𝓛𝓮𝓸𝓷 𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓭𝔂| ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ 4

I Can See You| Request

But what would you do if I went to touch you now?
What would you do if they never found us out?
What would you do if we never made a sound?

'Cause I can see you waitin' down the hall from me
And I could see you up against the wall with me
And what would you do, baby, if you only knew?

That I can see you

-Taylor Swift

I've always been professional since joining this job, whilst I'm younger than the other agents and not as skilled when it comes to fighting or going undercover, my abilities to support the agents from afar in Field Office Support is phenomenal. My office isn't far away from where the agents use their time to do paperwork and planning, so it's a regular occurrence to bump into them. The first time I crossed paths with Leon S. Kennedy in the hallway I think my heart skipped a beat, I'd only heard rumours about his capabilities and the cool exterior he portrays to the world, I'd yet to have the pleasure of assisting him in a mission at the time. Of course only days later he was assigned to me, and I somehow maintained my composure as I guided him around an isolated island filled with B.O.W.s and other failed Umbrella experiments. 

Since that first meeting weeks ago now, Leon has been making it incredibly difficult to focus. Every time I get a new assignment I cross my fingers hoping it's to help him. More often than not I'm lucky, and Leon and I spend hours mumbling brief conversation over the phone as he stakes out or heads to his next destination. His entire presence is magnetic, he's got an unusual charm many would think is off-putting and forward, but I know he's making up for the lack of confidence within himself. I see through the façade he slips on every time he talks to the other agents or listens to the assumptions about him, I feel like I know him, but I can't let things go further. I don't know how Leon would react to my confession, yet alone how everyone else would see us. Our friendship could be ruined, I might even lose my job though I doubt it. 

This crush has only grown since Leon began to spend more time in the office, from previous conversations out of work hours I knew Leon was letting the workload get to him, the failures and guilt pulling him down and down into a state of constant fatigue. He needed a break without explicitly saying it, so I pulled a few strings behind his back and got him assigned to report detail. He didn't argue or question the motives, and I didn't confess that I was the one responsible for helping. When I'd walk into the agents' office to pass over some notes Leon's eyes would meet mine, his lips would curve upwards as our gazes lingered. When I'd buy him something to eat our fingers would brush, his hand grazing mine, the touch electric. When passing in hallways his hand would always touch my lower back, gently moving me out of the way as he passed. I wondered if he felt it too? 

I've tried to ignore the excitement and care I feel for him, but the attraction is too undeniable. Every time I see Leon my heart races, and my mind wanders to places I didn't think of before. I imagine us going on dates, his laugh filling my ears and the faint blush on his cheeks as I link our hands together. The way his lips would feel against mine, and the groan that would escape him from the passion. I imagine us sneaking around, hiding in rooms where we could hug and touch without everyone knowing, how we'd have to lie low and hide behind secretive smiles as we'd think of our nights together. How we'd share elevator rides and ask about each other's day as if we weren't planning our evenings together. It's all delicious torture, but at the end of the day I can only yearn for the man who could be mine. 

Months pass of the distant crush until one day changes everything. I stand in front of the room, giving a presentation of the latest mission that requires all hands on deck. I swallow, nerves getting to me as I shuffle my papers and stumble over my words, I know this is important and yet my mind overthinks everything. The seasoned agents stare at me, all narrowed eyes and eager to get out of this stuffy room, but when I look to Leon he's smiling softly, nodding once to encourage me to keep going. It's all the motivation I need to power through the rest of the briefing and dismiss everyone once the information they need is spilled. Once they're gone I finally let my shoulders slump, then I take my hair out of my bun, fingers massaging my aching scalp after a long day. 

"Would you mind photocopying or sending me the notes? I'd like to take a look at some of the links between cases." A voice says from behind me. I yelp, spinning around as I press a hand to my chest in shock. Leon stands there with his hands at his sides, his suit ruffled and the top three buttons of his shirt undone, displaying a hint of his chest. My eyes dip and then rise, a faint blush taints my cheeks as he catches me in the act of oogling him. 

"Yes, of course. I can send them to your phone now." I reply, pulling my phone out of my pocket and sending the files with a few clicks. Leon perches on the table beside me, watching my phone screen until I lock it, but my finger slips and my phone ends up displaying my lock screen- which is a picture of my pet. 

"So that's the furry friend you're always rushing home to at the end of each day?" Leon muses with a grin, nodding towards my phone. I nod, smiling in return as I tell him a few things about my beloved pet. Leon listens intently, asking a few questions and giving me insights into his own home life. We end up in an easy conversation, like always it's always so simple to just talk to him. However, the small talk dies down, and a silence fills the room. I clear my throat, palms sweating as I begin to gather my things and leave, but Leon stands and gently tugs my wrist. "Can we talk?" 

I frown, nodding once as he stands and closes the open door to the briefing room. My pulse races as he takes a breath, squares his shoulders, then turns to me, expression serious. "I don't know how to come out with it, so I'm just going with whatever spills out," He begins, voice low, "I've noticed the way you look at me..." He leads off as my eyes widen in shock and fear. I open my mouth to speak but Leon holds a hand up, stopping me as he steps closer. "I look at you like that too, when you're not looking." He smiles, stealing my breath. "You're always on my mind, even when I try to forget you." 

"Leon, I-" I start, but he's desperate now, near pleading as he stalks towards me, stopping only when we're inches apart. His hands raise then clench, as if he's holding himself back from touching me. Maybe he's worried about what everyone else will think too. 

"I know this isn't professional, and believe me when I say I've tried to ignore how I feel, but I just can't anymore. I see you everyday, and I always find myself doing everything I can to talk to you. To see you. I take lunch late just so I can cross paths with you in the hallway, I always request to have you as my FOS, I come to work early just so I can have those twenty seconds near you. I'm probably insane, but I need to know if you feel the same way."

I swallow against a dry throat, I want to scream that I feel the same, I want to confess that I like him too, but in the end I whisper "I don't know. I...what would you do if we did do something about this and everyone found out? What if this doesn't work out? What if it does?" I'm panicking at the future, only because I want this to go well so badly. 

Thankfully Leon sees me too, he knows me too well to back down or worry at my own panic. His lips curve into a smirk as he finally cups my cheek and closes the distance between us until we're chest to chest. "Let's find out." He roughly murmurs, then his lips capture mine in a kiss that's well overdue. It's soft and tentative at first, both of us testing the waters and this new ground, but quickly it becomes urgent and more demanding. His hand moves to my waist as his other tangles in my free hair, pulling gently to tug my head back. As predicted he groans into my mouth, the world fades away until there's only us. 

When we finally pull apart breathless and grinning like lovesick adults, we both laugh, Leon nuzzles his nose against mine, his eyes dipping from my lips to my own orbs. "I can see you, I always have," I whisper, looping an arm around his neck, "now it's time you see me. Come to my place after work, let's order takeout and watch a movie." 

Leon nods, "Woman after my heart." He huffs, kissing me once more until he barely audibly adds "Good thing it's always been yours."