Chance Meeting
By: Batgirl
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters used for this story. They're just being borrowed. So major thanks to DC Comics (Babsie loves you!) and the makers of Resident Evil for the use of the smecksay Leon Kennedy.
Note. Fandom Mix! Gay themes are discussed. Don't flame me. Love me! I love you!
Have you ever been knocked to the floor by someone who wasn't watching where they were going?? Do you have any idea how much an "accident" like that can HURT?? All I remember is picking myself off the cold tile of the bank's floor and wincing in pain as I rubbed the numbing stinging sensation from my arm. "Okay-- OW?"
I guess I said it a bit too loud because the person who bumped into me looked up and smiled ruefully. "OH man. I am SO sorry! I didn't see you there."
I couldn't help but look the guy over. He looked to be about six foot tall, maybe about his early twenties or so, he really looked to be about my age to tell you the truth, glowing blue eyes, honey colored hair with blonde highlights and one of those baby faces, that people tell me I seem to have. You know what I mean? One of those typical pretty boys. "Oh,"I smiled weakly, trying to brush away all resentment. "It's alright."
His slender hands brushed down my jacket, trying to dust me off. I couldn't help notice that his hands were smooth, and didn't appear to have any rough spots over the face of them. His fingers were clean and looked manicured. Which is abnormal for a guy. You know how they have some sort of dirt stuck under their fingernails? Arugh. How gross is that? "I was-- just-- I could have sworn I saw someone I might have known and--" He stopped himself, catching what he was doing and immediately replaced his hands into his own pockets and blushed like a school boy. "I'm sorry."
I laughed. It was like he wore his personality on his sleeve. Something about him reminded myself of ME. And that's nothing short of a rare occurrence. "It's cool." What came out of my mouth next came out so quickly, I couldn't help it. "I like your nails."
The lad's blue eyes came up to meet my emerald. He looked incredibly flustered, but he was clearly trying to hide it. "Um," he pulled out his hand and looked to his nails, clicking middle finger against his thumb. ...Thanks...? Hey um-- are you... Hitting on me?"
Now it was my turn to red. Oh my gosh! Can you believe this guy? I barely knew him for less than three minutes and already he thinks I'm hitting on him just because I complemented his nails?? WHAT?! Can't guys do with each other? Oh yeah. I forget. According to others I'm not under the normal classification of man. My eyes quickly darted around the area. Why did it suddenly feel like everyone in the bank was starring at me? "No. I don't swing that way…. Why? Do you?"
Oh. Careful with your words big boy. Don't want to start anything in a public place. Oh yeah. THAT would be the day. I could see it now. Everyone in the bank stopping what they were doing, starring at us.
"Look at those two over there," they would whisper. "Lovers quarreling in a bank. Of all places!"
And then they would all break out in song and dance and put on one hell of a show.
The blue eyed boy looked to me, with an eyebrow raised. "Ha! Well.. I guess I kinda do LOOK like it, huh?"
"Well...I honestly wouldn't know." I joked with him. With an answer like that? Who knew!
"Well, YOU kind of do too, ya know." he grinned. Boy! We must have both been on something, I swear!
"Yeah.. I know. I get teased by my friends. They think it's fun to pick on me."
"Aw! Killer." he grimaced. He then extended his hand. "I'm Leon Kennedy."
Oh. And now after the innocent angel games he was giving me his name. He was a fast worker, this… 'Leon Kennedy.' I shook his hand. "Kyle Rayner."
He looked me over again. Was he checking me out? Should I be flattered? ...Rayner... WHY does that name sound so fam-- NO WAY! You're that artist guy that draws for the newspaper, aren't you?"
My mouth hit the floor. You mean that someone out there KNOWS who I am? No way? I grinned. "Well... um.. Yeah. That's me!" I said proudly. Can you believe it!? It's my claim to fame and you know what? I'm going to ride it as much as I can.
"You're stuff is great. I wish I could draw as well as you."
He's boosting my ego! Go Leon! I was into myself at that moment, I didn't realize his hand was still hugging mine. "My stuff really isn't THAT great." A little bit of modesty to even it out. Even though, deep down I still felt like my art was shit and deserved no recognition.
"Pfft!! Don't say that."
I could only shrug in response. I then looked down. "Can I have my hand back, Leon?"
He jumped. "OH! I'm sorry! MAN. Where is my mind today?" He let go of my hand, but took a moment to glance down to my ring. "Hey. That's a pretty cool replica ring."
I looked down to the metallic green of my Green Lantern ring. REPLICA? Who was he kidding. This baby was real. He didn't have to know that though. "Yeah...You've gotta love ebay."
Leon nodded. "Were you a Green Lantern fan when you were little?"
I smiled a bit. "Yeah. A little bit... I always wanted to be like Superman though." That was no lie. I still want to be like The Man of Steel. Who didn't?
It was then I realized how long I was talking to Leon. It's been almost ten minutes! Didn't he have somewhere else to be? I know I didn't. Well, I did, but I wasn't going to say anything. I could put off mu manicure and pedicure.
YES. I get manicures and pedicures. Donna was the one who got me started on that. She was the one who was really on me to 'take care of myself' so, I started taking care of myself. And I do like it. But now? It's not the same. I don't have Donna t accompany me to my appointments anymore. I don't have her to laugh with. I don't have her to go to for advise anymore. She was gone. RIPPED from my hands faster than Flash could do a single circle around me.
Before I know it, my face dropped and the color drained. I was getting that weak feeling again. Why did every time I think about Donna, things resulted in this feeling? I loved her. and still did. Now she was gone. I felt so helpless in ways.
I guess Leon saw the drastic change. "You alright, Kyle?" The tone in his voice was more than sincere. It was almost like he cared. I've known the guy for ten minutes and already he's caring about my feelings.
"Yeah," I lied, sniffing back my tears.
He furrowed his brow. "Hey" how about we go get a cup of coffee? It's the least I can do for getting dreaded New York City grime on your jacket."
I rubbed my nose. "Um... I looked to my watch. "I can't... I have to get my nails done."
He crossed his arms. "Aw. I see. How about a beer then?"
I shook my head. "I have to get my nails done. I have an appointment." I was serious too. Something told me he didn't think so though.
"Can I come?"
"Don't you have someplace to be," I asked, almost snapping at him.
He shrugged. "No. Besides... it's time for me to get my cuticles cut." He winked.
Well, that was it. I gone and done it. I had a nail buddy who WASN'T a girl. We found ourselves downtown at Montello's Spa about twenty minutes later. Fancy that. Finding a new chum at the bank, after banging into you. We talked all the way there.
After the Asian lady told us both to sit down and take off our shoes, we started talking again. It was like I knew this guy all of my life. It was so weird talking to him. He understood me, and I him.
As we spoke, I learned quite a bit from him. He said he came from a place called Racoon City. The population was pretty much wiped of it's human population thanks to a virus. Only he and a few others survived. And now he was on some sort of recon thing. He never really spoke too much more.
The freak show moment came towards the end of our treatment. Some Goth guy walked into the place. And I mean GOTH. He was all into it. White face, black eye and lip makeup, straggly black hair. I don't know what was going through Leon's mind, but the dude flipped out, pulled out guns from like nowhere and screamed. "ZOMBIE!"
Okay, yeah, he was jumpy, but... didn't the guy ever seen a fully decked out Goth guy before? He had this mad twitch going on. Eyebrow up, eyes squinted, eyes dilated, like he was high off an adrenaline rush.
It took fifteen minutes to try and convince the spa owners not to call the police. We just... LEFT.
Why the hell was he so jumpy and why the hell did he have extra guns on him? Like-- SHOTGUN type guns? Can someone fill me in. We were in a cab, heading back to my apartment. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
Leon never responded to me. His eyes just wondered to the window, watching the stop and go traffic on the opposite side.
We ended up back at my apartment not too much longer later, he didn't really get back to his 'normal' self until we were there. He thumbed through some of my drawings before we sat down on the couch and drank a beer.
I really liked the guy. It had been a little too long since I was able to just sit down with someone and just really TALKL to. None of my so called "friends" never thought twice about that sort of thing. And if I did, they'd mock me!
"Wow. This evening went from the bank, to getting a manicure, to coming back here for a beer. It's all moving so fast!" I placed my hand to my forehead dramatically. "If we don't stop, we may wind up in bed soon after!"
We both had a good laugh from that one.
Just then, I heard the door open, and then footsteps and there stood Terry. His mouth was hanging wide open.
"You might want to close your mouth. You wouldn't want a bug to fly in there." Leon quipped.
Terry stared at me in disbelief. "KYLE!??" He pointed at Leon.
"Oh! Ter-- I'd like you to meet someone. This is my new friend, Leon Kennedy. Leon, this is Terry Berg. My roommate."
Leon gave me a look. "Roommate?" It was like I could read his mind, 'Isn't he a little YOUNG?'
Terry walked over and shook his hand. "Yeah. We work together."
Leon understood. "Oh. I see. It's nice to meet you."
Terry had a permanent smile on his face, and me? I was sweating bullets. I don't know why, but I was. "So Kyle... where you two hook up?"
Leon answered, unknowingly. "At the bank."
"A bank?? REALLY!" He was enjoying every second of this. I knew it.
"Yeah," Leon continued. "We met by chance really."
Terry grinned. "So... heh.. Any chance for a second date then?"
"TERRY!" I hissed.
He smirked. "What!? I can ask! It's a free country!"
Leon blushed. "WHY does everyone assume I'm gay?"
"You mean... you're not?"
"No!"
"Oh...Terry's wondering eyes caught mine. Oh no. He wasn't. Was he?? "If you were. Would you do Kyle?"
He did!!!
Leon purred. "Of course."
I'm pretty sure my face went crimson at that point. "OKAY. Terry! Don't you have some work you have to do?"
Terry sat himself down in front of the both of us. "Nope!" He threw his legs up onto the chair, sprawling out. "So... What did you two do on your date?"
"It was NOT a date." I insisted.
"You're in denial!" Terry grinned. "It's okay. I'm not in denial anymore."
"In denial about what?" Leon asked, slightly confused as he finished his beer.
"About my sexuality."
"...OH!" I think it finally hit Mr. Kennedy.
"So aren't you going to answer me?" The kid was dying to know. He seemed in a good enough mood. Might as well not set the kid off.
"We... went and did our nails." I muttered.
"Cool. Do I get to see?"
We both presented our nails without a care.
"Oh.. Very nice." Terry swooned. His head tilted up. "So... When are you two going to kiss?"
Leon and I sat there with our mouths hanging open. Not believing what the boy was saying. We both caught sight of a few throw pillows and nodded to one another. Picking up the throw pillows, we heaved them at Terry.
So, yeah. It's funny how a chance meeting can turn into something a guy needs. For once, I don't have someone behind my back calling me a pansy, but in turn a new friendship I know will change all of that.
Even though Leon's a tightly closed book with an eccentric personality, he reminds me a lot like me. And you something? I've never had that before.
TBC...?