now.

You’ve been so caught up thinking about how you and Leon are going to handle this that you failed to consider if he even wants this in the first place. Now your mind is playing you for a fool—it’s telling you all your deepest fears materializing right in front of you.

Except, Leon doesn’t know. And he will be finding out in a while, because he’s already on his way home, and you’re already thinking about how to tell him.

You decide to make dinner first. Something to ease you off of the panic and anxiety that is threatening to swallow you whole. Even though you’ve willed yourself to calm down, the ever present nausea is still there, sitting right at your stomach as your fingers quiver when you start cutting up some onions and garlic.

Truthfully, you have no idea what you’re making, but it slightly distracts you and you’re grateful for any sort of distraction right now. The more you think about telling Leon the news of your pregnancy, the more your stomach twists itself in an anxious knot, because you’re fully convinced that he’s going to walk away from you when you tell him.

You’re in the middle of cooking up your last two slabs of steak in the fridge when the front door opens. You stiffen, but you will yourself to stay calm, inhaling deep breaths and neutralizing your expression for Leon.

“Hey babe, smells amazing!” Leon says cheerfully as he enters, and he immediately follows the scent to the kitchen. “Whatcha making, beautiful?”

He stands right behind you and embraces you from behind, planting a soft kiss to the side of your neck. You tense up—though you didn’t mean to. Leon notices this and his brow furrows, so he tentatively releases you from his grasp. Your heart and stomach sinks.

Leon clears his throat. “Uh… anyway, I got you something. Remember the bakery near the PD? Well I got in just in time to grab your favorite scones. And I got them for a deal too—they’re buy one get one free! Isn’t that cool? Also I was talking with lieutenant Branagh a while ago and he said—”

“Leon, we need to talk.”

You turn off the stove before you face him, your expression crestfallen and anxious. Leon notices this immediately, and he places your scones on the table before he walks towards you, still in uniform and all.

“What’s wrong?” he immediately asks you, concern etched all over his face. He stands in front of you, reaching for both of your hands. “Did something happen in your internship today? Was it your supervisor again? I swear, if he makes you uncomfortable again—”

You shake your head, your palms cold and clammy against his own. “No, no… it’s not that.” The way your voice sounded weak and unstable makes you uncomfortable. “Look, I went to the doctor earlier. An OB gynecologist. I missed my period twice, and I thought something’s wrong…”

The more you speak, the more your voice shakes. Tears form around the corner of your eyes, and you hate how you struggle to find the words to tell him. Leon is obviously worried as he notices your apprehension, and he’s trying to understand what’s going on.

“Yeah? What did the doctor say?” He asks, though frankly, he can feel his stomach clenching as he realizes the possible answers. “Did something happen?”

For the nth time, you shake your head.

You need to tell him. You try to reason with yourself that you have to say this because you know it’ll change your lives forever, and Leon deserves to know.

Taking a deep breath, you brace yourself.

“Leon, I’m… I… I’m eight weeks pregnant.”

Leon’s hands loosen around yours, and you immediately feel the lack of warmth leaving your skin. Your head is hung low, and you refuse to look at his expression because seeing the rejection there might hurt less if you just don’t gaze up.

The kitchen is quiet, save for the noises outside your apartment. Leon doesn’t say anything, and that makes it worse.

“Say something.” You implore, almost pleading.

Finally, you look at him, and you see his expression.

Leon looks stunned.

He’s momentarily confused, and you see the play of emotions painted all over his face. It’s as if he’s taking his time to figure out the timeline of events. Eight weeks you tell him. Eight weeks and both of you had no idea you’re carrying his baby.

“Y/N… I don’t… I don’t know what to say,” he finally murmurs, his gaze locking into yours. You see the confusion and surprise written in his eyes. “You’re pregnant—wow, I didn’t… I’m in shock, I’m just… I can’t believe it…”

Something about his reaction almost frustrates you, and you don’t even understand why. You’ve spent an hour mulling over what he’s going to say, and you’ve already prepared for the worst. So when he seems less apprehended by the news, you almost feel something twisting in your chest and your stomach. He’s supposed to be upset. He’s supposed to say something that he won’t mean and then you and him are supposed to get into a huge argument about this because that’s what you’re thinking will happen.

Instead, he reaches for your hands again, and he squeezes them as he takes in your worried, apprehended expression, as if you’ve been subjected to some sort of vitriol by your thoughts.

“Are you okay? Did the doctor say anything about the baby? Is it… is it healthy?” He asks you tentatively, his voice teetering on the edge of something cautious. “Talk to me, Y/N…”

His gentleness takes you by surprise. You’ve half expected him to say something that will signify the end of your relationship, but not this. Not his sudden tender concern and gentle affection that you can feel in his words.

“What?” you stammer, tears building up the corners of your eyes. “I don’t… I don’t understand…”

Leon’s brows knit together in concern. “What do you not understand? What’s wrong?”

A tear rolls down your cheek, and another, until you’re practically sobbing in front of him. You don’t know if it’s because you’re overwhelmed or it’s the pregnancy hormones kicking in.

Leon’s startled by your tears, and he’s already moving closer towards you, his hands coming up to cup your cheeks, thumbs gently brushing away your tears. “Hey… hey… it’s okay. I’m here,” he pulls you in for an embrace.

You fall apart in his arms. As soon as he holds you, you crumble—sobbing on his shoulder while your shoulders tense. Leon is quick to react—he’s holding you, rubbing circles over your back as you try to voice out what’s been on your mind the second you told him you’re carrying his baby.

“I don’t understand, you’re supposed to tell me you can’t do this… you’re supposed to tell me we can’t make this work and we’ll have to break up and you’re going to leave me and I’ll raise our baby by myself and, and—”

“Hey… shhhh, none of that,” he cuts you off gently. “Who said I was gonna leave you alone, hm? Who said I was going to break up with you?”

You fall short on coming up with a reply. Because you know deep down it’s your thoughts that’s been saying all these mean things to you. That your biggest enemy right now is your mind that’s currently overwhelmed with the news of everything.

“I just thought…” you trail off, sniffling into his uniform. “I’m just so scared, Leon… how am I going to do this? You just got your job, and I’m graduating, and I don’t know what to do… I’m so terribly afraid, I can’t—”

Leon pecks your temple, and you melt into his touch immediately. As if you’re longing for his comfort and his touch, his reassurance that can do wonders for your frazzled nerves right now.

“It’s okay, I’m scared too… but Y/N, we’re in this together, right? Whatever happens, you know I’ll love you still… even more now that you’re carrying our baby. We’ll figure it out one step at a time, but right now, my priority is your comfort and well-being.”

Leon continues rubbing smooth circles on your back, calming you down. “Breathe with me. In and out… like this,” he breathes in for a few seconds and exhales afterwards, which you mimic. “That’s good, that’s really good. You’re doing so well.”

You slowly calm down, and Leon gently pulls away to search your face for any distress. Clearly, it’s written all over your face, and Leon’s quick to respond to it. He brushes away your tears and plants soft kisses over your face.

“Look, I know this is difficult to navigate, but we don’t have to figure it out immediately. I’m as scared as you are—heck, I’m scared shitless right now, but I know I want to do this with you, and we’ll get through it one day at a time.” He tells you reassuringly.

Leon searches your gaze. “I’m nervous, Y/N… I’m scared too.. I don’t know how we’re going to do this, but I know I want to try with you. For you and our baby… our… our family.” His voice quivers at the last bit as he exhales a shaky breath.

It’s all dawning on you again. It’s not just you and Leon anymore, it’s you, Leon, and your baby growing in your womb. It’s all three of you. It’s your family now.

Leon actively choosing to be with you throughout all this feels surreal. You were so afraid he’ll walk out on you, but instead, he’s choosing to stand by you through all of this. You know he’s chivalrous, but this feels different, this feels more like devotion than just him seeing you like an obligation he just needs to fulfill.

“You’re not… you don’t think this is just an obligation, right?” You can’t help but ask, your voice weak and quiet.

“No, of course not, no,” he answers you quickly. Leon cups your cheek and tips your chin up so you’re looking at each other. “You’re not just an obligation to me, Y/N. I love you, and I want to do this with you and I don’t see myself doing anything other than being there for you through this… this new journey we have together. That’s a promise.”

Your heart nearly aches with his reassurance. “But what… what will people say? I haven’t even graduated college yet, and then here I am… getting knocked up.” You say it as if it’s your fault, which your distorted way of thinking believes.

But Leon’s shaking his head, holding onto your shoulders to reinforce his comfort. “Listen to me, sweetheart… none of this is your fault, it’s not anyone’s fault. We just… fell short when it comes to planning this but I don’t regret anything, and I hope you wouldn’t too.”

“Because I choose you,” he whispers, leaning down until your foreheads were nearly touching, and you see the adoration swirling in the depths of Leon’s eyes. “I choose this, us… our baby…” his hand slides down to palm your belly through your shirt. “We’ll figure it out. You know it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else but us. I’ll stand by you, no matter what. I hope you know that, Y/N.”

You sniffle, feeling the tears start again. These damn waterworks. “Even when my family might disown me?” you ask him like a child. “Even when people might say things about us?”

“Especially then,” he replies gently. “I don’t care what other people say… what matters to me is that you’re okay, that our baby’s healthy and growing in you. You’ve always been my priority, and right now, I want you to know I’m not going anywhere. We’ll figure this out slowly, okay? You and me… always.”

Leon holds you closer, pulls you in until there’s absolutely no space between the two of you from top to bottom. You bury your face in his chest, crying your heart out until your sobs subside because of Leon’s comfort and gentle reassurance. He hushes you, and tells you things will be okay, despite you knowing it’ll only get much more difficult from here. But at least you have Leon—you have each other, and that counts as something.

When you eventually calm down, he helps you plate the dinner you made a while ago, saying that you should keep your strength up because your baby is growing inside you and you should probably start becoming more mindful of what you eat.

Of course, you listen—right now you aren’t in a good place emotionally, and Leon, being the more rational one between the two of you sometimes, decides he’ll take care of you tonight and reassure you as many times as you need him to.

After dinner, after you’ve both washed up the dirt and stress of the day, the two of you lay in your bed together, and Leon’s holding the ultrasound picture between his fingers, his eyes bright with wonder and curiosity, if not awe.

“Wow… it looks so small…” he mumbled, eyes tracing over that tiny pea shaped being clinging to your womb. “Is that our baby?”

You nod, snuggling close to him. “Yeah, that’s what the doctor said. Eight weeks along.”

Leon smiles—something real and tender and fond. He traces the outline of the little pea with his finger. “Wow,” he murmurs again. “I can’t believe we made this together.”

The way he says it makes your heart ache in a good way. Leon sounds so fond, so in awe of this, of your baby in your womb that’s barely even there yet. But you know he speaks from the heart, because you rarely see him like this, his eyes twinkling with wonderment, lips almost agape, a small smile in his cheeks.

“Can I talk to them?” He asks, setting the ultrasound picture aside. “Isn’t that like… good for their development?”

“I doubt they can hear you as of now, Leon.”

“But still, it doesn't hurt to try,” he insists, looking at you almost pleadingly. “Can I?”

You shrug, though you’re quite nervous to hear what he has to say. You lean back against the propped up pillows and lift up your shirt over your stomach, watching as Leon situates himself so he’d be facing your tummy.

Leon places a gentle palm over it, the pad of his thumb caressing the soft skin. “Hey there,” he starts, almost nervous. “I know you can’t hear me right now, but… I just wanted to say hello.”

“I haven’t met you yet, but I know deep down in my heart I will love you. Even though right now, your mommy might think otherwise,” he teases.

“Hey, that’s not true,” you counter, playfully rolling your eyes.

Leon chuckles softly, before he continues. “I want you to know… that whatever happens, I’ll make sure you’ll be okay. Both you and your mom. No matter what you need, I’ll do my best to provide it for you. You just sit there and grow, okay?” he gently pats your tummy.

Something about his words make your eyes water.

“I can’t wait to meet you,” he murmurs, planting a soft kiss on top of your stomach. “I wonder what you’ll look like? Though I hope you take after your mom… so that I can look at my two favorite people in the world and feel so damn lucky.”

That makes you smile, and you reach down to run your fingers through Leon’s soft, dirty blond hair. You feel your heart warming up, and suddenly, all your prior worries and fears vanishing into thin air.

“Don’t give your mom any trouble, okay? I know she’ll get sick in the morning and her back will ache… but I know she loves you too. So much. Like I do already,” Leon whispers, placing another soft smooch. “Just stay there and grow… and when you’re ready to come out into the world, I’ll be waiting with open arms.”

Leon finally looks up at you, and you see the adoration in his blue eyes that speak right through you. Your heart aches with love—you’ve never felt this way before, never had this affection taking over your entire being and it overwhelms you just a bit.

He moves up, reaching for your cheek, before he leans in and kisses you. It’s soft and gentle and sweet, filled with tender love and affection that speaks volumes about how he feels about you and your baby right now.

When he pulls away, your eyes are shimmering with tears, and Leon smiles as he looks at you. “I love you, you know that right?” he whispers close to your lips. “And that means I’ll stand by you and our baby no matter what the future holds for us.”

“I love you too.” You answer him, almost tearfully. “So much.”

And then he lays there, right next to you, holding you between your arms while you both talk about a future that seems perfect right now for the two of you and your little one. It’s not much yet, given the circumstances, but it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but the two of you.

After all, you’re in this together now. And if Leon chooses you for the rest of his life, you and your baby, then you know you’re in good hands. You know that you can trek through the difficulties of life and this pregnancy with Leon by your side.

It’ll be okay, you tell yourself.

You will be okay with taking small baby steps in this new journey you'll take together.

All three of you.

🔖 taglist: @rednnedy @eu4rialy

this is one of my favorite requests! so to the person who sent this in my inbox, i hope you like it 🤍 thank you so much again for requesting! i hope i was able to capture the essence of your request.

i'm in the middle of writing some requests right now but i'll be posting more soon, especially since i have an internship break next week for a couple of days >< i'm so excited to write and share them with you ʚɞ

thank you so much for reading this fic, don't hesitate to send me an ask or anything under the sun! i'm happy to read your requests and messages 💞

— aali 𑣲

note: dividers are from @/cursed-carmine!

He sat two chairs away from you, and he hasn’t moved too much ever since he arrived once he explained the situation to his superiors through a quick phone call that sounded less like an emergency, and more of a formality in this line of work.

The two of you had just gone back from a mission along with your other colleague who was currently in the operating room after he nearly got obliterated by an unsuspecting bomb that turned everything into bits and pieces of shrapnel. Thankfully, you and Leon had reacted quickly, calling for extraction before you even realized your colleague was losing so much blood. 

After your superiors were notified, all three of you were immediately taken to the hospital. The surgery began two hours ago, and the silence that had elapsed since then was beginning to bug you, because there was so much to be said about what happened earlier, except, it was truly an oversight. The bomb that had detonated had been hidden away from sight, thus making it more difficult to decipher in the dim conditions you were already faced with during your mission.

Thankfully, your directive had been accomplished—you managed to secure the sample of a degenerate virus that was about to be sold to a black market to create more bio organic weapons. 

But this happened at the expense of your colleague, whose family was sure to be worried sick. Your superiors had done the work to explain the situation to his family, and you’re sure they will be swarming up the waiting room in a while.

For now, however, it’s just you and Leon. 

He had his elbows on his knees, hands loosely clasped with his head bowed just a little—almost in defeat if not exhaustion, or perhaps a mixture of both. It was the kind of stillness that felt as though he’s holding himself together in your presence. 

You glance at him. His jacket was gone, and his sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, exposing the veins that ran along his skin. There’s a faint smear of something crimson across it—something dried. Or not. But perhaps he had just not bothered to check after the adrenaline had worn down and had been replaced by a silent contemplation.

Again, the clock on the wall ticks and you’re vaguely aware of how it’s become a rhythm that fills the silence. You don’t like it. The stillness, the silence, the quiet anticipation for some good or bad news—it all felt out of your control.

You bounce your leg a little, a habit of yours that gives your nerves away. You look at Leon once more, before you look away.

“Hey,” you say after a few heartbeats of silence, your voice softer and quieter than you had intended. 

Leon doesn’t respond immediately. For a second, you think he never heard you, but then he exhales quietly, as if he’s coming back from somewhere else in his mind.

“Yeah?” came his quiet, steady response. Leon glances at you once, before turning away. There’s a certain dread laced in his tone. Something that mirrors you.

Then, you slightly hesitate. The question you want to ask sits heavily on your tongue, and you're unsure if you should even voice it out. 

It’s not as if the two of you left the scene unscathed. If anything, you’re sure you’re sporting a few cuts and wounds, maybe even a bruise on your side that left you sitting stiffly. But these all seemed secondary to the state of your colleague inside the operating room. His life was on the line.  

Leon, on the other hand, wasn’t very vocal about his injuries. Maybe he hasn’t noticed it yet, or maybe he has. Either way, you’re unsure if you should point it out. 

Instead, you say, “you should probably get that looked at.”

There was a beat of silence before Leon glanced down at his arm as if he’s seeing the wound for the first time. Then, he looked back at you, his gaze partially softening when he looked at the state of you—disheveled hair, dirt and grime on your cheeks, and a nasty cut on your forehead that you’ve barely acknowledged. 

“It’s nothing, Y/N.” He answered you, and you’re fully aware of how he’s suddenly scanning your frame like some detector made to discover wounds and bruises.

You shift uncomfortably in your seat as he looks at you. “Of course it’s nothing.” You mutter underneath your breath, but you’re sure he heard you. 

Leon exhales a huff, not quite a laugh but almost. “I’ll live. You, on the other hand, should get that cut on your forehead cleaned up and checked before it gets infected.” He tells you as if his words are your new directives. 

“It doesn’t hurt.” You answer him back, your gaze focusing on his arm and the way crimson stains his honeyed skin. “But I could say the same to you.”

A tiny smile curves on his lips as he hears the stubbornness in your tone. “Fine. We’ll both stay here then.”

That makes you smile a bit.

Silence settles again between the two of you, and this time, it lingers slightly. 

Somewhere down the hall, a door opens. You hear the footsteps approaching, and you nearly stand up in your seat, until you hear a voice calling out a name that isn’t yours or your colleague’s. Leon’s gaze shifts toward the sudden sound of it instinctively, sharp for a split second, then he eases down when he realizes it’s not who you’re waiting for. 

You notice it—the way he seemed on edge, earlier until now. He didn’t even have to say it. Some time early on, when Leon became your assigned partner, you had learned to read his tells, his little habits and quirks. Yet somehow, he’s still unpredictable to you.

The words escape your lips before you could even stop yourself from asking.

“You think he’ll be okay?”

Leon doesn’t answer immediately. You notice his jaw tightening just a bit as his eyes drop to nothing in particular, as if he’s searching for the answer himself too. You know he’s not one for blind, empty promises, and even something as simple as reassurance feels too complex given the gravity of the situation right now.

“He’s in good hands,” he says after a moment. 

It wasn’t really an answer, you knew. It was the kind of thing that people say when they don’t have a definite answer to give, and while you needed the certainty, you knew Leon didn’t have enough of it to give, especially when your colleague’s being nursed back to health inside that room that you stare at for minutes, hoping it’ll make the operation go faster.

You notice Leon looking at you again. There’s something unreadable in his expression, but it lingers too long for you to say something, but before you call him out on it, he stands up and walks past you, rounding a corner to the nurses station. He probably went to ask about the operation again, you thought. Both of you were already growing impatient.

But when he returned at least a couple of minutes later, he was holding a packet of wet wipes in one hand, and two bottles of water in the other. This time, Leon sits right next to you, handing you one bottle, and then the packet of wet wipes.

“What’s this?” You ask, but taking the item nonetheless.

“It’s for your forehead,” Leon answered you simply. “Figured we should at least try to clean up while waiting.”

You offer him a small smile, one that feels appropriate to the situation. There’s that feeling of endearment welling up in your heart, but you remind yourself it’s just the typical nature of how he acts around you. 

Still, you thank him for his kindness. “Thanks, Leon.”

“Don’t mention it.”

You pull a wet wipe from the packet before you bring it to your face, dabbing what you could to get the grime off and away from your skin. Leon did the same, except he’s cleaning around the edges of the wound you pointed out a while ago. You hear him hiss quietly, as if containing himself, and it was so like him to refrain from showing too much vulnerability in a public space.

Even if it was just the two of you in that waiting room at the moment.

“You missed a spot,” Leon pointed out, looking at your face.

That makes your brows furrow. You bring the edge of the wet wipe around the cut on your forehead which makes you wince. “Here?” you ask him, having no available mirror at the moment.

Leon shakes his head. Before you could even ask where, he reaches out and wipes a smidgen of dirt away from your cheek, his calloused touch lingering over the heat of your skin. He holds your face for a second, his thumb wiping away the leftover specks, before his touch settles there.

For a moment, you hold your breath. You stare at him, how his face softens up as he gazes at you, as he takes in the sight of your injury, and you’re briefly aware of how his pupils dilate when he looks at you, then his gaze drifts lower, then back up to your eyes. 

“Leon—”

“It’s all good now.” He releases you, and you suddenly feel a pang of loss, a longing for his touch you never knew existed within you. 

Swallowing hard, you try to hide the heat creeping up your neck, or the sudden thrum of your heartbeat. “Thanks.”

Leon returns to his earlier composure, focusing on cleaning up his forearms while you sit there beside him, acutely aware of his largeness, his warmth. There was a time when Leon’s presence never bothered you this way, as if you were never subjecting yourself to the scrutiny of being close to him. 

But something shifted, along the way. 

Maybe it was because of the hours you spent together in the office, time poured over reports and briefings. Or, the proximity you find yourself in with him whenever you’re on missions, where he’s asking you to stay closer and only lets you go when you really need to part ways—the whole divide and conquer thing. If anything, Leon preferred it less when you were away and out of his sight. Though, he’ll never openly admit that to you just yet, won’t he?

Maybe it’s the quiet intimacy you find yourself in after missions. The silence when you’re patching yourselves up, or the relief the two of you feel when it’s another mission accomplished and you’re finally able to call it a day.

Being assigned as Leon’s partner meant a lot of things and it wasn’t nothing to you. Perhaps it wasn’t nothing to him either, but there was just something about the way he treats you that makes you wonder—is there something there?

Surely his offers and invites for lunch, dinner, and coffee mean something?

You aren’t even sure. 

Despite this, you’re sure of many things—in the battlefield, on missions, Leon has your back more than you’d like to admit. If you believe for a second you’re alone, he reminds you by making sure he’s always two paces behind. He prefers watching your back. He prefers being able to see what’s ahead, and what’s trailing from behind the two of you. It’s safer that way, even when it’s at the possible expense of his own safety.

Shaking away these thoughts, you lean back the seat and uncap the bottle of water. You take a few reluctant sips, the refreshing water hydrating your parched throat. Setting it on your lap, you tilt your head back against the wall, gazing up again at the clock.

“He’ll be in there for a few more hours,” Leon suddenly tells you, setting the dirtied wet wipes aside and reaching for his own bottle of water. “I talked to one of the nurses. He’ll be okay, but he’ll be in there a while.”

You hum. “I see.” 

“You should probably get some rest,” he offered gently. Leon turns his head to look at you, his blue eyes swimming with depth. “I’ll wake you up if anything happens. But you should close your eyes for a bit, get some shuteye while waiting.”

You knew you were in no position to complain. When Leon pointed out getting some rest, you’re suddenly very aware of the exhaustion in your limbs, the way your joints screamed for protest when you stretch or move them. Your legs are aching from all the running, and even your neck feels strained from staring up the clock.

It was second nature for you to refuse. You wanted to tell him that he also deserved to rest, but knowing Leon, your needs were primary to him. He always mentioned that you should always be at your best, and he’ll make sure of it. 

Both in and out of missions, it appeared.

“How kind of you,” you reply with a hint of playfulness in your tone. “Always looking out for your junior, Kennedy?”

Leon huffs. “I’m looking out for my partner, Y/N.”

Somehow, that makes you feel flustered.

The way he says it—my partner—feels more serious than he’d let on. You want to acknowledge it, but the moment feels raw and unready for you to say anything more. Instead, you just bite at your lower lip and look away, pretending to gaze at the doors again, anything to deflect the words he’d so casually thrown at you without sparing a thought for your sanity.

Then, feeling the exhaustion take over you, you lean back your head against the wall and close your eyes as your vision blurred over the edges. You can feel Leon’s shoulders touching yours, a steady presence in the uncertainty of the moment. 

It wasn’t long before you were dozing off. The way you sat upright wasn’t exactly the most comfortable position, but you’ve learned over the course of over a dozen missions that it was better to get some rest like this than none at all. 

In fact, you were sure you were asleep for a while, because when you woke up, you weren’t sitting upright anymore—your head was leaning on Leon’s shoulder. You froze and held your breath at the realization; so much so that it wakes you fully. 

You wanted to lift your head almost immediately, afraid to inconvenience Leon any further, but you realize, with the way his breaths are a steady rise and fall, he’s asleep as well. You sneak a glance, and he’s sitting upright for the two of you, arms crossed over his chest while his brow furrows a bit. 

It stole your breath. 

You were so close to him that you can feel his warmth, can inhale his scent, and even feel the muscles of his arms brushing against your own. You had never been this close to him before, and you felt a sudden gush of giddiness, however subtle, but there nonetheless. 

Deciding to take advantage of the moment, you sneak a few glances. He doesn’t look too peaceful while he’s asleep, but there’s a semblance of quiet calm written over his features that makes you want to burn the image of his face in the back of your mind forever. You’ve taken first watch during missions before, and Leon’s never looked like this when he’s closing his eyes.

Furrowed brows… that perfect nose, and even more perfect lips—

Wait, what?

Before you could reprimand yourself for having these thoughts, footsteps approach you and you pretend to be asleep on his shoulder again.

“Mr. Kennedy?” One of the surgeons stands before you.

You feel Leon shift carefully, as if trying not to jostle you. 

“Is everything okay?” Leon’s voice was slightly groggy, a raspy husk that tickles you, somehow. 

The surgeon starts explaining the condition of your colleague, mentioning that he’s now stable after all that they’ve done to him. All the while, Leon remains still, acting as your pillow and your cornerstone right now, and your heart begins pounding beneath your chest again. It was so easy for him to do nothing but affect you more than you realize, and you’re unsure if you like the feeling or not.

When the surgeon excuses himself, that was your cue to stop pretending to be asleep. You waited a couple of seconds before opening your eyes again, adjusting the fluorescent lights and the scenery around you, sterile and quiet. 

“Hey, you’re awake,” Leon murmured, and you felt his breath fanning over the top of your head. You sit back upright, and adjust your position on the seat. “He’s okay. He’s stable.”

You hum, pretending as if you hadn’t heard the surgeon's explanation just moments ago. “That’s really good news.”

“Yeah,” Leon agrees with you, his eyes briefly glancing over you to observe your expression. “Did you get some sleep?”

Of course you did. You were comfortable on his shoulder, and you had hoped you could have more seconds if not minutes laying on it again. It felt right—to be that close to him. It felt safe. 

“I did, yeah… thanks for letting me nap on your shoulder.” You say, offering him a small, drowsy smile. “Beats all the hotels we’ve been to, huh?”

The tease makes him chuckle quietly, a reference to your conferences or mission briefings. “Sure. Hospital waiting rooms take the five stars right off the bat.”

That elicits a small laugh from you before you shake your head. 

Suddenly, there’s a certain lightness in the atmosphere. Your colleague’s fine, you and Leon are fine, and the mission has been a success without any fatalities. It felt like a relief, and a reward all in one. Especially after you’ve spent at least an hour or two napping on Leon’s shoulder without you even realizing it. 

“The company car will be here in a few minutes,” he tells you as he looks at his company-issued phone. “About time we go home and get some proper rest.”

Nodding, you clean up your mess of wet wipes and the half-empty water bottle he’d gotten for you. When Leon stands up, you follow suit, stretching your languid limbs and feeling the ache in your joints—telling you that you deserve to rest on your queen-sized bed in your comfy apartment and shut off the world for at least ten hours before your debriefing in the office with your superiors afterwards.

You follow Leon as you both navigate the hospital corridors and lobbies before you reach the main entrance. Outside, there were two company cars, supposedly taking both of you home—individually. 

You don’t know why that bothers you, when usually, you both left separately after a mission. It was only after debriefings that you got the opportunity to linger around Leon or vice versa.

But then, he was walking you towards your vehicle first. He opens the door for you and waits for you to get in, and you don’t miss the chivalrous intent. Before you do, you stand there, not because you’re stalling, but because he looked as if he had something more to say to you. It was written all over his face—you just needed him to say the words.

“What?” you prompt, tilting your head to the side in curiosity.

Blinking, Leon shakes his head. “Nothing. Just wanted to make sure you’re getting home safely.” He murmured, loud enough for the two of you to hear, like a spoken secret.

“I’ll be fine.” You reassure him, though you don’t know why you’re doing such a thing. “The company car will have me snoozing in a few minutes.”

Leon smirked at that. “I’ll make sure to tell the driver to go easy on the road.” He says as if he’s promising you such a thing. “Take care of yourself, Y/N. I’ll see you later.”

Then, before you could say anything, he’s leaning in, pressing a ghost of a kiss against your forehead, lingering just a few millimeters away from your wound. He knew you would patch yourself up later. Just how he’ll do the same when he’s back at his own apartment. But he felt the need to remind you, to tell you that your comfort and well-being mattered to him just as much as his own.

He’s pulling away before you could even react. Leon just gives you a nod, before encouraging you to get in the car. And you do. Wordlessly. Trying to pick up the pieces of your bearings for what he just did, because he’s never done that before. 

As soon as you’re settled in the car, Leon gives you one more meaningful look before he closes the door with a thud. Then, he circled the car to the driver’s seat, where he murmured something to the driver before walking towards the next vehicle and climbing in. 

You are genuinely so confused, but it’s not like his touch was unwelcome. You were still grasping the fact that he had so bluntly kissed your forehead as if he was bidding a lover goodnight. You weren’t that to him, were you?

At least, not yet.

The thought makes you shudder.

Your mind was already going to various places tonight, and Leon certainly gave you so much to think. But as soon as you arrive at your apartment, you shut the door behind you. It was a little over four in the morning then, and your debriefing’s at two in the afternoon, so you were eager to get in bed.

After washing up as quickly as you can, you change into an oversized shirt and some underwear, before climbing your bed and settling in the sheets. You were ready to drift off to sleep, but your mind has you replaying the moments of a while ago, when Leon pecked your forehead.

You touch the spot he’d kissed, as if feeling the phantom sensation of it all over again. Somehow, just the reminder of it made your heart stutter in your chest as a warmth bloomed over your face. Leon has definitely given you so much to think about, and you aren’t even sure if you’re ready to acknowledge all of it. 

Number one, he’s your colleague.

Number two, he’s your insanely attractive, chivalrous, and witty colleague. 

Number three, he’s probably just being nice. Right?

You groan against your pillow and force yourself to stop thinking about it. 

When you do convince yourself to stop it, you easily drift off to sleep as the exhaustion consumes you. You like to believe that you’re the only one hung up over this, and so, that was enough to make you think about getting enough sleep and rest rather than focusing over whatever Leon has done to you.

Little did you know, however, that somewhere across the city, Leon was thinking about you too.

You are his last thought before falling asleep, and somehow, even in the middle of a dreamless slumber, you still are.

⤷ a/n: if you're reading this, then thank you for taking the time to read this fic! it's a bit poorly written since i wrote it on a whim (no beta read) and i'm thinking of doing a part 2 for this but that's still being decided (though if you want one, let me know in the replies/my asks!)

anyway, i'm not very good with tension and writing slow burn so i'm truly sorry if this feels so rushed 😓 i promise i'll have something more afterwards!

by the way, thank you so much for 800+ followers! this account has grown ever since i started writing here, thank you for supporting my works 💗 i sincerely appreciate each and every single one of you! it means the world to me!

also, my taglist is open if you're interested of being a part of it! moreover, my requests are open as well, but i'll only consider a few since i'm working on other requests, but feel free to stop by and chat and send in anything! 🫶

thank you so much for reading! i'm so excited to share more of my works with you in the future (and quite possibly a series too 👀) have a lovely day, wherever you are! 💖

🔖 taglist: @rednnedy @eu4rialy @jqsjournal @ce98ne @itimisu @danigirls-missions @hugeblanket @midnightsummerrain @kennedysbbyy

note: dividers are from @/cursed-carmine.

First, your alarm didn’t go off, which had you rushing out of bed with only at least thirty minutes left before the time you usually left for work. You nearly tripped while putting on your trousers, and even the buttons of your blouse seemed to be stubborn to cooperate.

Second, the taxi you hailed took the longer route, which had you screaming internally because you were already running late, and the driver, without him knowing, had caused you to arrive at the office at least fifteen minutes later. 

It wasn’t his fault—is what you try to tell yourself. You already slammed the car door on the way out and even kept it within yourself when you knew you should’ve spoken up if he could take the quicker route. But because you always had the fear of inconveniencing other people, you decided to keep your mouth shut. 

When you arrived at work, things seemed to take a worse turn. 

You printed the wrong documents, you nearly missed a major detail for your report, had it not been for your coworker pointing it out at the very last minute before you passed it to your supervisor. So you had to fix it in a couple of minutes, and you hate rushing. 

Counting all these misfortunes, you begrudgingly enjoyed your lunch break, because you tried to remind yourself that you weren’t an unlucky person—just a person in unlucky circumstances that seemed to stretch on for the rest of the day. 

The barista got your coffee order wrong, and they switched the four-cheese flatbread you wanted with someone else’s pizza bread order. 

You already lost count. By the time you returned to the office, you were officially in a sour mood, and that one annoying coworker wouldn’t leave you alone because he’d mistaken your recent acts of kindness towards him to be a sign of interest.

If it weren’t obvious enough, you kept a framed photograph of you and your boyfriend, Leon, on your desk. But this guy seemed to be oblivious to the fact that you’re already in a happy, fulfilling relationship, so you let him bug you until you pretended to busy yourself with another report so he would finally leave you alone.

When it was time to clock out, you were eager to get home. By what small mercy the universe granted you today after a series of unfortunate events, you were able to hail a taxi that allowed you to be home by dinnertime. 

After all that, you slump on the sofa, lifting your sore and achy feet with a tired groan. You thought you had a minute or two to yourself, but when your boyfriend emerged from the kitchen, sleeves rolled up and smelling like something garlic, your shoulders slumped even more as you sigh. 

“Hey, I’ll join you in the kitchen in a bit, I’m just taking a minute.” You tell him, not even bothering to hide your exhaustion from Leon. It’s pointless—he always knows before you even tell him.

He approaches you and carefully sits down where your feet are. Leon lifts your ankles, then settles them onto his lap as he watches you—assessing you more like. You know that gaze on his eyes. He’s trying to understand what happened to you today before you even start talking about it. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Leon answers you, his voice gentle. “I’ll take care of dinner today, you just get some rest right now.”

As much as you want to refuse and tell him you’re able to help in the kitchen right now, you just hum and lean your head back on the throw pillows, because you’re more exhausted than you actually let on, and you’d gladly take any form and amount of reprieve right now. 

Leon reaches for the calves of your feet, before he starts massaging the heel of your left foot with his hands. That made you groan—and your feet immediately relax in his touch. 

“Okay hit me.” He says, leaning against the couch as he continues kneading your feet. 

“What?” You glance at him, confused.

“Tell me everything that happened today.” 

Leon’s voice is calm, neutral. Despite it though, you know he’s not asking you to tell him every unfortunate event that occurred from morning until the evening, but he’s telling you. It’s clearly a non-negotiable in your relationship that you tell him whenever something’s bugging you, because if you don’t, it’ll only wear you out for the rest of the day and Leon hates seeing you in distress.

You gaze at him, taking in his parted dirty blond hair, those blue eyes that seem to know what you’re feeling before you can even say anything, the tight set of his jaw, and that pointed nose you adore feeling whenever his head is right between your legs. Just staring at Leon is enough to relax you, but with the magnitude of your entire day, you realize this is what you need.

A debrief with your boyfriend. 

“We’ll have dinner in a few, but tell me everything first,” he implored, his thumb kneading circles over your foot. “Come on, baby. I heard the door when you entered. I know you’re not feeling okay.”

With a deep sigh, you start talking. 

“It’s just that… I woke up late because my alarm didn’t go off,” you start with a tired voice. “So I was rushing this morning, and then the taxi I hailed just had to use the longer way to work. I almost forgot to fix my report and I even printed the wrong documents so…” You trail off, nearly rolling your eyes in annoyance when you remember all these things.

Leon hummed thoughtfully, attentively. “Mhmm… and then? What happened after?” He switches your left foot for the right one, and then starts kneading. 

“The barista got my coffee order wrong. She added an extra espresso shot and vanilla syrup when I clearly asked for something else. Plus, the four cheese flatbread I wanted—the one with basil?”

“Yeah?”

You sigh, staring at the ceiling. “She switched it up for someone’s pizza bread.”

“No way,” Leon exhaled a humorless chuckle. It comforted you, to know that he was listening attentively. “But you did get it, right?”

“Yeah I did, after like fifteen more minutes,” you grumble. “By then I only had like twenty minutes left for lunch. And when I got back to my office, Roger was there.”

Leon’s brow furrows, his hands stilling on your foot when he hears you mention that name. “Roger? The guy who can’t take a hint that you’re in a happy, loving, meaningful, relationship with me, your handsome and gorgeous boyfriend?” He asked with a touch of sarcasm.

That makes you laugh a little. “Yeah, that Roger.”

“Well what did he want?” Leon asks, gentling the way he massages your right food, pressing on a particular tense spot that makes you hiss. “Right there, baby?”

You hummed when he hit the right spot, making your toes curl just a little. “He just keeps bugging me. Tells me that I should help him with his report and that he and I should grab coffee sometime.”

“And, what did you tell him?”

That makes you pause. Leon always tells you that it’s okay to be straightforward about certain things, because sparing their feelings might actually do more harm than good. But since you’ve always been so considerate of others even when they’re annoying you, you never tell Roger off. And instead you just tell him what you’re about to tell your boyfriend right now. 

“I told him I was busy…”

“Uh uh. That’s not what we talked about, baby.” He tells you, one of his brows raised as he gazes at you, his hands stilling at your foot. “I told you it’s okay to tell him off. Because if you won’t set up boundaries, he’s bound to keep bugging you again.”

You frown a bit. You know that your boyfriend’s right. That you should be telling Roger you’re not interested in him, and that you don’t see him as anything more than just a coworker. But you can’t, because you’re afraid it will make things uncomfortable, and you like not being okay with people at work.

Even though you dislike Roger, you prefer to keep the peace, the harmony. And you prefer not having someone ruin that bubble you have because you decided to tell someone off. Maybe Roger will just come to realize that you’re in a relationship by himself.

“I just don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable,” you answer, almost slightly exasperated. “It’ll be all awkward and then he’s probably going to tell everyone I was being mean—”

“No, nope… that’s not how it is, baby,” Leon cuts you off gently, his expression softening when he sees you becoming partly overwhelmed. “Setting boundaries doesn’t mean you’re being rude, it just means you know what makes you uncomfortable and what doesn’t. And that’s okay, instead of you letting people walk over your comfort and peace.”

His last bit hits you a little more than you’d like. “I’m not being a pushover,” you answer him firmly, though you know Leon means no harm. 

“I’m not saying you are, princess. I just see that this clearly bothers you a lot and I hate seeing you all uncomfortable just because a guy at work can’t take a hint,” he explains, his voice gentle and almost cajoling. “Besides, I know you’re strong enough to handle this. You’re just hesitating because you don’t want to come off as mean.”

Leon leans down to press a soft peck at the base of your foot. “But let me tell you again, Y/N, you’re not being mean for wanting to set some boundaries at work. If it bothers you, don't hesitate to protect your peace first and see if you can handle it later. And if Roger gives you any trouble, you go to me first.”

“Not HR?”

“Well, he’ll have to go through me first if he gives my girl any trouble.”

Your heart flutters at his words. Despite the situation, despite Leon allowing you to resolve this on your own without his intervention, he can’t help but be so protective of you. He’s always had this protective instinct given the nature of his job, but it strengthens tenfold when it comes to you, because like he said, you’re his girlfriend, his partner, and your comfort, peace, and safety means a lot to him.

And if a guy at work is becoming rather annoying towards you and you can’t do anything about it yet, then he’ll have to take matters into his own hands with your permission.

He sets your feet aside, before Leon gently pulls you to sit down beside him. His hand finds your jaw, holding it delicately in his palm as if he’s holding the universe. Delicate and in so much wonder and awe.

“If you need anything… and I mean anything, you come to me, okay baby? I’d be glad to help you with whatever it is that you need. You just have to tell me.”

You know he can read you like an open book. You know that it’s always impossible to hide anything from him because he will eventually find out for himself. He’s memorized all your tells—from the way your lip quirks, to how your eyebrows furrow, to even the way your body language shifts.

Leon’s got you memorized. 

Not in the way he memorizes the people he’s meant to protect during missions. 

But in the way a lover would—attentive and gentle, cataloguing your habits and quirks inside his heart and mind simultaneously so he knows what you need and whenever you need it. He isn’t civil and professional with you when it comes to his protection, he’s more to be recklessly faithful with his need to protect and love you with all that he has to give.

“I know… and I will,” you murmur, nuzzling into his palm. “I’m just having a bad day, and I wasn’t able to handle it the way I should have.”

Leon shakes his head, planting a soft kiss to your forehead. “It’s okay, please don’t feel bad about anything. Your day was shitty and you could only react in the capacity you had today. That’s absolutely fine, baby.”

“Besides, now that you’re home, it’s time for you to relax.” He stands up and pulls you up as well, one of his hands holding yours. “I know you’ve had the worst day ever, but I’ll take it upon myself to make sure you’re feeling better after all of it.”

He leans in to kiss you slowly, gently. “Take a breather, baby. I’m right here with you. I’ll take care of you,” he murmurs against your sweet lips.

True to his word, Leon does make you feel better.

He surprises you with a simple steak dinner with mashed potatoes, and a bottle of the wine you keep—the same bottle you had when he first asked you if he could be your boyfriend. During the hearty meal, Leon shares how his day went too. You talk about literally anything you can ever think of, and conversation flows easily as if you’ve known him for most of your life.

You’ve only been together for at least over a year, but you feel like you’ve been with him forever. Your relationship with Leon is far from being perfect, but to you, it almost feels like it anyway. Being with him, it’s like finding a part of you that connected with him—like puzzle pieces that slot right together perfectly.

Leon takes care of the dishes after dinner, and he urges you to to wash up before bed, and you can’t help but notice a subtle hint of excitement in his tone. When you kiss his cheek and murmur your thanks for taking care of you tonight, you notice the slight flush in his skin afterwards. It was endearing.

When you entered the bedroom, a bottle of your favorite body wash was sitting neatly at your dresser, a red ribbon wrapped around it. Smiling widely, you take it, reading the small post-it note attached to it that read, ‘picked this up for you earlier today, i know how much you love it. i love you even more.’

It astonishes you—how Leon is so well attuned to your needs and wants, from your favorite body wash, to the perfume you wear, to the favorite pair of undergarments you put on and when you wear them. He knows which earrings you pair with your necklace, and which bracelets match your skin. He knows which food you like eating during the day and which ones you avoid in the evening.

Leon knows you like the back of his hand, and his devotion overwhelms you in the best way possible.

He’s already made you feel better, and he doesn’t even have to try so hard. He only has to show his love for you, and you can already forget the stresses of the day you just endured, only to come home to a comforting evening with your boyfriend. 

You decide to wash up, the water warm and fresh. You used the body wash he’s gifted you, and went on about your usual nightly routine. Leon follows after, and once you’re dressed in one of his old shirts and a pair of sleep shorts, he emerges from the bathroom in a pair of sweatpants, and sweatpants only, and you try not to ogle him when he walks towards your bed.

After your nightly routine, you climb into bed with him, and Leon immediately wraps his arms around you after you dim the lamp. He spoons you from behind, your back perfectly slotted against his strong chest.

“Thank you for taking care of me today,” you tell him, caressing his arm gently. “It wasn’t the best day ever but you turned it around for me as soon as I came home. I love coming home to you.”

Leon presses a soft kiss to your nape. “I love it when you come home to me too… I’m always here if you need anything… whether it’s something to help you calm down, or just a listening ear I’m glad to be here for you, baby. That’s a promise.”

“Besides, I take it upon myself to make sure you’re feeling better after a bad day. Or even the days when you’re feeling fine. I don’t mind being your own personal cheerleader.”

Unable to find the right words to express the overwhelming amount of love you feel for him, you say the first three words that come to mind instead. Those three little words that come easy when you say it to him. 

“I love you.” You murmur, caressing his arm with your hand. 

Leon nuzzles into your neck a bit more, tightening his hold around your torso, but loose enough for your own comfort. He murmurs in your ear, “I love you so much more, Y/N. Don’t ever forget that.”

How could you even begin to forget when every single day with him is a reminder of his infinite, adoring love for you? 

Every single day is just living proof that you love the man that is your boyfriend, and because you love him, he nurtures it and gives it back to you tenfold.

🔖 taglist: @rednnedy @eu4rialy @jqsjournal @ce98ne @itimisu

this is for anon who requested leon comforting them after a bad day at work! i hope you like this 🫶 thank you so much again for requesting!

i'm currently working on a few requests so i'll post a new fic sometime later this week (hopefully)! i'm positively overwhelmed by your requests so i want to write them as soon as possible! 😁

thank you again for reading! 🫂 my taglist is open if you're still interested in being a part of it 💞 have a wonderful day, wherever you are in the world!

— aali 𑣲

note: dividers are from @/cursed-carmine.