Work Text:
Between Leon and Ada, there has never been a doubt that Leon is the more affectionate one, especially now that they've stopped having a difficult relationship - if you can even call it a relationship. After all that time when they only saw each other during odd jobs, maybe once a year, if not less, to now when they had settled and accepted a life together.
That life was, at first, different. They had accepted, for so long, that meeting and running away from one another was not the life they had wanted for each other. But, at the same time, having nothing to run away from was… odd, at first.
They would, at times, find each other in awkward silences. Neither of them was ever a big talker, but they found themselves worried that their own wordless moments had been too much for one another. And no one knew what to say, since teasing had begun to grow old after so many days of doing it. And yet, with time, silence became their thing. They were able to share a space and sit there, sometimes looking at one another for a little too long. Sometimes just enjoying what they were doing in the quiet.
Once comfort became frequent between them, Leon found himself reaching out to Ada for affection randomly. Ada first noticed when his aftercare became longer. After long, sweaty, and breathless nights, Leon would now hold her closer than before, kiss her skin more often, caress her as they stood under the hot shower, and run his fingers through her hair whenever he could.
It didn’t bother her. Ever. Even when it was already common knowledge that Ada was never one to cuddle. And yet, Ada would always be the first one to fall into a deep sleep because of it, as Leon shamelessly loved on her for longer every time. Sometimes, even long after Ada had fallen asleep, she would wake from a loud noise from the TV, and still find Leon caressing her as if she was still awake.
As their relationship evolved, Leon’s physical affection did too. Now it wasn’t just when love was mandatory, because Leon would reach for Ada every time he could.
Every morning, in between missions, Ada would always be the one to wake up first. She would rise and leave Leon, sleeping like a rock, in bed as she started the coffee machine and looked for breakfast in the fridge.
Leon would appear in the doorway not even 15 minutes later. Sometimes Ada would catch him, with his hair in every direction and eyes in tight slits to avoid the morning sun coming through the window. Other times, Leon would come into the room without stopping. Whether Ada was cooking something on the stove, looking at emails on her laptop on the counter, or waiting for coffee to be done, Leon would glue himself to her like they hadn’t even left the bed.
His arms always wrapped around her waist to glue her back to his chest, sometimes laying a kiss on the top of her head, sometimes taking advantage of the straps of her nightgown to kiss the warm skin of her shoulder and neck.
With the years, this wordless ‘good morning’ became routine when their jobs afforded them those moments. Ada, without looking at Leon, would always respond by running her hand through his blonde strands to try and tame them while he would rest his face close to hers. Her hand would scratch his head like he was a pet, and Leon could only close his eyes and enjoy it.
But Leon would be at his most clingy self whenever he would be back from missions. When he returned late at night, he tried to stay quiet so he wouldn't wake Ada, shower as quickly and thoroughly as he could, but his need to be near her would return the moment he saw her in bed. His heart would squeeze, and his stomach would burn anxiously before he could reach her. He’s still slow to move to his side of the bed and get under the covers, but as soon as he can, he reaches out to hold onto Ada just as one would a sleeping kitten, bringing her close to him slowly. Careful not to startle her.
Leon would kiss her forehead, temple, cheek, jaw, and neck, all while already feeling Ada stir in her sleep. She, maybe due to familiarity, wouldn’t even flinch and would just wrap an arm around his shoulders and force her body to glue herself to his. Sleep would sometimes be too heavy for her to even open her eyes, but when she felt able, she would stare into his eyes for just a second and kiss his lips to welcome him home.
Sometimes Leon wouldn’t find Ada in bed, as she had a tendency to fall asleep on the couch when binge-watching a show. Especially on the days Leon was expected to come back home. And Leon would have the same routine of being silent and going for a shower first, but, depending on his energy, he would either carry Ada to bed, bridal style, resting her head on his shoulder, where he could freely kiss her, or simply lie on the vacant space of the couch, with his head resting on her chest.
Sometimes, Ada would still be awake when he came home, which would ruin most of his routine. In those cases, Leon tended to just open his arms and fall into her embrace with maybe a little too much force, which would always lead to Ada saying something along the lines of “Whoa” at the impact, or “Not getting any lighter there, handsome” as a continuous joke at Leon getting beefier with the years.
That’s how Ada was. She is never the one to ask for the loving sessions such as these, but she would always indulge.
And Leon’s affection must be contagious, for there are moments when Ada catches Leon by surprise. When on the couch, late at night, Leon would always sit the closest he could to her, and Ada, suddenly, began resting her head on his shoulder. When being hugged from behind, whether during their early mornings or when she made dinner, she would always let her weight lean back onto his body, or rest a hand over his, playing with his fingers between hers.
But nothing beats the times that Ada actually slips up and reaches out to him. They are rare, those moments, but they happen more and more as they grow older together.
The first time it happened, Leon honestly thought he was dreaming. It was early into living together, and Ada had come back from an assignment that had taken nearly a month to complete. They, of course, did not speak for its duration, but Leon could tell it had been a rough one since it had been expected to be done in just a week. It wasn’t like Ada to extend something for longer than just a few days, so Leon was left with the only option of waiting for her.
He had been awake, writing up a way-too-long report on his own even-longer mission, hair a mess and with an outfit that had been thrown on for comfort and not much else – an old, thin from being worn grey t-shirt and black sweats that had more than one type of stain from the past few meals. And the door of the apartment unlocked. Leon lifted his eyes from the screen of his laptop and saw the door opening slowly.
Ada, in a black trench coat and usual heels, walked in and closed the door behind her. She didn’t seem to be in a hurry. That had been evident, for she moved slowly even when shaking off her shoes. Leon watched her as she shook the jacket off her shoulders in too-slow movements. And as she went to hang it, she paused.
Leon waited for her to speak, but she didn’t. And then she slowly resumed what she was doing.
She turned to face her home and laid her eyes on Leon, sitting by their dining table, looking back at her. Leon opened his mouth to say something, but his mouth hung open as she was the first to speak. “I have a cut on my back.” Her voice was low and careful, and her face was emotionless. “I tried to clean it as best as I can, but it’s getting worse”.
Leon was on his feet before she could even finish her sentence and walked towards her. He locked the door behind her, and Ada started unbuttoning her blouse slowly. Leon helped her whenever she paused, and she became immobile when he looked at her back.
It didn’t look infected, but it didn’t look good either. A ‘cut’ was surely putting it lightly, but Leon wouldn’t expect Ada to call it anything else, unless one of her limbs was missing. It was in an awkward spot on her back. She wouldn’t be able to reach it even if she had a mirror to guide her. Ada truly had no other option but to ask for help.
He led her to the bathroom, and Ada did as told. There, Leon was careful, pulling her bra string to the side as he cleaned her wound. Ada flinched a few times, but never made a sound. Leon kept looking at her through the mirror while his heart pounded with the anxiety of making it hurt worse than it had to, and kept cleaning and then suturing the wound.
When done, he put everything away silently. She leaned on the bathroom counter for some time, but, unexpectedly, when Leon was done cleaning the bathroom, she just turned and fell into his chest. Leon didn’t move at first, as Ada moved to wrap her arms around his waist and squished her cheek into his warmth, but he did eventually wrap his own arms around her, carefully avoiding her bandage.
They didn’t say anything to one another. Ada just hugged Leon while he made sure to not let her go until she pulled herself away. He brushed his hand over her hair, laid kisses on the top of her head and her forehead, and just stayed there.
Ada only seemed to pull away when Leon first spoke, whispering into the air, “You’re home”.
She moved then, moving her head slowly to look up at him, and, when their eyes met, she rested her chin on his sternum. Leon brushed one of his hands over her cheek, not seeing a single scratch or bruise, appearing as if she had come home safely and in perfect health. What a ruse.
“You’re forbidden from ever working again,” Leon said, playfully, yet with a serious expression.
Ada’s smile appears in the corners of her mouth. “And who would save you then?”