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Leon sits on a bench in a park and looks out at the people going about their lives. His breath fogs in the cold air as he waits for… his date.
Yep.
That's right.
Leon S. Kennedy had been asked out on a date and accepted.
Normally, he would have rejected the offer due to his life and because most people wouldn’t understand or be able to handle his work. But the one who had asked him out was someone who also experienced the life he currently lived.
They had agreed to meet at a local and popular park. What they’d do once Leon’s date arrives is up for debate. Yet the morning is cold, and Leon could go for a good coffee and a pastry.
“Leon.”
The older man turned his head to where his name had been called and found Chris Redfield making his way toward him. The man is bundled in a black jacket, much like Leon is.
“Chris,” Leon nods to the man as he stands, “You came.”
“You sound surprised,” Chris says.
“I don’t normally accept date offers. Didn’t know if you’d or I’d get called or something,” Leon shrugged, ignoring the shiver the cold morning brought. Damn, he could use a hot coffee right now. “Can’t tell what will happen with jobs like ours.”
“True,” Chris nods, “There’s a coffee shop nearby. What to get out of the cold?”
“You read my mind, Redfield,” Leon chuckled, wondering what shop the older man had in mind. “Lead the way?”
Chris snorted but headed in the direction of the shop that had caught his eye, “Hope the coffee shops here are good. There are a few good ones I’ve had all over the globe. Though I’ve been to some very good bars. The food overseas isn’t bad if you find the right place."
“I’ve been to bars as well, though not for… the food,” Leon mumbles, remembering his time in Colorado. That was a dark time for him, and he shakes his head to dislodge the memories.
“You, ok?” Chris asks.
“Yeah…” Leon mumbles, “Just… memories. They tend to crop up when you least want them to.”
“I know,” Chris says in understanding, “We’re here,”
Leon looked at the shop Chris had taken them to and felt glee bubbling in his chest. He’s been to this coffee shop many times and loves the coffee. The pastries were next level as well.
“You’ll love the coffee here,” Leon says as he opens the door and steps in, “Their pastries are massive too.”
The shop wasn’t that busy, and it didn’t take the two long to place their order and sit at a table. With the coffee streaming and the pastries piled high, Leon dips a croissant into his coffee before taking a bite.
“I see you have a bit of a sweet tooth,” Chris hums while cutting a brookie in half. He didn’t expect this shop to have a brookie twice the size of his hand, and he knew he couldn’t eat the thing on his own. Not when there’s a cookie & cream cake slice, Nutella stuffed cookies, the plain croissants, and two Bear Claws.
“Only from this shop,” Leon chirps before taking a bite of his Bear Claw.
Chris chuckles with a half smirk as he watches Leon down his Bear Claw in a few minutes. He’s had a few bites of his Bear Claw, and he can’t blame Leon for scarfing down his; they’re that good. While the pastries were good, Chris was more of a dinner food kind of guy.
But seeing Leon happy was a rare thing, and he didn’t want to ruin it.
Leon was also right; the coffee was to die for. He’ll have to mention this place to his men. They’ll appreciate a good coffee.
“Let me guess, you're the reason this place has at least fifty percent business?” Chris teases around his sip of coffee.
“I wouldn’t say fifty percent, but maybe… hmm… twenty! Most people know of this place through social media or word of mouth.” Leon takes a plastic fork and takes a bit of the cake slice, “I do make a large order of the pastries here for the D.S.O office if I’m feeling kind enough.”
Chris raised a brow, intrigued, “Oh? And how often do you do that?”
“Not often,” Leon hums around the cake in his mouth, “I do get Sherry and Hunnigan something from here if I have to be in the office,”
“Do you need to go to the office today?”
“No,” Leon shakes his head, “I have the day off.”
The two take their time enjoying their breakfast, and what wasn’t eaten had been put into those to-go cardboard boxes. They returned to the park and walked around at a leisurely pace, not wanting to end the date too soon.
By the time lunch had rolled around, Leon informed Chris he was a bit peckish and that breakfast leftovers didn’t sound appetizing. They walked from the park until they found an interesting pizza shop.
After ordering two slices and paying, the two sat near a window while they waited.
“Starting to get a little warm, now that the sun is out,” Leon shrugs his jacket off and places it across his lap, “Good thing I wore something looser.”
“I agree,” Chris hums, noting the loose blue tee the other wore. It was a lighter color from the compression shirt that Chris had seen Leon in before. The elder man looked to the counter and found that their food had just come out of the oven. “Looks like our food is ready.”
“Oh?” Leon watched as Chris got up and headed to the counter to collect their food.
Chris returns and sets the plates on the table. “They look good.”
“Yeah, they do.” Leon agrees. He picks up his slice and takes a bite of his Marinara pizza, “Damn! That’s good,”
Chris chuckles as he takes a bite of his pizza. It’s a plain pepperoni, but damn, it’s good. He’ll be coming back here while he can. The pizza here is delicious. “You’re right, this is good.”
“I know,” Leon chirps, “I can’t believe I haven’t found this place—”
There’s a phone buzzing, and Leon fishes his phone from the jacket pocket. There are no notifications or calls, so Leon looks up and finds Chris holding his phone with a sour face.
“Let me guess,” Leon sighs, “Work?”
“Yeah,” Chris nods, slipping his phone back into his jacket pocket. He takes a bit of pizza before saying, “A mission. I’ll be set out later tonight.”
“Not surprised,” Leon hums after finishing his lunch, “I can no longer count how many times I’ve been called in. I’d been concerned if I wasn’t called in at random.”
“Sorry about the date having to be cut short,” Chris says after he finished his pizza, “But I do agree. I’d be concerned too if I wasn’t pulled into a mission without warning.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Leon chuckles, taking the garbage from the table and tossing it into the trash, “Best get me home?”
Chris hums as he gets up from the stool and heads to the door, “I suppose I should get you home.”
“Well, more accurately, to my bike,” Leon chuckles. “Come on, let’s get going,”
As the two were returning to the park, Leon stopped into the coffee shop where they had breakfast and grabbed a few more pastries. Chris snorted a laugh as the other elbowed him in the side, claiming that these pastries weren’t for him.
“Really now?” Chris raised a brow, “You sure those are not for you later tonight?”
“No, they’re not. I’m dropping them off to Grace and Sherry,” Leon huffs, hoping Chris would buy the lie.
“I see,” Chris raised a brow, but didn’t say anything more. He isn’t buying this lie.
Once the two arrive at the park and Leon’s motorcycle, Chris leans against the bike and says, “Hope the date was still enjoyable, even though I have to leave soon.”
“It was. I enjoyed myself.” Leon hums, leaning close to Chris and giving the other a quick kiss, “See you again?”
Chris blinked in shock at the sudden kiss, but smiled when answering Leon’s question, “Yeah, we’ll set up a second date when we can.”
“Good!” Leon chirps as he hops onto his bike, “See you when I can.”
“Same. Also…,” Chris leans in and gives the other a proper kiss, “Don’t be a tease with kissing, Kennedy.”
Leon pulls back and puffs his cheeks out in a pout, “Don’t be such a tease, either, Redfield."
“Whatever you say,” Chris snorts, “See you when I can,”
“Same here, big guy,” Leon winks, starting his bike up and taking off.
Chris smiles as he watches Leon disappear into traffic, thinking about where to take him on the next date.