Archive of Our Own ^beta

Leon raised an eyebrow as Chris opened the hotel room door. Inside of the room were two separate beds, something the man was certainly not expecting. 

"What's up?" Chris asked, noticing Leon's confusion. Suddenly embarrassed by Chris' attention, Leon waived his hand dismissively and looked away. 

"Nothing, go ahead." 

Chris gave him a last curious glance before stepping into the room, setting the key card on the counter of the sleek, modern kitchenette that they certainly wouldn't be utilizing during their stay. Neither man had the energy or appetite.

He lugged the small duffel bag he was carrying off of his shoulder and onto a chair with a soft grunt. Leon stood awkwardly near the door, unsure of where to move to or what to say. He shifted his weight onto a different foot every couple of seconds, adrenaline from the events earlier preventing him from fully relaxing. 

"I can just about hear your thoughts." Chris pointed out, digging through the duffel bag for a pair of sweatpants, "You can sit down, you know? It's over. You can relax for a little bit." 

Even if Leon sat down, that wasn't going to happen. Without a bottle in his hand, there was a fat chance he would be able to relax, "Why did you ask me to stay the night with you?" Leon asked bluntly, his stance becoming closed off and defensive. It made Chris frown. 

"Relax, Leon." There was that word again, what was it going to take for Chris to realize Leon was incapable of relaxing? Chris tossed his sweatpants into the bed nearest to him, taking a seat next to them with an exasperated sigh, "Sorry, I know. Stupid choice of words." 

"You didn't answer my question." Leon cut his eyes at him, his crossed arm tightening over his chest, the injured one staying slack at his side. 

"Right, sorry." Chris rubbed his brow, "Well, obviously you can see I rented a room with two beds, so I wasn't thinking anything weird." 

"Yes, Chris. I can see that. I have eyes." 

Chris stared up at him for a second before bowing his head down and watching his hands as he twiddled his thumbs absentmindedly, "That you do." 

Leon was getting frustrated…but he was also getting tired of standing. He begrudgingly made his way to the other bed and sat down, his uninjured arm digging itself back into the pocket of his leather jacket, which was now embedded with tiny shards of glass from earlier events that Leon wouldn't be quick to forget. Chris stood up and sat on the other edge of his bed so that he and Leon were facing each other. Before Leon could speak up to ask his question again, Chris spoke first. 

"You didn't let the paramedics take a look at you after we beat Arias." Chris said flatly, not a judgment, simply an observation. 

"I didn't." Leon affirmed, nodding his head. He had his reasons. 

"Why?" Chris asked, "They were just paramedics, it's not like they were going to hurt you." 

Leon chuckled dryly, "They couldn't if they tried." He said without mirth. Maybe it wasn't true, someone could certainly get the best of him in his battered state if they were tenacious enough. 

"Leon." 

Leon looked up to see Chris' disappointed face, evidently not liking Leon's deflection. 

"What? Gonna tell me I didn't answer your question?" Leon prodded smartass-ishly, a scowl pulling at his lips. 

Chris' eyes widened for just a second before his face returned to its typical world-weary neutrality, "No, you're right." He sighed, "I was going to ease into it, but I guess you're not really the type that needs the blow to be softened, are you?" 

Leon's eyebrow bent with curiosity, his face not betraying any discomfort with Chris' words, "Oh?" 

Chris' eyes flit to Leon, then to the floor, then to the wall, and back to Leon, "My…concern, was that you didn't let them examine you-" 

"Because I was hiding something?" Leon asked, though by the shift in Chris' expression, he knew he was right before Chris said a word in confirmation.

And Chris thought himself the mind-reader. 

“Leon,” Chris knew he had to choose his words carefully so as to not scare Leon off, “Do you understand why I would be concerned about that?” He asked slowly, forming eye contact with Leon, which the other man quickly broke away from. 

“I guess I could see why you would be.” Leon admitted flatly, staring with no discernable emotion at his injured arm. 

Leon wasn't stupid, he knew what he looked like to everyone else–far from put together to say the least. And Chris was, fortunately for his line of work but not for Leon, an excellent observer. Leon knew the man had to have picked up on some of his more telling behavioral oddities in the short time they spent together. The most obvious of which being his constant fidgeting with his arm. Pulling his sleeve down, holding the sleeve against his palm with his fingers, avoiding as much use of the arm as possible. He had been doing so far before he had gotten injured. 

Yeah, Chris noticed, and he had a pretty good idea as to what Leon may have been hiding. But he wasn't about to broach the subject without extreme care, Leon was already not doing well as it was, and Chris wasn't about to fumble around and make things worse, “Leon…” Chris spoke again, but he stopped at Leon’s name, letting it linger in the air. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat. This was so much more difficult than he thought it would be. If only Claire were there, perhaps Leon would be a bit less uncomfortable. 

She would just talk and not sit in silence like an idiot. 

Chris thought to himself, scorning his actions. He wasn't helping his own case, certainly. 

“Look, Chris.” Leon leaned a bit closer, capturing Chris' attention. It gave the bigger man an opportunity to really look at Leon for the first time since this whole ordeal had started. While he was far from looking as if he was about to keel over, Chris could definitely tell he wasn't doing well. His skin was paler than usual and his eyes held heavy eyebags that were undoubtedly the result of many sleepless nights and poor diet, “I'm fine, alright, man? I know what you're thinking, but I'm fine. I'm an adult, worry about yourself.” 

Sure, that was easy enough to say. Chris needed to worry about himself. But Chris Redfield never did things the easy way, and Leon should have known that. 

“Leon, you saying you're fine and telling me to worry about myself only confirms what I'm speculating.” 

“Oh, that's a fifty-cent word there.” Leon sarcastically poked fun, sitting up and stretching the distance between them even further, both metaphorically and physically, “So, Detective Redfield, what are you,” finger quotes, “Speculating?” He asked, mocking the older man. 

Oh there it was, the smart ass attitude that always made talking to Leon difficult. Chris had plenty of experience with smart asses, his own beloved sister was a prime example, but at the end of the day, that was his baby sister, Leon was just– some guy. So why did Chris care so much? 

“Leon, please.” Chris sighed, “I don't want this to turn into an argument.” 

“What if it already is one?” 

Chris paused. 

“Is it?” 

“No.” 

That was a relief. It was hard to tell with Leon sometimes, if he was completely pissed off or just neutral. He was not the type of guy to show his emotions on his sleeve, not anymore at least. 

“Then let's keep it that way.” Chris suggested. He knew the only way to do that was to drop the subject for now, “We're both exhausted and banged up, let's just leave it be until morning.”

“Let's.” Was the remainder of what Leon had to say before he kicked off his boots, set his gun on the nightstand, and laid on his side facing away from Chris, using his arm as a pillow despite the freshly fluffed, hotel-provided pillows on the bed with him. 

“Right.” Chris pulled a T-shirt out of his bag and zipped it back up, setting it against the wall, “Are you going to sleep in your clothes?” 

“Would you prefer I'd sleep naked?” 

Goddammit, Chris, don't answer that. 

Chris had to pry his eyes away from the smaller man in order to keep himself from forming a mental picture. 

Face now slightly reddened, Chris scooped up his clothes and tossed them back on top of his bag, “I'll be right back, your copy of the key is on the table.” Leon gave him no more reply than the lazy wave of a hand and a grunt. Chris hadn't expected anything more. 

With that, Chris grabbed his keys and headed out the door. 

Chris returned shortly after with a bag in hand. Leon, who hadn't been able to fall asleep and had resorted to sitting up on his phone, glanced over at the man while eyeing the bag curiously, “What's in the bag?” He asked. 

Suddenly, Chris grew a bit sheepish. He took off his shoes at the door and brought the bag over to his bed, setting it down and opening it up to reveal a pair of blue, plaid pajama pants and a gray Henley shirt that said ‘New York’ on it in a fancy font. Leon studied the clothing, noticing it was too small to be Chris’. Instead of saying anything, he looked up at Chris with a curious expression, “I should have asked you if it was okay first, but I thought you'd probably want to sleep in something comfortable instead of the clothes you just fought in…” Chris began to explain, keeping his eyes on Leon to notice any shift in his expression, his face was neutral, thankfully, “You don't have to accept them, I just thought-” 

“Thanks.” Leon interrupted him, pulling the clothing out of the bag and holding it up to see the size, “Huh, you got my size right.” 

“Oh, good.” Chris breathed a sigh of relief, “It was really a guessing game.” 

Leon lifted up the shirt and let out a small exhale of amusement through his nose, “A souvenir.” 

“Sorry,” Chris chuckled nervously, “They didn't have anything else.” 

“Funny how they had pajama pants.” Leon noted, not making any more comment on the shirt. 

Chris shrugged, “Well, if you look they're a souvenir too.” 

Leon gave him a questioning look before studying the pants closely, spotting a tag on the inside that said ‘New York' with no more indication that they came from the city. Leon once again seemed amused, “I bet you paid out your ass for these.” 

“Oh, you know I did.” Chris laughed, despite the hit to his wallet. He made plenty of money to swing it. Now that he thought of it, he should have picked up something for Claire too. 

Leon set the clothing down and gave Chris a slight smile of appreciation, “Thanks, Chris. I'll pay you back.” 

Chris waved the notion away, “No need.” In his eyes, the small smile he got for his efforts was payment enough. He gathered his clothes back up and slung them over his shoulder, “I call dibs on the first shower, though.” 

Leon just shrugged and returned to his phone. 

Chris had taken a short shower, but the same could not be said about Leon, who had been in there for thirty minutes. If anything, Chris was glad he was talking long if it meant Leon was relaxing, the soldier knew there was nothing more soothing than a hot shower. 

It was at the one hour mark, however, that Chris had no choice but to think something was wrong. He knocked on the door and asked if Leon was alright in there, but he got no answer. 

“Leon?” Chris called, hoping that the man wasn't bleeding out from an unseen injury (in his line of work, he had been conditioned to think of the worst case scenario). Sure, he could still be showering, he probably had even ran himself a bath, but it still made Chris anxious. How relaxed did the guy have to be to not hear Chris calling for him outside the door? 

Chris paced around the room, waiting for Leon to give him any sign that he was alright. He tried to will his anxiety away and rationalize that the man had probably just fallen asleep in the tub, but he couldn't keep himself from suspecting that something was wrong. 

“Note to self,” Chris mumbled, “Tell therapist about Leon-induced anxiety spike.” As if summoned by the mumbling of his name and not the past twenty minutes of yelling it, Leon stepped out of the bathroom, body red from the hot water and hair a towel-dried mess. Chris had to keep himself from laughing, “You good?” He asked Leon, who looked a bit dazed. 

“That was the best shower I've ever taken.” Leon mused, walking over to his bed and setting his dirty clothes down at the foot of it, “That shit was straight up magical.” 

Chris finally let himself laugh, “Well you certainly took your sweet time.” 

Leon just shrugged and crawled back onto his bed, but he winced softly when his weight shifted onto his arm, “I think it's sprained.” He noted. 

“Want me to look at it?” Chris asked, but he was met with Leon shaking his head. 

“It's alright, I'll live.” Leon said before he adjusted himself to be sitting back as he had been when Chris walked in, back on his phone. 

Chris didn't like how casual Leon was being about his injury. Of course, not every on-field scuff could be given attention to all the time, but the fight was over for now. They were safe in the comfort of the hotel, there was no reason to not attend to the injury, “You should really let me take a look at it, Leon. It could be a fracture. Your hand looks a little swollen.” Chris motioned to take Leon's arm, but the man quickly pulled it away, only causing himself to hurt it further, a pitched grunt and twitch of the eye being plenty of indication that Leon was hurt, and Chris didn't like it, “Please, Leon. If there's something you don't want me to see, I'll just ignore it, I promise.” 

There was a long pause before Leon’s eyes brightened ever so slightly, “You promise?” 

Chris nodded, “I promise, now let me see.” 

Leon stared down at his arm, then at Chris, then at the floor, and then back at his arm, which he hesitantly extended to Chris with the pull of his sleeve, revealing puffy, raised cuts that looked to be no more than a week old trailing all the way down the appendage, along with healed white scars, all in various depth and size.

Chris’ heart twisted at the sight, of the knowledge that they had to be recent, but he did as he promised, looking past the cuts and examining the limb, applying pressure to certain points of Leon’s unmarked upper arm, a particular line of pressure causing Leon to grit his teeth, “It's not broken, you wouldn't be able to move it.” Chris concluded, releasing his grip enough to stop causing pain but still holding onto the limb. 

“Thanks, I didn't know that.” Leon said sarcastically, though it fell a bit flat. Chris looked up at the man to see a nervous look on his face. It was probably about the cuts, but Chris made a promise. He wasn't going to mention them. 

“It's gonna be hard to heal, since it's your upper arm–I don't even know how you managed to only hurt your upper arm but I'm glad it's just that.” Chris said, setting the limb down gently, “The best thing to do is make a sling, keep your forearm from pulling on it. And you know to take it easy, I don't have to tell you that.” Chris tried to keep his examination as clinical as possible and to not let his emotions get in the way. It broke his heart to see the markings on Leon’s arm, but it wasn't his place to force Leon to talk about it. If he wanted to open up, he would. “I have some bandages in my bag, but they're not typically meant for a sling, so really, you'll need to take it easy.” 

Leon, instead of making another sarcastic comment, just nodded, “Okay.” 

Chris didn't like Leon’s new insistence on walking on eggshells, but he couldn't blame him for it. He wanted to tell Leon that his scars didn't change the way he thought about him, but he would make good on his promise to not bring them up, as hard as it was. 

He got up and plucked the bandages from his bag, which he used to carefully and efficiently wrap Leon's arm into a sling, “There.” He tied the sling off and gave Leon a thumbs up, which got him an eye roll. 

“Am I cleared, Doc?” 

Chris gave Leon his own eye roll, “Yes, I don't have a lollipop to give you, though.” 

Leon chuckled softly at that, “Shitty doctor then, I'm giving you a bad review.” 

“That'll be hard to type with one hand.” 

Leon laughed at that, a full on laugh that had Chris's heart busting in his chest. He hadn't expected to get a laugh, or even a toothed smile, out of the other man. Chris joined in Leon’s laughter, and the men laughed for a bit until it naturally died down, leading to Leon once again picking up his phone, “Speaking of which, can you do something for me?” He handed a confused Chris the phone. 

“Can you type my crossword answers for me? Since, you know, one hand.” Leon requested genuinely, which almost made Chris feel bad for laughing. Almost. 

“You really are an old guy.” 

Leon’s face reddened a bit, “You're older than me.” 

“Got CandyCrush on here too?” Chris asked jokingly, making Leon’s face redden even more. 

“Okay, okay. I get it, just give me my phone back.” He reached for his phone, but Chris pulled it away. 

“I'm just playing.” Chris climbed into his own bed and held Leon’s phone up to his face, reading the small text hints for the crossword puzzle. 

“Okay, the clue is great lakes and the first letter is ‘S’.” 

“Superior.” 

Chris quickly typed in the answer, but was given no indication that it was correct, “It doesn't say if it's right or not.” He teased. 

“It's right.” Leon said with a smirk. Chris was quite fond of it…quite fond indeed. Doubly, his heart was quite captured by the badass government agent being so confident about an extremely easy crossword puzzle answer. 

Chris moved on to the next hint, “A ten letter word for knickknacks.” 

“Tchotchkes.” 

“The hell is a tchotchke?” 

“A ten letter word for knickknack—which is also ten letters.” Leon answered with a shit eating grin. 

“Okay, smartass. I get it. You're a genius.” 

“Maybe you could sharpen your brain if you did crosswords too.” 

“Yeah, that or advance my aging process.” 

“Do I-” Leon looked mildly panicked, “Do I look old?” 

Chris was completely taken aback by that, “I- no. No, Leon, you don't look old.” 

Leon settled into the pillows with a grumble, “You hesitated.” 

“Well, it was a weird question. Have you looked in a mirror?” 

“Not unless I want to ruin my own day.” 

The words were self deprecating, but somehow they made Chris feel offended. How could Leon possibly think anything negative about his own appearance? It was almost insultingly ignorant, “Oh, please. As if you aren't as handsome as you are.” 

Leon visibly paused at Chris' words, making the bigger man realize he probably went a bit too far for their status as barely friends, “I mean, for a guy.” Chris added extremely unconvincingly. The man was, for lack of a better term, very gay, but Leon didn't need to know that. 

“For a guy.” Leon mocked, “You're not fooling anyone, I know you're gay, Redfield.” Leon said, teasingly, but not accusatorily, it was obvious that he had no problem with it. 

“I- wait, how did you know I was gay? Did Claire tell you?” Chris never would have thought his sister would have outed him. A part of his heart hurt, but mostly, his heart was filled with relief that Leon wasn't homophobic, at least, not seemingly so. 

“No, no Claire didn't tell me. God, no, she would never tell anyone without your permission, you know that.” 

“Right.” Chris took a breath of relief, glad he only had jumped to conclusions and that he wouldn't have to have hard feelings for his favorite person in the world, “So how did you find out?” 

“Well, mostly? I was bluffing. I wasn't sure if you were gay or bi or whatever.” Leon admitted, “But it looks like my first guess was right.” 

Chris was confused. He blinked, his head spinning at the thought that he could have possibly outed himself and not even known it, “But how did you know I was into men?” 

“Chris.” Leon gave him a ‘no bullshit’ look, “Come on, man. You don't come off as straight at all.” 

Chris huffed, “Tell that to all the women that hit on me.” 

“That's because you're hot, bozo. Some people would flirt with a tree if it had your…” Leon looked him up and down before cracking up, “Limbs.” There was a silent ‘get it’? Chris did get it. 

Chris really should have let the comment slide, but his brain had already completely latched onto it, and it wasn't going to let things slide without confirmation that Chris wasn't hearing things, “Did you call me hot?” 

“Is water wet?” 

Chris was completely off put by the odd question, “Um..I think…so?” He wasn't sure if it was a trick question or not—or how to even answer it in the first place. 

“Of course it is, it's water.” 

“Oh.” 

…

Chris thought about it for just a second before understanding what Leon was saying, “Oh! I see what you're saying.” That was all the confirmation he needed, “So…uh..” he cleared his throat, suddenly the collar of his shirt felt tight and the room felt too hot. 

Jesus Christ, Redfield. Guys can just complement each other. What are you getting all flustered for? 

“You're alright with me being gay?” 

Leon gave him a look that asked if he really asked that just now, “Chris, it's fine. I don't care if you're gay.” He said as if it were a complete given, which it should have been, but some of Chris' former acquaintances were far less okay with it. Military men weren't exactly known for being open minded. 

“Oh. Okay.” 

Oh okay? Why did I say that? 

“Uh, I mean, cool. I didn't wanna have to kick your ass for being homophobic.” Chris joked flatly. 

Not better, Chris. You dumbass. 

Leon cracked up at that, “Well that'll never happen, I'm bisexual, myself.” 

It was as if fireworks went off in Chris’s brain. Was Leon being bi even close to giving him a shot? Absolutely not. Leon liking guys didn't mean that he liked Chris, but what it meant was that he could like Chris. He even thought Chris was good looking! Chris would take that over having the hots for a straight guy any day. 

“Oh, uh. Cool.” He replied like an idiot. 

…

Cool? That's all you can say? No wonder you've been single for so long.

Leon cracked up a bit at Chris' awkwardness, “Yeah, cool. Now what's the next question?” 

“Oh,” Chris had forgotten about the crossword puzzle, “Uh, the capital of Michigan.”  

“Lansing–you know that's one of the only states I haven't been to yet.” 

“The upper peninsula is beautiful, your next vacation should be there.” Chris suggested, followed by a grin at the suggestion as he knew Leon had very little luck with vacationing. 

Leon clicked his tongue at the comment, “Maybe I will just to spite you.”

“If you do, take Claire with you. She loves hiking.” 

“Hm, maybe if she'll drive.” 

“Hopefully she'd be the one to drive.” Chris’ grin grew. It was his turn to be a smartass. 

Leon once again clicked his tongue, “Oh yeah, you're real funny. I'll have you know I was one of the best drivers at the academy.” 

Chris’ eyes widened at that, “Really? What happened then?” 

“The fuck you mean ‘what happened’? I'm a great driver.” 

…

“Leon.” 

“Okay, I'm a fine driver.” 

Chris raised his eyebrow in skepticism, but Leon wasn't one to back down, “No, I swear I'm a good driver. I've literally only crashed when zombies were after me, you know how stressful that is!” 

Chris actually hadn't thought of that, “Oh, yeah I guess that does make sense. What about the plane?” 

Leon groaned. He hated being reminded of the plane. You crash one and suddenly you should never operate a vehicle again, “Again, zombies. And I had never flown a plane before. You try-”

“Air Force.” 

“Ah shit, you're right. Well, you probably didn't actually have to fly any commercial planes.” 

“Primary flying training, I could fly anything sanctioned by the United States Air Force.” Chris boasted, crossing his arms proudly. 

“I somehow really doubt that.” 

The two of them continued to have idle conversation (peppered with bickering and lighthearted slights at each other) and fill out the majority of the crossword puzzle until they both grew quite tired. Chris was laying on his side facing Leon, who was on his back, head deep in the pillows, he looked comfortable. The older man was glad to see it. Chris still held Leon's phone, “Got one more in you?” 

Leon grunted and gave a thumbs up, making Chris chuckle and read the next question, “A nine letter word for deep love and respect.” 

“Adoration.” Leon answered. And something about his sleepy voice, and the crack of moonlight shining through the curtains, and the silence of the room other than the sound of Leon and Chris’ joint breath…paired with that word. Adoration. Such a beautiful word. It made Chris' heart tighten, in a good way, in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. At that moment, Chris realized something…

He realized that he could fall in love with Leon, not just be attracted to him, but really love him. He could fall in love with him very easily. 

Leon and Chris didn't break contact after the night in the hotel, at least, not for long periods of time. 

Although their jobs kept them from seeing each other, the two of them got to hear each other’s voices often over the phone and online video calls. It wasn't like being with each other, it didn't feel quite like how sharing that simple, safe night together in that hotel felt, but it was enough. 

Leon was cooking dinner, and Chris was, well, Leon didn't know what the man was up to, “What's all that rustling in the background?” 

“I'm wrapping one of Claire's birthday presents.” Chris explained, almost sounding out of breath as if wrapping a gift was physically exhausting.

“Well damn, why does it sound like you're about to keel over?” 

Chris huffed, “Because I can't figure out how to wrap this shit without it looking like a wad of–shit.”

Leon laughed at that, “Did you look up a tutorial?” 

“No, tutorials are for quitters.” 

“And you are, historically, tenacious.” 

“Damn right I am.” 

Leon stirred the spaghetti sauce he was working on, though he was far more invested in the conversation, “What'd you get her, anyway?” 

“A new pair of cowboy boots—cowgirl boots?”  

“Oh she'll love those.” Leon smiled at the thought of Claire happily unwrapping her gift, “I just got her some whiskey.” 

“She’ll probably like that more than the boots.” 

“Maybe, but she'll definitely act like she likes yours more.” Leon teased, “You're her big brother, you're pretty much her favorite person in the entire world.” 

“Pretty much? I am her favorite person in the entire world.” 

Leon laughed, “Glad you know that. Hey, after I finish dinner, I'll FaceTime you and I'll try and teach you how to wrap a gift properly.” 

“Oh you'd be a lifesaver.” Chris sounded relieved on the other end, Leon was happy to hear it. 

“Just give me like fifteen minutes.” 

“Okay see you then.” Chris said before ending the call. ‘See you then’ is what Chris always said when they planned to FaceTime. Leon knew that he meant see him, as in literally see him over the screen, but the words always did something funny to Leon's heart, always filled him with some silly little fantasy that Chris would show up at his door instead of on his phone. 

The New York incident had only happened earlier the same year, and in the past, they had gone many more years between even hearing from each other. But things were different after that. Leon still couldn't quite understand why what he felt for Chris was different following that night, it wasn't like they made any moves on each other. But, something about the peace of that night, how they were allowed a short amount of time to be normal people— it was special. Leon could only hope it had been as special for Chris as it had been for him.

Likely not, knowing how Leon seemed to fall so quickly for people–if Ada or Luis were any example, but there was still a little, irrational part of him that had a glimmer of hope. 

Leon quickly finished dinner, plated it, and sat down at the dinner table, absentmindedly poking at his meal with a fork while he waited for Chris to answer. 

“Hey.” Chris finally answered. Leon was momentarily disappointed to see the camera flipped off of Chris' face and towards the floor, where a square of themed wrapping paper, scissors, tape, and a shoe box were spread out. Right, the call was for wrapping, not for Leon to see Chris' face. 

Right. 

“Hey, well I can tell right away that's not gonna be enough paper.” 

“Damn.” Chris quickly pulled the rest of the tube of paper out and went to cut out a bigger piece, but Leon stopped him. 

“Just wrap it and cut out a strip to cover what the paper doesn't reach.” 

“Oh. That's smart.” 

“I know, I'm real smart.” Leon deadpanned, “Okay, now fold the edge in on the shortest side of the box.” 

“Kay.” Chris did as told. 

“Good, now take the remaining paper on the same edge and fold it inwards, make sure you fold it tight so you're not wasting paper.” 

“And so it doesn't look like shit.” Chris chimed in. 

“And so it doesn't look like shit.” Leon agreed. 

Chris continued to follow Leon’s instructions until the present was wrapped. It wasn't the neatest wrapping job, but it wasn't nearly as bad as Chris' solo attempts, “You saved me another year of Claire making fun of me, thanks Leon.” 

“No problem.” By this point, Leon had finished his dinner as well. He thought about pouring himself a glass of wine, but he ended up opting not to, too focused on helping Chris. He rose from his seat and took his plate to the kitchen, setting his phone on the counter and beginning to wash the dishes he had been neglecting for some days, “Anything else you need help wrapping? Or perhaps you need me to show you how to mail a package? He asked smartass-ishly. 

The camera was now facing Chris, he shook his head, “Nope, I'm pretty much a wrap master n—hey!” It took Chris a second to catch onto Leon's teasing, “I catch on quick, I could wrap you under the table now.” 

Leon cracked up at that, “You sure could, you who wrapped a shoebox.”

Chris decided to let Leon’s snideness slide, “Have you bought a ticket to fly out and see her? I can't make it this year, but I'm sure she'd be happy to see you.” 

“No, not yet. Haven't had much of a break at work.” Leon sighed at the thought, the ol’ US of A had him working like a dog, “You sure you can't make it?” 

Chris sighed sadly, “I can't, I'm swamped. Hey, isn't your birthday soon, too?” 

“Yep, another year closer to death—here’s hoping.”  

“Hey, don't say that.” Chris scolded him, “Anyway, is there anything you want?” 

“No, if there's something I don't already have, chances are it's nothing important.” That wasn't true, there was something Leon wanted, and it was very important, but he wasn't entirely sure even he fully knew what exactly it was. He had a sneaking suspicion, though, that it started with a ‘C’ and ended with a ‘hris’. 

But that was stupid, right? They had known of each other for years, but they hadn't even had more than a handful of proper conversations, and even then, it wasn't until Chris came barreling into that bar with the stealth skills of a wounded gazelle asking for Leon’s help that they saw each other face to face and didn't kick each others asses like they did in China (internationally or otherwise). 

The Leon he was then hated Chris' guts for interrupting his vacation, but the Leon he was now knew he couldn't kid himself, he had fallen hard for that man on that mission, he wasn't sure when that spark had been lit but he couldn't deny now that it was definitely aflame. 

Stupid Chris and his tenacity, and his insane combat skills, and his gentle voice, and his big, burly, stupid hands that took care of Leon’s injury so carefully. Stupid Chris being the full package and then some. It just wasn't fair. Leon couldn't have fallen for a guy with a less dangerous job? Or, someone who at least had more free time? 

Leon supposed thinking that way made him a hypocrite. No, he didn't need to suppose, it did make him a hypocrite. 

“No, I've got to get you something.” Chris insisted. 

“Okay, get me some liquor, slap a bow on it, and call it a day.” 

“That’s cheating.” Chris protested. 

“Wh- how is that cheating?” 

“Because you have a whole mini bar in your kitchen. I mean, let me get you something you're not already stocked up on.” 

Leon questioned for a second how Chris knew about the mini bar, but to his embarrassment, he recalled a few calls with Chris in which he was completely hammered and sat at his bar. 

Leon, actually, had been cutting back on the drinks lately aside from those rare nights. After the New York incident, he couldn't exactly say he had a new lease on life, he still threw caution to the wind on his missions and maintained a devil may care attitude about his safety, but he had begun to care a bit more about keeping a sound mind. His job put him through hell, he didn't need his own brain to do the same thing. 

Leon had been seeing a therapist regularly as well as taking medication, he was actually doing quite well for himself. The color had returned to his skin, he had begun to gain muscle again, and he overall just looked much healthier. If only Chris could see him in real life instead of over the phone, he could properly see his progress. 

“I could use some new shirts, most of my T-shirts are starting to get tight in the arms again.” 

Chris grew the biggest smile after hearing that, it made Leon’s face redden, “Yeah? I'm so happy to hear that.” 

Leon almost made a smartass comment about Chris being glad he didn't have anything to wear, but he knew damn well that wasn't what Chris meant, and he wasn't about to ruin a sweet moment with his signature sarcasm, “I've gained fifteen pounds since New York.” He smiled as he told Chris, happy to tell him. Chris always looked so excited to hear about Leon's progress. 

“It's noticeable, too, you've bulked up so much since then.” 

“Yeah? Is it really that noticeable?” 

“Oh yeah, super noticeable. Lemme see those arms you're famous for.” 

“Famous? You're the one with biceps the size of dinner plates.” 

“I know, I'm really cool. But we're talking about you right now. Come on, give me a flex.” Chris had a chuckle about his voice as he spoke, though his words were no less encouraging. 

Leon’s face reddened once again, embarrassed by the idea of flexing for a camera. But with how eager Chris looked, he had to oblige. He set his phone against the, seemingly always empty, fruit bowl in the center of his dining table and grabbed at the sleeve of his shirt, pulling it up and flexing his arm to show off the muscle he had gained. Looking at his own arm now, even he was shocked. He wasn't one to do a lot of flexing, but damn, he knew when he looked good. 

“Damn, Leon.” Chris once again had the biggest smile on his face, “That's fucking crazy, man, I'm so proud of you.” 

I'm so proud of you.

That simple sentence just about had Leon short circuiting. He pulled his sleeve back down and picked his phone back up, “Thanks, Chris.” He said bashfully. Here he was blushing like a schoolboy over a compliment. He was down and he was down bad. 

And by the look on Chris’ face, Leon hoped that, maybe, Chris could have felt the same way. So many trivial words died on the tip of Leon's tongue, thought but unsaid. Perhaps they would always be that way. It wasn't like he and Chris could be in a relationship. For one, their agencies wouldn't allow them to work together anymore, and that was already a rare enough event. For two, they simply didn't have time for each other. 

But this friendship they had harbored, talking whenever they could, stealing moments for each other, talking about anything and everything and nothing, it didn't need to be romantic. Friendship was enough. 

Friendship was plenty enough. 

Chris didn't think it would end like this, actually, no, he couldn't say that. This was by far one of the most probable ends for him. Death by infection. It had to happen someday. All this time before now of remaining unscathed, it had to come and bite him eventually. Actually, the one difference he had expected was something literally biting him. 

He had just wished his end didn't have to come at the same time as his little sister's and Leon's. He wanted both of them to outlive him more than anything.

But here they all were, in fucking Alcatraz of all places. Chris had at least expected to die in battle, gun in hand and making a final stand, but that would not be the case. Instead, he was locked in a cell separated from his sister, who was suffering the same fate. He wasn't even given the dignity of dying via zombie bite, no, that damn nutcase Dylan had to use covert tactics. If only Chris had the strength to bust out of that cell, he would have taken that bastard's cane and broken it over his head. 

But he was powerless to do anything. And that almost hurt worse than the infection overtaking him, searing him from the inside. It was so painful. Chris didn't know why he hadn't expected turning to be painful. 

What was the most agonizing, however, was knowing that Leon and Claire were going through the exact same thing. Had Leon felt like this when he had been infected by the plaga? Or was this worse? Chris wasn't sure which answer he was hoping for.  

He could hear both his sister and Leon’s groans and whimpers of the same pain he was in, and he was even vaguely aware of his own sounds. It was torture, he wished the infection could have just overtaken him faster so he didn't have to hear it anymore. But that would mean not seeing Leon one last time, he was just out of view, Chris needed to see him one more time. 

He glanced down to see Leon crawling closer to his cell, he didn't make it far, not even into arms reach. But Chris reached out anyway, his hand limply resting on the cell bar. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a grunt. No. He needed to say something, to his sister and to Leon. One last reassurance, “Claire,” he choked out, “I love you.” 

Chris could just barely make out the sound of Claire saying, “I love you too, Chris.” Through the sound of his own blood rushing in his ears. 

Chris' eyes slowly fixed on Leon, an action so minute, but it nearly used up all of his remaining strength. One last thing, that's all he could say, “Leon,” Leon's head just barely moved in recognition. 

“Chris…” 

“Leon, I…” Chris gasped out, his eyes closing with spent energy, “I.” He couldn't bring himself to say it, be it out of a lack of strength or mental barrier. He couldn't finish the sentence. Was he really going to leave it unsaid as he lay dying?

“I..” 

Suddenly, footsteps echoed down the corridor. That's when Chris lost consciousness. 

"Have anywhere to be after this?" Was all Leon asked, and immediately, Chris knew that the only place he had to be was with Leon. 

It hadn't been long since they last saw each other, not nearly one of the multiple year stints when they had been separate in the past, but in both of the men's opinion, it had been damn long enough. Not to mention, the both of them had nearly died. And not even the nearly dying they always did when on missions, genuinely, they were both in the throes of death. 

And when it came down to it, Chris couldn't bring himself to say something he had known to be true for a long time. He was going to make up for that, he had the opportunity to, and he had to take it. 

"I have to fill out a report." Chris came to his senses eventually, as the respective helicopters sent to pick them and the rest of the group loomed overhead. One for Leon, two for Chris and the rest, bound to go in completely different directions, "And Rebecca is definitely going to want to run some tests on me after…you know, being infected." 

"Maybe I should come along too, then." Leon suggested, but he knew it wouldn't go anywhere. He, too, had a report to fill out, and the DSOs biohazard department would surely have him sequestered to quarantine before he could even boot up his computer. 

Chris sighed, he knew just as well as Leon it wouldn't happen. Nothing could ever be that easy for either of them. He glanced back to see Jill, Claire, and Rebecca walking away, his cue to do the same, "I'll call you." He took up a brisk jog to catch up with the women, "I promise!" He added. 

"You better! Or I'll have Claire kick your ass!" Leon retorted. He chuckled to himself when he saw Claire raise an approving thumbs up, "He better." He added under his breath as he slid his phone out of his pocket and dialed Hunnigan, "Hunnigan, I'm gonna need a day off sometime this week. When?" His eyes fell back on Chris as he boarded the helicopter, "I'm not sure yet, just keep my schedule open." 

For some reason, Leon was nervous.

He swore he had to have cleaned the living room about eight times in the past half an hour. It just wasn't clean enough (it was spotless) nor was it cozy or inviting enough! (It was perfectly fine). 

He sat on the couch, exhaling his nerves in a heavy sigh. His eyes fell on the bottle of wine he had set out, along with two wine glasses that were so perfectly clean it was almost unsettling. Something was wrong about the picture as a whole. The wine and glasses were presented nicely, it was certainly a better show than most men would put on…but, something was just not right. Leon tapped his foot anxiously, studying the sight before him like it were some puzzle he was meant to crack. 

Then, it hit him. He snapped up the glasses and wine and took them back to the kitchen, putting them away with a quickness, "He's definitely more of a whiskey guy." After coming to such a conclusion, he grabbed two glasses and searched in his minibar for something else, “But is he a Jack Daniels guy?” Leon racked his brain trying to figure out what drink to offer Chris. 

When he heard a knock at his door, Leon panicked and grabbed the wine glasses and bottle of wine once again, right back to square one. He hoped Chris would turn out to be a wine guy–or at least a wine tolerant one. 

Leon raced to the coffee table and set the wine and glasses down before sprinting to the door and opening it, “Chris!” He said a bit over enthusiastically, making him cringe internally. Before Leon could apologize for his awkwardness, Chris pulled him into a hug. In his surprise, Leon neglected to hug back for a moment, but he quickly came to his senses and wrapped his arms around Chris. It was like getting hugged by an angel…a big muscly one. Leon didn't even know he was craving a Chris hug until he got one, “I wasn't expecting a hug right away.” He said, his voice muffled by Chris' shoulder. He could say all he wanted, but he knew he wasn't opposed to it in the slightest. 

Chris pulled away, looking mortified, “I'm sorry, that was a little much-”

“Enough of that, just get your ass in here.” Leon said with a playful tone, ushering Chris into his home and shutting the door behind him. 

Leon’s earlier contemplation over wine vs. whiskey didn't matter after all, because Chris’ attention was on nothing but him. Leon stood there, trying to make his posture look as open as possible, silently encouraging Chris to hug him again. To Leon’s chagrin, Chris didn't embrace him, instead, he took Leon’s arms in his hands, a gentle grip on his elbows. So close to a hug. Leon wondered where Chris' gumption had gone, “Leon,” Chris began, but what he went to say died on his tongue just as quickly as he started to speak. 

Leon looked at him with a patient expression, though on the inside he was just dying to know what Chris really wanted to say, “How were your tests? Did everything come back okay?” Chris asked, rubbing the edge of his thumbs along the inside of Leon’s elbows. It was clear that he genuinely wanted to know, but Leon knew he was asking right now only to avoid saying something else. 

Leon frowned at Chris saying that instead of what he wanted to hear, but Leon guessed he couldn't complain, he himself very well could have said what was on both of their minds, “I'm all good, they're studying my blood right now for antibodies, but as far as any lingering shit, nothing.”

“Oh, good.” Chris breathed a sigh of relief, his head dipping down as he let Leon’s words settle with him, “Good.” He repeated.

“Is everything good with you and Claire?” Leon asked, making eye contact with Chris as he raised his head back up, as blue met brown, a spark of some unsaid emotion fluttered between them, and suddenly the question Leon asked lost all of its interest. 

“Uh, yeah.” Chris cleared his throat, trying to get the conversation back on track, “Yeah, yeah, we're all good.” Chris spoke awkwardly, as if finding it hard to speak properly. 

It was so damn precious, Leon could have kissed him right then and there. 

But he'd wait. He'd be patient. 

Leon needed to hear the words come from Chris’ mouth, telling Leon that he liked him just as much as Leon did him. The way things were going, though, Leon thought it was likely he'd have to be the one to say it first. 

“Chris-”

“Leon-” 

The men spoke in accidental unison, embarrassing them both. Chris' confidence faltered, and so did his hold on Leon’s arm, “I uh, you can go…first.” 

Damnit, Chris. Way to put the ball in my court. 

Leon suddenly found it hard to say what he wanted to, “I uh…” 

What are you, a highschooler? Say you like him, you're a grown ass man! 

Leon mentally berated himself. 

I'm too damn old to be acting like this, just say it, damnit!

Despite his brain trying its best to push him to do it, Leon couldn't find the words, “Chris…” 

“Do you smell something burning?” Chris interrupted him, concern on his face. 

“Huh?” Leon’s eyes widened the second his brain processed the assaulting smell of burning food coming from the kitchen, “Oh, fuck!” Without a word of explanation, he darted off into the kitchen, Chris following close behind. The older man watched as Leon struggled for a panicked moment to put on an oven mitt and open the oven door, revealing a burning tray of…something. Chris couldn't make it out because it was burned so severely, by the smell of it, no, he couldn't make that out either. It just smelled like…burnt.

“God fucking damnit.” Leon swore to himself as he dropped the tray on the counter, “Well, that was supposed to be pork chops. Fuck, I used my Ma's recipe too.” He apologized in his head to his poor, late mother who was likely rolling in her grave over Leon’s kitchen negligence. With a deep sigh, he tossed the burnt meat into the trash, “There goes dinner.” 

Chris couldn't contain his laughter any longer, “Sorry.” He wheezed, trying not to let the laughs overtake him too much, but he couldn't help it. He doubled over in a fit of laughter, making Leon burn red with embarrassment, “You know, you're supposed to cook em’, not burn em’. Makes for terrible taste, I'm sad to say.” 

“Stop.” He covered his face with his hands, “Oh my god I'm so embarrassed.” 

Chris interrupted his own laughter to walk over to Leon and put a hand on his shoulder, “It's alright, I'm sure the trashcan found your pork chops delicious.” his smartassery earned him a punch. With a grunt, Chris grabbed his side, but Leon’s reaction only inspired even more laughter.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry!” Chris apologized while laughing. His ass was not sorry in the slightest. 

“No you're not.” Leon fought back laughter, trying his best to be tough and mad at Chris, but who was he kidding? He sent a playful punch into Chris' arm, “You're the worst. I hate you.” Laughter finally escaped his, still deeply embarrassed, lips. 

“You love me, and you know it.” Chris teased. And, yeah, Leon did. He did love him.

Leon stopped laughing and reached for Chris’s hand, expression going serious, “Chris.” Chris’ laughter ceased as the two of them made eye contact, brown once again looking into blue. The spark returned, and it gave Chris hope of what Leon would have to say. Instead of making Leon nervous like he expected it to, the eye contact only made Leon more sure of what he had to say, “Chris, I do. I love you.” He said, barely louder than a whisper, and yet, it was like Leon had screamed it to the world.

Chris had hoped to hear those words, but no amount of hope could have prepared him for how it actually felt to hear them. It was as if everything in the world had conspired for this exact moment to happen, for him to be standing in Leon’s kitchen, with the smell of burnt pork chops in the air, at this exact time, on this day, with those beautiful blue eyes staring back into his. 

That's why it came so naturally to him to say, “I love you too.” Chris brought Leon’s hand up to his lips and placed a sweet kiss against his knuckles. He held that position for a while, his eyes facing downward, until he looked up to see Leon smiling in a way he had never seen before. 

It was a big, toothy smile filled with so much emotion it looked close to bursting all at once from Leon, and it was so contagious. Chris' own lips stretched into a smile, and why wouldn't they? He was too damn happy not to smile! 

He let go of Leon’s hand and pulled him into a big, warm bear hug that might not have been appropriate for the moment,  but he didn't care. Neither did Leon. He planted his head straight into Chris' chest and hugged him back, basking in the radiator-like warmth that the bigger man gave off. It was so perfectly imperfect. No grand gestures, no fancy dinner and wine, just a small moment turned into the happiest of their lives. 

Neither man would have it any other way. 

Eventually, the hug broke, but their contact didn't. They still stood there, looking at each other; holding hands, like some sappy little teenage couple at the prom. It was silly. It was perfect. 

Chris let go of one of Leon's hands to reach up and brush the other man's fringe from his face, then found purchase cupping Leon's jaw, “Where do we go from here?” He asked in a gentle tone. No demands or expectations behind it. Leon leaned into Chris' touch and thought about how to answer the question. 

“I don't know, I just want to be with you.” He answered, “We hardly see each other, I want to make the most of tonight.” 

Chris nodded in agreement, “I'm gonna make as much of an effort to see you more from now on as I can, though.” He spoke honestly despite knowing how hard it would be.

Leon gave him a playfully skeptical smile, “I'll hold you to that.” With that, he leaned in and kissed Chris' lips, a quick kiss that didn't give Chris time to kiss back. Chris almost asked why so brief before Leon spoke up again, “I have you right now.” He said, “Let's focus on that.” 

Chris could get behind that.

Chris placed his hand on the dip of Leon’s back and pressed his lips against the younger man's. Leon kissed him back with no hesitation, as if this had been one of a thousand kisses shared before. It was nothing short of perfect, how their lips and bodies slotted against each other, like puzzle pieces coming together to create a beautiful image. Both men had long since abandoned any hope of intimacy like this, with someone they truly loved and cared about. The job took everything from them, their sanity, sense of safety, their youth, but it couldn't take away the love they felt for each other. 

The kiss deepened quickly, effectively setting the pace and mood. Just as quickly as they had been sweet and wholesome with each other, they had their hands on each other's bodies, Chris' hands now on Leon’s waist and Leon’s against Chris' chest; kissing each other like they would never get the opportunity to again. Their desperation grew with every passing moment, and before long, Chris had Leon pressed up against the kitchen counter. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but Leon didn't care in the slightest. He wrapped his arms around Chris' neck and shut his eyes tight, really letting himself savor the moment. How long had it been since he really let himself enjoy something? He wasn't sure, but that didn't really matter right now because he was very much enjoying this. 

Chris’ slid his hand beneath Leon’s shirt, his hand warm against Leon’s bare skin. It felt like a dream, and if it was, Leon didn't have any plans of waking up. When the kiss broke, the sigh that came from Chris’ mouth followed by intense eye contact cemented that, yeah, this was real. This was better than any dream. Leon could see it in Chris' eyes, the desire building up in him. The younger man wanted to poke fun at him for it, but he knew that Chris could see the exact same look in his eyes.

“What's on your mind, big guy?” Leon asked, voice smooth. Okay, he'd poke fun a little bit. 

Chris’ eyes immediately became less intense, his face reddening with embarrassment, Leon's question catching him off guard. He cleared his throat, “I was just thinking uh…” 

“That we should take this further?” Leon asked, though he had a feeling he knew the answer. 

“Well, I mean. If you wanted t-” Leon cut Chris off by crashing his lips back into his, pushing Chris away and himself off of the counter. All while keeping their lips connected, Leon dragged Chris through the living room and into his bedroom, where he shoved Chris onto the bed. Chris let out a soft grunt as he hit the bed, a bit staggered by how quickly he and Leon had gotten to this point. But the sight before him quickly reeled him back in. He looked up to see Leon pulling off his shirt. He didn't make much of a show of it, but Chris was certainly captivated. 

“Shit.” Chris whispered breathlessly to himself at the sight. Leon’s body could only be described as perfect. He was built beautifully, and his torso was covered in a litany of moles of various sizes and shapes. Chris' favorite part, he wouldn't lie, was Leon’s ample chest. It was clear that whatever his workout routine was, it heavily favored pectorals. 

Realizing he had been gawking, Chris forced his eyes away, his lips working as if there was something he had to say but was stopping himself from doing so, “You’re…” He slowly began, “You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.” He admitted. Chris knew he loved Leon, but it hadn’t been until that moment that his feelings felt so real, so pronounced. Being with this man, this man with such a beautiful smile and an even more beautiful case of RBF, it felt right. It felt like every tough fight, every injury and worry for his life lead up to this moment. It was all worth it because he got to have this, even if it was only for a short time. 

“Chris, please don't get me all emotional when we're about to fuck.” Leon joked, though it was more to deflect how touched Chris words left him. 

“I wouldn't say ‘fuck’.” Chris said, “That makes it sound so…unromantic.” 

“Then what would you call it?” Leon asked both out of curiosity and to challenge Chris. 

“Making love?” 

“Are we geriatric?” 

“Nearly.” 

Leon rolled his eyes playfully, endeared by Chris' concern for nomenclature, “Alright then, old man.” He grinned, “Get to it.” 

Exhausted, because neither of them were twenty anymore, but not wanting the night to end prematurely, the two men peeled themselves out of bed (with reluctance) and made their way to the couch. Chris and Leon were still in that giggly, post-sex state where everything was so funny and great and there could be no wrong in the world.

So you could imagine how Chris absolutely lost it when he saw the throw blanket on Leon’s couch, the one that Leon immediately wrapped himself up in like a Leon-burrito, “Dude–what am I looking at right now?” 

Leon gave Chris a puzzled look for a moment before he understood that he was talking about the blanket, “This? He asked, lifting the corner up, “My blanket?” He asked, hoping Chris would elaborate as to what exactly was wrong with it. 

“It's just–” Chris couldn’t find the words, “Why is it so…?” 

Leon rolled his eyes, understanding what Chris was getting at, “Cheugy? Ashley got it for me.” The blanket was adorned in cheeky art of various iconic alcohol bottles, as well as small text with various saying such as: 

Its wine o’clock or I have mixed drinks about feelings. 

It was like if you went on the internet and searched the word millennial. Leon didn’t particularly love it, but it was a gift from a friend who just happened to be very millennial and Leon was sure it was purchased with much love and care, “It’s very soft and warm, thank you very much.”

“Well then let me get in on that.” Chris demanded playfully, peeling up the corner of the blanket and pulling it towards himself. 

“Grab the remote before you get comfy.” Leon said, pointing towards the remote. Chris did as he was told and snapped the remote up before getting under the blanket with Leon. 

“You got any streaming services?” Chris asked, turning the tv on. 

Leon shook his head, “Used to, but it seemed like every time I started watching something my phone would ring.”

Chris sighed at the relatability of Leon’s words, “Same here. Cable it is, then.” 

“Yeah, I am still paying for that…for some reason.” 

Chris chuckled and began flipping through the channels, of which there weren’t many. After felt like an eternity of channel surfing, he eventually handed the remote over to Leon, who gave him a funny look, “What?”

“Your house, you pick.” 

Leon sneered, “What a cop-out.” 

Chris shrugged and Leon rolled his eyes, beginning to flip through the channels as if Chris hadn’t already bypassed each and every one of them at least four times. It was a while before anything caught Leon’s eye. When something did, he sat up a little, excited but trying to come off as lowkey about it when Chris looked over at him, “I like this movie.” He explained himself, avoiding eye-contact with Chris as to not embarrass himself over his enthusiasm. 

Chris looked at the tv, seeing that it was an old, black-and-white film. Chris didn’t recognize it, “What is it?” He asked. 

“Oh it's a classic.” Leon told him, not removing his eyes from the tv, “Casablanca.” 

The name didn’t ring a bell for Chris, but he still said, “Oh, okay.” 

A comfortable silence befell the two of them as they watched the movie. It was already a ways through as was the nature of stumbling upon anything while cable surfing, so Chris wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. He was just glad they found something to watch. And really, he was more-so watching Leon’s reaction to the film than it itself. 

As Chris snuck affectionate glances over at Leon, the other man did something that immediately gripped Chris’ heart strings, “I never make plans that far ahead.” The man on the tv said, and as he did, Chris noticed Leon silently mouthing the words to himself. Immediately, Chris remembered Leon saying that to him after the New York Incident. He had been unaware it was a quote, he had just thought it was another one of those quips Leon was so famous for. 

More endeared than Chris thought would even be possible, Chris settled further into the couch, the blanket suddenly feeling warmer and the couch comfier. Everything, in general, just felt right at that moment. Sitting on the couch with Leon, snuggled up under a stupid, cheugy blanket and watching Leon quote an old movie Chris had never even heard of. Chris realized that life didn’t have to be one battle after another, it didn’t have to be a constant cycle of pain and anxiety. Even if the moments were short and stolen away, he could have them—he could have this. 

Chris wondered if Leon felt the same, but with the way Leon’s lips curled into a soft smile and how he settled into the blanket just as Chris had, wondering turned into knowing—knowing that for once, Leon was making plans far, far ahead.