Chapter Text
Leon Kennedy was the model officer, and it was apparent to everybody who worked at the Raccoon City Police Department. Immaculate reports, flawless patrol logs, glowing reviews from superiors and citizens alike. He was always punctual, dutiful, and kind to all he encountered. Truly the perfect officer, though he was too humble to say so himself. He was highly praised by all of his superiors, and his fellow officers were sure he was on the fast track to join S.T.A.R.S.
The young officer swung open the door to the Raccoon City Police Department and stepped in with Elliot, the officer who had been on patrol with him. It had been a relatively easy day thus far and Leon was feeling great. He loved his job, had a blast with his coworkers, and felt he had the perfect life in Raccoon City. He was practically glowing with pride and contentment every day, a sentiment that his fellow officers both admired and did not reciprocate.
“I just don’t get how you can be this chipper all the time,” Elliot huffed as they opened the door to the West Office. “Do you ever have bad days, or is that something your brain just blocks out?”
Leon chuckled in response. “It’s not hard to have a positive outlook, Elliot. You could try it sometime.”
“You really are our shining beacon of sunshine and positivity, rookie,” another officer, David, called out from within the office. “Don’t know what we would do without your sparkle.”
“Oh, I’m sure you’d manage,” Leon smirked. “You did fine before I got here, didn’t you?”
“I don’t know about that, Kennedy,” A third voice piped up. This time it was Rita, the more upbeat of the other officers but also the most ready to tease Leon given the opportunity. “There are some people who have the dark and gloomies around here pretty regularly. We may have been shrouded in eternal darkness had you not arrived.” She smirked as she took a sip of her coffee.
“For sure! George is grouchy, Sergeant’s a hardass, and don’t even get me started on those guys in East Office.” David shuddered, and looked back up at Leon from his desk again. “We may tease you but your positivity balances out the sourpusses we have here. Not that you’d ever notice their sour attitudes, that is. You do have a way of bringing out the sunshine in others.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Leon said as he sat at his own desk. “But you’re right, I haven’t really noticed anyone with a bad attitude. Kind of makes me think you’re all just looking for an excuse to make fun of me.”
“Trust me, we don’t need an excuse to do that,” Rita grinned again. “I’m just glad that since you’ve been here, the people from East Office and S.T.A.R.S. have backed off a bit.”
S.T.A.R.S. Leon’s main reason for choosing RPD as his precinct. The special tactics and rescue service teams were the most elite agents that the force had to offer. Both Alpha and Bravo teams were host to some of the most legendary officers in the business. Jill Valentine, Rebecca Chambers, and even Chris Redfield, who seemed a little more human as he was the older brother of Leon’s best friend. There wasn’t much that he wouldn’t do for the opportunity to join their ranks. Of course, he knew he had a long way to go. He was a rookie, and still had much to learn. His Lieutenant often told him that he would get there quicker than most if he maintained his current pace. He felt pride swell in his chest.
“I just hope that you maintain that attitude if you ever do get into S.T.A.R.S.” Rita continued, “Especially if you get assigned to Alpha Team.” She shook her head and took another drink of her coffee.
“What do you mean?” Leon asked. “Is there something oh so imposing and scary about Alpha Team? I know its members are infamous, but they’re also people.”
Elliot turned towards Leon with a look of bewilderment painted on his face. “Are you being serious?”
Leon shifted slightly in his chair, more nervous now. “Come on guys, be real. You’re kind of freaking me out.”
”Don’t tell me you’re not familiar with the captain of Alpha??” David said with an eyebrow raised. “Even us small fries know about Wesker.”
Of course Leon knew about Albert Wesker. He, too, was a legend and widely known and respected within the precinct. Yet he was shrouded in mystery. He was cold and calculated, and extremely thorough. Everything he did was with precision and efficiency. He was the embodiment of professionalism, and Leon had heard that he never showed up to social events. He came, did his work, and left. Leon hadn’t ever interacted with the man, but he’d seen the photos of him with Alpha Team that hung in various offices and the lobby. Nobody ever saw him enter or leave the building, but he remained a steadfast presence in the station. It made Leon a little wary, sure. But he could respect someone who had a healthy separation of work and home. All of the intimidation he felt toward Wesker was mostly a byproduct of others’ fear of him. Leon’s opinion? Work life balance is important and it seemed that Wesker had simply perfected that.
”Sure, he’s a little intimidating.” Leon shrugged. “But again, he’s a person. We’re all just people.”
“Wow, how insightful of you, Leon.” David rolled his eyes. “All this conversation is telling me is that you’ve never actually met the man. You would be singing a completely different tune if you had.”
“I’m gonna have to go with David on this one, Kennedy.” George, the night duty officer, said from the room’s entrance with a slight yawn. “Wesker isn’t a man you should think about lightly. He could ruin your career if he wanted. Or worse.”
“What, like kill me?” Leon scoffed. When a few of his fellow officers pondered on that for a moment he laughed. “Come on, guys! He’s just doing his job. He has no reason to kill me or get me fired or even really notice me, yet. I’m just a rookie, doing my best to be a good officer.”
David shrugged and went back to the report he was working on, and the rest of the officers followed suit. If George was here that means it’s almost time to head out for the night. Leon looked at his watch, he had about an hour to get his own reports done so he got to work. As he typed out the mundane activities of the day, his mind began to wander. He had finally started to feel accustomed to his new life and job, enough that he was able to carve out some time to see his best friend Claire. She had been begging him to let her come over and look at his new apartment, which he assured her was perfectly mediocre and truly not worth the time. But he finally gave in and she was going to come see him for the weekend. He needed to get home and finish up some general housekeeping before he met her at the airport. She also mentioned visiting Chris while she was in town, so they had planned to go out the next night with him.
When someone tapped his shoulder, Leon practically jumped out of his chair. He had gotten so lost in thought he didn’t notice it was half past six. He looked up at who had torn him out of his thought bubble to see Chris Redfield looking a little startled.
“Sorry about that,” He said with a tired smile. “I saw the light on and wondered if you might be in here. I tried calling for you, but it seemed like you were lost in thought. You’re still picking up Claire tonight, right?”
“Yeah, of course,” Leon said, rubbing his eyes. “She’s not set to land until around nine, so I’ve got some time. Definitely didn’t mean to still be here though.”
Chris chuckled. “Yeah, you didn’t seem like you were really locked into what you were doing, more like you were on autopilot.”
Leon looked back at his screen. He didn’t really remember what he had been working on when he zoned out, nor did he remember any of his coworkers leaving the room. He was sure they’d said goodbye but probably didn’t notice he was lost in thought. He clicked through his screens to make sure he had submitted his report for the day and powered his computer down when he confirmed as much. Leaning back in his chair, he reached his arms up and stretched. He looked to Chris as he grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair.
“Are you wanting to come with or get her instead?” He inquired as he slid his arms into the sleeves. “Or just making sure your sister’s chauffeur doesn’t forget his duties?”
Chris grinned. “Well I wouldn’t be a very good brother if I didn’t make sure her driver was punctual, would I?” He playfully shoved Leon’s shoulder as they walked towards the exit of the West Office.
It was almost surreal, talking to Chris so casually. He had certainly heard of him and had the utmost respect towards him, but knowing him in this way was different. He wasn’t the legendary Chris Redfield of Alpha Team but simply his best friend’s brother. He liked this version, more laid back and far less anxiety inducing. He remembered when he made the connection that Claire’s older brother was the Chris Redfield. He could still see the clear smirk of amusement from his friend as he held back in his fanboying. She had enjoyed seeing Leon riled up like that, and she never missed an opportunity to tease him for it.
The two men made their way out of RPD and towards the parking garage. Leon waved goodbye and started towards his apartment to finish getting his place ready. He should have done so days ago but he found himself caught up in work, as he so often did. He smiled to himself as he passed through the city, looking at the twinkling streetlights and thinking about all the places he wanted to take Claire this weekend. They could go to the antique shop in town, or his favorite coffee spot that served the best macchiatos he’d ever had. It didn’t really matter, he was just excited to reunite with his friend.
Pulling the car into its parking spot, he made a mental list of the things he needed to complete in the next few hours. He opened the door to his apartment and let out a sigh at the state of disarray in front of him. He immediately got to work, wiping down counters and vacuuming the living room. He dusted, swept, mopped, wiped down the windows, took out the trash, and then lit a candle. Feeling satisfied with his cleaning job, he pulled out the blankets and pillows he kept in the spare closet and set them on the pullout couch. He looked up at the clock to make sure he had time to set up the bed and panicked when he realized he was running late and still fully in his clothes from work. Sprinting into his bedroom, he threw off his uniform and slid into a pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt. Claire would just have to set up the bed herself. He grabbed his keys from the bowl near the door and headed towards the airport.
—-
“Leon!” Claire shouted while running up to him as he waited near the airport entrance. She flung her arms around him and pulled him into a tight embrace. “I missed you so much! It feels like forever since you’ve moved to the city.” She released him and smiled brightly.
Leon beamed back. ”It hasn’t been that long! It just feels like it because I’ve never been away from home.” He took her suitcase and began leading her toward his car.
“That’s probably true... But it doesn’t matter now!” She followed behind. “Cause now I’m here and we’re gonna have an awesome weekend! I want to know everything! How’s the new job been? Have you met anyone cool? Not as cool as me, obviously. Are you happy here?”
Leon laughed at the barrage of questions. “Good, yes, obviously, and yes.” Claire made a face of dissatisfaction, and Leon continued. “We have the whole weekend for you to dissect my life and pass your judgements. Plus, I’d also like to know how your life is going.”
They got to the car and tossed the suitcase in the trunk before sliding into the driver and passenger seats. Leon spent the drive listening to Claire tell him all about what’s been going on since he left their hometown. It was more or less the same as he’d left it: uneventful yet charming. A far cry from Raccoon City. Claire had been nervous when she learned of Leon’s plans to move away from their small town, and he couldn’t blame her for that. They had met later in life but bonded quickly. When they learned of their similar family lives and trauma, they became each other's rock and confidant. While Claire always had Chris, Leon only ever had Claire. She was scared of him being alone without his support system. He had to use this weekend to show her he was doing fine and had made a good choice.
Once they arrived at his apartment, Claire let out a low whistle. “Nice place, Leon. How long did you spend panic cleaning before you picked me up?”
Rolling his eyes at the remark, he scoffed. “Can’t I just be a clean person and this is how it always looks?”
”Yeah, no. Maybe other people but not you,” Claire smirked. “But seriously, this is nice. I was expecting it to be a bit more cramped, but it’s actually pretty open. You could use more decorations though, it’s like a stock showroom or something”
“Yeah, I was hoping you’d be able to help with that while you’re here.” Leon said, looking around at the bare walls. “I want to put stuff up that I like but I don’t want it to look like the room I had when I was a teenager. Still me, but maybe more mature.”
Claire’s smirk grew at this. “What, you don’t want the legendary Chris Redfield on your wall?”
“Please don’t,” he winced. “It’s bad enough that I gushed about him to you without knowing he was your brother, you don’t need to remind me that I wanted a framed photo.”
“An autographed framed photo, I think it was. Of the whole S.T.A.R.S. team.” She was clearly holding back her laughter. “You were a super fan. How does the man live up to the legend?”
”I like to think I’ve changed a lot since then, thank you. They’re just people, at the end of the day.” Leon said, deciding to leave out that he had been daydreaming about working with the S.T.A.R.S. team earlier that day. “Anyways, enough talk of my mortifying teen self. You’re probably tired, I’ll help you set up the pullout and in the morning we can go to my favorite coffee shop.”
The look on her face said she had more chastising to do, but she dropped it for now. Together they set up the pullout couch and put on the bedding. Leon did a brief tour, showing his friend the important things like the bathroom and kitchen. After setting up the TV so she could watch something if she wanted, he too decided to lie down for the night. Even though there hadn’t been anything particularly challenging, it had still been a long day with very little rest. He stepped into his room and remembered it had been the room that was slightly neglected in his cleaning whirlwind. Sighing, he decided to do some tidying up before he got into the bed so that Claire didn’t have anything more to tease him about in the morning. After he threw his clothes into the laundry basket and organized his desk, he put on his pajamas and plopped onto his bed. The buzz from seeing his best friend after so long finally started to subside and he realized just how tired he was. He had barely closed his eyes when he fell asleep.
—-
The familiar sound of an alarm clock was the first thing Leon heard as he woke up for the day. Instinctively, he reached out and slammed the off button on the top of the clock then picked it up and turned it towards himself to read the time: 5:30am. Damn it. In the chaos of preparing for Claire’s arrival, Leon had forgotten to turn off or at least change his alarm for the weekend. He huffed, knowing sleep would not come back so easily for him, and decided to do his normal routine since he was already up. He groaned as he swung his legs over the side of his bed and mentally prepared to be a human for the day. He changed into a t-shirt and shorts then threw on his sneakers, slowly and quietly making his way to the door past Claire. He scribbled a message onto a sticky note before exiting the apartment saying, “Went on a run, be back soon. Text if you need anything.”
He stepped out into the sun and stretched upwards, breathing in the crisp morning air. Running was something he had picked up to give himself some semblance of a routine while things were still crazy at work, and it became a hobby he genuinely enjoyed. It gave him time to think and plan his day, though normally he did it significantly later in the day on the weekend. The fact that he was even awake this early, let alone doing a run, wasn’t something he was particularly happy about. He went through the motions, winding down the trails he always took until he was back at his place again. Being as quiet as he could, he slowly pushed open his door and found Claire still asleep. The traveling probably took a lot out of her so he did his best to stay quiet as he crumpled the note he had written and tossed it into the garbage. After a quick shower, he plopped back onto his bed and closed his eyes as he thought about the day ahead of him.
There was a light tapping on the door frame and Leon looked up to see Claire smiling, half-awake but excited. “Are you ready for the day?” she beamed.
Leon gave her a smile in return. “Absolutely! Are you hungry? I really want to take you to this coffee shop up the road.”
“Let’s do it! I’ll drive!” She replied.
“No need, it’s right up the street and the weather is perfect today. Let’s walk.”
Claire threw hair up into a ponytail and followed Leon out the door. He locked his apartment and began walking towards the shop. They talked about all manner of things on their walk together. Claire told Leon about the motorcycle she had been working on and the upcoming showcase she signed up for. Leon told her all about West Office and his coworkers who he deeply respected despite their teasing. Claire started asking about her brother and the rest of the precinct outside of West Office.
”It’s hard to say, really,” Leon said after thinking for a moment. “I don’t interact with people much outside of my office. There’s not really a reason.”
“Not even Chris? Having him be someone you knew here was the only thing that made me comfortable with you making this move.”
“He’s a busy guy, Claire. Don’t stress so much about it. It’s not like we don’t interact at all, it’s just that there’s not much reason to do it regularly.” Leon shrugged. “He came by the office yesterday though.”
“Please, he probably just wanted to hound you about making sure not to forget me at the airport. Which is rich coming from him, by the way.”
Leon laughed as they entered the coffee shop. It was a charming, mom-and-pop cafe with a homey interior like you had just stepped into your grandparents kitchen. The smell of coffee and sweets wafted through the air as they approached the counter. Leon ordered a caramel macchiato and Claire ordered an americano. They took their drinks and sat at a table near the window. Sipping his coffee, Leon took in the beautiful day outside. Claire sipped her coffee as well and let out a contented sigh.
”This is nice.” She said softly. “It’s a great place, really cozy.”
Leon smiled back. “Yeah, it’s great. I don’t come every day but often enough.”
There was a moment of silence between them before Claire cleared her throat. “So…” She grinned. “Any cute guys around here?”
“Claire, please—“
“Absolutely not, Kennedy! I want gossip! You had your excuses yesterday, but you will not keep me thirsty if there’s tea to be had.”
Leon couldn’t help but laugh at her turn of phrase. “There’s not much to talk about! I spend a lot of time at work. When I’m off, I’m at home. I lead a relatively boring life, Claire. We can’t all be top agents and badass motor cyclists like the Redfields.”
Claire laughed, too. “Well, that is true. The Redfield bloodline is clearly a superior one, but I’m holding out hope for the Kennedy line too. I’m so glad we’re going out with Chris tonight, he’ll really help you get out of your shell. He's a riot to go out with, albeit a little overprotective at times. He probably needs to loosen up just as much as you do, actually.”
Leon pondered as he continued to nurse his coffee. His first night of going out since he’d been in Raccoon City, save for the late night stops for Chinese food and movies. Was he really ready for this? He often found the line between Leon and Officer Kennedy was blurred, and it made him rather stiff when he was anywhere but his home. It had gotten better as he eased into his new role and became close with his coworkers but he was still a little anxious at the prospect of acting like an idiot while out for the first time. He glanced back at Claire. Having her there would make it so much easier, everything was easier with your best friend. Chris was sure to be a welcome addition to the night too, having more than one familiar face would make it easier for Leon to loosen up. And he had to agree with Claire, Chris probably needed tonight just as much as he did if not more. Being a member of S.T.A.R.S. likely had many more challenges than being your standard officer. Realizing he would have two of the most reliable and loyal people he knew with him, Leon found himself actually looking forward to the night’s events.
—-
“Oh COME ON,” Claire groaned. “There’s no way that’s the best outfit you have!”
Leon looked down at his outfit, a pair of fitted jeans and a plain black t-shirt. Claire had told him to dress in something nice but not too fancy. Sure it wasn’t as nice as her red halter top and slacks but he thought it fit the bill. He sighed at his friend, ”I don’t see the problem?”
She rolled her eyes and scoffed in response. “Of course you don’t. You do know we’re going clubbing, right?”
”Yeah, but it’s not like I own a mini dress, Claire.”
She looked like she was genuinely pondering that as a viable option for a moment before Leon gave a firm “Don’t even think about it”. She stood from her suitcase and made her way to Leon’s bedroom, where she began rifling through his closet.
“Don’t you have anything cute in here, Leon?” She said sliding shirts across the pole in the closet. “Plain t-shirts, your uniform, a button up might work… wait, what’s this?” She pulled out a leather catsuit and held it up to Leon, raising an eyebrow. “You got a kink I don’t know about?”
“Oh my god, Claire, no…” Leon said feeling his face go hot. “It’s a costume, it was for the Halloween party last year.”
“Yeah, I don’t buy it. I was there last year, and I think I’d remember seeing this beaut.” She gestured to the leather body suit still in her hands.
“Well, yes…” Leon huffed, feeling increasingly more embarrassed. “I chickened out, obviously. It was going to be, like… Catwoman, you know? But I couldn’t commit to wearing a full leather outfit, it just felt off…” He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding Claire’s gaze. “Can we move on please?”
She thought for a moment, eying the costume. “So, would you say you’re not particularly attached to this?”
“I suppose not…” He cocked an eyebrow. “What are you planning?”
Claire grinned wide. “You’ll see, you’re gonna love it!”
She took the suit out of the bedroom and set it on the couch before digging through her bag and pulling out a small sewing kit. Leon watched from the doorway of his room, intrigued. Claire cut the suit in half, essentially turning it into a top and pair of pants. She cut the waist on the pants to make them low rise and used the extra bits of leather to create belt loops before she moved to the top. Cutting off the sleeves and deepening the neckline slightly, she hemmed the top to be a tank and held it up towards Leon with pride.
“Wow, that was incredible Claire!” He said as he took the shirt into his hands. “I didn’t know you could sew.”
“Chris always made sure we were taken care of.” She smiled. “But domestic tasks like sewing and cooking were always something he struggled with. My choices were to do it myself or accept a clumsy job. But what do you think? It’s cute right! I can make the sleeves into gloves too, if you want.”
“Let’s take it one step at a time.” Leon laughed. “But Claire, isn’t this a little… short?”
“No, it’s exactly short enough! Go try it on!”
Leon turned back into his room and shut the door behind him. Setting the top Claire made him onto his bed, he took off his clearly more comfortable shirt. He slid the newly created top on and looked in the mirror, his fears realized. The sleeves were absent and the neckline was a little lower than a standard crew, neither of which particularly mattered to Leon. His concerns came from the main body of the shirt, which stopped an inch or so above his navel. Claire had deliberately made the cut higher and Leon was wearing his very first crop top. A soft knock on the door came before the culprit let herself in and let out a low whistle. “Looking good, Kennedy!”
“I don’t know, Claire. It’s a bit exposing, isn’t it?” He tugged the hem down slightly.
”I think you look great! And it fits great, hugging your top but a little looser towards your belly button.” She smiled softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I mean it, you look incredible. But if you’re not comfortable, we can find something else.”
Leon thought about it for a moment. It was just a shirt, it’s not like he was wearing an entirely leather outfit. He looked in the mirror again. Claire wouldn’t do something to purposely make him feel exposed, nor would she lie to him if he didn’t look good in it. His only option was to try to find some confidence in that, lest he be subjected to goading all night for his “boring outfit choices”. Smiling, he turned to his best friend.
“No, let’s do it.”
“Hell yeah! I’ll call Chris and let him know we’re ready to go!”
She went back into the living room to text her brother, and Leon looked to the mirror once more. Unsurprisingly, the blue jeans didn’t seem appropriate anymore. He swapped them out for a pair of faded black jeans he had before searching through his closet for a jacket. Coincidentally, he owned a regular leather jacket that had nothing to do with the costume he previously purchased. He laughed to himself as he threw it on and he turned back towards the mirror for the final time. It felt odd, seeing himself in something so different from anything he’d worn before. But he needed to feel confident because he needed tonight to go well, even if going well was just having fun with his friend. He didn’t want to be self conscious all night. He flashed a smile at his reflection before running his hand through his hair. His thought process was interrupted by a strong knock at the door. He hadn’t made it halfway through the living room before Claire was opening the door to show Chris, wearing none other than a plain t-shirt and fitted jeans.
”Oh, what! This has got to be favoritism.” Leon groaned.
“Yeah, favoritism to you. I’d never let you go out looking like this. Plus, you think I haven’t tried? Stuck in his ways, this one.” Claire said, jabbing a thumb towards Chris.
He just laughed. “I feel like I’m interrupting an argument of sorts. Should I leave you two to duke it out?”
”It’s already been handled. I was just making sure my best friend didn’t fall victim to men’s ‘fashion’.” She said with air quotes before placing a hand on Chris’ shoulder. “I fear it’s too late for you, dear brother.”
All of them laughed and Leon could feel his nervousness retreating to the back of his mind. After locking up his apartment, the three of them made their way to Chris’ car and got in. As the engine hummed to life, rock music began blaring from the speakers. Chris and Claire argued about what to play for the first five minutes of the drive with Leon laughing at their antics from the back seat. Claire won, as she so often does, and she put in a more upbeat pop CD into the car. She said it was the only real way to get pumped up for the club. They spent the next twenty minutes singing along passionately to the Backstreet Boys and Brittney Spears. Chris acted like he was annoyed by the music change, but it was clear he was having just as much fun.
As they approached a seemingly normal looking building, Leon could feel the bass coming from within. He could scarcely tell the difference between it and the pounding in his chest. The car came to a stop, and Claire turned to address the group.
”Listen up! Since this is Leon’s first time, we gotta make sure he has a good time!”
“And that he’s safe,” Chris chimed in. “We should try to stay in relatively the same area.”
“Sure, yes, that too.” She replied. “But don’t hover, Chris. Especially if a cute guy comes up to him. We gotta let the baby bird leave the nest, you know.”
“And “baby bird” is still here, you know.” Leon added. “And an adult, as well as a cop? I’m capable of handling myself.”
“No, that’s the whole point! We want you to just be Leon tonight.” Claire smiled. “Leave Officer Kennedy at home, or if he’s here leave him in the car.”
Leon laughed. “Okay, fine. I’ll just focus on fun tonight.”
“That’s the spirit!” Chris said. “Let’s do this!”
They exited the car and made their way over to the entrance of the club. After getting their IDs checked and paying the entry fee, they made their way inside. Leon didn’t know where to look. There were different colored lights flashing and sweeping across the room at random intervals and a thick fog that he assumed was coming from a machine somewhere near the stage where a DJ booth was set up. The man in the booth had somewhat of a miniature light setup for himself as well, with the turntable lighting up in a shifting rainbow and his headphones flashing along with the beat of the music. The music itself was loud, bass heavy, and all encompassing. Leon had heard the term club music before and never really understood what it meant until now. He could feel every beat of the music in his feet and the shift from low to high notes made his ears ring slightly. It was all so… much. Leon felt someone grab his hand and looked up to see Claire with an excited but slightly concerned look on her face. Leon smiled back and gave her a thumbs up, allowing himself to be guided to the bar.
They found two chairs open at the end, and Chris gestured for them to sit while he stood. Leon looked at the siblings and saw their mouths moving but he couldn’t make out what was being said over the blaring music. Assuming they were asking about drinks, he looked at the menu and pointed at a fruity looking drink. Claire ordered their drinks and Chris paid. Leon got his cocktail while the other two looked like they got something on tap. Claire grabbed Leon’s hand again and led them to a slightly less dense area that had a tall pub table they could set their drinks on. The group shed their jackets and Claire set her purse on the table. After they were settled, she leaned in towards Leon.
“Do you want to dance? How are you feeling?” She shouted over the roar in the room. Leon gave a small smile and nod in response.
“Yeah, you guys go ahead. I’ll watch our stuff.” Chris assured them with a smile.
“Okay, but you’re next!” Claire shot back before leading Leon out to the dance floor.
The pair bobbed and weaved through the crowd to get to a part of the dance floor that they could somewhat comfortably move in. Claire shot Leon a grin and started dancing along to the music, hips swaying and arms up. Leon couldn’t help but smile back as he felt his anxiety recede for a moment. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to be swept up by the beat, head swinging along with his arms as he got comfortable. His eyes opened again when he barely made out laughter coming from his dance partner, she was clearly enjoying the participation she’d earned from Leon. They smiled and laughed as they danced together, and Leon found himself once again feeling grateful that his friend was more adventurous than him and pushed him out of his comfort zone.
After a while, Claire leaned in and told Leon she was going to swap out with Chris before she slipped back into the crowd leaving him alone. Leon opted to keep his positivity and energy up by continuing to dance while he waited. As he dipped forward with the rhythm, he felt a pair of strong hands on his hips. He bolted up straight and whipped around to see a man he’d never met before grinning at him. The man grabbed Leon’s hips again and pulled him close. He leaned his head in close to Leon’s.
“Haven’t seen you around here, must be my lucky day.” He smelled like a mixture of alcohol and cheap cologne.
“Oh, um…” Leon stammered. “No, I’m here with some friends and I don’t think—“
He put a finger to Leon’s lips and hushed him. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you hung out with someone else for a little while.”
“I’m really not interested, sorry.” Leon stated as he tried to push away.
The man tightened his grip on Leon’s hips. “Playing hard to get, huh? I can get into that.”
The man started to lean in for what Leon assumed was a kiss when Leon was suddenly pulled backwards out of his grasp. He lightly thudded against someone and looked up to see Chris. His jaw was clenched and his eyebrows were furrowed into a scowl. He pulled Leon behind him and started towards the man. Leon couldn’t make out exactly what was being said, only that Chris looked pissed off. He was jabbing the man in his chest with his finger as he enunciated something. The man’s face went from indignation to smugness to fear in a matter of mere moments. The man scurried away looking scared after a few moments of what Leon assumed was a verbal barrage from Chris. Chris turned on his heel and grabbed Leon by the wrist, pulling him back towards Claire and their table. Once they got there, he saw Chris lean in towards his sister to say something before he marched towards the exit. Claire looked at her friend with a concerned expression.
“Oh my god, Leon are you okay?”
Leon blinked. “Yeah, I uh… I didn’t even really have time to be upset, Chris was there so quickly. Is he okay?”
“Yeah, he's fine. Just frustrated for you. Your first night out and some creep all handsy.”
“Yeah, but even Chris needed tonight. I feel bad that he spent any of it not having fun.”
Claire shook her head firmly. “Don’t worry about it, it’s just how he is. He said it’s up to you if you want to stay longer or head out, and I agree.”
Leon checked his watch. They’d been there for a couple hours and he didn’t feel strongly one way or another. He pondered on what his next move should be, then he got an idea. “What if we stop and grab some drinks to bring back to my place? Less pressure, same fun.”
“Great idea! Let’s head out.”
They walked out together and scanned the area for Chris. They saw him leaning against his car smoking a cigarette. As they got closer, they could hear him cursing under his breath. He took a long drag and flicked the cigarette to the ground, stomping out the cherry as he saw the two of them walking towards him. After a brief lecture about smoking, Claire told her brother the plan they’d come up with. They piled into the car and swung by the liquor store, each of them picking out their poison for the night. They took some of the CDs from Chris’ car and brought them into Leon’s apartment to listen to while they drank and talked. Claire made some simple cocktails for the group as Chris was fiddling with the stereo system, putting on something upbeat but less intense than the music at the club.
Leon let out a sigh as they finally sat down, earning a light elbow from Claire. “You wanted out of there more than you realized, huh?”
“I guess so. It could be fun sometimes but definitely not my regular scene.” He paused before turning towards Chris. “Thank you, by the way. I got so caught up in trying to have fun that I completely froze up.”
“I don’t think that’s a fault on you, Leon. Some people just wait until new folks show up and try to take advantage of their inexperience. It’s disgusting.” He took a swig from his glass before continuing. “I’m sorry I didn’t hear your side, though. It occurred to me that maybe you were having fun and I’m just bad at reading the situation. You just looked really uncomfortable.”
“No, you didn’t misread anything! I was uncomfortable, he was being really pushy. I’m grateful you were there! Thank you, seriously.”
”Aww, look at my boys getting along!” Claire grinned. “Keep this up when I leave, okay? I know you both tend to keep your problems to yourselves but remember that you have each other. It’ll also make me worry less about both of you.”
“Well I don’t see why not. What do you say, Leon?” Chris asked.
”Absolutely.” Leon smiled back, lifting his glass for a toast. “To friendship! Old and new.”
“God, you’re corny.” Claire laughed. “But alright, to friendship!”
The three of them clinked their glasses together and drank. They spent the rest of the night talking about the current big things happening in their lives. Chris and Leon compared their stations at the precinct, while Claire got into the semantics of motorcycle customization. They reminisced over their time as teenagers in their small town, and admired the people they’d become. Leon knew that his teenage self would be proud of the work he was doing and he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. By the time the night came to a close, they were all too sleepy and tipsy to go anywhere and they all fell asleep in the living room together.
The last day of Claire’s visit went by in a flash. It was originally going to just be her and Chris, but they’d asked Leon to tag along and he was happy to oblige. After cleaning up his apartment that they’d left a mess the night prior, they spent the day going to all of Chris’ favorite spots, including a local burger joint and the gun range. Leon finally started to feel like he was friends with both of the siblings instead of just Claire. When the time came for her to get on a plane and head back home, there were a lot of emotions. Leon felt good to show her that he was living well and she had nothing to worry about, but he was also sad that her time there was only temporary. He hugged her tightly and told Chris he’d see him at work before the siblings drove away towards the airport. After completing the chores he had put off over the weekend, Leon fell onto his bed. His heart was full and his eyes were heavy. Sleep came quickly.
—-
Leon woke to his alarm at 5:30am, ready to tackle his day. The weekend left him feeling refreshed and even more chipper than usual. He made it through his run in record time before taking a brisk shower. After getting dressed, he had a little time to kill so he decided to stop at the coffee shop for a drink. Opting to drive so he wouldn’t have to backtrack, he cruised up to the cafe and parked out front. He ordered his usual macchiato to go and stretched upwards as he got back outside. It was beautiful out and Leon had a feeling today was going to be a good day. He hummed along to the music playing from his radio as he drove to work, radiating positivity. He practically skipped into West Office that morning and greeted his coworkers with a smile.
”Leon, please. You’re positive energy! It’s too bright, I can’t handle it!” David exclaimed while shielding his eyes.
”Yeah, what’s got you in such a good mood?” Elliot asked from his desk.
”Did you get laid?” Rita piped up.
Leon just laughed as he put his coat up. “Just a good weekend with Claire. It was good seeing her. I got to know Chris a little better, too.”
”Wait, your Claire is Claire Redfield?” Elliot said with a raised eyebrow. “How did we not know that?”
Leon just shrugged as the conversation continued. He sipped on his coffee as the other officers talked about their weekends and the tasks they had to get done that day. He hadn’t even had the chance to let his computer finish booting up before a voice cut through the office chatter.
”Kennedy!” Called out Lieutenant Marvin Branagh. “Come here.”
Leon slid his chair out from under his desk and walked up to the lieutenant. “What’s up, Marvin?”
“You’ve been reassigned.”