A/N: Thanks for all the support!
Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil or any or its characters; they all belong to Capcom.
Chapter 9
The days went by and Leon didn't get any chance to properly talk to Kathleen, since she was always with her fiancé, who had a number of men on his security. He did try to be a dutiful agent and stayed with Kate most of the times but sometimes he just couldn't bear seeing Kevin with her. It just made his blood boil whenever he saw Kevin kissing, hugging or caressing her, which he seemed to do a lot. Leon wished to be in Kevin's shoes just to be close to Kate right now, just so at least he could talk to Kate. The only times they had talked in past few days were when they wished each other good morning or good night.
Leon couldn't help but feel a little miserable due to Kate's absence, since he was already addicted to her presence. He wanted to know what she felt about him. She did give him hints that she likes him but then he was reminded of the incident he witnessed just this morning, which in all totality countered this idea. It was when he was making his way to find Kate at her usual reading spot, he had spotted Kevin hugging her and when they parted he had kissed her. It was again a kiss on cheek but it did ruin Leon's morning and he just decided to leave them alone.
And as Leon sat on the boundary wall of one of the White House's terraces, he tried to throw that scene out of his head so he could resume his duties as her bodyguard. But even after spending the whole morning on that, he hadn't really been successful. He was trusting Shadow to seek him in case Kate really needs his assistance, which he doubted since her fiancé's bodyguards would no doubt make-up for Leon's absence. He again found his train of thoughts running after Kate making him once again remember the scene and he shook his head to get rid of it.
"What are you doing here, all alone?", Leon looked sideways to spot Kathleen by his side and she had Shadow with her too. She smiled at him and he took her in details, since she looked completely different from when he had seen her in the morning. Earlier she was wearing a modest knee length yellow colored dress and had her hair in a braid. But now she was wearing a more flirty mid thigh length dress that looked both cute and sexy at the same time and her hair was down, just the way he liked it, "So?", she said still waiting for an answer.
"Cursing a certain someone", Leon replied truthfully looking away from the divine beauty.
"Is it me?", she asked taking a seat by his side.
"No", he replied not looking at her.
"Then it's fine with me I guess", she almost whispered with a sigh of relief. They remained in silence for some time, "So why didn't you meet up with me today?"
"Do you even need me, with all the security your boyfriend has?", Leon couldn't hide his bitterness.
"First of all he's not my boyfriend", Kate told him plainly, "He's not even my friend."
"He's your fiancé!", Leon stated the fact.
"No, he's not!", she said raising her voice a little and that was the loudest he had ever heard her speak, "I told you my father wanted me to get married to him and nothing is official. And what does him having a dozen of security men has to do anything with you? You're my bodyguard, you're supposed to protect me and keep me safe", she reasoned with him.
Leon let out a sigh, "You're right", he agreed with her, "I am sorry; I've been ignorant of my duties lately. I won't give you another reason to complain anymore."
"You're being really formal", Kate said in a complaining tone.
"So… uh, you were wearing something different in the morning?", he asked in attempts to start a casual conversation.
"You saw me in the morning?!", Kate said in surprise, not answering his question, and he gave her a nod as the scene came flooding back in his mind, "When?"
"When Kevin was hugging and kissing you in the garden", he replied in a monotone, not looking at her.
"He hugs and kisses me all the time", Kate commented in a low voice and there was an uncomfortable pause before she spoke again answering Leon's previous question, "Kevin, spilled juice on my dress so I had to change."
"I see", Leon said in acknowledgement sensing that she was a little upset at the mention of Kevin, "So how did you find me then?", he asked again in an attempt to change the subjects.
"I spotted you from the balcony of my room. I wasn't really sure if it was you but I decided to check it anyways and fortunately it was you", she replied in a feeble tone.
The conversation died down once again and they both shared the silence, just enjoying the breeze. It was really a fine day to be outside, not too sunny and not to dull, just the perfect balance of two. Leon looked at Kate and the wind blew her hair, making it hit him in the eye. She apologized pulling her hair to one side revealing her smooth back to him, as he nursed his hurt eye. His gaze lingered on her sexy back, which was adorned with the web of strings of her dress.
'This dress is way sexier than I thought', Leon thought to himself, suddenly feeling the heat.
"Leon, can you do me a favor?", Kate's voice made him take his eyes off her back.
"Do you want me to take you visit your mother's grave?", Leon asked her.
"No", she shook her head, "We visited her yesterday, with the whole circus, remember?"
"Oh yeah", Leon was reminded that indeed they went to the graveyard just the previous day with Kevin and his half a dozen security guards, "Then?"
"Promise me that you won't leave me alone", Kate looked up at him, "especially when Kevin is around", and even before he could say anything she spoke again, "I don't like him anywhere near me, he hugs and kisses me all the time and I am not comfortable with that. I tell him not to do that but he doesn't listen to me and I am very much powerless to resist him. So please I beg you to be around when he is with me because his security men just scatter in different direction when I try and make an excuse about them watching but if you're around then he might be hesitant…", her eyes filled with tears as she spoke these words.
"I promise to be with you and protect you always", he tried to say it casually, trying to hide his anger towards Kevin.
"Thank you!", Kathleen said gratefully, almost jumping off the boundary wall and then very unexpectedly she flung her arms around Leon, pulling him in a hug and off the ledge. Leon didn't make a move knowing that it was definitely a quick hug but Kathleen didn't pull away from him as quickly as he was expecting her to, instead she grabbed his one of his arms and put it on her back, "Hold me for bit", she almost pleaded to him in not more than a whisper. Leon didn't need her to tell him twice and he wrapped his arms around her tightly, "I missed your touch", she told him as his hands made contact with her skin.
It hadn't even been a few minutes when they heard footsteps coming their way and Shadow started to bark. They pulled away from each other, just in time as a man stepped on to the roof, "Kate, I've been looking over for you everywhere", Kevin said moving to her and before he could touch Kate, Leon stopped him, "Who is this dude?", Kevin said angrily.
"He's my bodyguard", Kate told him proudly.
"Give us some privacy will you?", Kevin tried to shoo Leon away.
"I don't take my orders from you", Leon said pushing him away from Kate.
Kevin shot him an angry glare, "Now if you'll excuse me we've more important things to do", Kate added to him as she pulled Leon with him, leaving her so-called fiancé behind.
Leon followed Kate down the stairs and he couldn't help but notice that she looked happier than she had been in these past couple of days, "So what is this important stuff that we will be doing?", he asked her as they reached the end of the stairs.
"We'll be heading to the garden and read", she answered him with a bright smile, showing him her book.
"Somehow I knew you'd say that", he said with a smile as they walked to their destination.
Kathleen only smiled and they walked to her most favorite reading place, as she told Leon a bit about the book she was reading. Once they reached there, Kathleen opened her book to read and Shadow settled peacefully next to her, keeping his head on her lap. Leon watched her read for a bit; he was finally with her and the past days that he spent without her seemed like a very distant past to him now. She looked at him between reading his book and smiled at him.
"What?", Kate asked him and he shook his head.
"Nothing", he said in reply with a smile as well, "You read your book, I'll just catch some sleep", he added to her, moving to lie down on the White House grass and she hummed in response, "Don't go ditching me like Jackson."
"What if Kevin shows up?", she said a little hesitantly, not wanting to sound selfish.
"Don't worry I am a light sleeper", Leon told her closing his eyes, "Just wake me up whenever you're done."
"Alright", she agreed.
Kathleen looked at Leon's sleeping form for a while and couldn't help but think that somehow he always seemed very tired. It was as if he barely slept at night. She had been noticing it from the very first time Ashley had pointed out her rescuer to Kathleen. She had heard so much about his heroic deeds in Raccoon city and Spain from both her Uncle and Ashley, and wondered if his sleepless nights were because of the nightmares he lived through those times. She silently wished Leon sweet dreams, before turning to her book.
Kathleen flipped a page when she felt Shadow lifting his head off her lap and heard him growling. She looked to him and felt a presence by her side and turned to spot Kevin, who as always had sneaked next to her and she was so absorbed in her book that she didn't even notice him until now. He smiled at her and she couldn't help but frown as Shadow just growled at the said man.
"You should really get rid of this hostile dog you know", Kevin said closing the gap between him and Kathleen. She knew that Shadow could only do so much as just bark and growl at him, if he attacked him that would only get Shadow off the job and that's the reason Shadow hadn't chased him off when he tried to force himself on her.
"What do you want?", she said and stood up to get away from him but he grabbed her hand and Shadow let out an angry bark.
"I see your bodyguard is sleeping now", Kevin said pulling her back down.
"Your bodyguards still here", she tried to resist and push him back.
Kevin smiled and turned to the men, who were standing at a considerable distance, and with a flick of hand he asked them to give him some privacy, "Now we have some privacy, come now babe", he tried to kiss her.
Kathleen wanted to scream out to Leon, to save her out of this situation but she didn't want to disturb his sleep, "But I am still here", Kevin looked around to the owner of the voice but Kathleen already knew it was Leon. He sat up and looked at Kevin unimpressed. Leon's intense gaze was enough to make Kevin immediately let go of Kathleen, and she immediately moved away from him. Kevin looked from Leon to Kate and then back at Leon before raising himself off the bench under the gazebo.
"I'll make sure to get rid of your bodyguard", he added to Kathleen before moving away.
Kathleen watched Kevin leave; she wasn't worried about his threat in the slightest. She knew that her words had more weight than anything Kevin could come up with. She turned to look at Leon and smiled at him, being impressed by his feat. She walked to him as he lied back down and closed his eyes.
"I thought you were sleeping", She said settling next to him on the grass.
"I was and still am sleeping", he replied with a smile, his eyes still close.
"I don't think so", she couldn't help but say smiling, "how about we go somewhere?"
Leon opened his blue eyes to look at her and for a moment she felt that she was staring right up at the sky, "Where?", he asked sitting up.
"The sunset point?", she more of suggested, "We can catch up just in time, to say goodbye to Mr. Sun."
"Okay I'll get authorization to take you out then", Leon said standing up.
"But Uncle is not here", Kathleen told him as he gave his hand to pull her up, "He left for some work for a few days."
"Oh yeah", Leon said in realization, "Well we can't go out then", he added.
"Oh really?", she asked doubtfully.
"Well unless you want me to risk my job…", Leon began.
"It's alright we can go some other time", she said and turned to head back under the gazebo.
"Hey", Leon stopped her by grabbing her hand and she turned to look at him, "Did you seriously believe that?"
"What do you mean?", she asked back confused.
"Let me take you to a better place", Leon said with a smile.
"Where?", she asked with a smile, even though she knew he won't tell her.
"Now that's a surprise!", he smiled at her.
Kathleen smiled brightly at him and couldn't help but feel a little excited, since she really loved the surprises Leon had in store for her. She tried to make him talk and guess the place that he would be taking her, as they made their way to his car with Shadow at their heels, but he really was exceptional when it came to being tight lipped about something. He would only smile mysteriously and ask her to have some patience but it was easier said than done. She finally gave up guessing once they got in the car and left for the place.
A/N: Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I sincerely apologize for any grammatical mistakes or typos.
