:: Author's Note ::
Back again with another chapter! Thank you all for your continued patience with these frequent breaks. After the success of the last few chapters, I was really determined to keep the creative process flowing, but I hit another creative snag.
The formal and the first kiss were both extremely pivotal scenes for which the majority of my energy was expended trying to do them justice and really nail home the vision in my head. Now that we've reached this point, however, the story is in a bit of a transition phase. And I find myself asking yet again "okay, now where do we go from here?"
There's still a solid vision for how this all wraps up, rest assured. But what I didn't want to do after reaching this pivotal juncture is rush the pacing or burn myself out trying to maintain that same schedule I was on for a while. Not until I had a much more solid idea of where exactly this bus is heading next.
Going forward, what I really want to focus on is how Ashley and Leon's relationship not only develops, but what they begin to explore together and how this new chapter in their lives changes them both. All while continuing to process and unpack those mental wounds from Spain.
This is where the next arc in their story begins. I give you Chapter Nineteen. Hope you all enjoy!
:: End Note ::
President Graham was in high spirits that morning. Congress just finished passing a bill allocating more funds towards the reconstruction of Raccoon City, shortening the estimated completion date considerably, his wife was in the other room right now preparing for the next social function, and his daughter was due to check in with him at any moment.
Things really seemed to be looking up. That bright ray of sunshine he thought he lost in Spain was back brighter and happier than ever. With his morning coffee in hand, the President booted up his laptop and brought up the webcam function.
She was right on time as usual. Ashley appeared on the other side of the screen with a bright happy smile and an energetic wave.
"Morning, Daddy!" she greeted him chipperly. Ashley seemed to be in especially good spirits today.
"Morning, Princess. Don't you seem to be in a good mood."
Ashley nodded, practically bouncing up and down in her seat. "You have no idea. Things have been going great."
"And how's Agent Kennedy holding up?" David asked, noting Leon wasn't present this time. "Has he had his fill of that campus yet?"
She giggled energetically and shook her head. "No, not yet. In fact, I think Leon will be sticking around for a lot longer, Dad."
He raised a brow at her. "And why is that?"
"We were gonna wait to tell you together, but I just can't hold it in any longer. Dad, I have the most amazing news!"
"What's that, Pumpkin?" he asked while taking a sip of his coffee.
She beamed ecstatically. "Leon and I are in love! I have a boyfriend now!"
The caffeine juice exited his mouth via high velocity spit take. Not even five seconds later, his wife Lenora came bursting into the room, a bright ecstatic smile matching her daughter's on her face.
"Did I just hear that right? My baby's in love?"
"How did you get in here so fast?" he asked in bewilderment, still reeling from this new development.
Rather than answer, his wife simply walked up to the oval office desk and brushed him aside. "Scoot."
He was practically shoved out of view, a look of flabbergasted disbelief on his face as Lenora leaned over the computer, addressing her daughter with overt excitement.
"Sweetie, why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"We were originally gonna surprise you," Ashley explained, matching her mother's energy. "But Leon didn't think that was a good idea."
If surprising her father was the intention, then mission accomplished. David was almost 'surprised' straight into an early grave with that confession.
"How did this come about?" Lenora asked next.
"I invited him to the winter formal and we kissed," Ashley responded.
Whereupon David turned white as a sheet. That man kissed his daughter?! Why was that never mentioned in Ross's last report?!
"Mom, it was the most wonderful night of my entire life," she insisted, her hands up to her chest and hearts in her eyes. "We finally confessed our feelings to each other and I haven't stopped smiling about it for the past two weeks!"
At that, her mother's tone became a bit more formal. "Now I have to ask, is this serious?"
"Of course not!" David interjected. "They only just started dating!"
"You hush," she spoke to him in a stern tone before turning back to her daughter. "Be honest, Ashley. Is Leon truly committed to this as much as you appear to be?"
She nodded assuredly. "He is. I promise. Leon has been so wonderful to me, Mom. I couldn't ask for a more perfect boyfriend."
He could just see the headlines now. President David Graham dies of stroke six years into office.
"What do you need from us, Sweetheart?" Lenora asked seriously. "Your father and I want to support you however we can."
She then spun her gaze sharply back to David, a very expectant look in her eyes.
"Don't we, Darling?"
He'd seen that look plenty of times before from his wife. When it came to the subject of their daughter and dating, they'd always had two very different opinions on what was in her best interest. It wasn't that he necessarily minded Agent Kennedy dating Ashley, but things were developing far more quickly than he had anticipated. David had always been something of a traditionalist when it came to this sort of thing.
His wife knew this better than anyone. Which was probably why she was giving him the if you mess this up there will be consequences look especially hard right now.
A happy wife is a happy life as they say.
"Of course we do," he assured, finally finding his composure again.
Ashley clasped her hands together and slapped on a big pair of puppy dog eyes, a move he hadn't seen in awhile. "In that case, Daddy, could Leon please stay longer? I know this was only supposed to be temporary. But he's earned a nice long break, hasn't he? Please, please, please?"
Between the puppy dog look from his daughter and the foreboding aura wafting off his wife as she idly strummed her fingernails on his desk, the President felt like he was standing in the middle of a pressure cooker. In the end, whether he liked it or not, there was only one answer here that did not end in him spending the next few months sleeping on the couch in the Solarium.
"I'll…make a phone call," he relented while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Ashley bounced up and down in absolute joy while Lenora smiled at her husband proudly. President Graham then cleared his throat, sat up straight in his chair, and adjusted his tie.
"Now, Ashley, before your mother and I can approve of this there are a few things we need to discuss."
She nodded in understanding, sitting prim and proper. "Yes, Sir."
"I'll expect you to bring Agent Ke…Leon with you on your next break so we can formally talk about this," he insisted.
"Of course, Dad. We were already planning on visiting after Leon introduces me to his mother."
"Right…" He let the fact she was already meeting his parents slide for now and continued. "...also, I expect your grades to stay up, young lady. A new relationship is no excuse for neglecting your school work."
She nodded. "I'll keep up with my schoolwork, Daddy. I promise."
"Finally." He pointed a stern finger at her. "I expect him to treat you well, understand me? You remind that man who your father is."
Ashley giggled at that. "Dad, it's Leon. He's well aware of who you are." She turned away from the screen as if looking towards the door. "Besides, I think he might be just a little scared of you already."
David nodded. "So long as we have an understanding." He then turned to his wife. "Anything to add here?"
"Are the two of you sharing a bed together, Ashley?" Lenora asked her candidly.
He guffawed at that. "Of course she isn't. They're not married yet."
"Not yet, Ma'am," her daughter responded sincerely. "Leon and I have been taking things slow. But I do plan on incorporating sex into our relationship…"
"...when you're married," her father insisted sternly.
"When I'm ready," she responded, giving him that same expectant glare Lenora was a second ago. "Because I'm a grown woman who can make that sort of decision for myself. Right, Dad?"
"Please talk some sense into her," David insisted to his wife.
"Ashley…" Lenora began in a lecturing tone.
She listened up.
"...tell your boyfriend he better keep it wrapped until there's a ring around that finger. Understood?"
The President gawked at her incredulously. Meanwhile, Ashley smiled and nodded.
"Yes, Ma'am. I'll make sure he knows."
"Your father and I are so unbelievably excited for you, Ashley," Lenora insisted while massaging her very crabby looking husband's shoulders reassuringly. "Aren't we, Darling?"
He grumbled under his breath. "Still think she should wait for marriage…"
"We'll talk about it later," she whispered back to him.
Ashley smiled lovingly at her father. "You know…I tell the girls all the time, you're not just the best President, you're also the best dad in the world too."
And just like that he was smiling again. Ashley blew him a kiss before waving.
"Listen, I've gotta go. I love you, Daddy! You too, Mom!"
Lenora waved at her daughter. "We love you, sweetie. Say hi to Leon for us."
She nodded before signing off. President Graham spent some time quietly sitting at his desk, not saying a word.
"So how are we feeling?" his wife inquired.
"This is really happening," he declared in disbelief. "I never actually thought those two would wind up together like this."
"Well now that we know Leon is here to stay, it's time we start thinking long term," Lenora insisted. "You know what I mean, don't you David?"
He sighed and nodded, rubbing his nose again. "Let me talk to Marcus. I'll see what I can do."
Lenora kissed her husband on the cheek. "I'm proud of you, David. You've really pulled through for our daughter."
With that she walked away. Lenora stopped and turned back to him in the entranceway, a hand on her hip and a mischievous smile on her face.
"I was thinking we might go to bed early tonight. Any requests on what I should wear?"
The President almost immediately perked up at that, raising a brow in intrigue.
"I've still got that red negligee you really like somewhere in my dresser," she spoke suggestively with a coy little shrug. "Would that do?"
He smirked at her and nodded. "That'd be wonderful, Dear."
She nodded, a flirty look in her eyes. "It'll be waiting for you, Darling."
With that, she sauntered away. Giving her husband a nice view of that ample backside of hers in her red pencil skirt. Even after close to twenty-two years of marriage, his wife still knew how to drive him crazy in the best way possible.
With a resigned sigh, he picked up the phone and punched in the number to strategic command.
"It's David. I need to speak with Agent Vance."
"One moment, Sir."
He waited patiently while the department secretary made the correct redirections to STRATCOM's bioterrorism division. About a minute passed before he got an answer.
"Marcus Vance."
"Marcus, it's David," the President introduced.
He could hear the Agent sit up in his desk. The man clearly still wasn't completely used to speaking to him directly. But since the incident in Spain, the President and Leon's boss had done quite a bit of work together.
"Sir, good to hear from you. I wasn't expecting a call."
"How's the situation in Spain progressing?"
"Better than we could have asked for, Sir," Marcus admitted. "The BSAA finished clearing any remaining BOW presence within the region and we've begun to establish a long term perimeter. So far we're receiving no flack from the Spanish government regarding our troop presence. Given a few more months, we should be able to convince them to allow us to establish a formal military base at the location of the site."
No real surprise there. Whatever protests there may have been to US soldiers operating within Spain's borders were snuffed out the moment it was revealed they'd been harboring bioterrorists this entire time. The UN formally apologized for the role they played in delaying a more expedient rescue operation, and a massive internal investigation into the Cortes Generales was currently underway. Meanwhile, STRATCOM was busy undergoing their own major internal investigation to root out any remaining trace of corruption. Several arrests had already been made, with more expected to occur within the next few months.
But that was a separate issue. Right now, the President had something more important to talk about.
"Listen, there's another matter I wished to speak to you about. Is now a bad time?"
"Not at all, Sir," Marcus assured. "What can I help you with?"
"It's pertaining to Agent Kennedy," he explained formally. "After consulting with my wife and the Secretary of Defense, I've decided to temporarily move him to Ashley's security detail after all. He'll be staying at her campus indefinitely."
There was a long silence on the other end before Marcus finally responded.
"Would I be correct in assuming, Sir, that this has something to do with Agent Kennedy seeing your daughter?"
David cleared his throat gruffly. "I…wasn't aware he'd already updated you on the situation."
"I just got off the phone with him about twenty minutes ago," Marcus admitted. "He didn't tell me directly what was going on but…I got the general idea."
There was an awkward silence on both ends of the line.
"You realize we're about to have a media shitstorm on our hands, correct, Sir?"
David groaned morosely. "Don't remind me."
He chuckled through the receiver. "He's earned the break. I'll give him that. I just hope your daughter understands what it is she's signing up for here. At some point, he's gonna have to come back to work."
President Graham leaned forward on his desk. "That's the other reason I called. With this new shift in the department, it's time we started discussing more long term plans for reconstruction."
"Anything in particular you had in mind, Sir?"
President Graham's gaze shifted to the photo of Ashley resting on his desk.
"I've got an offer for you…"
–
They thought they wanted this.
Everyone in Delta Phi was over the moon when Ashley and Leon finally got together. Lindsay, Sarah, Beth, and Gabi were all especially elated to finally see these two in the loving relationship they clearly both wanted. All the work that was put into this was finally paying off. Their sister was back to her old bright cheery self. But after spending two weeks with the new lovers, they were seriously beginning to have regrets.
Leon and Ashley were officially that couple.
Granted, it was clear they weren't trying to be that couple. They just were. Even when no one was around. Ashley, especially, had turned into this giggly drunken little ball of lovey dovey energy that she could never seem to turn off whether Leon was around or not. And the agent, for his part, was only encouraging this behavior if for no other reason than he himself was all over her.
It made perfect sense. After everything these two had been through together just to get to this point, finally getting to explore these feelings together must have been the greatest thing in the world. But for Gabi and the girls, it was starting to feel like they'd eaten nothing but tubs of chocolate frosting for breakfast, lunch, and dinner these past two weeks.
All this sweetness was really starting to make them feel ill.
Why did they have to be so obtuse about everything? They were respectful of the girls' space and didn't do anything to make them outwardly uncomfortable, but Ashley was starting to turn into a nutjob.
The moment she got back to the house from class or dance practice, she'd immediately jump into his arms like he'd just gotten back from deployment or something and attack his face. Any time they were hanging out, Ashley seemed to be off in her own little world, thinking about Leon. More than once, the girls had caught the two lovebirds making out in the kitchen, the chapter room, the study, out by the pool, pretty much anywhere they could find a moment of privacy.
Obviously they weren't doing it on purpose. The girls knew enough to understand Leon and Ashley weren't showing off or putting on an act. All the same, this was getting to be too much.
Gabi was about ready to claw her ears out listening to her best friend's bubbly giggling all day. Lindsay, Beth, and Sarah were not far behind. Watching these two day in and day out making those sickly sweet faces at each other was causing Sarah especially to want to jam forks into her eyes. They'd officially had enough. The girls needed a break.
Only problem was how to get it. Ashley was pretty much stuck on campus thanks to the presence of secret service. So getting these two out of the house and on their first proper date together was a bit difficult. It's not like they could just treat them to dinner and a movie. Any time Ashley wanted to leave the school it required at least forty-eight hours of prior notification in advance so her bodyguard could prepare accordingly.
It was Lucy who suggested they set the two up together with a weekend getaway to the Hartwell Resort. The oceanfront vacation spot owned by her father. As an added bonus, she even convinced her father to allocate a slot of time at the resort's indoor park for their personal use. They were hoping that, with some time alone to themselves, the two would finally calm down and give the ladies of Delta Phi a much needed reprieve from all the cutesy couple nonsense.
Because it was getting to the point it felt like their blood sugar was going up just from prolonged exposure to these two.
Once everything was set in stone, Lindsay, Beth, Sarah, and Gabi all made their way into the kitchen where the lovebirds were eating breakfast together. Leon was doing his usual make Ashley giggle in the most bubbly way possible by any means necessary routine. While the President's daughter was getting lost in his eyes, the stupidest most love struck little smile on her face imaginable. No matter where they were together or what they were doing, the two were always holding hands these days.
"So…I've got a crush on this guy," Ashley spoke in that ridiculous falsetto she'd developed in the past two weeks.
"Oh really?" Leon responded with a coy grin.
She nodded playfully. "I think you might know him. He's really tall and handsome. Blonde too. I love how small I feel in his arms and the way he tickles my neck with kisses. He's pretty much perfect and I think I'm in love."
The girls all groaned in sheer exasperation. This was a new 'game' Ashley had invented which she affectionately referred to as I've got a crush on this guy. In which she pretended to make Leon 'guess' the name of her crush while saying all sorts of mushy things to him.
"Sounds serious," Leon retorted, playing along as usual which only made Ashley even more giggly.
"Oh it's very serious," she assured, her big goofy grin just getting bigger and goofier while she practically rubbed her nose up against his. "The most serious thing you've ever seen. We're so in love and he's the most wonderful and amazing person in the whole wide world."
With a knowing grin, he responded. "So who am I beating up?"
As always, his comment made her laugh whereupon she shook her head from side to side. "No one. It's you, silly."
He pounced, attacking her neck with kisses and sending her straight into hysterical mode again. Every single flipping time, without fail, whenever he'd kiss her neck like that, Ashley would flail and kick her feet, giggling and laughing incessantly in a way that was adorable at first but was now just giving everyone in the house a headache.
"What have we done?" Sarah commented in a harrowing, far away voice.
"Created a monster. That's what," Lindsay insisted. "Like King Midas and the golden touch, our greatest blessing was in fact a curse all along."
Beth nodded in agreement. "I have no idea who that is but…yeah. Curse is sounding correct right about now."
"Something else I love about you?" Ashley continued, apparently not hearing them. "You just…know me, you know? Like, you know me down to the very depths of my soul."
"That right?" Leon responded while caressing her chin with his thumb, enabling this saccharine behavior.
She nodded, swooning for him all over again.
"Anyone told you lately you're as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside?" he retorted. "I just can't help but think, if you're here, who's running heaven right now?"
Gabi internally cringed at that one. This was something Leon had started doing that she in particular could not stand. She hated cheesy one liners with an absolute passion. But of course, Ashley being Ashley, she couldn't get enough of them from her man. Which is exactly why he kept making them. It was a surefire way to keep that silly smile plastered firmly on her face.
"I'd say you're an artist considering how good you were at drawing me in."
Cringe…
"No wonder it's cloudy. All the color is in your eyes."
Ultra cringe!
"If beauty was a crime I'd be locking you up right now."
Death by cringe: the movie! Revenge of the cringe!
Ashley burst into hysterical laughter again before fluttering her lashes. "You're such a goober. I love it."
"Girls, we have got to get them out of here," Gabi insisted.
Lindsay nodded before whipping out her phone and checking to make sure those reservations were good to go. "Alright. Looks like we just got the final confirmation from Lucy's dad. Those reservations are as good as ours."
"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Sarah insisted. "Much more of this and I'm gonna barf."
They approached the lovey dovey couple, who at that moment were both biting into the same strip of bacon. Gabi cleared her throat abruptly, finally knocking Ashley and Leon out of their trance.
"Hey…uhh…how's it going, you two?" she asked with a big nervous smile.
Ashley beamed at her and waved. "Morning, Gabi! Leon and I were just having breakfast." She turned her gaze back to him and sighed dreamily. "You know, I'm such a lucky girl. Dating a man who doesn't mind cooking for his girlfriend."
"You make it easy," he insisted. "Cooking next to something so hot."
The girls all laughed at his response, though it sounded incredibly forced.
"So, listen, the girls and I were just talking about it with Lucy, and we feel kinda bad you two haven't been able to go on a proper date yet."
Ashley smiled at her best friend gratefully. "That's sweet of you, Gabi. But I promise Leon and I are doing just fine." As she spoke, she fluttered her lashes at him while he caressed her hand with this thumb. "Honestly? I could stay here forever with Leon and be the happiest girl in the whole wide world."
Despite the smiles on their faces, their eyes were all screaming at that moment.
"Well…as totally awesome as that would be…" Lindsay spoke up. "We still feel like it's high time Leon treated you to a proper date, Ashley."
"Which is why we set something up," Beth added.
They both perked up at that.
"You did?" Leon asked.
The girls all collectively nodded.
"It was Lucy's idea," Gabi explained. "We're sending you to the resort her father runs."
"The reservations are for this weekend," Lindsay added. "Don't worry. We already ran it by your bodyguard. He's already making the call to Lucy's dad to make security arrangements as we speak."
Ashley placed her hands up to her chest. "Oh, girls. You didn't have to do that."
"Yes. Yes we really did," Sarah assured.
Gabi nudged Sarah insistently before speaking up. "We just feel like it would do you both some good to have some time to yourselves as a new couple."
"You know…far away from us?" Beth chimed in.
Ashley considered their slightly too artificial looking smiles for a moment, whereupon her eyes narrowed and her lips formed into a slight pout.
"Why does it sound like you girls are just trying to get rid of us?"
"What? Noooo," Lindsay assured, chuckling nervously. "What gives you that idea, Ash?"
She just pouted harder. "You are. Aren't you?"
Gabi sighed, finally relenting. "Ashley, look, it's nothing personal. I promise. Leon's just been staying here for a while now, and…"
"Hey, if I've officially overstayed my welcome, you girls can just say so," Leon assured in an understanding tone.
She shook her head vehemently. "No, no. That's not it either. I swear. The thing is, you two have just been…well…"
"You've been all over each other for two weeks straight!" Sarah finally just blurted out what was on everyone's minds.
Ashley and Leon both blinked at them in bewilderment.
"Like, we're happy for you guys, we really are," she continued. "But the cuteness has got to stop!"
"At this point, it's basically sweetness overload," Beth insisted.
Lindsay nodded in agreement. "We could really use a break from all the…couple energy."
The two lovebirds both looked at each other somewhat awkwardly.
"Maybe we have gone a little overboard," Leon admitted.
Ashley frowned somewhat in embarrassment before turning back to her friends. "I'm sorry girls. We weren't trying to drive you nuts."
"Oh, we know that, Ash," Gabi assured. "It's not like we're just doing this for our sakes. I was being serious earlier."
"You two really could stand to have some time alone," Lindsay agreed.
She sighed woefully, resting her head in her palm. "I know. It's just next to impossible for us to go anywhere."
Gabi nodded in understanding. "That's why we don't mind setting this up for you."
She smiled at them. "You girls really are the best." Ashley turned back to Leon, peering up into his eyes again. "I'm sorry we've been so extra. It's just…"
He smiled at her knowingly.
"Every day I wake up and kiss this man, I realize how lucky I am. Not just that we're together. But that we're both alive."
Leon nodded in agreement. "When you go through something like what we went through together, you learn to appreciate life…"
Ashley sighed. "...and blind luck. I've been talking about this extensively with Dr. Williams and Leon agrees with me. Neither one of us truly considers what we did to be heroic or inspirational."
Gabi frowned at that. "You don't?"
He shook his head. "If anything, Ash and I both just feel insanely lucky."
"The fact is, we're both very fortunate to be alive," she insisted. "Making it through that ordeal…it changes how you think."
Leon nodded, gripping her hand a little tighter. "It really does. For me, it was a wake up call. I spent so much time obsessing over Raccoon City, obsessing over my job, but now?" He turned his gaze to Ashley, a look of sincerity in his eyes. "It feels like none of that really matters anymore. I have something that's just way more important and way more meaningful to think about."
She smiled up at him adoringly. "We've both already decided that we're never going to settle. To live our lives as best we can for so long as we can."
Ashley picked up his hand and placed it against her cheek, closing her eyes.
"Because every day I can look this man in the eye and say I love you is a gift. And I'm never going to take that gift for granted. Never."
And just like that, their hearts melted all over again. The girls all exchanged looks with one another before sighing in resignation.
"Resume the sweetness, you two," Lindsay insisted.
Ashley frowned worriedly. "Are you sure?"
Gabi nodded. "We'll just grin and bear it until this weekend."
"And if we contract diabetes, that'll just be the price we pay," Sarah added.
She giggled at them, smiling bright again. "Thanks girls. All the same, we'll try to tone it down at least a little."
With that settled, the girls left them to their breakfast. The moment they were gone, Ashley beamed at Leon.
"Okay, but in all seriousness. I'm really really excited for this. I've been wanting to go on a real date for the past two weeks."
He nodded in agreement. "This'll be fun."
"It really will!" she agreed energetically. "A weekend getaway just the…two…of us."
Something struck Ashley at that moment. Prompting a tense silence to form as her cheeks heated up.
"Everything okay?" Leon asked.
Within a moment she was back to normal. "Yep yep! Just thinking about…things."
"Oh? Do tell."
She giggled and shook her head, her cheeks reddening again. "You'll just have to wait until this weekend, buster."
He rolled his eyes at her before checking the time. "Hey, if you're cool with it, I was gonna head to the gym."
She nodded before leaning over the table and kissing him feverishly. "I'll count the seconds until you're back."
"You better," he insisted playfully before standing up and heading out the door.
Once Ashley was certain her man was gone, she put their dishes in the sink and bolted upstairs.
–
Gabi was spending quite a bit more time with Lindsay, Beth, and Sarah than she used to these days. Partially to help reconnect as sorority sisters after their slight falling out but also as a means to distance herself from Leon. She wasn't trying to avoid him, necessarily. But Gabi really did want to give those two their space as much as possible.
Just as well. The four of them had recently discovered a new show they'd all been dying to watch together. And after listening to Ashley and Leon recount their tale in Spain, this was the perfect excuse.
"So here's what I wanna know," Lindsay spoke up, grabbing a mouthful of popcorn as she did so. "Is Joel supposed to be, like, Ellie's surrogate father now or something?"
"I think it goes deeper than that," Sarah responded. "Like, yeah, maybe he's starting to see his daughter in her, but given the predicament they're in, I feel like he's more scared of dying alone at this point."
"I'm just trying to figure out how the clickers get around without bumping into things. Aren't they supposed to be blind?"
"Have you not been paying attention, Beth?" Lindsay asked insistently. "They literally explained this like two episodes ago. The clickers move about using echolocation. It's the whole reason why they click. Get it?"
"Ohhhh." She scratched her head in thought. "Okay, I think I get it."
"Beth, I love you girl. But I also worry about you sometimes," Sarah insisted.
Before she could respond, the door to the Chapter Room opened and Ashley quietly entered.
"Hey girls. Do you have a minute?"
Upon hearing Ashley's voice, they all jumped, whereupon Gabi quickly paused the TV.
"Oh, uhhh…Ashley," she spoke nervously. "We didn't hear you come in."
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Lindsay shook her head assuredly. "Not at all, we were just watching a new series."
Ashley perked up in intrigue. "Oh yeah? Which one?"
They all exchanged awkward looks with one another.
"You probably won't like it," Beth admitted.
She frowned. "What makes you think that?"
"Let's just say it hits a little too close to home," Sarah commented.
After giving it some thought, Ashley simply shrugged her shoulders. "Well okay. If you say so."
They all breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
"So what can we do for you, Ash?" Gabi asked.
She started to fidget nervously in place. "I know you girls are probably sick to death listening to me talk about Leon. But this is…kinda important."
Lindsay nodded in understanding. "What's up?"
She took a deep breath and just said it.
"Girls…we need to have the talk."
Lindsay, Beth, Sarah, and Gabi all exchanged knowing looks with one another, nodded in consensus, before shutting off the TV. Sarah scooted over on the couch and patted the spot between her and Gabi.
"Have a seat, young pupil."
Ashley shut the door behind her before joining the others on the couch.
"So the day has finally come, huh?" Lindsay declared with a wicked smirk. "Our dear Ashley is on a mission to lose that V card."
She blushed fiercely. "It would seem so."
"What brought this on, Ash?" Gabi asked, settling back into her seat. "I thought you said you wanted to take things slow."
"And I did," she admitted bashfully. "Part of me wanted to wait a bit longer, but…something about this just feels right."
"And you're sure this is how you want it to go down?"
After a moment of thought, a determined look formed in her eyes and she nodded. "I'm sure."
"Well, Ashley, consider us your gurus," Sarah declared while sitting up straight and crossing her legs. "Whatever questions you have, ask away."
She smiled timidly, gaze cast to the ground. "I'm…honestly not sure what to ask." Ashley buried her scarlet face in her hands. "God, this is so embarrassing. I've never even talked about this kind of stuff before."
"It's perfectly natural to be embarrassed, hun," Lindsay assured. "But you can be one hundred percent open with us. Whatever is said in this room, stays in this room."
"I would just really love if my first time was something special, you know?" she finally admitted. "Like…I know losing your virginity is supposed to be awkward and all. But after everything we went through in Spain, I'd love if we could make it something we'll remember for the rest of our lives."
"Well, the good news is your first time is with Leon. Who I'd be willing to bet has a fair amount of experience," Sarah observed.
"Yeah! At least one of you knows what they're doing," Beth added in agreement.
Ashley nodded along. "Okay, but isn't there something I can do to make it wonderful for him too? I really want to show him how much he means to me. And…"
"Sweetie, trust me when I say, just you participating is going to be more than enough for that man," Sarah suddenly chimed in.
Gabi snickered at her comment. "You really are in a primo spot here, Ash."
"I am?"
"Think about it. Your first time is going to be with a partner who is both slightly older and a lot more experienced."
"Not to mention a hell of a lot more mature than most guys," Lindsay added. "Fact is, Ash, you've basically nabbed the golden goose here."
Ashley blinked at them in bewilderment. "I have?"
"Absolutely," Gabi responded. "You really want to make that first night special? Talk to him. Tell that man exactly what you want and let him give it to you."
She huffed in frustration before standing up and starting to pace around. "That's just the thing though. I have no idea what I want! This isn't something I've ever really given a lot of thought to before now."
"Not even in, like, highschool or something?" Beth asked.
She shook her head. "Not even. The first guy I ever had a major crush on refused to talk to me because he thought my dad would drone strike his house. Aside from Leon, I've never had any real experience with a guy before. Ever."
"But you must have at least had TV, right?" Lindsay offered. "I've seen that autographed poster of Chris Hemsworth in your room, Ash. I know you're not that sheltered."
She flushed in embarrassment. "Well, okay, yeah. I've fantasized about kissing before and finding my first love. But the sex part of those fantasies was always just an afterthought. I've never even really…"
Her voice trailed off and she looked away.
"Never even really what?"
Ashley started to fidget in place again. "I've never even really…you know…"
Gabi's mouth fell open and she gawked at her incredulously.
"Hold on…" Lindsay raised a hand up in the air, just as much in disbelief as Gabi was. "...are you really about to say you've never masturbated before?"
Her face just turned even more red. "I mean…maybe a couple of times when I was younger. But then Dad got elected and…"
They were all staring at her like she was an alien. Ashley sighed in frustration and sat back down on the couch.
"You think you're prepared for this sort of life, but when your father becomes the President of the United States, everything changes. Everything. All of a sudden, I had secret service there with me, twenty-four seven. Standing outside my bedroom. My bathroom. In the hallway at school. Everywhere. They were always nice to me, and I grew to love Sky like an older sister, but there were days it felt like I was an outsider in my own home. All my privacy was gone. I had to basically sit there and swallow it and just say okay, this is life now."
The girls frowned at her in concern.
"One time, when I was sixteen and had just gotten my license, I accidentally drove through a red light and it wound up on the evening news. Everything about my life was open to the public and if I messed up, it reflected on Dad's career. I was under constant surveillance and constant pressure to maintain a certain appearance. If I ever deviated from that appearance, there were always consequences."
"Ash…" Gabi spoke up worriedly.
"My point is…" she continued. "...this is something I've had to live with since I was fourteen years old. Even before my dad got elected, we were constantly moving and there were cameras everywhere. Dad's political career is basically his whole life and I'll always be proud to be his daughter, but…"
"...but you've been forced to give up a lot in the process," her best friend finished for her glumly.
She nodded woefully. "My life has never been an unhappy one. Not truly. But I've had to live under constant, near uninterrupted surveillance for so long now it's practically all I know. I mean…it's still something I have to deal with. And what's worse is now I'm dragging Leon into it."
"What do you mean?" Lindsay asked softly.
"You've seen the news, right? People are already talking about us. Leon hates dealing with the press. He doesn't want to have cameras shoved in his face or people staring at him constantly everywhere we go. I've learned to adjust to this life, but Leon? I'm worried all this extra attention is going to take a toll on him."
Gabi turned her gaze towards the door, biting her lip in nervous thought. She hadn't considered that but Ashley was absolutely right. Leon hated needless publicity. In fact, he pretty much hated just being the center of attention in any context.
How was he handling this newfound notoriety?
"I'm finally in the relationship I've always wanted," Ashley insisted pitifully. "I don't want anything to get in the way of that. Which is why I want our first real date together to be perfect. My dad still has two more years in office. There's no telling when we'll get another opportunity like this. I want to make the most of it."
After exchanging knowing looks with one another, Gabi scooted next to her best friend and took her hand in both of hers.
"Ash, the thing is, your first time is gonna be a little awkward no matter what."
She hung her head in disappointment.
"It hurts. There's all these different confusing thoughts buzzing around in your head the whole time you're doing it. You have to take things incredibly slow and what's more, you don't actually have a clue what you're doing."
Sarah nodded in agreement. "Nobody's first is ever their best."
"Think of it like dance," Lindsay offered. "How many times did you have to trip and stumble before you could say you were competent?"
Ashley rested her head in her palm and groaned wearily. "Alot."
"Well this is no different, sweetie. It's something you only get better at with repetition and exploration."
"But once you have the moves nailed down and you're fully in sync with your partner?" Sarah added playfully. "That's when the fireworks really happen."
"Fireworks?"
They all giggled in amusement.
"Oh, you'll see," Beth assured.
"The point is, Ash, we're not trying to discourage you," Gabi continued. "But if you really want to enjoy your first time? Don't overthink it."
"Talk to your man," Sarah insisted. "Tell him exactly what you want and then just let it happen, girl."
"Because what matters most is that you're exploring this first time together," Lindsay added.
That finally made her smile. "You're right. I really shouldn't overthink it." A thought occurred to her at that moment. "Linds, did you mean what you said about sex being a lot like dancing?"
"Well…sort of like dancing," she admitted. "Why?"
Ashley seemed to be lost in her own head for a moment when she suddenly beamed at them.
"I think I just came up with an idea for something I wanna try."
It was bound to happen sooner or later. Still, Leon was kinda hoping there'd be more time before the story broke. Ultimately, that was wishful thinking considering how quickly news spread of his relationship with Ashley around campus. It wasn't like they'd really gone out of their way to hide this budding romance of theirs. Pretty much everyone at JAU was talking about it now.
It was only a matter of time before the media got involved.
Leon was in the middle of his warm up, using the treadmills built in TV screen to channel surf. Several prominent news stations were already covering the relationship between the President's daughter and the agent who saved her life, with speculations as to how long it had been going on for and talks of a possible wedding in the future starting to spread like wildfire. Hell, it was even at the point several daytime talk shows like The View were starting to get in on the fun.
"So what are our thoughts on this one, ladies?" Joy Behar asked with her usual blunt candor.
"Well, Joy, my biggest concern right out of the gate is what does this mean in terms of a possible run for the presidency long term," Alyssa spoke up, being the first to offer her opinion. "As we all know, Ashley has expressed on multiple occasions one day possibly running for office just like her father, and I for one…"
"Hold on, hold on, hold on," Whoopi chimed in. "Aren't we talking about a girl who's…what…twenty years old? Twenty-one?"
Sara nodded, picking up where she left off. "She's not even out of college yet. But if I can put the politics aside for just a moment, I think what's ultimately important here is that Ashley Graham seems to be, if what we've heard is true or not, doing a lot better than she was when she first got back."
"She's happy," Whoopi emphasized. "Right? That's what you're saying. The poor girl is happy. And after going through something like what she did in Spain, that's really all we can ask for."
The audience all applauded in approval.
"Well of course she's happy. Have you seen this man?" Joy spoke up, causing the audience to laugh. "Seriously, can we get a picture of him up on screen here? Let's just…yeah, there we are."
A picture of Leon in his bathing suit the agent didn't even know existed appeared on the screen behind them, prompting several women in the audience to start hollering in approval. He groaned in exasperation and promptly changed the channel.
"So, I don't know if you guys have heard this yet, but apparently Ashley Graham is doing a lot better," Elen Degeneres spoke with her usual bright energy. "In fact, the latest word going around is that she's actually dating the guy who saved her back in Spain. How cool is that?"
Given this was Ellen, the audience naturally went ballistic.
"You know, we've had several guests on this show in the past from the infamous Raccoon City viral outbreak. Captain Redfield, Rebecca Chambers, Jill Valentine, anyone remember them?"
Again, they all cheered in approval.
"I don't think I remember any of them ever mentioning an Agent Kennedy at any point while they were here."
"There was a reason for that, Ellen," Leon insisted, a hint of aggravation in his voice.
"Either way, I couldn't possibly be happier for Ashley. And Leon? Leon, if you're out there, the world wants to know, when can we expect the arrival of the first granddaughter?"
Once again he switched stations.
"So get this. The guys name is apparently Leon S. Kennedy," Jerry Springer declared, hyping up the room as usual. "Now, this is supposed to be the hero of Raccoon City that nobody talks about. But what you may not know is, if our sources are reliable, he's really…the CIA's number one bad boy."
Leon looked aghast. "What the…I don't work for the CIA, Jerry!"
"We have it on good authority Agent Kennedy has been shacking up with a group of well-to-do sorority girls on Ashley's campus. So I think the question we've all gotta ask is, what comes next for JAU's resident playboy? And when can we expect a statement from the President regarding his daughter's love affair with the federal government's most eligible bachelor?"
That was it, Leon had officially had enough. He turned off the TV screen and hopped down from the treadmill, having only gotten through about half his warmup.
"Hey, isn't that Agent Kennedy?"
He came to a stop on his way back to the locker room and sighed in exasperation. Over near the leg machines, a group of girls were staring at him with their phones out, giggling amongst each other. This constant attention was amusing at first but now it was starting to stress him out.
One of the girls ran up to him. "Excuse me, Sir, could we get a picture with you?"
"I mean…I guess? But…"
"Thanks!"
They huddled around him and snapped a selfie. Leon stood for a very awkward photo whereupon the girls immediately went back to their phones.
"You're the best. This is gonna look great on my feed when it goes viral."
"Viral?" he asked nervously.
She nodded in excitement. "Oh yeah! You're already trending on several different social media sights."
A nervous pit formed in his stomach. "No kidding?"
"You're blowing up right now, Agent Kennedy. Isn't it awesome? People are finally gonna see what a hero you are."
His stomach started to churn and his skin turned pale. "I'm…I'm really not that a big deal."
"Of course you are! You saved Ashley's life. Not only that, you survived the outbreak of Raccoon City. You're like…amazing!"
Leon began to break out into a cold sweat and she frowned up at him in concern.
"Are you alright?"
"Listen, I'm…I gotta go."
He quickly made his excuses and headed for the men's locker room. There he immediately ran to the sinks and splashed some water on his face. This was precisely what the agent didn't want, a giant spotlight pointed directly on him. Random people showering him in gratuitous praise. Leon was never one for fame or having his life story sensationalized. In fact, he hated the very idea of it. It was one thing when the President or Ashley or hell even Gabi told him they were grateful for what he did in Spain.
But when random strangers came up and started calling him a hero? That was something he just couldn't stomach.
It wasn't a self-esteem issue. The pressure of living up to anyone's standards but his own was a responsibility he just never desired at any point in his life. Leon didn't want to be famous. He didn't want all this media attention he was suddenly getting. But more than anything, he didn't want people who had no freaking idea what he and Ashley truly went through in Spain coming up to him offering their input.
And the more his name got tossed around, the more he was confident that was exactly what was going to happen. Worse still, these people were going to want interviews. They would want to pry into his personal life. They were going to want time and energy from the agent that he simply did not possess. Especially not while he was still trying to balance this new relationship and process all the shit that went down in Spain.
He didn't want to admit it, but Leon was starting to feel overwhelmed again. Normally, this would be the part where he spent some time venting to Gabi. But she'd been avoiding him ever since the incident at the formal. Well, maybe avoiding wasn't the right word, per se. It was more like she just needed time to sort herself out.
Fortunately, he already knew someone who might be able to help him with this particular problem. After taking a moment to calm down, Leon headed for his locker and grabbed his phone, where he began scrolling through contacts. Upon finding the correct number he hit dial.
With any luck, the jackass would be sober.
"Leon?" came a deep calm voice through the other line.
He breathed a sigh of relief and responded. "Hey, Chris. Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."
"No no. Not at all," the BSAA Captain assured, seeming to be in good spirits. "It's good to hear from you, man."
"How're things going at the sight?"
"We haven't run into any major problems," he assured. "Without the presence of a Dominant Type Plaga like what you mentioned in your report, these things appear to be highly disorganized. And with a superior force, they're not exactly a major threat either. All things considered, I'd say these…Ganados…have all but lost their boogeyman status."
Leon chuckled at that in amusement. "Just like the T-virus, huh?"
"Damn right," Chris insisted encouragingly. "Knowing you, I'm sure you're sick of hearing it, but seriously, good work on this one, Leon. Your mission aside, it's likely you prevented a much worse disaster from occurring by taking out the head of the snake the way you did."
He decided not to comment.
"So…" He suddenly shifted gears. "...how're things with you and the new girlfriend?"
Leon sighed. "It's…complicated."
He chuckled at that. "I can only imagine. You know, if this is about making Claire jealous, there are way easier ways to go about it, dude."
The agent rolled his eyes at that. "How's she doing by the way? I haven't really had a chance to speak to her since all this madness started."
"She's been worried about you," Chris answered honestly. "Truth be told, we both are."
He didn't respond. Chris sighed in a melancholy tone.
"Leon, you know me, I've tried to stay as impartial as I can be when it comes to you two, but you really do owe it to my sister to at least call and let her know how you're doing. It would put her mind at ease. Maybe help you two finally get some closure?"
"I'll call," he assured. "Eventually. Things are just kinda hectic right now. That's actually part of why I wanted to talk to you."
"Oh yeah? What's up?" Chris responded curiously.
Leon shut his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose to relieve the pressure building up. "So…how do you deal with the press on a daily basis?"
The Captain was silent for a moment.
"I know you and Rebecca both still get mentioned in the news from time to time, I was just wondering…"
"Having trouble with the limelight?" Chris guessed.
He nodded. "It's been rough. I knew this was coming but I didn't expect things to develop so quickly. You know me, I'm just not built for the public eye the way you are."
"It gets to me too, man," Chris assured. "Trust me, we've all been there. Just about every member of STARS has had a spotlight pointed on them in one way or another. Folks like having heroes to look up to, someone to give them hope. Especially after a tragedy like Raccoon City."
"But that's just not me," Leon insisted, his anxiety starting to rise again. "I'm a lot of things, Chris. But I am definitely not a hero. You of all people should know that."
Again, his buddy chose not to respond.
"If the public really knew what went down in Spain, what it was I let slip through my fingers just to ensure Ashley…"
"Leon, stop," Chris cut him off. "You made the right call. Your orders were clear from the beginning. Find the President's daughter and bring her back home. Which you did."
"But…"
"But nothing," Chris insisted, a slight edge to his voice. "We'll handle the cleanup. Right now, you just focus on what's really important. Protecting that girl at all costs."
Leon frowned in concern, but otherwise didn't say anything.
"The rest of the world can get over it. Because trust me, as guilty as you may feel now, it's still nothing compared to if you had failed her."
A long silence followed, whereupon Chris abruptly changed the subject.
"Want my advice for dealing with the press? Just give the people what they want to hear. It doesn't even have to be completely honest, just whatever sates their curiosity. Eventually, they'll all stop giving a shit. I guarantee it."
Leon raised a brow at that. "Really? That's it?"
"That's it," he assured. "I mean, you may have to put up with a shitty movie at some point down the line, but I promise, people will eventually get tired of hearing your name if you humor them enough."
He started turning green again. "Wait…like that one they made about you?"
The Captain laughed. "Hey, mine actually wasn't that bad. A little campy, sure, but it had a pretty solid cast at least."
"Chris, I get this is supposed to help, but it's really not," Leon insisted.
He chuckled in understanding. "Sorry, man. Look, just try to focus on what you can control, okay? Let the shit you don't have control over sort itself out."
The agent nodded in understanding. "Will do. Thanks."
They said their goodbyes and hung up. Leon stared down at his phone for a moment and sighed in disappointment. Chris really was a dependable guy when he needed to be.
It was just a shame that stubborn asshole couldn't ever follow his own damn advice.
Leon quit the gym early that day. His head just wasn't in it. These people all meant well, but hearing his name get thrown around campus like he was some sort of celebrity was so far beyond the realms of what the agent was comfortable with. What compounded the issue was that he didn't want to come off as ungrateful or rude so he didn't say anything about how much this constant, uninterrupted attention around campus was starting to stress him out.
He just needed to find his center again, focus on what was really important like Chris said.
Upon arriving back at the Delta Phi house, Leon said hello to Ross before heading inside. He found Ashley in the sun room curled up on a white sofa with her laptop. Whatever she was doing it completely consumed her because she failed to notice him walk in.
"So, if I do a rush order delivery, maybe I can have the first piece here by friday…" she quietly spoke to herself, her brow scrunched in deep thought. "...but that still leaves me with the issue of getting everything I need through security screening in time."
Almost immediately, the tension left his body and he smiled at her, just quietly watching his girlfriend work. Even just seeing her seemed to blow away the storm gathering within him. As much as Leon hated the idea of his face being spread around everywhere, if she was right next to him, he could at least grow to tolerate it.
Maybe…
"What's got you so honed in?" he asked playfully.
She gasped and quickly shut the laptop, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink. "N…nothing! Just…" Ashley smiled bashfully at the ground. "...just a little something I'm cooking up for this weekend."
He quirked an intrigued brow and took a seat next to her. "Oh, really? Do tell."
She bit her lower lip coyly and shook her head at him. "Nuh uh. You're gonna have to wait."
Leon chuckled at her before kissing his girlfriend lovingly. "Alright then. Keep your secrets."
"God, you are such a dork," she insisted while resting her forehead against his.
They kissed again whereupon Ashley got nice and cuddly in his arms.
"So how was your workout? You're a little early."
He frowned at that, something clearly weighing on his mind. "It was alright. Just…"
She sat up and looked at him, concern in her gaze. "Just what?"
Leon sighed glumly. The urge to just bury all this shit behind a wall of indifference the way he normally would was strong, but that was exactly the sort of behavior that got him into trouble with Claire. This go around, he was determined to be a bit more honest. Not just from a literal sense but an emotional one as well.
"It's all just snowballing way faster than I was honestly ready for," he admitted. "I'm really not used to this, Ash."
"I know how you feel, baby. Trust me. I've been dealing with this since I was fourteen years old. It just takes time to adjust."
"How do you do it?" he insisted. "Deal with the constant pressure and scrutiny day in and day out?"
Ashley shrugged her shoulders, withdrawing somewhat self-consciously. "I don't know? I just try to take it one day at a time. It helps that I have friends I can confide in. And my parents always tried to be there for me when they could be. But aside from that, I just try to project the parts of me I don't mind others seeing."
The agent considered her words thoughtfully for a moment. "And it's really that easy for you?"
"No, it isn't," she responded honestly. "It's never easy."
Ashley found her smile again and gingerly placed her hand on his leg.
"But when you have something worth shouldering that burden for, you find a way to cope."
He returned her smile with one of his own.
"I love you, Leon," she insisted. "And I don't care if the world stares at us. It's not going to stop me from exploring this wonderful thing you've given me."
Ashley leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear.
"I'm ready. This weekend, on our first official date together…I want it to happen."
"Are you sure?" he asked sincerely.
She nodded, her face flushed with arousal. "I won't lie, I'm kinda nervous. And I really can't stress this enough, I am clueless when it comes to sex. But I trust you more than anyone and I know you'll take care of me. Which is why I don't want to overthink it. This weekend, we're just gonna have fun, connect on a deeper level, and then…once you're ready…
Ashley took both his hands in his and placed them against her breasts, her eyes full of a lustful desire he'd never seen in her before.
"…I'm all yours."