Meeting Phoenix (Part 8) (Patreon)

Leon x Phoenix(OC)

Words: 2,661
Contains: Shopping trip, Domestic Leon.

Morning rolled around and Jessica woke on her stomach, head facing the other side of the bed, her arms under the pillow her head rest on. She remembered crawling into Leon's bed last night after not being able to fall asleep in her own, newly appointed bed. Staring over to the empty side where Leon last was when she had fallen asleep, she sits up with a stretch and a yawn. For being Summer here it really wasn't that hot compared to what she is used to in her home town, but it wasn't the warmth of the morning that had peeked her interest. She could smell food.
Making her way downstairs she was still wearing the same clothes from when she had changed in the hotel before their flight yesterday. She had nothing, so it wasn't like she was trying to be a grot.

"Morning." Called a voice from below the stairs after making it halfway down.
Leon was in the kitchen cooking them breakfast.
"Hope you like pancakes?" He asked flipping the one currently in the pan, making it sizzle before turning to face his new company. 

Leon was wearing loose shorts that came to rest over his knees, the same grey sleeping shirt he was wearing last night when she had joined him. His hair was messy, but not by much compared to what it normally looked like, knowing him only a few days now.
"I do, I'll just have one thanks." She replies taking a seat on one of the stools at the island bench behind him. 

"One? Are you sure?" Leon asks her scooping up the pancake out of the pan and placing it on a plat. He then places that one in front of her, heading to the stove to turn it off and grab some butter and spreads. Setting them on the bench in front of Jessica to choose from, himself starting to spread the butter over his own small stack. Jessica chose the maple syrup, Leon waiting for her to be done before using it himself.
"We should probably get you some clothes today?" He suggest, cutting into the stack with his fork, stabbing the pieces and shoving the large amount in his mouth.

"I think that would be a good idea, I'll start to stink soon." She responds lifting up her arm and smelling under her pit. Not too bad, could do with a shower before it imprinted on her clothes though. 

"I have some shirts and tracksuit pants that you could wear for today?" Another mouthful of pancake being shoved in his mouth, chewing only a few times before starting to continue his sentence with a bulging cheek. "The legs will be long, but you can roll them up."

"You calling me short, Kennedy?"

"Yep.." He swallows before another mouthful is shoved in.

Jessica's eyebrows raise as she pursed her lips, trying to hide the smile creeping onto her face. "That's fair." She nods sideways and starts to eat her breakfast.
"Mm.. This is good." She compliments.

Leon gives a nod as a thank you, too busy to talk as he was eating. He was starving seeing as they had both gone to bed without dinner, he couldn't even remember if they had managed to have lunch. Either way he felt like he hadn't eaten in a week and he most definitely was NOT going to miss out on his breakfast.

After finishing their food Jessica walks around the island bench, stopping at the sink in the middle of it, about to start washing up her dishes when Leon sprung into action. He takes the plate from her hand and shuts off the water.
"I'll do the cleaning up."

"But you just cooked?"

"I insist." He says as he hip bumps her way from the sink. "You can find some clothes up in the drawers. It's still raining so I suggest long pants rather than shorts." He offers and Jessica just sighs, squinting her eyes at him.

"Fine.." Was all she would say before leaving the kitchen and making her way back up the wooden stairs. Leon watched her until she was out of sight, she still seemed to be holding up alright despite everything. She seemed to be walking better today as well, He was impressed.

She looks through his drawers, socks.. underwear.. Pants! She picks a black pair of trackies and a t-shirt that was hanging in the cupboard, walking to peek over the railing she saw Leon was still busy with the dishes downstairs so she decided to just get changed up there. Once dressed she pulled the shirt up to smell it again after it had gone over her head, he really did smell nice. Bending over to roll up the legs so her feet could finally be free she spots a black wallet on the ground at the end of the bed, it had fallen from the pocket of his work clothes. Opening it she saw a metal badge on the top, and an ID card on the bottom, his name, date of birth, clearance level and mug shot.
"S. Kennedy, Leon.." She says to herself. She wondered what S stood for.

Making her way back downstairs she didn't see Leon, but heard the shower in the bathroom. So instead she decided to just have a look around the house, it really was a lovely home. Very spacious, not much furniture or decorations and only a few children's drawings framed and hung on the wall in some places. He had a flat screen tv on a tv table with doors and drawers, a coffee table in the middle of a comfy looking L-shaped lounge and one or two fake plants around the place to give some colour. Walking over to the lounge she sees a book on the coffee table, picking it up she reads the title, it looked like a sappy love story, the front picture having a rose on a hand written letter. Jessica wasn't the best at reading fast, her words would get very mixed up and just end up getting frustrated after reading one page about three times before it sunk in. So she never really bothered. 

Her head turns to the bathroom door as it opened. Leon leaving the bathroom dressed in jeans held up with a belt, a thin, navy blue t-shirt and a towel over his head, hands rubbing over the towel to dry his hair faster. 

"Didn't think you were the type for sappy romance novels?" She pipes up, Leon's head lifting and peering through at her from under the towel. 

He gives a shrug and removes the towel from his now dark, dirty blonde hair, it will lighten back up once dry.
"And? I gotta pass the time somehow. You know, wind down from a mission." He explained running a hand through his hair to let it fall into place neatly.
"Do you read?"

Jessica shakes her head. "No, it's too hard. I just stick to my drawing." She placed the book back down on the wooden coffee table and walks towards the bathroom to shower before they head out. 

-----*An hour later in the Shopping Centre*-----

The both of them walk around, Leon following behind as Jessica made her way through the isles of clothing, she had gone to the cheap section, knowing Leon will have to pay for everything as she didn't have any many, nor a bank account in this country. She sighed thinking about having to make a bunch of accounts and trying to remember her new name. The sigh caught Leon's attention who was rubbing the fabric of a dress between his fingers.

"What's wrong? Nothing here you like?" He asked walking over to her, left hand in the pocket of his jeans. 

"No.. It's not that, I like some of these it's just..." She paused looking around at some of the prices, even though the currency was different they all seemed expensive. "I feel bad that you'll have to pay for it all."

Leon just shakes his head. "Money is not an issue with me. I have more than I know what to do with anyway." He turns around and goes back to the dress he was feeling the fabric of, pulling it off the hook. It was a light, floral summer dress, the material did in fact look soft and comfortable.
"How about this one? I think it would look cute on you." He said holding it up between the both of them, Jessica's head visible from behind it as he sized it up on her.

Cute? Yeah, he really was the sappy romantic type wasn't he? Either that or his default was to flirt, but it didn't seem intentional. She felt her ears turning red under her brown ringlets and just exhales in defeat.
"Sure.. I can get that one if you want to see it on me?"
Leon gives a small nod, his eyes much softer out in public than they had been when she first met him. It was like he had flipped a switch from agent to civilian.

After seeing Jessica struggle with the guilt of him having to pay, he walks around with her, picking out things he thought she might like or he thought suited her. He wasn't the best at fashion, but being a guy all he had to do was put on some pants and a t-shirt, or buy a suit and that was him done. He had gone on some shopping trips with Claire and Chris a few times and found out how hard picking out a look for a woman was compared to men.
Though there was one section he stayed out of, the underwear section. It was quite cute actually, seeing his normally paled ears and cheeks becoming a dusted pink. He knew every woman had to wear them, but since she was in there picking out what she would be wearing he didn't want to pry.

"Leon.. You know you can walk in this section?" She called out to him from amongst the isles, her eyes just taller then the maze of wracks. 

"I know, 's just, you'll be wearing them."

"And? You'll see them at home when I do my washing anyway. What's the difference?" She said with a smile beaming on her face from ear to ear. He really was too cute for his own good. "Come help me pick out something, I can't decide between these two." She teased, even though she was thinking of getting both.

Leon wiped his hand down his face, his fingers lingering to pinch his chin as he dropped his head and turned around, looking for Jessica's head and making his way over to her.
"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" She smirked.

He saw the look on her face and knew she was enjoying seeing him embarrassed like this. Looking to the two bra's she was holding he examines them both.
"This one." He points to the one held in her right hand. 

"Thank you, Samuel." She said placing both of the bras in the basket of clothes she had on the ground. 

"You just put both of them in."

"I know, I liked both, I just wanted you to face your fears." She said poking her tongue out at him before walking out of the underwear section grabbing a pack of undies on the way.
Leon just stood there for a moment, watching her walk away. She was playing with him and he didn't know if he was impressed by how well she had warmed up to him, or if he should keep an eye on her, she seemed very cheeky. Then it clicked, he walks after her, leaving the underwear section.

"Did you call me Samuel?" He asked reaching down to take the heavy looking basket from her hands.

"Yeah, I saw on your DSO ID, S was your middle name. So that was my guess." She allows him to take the basket from her hands, shaking them as it was starting to get heavy and hurt her fingers. He didn't want her carrying the weight with her surgery wounds still healing anyway.

Leon lifts his head in understanding. "I see. Well that's wrong." He follows Jessica to the toiletries as she picked out some shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash and grabbed some female products.

"Hmm.." She thinks to herself hearing her answer was wrong. "Simon?"

Leon only shakes his head, a slight smirk gracing his lips this time, he wasn't going to give her the answer. "Keep guessing, you might get it eventually."

The rest of the clothes and product shopping was mainly silent, Jessica blurting out male names that started with S every so often and sometimes a conversation was sparked, but didn't usually last that long. After buying everything Leon helped carry two bags as Jessica insisted she carry at least one of them, but she got smart and grabbed a shopping trolley to push around the mall as Leon wanted to do some window shopping while they were there. His main goal though was to head to the food court and get something to eat and drink, giving Jessica the tourists guide on what food was good to eat and what wasn't the best.

Sitting down at a small square table the both of them eat in silence, the sounds of talking, walking and a child having a tantrum every now and again drowned out any conversation they probably wanted to have. Once Leon had finished his food he sat back in his seat, hand holding his drink as he looked around at everyone walking passed and sitting down eating.
Jessica watches him as she takes another few hot chips, placing them in her mouth. She watched his eyes and expression, he didn't seem to be alert at all. Just soaking everything in like a sponge in silence. Though she couldn't tell if he was in fact keeping tabs on everyone, looking for any sign of whatever he delt with in his everyday job, or if he was just enjoying being away from work. Curiosity filling his thoughts while watching everyone and what they were doing.

"You don't get to do this much, do you?" She spoke up finally, she was feeling a little overwhelmed with all the noise and people around the place, her leg bouncing under the table. A habit she had developed as a young child in school.

Leon turns to face her, noticing the way her body shook from the momentum of her leg under the table. He noticed now the table was also moving slightly with her arms resting against the it. Underneath the table he moves his foot towards hers, stopping when it connected with hers and gently rest the bottom of his shoe on her toes.
"I do.. But it looks like you don't." He said with a soft look on his face, maybe it was time to head back home?

"I try.. Not the best at being around this many people." She gave a nervous chuckle and stopped shaking her leg once feeling the tap and weight of his foot on hers. The comfort was nice.

"You should have said something?"

"No.." She shakes her head. "You seemed comfortable and I know how hard you probably work. I didn't want to ruin it."

"It's fine, really. I have been given a week off to help you get set up with everything to live here as a normal citizen." He explained as he leans his elbows on the table. "We can go when you're ready."

Jessica smiles sheepishly, looking around and finished her food quickly so they could get going home. She had reached her limit an hour ago and was feeling extremely nervous to be around this many people after what she had experienced back in her home town. She was on high alert hoping there won't be another outbreak.