Work Text:
"i think about you a lot."
and it's a fact - you do. when he's far away, saving lives like clockwork, the leon-shaped hole in your heart is quick to indicate how intertwined your lives are together. despite your smothering platonic friendship being nothing but just that, leon's space in your life is as grand as it gets. keys to your door, his trusty aftershave tucked away in your bathroom and a bedside table littered with all the silly trinkets he brings back from lands far away.
you knew better than to have let this come into being, to let this fester to what it is. you're in love with your best friend and allowing for him to tread your boundaries freely as if they weren't landmines, was a recipe for disaster. however, when you trudge through your doorway with exhaustion aching in your bones, stomach growling, you can't help but forgo your rationality as leon greets you at the door, hanging up your coat with your favourite comfort show playing in the background as the heavenly scent of a hearty dinner lingers in the air. you feel spoiled by his affection, whatever undertone it may come with, but you know better than anyone else how it begins to rot you from within.
on nights of his absence, the silence of your apartment is loud, your heart heavy and the left side of your bed empty. sometimes when the back of your eyes burn with crimson, doused in drowsiness but nevertheless open, you gaze out the window nearest leon's side of the bed and catch the dull glimmer of stars in the sky. knowing that wherever leon may be - whether that's beside you with a light snore, regretfully awake in his own residence or somewhere not even remotely close to home - you two lay under the same sky. and sometimes, that blanket of reassurance is enough to lull you to sleep, but other times, that blanket is too thin to bare.
"you do?" he asks a simple question, but it really isn't.
suddenly, it's blistering cold, chills zapping down your spine like electricity. the daunting weight of your feelings hold your tongue down like cement, warning church bells ringing in your ears to the point where you feel yourself start to disconnect from your body completely. after all, what's worse than confessing your doomed love?
amidst the seemingly heavy seconds of silence, your soul manages to drift back into your body, gazing up at leon whose eyes never leave yours. the apricot saturated streetlight from above glares down on him with a tenderness you've never seen, his striking features basked in warmth and softened angelically. it's embarrassing how quickly the sight sets an uptake in your heartbeat.
"of course," you start, glancing down at your shoes in a casual attempt to avert his line of sight. the azure blue of his eyes that you know like the back of your hand are too much to handle, your hand seeking refuge on the back of your neck. "who else would i call to fix the water pressure for free?"
he scoffs, amusement tugging at the corner of his lips as you chuckle along with the playful atmosphere that settles between the two of you. it's nice; not so terribly domestic, enough where your misconception of your relationship is combatted. comfortable.
"that all i'm good for?" a slow and sexy smile graces his face and you can't help but blush. he's good for a lot of things, truthfully speaking. but where's the fun been in simply admitting that?
"afraid so, handyman." you joke, accidentally catching a glimpse of how his tricep flexes under dim lighting and has you feeling lightheaded yourself.
"your personal maintenance man, huh?" he muses, laying against his arms crossed behind his back that's supported by the large mailbox he leans against.
"more like the human sized rat who eats all my turkey dinosaurs."
his head turns to face you. "well, wouldn't have that issue if you actually ate them, now would ya?"
his eyebrow arches in question and as you look up at him, you're sick with how even if he raids your fridge for your beloved turkey dinosaurs, keeps your apartment mini-fridge temperature or even if you go weeks without seeing him, when you're finally with him, it's worth it. even if your heart yells out for more.