Chapter Text
Leon and Chris never do go bowling. Although the DSO agent is supposedly on vacation, both men spend the week after New York in cleanup and debriefing, managing little more than smiles when they pass each other in the hall. They’re too busy to talk during the day and too tired to hang out in the evenings but that doesn’t stop them from calling and texting back and forth.
Chris feels awkward at first, afraid of saying the wrong thing when he can't see Leon's face. Almost twenty years of miscommunication prove that he’s fantastic at shoving his foot into his mouth. However, talking to the other man is surprisingly easy and he likes the way the agent sounds over the phone, voice low and rough with laughter in his ear.
But talking isn't enough. The captain wants to take Leon on an actual date; he promised they'd go bowling and all he needs is one free afternoon. Considering that Chris writes the schedule, it shouldn't be that difficult. But something always comes up that he just can't delegate.
Eventually, though, seven days after the outbreak, the captain manages to get them both the same four hours guaranteed. So he calls Leon that morning and invites him on a date, asking the other man to meet him outside the BSAA. The agent sounds excited and Chris is glad to hear it; he's always admired Leon and the fact that the man loves him still doesn't seem quite real.
Chris arrives ten minutes early but Leon is there already and his uncertain smile makes the captain want to cry. He shouldn't be so insecure. The DSO agent has saved the world a dozen times; he's smart, deadly, and so attractive that the sight of him in jeans should probably be a crime. Honestly, when Leon bends down to tie his shoe, Chris actually gets lightheaded and some poor passing bicyclist rides into a car. A guy like that should not be looking at the captain like he's gonna break his heart.
But he is and Chris grows even more determined to have the best date ever. He takes Leon out for pancakes and tries to act the perfect gentleman while they wait for their food. Thankfully, the conversation flows as smoothly in person as it did over the phone and Leon soon relaxes enough to tease and joke again.
However, the agent still blushes when Chris wraps an arm around his shoulders on their way out of the restaurant. He's prepared to let go if Leon seems uncomfortable but the other man just leans into the touch before continuing his rant about the DMV. The captain doesn't remember how they got onto this topic but he's too amused to interrupt; Chris likes watching Leon be this passionate so he just enjoys the view and steers them toward the bowling alley where he reserved a lane.
The men have almost reached their destination when Leon’s cell phone rings, cutting off the agent's rant mid-word.
“Fuck, I need to get that,” he says with a deep sigh. “Hunnigan promised she wouldn’t call unless it mattered so something must be really wrong. I’m sorry about this.”
“Hey, I get it,” Chris replies, hugging Leon a little closer before letting go entirely. “Hazard of the job.”
The captain means it. He knew what he was doing when he asked the agent out and stopping a new outbreak always has priority. That said, Leon's clear irritation makes him kind of happy; the other man looks ready to throw down when he pulls out his phone and snaps, “This is Kennedy.”
The DSO agent listens to the caller and then gives a series of one-word answers, his expression slowly darkening:
“New York.”
“Redfield.”
“What?”
“Georgia?”
“Now?”
“No!”
“Fine.”
Leon ends the call and sighs again before running one hand through his hair.
“A mission then?” Chris asks, though it’s not really a question. He knows that look too well.
“Yeah. I'm so sorry. They want me wheels up in an hour,” the agent tells him. “Can we take a rain check?”
Leon sounds nervous, like he's fully prepared for the captain to dump him over this. Whatever happens in the future, Chris plans to work on that, to bolster the other man’s self-confidence until he finally stops assuming the worst at every turn. But for now he simply grins.
“We can reschedule anytime,” the BSAA agent promises. “I've been fighting outbreaks just as long as you have; I knew that this might happen and I asked you out anyway. You're not going to scare me off that easily.”
“Maybe. But this whole thing still fucking sucks,” Leon huffs. “I've been looking forward to this date for a whole week.”
“You were excited about bowling?” Chris asks, remembering the other man's reaction when he first suggested it.
“Bowling with you,” is the reply and the captain melts a little. He doesn't know how Leon says things like that without hesitation, the hokiest lines just rolling off his tongue. The agent should sound stupid but the words are so sincere that they somehow work instead.
And so Chris has to kiss him. He tugs Leon forward and leans in, threading his fingers through that ridiculously soft hair. The other man melts against him and both of them are breathing hard by the time he pulls away.
“I really do need to go,” the agent says reluctantly.
“Uh-huh,” Chris murmurs, refusing to let go. He kisses Leon again and then again before his own phone rings.
“You've got to be kidding me,” the captain groans and the other man laughs against his mouth.
“Better get that,” Leon murmurs, stepping back and straightening his hair. Chris feels cold without him and he probably sounds as pissed as the agent did when he hits answer call.
“Redfield here. What is it?” he snarls into his phone.
“Uh, sir? Am I interrupting something?” a nervous voice replies. The kid sounds about fifteen so the captain takes a deep breath and softens his tone consciously.
“No, it's all right,” Chris says. “What do you need?”
“The DSO asked us for help. They've gotten word of a new threat down in Georgia. Some disgruntled scientist is threatening to release T-Veronica if his demands aren't met,” the young man tells him. “Actually the DSO mentioned you by name; our contact said you've worked with their agent in the past and you're both in New York so the pilot can pick you up at the same time. However, if you don't think you've recovered from your last mission, I've been instructed to call Burton in your place.”
Chris barely has to think. He knows which agent the DSO has summoned and he's always going to volunteer to watch Leon's back.
“I'll do it. Where's the drop point?”
“The DSO will pick you up at our New York headquarters in forty-five and brief you with more details on the way. Good luck, Captain.”
“Thanks,” Chris mutters before ending the call and pocketing his phone.
“Georgia?” Leon asks.
“Georgia.”
“Great. Then I guess the date's back on,” the other man says with a grin. “We better get going now. We don't want to be late.”
“You're right, we don't. Try to catch me, pretty boy,” Chris says before he takes off running and he's rewarded with a laugh as Leon darts after him.
Despite the jokes, the captain is a little worried about how they'll work together. Neither of them knew about Leon's mark on their last mission and that might lead to second-guessing in the field.
However, as soon as they reach headquarters, the other man pulls on his mission face and Chris has always trusted Agent Kennedy. In this, the man is confident like he isn't otherwise and when he hands out orders, the captain no longer feels the urge to argue for the sake of arguing. Not when he finally knows that Leon does respect him. There's no need to somehow prove that he's the better soldier; the other man will listen to his opinions anyway.
Indeed, Leon is nothing but professional throughout the flight to Georgia, their briefing, and the initial scouting run. However, the mission goes south quickly like they always seem to do and by the time the agents are fighting off herds of infected sheep, it's wall-to-wall jokes about zombie sweaters coming out of Leon's mouth.
The captain's first instinct is to shut down this flippancy. But Chris doesn't want to yell at Leon anymore and when he stops to think, he recognizes the other man's expression. It's not fear exactly, but a grim determination to see their mission through. That look reminds the captain of something he'd forgotten: the DSO agent is usually a solo operation, just him against the monsters, and the jokes are probably a coping mechanism to keep from panicking.
Where Chris tends to get more serious, Leon starts trash-talking and that explains a lot about their past arguments. The jokes used to drive him nuts every time they worked together, but they're actually pretty funny when he gives them a chance. Terrible, yes, but funny, and the hostages don't seem to mind the agent's cocky mask.
Chris can hardly blame them. When the other man says that they'll be fine, it's impossible to doubt him. He radiates protectiveness – he'll save them or die trying – and the survivors latch onto that reassurance like a lifeboat in a storm.
Thankfully, the agents manage to keep their promises. Neither of them deal well with losing people in their charge. But if not for his choice of virus, their target would be small-time and Leon reduces him to incoherent rage with a few choice lines. It's a thing of beauty and with such a great distraction, Chris has the scientist on the ground in six seconds flat. He hands the bastard over to the DSO clean-up crew before helping the survivors into a transport helicopter, half-a-dozen men and women freaked out but alive.
“Not the worst first date I've ever had,” Leon says as they climb into the chopper.
“Sounds like you need higher standards,” Chris retorts, though now he's curious. “Do you do a lot of dating during virus outbreaks?”
Sure that's how the other man met Claire and Ada but he must have a social life; even the BSAA agent manages to go out with friends sometimes.
However, Leon simply shrugs, “Not like I've got a lot of options to meet people when I'm working constantly. And I always seem to get the assholes when Hunnigan and I go out to bars. At least the people on a mission understand.”
“I suppose you've got a point.”
Now that Chris thinks about it, both of his non-family marks were gained on missions. He was friends with Jill and Piers before, but outbreaks made their relationships much stronger and he has no trouble believing that Leon could pick up dates while shooting zombies. When the man dozes off on his shoulder, half the hostages look like they would kill to take his place and Agent Kennedy will probably be written on a few more hearts tonight.
The captain feels…. not jealous. It's hard to be jealous when Leon so clearly doesn't notice, just curls into his side to get more comfortable. But he definitely feels possessive and damn lucky that this man loves him.
When they get back to base, Chris nudges Leon gently and he's rewarded with a sleepy smile that blindsides him utterly. He wants to wake up to that expression so bad it almost hurts and it takes him a minute to get his head back in the game. By then the DSO agent is busy organizing their small group of survivors, making sure that everyone sees a doctor and has a place to go. Only once they're taken care of does he give Chris a tired grin.
“Do I get a second date then?”
“Of course, though I'm still not sure that this should count.”
“Oh no, it definitely counts,” the other man replies. “Which means that it's my turn to pick the place.”
“This was all a master plan to get out of bowling, wasn't it?” Chris asks, more amused than irritated. Because he likes this Leon too. The one who's too exhausted to be nervous and teases when he flirts.
“Is it working?”
“You know, I think it is,” the BSAA agent answers. “Though I can't count this as a proper date without a good night kiss.”
“Well, I guess I better fix that,” Leon purrs. He steps into Chris' space and gives him a scorching kiss, warming him from head to toe. “How's that for a goodbye?”
“Christ, hello would be much better. Can this be our third date now?” the captain mutters. He knows they were going to take things slow but he needs this man naked in his bed yesterday.
“Don't I wish?” the agent answers and for a second Chris thinks that he might actually get lucky. But then Leon shakes his head. “Unfortunately, this was a DSO operation, which means they'll want six hours of debriefing before sending me back to DC.”
“Six hours? Is that normal?”
“Nah. That's actually pretty light. Spain was thirty when I finished. More if you count the lab tests. I've learned to sleep on transports whenever possible; if they'd just put a snack bar on their airplanes, it wouldn't be so bad,” Leon tells him with a shrug. He doesn't seem to think there's anything weird about the situation and Chris files it under the growing list of things that they need to talk about. “What can I say? The DSO loves their paperwork. I'm honestly a little surprised that no one has come to fetch me yet.”
As though summoned by the words, a man in a black suit appears in the doorway. He frowns when he sees them wrapped around each other but Chris takes his cue from Leon and doesn't pull away.
“Agent Kennedy, we're waiting on you,” the man sneers.
“Yeah, I'd better go,” the other man sighs. “I'll call you soon as I can. And if anyone gives you trouble about a ride home, tell them to contact Hunnigan. She'll get you sorted out.”
With one last kiss, Leon follows his guard dog from the room. Chris takes an hour to write up his report, waiting until the buzz of adrenaline has faded before going to see about that ride. Between chasing down Arias, New York, and this last mission, the captain hasn't been home in several weeks and he's fully prepared to leverage Leon's connections in order to sleep in his own bed.
However, as soon as Chris steps into the hanger, three different pilots offer to take him anywhere he wants. They're barely more than kids, tripping over themselves in their excitement, and the captain feels as old as dirt in comparison.
So he chooses the calmest of three to be his pilot and gets out of there before someone tries to get his autograph. Of course, calm and calmest are two very different things and the young man keeps up a running commentary at his side.
“It really is an honor to meet you, sir. You're a legend in the DSO, just like Agent Kennedy. I mean, you're both first generation: the originals. You fought these viruses before anyone even knew what they could do and you survived. Without agents like you, we never would have brought Umbrella down,” the kid rambles on their way to the plane. “I can't believe I missed the chance to work with both of you. I would have paid to be your evac. Some of the stories that I've heard….
“Did you really fistfight Wesker in a volcano? I'm pretty sure that thing about the boulder is a lie, but I suppose you've got the muscles. Of course, Kennedy's no slouch there. The guys he's sparred with say that he punches like a truck, though mostly he's just too damn fast. I heard he took out an army of ganados by himself and I believe it; I've been dying to work with him for years.”
“Even after the death of his last squad?”
Chris probably shouldn't ask. But this is his best chance to find out what the other DSO agents truly think of Leon. He won't be working with the BSAA on every mission and the captain needs to know if his partner will have backup he can count on when the chips are down.
“That wasn't his fault!” the pilot snaps instantly. “The entire mission was FUBAR from the start. Bad intel, bad luck, a fucking mole. They were betrayed and yeah, Kennedy's the best, but he can't work miracles. I was there when he returned and he'd clearly been through hell. The man could barely walk but he still dragged back their bodies and killed the man responsible. He tried to save them, tried everything, but they were too far gone.
“And you know what the agent did when he recovered? He went and told their families, didn't leave it to the suits. Kennedy apologized in person and made sure that everyone they'd left behind would be well taken care of. Pissed off the brass something fierce by disappearing, but he never spoke a word. The man didn't even ask for a damn thing in return. I only know the truth because I had a cousin on that mission and his widow told me afterward. So yeah, I'd follow Agent Kennedy into the abyss and count myself damn lucky for the opportunity.”
Chris can only gape as the kid pants heavily, his passionate words still hanging in the air. What the hell is the captain supposed to say to that? How can he say anything when his throat is choked with shame? Because he had been in the same damn situation and he'd run straight into the bottle to drown his memories.
Without Piers, the BSAA agent would probably still be there and in thanks, he'd gotten the man killed. In contrast, Leon might have drunk too much, been depressed and fatalistic, but he'd never forgotten what was most important. Saving people was always his top priority and when he failed, he faced the consequences. Taking a vacation didn't mean he ran away.
Here Chris has been thinking that he needs to show Leon his own value, prove that he's worth loving, and that's probably still true up to a point. But that's such fucking arrogance. Right now, the captain is the one who feels inadequate. Because he knows that Leon is good enough for anyone; Chris just isn't sure that he's good enough in return.
“I…. you're right. Agent Kennedy is one of the best men I've ever worked with,” he manages to say. The pilot seems a bit embarrassed by his outburst and that sets off his captain's instincts even as his mind spins wildly. “He's lucky to have agents like you to watch his back.”
The kid stands straighter at his words, nodding like he's been given a new mission, before he continues across the tarmac. Chris follows him for lack of other options and his doubts ease gradually. Because that's the point, isn't it? It doesn't matter who's a better person. What matters is that they're all in this together and Leon has been fighting on his own for much too long.
Things are gonna be different after this, the BSAA agent swears. He can't change the past as much as he would like to. But he can change the future and he's damn well going to be there for Leon from now on.