Leon sits stretched out on the couch, his eyes slightly glazed as he watches whatever's playing on the tv. It's a cooking competition, but he's only really half enjoying it. The hosts just keep throwing out ridiculous rules and trials for the poor contestants to get through and it does nothing but make the whole thing frustrating to even watch.
Barbara would've been able to make the best peanut butter dog cake if the host hadn't insisted they add bacon into it somehow. And although they had a recipe, it seemed half missing, because no one knew how long to cook their food. It's just stupid and Leon is just about to turn the damn tv off out of spite when the front door opens.
Leon knows who it is and his wings flutter in excitement, though, he doesn't let the smile come onto his face. Chris didn't bother to tell him he'd be a whole three hours late to their special dinner, so Leon can't greet him with hugs and kisses. It's just the price Chris has to pay.
"I'm sorry, Leon."
But when Chris speaks, sounding like he just came off of a rough mission, Leon's annoyance dissolves into concern. He gets up from the couch and walks over to his boyfriend. The sight matches the tone. Leon's concern grows when he sees the dirt built up seemingly everyone on Chris's body. It looks like he marched through a swamp.
"What happened?" Leon says as he gets close. Chris's wings drag on the floor as the big man pulls off his shoes and tactical gear. His socks are just as filthy, which just supports the swamp idea. "Did your BSAA scouts set up a mud slip-n-slide?" He tries for humor, but Chris just cringes.
"No. I...don't really want to talk about it right now." It's all Chris says before he's dragging his feet through the house and Leon has to hold in the urge to snap at him for tracking mud.
Instead, he grabs Chris by the shoulders and gently steers him toward the closest bathroom. "Let's clean you up, then. Dinner can wait until you're ready, okay?"
Chris protests for a moment, another apology coming out, but then exhaustion must push him to give in and soon enough, they're in the bathroom. Leon doesn't bother shutting the door, since they're the only ones who live here. "Strip while I get the bath running, okay? I don't think you can stand long enough to take a shower right now."
Honestly, just leaving Chris's side to turn on the water makes Leon nervous. The man wobbles every time he pulls a leg from his pants and although he's never been known for balance, this is obviously something else. Leon just hopes he doesn't have a concussion or something.
Once the water's hot enough, he turns back to Chris and helps him into the bath, one leg at a time. Chris's wings take up most of the tub space because they're just so damn big, but there's enough room for him to settle back in the water. From there, Leon sits on the tide, rolls up his sleeves, and begins washing every part of him.
Chris's eyes close quickly and they fall into a comfortable silence filled by nothing but the sounds of water splashing occasionally. Leon scrubs at Chris's arms, then his legs, and then goes to his chest. With the more dirt Leon rubs away, the darker the water gets and once Chris is nearly all washed off, Leon begins to wonder if he'll have to change it out.
"Sit up for me. I have to clean your wings." Leon's voice is a whisper, but Chris follows the instructions and sits forward. With the new angle, Leon is able to pull a wing out and he begins to preen through the feathers.
Chris has dark brown feathers that would span the whole room if he were to stretch them out fully. The feathers get lighter as they meet the skin, which reflects best when he's flying. They're large and strong, but they're also soft. Even with so much dirt caked onto them, they're amazing just to feel. Chris is practically made of muscle and his wings are no exception.
"I'm sorry for ruining out date night." Chris's voice is still soft and guilty. He always worries so much about ruining things for them, even though Leon never minds it.
And he plans to say just that. "We'll still get something to eat, but I don't care if it's take out. We'll just move our fancy date to another day."
Chris shifts and Leon meets his gaze. He's still worried. "But we rarely get time like this to ourselves. It may be months until we can have that date. I know you were looking forward to some really nice food for once."
Leon can't deny that part. He's always loved the nicer restaurants, even if they're over priced. But he still smiles and goes back to preening. "It's really okay, Chris. I expected something like this; and hey, if we end up doing it next year, then so be it. The most important part is that we're spending time together."
There's a soft laugh behind him. "You're so sappy, Leon. Who knew the cold hearted Agent Kennedy would be such a romantic."
Leon contemplates pulling at his feathers for that comment, but decides against it. He's been hurt enough today. Instead, he scoffs. "I wasn't the one who wrote songs when we started dating." He leans back as he sings out, "Oh, how lovely your eyes are! If only I could see them every day, just to know my world is safe!"
That earns a real laugh from Chris, which is a success in Leon's book. "Hey, now. Those were good songs. Besides, you started tearing up when I sang them to you, so who's the real sap?"
Leon stays leaned back so he can look at Chris's face again. He's still tired, but at least there's a smile there. Leon kisses him briefly, enjoying the way Chris melts into it like it's his source of life. "You're just lucky Claire never found those. They'd be halfway across the BSAA by the time you even found out."
Chris shivers and Leon isn't sure if it's to what he said or the water going cold. He doesn't comment, so Leon sits up again, actually focusing on finishing the preening job now.
Once Chris's wings are clean, Leon helps him stand up and wraps a towel around his waist. He gets a second one for his shoulders and sets out two more over the hooks of his wings. They'll take all night to dry, but that just means that they'll have to put on the heater tonight. He wouldn't mind that.
As they stumble out of the bathroom and head into the bedroom for some clothes, Chris speaks again. "I should preen you too. It's only fair."
Leon doesn't look back at him as he searches for Chris's favorite sweats. "There's no need, Chris. You're the one who came in filthy." He's careful to keep his tone soft to avoid hurting his feelings.
After passing over the clothes, Chris starts to pull off the towels but he still loos hesitant. Leon lets out a sigh but he smiles as he kisses his boyfriend's cheek. "Fine. You can preen me if you really want to, but I get to pick what we're ordering tonight, okay?"
Chris smiles back and he begins to get dressed. Leon takes that as an agreement and he walks out to the Livingroom again. He pulls out his phone and finds the number for the Mexican restaurant nearby. He's in the mood for something spicy.
When Chris joins him, Leon's already set up the heater to point at the couch and the food is on it's way. Chris sits on the couch sideways, looking expectant. Leon rolls his eyes but sits down in front of him, his wings stretched wide to let him do as he will.
Leon's wings are dark, like Chris's, but the inner feathers are white with little black stripes. They're built for speed and they've served Leon very well, even with the injuries they sustained throughout his career. He's glad they didn't change much over time, not like the rest of him has. They're a grounding point for him, a reminder that his wings are the same as they've always been. He still gets compliments on their power, like he did in the police academy.
"Not needed, my ass." Chris whispers behind him and Leon almost turns.
"What do you mean?" He can't remember what they were talking about before now.
Gentle fingers card through the feathers and Leon jolts when he feels them pull a little harshly. "Your feathers are all tangled up. When did you last clean them out?"
Leon relaxes again, but he's still a little confused. He thought he'd preened himself well last week, but that was before the presidential dinner, where someone tried getting handy with the senator and he had to step in-
"I guess it's been a bit." Leon smiles at the sound Chris makes. He's probably rolling his eyes, but it's just another sign that Chris is feeling better, so Leon doesn't complain.
After a while, Chris eventually finishes and the food comes around the same time. They dish out the different items and both of them are left happy and warm, thanks to the heater. Chris is sitting back, an arm curled around Leon's waist. They just sit there, still watching the irritating cooking show, but it's less annoying with Chris around.
"Thanks for taking care of me tonight." Leon turns his head and is almost surprised to meet a near painfully soft smile. "Today was really rough and I probably would've just crashed on the floor without you."
"Well, I guess I saved the floor, then." But a glance back to the front door reminds him that he still has to mop up the mud. "Kinda." Leon shrugs it off, though. He'll worry about that later. Instead, he just smiles back and lays his head against Chris's shoulder. "I love you."
Chris's arm holds him a little closer and it's so very nice. "I love you too."
You see! I can write happy and fluffy things too! Also, I mainly wrote this because I love Chreon, but also because there isn't enough of these cool AUs in this fandom! I've always loved the wings ideas, so here it is! Leon's wings are based off of a falcon and Chris's on an eagle.