Leon's POV
"Oh hey, look who's here!" was the only thing I heard as I opened the door to the offices.
I looked at the others, slightly annoyed as I put my jacket on one of the desks.
"Don't start complaining and come and introduce yourself! We have a newbie!" Elisa spoke out, almost euphoric as she pointed her finger at what seemed to be another person, whose head was only visible and blonde.
I sighed as I ran my hand through my hair, regretting being intercepted by my colleagues when I usually just walk by quickly.
As I approached, I saw her face, and my heart stopped beating for a short moment.
Long golden blond hair that cascaded down her back with a few fine strands, slightly wavy, that illuminated her face, two green eyes, one of which was speckled with light blue touches, long and beautiful eyelashes that contrasted with a pale, almost porcelain, complexion, a rosy mouth with a few reddish tinges and a beauty mark under her left eye, which did far more than attract attention to the depth and softness of her gaze.
Clothed in her elegant gray suit, it was composed of a slightly unbuttoned white shirt with the sleeves slightly rolled up. On her wrists was visible a small watch with a light brown leather strap, the rest being provided with two three gold bracelets that recalled the color of her hair. A slim but well-proportioned silhouette that could be guessed at the presence of an anthracite waistcoat, decorated with a brooch whose origin I already knew given the color and wear of the metal, and a pair of thin, almost invisible gold rings in her ears.
She wore long pants of the same color as the vest, which further accentuated her slender silhouette and a pair of black heels.
I gazed at her for a moment, admiring each of her features, swallowing my saliva as I realized that every time I saw her, I fell even more into the trap.
It was obviously Lucia, who hid her surprise at seeing me even worse than me as she choked on her hot chocolate, shaking in her chair as she was caught in a fit of coughing.
"Hey, are you okay?" Matthew finally asked her, slightly placing his hand on her shoulder as she continued to cough, her face extremely red as I raised my hand in her direction, then changed my mind shortly afterward.
I clenched my fist.
Of all the possibilities...
Damn it!! We're not supposed to know each other here.
She finally nodded and looked at me for a moment, her eyes slightly evasive, as if she didn't know what to do either.
"Well, since she's done choking, I can introduce you! Lucy, this is Leon Kennedy and Leon, this is Lucy Castle," Elisa finally said as I calmly nodded my head, trying not to let the fact that I was slightly tense show through.
Fucking weird situation.
"Nice to meet you..." I finally said in an almost flirtatious tone, trying to hide my smile as she was still visibly in a panic, casting glances at the others several times.
Still a little red, she finally timidly waved at me, before quickly sitting back down at her desk as the others began to barrage her with questions.
I laughed slowly.
Too cute.
I looked at her, trying to suppress a smile as I contemplated her once again, slowly realizing the event as I knew that just the fact of seeing her would obviously distract me, for multiple reasons.
Damn, I want to hug her.
I quickly covered my hand with my mouth as I hurried towards the coffee machine, trying to maintain my composure as I was about to explode.
I put a cup and started the coffee machine, then leaned my head against the wall for a short moment, feeling like the wall was much colder than my head, which was burning.
Not even thinking about the fact that I had just returned from a mission, I looked back at Lucia, who was calmly chatting with the others as she nodded politely several times, a blissful smile on her lips.
Stay calm, Leon...
"So? Did it go well?" I heard Elisa ask me as I almost jumped, turning slightly towards her as I was about to retrieve my cup.
I smiled slightly.
"Yeah, you could say that." I laughed, not adding anything more, thoughtfully dipping my lips into my coffee as I kept Lucia in the corner of my vision.
This time, we'll do things right.
As Elisa stepped away for a moment, I saw her come back with a sealed envelope.
"What is it?" I asked her as she crossed her arms.
"I don't know, it arrived this morning, and it's for you. As usual," she implied as I frowned at her remark.
It's not by choice that I work so much.
I looked her in the eyes, a sarcastic smile on my lips.
"Great, more work." I replied, in a falsely happy tone as I saw Elisa roll her eyes, obviously not fooled as I began to casually open the envelope after putting my cup down.
Oh shit.
The report in front of me didn't bode well.
A bomb attack in New York with over 300 injured, two destroyed buildings, and an unidentified terrorist group on the run.
Damn... She has friends there.
I glanced at Lucia, who was still chatting with the others. Our eyes met for a moment, and my objective seemed uncertain for a fraction of a second.
Did I really deserve even a single moment of thinking about the possibility of being by her side?
She was so brilliant, clever, and maybe too soft sometimes.
All she deserved was someone who would be there for her and cherish her enough, whether in her moments of happiness or sadness.
And all of this, because first, they decided to recruit her, and then to put her in the same unit as me when just at the sight of her, I...!
As I put the report back in the envelope that I tucked under my arm to be able to continue drinking my originally started coffee, I sighed.
I need to contact Hunnigan.
I finished my coffee in one gulp, hoping at that moment to escape from that room where I had decided to be too much, my frustration already being so.
As I headed towards the door, I caught a glimpse of her gaze again, and my fists clenched even more, my whole mind plunged into a vivid and burning confusion.
"Hey Leon, are you going on a date without telling us?" I heard Matthew say as I turned towards him, letting out a nervous laugh at his sight.
I glanced at Lucia, who was still staring at me as her lips trembled slightly, caught by curiosity.
A smile escaped from my lips as I grabbed my jacket.
She really is...
"Sorry, but I'm a one-lady type of guy."