Actually gonna share the Leo and Daniel Assassination scene behind the art I'm about to post in its own post:
The city below them was like a gutted carcass now, sirens and alarms wailing faintly in the distance as the last of the Project's response burned out.
Daniel's hands still trembled from the gun he had emptied into Stanley Grex and the heat that followed of the deployed militia they'd just torn through and escaped. Blood, some of it his but most of it not, was splattered across his face and clothes now.
Leo looked almost relaxed by contrast, though still buzzed from the thrill. A cigarette was glowing between his fingers as he exhaled a cloud of smoke into the night air for a quick break.
They sat on the edge of a rooftop on the outskirts of the city where they couldn't be seen, legs dangling over the drop. The adrenaline still surged through Daniel's veins, making everything feel sharp and too loud.
Beside them through a shattered window of the abandoned high-rise, an old dying radio crackled with a tinny 80s synth. The music drifted out faint and surreal.
Being in any big city with music like that brought back memories, something about nights back in San Fierro that never end and hearts on fire. The rush of survival and the cool night breeze up so high was terrifying but it also strangely made him feel young and free again.
Leo brought him out of his head when he glanced over his shoulder at him and smirked. "That was fun, wasn't it, Danny?" He threw him a slow, deliberate wink to make sure he didn't miss or mistake it as simply closing his worse eye.
Daniel swallowed hard, sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool breeze so high up. "Uuhhh… sure." His voice cracked as he averted his gaze because the eye contact was too much.
He could feel the heat burning up in his cheeks and hated it. The wink had done something stupid to his stomach. The adrenaline, music and Leo's smirk in the lowlight all mixed into a strange fuzzy feeling.
Now he wasn't sure if it was just the adrenaline causing the thudding in his chest and eardrums. He hadn't felt anything like this since he was a nervous kid trying to talk to girls, or the young man he was when he met his wife.
Except- wait a minute. This wasn't a girl. This wasn't his wife. This was Leo. Dangerous and violent but also oddly, frustratingly charming Leo, who'd just helped him slaughter their way out of the Project's grip.
I'm straight, Daniel told himself fiercely. Married. Kids. Wife waiting at home. His mind raced faster in desperation to excuse it away. This is just the thrill of the risk and survival, the night, the music. That's all.
Leo noticed, of course. He always did. His lopsided smirk deepened, subtle but knowing as his eyes drank in the adorable sight of the blush flushing Daniel's blood smeared face.
"You got a little something," Leo said casually, his voice low and rough from smoke and barking orders earlier, in that tone that made stupid shivers run down Daniel's spine whenever he used it.
Before Daniel could react, Leo reached over and laid a hand on his shoulder. The touch burned through the fabric Daniel's blood stained shirt. Then his thumb brushed across Daniel's cheek slowly, trying to wipe away blood. His hand was so warm in contrast to the cold air, calloused and steady while he held his face, unlike Daniel now as he trembled.
Daniel's heart slammed against his ribs. He blushed harder, a deep awful red he could feel crawling up his neck. "Agh- come on Leo, stop it, don't-" He grabbed for Leo's wrist, meaning to yank it away.
But in the panic and haste his grip was clumsy and it shifted his balance on the ledge. For a terrifying second, the city lights spun below him and he started to tip.
Leo's hand tightened on his shoulder instantly with impressive reflex, pulling him back in with easy strength. Their faces were suddenly way closer then, the exact opposite of what Daniel was aiming for.
He could smell the cigarette smoke on Leo's breath and see the faint scar on his bottom lip and dark amusement glinting in his eyes. His heart was racing so much from the panic and now the closeness, he felt like it might explode in his chest.
"Easy, Danny," Leo murmured, not letting go. His thumb lingered another second on Daniel's cheek, almost like a caress. "Wouldn't want you falling after all that fun we just had."
Daniel's breath caught. He was painfully aware of how warm Leo was, how alive he felt in this moment, electric and terrified by the direction both his body and mind were drifting towards as his gaze moved down to Leo's scarred lips. If he could just move forward a few inches more and-
I can't. I won't. This isn't me.
And yet, he couldn't pull his face away. Not right away.
Leo chuckled softly, low and fond, enjoying the sight of the Daniel reduced to a flustered mess. "Cute," he said under his breath, just loud enough for Daniel to hear. "Real subtle, Danny. Real subtle."
Daniel opened his mouth, searching for some words of convincing denial or a sharp retort but nothing came out except a shaky exhale. He knew exactly what he was thinking. He was so pathetically obvious.
The music played on and Leo's free hand was planted on Danny's back as he continued smoking as if he didn't have a care in the world for a few precious minutes. His touch was steady, possessive and much too comfortable as the night stretched out in front of them, full of whatever was to come next.
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