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The bedroom was dark except for the faint orange glow slipping through the curtains from the streetlights outside. The apartment had gone quiet hours ago, peaceful in the way Leon rarely allowed himself to believe life could be now. Until he woke up gasping. You jolted awake beside him at the sound, heart immediately sinking when you saw him hunched forward on the edge of the bed, breathing hard enough it almost hurt to listen to. His hands trembled against his knees, jaw tight, shoulders rigid like he was still trapped somewhere far away from here. “Leon…” He didn't answer at first. His eyes stayed fixated on the floor, unfocused and distant, chest rising too fast beneath the thin gray shirt he slept in. You could already tell it was bad this time. Worse than the usual restless nights. Slowly, carefully, you pushed yourself closer and rested a hand against his back. That finally made him react. He flinched hard enough to make your heart ache before immediately realizing it was you. “Sorry,” he muttered hoarsely, dragging a hand over his face. “I… shit…” He exhaled. “It's okay.“ You whispered. “You're home.“ The words seemed simple, but you watched the way they hit him anyway. Home. Not the ruined hallways still haunting his head, not the blood, not the screaming, not the things he couldn't save. Just home.
You moved closer until your arms wrapped carefully around his waist from behind, resting your cheek between his shoulder blades while his breathing struggled to steady itself. For a moment, neither of you spoke. Then, quietly, almost embarrassed, Leon admitted, “I saw them again…” Your grip tightened slightly. You knew exactly what he meant. The nightmares after the events of Requiem had become less frequent over the months, but when they came back, they hit him brutally. Sometimes he woke up angry, sometimes silent. And sometimes he woke up like this. Broken open in the middle of the night. “They're gone, you survived Leon.“ You murmured softly. “Yeah…” He laughed weakly, bitter around the edges. “That's kinda the problem.“ You frowned immediately at that. Without a word, you gently guided him back against the headboard until he finally let himself lean into you. The second your fingers touched his face, some of the tension cracked apart. “You don't have to carry all of it by yourself anymore.“ You whispered. His eyes shut. And finally, finally, he melted. Leon buried his face against your neck, his unshaven beard tickling your skin, arms wrapping around you with desperate strength like he needed a reminder that you were real, alive, here. You stroked your fingers through his messy blond hair while his breathing gradually calmed against your skin. “No nightmares tonight,” you whispered against his temple. “I've got you.“ For the first time since waking up, Leon actually relaxed in your arms.
Leon stayed like that for a long time. Quiet, exhausted, holding onto you like letting go would drag him right back into the nightmare again. You didn't rush him. Your fingers kept moving gently through his hair while the apartment settled back into silence around you, interrupted only by the occasional shaky breath leaving his chest. Eventually, you felt him loosen his grip just enough to look at you. Even in the dark, you could see how tired he looked. Not physically, not just that. The kind of tired that lived somewhere deeper. “You should sleep,” he murmured, voice rough from barely speaking. “I woke you up.“ You gave him a soft look. “Leon, I really don't care about that right now.“ A faint, almost guilty smile pulled at the corner of his mouth before disappearing again. “I thought it was getting better… The nightmares.“ He admitted quietly. “It is getting better.“ He looked unconvinced. You cupped his face gently between both hands, making him actually focus on you instead of whatever memories were clawing around in his head. “Healing isn't linear,” you whispered. “Some nights are just harder than others.“ For a second, his expression cracked completely. Not dramatic, not crying. Just painfully vulnerable in that way Leon only ever allowed himself to be around you. “I hate that you have to see me like this.“ Your heart ached instantly. “Like what?“ You asked, still caressing his cheek. “Weak.“ The word came out so quietly it almost didn't sound like him. You frowned right away and moved closer until your forehead rested against his. “Leon,” you whispered firmly, “you survived things that would've destroyed most people. You kept going anyway. That's not weakness.“ His eyes dropped for a moment. “I couldn't save everyone…” His voice came out so quietly you could barely hear it. “You were never supposed to.“ Silence settled again. Heavy, yet softer this time.
You felt his hands slide slowly around your waist again, less desperate now. More grounding, like he was trying to anchor himself to the present instead of drowning in the past. Then, after a long pause, he quietly asked, “Do you ever get tired of this?“ You blinked. “Of what?“ He locked his eyes back with yours. “Taking care of me after nights like this.“ The fact that he genuinely sounded worried about it nearly broke you. Without hesitation, you leaned forward and kissed him softly. Slow, warm, gentle enough to make his shoulders finally relax completely beneath your hands. When you pulled back, your nose brushed his lightly. “I married you,” you murmured. “Taking care of you on nights like this was part of the deal.“ Leon let out the smallest breath of laughter after that, exhausted but real. Then he pulled you into his chest again, holding you underneath the blankets while you both slowly sank back against the pillows. This time, when your fingers traced softly across his arm, his breathing stayed steady. And before sleep finally took him again, you felt his lips press quietly against your forehead. “Love you…” He mumbled sleepily. You smiled against his shoulder. “Love you too…”
Morning light spilled softly across the bedroom hours later, warm streaks of orange filtering through the curtains and landing across the tangled sheets. For the first time in days, Leon was actually sleeping peacefully. No tense expression, no uneven breathing, no signs of another nightmare pulling him under. Just quiet. You smiled faintly at the sight of him still half buried against your chest, one arm wrapped securely around your waist, like even asleep, he refused to let you drift too far away. Carefully, trying not to wake him, you attempted to slide out from under his grip. Big mistake. The second you moved, Leon tightened his arm around you immediately and pulled you right back against him without even opening his eyes. “Leon,” you laughed quietly. “No.“ His voice came out sleepy and muffled against your shoulder, rough with morning exhaustion. “I was just gonna make coffee.“ You muttered. “Petition denied.“ He said. “Stay here.“ You tried again anyway, mostly just to tease him this time, and instantly felt him bury his face against your neck with a groan. The scratch of his stubble dragged warmly against your skin, making you squirm with a quiet laugh. “Baby, don't abandon me.“ He complained softly, still half asleep. “You're literally using me as a pillow.“ You laughed. “And?“ He said with his eyes still closed. “And your beard is attacking me.“ You tried to move away but failed. “That sounds like a you problem.“ You laughed under your breath as he shifted slightly, the rough scrape of his jaw brushing against your throat again before he finally opened one eye to look at you.
His blond hair was completely messy from sleep, his face still soft with exhaustion despite the calmer night. But there was something lighter in him this morning, softer. Especially when he looked at you. Without warning, he leaned forward and pressed a sleepy kiss against your jaw. Then another against your cheek. Then one directly against the corner of your mouth. “What are you doing?“ You smiled immediately. “Preventing you from leaving.“ He said, leaving another soft kiss at the tip of your nose. “By attacking me with kisses?“ You asked, smiling. “Exactly.“ You barely had time to laugh before he pulled you fully into his chest again, arms tightening securely around you underneath the blankets while you buried your face against his shoulder. The warmth of his body, the steady heartbeat beneath your cheek, the lazy little kisses he kept pressing against your skin every few seconds, mixed with the familiar roughness of his beard brushing against you. All felt painfully soft after the night before.
Your fingers slipped gently through his hair again, earning a quiet hum from him. “There you are,” you teased softly. “My clingy husband.“ Leon cracked one eye open again. “You say that like it's a bad thing.“ He said, looking down at you. “It's 7am.“ You looked up at him, fingers still tangled in his soft hair. “And?“ He asked, pulling you slightly closer. “And I need to get up eventually.“ Leon shook his head in response. “Yes, I do.“ You complained. “Nope.“ He pulled you even closer somehow. “Doctor's orders.“ You snorted. “Since when are you a doctor?“ He peeked over your shoulder, looking at the clock on your nightstand. “Since approximately thirty seconds.“ You shook your head fondly, but the smile never left your face. Leon noticed immediately. His expression softened in that quiet way it always did around you before he leaned down and kissed you properly this time. Slow, lazy, warm with sleep. The rough brush of his stubble against your skin made the kiss feel even softer somehow, grounding in a way you couldn't explain. The kind of kiss that said everything he struggled to put into words.
When he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours while his thumb traced gently along your waist underneath his shirt, which you'd stolen to sleep in. “Thank you.“ He murmured quietly, lips lingering close to yours. “For what?“ You frowned softly. “For staying.“ Your chest tightened instantly. You kissed him again before he could spiral back into his own thoughts, smiling when you felt his hand reaching to cup your cheek and deepen the kiss a little more. “I'm not going anywhere, Leon.“ The look he gave you after that was so unbearably full of love it almost hurt. Then, because he was apparently determined to prove a point, he rolled on top of you just enough to trap you against the mattress while covering your entire face with sleepy kisses until you were laughing hard enough to shove his shoulders. “Leon!“ You complained between laughter. “No escape.“ He mumbled against your skin. And, to be honest, you didn't really want one anyway.