reparations for the sake of the guilty

Dr. Luis Serra Nevarro [of 'Resident Evil 4 Remake'] Indie RP Sideblog [mainblog: herrnarkejaponica] - muse & mun 21+, open to NSFW - AU, crossover, & OC friendly [DON'T REBLOG MY RP THREADS IF YOU'RE NOT PART OF THEM.]

[exparaguas]

This is an independent roleplay (RP) sideblog for Luis Serra Nevarro from Resident Evil 4 Remake.

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[ariespsyche]

hotblooded

[exparaguas]

Leon's apparent confusion when the idea of a vacation was brought up was even more baffling to Luis than their talk of parades. It made him wonder if the other man had ever taken time off before, ever been granted leave or adequate recovery time. The chance of those questions being answered with a 'no' left Luis with the urge to hide Leon away somewhere, to ignore every call that wasn't a chat with Ashley, to leach away potentially years of stress in whatever ways might work.

'It doesn't work like that'. A part of Luis knew that already, and hated it. The people making those demands of Leon hadn't been in Valdelobos, had sat comfortably in homes and offices while the man had to carve a swath through a doomed town for a chance at someone else's safety, not even his own. Leon deserved the kind of lush early retirement typically given to those far less worthy of it. But, here he was. Still ready to promise more of his life when no one sane would or should blame him for choosing himself instead.

This beautiful, incredible, impossible man.

Luis wanted to reach out, to offer some kind of touch that might reassure both of them. He kept his hold on the water cup instead, and simply sighed when Leon insisted on being fine. He couldn't help but wonder how true that was, or how long it would be - but he didn't want to argue. When given the same assurance about himself, though, Luis let out his next breath in a quiet wry huff through his nose.

"Kind of you to think so. I'll probably heal, yes; but after that, then what? Not going to prison is the best I can hope for, nevermind having somewhere to live."

He'd ended his rental contract in Madrid after defecting from Umbrella, and helped blow up his hometown. He had no permanent physical address anymore, and wouldn't be surprised if by now his passport was voided by insistence from either America's, Spain's, or both governments. They had to punish someone, didn't they? Politicians liked to be seen doing something. With his background, and with Saddler gone, Luis was almost certain that punishment would fall on him.

[everythingheard]

Leon couldn't help but press his lips together slightly at the use of the word ' probably ' in regards to the other man's prognosis. While he understood the rationale of accounting for every possibility ( was that more of a scientist thing or a Luis thing? ), he felt rather incapable of entertaining it at the moment. Recovery was the only outcome he could focus on, and he was too tired to fight against that proclivity. Thinking that Luis was about to die in front of him was an experience Leon preferred not to revisit, thanks very fucking much.

The rhetorical question that now hung in the air earned a brief tilt of his head. ' Then what? ' Of course Luis' trajectory was different now than whatever had been deliberated back in Spain, when escaping with Ada unscathed had been the plan; he supposed his presence had royally screwed that up. "I don't think you'll go to prison." Leon sat up again fully now, rolling his shoulders back as he considered this — and not for the first time. "For one thing, President Graham already knows about what you did for me and Ashley. His daughter's alive because of you, and he's not gonna dismiss that." Although Leon disliked politicians in general ( even more-so after Raccoon City ), he had come to understand Graham's mindset after working under the current president for the past few years, whether he always agreed with it or not.

Then, there was the less sentimental angle.

"And if you need another reason, the US government would consider it a waste to throw you in jail. Your knowledge and experience are too valuable, they'd rather use them to stop other groups like Los Illuminados or BOWs." Nothing about what happened in Valdelobos involved compromising information they didn't want spread either, so Luis should at least be safe on that front. "I doubt they'll miss that, but I can vouch for it. They know I have more experience with Umbrella and the kind of shit Saddler was doing than almost anyone they've got."

He paused for a beat, his gaze lingering on Luis. Hadn't the guy been through enough with all of this? If Graham did magically offer the chance to walk away with no strings attached, why wouldn't Luis take it?

"If you wanted me to." What did Luis want? He realized he didn't know. "But you'll have somewhere to live." Leon sounded very sure of this.

[exparaguas]

'Then what' was the thought that wouldn't stop echoing in Luis' mind. Even though reason insisted on not expecting too much, he couldn't deny hoping for more nonetheless. He didn't wish for absolution; that was too far out of reach, and his hands were too bloody to grasp it anyway. But some sense of safety, of being seen and understood, maybe the chance to not spend the rest of his life alone - Luis yearned for it. To dream the impossible dream...

He supposed Leon raised a good point about the president's gratitude, even if Luis would still contend Leon was the true hero of the hour. That the other two might've vouched for him, to at least ensure Luis woke in a hospital room and not a prison cell, made his heart feel too big for his ribs. He'd have to thank Ashley later, if he got the chance.

At the moment, Leon kept countering Luis' conclusion, in ways the latter found difficult to refute. This second reason at least didn't leave him flustered and humbled; it made immediate sense, and was probably the defense to be raised if or when anyone else voiced concerns over him. Honestly, Luis wasn't too sure how he felt about working at the behest of the American government... but so long as Leon was involved with them, Luis would trust them far more than Umbrella.

He broke from his mulling to glance up, meeting Leon's gaze. Luis managed a slight smile after the other man ended with reassurances about his defense and his living situation. "You sound so certain, it makes me wonder if you're offering your own place to stay." Mostly a joke, though on reflection Luis quite liked the idea. He wondered, to himself, if they might both be in need of another's presence to fend off the weight of solitude. Another hope. "Either way, if you really want to argue in my favor, I won't stop you."

A quiet breath, and lightness faded from his tone and expression when he spoke again, letting utter sincerity shine through.

"I trust you, Leon. So if you trust them to be doing the right thing, that's enough for me. And honestly..." A tinge of wryness crept in. "I don't know what else to do with myself. When you're a loose end everyone chooses not to cut off," a tip of his head and brief lift of his eyebrows in place of a shrug, "what else can you do but be useful?"

[exparaguas]

Luis didn't realize until his own little rush of relief that he'd braced for some kind of coldness from Leon, some measure of distance now the danger had finally passed. The tilt of his half-smile evened out as it broadened. Even if the man wasn't interested in any parades, Luis didn't doubt there would be some kind of celebration or reward for Leon. He'd not only rescued the American president's daughter, he'd destroyed a growing biohazard threat almost entirely (total eradication would depend on Ada Wong's moral compass). It was more surprising Leon didn't already have at least one medal pinned to his chest.

Accepting the glass with his good arm, but careful nonetheless not to pull at the wound on his back, Luis snagged the straw between his lips for a long drink. Mild bafflement lit in dark brown eyes while he watched Leon, letting the water rest safely atop his lap.

"Who else would deserve it, Sanchito, if not you?" The unspoken allusion that the other man somehow believed Luis deserved the honor left him uncertain whether to laugh, cry, or argue. Or maybe all three at once.

"...At least tell me they're letting you take as long a vacation as you want," Luis added, to stop his thoughts from weighing down the conversation too soon. "If you're demanded back at work any sooner than a month, I am rioting on your behalf." A light huff through his nose. "I think the princesa would too."

[everythingheard]

Leon could see the perplexity in Luis' eyes as they lingered on his face ( what they saw there, he didn't know ), and it didn't exactly surprise him. But in spite of whatever had occurred before they met, the other man was the reason he was still alive. Perhaps his own questions about the past might finally be allotted straight answers now if he asked, yet regardless of whether he ever got those answers or what they were, Luis had changed things for him in more ways than one. Were someone in their ' story ' to be dubbed a hero, Leon couldn't fathom how in the ever living fuck it would be him instead of the guy who had chosen to stay by his side while helping he and Ashley reach the cure that saved them.

Giving a marginal shake of his head at the inquiry that followed ( Luis was aware of what he had meant, he was certain ), there was no time to decide whether he ought to push it before the remarks that came next. For a second, he stared as if he couldn't quite parse through what was being said, like the words were strung together in reasonable sentences but he didn't understand them.

Suddenly, with a shrug that he intended to look nonchalant, Leon leaned forward to rest his elbows atop his knees. "I don't know. It doesn't work like that." Not for him. Even when Ashley had suggested the idea of having him assigned to her detail with that sweetly flirtatious demeanor while they were still in Valdelobos ( he thought it must be very easy to develop a crush on someone who was your protector and he wouldn't take advantage of that; besides, she just reminded him so much of Sherry, who was only two years younger ), he knew it wouldn't actually be allowed even if he had wanted to accept. A vacation was a little more realistic, though Leon hadn't had one yet that didn't end with him yanked out early.

"If they call, I'll go where they send me." A slight amendment followed, since he hadn't completely lost his autonomy; he could use each mission, every investigation, to do what he had always hoped to do: save at least one more person. "Where I'm needed." His eyebrows lifted slightly. "But, thanks. I appreciate the sentiment. I'll be fine either way." Then, Leon nodded at Luis, and the injured shoulder now carefully wrapped. "And you'll be okay."

[exparaguas]

Leon's apparent confusion when the idea of a vacation was brought up was even more baffling to Luis than their talk of parades. It made him wonder if the other man had ever taken time off before, ever been granted leave or adequate recovery time. The chance of those questions being answered with a 'no' left Luis with the urge to hide Leon away somewhere, to ignore every call that wasn't a chat with Ashley, to leach away potentially years of stress in whatever ways might work.

'It doesn't work like that'. A part of Luis knew that already, and hated it. The people making those demands of Leon hadn't been in Valdelobos, had sat comfortably in homes and offices while the man had to carve a swath through a doomed town for a chance at someone else's safety, not even his own. Leon deserved the kind of lush early retirement typically given to those far less worthy of it. But, here he was. Still ready to promise more of his life when no one sane would or should blame him for choosing himself instead.

This beautiful, incredible, impossible man.

Luis wanted to reach out, to offer some kind of touch that might reassure both of them. He kept his hold on the water cup instead, and simply sighed when Leon insisted on being fine. He couldn't help but wonder how true that was, or how long it would be - but he didn't want to argue. When given the same assurance about himself, though, Luis let out his next breath in a quiet wry huff through his nose.

"Kind of you to think so. I'll probably heal, yes; but after that, then what? Not going to prison is the best I can hope for, nevermind having somewhere to live."

He'd ended his rental contract in Madrid after defecting from Umbrella, and helped blow up his hometown. He had no permanent physical address anymore, and wouldn't be surprised if by now his passport was voided by insistence from either America's, Spain's, or both governments. They had to punish someone, didn't they? Politicians liked to be seen doing something. With his background, and with Saddler gone, Luis was almost certain that punishment would fall on him.

[exparaguas]

While he didn't like breaking the moment of calm, Luis wanted to distract himself from the swarm of complicated, half-formed thoughts buzzing in his mind. And, hopefully, to distract them from asking him the same question first, so he wouldn't have to admit he had no idea what to do. Being wholly honest with himself, much as he'd demanded a way out from Ada, he'd begun to think he wouldn't get one. That he would go down with Valdelobos. There'd been a sort of rightness to the idea, something he could accept. But now... he wasn't dead, and he wasn't ushered away under Ada's protection. So what now?

Luis managed a small nod at Ashley's answer. She deserved plenty of rest after what she'd been through. Just like Leon did. Yet here the other man was, expressing concern over Luis first, with that illustrating tap to his hand. Shit, he'd expected Leon to let it go, to not bother with him anymore. Maybe that would come after they were off the jetski and somewhere safe - well, safe for Leon and Ashley at least. That had to be it.

It was easier to think so.

He let Leon's comm conversation wash over him without remark, only lingering the longest on 'Luis is with us'. Not for much longer, though, was he? Leon was the hero bodyguard who'd defied the odds to rescue Ashley, the daughter of America's president. Luis was a foreign national and former employee of a company responsible for some of the most heinous bioterrorism. It didn't take a doctorate to figure out who'd have priority... even if the fantasy of a 'fresh start' was nice.

Do you think people can change?

Do you think they'll have any chance to?

Leon's sincere question had Luis keeping his resignation to himself, for now, though perhaps a hint of it colored his half-smile. "I have so far, Sanchito. I'll see you two safe."

And indeed he did, all the way to a rendezvous with a helicopter, seemingly sent by whoever was on the other side of Leon's comm. Even when the crewmember hauling him up (after Ashley went first) noticed his reopened wound and handed him off to the medic aboard, Luis kept his blearing, tunneling stare fixed on the open helicopter door until he saw Leon clamber in. Only then did he allow his eyes to fall shut.

Next he knew, Luis woke up in what looked like a hospital room. His mouth felt dry, and a subtle ache distantly throbbed in his upper back. ...Ah; painkillers. Everything he could see closest to him was all labeled in English, though that wasn't a guarantee of where he was. Apparently, him waking alone also wasn't a guarantee. Partly-lidded gaze catching on a familiar figure nearby, Luis smirked again at Leon. "Thought you'd be off home by now... maybe at a parade in your honor."

[everythingheard]

We made it: those three words seemed to echo in the space between Leon's every heartbeat throughout the duration of their helicopter flight; not even the overwhelming sound of the rotor blades overhead could drown them out. Whatever happened next, the Los Illuminados cult had been dragged down to the depths, while Ashley and Luis were alive — even if he couldn't stop himself from training his gaze on either of them at any given moment to prove it, because it didn't feel fully real. And, thanks to the part of him that fiercely rejected the notion of ever feeling safe, perhaps it never would.

After they finally landed, everything was a blur. President Graham was awaiting them on the tarmac ( the relief at watching Ashley run into her father's embrace was akin to some sort of euphoria ) and, as anticipated, Leon was expected to head into a debriefing immediately even as Luis was still being lowered from the helicopter. Actually surprising, however, was Graham's willingness to intervene; between reports from Hunnigan prior to their arrival, Ashley's swift yet ardent testimony, and his own direct request, brief allowances were made. He was permitted to stay by the unconscious Luis' side during transportation, then to wait until the successful completion of the other man's surgery. ' He was very lucky, ' one of the doctors said. Still, Luis could have been luckier, and Leon blamed himself for that.

An eventual debriefing and his own medical exam later, he was back in the scientist's room.

Sitting in a chair across from the cot, he alternated between watching Luis' vital signs monitor and staring up at the ceiling. The latter had that weird spray sand texture Leon didn't like, yet it was good for finding patterns amid the subtle grooves and not thinking. Although his eyelids felt torturously heavy now that he was somewhere even remotely comfortable, he couldn't let himself fall asleep. He just — couldn't.

' Thought you'd be off home by now… maybe at a parade in your honor. '

Leon's gaze darted to the dark eyes now looking in his direction, another wave of relief fairly crashing into him. And after all this, what a very Luis thing to say.

"I'm not really a parade kinda guy," he answered after a huff that was ever-so faintly tinged with humor, before he pushed himself out of his chair. Grabbing the glass placed on the bedside table, he settled on the edge of the cot. "But even if I was, " Leon held the water out to Luis, "it shouldn't be for me."

[exparaguas]

Luis didn't realize until his own little rush of relief that he'd braced for some kind of coldness from Leon, some measure of distance now the danger had finally passed. The tilt of his half-smile evened out as it broadened. Even if the man wasn't interested in any parades, Luis didn't doubt there would be some kind of celebration or reward for Leon. He'd not only rescued the American president's daughter, he'd destroyed a growing biohazard threat almost entirely (total eradication would depend on Ada Wong's moral compass). It was more surprising Leon didn't already have at least one medal pinned to his chest.

Accepting the glass with his good arm, but careful nonetheless not to pull at the wound on his back, Luis snagged the straw between his lips for a long drink. Mild bafflement lit in dark brown eyes while he watched Leon, letting the water rest safely atop his lap.

"Who else would deserve it, Sanchito, if not you?" The unspoken allusion that the other man somehow believed Luis deserved the honor left him uncertain whether to laugh, cry, or argue. Or maybe all three at once.

"...At least tell me they're letting you take as long a vacation as you want," Luis added, to stop his thoughts from weighing down the conversation too soon. "If you're demanded back at work any sooner than a month, I am rioting on your behalf." A light huff through his nose. "I think the princesa would too."

[kaychen666]

"你好像有點太重了，Sancho"

[exparaguas]

He knew as soon as the engine started that this short reprieve would end, possibly violently. Luis didn't holster his Red9 yet; though he didn't doubt Leon's capabilities, there was only so much one man could do about firing rates. He tried to turn as much as comfortably possible, to keep an extra eye out. The least he could offer was watching potential blind spots.

Luis only had time to call out, "Left!" before a hulking infected tackled Leon. He'd been half a moment too slow. He refused to be again. The initial lance of pain through his back and right arm blurred Luis' vision for a moment, but he hissed in a ragged breath and kept his gun raised. The wider turn where he sat didn't help, either. Blinking hard with a slight shake of his head, he saw his window when Leon shoved the creature off. Luis didn't hesitate - firing in tandem, it turned out, with the other man's shot. Despite the tremors, his bullet pierced the side of the infected's head while Leon's punctured the front.

And despite the set of his jaw, an agonized groan tore from Luis at the recoil's jolt into his wound. He could feel it bleeding again, seeping into the bandages beneath his jacket. Shaking, half-numb fingers dropped his gun into the water. Yet a smile nonetheless flickered at the corners of his mouth; this time, he'd acted, he'd done something to prevent harm. Right arm cradled close against his side and chest, Luis nodded and managed a steadier smirk when Ashley asked if he was alright. Keeping her and Leon alive and whole, even in small measures, made enduring the pain a little easier.

What also helped was seeing Leon turn and race down the dock toward the jetski. Luis did his best to control his breathing, as the last thing they needed right now was a fuss over him. It'd been his choice, one he didn't regret. When Leon settled in and the jetski pulled away from the dock, Luis murmured to Ashley, "Perdóname, princesa." He closed that polite space between her back and his front, hands resting at Leon's hips (though his left had a stronger grip than his tingling right). Luis huffed out another chuckle at the other man's familiar question. Before he could give his own answer, though, more explosions rumbled overhead. Now they really didn't have time to fuss over his injury.

And indeed, the escape was a thrill ride of sorts, though not one whose circumstances Luis wanted to ever repeat.

He watched the last of the set charges go off once they were free of the town, watched debris fall and flames spread between ruined buildings. Sometimes, burns could help a forest grow. Sometimes, wounds had to be cauterized. Sometimes, fire could cleanse. Always, there was still a loss. A scar. A change. Given that inevitability, Luis returned his focus to remaining upright and conscious. For now, they were still out in open water; he didn't feel like he could relax until Leon and Ashley were safe among people who would help. "So what now, for you two?" he asked over the engine's thrum.

[everythingheard]

As they raced across the water, every second mattered — so Leon made them count. Holding the jet ski at full throttle, he endeavored to anticipate the rocks and debris hurtling downwards while the tunnel crumbled in on them, then to make each turn as tight as he possibly might. Despite the intensity of his focus, the same singular thought continued to skirt along its edges like a whisper in his ear: we will get out of here. Leon could feel Ashley trying not to lean against him too heavily ( a feat routinely rendered impossible ) along with one of Luis' hands grasping onto his hips far more loosely than the other ( the notion of simultaneously holding gratitude and frustration for the same fucking thing wouldn't have made sense to him before, but it did now; why did the other man have to risk so much? ), reminders that they were there.

And behold, the literal light at the end of the literal tunnel.

He didn't reduce their speed until he was certain there was enough distance between them and the destruction they had left behind. Finally allowing the jet ski to idle, they witnessed the last of Ada's well-placed bombs collapsing the tragedy of Valdelobos like a book slamming shut. Baptism by fire. Life could grow here again and, hell, maybe it would. Such musings were softly interrupted by one of Ashley's arms unwinding from around his waist, raising her palm to catch the droplets of water raining down on them and winking like diamonds in the sun. Fuck it. For just a moment, Leon allowed his right arm to drop from the handlebars while the barest hint of tension eased out of him.

The question Luis posed, however, jolted it back. "I just can't wait to be home." Ashley's murmur carried a quiet breathlessness tinged with relief. What's next? Leon didn't fully have a choice in that, did he? There would be another mission because there was always another mission, usually sooner rather than later.

He paused a beat, then said, "I need to see a doctor about a doctor." Lifting his fingers to the handlebars once more, he lightly tapped Luis' right wrist on the way; he wasn't sure if the other man believed he didn't understand the extent of the injuries sustained or what, but securing medical attention and seeing it through seemed obvious to him. If they tried to whisk him away for debriefing before Luis was safe and receiving treatment, Leon would figure it out — perhaps convince Hunnigan to aid him. Yeah, he could practically hear that sigh of exasperation from her now. He couldn't help but think that working with him must feel like a very thankless job. Even if he didn't mean for it to be.

Speaking of Hunnigan, she was probably trying to reach them right about now. After his comms kept cutting in and out, Leon had switched it off so that he wouldn't have to deal with the distracting crackling sound in his ear. Upon changing that, her voice came through immediately.

" — come in! Leon, are you and Ashley okay? Answer me!" "Sorry. We were preoccupied with the heartwarming good-bye party Saddler threw for us. You should've seen it." "Leon." "We're okay, and the three of us made it out." "Three of you?" "Yeah. Luis is with us." Right, he hadn't gotten to tell her that yet. "I'm glad you're alright. Give me your coordinates, and I'll send you the rendezvous point. We're coming to get you." "Roger that."

Preparing to take off a moment later, he glanced back over his shoulder at Luis. "Can you hold on a little longer?"

[exparaguas]

While he didn't like breaking the moment of calm, Luis wanted to distract himself from the swarm of complicated, half-formed thoughts buzzing in his mind. And, hopefully, to distract them from asking him the same question first, so he wouldn't have to admit he had no idea what to do. Being wholly honest with himself, much as he'd demanded a way out from Ada, he'd begun to think he wouldn't get one. That he would go down with Valdelobos. There'd been a sort of rightness to the idea, something he could accept. But now... he wasn't dead, and he wasn't ushered away under Ada's protection. So what now?

Luis managed a small nod at Ashley's answer. She deserved plenty of rest after what she'd been through. Just like Leon did. Yet here the other man was, expressing concern over Luis first, with that illustrating tap to his hand. Shit, he'd expected Leon to let it go, to not bother with him anymore. Maybe that would come after they were off the jetski and somewhere safe - well, safe for Leon and Ashley at least. That had to be it.

It was easier to think so.

He let Leon's comm conversation wash over him without remark, only lingering the longest on 'Luis is with us'. Not for much longer, though, was he? Leon was the hero bodyguard who'd defied the odds to rescue Ashley, the daughter of America's president. Luis was a foreign national and former employee of a company responsible for some of the most heinous bioterrorism. It didn't take a doctorate to figure out who'd have priority... even if the fantasy of a 'fresh start' was nice.

Do you think people can change?

Do you think they'll have any chance to?

Leon's sincere question had Luis keeping his resignation to himself, for now, though perhaps a hint of it colored his half-smile. "I have so far, Sanchito. I'll see you two safe."

And indeed he did, all the way to a rendezvous with a helicopter, seemingly sent by whoever was on the other side of Leon's comm. Even when the crewmember hauling him up (after Ashley went first) noticed his reopened wound and handed him off to the medic aboard, Luis kept his blearing, tunneling stare fixed on the open helicopter door until he saw Leon clamber in. Only then did he allow his eyes to fall shut.

Next he knew, Luis woke up in what looked like a hospital room. His mouth felt dry, and a subtle ache distantly throbbed in his upper back. ...Ah; painkillers. Everything he could see closest to him was all labeled in English, though that wasn't a guarantee of where he was. Apparently, him waking alone also wasn't a guarantee. Partly-lidded gaze catching on a familiar figure nearby, Luis smirked again at Leon. "Thought you'd be off home by now... maybe at a parade in your honor."

[exparaguas]

𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 : 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔' 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒎 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 .

rules : bold what applies to your muse and repost .

SNOW WHITE: jade trinket boxes. taste of iron. fingertips on a mirror. yellow and green with envy. long handled hunting knives. sewing by the window. combs laced with pearls and poison. an apple white one side and red the other. white doves. frosted glass.

THE MAIDEN WITHOUT HANDS: a blunt axe. a ring of chalk. tear-stained cheeks. sweet pears. hands tied behind back. shallow rivers. aching feet, walking for days. flowing gowns. liquid silver. wax seals. blinding lights.

THE THREE LITTLE GNOMES IN THE FOREST: lukewarm bath water. sapphire butterflies. tiny milk snakes. baskets of strawberries. fat toads. sparkling snow. fur cloaks. raw gemstones. kettles made of copper. red wine. a tiny cottage in the middle of nowhere.

BLUE BEARD: a tiny key made of gold. pools of blood. stains that won’t rub away. galloping hooves. treasures from far away lands. dragged by the hair. dark and damp cellars. marble walls. shivering with fear. screaming at the top of your lungs.

THE SIX SWANS: sitting side-saddle. daughter of a witch. nettles. white feathers. refusing to smile. needles and threads. a castle in the forest. sound of beating wings. birthmarks. climbing trees. balls of yarn. silver crowns.

LITTLE RED CAP: wildflowers. rich-tasting cake. wicker baskets. the path rarely trod. sharp teeth. curtains drawn. a dying fireplace. grey pelts. red velvet. handmade quilts. sunlight peeking through branches. opening corks with a satisfying pop. looking someone directly in the eye.

tagged by : the awesome @everythingheard ! tagging : anyone who wants to !

[exparaguas]

AU 01-A: Survives - RE9 Timeframe

Tag: evil has lasted so long; good must now be close at hand [re9 survives au]

Setting: RE universe, specifically 9's events / modern time periods

Summary: After surviving the hell of Valdelobos, and recovering in a secure medical facility, he had his US visa fast-tracked out of the president's gratitude for helping save Ashley. In 'exchange' of sorts, he was recruited first as an anti-B.O.W. researcher for the FBC (Federal Bioterrorism Commission). When that organization was disbanded the next year, he instead for a time was among the researchers of the BSAA's US branch. A little while after the DSO was formed in 2011, however, he applied (and was hired on) to transfer there - in part because he was growing wary and uneasy of how some of his coworkers & superiors were doing things, and refused to have a repeat of Umbrella. A nice bonus was to work alongside Leon Kennedy again, though while Luis received field training he was still primarily a researcher. His work was far less overt than Leon's, though just as vital, and he continued to give it his best over the years, even knowing nothing would erase his guilt. He never wholly trusted his higher-ups, but talking with Leon often helped. So when Leon was tasked to investigate the latest in a string of similar recent disappearances, Luis was cleared to accompany him after insisting without specifying why to his boss. The why was because he knew what Leon and Sherry were suffering from, and thought it much easier to lend his expertise in the field. And, perhaps, for personal reasons too. Thus, he accompanied Leon to the Wrenwood Hotel, and thereafter to track down Dr. Victor Gideon - a suspect and kidnapper of FBI agent Grace Ashcroft - to the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center...

[exparaguas]

[just finished watching through RE9

god what a good game

i'll be mulling on my RE9 verse for Luis, hope to get it worked out soon

might even suss one out for Heisenberg too, fuck it lmao]

[exparaguas]

Luis kept his gaze trained on the path they'd come down, gun as steady as he could manage. One corner of his mouth was snagged between his teeth, bitten almost to bleeding as an outlet for the pain still resounding through him. Though he could hear the distant, warped cries of the infected, he didn't yet see any chasing after them. Yet. How long would that stay true?

Leon's refusal shocked Luis out of his focus. No? There wasn't time to argue this - especially not when a closer explosion rumbled past the layers of rock overhead like approaching thunder. He wasn't any less baffled when Leon instead stepped up beside him, leaving Ashley to get the jetski started. Baffled, and indeed with a flare of worried anger as well.

He wasn't a soldier, or a police officer, he didn't have to follow orders... but Leon's reassurance countered Luis' objection before he even voiced it. His worry shone through more than his anger, as he reluctantly lowered his gun with his stare fixed on Leon. Why, why didn't this man recognize how much he mattered, to so many people and to Luis?

"You'd better be." Luis transferred his Red9 into his right hand, to take firm hold of Leon's arm with his other. Sharp and burning as his look was, the furrow in his brow was close to pleading. "'We' means you too, Leon." One more glance down the path, then to the other man - and only after did Luis finally turn to climb onto the jetski. He offered his good hand to help Ashley onto the seat next, doing his best to keep a polite bit of space between her back and his front. That would probably have to disappear once Leon joined them, but only then. The echoes made it difficult to know whether any infected had started heading for them again, since Luis couldn't turn around easily.

[everythingheard]

When Leon felt Luis catch his arm, he surmised that the motivation for such a resistant grasp was anger. He didn't relish the thought of watching it flash at him in those dark eyes, yet he wasn't sorry for what he was doing, either. Leaving Luis to face down any infected alone, with the pain from that previous wound enough of a battle already, was out of the question. Although he didn't want to argue with valuable seconds ticking by, he would; perhaps there was no obligation to obey him, but he could make the ' S ' in Leon S. Kennedy stand for ' stubborn ' in zero point one fucking seconds if the other man's ass didn't get on that jet ski.

As his gaze flickered to meet Luis', Leon did catch the dreaded anger there, as he had expected. However, it didn't strike him as the predominant emotion staring back at him. No, there was something else there too ( unyielding and almost imploring ) that read like worry. Through the faint sense of confusion that needled at him, another feeling rose to underscore it — that just like when he had been deemed ' remarkable, ' Luis was somehow seeing him.

Leon gave a firm nod when the glance that shifted to the path returned to him. That and his prior reassurance must have been enough, because Luis finally ( thankfully ) headed down the dock to Ashley. Turning his attention back the way they had come, he stepped off the dock while maintaining a steady hold on his rifle. Although sounds from the infected reverberated out from the tunnel that had served as Leon, Ashley, and Luis' escape route, they seemingly held no intentions of coming this way.

At least, not until the jet ski roared to life behind him.

The sudden noise must have captured their notice, because a number of them came stumbling out of the underground passage. "Nothing like an encore, but isn't this a little excessive?" he muttered, moving his stance for a better shot. They went down easily enough with one or two bullets to the head ( Leon recalled giving Krauser the same advice during Operation Javier, when they were fighting together — time really did change everything ). Before he could look over his shoulder to check if Luis and Ashley were completely ready, a large figure lunged at him from behind a stack of crates on his left, scattering the heavy wooden boxes in a myriad of directions.

It was the deadweight of the infected battering into him, however, that knocked him flat on his back on the concrete. Abnormally pale, grimy fingers wrapping around the barrel and stock of his rifle, the firearm pressed down against Leon's chest so that he couldn't wrest it away. The revenant's lumbering stature bearing down on his upper body, he found that he wasn't able to extricate his arms to reach for his handgun or his knife; good thing there was always plan b.

Drawing his knees up as close to his chest as he possibly could, he planted the bottoms of his boots on the stomach of the infected and kicked, hard, while simultaneously giving the fiercest upwards shove he could manage with his rifle. His weapon still in hand, the being stumbled backwards as Leon grabbed for his handgun and aimed for the forehead; immediately, it went down. Although he was still attempting to catch his breath, he turned his attention back to the mouth of the underpass — where new sounds came rumbling from the shadows, their vocalizers yet to emerge.

He glanced over to see Ashley and Luis mounted on the jet ski, ready to go. ' 'We' means you too, Leon. ' Holstering his handgun, Leon shoved himself to his feet and sprinted for the dock. He couldn't even hear the sound of his own footfalls over the motor and the garbled shouts from the tunnel as he drew close to his waiting companions. When he was near enough, he reached for the right handlebar to jump aboard. Suddenly, Leon recalled Luis' voice again, this time from their minecart escapade; he couldn't resist echoing a similar sentiment aloud as he hit the accelerator and they pulled away from the dock, chancing a brief glimpse back at Luis and Ashley. "You like thrill rides?" Her arms wrapped around his waist as she replied, "I love them!" Maybe he should have guessed. "I think you two are gonna love this."

[exparaguas]

He knew as soon as the engine started that this short reprieve would end, possibly violently. Luis didn't holster his Red9 yet; though he didn't doubt Leon's capabilities, there was only so much one man could do about firing rates. He tried to turn as much as comfortably possible, to keep an extra eye out. The least he could offer was watching potential blind spots.

Luis only had time to call out, "Left!" before a hulking infected tackled Leon. He'd been half a moment too slow. He refused to be again. The initial lance of pain through his back and right arm blurred Luis' vision for a moment, but he hissed in a ragged breath and kept his gun raised. The wider turn where he sat didn't help, either. Blinking hard with a slight shake of his head, he saw his window when Leon shoved the creature off. Luis didn't hesitate - firing in tandem, it turned out, with the other man's shot. Despite the tremors, his bullet pierced the side of the infected's head while Leon's punctured the front.

And despite the set of his jaw, an agonized groan tore from Luis at the recoil's jolt into his wound. He could feel it bleeding again, seeping into the bandages beneath his jacket. Shaking, half-numb fingers dropped his gun into the water. Yet a smile nonetheless flickered at the corners of his mouth; this time, he'd acted, he'd done something to prevent harm. Right arm cradled close against his side and chest, Luis nodded and managed a steadier smirk when Ashley asked if he was alright. Keeping her and Leon alive and whole, even in small measures, made enduring the pain a little easier.

What also helped was seeing Leon turn and race down the dock toward the jetski. Luis did his best to control his breathing, as the last thing they needed right now was a fuss over him. It'd been his choice, one he didn't regret. When Leon settled in and the jetski pulled away from the dock, Luis murmured to Ashley, "Perdóname, princesa." He closed that polite space between her back and his front, hands resting at Leon's hips (though his left had a stronger grip than his tingling right). Luis huffed out another chuckle at the other man's familiar question. Before he could give his own answer, though, more explosions rumbled overhead. Now they really didn't have time to fuss over his injury.

And indeed, the escape was a thrill ride of sorts, though not one whose circumstances Luis wanted to ever repeat.

He watched the last of the set charges go off once they were free of the town, watched debris fall and flames spread between ruined buildings. Sometimes, burns could help a forest grow. Sometimes, wounds had to be cauterized. Sometimes, fire could cleanse. Always, there was still a loss. A scar. A change. Given that inevitability, Luis returned his focus to remaining upright and conscious. For now, they were still out in open water; he didn't feel like he could relax until Leon and Ashley were safe among people who would help. "So what now, for you two?" he asked over the engine's thrum.

[exparaguas]

[ i haven't finished watching through all of RE9 yet, so idk if somethin will come up in the game to make this infeasible but

i'm already mulling on ideas for a sub-verse of luis' survives!AU set during RE9 🤔 ]

[exparaguas]

That nod and the squeeze of his hand were all Luis needed to know Leon understood the gravity of those two words. They were gestures he'd treasure, even if they were all able to get out in time. But he couldn't think ahead that far, not yet.

Luis glanced back at Ada as well once she tossed over the key. As he watched the helicopter rise, definitively cutting off his other method of escape from his accursed hometown, his stare was steely in its unspoken demand: You have the last of it. Do the right thing. He could only hope she saw, and she listened.

Most of that silent force drained from Luis' eyes as they met Leon's again. He didn't expect the continued hold on his hand, but he wasn't about to complain or pull away. Any scrap of kindness from Leon deserved to be savored. Luis almost paused when the first charge went off. The reality of Valdelobos' imminent destruction sat cold in his stomach, but not so cold that he regretted his part in it. This place was rotting before the plagas truly struck, maybe even before Saddler. This place had taken the only family he'd ever known, taken the only place he'd felt safe and loved, and given back only heartache and fear and ostracizing. This was a grim mercy.

But he still took solace in the steady warmth of Leon's palm pressed to his.

Even so, he didn't cling once it slipped away. Practicality demanded they be as ready as possible for any stragglers. To that end, Luis managed to unholster his Red9 with his left hand. He didn't have much practice like this, but it'd be better than nothing. "It isn't far." Luis refused to slow them down - even when his wounded back twinged at the pace, even when pain screamed through every nerve at the recoil of shots he mostly landed. A clench of his jaw, sharp shaky breaths through his nose, and a rough curse or three in Spanish, yet he kept going.

Once they reached the pier where the jetski waited, Luis stopped to let the other two pass him. He aimed back down the path, just in case more infected remnants crawled out from somewhere. "Get it started, I'll cover you." A quick look to Ashley. "Stay behind me til the motor's running, princesa. Can't be too careful."

[everythingheard]

Luis was right — the jet ski wasn't far, yet that didn't mean the way was easy. Although many of the infected were too preoccupied writhing on the ground ( lost without Saddler, without their master ), the sorry beings continued to swipe and grab for them as they passed.

Ashley handled it better than most might, staying behind Leon without falling behind Luis, and was quick to alert them to any revenants she spotted that were hidden out of sight but close enough to reach them. In an odd sense, he was proud of her; while he wished she had never endured any of this to begin with, she continued to fight through unimaginable horrors to remain herself, to go home.

As for Luis, the other man didn't shirk their pace, regardless of how swiftly he urged them onwards. Still, Leon heard the unsteady breaths and curses surely invoked by pain. Although part of him hated himself for forcing them forward in spite of it, what other choice was there when every moment mattered? He considered at least insisting on the holstering of Luis' gun, yet he had to admit it helped, particularly when he was too busy shoving away the heavy pieces of fallen equipment barring their path to keep his own weapon in hand. Besides, Leon knew such an entreaty would be ignored. We're gonna make it, Luis.

When they finally reached the dock ( in barely any time at all, but it somehow seemed like hours ), he didn't think much of it when he and Ashley passed by their companion on the way to the jet ski. Obviously, Luis wasn't driving, and perhaps the cost of their momentum was now making itself truly felt. Except — ' Get it started, I'll cover you. ' That sent him skidding to a halt. What was Luis thinking? Leon's gaze darted to their getaway vehicle and back again. With a wounded back and the use of only one hand, not to mention the firearm in said hand, how could Luis possibly reach them fast enough if anything was approaching, then holster the Red9 and climb aboard without wasting valuable seconds or risking further injury? It made no sense to him, until it did. For the second time, Luis was preparing to be the sacrificial lamb to guarantee that he and Ashley survived.

Well, fuck that. Leon wasn't about to watch Luis be punished again for choosing them.

"No." Turning to Ashley, he tossed her the keys. "Both of you get on, and get it going. When you're ready, I'll come running." Should they hit the worst case scenario, Ashley could maneuver the jet ski. Hell, she had already managed a crane; though it wouldn't be easy, he had faith in her. She didn't know where to go, yet Luis could help with that. While Leon had to believe they could make it without him, he would do everything in his power to ensure they didn't have to.

Turning back, he felt a discomfiting twinge in his chest ( he wasn't certain what emotion he was about to compel in those dark brown eyes ). Nevertheless, a possibly pissed off Luis was preferable to a dead one, and he wasn't apt to be convinced otherwise. "Thank you," Leon said, the quiet words leaving his lips as he paused beside Luis, their shoulders just brushing, "but I'm not asking." Not a suggestion, an order — and for the second time, a refrain flickered through his mind that now made it to his tongue. "We're gonna make it, Luis." Then, rifle still in his hands, he jerked his head towards the jet ski. "Go. I'm right behind you."

[exparaguas]

Luis kept his gaze trained on the path they'd come down, gun as steady as he could manage. One corner of his mouth was snagged between his teeth, bitten almost to bleeding as an outlet for the pain still resounding through him. Though he could hear the distant, warped cries of the infected, he didn't yet see any chasing after them. Yet. How long would that stay true?

Leon's refusal shocked Luis out of his focus. No? There wasn't time to argue this - especially not when a closer explosion rumbled past the layers of rock overhead like approaching thunder. He wasn't any less baffled when Leon instead stepped up beside him, leaving Ashley to get the jetski started. Baffled, and indeed with a flare of worried anger as well.

He wasn't a soldier, or a police officer, he didn't have to follow orders... but Leon's reassurance countered Luis' objection before he even voiced it. His worry shone through more than his anger, as he reluctantly lowered his gun with his stare fixed on Leon. Why, why didn't this man recognize how much he mattered, to so many people and to Luis?

"You'd better be." Luis transferred his Red9 into his right hand, to take firm hold of Leon's arm with his other. Sharp and burning as his look was, the furrow in his brow was close to pleading. "'We' means you too, Leon." One more glance down the path, then to the other man - and only after did Luis finally turn to climb onto the jetski. He offered his good hand to help Ashley onto the seat next, doing his best to keep a polite bit of space between her back and his front. That would probably have to disappear once Leon joined them, but only then. The echoes made it difficult to know whether any infected had started heading for them again, since Luis couldn't turn around easily.

[exparaguas]

From where he stood, all Luis could see were his failures. The concept of him hadn't been enough to make his father stick around, and he couldn't manage to be born without killing his mother. He failed to be a good classmate, a good Catholic, or a good grandson. He failed to see Umbrella for what they truly were until far too many lives were lost. He hadn't even been able to remove the plagas from Leon or Ashley himself, leaving the former to do the work for him, again.

Who wouldn't be sick of him by now? Who wouldn't want to wash their hands of him, with maybe a perfunctory 'good luck' for the sake of manners? Luis could only assume that's what awaited him with Ada. He was prepared for it... probably.

What he remained unprepared for was Leon's answer.

How could he not be defined by a past so awful? How could Leon look at him and ignore all those failures? ...Was he really allowed this? None of his questions or shock could stop the way his heart seemed to swell in his chest. Luis bit the inside of his lip for a few moments, a slight wet sheen glittering in brown eyes.

Taking the offered hand with his good one before he could talk himself out of it, Luis brought their clasped palms up between their chests as he stepped closer to Leon. Still, he took care to keep their hands the only point of direct contact. The breath of his answer fluttered both darker waves and paler strands, as he glanced sidelong at Leon. "...Thank you." Witticisms remained buried beneath raw sincerity.

Luis' gaze held on the other's face for an aching heartbeat, before he spoke a bit clearer. "We set charges, all over the village." While he spoke, he heard the helicopter behind him winding up faster for takeoff. "She'll set them off any moment - but there's a jetski at sea level. Should be able to fit all three of us if we squeeze." And if it couldn't, then Luis would insist on staying behind, though he thought it best not to mention that aloud.

[everythingheard]

As Luis' bottom lip found its way between teeth once more, Leon was startled by the sudden shine that appeared in that brown gaze. Subtle though it was, he swore he didn't imagine it; nevertheless, he couldn't quite fathom that his words might be the genesis for it. Could it just be the culmination of everything that had been endured that day? He wasn't one to begrudge such a reaction, especially not after Luis had almost been claimed by the beckoning hand of death. Returning to find the other man still breathing had left Leon with the odd feeling that he could finally drag air into his own tired lungs.

The fight had hardly been over, with fucking Saddler awaiting them above — yet this time, he had been fighting for all of them, far removed from any regrets. They would witness the end of the plagas together, just like it should be.

When Luis' palm pressed against his and their clasped hands lifted, surprise jolted his pulse. After all, Leon could recognize why stepping aboard the helicopter with Ada was perceived as the better choice. Since joining up with him, Luis had encountered nothing but risk, peril, and nearly lost everything. He hadn't fully understood the decision to seek him out after they first parted ways, much less the one to stay by his side ( hell, he didn't even now ), but he would always be grateful for it.

Maybe Leon would get a straight answer to his questions about that someday.

As Luis shifted closer, it was near enough for the breath behind the two words that came next to stir the strands of his hair: ' …Thank you. ' Even if he possessed an inkling of what to say ( they had continually come back for each other throughout this nightmare, how could he change that just because he was ready to leave it behind? ), it likely would have died on his lips beneath the intensity of dark eyes. Although Leon had brushed the notion aside, the fact that his prior sentiments had affected Luis was now as impossible to misconstrue as his companion's gaze. In place of a vocalized reply, he gave a nod instead, his firm grip tightening.

When Luis continued, mentioning the charges and the jet ski, he forced himself out of his own head ( they weren't completely free of this yet! ). Before Leon could inquire further, the sound of Ada's voice filtered down from above, through the noise of the helicopter rising into the sky. "Better get a move on." Looking up just in time to see her toss something shiny down to them, he caught it with his free fingers: a key, presumably for their getaway ride, with a little bear charm attached.

"Cute," he muttered, then shoved it into his pocket. After one last glimpse up at Ada's silhouette as the helicopter continued its assent, Leon glanced from Luis to Ashley. "Come on." With Luis' hand still in one of his, the other grabbed Ashley's before pulling them after him to the lift — just in time for an explosion to shake a nearby cliffside, flaming debris arcing into the ocean below. They wouldn't be safe until they escaped the island; whatever happened, he had to ensure the other two left Valdelobos alive.

As they the rickety lift lowered them into the tunnels, the new morning light was swallowed by the darkness. Leon wouldn't mind never finding himself down here ever fucking again. Reaching for his rifle the second they reached the bottom, he looked again to Luis and Ashley. "Okay, let's get out of here."

[exparaguas]

That nod and the squeeze of his hand were all Luis needed to know Leon understood the gravity of those two words. They were gestures he'd treasure, even if they were all able to get out in time. But he couldn't think ahead that far, not yet.

Luis glanced back at Ada as well once she tossed over the key. As he watched the helicopter rise, definitively cutting off his other method of escape from his accursed hometown, his stare was steely in its unspoken demand: You have the last of it. Do the right thing. He could only hope she saw, and she listened.

Most of that silent force drained from Luis' eyes as they met Leon's again. He didn't expect the continued hold on his hand, but he wasn't about to complain or pull away. Any scrap of kindness from Leon deserved to be savored. Luis almost paused when the first charge went off. The reality of Valdelobos' imminent destruction sat cold in his stomach, but not so cold that he regretted his part in it. This place was rotting before the plagas truly struck, maybe even before Saddler. This place had taken the only family he'd ever known, taken the only place he'd felt safe and loved, and given back only heartache and fear and ostracizing. This was a grim mercy.

But he still took solace in the steady warmth of Leon's palm pressed to his.

Even so, he didn't cling once it slipped away. Practicality demanded they be as ready as possible for any stragglers. To that end, Luis managed to unholster his Red9 with his left hand. He didn't have much practice like this, but it'd be better than nothing. "It isn't far." Luis refused to slow them down - even when his wounded back twinged at the pace, even when pain screamed through every nerve at the recoil of shots he mostly landed. A clench of his jaw, sharp shaky breaths through his nose, and a rough curse or three in Spanish, yet he kept going.

Once they reached the pier where the jetski waited, Luis stopped to let the other two pass him. He aimed back down the path, just in case more infected remnants crawled out from somewhere. "Get it started, I'll cover you." A quick look to Ashley. "Stay behind me til the motor's running, princesa. Can't be too careful."

[exparaguas]

Something seemed to shift in Leon's expression as their eyes met, like Luis had defied some expectation. He'd no idea what it'd been, but considering the little unspool of tension, that defiance was for the better. Not a bad last look to part ways on.

Because really, Luis saw no reason for Leon or Ashley to want him around afterward. Not least because it would likely mean a lot of paperwork and negotiations. Anyone reasonable would want to wash their hands of this place, the town Luis had called home a lifetime ago, rather than keep the last dregs of it anywhere close. It was the very reason Ada had placed so many explosives. Despite the sincerity of his efforts to end some of the harm he'd done under Umbrella, that didn't require forgiveness nor shelter. Even if he dearly wanted it.

So dearly, Luis wondered if he'd said so aloud on accident when Leon made his offer. He couldn't help a quiet, half-wry huff of a laugh. Indeed, he'd never felt more like Don Quixote, in less flattering interpretations: an absurd fool clinging to delusions of grandeur, to fairytales with happy endings, tolerated and supported by long-suffering Sancho. Could he stand placing more burdens on Leon's shoulders?

Teeth worked at his lower lip for a long moment. God, how he wanted to accept. Luis wasn't usually one for looking gift horses in the mouth, but the question refused to be pushed aside, escaping instead. "Why?" The word dragged raw and a little breathless from his throat, mirroring the bewilderment and ache in his expression. "Why would you want...?" Why would you bother? That warmth in Leon's eyes burned into Luis' vision.

[everythingheard]

For a beat, Leon presumed he had received the answer to his offer in the guise of that barely-there laugh ( dry though it was ). Perhaps Luis remained something of an enigma to him around the edges, yet he could envision this note of quiet wit and amusement as their final goodbye. He could live with that.

What Leon hadn't anticipated was the sudden worrying of Luis' bottom lip between teeth, nor the intensity scrawled across the face opposite his own. It spoke of perplexity, disbelief, and another sentiment he couldn't quite discern. None of it, however, took him aback to the extent of Luis' question. What do you mean why? The reiteration almost left Leon's tongue, but it would serve as nothing but a placeholder, a time-waster.

He knew why.

That why had prompted an anger searing hot within his veins when Hunnigan spoke it into his ear: Umbrella. Burning through the thoughts of anything else was the nightmare of Raccoon City that Leon could never escape; he hadn't hesitated to slam Luis against a wall at the first opportunity regardless of the help handed to him thus far. How? How could Luis fucking do it — play a part in Umbrella and, later, in the plagas? Only Ashley's safety and the threat crawling beneath her skin had coerced him into tempering his disgust long enough for them to work together.

Long enough for him to catch a glimpse of not just what Luis was trying to leave behind, but who Luis wanted to be. From the beginning, although Leon might have been their sword, the other man had acted as their shield.

And yet there was so much more to it than even that, and he didn't know how to mold anything into concise sentences. Maybe he could refine it into a word like ' remarkable, ' only he was certain that it would sound derivative and awkward as hell if he attempted to repeat it ( not as charming and genuine as Luis' still knocking around in his head ). Leon couldn't give voice to all of it, so he would have to make peace with just a part — what he did know how to say.

"No one should have to be defined by the past, good or bad." With a short nod of his head, he extended his left hand. "I see you for who you are right now, Luis."

[exparaguas]

From where he stood, all Luis could see were his failures. The concept of him hadn't been enough to make his father stick around, and he couldn't manage to be born without killing his mother. He failed to be a good classmate, a good Catholic, or a good grandson. He failed to see Umbrella for what they truly were until far too many lives were lost. He hadn't even been able to remove the plagas from Leon or Ashley himself, leaving the former to do the work for him, again.

Who wouldn't be sick of him by now? Who wouldn't want to wash their hands of him, with maybe a perfunctory 'good luck' for the sake of manners? Luis could only assume that's what awaited him with Ada. He was prepared for it... probably.

What he remained unprepared for was Leon's answer.

How could he not be defined by a past so awful? How could Leon look at him and ignore all those failures? ...Was he really allowed this? None of his questions or shock could stop the way his heart seemed to swell in his chest. Luis bit the inside of his lip this time, a slight wet sheen glittering in brown eyes.

Taking the offered hand with his good one before he could talk himself out of it, Luis brought their clasped palms up between their chests as he stepped closer to Leon. Still, he took care to keep their hands the only point of direct contact. The breath of his answer fluttered both darker waves and paler strands, as he glanced sidelong at Leon. "...Thank you." Witticisms remained buried beneath raw sincerity.

Luis' gaze held on the other's face for an aching heartbeat, before he spoke a bit clearer. "We set charges, all over the village." While he spoke, he heard the helicopter behind him winding up faster for takeoff. "She'll set them off any moment - but there's a jetski at sea level. Should be able to fit all three of us if we squeeze." And if it couldn't, then Luis would insist on staying behind, though he thought it best not to mention that aloud.

[everythingheard]

with Luis ( @exparaguas ) ▌from here.

Remarkable.

Oh, Leon was remarkable, alright. ' It's remarkable that you're the only person who survived the shooting that took out your entire family, that you're one of a handful of Raccoon City Survivors, that just you and Krauser made it through Operation Javier after you were left for dead. ' What the hell was he supposed to do with that when he had never asked for any of it? He didn't feel remarkable when eyes remained glued to him with thinly-veiled morbid curiosity, and he didn't want to be. Instead, Leon often wished in such scenarios that he was capable of peeling his own face off so that no one could recognize him anymore ( some days, that included himself ).

' Don't think I can look at you any different. '

There was a marginal furrow of his brow as he studied Luis for a beat, seeking some degree of understanding there as he had so many times before. Leon had learned better than to assume someone meant precisely what they said ( he had already played the role of the stupid kid naive enough to trust a smooth-talker back in Raccoon City who said he was special, and he still harbored no desire to revisit it here in Valdelobos ). Nevertheless, any glimmer of underlying intention was absent from Luis' expression, that dark brown gaze fixed on him like he was what was remarkable as opposed to all the shit he had managed to survive. It sparked a rare feeling within him — like the other man was actually seeing him.

Perhaps Leon didn't mind remarkable so much this time, even if he couldn't shake the thought that such a descriptor shouldn't belong to him, not even like this.

When Luis glanced back at Ada, he did the same ( drawn in like they were opposite magnets ). Even now, she was on a path he couldn't follow, just as she would never follow his. Take care of yourself, Ada — he knew she would, yet he couldn't help but think it all the same. Leon's eyes shifted back to Luis in time to catch their unexpected companion's attention turn to Ashley. She had proven just as adamant as he had been that he return for Luis. Never had going back been up for debate; of course he would, regardless of the added risks. Despite the gratitude that Luis had extended to Leon, that went both ways. He and Ashley wouldn't be standing here without the cure that had saved them. Not as themselves, anyway.

That truth was relegated to the back of his mind for the time being as Luis leaned slightly forward in-time with a question. "Yeah, we'll be fine." Leon looked briefly to Ashley, who gave him an assured nod of agreement. "You could come with us, you know," he said then, warmth thawing the blue of his eyes as he tacked on, "Don Quixote."

[exparaguas]

Something seemed to shift in Leon's expression as their eyes met, like Luis had defied some expectation. He'd no idea what it'd been, but considering the little unspool of tension, that defiance was for the better. Not a bad last look to part ways on.

Because really, Luis saw no reason for Leon or Ashley to want him around afterward. Not least because it would likely mean a lot of paperwork and negotiations. Anyone reasonable would want to wash their hands of this place, the town Luis had called home a lifetime ago, rather than keep the last dregs of it anywhere close. It was the very reason Ada had placed so many explosives. Despite the sincerity of his efforts to end some of the harm he'd done under Umbrella, that didn't require forgiveness nor shelter. Even if he dearly wanted it.

So dearly, Luis wondered if he'd said so aloud on accident when Leon made his offer. He couldn't help a quiet, half-wry huff of a laugh. Indeed, he'd never felt more like Don Quixote, in less flattering interpretations: an absurd fool clinging to delusions of grandeur, to fairytales with happy endings, tolerated and supported by long-suffering Sancho. Could he stand placing more burdens on Leon's shoulders?

Teeth worked at his lower lip for a long moment. God, how he wanted to accept. Luis wasn't usually one for looking gift horses in the mouth, but the question refused to be pushed aside, escaping instead. "Why?" The word dragged raw and a little breathless from his throat, mirroring the bewilderment and ache in his expression. "Why would you want...?" Why would you bother? That warmth in Leon's eyes burned into Luis' vision.

[exparaguas]

stop looking at me like that . ( from leon! )

Making Demands Starters

@everythingheard

"Like what?" As if Luis didn't know. As if he couldn't tell that his rush of emotions had bled onto his face, faster than the flow of actual blood had been from the now-bandaged knife wound on his back.

He hadn't thought he'd see Leon again. The other man had kept going after they'd parted ways, hadn't he? And where else but to the princesa's rescue, taking down Krauser on the way? After their extraction surgeries, the safest thing would've been to leave. And yet, here Leon was. Here they both were, still alive and out the other side at last, at the end of Los Iluminados and of Las Plagas (save for the sample he knew Ada carried). There hadn't been time before when dealing with Saddler, but now... how could he be any less than awestruck?

"Like I'm grateful? Like you're one of the most remarkable people I've ever met?" Though he could feel Ada's patient yet expectant stare from the waiting helicopter, Luis simply smiled with a light laugh, his gaze still fixed on Leon. "Too bad, Sanchito. Don't think I can look at you any different."

Only then did he glance back at the helicopter for half a moment, then toward Ashley before meeting Leon's eyes again. Luis shifted his weight for a subtle lean closer, free hand adjusting his makeshift sling. "Are you sure you'll be alright getting out another way?"