Chapter 2 - Night Shift

----

"Why are you telling me all of this, Luis? Is this the reason you wanted us to meet?" Leon speculates, trying to understand Luis's motives.

"What do you mean, Sancho Panza?" Luis asks, biting his cigarette. Leon scoffs in irritation, letting his eyes leave the biologitst's face.

"You need my services?" He asks, getting straight to the point.

"Services? No. Cooperation? Maybe." Luis corrects with a smirk. However, Leon does not seem too pleased about it. It has been only two weeks since he returned from Spain. He still tries to recover from everything that occurred on that Island. "Look, I spoke to Redfield about you, he told me you had an abrupt corporation with his sister, six years ago, back in Raccoon City. If we team up, we can end this," he leans closer to Leon and almost whispers at him. "We both know what hell of a thing the Plaga is-"

"Yes. I know." Leon interrupts him quietly. "But I don't think this is the right place, for this conversation, Luis." He looks at him. "Let's meet up someday this week, you, me..and Redfield." Luis nods in agreement before he pulls away and grabs his bottle.

"Okay then." Luis sighs, inhaling a puff of his cigarette before partnering it with a sip of his beer. "You are right. Let's not talk about this topic now, eh? Even walls could be hearing us. Let's talk about... something else."

"Can't we just drink in silence?" Luis gives him a flickering glare . "-Talk about what?" Leon follows, taking a sip of his bottle too.

"Well- tell me about you. Back on the island, we didn't have time to get to know each other. You were too busy saving President's missing senorita, and I was too busy- dying." Leon exhales audibly, chuckling softly as he gazes back at his bottle. Luis waits for him to talk, but instead, Leon remains silent. His eyes are glaring and his fingers tease the glass of the bottle skeptically. "Still the type of quiet guy aren't ya, eh?"

"You could say that." Leon replies in a cold tone.

"Then let me tell you what happened to me when I went to get my back stitched,"

"Like I had a chance to say no.." He murmurs, taking another sip, meanwhile, Luis inhales his cigarette once more.

"So," Luis starts, blowing the smoke. "I got into the hospital, eh. I was considered an urgent case. The surgeon called in one of her doctors, who happened to be a hermosa senorita," A mischievous grin spreads across Luis's face as he recalls the memory of the attractive nurse or doctor, or whatever she was at that moment. He turns his stool, facing away from the bartender, and rests his elbows on the counter, taking another puff. "She laid me down, injected me with anesthesia, and started stitching up my back."

"Very romantic." Leon drops a sarcastic comment.

"I like this girl, so I start a conversation," Luis goes on, ignoring Leon's background annoyance. "I started by saying to her: You have some really soft hands, eh. I don't feel a thing. She answers: it's the anesthesia. Her voice angelic. Her touch magical, she didn't pick up on my flirtation, so I took it further by saying: You underestimate the power of your fingers, I can help you with that-" he drinks up his beer and gestured to the bartender to bring him another bottle. "And she still doesn't get the hint, because she was concentrated on my back. So-"

"You left her to do her job?" Luis chuckles.

"No, senõr, but kept dropping hints. But she did not get any of them, so I decided to be direct. I said: How about I take you out to dinner, as a thank you for taking care of me?" Luis's smile disappears as a melancholic sigh escapes his mouth. "She said she has a boyfriend."

"You got the bad ending, I see." Leon completes.

"Si, amigo. Si. Women like her are always taken from some mierdas." Luis pauses, taking a good look at Leon, who is trying at least to enjoy his drink. "What about you?" Leon frowns.

"What about me?"

"I see you live alone. There's not...a señorita in your life?"

Leon awkwardly teases the glass of his bottle, as the first woman who came to mind was...

--

- Flashback -

- Six Years Ago -

"Leon, look at me," She says, pointing at the messy and ripped parts of her body. "I am a liability now." She scoffs with a sarcastic grin. Leon doesn't take his eyes off her, and a gentle smile appears on his lips. "If I'm gonna finish this case, you're the last hope that I've got."

Leon shakes his head, refusing to listen. "I'm not just gonna leave you here...What If you get attacked? What If you need help-" She stops him, by placing her hand against her cheek and pushing her lips gently onto his.

Seconds pass, before she slowly pulls away, lowering her hand to the vest above his chest. "I'll be fine..don't worry about me." She quietly reassures him. "I gotta see this through-.." Her hand gets even lower, on his thigh. "And I want to see you again." Leon looks down in despair. "I got plenty to live for. Trust me..."

-

"You'll destroy that G sample, right?" Annette asks, breathing with difficulty. Leon slowly pulls away.

"No, it's evidence...It's going to the FBI."

"You trust that bitch?" Annette coughs out, holding onto her wounded stomach. Leon frowns.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She shakes her head in frustration.

"She's not FBI, she's mercenary." She swallows her words, breathing loudly. "She's gonna sell it.."

-

- Two Weeks Ago -

"You can stop right there, Leon." Her soothing voice echoes behind Leon's head as her heels sound to approach him. Leon freezes while he still aims with his gun. He gently moves his head a bit to the right, following her voice as she gets closer, yet still far away from him. "Wouldn't make me use this, would you?" She seductively asks, pointing the gun against his back. He slowly lifts his hands and drops his gun on the floor.

"Well, after six years...that is one hell of a greeting..."

"Ada."

- End Of Flashback -

-

"No. There is not." Leon heartlessly answers, before drinking a bit more of his beer.

--

You and Sadie enter the busy bar, scanning around the crowded place to find seats. Luckily, despite the quite chaos, you managed to spot a cozy corner for both of you to sit. Without wasting further time, you and Sadie squeeze in between people, passing by them, while the heavy bass of the song Let Me Blow Ya Mind by Eve and Gwen Stefani was vibrating in your ears.

Finally reaching the empty table, you both strip off your jackets and sit down, across from each other. "So, you were saying? He started flirting with you while you were stitching him up?" Sadie echoes nonchalantly.

"When I figured out, I straight up turned him down by telling him I have a boyfriend." Sadie's laugh gets a bit more enthusiastic. "And he then said: I should have figured it out, that such a beautiful señorita would be taken."

"Was he Hispanic? Handsome" Sadie suddenly begins to ask, oddly enough when the reason you met was supposedly for Evan.

A bit of annoyance and irritation crosses your features. "Does it matter?"

"Of course? Imagine having a boyfriend speaking Spanish while he fucks," Sadie bites her lip at the thought while she leans back. "I would love to have a Spanish or Mexican boyfriend." 

You follow with a sigh, rolling your eyes at the comment. "I don't know, but he was surely a charmer, and not in a good way." 

"Oh, oh, I got it. He wasn't one of those model-looking guys you usually run after. That's why you turned him down, right?" she follows with a head shake, and what she says next, catches you completely off guard. "(y/n), you need to lower your standards if you actually want a real boyfriend. You're not the prettiest girl yourself."

And then she wonders why you never tell her about your crushes.

One of the few things you hated about Sadie. Her being 'brutally honest', that sometimes it makes you think she's mean instead. Whenever you liked someone, she was always judging - either he was too ugly or too handsome for you. Mostly, the latter. 

"Thank you I guess.." you murmur, almost shrinking into your chair, your self-confidence crumbled like a piece of paper.

The conversation thankfully cuts off abruptly as the waiter walks up to your table, a small notepad in hand and a warm smile on his face.

"Hello, are you ready to order?"

"Oh right, just a sec," Sadie instantly reaches for the menu, index finger tapping against her chin, eyes scanning the options. As she does, you choose to order your choice.

"Uhm, I'll have a soda,"

The waiter nods, writing it down. "Would you like it with lemon? Or just ice?"

"Yeah, no no. With lemon it's good," you respond kindly.

"And I'll haaaave..." Sadie word stretches, spending a few more quiet seconds to look over. "I'll take a glass of white wine," she finally concludes, shutting the menu and handing it back to the

"Alright, thank you." The waiter gives you a warm smile, before walking away from the two of you. Just then, she leans back on the chair once again and, and chuckles.

"Soda? Really?" Sadie mocks. 

"You know I'm not a fan of alcohol, let me be," you whine shaking your hand.

"That sounds so 'pick me'," Sadie continues to taunt.

Once again, you swallow the comment and move past her judgment, going back to narrating the incident with the flirty patient. "Anyways, as I was saying about that guy - you know what was crazy? He was in really bad shape. Like, completely filthy, and his body looked terrible. Almost like he'd survived an apocalypse or something," however, you notice Sadie's looking at you but her gaze gives you the typical 'I might look at you, but I'm not really listening' face. Taking a deep breath, you decide to redirect the conversation. "But anyways...we're not here to talk about me, but you," as usual. But...she's my best friend, you repeat to yourself. She needs to talk to someone... "What happened with Evan, Sads?"

"He's an asshole. That's what happened," she spits out without wasting the chance.

"Why?"

"I..." She sighs once again. "I just don't get how his friends are more important than me, (y/n). He almost sees them everyday, and we only meet like twice a week." You raise an eyebrow in confusion. "He constantly makes me feel that I'm just in his life to fuck around. When I want him to stay, he's just...cold, giving me dumb excuses that he has work tomorrow and he's tired. But when he's in the mood he's being so caring."

You itch to tell her that she was the one who made sure she just wanted hookups with this guy all these months..but you don't want to hurt her feelings...yet, you don't want her to suffer anymore.

Because she was falling in love with this guy. No matter how much she tries to overlook it.

"Two days ago, I asked him to come to my place and hang out because I was on my period and I wasn't feeling well in general. And you know what he said to me? He went like: 'oh sorry, my sister came from abroad and I really want to see her'. Now, I find out through his friend that he's traveling with him and some other guys to Sweden, and he didn't even bother telling me, or even ask me to go with him."

You sigh because this is the reason you will die alone. She didn't just describe her situationship with Evan...but most of them nowadays. Because it's like this every fucking where. Yet, a part of you is still hopeful that there is someone out there who wants the same thing as you.

"(y/n)? Are you listening?" Sadie's voice makes you jolt, bringing yourself back to reality after that brief zone-out.

"Yeah uh- I was just thinking about everything you said. Uhm-" You get cut off, once the waiter hands the drinks on the table. You thank him with your smile, letting him walk away once again. "Look...you said yourself three months ago that you don't want anything serious and just focus on yourself. You said that Evan could be good for a hookup or two-"

"I know but- During that time, we got closer, (y/n). We had sex. We got very intimate with each other as time went on. He made me feel so comfortable-"

"Looks like you're falling in love to me," you observe, sipping mechanically your soda.

"I don't know...I just want him to pay attention to me. Are we a thing or not? If he was really interested, he would text me day and night, and I wouldn't have to beg him every time to meet up."

"Then why don't you tell him how you feel? Maybe he will view things differently and try to give this an actual shot," you try to advise her. Sadie chuckles sarcastically as she hugs with her fingertips her glass.

"I'm definitely not doing that. He's going to think i'm clingy," with that, she lifts her gaze, eyelids fluttering innocently in a certain direction. "I will instead play a little bit with some desperate dogs like him," she says through her teethed smile, lifting her glass. Unknown of the reason, you look to your left side, a few meters away from the counter to see a man in his thirties maybe, looking over to your side with a...how could this be described...erotic? Seductive glare? Whatever it was, it was weird.

Your face scrunches in slight disgust and choose to turn back to her. "The way you're looking at him is like inviting him over," you almost murmur lowly.

"Trust me, dudes like one of those that are all barking but not attacking. He won't dare to come over." She smirks, taking a deliberate sip of her wine. "Do you see how he is drooling over me? And Evan just lets me go like this."

And just like that, the following 40 minutes pass with you trying to bear with the large crowd around you, and Sadie ranting non-stop about Evan - her words playing in a constant loop, like a tape about shitty he is when all he did is go with his friends to Sweden without her. Then, it follows with her making fun of his current ex. Then all over again.

As well, you avoid any sort of eye contact with the other men behind you and only keep on sipping on the sour soda.

"Well I'm sorry, but conventionally, I'm much prettier than his last girlfriend..."

You want to go home so bad. You feel suffocated by your surroundings. You wish you could be back in your bedroom... cocooned with the blankets of your bed.

"I can't believe this." Sadie scoffs, grabbing your attention once again.

"What happened now?" you ask, hinting your impatience with the last word.

"It's been hours since I texted him, and he still didn't bother to text me back."

"Maybe he is busy," you try to reason but fail. "Why are you being so negative right now-"

"Am I being negative for saying that he should try and be more active? You're my friend. You're supposed to take my side, (y/n), because I'm the right one in this," Shit. There she goes. "You wouldn't like it if I did that to you, and I would never do that to you."

Okay, yeah, this is the reason she wanted to meet up - but fuck this. She's been whining about the same thing over and over. Why this should be the only reason for you to meet up in the first place? She didn't even talk about something cheerful, or at least ask you about your day when she picked you up after not seeing her for a week.

You sigh, feeling on the verge of breaking down. Each word that falls from her lips are like seconds ticking away from you exploding. "When I talked to Georgina about the situation, she said that it was his fault. She understood me better and I'm not even that close with her than I'm with you,"

Aaand there she goes with that as well. Comparing you to the other friends she talks shit behind their backs. "And here you are, trying to defend him-"

"Sadie for the love of god, I just don't want to talk about Evan anymore for the night!" Sadie suddenly goes silent, looking at you surprised. "By the time we got here, I only hear about him. About how ugly his exes were, how you guys fucked, and rant over the same thing over and over. You didn't even ask how my day went or anything after not seeing each other for a week! And you never do, because we only talk about you!" you rant finally snap, calling her in two words-

Selfish.

Sadie maintains eye contact, the disappointment apparent in her gaze as she sneaks her phone back into her purse. Until she decides to open her mouth again...

"Okay then...how was your day? Oh let me guess, you were at home, reading books, eating, studying a bit of piano, and then headed to the hospital for your shift. Now you are here, with me." She asks smiling. "Am I right, (y/n)? But I suppose I am still selfish for having a more interesting life, right?" You look at her with shock at her sudden aggression. She spat out those words like venom.

This. This is what you call 'cherry on the top'. You accepted everything she said tonight because you always hated drama and fighting, but you also have some dignity. You won't let her step on it any longer. 

You want so badly to cuss her off, express the pain she caused you, but she'll find her way to manipulate you that it's your fault. It's been always like this. Instead, you swallow thickly and nod tightly, face blank. Even if right now, all you want to do is fucking cry yourself to sleep.

"You're right," you respond just to reach for your wallet a second later. Retrieving the money, you decide to stand up and Sadie's mocking smile disappears. "And now I'm leaving." 

The strong slam of the bill on the table jolts her, noticing that you're actually mad at her. Took her long enough.

"(y/n) wait- I'm sorry-" You ignore her and take your jacket. "I didn't mean it, sit down."

Oh, she meant it. Just like everything else she said from the time you got here and in general.

"Trust me...and you meant every single word," you cooly reply, grabbing your backpack next. Turning around, you glance at the corner of the counters to see the man that was flirting with Sadie not taking his eyes off of you. His sly glances make you quickly break eye contact with him because of how uncomfortable he makes you feel. Sadie's voice grows distant as you make your way towards the exit, the tears already forming in your eyes, despite the attempt to stop yourself.

In your rush to leave, you accidentally pump with someone, but barely address them.

Once you leave the Bar, you glance behind you one last time for a few seconds, realizing you made your exit alone. You exhale through your nose in quite relief, slinging your backpack on your shoulder, before starting to walk your way to your home. Which is thankfully close.

Sadie...did not bother to go after you..

But it's alright. Let her bluster about Evan, and play with her 'dogs'.

--

Leon's head leans against his palm in boredom and building frustration as he watches Luis revel in the moment, drinking uncontrollably. He is desperate to leave, but he knows can't leave Luis in this state.

"Señor, una cerveza más! (One more beer!)" Luis shouts cheerfully, raising his empty bottle in the air.

"How the fuck did you get drunk just by drinking beer?" Leon frustrated asks him, pushing his arm down.

"Eh?" Luis's grip loosens, and the bottle slips from his hand, shattering into thousand pieces. Leon mentally adds another reason to his list of regrets for agreeing to go out with him. "Voy al baño, cuida de mi cerveza. (I'll go to the bathroom, look after my beer.)" He sloppily announces, leaving Leon confused, since he doesn't understand a single word.

"Whatever," Leon concedes, not really having the patience to ask for a proper translation from Luis' nonsense. 

However, Luis suddenly begins to stumble away, and in only a matter of seconds, he disappears into the crowd, making Leon's brow twitch in confusion - wondering where he is actually heading. "Goddamn..What the fuck did he say?" he curses under his breath, already pushing off from the stool and going after him. "Luis-" He barely gets the name out before crashing lightly with some woman who rushes for a certain direction. She doesn't even spare him a glance, leaving him standing there, in the middle of this chaos he never wanted to be part of in the first place.

"Sorry," is the only thing he catches her saying in a cracked voice, striding towards the exit.

"Forgiven, I guess," he mutters, fixing his shirt. The same moment, he gets pushed again, this time harshly by an odd-looking man, hurrying his way toward the exit of the bar as well. Leon grits his teeth lightly, adjusting his shirt, before he decides to pull out his wallet and leave money on the counter. Suffocated from the environment and people not seeing him, he takes his jacket and follows his way outside, deciding to take some fresh air, away from the unhealthy smell of alcohol and cigarettes, and come back then to pick up Luis.

The time is almost 11. The sky is dark, with its stars sparkling. As Leon walks out, the bar is now a hub of noise and activity, while the rest of the block lies dark and silent with very few streetlights brightening the lonely streets.

So, there he stands, eyes roaming around, watching people entering and leaving the bar. However, barely seconds later, his gaze falls upon onto the same man who had bumped into him moments ago. That specific man seems to direct his way behind that woman he also stumbled upon inside, in the distance. Leon raises an eyebrow, already sensing something amiss in the man's body language - The way he purposely created some distance, matching the walking pace, hands deep into his pockets. The woman is only oblivious, leading the way away from life the further she walks.

Leon's brows furrow cautiously, his agent instincts urge him to take action and go after them. Make sure that girl's safe.

There's a small hesitation, though. A part of him tells him that he should wait for Luis instead since his sensitive ass is completely drunk and vulnerable right now. But the other insists to go after the mysterious man and figure his intentions, where in his eyes, seem far from innocent. 

The worst-case scenario is the determination he needs to follow. And with that, Leon begins to ghost after their steps. 

The minutes pass. Each step plunges him deeper into the darkness, and the lack of visibility increases, so he pulls out a flashlight, in order to light his path forward. Ten meters away from him, is the odd duo.

--

You hug yourself with your jacket, teeth chattering from the cold along with the sounds of your soft crying resonate as you walk into the dark night. Sadie's venomous words still replay your mind, seeming to have fully affected you. Once again. And that's only your fault.

Throughout your life, you always found making and maintaining friendships difficult. Since a little kid, other than your sister Ava, no one really wanted to hang out with you. You never understood the reason. Of course, after some point, you began to think that maybe you're the problem. You're the reason you can't make or keep friends, and growing up, it started to feel lonely. Extremely lonely.

Then, Sadie came into your life. You met her in the final years of elementary, and from the time you finished high school, she was the only friend you made and left with - A friend you surely shared laughs and good times, but most of the time, it's overshadowed with moments like tonight. 

It's suffocating to be around her - always judging everyone behind their backs, calling herself better, prettier, smarter than others. And you? You're just her shadow, agreeing with everything she said like the idiot you are. 

12 whole years of friendship with her. You've put up with everything, conceding each time she was getting mad at you, swallowing your pride like a large pill without water - trying not to say or do anything that might upset her. In two words, this so-called friendship was walking on eggshells. 

The reason you stayed for so long in this type of relationship? Because you were always blaming yourself - always that thought of you being the reason not having friends lingered. You believed it was your fault when you fought. Your fault she got upset with you.

Regardless, you were still there for her when she needed someone the most. Because no matter her flaws, you cared for her. And this is what real friends do, right? Care for one another.

But no. It was never the same way from her side. Because no matter how much you gave her, it was never enough. She wasn't there for you in a way you wish she would, because no matter what you would try to tell her, she'd compare it to her situation being worse, and then end up talking about her problems again. Still, she would compare you with her other friends, and discreetly putting you down, like tonight for example - calling you ugly, boring, AND selfish.

If you were a bitch enough, you'd slap the shit out of her back at the bar, then stand up, and leave for good. The fact that she didn't even go after you, or make for once an effort to stop you, just peaks your anger towards her. Of course, you're not surprised. Just disappointed.

The definition of 'best friend'...

How can some people have the nerve to even call themselves that, when they do nothing more but bring you pain?

With all these thoughts you continue to walk - the tears drying from the cold on your skin as the pain transforms into anger and unfamiliar hatred. 

Suddenly, you slow down your walking after realizing that you are passing through a desolate and isolated area, which benefits as a shortcut to your home. Usually, you pick that route in daylight because at night, it can be a bit spooky. Right now, you don't want to turn back around and circle your way back to pick up the other route, so, for safety, you reach for your phone in order to have it close to you. 

However, before you turn on the screen, you catch through the reflection someone walking behind you. Must be just another pedestrian. Right?

Subtly, you turn your head, pretending to look over something and your heart starts to race once you realize that this someone, was the man that was checking Sadie at the bar.

What the fuck?

He does not call out for you, nor stops you this whole time; just simply going after you, his eyes right upon you. He's clearly walking towards you, and your paranoid ass is already thinking of the worse. You're here, alone with him, and not a single other soul around. Your head snaps back around, your fingers begin to tremble, and heart thunders in your chest from the growing fear. Carefully, you reach for your house keys, gripping one tightly within your fist, and start walking again. This time, a bit faster.

Of course, he matches your pace, and actually much faster, to the point you can hear his steps inching closer to you. Panic surrounds you internally, and you instinctively place your phone against your ear, pretending to talk with someone. But that still doesn't stop him. He instead, whistles right at you.

"Wait up, baby!" he calls out with a very gruff voice, lightly slurring, his tone flirtatious and impatient as you hear him getting dangerously close. The blood runs through your veins. Cold sweat covers your palms. You're fucking afraid. Because you don't know if this man is about to attack you...

Then, he begins to jog towards you, the distance between you two are mere inches. You clench your fists tightly around your keys, not having the courage to turn around. The man reaches for something in his jacket's pocket, but suddenly-

"HEY!" A man's voice made you and the guy that has been following you turn around.

Almost 5 meters away, a tall man with blonde honey hair, and brown leather with blonde fur hugging the inside of his jacket, starts to walk in your direction, while holding up a flashlight towards you. The closer he approached, the clearer you could see his face. He had rough, unique facial features and a darkened, cloudy look on his face.

Your heart skips a beat. You hope to god this guy with the flashlight is not the man's friend.

Reaching the two of you, he stops and for a quiet second, he scans your face and stance. His low set of eyebrows twitch, face growing stricter as he seems to have noticed your terror. His gaze then shifts to the man who was following you, taking a small step backwards away from you. 

The guy's bright light falls mercilessly on the apparently lightheaded dude, and he already begins interrogating him.

"Who are you?" he asks as he stands right in front of him, letting you take a few steps back to get away from the both of them.

The man that was after you swallows, his earlier arrogance and confidence being drowned completely. He begins to stammer and laugh awkwardly, while you stand there, completely horrified. "I'm uh- I was just walking-"

"Her home?" The blond-haired guy interrupts, his voice dripping in irony. "Because from the look on her face, I can tell you're not invited in," his blue eyes meet yours, taking in your state once again. Without approaching you, he only addresses you in a much more softer tone. "You know this guy?"

The man frowns, taking a step closer to the other guy. "Why don't you just mind your fucking business?" he raises his voice in defense. The guy with the flashlight stands silent, glancing at you for a second in thought.

"Because I am her boyfriend and a police officer. Which title amuses you the most?"

My what?  

The other man looks back at you, and then back to the guy, an ironic chuckle escaping him, clearly not believing him. The 'police officer's' lips on the other hand, remain a straight line.

"You're not a cop-" that asshole laughs out, but before he can finish his sentence, the young blond-haired man swiftly strikes his ribs with the flashlight, later following with a kick to his calf, causing him to lose balance. As he stumbles, the off-duty cop draws out a knife, and grabs him by the back of his jacket, slamming him against his own chest. The blade of the knife stops right against his neck.

"What the fuck.." you whisper, eyes widen in astonished by the speed and precision of the guy's actions. Maybe he is a police officer.

"Don't test my patience." He grunts whispering to the intruder's ear in a threatening tone, before shoving him off of him harshly. "Now, get the fuck out of here before you spend the night in a cell."

The would-be tough guy stumbles back from the shove, his jacket disheveled, chest heaving from panicked breaths, and cold sweat trickling down his forehead. The last ounce of arrogance has vanished completely, shifting into the fear you had in a millisecond. He exchanges quick looks with you and 'your boyfriend' as he takes a few slow steps back and later, runs away, holding the left side of his ribs.

The guy that just helped you now maintains a cold gaze as he watches the man flee. The further he runs, you release a breath of relief you didn't know you were holding in, your shaking hands holding onto your thighs for support, your knees feeling like jelly. Once he is completely out of your sights, the cop sheathes the knife back in his shoulder holster, hidden beneath his jacket and turns his attention back to you. His expression goes from threatening to slight concern.

"Thank you.. Thank you so much, Mister... 'Boyfriend and Officer'," you manage to say with a nervous chuckle, your voice still shaky as you push yourself up from your half-crouched position.

His stern expression doesn't waver as he approaches you, his boots clicking against the concrete of the empty street. "That guy's been after you from the time you got out of the bar," he states.

"Yeh-..I had an idea.." you murmur.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"No, no," you quickly assure him. Truth is, if he wouldn't be here in time, he would definitely have hurt you. "He just called me out...." A soft sigh escapes you, still trying to calm down from what just happened. "Thank god you showed up in time...I-..my body froze.." you say, your hand moving on your pounding chest. It was the first time in your life that you had found yourself in such a terrifying situation.. The first time you had genuinely feared for your life.. It's scary how many people have gone to act like this. "I don't know what could have happened," he fixes his jacket as he listens to you. "Thank you, again," you add softly, genuinely grateful for his intervention.

"Don't mention it. You are okay. That's what matters.." he pauses and looks around him to see only the two of you standing outside in this dark area. He slowly rests his free hand against his hip. "Do you need a ride home maybe?" Welp, that caught you off guard.

"Uhm-..." You look hesitant at his sudden request. Because he may have saved you from that creepy bastard, but who can prove to you he is not one as well?

"I am actually a police officer.." he reassures as he reaches for something out of his pocket. "In case you have your doubts. This is my ID as well," he hands you both his ID and his R.P.D badge.

"Leon Scott Kennedy..." you think while you scan his information and take a good look at his picture. "He's 27.." You raise an eyebrow once your eyes land on his birthday. You take a sudden hasty look at Leon. His hands are crossed and his gaze is fixed on your face, waiting for your response. Still, you decide to refuse his ride.

"No..thank you so much but-..I prefer to go alone." You clear your throat as you give him back his belongings. "I'm only two minutes away from home by here." He nods in understatement at your answer.

"I understand-, as you wish." He gives a weak smile at you, putting his cards aside.

"But still- Thank you...again...Mister Kennedy. I will forever be thankful." You smile back and seconds later, you slowly turn around, letting him watch you leave the place.

--

The moment the woman without a name, disappeared from his view, he adjusts his ID and license in his jacket pockets and make sure that his gun was securely holstered. Until he realizes he forgot about something, quite important...

"Oh shit...Luis!"

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Long chapter! I knowwwww! The first and second chapter were supposed to be combined but it would be endless!

Anyways! Hope you liked the chapter! And I wanna know what you think of the story so far!

Have a great and lovely day!! Take care! <3