Tough Competitor

"Who is jealous?" Liana who had rushed to see him after submitting her file joined them with a smile.

But much to Leon's displeasure, Ryan followed her and even had his hand around her shoulder. No, he didn't like people touching him or Liana.

"Nothing, he was just curious about something." Drizella covered up as Leon didn't look serious with his question. He was just asking her out of curiosity and she smiled at him, happy that he was trying to talk with her.

No, Drizzy! You are wrong! You had sowed a seed called jealousy in him now!

"Oh," Liana just smiled and nodded to her.

"We should leave." Ryan said looking at the time and she nodded to him, "Start the car, I will come soon."

He nodded with a smile and walked out of the station. And everything they did just looked odd in Leon's eyes. That's how actors acted in the dramas his mother always watched on their TV!

"I am heading with Ryan for some private work. Stay here and look around the office until I come back okay?" Liana asked but Leon just stood there in a daze, staring out towards the entrance of the station.

"Leon," Slighty pressing his arm, she repeated again, "I have some private work. Until I come back, stay with Drizzy. Okay?"

She then looked at Drizella who gave her a thumbs up agreeing to look after him.

Leon nodded awkwardly jerking away her hand. With a smile, she ruffled his hair before heading toward the entrance.

Wait, was she going out with that guy? Leon thought blinking a few times and widened his eyes recalling Ryan's words.

Private work? Were they going on a work-date? He thought as that word had come up when he had searched for how to spend time with Liana during their work hours.

He clutched his strap and stared at her exiting back. Freeing his fist, he looked around trying to think of a solution to stop her and blinked anxiously when he saw her vanishing from the entrance.

No! He needed to act soon!

Leon's instincts kicked in and he sprinted in her direction. Grabbing her wrist, he took a few breaths as she turned around and blinked in surprise.

"You need something?" She asked trying to free herself but he gripped harder and she stared at him in confusion.

"I I," Leon looked left and right, his other hand flapping as he tried to come up with a reason.

"Are you afraid to stay alone?" Liana asked getting closer and lightly pressed his arm in worry.

No, he wasn't!

"Alright, do you wanna come with me?" She asked again and he blinked a few times, thinking about her offer.

He took a minute before nodding to her. He even smiled happily and Liana could only sigh later smiling back at him.

"Alright, go sit in the car. I will go get Chief's permission." Ruffling his hair, Liana smiled at him again and rushed inside the station.

Leon smiled before walking to where Ryan was currently standing. He was looking at his time, leaning over his car patiently and Leon felt weird staring at him.

He looked like that thief from his middle school who had once tried to steal his chair in the class. It was beside Liana and she had fought with the guy, even broke his nose trying to get back Leon's seat.

But this time, he wasn't sure if Liana could help him get back his seat. He was also big now, so he needed to take his own stand! Yes, he needed to fight against this thief by himself!

He took a few deep breaths and went to stand beside him. He peeked at his posture a few times and tried copying him by leaning on the car. Yes, he needed to look intimidating first to win against him.

"Where is Liana?" Ryan calmly asked but his question somewhat sounded like a challenge to Leon.

"She is coming with me!" He answered in a sudden response.

No, he hadn't planned that answer in his mind. Did he? He pondered blinking a few times and turned away from him.

"Alright, hop in!" Ryan replied, calmly again.

He was smooth and he needed to smoother with his acting, Leon thought before taking the back seat.

Liana soon rushed out and Ryan drove to the entrance to pick her up.

Opening the back door, she grinned at Liana but before she could enter, Ryan commented, "Am I a driver to you now?"

"Take the front seat!" He added opening the shotgun door and she pouted.

Slamming the back door, she grumpily took the seat beside him. Leon just lightly gasped, blinking as he stared at his half reflection in the front mirror. This guy was way smoother than him!

"Wear your seatbelt!" Ryan ordered taking a turn and Leon sighed out loud.

Ryan was a tough competitor! He thought clutching his bag and turning towards the window.

Liana glared at him and buckled her seatbelt. Turning around, she instantly grinned at Leon and stated, "Chief said you can only accompany us. So you need to stay in the car during our investigation. Okay?"

And when he nodded, she smiled before glaring again at Ryan. She wanted to sit behind Leon and chat with him, but this workaholic spoiled all her plans.

"Instead of glaring at me, stare at the files!" Ryan commented taking a side glance at her before concentrating back on the road, "You forget your questions and put me in trouble."

"Oh, then why don't you study them yourselves?" Taking the files, she placed them on his lap, "Here, take it!"

"It's your case and not mine!" Ryan simply stated and Liana steamed in frustration. "I am just here to help you and not to do your job."

He smiled as her nostrils flared up and she scoffed out loud.

"Next time you beg for my help, I will save that line for you!" Liana bickered back taking the files back from his lap to study them.

"Let's see, if it,"

"Please don't talk while driving." Leon suddenly interpreted and Ryan swallowed his words at his next statement, "These days accidents are 95% because of the carelessness of the driver."

"Pfft, hahah!" Liana laughed out loud and looked at Ryan, "Yes, please drive safely, driver!"

"Stop talking to him." Leon sternly said to her. "You are disturbing him." He added with a sigh that Liana immediately shut up, nodding to him through the mirror.

Leon sighed again and continued to look out of the window. No, he didn't take care of the accidents! He just couldn't hear their sweet banter as it was making him feel weird and also insecure at the same time.

Silence prevailed the whole journey before Ryan parked the car in front of a huge building. Liana and Ryan unbuckled their seatbelts and exchanged a few words as they took their belongings.

"Stay here until we come back." Turning to Leon, she ordered and when he hesitantly nodded, she hurriedly hopped out of the car.

Both of them discussed something on their way before entering the building and Leon sighed watching them leave.

He took out his phone and plugged in his AirPods. He leaned on the window and tried calming that weird feeling inside him. He then scrolled through his phone but when the maps showed his location, his eyes widened in shock.

He blinked a few times staring at the red pin and then looked out of the window.

'Hawkings Restaurant and Bar.' The board clearly read and he instantly walked out of the car.

Walking to the front of the building, he stared at the name again and started stimming anxiously.

"They are here on a date! People go to a bar to date not to work!" He paced left and right murmuring that sentence and started peeling off his fingertips.

"They are here on a date!" He repeated again and his brows knotted as he blinked looking at the entrance.

Taking a deep breath, he walked up the steps and returned back in fear. It was dangerous to enter a crowded place for him!

"They are here on a date!" He murmured it a few times before entering the building.

Running to the lift, he blinked standing in front of it but when the door opened, he gulped as this was a very bad idea. But before he could reconsider and get back to the car, someone pushed him and he almost stumbled inside the lift.

A couple rushed inside, fiercely kissing each other, and Leon crawled to the corner looking away from them. He tried to rush out, but too bad they pressed lots of buttons and the lift immediately closed.

"They are here on a date." He murmured again, stimming anxious, and started to panic seeing the couple.

Taking out his phone, he dialed Liana a few times but it went into voice mail.

The lift opened and he couldn't help but walk out, too stressed to stay with them in that lift. He ran to a corridor, clutching his bag tightly, and looked around for Liana.

But when he reached a dim-lit buzzing area, he gulped and started flapping his hands anxiously. It was crowded and very loud!

"Li-Liana, Lia," He tried calling her avoiding the people on his way, and shivered hearing the loud music.

Taking out his phone, he dialed Liana again and sent a voicemail instead, "I-I-I am inside,"

But before he could finish, a group of drunken jostled him and his phone fell to the ground. They kicked it and it got lost in the crowd.

"They are here on a date." He continued uttering that line as he searched for his phone.

Leon bumped a few people and he anxiously moved away avoiding them. And in the process, he didn't realize that he entered a much more crowded place! His eyes searched around for Liana peeling off his fingertips but lost his cool when he heard the loud shrieks.

"Ah, ah," Closing his ears, he tightly shut his eyes flapping his hands anxiously.

No, he shouldn't have come out of the car!