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It wasn’t often that Leon found himself actually going to the parties he was invited to. He got invitations, sure, but especially now that he’s given up his drinking for good, a party was nothing but a room full of temptation and uncomfortable banter with mostly strangers. He’d go if he was needed, he’d go for an assignment, but on his own just because? That was a hard pass.
So when Chris had called and asked if he was doing anything this coming Friday, if he’d join him at some BSAA Christmas party, his initial response had been the same as always. He wasn’t big on parties, he wouldn’t know anyone there, he didn’t want that temptation, excuse after excuse that Chris had seemingly prepared for, shooting him down on every turn. When he’d finally run out of options, Chris had turned the table and told him that Jill was out on assignment and Claire was busy and Rebecca had her own party to get to.
“I know this really isn’t your thing, but I’d really appreciate it if you came.”
Leon could hear those puppy dog eyes through the speaker, and that was that.
And now he felt like a goddamn high schooler on prom night, knocking on the door of Chris’ apartment and shuffling uncomfortably in the hall as he waited. It wasn’t necessarily a formal event, but Chris had asked him to dress nice and he did, his navy-blue dress shirt adorned with a tie, paired with dark slacks and a nice jacket. Not too much, not too little–at least he hoped.
He was about to knock again when Chris finally swings the door open and greets Leon with a wide grin. He’s in a similar get up, brown slacks, dark green shirt, an obnoxious red-plaid tie. Leon snorts when he sees him, and Chris puffs up his chest with pride.
“I’m like a Christmas tree!” He explains, pausing for a comment from Leon that doesn’t come before continuing. “Get it? I’ve got the green like the branches, brown like the–”
“I get it, Chris, I do.” Leon can’t help but laugh and that seems to be all Chris was after, turning back to his open apartment and locking it up before they start down the hall. There’s a moment of silence that passes as they walk to the stairs, not until they’ve started down that Leon casts another look Chris’ way and adds. “You look great.”
Chris meets his gaze with a cheesy grin. “You do, too.”
The party’s a lot bigger than Leon would have liked, he can hear the buzz of music and chatter from the parking lot. Chris is saying something to him as they walk towards the noise but he’s really not paying attention, just nodding along and using the short walk in to ready himself. It’s just for a couple hours, and then he’ll be back home, tucked in his bed, not a big deal.
The two of them are whisked away nearly the moment they’ve turned their coats over and stepped into the main room, Chris’ colleagues eagerly drawing him into conversations and Chris eagerly pulling Leon along with him. They’re all so nice, introducing themselves and trading jokes with such relaxed ease that Leon finds himself comfortably settling in at Chris’ side and joining in on their banter when he could.
It’s only when the group finally makes their way over to get drinks that Leon bristles again, the woman to his right taking this as an opportunity to talk with him one-on-one as the group disperses somewhat.
“And what’ll you be getting, handsome?” She starts, shifting herself more into Leon’s view. “No wait–don’t tell me. I’m really good at reading people, I bet I could guess. Let’s see…”
“I, uh…” Leon’s brows dip slightly, his lips parted as he searches for some sort of an excuse to avoid the topic.
Her finger taps at her chin as she hums and thinks. “You strike me as a–”
“He better strike you as a ‘nothing’ guy tonight!” Chris laughs as he tosses an arm over Leon’s shoulder. He’s already got his own drink in hand. “He’s been so kind as to offer me a ride home, which means no drinks for him.”
The tension in Leon’s shoulders falls loose, and he nods in agreement.
“Boo,” The woman rolls her eyes with a good-natured smile, “You drag him out here and don’t even let him drink?”
“Would be rather irresponsible if I did.” Leon says with a light shrug, looking over to meet Chris’ gaze.
“I suppose it would.” She hums, shooting Leon a quick wink before turning away. “Some other time, then.”
He just nods as she leaves, turning back to Chris who pulls back off his shoulder. “Thank you.” He murmurs just below the hum of the crowd.
“Of course,” Chris murmurs back, grinning, “And thank you for the ride. A very kind offer.”
Leon laughs, rolling his eyes. “Starting to see why you wanted company tonight, huh?”
“It’s not the only reason you’re here, just works out well.” Chris looks like he wants to say something else, but the group descends upon them again and the thought is lost in favor of mingling once more.
There’s something just so pleasant about watching Chris chat with everyone. Even when Leon peels away from the group and finds himself leaning against a wall on the edge of the crowd, his gaze remains locked on the other man, watching him laugh and joke with anyone who comes near. He’s the life of the party in a very calm and casual sense and the whole room seems to orbit around him, even as the evening carries on and satellites drift out of his pull.
He’s got yet another drink in his hand, his arms flailing wildly as he tells some story that Leon can’t quite make out from his spot on the outskirts. Whatever he’s saying seems to have the current group enraptured–has Leon enraptured, too, watching the way his face scrunches and pulls with expressive emotion, his whole body moving with each word. If he were sitting, he’d likely be on the edge of his seat just watching the display; probably be as lost in it as everyone else if he were any closer to hear it.
There is a tiredness lingering on his features during the beats of pause, tiredness that has settled in so slowly that it’s only now that Leon thinks to check his watch. It’s getting late, and with each passing moment the crowd seems to be inching closer and closer to the door. His gaze draws back to the group around Chris as they all let out exclamations at the climax of his tale while he grins and finishes his drink.
The conversation that follows is hushed, casual, and a couple different people throw glances in Leon’s direction, something he takes as his cue to leave his place and return back to the dispersing group.
“Leon!” Chris calls as he approaches, a dopey grin settling on his lips. The light flush on his face is a lot more obvious now that Leon was closer. “You just missed it; I was telling everyone about Alcatraz!”
“So that’s what you were up to over here. I was wondering what story you had everyone enthralled with.” Leon’s hands settle in his pockets.
“That’s Chris for ya!” One of his remaining colleagues snickers, elbowing the man in question.
“You all are too kind.” Chris gives a little bow, much to the amusement of the group. “But I think it might be time to take my leave. Can’t keep you guys here all night, yeah?”
“Sounds like a good call,” The woman from before laughs, casting a glance Leon’s way, “Careful though, Kennedy, you might have to carry him out.”
“Nah,” Leon pulls a hand out to rest on Chris’ shoulder, “He’s a big boy, I’m sure he can handle a walk out to the car, can’t you, Redfield?”
Chris’ knees tremble comically, and he leans into Leon’s touch, earning another round of laughter from the group before he rights himself and they all offer their farewells and part ways.
It’s much colder outside, even with their coats on, and Leon’s not minding the way Chris is walking beside him–pressed right up against his shoulder–at all. The warmth radiating from him is welcome, and certainly Chris seems to think so, too, with how reluctantly he pulls away from Leon as they approach his car. He tosses his keys over and the two are quick to duck inside the moment Leon has the doors open.
“Y’have fun?” Chris clicks his seatbelt on and fiddles with the knobs on the console between them to get the heat going.
“Yeah, everyone was really nice.” Leon situates himself and glances behind him as he pulls out from the parking spot. “What about you?”
“Yeah, yeah…was nice.” He nods, leaning back against his seat. “Thanks for comin’.”
Leon’s eyes flick briefly over to Chris before his focus returns to the road ahead. “It’s looking like I would’ve had to come pick you up if I didn’t come anyway.” He jokes.
“Consider it payback for all the times I’ve given you a late-night ride back home.”
“And are my debts paid in full then?”
Chris hums contemplatively. “Lemme sleep on it.”
“So cruel.” Leon tuts.
For a long while the car is comfortably silent, nothing but road noise and hot air blowing around between them. It takes Leon a lot longer than he’d admit to notice he’s being watched, his gaze lifting from the darkened streets to glance in Chris’ direction a few times before his brow crinkles and he breaks the quiet.
“I got something on my face?”
“No, no, no, nothin’ like that.” Chris’ head has fallen off to his left, his eyes scanning Leon’s features and a soft smile on his face. “Just appreciate you.”
“You already thanked me for tagging along.” It suddenly feels almost too hot in the car. Leon reaches over to turn the heat down.
“I know, ‘m not thanking you again, just appreciating you.”
Leon chuckles a little, shaking his head. “Well alright then. Seems like maybe you had a little too much to drink.”
“Maybe.” He says placatingly, and then that silence is back, a little less comfortable this time. Leon doesn’t need to look to know that those eyes are studying him so lovingly, he can feel Chris’ admiration trailing behind his gaze. He’s most definitely tipsy, if not a hair past drunk, alcohol burning in his gut and turning him into a mushy mess in the passenger seat.
He mumbles something, just quiet enough that the fans from the car’s heater obscure the words but just loud enough to pull Leon from his thoughts. “What was that?”
“Really want to kiss you right now.”
Leon’s gaze remains locked forward on the road ahead of him. If not for the fact that he hadn’t touched a single glass all evening, he’d think maybe he was the one who’d drunk too much, that his own alcohol-addled mind was just producing things he’d want to hear, but it was Chris sitting in the passenger seat, leaning over the center console just barely as though he was drawn into Leon like a magnet. It was the alcohol talking. Leon swallows. “You’ve definitely had too much to drink.”
“I disagree.” Leon finally glances in his direction, sees the way his expression has melted into serious determination. “Call it a little liquid courage.”
“...Is that so?”
He can see Chris nodding at him in his periphery.
It’s a blessing just how close they were to Chris’ apartment, the timing near perfect that Leon pulls into the parking lot and gets to leave the conversation where it was. He doesn’t meet Chris’ eye as he parks, or as he helps Chris out of the car, or as they make their way up to Chris’ apartment, the man in question leaning against his shoulder and dragging his feet with each step. And Chris doesn’t say anything either, just lets Leon bare most of his weight and unlock his door to let him.
Leon clears his throat as the door swings open. “Well–”
His attempt at escape is cut off by a far more convincing stumble that Chris takes away from him, his eyes casting back over his shoulder at Leon as he leans against the door. “Help me in?”
Leon sighs and nods, an arm snaking under Chris’ to help him into the apartment, his shaky steps miraculously becoming more stable the moment Leon’s hands are on him. Leon takes his coat while he sheds his shoes, walks him through to his bedroom and sits him on his bed. His hands work at the knot of Chris’ tie while Chris’ own undo the buttons of his shirt. Leon takes both articles of clothing and drapes them over a nearby chair while Chris deals with his own belt and pants–seemingly much to his disappointment as the moment Leon turns away, Chris mumbles. “I was being serious earlier.”
“You really wanna kiss me then?” Leon asks as he turns back around, helps Chris ease down into his bed.
“Yeah, Leon, I do.” He looks up at him in earnest.
A moment passes with both men just looking at each other, a moment that finally ends with another sigh from Leon before he shakes his head and leans down, placing a soft peck on Chris’ lips. As he pulls back, he finds Chris staring at him in shock, his hand snaking up from under the covers to brush against his own lower lip.
“We’ll talk in the morning, for now, you need sleep. G’night, Chris.” Leon murmurs before brushing a hand over Chris’ hair and heading for the door.
He locks Chris’ apartment behind him and slumps back against the door, releasing the shaky breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding and feeling heat rise to his cheeks. He’d just done that. After pining after him for all these years. Leon buries his face in his hands and tries to scrub the flush away before straightening up and hurrying out to his car.
They’d talk in the morning, but Leon was sure now that he wouldn’t be sleeping, not with the memory of Chris’ lips against his own plastered to the front of his mind.