Chapter Text
The keys in your hand jingled as you walked down the hallway, with each step you took echoing in the silence, but you were too immersed in the conversation you were having to pay much attention to your surroundings. When you finally reached the apartment, you balanced the full grocery bag in one arm while you fiddled with the lock on the door, the key refusing to slip into the hole while the phone haphazardly pressed to your ear with your shoulder continued its attempts to fall.
"I still don't see why you don't just tell him," you said into the phone, a frown deep in your brow as you turned the key this way and that in a vain attempt to open the door.
"You know how Leon is," Sherry continued through the phone, a hint of exasperation in her voice. "Especially with how much work he's been doing lately."
You paused at her comment, letting out a sigh as you left the keys hanging from the lock once they finally decided to cooperate. He had been working too much again, and you could tell it had been taking a toll on him. "I did tell him you are a grown woman," you replied in reassurance as you shuffled the grocery bag to keep it from falling. "Maybe he'll surprise you."
Sherry let out a noise that suggested she didn't quite believe you. "Luis has finally been cleared enough and now put under a different department head, and unlike Leon I'm actually going to take my vacation time now I’m free," she stated before adding in a quieter voice, "I just don't want him to over react."
"I don't see why he will if all you're doing is going to Europe," you told her, suspicion growing at how worried she seemed, until it was like something suddenly clicked and you knew the reason she was so nervous. "Unless you're not just going to see the sights."
"As I said, you know how he is," she answered, pretty much confirming what she was up to. You could understand why she was worried. "Please just tell him I'll catch him later?"
"Fine. Be safe," you acquiesced as you unlocked the door and snatched back the keys, hearing a sigh of relief leave her lips on the other side of the phone.
"I always am," she told you, sounding very happy at you agreeing. Almost instantly, she was gone, the phone quieting as she ended the call.
You let out a sigh as you pushed open the door and walked into the empty apartment, kicking off your shoes in the rough direction of the shoe rack, sure you would put them away later after your hands weren't so full. You strode comfortably through to the kitchen, the keys dangling from your fingers as you approached the marble counter and dumped both the groceries and keys unceremoniously on top. With how loud of a thump the bag made when it went down, you hoped with a wince that you hadn't cracked the bottle of wine you had picked out for the evening. You took a deep breath in as you took stock of the now more complicated evening, eventually deciding to deal with Sherry's request when it came to it.
With determination to have a good night you unpacked the grocery bag, spreading out the ingredients for the night's dinner over the countertop as you started to mentally sort the steps needed to prepare the meal. A quick glance at the clock told you you had maybe an hour free, and got to work rummaging through the cabinets to pull out various pans, throwing on music from your phone to keep you company as you worked.
You had only gotten midway through the prep work, having become slightly distracted as you sang along to a favorite song blaring from your phone, when you felt a set of arms wrap around your middle from behind. You jumped slightly in your skin as you were pulled back to rest against Leon's chest, his cologne washing over you as he placed a long kiss against your neck.
"I could live with coming home to this every night," he said as he held you tightly against him.
"Not if you keep scaring the crap out of me like that," you said with a laugh as you leaned back into him, placing the knife back down on the counter as you savored his embrace.
"Sorry," he whispered against your ear while sounding anything but.
"No you're not. If you were, you wouldn't do it," you scolded him, already knowing he would do it again. "You can be too sneaky sometimes." You turned around in his grip, wrapping your arms around his neck as you held him close.
"Well, it is my apartment," he said as his eyes held yours, mischief and mirth dancing in the depths. "And you were singing loudly."
You frowned at him, faking being outraged as you stated, "I wasn't that loud." Your arms released his neck as you pulled back, threatening, "But if you want me to go."
"The first night in weeks we get to spend together? Not a chance," he stated, pulling you tighter and brushing his lips against yours.
Against his lips, you whispered, "Then let me go so I can cook dinner." He seemed reluctant, but loosened his grip enough for you to step out of his arms. "It would go faster if you helped, you know," you told him as you picked the knife back up.
You shot him a look after not hearing a reply, noticing the smirk on his lips and realizing belatedly that you probably said the wrong thing.
After all, nothing was ever easy when it came to Leon.
As you sat on a stool in Leon's kitchen, you lounged against the side of the counter, your dinner plates long finished with and pushed out the way. Your arm rested against the surface of the cool marble countertop, the other loosely clasping your glass filled with the last remnants of the wine you had with dinner. All in all, the night was a success, despite Leon's actions to the contrary. Although he decided to be helpful enough, when it came to cooking, you found he couldn't follow orders for anything, so the fact that dinner was even edible by the end was an achievement all its own. Something told you he was doing it on purpose, most likely just to fluster you. If so, he succeeded.
It was supposed to be a celebratory dinner for Leon having finally finished renovating his new apartment, this time with him actually having input rather than leaving everything to Sherry, and beings as how he had nothing to start with, you thought he did a good job. He outright refused to let you help choose the color schemes, even though you didn't even offer to begin with. Still, the beige walls he went with were much better than the previous gray, making the place look much more cozy, so you let him off.
You on the other hand hadn't been so lucky, as settling into your new job was prioritized over everything else. Your stuff had once again been relegated to living in cardboard boxes, although the others kept telling you that wouldn't be a problem as it would save time for when you inevitably moved in with Leon. Still a bit too early for your tastes, especially after what had happened with Nate and Lori, but the fact that Leon never corrected anyone about it still made you secretly happy. It seemed he was just as invested in your relationship as you were, he was just more quiet about it.
Now after everything you had been through, you had come out the other side stronger for it, and once again building a new life, but one you were much happier in. The memories of that night when your world fell apart was still an ache of worry at the back of your mind, but it never seemed to be too strong anymore, and with each day it lessened. Nothing could ever bring your old life back, but you were content with the new one in the making.
As you twirled the wine glass in your hand, you bit at your lip, knowing that you still needed to give him Sherry's message. You knew your concern wasn't really warranted, as it wasn't even anything bad you had to relay. But with just how protective Leon could be over the woman, you didn't want to ruin what had been a pretty fun, if not frustrating, night the pair of you had. Taking a deep breath at the brief lull that had fallen over the pair of you, you finally took the plunge. "Sherry called me today." Leon didn't do much more than hum as he sipped his wine, his eyes watching you closely as he waited for you to continue. "She said she's heading to Europe and will catch you later."
"Europe," he repeated, as he put the glass down with a sharp clink. After a moment of silence looked away as he pulled out his phone from his pocket, muttering, "Of course she is."
Startled by his intensity, you could only watch on as he typed away at his phone quickly, until you instinctively said almost as a plea, "Leon, let her go."
At your comment he paused and looked back to you while raising a brow, telling you, "I am. Here."
You caught his phone as he slid it over to you across the counter, his messages to Sherry open on the brightly lit screen. A new text had been sent, and instantly you regretted your comment.
'Have a good trip. Call if you need me.'
"Oh," you said as you went to hand the phone back to him, only for Leon to take it and push it further away on the counter. "Sorry. She was really worried about telling you."
"She's old enough to make her own decisions," Leon said with a shrug as he picked his glass back up, although you could tell it was still hard for him to let go. "Even if Jake's not good enough."
"Will anyone ever be?" you asked him, pleased with how he was finally loosening up.
"No, but if she wants to go out and find happiness somewhere, I'm not going to be the one stopping her," he said as he stared at the glass thoughtfully, the hint of a smile on his lips.
"Everyone deserves that," you said as you watched him closely. "Including you."
He looked back to you as the small amount of tension in his body loosened, his eyes holding yours as something serious flashed between them. "Pretty sure I found it."
Something inside you melted then, knowing you felt the exact same. "Me too. Even if you did turn my life upside down. Again," you said with a laugh, hoping to lighten the mood.
Leon took the hint as he looked away again. "Least you don't have to deal with your old manager now," Leon said as he finished off the last of the wine in his glass.
You watched him as he placed his glass down, shifting his leg so his foot was placed on the edge of your stool between your own as he leaned back on the counter. You let out a dramatic sigh, catching his attention as you said, "No, but I still have to put up with a guy at work hitting on me."
He perked up then, a flash of concern flickering between his eyes. "What?" He asked, his voice darkened as a frown pinched his brow.
"Yeah, he even stopped me and kissed me in the hallway a few days ago." You momentarily felt bad for teasing him, but he did deserve it.
Leon relaxed instantly, a self satisfied smirk blooming on his face. "That bastard."
You shook your head and gave him a glare. "Now I have half the women I work with giving me stink eye and the other half asking for details," he raised his brow at that, not at all seeming apologetic. "Thank you, Leon."
You barely had time to put down your glass as he pushed off the stool and pressed up against you, one hand grasping your waist while the other slid up the nape of your neck. With a smirk, he leaned down, his face barely an inch from yours as he murmured, "I'll have to make it up to you."
His voice was filled with nothing but promises, a deadly tone that just asked for you to accept and reap the rewards. For a moment, you could hardly breathe, the intensity of him stealing your very breath as you paused in his grasp. In that dizzying instant, it felt as if time itself stood still, your senses heightened by his sheer presence as he waited for your answer.
In the end, there was no other choice for you to make as you closed the gap, your mouth seeking his as your hands came up to twist into his tee, desperate to have him as close to you as possible.
Leon responded in kind, his lips pressing against yours firmly as the hand gripping your hip tugged you closer to him. He shifted his hips to push against yours, pinning you between the counter and himself and smothering you with his presence. You could feel your skin tingle with every brush, your body already starting to blaze as it remembered his touch while your stomach fluttered with butterflies from how long it had been since you were last so intimate with him. The memories of that night flooded your mind, leaving you dizzy and flushing with long awaited anticipation.
Your fingers shifted up him, feeling across Leon's warm body and the firm muscles hidden beneath his shirt, feeling them tense in response to your touch as your hand drifted along them. You continued up past his shoulders, your fingers working their way to the back of his neck and into his hair, tugging gently at the soft strands and causing his grip on you to tighten in turn.
His mouth broke from yours with heavy pants that blew hotly across your lips. With barely a pause, his hands released their grip to reach down to grasp the outside of your thighs, lifting you up and dropping you on his counter as you clung to him in surprise at the sudden action. The movement pushed you back, your hip catching a stray wine glass and causing it to fall to the ground and shatter against the floor. The noise broke through the quiet of the surrounding kitchen and caused you both to pause, but neither of you moved to clear it up, instead too enraptured in each other that you didn't want to stop. It was only for a brief moment as you both simultaneously reached back to each other as his mouth reclaimed yours in another passionate kiss.
As Leon's tongue delved into your mouth to twist against your own, you let out a moan from deep in your throat, becoming lost in the man who was completely surrounding you. You could almost feel his eagerness as his hand fisted into your shirt, pulling tightly at the fabric so it slid up your stomach. He drew back from your lips again just long enough to pull your shirt up over your head, followed swiftly by his own, barely leaving you a chance to catch your breath. His hands pushed against your thighs, spreading your legs so his hips could nestle between yours, his already hardening length pressing against you in a way that sent a pulse of want straight to your core.
His mouth found your neck, teeth biting lightly at the sensitive skin in between kisses as his hand fingered the clasp of your bra. His other hand eagerly pawed at the fabric as soon as it loosened, tugging it from your chest as his palm found the naked, soft skin of your breast. You didn't even have time to worry about how you were bare before him in the vibrant lighting of his kitchen as his calloused hand found your sensitive nipple, rubbing softly against the hardened peak that had a gasp leave your lips at his attention.
You could barely contain the moans he pulled from your mouth, your thighs clenching tightly around his hips in an effort to keep him pressed against you. Your hands slid up his bare chest as the longing for him hit you full force, your arousal causing you to tense at the feeling of the tight muscles shifting under your fingertips as you traced along his heated skin. Your fingers ghosted along the fine hairs and scattered scars that lined Leon's chest, the feel of them only making you burn more for the man you clutched. You could feel as the hand not caressing your breast descended low, slipping between your bodies to press against your clothed folds, sending small jolts of pleasure to your core at the pressure. You gasped his name out, turning your head to recapture his lips as sparks danced along your nerves. His hand shifted to tug at the opening of your jeans, unzipping the clothing as your nails bit lightly into the skin of his hard shoulders.
A feeling of self awareness hit you as his fingers started to descend underneath the hem of your panties, the feeling of rushing just a little too much catching you. You wanted him so desperately, but also wanted to savor it. "Not here, Leon," you gasped out, wanting to find somewhere more comfortable for your reunion with him.
"Alright," he growled out against your lips, making you worry he took it the wrong way until you caught the devilish smirk creeping up on his face. "Some other time."
A surge of heat hit your core at his words, the blatant insinuation of there already going to be a next time causing arousal to spike through you and flood your body with need. Leon pulled back to lift you down from the counter, helping place you on the floor on your unsteady legs. Taking your hand, he placed a soft kiss to the knuckles before he tugged you to him with a swift jolt, catching you in his grasp as he shifted away from the kitchen.
You could barely contain the smile that blossomed on your lips as his hand holding yours pulled you through his apartment, taking the few steps that led to his bedroom. His hand flew to the light switch and illuminated the room as soon as you passed through the threshold, leaving you clear to his vision as he turned back to face you and pull you into his arms. Instead of roaming your body, his burning blue eyes held yours, a look of gentleness crossing his face as a hand came up to cup your cheek. "I missed you," he admitted as he gave you a small smile, his thumb brushing your cheek in a gentle caress.
Your heart melted for Leon all over again as you moved closer to him, your lips pressing against his in a tender kiss. "I missed you too," you whispered against his lips as he wrapped his arm around you to pull you closer to him. He returned your tender kiss, only it didn't stay gentle for long as his hunger for you took over, his mouth claiming yours as his arm pulled you tight to him.
The hand on your cheek dropped low, tugging incessantly at the waistband of your jeans to push them down your legs. You stepped out of your jeans as they pooled on the floor, clad only in your panties as you stood before him, blushing slightly as he couldn't keep his eyes off you. You reached for him to steady yourself, your heart pounding in your chest as your hand clutched the hard muscles of his shoulder. He took the brief moment of you steadying yourself to undo his own jeans, his belt jingling as it loosened while his eyes didn't leave you for one second. It was almost as if he thought you would vanish if he so much as looked away.
You stepped up closer to him, smiling as nostalgia hit you. You let out a giggle as you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, noticing the grin that grew on his lips as he seemed to understand your amusement. His hands slid down to the back of your thighs and pulled you up him as your legs instinctively wrapped around his waist and your arms held him to you tightly. As you pulled yourself to him closely, his nose brushed against yours, a soft laugh leaving his lips as held you upright. Rather than the last time where he dropped you down on the bed, he startled you by turning a falling back himself, leaving you splayed on top of his body as your hands caught yourself on his shoulders. As you had learned by now, you would always find Leon both predictable and surprising in everything he does.
You shifted on his lap as his zipper bit lightly into your thigh as you got comfortable, a sudden gasp leaving your lips as his hand trailed between your legs. Your eyes caught his as his fingers caressed the outside of your panties, his gaze focused and full of burning desire. You sucked in a breath at the intensity, only for it to release in a gasp as his hand found its way beneath the fabric covering your folds and trailed along your cunt. His touch was less cautious and more exploratory, his eyes watching you closely as he took in each released moan and shudder of your body. You almost pleaded to him the moment he grazed your clit, a jolt running through you as your core throbbed at his touch. His fingers drifted lower down and eagerly pressed into your entrance, sliding in easily with the help of your arousal as his thumb returned to your clit, circling it in time to the shallow pumping of his fingers. You could only moan and grip his shoulders, your nails biting the skin as he drew out your pleasure.
With a gasp and shake of your head, your hand lifted so your fingers threaded into the strands of his hair, tugging lightly as you demanded his attention. "Leon," you called in a breath of a whisper, "I want you."
His jaw tensed at your words as his gaze broke from yours, his lips leaving a lingering kiss against your pulsepoint as his fingers drew out of you. With reluctance you shifted off his lap to stand back up, dropping your panties to the ground as he slipped his jeans and boxers off. You looked on in awe as his hard cock was freed from its confines, Leon fully removing his remaining clothing and dropping them on the floor along with yours, only taking a moment to fetch a condom out of his nightstand. As he settled back on the bed, you watched as he swiftly opened the condom and rolled it on with practiced hands.
As you shifted back onto the bed, you slid your leg over his thighs, settling above him as your body shook with need and wanting nothing more than to feel him beneath you. "This okay?" you asked almost breathlessly to which he agreeably nodded in response, his eyes fixated on you above him as the hands on your thighs helped to position you in place above the solid cock eager for your body. Your hands braced yourself on his stomach, his muscles taught under your palms from the tension running through him. Your eyes looked over the man who lay beneath you, who had lay himself bare to you not just physically, but mentally as well, his burning eyes holding yours and swirling with emotions that told you everything that was still left unsaid between you.
Drawing in a breath and taking it slowly, you aligned yourself above him and sunk down on his awaiting cock, letting out a gasp at the feeling of the slow stretch of your walls as he filled you. Leon's hands held you tightly, his grip on your hips rough but not forceful as he winced in pleasure when he became sheathed in you fully. You could feel how deep he went, your walls fluttering around him as you adjusted while you relished in his heat both under you and inside you. You let out a moan as you shifted slightly only for his hard length to rub in just a way that it sent sparks through your nerves.
Slowly you shifted your hips more, rocking on him as your fingers dug into his skin lightly as pleasure flooded straight to your core, his hands helping to guide your movements. Once you found a rhythm that worked for the both of you, one of his hands shifted down, his thumb pressing against your wet cunt and returning to your clit, rubbing against it in time to your motions and pulling moans and gasps from your mouth. Quickly enough you could feel your center tighten from the almost overwhelming sensations, your thighs clenching around his hips and your body tingling as you felt your climax creep up.
Your mind started to become lost in your euphoria, only able to register the heat of Leon underneath you and the thumb on your clit as it picked up the pace with your movements, dragging across it almost too forcefully as your peak neared. You couldn't help but falter in your movements as he helped push you closer to the edge. As your body struggled to stay upright from the pleasure threatening to overtake you, you felt your body float, not realizing until your back landed on the soft sheets below that you had been pulled sideways after losing perch on top of him. Leon had twisted you both around, landing braced above you and nestling himself between your thighs as you caught your breath and calmed your racing pulse.
"Sorry about that," he said in a pant as he resituated himself, the tip of his solid cock eagerly pressing back against your entrance.
"No, I'm sorry. I'm the one who lost control there," you said in a light laugh as your hands came up to wrap around his shoulders, your fingers twisting into his hair and lightly tugging at the strands as they brushed against your face. Your body trembled slightly beneath him from how close it still was, craving the return of his touch once again.
Your pussy clenched in anticipation of feeling him inside again as you held your breath, feeling him push into you slowly while he said with a groan, "You lose control as much as you want, sweetheart."
With one arm bracing himself above you, the other held your waist in a vice grip, pulling you slightly to him as he thrust into you hard, resheathing himself deep into your awaiting cunt. The pace he set was hard and relentless, driven by something almost primal as he pounded into you forcefully and his thumb returned to your clit. You brought your legs up to wrap around his hips as you rocked hard from his motioning, basking in the warmth and pleasure of him. Your head swam as finally your climax crashed over you. A scream tore from your throat as pleasure assaulted your nerves and flooded throughout your body as you tensed under him, your vision going white as you gasped out his name. As your head swam from the sudden surge of euphoria, you felt his rhythm falter, your body clenching him tight and making him groan in pleasure as he chased his own peak.
You could tell the moment he got close, Leon's body snapping taut with tension as his own climax neared. As his pleasure became too much, he came with a moan, pressing deep into you with a final thrust as he grasped your thigh tight, the grip almost bruising. He could only just hold himself above you, his lips seeking out yours to harshly press a kiss to your lips as you moaned into his mouth.
As he finally collapsed with his energy waning, he rolled to the side, gasping out, "At least we know I have good taste in beds."
You took a moment to catch your breath and figure out what he was talking about as your orgasm muddled brain struggled to comprehend him, a laugh leaving your lips as you registered what he had said. "Seriously, that's what you're going with?" you asked him incredulously.
"It's true," he said as he reached his arm up and folded it beneath his head to rest on, the other reaching out to you.
You shifted onto your side, letting Leon loop his arm around your waist and pull you to him, your finger coming up to trace twisted patterns along the scars on his slightly sweaty chest. "It's a good thing I love you," you muttered as you lay there together amongst the twisted sheets.
His head turned to you, catching your eyes in a gentle gaze as he said, "I love you too." Slowly he shifted over and lightly placed a kiss on your lips.
As you broke away, your fingers traced lightly along his cheek. "We can't just lie here all night," you said with a sad smile, already dreading having to leave his embrace even if it would only be temporary.
"It's comfy enough," he said in protest as his eyes held yours until he relented. "You're right." He took your hand in his, placing a soft kiss to the knuckles as he went to stand and pulled you up after him.
Only the clink of plates and the jingling of glass could be heard as the pair of you worked on cleaning up the kitchen, the robe Leon gave you sticking to your slightly damp body while shielding you from the cool air. "I should go," you told him as you finished putting away the dishes in his dishwasher as you glanced at the time on his microwave, seeing it had gotten late much faster than you anticipated. "You're meant to be at work tomorrow."
Leon stood up with a dustpan in hand, the shattered shards from the broken wine glass having been gathered up. You watched mesmerized as he shifted past you, his body bare save for the sweatpants hanging low on his hips as he dumped the ruined glass in the trash, his soaked hair dripping water down his back. He dropped the dustpan on the counter and turned to you, a smile on his lips as his arm wrapped around your waist and drew you close. "I'll call in, have that morning after we were meant to have."
Your hands came up to rest on his chest, your fingers catching the stray beads of water running down his body. "I thought you said 'sometimes work will come first'?" you asked, a brief moment of uncertainty running through you. You knew now that Leon was important, and not someone you could just keep to yourself no matter how much you wished it.
His hand touched your chin, drawing your face up so his eyes could catch yours. "'Sometimes' being a very important word there," he said with a light smile. "They've had enough of me."
Your heart soared at his words, but you still had to make sure as you asked, "But what if you're needed?"
"Then they can come get me themselves," he said as he pulled you tighter to him and wrapped you firmly in his arms. "I've more important things to do."
You let out a giggle as his lips caressed along your neck. "I'm not sure I'll be able to let you go again," you muttered as you held him close.
He returned your embrace, holding you tightly to him as he said, "I wouldn't worry about it if you have to. If you need me, I'll only be a text away."