Chapter Text
She was his biggest sins, laid bare and exposed. But if she were truly a sin, he’d gladly dive in and be a sinner.
Here he is, in his apartment, enjoying his well-deserved vacation after a long rough day of saving the president’s daughter.
He’s tired to all these bullshits. A two-week vacation was never enough for him, to heal the pain he had endured, the scars, the distress, but maybe if he paired it with a beer, everything would be gone.
The thought of her raced through his head again. Goddamnit. He should forget about her. She doesn’t cared about him. She just wants to manipulate him.
You went through all that shit back in R.C, haven’t you learned everything? Pretend she’s long gone. Vanished into the ashes of Raccoon City. She no longer exists in the present, just memories.
Prove to yourself, to her, that you had changed. Show that you don’t need to always dependent to her presence. She’s the enemy.
He sighed at his thoughts. Perhaps, he truly needed a drink. Leon sat up in his bed, grabbing for his coat that was hanging on the coat rack. And left his apartment to go out to the nearest store and treat himself a drink.
“Good morning, sir.” the cashier greeted with a warm smile, to which he did the same thing too. “Just a beer?” she asked as she scanned the pack of the beers.
“Well, how else am I supposed to celebrate?” he smirked. The lady turned her head up and a recognition flickered in her eyes. “Wait, you’re Leon S. Kennedy, right?” she asked.
He just simply nodded as a response. He’s sure as hell that she’ll bring up his heroic act of saving the president’s daughter with nothing more than just himself. “I’m a fan. I didn’t realize I’ll see you here.”
Nothing more than just himself? Really, Kennedy? “Haha,” he forced a laugh to the cashier, trying to mask the unease he was feeling, as he just stand there, patiently waiting for the cashier to finish packing his beers.
She, too, at least deserved an recognition by the president, for the countless time she had come and put herself at risk to rescue his ass back in Spain. But she ain’t need an recognition from the president.
He thinks, what is she doing, right now? Perhaps, stealing another sample. Speaking of her, a familiar figure catches his attention. That can’t be she... right?
She just stood there, in the food section, how couldn’t he noticed her as he walked inside the store?
Nothing had changed after 4 months, still the same her, perfect, lovely, hot, with her favourite color. Red. Even from that view, she still appeared to be the most beautiful woman he’d ever met, captivating, as always. Her short hair cascading over her face, particularly covering her features.
He situated himself, telling the cashier to wait for him, as he headed towards her. She didn't appear to feel his presence, though, or did she already feel it and pretend to be unaware, just to tease him? Typical Ada Wong.
He appeared to be a complete idiot to all eyes, watching a woman, doing her own goddamn business. “Don’t you think, it is very creepy for a lady to have someone watching her as she does her business, Mr. Kennedy?” she nonchalantly said, her gaze remained concentrated on the shelves, but paused browsing through it.
The way his last name ran through her lips. He knew, Leon will be on his knees, before he knew it, worshipping her as if she were the God. Focus, bad Leon. “What are you doing here?” he finally had the courage to asked.
“Shopping like normal people,” she retorted, a visible frown creasing to her brow. He couldn’t let himself but to wonder, if it was just his imagination or if she had indeed grown colder towards him in the four months since they last met. Perhaps, it could be the time when he had rejecting her offer.
He don’t know. Four months had passed, and as the time slipped by, he began gradually forgetting her voice. Leon took a moment to compose himself, and began, “It’s been a while, Ada,” his voice softening, Ada’s suprise was palpable, his tone seeming to catch her off guard, as uneasiness stirred within her.
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” confessed Leon, his words were carefully chosen as he talked to her. Ada, in her usual cool manner, just shrugged her shoulders lazily as if showing that their conversation is getting boring for her. “Me too,” she replied, the way she spoke, so casual, as if she was reporting the weather.
Leon studied her. Ada had always been a bit of a mystery, keeping himself guessing, and it pretty seemed that she hadn’t changed. Still her. He took a deep breath, steadying himself before continuing, “Are you okay?”
His question hung in the air. Despite what had happened back in Spain, their cold goodbyes, and how the time slipped by, he still cared about her well-being.
She fell silent for a moment, her gaze slowly drifting away from him. “Is that your way of asking about the Plaga?” her voice was barely above a whisper. He was taken aback, of course, by her sudden question. She really believed that he didn’t care about her. And he understood why she might feel that way.
“Ada, I’m not asking about it. I’m asking about you,” his words were heartfelt, reflecting his genuine concern for her. Ada melts. She shouldn’t have. Ada didn’t deserved his kindness neither of his genuine concern. “Still surviving,” she responded with an icy tone. Ada believed that she would only bring danger to him, that she herself was the danger, struck a deep chord within his heart.
“I missed you,” confessed Leon, looking at her chocolate brown eyes, really looked into them, he saw her more than just a danger. “But I know, I fucking shouldn’t. I had changed, remember? But I’ve missed you like crazy, damn near lost my mind without you. T-there are a thousand women out there, probably millions of them, but I always choose you. I don’t know why, it’s almost like you’ve got this hold on m-me that I cannot shake.” he shouted in a whisper. “You’re too fucking complex, Ada, more than I can wrap my head around. But no matter what, I could never bring myself to hate toy, forget you, or, God forbid, turn you in custody.”
“You drove me crazy, Ada,” he continued, frustrated. “You’ve like a whirlwind, always keeping me on my toes. And always like this, complex. Cannot be understand at all. And I just come to accept that it’s part of what make you so damn irresistible.” her expression softened a little, Leon felt expose... and vulnerable.
Her softened face came back to its iciness. “You should hate me, Leon. I worked for really... bad people, I manipulated you, and used you. Fate had given you plenty of reason to despise me,” her voice trembled, a hint of regret as she spoke. He became so naïve because of his love for her. She was heartless, that’s why she’s good what she do. Ada is best because she doesn’t have any of this fucking bullshits, right? “You made mistakes,” Leon stated, no, everything she had done wasn’t just a mistake.
“But what you had done doesn’t define who you are as a person. We’ve all made choice we’re not proud of, but it’s how we grow and learn from them that matters.” he paused for a minute, giving her a moment to absorb his words to her head.
“I can’t say that you are good nor bad. I don’t fully understand your motivations or the circumstances that led you down to that path. Or perhaps, I shouldn’t have to. But I believe in the capacity of change.” Change. She doesn’t think someone like her can ever truly change, perhaps others, but not her, that was she believed. No matter how much she may change, the lives she’d taken won’t just magically come back to life and forgave her.
He reached out for her, his touch were gentle as he placed a hand on Ada’s shoulder. Her defenses began to crumble to his touch, the cracks in her icy exterior revealed the vulnerability she rarely showed because she hated it. Perhaps, there was still a room for her to change. “Maybe it’s time, I start believing in second chances.”
He chuckled. He had fallen into her trap, it was true, though. She was his biggest sins, laid bare and exposed. But if she were truly a sin, he’d gladly dive in and be a sinner.
end.