SAVEGUARD ⟼ leon s. kennedy

xxi. jealous aspirations

𝕔𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕖

"Alright," Chris Redfield is saying to us in the back of the van. "The BSAA has given us three days of technical leave."

"Technical leave? What is that?" I ask, uncomfortably sitting on worn down leather seats. Leon is sitting right next to me, and Chris is in the seat in front of us. Outside, I can see rolling hills buried underneath blankets of thick, white snow.

"It means they gave him have three days to lick our wounds and find a way to finish the job," Leon tells me, catching a quick look at me.

I still feel my heart race whenever he looks at me. Ever since I found out he spent a whole day by my bedside at the hospital, waiting for me to wake up from my concussion... The way he sat next to me for those two days, cracking corny jokes, and telling me stories, bringing me coffee and just... taking care of me.

Just being there for me. Like I'm important to him...

I can't pretend that I don't have a crush on him.

Maybe more than a crush?

I just wish it wasn't in the middle of a complete shit-show.

I have so many questions.

Is this why my ex dumped me? Because his dad is the head of the FDC? And how did I never realise that my superior was in cahoots with someone like that? Why didn't Leon just shoot me?

"We're making our way to north Italy, as we speak," Chris says, checking his watch. "We have two nights in a cabin. On the third day, we'll make our way back to Terragrigia. We need to find the lab where they created these bioweapons... Test everything, see if we find the antidote. If we don't, well. We'll go straight to the head of this operation."

"Didn't you find anything in the alpines with Jill?" Leon asks, spreading his legs out a bit as he gets comfortable.

I avert my eyes away from his thighs, my throat a little dry.

"We were trying to investigate the origins there, too. The T-Abyss virus. We neutralised a shit-ton of threats. But it's never enough..." Chris says, burying his face in his hands. "Fuck I need a vacation after this one. What'd you think, Leon?"

Leon smiles a little. "I need one too. And a bottomless bottle of whiskey."

Chris stares at Leon and exhales through his nose. Then he looks at me, pointing back to Leon. "You have to take care of this one. He'll drink himself silly if you let him."

"Thanks Chris, but I can take care of myself," Leon says, smiling at me as if to apologise for him.

"I'm sure you can," Chris says. "I'm sure she'll keep an eye on you either way."

"After all he did for me?" I tell Chris, careful to not look at Leon. "It will be my pleasure."

○

𝕝𝕖𝕠𝕟

As he's outside the cabin, watching the sun set behind the snowy mountains, he thinks about how badly he could use a drink right now. It's cold outside, but he's got so many thoughts passing through his head, that he isn't really feeling the shivers run up and down his skin.

The cabin itself is cold, but the rooms are warm. There are only two rooms, but he can share a room with Chris. He knows Jill will be joining, and when she does, she can stay in your room. It's only two nights. He doesn't sleep anyway, so Chris' snoring won't bother him that much.

"Hey, aren't you cold?" He hears your voice from behind him.

"Clementine. Are you okay?" He asks, scooting to the side on the little cushioned bench, making room for you.