Work Text:
The shooting game was exactly the sort of distraction Leon needed right now. Luis had given him a suppressant and it seemed to alleviate most of the symptoms due to his parasitic infection. While they waited on the Merchant to finish a couple repairs, Leon decided to take a breather before continuing his mission.
“So, why are you helping us, anyway?” Leon asked Luis as he reloaded his gun, waiting for the targets to pop up.
“Let's just say, it makes me feel better,” Luis's answer was not what Leon wanted. It was too shallow, too vague.
“Feel better about what?” Leon pressed, hoping to get to the real reason. “Trying to make up for past regrets?”
The targets were shot down with expert precision, dodging the ones that represented civilians, until the last enemy fell. It was another high score and, unphased, Leon readied his weapon for the next set.
“Something like that,” Luis replied, and Leon could sense that he hit the nail on the head, even if the man was reluctant to admit it. There was a silence between them, interrupted only by the sounds of gunfire and the Merchant's voice over loudspeakers. Then suddenly, Luis spoke once more, his voice heavy with emotion.
“Look, I'm not proud of the things I did in the past,” he confessed, and Leon could hear the way his voice was deflated of his usual bravado. “Los Illuminados? I was working for them…”
“There we go,” Leon breathed, feeling as if they were finally getting to the heart of the issue. “So that's what this is about…”
“I know helping the two of you won't make up for what I have done, but…” Luis exhaled a sigh, and Leon could tell there was a weight on his mind and shoulders. “I just don't want anymore casualties.”
Regret was something Leon knew well; he had quite a few of his own that he had to live with from the Raccoon City incident. He regretted not saving more people, his inability to provide peace to those who were suffering. He regretted trusting the wrong person, foolishly helping her just because she said she was FBI, falling for her simply because she kissed him. They saved each other's lives, but in the end she was only using him…
“You know, I have a few regrets of my own,” Leon admitted, smiling sadly when Luis gazed at him in shock.
“You?”
“Yeah…So I understand what it's like to want to change things for the better.”
The shooting game finished and Leon reloaded his weapon without a word, collecting the silver and gold coins he won before heading back towards the prize room.
“And for what it's worth, people can change,” Leon added softly as he slotted the coins in the collectables machine.
“You think so?” Luis asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Leon turned to face him, reassuring him with a look of confidence.
“I know so.”
There was a brief silence as Leon collected his prizes, a small smile on his face as he realized he and Luis had a lot in common. He was wrong to judge him so quickly because of his past. But what really surprised him was the warm feeling in his chest. Like a sort of fondness that just appeared out of nowhere…or maybe it was always there, but he was blinded by mistrust and simply couldn't see it. For a moment, Leon wondered if Luis felt it too, but then he berated himself for being stupid.
“So, ready to go save Ashley?” Luis asked, and the smile on his face made Leon's heart flutter in his chest.
“Yeah,” Leon replied as he stepped onto the elevator, a soft blush on his face as Luis was suddenly very close to him, leaning in like he was going to…
Without thinking, Leon grabbed Luis by the collar and pulled him into a kiss. It was brief, gentle, and he felt his heart racing as they parted. But the surprised look on Luis's face made Leon question if he made the right choice.
“You were about to…right?” Leon asked, feeling a bit confused. “I mean…you were trying to…weren't you?”
“I mean…I was going to push the…” Luis replied, pointing to Leon's left. And that's when Leon remembered there were two sets of elevator buttons.
Well, shit!
“But, you have feelings for me?” Luis asked, and Leon never wanted anything more than to crawl in a hole and die. At least not since high-school.
“I mean…” but Leon couldn't think of a way out of this embarrassment other than to honestly reply, “I think so…kind of…?” And he really was contemplating death once Luis started chuckling softly. God, could this get any worse?
“I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at you it's just…you've been pretty intense towards me so I didn't think…” Luis chuckled again, turning to face Leon with an unreadable expression that made Leon's heart skip a beat.
“Ah, what the hell. Ashley can wait a few minutes more, yeah?” Luis decided suddenly before leaning in, and pressing his lips against Leon's once more.
Leon's mind blue screened as he tried to process what was happening, his mouth moving against Luis's as he wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer.
‘Yeah,’ Leon thought to himself, his heart palpitating in his chest, ‘Ashley can definitely wait for a few more minutes…’