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You and Leon have been friends for some time now. In the academy he used to help you with math, and you both just naturally fell into that comfortable flow of friendship. Knowing glances, talking without words, hours of studying and gossiping never felt heavy between the two of you. The bond grew deep, but you never got further. There was some unspoken tension sometimes, even little fights that would never last longer than a few hours of sulking before apologising and moving on. You could call him your best friend in a heartbeat.
You never truly had any stable friend group. You weren't unlikeable by all means, you were in good terms with people around you. But somehow you still felt excluded from group activities. That is until Leon. With Leon you felt welcomed any time and day. And you made sure to make him feel the same.
Leon on the other hand never struggled to have friends. His humour, attitude and bravery could pull anyone, but the most green flag was him being smart. Motivating.
When you were down, doubting, falling into the scheme of negative thoughts, he was there to pull you out. To just call without a reason, get out or visit you with food. That's also why you made sure that he got to taste all the things you baked, cooked and made. Just for him. With or without any reason.
That's why you knew something was wrong, when he stopped responding. At first you told yourself to give him space. He broke up with his girlfriend, went to the Racoon City and then.. Then you didn't even know what happened. News were awfully non-specific. All you knew was that he was alive. After a few days of silence you tried calling him. Then texting. Then calling again. But when three days turned into two weeks, you decided to find him by yourself.
You really hoped that he was just back in his apartment. You got to your car and drove to his place. Your movement were nervous even though you tried to keep it together. Knocked once, twice. "Leon? Leon are you home? It's me. Can we talk, please?" I asked, looking at the wooden door.
Silence.
"Leon?" I knocked again and again.
But there was nothing to be heard.
You really didn't want to do this. It felt wrong. But you had a spare key. Just in case. As well as he had one to your apartment.
You shakily unlocked the door and stepped inside. It was dark. The windows were mostly closed, barely any light was going through them. And there was silence. Awful silence.
"Leon?" You asked, now quieter as you walked further. In the kitchen there were a few empty takeout boxes. The living room was empty, though a few of his belongings were laying on the floor.
You checked his bedroom and you stopped at the door. Your heart fell. He was there. Sleeping. But in awful state. First thing you got to him and checked his vitals. He was breathing.
"Leon? Leon" You whispered now, trying to gently shake him awake.
"Leon wake up" You gently rubbed his shoulder. Your hand halted. He was heavily bandaged there but it clearly needed changing. Then you noticed the smaller things. Cuts, paleness, bruises. Your heart fell with ever moment.
His eyes shot open and he pushed you away, genuinely scared for his life.
"Hey, hey hey its me, Leon it's just me" You tried to get him to hold your gaze. His breathing was heavy and uneven, his eyes at first not recognising you. But when his gaze softened, you thought you were going to cry.
He was still shaking with stress, unable to speak. You took his hand and gently rubbed it. Your throat felt tight. "I'm sorry i scared you. You just.. you weren't answering the phone and-"
That was when you noticed the surroundings. On the nightstand there was a piece of paper. And a gun. Your vision blurred.
You just gently pulled him closer. But he was limp. He didn't hug you back. Didn't say anything. But you just pulled him closer. Making his weight fell on you. You wanted to say anything but you didn't even know what exactly.
So you just held him closer. And after a really long while, he embraced you back. Then you started rocking the both of you gently while rubbing his back.
Your eyes were glossy but you tried your best to smile at him. "How about we go to the shower?" You asked him gently.
He looked at you and cleared his throat. But when you thought he was going to say no, he nodded.
"Come on.." You gently helped him get up.
In the bathroom you helped him take off his clothes and clean up. He was cooperating, but still haven't said a word. You didn't push anyway.
Then you worked on his bandages, barely keeping it together when you noticed weakly healed up wound after gunshot on his shoulder.
Your hands were cold and shaking a bit, but it didn't really matter.
"I'm sorry" He said with weak voice.
"W..what? What for?" You asked while finishing up with the bandage.
But he didn't answer. He was like a shade of himself and you knew that whatever happened, it must have been traumatising to the bone.
"Do you want to go to my apartment? For a few nights?" You asked but he shook his head.
"Why not?" Your hand gently combed his hair to the back.
"I don't want to bother" He muttered, his eyes on the floor.
"What? Leon you'd never-"
"I just don't want to, okay? Just- leave me alone" That got out way harsher than you thought it would be. But his eyes were now looking at you.
"Just go. I won't put it on you too. I can't- You can't just-" His voice broke.
"It's either you go with me, or I stay" You said sternly. "Nothing in between, okay? I'm not leaving you alone. No matter what."
Leon looked.. so broken. You walked him to the living room and sat down, pulling him into an embrace one again. You didn't know what else to do. It felt completely powerless.
After some time, he calmed down and relaxed with his head on your shoulder. His eyes were closed and you gently rubbed his scalp.
He didn't talk much. You accepted that. When he was sleeping, you busied yourself with cleaning, getting groceries, making him food. At first he barely could eat anything, but after some time it got better. You even took time off from work for a few days, just to make sure he was okay.
It took time. Really long time. When you couldn't get more time off, you made him stay at your place. But with every week he seemed to be better. Something in him was surely shifted and you knew it was probably never going to be the same as before. But you were willing to accept that, just to be sure he was alright.
You two fell into a new rhythm. Leon started helping you with chores. You two played board and video games, cooked together. His body was healing along with his mind, even if just a little bit.
The nightmares though. They were hunting him almost every night.
He would move around, scream, cry, try to fight. And you were there to shake him awake and whisper to him that he's safe.
"You shouldn't be seeing this" He panted shakily.
"It's okay" You whispered, voice still heavy with sleep. You moved closer to hold him
"No, it's not. You deserve to sleep through the whole night, Y/N. I don't understand why-"
"Leon, you'd do the same for me. Okay? I love you"
Now there was a silence.
"I.. You don't have to say it back" You backfired a bit, your face going red. God you were tired.
"Just.. don't overthink it" You whispered.
You lulled him back to sleep, but things weren't the same anymore.
***
You were back from work. Immediately you've sensed something was wrong. The place was too clean. "Leon?" You called, only met with silence. You looked through the rooms. Then you've noticed a note on the table in living room.
Y/N thank you for all you've done for me. I truly don't deserve you. I thought about ending it. I was sure to do it. The only thing that stopped me was Sherry. And you. I know you don't understand it yet, but she's all alone there. She has no one.
They made me go with them. Didn't give me a choice, threatened that they'll put Sherry to their tests. She's barely 12. I can't contact you from now on. I'll try when they let me go. Please be safe.
I'm sorry for everything and thank you
Leon.
You stared at the paper, furious, sad and.. worried.
Suddenly you felt like your world has shifted. You were barely sleeping and eating. And now he was just.. gone. Just like that.
It hit you more than you thought it would.
***
The next few years weren't the kindest to you. You've lost a job and struggled to find a new one. Fortunately you were smart enough to have savings, so at least you still got a roof above your head. When you finally got your job, soon it turned out to be in really toxic environment. But that wasn't the worst. You could bare with emotionally unstable grown ups lashing out on you and coworkers. The worst thing was that somehow along the way you've lost anyone you could talk to. Sure, you still had some friends, but all of them were busy with their own life and drama. No one was close enough to understand you, let alone listen to you.
Every time you got back to that empty apartment, you felt numb. Eat, shower, sleep. Work. Then again. On weekends you've lost yourself to training and even crosswords just to not let your mind wander off to your own life.
That's when the phone called. And you almost didn't pick up. Unknown number, probably just shit sellers.
"Y/N?" You knew that voice. But the last time you heard it, it was weak and quiet. Now he sounded deeper. More confident.
"Leon" It was your turn to sound weak.
"I'm in the neighbourhood. Can I come by?"
"I.. Sure" You answered a bit too fast.
Soon there was a knock on your door.
Breath left your lungs.
He was standing there, more handsome than ever. More built up. His eyes with the sparkle you knew so well. You stepped aside to let him inside.
"So.. How have you been?" You asked while making yourself busy with making tea.
"Good. Just finished up training so I thought I could.. catch up" He cleared his throat.
"How is Sherry doing?" He never told you who she was and why was she so important, but you figured she mattered to him.
"I don't know, they won't let me see her too often. But she's safe. That's what matters." He watched your every move and you couldn't hold his gaze.
"And how about you? Still in finances?" He asked, crossing his arms, leaning on the counter.
"Ah, no. Not anymore. I work as a secretary in the police department now. Green tea?" You changed the subject.
"Black, thank you. Wait, but why? I thought you liked it there"
"Yeah, but they didn't like me there as much anymore" You chuckled humourlessly.
He watched you without a word for a moment.
"Hey.. listen" he stepped closer.
"I'm sorry that I left so suddenly. I've been.. in really bad place. But now.. maybe we could start over? You saved me back then" He tried to hold your gaze.
"Why didn't you call? Or just give me a message? Or send someone to just tell me that you're at least alive" Your voice was shaking.
"I couldn't, they wouldn't-"
"What were you tied up? Leon the last thing I know you were going to Racoon City to be a cop. Then god knows what exactly happened and you're out of reach. So I go and find you with a damn gun next to your bed" Your eyes watered but you couldn't stop now.
"So I take you home. I walk on eggshels around you because how scared I was of your mental state. And you just-" You laughed just to let out the tension. "You're just gone. For damn years. Without any message, anything. I lost my job Leon and I couldn't even- I didn't even know if you were okay-" You continued ranting, tears heavy on your cheeks.
"And now you just come by and want for us to start over?" You finally looked at him and you wish you didn't. His eyes, baby blue eyes looking sadly at you. "What do you even want from me?" You said more harshly than you intended to. In the same moment the water boiled so you turned it off. You poured some to the cups and when you put the kettle away, his hands grabbed gently onto yours so you could turn around to him. Your eyes were glued to your hands, vision still blurred.
His thumb gently rubbed the back of my hand.
"I'm sorry" He whispered.
"I promise I'll tell you everything. I'll make you understand" His hands squized yours.
"I figured that the less you know, the safer you'll be. Hell I even thought that I shouldn't contact you at all. I tried to get over you, told myself that this is the only way to keep you safe-" His voice trembled and he cleared his throat.
"But whenever I had doubts, whenever they were pushing me to my limit, I thought about you. Coming back to you. And I realised that we could make it work. At least try to, Y/N please" He begged.
You were crying for good now, your emotions all mixed up. He moved closer to embrace you and you immediately hugged him back. You cried into his shoulder, years of loneliness and worrying about him catching up. His shirt was damp with your tears and when you pulled back, you noticed his were teared up as well.
"Will you have me? Please? Even just today?" He whispered, eyes locked with yours.
You nodded, letting out a light sob. "Please don't leave again. please" You pleaded and he kissed your head, holding you closely.
***
Leon told you everything. The Racoon City outbreak, meeting Claire, Sherry. He struggled on some parts but you held him through. It broke your heart. He didn't deserve all of this. So you made a promise to yourself that you'll give him the home he needed. A place to stay. To rant, to just be normal. To be just Leon. The guy you knew from the academy, who explained you math, who stole your heart from the very beginning.
You both decided to live together. Leon was often away for training, but whenever he could, he was back home with you. Even if just for a day or two.
***
Your eyes fluttered open with the sudden movement. You felt warmth, followed by a quiet "Shh, go back to sleep". That made your eyes open a bit more. Leon was holding you up bridal style, walking you back to shared bedroom.
"What time it is?" You mumbled and heard him chuckle. You both were having a movie night and you didn't even remember falling asleep.
"After midnight, sweetheart. Past your bedtime" He smiled as he closed the door with his foot.
It made you laugh softly. Both of you landed on soft bedsheets. You pulled him into a kiss, earning a soft sigh from him. You loved the warmth of his lips on yours. His hands moving under your nightshirt, rubbing gently soft skin. After making out for a bit you got under the covers, glued to each other. You nuzzled up your nose with his.
"Leon" You whispered.
"Yeah baby" He nuzzled your nose back
"I love you" Your eyes locked with his in the darkness of your room.
"I love you too, Y/N" He said quietly.
You both fell asleep, comforted by each other's presence, ready for the upcoming future.