"Alright ladies, line up. Time to meet your sparring partner," Your trainer commanded. You and your squad mates lined up, hip to hip, facing the entryway of the sparring room. In walked in the men's team, clad in identical uniforms as you and the other women. You stood with your arms crossed behind your back, heart skipping a beat when you see him.
"Choose your lady! And don't go easy, these one's are tougher than you might expect," Krauser shouts. You keep your eyes on the ground, hoping and praying he doesn't choose you.
The men's squad lines up face to face with yours, and you see a pair of boots step in front of you.
"Shake hands!"
You look up, locking with the cold blue eyes you didn't want to see. He puts his hand out, and you take it, looking at him with a straight face as his grin drops.
'Are you mad?' he mouths. Closing your eyes and scrunching your brow, you inhale with a small nod. Looking at him again, he's giving you a confused and pissed glare.
"Now, stick with each other until your match is over. Watch everyone very carefully, you might learn something," your trainer says. Everyone finds their way to a seat, and the first two are called up onto the center mat. Leon sits on a bench, leaving room for you.
"I don't see you for a week and now you're mad?" He asks in a hushed voice.
"Look, I'm sorry. You just... Wouldn't understand." Your gaze is stuck to the ground, unable to face him. In your peripheral vision, he turns to you and stares.
"What wouldn't I understand? We've been through the same thing."
"It's not that..."
"Then what is it? You want me to go easy or something?"
"Definitely not. Just let it go, I don't want to talk about it right now," you say, eyes moving to the fight. He turns back and sighs, not understanding what you won't tell him.
It's only been a month since Raccoon City, and Leon's already gone on a mission without you. Today was the first he's seen you since he got back, but you've always kept in contact daily.
"Come over later. Please. We can talk then," he asks politely, keeping his cool. He didn't know what was going on through your mind, but he wanted to make it go away. He wished a lot of things in his mind would go away.
"Okay. I will."
"I'm not going to go easy. But I won't hurt you. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Kennedy, you two are up!" Krauser shouts. You give each other quick glances and stand, walking to the mat.
Each of you grab knives, looking at each other from opposite ends of the mat. You have a stone cold face on, ready to take his ass down. He gives you the same look, not wanting to break his win streak.
"Any day now!"
Leon decides to charge first, getting closer for a better shot at you. You dodge left, immediately taking a jab that misses. Without missing a beat he goes in once again, but your quick reflexes allow you to parry, knife clinking with his.
In an attempt to redeem yourself for the vulnerable moment, you drop low and jab once again, protecting your face with your free arm. He parrys you and swings your arms around, twisting it in the wrong way.
To avoid getting locked in, you drop lower and swiftly kick him off his feet, his body thudding to the ground. Crawling to your knees you try one last time to get him for good, but he raises a knee, sitting up.
In a swift movement his knee makes contact with your breasts, pinning you down on your back as his weight flips up and over on top of you, his other leg he used to push himself up now pinning down the arm with the knife.
"Shit," you whisper, shielding yourself with your free arm, writhing to get free, his weight on your chest too much. He looks you in the eye, ready to strike, when slow clapping is heard.
"Very good, rookie. Ending the fight quickly and safely, just like I taught you." Leon puts the knife down and looks up at Krauser, breathing heavily. He gets off of you, offering a hand and helps you up.
"I'm proud of you," he whispers as you walk off the mat together.
"Okay," you whisper back, even more angry than before. Your face is flushed, the pain in your breasts from his hit still aching. Your trainer nods to you, silently telling you nice try.
Nodding back you stick to Leon's side, despite the fact that you're mad at him. You sit back in your places and watch the rest of the fights, proud of some of your squad mates for winning.
Once the fights concluded, your trainer rounded everyone up, facing their partners once again. You shook hands with Leon, as if no one knew you were friends. But, they did, and it made you not want to be near him.
...
The time came to gather yourself and explain everything to Leon. You compose your mind and knock on his door. He opens it, and you find him shirtless in sweatpants.
"Hey, come in." You step inside and he closes the door behind you. Seeing him again just frustrated you more, and you erupt.
"Why me? Am I just some easy target?" You say aggressively, turning towards him. He puts his hands up defensively, shocked with the sudden anger from you.
"No, maybe because you're my friend? I know you? It'd be way less awkward to fight a guy you've met?" He says rudely, giving you an upset look.
"Do you know how fucking hard it is for me already? And then going up against you? That's embarrassment waiting to happen!"
"What are you talking about? It's a sparring match!"
"You're the best out of all those men, Leon! I was bound to lose to you. I don't qualify for this job, not one bit. I've tried again and again to prove myself good enough, but I keep looking like an amateur in front of everyone. People talk. And I try to just shake it off, or do good in combat to shut them down, but nothing helps. Especially fighting you!"
"Well maybe I just didn't want another man touching you like that! Do you know the things I hear come out of these dudes mouths? I'm trying to protect you, for fucks sake."
You go silent, listening to his words. You never really thought he'd say something so caring like that, especially mid argument.
"Is that true?"
"Of course it's true. I'll always protect you. No matter from who, or what situation we're in. You'll always be my priority. That can't change." Tears well up in your eyes and you step towards him. He takes a step towards you and you cling to him roughly, your arms wrapping around his torso. He holds you close, a hand on the back of your head and the other gently rubbing your back.
"I'm sorry, I hate yelling at you. Thank you for thinking about me," you whisper, holding back cries.
"Can't get you off my mind." You blush and bury your head in his chest.
"You do understand what I'm saying, right?" You ask, making sure you both comprehend each other's feelings.
"Explain everything to me. What are people saying?"
"They... They keep asking if I'm really here because of Raccoon City. They ask why or how I even got the job. I have one night of experience, Leon. They don't like that. The men give me the same looks, especially because I'm a woman. We're outcasts here." You pause and he stays silent, letting you continue. "But hell, you've earned your respect. You were a cop, you made it through the fucking apocalypse, you trained, already went on a successful mussion. Seeing you as someone I was meant to fight, it hurt. I- don't wanna fight you," you say, voice breaking. Leon's hand grips your hair, holding you close.
"I didn't know you felt that way, I'm sorry. I'll look out for you, I promise. I know fighting me wouldn't be the easiest feat, but you did your best and that's all that matters. You have experience, you just need a little more, that's all. And you'll be happy to know I made a deal," he says.
"Huh?" You look up into his crystal eyes.
"I said I'd only take the job if you and I were partners for our career. I only trust you with my life, and I figured you felt the same. After training, it's just us. No one else to interfere, to say shit, nothing. Just you, and me."
"You did that?" He nods and you smile, getting one back from him.
"That means so much to me."
"You mean a lot to me. I- I love you."
"I love you too." Your eyes close as you feel his lips connect with yours, warmth spreading through your body.
"Hey," he whispers. "I know it's not easy for you. And yeah, it's because you're a woman. Life's made harder for you for no damn reason, sure. But you're capable of so much, a lot more than you know. You and I, we'll show everyone what we can do. We'll be the best agents, the best partners. I just know it."
Sorry if this didn't make sense I just wanted a jealous supportive Leon?? Idk I came up with it randomly.