#leonxpiers

-Title: Flower Crowns

Rating: G

Summary: Half lost on his walk, Leon finds a frustrated Piers attempting to weave flowers together.

Ships: Leon x Piers

Content Warnings: N/A

----

What a wonderful day for a walk. The sun shone over the yellow-green of the land. Not a single cloud floated across the blue sky. Flowers swayed in a gentle breeze. Rookidie chattered in the trees as bug pokemon skittered along the ground.

Simply a wonderful day outside of...Well, Leon didn't know exactly where he was, but he was at least sixty percent sure he was outside of Hulsbury. Or maybe Tuffield? He was on one side of the Northern Wild Areas.

Probably.

He stretched his arms up. His jacket sleeves rolled down to his elbows. The worn blue jacket had been his grandfather's and was still a little too big for him, even now that he was an adult, but it was comfortable and warm enough for spring days. He kept it with him when he wanted to go incognito since it wasn’t as distinguishable as his sponsor cape.

He could use more days off like this, more calming walks in nature with nothing but the plants, wild pokemon, and--

"Oh, c'mon!"

“ Being in the snow with my lover like this immerses me in a special feeling. I like it." 

Bonus:

For @hellishgoat / @lovelyleons. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!🎉🎉🎉 ________________________________________________

Piers sat in Leon’s hoodie on the couch, staring at the television as it replayed the news from months ago. The chaos from Edonia, and then Tall Oaks and China. The scenes played out on the screen, but they didn’t show much. Not like his memories did. He remembered everything crystal clear. His memory wasn’t cut and edited. He could still hear the screams of the citizens and his teammates in both Edonia and China. He could still smell gunpowder, the smell of fire burning down buildings all around him and the smell of rotting flesh. He could still see the monsters…

...and at one point...he would have believed himself to be one...until now. 

He had been moved from the Asian Branch of the BSAA to America so he could be treated with the C-Virus Vaccine. It had been the “trial vaccines” so he had to take them in small doses and go through treatments and therapy to get back in shape. Physically and mentally. 

Leon Kennedy had been nice enough to let him stay with him. 

Piers absentmindedly flexed his right hand, watching as it mutated back and forth from a normal arm to the mutated mass of bones and exposed muscle tissue limb he had in the underwater oilfield. While he did so, electricity coursed through his arm, the veins and arteries glowing blue, white and light purple underneath of tanned flesh. When he managed to turn his arm back to “normal”, the skin was split in various places and the unsplit areas were marred with the fractal patterns of what looked like lightning. 

He no longer had manic episodes and felt more in control of the virus instead of the other way around. The treatments at the DSO were a big help, but he still had a long way to go. Though, he did still have panic attacks and moments of PTSD, but luckily Leon was there to comfort him and vice versa. He was on leave due to his recovery, but once he was fully cured, and fitted with a prosthetic for when they inevitably had to cut off his arm, he had a job at the BSAA waiting for him. 

“Hey, you’re getting pretty good at that.” Leon observed as Piers changed his hand to and fro, the sniper freezing mid transformation. 

The agent dropped his keys in the bowl on the table by the front door, setting down his jacket as he kicked the door closed behind him. Piers turned his arm back to normal before changing the channel to some reality show. He then muted it, turning his full attention to Leon, glancing at the clock while he was at it. 

“You’re home early.” 

Leon smiled, nodding in confirmation, “I am...because I think we should celebrate.” 

Piers raised the brow above his good eye, “Celebrate...what?” 

“You’ve been here and recovering for five months…” Leon began, not kicking off his boots, “And it’s our one month anniversary of being together. Officially.” 

Piers gave a small “Oh!” of realization, smiling a small smile up at the agent as Leon sauntered over. He leaned over the back of the couch, leaning down and kissing Piers. Leon only pulled away to nuzzle his nose against Piers’s with a chuckle. Piers chuckled in return, scooting over so Leon could hop over the back of the couch to sit next to him. 

“So, how do you want to celebrate?” Piers asked curiously, “Pizza? Movie Night?” 

“Actually…” Leon began, “I was thinking...there’s a fair downtown…” 

Piers’s smile faltered, “Oh...we’re going out?” 

Leon held up his hands, “If you’re up to it. We don’t have to...just thought maybe...you wanted to get out of the apartment and go somewhere that wasn’t the lab at HQ...or the late night walks at almost two in the morning.” 

Piers sat back in his seat, taking a deep breath as he contemplated it. He looked to Leon, who waited with baited breath. Although the thought of going out during the day, around people, still made him anxious. Why? Because, well, he only left the apartment when he absolutely needed to and he wasn’t one hundred percent normal yet. Or when he needed some air, but that was usually at night. 

On the other hand, he was going to have to leave the apartment eventually. He couldn’t hide in here forever. He was going to have to go outside during the day for more than just appointments. Leon had offered to take him out before but Piers thought he hadn’t been ready. 

Maybe he would make the leap this time. 

Piers smiled and nodded, “Alright. I’m game.” 

Leon beamed, hopping off of the couch and standing before him, holding his hands out in offering. Piers chuckled and shook his head at his boyfriend’s silliness, accepting the offered hands before being taken to the bedroom to get “dolled up” as Leon put it. ______________________________________________ “WINNER!” The vendor hollered as the stuffed cow reached the top before the others. “Nice shooting, Tex!” Leon congratulated as Piers’s section lit up, the sniper pulling away from his water gun with a grin. 

The Vendor picked up the stuffed lion Piers pointed to, handing it to the man. Piers accepted it before handing it off to Leon, who looked surprised. They had played a number of games and ate some fair food, but Piers and Leon didn’t accept the prizes, giving them away to some of the other attendees. 

“For me?” He asked over the sounds all around them. 

Piers nodded, “Of course. A Lion for a Lion.” 

Leon chuckled, “I keep forgetting that’s where my name originated from. But, thanks, Handsome.” 

“Don’t mention it.” Piers said, wrapping his good arm around Leon’s waist as they wandered over to another game, “Where to next?” 

They were wandering around the fairgrounds, Piers having to stop a couple of times to regain his bearings and Leon talking him through it so he didn’t become overwhelmed by the sights, smells and sounds. Truth be told, it was also the first time in a while Leon had been out and about to somewhere that wasn’t work, the lab in HQ and the occasional trip to the grocery store or for a take-out trip. He didn’t frequent the bar as much as he wanted to for fear of making Piers think that he was the reason for that trip. Nor did he want to abandon Piers. 

So, after a while, he began talking with Piers and attending therapy as well. He still had a while to go himself in that department, but with Piers at his side...he felt...lighter. Like he wasn’t carrying the weight of the world. 

“How about a change of pace?” Leon asked, pointing to the Ferris Wheel, “Maybe a nice relaxing Ferris Wheel ride?” 

Piers looked to the Ferris Wheel with a contemplative look, “Is it safe?” 

Leon chuckled, “It should be.” 

Piers chuckled as well as they went over to wait in line. They handed the operator their tickets before climbing into the car. Piers let Leon in first, Leon sitting the giant stuffed lion next to him so that he was between Piers and the stuffed animal. They waited for the ride to start, the two glancing at one another before quickly looking away, smiling like idiots and blushing pink. The ride began to move, their cart moving upward and then backward, going around in a slow but smoothing circle while music played on the speaker in their cart. 

Piers stretched out his arms, slyly sitting the right one behind Leon’s head. At least that was the intention...until the veins started glowing underneath the skin. He quickly pulled away, taking a quick breath to calm himself before shoving his hands in his pocket. 

“So...does this count as a first date?” Piers asked with a clear of his throat, “Since I never officially asked you out and we never went anywhere?” 

“No.” Leon replied with a smile, “But I think it’s still as special as all the Take-Out and Movie nights. And we did go on walks together.” 

“True.” Piers said, peeking down at his hand, relieved that it was no longer glowing, watching the skin meld back together, “But this one must be more memorable and special?” 

The cart jolted to a stop, spooking them both. Piers cursed as he momentarily lost his concentration, grunting as his hand almost transformed. Leon had noticed this time, gently taking the younger man’s hand in his own. Piers sighed another sigh of relief, regaining his composure as his hand stopped transforming once more, looking from it to Leon. 

“Every day with you is memorable and special.” Leon admitted with a smile, “I know it sounds cheesy…” 

Piers shook his head as he smiled, “No...it’s not cheesy at all...because I feel the same way. You keep me sane and I feel safe with you…” 

Leon listened as Piers professed his feelings to the agent. Piers explained that since Leon had brought him over to America from the Asian Branch of the BSAA, he felt like he could trust Leon always. When he suffered nightmares and episodes of PTSD, Leon was there to help talk him down, even when Piers almost lost control and attacked him. He was supportive of him through recovery and his treatments, attending his appointments as moral support. Leon was the only one who didn’t treat him oddly. He was patient and kind. 

“You’ve done more for me than I can ever repay you.” Piers admitted, getting a bit teary-eyed, “I owe you my life.” 

Leon was a bit teary-eyed himself, smiling, “You don’t owe me anything.” Leon informed him, “Because you keep me sane too...and I love you.” 

Piers watched him before leaning in, Leon meeting him halfway for a sweet and chaste kiss. They only parted when the ride began to move again, but even then, Leon nuzzled his forehead and nose against Piers’s, leaning his head against Piers’s. 

They handed the operator two more tickets, deciding to ride once more.

“I love you too, Leon.” Piers replied. 

(Also a gift piece for @lovelyleons, who requested Leon and Piers cuddles. I hope you like it! I always appreciate your feedback and I always love talking to you! 💕💕💕)

Okay, so hiding a C-Virus infected BSAA Lieutenant in his apartment wasn’t the smartest idea Leon had ever had...but it was better than just taking Piers somewhere to get experimented on. Leon wasn’t sure how the BSAA did things, but Leon did know how the DSO worked and he wasn’t about to subject Piers to the kind of “treatments” and experimentations both Sherry and Manuela had been subjected to. 

Though, keeping Piers here in the state that he was probably wasn’t too much better...but to be fair, it had been Piers who had sought him out and had asked for sanctuary in his home. For some reason, the sniper didn’t want the others to find him, but Leon just assumed that was because the younger was scared of them seeing him like this. The BSAA probably would be more shocked to see that Piers was capable of semi-sound thought and reasoning rather than shocked by his overall mutation. 

Although Piers’s arm was no longer mutated, it was still “not normal” looking. It kind of reminded Leon of Simmons’s flesh when he and Helena had fought him. Piers’s arm looked like a normal arm at first, but there were cracks running through the flesh, tanned skin discolored in certain areas. Underneath the skin, what looked to be “trapped lightning” coursed through the younger’s veins, occasionally glowing here and there. For the most part, Piers seemed to be able to control the mutated arm at will. 

Piers’s face still bore multiple eyes, but Piers bandaged his head up to keep them covered, despite Leon’s insistence that he didn’t need to do that. Piers also wore one of Leon’s hoodies, but he constantly kept the hood up to conceal his features. Once again, Leon insisted that he didn’t need to do that, that his home was a “No Judgement Zone” and Leon wasn’t at all shocked or afraid of his appearance. 

Piers wasn’t having it, saying that he did so to make himself feel better, so Leon didn’t push the matter. He did however prevent Piers’s moping, deciding that tonight would be a “Movie Night” to hopefully uplift Piers’s spirits.

“Alrighty,” Leon began as he set the bowl of popcorn down onto the coffee table in front of them before plopping down on the couch next to Piers, who looked up at him, “I wasn’t sure what you liked, and I’m not too crazy about current horror movies, but I did manage to dig up some vintage 1930’s horror movies on Netflix.” 

“O...kay…” Piers said, keeping his arms perched on top of his knees, the hood once again obstructing Leon’s view of the younger’s face. 

“We don’t have to watch them.” Leon said with a shrug, “I just figured it would be a change from the normal dismal news broadcasts and crappy television programming. No offense.” 

“None taken.” Piers replied, eyes focused on the television screen, “So, what brought this on?” 

“Well...I figured you could use a change for once from your usually scheduled moping.” Leon explained, “And the old timey stuff is less graphic than the newer stuff. I figured the cheesiness might help with your mood.” 

Piers only glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, humming response before turning his full attention to the screen, watching as Leon used the remote to select the first movie, “How about...Frankenstein?” Leon suggested. 

Piers shrugged, “Whatever.” 

Leon made a clicking sound with his tongue before scrolling through, “Okay...what about Dracula?” 

“Whatever.” 

“Okay…” Leon said, feeling a bit awkward, wondering if Piers wanted to watch something else...or be left alone entirely, “Did you want to pick the movie? Or I could leave you alone…”

“No!” Piers protested, startling Leon, “Stay…”

Well...that certainly surprised him, “Stay?” 

Piers nodded, “It’s...it’s nice to have someone around that doesn’t look at me strangely...sorry, I just…” 

Leon gently laid a hand on the younger’s shoulder, offering a small smile as Piers looked up at him, “Hey, it’s okay. I get it. You’re stressed about what’s going on, right?” Piers gave a small nod, “And something’s bothering you.”

Piers looked at him, really looked at him as Leon met his eye, “Yeah...you could say that…” 

Leon gave him a look as the sniper took a deep breath, explaining to Leon that he was thankful for Leon’s kindness and understanding. It was why he had reached out to the agent to begin with, because he had heard about it all from Captain Redfield and his sister Claire. But unlike the two, Leon was also secretive and did everything on the down-low, so Piers wouldn’t have to worry about the man “exposing him”. 

“Not that Chris or Claire would expose me.” Piers said in his defense, “I just...you’re a bit more laxed…” 

Leon nodded in understanding, “I understand...but I’m also good at reading people...and I know that something else is bothering you.” 

Piers’s lips pressed into a fine line as he turned his eyes away from Leon’s, a blush dusting his cheeks, “Well…kind of.” 

“You can tell me.” Leon said as he gently nudged Piers’s shoulder with his own, “Or don’t...I’ll be here regardless.” 

Piers looked as though he was contemplating it, wanting to say something that was on his mind but Leon assumed he didn’t know what he wanted to say. Leon gave another gentle nudge and a reassuring smile. Piers caught it and smiled back, nudging the agent in return as Leon started up Frankenstein.

“You know,” Leon said to Hunnigan on the communicator, “If there is something down there, I’m not exactly dressed for the occasion.” 

“Which is why Agent Avesta should be on her way with that wetsuit and underwater weaponry.” Hunnigan reassured, “I promise, you won’t be going in blind, but we couldn’t risk sending you in via boat or helicopter. It might alert the authorities there or the BSAA themselves.” 

“And that’s bad...how?” Leon asked, “This is their man down there, after all.” 

“Because you’re not doing this as an assignment...this is a favor to a friend. You could actually get in trouble for entering a “crime scene”. That, and we didn’t want to risk anyone in Simmons’ circle finding out about you roaming into their business.”  

Leon sighed and canted his head to the side with a shrug. She had a point there. He was not working under any type of direct orders, he was there because Sherry had begged him to be. Because he was looking for further evidence against the now late Derek C. Simmons and looking for a lost comrade of Chris’s. 

The last one being a special request, of course. 

He looked around, trying to look as nonchalant and inconspicuous as possible, wondering just where Agent Avesta was. Where was Iman? She was usually the quickest when it came to these things. 

A sound further down the beach drew Leon’s attention to it, eyes narrowing as he strained to see what it was. It looked like...a soldier in BSAA armor but with a deformed arm, had washed up on to the shore. Said arm glowed slightly, the person sputtering and desperately trying to breath. Drawing his gun, Leon slowly and cautiously approached. He scanned over the form, not really recognizing the face due to mutation. But, the person did look familiar. 

Holy shit… “Piers Nivans?” Leon called, keeping his gun lowered. 

The being froze, slowly looking up at the agent. Piers grunts as he tries to get up on to his knees and then his feet, his mutated arm sparking with electricity. Leon goes to help him up, but Piers lets out a sound of protest, pushing the elder away with his good arm. Leon stumbled backward, but he was persistent. 

“Let me help you.” Leon said, gently grasping Piers’s hurt arm. 

“N-No!” Piers grunted, “I’m a...biohazard. I’m...dangerous...can’t control myself…” 

“Doubt it.” Leon replied with a half-hearted chuckle, “You need help.”