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“Where are you right now?”
“The village. Spain.”
“Can you get out?”
“I don’t — I don’t know. There’s so many of them, all yelling — I don’t understand why they’re yelling, why they can talk — why everything is so wrong — “
“I’m going to get you out.”
“Oh.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
“You aren’t alone, Leon. I’m here.”
“But what if it doesn’t matter if I get out?”
“Look at me. Let me see you, baby.”
He has blood under his nails from where they dug into the flesh of his palm, but not enough for major concern. His face was waxen, eyes unfocused. But he was responsive to her, to her words.
He’s a good several inches taller than her, and more than several pounds heavier, but she pulls him into her lap as much as she can. Let’s him bury his face in her neck, wrap his arms around her, tangle their legs together. It a few minutes of him working to match her breathing before he speaks.
“Fuck.”
Claire huffed a laugh, turning her head to press a soft kiss to his neck, and then his cheek, when he finally looked up at her.
“Hi.” He said weakly. She just smiled and carded her fingers through his hair.
“Hey, you.” She replied, just as soft, but strong and warm.
“Flashbacks suck.” Leon muttered, before dropping his face back into the curve of her neck.
“Uhuh,” she agreed, moving her hand from his hair to gently squeeze the nape of his neck, while her other hand rubbed firm circles into his back.
“Do you know what it was?” She asked gently, ready to add it to her encyclopedia of Leon, to file it away for constant vigilance and reference.
“It’s a stupid one.”
“Ooohh, love a good stupid one.”
Leon snorted, hot breath on the bare skin of Claire’s neck, and she reveled in the victory.
“I think I — I entered the living room too quickly. And the way the couch is arranged, and the door — like I said, stupid.”
“What we’re you doing, barging into other people’s living rooms?” She asked, mock outrage coloring her tone.
He laughed for real at that, and pulled back from where he had huddled over her, so he straddled her legs instead of clutching at her like a koala. Not that she cared.
“Not enough guys were after me. I wanted to up the ante.”
“Always such a show off.”