In all honesty, Leon hadn't planned on attending the celebration, but it wasn't that he wasn't proud of the accomplishments that his unit had achieved. He was the first one to shower his colleagues in positive feedback and was, perhaps, the most team-oriented officer in the entire division. Leon boasted a lot of pride in the fact that he was a police officer and revered his more seasoned teammates for their knowledge and experience.

More rather, it had much more to do with the nature of the event itself. The Raccoon City Police Department was hosting a ball to congratulate its officers for surviving a difficult year and Leon S. Kennedy didn't know how to dance. The prospect of embarrassing himself in front of the decorated cops he was aiming to impress didn't sound like a particularly exciting time.

With a sigh, he folded the ornate invitation in half and slipped it into the top drawer of his desk. Out of sight, out of mind was one of the proverbs he favored in life and he hoped that this would be no exception. Worst case scenario, he'd feign a bad case of food poisoning to get himself out of it at the very last minute.

Returning his attention to his computer, Leon began to click through his emails in search of feedback on his latest field report.

"Hey, Kennedy!"

Before he could turn to address his visitor, he was met with a heavy-handed clap on the back, and Leon inwardly groaned. He knew good and well just who it was without having to spin around in his chair.

"What's up, Ryman?"

He forced as much enthusiasm as he could muster and grimaced as he watched his fellow officer plop down in Marvin's space. Kevin kicked up his feet onto the desk's surface and leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You comin' to the party?" He asked, smirking slyly before continuing, "I hear there'll be plenty of ladies around, like that one journalist with the re-"

"Yeah, of course." Leon lied, eyes fixed on the computer screen before him.

"Not to mention the fact that Hamilton always brings his sister. Hard to believe they're related. That chick's like a swimsuit model, but, you know, Elran's wife is pretty easy on the eyes too..." Kevin paused pensively before quirking an eyebrow in his direction. "Speaking of, who's your plus one gonna be?"

Leon shrugged, completely uninterested in entertaining the conversation.

"Probably just gonna come alone."

Kevin snorted and rolled his eyes as he chided, "Come on, rookie. You aren't gonna ask Redfield's sister?"

Leon felt his face flush at the suggestion and he paused mid-click, swallowing hard at the mention of her. Why would he bring Claire? Considering the fact that Chris was her brother, she was probably pretty burnt out on police-affiliated events. Hell, if she even wanted to come, she'd likely just hitch a ride with Chris.

"Nah." He lamely replied, hoping to close off the discussion.

Kevin laughed under his breath and shifted in his chair, planting his feet back on the floor as he leaned in close, elbows resting on his knees.

"I thought the two of you were dating." He probed and the thought alone caused Leon's heart to skip a beat.

"Just friends." He tersely replied, slamming his finger against the mouse a little harder than necessary.

Kevin pursed his lips in thought.

"Does she know you're 'just friends?'" He teased and Leon gave him a pointed look.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Leon asked and Kevin simply laughed as he shook his head at the younger officer.

"Ah, to be young and dumb again." He murmured before rising from the chair and strutting out of the office, abandoning Leon in confused silence.

"So," Claire asked around a mouthful of sandwich, "Are you going to that hoity-toity party Irons is throwing for you all?"

Leon took his time swallowing the swig he had taken of his drink before shaking his head, "Nah."

Her blue eyes widened and she gripped the edge of the table, closing just a little of the distance between them.

"Why not?" Her tone was incredulous, "You might be one of the ones getting an award!"

With a half-smile, Leon averted his gaze to the whorls in the grain of the table's wooden surface and shook his head.

"Doubt it." He lamented, "I'm just a kid to them."

Claire clicked her tongue in disdain.

"I'm pretty sure half of them have a chair glued to their ass, so they don't have the right to judge anyone." She furrowed her brow as she angrily popped a fry into her mouth, "Besides, you're a good cop. I'm sure someone has noticed."

The inadvertent compliment made something flutter in Leon's chest.

"It's not a big deal." He insisted, "Besides, I can't even dance."

A bright, toothy smile broke out on Claire's face and she cocked her head to the side to give Leon a knowing look.

"Leon S. Kennedy," She began with a voice smooth enough to give him chills, "Don't tell me that's why you don't want to go."

Leon coughed and took another hefty mouthful of water to buy himself time.

"Oh my god," Claire gasped, "That is why!"

If he could have dug himself a hole to hide in at that very moment, Leon most certainly would have. Instead, he offered her no response and stole a couple of fries off her plate, busying himself with the task of stuffing his face.

Claire pointed at him accusingly and wrapped an arm around her plate to form a defensive wall between him and her fries.

"We are so going to that ball and I am totally going to teach you how to dance."

Leon hoped the shady Chinese restaurant near the precinct would be sufficient in giving him actual food poisoning, lest he humiliate himself in front of his coworkers and Claire.

It wasn't.

Eight weeks later, he found himself nervously shifting his feet on the doorstep outside of her apartment despite the terrible health ratings the joint had received. The overly starched collar of his dress uniform abraded the tender flesh of his neck and he looped his finger around the edge of the fabric to give it a tug before ringing the doorbell.

Receiving no immediate response, he pulled off his hat and smoothed out his hair as he waited. Waiting for Claire to answer the door could very well have been the most tense moment of his life. He reckoned that he had to put it in his top five, falling just short of being chased by a mutant alligator and meeting Chris for the first time.

As he debated whether or not waiting for his exam results from the academy was worse than this very moment, the door to her apartment swung open without warning, and Leon decided that maybe this event actually trumped both the alligator and Chris combined.

His breath hitched in his throat at the sight of her and Leon had to remind himself that respiration was vital for survival.

Objectively, Claire Redfield had always been beautiful, but Leon had no idea that she could be so stunning. Her hair was pulled back into a loose bun that allowed curled tendrils of hair to frame her ordinarily pale face that had suddenly taken on a warm, healthy glow on account of the make up she wore. A faint, peach blush stained her cheeks and her lips glistened invitingly, slick with something glossy and feminine that made his mouth uncomfortably dry.

Her dress was a deep shade of navy, one that impeccably mimicked the color of his dress uniform. The low, sweetheart neckline left the delicate curve of her clavicles on display and, when she leaned over to slip on her pearly heels, Leon was graced with a glimpse of the swells of her full breasts and he felt the temperature around them rise.

"I, uh...hey." He managed to speak and she gave him a look of concern.

"Are you okay?" She asked, reaching forward to press her palm to his forehead. "You're sweating."

"Just kind of dizzy, I guess." He fibbed, "Ate some shady Chinese take out."

Claire put her hands on her hips, drawing his attention to just how well the cut of her dress accentuated the hourglass of her figure.

"Please don't tell me you ate at Wong's Garden." She pleaded and Leon smiled sheepishly.

"Guilty as charged," He admitted, "But I'll be fine. I've eaten gas station sushi at least twice in my life and I'm still kickin'."

He caught Claire's look of horror and smiled.

"I'm just kidding, Claire." Leon reached forward to take her by the hand and she obliged, slipping her fingers between his as she pulled the door of her apartment closed.

"You promise you'll protect me from your brother, right?" Leon asked as he opened the door to the passenger seat for her. "After all, you're the one who forced me to come."

Claire rolled her eyes as she gathered the fabric of her dress and slipped into his car.

"I promise," She affirmed, "But it's not necessary because he'll be too busy staring at Jill's ass to even notice you."

Her promise might have set him at ease, but the enclosed space of the car nearly made him drunk on the scent of her floral perfume. She ranted about her professors and group projects throughout the commute, but he had been far too distracted to recall any of the details of the conversation.

Especially after he realized just how high the slit in her skirt rose as they waited at a stoplight.

Flustered and nervous, Leon was beyond grateful to have survived the drive once he pulled into the parking lot of the venue. With shaky hands, he cut off the engine and watched Claire flip open the mirror on her visor to carefully tuck away pieces of hair that had fallen loose.

"I look like a hot mess." She commented, wincing at her reflection.

"I don't think so." Leon blurted before he could catch himself, mind focused on the flash of stringy white lace he had briefly caught peeking out from beneath the slit in her dress.

Claire smirked and gave him a playful look, "Oh?"

Leon cleared his throat and joked, "Yeah. You're just a mess."

He bolted out of the car before she had a chance to jab him in the side with her elbow and she hadn't finished laughing before he was at her side, pulling open the door and offering her his hand.

"Come on, let's go make a fool out of me." He offered and Claire eagerly placed her hand in his, shivering at the feel of the night air teasing her bare shoulders the moment she stepped out of the car.

Leon had barely made it through the doorway before Kevin assaulted him.

"Hey, rookie!" He loudly exclaimed, clearly already a few drinks in given his volume and the rosy color of his cheeks.

Leon grimaced and nodded towards him in acknowledgement, but Kevin didn't catch the hint.

"I see you brought your…'friend' after all!" He chaffed, gesturing towards Claire with his glass.

In response, Claire allowed her tongue to dart out from between her lips in a childish, mocking gesture.

"I see you came all by your lonesome as usual, Ryman." She retorted and looped her arm around Leon's, dragging him towards the crowd.

"You know," Leon whispered against her ear in order for her to hear him over the noise, "That was kind of mean."

Claire shrugged as she surveyed the smorgasbord of appetizers nearby.

"He's a big boy. He can handle it." She coldly defended, snatching up a cocktail shrimp and giving him a coy smile.

Claire mingled with a few of the partygoers, making small talk as Leon attempted to melt into the wall. He watched her from afar, captivated by the way her face lit up as she engaged in conversation and comfortably laughed with others. She flitted about the crowd with confidence, blending in as though she were one of the RPD's own.

He loved that about her, how easily she could make someone feel at ease. Smiling to himself, he looked down at his feet to memorize the grooves in the tile below in order to pass the time.

"Don't think I forgot about why we're here." Claire spoke and the volume of her voice caused him to jump.

When had she snuck up on him?

"I was kinda hoping you would." He confessed with a bashful smile and Claire responded by taking her hand in his and dragging him to the dance floor.

Once they came to a halt, Leon stood dumbly before her, his eyes seemingly locked with hers. His heart was pounding in his ears and he struggled to swallow around the nervousness that was thickly wadded up in his throat. With a knowing grin, Claire took his hands in hers once more and rested one on her hip as she raised the other, lacing their fingers together.

She draped her free hand over his broad shoulder and smiled.

"Fake it until you make it." She advised and then she started to move, stepping from one side to the next with such haste that he struggled to keep up.

Stumbling as he miserably failed in mirroring her movements, he nearly stomped on her feet more times than he would have liked to admit. Were his hand not braced against her hip for leverage, Leon thought that he absolutely might have tripped over his own boots. When she stepped back, he collided into her, causing her hiss under her breath and tighten her hold on him to keep from falling.

His face burned hotly and he shook his head, more than determined to leave. Surely his sad show of shambling about in the midst of the crowd was more than enough to appease her. As he twisted in her hold to search for an escape route, Claire laughed softly and took his hands in hers once more, repositioning them just as she had done previously.

"It's okay." She reassured him with a wink. "This is how you learn."

Leon allowed her to lead, swooping from left to right, front to back. He managed to keep from trampling her feet and, as much as he hated to admit it, he felt that he was finally getting the hang of the motions.

That is, until he roughly bumped into a couple nearby, nearly causing one of his fellow officers to topple over.

After apologizing profusely, he turned back to Claire, face flushed bright red.

"No more." He commanded and turned away, hurriedly scurrying out of the crowd.

Claire snatched him by his hand and tugged him back towards her.

"Don't be a quitter." She reprimanded and, when his eyes met hers, he found himself lost in the way they twinkled under the ballroom lights.

After a few more embarrassing mishaps, Leon managed to get his shit together. Fluidly, he maneuvered about the dance floor with Claire in his hold, feet shifting in tune with the beat of the orchestra. He bit the inside of his cheek to hold back a smile as another song came to an end, surprisingly pleased with his own performance.

Only then did she allow him to forfeit.

"Only because my poor feet can't take anymore abuse." She insisted from his passenger seat, kicking off her heels and rubbing at one of the blisters that had formed on her heel.

Leon felt a twinge of guilt at the sight of her reddened skin.

"Sorry." He murmured and she rolled her eyes.

"It's not your fault that I have to shop the bargain rack for shoes." Claire argued, waving her heel in the air to gesture for him to turn as he nearly missed the turn to her apartment complex.

"Besides," She continued, "I had a really good time."

Having parked, Leon leaned back in his seat and reflected on the events of the night.

"Yeah, I guess I did too."

This time, he wasn't swift enough to dodge the elbow to the ribs, but he still helped her out of the car nonetheless. He followed her up the staircase that led to her apartment, mesmerized by the sway of her hips and the sleek cut of her calves as she tiptoed in her bare feet.

Once she unlocked the door, she leaned against the doorframe with a sly smile. Looking up at him through long, dark lashes, she huskily asked, "Do you want to come in?"

Leon looked down at his watch and shook his head.

"I've gotta get up early in the morning."

Claire pulled her lips into a pout and shifted her weight onto one leg, giving him a healthy view of her toned thigh through the cut of her dress.

"I'm sure the world won't end if you sleep in a little." She insisted and Leon nearly gulped at the sight of her.

Just friends, he reminded himself. It's not like that.

Forcing a smile, he regretfully shook his head.

"You never know. It might."

Sighing, Claire reached behind to pull the pin from her hair, allowing it to cascade in long, thick waves around her shoulders.

"If you're sure." She said, raking her fingers through her hair as Leon's eyes followed her every movement.

"Yeah." His voice was a little strained.

Stepping towards him, Claire looked up at him once again. The light outside of her apartment was warm and he lost himself for a moment as he counted the freckles smattered across her nose. He followed the bridge of her nose to the line of her jaw and how it melted into her neck, giving way to the perky globes of her breasts.

Shaking his head, he brought his attention back to her face and she smiled as she rose onto her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his cheek.

"Thanks for tonight." She murmured against his ear, breath hot and moist, "Sweet dreams."

When she closed the door, Leon barely heard the click of the lock.

Her lips were just as soft and warm as he expected.

Just friends, he chanted to himself like a mantra, just friends.

Please don't ask me what kind of universe this silly fic exists in because it's really just a bunch of fluff-oriented drabbles to give myself a break from all the angst I'm writing. Suspend your disbelief and just take in the sticky, saccharine sweetness that is baby Leon missing all of Claire's hints.

Please.

I'm begging you.