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Chris was tired. So fucking tired, he could just fell on the fucking floor of small flat he shared with love of his life (excluding his job from this list, 'cause some people could wrongly say he was married to this sick joke of employment and not the most amazing person in the whole universe). He just wanted to see those baby blues, kiss both of them and fall asleep with his man inside his arms. Even if this was for a short moment. Single night, he clawed off somehow. Chris just wanted to feel at ease in his little paradise on the west coast of the country that occasionally tries to get him arrested when it needs some kind of scapegoat.
So the view of some high and elegant high heels he didn't recognize and lack of Leon's shoes done nothing to soothe the anxiety in his heart. He pulled his gun and slowly moved trough small space of corridor towards kitchen that was light up. Chris didn't know what even he should expect - front door were locked and the person who were inside was comfortable enough to take off their footwear. For all his knowledge only he, Claire and Sherry had the keys to this flat. And both women chose shoes with "How good will those be in case of fight/flight situation" question in mind.
He almost got to the kitchen when the intruder showed up with short shocked yell.
"OH my God, Chris!" Woman with glasses made step back and catch the wall to stabilize herself.
"Hunnigan?!" Chris lowered his gun and also took step back. Chris and Leon's former handler met few times, mostly at some fancy galas and maybe once or twice after some major jobs, but they had never occasion to talk privately. "Sorry, I thought someone had broken in."
"Don't be, I would have thought exactly the same thing if I were you." She smiled tiredly and looked back inside the kitchen. "I was making coffee, want some?"
"Why not? "He didn't know why she was making coffee at Leon's place, but he could bet there was great reason he would hear sooner than later.
Shot while passed as they both were sitting at living room with cups of coffee. And Chris couldn't sit still.
"So… not to sound rude but…" he started.
"But what I do at Leon's place in middle of night with no Leon in sight?" Ingrid smiled again like someone who enjoy making other people anxious.
"Yes. Exactly that." He took his cup and started to play with it.
"You could say, I'm here because Leon wanted me to come."
That statement froze blood in Chris. He felt bad for disappearing again on Leon. Even more with fact last time he brought home a child. Small girl he adopted after he failed to save her father. Leon was nothing but supportive of this, becoming second guardian as fast as he could. And Chris could not be more grateful for amounts of love Leon had inside him when he was watching THE agent Kennedy play with little Rose. Those moments after Eastern Europe filled Chris with so many emotions and even more determination to make world better place, so his family could live without having to fight against yearly apocalypses.
But while trying to achieve this, he left his family again. For longer than he planned. And somehow Leon had been wrapped again in this mess and Chris only knew because Sherry texted him when Leon felt out of contact, asking for assistance. And Chris hated that. He hated Leon didn't told him anything about the operation, about illness… Not that Chris was there to listen. He fucking left his partner all alone with five-year old at the time.
"Oh, Chris, please do not look like that. I didn't mean in this way." Hunnigan voice brought him back to the reality. "He asked me to check on Luis."
"Luis?"
"Yes, Luis. The cat" she laughed. "Leon took in cat."
That made Chris feel even worse. He had cut himself out of life for over the year. He had missed out so many things. From his own volition. He was the worst
"Hey, if you think you are bad partner for Leon, cut it." Chris looked into Hunnigan eyes. She was so sure of what she was saying while taking Chris' hand. "He can take it easy thanks to you. He does understand that you make hard choices for both of you, so the world could be better place. And he is not mad at you. And he knows that you would choose differently if you could. You are a good partner to him."
Chris had opened mouth to protest, but something attacked his leg. He jumped up from his chair and looked at the brown ball of fur with two brownish eyes looking through Chris as he was transparent.
"And that is Luis. As you can see he is kinda playful."
"Very." He crouched down and stuck out his hand so cat could properly smell him. "Hi there."
Luis was interested in his hand and after short while he was asking for pets.
"Traitor. He wasn't so fast with me." Hunnigan rolled her eyes and smiled softly. "But I guess not my smell is in every corner of this home."
Chris sat back and Luis didn't waste time to jump into his lap.
"So… I know why you are here." He allowed cat to rub fluffy head against his palm. "Now if you could tell me where is Leon. I thought he got some time off after Elpis."
"As far as I know, he was sent to rest some. But he had to pick up Rose from Claire's, I think? He should be now on his way back."
"That's… good."
"I'll take my leave. Since there is someone to give Luis his breakfast." She rose up after they finished their coffee and long conversation had come to the end. "Hug Leon and Rose thigh from me."
And she disappeared in her elegant high heels and even more elegant coat.
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Few day later Chris was sitting with Leon in the living room. Both of them doing something while enjoying the company. It was something they done a lot. Just existing with each other in the same space gave them ungodly amount of happiness. Of course, they did a lot since Leon came back with Rose. Some family activities. Some of their little rituals of meeting again after uncertainty of missions they both took onto their shoulders.
Now with Rose at school, and two of them being lazy together on the couch, Chris could relax fully. And Luis' purring was helping with it even more. The cat had chosen Chris to be his heated bed, but it was clear as the sky in summer that Leon was THE person.
"I didn't think Luis would get this lovey-dovey with you so fast." Leon looked up from his crochet project. "He is friendly, but he do not let others to carry him around like you do."
"Well probably he thinks I'm his private heated golem or something like that." Chris petted brownish head. And once again was taken aback from the fluffiness. "So cat?"
"He found me and decided to became my problem, so yes. Cat."
Something in Leon's eyes made Chris melt. There was something so soft and painful in the way he looked at this small terrorist who wanted all attention from his chosen people.
"And why 'Luis'?"
"As I told, he decided to make himself my problem like one idiot I used to know a long time ago." Chris could understand that. If he had found a dog with big eyes and clingy attitude, you could bet he would name him Finn. Or Marvin, if it was more calm creature with mischievous but kind eyes.
"How much of pain in the ass you used to be, Luis, huh?" Chris asked cat. "And I bet you were even louder than you are now."
Luis looked at him with his almost black but still brown eyes and started meowing at him. As trying to give some response.
"You only prove my point, my guy. Your past self was loud and probably some kind of show off with the way you act around Leon. Yes, I'll tell him how much calmer you were when we had been alone."
Chris heard Leon's chuckle and he smiled himself. Even as dog person, he was already fond of the fur ball, which decided to change resting place and jumped down from Chris' chest to curl up next to Leon and without anything started purring again.
"Leon?"
"Hm?"
"Can I ask you one question?"
"You already asked one. But goes ahead and ask as many as you want." Leon didn't look up from his handiwork. Chris was a little bewitched with Leon in glasses who crocheted this pastel yellow jumper.
"Hunnigan has keys to this flat."
"Yes. Since we used to work together on daily basis. And I never thought of asking her to give them back. Something happened?" Blue eyes looked at Chris with worry. "I always can ask her to return them, if it's bothering you."
"No Lee. Nothing happened. Just I was surprised to met her when I came back. That's all."
"If you say so." Leon send him small smile. "So your question?"
"How many people have keys to your flat." Chris sat up fast, seeing the smoke coming from Leon's head from overthinking. "I just ask, so I know who I can expect without knocking."
This let Leon get a little more comfortable.
"I never counted how many people have the keys."
"Leon…"
"But I know who I gave keys to and who should have them."
"At least that much." Chris sighed. "So me, Claire, Sherry and Hunnigan makes four."
"Yes. Jill bullied me to give her a key in case of emergency with you, so probably Calos has the copy as well.
"Jill bullied you? Why you didn't say anything?" Chris was terrified when Leon shrugged. "I'll have to talk with her."
"It wasn't that bad." Leon put down jumper. "Yes, she threatened me with broken legs, but I knew she wouldn't do anything to me. She loves you too much for that."
Chris was speechless. Why he heard something like this as late as you could possibly imagine.
"Rebecca was worse. She was ready to make her threats become truth. But I was smart enough to give it to her without a fight. So, that makes seven people."
"Make it eight." Chris felt headache behind his eyes. What was with his friend? And what he should do with them?
"Huh?"
"You do not have to worry. Just Rebecca has this 'friend' of hers." Chris continued when Leon turned towards him, gathering Luis into his arms. The little yapper was happy with change of positions. "They are like together, but he is wanted man, so they pretend they do not know each other, but they almost married, so he probably also has a key."
"So eight. The last person from work I have on this list is Helena. And you'll get how she got my key. I didn't give her. But she was nice enough to tell me how she obtained it."
"Okay I trust you."
"So, also of course there's Piers and Jake. Sherry has a key so they have. But Piers would never come by himself, so you should expect at least one of them with him. Even if he is at moment by himself. He is too nice to came without telling you. So I guess I know now why he is you favourite boy."
"Lee, he is not."
"Are you sure, babe?"
Chris wanted to perish. Piers, in fact, was his favourite co-worker, don't tell this Jill or Becka. But Chris will di- maybe that would be bad word… Chris would eat cart of horse shit before admitting that aloud. Just because he believed in some strange powers. And last time he told Piers, he was his favourite at anything, Piers almost die. At the end, he only lost an arm, but Chris stopped telling shit like this to anyone. Does that make him look like jerk? Yes. Does he care? If that gave his operatives higher chances to survive, not as much as someone could guess.
"I am fucking sure."
"If you say so." Leon rolled his eyes in this cute way when he knew he was sure, but he gone alone to make Chris happy. "So there's Ashley and David."
"Ashley?"
"Ashley Graham. Yes. THAT Ashley Graham. After Spain, I wasn't one to argue about that with her. Now she sometimes shows up with her kids. They are so cute."
"That gives us thirteen people, Leon. If that's everyone?"
"Well, no, but maybe we are after the half."
"My God, LEON."
"Not sorry. I have quite big found family. And so you. 'Cause Sheva also has a key. Jill gave her after asking me if that's okay."
Chris wanted to call Jill this moment to yell at her. That would do nothing with whole thing, but it would make Chris feel better. In sign of his helplessness, Chris shoved his face into palms of his hands.
"Don't be dramatic. That was the last person from your end who has my keys."
"Okay. Hit me. Who else has key to this flat?"
"Did I ever told you about Sasha?" Luis jumped out from Leon's arms only to curl up in his lap. Leon continued when Chris made face of 'Who the hell is Sasha. "So Buddy, Sasha, is a teacher I met during Eastern Slav Civil War. Yes he was the one who kidnapped me." He added when Chris cached up with the plot.
"Why? Why he has your keys?"
"Just happened. He needed a place to stay while he was in U.S. and I was departing God-known-where. So I gave him keys, and he has his own copy. I trust him, Chris."
Chris' face came back to his palms. He couldn't believe how Leon could he so… careless with amount of people he gave keys to his flat. There were so many bad people after him.
"Please, Chris. He would never hurt me. Not any more."
"This is the least thing I'm worried about right now. But I guess he is not the last person on this fucking long list?"
"No, but we are at the end."
"Thanks God. I'll bite. Is Ada Wong next?" Leon felt silent, while Chris could only groan with disappointment. She's having keys to the flat was probably only thing he could ever be upset about with Leon.
"For my defence, she took it without my permission. And I only know 'cause Helen told me."
"So that's how Helen has your keys?"
"Yes."
There was a longer pause. But Chris felt that list wasn't completed.
"We have sixteen people. How much more?"
"I think two people at this moment?"
"'You think' and 'at this moment'?" Chris wanted to get out, but doing that now would make Leon anxious. Yes, man was forty fucking nine years-old, but that doesn't mean he didn't get nervous whenever they had anything close to the fight. And this whole conversation, even if started as casual, quite fast became tense.
"I mean. There two adults I know about. And there're two kids I think giving keys one day."
"That sounds better. So who are those adults?"
"So you haven't met her yet, but this young woman i met during my last mission - Grace."
"The F.B.I. agent?"
"Exactly." Chris felt better. From all he heard, she was someone Leon cared for and trusted.
Even if sometimes he sounded like proud father talking how great she done at the whole shit show, he always put pressure that she was his friend first. And even when Claire made some joke about their dynamic, Chris couldn't recall as he was putting Rose to bed, Leon responded to that very coldly, so Chris was guessing, she reduced Grace only to his daughter. Grace was capable of her own, and Leon didn't want to his own need of taking care of everyone been forcefully projected on every relationship he had.
Yes, he had three adoptive daughters. But one of them accepted that from the start. The other one had chosen that after making sure that Leon didn't mind the deal. And the last one didn't have anything to say as she was one year old and Chris was first to adopt her.
So Leon didn't project anything on anyone. And he wasn't happy if anyone tried to do that even in the jokes. He was open to change dynamic, but he wasn't pushing it.
"So I guess that the girl she took in will be given the keys one day?"
Leon nodded.
"If Emily would like that. And I gave Grace keys, so she could feel like she can visit anytime. She won't make surprises. At least I think so."
Chris felt for a moment stupid for being upset about amount the people Leon gave out his keys. But the number was there.
"So with… Emily, that's eighteen."
"Yeah. So… I… think… HUNK has my keys."
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Chris yelled so loud that Luis jumped and tried to hide behind Leon.
"Chris... I- do not know how that happened. He had been here once. And left note. Nothing bad, just joke about Fish." Leon stopped for a moment and when Chris didn't move from his broken position. "I know he won't be a danger. And he promised he would ask for both of our permission before visiting."
"And you trust him?"
"Yes, I do trust him since he become mercenary."
"Okay, but I'll yell at you if you will get yourself killed." Chris thrown hands over his head and Leon smiled as sweetly as Chris remembered from their first meeting. Even as full ass adult Leon still had this boyish charm.
Leon took anything that Chris had in his eyes, as a sign that he could hug his partner. Leon slowly put his head on Chris' shoulder and then put more of his weight on it.
"And the second child that would get their own keys would be of course Rose. It's also her home, so it's only natural."
"I could guess you would say that. But that's okay." Chris' head rested on the crown of Leon's. "So that gives us twenty copies of your keys, excluding your own?"
"I mean I gave out one more set, but I don't think they exist any more."
"What do you mean, Lee?"
Leon moved from Chris and tried to get up but Chris cached his wrist and lead him back next to himself. When Leon sat, Chris put arm around him and pulled him into hug.
"If you don't want to tell me…"
"Baby, that's not that I don't want to tell you." Leon interrupted him. "It's just… a little painful to remember."
They sat for a moment. No words said. However, Chris could feel how much Leon hurt with those memories. And he was ready to drop the topic as he preferred to see Leon in good mood. He really was, but Luis jumped again into Leon's lap and started rubbing his chin on man's chest.
"His full name is Luis Serra Navarro Kennedy. Vet looked at me like I lost my marbles." Leon's hand sank in brown fur. "It's the name the guy I met in Spain. He used to work for Umbrella as a scientist, but he wanted to make amends."
Chris' heart hurt. Leon looked so broken as if this Luis was another one to the long list of people Leon think he should have been able to save.
"He helped me and Ashley a lot of back then. And…" Leon cut himself.
"And?"
"I do- I don't want to upset you more."
"Lee, I'm not upset. Yes I'm a little worried with how freely you give your keys, but if you trust those people, I can live with that. But I'm not upset."
"Even with Ada?"
Chris looked into Leon's eyes. "It's more a 'fuck her and her need to be part of your life' thing than being upset with you for not being able to cut her out completely." It wasn't a lie, but also not full truth. But it should be enough to make Leon feel less nervous. How on earth they both are adults with so much anxiety about making each other upset?
"If you say so." Leon's head rested again on Chris' shoulder. "The reason why I never told you about Luis is he is kind of ex who I cannot get over? But we never get an occasion to go for a single date, so we also are not exes? It does make any sense?"
"Somehow."
"Luis would argue that the shooting in that hell." Leon chuckled. And Chris was sure that the memory was sweeter than the lost. "But yeah, we never get the chance to try. However, I think it would have been a nice thing with him. He was loud, funny, clever, loud."
"So he got on your nerves whit talking?" Chris smirked hugging Leon closer.
"He was one special beast with smooth talk. You would hate him."
"But Rebecca would love him. I don't know anything about the guy but I can imagine the monster those two would create after becoming friends."
Leon looked at him and brusted into laughter. "You don't have any idea how right you are. But world can sleep soundly. No monster will be created, because Luis is dead. And even with the powers of resurrection you could do nothing with lack of the body. The whole place were Luis had died were blown up."
"I'm sorry Lee. I'm so sorry."
"It doesn't hurt that much any more. " Chris knew it was a lie. He could see the pain in those blue eyes.
"Still, I'm sorry you felt you couldn't tell me about this."
"Just… He would be on your place if he was alive. And I don't know how I can be so sure about that, but yeah. This felt wrong. Telling you about someone I would choose over you."
"I don't mind. In the end you are with me. And I should thank this Luis fella for making sure you lived and for making your heart stay human in this world were you can easily become cold."
"Thanks." Leon purred into Chris' arm.
"So I know I we abounded somehow the topic of your keys. But the last question, I swear."
"Shot me."
"Why you didn't tell me about any of them?"
"I swear I thought I was telling you right away after everyone got their copies. Except for Grace and a few that took them by themselves."
"Okay. I believe you." Chris rubbed his nose into Leon's hair. "And maybe I lied. I have one more question."
"Chris. My God."
"Why you never told me about 'Buddy'?" Leon with groan pressed his face into Luis' fur. "He also would be on my place?"
"No Chris. God no!" Leon hugged Luis a little too much and cat decided he won't be emotional support any more and chose to fly from the room. "And before you start. He is handsome, but he is straight. As far i know. And I would choose you over him any day."
"If you say so."
"Chris!"