Chapter 7 - Approach Me

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It's been a month since I published Sinful yayyy! Thank you also for 3K reads already- WHAT!?

Sorry for not posting, but work had my ass running! So, in order to make it up to you, a freshly baked long chapter is waiting for you to read!

⚠️ This chapter contains scenes that might bring you discomfort. If you want to skip that part that starts with (!!!) this, you may read the rest where it starts with this (*)! ⚠️

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The evening sky succumbs to nightfall at the base, having the members of the team dissolve for the day.

You, were alone in the operating room, adjusting to your new workplace. While tidying up, you can't help but think about how everything happened in the blink of an eye. A month ago, the most extreme thing that happened to your incredibly boring life-aside from being followed by a creep a few weeks back-was calling the police after getting robbed at the train station...under your notice. Who would have thought that today, you would now find yourself in a secret bunker beneath the B.S.A.A. building, engaged in a job you hate with your heart alongside a team that includes the man that piques your interest lately, in order to stop some crazy bastard from unleashing a dangerous parasite to the world?

It all felt incredibly surreal how things in your life took such a sudden turn in such a small amount of time, letting fear linger within you, not knowing what to expect from the future; mostly because the people you are after are extremely dangerous and you are not even able to protect yourself. Still, you decide to stay, even though you were determined to say no in the first place; but let's be real..you took that last-minute decision mostly because of Leon. You just- have that feeling since he was a part of the team, nothing bad would happen to you. Or at least, you wanted to hope that.

Taking a deep breath, you wipe away your thoughts and start walking towards the desk which is placed on the right side of the operating bed. You pull out your phone from your purse to give your father a quick call about the situation, but soon someone decided to check up on you.

"Knock, knock.." You turn around to see Claire leaning against the door frame. A small chuckle escapes your mouth as you drop your phone back into the purse.

"Claire." You greet her with a smile, as you watch her enter further.

"Just came in to tell you that work for us is over for today," She takes a small pause and places her palms against her waist. "Chris will stay a little longer with Piers though, so he won't be able to drive you back home. But I can take you instead. Is that good with you?" She asks.

"Uh, yeah, If it's good with you of course. Let me get my stuff and we are leaving." You reply to her, directing yourself towards the locker you have the rest of your belongings. While Claire decides to wait, she sits, settling with one leg resting on the edge of a table, and crosses her arms, glaring around the place.

"So, what do you think so far? Are you happy that we are now officially associates?" She teases you with a cheeky smile.

"Oh, you have no idea. Even though I expected our next reunion to happen under different circumstances." You joke, slipping on your black leather coat.

"Yeah, you're right." Claire laughs. "But at least...we reunited. Isn't that what matters?" She asks softly with words that pierced your heart, filling it with awe. She's right. The most important thing is that you have the opportunity to see her again after all these years, alive and well. You lift your head to meet your childhood friend's gaze, and a smile of appreciation spreads across your face.

"Yeah-..that's what matters." You answer almost quietly. Claire's lips curve into one gentle smile once more.

"Well then, my friend, let's get going. Shall we?" Her smile turns soon into a smirk before spitting out the last sentence. "We have a lot to discuss."

"Oh no...will I be put under interrogation?" You ask with a playful chuckle.

"Perhaps, perhaps." She gives you a playful nudge on the shoulder. Soon, the two of you soon walk outside of the operating room, making your way to the main room. Piers, Chris, and Leon seemed to be the only ones left. "Guys, (y/n) and I are leaving. Do you need us anything before we go?" Claire announces, grabbing her jacket from the hanger and capturing the attention of the remaining teammates. Leon and Chris lift their gaze to look at both of you as Piers seems to be too focused on his documents.

"No, everything's under control," Chris says, turning his gaze in your direction. "You are expected here tomorrow at 8, (y/n)."

"Of course. I won't be late." You respond, giving a reassuring smile. You can't help but let your eyes wander back to Leon. He was standing there, beside Piers, his hands resting in his jeans pockets, giving you that stoic look.

The night arrived, and he still didn't approach you, or talk to you. Why do you care though?

"Great then. You are both free to go. Have a good night, girls." Chris's soft words, bring you back to reality. You clear your throat, giving a quick yet firm nod.

"Yeah- good night!" You add a quick smile, looking at the rest of the team before you and Claire walk your way out of the bunker.

--

The moment the doors behind the girls close, Leon proceeds to wear his brown leather jacket, so he can follow the same route. Seconds later, Luis enters the main room with a cigarette resting on his lips. A slight smirk attires on his face, bringing his hands together, before making his way to the operating room. Less than ten seconds later, he returns back to the men. "Where is mi señorita?" He asks as the smile has almost wiped off completely from his face. Chris pouts his face in slight annoyance at his question.

"She just left with Claire," He says, before crossing his arms. "You are not here to flirt, Luis." Luis laughs quietly, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Oh come on! Don't be so bitter, Chris. I would just offer her a ride home. As a good citizen, caring for one another." He completes, adding a mischievous smirk.

"I brought you to the base today," Leon speaks up. Chris sighs, his arms crossed as he leans against the table.

"Oye si. I forgot." Luis raises his hands defensively. "But you can't say that I didn't try to be a gentleman, eh?"

Piers chuckles with a head shake at Luis's playfulness, while Leon seems to already regret teaming up with him.

"Let's just go." Leon shakes his head in annoyance, heading towards the exit. Luis's smirk returns to his face as he scoffs playfully, walking right after him.

"Tomorrow at 8," Chris reminds his two partners as they approach the door.

"Got it, señor!" Luis exclaims. Reaching Leon's steps, he wraps his arm around his shoulder. "Let's go get a drink, eh, Sanzo Pancha?"

"I told you to stop calling me like that." Leon firmly answers, pushing his hand away. With that, the two of them walk out.

The door soon closes once more leaving now Chris with Piers. Chris takes a deep breath, before turning his attention to his trusted soldier. "Let's get back to work, Piers."

----

Entering the passenger's seat, you reach out for the seatbelt as Claire brings her car's engine to life. Soon enough, she drives away from the building, leaving behind the men of the team.

A minute or less passed in silence having you look at the sky outside. It's pitch black with small sparkling stars surrounding it. A perfect view to end the day, along with the wind caressing your face. You slowly close your eyes, filling your lungs with the refreshing night air.

The quietness did not last long, as Claire decided to speak. "So...are we just- going to drive in silence?" She teases as her body and face are still focused on the road. You turn your head to glare at her, once you hear her question.

"Sorry, heh. What do you want to talk about?" You ask her. She shrugs her shoulders.

"Well, we have plenty of things to talk about, but for now, I'm most curious about your thoughts on our team you met today. I want to know what you think of your new partners." Your gaze moves to the road, sitting skeptically for a bit.

"They're...nice." You shrug your shoulders with a gentle smile. "Piers seems very dedicated to his job, Carlos is a bit of a joker, and Luis- well is a bit intimate. Probably because he already knew me from the hospital but- they are all nice, yeah." You try to give the nicest yet accurate compliments. Claire nods.

"I didn't know you took care of Luis too. Chris didn't tell me."

"Yeah, it was a very unique experience." You chuckle lightly, adjusting your shirt. "But yeah I can't complain. I guess I feel flattered by his directness."

"He's like that with every woman who catches his hawk-like eye. When I was introduced to him, he tried to ask me on a date..until he found out I'm Chris's sister." You and Claire burst into laughter. You at the thought of Chris's reaction, and Claire because she recalls that funny incident.

"Oh god..I can't imagine," You say, between laughs. Claire shakes her head, as her laughter slowly fades, but the smile remains.

"Yeah, let's just say that Chris became very protective," She says as her focus is back on the road. "He has difficulty trusting men that surround me."

"Ah, he is the overprotective brother." You say, smiling in awe. "You can't blame him; he just wants you happy."

"Yeah, can't complain. After what happened with our parents, Chris made sure to raise me the best way he could-" She pause, taking a hasty look at you. "Along with the help of your parents too." Your smile rises a bit more, before you place your hand against Claire's shoulder. Your eyes shift to the road for a bit as the silence returns for less than five seconds. Until Claire throws another question. "Anyways... you didn't tell me. What about Leon? What do you think of him?" She asks, stealing a quick glance in your direction. Your attention now is fully on Claire after her question. Did she figure that you might like him? Why would she ask you what you think about Leon?!

"What about him?" You ask, pretending to sound nonchalant, even though your heartbeat begins to increase at the sound of his name.

"What impression have you formed about Leon?"

"Uhm, he's a bit mysterious, but he seems extremely nice. I can only be grateful when it comes to him- Because of what he did back when I was being followed by that creepy dude."

"Speaking of that, can you tell me exactly what happened? I'm really curious to know how you ended up in that situation." You sigh, once your mind begins to recall the fight you had with your best friend, right before the incident.

"Well, it all began when I was at a bar with my not-so-called best friend..."

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(!!!)

"Hold on!...I'll-...I'll get you out of there!" I grunt, as I desperately try to pull up to the safe side a survivor of Raccoon City's infection down the hill. Zombies with dislocated jaws, amputated arms or legs, try with every strength they have to drag him down the hell with them.

The person begins to give up, his grip on my hand slowly loosens while with stubborn determination, I tremble to pull him to the surface.

"You're a goddamn cop...you should know...protect them from getting infected," he rasps weakly, blood trickling down on his worn-out face.

I clench my jaw. Not out of anger, but out of shame. He's right. 

At that moment, I make a final attempt to pull him up, but I fail miserably as a zombie grabs him from his legs, dragging him firmly back down. I continue to compete with the dead beneath, each one of us pulling him with every power we have. But it all escalates too fast, just to hear slashing and screaming coming from the man's throat, slipping from my grasp, the infectors claiming victory.

"No!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I watch him being literally ripped apart right before my eyes- and just when I thought this wouldn't get any worse, I feel hands dragging me backwards. Infectors have surrounded me, each one of them trying to end my life in a slow, torturous way, by eating me alive.

One wraps its arms around my neck into a rear chokehold in order to bite me, as another walks up to me. I manage to immobilize them but only for a bit...until I see a whole fucking army of them behind. Amidst this whole chaos, I realize that I'm now the only survivor, watching faces I used to know fully turn. 

"Instead of stopping them, you left innocent people behind," the infector behind growls to my ear until I feel the fatal stinging bite against my neck.

All I hear is them screaming to be saved, and all I did at the end of that night, is leave them behind.

(*)

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6:02 A.M.

Leon jumps up, begging for air with his hands get pinned on the mattress. Sweat is rolling down his forehead and bare chest. He takes a hasty look at his surroundings, to see that he is sitting on the bed of his unlit bedroom. The moment he realizes he is home, his breathing begins to gradually slow down. It was just another dream, another nightmare. A nightmare that does not end...It just- keeps getting worse, and more violent, torturing him in every way possible.

When will this end?

His upper body collapses onto the sheets once again, staring at the ceiling for a few seconds. He then closes his eyes breathing intensely.

"Goddamnit..." He whispers under his breath before he tilts his head to the right side and glare at the clock on his nightstand.

It is 6:03. The dawn has come. By looking at the window, a rainy one too. Leon remains in the same position for ten more minutes, before his body relaxes completely. Taking a deep breath, he gathers every power that is left to him to lift himself and stand up from the bed. His body feels so heavy like his back is tied up with a bag filled with rocks.

A weary moan escapes his mouth as he heaves himself up from the bed. While making his way to the bathroom, he strips himself naked, getting ready for the shower to calm his senses and help him start his day. Despite the countless weight on his shoulders, he must gather his strength and carry on with his responsibilities...

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Vector is inside the bedroom, adjusting the tie on his collar. He takes a good look at his reflection in the mirror letting out a light sigh.

"We're getting old, Vector." He whispers to himself adding a weak smile. Soon, the sound of the raindrops slapping the glass grabs his attention. He glances at the balcony door to see the rain outside getting stronger. His mind immediately flies to Vera, hoping she will not have any trouble getting home; but to his pleasant surprise, the moment he thinks about her, the image of her becomes reality, once she opens the door of their bedroom, making her way inside.

"Good morning, honey." She greets him with a light panting in her voice as if she was running.

"Vera, I saw the rain, and was just thinking about you."

"Yeah. As you can hear, I luckily made it in time," She takes a pause, laying her purse on the floor, beside the door of the bedroom. Eventually, her intense breathing dies down. "I'm so tired..." Vera gives a sigh filled with exhaustion as she takes off her coat, tossing it on the bed.

"I can tell. How was your night shift?"

"A nightmare that I'm glad it's over." She sits on the bed and bends to massage her fοοt. "Did you talk with (y/n) by any chance?" Vector raises an eyebrow at her question, gently pulling the final knot on his tie before he turns around to face his wife.

"No. What for?" He asks, resting his hands in his pockets.

"She was going to meet up with Chris yesterday for the job. You forgot?" His eyes widen.

"Oh my god, I actually forgot!" He claps his hands, jogging towards the nightstand to grab his phone. Vera stands up and follows him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna call our daughter, Vera." He responds with a slight tone of annoyance. "I need to know if they met up." Vera shakes her head and takes the phone from his hands.

"It's almost six thirty in the morning, Vector. You can call her later," She pauses and puts the phone back on the nightstand.

"What if she did not go?" Vector asks. "What if she turned him down and she tries to avoid calling?"

"And what if she just forgot to call us, Vector?" Vera presses her hand against his shoulder gently. "Relax. We have all day ahead of us. She will tell you everything you want to know. Trust me, honey." She completes, with a soft reassuring tone in her voice.

Vector takes a deep breath and looks at her, feeling completely eased from her comfort. Maybe she indeed just..forgot to call.

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The duty begins, once Leon enters the bunker, flicking on the lights with a swift motion. He shrugs off his brown leather jacket and runs his fingers through his slightly wet hair. Taking a deep breath, he directs his way towards the big round table the team is gathering up and rests his belongings.

The place is dead silent, confirming that he's the first to arrive, the only soul in the bunker. It makes sense, given that he literally arrived almost two hours earlier.

Or so... he thought he was alone-

Suddenly, the faint sound of the squeaky cabinet door closing reaches Leon's ears. He cautiously turns his head in the direction he heard the noise from, which seems to be emanating from the operating room. A mixture of curiosity and wariness fills his mind as he proceeds towards the room. His steps are measured and slow.

Standing now right outside the room, he sees the door wide open and a figure dressed in a black hoodie and black jeans, standing right in front of the table. Leon is facing their back, so their identity is hidden.

He takes slow and quiet steps to approach the target while fingers gently grasp the knife. The sharp sound of the metal caressing the leather of the holster echoes as he draws it out, prepared to defend himself. The closer he gets, the tighter his grip becomes.

Seconds pass, and Leon stands only a mere inches away from the possible intruder. He does not give himself time to think twice about his upcoming actions. His face frowns in anger as he swiftly wraps his free arm around their neck, forcefully pulling them back against his chest and pressing the knife against their jaw. A feminine gasp escapes their lips at the sight of its pointy edge.

"Who the hell are you?" He growls in a low, almost whispery voice into their ear, tightening his grip gently around their neck.

"It's- It's (y/n)!" she exclaims in fear. Leon's facial muscles relax, relieved he hears her name even under that tremble in her voice. He immediately releases his arm from her neck, letting her turn around and face him. "Leon?-" She asks, surprised, yet sounding relieved to see it was him. Leon's grimace changes to small guilt the moment he sees the slight horror on her facec. A few seconds of silence pass as they stand there, locked in an awkward gaze.

--

"Sorry," Leon speaks up, breaking the silence. "I did not mean to scare you like that-"

"It's...it's okay." You pull down the hoodie from your head and place your hand against your lightly pounding chest, trying to still sound a bit cool even though internally you shit yourself. The last thing you would want now is to get killed for no reason.

"I quite forgot that the operating room is no longer in search of a doctor." He says, scratching the back of his neck. Great, in two words, he means that you are more than indifferent to him. You take a deep breath until Leon realizes something. "What are you doing here at this hour?" He asks puzzled, putting the knife back in his holster.

"Oh, uh, I wanted to make sure I won't get lost on my way here, so I started a bit earlier; I didn't want to be late on my first day." You say, crossing your arms awkwardly. "I also did not get to sleep well, so-.." Leon shakes his head, letting a weak smile form on his lips for a millisecond.

"That makes two of us," Leon says almost under his breath with a hint of weariness in his voice, catching your attention. You raise an eyebrow, curious about his quiet remark.

"What do you mean?" You ask, making the mistake to sound a bit..nosy.

"Nothing... nothing." He clears his throat, avoiding your gaze for a brief moment. "Well, I will be in the main room. If you need me anything, just call me." He says his voice cold yet genuinely willing. You give him a smile before you respond.

"Thank you, Leon. I will keep it in mind." He gives you a firm nod, and then he proceeds to the exit, closing the door behind him. You take a deep breath, comprehending the incident that just happened. Is he always that cautious?

The following hour passed in pure silence. You were still in the operating room, as Leon was in the main room. You pull out your phone to check on the time; it was 7:35 in the morning. In less than a half hour, everyone will arrive. Taking a hasty look at the door that leads to the exit, you slowly decide to stand up and approach the exit of the room, as curiosity takes over you of what Leon is possibly doing right now.

You sneakily peek your head out to observe Leon from a distance. His lower body was seated against the table, while his eyes were focused on the papers he was reading. You slowly place your hand against the door frame, paying attention to the details on his face, his body language...the way his eyes look.

Leon seems to be a man of few words, carrying an aura of mystery that you can't lie, but it intrigues you. He is definitely a book that can't be understood by every reader. You want to know what's hiding under his strictness, under that dark, sorrowful gaze of his. You want to know.. what is going on through this guy's mind.

The real question is why? Why do you want to know all that about him? Why don't you have the same desire to discover the rest of your team's personalities? Is it because you met him first...or because you like him? How long are you going to keep lying to yourself?

The more you look at him, the more you get to realize one thing.

You like him. You are interested in him. Trying to suppress your feelings will never help you. So why deny it? Yes, you do like him, and recalling how he stepped in that night to save you is reminding you of the main source behind your feelings.

And what you want to do is try and approach him...but how the hell can you do that, when he is so distant? You take a deep breath, before you make your way back to your desk, taking a seat on the chair. You cross your arms as anxiousness begins to shower you. What if you just...like him quietly? What if you just keep your feelings to yourself, until your interest in Leon fades away? You are afraid of getting rejected by this man, you don't want to risk anything that can harm your feelings.

Suddenly--

"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. Am I right, (y/n)? But I suppose I am still selfish for having a more interesting life, right?" Sadie's voice echoes in your head, clenching your jaw at her venomous words, you tighten your fists. You don't want to prove Sadie right. You have to dare it. You have to risk it. You like this guy, and you want to approach him.

And so you will.

You stand up and fix your shirt, before walking outside of the room. Your chest is filled with confidence. You are determined to talk to Leon. You want to get close to him, and now this is your perfect chance. So you decide to start this by properly thanking him for how he helped you that night, weeks ago.

However, you can feel the confidence fade away drastically the moment your eyes land on his physique once again. But you don't want to back out now. Afterall...all you will do now is just say one thank you. You take slow and baby steps, walking up to him, until you stand now right in front of him. His eyes are still pinned on his papers. So you decide to spit out your first words.

"Hey." You awkwardly and quietly greet him, sneaking your hands into your back pockets. Leon hears your voice and lowers his papers, turning his attention towards you.

"Hello, (y/n)." He greets you with that nonchalant look on his face. "Need something?" Alright, so far so good.

"No uhm- Just wondering-..What are you- reading?" You ask pointing with your gaze at the files he was holding.

"Some- classified documents." He simply responds.

"Really? What is it about?" Leon raises an eyebrow at your question and stays silent for only two seconds.

"Classified." He emphasizes the second word, once again. It didn't take you long to realize what you just asked him. God, he will think you're dumb, and rightfully so.

You clear your throat, and adjust your clothing, trying to shake off the awkwardness. "Right..I'm sorry-"

"I think you should get some coffee. Your mind doesn't seem to be functioning properly right now from the lack of sleep." Did he just... roast you? Or was he genuine? God...his expressionless way of speaking doesn't help you understand at all.

"No, it's not that- just-" You take a deep breath, before speaking up once again. This time, explaining the real reason you decided to approach him "Listen I- I just wanted to tell you about...you know...the night you-"

"Don't worry, (y/n)," Leon interrupts you, already predicting the subject you want to talk about. "Although I appreciate your kindness, It is a part of my job to protect others." You nod in response.

"Yeah, you are right. Still, thank you," By your sincerity, a genuine smile curves on Leon's lips. "I didn't have the chance back at the hospital or yesterday to approach you and tell you how I appreciate what you did for me."

"No problem." Okay. He smiled, that's some progress, right?

"Yeah- and if you also will need help with anything, I will try my best to you know...help you back." You say quickly to reassure him.

"I don't think I will be in need of your help, but I will keep it in mind." Your smile lowers a bit in disappointment at his answer, but it's still there. Giving him a firm nod, you gesture your agreement.

Taking baby steps is what you need to do right now...

Suddenly the doors of the bunker open, and now you and Leon are no longer alone. Carlos enters, his palm smeared with blood. Leon quickly stands up at the sight of it, and you make your way closer to Carlos.

"Carlos! What happened?" You ask, holding slowly his hand onto your palm.

"It was just a moment of carelessness," He chuckles lightly. "I accidentally got cut by a piece of glass by picking up from the ground. That damn thing punctured my tires too."

"Welp...time for my first shift." You state, trying to lighten the mood. Leon and Carlos exchange a subtle glance before turning their attention back to you.

"Well, (y/n). Time to show me your skills."

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Have a great and lovely day, and always but ALWAYS take care of yourself! <3