ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ (arcane) wrote in valloic, @ 2021-12-11 12:17:00 |
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Officer Leo didn't like kids any more than he liked Christmas, but that didn't mean he especially relished the idea of taking kids down to the station because they'd been caught shoplifting. It wasn't the first time he'd had to have a chat with Nick and his parents down at the station, and it probably wouldn't be the last, but it was the first time he'd had to come down to Serendipity Middle School to do it. There was still an hour in the school day left when he knocked on the open door of the classroom, scanning the room for that familiar mop of brown hair, and once he spotted him, Nick's face taking on a distinct look of guilt when he saw him, he turned to the teacher. "I'm -" he started, and then stumbled, because wow, if this wasn't the most attractive teacher Leon had ever seen in his life, and he suddenly found his heart in his throat. He cleared his throat, and started again. "Hey. Hi. I'm Officer Leo. I've got to borrow one of your students." James always tried to make learning fun - or, well, relatively fun. In his social studies class, chock-full of eager young minds ready to soak up knowledge like their brains were sponges, to retain in later years, their main activity today had been a Christmas debate - the question posed was ‘is regifting acceptable?’ and he had those on the pro side line up in one section of the room, the con side on the other, with the undecided students in the middle. They then explained their viewpoints, listened to opposing arguments, and made sure to state what changed their mind if they shifted. He’d just been in the middle of assigning an essay related to this assignment when Officer Leo walked into his classroom and - What? Borrow one of his students? “Well, I wouldn’t dream of getting in the way of the long arm of the law,” he replied, eyes twinkling - they were the color of the sky, the sea, of infinity; but beyond that happy spark, there was still some concern. “Is everything alright? They’re not in too much trouble, are they?” Whoever it was. But considering Nick was slinking down in his seat, that may be a clue. “I’m James, “ he introduced himself. “It’s a pleasure, Officer Leo.” “A pleasure,” Leo echoed, taking James’ hand, and he probably could have gotten lost entirely in those eyes if one of the students hadn’t giggled. He flushed, letting go of James’ hand and reminding himself that he was far too busy to even entertain thoughts about a relationship. Leo was already married: married to the job. “But no, he’s not in too much trouble. Nothing a stern talking to won’t take care of.” It wasn’t the first stern talking to that Nick had endured, but it wasn’t like Serendipity Hills even had the concept of juvie. James shook the police officer’s hand - and, well, if he lingered for more than could be considered appropriate that was no one’s business but his own. The giggling of his student didn’t go unnoticed, however, and he may have flushed a little too - a bit of pink bloomed up the back of his neck and climbed toward his cheeks, slightly bristled because of the five o’clock shadow. He was well put together, however, in a cardigan and pressed slacks - he always looked put together, always put his best foot forward and did whatever he could to enrich the learning experience; James absolutely loved teaching. It was a calling for him, it seemed. He even tried to strike the best work-life balance, but - Even someone who loved his career choice as much as he did had to admit that he was lonely. “Ah, a stern talking to - I see,” he hummed thoughtfully. “Then I suppose he ought to go with you. If you need anything else, officer, perhaps you can let me know? I can - “ “You should give him your number,” one of the students, a girl in the front row with pigtails and braces spoke up helpfully. This made the students give another collective titter. “Right, just in case - “ James wrote it down on a Post-It note. “You’ll behave in the meantime, Nick, I hope?” Leo flushed, taking the Post-It note and trying not to notice how his fingertips brushed against James. “Right. I’ll call you if I need anything,” he said, knowing even when he said it that there was nothing regarding this current case that would ever require Nick’s teacher, of all people. Still, he told himself that he might need it just in case as he folded it and carefully put it in his pocket. He turned his attention to Nick, who no longer looked so guilty after all; in fact, he had something of a mischievous gleam in his eyes that Leo didn’t trust at all. He gestured the boy over, and as the kid compiled, he glanced at the board. “If you’ve got something you don’t want that someone else might like, you should definitely regift it,” he added, placing a hand on Nick’s shoulder so he could lead him out of the room.. “Helps cut down on landfill waste.” “Alright, so we’ll put you in the ‘agree’ category - good to know, officer,” James grinned, because yes, cutting down on landfill waste was important. As soon as Leo was gone with Nick, James turned his attention back to his class so he could finish giving them their assignment - though to say that his mind was being pinged in all directions (one of which being how attractive that small town cop had been), well, that was a massive understatement. It wasn’t until a few days later, when James knew his car was going to be the last in the parking lot and he was there staying late (grading papers, catching up on lesson plans before the push to winter break), that he saw Officer Leo again. He hadn’t intended to, of course, but when Nick rushed into the classroom saying he needed help, James jumped up immediately. “What are you even still doing here?” he asked, but the young student didn’t answer right away. He just led James to the teacher’s break room (this was about when a warning bell went off because what was the kid up to) and didn’t bother to flip on the lights. No, there was already light - candlelight, that is, little tea candles and a strand or two of twinkling bulbs hung up; there were Christmas decorations - some bows, a couple of wreaths, and the lounge fridge turned into a snowman (which - the blue plastic tablecloth that had been tied around its ‘neck’ as a scarf was clever, James had to admit). On one of the tables there was a spread of burgers and fries from the local diner, and James let out a wheeze of surprise. “I called the cop too,” Nick explained. “He should be here any minute.” Because reporting a break-in at the school’s trophy case, was like - super smart or whatever. In fact, Nick was pretty sure this would solve his biggest problem - Officer Leo always getting on his case - and would hopefully make his favourite teacher a little happier. He was beaming up at James when he heard the sound of footsteps in the hall, and then he slipped out one of the other doors to the teachers lounge. Leo had just finished clocking out at work when the call had come in, but he'd been the one to answer it and he insisted he could check it out himself. It was on his way home and it probably wasn't anything more serious than a couple kids causing problems, and it wasn't like he had anything better to do. It definitely wasn't because he was quietly hoping he'd have a chance to see that teacher again. Definitely not. Leo was done with romance. He didn't know what to make of the car still in the parking lot - it was possible it belonged to one of the staff, or it belonged to the people who'd broken in, in which case it probably wasn't middle school kids. He jotted down the license plate real quick and then entered the school, carefully, assessing for threats. He sped up when he saw the telltale flicker of golden light though, wondering if this had just been upgraded from a burglary to arson, though he froze when he rounded the corner and realized that the fire was contained in tea lights. And then he noticed the food. And then he noticed James. It took him a moment later to realize what all this obviously meant. "Did you set all this up?" He asked, flabbergasted, and then, with a dawning realization and annoyance, added, "Did you call in a false police report?" “What? No - “ James looked horrified by the idea of he, a law-abiding citizen who didn’t so much as have one speeding ticket, calling in something so scandalous as a false police report. Gasp. “It was Nick,” he attempted to explain hastily, looking around, realizing that the mischievous trickster had slipped out with barely a trace left behind - great, now James appeared to have a few screws loose, but... Well. Maybe they could salvage this. He was blushing rather hard, reaching up to sheepishly rub the back of his neck, but still. He’d try - he knew Nick meant well. Besides the few blips here and there where he misbehaved, he was ultimately a good kid. “He set all this up and said he needed help, so he led me here and...” James shrugged, casually. “Now you’re here and - I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a break?” Leo wasn’t entirely sure if he believed that James wasn’t behind it, except the whole thing had “Middle School Student” written all over it, from the tea lit dinner after a single meeting to the burgers and fries that were all laid out. And, well, it was kind of hard to be suspicious of someone who looked so bashful. So, dare he think it, cute. “I guess I was just headed home anyway, and it beats cooking for myself,” he said, hand going to the back of his neck. “Working late tonight? I’d have thought everyone would be gone by now,” he said, taking a seat at the table. This was definitely a little awkward (or maybe it was James who was awkward?) but it also felt right too - in a way that was difficult to explain. Comforting, actually - like an embrace. The warm sea, a spring day caught in sunshine. Apple pie. Something along those lines, anyway - and James wasn’t about to just give up on that. “Right - can’t go wrong with burgers,” he chuckled a little, taking the seat across from Leo, where the candles allowed for this warm golden glow. He was a bit surprised Nick hadn’t set up his iPhone to play romantic holiday tunes. “I don’t usually work late, but I wanted to get in the last of the paper grading before winter break. How about you?” James took one of the fries, popping it into his mouth. “You work pretty long hours, then?” “I’m a cop,” Leo answered, picking up one of the fries, and waving it as he said, “I’m always working.” He bit it and half. Not that there was much crime in Serendipity Hills, but that didn’t stop Leo from finding ways to fill the hours, even the unpaid ones, with work. “You never know when you might be called in, so,” he shrugged. “Oh - well, I suppose.” James frowned a bit - he didn’t think their small little picturesque town was rife with too much crime. No need to constantly be out there prowling the streets (he knew of some people who didn’t even lock their front doors, they just felt that safe) and, besides, Leo wasn’t the only cop? Was he? “Seems kind of lonely though.” It was an observation he made as he examined the milkshakes Nick had procured (they were chocolate, simple but effective) - he’d really gone all out, hadn’t he? Must have been hoping for stellar grades in the future, in this attempt to suck up - or maybe it was just that he seemed to really notice that it likely wasn’t only Officer Leo who was lonely. “Sometimes you’ve got to stop and smell the roses - or sip a milkshake,” he added, toasting with his. “You keep busy enough, and you don’t have to notice the whole lonely thing.” It was lonely though, it was hard to argue about that. You could keep your mind off it most of the time, especially during the day when you could fill your time with something else, but at night, when he got home from the night… “Anyway, it beats getting your heart broken.” Leo picked up his milkshake and frowned at it a little suspiciously. Still, he toasted it with James and took a noisy sip through the straw. “Who buys milkshakes in December anyway?” he asked. “There’s always a risk for a broken heart but - some risks are worth taking,” was James’s observation, straw poking into the milkshake. It was good for dipping fries in there, he’d give it that - though he didn’t go for the dipping right away, not wanting to put off Officer Leo with his odd food tastes. “A kid trying to set up a romantic scene buys milkshakes?” he chuckled. He was also still a little bit pink, but - maybe it was the thrill of actually being here and on something resembling a date. Perhaps there would even be more in the future? No way to know unless he tried - and like he just said, some risks were worth taking. Life wouldn’t be worthwhile, things wouldn’t change or grow without a little bit of risk. “Could go for hot chocolate next time,” he added casually. “If that’s more your thing.” Leo wanted to say that some risks were so obvious that only fools bothered taking them, but he'd managed to get caught again in the depthless pools that were James' eyes, and he had to rip his gaze away, blushing furiously at his fries. "I'm actually pretty sure there's something in the bylaws written about how everyone in Serendipity Hills has to like hot chocolate," Leo said, only half joking. He'd recovered enough that he was able to shoot James kind of a half-grin, which then faded a little. "I do have work though. There's been some burglaries in the area lately." He swirled his straw in the milkshake, and added, absent-mindedly, "If he really wanted to make it romantic he should have brought one milkshake and two straws." There was a muffled,"Aw man," from behind one of the doors, and Leo gave a small start, glanced toward it,and then gave James a quizative look: should they ignore it or haul the kid out? Aha, caught. Apparently the kid was still there. James couldn’t help the look of amusement which crossed his features - it truly was difficult to be mad at this middle schooler; clearly he meant for this to be a helpful intervention for two people who were quite obviously lonely and could, perhaps, find happiness by taking a chance and leaning on each other just a bit. James would go the ignoring route - even though they both knew he was there. The teacher smiled, however, something reassuring. “When you’re not working, then,” he offered - one of them had to take a page from Nick’s book, and kind of push a little. Not in a damaging way, but a way that said he was willing to really go for it and not be afraid to put himself out there. “I'll throw in more romance. Somehow.” Ignoring would not have been Leon’s choice, but James knew the kid better than Leon did, and really, there hadn’t been any harm in all of these. He’d obviously gone through a lot of trouble to make all this happen. He took a bite of his burger. No, the kid hadn’t done bad at all. Except then James was talking about throwing in some romance, and suddenly the burger wasn’t so appetizing. He wanted to say yes. He wanted it more than he’d wanted to say yes to anything in a long time. And that… Well, that was more than a little terrifying. It had been years since his ex had left him with barely a good-bye. Had just packed his bags one day and left. But it was still fresh. “I’m sorry,” Leo said, standing up and shooting James a pitiful glance. “This was a mistake. I need to go.” It wasn’t necessarily a lie. He should call the station and let them know the situation at the school before they worried anyway. And it wouldn’t hurt to go driving around the neighbourhood looking for any suspicious activity. Well, it didn’t look like James would get to ignore Nick for very long - because he emerged from the shadows where he’d been hiding, looking flabbergasted. About as flabbergasted as James probably looked, and actually felt. “What? Why?” James asked, standing up and experiencing a chill that had nothing to do with the whimsy of consuming milkshakes in December. Had he done something wrong? “Please don’t go,” he tried, one last-ditch effort to get Leo to stay but - it seemed he had itchy feet and was determined to run from this particular (crime) scene. Oh geez, and now here was the kid, and they were both giving him the same confused, nearly irresistible puppy dog stares. Nearly irresistible. "I'm sorry," he said again. "It's not you, really. I just… I can't do this again." He turned to Nick. "This was ballsy of you, kid. It was," his eyes flicked to James, and he felt a stab of guilt. "It was nice." And then he was out the door. After that burgers-and-fries setup (which eventually exploded in a fiery inferno, a figurative one), James was a bit distracted. Understatement, really, but he couldn’t figure out what had happened - everything seemed to be going so well and, sure, maybe he and Leo were kind of nudged into the situation but both of them just needed that push? And things would work out, right? Well. It didn’t happen that way. James went into winter break feeling despondent - like an avalanche just careening downhill, picking up speed; it was becoming more and more difficult to avoid those feelings. But goodness knows he tried. He was out in the afternoon, having just come from his classroom where he spruced things up and made sure the space would be nice and tidy when he eventually returned - he wasn’t sure what his ‘vacation’ plans would include, but had a feeling it’d involve dinners for one and picking his own movie marathon. Trying to decide what films to queue up gave him something to numb his brain, at least, and he was at a red light in the center of town waiting for it to change when - Being tapped from behind by someone not following the ‘no texting and driving rule’ wasn’t exactly on his agenda today, but that may as well happen. Honestly. There wasn’t much damage and James himself was perfectly fine - but he got out of the car, the skies looking swollen with snow clouds, and went to further assess the situation. The person who hit him was just a kid - star of the local basketball team, go Rams - and clearly nervous, but. So was James. Because calling the police needed to happen and he’d rather just...not. Leo hadn’t slept well after the whole burger incident. He’d stayed up late driving around the streets of Serendipity Hills, looking for any suspicious activity going on in any of the houses and probably looking pretty suspicious himself as his car creeped slowly down the residential streets. He had, eventually, gone home, but every time he closed his eyes he saw James’ wounded expression, and Nick looking at him with those sad, childish eyes, and he tossed and turned until he’d finally fallen into a rough semblance of sleep two hours before he had to be up for his yoga class the next day. And yoga had gone well, despite how tired Leo was. He’d found himself, somehow, compelled to tell Xichen all what had happened, and Xichen had told him to “follow his heart.” The problem was, Leo didn’t know where his heart wanted to lead him. If he should stay put and keep it safe, or if he should go out and put it at risk again. A rear end collision wasn’t anything major to start his day with, and he almost didn’t think twice about it until he saw the license plate number of the vehicle that got hit in the report, and recognized it from the car that had been in the school parking lot the night before. His brain concocted 100 different scenarios, each of them worse than the one before, before he managed to make it the scene of the accident, and even if he saw that both cars were fine and, in fact, both drivers were standing around outside their vehicles, his worry didn’t abate. He beelined for James. “Are you alright?” he asked, reaching to take the sides of James’ head in his hands. He gazed into his eyes, ostensibly to check for signs of a concussion. “Are you hurt?” When the cop showed up (and of course it was Leo), James could tell that the poor guy who did the rear-ending just about had a panic attack. Honestly, James was close to one too - but with a different root cause. He actually huffed a little laugh, fingers curling in the front of Leo’s uniform, as if to hold himself steady. It was possible he’d fall over, given how insane this situation was. “I’m fine,” he insisted. “Not hurt, just - a bit of a fender bender. No big deal.” There were barely any dings or scrapes - and likely they’d exchange insurance information and be okay, nothing too dramatic about it. He watched Leo skeptically, wondering why he’d bothered to show such concern - shouldn’t he just write up an accident report and then be on his merry way? “I’m sure you’re busy with work, so - maybe I should just leave you to it?” he asked, bright eyes daring to be a bit hopeful that maybe Leo cared for other reasons. Leo searched his eyes a moment longer, as if some sign of a concussion would suddenly appear and then he dropped his hands from James’ face. He didn’t pull out of James’ grip as he turned to the other driver, who looked like he was nearly about to start crying. “Yeah, I should probably write an incident report,” Leo said, a little reluctantly. The entire drive here, he’d been worried that James had been seriously hurt, and how the last thing he’d done was blow him off like that. And sure, it had been only the second time they’d ever met, but Leo couldn’t deny that they had a real connection. Would he be an idiot if he sat this one out? He thought he knew where his heart was trying to lead him. “But once I get it written up,” he said, looking back over at James, “do you want to maybe grab some hot chocolate?” James smiled - it was genuine, warm, full of promise. He didn’t respond out loud at first - just tightened his grip on Leo to pull him nearer. And went with the rather bold move of kissing him - indeed, a kiss, like he was the air, the oxygen, keeping James alive. It was sweet too, candy floss and ice wine made from grapes frozen on the vine. And much to his surprise, it started snowing just now also - a light wintry mix that was accompaniment to the time-stood-still moment, along with the gaping licensed kid who hadn’t expected to cause an accident and then cause...this. James wasn’t complaining, however. “Yes,” he finally said. “I think I’d like that.” When the kiss broke, Leon looked up at the sky, grinning at the big fluffy snowflakes that were coming down, and let out a laugh. “Perfect,” he said, kissing James again. “We’ll find a way to make it romantic.” |