Can you tell Leon that he's the coolest guy ever?
- Moushleyđ
leon x hybrid reader recs please im dying
A few thoughts on puppy hybrid reader and Leon for my sunshine anon as an apology for how long this comm is taking >.<
Leon having to put on cartoons or a livestream of a fishtank to keep you semi occupied while he's doing something, your ears all floppy as you lay upside down on the couch.
When you finally manage to claw your way up a tree to catch that damn squirrel only to whimper and whine and howl once you realise you do not in fact know how to get down, Leon having to run out and promise to catch you no matter how much you do NOT believe him
Sitting at the edge of the kitchen floor giving Leon big wet pathetic eyes as he finishes making dinner, tail swishing against the hardwood. Have a heart, Leon. Give 'em a couple nibbles!
Leon putting a round of tennis on the tv to play it in the background as he scrolls through his phone, only to look up and see you darting back and forth across the living room, tail up high and ears perked, chasing the ball every time it gets hit
Him giving you a lemon to try like those videos of puppies, watching how you pad backwards with smacking lips and scrunched up eyes at the sour taste, while he's trying not to laugh at the face you're making
Tattoo commissions! Kiwi, blue footed booby, and mandarin duck!
Good morning, baby rookie.
â
haiuii was testing out new studies⌠fat girl ashley (my gf) and stupid hunchback loser (my bf)
RE2R LEON S. KENNEDY
Thinking about touch-averse Leon Kennedy gradually becoming comfortable with physical displays of affection.
Like after everything he endured in Raccoon City and Spain, I imagine heâd be quite⌠jumpy, to say the least: flinching when you touch him unexpectedly, stiffening when you wrap your arms around him from behind, sleeping on his side of the bed without ever crossing the invisible divide.
Itâs not that he thinks youâll hurt him. Itâs not that he thinks heâs in danger. Itâs not that he doesnât love you â far from it, actually. Heâs never before felt so close to anyone. Heâs just⌠afraid.
What if he snaps?
What if he reacts a little to forcefully?
What if he hurts you?
Youâve said youâd be able to take it; he doesnât want that. He wants to be normal. He wants to touch you, wants to hold you, wants to comfort and kiss and provide for you but he canât. Heâs all too aware of the physical and metaphorical scars littering his body and psyche.
Heâs bruised. Battered. Damaged. Broken.
But to his surprise, you donât run away. You donât give up on him, even when he wakes up screaming, slick with sweat and fear and misery more often than not. You whisper soothing words in his ear. You place a cold towel on his forehead. You remind him that you love him.
You love him.
And as your relationship progresses, as you see the uglier, more brutal sides of his recovery, your love deepens. You show it in non-physical ways: cooking his favorite meals, buying him little gifts just because they reminded you of him, sending him sweet, affirming messages throughout the day. You respect his boundaries without question. His chest swells with affection; he feels undeserving. He wishes he could give you something in return.
So imagine Leon accidentally chokes you in his sleep. Heâs inconsolable as he weeps and unleashes a relentless stream of apologies. Theyâre mangled, though, garbled by the asphyxiation of remorse. Youâve given him the world, and this is how he repays you? With violence and fear and sleepless nights? Heâs worthless, heâs pitiful, heâs a sorry excuse for a partner. You deserve better. You deserve to leave.
But to his surprise, you stay.
And you comfort him.
And you tell him itâs alright; youâre not hurt. He didnât hurt you. Heâs okay. Youâre okay.
And you turn on the lights and bring his hand to your throat.
See? Barely a bruise.
You love him all the same.
He swears it wonât happen again. You tell him that it might but itâs okay so long as he continues to work on himself. As long as he continues to go to therapy. He pales and cups your cheek. You nuzzle into his touch.
Youâre healing, you tell him. Itâs okay to heal. Healing is inherently imperfect.
Thereâs a shift in your relationship after that, a positive one. Leon adored the warmth of your cheek so he starts to ask if he can cradle your face. You giggle because itâs a little silly, but allow it all the same. Because his therapist instructed him to try and youâve so longed to feel his touch again.
And then weeks later he asks if he can hold your hand. You try not to show too much enthusiasm â you donât want to scare him away, after all â so you just nod in agreement. Your heart feels like itâs going to explode when he interlocks his fingers with yours. When you feel the gentle scrape of his calloused hands along your palms.
He asks to hug you four months later. He holds it for only five seconds at first. Then ten. Then twenty. And soon enough, you have to pry Leon off your body. You have chores to do, laundry to fold. But he wonât let go. And heâs so sweet and heâs come so far, so you allow it.
And as time passes, he stops flinching when you touch him unexpectedly. He stops stiffening when you wrap your arms around him from behind. His arms and legs are wound tightly around yours when you awake every morning. You move through life with a wall of muscle strapped to your body at all times.
As time passes, he heals.
Thinking about touch-averse Leon Kennedy gradually becoming comfortable with physical displays of affection.
Like after everything he endured in Raccoon City and Spain, I imagine heâd be quite⌠jumpy, to say the least: flinching when you touch him unexpectedly, stiffening when you wrap your arms around him from behind, sleeping on his side of the bed without ever crossing the invisible divide.
Itâs not that he thinks youâll hurt him. Itâs not that he thinks heâs in danger. Itâs not that he doesnât love you â far from it, actually. Heâs never before felt so close to anyone. Heâs just⌠afraid.
What if he snaps?
What if he reacts a little to forcefully?
What if he hurts you?
Youâve said youâd be able to take it; he doesnât want that. He wants to be normal. He wants to touch you, wants to hold you, wants to comfort and kiss and provide for you but he canât. Heâs all too aware of the physical and metaphorical scars littering his body and psyche.
Heâs bruised. Battered. Damaged. Broken.
But to his surprise, you donât run away. You donât give up on him, even when he wakes up screaming, slick with sweat and fear and misery more often than not. You whisper soothing words in his ear. You place a cold towel on his forehead. You remind him that you love him.
You love him.
And as your relationship progresses, as you see the uglier, more brutal sides of his recovery, your love deepens. You show it in non-physical ways: cooking his favorite meals, buying him little gifts just because they reminded you of him, sending him sweet, affirming messages throughout the day. You respect his boundaries without question. His chest swells with affection; he feels undeserving. He wishes he could give you something in return.
So imagine Leon accidentally chokes you in his sleep. Heâs inconsolable as he weeps and unleashes a relentless stream of apologies. Theyâre mangled, though, garbled by the asphyxiation of remorse. Youâve given him the world, and this is how he repays you? With violence and fear and sleepless nights? Heâs worthless, heâs pitiful, heâs a sorry excuse for a partner. You deserve better. You deserve to leave.
But to his surprise, you stay.
And you comfort him.
And you tell him itâs alright; youâre not hurt. He didnât hurt you. Heâs okay. Youâre okay.
And you turn on the lights and bring his hand to your throat.
See? Barely a bruise.
You love him all the same.
He swears it wonât happen again. You tell him that it might but itâs okay so long as he continues to work on himself. As long as he continues to go to therapy. He pales and cups your cheek. You nuzzle into his touch.
Youâre healing, you tell him. Itâs okay to heal. Healing is inherently imperfect.
Thereâs a shift in your relationship after that, a positive one. Leon adored the warmth of your cheek so he starts to ask if he can cradle your face. You giggle because itâs a little silly, but allow it all the same. Because his therapist instructed him to try and youâve so longed to feel his touch again.
And then weeks later he asks if he can hold your hand. You try not to show too much enthusiasm â you donât want to scare him away, after all â so you just nod in agreement. Your heart feels like itâs going to explode when he interlocks his fingers with yours. When you feel the gentle scrape of his calloused hands along your palms.
He asks to hug you four months later. He holds it for only five seconds at first. Then ten. Then twenty. And soon enough, you have to pry Leon off your body. You have chores to do, laundry to fold. But he wonât let go. And heâs so sweet and heâs come so far, so you allow it.
And as time passes, he stops flinching when you touch him unexpectedly. He stops stiffening when you wrap your arms around him from behind. His arms and legs are wound tightly around yours when you awake every morning. You move through life with a wall of muscle strapped to your body at all times.
As time passes, he heals.
Leon drying his Hair like a freaking PUPPY will always be my weakness and my sexuality
Ignore the music, I listen to my teenager-years music as I play, sue me.
OH MY GOD LOOK AT HIS ARMS UGHHHH I NEED TO TAKE A CHOMP OUT OF THEM RIGHT THIS SECOND RAHHH
leon kennedy for REAL
my cursed yet brilliant fanart
hello leon enjoyers send prompts i feel like writing again
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Re4 but happy and Luis survives and Leon and Krauser make up and Leon and Ada be happy together and everyoneâs best friends and they all go to the mall with Ashley and have the best time ever
HEY GUYS WHAT THE FUCK I JUST FINISHED FUCKING COPING
âTell me a story, please?â you add, hiding a smile under the edge of the blanket. A kiss is bestowed upon on your forehead and the cave opens for the night. Leon clears his throat theatrically. âThis story is about a girl, and a boy who loved her very much.â
Leon keeps his best tales under lock and key, and you crack one out of him on a particularly sleepless night. He thinks you might like this one.
f / m, fluff sprinkled in with angst and emotional hurt, insomnia, grief + mourning, leon is a sweetheart he just loves you :(, he basically tells you a fairy tale before bed
word count: 1.6k // read on ao3
a/n: um. norman fucking rockwell, baby. if you catch the lyrics from "How to disappear", i love you. i wrote this fic like i was possessed đ nothing was planned
There arenât any waves outside your landlocked bedroom window to lull you to sleep, but there is another ocean view you can think of. You turn to the other side of your pillow, biting your lip hopefully.
âHi, sweetheart,â the view mumbles, ocean eyes groggy and losing the fight against sleep.
Youâre in luck.
âLeon,â you whisper.Â
âMm.â
âCanât sleep.â
âDonât know whyâŚyouâre not tired,â he yawns, his blond lashes almost fluttering closed before snapping open at your wide-eyed expression, âwhen youâve been running through my mind all day.â
You cram the comforter to your chin and flip to the other side of the bed with a groan.Â
Leon chuckles, giving your shoulder a sleepy shake, âIâm sorry, Iâm sorry!âÂ
Heâs not sorry. But you relent anyway.Â
âTell me a story,â you mumble as he tucks you back in.
You brush a strand of hair across his forehead to unveil those ocean eyes again. Theyâre faded and tired, yes, but theyâve also seen more of the world than you could ever dream of. The only good thing to come out of Leonâs mysterious missions to the ends of the earth is the treasure trove of stories he brings back with him, like a Cave of Wonders, filled with only the best for you to unlock. You donât know anything about the outside of that cave â he stops telling the story if you ask â and youâre not in any position to argue as the clock ticks closer to morning.
âWhatâs the magic word?â he nudges.
Is he really going all open sesame on you too?
âTell me a story, please?â you add, hiding a smile under the edge of the blanket. Â
A kiss is bestowed upon your forehead and the cave opens for the night. Leon clears his throat theatrically.Â
âThis story is about a girl, and a boy who loved her very much.â
âOne thing you have to know before I start anything though, sweetheart, is that this girl was a spitfire. Completely unreasonable. She was the type to pack a grocery cart full of ice cream she swore was on discount only to have all of it be full price and melt in the checkout line.â
(âThat was one time!â)
âNever said a thing about it being you, sweetheart, shh. Youâre supposed to be trying to sleep. But either way, this girl couldnât be you because she was a princess â a real pretty one at that. Sweet, smart and kind like little girls grow up wanting to be. She lived in a castle by the sea on an island in the middle of nowhere, and hereâs what I heard about her on my last mission. Youâll like this one.
âLife on that island was as peaceful as you can get in a fairy tale. She had plenty of mermaids for friends and animals to keep her company, but you canât help getting lonely after the years start passing by. The princess was stuck there, you see.â
(âHowâd she get there to begin with?â)
âUh-uh, youâre interrupting me.â Leon teases. âStory or no story?â
(âStory, please.â)
âMagic, alright? Say she got stolen away by some evil witch like Rapunzel did and her kidnapper drowned in the sea. I donât know. But it didnât really matter because that island became home after a while. A beautiful home, but lonely all the same. The mermaids all returned to their castle under the sea when the moon came up and the princess wished had somebody she could sleep next to when it got cold at night.Â
âShe was fond of stories too, like somebody else I know, and after all those years on that island, sheâd read every book in the castle and longed for someone who could tell her something new. All she ever wished for on her birthday was a friend. âJust for a little bitâ, sheâd beg.â
Leon sucks in a careful breath.
âSo one night, the ocean decided to send the princess a birthday present just like she asked. A magic tide deposited a little boat on the edge of her island, and when the princess woke up the next morning and looked outside her window, she saw something â or rather, somebody â slumped inside of that boat.â
(âAnd inside that boat was a prince?â)
âNo prince. The princess made sure of it too, brave thing that she was, walking right up to the boat and taking a good look at who was sleeping inside of it.Â
âThe boy inside that boat was dead to the world with cuts on his face from fighting too hard. He gave the princess a good scare âcause he was so asleep she thought he was actually dead. When he woke up and asked âWho are you?â, she nearly punched him out of fright.â
(âYou were right, I think I like her.â)
Leon laughs, bright and warm.
âBut this boy was a real charmer, and the princess was kind, remember?â
(âBummer.â)Â
âShe didnât go around punching people out of nowhere. Especially not the first human sheâd ever seen. Her curiosity got the best of her and she took the boy to her castle, where he told her he was a mercenary from a faraway kingdom. Heâd been on his way to kill a rampaging sea monster when a mysterious wind blew his boat off course and right onto the princessâ island.Â
âOver breakfast, the mercenary told her stories about monsters, jungles, fire-breathing dragons, stuff sheâd only ever read about. She was entranced. The more he spoke, the more the princess wanted to see for herself even though she knew she couldnât. She had to be smart about it.â
Leon swallows. He nestles the blanket around you a little tighter, like youâd slip out of his grasp, and continues.
âThe boy was battered from the beating he took from his voyage, so the princess nursed him back to health. I told you she was stubborn, right? She wouldnât take any of the gold or jewels he tried offering her from his travels. All she asked for was a new story each day he stayed with her. He agreed.
âThe first week went by in a flash. The princess borrowed magic green herbs from her mermaid friends to heal the mercenary faster. The herbs made him strong enough to move mountains if he wanted to, so he pounded a couple to the ground outside her castle just to prove he could when she asked, and with the new space, the princess made him a place to stay. Turns out she was a great businesswoman; the boy spun tale after tale for her while she fixed a loneliness deep in his bones. Everything was perfect.â
(âAwwâŚâ)Â
âThe boy stayed longer than he thought he would. His boat collected dust as that week turned into months. Those months grew into a year. The princessâ birthday rolled around again.â
(âDid they fall in love?â)
âThey did, sweetheart.â
Leon chuckles softly.
âHe ended up loving her a lot, and the princess loved him too, donât get me wrong, but thatâs not usually how it goes in fairy tales, is it? Thereâs a catch.â
You reach for Leonâs hand in the deep of the comforter, not remembering when he let go.
âGood sailors know not to mess with the ocean. It wasnât too pleased with the princess keeping the boy to herself for more than just a little bit, not when he needed to get rid of that sea monster that had been killing millions of innocent people. So on the night of the princessâ birthday, the sea asked the boy to go back to being a mercenary. He needed to do his job and the princess wasnât part of it.â
(âTell me he stayed, Leon.â)
âPrincess, I canât-â
(âMake him stay.â)
And for the first time, Leon stutters because he never changes the story.
âA-Alright, so the boy stays. He tells the sea that he fell in love and canât bear to leave the princess behind.â
(âAnd then?â)
âAnd thenâŚand then he finds out heâs in over his head. The tide comes and goes, everything has to have a balance. He needed to go because he had to protect all those people, and he couldnât do that by staying with the princess no matter how much he loved her, right?â
Lifting the blanket aside, Leon falls onto his back. You watch the ceiling fan blades spin in the dull sea-blue of his eyes.Â
âThe princess asked him to stay and he couldnât say no to her. She meant well. She didnâtâŚshe didnât know. And they were happy together on that island until the boyâs decision caught up with him. The sea monster he was supposed to kill found their island one day, sweetheart.â
(â...Leon, no. Thatâs not supposed to happen.â)
âItâs how the story goes,â he murmurs, gently pressing his lips to yours.
You barely feel it; you taste saltwater in his kiss, feel it running down your face.
âBut you changed it!â Youâre crying, canât find his hand. Whereâd he go? Heâs supposed to be here, you changed the stupid story, you have to make him stay.Â
The ocean might not be outside your window, but you still see it behind glass as you prop yourself up on your elbows, heaving for breath only to find Leonâs framed picture sitting beside your pillow.
His eyes are so blue. Ghostly in the dark.Â
You must have dropped it when sleep took you under. Your earbuds are still hooked up to a podcast in an earlier effort to bore yourself to sleep, but you donât really want to hear about relaxing Zen gardens right now. Tugging everything out of your ears, your shaking finger opens the notes app.Â
Right now, youâre in the mood for a story. A story with a happy ending where no one goes anywhere.
psst, find more of my work here!
comments and reblogs are very much appreciated <3 take care and i love you!
Luis would have loved brat summer đ
after my own heart
sweetest things
⥠Picture Perfect âĄ
A/N: COMMISSION FOR MY LOVELY SUNSHINE ANON!!!! Thank you so so so much for your support and patience my love, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!!!!
Content/warnings: Puppy! hybrid reader x Vendetta era! Leon, 2nd person (you/yours), fem AFAB reader, reader calls Leon daddy, very grump x sunshine, lots and lots of fluff, a moment of angst and realisation but it all gets resolved :3
Word count: 7700 est. (sweet jesus)
âââââââââ ¡ ¡ ŕ¨ŕ§ ¡ ¡ âââââââââ
âââââââââ ¡ ¡ ŕ¨ŕ§ ¡ ¡ âââââââââ
Leon hadnât gone to a shelter expecting anything. An act of service, he told himself. Thatâs what this was. Entertaining the idea of adoption. Like people who drop loose change into charity boxes, the ones by the cash register with scuffed edges, to feel better about themselves. Right now he feels like the scuffed one.Â
âGo to the shelter,â Chris said. âHybrids make good companions,â Chris said. He was vouching for his fellow soldiers at the BSAA, stick-up-the-butt men with trained military hounds. And judging by the posters hung on the windows outside the pet store, satisfaction was guaranteed. So he expected to enter a building of colourful lights, cheery music, and happy hybrids as far as the eye could see. Fluttering butterflies, sunshine and rainbows. Just like the commercials on tv.Â
What a heap of shit. A smelly one, too. Big, steamy, stinky load of it. Those flyers were all smoke and mirrors, and letâs just say this was one hell of a broken mirror. The place reeked of bad luck. At least the stalls were cleaner than his conscience. Should he have actually done his research for this, even if it was just for appearances? It wasnât the worst place in the world for him to go looking, right? No, right.Â
Leon had seen his fair share of hybrids in his time at the DSO. Missions where he took them out of labs, stopped genetic modification. Sick bastards they were, people prodding rabbits with all kinds of needles. Yeah, he enjoyed taking those types of operations down.Â
But heâd also seen the ones trotting around the office on occasion. Trained to sniff out B.O.W blood, or health herbs and antibiotics. And yeah, he was intrigued. Had watched the training rounds, memorised the starting commands, noted the stiff tail and hard gaze on every breed there. So he figured he may as well take a look at the less hard-ass offers.
God, what a mistake that was.
How had the mighty fallen so far? Heâd planned to walk the dusty concrete floors with pride, to look down at the row upon row of hybrids only to decide no, he did not in fact, need a pet. A companion. A friend, a lover, whatever. No rabbits, no puppies, no kitties. He was too old for this shit. Heâd seen it all before, lazing black cats and bouncy bunnies. Nothing stuck out to him, heâd tried. He could at least say he tried. From then on if anyone asked why his face would sink into a frown watching his coworkers bring in their happy-go-lucky hybrids, he had an open opportunity to rub a calloused palm over the salt-sweat skin of his neck and mutter that he tried.
Thatâs what mattered, right? Sure, thatâs what mattered. He tried. He kept that thought in mind as workers tried introducing him to some of their more ârespectableâ species, the fluffier cat girls and boxier dog boys. None of it was for him. All of this was a lost cause.Â
And then there you were.Â
Next thing he knew he had the thought of you living at his house stuck in the back of his head. Not just the back, though. No youâd left handprints - pawprints - over every fissure of his brain, burrowing into the ventricles. Now you were doing two little circles before settling into his cerebrum, digging at the surface to bury down nice and deep. Maybe bury a bone there. Extra comfy.Â
Heâs stuck.Â
Youâre a cutie. Pretty as a picture. A fine should be plastered across that sweet face for even existing, a paper bag over your head. Itâs a crime for anything resembling you to exist, because otherwise Leon wouldâve picked up every hybrid on the street. Those puppy-dog eyes pierced right through his soul like a bullet to the chest. And he left his kevlar vest at home, too. What a mistake.Â
A floppy eared thing, fluffed to the max, your tail tapping aimlessly behind you. Bored. Lonely. They kept the pup hybrids in separate kennels when the little kids werenât here to meet them, so you were on your own. Eyes as big as saucers, he was sure theyâd have popped out of your head by now like one of those squeeze toys, the ones you squish so they squeak something reedy and awful.Â
Glossy. You looked dejected, sad. Hopeful yet hopeless. In his mind he saw you bounding through long green grass in the dark night, nipping at fireflies between golden giggles. Watching you paw at the sky aimlessly, beckoning upon lightning bugs so you might try and âaccidentallyâ catch one in your mouth. You were made to be loved by someone.
It hurt. In a way you reminded him of his younger self. That cop, once bright eyed and bushy tailed, now decaying and withering into the husk of a human he was now. The one that burned down with the rest of whatever was left of Raccoon City.
And yeah, he wasnât proud of this shelter specifically being his only pick of the bunch, there were hundreds he couldâve picked from. But this was a boot-out shelter, AKA they only hold onto hybrids for so long before kicking them to the curb. Just the thought of you, your fluffy self out on the streets..
He couldnât let that happen to you.
And then those wet eyes fell on him and your tail swished quicker, your ears perking. Like a heartbeat picking up, a skipping pulse. Youâre playing jump rope with the veins to his heart, his BPMâs music to those fuzzy ears. And that tail? Oh itâs swaying to the beat.
Something in your body seemed to click at the sight of him. It was an instinct, a switch flicking in your puppy brain. If he were in a movie this would be the part where time slows down and the camera focuses on his face and your own, panoramic view of the environment you both found yourselves in. Your face behind the bars, slowly shuffling your way towards him in curiosity.Â
Thatâs when he knew he had to take you home. Surely he was a better choice than the other scum that might get a hold of a soft thing like you. And you seemed sweet. So it was settled.
The paperwork was easy enough. Signing on dotted lines, signatures to his left and right. Handing over his credit card for the chance at âfriendshipâ or something like that. The only thing he truly recalled was leaving with you in the backseat, curled up against the car cushions.Â
Change. Thatâs what this would be.
You were well behaved. Quiet, too. At first anyway. Leonâs whole life had been thrown into disarray and all he had to do was give his credentials to some lady with a blurry nametag, confirm he wasnât a psycho murderer or trying to Cruella DeVille you for your ears and tail. Which he absolutely didnât have the time for, so no need to worry about that factor.
It only took a few hours for his house to be filled to the brim with new puppy gear. Collars and leashes of different colours (he couldnât decide on those), squeaky toys and stuffed animals, comfy clothing, food and water bowls, and of course one of those playpens to lock up overnight. Leon wasnât entirely educated on how to take care of you. Was he supposed to get you a room, a proper bed? How human was he supposed to treat you?Â
The overall adjustment period was fast, for you anyway. Sure, at first youâd gone all timid when he brought you home, staring up at this well-built, shaggy man in a leather jacket like he was about to lock you in your cage forever. Might be a poacher, your brain scrambled together, or one of those mill owners. Yeah, he looked the type. But as soon as you heard him whisper a âWell hey there, sweetheart,â in your direction in hopes of coaxing you out of the backseat you were set and smitten. And in case he was still hesitant, you gave him a pretty clear giveaway on how you felt. After heâd set up your cage in the living room, packed full of blankets and pillows atop your pet bed, and watched you practically dolphin dive into the sea of plush, it became clear you were truly just happy to have a home. You were happy to be with him.Â
Not like you spent many days in that puppy bed anyway, it only took a few days for you to come whimpering at Leon's feet in the night to climb under the blankets with him. And of course, he caved. How strong could you expect a man to be? Not to mention the stuffed toys you brought with you every time you hopped up, heâd become familiarised with all their names by the third week.Â
Sure, itâd been tough for Leon in some areas, but in some ways it was also easy. You brought solace where you went, and you knew better than to overstep boundaries. He found out quick enough that you didnât entirely know what to address him as, âLeonâ felt strange for some gut reasons but âsirâ and âmisterâ were too formal, so you immediately leapt to daddy. Which, of course, caught him horrendously off-guard. Almost sent him into cardiac arrest the first time you yipped it in his direction, a plaque of cholesterol, fat, and an unbelievable amount of cuteness clogging his arteries.Â
The worst part? After a few days he found himself enjoying it. Had his heart fluttering when you giggled it out as he ruffled your ears, rolling onto your back as he gave your belly an affectionate rub. Was he sick for liking it? Sure. He needed a doctor, stat. Symptoms included being extra ready to get home from work, planning his meals more thoroughly, and catching himself daydreaming more than usual. The diagnosis was a fluffy tailed sunshine puppy who trotted around behind him 24/7. A sweet shadow, a nosy thing. Prescribed treatment? Lots of cuddles, apparently. Cuddles, and plenty of daily shenanigans.
On one particular day he caught sight of you padding through the hallway slowly, looking up at all the photos he had hung upon the walls. Drinks with Claire and Chris on his birthday where he (begrudgingly) attended the surprise party theyâd set up. Standing in the Whitehouse with some old man in a fancy suit. An old picture of just him sat atop the table below it all, his graduation photo from the police academy. He didnât have the heart to throw it out. That was merely one of many old-news trinkets scattered around the house, objects that told a mixed story of Leon Kennedy. Well, now it was the house of Leon Kennedy and his puppy girl.
With a soft thud you sat your cute butt down on the floorboards to simply.. Stare. Examine, memorise, imagine what it was all like.Â
Maybe his hair was softer in this photo, shaggier in that. Darker features and rougher around the edges, as if someone had switched from watercolour to graphite, defining his jaw. More stubbled and strong now, with a broader frame. Like watching a tree trunk even out, sprouting tough branches, leaves coming to fall over his eyes in bangs. He needed a haircut soon.Â
However, in that moment of watching you, he knew heâd made the right decision. He saw it in the way the silhouette of your tail swished in interest, how your flopped ears perked up an inch whenever you focused on the finer details. Most of all he loved that signature puppy head-tilt. He got one of those whenever you didnât understand what he was saying, be that garble about his work or the lulled out words from whatever book he read to you as you laid in his lap.
Yes, you laid in his lap now. And it was starting to feel so normal to him. The wagging tail in his peripheral vision, your eyes peeking up at his desk in his study. It all came so naturally, including the moments of chaos. One of which was the messy dance of getting you bathed, or dressed.
Baths. God, you stood your ground on baths. As soon as you heard the pipes squeal you took off like a rocket. Zoomed past the potted plants, darting through the backdoor if you could make it in time. Leon had to scoop you up mid-sprint as you wriggled and squeaked to get out of his hold, and shit did you run fast when you felt like it. Oh sure, you dragged your feet to snails-pace when you had to leave the park, but suddenly his puppy had the legs of a trackstar when it was bathtime. Once he actually had you in the warm water it was a whole other thing. You just couldnât sit still for the life of you. Thank god for bath toys, or else youâd spend every second giving your flapping ears and soaked hair the signature wet dog shake. He turned his back? Shake. Reached for the shampoo? Shake. Went to turn the faucet on? Shake. Heâd honestly rather you do that than try to jump out, and at least you got extra comfy with him when it came time to towel dry you. The last time he tried the hairdryer method youâd snapped and barked at the hot air like it was a personal affront, as if the loud hum was cursing you out in its own fan-whirring way. Then came the clothes.
On a good day he could wrangle you into a shirt of some kind (usually one of his own) and a pair of fluffy shorts with a hole in the back for your tail. On other days it was a tug-of-war fight over a v-neck because itâs obviously an invitation to play and growl between giggles and not Leon seriously begging a quiet âBaby- honey, no- Please, sweetheart, Chris is coming over and you canât be butt naked, listen to daddy-â. Sometimes he really thought those floppy ears were just painted on. God, you were a little menace.
Luckily you were also adorable. Sure, a little dull, but so damn sweet. He couldnât count how many times heâd pretend to throw a ball, watching you go sprinting out across the floorboards, slipping in your socks, in desperate search for it. Then itâs the head tilt, a routine trot around the coffee table, and sitting in the hall with a quiet whine. Vanished, poof, thin air. Gone. Not to worry, cause soon Leon calls out an âOh look!â and the ball has magically teleported back into his hand to your shock and awe. Pawing at his hand and begging him to explain how on earth he learned such witchcraft.Â
But there were a few things that threw him off guard about you, even after settling into this routine. For starters, your face. He didnât mean that in a harmful way, he promises. Cross his heart and all that. But you were just so⌠gentle. Bright. Sometimes he found himself squinting at the sheer shine of you. Made him wonder if you came with batteries that just never got removed, corroded into place after years of chasing your own tail. Stuck on this constant sunshiney state with no way to power down.Â
And you were manufactured in some lab, a biological anomaly even he couldnât wrap his head around. A person who wasnât whole and yet was so much more than that. You contained multitudes, brought life and colour in ways those others may see a ânormalâ never could. The pitch of your bark, your hatred - and he meant hatred - of squirrels, how fast you leapt at the opportunity for a ride in the car. He wouldnât admit it out loud, but he was proud to be the one to bring you home. That he was the one to trace the curves of your hand, to rub your ears, to hold you in his lap while watching late-night tv. This was good for him. This was good for both of you.
Day after day he found himself adoring you in a new way. A week ago heâd have dropped his head in his hands at the sight of you nosing his morning slippers towards his feet in the wee hours of the morning, now he canât help but smile sleepily. Lopsided and scratchy from his beard. Because despite the energy threatening to burst from your body, you still took the time to sit and wait for him to get up.Â
He was a weak man now. A trained government agent was trailing behind his puppy girl in a pet store as you insisted on getting specifically that bunny with those ears cause it looked like the one that ran outside the living room window every day. And he listened to every ramble about said rabbit as you trotted to the cash register, plushie in mouth.
Heâd fallen. Hard.Â
Time had passed in the blink of an eye before either of you could process it. Seasons blurred into a kaleidoscope of colours, and soon enough Leon found himself with a cuddle buddy more often than he did an empty bed. The feeling of your nose nuzzled into his shirt, strings of happy whimpers and whines mumbled from your sleepy lips, it all became his white noise. Youâd made very quick friends with the sprinklers out in the yard by the time summer had rolled around, jumping back and forth over the swinging water in an attempt to catch it in your mouth. All Leon had to do was sit on the porch and watch in adoration.
What you both seemed to adore much less was when Leon left for work. It had you pawing at the windows with screeching nails, teary eyed and howling when he got home extra late. He didnât have the heart to lock you up when he left, something about it made his chest strain. His poor girl, stuck in her little blanket cave, wondering where her daddy went. Pawing aimlessly at the wired frame, chewing on the gate between whimpers. He couldnât bear the thought. It ached, in fact. You were hurting his heart without even doing anything.
But the past four days had been a nightmare. His first long term assignment since adopting you. Sure, Claire and Chris had done their best to entertain you since you couldnât just be left home alone, plenty of toys and games and walks, but it just wasnât it. Youâd pace in little circles, whining and crying and crying and whining. Hours spent drying your tears with cooing and shushing from the Redfield siblings only to burst the pipes and sob some more. It was no use. Until he came back.
And now he had. After so many days (a million, youâd told Claire) without him, he was home.Â
The sound of his motorcycle - that heâd retired from everything other than work for obvious reasons, vis-Ă -vis your sensitive ears - was a dead giveaway, and soon enough you had your cheeks squished up against the front window yapping away till your vocal cords strained. God, wasnât that a sight. Face lifted into a glowing grin, ear perked up, tail a wagging mess. You looked like a whirlwind had been stuffed down into a body, and you were ready to tear through his home. An oh so dangerous fuzzy tornado on the hunt for endless snuggles and belly rubs to swallow up, up, up into your cyclone of love.Â
You were gorgeous. You were adorable. You were everything he didnât know he needed. Heâd hardly stepped foot in the house and you were already jumping up to try and kiss and lick at his face with a thousand puppy kisses, tail wagging so fast you might just take flight. Like one of those cartoon dogs from those 80âs shows, ones Leon still canât name to this day. That was the other good thing about all of this, you made him laugh. Chuckling hoarsely as he pushed past the door only to be met with your arms wrapped around him excitedly.Â
âDaddy, youâre back! Youâre home! I missed you!â Yip, yip, bark. You were melting his heart, almost running yourself into the wall at the sheer buzz of excitement thrumming through your body.Â
Oh, how heâd missed you, rubbing that tender spot between your ears with a kiss to your hair.Â
Youâd made him soft. A side of him he never knew existed came out when he got you.
âI missed you too, pup.â He could only shake his head with a tired grin, dropping his bag at the door by the coat rack and shoe cubby. Heâd had to buy one since youâd developed the habit of stealing his slippers to use as makeshift mittens. âBe careful where youâre walking there, honey.â
You were too busy babbling away about everything youâd done while he was gone to hear him properly, from playing a gazillion games of fetch to daily trips to the park. How that chipmunk had purposely ticked you off so you pawed at a tree trunk yapping at it for a good 5 minutes. And of course, how youâd almost managed to finally catch your tail. Looking up at him with so much pure puppy love with every step you took backwards through the hallway with a quickly wagging tail. You couldnât keep your eyes off him, youâd just missed him too much.Â
That tail of yours though, it was out of control. Swish, swish, wag, sway. Mind of its own. Too happy to have your daddy home to focus on anything else. Pure puppy love.Â
During your ramblings as Leon slowly worked at his shoelaces and zipper, all you could do was emphasise how happy you were that Chris had caved and let you visit the cafe downtown. Whilst mid explanation about what a âpuppuccinoâ was and how spectacular it tasted, the sudden smack of your fur against glass had you jumping in surprise. It seemed youâd collided with something in the midst of your excitement. The impact was followed by a loud crack, one that had Leonâs head pulling up to a swift stillness, no longer worried about getting his boots off.Â
âWhat was that?â
Thereâs a concoction of emotions in his voice. A cocktail of worry, concern, and an off sternness. Heâs hardly ever been stern with you. The last time he had been, the sad look on your face had him faltering. Usually he was so comfortable with being stern, it flowed freely through his body like the familiar warmth of whiskey. It was something he was so used to. But he wasnât used to those glossy eyes tearing up at him. He was just a man, after all. And you were his puppy.Â
That thought seemed to elude you both right now though, jolting to step away from the broken picture frame, looking down at the damage youâd done.
âPup, are you-â
His academy graduation photo. Youâd smacked it with your tail, and the frame had snapped.
All the colour drained from Leonâs face in one fell swoop. His calm, tired gaze ripped wide into one of shock, kicking his shoes into the shelves with a harsh thud.
âNo- no no, no- shit!â His voice was a boom, it was loud and uncontrollable. Shaking the plaster of the walls with rolling thunder, his eyes zeroed in on the shattered glass, lightning crackling behind stormy blue eyes. Usually they looked so clear. Usually he was clear, his intentions and his love, how he was trying to and learning to get used to this life. And for a while he really was. âGoddamnit!â
And then this happened.Â
And it was scary. You wouldnât admit it out loud, but it frightened you. A dead giveaway was how your ears flattened against your hair, once wagging tail now dead still and tucked between your legs. Youâre cowering.Â
You were afraid.Â
But Leon didnât notice. No, this was the end of a short fuse after a long week of work. A flame to the stick of dynamite Leon Scott Kennedy sometimes found himself to be. This was not what he wanted to come home to. He was too busy pulling at his hair in a nostalgic wave of guilt, of horror clawing up his back, staring at the mess.
The mess youâd made.
Cracked fingers pick at the shattered glass in hopes of salvaging what he could, the sharp edges slicing at the flesh that had grown tender with your touch.Â
Youâd made him soft.
Had that been a mistake?
It must have been with the way he flinched back, cursing under his breath. Shards of the frame bit at his fingers as if in anger, snapping dogs of his past. Not like his pup, not like his sweet girl curled up in the corner, wondering if this meant he hated her.
That wasnât the worst part.
Right across the top corner of the photo the paper had been scratched, ripped by a stray piece of glass. Slicing through the date heâd graduated. The day he thought everything was going to start getting better way back when. The sight had his whole body frozen in place. Bracing for something to happen, because something always happened to him. The feeling building from his belly to his chest, from his chest to his eyes. It was sickeningly familiar. It was a bullet to Leonâs shoulder. It was the click of a lighter to a cigarette. The screams from an Eastern European church. His bloodied fists against Ariasâ face. The mole in his unit.
It was the gunshot that ripped through his family home.Â
Thatâs what really set him off.
âThis was the one thing I had from it all, this was it! The one good thing!â Rambling like a mad man, someone youâd watch talk to himself on the sidewalk late into the night. âAnd it was in such- such good condition. It was perfect. It was all perfect before you- Damn it, pup, why couldnât you-â
By the time heâd finally turned to you, his words screeched to a halt. Brakes squealing at the velocity of such a hit, a surprise, he could feel his heart overturn. Rolling haphazardly down the highway. He couldnât stop it, because he caused it. He caused such an accident. So busy running on empty thanks to work that the dried out tank had crushed beneath his feet, crunching steel caving so easily. Weak. You were weak for him. He was just only seeing it now.
Heâd hurt your feelings, whether he meant to or not. Over an accident, no less.
He was the reason your body was quaking in fits similar to that of a leaf atop frozen winds. Why your eyes were shot open, glossy and round, like the first cracks in the icy pond at your favourite park making way for water. And you looked like youâd plunged through the surface.Â
Maybe the most awful detail of all was the fact that Leon simply didnât know what to say to make this better.
Licking over his chapped lips, the air in his lungs seemed to dissipate. He was left breathless, and not in the way he usually liked to be. Not like when he watched you pick at the dandelions in the backyard, or when you chased your tail in circles to the point of dizziness. Someone had trapped him in a vacuum of consequences, leaving him to face them. To face you, you and those big puppy-dog eyes threatening to flood with tears. âLook I didnât- Oh, câmon. You know I didnât mean it like-â
It wasnât working. His words were getting caught in his throat, pulling a tense cough from his chest. As if the answer was teasingly scratching at his vocal chords and no amount of water could wash it away. He could feel his chest tighten, any trace of anger or frustration being flushed from his system. Now he could think clearly. He could see how heartbroken you were.
The biggest giveaway was how your body leaned in the direction of the living room without thinking, braced on your toes. An instinct dug deep beneath those layers of fuzz and the warmth of your hand in his own. Something to be left untouched, like a toy youâd buried in the backyard, under pile after pile of soil and past traumas.Â
Now Leon had dirt on his hands. The clouds in that stormy blue seemed to clear out, the moonlight streaming through the window like a lighthouse reflection. He was seeking you out, trying to let you know it was clear. That you were safe.
It just wasnât enough.
âHey.. Hey, no. Honey-
It was no use. Heâd blinked and you were gone, left with the echo of your sock-clad footfalls against hardwood floors. Every step beating in unison with his pulse, his ears rang to the rhythm of your rushed breaths. Now you were the one pulling him along on a leash. Tugging at the weak retractable cords of his heartstrings, youâve wrapped him around a tree once, twice, three times. His head was spinning, a splitting heat sizzling in his frontal lobe frying the edges of his mind until they curled.Â
Rubbing a hand over his face, smearing the guilt from cheek to cheek, up to his forehead. He was swimming in that grief. Mourning a time before this one, praying for a reset button. You had such a way of turning him inside out without knowing it, pulling his muscles and bone up from his anatomy to gnaw affectionately on his femur and nip at his biceps. He barely hid anything from you, he never felt the need to. Who were you going to tell? The mosquitos you stalked after with a batting tail in the cooler summer nights? Please. And half the time you didnât really understand what was going on, anyway. So there was no harm in letting you lay your head in his lap while lounging on the couch, his voice a deep lullaby soothing you to sleep, aimlessly tapping your tail against the cushions. You were so pure. You didnât mean any harm, you never did. Leon wasnât sure you had one malicious bone in that cute body of yours.Â
How was he supposed to approach this, though? This had been the first major incident in your white-picket-fence-esque lifestyle. Did he go upstairs and change out of clothes dusted in gunpowder and shame? Try with a clean state so you had some time to yourself, some space? Is that what you wanted?
No. No, knowing your usually chipper clingy self that was probably the last thing you wanted. So he manned up, got his shit together. An unusual thing for him to say about himself, but he was in an unusual situation.
After shrugging his leather jacket off and leaving it to hang on the coat rack, he swore to leave his aggression with it. Tucked into the pockets and zipped tight, so he might save it for his next mission. There was no use in bringing shit like that into his home, where his girl was. So heâd let it gather like lint until the next time he washed it, then heâd let his conscience run through a spin cycle; in which he meant watching you do three little spins before settling into bed. You were better than any washing detergent, cleaned his slate better than disinfectant. They should sell your personality in stores, bottle your giggles for junkies to get hits off. You could be the next meth with how happy you made him, had him flying high as a kite. Â
And heâd made you so sad. He was your daddy, it was his job to keep you safe, not sad. Now he had to fix that.
Your playpen. It was a puppyâs dream to get the luxuries you did, most likely. Leon couldnât help but spoil you with everything soft, plush and velvet. It matched you. And watching you lay in front of the window, squeaky toy mid squeal lodged between your jaws lazily, was worth all the money in the world to him. Everything you did drove him nuts, he was starting to realise why so many people suggested getting a hybrid. Leon hadnât understood what the deal was until you arrived. And now? Oh, he needed a lobotomy at this rate, because all he could think of was you. Work? You. Driving? You. Hell, his breaktime at the office made him miss the way youâd yell âAre you doneeeeee?â at him from down the hall, awaiting your allocated cuddle time. You had him chasing his own tail, and he didnât even have one.
Draped in a paw-print blanket and stuffed full of toys, the sides of your food and water bowl lovingly chewed on. Always sinking those canines into whatever you could. Well, whatever you could that wasnât out of the question. Shoes were a big no no, the sprinkler system too, Leon was sure to make that clear. Not like the water tasted any good from it, anyway.Â
With a quiet grunt (he really wasnât getting any younger) he slowly kneeled down, denim brushing over varnished wood, peeking through the open gate of your pen. Despite having both feet on the ground - well, rather two knees - this still felt risky to him. Not like disarming a bomb, more like negotiating a hostage situation. Taking your hand in his own to lead you away from himself.
He kept his voice soft, quiet, as gentle as someone of Leonâs stature and nature could be. Like asking a wolf to hide its fangs, but he did his best.
âHi there, darlinâ.âÂ
He always did his best with you.
Well, almost always.
No answer. Just the sound of your meek panting, sniffling between breaths. Tears making every inhale salty in your nose and on your tongue. You always preferred it sweeter. He hated being the reason your mouth felt off, watching you run your pink tongue along your cheeks as if trying to get the taste out. At least you were still awake. Amidst the darkness of your cage he could see you buried under a mountain of blankets, digging yourself in like a tick. Head burrowed in tight, he felt like even if he tried to gently coax you out by the body youâd keep shuffling along into the plush. Heâd have to stop this from the root, twist and pop you out gently. So he tried that with words.Â
âYou wanna come out of your little cave there?â
The brief whimper that passed your lips was enough of an answer for him, no words had to be spoken for him to catch on. He sighed.
âYeah, I guess thatâs fair enough. Daddy was a bit of a dick, huh?â
The slight movement under piles of pink and yellow told him your tail was wagging, and that made his heart hurt even more. It was bleeding through his shirt at this point, darlinâ. Donât do that to him, heâs too old to deal with this kind of pain. Might just kill him one of these days. Because even after heâd snapped at you, broken down the walls of trust youâd both spent months building, you were still reaching out to place a new brick down. To keep it all from crumbling. Leon rested his palms on the scuffed denim of his jeans. Sure, heâd done his schooling, graduated and all that, but now he found himself searching the corners of his mind for the right words. Like he was putting a puzzle together, trying to piece syllable to noun to verb until they clicked. But they didnât exactly click. Then again, nothing ever did with Leon.Â
Except you.
âI didnât.. Mean what I said. I just cut myself off at the worst time possible. I wasnât thinking. Da-â he paused himself for a moment. Fuck, itâd become a bad habit. Was it still okay to call himself something like that in this kind of situation? âIâm not very good with words. Mâ better with actions, yâknow. Making things, helping people. Iâm not exactly a wordsmith here, darlinâ.âÂ
There was a rustle. In the darkness of your pillows and blankets you found room to move. And he could tell it was closer to him from how the pile slouched in his direction, indicating the shifting of your body. You looked a bit like a molerat to be honest, an adorable one, or one of those prairie dogs, with the way your head makes an evident dent in the covers. He wouldnât tell you that, though. Might take it the wrong way.Â
Out pops your fluffy ears, the silhouette of your tearful face. His stoic demeanour over the years shatters like that same photo frame, how the hallwayâs dim lighting catches in your glossy eyes. Itâs like looking at the moon in all her solemn sadness, amongst the stars, alone.
He canât leave you like that.Â
âHi, baby.â Itâs a whisper. Heâs too scared if he talks any louder youâll huddle back up. He never wants to make you worried, or frightened, or anything really. He loves you just the way you are.
âHi..â
Leon had no idea how much heâd missed that voice until he heard it for the first time after a long lonesome 20 minutes of silence. Itâs an icepick to his frozen mind, chipping away those worries he had of you maybe never talking to him again. You were a sweet thing, but also sensitive. It was part of the reason he cared for you so deeply. Youâd dug down under his skin, doggy-paddled through his blood stream and settled comfortably right on his heart.Â
â..Are you gonna, yâknow,â Through the dark haze of shadows and soft rain against the windows, he could see you fiddling with your fingers. Youâre nervous. Voice small and isolated, muffled through your soundproofing of comfy blankets and soft stuffies. It only made his head ache more. âTake me back?â
That one threw him off guard. He wasnât expecting that kind of question, if anything he thought youâd ask if you were still in trouble. âBack? Back where?â
â..The shelter.â
He couldnât see his own face, but he could just imagine how it twisted in confusion. âWhat? No, darlinâ.âÂ
âOh..â
Yeah. Oh. So thatâs what all of this had been about. It wasnât just him yelling, it was the thought that you might get boxed up and shipped back. Kicked to the curb. Leon pictured it again, your shivering frame on the street, or back in that damp kennel surrounded by yelling dogs and strict meal times. âWhy the hell would you think that?â
âCause I broke something, and I was too rowdy.. I canât sit still..â
The very reason heâd adopted you in the first place was to save you from that life, one of struggle and pain and sadness, yet you still feared it. Solely for, what, acting like a puppy? The very thing you were a hybrid of? If he werenât so worried about you heâd be pissed at the world in all honesty.
âBaby, is that how you ended up there? Did someone..â He had no time to finish that question before you were nodding. You looked so ashamed, it ripped him in two. Someone had shoved his heart through a paper shredder and used the strips to line a hybrid play-pen floor.Â
Returned, handed off, a hand-me-down. Thatâs what you saw yourself as. Damaged goods. His voice cracked as he muttered softly, his face painted in nothing but sympathy.âOh, puppy..â
Almost instantly a ball of fluff came barrelling out of the playpen right into Leonâs chest, a winded âoof!â puffed from the manâs ribs. Couldâve cracked them with the force of your love. Softer than any cannon ball, fuzzier than any bullet. Yet you still managed to have him coughing out a chuckle, his nose nuzzling up into your hair. He couldnât help but breathe out a sigh of relief. Because it was a sure sign that you didnât hate him.
âThereâs my girl.â
A meek whine bubbled up from your throat at the sheer joy of being back in your ownerâs embrace, enveloped in his comforting smell. And Leon couldnât resist resting his chin on your head as you sat crumpled in his lap. A scarred-over hand brushing through your hair, rubbing bruised thumbs over the soft velvet of your ears. Every touch, every loving gesture had your tail whipping against the floorboards. You truly were his good girl. Still sniffling, you tilted your head in that sweet puppy way to look at him properly, taking in the face of the man who you loved more than anything; yes, that included treats, walks, and toys. It was quite the accomplishment, an honour really. Leon should be proud of himself for that one.Â
âMâ sorry..â
There it was again, always saying sorry for things you didnât mean to cause. Sometimes things you didn't even do. He shook his head at even the thought of that. Not scolding, but shushing. Like he didnât want to hear you apologise for something that was hardly your fault. âSweetheart, hey. Itâs alright. I can always get a new picture frame, itâs no problem. What I canât get is a new puppy. Wanna know why?â
Of course you did, that was a silly question. But he loved watching your ears flop as you nodded, made his pulse flutter like he had a butterfly in his veins, or a hummingbird. Humming away to the steady thrum picking up in pace. âCause thereâs only one you. And frankly, Iâve already called dibs, so Iâm not givinâ you up for anything.â
That seemed to settle something in you, the pace of your tail picking up to its regular happy thump. Large hands encased either side of your head to brush over your fluffy ears, the velvety texture smooth under years of scarred tissue. And that fresh cut he had yet to bandage up. That could be done later, though. Right now he was more focused on plastering a hello-kitty bandaid over your heart. Leon was bad at this stuff, real bad. If there was a class for hybrid ownerâs heâd have been expelled in seconds, set a new world record. Because even after having you with him for months he had to admit, he still had no idea what he was doing. He wanted to make that clear, no point in lying to you.
Gravelly voice turned smooth and soft, someone had put his whiskey rocks through a blender. He was a slushy now because of you. A messy, overpriced, alcoholic slushy.Â
 âBut I wanna try my hardest to make you feel loved here. Because believe me, you are. You and all your.. Energy, letâs say. Youâre my fluff ball, arenât ya?â
He doesnât need words, words arenât a strong suit for either of you. So he settled for the affectionate lick to the cheek you gave him, followed by your high pitched whine when you snuggled down into his lap with wiggling hips. Makes a huff of laughter rumble from his chest, not like the thunderous yelling you once heard. This was that of a carâs slow movement, of white noise to sleep.
Because at the end of the day you were each otherâs peace.Â
Lips press to your hair in a gentle manner, and Leon found himself nuzzling his nose down against your own.
 âYeah you are. Youâre daddyâs best girl.â
Itâs a balm for the wounds on your soul, settling into his arms like you were made for them. Manufactured with his name printed across your heart where no-one could see it, youâd just had to find him. And now you had, and he had no intention of letting you go. If he could, heâd velcro you to his body. Â
Yeah, Leon swore heâd never let you go.
And he might be a bastard at times, but he made good on his promises.
The next week you were walking past the hall of photos, the one Leon commissioned of you and him out in the backyard was already hung. The outtakes of you sprinting off to chase a squirrel mid-shutter are his to keep tucked in his wallet, though. For the longer work days or boring lines at the DMV, all that shit.Â
 But the formal one, the proper one, is right above the new frame you insisted on decorating for his graduation photo. Complete with smiley stickers and paint and hearts heâd carefully exacto-knifed around to give a clear view of his picture. Youâd jumped around like a bouncy ball when he was cutting the excess sticky paper away, little yaps of âIs it done?! Is it finished?! Can I see it?!â like you hadnât been the one to seal it in glitter glue in the first place.Â
And honestly, he loved it. Like you were leaving your pawprints on his past, making a new path of swaying tails and giggling fits to lead him with a tugging leash into his brighter future. Like you were meeting an older version of him. One before he became a little more bruised, a little more cold. But youâd helped chip that down with your tugging paws and cute canines.
He was softer now. And heâd decided yes, that was a good thing. Meant he was more suited for you, more tender with you.Â
âCâmon, babygirl. Wanna go for a walk?â He already knows the answer. But watching you skitter on your feet to sprint towards him never gets old. Wagging tail and voice chirping.
âCan we get a pup cup on the way back? Please?â
Because if that freshly appointed rookie cop version of Leon could meet you, heâd be just as in love with you as he is right now.Â
âAw Iâm not made of stone now, am I sweetheart?â
And heâd agree, that new frame looks much better.
Consider buying me boba!
my bf and bff went to see deadpool with their respective friend groups and no one even bothered asking if i wanted to go lol
so romantic đ
(sighs dreamily as i doodle leon scott kennedy in a composition notebook with a glitter gel pen and write his name in hearts)
god i wish men were real