Chapter Text
Leon & (Y/N’s) Apartment
“Babe!”
“Have you seen my jacket?” Leon called from the living room.
“Clothing rack!” I shouted back from the bedroom while trying to put on my earrings properly.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
“Oh.”
I snorted to myself as I fixed my earrings.
Leon and I had been living together for almost a year now, and somehow, we’d already fallen into a rhythm.
And honestly?
It had been bliss.
Not the perfect kind you see in movies either. Not spotless apartments and candlelit dinners every night.
It was the kind built from grocery lists stuck to the fridge, half-finished laundry baskets, and sleepy conversations at two in the morning after exhausting shifts.
We split chores over time. I handled what I could, Leon handled the rest, and somehow we made it work despite both of us having schedules terrible enough to concern normal people.
Dinner depended entirely on whoever suffered less that day.
If I was exhausted from work, Leon cooked.
If he stumbled home half-dead from missions, I cooked.
And if both of us looked one inconvenience away from collapsing?
Takeout.
Always takeout.
Usually eaten on the couch while one of us complained about work and the other pretended to listen before falling asleep halfway through the conversation.
Somehow, somewhere between all of that—
This apartment stopped feeling like Leon’s place.
It became ours.
Our bed.
Our couch.
Our mismatched mugs on the kitchen counter.
Our laundry piled on the chair we both swore we’d clean tomorrow.
Even the tiny habits became ours eventually. My skincare products slowly invading the bathroom sink. Leon’s jackets permanently missing the clothing rack by exactly three feet. Piano somehow migrating around the apartment like a cursed spirit.
And somehow, Leon had also slowly absorbed enough medical knowledge to become genuinely annoying about it.
At first, it started with him asking questions while I watched medical dramas after work.
Then suddenly he started understanding things.
Then came the medical terms.
And now I had to suffer through things like—
Me walking into the kitchen half asleep after a double shift.
Leon taking one look at me over his coffee.
“Damn,” he muttered. “Differential diagnosis says somebody needs eight hours of sleep and a multivitamin.”
Or whenever I skipped meals—
“Pretty sure surviving on sugar and spite isn’t medically recommended, doc.”
Worse, he actually started understanding the references in the shows we watched together now.
Last week, we were halfway through an episode when Leon suddenly pointed at the screen during surgery.
“Ten bucks says that guy’s septic.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“Leon.”
“Yeah babe?”
“I went to med school.”
“And I watched six seasons with you. Basically the same thing.”
It absolutely was not.
The worst part?
He was usually right with his stupid guesses too.
Honestly, it was horrifying.
But still—
It was home.
It still felt strange sometimes.
In a good way.
But dating and living with Leon came with a price to pay too.
No, not the rent. Leon practically treated every bill like a personal attack against his masculinity.
Living with Leon Kennedy meant living with a man whose job was the complete opposite of mine.
If my job was saving people from death—
His was running directly toward it.
There were nights where Leon came home bruised and exhausted, where I stayed awake until three in the morning waiting for the sound of his keys at the door.
Nights where I stitched him up while lecturing him about recklessness.
Nights where he fell asleep against my shoulder halfway through me disinfecting a wound because he was just that exhausted.
And somehow, despite being able to identify sepsis through a television screen—
He still couldn’t locate a jacket sitting directly in front of him.
“You done?” Leon asked while appearing at the bedroom doorway already dressed for dinner.
I looked up immediately.
And honestly—
I still wasn’t fully used to seeing him look so comfortable with me here.
Comfortable sharing his space.
Comfortable sharing a life with me.
“Yeah,” I smiled softly while grabbing my bag. “Ready to go?”
But instead of answering, Leon walked toward me slowly until his hands settled naturally on my waist.
Then he kissed me.
Soft.
Warm.
Unfairly distracting.
I laughed quietly against his lips. “Leon…”
“You know,” he murmured against my mouth while pulling me closer, “there’s still time before we need to leave for dinner.”
I immediately narrowed my eyes at him.
“Hey,” I laughed while lightly smacking his shoulder, “you already got some last night.”
“Can’t help it,” he replied shamelessly before kissing me again.
I giggled helplessly as he buried his face briefly against my neck.
“They’re gonna get mad at us.”
“They’re grown adults fighting BOWs for a living,” he muttered lazily against my skin. “I’m sure they’ll survive waiting twenty more minutes.”
I rolled my eyes despite smiling while his hands rubbed slowly against my waist.
This was my favorite part about living with Leon.
Domesticity.
Soft kisses before dinner.
Him stealing affection while I tried getting ready.
The quiet certainty of holding each other through ordinary moments despite the chaos the world constantly threw at us.
Safe.
Warm.
Home.
Needless to say—
We ended up late to Jill’s dinner gathering.
Apartment 2-4
It had been a while since all five of them—then eventually plus me—had dinner together like this.
Back then, these gatherings used to happen inside the apartment I shared with Jill. Crowded kitchen. Loud arguments. Chris stealing food before dinner officially started. Claire bullying him for it while Rebecca tried unsuccessfully to maintain order.
And now?
This was technically my first dinner gathering as someone who no longer lived here.
Not as Jill’s roommate.
But as Leon’s.
Which unfortunately meant everyone in this apartment was about to become absolutely unbearable about it.
“You know what to expect this time, right?” Leon smirked beside me while we stood outside the apartment door.
“Yeah, yeah. I know,” I sighed dramatically while rolling my eyes.
Leon looked far too entertained by my suffering already.
He knocked on the door.
The second it opened, Jill stood there with one hand on her hip before narrowing her eyes at us immediately.
“Well, well. Look who finally decided to show up.”
Leon and I instantly straightened up.
“We’re sorry we’re late,” we said in unison like two children apologizing to their mother.
Jill stared at us blankly for a second.
Then her eyes slowly drifted toward my neck.
“…Good luck explaining that to the others,” she muttered while stepping aside to let us in.
I blinked once.
“What?”
Jill pointed directly at my neck.
The moment realization hit me, I immediately turned toward Leon in horror.
“You asshole.”
Leon looked genuinely confused for half a second before his eyes landed on the hickey.
Then he had the audacity to grin.
I immediately pinched his arm hard.
“Ow!”
“You did that on purpose!”
“I did not.”
I quickly tried hiding the mark behind my hair while Leon laughed quietly beside me completely unhelpful as always.
The moment we entered the living room, Chris dramatically looked over from the couch.
“Where the hell have you guys been?” he complained loudly. “You’re almost an hour late. I’m starving.”
“Looks like someone skipped the main course and headed straight to dessert,” Claire snorted from the dining table while sipping her drink. “Which, by the way, you’re both terrible at hiding.”
I immediately slapped my hand over the hickey in complete embarrassment.
Chris frowned deeply.
“Main course?” he repeated slowly. “We haven’t even eaten yet.”
The entire room groaned.
Rebecca physically covered her face.
Leon immediately buried his face into my shoulder because he started laughing.
“What?” Chris asked while looking around in genuine confusion. “What did I say?”
“Oh my god,” Claire muttered.
“Can somebody please feed Chris already?” Rebecca sighed tiredly. “His brain’s shutting down from starvation.”
“No it’s not?”
“It absolutely is.”
Chris pointed accusingly at everyone. “You people are mean to me for no reason.”
“Chris,” Jill deadpanned while walking toward the kitchen, “the reason is usually you.”
I couldn’t stop laughing anymore while Leon wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him lazily.
Dinner, as always, started with quick life updates.
Chris complained about paperwork for nearly ten minutes straight while nobody listened properly.
Claire talked about her latest investigation.
Rebecca updated us on research progress at the BSAA.
Jill complained about someone messing up her mission reports, which immediately turned into Chris defending himself before she even accused him directly.
The usual.
And once all the serious conversations were finally out of the way, it happened naturally—
Leon and I somehow became the topic of the night.
Everytime.
“Babe, can you pass me the potatoes?”
Leon said it so casually while reaching for his drink that it took me a second to realize what he had just called me.
The entire table immediately went silent.
Forks paused midair.
Rebecca blinked.
Claire physically recoiled.
Chris looked between us like he had just witnessed a live explosion.
Right.
The pet name caught them off guard.
Leon looked up slowly after noticing the silence.
“…What?”
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Claire pointed at him accusingly.
“You said babe.”
Leon stared at her blankly. “Yeah?”
“You said it naturally.”
“That’s generally how it works.”
Jill looked deeply disturbed. “I think I just lost years off my life.”
Leon rolled his eyes before looking back at me completely unfazed.
“Babe,” he repeated deliberately this time while nudging my foot beneath the table, “the potatoes, please.”
I narrowed my eyes at him immediately.
“Uh… I think you should see the damage you caused first before I reward you with potatoes.”
He looked around the table.
Chris still looked horrified.
Claire looked personally offended.
Rebecca was trying not to fangirl.
Jill looked like she was seconds away from throwing something at him.
Leon sighed dramatically.
“Seriously?”
“Yeah,” Claire immediately answered without hesitation. “You’re gross.”
“You’re acting like you’ve never seen a couple before.”
“Oh no,” Claire pointed at both of us, “this is worse somehow because it’s you two.”
“Especially him,” Jill added while stabbing her food aggressively. “Leon saying babe feels weird.”
“I hate this apartment,” Leon muttered.
“You don’t even live here,” Chris reminded him.
“Exactly.”
I couldn’t stop laughing at this point while Leon leaned back in his chair looking deeply betrayed by everyone around him.
Then casually—
He rested his hand on my thigh beneath the table.
The bastard knew exactly what he was doing too because the moment my face heated up slightly, he smirked.
Leon looked deeply pleased with himself afterward while finally stealing the potatoes himself.
And honestly?
Maybe Claire was right.
Maybe we were gross.
But sitting here between laughter, teasing, stolen touches beneath the table, and people who somehow became family—
I couldn’t really bring myself to care.
After dinner, I decided to help Jill with the dishes while the others stayed in the living room arguing over what movie to put on.
The kitchen felt warm.
Comfortably familiar.
The sink running softly. Plates clinking together. Jill occasionally nudging me away because apparently I was “stacking bowls wrong,” which I still believed was impossible.
It started quietly.
Just the two of us basking in each other’s presence while reminiscing about our days as roommates.
It felt nostalgic in a way that made my chest ache softly.
And after a long stretch of comfortable silence—
Jill spoke casually.
“So,” she said while rinsing a plate, “has Leon asked you about marriage yet?”
*CRASH.*
The plate slipped from my hands immediately and shattered violently against the floor.
The sound echoed through the apartment.
My entire body froze.
Marriage?!
I stared blankly at the broken pieces near my feet while my brain completely short-circuited.
I mean—
I love Leon but—
Wait.
Slow down.
My stomach dropped.
Did I just say I love Leon?
No no no no wait.
I froze even harder.
Because holy shit.
I do.
I love him.
Not just like him.
Not just care about him.
Not just want to be around him all the time.
I love him.
I love the way he kisses me goodbye before missions even if he isn’t sure if he’ll come home sometimes.
I love how he memorized my order without even realizing it.
I love how he listens to me ramble about medicine despite understanding maybe half of it.
I love how gently he cares for me.
How he makes space for me in his life.
How safe he makes ordinary moments feel.
And somehow—
I’ve been so busy living inside those feelings that I never actually stopped to name them.
Oh my god.
No wonder the question hit me like a truck.
Because suddenly my brain started spiraling into terrifying places.
Marriage?
Future?
Forever?
I mean—
I want those things with him.
Don’t I?
I want to come home to him.
I want years of this.
Domestic arguments about laundry.
Late-night takeout.
His stupid jackets on the floor.
Growing old with him.
Oh my god.
I’m in love with Leon.
Deeply.
Horrifically.
Pathetically in love with Leon Kennedy.
And we haven’t even said “I love you” yet.
The shattered plate immediately caught everyone’s attention.
“(Y/N)! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!” Jill yelled in complete alarm.
Footsteps thundered from the living room almost instantly.
But I remained frozen in place while my entire internal world collapsed in real time.
Leon was the first to reach me.
“Hey—hey, are you okay?” he asked immediately, voice full of concern while checking me over quickly.
And god.
The way he looked at me.
So worried.
So soft.
It only made everything worse.
Fuck.
What do I do?!
Right.
The glass.
Clean the glass.
“Yeah!” I said way too quickly while crouching down immediately. “I’m fine!”
“Hey, don’t—”
“Ow!”
I flinched sharply when a shard nicked my finger.
Leon sighed instantly.
“I told you not to.”
He crouched down beside me immediately before gently grabbing my hand to inspect the cut.
“You’re too stubborn,” he muttered while holding my finger carefully. “You need to be more careful.”
I stayed completely silent.
Because now that realization settled in fully—
Everything about him suddenly felt overwhelmingly intimate.
The warmth of his hands.
The crease between his brows when he worried.
The way his thumb brushed gently against my knuckle.
God.
I was getting shy around my own boyfriend all over again.
Leon noticed the silence too.
“Hey,” he asked softer this time while looking at me carefully, “you sure you’re okay? You’re all red.”
God help me.
Then his hand lifted instinctively toward my forehead probably to check if I was feverish—
And I flinched unconsciously.
Both of us froze.
Leon immediately looked hurt and confused all at once.
And before he could ask anything, Rebecca crouched beside us and smoothly took my injured hand from him.
“We should clean this first,” she said calmly.
I nodded immediately because I physically could not form coherent thoughts anymore.
But before Rebecca fully pulled me away, I glanced at Leon briefly.
He still looked confused.
Concerned.
Like he was trying to figure out what suddenly changed.
Sorry, Leon.
But holy shit.
I think I just realized I’m catastrophically in love with you.