𝓛𝓮𝓸𝓷 𝓚𝓮𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓭𝔂| ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ 4

I Don't Want To Hear About You Being With Someone Else

I skip into the precinct as usual, twenty minutes early for my shift at the RPD. Since joining the force around four months ago it's been nothing but fun, though the teasing from the other cops about me being a 'rookie' has begun to grate on me, it seems like the only officer who doesn't constantly piss me off is Leon, the previous rookie. I wave to the other staff and say my hello's as I make my way to the west office, ready to tell my newly appointed best friend about my weekend and the tales that ensued.

As usual Monday mornings aren't overly busy crime wise, so Marvin, my lieutenant, is quick to put me on paperwork duty. I sigh, grabbing both Leon and I a quick coffee and some snacks before settling down at my desk beside his, then right on cue Leon drags himself through the doorway, only five minutes later than usual. Our routine is almost comedic, ever since my start we've had some kind of silent thing working between us, we're great as a team and even greater friends, time doesn't matter when every work day feels just as fulfilled and amazing. Not to mention Leon's a gentleman when it comes to taking me out for lunch sometimes. 

I often wonder if there's possibility for something else, but Leon's never made any moves and I'm not willing to embarrass myself further than I already feel with the other cops treating me like a kid. I smile at Leon as he drops at his desk, a yawn escapes him as he waves at me then reaches for the coffee that I always set out for him. "No salt this time?" He tiredly asks. I shake my head, biting back a grin as I remember the time we both stayed up too late watching movies at his apartment, the next day we were so exhausted it may have led to silly mistakes that we now joke about. Leon sips his coffee, eyes widening not long after since he's delicate when it comes to caffeine, then we get to work for an hour or two until we're both at a point where we can slow down on the reports. 

"So, you'll never guess what happened at the weekend!" I grin, turning in my chair to tell Leon all about my weekend and the guy I spent it with, "I met this guy and he's super cute, but at the same time he's kind of an asshole? Anyway, we kind of hit a bump at the end of our second date which we had last night, I'm considering giving him a second chance though..." I happily say, but my voice soon trails off as I notice Leon's bubbly attitude soon shift to something more tense and annoyed. "Is something wrong?" I ask, brows furrowing in concern. 

Leon sighs, pursing his lips as he turns away from me and grabs another file to work on. "Can we just not talk about that stuff whilst we're at work?" He grumbles. I stare at him as he clicks his pen and begins writing. Weird, he usually listens to everything I say, and has never, not once, told me to not talk whilst we're at work. If anything Leon's always enjoyed the retreat of my ramblings. I bite my lip feeing my mood rapidly declining into a pit of self-doubt and sadness. 

"Okay." I weakly smile, then I turn back and get on with my own paperwork. The atmosphere between us feels wrong, like a bad storm is impending. I try to focus on my work as I sneak glances at Leon, notching how he's running his hand through his hair and frowning a lot, it's only something he does when he's stressed or mad. No matter how much work I threw myself into the hour following his abrupt comment only made me feel anxious and on edge, I hate confrontation and conflict but Leon's become a close friend and I don't want to ruin what we have just from a simple disagreement. I think of what to say, mind blanking at apologies or jokes, until a thought burrows into my brain and knocks everything I know off the edge. Is Leon jealous? 

In the end I choose to say something generic, since it's the safest bet. "Leon, are you alright?" I softly ask, unable to bear the bad vibes between us any longer. Leon's head looks up at me, expression somehow guarded as he forces a tight lipped smile. 

"Yeah, I'm just tired I guess." 

Lies. The amount of coffee in that cup I gave him would be enough to usually make him the chatty one, and I'd be the one to tell him to shut up between fits of giggles. I narrow my eyes, not letting this slide. 

"No you're not. Come on, tell me what's really bothering you?" I prod. Leon sighs, dropping his pen as his jaw tenses. 

"It's nothing, just forget it Y/N." He mumbles, dismissing me with an annoyed glare. I swallow, hating how we've gone from great friends to suddenly...this. 

"Have I done something wrong? Did I say something out of line?" I say, feeling my lip wobble. I've never liked crying in front of people, but if tears are what makes Leon forgive me or just spit out his problem then I'm willing to sacrifice myself. His ocean eyes catch on my wobbly lip then his face falls, as if knowing and feeling guilty that he's the reason I'm on the edge of tears. Leon opens his mouth, hesitates, then finally admits his problem. 

"I just...hearing about your love life bothers me, okay?" He huffs, closing his eyes as his cheeks flush slightly. My lip stops wobbling as I blink away those pesky tears that won't be falling today. I swallow, unsure of how to react, if Leon would one day tell me about his dating life maybe I'd be more cautious around him, especially if he's going through a breakup or something. That's the one aspect of Leon nobody knows about, he keeps it closed lipped and a secret. 

"Why?" I ask, digging myself a deeper hole. 

Leon takes a deep breath, sitting straighter as he shrugs and avoids my eyes. "I don't know. Maybe because I don't want to hear about you being with someone else, okay?" He murmurs, then finally he steals a glance at me. I just stare, lips parting, but he's not done. "Maybe...maybe I want you." He finishes, looking relieved yet terrified after the words slip out. My breath hitches as his words sink in, then slowly, I reach out, placing my hand over his slightly shaking one. Our eyes meet, then as if all of time stands still Leon leans forwards and closes the distance between us, his lips meet mine in a longing kiss that reveals months of unspoken feelings that have finally burst free. Thankfully we're alone in the office, but all it takes is one officer to come in, so reluctantly I pull away, but still keep my hand on Leon's. 

When our eyes meet this time I know it's the beginning of something incredible, and that our friendship has blossomed into something so much more. I just never realised it would lead to this. I'm unable to wipe the smile from my face as Leon lets out a breathy chuckle then glances away, swallowing as if stopping himself from kissing me again. 

"I mean, it makes sense, I guess we've just missed all the clues." I lightly laugh, shrugging up a single shoulder as Leon nods, smile widening now he's regained his confidence. 

"Yeah, great detectives we are." He mumbles. 

"And that's why you're both rookies!" Marvin calls out from his office. Oh my God, Marvin! I forgot he had his own little office within ours. I blush as Leon's eyes widen and his jaw drops, but Marvin just chuckles, shaking his head ruefully. "Took you both long enough to figure it out." He grins, then gets back to his computer. Leon and I look to each other, then burst out laughing as his hand turns up and links with mine fully. We smile at each other, sealing our newfound connection as I squeeze his hand and nod, a promise that we're in this together.