Meeting Phoenix (Part 6) (Patreon)

Leon x Phoenix

Words: 2,612

Contains: Comfort, Nightmare, Domestic Leon.

Leon was nice and refreshed after his shower, it felt good to get under the water and warm up a bit, it was currently summer in the US so going from hot to cold was a little harsh on his hands and feet. Once he was sure all the grime was off his body he stops the shower and steps out of the bath, making sure not to slip. He dresses in a dress shirt, some dark jeans and a black leather belt around his waist keeping them up. As he open the door to the bathroom their food arriving with a knock.

"Thank you." He said with a slight smile and nods to the maid who brought the trays of food.

"I'm coming!" Jessica said stumbling out of her chair and face planting the bed, ricocheting to the ground with a thump.

Leon just shook his head and took both trays of food, the maid is sure he has them before she pulls the door shut gently with a click. Leon walks the trays of food over to the table and places them down before kneeling down to help Jessica off the floor.

"I'm surprised you haven't passed out or thrown up yet?" Leon said with amusement in his tone.

"Yeah, my pain medication has helped me with that.." She explained, a hiccup following her sentence. She was placed in the chair at the desk, Leon making sure she was going to stay on the it before he takes his own tray. Sitting down on the foot of the bed he turns the tv on to see what Australian Television was like.

"Six triple fiiive oh six." Sings the jingle as an ad was running currently. 

"Press either the number six, seven or ten if you want the news." Jessica said as she chowed down on her toasted cheese, ham and tomato sandwich and chips with gravy.

"This channel's fine, Thanks for the info though." Leon said getting comfortable, his left hand under his plate as he eats a creamy carbonara.

A soap opera came on the tv and Jessica scrunched up her nose, she hated these types of shows. 

Leon noticed her looking to the screen slightly above her head and smirked. "Not a fan?"

She shakes her head turning to him as she drops a chip on the ground, luckily it didn't have gravy on it. "Nah.. They are always like: 'Oh James, How could you do this to me?! I thought you loved me!?' and then she drives off in a huff, getting into a car accident. She's in a critical state and her husband tells her he loves her which brings her back, then they kiss and make up until more drama happens." She explained almost all in one breath. She picks the chip up off the carpet and gives it a strong blow before popping it in her mouth. "Five second rule." Even though it had been well over 5 seconds.

Leon just shakes his head, this lady was definitely something else. He knew it wasn't going to be a boring trip back to DC, not with his charge's company at least.

He continues to eat his food while watching the show, after a small amount of time he had finished while Jessica was still finishing her toastie. seeing the empty bowl being placed beside her on the table she looks up to Leon.

"Did you inhale that?"

"What? Oh.. Yeah I was pretty hungry." He said letting out a small chuckle. "How's yours? It smells good." He smiled to her before walking over to the single seats, plonking down on the other one Jessica hadn't claimed yet. "May I try drawing?" He asked pointing to her sketch book.

"Oh? Yeah sure, go ahead. There's plenty of pages to fill anyway." He said waving a hand at him as if to say 'you don't have to ask'.

Leon picks the book, rubber and pencil up, he asked for a sharpener and Jessica tells him where to find it in the front pouch of her backpack before he settles in and starts to try and draw. He would glance up to Jessica who was sitting at the table, hunched over slightly eating her chips and gravy now. Her back was to the bed, but Leon had a nice view of her side. Doing his best he sketches her onto the page, tongue sticking out as he frowns while concentrating.

Turning to look over at Leon to see what he was drawing, his head glanced up, their eyes meeting.

"Hey, turn back around. I can't draw a moving target." He said with authority in his voice, but also seeming playful at the same time.

"Alright.. geez. Sorry, Picasso." She said through a wide smile, turning back around she felt her cheeks warming up once again, the top of her ears burning with a blush.

"Sooo.. What do you actually do?" She asked staying turned around and eating her plate of food.

"I work for the American Government. An agent, but that's all I'm allowed to say." He answered his tongue sticking out as he drew.

Jessica was curious and turned her head back quickly. "Does your tongue help you with the drawing?" She snickered.

"Maybe.." He answered while looking back up to her. "Turn around."

She just smiled and turns back around to continue eating. Once Jessica had finished her food, Leon had finished his drawing of her. Standing up and making his way over to her he holds the book in front of her. 

Jessica looks at the drawing, the proportions were very off, but he had done some shading and it did look pretty impressive. "Oh wow.. That looks amazing." She said smiling and taking the book to get a better look.

"Pfft, yeah right. I don't even think it looks like you. I gave up with your ear so I just drew your hair there." He explained, pressing his finger to the spot he was talking about. "Besides I can't even tell if you are being sarcastic about liking it or not."

Jessica was an art teacher so of course she was being genuine, she has seen many of her students art like this as they started out. It was just time and practice that he needed to get better. But she was sure he didn't really have that kind of time.

"I'm serious, it looks very good." She beamed up to him in her drunken state, her eyes puffy and heavy lidded, already half closed. Her eyes had dark and sunken underlining. She clearly needed some sleep.

"When was the last time you slept?" Leon asked watching Jessica place the book on the table before sitting back in her chair all finished, hands on her stomach.

"Pfff, I don't remember?" She said thinking about it. "I think it was yesterday night? But you probably know what sleeping in a hospital is like, right? It's non-existent." She replied leaning forwards to stand up, using the table as a way to balance herself and keep her stomach muscles loose. 

"I think you should sleep. We have to get up early in the morning and dinner with be here in 2 hours as 5." Leon said looking to the watch on his left wrist.

Jessica looks tot he bed and just nods.

"Sounds good to me." She said taking a step towards the bed, flinching as a sharp pain runs through her stomach. Resting her hands to her stomach she hissed, she really had overdone everything, acting like she didn't have 4 holes in her torso.

Leon was quick to take her hand, placing his other hand on her lower back to help stabilise her. 

"I got you." He offers, walking her over to the bed he pulls back the well tucked in blankets with ease and helps her sit on the edge. 

"Ta.." She said then swung a leg up on to the bed as she awkwardly lay down on the bed, trying to pull the blankets up, Leon gave her a hand and lays them over her.

"You sleep well. I'll wake you up when the food arrives." He nods to her slightly and pats her forehead before walking over to his back and pulling out some solders with paperwork in them. He was going to start writing out his report now while Jessica slept. Jessica didn't envy that he had to do paperwork as well with his job. 

Her eyes closed and she was out like a light. The food had arrived around 2 hours later, but Jessica was still in such a deep sleep, Leon didn't want to wake her. She can eat it for breakfast before they left to go on their flight. Not like she was hungry anyway. She hardly ate as it was, her body not a fan of food and she would always be suffering for eating. However being asleep her body had gone into sleep mode and slowed down, lucky her, she didn't have to be embarrassed about going to the toilet every few minutes in front of Leon.

Night had come and Leon chucks on a grey, V-neck t-shirt and tracky dacks as he joined her in the bed. He would face Jessica, as he rest his head on the pillow. She was currently in a mess of curly brown hair, half her face shoved into the pillow laying on her side. She had just healed enough to be able to lay on her side, being a tummy sleeper, trying to fall asleep on her back was nearly impossible. 

Leon just let out a sigh as he turns out the lamp on his side of the bed and gets comfortable. He checks his watch to make sure the timer is set to 1 am, as they would need to be there earlier to go through customs and all the other fun stuff you did when flying internationally. Leon then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, the sound of steady breathing in front of him and the sound of his heart beat in his pillow lulling him off to sleep. 

-----*6 Hours Later*-----

"EMMA!!" Jessica wakes up screaming her friends name, arm extending and punching Leon in the face.

Leon was awake instantly, grabbing his nose that stung and seeing Jessica reaching out her arm, looking around confused and scared. She was breathing heavily and seemed dazed as if not knowing where she was.

"Hey.. Hey it's okay, you're safe." He reassured keeping a hand on his nose, his eyes watering from the decent punch he had received. 

"Leon? Sorry did I punch you?!" She asked doing her best to sit up.

"Yeah, it's all good though." He said taking his hand from his nose to examine if there was blood. "Not bleeding." He chuckled, placing his hand back there to help with the sting.

"I'm so sorry." Jessica apologised once again, only to receive a shake of Leon's head in response. 

"Nightmare?" He asked after a moment, is hand now coming away from his nose. 

"Yeah.. It was about Emma." She responds. Leon's eyes soften as he sees tears fall down her cheeks.

She was trembling from the cool suddenly hitting her body, but also from the pure adrenaline leaving her from the dream that had put her body in fight or flight mode. 

Leon was silent for a moment, looking down to his hands, they were the ones that killed her friend. Balling them into fists he looks up to Jessica about to speak but was cut off.

"I don't blame you.. She wouldn't have wanted to hurt me." She said softly, assuming he was just about to apologise for his actions. Leon just sat there, a little shocked she had given him a response without even asking. 

They sat there in silence for a moment until Leon looked at his watch and saw his alarm would be going off any moment.

"We are going to need to get going in a minute." He notes, looking Jessica over as she nods. "Alright. I left your food on the table over there for you to eat now before we go." Leon explained as he got out of bed.

Jessica had gone silent once again, getting out of bed she used it to walk over to the table, taking a few bites of her second ham, cheese and tomato toasty, now cold and slightly soggy from the tomato, as she packs everything up. Leon makes sure they had everything, doing a thorough search of the room. Handing his bomber jacket to Jessica for her to wear.

"Aren't you going to be cold?" She asked. "I'll only wear it until we get into the airport." She states. Only accepting the warmth for a few seconds as they walked from the hotel across the paved ground to the airport doors. She then hands him his jacket as they check in. She wanted to give his jacket back to him, but it also smelt really good. It had a hint of gunpowder, along with the strong smell of his cologne. He smelt really good.

They had both checked in, gone through security and then through customs, making their way to the chairs where they were going to wait for their plane to arrive. Sitting side by side there was that awkward silence once again, Leon could sit in the silence, but thought he should maybe try and get to know the lady he was going to be spending the next 23 hours next to.

"So do you have a family?" He asks.

"Yes actually.. and they are probably going to think I'm dead now." It hits her suddenly. She wasn't going to see anyone again, probably going to be stuck in America for the rest of her life, or until they find a cure for these outbreaks. She put her face in her hands and starts to cry, she was being as silent as she could so she wouldn't draw attention to herself.

Leon felt worse than he already did, he had already thought out what this situation would be like for her. She had no phone from what he could tell, and she had suddenly gone missing after the outbreak. Maybe he could let her contact them, just to let them know she was alive and well. But he was going to have to wait until he got home to do that. He places a hand on her back and rubs circles.

"I'll let you ring them once we get to America. I won't worry about the international call cost, I can cover it."

Jessica lifts her head and used her t-shirt to wipe away her tears and other liquids oozing from her face. She looked done, heartbroken, traumatised, in pain both physically and mentally, this struck a cord in Leon, a twinge of something he suddenly felt in his gut as he saw her looking up to him.

"Thank you.." She says quietly, wiping her face again to try and get rid of her tears.

"Anytime.." Leon smiled, still rubbing circles on her back.

The flag for business class was put up at the gate and Leon stands up grabbing both of their bags. He hadn't allowed Jessica to carry them at all, holding out his hand to help her up and walk to the plane. 

"But this is business." She said looking up to him confused.

Leon tilts his head to the side quickly as he helps her to her feet. "A perk of the job."