Right Place Right Time | Leon S. Kennedy

Chapter 3: part 3

And so it did become a routine. After only another month, give or take a few weeks of dating and spending about 90% of your time with him, you felt like you should drop the L-bomb on him, but you felt it was too early. It always seemed too early to you. Love is a strong word; and you should use it sparingly.

Leon didn't agree with that philosophy- on the last part. Life is short, why not tell your loved ones or your lover how you feel, instead of bottling it up and shutting it out like some sensitive contaminant? But he couldn't take his own advice in this case and was paranoid about telling you, afraid that he'd come across as overbearing.

You both have been around each other rather frequently, you've stayed at his home every single night for the past week and you almost didn't want to go back at all. Sure, this may be way too early for you to move in, but this summer was going to be a long one for you before you go back to school for your graduate program. Why not spend it with him? Your friends weren't of any concern to you, you just kept up with them via text and they did not seem to mind or be too nosy. To be honest, they think you're just seeing a sugar daddy or something.

You'd have to tell him at some point, though.

By now you've gotten so used to him you can barely sleep if he's not around; he's spent a few nights at your place after dropping you off only to find he can't stomach seeing you off and driving home alone, and you wanting his company. After just spending about 3 or 4 nights together, you developed a strong liking for the way he cradles your body and holds you close to him, as if he refuses to ever let you go. You've only  spent maybe 3 nights alone in the past month.

And he felt the same way- he feels safe around you, even if that makes little sense. He's the agent here, not you. But still, Leon cherished you so much and found a strong sense of peace and happiness in your company that he wanted to keep by his side all night. While he's not the best and never was very good at coping with his demons, you made sure they wouldn't even come close to bothering him just by being with him. All his negativity and persistent, nagging guilt and depression was gone when he was around you.

In the past 3 years his career has calmed down substantially as well, which did help, despite the fact that he had more time to drink. He hasn't been sent away since 2017, and mostly works from home by now and is unofficially in charge of consulting the DSO and BSAA on matters related to assessing threats, down to just suggestions and organization based on his years of rounded up experience. He could still prove to have good information for Rebecca's research, too.

In the odd case he did have to show up, it was because he was tasked to assist with new trainees and recruits. No matter how much he insisted that he is “a shitty mentor who would clock in hungover and depressed, only to show the rookies what they're in for if they're hunting zombies for too long”, they still insisted on his help.

Truthfully, he's not really bound by anything aside from a passion to protect. He could easily retire now- and it's not like it's not an option, even though he's nowhere near retirement age. He's in a bit more of a special situation, and has the funds to retire at any time now. Hell, he could even pay off your graduate degree upfront right now, and there would barely be a dent in his savings; it's just pennies to him.

Another reason he was hesitant to officially retire was simply that he doesn't want to feel like a retiree. Even though he's dating you and admittedly fully intends to make you his wife, he would see himself as a loser if he retires now and runs off with his lover like some irresponsible billionaire’s stuck up son. But then that begs the pesky predicament of first having to just tell you he loves you- and then wait even longer to propose to you. He also feared that just retiring could intimidate you because the implications are quite clear.