SAVEGUARD ⟼ leon s. kennedy

xxii. close proximity

Qᴜᴇꜱᴛɪᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ: ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ?

𝕔𝕝𝕖𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕖

The night is here.

And of course, I can't sleep.

But this time, it isn't because I'm scared to be alone.

Or because the things that chased us in the ship are still popping up in my vision.

It isn't because my head hurts still.

It's because I want nothing more than to have Leon in my room. To feel his presence next to me, to see his small smiles, and hear his stupid jokes. To feel his body warmth close to me. To feel safe.

And the idea of wanting him so much scares me, petrifies me, but also makes my heart burn in a good way.

I'm scared because this doesn't feel like a rebound after my ex. It feels more than that, but I know Leon probably flirts with everyone he meets. He probably sleeps with a different girl each week.

There's no way he would ever catch feelings like I have— not on a mission like this. Maybe when he was a rookie too, like me, but not now.

I check the little digital clock on the bedside table. It's five minutes past two in the morning.

I wonder if Chris is asleep, and if I should go get Leon. I probably won't have the guts to flirt with him here, but I could use a nice head massage... Maybe hear his little sighs as he works his fingers in my hair, the little sounds that make my heart beat a little bit faster.

"Fuck it," I whisper to myself in the semi-lit room. I get off the bed and look at myself in the mirror. "I'll just pretend I need something from the kitchen."

I step out of the bedroom, still wearing the only outfit I have — a tight top and leggings, courtesy of the BSAA. Their little care package didn't include PJs.

Before I step foot in the communal kitchen, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around quickly, my heart beating, flashbacks of being in the dark on the cruise ship attacking me.

But... It's just Leon.

Shirtless, but with a fresh pair of cargo pants on, black and baggy at the knees, and mismatched socks, one grey, one green.

Shirtless.

I lean back against the counter-top, catching my breath for a second, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. Why is he shirtless? Isn't he cold?

"Chris keeps that room too damn hot," he says, as if reading my thoughts.

I swallow. "I'm not complaining."

"Cheeky," he says, and moves closer to me, almost like he's about to stop right next to me, but then he walks right past me to fill a glass up with water. "I'm guessing you can't sleep."

"About that," I say, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm going to need to call in that head massage favour. Please?"

"Now?" He says, sipping from his glass. "I mean— I— I'm not saying no."

I smile at him, but in reality, I want to scream at him for being so awkwardly sexy. "I'll wait for you back there, and don't worry— I'll keep the room cool for you."

"Okay," he says.

○

Back in my room, he closes the door behind him, and stands awkwardly in front of the door, his hands on his hips.