The dare had been tossed out half-jokingly, a casual comment over coffee about how “he wouldn’t look half-bad in lace and ruffles.” You hadn’t expected him to take it seriously: Leon S. Kennedy, seasoned agent, the man who could take down an entire strike team with nothing but a handgun, in something so… frilly. But now, standing in the doorway of your living room, you’re staring at living proof that you might’ve underestimated him.

The maid uniform fits far too well. Crisp black fabric hugs the lines of his shoulders and chest, the starched white apron cinched tight around his waist. The skirt brushes his thighs, swaying just enough when he moves to reveal the tops of black stockings held snug by garters. It’s absurd and strangely flawless all at once, every bit of him radiating that same calm confidence he wears on missions, except now it’s paired with delicate lace cuffs and a headband perched neatly in his hair.

He doesn’t say a word at first, just gives you a flat look that’s somewhere between you’re ridiculous and I’m going to remember this. Then, without warning, he turns away, picks up the feather duster you’d left on the table, and starts sweeping it across the shelves with precise, practiced movements. Not the fumbling of someone just humoring a joke, no, he’s methodical, thorough, almost militant in the way he works, as if cleaning your apartment is a mission objective.

“You’re staring,” he says without turning around, voice low and even, though you can hear the faint smirk in it.

“Am I?” you reply, knowing full well you are.

He pauses just long enough to glance at you over his shoulder, blue eyes catching the light: a flash of challenge hidden under a veneer of mild annoyance. And then he goes back to dusting, the sway of the skirt just enough to make you wonder whether he’s moving like that on purpose.

Somewhere between the absurdity of the outfit and the easy way he’s carrying himself, you can’t quite decide if he’s still trying to prove a point… or if he’s starting to enjoy the effect it’s having on you.