I don't know if you ship Carlos x Leon, but if you do, prompt: "You don’t know what you do to me, do you?”
(I do! ;) I love that ship! So, here’s a little AU where Carlos and Tyrell had previously bumped into Leon during the Raccoon City Incident and then Carlos joined the BSAA and became one of its founding members. The organizations that Leon worked for over the years frequently work with the BSAA and eventually they become a joint organization, so Carlos watches Leon grow from this naive rookie to the hot DSO Agent we know and love.
Let’s just say, Carlos can’t keep his eyes to himself.)
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When Carlos had first met Leon, he was this meek little rookie police officer wandering aimlessly around the RPD. It had mostly been in passing while he and Tyrell searched the place for survivors and Dr. Bard. Even from a distance, he was smitten with the beautiful man. Back then, he didn’t get anything more than “Leon” when he finally did bump into the younger, although he would later find out that he and Leon were actually the same age, the police officer had decided that it had been better to split up and cover more ground. Carlos had agreed, but felt guilty. Leon had been unaware that Carlos and Tyrell wouldn’t be sticking around the Police Station for very long, that they needed to pursue their own mission.
Carlos had wished that he had stayed by his side and helped him out. During the whole mess, the city seemed to get worse and worse, and Carlos couldn’t help but worry about the rookie. He had been haunted afterward because, after he and Jill left Raccoon, he had been left wondering if the police officer had even made it out. Leon had been doing pretty well on his own, but could he survive the city before it ate him alive? Like it ate the others?
He had joined Jill and Chris Redfield and their merry band of leftover STARS Officers. Chris hadn’t been very happy when he had discovered that Carlos had been a part of UBCS, but after Jill talked him down and explained what had happened, Chris had calmed down and accepted his help. The man and Barry Burton had been grateful that Carlos risked his life and kept Jill safe. Although he should have felt better, he didn’t...considering what may or may not have happened to Leon and the others.
He hadn’t felt like a lifesaver.
But not even six months later, Carlos got the shock of his life; Leon had made it out alive after all. The rookie had somehow tracked their team down to a safehouse in France, Carlos and Chris coming back from a cafe when a blond man with shades and a brown trench coat stopped them, asking mainly for Chris. Had Carlos not recognized his facial features and the style of his hair, Chris surely would have attacked Leon.
Apparently, Leon had survived Raccoon with the help of Claire Redfield, Chris’s little sister, and they had managed to save a little girl as well. Leon came there because Claire had gone looking for Chris and got into some trouble. At the time, she had been arrested by Umbrella and ended up in their prison on Rockford Island. Carlos had missed the smaller details, too entranced by the blond’s beauty. Once he was done conversing with Chris, Leon had turned to him with a small smile, asking Carlos how he had been. It had only been six months, but it had felt like years, so Carlos shouldn’t have been surprised that Leon remembered him.
Over the years, Leon had gone from a distant memory to a frequent character in Carlos’s life. Leon had managed to convince the organizations that he worked with over the years to form a partnership with the BSAA. They frequently worked together to take down Umbrella and anyone else who had taken over their operations and peddled BOWs and the viruses that created them. Carlos watched Leon go from inexperienced and admittedly adorable rookie to a gorgeous seasoned agent.
When he would flutter in and out of the office, Leon always wore a smile that lit up the room. He would work with everyone, he greeted every single person and seemingly knew everyone by name. Though, Leon’s favorite “hang-outs” were Carlos’s desk and Chris and Jill’s office. Leon would spend hours doing paperwork at Carlos’s desk, sharing conversation and bantering back and forth. Then, they would go out on a lunch break, going to the same deli for sandwiches. And Carlos looked forward to his company every day.
It was when Leon had come back to hand in the report from Harvardville when Carlos finally asked him out on a date. Leon had been a bit taken back by that, and it probably didn’t help that Carlos had hit him with a cheesy pick-up line. The brunet blushed and didn’t give Carlos a definite answer, saying that he would have to think about it due to his busy schedule. Carlos played it off like it wasn’t a big deal and tried to be a good sport, but internally, he felt let down.
Maybe Leon wasn’t as interested in him like he previously thought? Maybe Carlos had been wishfully thinking and read the wrong signs?
Respecting his wishes, Carlos decided to keep his distance once more, watching from the sidelines and going back to admiring him from afar. He had heard through the grapevine that Leon was seeing someone, a mysterious woman whom the agent frequently ran into. Carlos couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy he felt, wanting to know just who this woman was. Although, Carlos technically had no right. Leon was a grown man, who was he to say who Leon could and couldn’t date?
Regardless of what he told himself, it still didn’t ease the sting.
The days started to blend together, and Leon still sat at his desk to do his paperwork, acting as though Carlos hadn’t asked him out. They continued their friendship, much to Carlos’s relief...and disappointment, but he had decided that he would rather Leon reject him and that they continued to be friends over Leon not wanting to see him again.
Carlos got older and felt like he didn’t look very different from the cocky bastard he had been in Raccoon...but Leon? The agent outgrew his baby face and aged like the finest fucking wine in the cellar. He looked more fit for a runway or a magazine than a secret agent. Though, Carlos imagined Leon’s missions were like that of James Bond, a hot agent who went on adventures, got the girl and went on a sort of vacation after a job well done.
Little did he know, Leon’s life wasn’t as interesting as he thought.
(Read the rest here and let me know if I should make it a series or multi-chaptered! Feedback appreciated!)