Work Text:
Leon slipped into a dim corner of an old shipping container at the temporary base. The faint lantern light from the ceiling cast a cold, hazy glow across the rusted metal walls. In the distance, the sounds of someone sorting ammunition, low laughter from a joke, and the occasional crackle of a radio all felt strangely far away right now.
With a face etched with exhaustion, he held the phone to his ear. Instead of a ring, it went straight to voicemail with a mechanical beep. He closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke in a soft, low voice, carefully choosing every word.
“Baby… um… I’m sorry.”
That voice carried everything—
the tension that had built up over the entire day, and the quiet guilt of someone who knew he was breaking a promise he couldn’t keep.
“I don’t think I can make it by the day we planned. Looks like the operation’s going to drag on another day or two. Things just… aren’t going the way I hoped.”
He let out a faint breath.
“Is it early morning over there right now? I called because I really wanted to hear your voice… but I guess it’s too late.”
And then—A loud, overly excited voice exploded from behind him.
“Fxxx! That was close—we almost screwed it up! Still, thank god we’ve got time to fix it! Hey! Leon! What’re you doing?!”
Chris Redfield shouted as he approached, his face still flushed red from the adrenaline of the operation. His large frame blocked the lantern light, casting a heavy shadow over Leon.
Startled, Leon quickly covered the phone with his hand, lowering his voice.
“Chris… wait… I’m—”
Too late.
With a sly grin, Chris leaned over Leon’s shoulder and snatched the phone right out of his hand.
“What’s this? Calling your girl?”
He spoke straight into it without hesitation.
“Hey, Leon’s girl, this is Chris Redfield. Sorry I keep your guy from coming home.”
“Chris!! Come on, man—!”
Leon lunged to grab the phone back, but Chris twisted away effortlessly, laughing.
For a guy that big, he was annoyingly quick.
Leon tried to corner him, reaching out again and again, while Chris kept moving the phone just out of reach like it was some kind of game.
“Give it back—!”
As Leon stepped closer, Chris spun halfway around the container to dodge him.
“Sorry for making you lonely, But hey, I’m lonely too—if you’ve got any nice girls around—”
“Chris, it’s voicemail. So right now… it’s recording!”
Leon snapped through clenched teeth.
“…Huh? Oh. Even better.”
CRASH—!!
Two grown men in their thirties started brawling like kids inside the cramped container.
Leon lunged for the phone—Chris raised it high.
Leon jumped—Chris lifted it even higher, laughing.
“Come on, admit it—you’re shorter!”
“It’s barely a few centimeters!!”
The table rattled, the lantern light flickered wildly, a chair scraped loudly across the floor.
Outside, other agents glanced over, some smirking, some shaking their heads.
“There they go again…” someone muttered—but no one stepped in.
“Oh, by the way, you—do something about Leon’s hair, will you? What kind of soldier walks around like that?”
“What’s wrong with my hair, you damn bear?! And for the record, I’m not even a soldier!”
“If you work under me, you’re a soldier. I’ll shave it off while you’re sleeping.”
“Chris, you touch my hair and I swear I’ll kill you!”
Their playful scuffle only got more intense.
And just as Leon finally threw himself forward to snatch the phone—
Beep— beep— beep—
The voicemail cut off with a cold, automatic disconnect.
Leon let out a long sigh and shoved Chris lightly in the chest.
“Hey… you completely ruined the recording.”
Chris clutched his stomach, laughing.
“Sorry, sorry. But hey, she probably laughed, right? I’ll call and apologize myself next time.”
The air inside the container felt a little lighter.
Leon remained leaning against the corner of the container, the phone cooling in his hand.
Chris Redfield took a step closer.
His short black hair was damp with sweat and dust, slightly disheveled.
Rough stubble traced along his square jaw, casting a shadow that made him look even more rugged.
His deep eyes carried the weight of over a decade of battle—and scars that would never truly fade.
But when he smiled, there was still something steady and good in the corners of his gaze.
The presence of a man who had risked everything to protect what mattered radiated quietly—yet overwhelmingly—from him.
Chris crossed his arms and looked down at Leon. His voice was low and rough, but softened by the familiarity of an old comrade.
“Hey… seriously, sorry. Guess I get a little worked up when I hear your girl’s voice.”
“Worked up, my ass. Now I’ve got one more excuse to come up with because of you.”
Leon sighed and slipped the phone into his pocket.
Chris smirked and gave his shoulder a light tap—playful, but controlled.
“You know it too. The hardest part is right before you go home. Especially… when someone’s waiting for you.”
Leon tilted his head slightly instead of answering.
His longer, lighter hair caught the lantern light, reflecting softly.
His blue eyes had finally calmed a little.
“Still… it sucks the recording got cut off. At least wanted to leave an ‘I love you.’”
Chris raised an eyebrow, a low chuckle slipping out.
“Oh? Saying ‘I love you’ out loud now? Leon Scott Kennedy? Damn, you’ve really changed.”
Leon shrugged.
“You’ve changed too. Used to be ‘grab a drink after the mission’ was all you cared about.”
The corner of Chris’s mouth lifted.
There were lines at the edges of his tired eyes—but they were warm ones.
For a moment, he fell silent, glancing out of the container.
The distant sound of wind filled the night.
“…You wanna go home, don’t you?”
Leon didn’t answer—just nodded.
His blue eyes flickered slightly.
Her face came to mind.
The bed she’d probably be in alone right now.
And the warm smile that might be waiting for him in the morning.
Chris let out a breath and gave Leon’s back a light pat.
“Then wrap it up and go home. I don’t wanna get chewed out by your girl anymore.”
Leon let out a small laugh.
Chris spoke again, more quietly.
“I used to be like that too. After my parents died… it was just me and Claire. We held on, just the two of us. Even when I joined the Air Force, went through flight training… I thought, ‘this is everything my life is gonna be.’”
He paused.
“But Raccoon City… that damn mansion… Wesker’s betrayal, seeing what Umbrella really was—after that, things changed. It’s not just ‘a mission’ anymore. There’s too much to protect now. Claire, Jill… and idiots like you.”
Chris looked down at his rough hands and gave a low chuckle.
“So yeah… I feel worse for you. Wanting to go home, but not being able to…”
Leon didn’t say anything—just gave Chris’s shoulder a light tap.
Between them, a quiet bond flowed—one that had started in the flames of Raccoon City and never really faded.
“Yeah. I know. See you at assembly tomorrow morning.”
“Okay~Keep that hair safe tonight.”
“I swear, I’m gonna kill you.”
They both burst out laughing at the same time