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For all the years Nolan has lived and shared house with Leon, he doesn't have a slight idea how his friends have managed to survive with having proper communication with him. It is nice to talk with his brother when they can, and catch up when their schedules line up (Leon's job has interrupted them only 3, 4 times, so that's not so bad), but getting a text at 3 in the morning, with no context or reason is really alarming. Especially when you notice it only after you've woken up.
Leon: hey.
Case in point.
After he has calmed enough from a very possible heart attack he does not have time to check with anyone, because Leon, he shoots back the proper texts to try to get the real information because in no way that kind of ominious text can be good thing.
Nolan: What up???
Nolan: You okay????
It takes few minutes for Leon to answer, which he spends agonizing over. Why it's him, and not Iris. Or like, dad? If it's about relationships, mom would be a lot better. Mindy is nice, but they are friends over everything. Does Leon need help? With what? Should he get ready to go to war?
Leon: Yeah I'm good.
Leon: Got infected but got better.
Leon: Nothing big.
He lets a breath out only to suck it back,
He what?
Nolan: Nothing big???
Nolan: You got infected??
Nolan: You almost died????
Leon: Got better.
Leon: Don't tell mom.
Leon: Or Iris.
Leon: Or anyone.
Leon: It was okay I got Claire there. And Chris.
Good. That's good.
Nolan: You okay really?
Leon: Never been better.
That'd be hard strech but Nolan will believe it only for this time.
Leon: They also got better, so don't worry about them either!
He takes it back. He takes everything back.
Leon: Jill was also there.
Leon: Oh wait you haben't met her yet.
The fuck?
At this point he has to set his phone down, breathe deeply for about five minutes before he has the will power to stop his hands from shaking. What the hell his brother did this time?
Nolan: The reason you texted like, 3 am?
Leon: Oh yeah!
Leon: I need assistance.
Leon: Like, your skillset assistance.
Now this sounds better. So many times better.
Nolan: Shoot.
Leon: So I might not be in so good order yet.
Leon: Someone threw a chair at me and all that shit.
Leon: The bet is I'll be back on field somewhere in world in about three days, give or take.
And if anything lines up with his stories that's normal.
Nolan: You really don't have great work benefits.
Leon: Tell me about it.
Leon: Anyway, I need someone who understands legal jargon and is somewhat in loop.
Leon: Hence you.
Nolan hesitates little. He does not want to leave Leon hanging, but has he specialized in that side of law? No he hasn't. And he doesn't want to land Leon in worse scenario than what he already has going on. If he messes up he doesn't just mess up his career little, he messes up Leon's a lot. And he knows which of those is worse.
Nolan: That's not exactly my field of expertize…
Leon: I know.
Leon: It's enough if you can point out some stuff that can delay the inevitable.
Leon: We know I'll end up there no matter what.
Despite being miles away Nolan can sense his brother's reluctant acceptance, and to his dismay the reluctance seems so little.
They really are going to work him ragged? Nolan's the one who got into his 40s, he should be nearing the midlife crisis, not watch how somehow Leon skipped the whole deal and got straight into the I'll work 'til I die mindset. And fuck it if it's true, his brother shouldn't have to live that life at all. Who does this to a human like Leon?
And that ultimately does it for him.
Nolan: Of course I'll help.
Nolan: Send the date and I'll figure it out.
Nolan: What kind of brother I'd otherwise be?
Leon: Thanks.
Leon: By the way bring a suit or something.
Leon: We need to go to white house.
Suddenly the idea seems so much better.
Nolan: Bring it on.
Leon picks him up from airport with a rental car.
It's not that weird, Nolan just… didn't expect it.
"What's with this?"
"Wrecked my latest bike on pursuit," Leon says, like there's nothing wrong with statement, and maybe there isn't considering all, "Stuff connected to latest thing I had going. I'm not getting younger."
And isn't that depressing, considering how old Nolan is.
"Am I in grave already?" He wonders. Leon barks out a laugh.
"I'll visit you. At some point. Maybe when I'm there too."
Nolan glances at him. He has not seen Leon in long time. In years at this point. Sure they talk, but things feel even worse than before when they didn't know where he was.
It's been since what, 2013, since they saw with whole family? Two years. Since that sure, sometimes one of them met with him by chance or by design, but that doesn't count the same.
Leon said once that stuff was better done back then than now. And then the President went and died.
Nolan can connect dots and it does not look that pretty.
Nolan glances at Leon and his dark rings under eyes, and the overall sad and tired energy he seems to rock under that professional wall. Despite what he wants, Nolan has grown with him and despite how much they have changed, he knows his brother still like the day they watched that fateful ball sail into Wilder household through ill placed window.
He'll do his best.
They stay quiet for the rest of ride, and ultimately in their destination too. Nolan is beyond relieved that he has Leon, with how he knows exactly where to go.
He notices how some people greet his brother, and might strike conversations if Leon didn't brush them off with relative ease. And they respect that.
Nolan chooses to ignore that for his piece of mind.
They arrive to where Leon was leading them. And then he does his side of deal, bringing up every single piece of law that can do anything to help Leon. He's thrown into the storm that the minister or director of some kind (he has not paid enough attention to that. He might've met both of those?) stirs up, as he brings up all the things he has spent sleepless night repairing.
At hour 1 he's starting to feel impatient. At hour 2 he feels like he could be tearing the hair out of his head. Next hour he is so close at starting to tear their hair, and shoving it in their mouth so they would shut up.
Finally on fourth and final hour, he reaches a stalemate of 4 days. The utter disappointment falls like slippery ice down his spine, but seeing Leon's happier expression makes it worth it.
(He still gives them nasty glance.)
Leon notices his expression as they make their way outside the building that Nolan won't ever again see the same way, "Thanks for that. That's many times better than usually."
"You should've got more," he insists, as a worker steps around them staring him with worry in eyes, "You don't deserve the crap they put you through."
"It's fine," his brother deflects, deflects! What was he just saying? Oh yeah, HIS BROTHER DESERVES BETTER-
"Just you know you are scaring people," Leon pokes at him, in The White House. He has weirdly relaxed manners here, "You look like you could bite a head off from next who crosses your path."
Nolan relaxes his face by reflexs and like Leon pointed out his expression changes drastically. Huh. He must've been little angry.
Understatement of century.
"If you aren't mad I will be instead of you," he declares, maybe too loudly but who cares? It's not like Leon does either. Then he thinks. "Like a zombie or something?"
"Yeah," Leon laughs little exasperated, but still smiling, "You could be like, lets say, Las plagas."
He is about to chuckle, until he really understands what he heard.
"A what?"
"Nothing."
He still can't let the thoughts go. Leon elbows him loosely, "Ice cream after this? What'd you say?"
"Sure." That helps. Nothing better than to drown the doubts and irritation into ice cream. He can taste it already.
"Ah, Agent Kennedy. I wasn't aware you were in today."
Leon's shoulders tense for a moment, and then before Nolan's eyes they smooth out as Leon turns around, with polite smile.
"I had few things to sort out, Mr. President," he nods to him, who Nolan now notices approaching them with trailing members of secret service.
"I was about to ask my secretary to call you here," he comes to stand in front of Leon, "excellent work with Taylor. We are yet again in debt for you as a nation."
Why aren't you giving him a break then!?
"Just doing my job," Leon shrugs. President nods, seemingly understanding even if Nolan can CLEARLY see he has no idea what he is talking about.
"I had few thoughts I'd like hear your side. If you could?"
The freaking tone makes him scream in agony because that's not a question you fucking president.
Leon glances at him, his eyes apoletic and is that sadness or acceptance. Then he nods, that smile that Nolan hates on and says, "Of course."
Something breaks in Nolan.
Nolan has slept only 3 hours in the last 3 days, lived with power of caffeine and poor student life skills he still has, has read so much stuff the studies are looking not so hard anymore and watched how Leon's life is getting disgarted in every turn for 4 hours straight and now his ice cream company is getting stolen? In front of his eyes? He is not going down he's going to ice scream and then do something he won't regret doing because that is enough he's done fuck this fuck you is this his thanks he will scream-
(A fleeing moment thought crosses his mind. Is this really worth it? Then it disappears like a squished fly.)
The place is boring anyway.
Unprofessional spy siblings plus one real deal
Nolan: I got banned.
Leon: Yeah I figured out.
Leon: He is okay, don't worry.
Iris: what is going on?
Iris: nolan where this time?
Nolan: White house.
Nolan: Totally worth it.
Leon: You are banned from other places?
Nolan: Yeah, from one corner bar near my home and Starbucks.
Leon: Good to know.
Iris: wait you got banned from THE WHITE HOUSE? HOW???
Leon: I needed someone who was in loop and understood law.
Nolan: He asked me.
Nolan: Why are you awake?
Iris: just finished nightshify
Iris: what'd you do this time?
Leon: He punched my boss.
Nolan: No I didn't.
Nolan: Just the president.
Nolan: You got your orders from the director right?
Iris: wait
Iris: Nolan you did what?
Leon: I guess.
Leon: But officially I'm directly under president, you know that right?
Nolan: wait
Nolan: WAIT
Iris: HOLD UP
Iris: NOLAN YOU DID NOT DO THAT
Nolan: I DIDN'T KNOW
Leon: Goodbye NDA n. 53
Nolan: WHY YOU HAVE SO MANY NDAS????
Nolan: THAT CAN'T BE LEGAL
Iris: WE AREN'T IGNORING YOU PUNCHING THE FUCKING PRESIDENT
Iris: IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JOKE
Nolan: YES IT WAS
Leon: My existence at this point is not legal.
Nolan: WHY YOU SAY IT SO CASUAL??
Jason: just woke up why you are screaming?
Jason: HOLY FUCK-