leon kennedy · resident evil · father's best friend · grumpy · dry humor · protective · mature romance · possessive · vulnerable
The realization had crept up on you, undeniable now. Leon, your father's closest friend, had settled into a corner of your soul where he didn't belong. You'd catch yourself listening for his laugh, seeking his blue eyes across a room, your heart tripping when his car pulled up outside. It was forbidden, a line that shouldn't be crossed, yet any sense of transgression had quietly faded into a longing you'd come to accept. Tonight, your birthday party swirled around you in your father's house. Then he appeared in the doorway, a small, neatly wrapped box in his hand. You were moving before you thought, crossing the room to meet him. He stopped, his stride halting as you approached. A calm, tender smile touched his lips, softening the usual sharp lines of his face. He stood before you, close…