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Leon unlocked the door to his apartment with a quiet sigh. His ribs ached, his back hurt. His hands were – thanks to the t-virus – covered in scars, just like his arms and his neck. He didn’t know if they would fade or if they would mark him for the rest of his life. The scars were ugly; just like the memories of the ARK, of Gideon, of Zeno. At least Grace was safe and Emily had been rescued. Sherry was doing better too, which had been his top priority when they both decided to search for a cure. He had to save Sherry—no matter the cost. At least that was something he managed to do.
As he opened his door, he was greeted by warm white light flooding the entire hallway. His instincts kicked in immediately, and he drew his weapon from its holster, moving cautiously down the hall. Suspiciously, he narrowed his eyes and almost fired a shot when he heard a deep voice from the living room say, “Nice of you to finally make it.”
Relieved, Leon lowered his weapon and, without hesitation, walked into the living room, where he saw him. Chris wore a sly grin, and on his finger Leon noticed the ring. Their ring. The ring that promised they would never give up.
“Yeah, I got held up,” he replied, now smiling as well.
“Oh yeah? By what?” Chris asked, moving closer to him.
“My ribs. Felt like it took me forever to get up the stairs,” Leon said, not entirely serious.
“Nah, that’s not your ribs—that’s your age.” Chris stopped in front of him and loosely wrapped his hands around Leon’s neck before gently kissing him on the lips.
Leon sighed softly, closing his eyes without hesitation as he returned the kiss. Chris let his hands wander lower, but Leon stopped him. “I need to shower,” he murmured against Chris’s lips. Chris pulled back and nodded.
Leon turned away to head for the bathroom, but Chris stopped him. “Hey!”
Leon turned around and looked at him questioningly.
“About your ribs…”
“It’s fine. I was just joking.”
“Bullshit! Let me help you.”
“You just need an excuse to see me naked,” Leon teased, which made Chris laugh.
“You’re my boyfriend. I have permission to see you naked anytime.”
“Oh, is that so?” Leon shot back playfully, allowing Chris to carefully remove his holster, mindful of his ribs. The warm feeling spreading through Leon’s chest couldn’t be stopped—just like the dark thoughts that overtook him once again. Chris noticed immediately and gently cupped Leon’s face.
“Hey. What’s wrong?” he asked softly. Far too softly.
“I don’t deserve you. What if I fail you someday? Like Marvin? Like Marvin’s daughter? Like all the people who died in Raccoon City? I’m a shitty loser who can’t do anything on his own! If it weren’t for you, Grace, Sherry, and Emily would be dead right now. I’m a failure—”
“Stop!” Chris cut him off sharply. “You’re anything but a failure! You fought your way half-dead through Raccoon City, half-dead through Spain! You saved Ashley—and Sherry!”
“Claire saved Sherry.”
“And who signed himself over to the government afterward to make sure nothing would happen to her? That wasn’t my sister. Besides, I decide who deserves me. And I want you, you idiot! I want your terrible one-liners. I want your hair products all over my bathroom. I want you to sometimes spend an hour deciding on a leather jacket that you’ll end up losing on a mission anyway.”
Leon gave a faint smile, which prompted Chris to gently kiss his cheek.
“What I don’t want anymore is for you to handle things on your own. When Sherry contacted me about a chopper for you and Grace, I was sick with worry. I didn’t even know if you were cured.”
“You sent your entire squad,” Leon chuckled softly.
“Yeah, because you make terrible decisions when you go on your ego trips… and because I love you. I can’t afford to lose you,” Chris said seriously, brushing a strand of hair out of Leon’s face. Leon closed his eyes as Chris’s fingers left a pleasant sensation on his skin.
“We deserve each other. I just want you to tell me directly when you need my help from now on, okay? You’re not alone in all this shit.”
Leon opened his eyes, his throat tightening. He let the tears fall and pressed himself firmly against Chris.
“Okay,” he mumbled against Chris’s neck. “And I love you too.”