a man in a suit is holding three boxes of pizza . ALT: a man in a suit is holding three boxes of pizza .

|| How I feel looking at the TL right now:

[ Piers chuckled at that as he leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. ]

Just another thing that made me head over heels for you.

Wow, that's quite a big step.

[ He played along with him, grinning wide. ]

You really are a man of many skills, huh?

[ Piers nuzzled his nose against his cheek affectionately. ]

You already impress me, Kennedy. Especially with your little one-liners.

Quiet, you.

[ He smirked as he wrapped his arms around his neck, letting Leon carry him. ]

Heh, don't worry. My place isn't exactly fancy either.

Tch, shush it, you.

[ He grinned, taking his hand into his own and squeezing it gently. ]

Lead the way?

[ Nodding his head, he pulled back, smiling up at him. ]

Of course. I think my clothes would be just a little too small on you, anyway.

[ He hummed in thought. ]

Leon...

[ Piers sighed, knowing full well that the captain didn't hate him. Shaking his head, he wrapped his arms around Leon's neck. ]

You know what? Forget about him. Let's just enjoy our night together, hmm? I was thinking maybe you could come stay the night with me?

If I can get him out of a shithole bar to go on a mission, then surely I can get him to accept that we're dating.

[ Piers said confidently, his smile widening. ]

[ Smirking slightly, he leaned in and pressed a brief kiss onto his lips. ]

I'll convince him one way or another. I have a way of getting him to listen to me.

As long as you two don't kill each other. That's all I ask.

[ Piers shifted slightly to look at Leon better. ]

Chris will have to accept that we're together now.

I'll try to get him to be a little nicer to you, okay?

[ He leaned up, pressing a kiss onto his cheek. ]

Or at least get along with you while I'm around.

You're my boyfriend now. That might make him a little nicer to you.

[ He chuckled, lowering his hand to rest against his chest. ]

What can I say? I'm a workaholic.

[ Smiling, he ran the back of his fingers along Leon's cheek, stroking it affectionately. ]

You'd be surprised. If you try hard enough, the captain eases up a little.

— bits and pieces of the Raccoon City incident. Leon's name had come up briefly during those talks, being mentioned as a former cop that had survived with Claire.

— a slight nod of his head, he spoke.

"Chris mentioned you were a cop. You were with Claire when it all happened, right?"

Much to Chris's dismay, Piers had formed a friendship with Claire that consisted of making sure the eldest Redfield was taken care of. Through the siblings, Piers had heard —

If Piers were being honest, he was more on guard for the psychopaths that might be trying to experiment with Umbrella's leftovers. He didn't expect to find any living BOWs in amongst the city. Maybe in ARK, if there was truth to its existence.

Looking towards Leon, he listened to him speak. Giving—

My mind is always on the mission. Even off the job, I still think about our new discoveries.

[ Piers gently grabbed his wrist and pressed a kiss onto the top of his hand. ]

Heh, fair point. Chris probably wouldn't be too pleased about that either.

I guess I never thought of myself like that before.

[ Piers nuzzled his nose against his neck affectionately. ]

Perhaps I should try to look a little more welcoming, huh?

Hmm... maybe that's why some of the rookies seem so nervous around me...

[ He relaxed under Leon's touch, chuckling to himself. ]

Who knew I was so intimidating?

[ Laughing softly, he rested his forehead against his shoulder, hiding the redness in his cheeks. ]

Coldness? Really?

Well, maybe your own words helped a little, but still. I can see how much you care.

[ He chuckled. ]

Am I that hard to read?

It's just the look in them... It tells me that you care about me and you're afraid of what will happen. You don't want to lose me or fail me.

[ Piers explained, leaning in. ]

Can you see how I feel?

Your eyes give you away, love.

[ He spoke, pressing a light kiss onto the tip of his nose. ]

Even now, I can see how you feel.

[ Smiling, he squeezed Leon's hands gently. ]

You know, you're doing a good job of expressing your love already. More than you think.

You'll always satisfy me, Leon. Don't ever worry about that.

[ Leaning up, he pressed a chaste kiss onto his lips. ]

I hope that won't ever happen to us, but if it does, then I will always honor you and cherish the time we had together.

It is. I want to be with you, Leon. I want to be the one to wake up next to you every morning. I want to be the one you see when you come home.

[ Grabbing onto Leon's hands, he held them tightly. ]

I want you.

You're already doing it, Leon. Just by showing me you care and want to look out for me.

[ Piers smiled. ]

We can do it together. As long as we're together, we can figure anything out. I'm sure of that.

[ He reassured, keeping his gaze on him. ]

[ Tilting his head, he rested his hand on his shoulder. ]

Hey... what's wrong? Talk to me.

[ His voice was soft as he rubbed Leon's back in a circular motion. ]