Work Text:
“I am dying,” Chris announced, more than a little theatrically. He was sitting on the couch, wrapped up in at least three blankets, and he was sniffling as miserably as he could manage. “Where is my soup?”
“The soup is in the microwave,” Leon said. He stopped in the doorway between his tiny kitchenette and his living room, leaning against the doorframe. He still didn’t understand how this had even happened. His morning had started out entirely normal, yet here he was, babysitting an annoyingly whiny Chris. Who thought he was dying. “And you’re not dying. You’ve got a sore throat and the sniffles.”
“I’ve got some new deadly strain of influenza,” Chris muttered petulantly. He sank even deeper into the cushions of Leon’s couch, looking more than a little awkward as he was clearly too big. Or the couch was too small. Whichever it was, he couldn’t really lie down properly on it, left in an awkward half-sitting position. It didn’t seem to bother him too much, and it certainly didn’t keep him from his theatrics. “I’m going to die and you will be so sorry you didn’t believe me.”
For a second Leon tried to keep from grinning at that, but it was a futile attempt to begin with. “Yeah, obviously,” he chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re going to survive zombie outbreaks, gunfights and people trying to actively murder you, only to be brought down by a common cold.”
“Deadly strain of influenza,” Chris repeated his earlier words, huffing in a way that probably should’ve made him look stupid instead of utterly adorable. “You can carve I told you so on my tombstone. So I’ll get the last word.”
“Wouldn’t that kind of be me getting the last word?” Leon asked, already turning around to go back into the kitchen. The microwave was beeping at him, signaling it was done with the hopefully delicious and filling ready-made soup. At least it was going to be warm and easy to eat, if nothing else. Chris better appreciate it, since Leon had run to the corner market specifically to get it when Chris had started complaining about sick people needing soup to get better.
At least Chris seemed appreciative of the food, demolishing it in minutes. Leon busied himself with making some tea, knowing that it would be the next on the list. He’d been very thoroughly informed of the infamous Redfield get-well-routine when Claire had appeared on his doorstep with a sniffling Chris, shoved him inside and told Leon that he was his problem now.
“Here you go,” Leon said as he handed over the mugful of hot tea, careful not to spill any of it. He made sure Chris had a good grip on the mug before letting go of it. One of the blankets had slipped off Chris’ shoulder so Leon reached out and tucked it in properly again. Subtly he let his touch linger against Chris’ cheek, and he told himself he was just checking it in case of fever. “Want anything else?”
Chris hummed into his tea, taking a slow sip before answering. “A kiss would be nice.”
“I’m not kissing you,” Leon huffed, rolling his eyes perhaps a touch too dramatically. “I don’t want to get your ‘new deadly strain of influenza’,” he quoted Chris’ earlier assessment, actually even using the finger quotes to emphasize it.
The gesture made Chris snort in amusement. “You’re the worst boyfriend ever.”
Leon blinked. “The worst what now?” They had gone on a few dates, sure, but they had never actually specified what this …thing between them was. It had all felt so new, so fragile, that they hadn’t wanted to jinx it by labeling it too soon. Except now apparently Chris had decided otherwise.
There was no answer to the question, though. Chris slurped his tea noisily, ignoring it entirely.
*
Claire answered her phone on the second ring, sounding absolutely, infuriatingly chipper.
“I don’t know why you saddled me with your brother, he’s unbearable!” Leon knew he sounded as whiny as Chris did, but he felt that he had the right to complain a little. After all, Claire had seen it fit to just dump her brother on Leon, she was hardly any better. “He’s one of those people who think they’re dying when they sneeze.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Claire laughed immediately, her good mood apparently not deterred in the slightest. “C’mon, you can deal with it now, I’ve been dealing it with all my life. I never asked to be related to him, but you actually chose him. The way I see it you made your own bed, now lie in it.”
“He also apparently now thinks we’re …boyfriends.” Leon hesitated a little before the last word, emphasizing it in a way that made clear how sour it felt in his mouth. Boyfriend sounded like something a fifteen-year-old would call the person they went on ice cream dates with, not something like… like… like two grown-ass men in their forties, who fought zombies for a living and never knew if they’d live to see the following day.
It felt so juvenile. But there was a stubborn part somewhere in the back of Leon’s mind that warmed at the sound of it, too, something that purred in contentment as soon as Chris had said the word. And truthfully Leon didn’t really know what to do with it, it was so unlike anything he’d experienced before.
Claire had been silent for a second, but then there was a huge sigh. “You’ve been dating for what? Two months? And before that you’ve been drooling after each other for like fifteen years. I think it’s a little late to develop a crisis over being boyfriends.” The eyeroll was practically audible in her voice. “Now shut up and go cuddle that big oaf until he feels better.”
“But I don’t wanna get sick, too,” Leon mumbled petulantly. He knew already when he said it out loud that he would do it anyway. If they were boyfriends, then he had damn well earned the right for some quality snuggles.
“Goodbye, Leon. Call me only if Chris is really dying.”
*
After the call, Leon switched his phone on silent and headed to the bedroom to see how Chris was doing. They’d together relocated Chris from the couch to the bed when the man had started to complain about his back hurting, more so than before. Leon wasn’t certain if Chris had managed to get some sleep, so he snuck in silently, until he realized Chris was looking straight at him from under the covers. “You should take my temperature, I think I’ve got a fever.”
Leon sighed. “Chris, I’ve done it five times in the past hour, you’re not dying.” He didn’t even know where he’d put the thermometer, truth to be told. The last thing he remembered was contemplating throwing it out of the window after what felt like the millionth time Chris had asked for him to take his temperature. He didn’t know if Chris was so theatrical only because he barely ever got sick, or if there was something else to it.
“Please?”
The tone that single word was spoken in made Leon stop, and he took a look at Chris for real now. He looked completely serious now, somehow different from how he’d been earlier. But what really tipped the scales was how his voice was so …vulnerable, for lack of a better word. “Okay,” Leon said, already stepping closer to press his palm against Chris’ forehead. What he felt made his eyes fly wide in surprise. “Oh fu- you’re burning up!”
“I told you so,” Chris slurred, grinning from underneath the covers. He looked way too smug for someone who was running a fever as high as his seemed to be. It made absolutely no sense, and yet it was somehow so Chris that Leon couldn’t help but huff out a laugh.
“Yeah you did,” Leon admitted graciously. “Give me a second, I’ll be right back.” He figured he’d find the actual thermometer too, just in case, and went to dig through the medicine cabinet for whatever he had that worked for fever. Soon enough he came back with two pills and a glass of water, and helped Chris sit up enough to be able to take the offered medicine.
Greedily Chris gulped down the entire glass of water, but shook his head when Leon asked if he’d want more. “Could you just…” he asked, voice so faint Leon had to actually focus to be able to even hear it. “Stay?”
“Of course,” Leon smiled. “Want me to …hold you?” He wasn’t exactly sure what Chris wanted from him. He knew that when he was sick, he didn’t want anyone within ten feet from him, and that any and all physical contact just made him want to crawl out of his skin and get away. Yet Chris had always been the more tactile one of them in all possible ways, so maybe he was different, needed different things.
The hunch proved to be right as Chris shifted a little, enough to tug the edge of the covers from under him to lift it. “Yes.”
It was as simple as that. Leon was already in his comfy sweatpants and a t-shirt so he didn’t need to even change, he just slipped under the covers. He pressed close against Chris’ back and slipped an arm around his waist, pulling him in until they were snugly chest-to-back in a way that was comfortable for them both.
Chris made a soft little sound in the back of his throat, something like contentment.
*
The peaceful rest only lasted for a moment, before Chris seemed to take a turn for the worse. He was shivering so badly he woke them both up with it, complaining about being cold even though he was burning up. Leon pulled another blanket on top of them, trying to hold Chris against himself the best he could, to offer him as much warmth as he possibly could. When Chris began to sweat buckets Leon got a cool cloth to wipe his forehead with, forced him to drink water, and might have spent a moment googling possible home remedies for fever.
Leon couldn’t deny he was actually worried. Whenever Chris was awake he was pretty much just mumbling something unintelligible, clearly feverish. He was shifting and fidgeting even as he was mostly asleep. And Leon didn’t really know what to do with any of it. He stayed close, though, made sure to be awake so that he could react immediately if things got worse.
Sometime in the early morning hours Chris finally settled, his sleep becoming calmer. Leon breathed a sigh of relief, slipping back under the covers now that sleep seemed to be an option for him as well. He ended up staying awake, though, watching Chris sleep. This weird warm feeling was taking residence deep in his chest, and he was too tired to even freak out about how intense it was.
If he was honest with himself, it was a long time coming. They’d been circling each other for years, even if not as long as Claire thought they had, and Leon had tried so hard to keep his distance. He’d been so afraid of everything that could go wrong. He had almost chosen to never act on whatever was building between them because he’d thought the never acted upon simmering potential for something was preferable to trying and failing.
Then Chris had taken the first step. He’d stood in front of Leon, determined but fidgety, frustrated with how the words didn’t seem to come and then just blurted out the first thing he’d managed.
Wanna grab a beer with me? Just us. Like a date.
Leon chuckled at the memory of that. He’d said yes, right after he’d picked up his jaw from the floor, and it had been surprisingly easy from then on out. They had known each other for so long that they didn’t need to go through the awkward getting to know one another phase, at least.
It had been good. It was good. And now that he watched Chris sleep, he had a feeling it would stay good from here on out, too. Maybe that was what grounded him, stopped him from jumping up and running away. Even if things didn’t end up being forever, he couldn’t bring himself to regret any of it.
Besides, he had a good feeling about this.
*
Sometime later in the morning Leon stirred awake, blinking several times to make his eyes work properly. He had no idea what time it was, but rolling over to look at the time seemed like just too much work. He must’ve dozed off for a second, as the last memory he had was of Chris fast asleep, while now the man was gazing at him. Chris looked more amused than he had any right to be, a deep sparkle in his eyes and a soft smile on his lips.
Leon returned the smile, utterly relieved now that the worst seemed to be over. For a second he hesitated, his first instinct telling him to pull back now that things were getting back to normal, but in the end decided that there was no reason to pull back unless Chris told him to. So he didn’t shift from where he was pressed against Chris’ side, and kept on running his palm over Chris’ chest in a slow caress. “How are you feeling?”
That earned him a hoarse bark of laughter, and Chris shook his head a little. “Like shit warmed over.” He made a content little sound as he turned his head and pressed his face against Leon’s shoulder. There was no other word to describe what he was doing but snuggling, and he seemed to be utterly shameless about the way he was rubbing his face against Leon.
“You kind of look like that, too,” Leon pointed out. He couldn’t stop himself from grinning, and shifted a little closer so that Chris didn’t need to crane his neck so far. He was only being helpful. A good and attentive boyfriend, no matter what Chris had told him earlier.
“Oh wow, what a way to make a guy feel special,” Chris snorted. He’d managed to get onto his side so he could wrap an arm around Leon’s middle in return, and he even moved to push one leg between Leon’s in a clear attempt to get them as entangled as possible. “I wake up and instead of telling me you’re glad I didn’t die, you tell me I look like crap?”
Leon huffed but leaned in anyway, pressing a soft kiss against Chris’ temple. “Don’t worry. I love you anyway.”
There was a short pause, and Leon was about to ask what was wrong, but Chris broke the silence before he got the chance. “You’ve never told me that before.” He sounded almost careful, but there was an unmistakable current of contentment in his voice.
Panic flared up from the pit of Leon’s stomach but it only took a second to fade. He was glad Chris’ face was pressed against his chest, though, as the lack of eye contact somehow made it easier for him to deal with this. He kept on slowly stroking Chris’ back, focused on the way he could feel every single breath the other man took in his arms, allowed the shared warmth to seep into his bones until he was as relaxed as he’d been.
Finally, Leon spoke up, voice firm. “Well. I’m not taking it back.”
Chris laughed against Leon’s chest, and hugged him tighter for a second. “Good.”
*
Three days later Chris was finally convinced he wasn’t dying, after all. Yet somehow he never really left. Instead his toothbrush migrated into Leon’s bathroom, followed by a surprising amount of haircare products. Piles of his clothes started to appear in random places until Leon gave in and cleared up a drawer for them. It wasn’t like he needed the space, anyway. Then there were Chris’ shoes by the door, his (disgusting, if Leon was asked) protein shakes in the kitchen. The hideous lamp Claire had brought Chris as a present had found its place by the bedside.
When they had their first argument about dirty clothes being strewn everywhere, Leon realized that Chris had practically moved in with him. And the thought wasn’t as scary as it probably should have been. It was nice. So nice that he didn’t even bother to comment on it, he just took it as it was.
Besides it was much nicer to come back to the apartment when there was at least a chance that Chris was there waiting for him. He’d grown used to the company shockingly fast, and even though he would never admit it, it never quite felt like home if Chris wasn’t around.
At times like this, tired and hungry, still feeling like the dried blood would never get out from underneath his fingernails, no matter how much he showered, Leon could really appreciate the fact that he didn’t always need to be alone. When he opened the door and saw Chris’ shoes, kicked haphazardly near the wall, there was a sudden flood of warmth in his chest that made some of the tension seep away immediately.
“Hey, welcome home,” Chris smiled from the couch – the new one they had bought together last month, one that was so big and plush it took up more than twice the space the old one had. It had been a good purchase in more than one way, they had already found out.
Leon dropped his bag on the floor and made his way to the couch, leaning down to press a quick kiss on Chris’ lips. It didn’t stay quite as innocent and brief as he’d planned, as Chris immediately took his chance and deepened the contact. Not that Leon minded. Eventually he pulled back and straightened. “I’m starving. Maybe we should order–”
Chris sneezed.
Immediately Leon turned on his heels. “On second thought, I’ll go bunk at Claire’s. I can send her over to look after you, it’s her turn.”
“C’mon, Leon,” Chris said and quickly grabbed Leon’s wrist to stop him from getting anywhere. “Don’t be so heartless.” Already as he spoke he got up, taking the one step that separated them. Gently Chris turned Leon around and leaned close, pressed his face into Leon’s neck, and maybe he did feel a little hotter than usual.
Despite his words, Leon was already trying to remember where they’d put the thermometer. Automatically, without even thinking about it, he wrapped his arms around Chris, supporting his weight as he sagged into him. “I really should just run when I still can,” he said, but it lacked heat, he couldn’t even manage to pretend he meant it.
“You would never,” Chris mumbled into Leon’s skin, and when he smiled Leon could feel it as clearly as he could hear it. “Because you love me.”
“I have no idea why, though,” Leon groaned, “no idea.”
Nevertheless, he held on to Chris a little tighter.