4 Years Past My Bedtime

1998 | side blog to reblog stuff || MDNI

[roschea-behindthescreens]

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Hellooo! OwO welcome to my shitposting sideblog. Here I mostly reblog memes, occasional quite rare tbh NSFW stuff (minors be careful pls) and random things I like. If you are interested in art or fanfiction check out my other blogs!

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About me + F.A.Q. - hello! I'm Natasha~

Fic Recs List - an extensive list of fanfics I enjoy and recommend (under construction)

[tapacamino]

This website: "It says a lot about a person if they write or make art about dark, horrific things. It says what they're like in real life. Hiding in plain sight."

Junji Ito:

[tigerlily1987]

Chapter 44

The room grew quieter. 

Downstairs... 

The soft tapping of Leon's keyboard gradually faded into the background. Your eyelids became heavier. 

Just for a minute... 

You told yourself. 

Just to rest. ....... 

Darkness. 

Cold. 

You couldn't move. 

Water.

It was everywhere. 

The pressure around your chest. Your lungs burned. 

"No..."

 "No..." 

A hand grabbed your wrist. You looked up. Adam. His eyes were empty. His fingers dug painfully into your skin. 

"No..." 

His grip tightened. "You don't get to leave me." 

Water rushed over your face. Your mouth opened instinctively. Nothing but freezing water filled your lungs. You kicked. You fought. You couldn't breathe. 

"Let me go!" 

His grip only tightened. 

"No..." 

You tried again. "Please..." 

Your voice broke. "Let me go!"

Downstairs... Leon froze. 

His fingers stopped moving across the keyboard. He heard it. A muffled voice upstairs.

  "...No..." 

His chair scraped violently across the floor. 

Then... 

"LET ME GO!" 

Leon was already running. He took the stairs two at a time. Throwing the bedroom door open. You were sitting upright in bed. Breathing so hard your entire body shook. Your eyes were open... But they weren't seeing the room. They wee still trapped somewhere else. 

"No..." 

You pushed yourself backward against the headboard. 

"Stay away!"

Leon slowly raised both hands. "It's me." 

You didn't hear him. "Don't touch me!" 

You stared straight through him. "No..." 

"No..." 

"Please..." 

Leon felt his heart sink. You weren't awake. Not really. The nightmare hadn't ended. It had followed you into reality. 

He took one careful step forward. "You're safe." 

Your breathing only became faster. You stared at him with pure terror. 

"...Adam..."

Leon stopped. 

For a second... 

That single word hurt more than he expected. You genuinely believed he was Adam. He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed.

 "I'm here." 

"You made it home." 

"You're safe." 

Still... Nothing. 

Your entire body trembled. Tears streamed silently down your face. 

"Stay away!"  Your voice cracked as you pressed yourself harder against the headboard. Your entire body shook. 

"No..." 

"Please..." 

"Don't..." 

Leon kept both hands where you could see them. He didn't move any closer. "I'm here." 

"You don't have to fight anymore." 

Your hands were trembling so violently you could barely keep yourself upright. 

"Look at me." 

Just for a second... Your eyes finally met his. Not through him. At him. Leon didn't rush you. He simply stayed where he was. 

"It's okay." 

"I'm right here." 

Your breathing hitched. Your gaze slowly traveled across his face. His eyes. His hair. The scar beneath his haw. Familiar. Safe. 

Your lips parted. "...Leon...?" 

His shoulders relaxed immediately. "Yeah." 

"It's me." 

For a second... You simply stared at him. Then everything hit you at once. The nightmare. The water. The panic. The realization that Adam isn't there. 

A sob escaped your throat. "I'm sorry..." 

You broke completely. 

Leon caught you before you could collapse forward. You buried your face against his shoulder shaking uncontrollably. 

"I'm sorry..." 

"I'm sorry..." 

Leon gently stroke your hair. "You have nothing to apologize for." 

"It was just a nightmare." 

"You hear me?" 

"It wasn't real."

 "I've got you." 

You clung to him desperately. "I thought..." 

Your voice cracked again. "I thought it was him..." 

"I know." 

"I know you did." 

He rested his cheek lightly against your hair. "But you're here now." 

"With me." 

Slowly... Your breathing began to settle. The panic loosened its grip. Little by little. Only when Leon was certain you were beginning to recognize your surroundings... did he pull back just enough to look at you. 

"I'm not going anywhere." 

You nodded weakly. Still holding onto he front of his shirt. Only then did Leon stand. Without a word... He pulled off his shirt. Dropped it onto the chair. Then his belt. His trousers. Leaving only his boxers. No weapons. No tactical gear. Nothing that could remind you of work... Or violence. Just... Leon. He carefully slid beneath the blanket beside you. Not forcing you. Just close enough. After a few long seconds...

 He wrapped one arm carefully around your shoulders. "It's okay." 

You felt his heartbeat. Steady. Warm. Real. Your shaking hands instinctively grabbed the front of his shoulder. 

"...Leon...?" 

"I'm here." 

Another tear rolled down your cheek. "...Don't leave..." 

"I won't." 

"I promise." 

You buried your face against his chest. The panic slowly began to loosen its grip. Minute by minute. Breath by breath. Until... Exhaustion finally won. Your grip relaxed. Your breathing became slow. Even. Peaceful. Leon didn't move. Not even when his arm began to go numb. He simply held you. Listening to every quiet breath. Making sure they stayed steady.

 Outside... Night slowly gave way to morning. 

And for the first time... 

Since Adam. 

Since everything... 

You slept through the rest of the night. 

Without screaming. 

Without waking. 

Without drowning. 

And Leon never let go. 

[hauntedwhiskers]

Pondering my orbs.

[tormentum-ab-intra]

help

[lastvalyrian]

I haven’t seen anyone mention the greatest cultural impact Yahoo Answers made yet

[ambitiousficus555]

Sinking ship

You only agreed to be Leon Kennedy’s fake girlfriend for one night, help him make his ex jealous at a couples-only party, collect a nice purse as payment, and go home. But when old feelings get dragged into the open, a suspicious Chris calls your bluff, and seven minutes in heaven turns into something a lot hotter and messier…

Warnings:Leon Kennedy x Fem!Reader • smut • fake dating • angst?• 7 minutes in heaven • friends to lovers •

The bass from the speakers vibrated through the floorboards of Chris Redfields extravagant house as starlights crisscrossed the ceiling, casting everyone in a warm, hazy glow that made the whole thing feel a little too intimate for a random Saturday night except it was a Couples-only party, you found out when Leon had shown up at your apartment two hours earlier with that half-sheepish, half-cocky grin you knew too well, holding up a bottle of your favorite wine like a peace offering.

"Fake date. One night. My ex is gonna be there with the new guy she's been throwing in my face for weeks. I'll owe you big time." Your payment? You could pick out anything from the mall the next day, it was on him. Now here you were, playing the doting girlfriend while his ex never even glanced your way the whole night.. wow Kennedy, your plan is working out great. Half an hour later, Chris clapped him on the shoulder with a grin that didn't reach his eyes.

"Man, didn't know you were seeing someone. She's cute. How long?"

"Few months," Leon answered smoothly, thumb stroking your hip. Chris's gaze narrowed.

"Right. So how'd you two meet again? Because last time I saw you, you were bitching about being chronically single. I didn't think you'd even show up to the party.."

The air thickened. You felt Leon tense. You laughed lightly, turning to kiss Leon's jaw. If you're already here the least you could do was take advantage of the situation.

"Blind date, mutual friend set us up and what can I say.. it was love at first sight. End of story."

Chris hummed, unconvinced. "Cute story.." But there was something about his tone.. like he wasn't fully convinced.

The night wore on and still not even one look from his ex, so Leon upped the ante: a hand sliding down to squeeze your ass when he thought she was looking, a slow kiss at the corner of your mouth–never a real one–that left you breathless and wanting for more. The line between pretend and real blurred with every passing minute. Your skin felt too hot and you kept pressing your thighs togheter, but you had to remind yourself that this was not real, it was just a game for him, for his ego. At least you'll get a cute designer purse.

Eventually the host banged a spoon against a bottle. “Alright, degenerates! Classic rules. Seven minutes in heaven. No backing out. We're drawing couples so no one leaves heartbroken"

You fought a groan from bubbling up your throat while the circle formed. When Chris pulled the slip with both of your names,he barked out a laugh from across the room.

“Perfect timing,” he called. “You two lovebirds need a minute to cool off anyway. Go on.”

Leon’s jaw flexed, but he played along, taking your hand and leading you into the small guest room. The door clicked shut behind you. A single lamp cast low golden light over a made bed and a closet full of coats. The lock turned, Chris had clearly decided to play enforcer. Silence stretched for three heartbeats.Then Leon exhaled a low laugh, running a hand through his hair. “We’re busted. He knows.”

“Probably,” you agreed, pulse hammering. “So… do we just stand here awkwardly for seven minutes?” Leon stepped closer. The fake-dating tension had been simmering all night, his hand on your thigh under the table, the way you’d leaned into his neck and inhaled his cologne, the heated looks neither of you had needed to fake. His eyes darkened as they dropped to your mouth.

“Or,” he said, voice rough, “we stop pretending.”

Your back hit the door. Leon caged you there with one arm, the other tilting your chin up. The first kiss was testing. Then you parted your lips and he groaned, deepening it instantly. His tongue slid against yours, hungry, years of buried want suddenly unleashed. You fisted his shirt, pulling him flush.

“Fuck, you’ve been driving me crazy all night,” he growled against your mouth. His hands roamed down your sides, gripping your ass and lifting you so your legs wrapped around his waist. The hard line of his cock pressed against your core through his jeans, and you rocked into it shamelessly.

“Leon— I thought you still liked your ex" you pant between kisses "isn't that why you invited me in the first place?"

"Fuck no,” Leon growled between hot, open-mouthed kisses along your throat

“I stopped caring about her the second you said yes. I just needed an excuse to finally have you like this.”

"Tell me to stop and I will.” His hand came up, thumb brushing your lower lip. “But I’m tired of pretending I don’t want this.”

Your hands fumbled with his belt. He helped you, shoving his jeans down just enough to free his cock, already thick, flushed dark, already leaking at the tip. You wrapped your fingers around him and stroked once, twice. Leon hissed, hips jerking forward.

“Careful,” he warned, voice rough. He pushed your dress up to your waist and yanked your lace panties down your legs. He tucked them into his pocket with a wicked little smirk, then dropped to his knees between your spread thighs.

“Look at you,” he breathed, spreading you open with his thumbs.

“So fucking wet for me already.” He leaned in and licked a slow, broad stripe up your center, groaning at the taste. Then he stopped teasing. His mouth sealed over your clit, sucking gently while two thick fingers pushed inside you, curling just right.Your head fell back, a broken sound escaping your throat. He ate you out like he was trying to ruin you for anyone, sucking until your thighs shook around his ears. The wet sounds filled the tiny room, obscene and perfect.“Leon...fuck, gonna come..”

He hummed against you and pumped his tongue inside you faster. You came hard, hips bucking against his face, biting your lip to keep from screaming loud enough for the whole party to hear. He didn’t give you time to recover. Leon rose, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and pulled you to the edge of the couch. He rubbed the head of his cock through your slick folds, teasing your sensitive clit until you whimpered, then pushed in with one deep thrust.

“Shit—” you gasped at the stretch. He was big, but you were so wet it didn’t matter. He bottomed out with a low curse, forehead pressed to yours.

“Been wanting this for so long,” he admitted, voice ragged as he started to move. Slow at first, savoring it, then harder, deeper, the couch creaking beneath you. You clung to his shoulders, nails digging in, legs locked around his waist. Every thrust dragged against that perfect spot inside you, building the pressure again impossibly fast. His hand slipped between your bodies, thumb circling your clit in tight, slick strokes.

“Come on, baby. One more. Want to feel you milking my cock”

The words tipped you over. You came again with a sharp cry, clenching around him so hard his rhythm stuttered. Leon followed right after, burying himself deep and groaning your name as he spilled inside you, hips grinding through the last pulses.

For a minute you just stayed connected, breathing hard, his face buried in your neck when a loud knock rattled the door.

“Time’s up!” Chris yelled, sounding way too amused.

“You kids decent in there?” Leon huffed a laugh against your skin. He pulled out slowly and rolled his eyes, but his hand found yours, squeezing once before he unlocked the door.

“We’re good,” he said casually as you both stepped back into the party lights, your cheeks flushed and a very obvious hickey blooming on your neck. Chris took one look at the two of you: messed-up hair, swollen lips, the way Leon’s arm stayed wrapped possessively around your waist and let out a low whistle. “Yeah… thought so. About damn time.”

[tangerinepiee]

[fictoculus]

౨ৎ hope | come back to me...

SYNOPSIS... (heavily inspired by brand new day) reader is under a spell that has wiped any and all memories of their lover, alhaitham, from their memory. they no longer know the man they once loved, but a bond that strong cannot simply be erased.

FEATURING... alhaitham

A/N: heyyyy guyyyssss... i've been gone two whole years and all you get is this tiny little oneshot thing that i wrote in about an hour nd didn't really proofread... i apologise for being gone so long and i don't really have an excuse, i kinda just lost interest in writing, but that's kinda come back ? it may only be a one-off, but i hope you can still enjoy this post !! also hello new people i appreciate most of you guys do not know who i am

"[name]..."

he choked out your name, hands trembling and eyes wide, but not out of fear - he wasn't scared of you, he could never be scared of you.

seconds after your name fell from his lips, you came to halt, spinning on your heels slowly, cautiously. something about that voice was familiar, nostalgic, comfortable. it came out as a low hum, sounding almost fragile to an untrained ear, but you could hear it. you could hear that it was practised, and you could feel how it reverberated through you, curling into your ear and filling every nook and cranny. every crevice of your mind was suddenly filled with this man's voice, this man that you'd never met before, but somehow feel as if you know everything about.

"do i know you..?"

reunited.

he prays you didn't see, and honestly you almost didn't. it was so brief, that glimmer in his eyes, that had you blinked, you would've missed it. would've missed the longing behind his pupils, and the little twitch in his fingers as he fought back the urge to pull you into him, to hold you so close that it was impossible to tell where one of you ended and the other began. if you'd so much as glanced over his shoulder to avoid his piercing (yet somehow tender) stare, you wouldn't be feeling this crushingly strong sense of longing, your heart wouldn't haven fallen to the floor along with the solitary tear that dripped from your jaw.

your grip tightened on the book in your hands. you held onto it as if it were a lifeline, the only proof that this moment was real.

"what is this..."

uncertainty.

a large part of you wished you'd never heard him, never turned at the call of your name and saved yourself this painfully confusing feeling. yet somehow you knew deep down that this moment was what you'd been waiting for, the piece that would fit perfectly in the hollow of your heart. for so long you'd felt as if something was missing, even in moments where you felt fulfilled with the life you were living - the life you'd once shared with another.

"why- who are you?"

it killed him. you didn't remember him, of course you didn't. why would you? he knew what to expect. he'd been told over and over, warned of what he'd find, but he'd refused to believe it. he refused to believe that you - the person he loves so dearly, the only one who looked past his calloused exterior and mended the fractures in his soul - would be forever out of his reach.

but you weren't. you were so close. just a metre away. he stood a mere 3 steps away from the life he took for granted and so desperately wanted back.

he needed you.

pathetic.

all this time he'd been clinging to precious memories of you, devoting every sleeping hour to dreams of someone who didn't even know his name. didn't even know he existed.

"who-"

"an old friend"

defeat.

who was he kidding. the spell was irreversible, there was nothing he could do to remind you. all he had left of you was your lingering touch, the ghost of your lips pressed against the apple of his cheek that he could just about feel when he squeezed his eyes shut at night, willing you to return home to him. none of it was enough; the clothes you left at his place that he refused to wash, despite the smell of you having long faded; your notebook filled with scribbled notes and unintelligible diagrams that only you could understand; your favourite armchair that, since you left, remained untouched.

hesitating, he walked towards you, pausing at arms length and resting a hand on your shoulder. you could tell he was holding his breath as he gave you a small, broken smile, his hand lingering a few seconds too long before withdrawing to his side.

with a small nod, his eyes finally pull away from yours and return to the floor.

just as he's about to leave, it comes to you - no, it crashes over you. alhaitham, alhaitham is his name. that man is alhaitham.

he stills as you strain to whisper his name.

hope.

thanks for reading ♡ want to read more? my requests are OPEN, so please feel free to let me know what you’d like me to write next!

will be opening up a new taglist as it's been so long !! i'll wait a bit to see if i feel like posting more first, but let me know if you'd like to be added :)

© FICTOCULUS 2026; please do not steal, translate, repost my works as your own, or feed them into AI.

[frederickchiltonsdivacup]

AO3 Writer Affirmations:

I do not have to reinvent the wheel every time I write fanfiction

I do not have to make every chapter's word count above 1,000 in order for it to be good

It is okay if some things don't make sense

I can write whatever I want

I am writing this shit for free

If people don't like my stuff, they can block me. If they're being mean about it, I can block them.

The most important part of writing fanfiction is having fun

Writing fanfiction is supposed to be fun

I do not have to appeal to people

This shit is fun

I am doing this all for free, and anyone who objects can go eat wet sand and worms from the sidewalk

[tiny-wins-and-gold-stars]

⭐To all the fanfic writers out there, a little gold star!⭐

[redstonedust]

died and lost all my items in a cave: but don't worry. if i simply run back into the cave with zero (0) items. i will surely do better this time. this has never gone wrong for anybody.

[altafirelight]

No Man Left Behind

Leon x Gn!Reader

Leon had always been cold. Fearless. Detached. As a seasoned agent, you’d known him since your early days as recruits. You often wondered if the last bit of Leon’s soft side had faded since rising in the ranks. Or maybe, the rookie in him was just waiting for a moment to come back out.

Set between RE2R and RE4R. Can be read as pre-slash/romance or platonic. Whatever the heart desires.

Word Count: ~3.6k

Tags/Warnings: ptsd, flashbacks, hurt/comfort, reverse-comfort, agent!Reader, touch-starved!Leon, vulnerable!Leon, cuddling, crying, sharing a bed, Leon needs a hug (and gets a hug), references to RE2R, references to Tyrant/Mr. X, angst, gender-neutral reader.

A/N: I’m back! And I come with Rookie(ish) Leon as my offering. Been busy but I haven’t forgotten about all the tasty asks waiting for me (which are always open, by the way!) Thought I’d write a little warm-up to get me out of my block which eventually turned into a full-blown fic. Hope whoever reads enjoys it! 🖤🩶🤍

You didn’t really understand Leon. Not for the first few years of knowing him, at least.

When you first met, you often wondered what Leon had seen. You and your fellow recruits couldn’t ignore how Agent Kennedy was years younger—and doubly less experienced with a gun—than the rest of your training group.

Leon seemed determined, but tired. His soft expression was coupled with a look in his eye that was too weary for someone in such an advanced cohort of soldiers. He seemed to mean well, even if he seemed far from approachable. Leon wore the face of a cold, hardened agent, and it didn’t really fit such a kind face.

You wondered during those first few days if training would change that.

Krauser worked the whole team hard. He made sure to beat any look of uncertainty out of Leon within the first three weeks of boot camp. When weeks turned into months, Leon only escaped his hardened exterior after-hours, when you and the rest of the group went out drinking or stayed up in the bunks playing cards.

After a year, all Leon seemed to utter out in between drills was a mouthful of sarcasm and actions that spoke louder than words. He grew cagey and cynical, but still couldn’t shake that look on his face when asked if he’d had another rough night.

By graduation into the next rank, Leon was stone-faced and far too good at his job for someone his age. After months of separation, you and Leon were assigned the same detail. After spending so long from your old training team, you never thought you’d get to work with him so closely again.

While you both immersed yourself in your new team’s culture, you picked up on the whispers about the new, silent soldier that joined their ranks. The one who reacted oddly to pats on the back and hands on his shoulders. The one who never smiled, never laughed, never raised his voice. Leon was colder than when you’d last seen him, but he didn’t hesitate to greet you when you first stepped into the office. It wasn’t long before the rest of the team began to talk.

I heard he survived something unthinkable.

Doesn’t seem like the socializing type.

I bet he doesn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

Can a guy so young lose his humanity so fast?

Sure seems like it.

You couldn’t blame the rest of them. If it weren’t for the few moments of tenderness you’d witnessed during training, you would have thought the same thing. You often wondered if the last bit of Leon’s softer side had faded since entering into the secret service.

Or…maybe it was just looking for a moment to creep back out into the open.

You woke up abruptly, with a jolt of energy that matched the thunder crackling somewhere outside. Your eyes fell open to a dark room, silent aside from the raging storm. You bit back your panic, trying not to jump to the worst case scenario.

No danger, you thought to yourself. No mission. No training. You were home. Or the closest thing to it, at least.

You were lying on the couch in your apartment, fully furnished and provided to you by the government until they inevitably sent you somewhere else. Your thoughts drifted toward earlier that evening. You had a stack of paperwork, reviewing a joint case between you and Leon, and—

Leon. Right. Leon had come over, hadn’t he?

You hadn’t talked with Leon much since you’d both been assigned to your new team. He kept to himself, apart from a few polite acknowledgements. But…you knew you both hated writing out your reports, so you grabbed a case of beers after you punched out and told him to come check out your new place.

You remembered the two of you eating boxes of takeout on your couch and doing work until the rain hit the windows too peacefully. With the stress of the day drowned out by the cozy weather, you remembered Leon’s stone-cold stare, him dryly commenting at every drawn-out yawn. Always something like, tired of me already? Didn’t know I was so draining.

You felt the warmth of the woolly throw blanket you kept on the couch over your shoulders. Gears turned in your head. The rain must have lulled you to sleep without realizing it, a blanket had “mysteriously” found its way atop you, and Leon had finished up his work and saw his way out before the storm got bad. That made sense, right?

“Fuck,” you whispered to yourself, sitting upright and stretching out your limbs. “My back is gonna kill me later.”

As you rose with another round of thunder, you caught sight of your pile of work…and realized there was far too much of it to only be yours. As lightning lit up the room, you drifted over to two metal briefcases, side by side, where you and Leon left them earlier in the evening.

A hint of dread bloomed in your chest. Leon wasn’t one to forget things. But…did that mean he was still here? If he’d left things so quickly, maybe he had to leave abruptly. Or…maybe he was taken by force.

You knew that was impossible—that the building had top-notch security and not just anyone could get access to the fob for your suite. It was most likely that Leon had a mission he couldn’t miss. Or maybe he trusted you enough to take care of his things so they wouldn’t get wet in the rain.

You stood up from the couch, tried to push down the growing anxiety that swirled in your stomach. You looked for any signs of life in your living room, your balcony, and over toward your bedroom. You didn’t expect Leon to turn up at all, which made it all the more surprising to spot his familiar silhouette when turning into the dining room.

You couldn’t exactly melt with relief just yet. You stayed frozen in place and observed him. He sat perched backwards on one of your chairs, shoulders hiked up to his ears and a pistol balanced shakily on the chair’s back frame. Leon stayed hunched forward, the rapid rise and fall of his chest betraying his attempts to stay still. He had the gun pointed at nothing. He was too wired, too vigilant to have it pointed at nothing.

What the hell was happening?

“Leon,” you whispered, your hands falling to your sides to draw fire on instinct until you realized you had your gun locked in the safe back in your room. When the he didn’t answer, you called out again, a little more forceful. “Leon.”

The pistol flew back around before Leon could, and you recognized the laser-red light pointed toward your chest. When Leon snapped forward and met your eyes, he looked caught in another world. His glassy gaze adjusted—the fear brimming in them just as intense—and he suddenly looked beyond mortified.

You felt that anxiety morph more into confusion when Leon lowered the gun and stood up from the chair. He didn’t look like himself. Not the cold-hearted agent he’d grown to become. Not even the quiet recruit you met on day one.

“I was leaving,” Leon breathed out, voice low and raspy, trying to block out any semblance of emotion. “I was on my way out.”

“Okay,” you nodded, still trying to figure all of this out. You didn’t want to scare him off. “Leon, what’s going on?”

Leon looked like he was ready to run right out the door, but something was stopping him. Rain pattered down on the windows and roof, and Leon couldn’t stop looking towards the door like it was a portal to Hell.

“The footsteps,” Leon forced out. The words clawed their way out of his throat in a sickened whisper. “Can’t tell if he’s coming from—from above or below this time. If he stopped outside the door, the room is safe. But—you can still never be sure.”

…what?

You stood there, unsure of what to say. Leon stared through you, acting like any of his words made sense. Your body still couldn’t decide if there was an intruder on the other side of the door. Full with adrenaline, you crept closer.

“I don’t understand,” was what you finally said. Leon seemed to have no problem jumping into things again. It only made you all the more confused. “Who are you talking about?”

“I should’ve just killed him. I keep trying but it’s like the bastard’s immortal. I don’t know how else to lose him. It’s like I…”

What the hell was he talking about? You didn’t cover immortal stalkers in training. Leon kept the gun raised, eyeing the door like someone might bust in at any moment. Looking at him felt like watching someone teetering off the edge of a tall drop. You tried not to get frustrated.

“I can call the lobby and get them to check the cameras if that’s what you want,” you reassured him. You still had your hands held above you on the off-chance he decided to shoot. And what an incident report that would be. “Can you please put down the gun?”

Leon didn’t look like a secret service officer. He looked like a man too shell-shocked to hold a pistol properly, as if he’d barely used the thing. Any instinct pounded into him from boot camp was gone.

“There’s no one to call,” Leon whispered back, desperate, “No cameras. Power’s out. There were other officers when I first came in, but I couldn’t—”

It clicked for you.

“Leon,” you cut him off, trying your best to keep his attention. “Look at me. Do you know where you are?”

Leon met your eyes intensely, now evidently disoriented. It felt like talking with someone who wasn’t fully awake. Something in his eyes changed, from threatened to utterly defenceless. Leon looked far too young to be an agent for a moment, then his body turned boneless. His shoulders drooped.

“I don’t…”

Leon ran one hand through his hair, covered his eyes with the other. A whimper left him, soft and vulnerable. You tried to internalize the shock that Leon looked like he was about to burst into tears in your dining room.

“You’re with one of your own,” you layed out the facts, slipped back into work mode. That was all you could do for him until he agreed to touch you. “You’re with an agent, Kennedy. Stand down. There’s no threat.”

Fully lucid, Leon let the gun hit the table softly. You moved swiftly and took it, hitting the safety lock and pushing it over to the other side.

“Sorry,” Leon choked on his words. His voice sounded higher, more emotive than the one you were used to. Despite trying to act more normal, Leon still looked like an absolute mess. “Shouldn’t have happened.”

You couldn’t help wondering if he meant that it shouldn’t have happened in general or just with you watching.

“You don’t have to worry,” you reached out toward his trembling shoulders. You let him step in and accept a hand on his back, even if it made him seize up. “What was that? A flashback?”

Leon’s lack of a response told you all you needed. You’d seen it in countless soldiers. The ones who’d really gone to war, the ones assigned to missions they weren’t meant to come back from. Flashbacks weren’t uncommon in your line of work. Neither was the paranoia and the shame that came with it.

You just…you didn’t expect Leon to experience them. Not this viscerally. Maybe you’d pegged him all wrong.

“Can I touch you again?” You asked. Leon barely nodded, head still in his hands. You cautiously rubbed at his shoulder, down to his bicep. He stared down at you with big, fearful eyes. “There you are. You okay? You with me?”

That question seemed to push him over the edge. You still didn’t regret asking.

“I’m an agent,” He muttered, as if he was trying to remind himself of the fact, “I’m an agent. It’s my job to do this. Why can’t I just do my job without—”

The younger, more doubtful version of Leon jumped out at you with such vulnerability, it made your heart want to break open. Like paper, he crumpled in front of you with a broken sound.

“Hey, hey. You’re okay. Take a few breaths,” you murmured, “Happens to the best of us. You don’t need to feel any shame about it.”

What you didn’t want to say was that you’d tackle anyone who tried to come in here. Leon’s breaths sounded heaving and wet and frustrated. You sat him down in one of the dining room chairs, pulling another one close to him. Leon’s heartbeat hammered away in his chest. He kept a flat hand pressed right above his diaphragm. He turned away from you, as if he couldn’t bear to have someone else seem him without his walls.

“You remember what they taught us during training?” You ghosted a hand over his shoulder. He shivered, but nodded. Without looking at you, Leon’s hand moved to grip yours. You assumed that was his way of asking you to lead. “On my mark, alright?”

The next 15 minutes was filled with grounding techniques designed for even the most wounded of soldiers. You tightened and released each muscle, let rounds of controlled breathing calm both your bodies down.

When Leon could sit in his chair without trembling, you snuck out of his iron grip and got him a glass of water. He still seemed too embarrassed to comment, too withdrawn and drowning in old memories to be more like himself.

Leon’s heartbeat still hammered against the palm of your hand on his back, even after he drank the water you gave him. Thunder rumbled steadily outside, keeping the two of you trapped in the bubble that defined your apartment.

“Feeling more grounded?” You asked cautiously. Leon let out a shaky breath, turned away from you like a wounded predator. He didn’t want you to see, even though you were far past that point.

“Yeah,” Leon swallowed his pride to respond. He sounded like he’d rather be swallowed up than perceived. “Thanks.”

A part of you wondered if he’d tell you about the immortal man he thought he heard outside your door. Perhaps Leon couldn’t sleep back at the camp because he was afraid of being pursued by something he couldn’t shake. If you asked, maybe it would open a part of him up.

Before you could, Leon stiffened under your arm’s length when rain rhythmically hit the windows. You decided against it.

“I think you should stay over,” you said instead. Leon looked up at you in disbelief. “It’s late. It’s pouring. And…” you stared at the gun sitting just out of reach. “I don’t think you should hold that thing right now.”

Leon laughed, soft and cynical, just a little too insecure. “I’ve already overstayed my welcome.”

“I’m your equal,” What kind of an agent would you be if you didn’t take care of a fellow soldier in need? “You don’t get to decide when you’ve overstayed your welcome. I want you to stay.”

“Why? Can’t leave me to lick my wounds by myself?” Leon was back to his colder persona. You could tell he was trying to push you away. It wasn’t going to work.

Because I care,” You tried to get it through his stupid, self-sacrificial skull. “Because I’m worried about you. I know you like to work alone. It doesn’t mean you have to do this alone, too.”

That seemed to strike a nerve. Leon’s face went from cynical to uncertain. You wondered about the last time someone had told him that. You wouldn’t ask about that, either.

“Fine,” Leon breathed out, eyes closed as he tried to wrangle his breathing under control. “Okay. Fine. Just—tell me when to go. I’ll go.”

Within one evening, your expectations of Leon had fizzled. Cold-hearted, quiet, arm’s-length Leon followed you into the bedroom more like a lost puppy than a trained agent. He dropped the scowl when he thought you weren’t looking, and never seemed to pick it back up.

As Leon stood behind you, the first thing you did was stick his pistol in the safe. As much as you wanted Leon to feel at ease, you didn’t want any bullets flying around so early after joining your new assignment. You passed him a pair of men’s shorts you didn’t remember having. Leon kept his t-shirt on. He turned his back while you changed.

Leon’s aura of uncertainty spoke louder than words. Your bed was big enough for two, and you were sure the two of you had slept in places far worse during your time in the military. Still, he stared at the bed like he’d never gotten into one.

“I can take the couch if it’s too weird,” you offered, knowing full well that the thing wasn’t nearly comfortable enough for that. Thankfully, Leon shook his head. You both settled under the covers and flicked the lights off.

Leon next to you looked stiff as a board. He stared up at the ceiling with stormy eyes, arms crossed tight over his chest. You wondered if he was still embarrased about earlier. He hadn’t said a word since he thanked you for the shorts.

After a few minutes of staggered breathing beside you, you realized sleeping next to him would be impossible without some kind of confrontation. You couldn’t take seeing him look so—you couldn’t put your finger on it—afraid? Alone?

“Come here,” you outreached your arms, and Leon rolled over, eyes crinkled with confusion.

“What?”

“Come here,” you repeated. A detached hand on his shoulder wasn’t going to cut it anymore. “You look like you need it.”

Leon looked ready to argue, but something about your tone of voice, the look on your face in the near-darkness shut him up. Hesitantly, he scooted forward until your arms filled up with his presence.

Leon gasped when you wrapped around him fully. You squeezed until he breathed back out again, a whine coming out with it. Your hands went to his neck, his hair, softly down his spine. His shoulders shook under your gentle grip, excess adrenaline escaping as his body as he finally started to relax.

“Was I right?” You asked knowingly. You paused when a pair of eyelashes pressed against the crook of your neck. They blinked something soft and wet onto your skin. “Hey…hey, I’m sorry. Too much?”

You didnt expect him to cry. You didn’t expect much of this at all, but here you were.

“I haven’t—” Leon hiccuped soft against you. You’d never seen him so fragile. “Haven’t felt like—no one’s done this in a long time.”

Leon dug himself deeper into your skin, hungry for it like oxygen. Was he really that touch-starved? You had your moments of feeling lonely, but you always had your fellow recruits. Hands on shoulders, pats on the back, huddling for warmth, visiting each other’s bunks when nights got to be too daunting.

But Leon never had that, hadn’t he? He’d closed himself off from day one. You always thought he didn’t want to be bothered. Your chest tightened. Right now, Leon seemed so lonely. How much of this had he weathered alone?

“You know I’m here, right?” You murmured into his hair, hands rubbing circles into his back. “You have people in your corner. People at the office wonder about you. They care. You can let us in.”

Leon squeezed his eyes shut, and uneven breaths turned to quiet sobs. You could tell he didn’t believe you. Or maybe was scared to. You rested your head against his and let him release it all into the darkened void of your bedroom.

“They all think I’m a monster,” his voice wavered, his breathing quick and wobbly. “I know what they think about me. I can tell.”

You had no idea that Leon was so worried about what people thought. He harboured enough guilt to tear him up, inside and out.

“There are professionals, too. Military doctors. Meds,” You tried to soothe him like you would a civilian caught up in the crossfire. “They can help with the flashbacks. If you get them often, it wouldn’t hurt to talk to someone.”

You could tell Leon didn’t like the idea before he even opened his mouth to speak. You hoped you weren’t making things worse. You just…you didn’t expect him to crumble so easily.

“They can’t know,” Leon muttered with defeat. “If they find out…if they have any leverage on me, they’ll throw me out. They can’t think I’m unfit. The people I’m trying to protect will…”

“Who?” You asked softly. You wanted so desperately to understand. Understand him. “Who’s they?”

Leon stiffened under your embrace. “It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t have said anything. Forget it.”

“Leon—”

“Please just forget it. Please. I can’t drag another person into this.”

He sounded serious. You had no idea how much pressure he’d been under. He was cold and calculated for a reason. Leon had people he loved, people he thought were more worthy than his own life and comfort.

A surge of guilt rippled through you. If only the others knew.

“I won’t tell anyone,” you reassured him, “Your secret’s safe with me, okay?”

“Thank you,” he muttered back. “It’s not just you. I promise. I wish I could say, but—”

You realized tonight Leon was much more of a gentle soul than you first thought. A rookie with a heart of gold. A scared kid deep inside, as much as he was an agent.

“I’m here no matter what, though,” you made sure to tell him. “No questions asked. You can come over anytime.”

Leon almost cracked a smile at that.

“I’m sorry for dragging you into my shit,” He said quietly, though he didn’t pull away. Keeping his arms around you, Leon’s breathing finally slowed.

“What kind of an agent would I be?” You ran a hand through his dusty blond hair, scratching at his scalp until he let out a noise of relief. “No man left behind. Especially not tonight.”

The thunder raged on, but something about your room felt detached from the rest of the planet tonight. As Leon’s thoughts began to drift, you hoped the rookie in him was still listening.

A/N: Ahhhhh kicking Leon while he’s down and making someone take care of him NEVER gets old. Rookie Leon has a special place in my heart, poor baby :(( If you have any revolutionary ideas, do send them over. And please let me know if you enjoyed!🖤🩶🤍

[incensuous]

just saw someone post “it’s common knowledge ur not supposed to spam reblog from someone ur not mutuals with” …..?????????? am i confused??? IS that common knowledge???? i try not to spam if i can help it but i actually personally love seeing spam notifs lmao??? unless i dont know what spam reblog means

[themountainsays-deactivated2025]

Reblog if you like it when people “spam reblog” from you or whenever that means at any time

[portentous-offerings]

Tumblr: Come, weary traveler. I’ll reheat some old shit posts for you.

A stranger interacting with me anywhere else:

[k3nnfield]

Lost Hope

Master list!

W/C: 108K

Leon x Reader

C/W: Re2 Leon - Re4 Leon, lovers to enemies to lovers, angst, hurt/comfort, fluff, eventual smut, mentions of violence, sensitive themes, mature, happy ending, Carlos Oliveira, Helena Harper, DSO, Umbrella, reader develops abilities and is used as a weapon, plot twists

All chapters:

Prologue

Chapter 1 - Taken

Chapter 2 - Welcome Leon

Chapter 3 - CHIMERA

Chapter 4 - Desperate Attempts

Chapter 5 - You Can’t Catch Me Now

Chapter 6 - Ghost

Chapter 7 - Lost & Found

Chapter 8 - The New Agent

Chapter 9 - Training Starts Now

Chapter 10 - Broken Silence

Chapter 11 - Truce?

Chapter 12 - Close Contact

Chapter 13 - “Don’t Do Anything Stupid.”

Chapter 14 - The Mission

Chapter 15 - Are We In The Clear Yet?

Chapter 16 - Charged Passion

Chapter 17 - Civil

Chapter 18 - Pushing It Down And Praying

Chapter 19 - Change Of Heart

Chapter 20 - It Was All A Lie?

Chapter 21 - Volkow

Chapter 22 - Home Sweet Home

Chapter 23 - Begin Again

Chapter 24 - The Perfect Start To The Plan

Chapter 25 - Reckless

Chapter 26 - The Gala

Chapter 27 - Hope

Epilogue

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[k3nnfield]

Lost Hope - K3nnfield

Epilogue

Word Count: 2,368 

Adjusting to the newfound 'normality' didn't occur as you expected.

The DSO had turned disastrous without someone in charge, especially after everyone discovered the truth about Simmons and his involvement with Volkow and your kidnapping.

When you did return to the office to gather your things, almost every agent suddenly became overly apologetic, offering sympathetic smiles, a hand on your shoulder in passing, polite greetings.

And you knew they all felt guilty for staring at you, silently judging you in their minds about each and every mark on your face, how you were granted a role so important without the proper procedures– An interview, meetings galore, and extreme training which you know of very well from Leon's pre-DSO times.

Leon took time off from work, despite there being a lack of leadership running the office anyway. Though you were all informed that a new director should be joining within the next few weeks.

But you were still unsure at this time what you even wanted to do with yourself. You know you want to feel normal, live normal, do things that normal people spend their lives doing. But it won't be that easy.

The first week, Leon took you on many dates, public dates.

Walks in the park, down to the beach side, fancy restaurants, even movie theatre trips like when you were younger.

You still feel the urge to look over your shoulder, checking your surroundings and keeping an eye on any dark vehicle or suspicious pedestrian that catches your attention. But Leon is always one step ahead of you.

As you find yourself feeling increasingly more aware and paranoid when walking through the city, packed with people rushing past in heaps of crowds, the weight of a heavy hand settles at the bottom of your back.

"You're okay," Leon mumbles, pulling you closer to his side as you walk step-in-step beside him.

He glances down at you, meeting your gaze which speaks more than words could. Reminding you that he's got you, that he's already checked each and every building you pass by, studying any person walking past and those who are further away.

Neither of you have fully switched off from the DSO life during this break, and you can't shake off the unsettling feeling of being out in the open, worried that at any moment your life could be over no quicker than a blink of an eye.

A good few weeks after Simmons death, Leon surprises you with a vacation to a villa in Capri. Somewhere you have always dreamt about visiting, you used to constantly bring up the stunning coastline, how peaceful the island looks, and wanting to go on boat trips around other nearby islands.

The villa overlooks the glistening waves crashing against the rocks and sand, the sun shining in through the balcony doors, reflecting off the infinity pool below you.

You spend the next few days feeling ultimately relaxed. More so than you could ever feel at home surrounded by people and tall buildings. Enclosed into a city so big, yet you feel so small, so trapped.

Leon needed this holiday too, it may just be the first time he's properly rested in years. You watch as he leans back on the sun lounger, skin shining with suncream and sweat from the heat of the sun, arms stretched out over his head.

You rest your arms on the edge of the pool, your body submerged under the water rippling around you. Eyes glued on Leon, admiring this version of him that is so rare to see.

"What?" he grunts out, not even needing to open his eyes to feel your stare.

You let out a small giggle, "Nothing, come join me in the pool!" You push back from the side, your body moving through the water so effortlessly, eyes shut as you let yourself float.

He lets out a small groan of effort as he pushes himself off the lounge bed, heavy steps approaching the ladder descending into the depth of the pool.

You swim over to the other side of the pool, looking out at the views as you hear Leon push through the water, before he joins you on the other side.

After a beat of silence, both of you sharing the peaceful moment, you let out a sigh of content, leaning your head onto Leon's arm, "Thank you," you whisper.

"What for?" He hums, kissing the top of your head softly.

"This...for everything you've done for me lately." you gesture a hand all around you, the pool, the sea, the villa, even yourself.

Leon's lips pull into a small smile, an arm extending around your body as he comes up behind you, gently kissing your shoulders and neck.

"The least I could do, baby." His hands rest on the curve of your bare hips, fingers running over the thin straps of your bikini.

You lean your head back against his chest, soaking up the warmth of his body against you within the cold sting of the refreshing water.

Just as you let out an exhale, Leon's hands grip your waist, lifting you up into the air before throwing you into the water, a surprised yelp leaving your mouth before you crash under the water.

As you swim back to the surface, wiping your eyes and catching your breath, you can hear Leon genuinely chuckling at himself, eyes crinkling at the corners with a gigantic, cheeky grin painted over his face.

"Bastard!" You shout out, scrambling through the water and latching your body to his. Using all your might to shove him underwater in revenge, legs wrapped around his waist.

The following day, Leon takes you on a boat trip around the island, visiting The Blue Grotto. The number one agenda of this trip you declared when you had brought this up when you were only 19 years old. Seeing the sea caves in person felt magical, out of this world. It felt like a movie.

The sun filtering through the rocks, the ocean water illuminated turquoise, a literal dream came true.

He decides to stop the boat further out into the sea, looking out at the vast ocean and mountainous frames of islands surrounding you.

You rest against the top of the boat, staring up at the sky as your hands rub small circles into the towel beneath you.

Leon lays next to you, his head against an arm with a knee bent.

"You got any ideas on the plan for when we're back?" He cautiously asks, knowing it's a touchy subject at the moment.

"I don't even wanna go back. I haven't felt this safe and free in so long." You groan, shutting your eyes.

"I know.." He breathes, turning his head slightly to look over at you. "I'll think of something, somewhere we can go to get away from the bioweapon shit for good."

You shake your head lightly, "As much as I'd love that, really...I just don't see how it will happen."

Leon hums in questioning, "The world needs you, you know that." You add, giving him a knowing look over your sunglasses balancing on the bridge of your nose.

"There are other agents out there."

"But none of them are you, Leon."

Leon lifts himself up, leaning his weight onto his hands. "So what? You're saying you want to stay in the city? And then what?"

"I...I don't know. I just want to feel like I'm doing something for people, just like how you want to be there for those in danger."

"Even though I love this," You lift a hand to the boat and water, "And how simple life is right now...I can't stop thinking of all the people in potential danger, and that I could do something to help them."

Leon stays silent, listening attentively without interrupting you.

"But..I don't think I want to be out there in the field again..I don't want to be reminded that I'm so different to everyone, or feel used for my abilities."

He tilts his head, thinking for a quick second before offering a suggestion.

"You could work in the office, operate missions and help me and the other field agents? That way you're still helping people like you said you wanted to do, and you can be with Carlos and Helena too, without the heavy risks and danger." He rests a hand on yours, the touch comforting and grounding.

"And what about the new director? What if they wont let me do any of that, force me into the field again and use me as a fucking weapon. That can't be my life forever." You grit out through your teeth, stomach churning just at the memory of how you've spent the most important and 'fun' years of your life.

"They can't be as bad as Simmons," He keeps his eyes on yours. "Things will be different, (Y/N), even if that means we move away and start fresh somewhere new."

You sigh exaggeratedly, "I sure hope so."

┈──┈˖˚⊹ ⋆♡⋆ ⊹˚˖ ┈──┈

After a good month of making the most of yours and Leon's time off, spent well with plenty of trips away, sleeping, walks, shopping and plenty of other bucket list experiences, you both reluctantly return back to work.

Things in fact are different at the DSO, so different that the DSO is no longer taking on a new successor for the role of the Director after Simmons. Instead, all agents report to the commander-in-chief...also known as President Adam Benford.

Things run a lot stricter at the office now, but luckily, you have been granted the ability to work from the building.

You've even been provided a new office, shared with other operational strategist agents. Walls covered in big screens, desks cluttered with high-technology computers and random files left open.

Your new agents you share an office with have been much more welcoming than the previous. You instantly feel at place, important, less looked down at, or even feared.

Things start off slow for a while, barely any mention of Umbrella or bioweapon activity identified, meaning you aren't needed much in the office.

You spend this time making the most of your freedom, going into the city with Carlos and Helena, going on walks on your own, coffee shop treats, literally anything you could think of.

Or you wait at the apartment, relaxing beside the window and watching people on the streets from afar, something you used to always love doing.

And when missions did begin, with threats detected around the world, you stepped right into action. Speaking with the field agents through ear pieces, which feels weird since they were your team not too long ago and you were on the other side listening to Hunnigan, instructing them on nearest exit routes, watching footage over and over, sending details to Brian.

There are times you feel as though you should offer your physical support for the team in the field, especially when they get bombarded with zombies or other huge mutated monsters, but immediately shut it down after reminding yourself of the trauma and hell you've gone through.

As much as you feel like you're doing good for the people out there, using your knowledge and skill to support the team in other ways. You think you're sort of...wasting the strength and capabilities you have.

It's incredibly confusing and overwhelming, not being 100% sure on what you want to do, constantly changing your mind.

Leon suggests that you could go through more specific training rather than rushed sparring sessions. That way you may actually feel more capable and less at risk of crumbling at any moment.

It's definitely an idea you ponder often, and after a few months of staying in the office, feeling more comfortable around your new co-workers, you agree to undergo the proper DSO training.

The training is a much longer process than what you had completed before, but it will be worth it. You work with numerous agents and high levelled combat specialists to learn from the basics.

Of course, most things come easy to you, if you're being honest you're stronger than most of these agents you face.

But it helps to make you feel more confident in yourself, more ready.

┈──┈˖˚⊹ ⋆♡⋆ ⊹˚˖ ┈──┈

After 2 years, you quickly become one of the best DSO agents out there, other than Leon of course.

He's held that title for a while now, and he's happily welcomed you on that podium beside him.

You have both become the talk of the office, all the agents adore you together, the 'Power Couple'.

Leon decided it will be best for the both of you to move elsewhere rather than staying in the same apartment from the Raccoon City aftermath days. An unwanted reminder for him of when he spent 3 years alone in these walls.

He found a small, cozy house outside of the city, which you are beyond thankful for.

Being away from the chaotic hustle and bustle, a calmer environment, somewhere to actually wind down, it feels so much safer.

That feeling of normality has returned to you more so than ever, despite being out in the field again.

You are able to just do whatever you please without fearing for your life, that someone is watching you.

You want to head to the store? You simply drive out to the nearest Mall.

Fancy some food? So be it.

Beach trip? Leon's already packed the bags.

Need some sort of adrenaline rush? Leon is taking you out on his bike.

It is a lot easier, there are still obvious risks that you are both aware of whilst being a part of the DSO, but it's a whole lot less frightening than knowing Volkow or Simmons have eyes on you at all times.

The most recent mission that Hunnigan has brought to your attention is directly related to an incident in the White House, of which Leon had been called in to protect the President.

Everything quickly went to shit once he arrived, meaning you got ordered right after him to rescue the other agents, Leon and the President from an outbreak of Zombies in America's most protected building in the world.

The moment the President and other agents realise they are under the protection and working with you and Leon, the atmosphere eases into something much more relaxed. They know how well you both work together on missions, and they don't think they could have wished for anything or anyone else right now.

The world genuinely trusts you with their life, and that's something you never knew you'd appreciate as much as you do.

Wow, Lost Hope is officially finished!

Tysm for reading my first fanfic!

I’ll be posting polls and accepting requests for oneshots very soon, i will not be disappearing don’t worry!

Taglist:

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[k3nnfield]

Lost Hope - K3nnfield

23. Begin Again

⚠️​THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS NSFW THEMES⚠️

Word count: 3,818 

You wake up the next morning to the feeling of a soft, quick kiss on the cheek, the smell of sweetness and syrup wafting in from the kitchen.

Your eyes open, searching around the room as you spot Leon in his work attire — a buttoned up black shirt, tucked into a pair of dark jeans, the sleeves rolled up to the tops of his forearms — grabbing his keys and seemingly in a rush.

"Leon?" You croak out, your voice weak from sleep.

He quickly stops by your side of the bed, "Hey, sorry I've gotta go to work. You have the next few weeks off to heal–"

"No, I can't just sit here and do nothing knowing Simmons is behind everything. I have to do something too." You protest, pushing yourself off the bed but your body moves much slower than anticipated.

Leon lets out a chuckle under his breath. "I know you do, but we don't have a plan yet. Unfortunately we can't go in guns ablazing." He softly smiles down at you, his blonde hair sweeping over his eyes.

"Listen, there's a Gala event next week that the DSO hosts every year. Simmons will be there, that could be our chance to confront him, he won't see anything coming on a night that important."

You look up at him through your eyelashes, "Leon, is this your way of asking me to be your date to the Gala?" a small smirk grows over your lips.

"Maybe. 2 birds with 1 stone." He shrugs his shoulders casually, "So, is that a yes?"

"If I must." You sarcastically huff, though your failure to conceal the smile painting your face reveals how excited you actually are about it.

Leon leans down and gently presses his lips against yours, "Great, I'll text you soon." He says as he walks away.

"Oh and also, there's some pancakes out here for you, you need to eat something sugary." Leon adds over his shoulder before leaving the apartment.

And here you are once again, just like old times, alone in your...Leon's apartment.

It feels wrong to call the apartment yours after all this time, realistically it has been Leon's much longer than it was both of yours.

You take yourself out of bed, thank God you can't feel pain because you can only imagine how much agony your side would be giving you right now.

But instead, you walk towards the kitchen, your steps feeling slightly heavier, using up more energy than normal. Your eyes land on the same meal Leon used to make you before he left for training, the same he made when he took care of you after the shipping dock incident.

He even left you a glass of orange juice beside it. A wave of nostalgia takes over you as you sit yourself down at the counter, looking around the space with a heavy heart.

It feels like you never left, that nothing happened. Everything in the apartment is the same as it was before you had been taken. But of course, nothing really is the same, with you and with Leon.

As much as you wish to go back to how it was, neither of you will be able to return to the same person you were before. But that feeling deep in your heart desperate to feel normal again pangs and booms in your chest.

You eat your food, as much as you can stomach, before your phone vibrates on the countertop.

There's no way Leon would've messaged already, he's probably still driving to the office.

Carlos: Stopped by this morning but you weren't there, everything okay?

Shit.

How are you supposed to explain to Carlos why you're staying at Leon's, you can't tell him about Simmons.

You: Leon offered for me to stay at his for a while, I'm all good.

Carlos: What was up with him those last few days?

You: He had some stuff on his mind, but it's fine now.

Carlos: Well let me know if he causes you any trouble, I'll pop around someday this week if you want?

You: Thank you, that would be nice.

You smile as you set your phone down again, making a mental note of telling Leon that Carlos will visit. Taking your dishes to the sink and rinsing them off feels so natural, moving around the kitchen, knowing where everything belongs.

Changing into more of Leon's clothes, some black sweatpants and finding one of your own bras from years ago buried at the bottom of one of the drawers. After throwing your hair into a messy bun, you settle onto the couch, finding a book that proves this entire apartment is frozen in time.

The same book you had been in the middle of reading during Leon's training, moments before disaster struck.

You start from the beginning, curled up under a blanket, immersed into the book. You don't even realise how much time has passed.

Around early afternoon, another text comes through your phone.

Leon: Still alive?

You: Just about.

Leon: Eaten anything since this morning?

You: Picked at some bits in the fridge

Leon: Okay, see you later.

You find the differences between Carlos and Leon's ways of checking on you funny, with Carlos being far more easy-going and attempting to cheer you up whenever he can, but with Leon, despite his straight forward words, you can tell he's worried about you, protective.

The rest of the day moves by slowly, and you spend it by playing some music loud enough to keep your mind distracted as you occupy yourself with random chores. The same routine you had back when you were left here alone for weeks.

You're currently concentrated on cleaning the kitchen, despite it even needing a deep cleanse. Singing along to one of your favorite songs as you work. So busy that you don't hear the door open and close, as well as Leon's heavy boots dropping onto the floor.

It's only until you feel big strong arms wrap around your lower waist, warmth enclosing from behind you that you realise he's home. You jump from the shock, rushing to turn off the music from your phone and spinning around, still in Leon's grasp.

"What a beautiful sight to come home to." He smirks, leaning in to meet you halfway into a deep kiss.

"Sorry, I hope you don't mind me cleaning. I just can't laze around and do nothing." You smile after pulling back.

Leon shakes his head, his gaze soft into your eyes, your heart flutters at the sight. You feel his hand trace the skin at your back, rubbing up and down from the top of your neck and down to the waistband of his sweatpants.

"I brought back some Chinese food." Leon nods his head to the bags set onto the kitchen counter behind you.

A shiver runs down your spine from the sweet gesture, despite feeling so warm and close to Leon's body.

"But seeing you like this, comfortable in our apartment again gives me another idea." Leon's voice lowers slightly, his hands pressing you closer to him again.

You hope you appear more calm and collected after hearing him say 'our apartment', but you can feel the heart rising in your cheeks and in your pants, your heart skipping a beat.

"Yeah? What's that?" You tease, but you know exactly what he's thinking from the way his eyes devour you.

His hands quickly fall down to the backs of your thighs, tapping them once for you to jump, he catches you with ease, placing you onto the top of the counter. Leon stands between your legs, your ankles lock around his waist as he leans in for a hungry kiss.

His hands move gently on your waist, an instinctive thought on his behalf in case he would hurt you. Your fingers dig into his hair, softly pulling at the roots which you know he loves the feeling of. Leon groans into your mouth, his tongue dipping deep and sliding around yours.

His hands pull down his own sweatpants off your legs, eyes glistening with lust when he looks at the sight of you in just a bra and his boxers. Leon's fingers move over the fabric covering your pussy, looking at the wet spot seeping through, it literally makes him salivate with need.

Leon pulls down the boxers, revealing your bare, drenched pussy on show for him. He doesn't waste any time, dropping down to press kisses on the insides of your thigh, digging his fingers into the thick flesh.

"You don't understand how hard.." He pauses to kiss your thigh again, "it's been.. to keep my hands off you.."

And with that, his tongue strokes from your entrance up to your throbbing clit, alternating between kitten licks and suctioning kisses. Your thighs clench around his head from the sensation, causing his own cock to pulse with pleasure, a moan leaves his lips sending vibrations into your pussy.

Your first orgasm fast approaches, even more so as one of Leon's hands reaches up to squeeze one of your breasts through the fabric of your bra. He looks up at you with devilish eyes, making you come apart almost immediately at the sight of him.

High pitch whines and moans echo throughout the kitchen as you feel your release building up in your lower stomach, feeling much more intense than normal. Your hand grips onto his hair, the other on the counter behind you, riding your pussy into his lips. And before you know it, your legs twitch and shake as liquid sputters all over his mouth, making him groan with amusement.

"Fuck..that's my girl." Leon mutters into your pussy, his lips cleaning the mess dripping out of you with ease. Your face grows red, you haven't squirted in years, you're pretty sure that has only happened once in your life with Leon years ago. And from just his tongue no less.

Leon stands back up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before his lips meet yours, forcing you to taste yourself all over his face. Your cunt clenches at the dirtiness of it all, hips rocking up to seek friction against Leon's clothed cock that presses tight against his pants.

He obliges, stepping closer as he grinds his covered erection against your pussy, leaving wetness all over his trousers.

"Leon..please," You moan out from the rough fabric dragging across your clit.

"What do you want, baby?" Leon gruffles out, completely overtaken with his own pleasure.

"You...I need you." You continue to rub yourself against him.

Leon picks you up in his arms, his hands digging into your ass, squeezing as he walks you to the bedroom, placing you down onto the bed.

"You look so gorgeous like this," He groans out, looking down at you. "Naked and squirming in our bed."

Your hand reaches down to your pussy, desperate for another release, but Leon grabs your wrist with a smirk.

"No, you wait for me." He grunts.

You watch as Leon very slowly undoes his trousers, letting them drop down to his ankles before stepping out. Followed by his boxers, his cock springs out with pre-cum leaking out of his glowing tip.

His hand gently strokes himself, Leon's eyes looking you up and down. His teeth bite down on his bottom lip.

"Fuck sake Leon please." You grow more frustrated by the second.

He laughs, climbing above you. His hands snake around your back, unhooking your bra and throwing it to the side, your breasts bounce free.

You notice how quickly Leon becomes desperate for a release, taking that as your chance to flip him over on his back. You plant yourself on top of him, hovering over his thick cock as your wetness drips down onto him.

"Fuck baby.." He mumbles looking up at you.

You lean into him, your breasts pushing against his chest as your mouth connects with his. A messy, wet kiss mixed with both of your own groans.

"Do you need me?" You ask, pulling back and perching yourself up with your hands on his shoulders.

He nods, staying silent. "Use your words," You tease with a smirk.

"Yes, please.." He groans, "Bounce on my cock."

You giggle, sitting upright as you straddle over him, grinding your pussy over his length, your mouth falls open as you feel his warmth. Leon's fingers dig deep into your hips with each drag of your pussy.

Once his cock becomes drenched enough, you hold it up with your hands, lining him up with your entrance as you feel his hard tip pierce your cunt. You slowly sink down until your ass is flat against his thighs.

Both of you release a moan from the sensation, and once you get used to the stretch, you begin rocking your hips to begin with. Your clit rubs against his pelvis, the girth of his cock grinding into your walls.

Your own selfish way to seek your own pleasure to tease him further. Leon groans anyway, his hand closing around your tit, a thumb brushing over your nipple that sends a shock down to your clit.

You rest your hands back onto his legs, slowly bouncing up and down onto his cock, your breasts swaying with each movement.

The sound of skin slapping fills the room, as well as the lewd noises of your wet pussy filling with Leon's cock. His hips meet your own with each bounce, thrusting upwards to drive his dick even deeper inside, reaching the squishy spot inside you that makes your eyes roll back into your head.

A loud moan leaves your lips, bouncing even harder and faster as your orgasm builds. You lean forward, hands now wrapping around his neck, tits bouncing right into Leon's face.

And he fucking loves it.

You feel his mouth close around your nipple sucking and licking as much as he can like he can't get enough of you.

"Ohmygod.." You moan as your head falls back.

Leon smacks your ass lightly, grabbing and squeezing at the flesh, helping you move up and down as you grow tired.

"Keep going, fuck..I'm close.." he grunts, his eyes squeezing shut. You lean closer into him, one of his hands reaches down to your clit, allowing him to rub his thumb in quick circles and watch his cock disappear inside of you.

The sight alone makes all his muscles tighten, feeling your pussy clench around him as you reach your high, juices flowing all over his cock.

Leon's orgasm follows after, your pussy milking him so tight that his cum shoots deep inside of you. Your body slumps over, head falling into Leon's shoulder.

His hands wrap around your body, holding you close as he remains inside, you can feel his cock throbbing into your walls as he comes down. Leon kisses the side of your head, gently caressing your skin.

"Definitely the best welcome home I've had in a while." he breathes out, making you giggle into his neck.

You slowly lift yourself up, his cock slips out as you rest onto the bed beside him.

"Food." You mumble out, realising the forgotten Chinese food out in the kitchen has most likely gotten cold.

"I'll heat it up," Leon smiles, heading to the bathroom and returning with a damp towel to clean you up.

Once he wipes the mess away, helping you until the shower, which turned into another round of orgasms, you change into one of his buttoned up shirts once again, with another pair of his boxers. You really need your clothes.

You watch Leon from the sofa, resting your head on your arms. He plates the food after warming it up, his bare back facing you, sweatpants low on his waist.

Leon walks over with 2 plates, the sexiest waiter you've ever seen. He sits down beside you, handing the plate over to you as you sit crossed legged.

You both begin eating in a comfortable silence, the TV playing a random series that is acting simply as background noise.

"I need to get my things from the house." You break the quiet, chewing lightly on your food.

"Mm, I'll pop by tomorrow and get everything." Leon replies before eating a piece of chicken.

"Why can't I?"

"Because we don't know if Simmons has been watching you, can't risk being out in the open like that even if Volkow isn't a danger anymore." Leon remains adamant, his protectiveness over you showing very clear in his tone.

You huff, dropping your fork onto the plate. "I'm sick of constantly being at risk. I just want to live a normal life again, go to the club, go shopping, just fucking walk the street by myself without being scared." You raise your voice, not directed at Leon.

He remains quiet, listening and watching you with an understanding expression.

"I didn't ask for this life, and it's like I'm being punished for it." you become quieter.

Leon places his plate onto the coffee table, taking yours from your lap before pulling you into his chest. You rest your head on his shoulder, legs over his lap.

"I promise you, once everything is over with, I'll give you a life as normal as possible. If it means we walk around a park, so be it. If you want to go to a club, so be it. Leave the fucking country? we'll do it." He speaks into your hair, his arm around your waist.

"You just have to hold on a little longer, and I will make it all worth it." Leon kisses your forehead.

You nod, a warm feeling growing in your chest as you bury yourself deeper in his embrace.

"Speaking of," You begin, "I refuse to sit in this apartment for weeks." Pushing yourself upright too look at Leon properly.

"Can we at least start coming up with a plan for Simmons?" You ask.

Leon nods his head, shifting in his spot on the couch.

"How are we going to confront him at the Gala?"

Leon inhales deeply, "It's risky, there will be a lot of people there."

"But I think I can call in a favour with a certain someone, it just depends whether or not he's willing to help." He shrugs with an awkward smile.

You know exactly who he's talking about, just from the words Leon has said. But doubt creeps into your mind.

┈──┈˖˚⊹ ⋆♡⋆ ⊹˚˖ ┈──┈

The next day, Leon returns with multiple bags of your belongings, after stopping off at your house on the way home from work. He dumps everything onto the bed, helping you organize your clothes into the wardrobe and drawers.

He also brought back paperwork for you to fill out, including your report for Iceland. The only downside of having time off work.

Once the bags have been emptied, Leon makes a phone call, arranging to meet up with who will hopefully help you both out with Simmons.

"I'm coming." You state once he hangs up the call.

"(Y/N).."

"No, it involves me directly, I know him too. Maybe seeing me might convince him to help us." You playfully wink, already moving to change into your own clothes and putting on makeup for the first time in days.

"Fine, but keep an eye and let me know if you spot anything or anyone that seems suspicious." Leon huffs.

You pick out something simple yet casual, a pair of light blue baggy jeans with a simple tee and cardigan. Makes you appear somewhat normal.

Leon drives you both far out of town, arriving at a tucked away diner that not many know about. There isn't much advertisement for it, and it is quite far off the main road.

There are only a few cars parked outside, one that you recognise to be who you're meeting up with.

Leon parks up the car, opening your door as heading to the front entrance, you fall into step beside him. He opens the door to the diner for you, following afterwards as the bell jingles.

Your eyes scan the booths and tables, soon landing on the man himself sitting in the furthest corner from the entrance. His eyes light up once he spots you too.

You walk over, a big smile painted on your face as he stands up, "Well well, look who it is."

"Chris!" you exclaim.

He opens his arms for you, welcoming you into a tight hug. Leon narrows his eyes at him from over your shoulder.

"I missed you." You say, pulling back from the hug and taking a seat.

"Missed you too." He smiles, remaining standing as he straightens his face, a more professional expression taking over.

"Chris." Leon nods.

"Leon." He returns.

They both join you at the table, Leon beside you with Chris opposite.

"It's nice to see you both," Chris aims his words more at you, a soft look in his eyes. "I'm so sorry (Y/N), about what happened."

You shake your head, thinning your lips, "I'm alright now." You awkwardly smile.

"Me and Claire have been meaning to reach out, just didn't want to make things worse while you adjust." He purses his lips, eyes meeting yours with an empathetic half smile.

Leon gently rests his hand on your leg, his thumb absentmindedly caressing your thigh as a way to comfort you. He knows you hate it when people bring up Umbrella. But it's inevitable on this occasion.

"That's okay, how's Claire?" you attempt to turn the conversation away from yourself.

"Good, yeah. She's joined Terrasave now, helping victims of bioterrorism."

You smile at that, happy for Claire that she's found a place to support others, avoiding actual severe threats. Leon clears his throat, his method of moving along the discussion to why you're actually here.

"So, what's this about then?" Chris leans back into the seat.

"It's actually sort of related to my..time at Umbrella." You begin.

Chris raises an eyebrow, intrigued.

"The man who took her and ran the experiments is dead, but we found out that Simmons had also been behind it." Leon adds in.

"Shit. Simmons?" Chris's eyes widen, not needing to ask more, knowing neither of you would make something like this up.

"Yep." You sigh.

"We haven't told anyone, it's too risky. If any of the team find out–"

"Word will spread and he'll run, yeah. So what do you need me for?" Chris finishes Leon's sentence already understanding.

"We are planning on taking him down at the Gala next week. But we need the BSAA to help us, there will be way too many people for just me and (Y/N)." Leon explains.

Chris sighs, a hand running over his face, "I can help. But we're gonna need some sort of evidence to put towards his arrest."

"Am I not evidence?" You try to joke.

"Well, yeah but there's no solid proof that Simmons had anything to do with it. All of the blame is on Volkow." He replies softly.

"So you'll do it, we just need something that proves him guilty?" Leon checks, studying him closely. Leon's always been strange with Chris, and vice versa. But you aren't entirely sure why.

Chris nods, hands clasped on the table.

"Send me the details of where this Gala is held, what time it starts and when you want the BSAA there." He stands, holding out a hand as Leon returns the handshake in agreement.

"Perfect," You smile, "Thank you Chris!" You wave as he walks away.

Leon sits back down opposite you, releasing a sigh as his knees touch against yours.

"We got this." He reassures you.

"Fuck yeah we do." you laugh in relief.

Taglist:

@princesssugarplumm @cupcakeyiny @radiantvader

[k3nnfield]

Lost Hope - K3nnfield

22. Home Sweet Home

⚠️​THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENT THEMES⚠️​

Word count: 4,363 

Once you find yourself calm enough, and as reality sinks in that Leon is holding you against his chest, caressing your back despite the fact that he had told you he didn't love you not even a day ago, you force yourself away.

Brushing your hands against your trousers, fixing your hair and clearing your throat. Leon watches you in both awe and caution.

"Volkow has been killed." Leon speaks into his earpiece.

"Got it. Complete the mission and come back up to the surface ASAP." Brian responds.

You and Leon walk past Volkow's deceased body, completely unrecognisable, a terrifying sight. You can't seem to peel your eyes away from him even after stepping around.

Leon taps your arm, causing you to snap your head in his direction as he points to the main area of the Lab. But you know deep down it was his way of subtly stopping you from looking.

Another requirement of your mission is to retrieve as many files as possible to help the DSO understand what Volkow was really up to. And although you feel sick to your stomach with the thought of following Simmons orders, it is still in the best interest of the whole team and other people affected by Umbrella to discover as much information as possible.

You shuffle through numerous papers, briefly reading over words on various experiments, what viruses had been used on certain subjects.

Those things you have seen and fought on the way in were failed attempts of combining each virus, and Volkow must've entirely lost his mind since he began experimenting with his own staff.

But your stomach sinks and churls after reading the next file.

"Holy shit..." You mutter out, your hands flipping through the pages.

Leon hums, coming over beside you as he reads over your shoulder. His own expression drops in shock and disgust.

"What the fuck." Leon grunts out.

Volkow had been injecting himself with a mixture of your blood, the G-Virus and plenty more concoctions of messed up trials. Which explains why he looked so beaten down and on death's door.

Thank God you got to him in time before something sickening transformed within him.

"Leon?" You call out after you both return to collecting more information.

He turns his head, looking at you with a softer expression, but still maintaining the professional and distant demeanor.

"What do we do when we get back?" You ask, your voice quiet and soft. "With Simmons?"

"We'll come up with something. But for now, we aren't telling the rest of the team, the moment word spreads, he'll run and even target the team and you." Leon draws out, his words becoming almost unhearable by the time he finishes his sentence.

You nod your head, feeling an overwhelming sense of dread taking over.

As you head back out of the main area, back the way you came, both of you come to a complete stop. Looking at each other with the same expression.

"Oh shit."

Volkow's body is gone, which can only mean 2 things. He's either already been retrieved by the other agents in the team to take his body back for testing, unlikely, or those viruses within him have finally–

The walls on your right begin to crumble and crack, heavy thuds making their way around the corner. A loud squelch and gurgle echoing through the halls.

What turns the corner makes you physically recoil, eyes falling wide open.

A gigantic, monstrous form has overtaken Volkow's body, only his face is noticeable, stuck amongst disgusting formations of body parts spewing out of every inch.

His flesh drips with every movement, humongous eyes on both sides of his overgrown self blinking at you.

He's faster than you anticipated, charging over towards you both, Leon takes the initiative to throw your body to the side, as Volkow crashes through the space between you.

He stands before you, towering over and looking down at you with such a viscous, murderous look that makes your skin crawl. You can't move, you can't speak, you can't do anything. You haven't seen something so terrifying since Raccoon City.

Volkow's mutated hands, with mountainous sharp claws take a hold of you, you shift in his grip trying your best to squirm your way out but there's no use. His grasp tightens, cutting off your blood circulation and airways.

But before you fade into unconsciousness, the floor beneath you sinks. Volkow drops you from his hand, and you land flat against a hard floor surface.

Thankfully, you don't feel a thing. But you know that fall was not good for your body at all. You push yourself up with all your effort, groaning as you look around the area.

A huge open space, similar to which you recall from the underground Lab in Racoon City surrounds you, the lights lining the walls flicker. You can just about see the hole above you which crumbled beneath your feet, welcoming you to this grand battlefront.

And Leon is nowhere to be seen.

You have to handle this alone. Which is sort of ironic, given that this is the same man who held you hostage for 3 years and ruined your life. Now you get to kill him for the second time.

Volkow stands in the middle of the area, scanning around with a need for blood as he looks for you.

You reload your shotgun, rifle and handgun. Ensuring you have enough grenades on your person before calling out for his attention.

"Hey asshole!" You yell.

Volkow's entire build moves slowly as he faces you, a sick smile crossing what looks like his face as he begins heading right in your direction.

You start off by throwing a grenade, the explosion grants you time to take cover and hide from him as he drops to one knee.

With that, you look through the scope of the rifle, aiming directly at those horrific eyes sticking out of his arms. You shoot them 5 times each, the once yellow glowing orbs now gleam orange.

Volkow yells out in pain, becoming even more aggressive. He begins charging right at your cover, breaking it with a single whack with his arm. Sending you flying across the expanse of the room.

You roll across the floor, stabilizing yourself on one knee as you aim your rifle back at him, shooting his eyes once more. And just as expected, he grows angrier.

An ear-splitting screech and growl erupts the room, literally causing dust to fall from the crevices of the ceiling that stands above you by 40ft.

You manage to dodge him as his body launches into the wall beside you. Wedging his arms into the concrete.

Using this as an advantage, you shoot as many shells of your shotgun into his eyes and head before he turns back around to you.

You throw another grenade, sending him back down to a single knee.

This is going well, too well.

He lets out another scream, causing your hands to fly up to your ears. You watch as another arm, bigger than the others, stabs through his body, flying outwards as he grows even taller, his frame widening. Making you seem miniature in comparison.

"Fuck!" You yell out, running a lap around the room as you plan your next attack, Volkow following after you. Every step causes the ground to shake.

You turn your head back, aiming your handgun at Volkow, sending as many bullets into his body as you can to save you some time to hide.

You crouch behind some debris, staying as low as possible as you can hear Volkow prowling around to find you. Desperately thinking of possibilities that can help you here.

Shoot every bullet you have at him and hope it's enough.

Use all your grenades and hope the explosions will be enough.

But you can't just hide and run this entire time.

The broken pieces of the ceiling you're hiding behind gets kicked away, leaving you visible on the floor looking up at Volkow. You roll to the side, but Volkow's hand slashes against your side.

You keep running. Running for your life once again.

Those huge eyes are now red, oozing with pus and other stuff you don't even want to know what it is.

"(Y/N)!" Leon calls out as loud as he can from somewhere above.

You gaze upwards, desperately trying to find where he is. Until your eyes land on him, standing on top of a broken piece of the ceiling which landed in the wall, making his way down to your level.

He continues traversing the most unstable surfaces, jumping off of extreme heights until Leon finally reaches you with a loud thud of his boots against the ground.

"Jesus Christ Leon, your knees!" You yell.

"Still got 'em." He shrugs at you, taking out his own gun and shooting Volkow.

You join him, dodging Volkow's attacks and planting your own grenades and hits as Leon distracts him away from you.

This is much easier with someone else.

Leon aims his SMG at Volkow's glowing eyes, causing them to sputter out with blood and drain of more fluid, Volkow falls to the floor, weakening before his chest explodes with a bundle of miniature eyeballs in the centre of his body.

How many fucking eyes can one have?

You launch another grenade, working well to cause the orbs to turn orange again, just as Leon uses his own grenades too. An array of explosions completely taking over Volkow, concealing your view of him entirely. A cloud of smoke and dust engulfs him.

Which isn't the best for you, since Volkow appears out of absolutely nowhere, almost about to impale you with his hands before you jump out of the way, unintentionally landing on him as he stands back up.

"Ohhh shit..." You mutter, trying to keep your balance as he moves around, chasing after Leon. You kick his head, causing him to stop in his tracks, the force sending his neck to snap sideways before slowly turning his gaze up to you.

You jump off from his back, landing on the floor and running beside Leon. He passes you a broken long metal pole, definitely a perfect weapon to drive into the center of Volkow's eyes.

"The pleasure is all yours." He says as you take it out of his hands.

You smile at him, running directly at Volkow and stabbing the pole all the way through his chest, the eyes bursting and spilling out with blood as Volkow's body collapses onto the floor, the metal still stuck inside his body.

You stumble backwards, reaching Leon as you both watch him drain in size, until he is just a pile of flesh and mess.

"He better stay dead this time." You breathlessly speak, chest heaving as you pant, trying to regain your breath.

Your eyes scan the broken apart room, realising you won't be able to climb all the way back up.

"How the fuck do we get out?" You panic. The last thing you want right now is to be trapped down here after finally ending this horrible chapter of your life.

"There's an elevator over there." Leon points to a steel door, you follow his gaze with a sigh of relief. Always trust Leon to spot any and all entrances or exits of a location.

Once you enter the elevator, realizing it must have more than 20 floors to reach before arriving high enough for you to exit the facility, you lean backwards into the wall, your head falling back as your body feels 10 times heavier.

Leon's eyes fall on your body, "You're hurt." He states.

You follow his gaze, looking at the huge gash covering the entire side of your stomach, slashing through the fabric of your clothes, seeping blood.

"It's fine, can't feel it." You mutter out despite feeling lightheaded, since all the adrenaline has drained.

"Your body can certainly feel it." Leon walks over to you, ripping off a section of his bandages from a first aid pouch, wrapping it tight around the wound.

"It's enough for now, when we are back it'll be patched up better." He taps the bandage once more, his fingers lingering on your skin before he forces himself away, leaning on the wall opposite you.

You both fall into a silence, something heavy and thick amongst you, feeling as if it's suffocating you. But luckily, the doors swing open, allowing you both to enter the correct laboratory hallway. You reach a different exit, using the blueprints on your phone to navigate the halls before reaching another steel door.

Instead of a tunnel, this door leads you to a stairwell, thankfully welcoming you to the nuclear bunker entrance. The cold air hits your skin once the door opens, rain spilling from the clouds above you. The smell of the damp air is deliciously refreshing compared to the metallic scent of blood and medicine from the Lab.

The water washes away the majority of the dirt and dust covering your clothes and hair, walking back to the meet up location with your hair drenched and clothes soaked.

Your mask completely drops, everything catching up to you all at once. Seeing Volkow again after everything he's done to you, finding out about Simmons, how he knew the entire time where you were, but refused to save you.

He's the reason you were stuck there for 3 years, why you blamed Leon.

Your mind races with images of Volkow beneath your foot, covered in red. Those files, how he injected himself with your own blood and other things just for power.

And the monstrosity he turned into.

To top it all off, you think back to what leon said yesterday, that this was never a relationship, he never loved you. How cold and horrible he has been with you. And the mixed signals he's been giving you just today, holding you in his arms, then suddenly backing off all over again.

"Leon?" Your voice comes out weak.

He spins around stopping as he sees you standing still, his face softening, mouth opening slightly like he wants to say something but stops himself.

You didn't even realise it, but tears are uncontrollably spilling from your eyes, rolling down your face and mixing with the rain.

"Did you mean what you said?" You ask him, hands shaking by your sides as your heart rapidly beats into your ears.

"Please, tell me...I can't bear anymore of this." You cry out.

Leon steps closer, looking as if he's trying to find the words to say.

"(Y/N)..." He whispers, the rain water trickling down his face, turning his blonde hair into dark soaked strands sticking against his forehand.

"No. Just tell me." You remain adamant.

"I had no choice." Leon's voice is just above a whisper.

"You did, you could've ignored him." You shake your head, sniffing as another cry escapes your lips.

"No. I couldn't." Leon grows sterner.

You stay silent, choking on your own hiccups. The pattering of rain roaring around you, almost louder than your own heartbeat drumming into your ears.

"He–" Leon begins, "He threatened to take you away from me again." Leon stammers out, the most vulnerable you've seen him in a while.

"What do you mean?"

Leon closes his eyes, silently cursing at himself. "Simmons doesn't bluff. He told me he'd have to terminate you, for the safety of myself and the entire DSO if I don't call things off."

You look down at yourself, your hands smeared in blood, your legs and boots stained with red.

"I don't want to lose you again. Not after finally having you back after 3 years." Leon's voice is even quieter, like he's admitting something that pains him just by saying it.

"I promise I didn't mean a word I said. I'm so sorry (Y/N), I regretted it the moment I–"

Before he could finish his sentence, your hands reach his face, closing your lips around him in a tight passionate kiss. His own hands find your waist, keeping you close to him, deepening the joint space between you both. Your mouths intertwine with each other.

In this moment, everything falls quiet around you, the rain, the violent images, Simmons, Volkow. All of it.

Leon breaks this kiss, resting his forehead on yours, his own hands cupping your cheeks.

"I'm sorry." He whispers.

"I know." You whisper back, closing your eyes. Your body feeling even weaker than in the elevator, your weight falls into Leon's arms as everything becomes blurry.

Leon curses under his breath, hooking an arm under your legs and around your arms, lifting you up with ease.

"Don't go dying on me now." He tries to keep a teaseful tone in his voice.

"Can't get rid of me that easily now that I'm back." You laugh out quietly, your words drawing out longer.

┈──┈˖˚⊹ ⋆♡⋆ ⊹˚˖ ┈──┈

Leon rushes to the meet up location where the rest of the team is waiting, a hand pressing into your wound on the side of your stomach to stop the bleeding.

"Oh fuck!" Carlos shouts as you and Leon come into view.

Your body hanging in his arms like a deadweight, fading in and out of consciousness.

"What the fuck happened?" Brian's voice raises as he slides open the vehicle's door.

Leon lays your body down against the seat resting your head on his lap as the others slide in.

"Volkow happened." He grunts out, wiping a strand of hair away from your face.

"I thought you said he's dead?" Helena voices in concern.

"He was, and then he came back like all Umbrella bastards do."

"But he's fully dead now?" Juliet pipes in.

Leon nods once, never once taking his eyes off of yours, his hand holding yours whilst the other presses into your injury.

The car drives off, faster than before. The nature outside whips past the windows.

Brian orders the driver to take the team directly to the airport, explaining to Hunnigan the situation as she prepares a flight immediately.

Leon continues to carry you, luckily the airport at this time is slightly emptier, though that doesn't stop the worried faces staring as he lugs you around lifelessly in his arms.

The plane boards almost straight away, which supposedly is due to Hunnigan putting in an extra word and favour.

Leon's arms wrap around you the entire flight, letting you rest on his thighs the whole way back, holding you with all his might. His heart races, breathing uneven. He won't calm down until he knows for sure that you're okay.

Carlos looks just as distressed, constantly checking over the seats to see how you are, bombarding Leon with all sorts of questions about what happened, receiving a basic answer in response.

Helena tries to keep Carlos away, telling him to give both of you space, to stop breathing down Leon's neck. But she's just as scared as both of them are.

After too many hours of travelling, finally reaching the DSO. Leon bursts through the doors, calling for help and following after you as you get taken away by the doctors.

"I swear to God if you lose her I will kill you." Leon mutters to the doctor preparing the area.

The doctor frantically nods, rushing to clean everything and gather all the equipment as Leon waits outside. Pacing back and forth. He won't sit down. He can't keep still.

His mind races with thoughts of you dying on the table right behind the door, hearing the doctor reveal your death. Every time he gets close to having you, something goes wrong. And he's sick of it.

"Kennedy."

Leon turns his head, his feet stopping. He has to try his best to keep his growl from leaving his mouth as his blood burns with anger.

"Sir."

Simmons walks closer to Leon, who stands still, fists clenched at his sides.

"How is she?" He asks, standing near the door.

"I don't know." Leon simply replies, keeping all details silent.

"I hope you have been holding your end of the deal." His eyes narrow towards Leon, eyebrows furrowing with warning.

Leon stares back at him with a similar gaze, "Mhm."

"Good. Briefing is in 10 minutes I expect you to be–"

"(Y/N) won't be sent on any more mission." Leon speaks gruffly.

"Really? Is that so?" Simmons chuckles.

Leon remains silent, unmoving and his expression hard and cold, "Keep her as an office agent for all I care, an assistant. But she won't be in the field anymore."

"And why would I allow this?" Simmons' chuckle fades, though a smirk covers his lips.

"Because I will ruin everything you have." Leon responds.

Simmons studies Leon's face, his expression, his eyes. Until any trace of a smile disappears entirely from his face. If you could hear emotion, Simmons would be bubbling and gurgling with both fear and fury.

He doesn't reply, only turns on his heels and walks away.

Leon lets out a long breath, returning to his paces back and forth for the next 30 minutes until the door finally opens, revealing the doctor who is taking off his surgical gloves and mask.

"She's awake, weak but alive. She lost a lot of blood and will need plenty of rest. She has deep stitches, and we gave her some morphine to numb her body." The doctor speaks.

The last past of the sentence flies over Leon's head, pushing past the doctor until his eyes land on you in the bed, your eyes fluttering as you look around the room.

"Leon?" You weakly call out.

He walks over to your side, a hand closing over yours.

"I'm here." He whispers.

"She's okay to go home, as long as her stitches remain clean and she comes in for them to be removed." The doctor speaks again before closing the door behind him, leaving just you and Leon alone.

"I don't want to go home." You instantly speak once the door shuts.

"Simmons gave me that house...he might be watching me...or—"

"You aren't going home. And you aren't doing any more missions." Leon softly interrupts you.

"What?" You lift your head up at him.

"You're staying with me."

"What about the missions? That was the whole agreement to keep me alive." You begin to panic.

"I told him you won't be doing it anymore. You can stay in the DSO in the office, handling operations for the team, until we deal with him."

You let out a sigh, a weight lifting off your shoulders.

Your feet fall over the side of the bed as you push yourself up. Leon comes to your side, helping you stand up and walk to the elevator. You rest into his chest, the only thing keeping you upright since you still feel dizzy.

He walks you to the outside of the DSO, all the way to his car parked outside.

It's like deja-vu.

Though this time, he drives you to his apartment. Pulling into the building's parking lot which feels so familiar to you.

He takes you out of the car, picking you up into his arms again, walking through the building.

"I can walk." You attempt to protest.

"Right."

Still, he continues making his way up the stairs until reaching the apartment door, unlocking it and setting you down once he closes it behind him.

And suddenly it hits you. Stepping into his apartment, your apartment.

Your eyes scan the living area, the couch, the TV, the kitchen, the windows. It's all the same. Even the same pictures stuck on the fridge, of you and him, and you and your friends.

"Leon..." You whisper out, continuing to look around what once used to be yours and his.

He doesn't reply, but he walks you to the bathroom, despite not needing to be shown around.

His hands are soft against your skin, his knuckles brushing your stomach as he gently lifts up your shirt. Helping you raise an arm over your head to peel the sleeve off, followed by the other.

His fingers unbuckle your trousers, pulling them down and tapping each leg for you to lift them up, allowing him to move them out of the way. He leans over the bathtub, turning on the warm water to fill it up.

As Leon returns to you, standing up, his hands rest at your shoulders, pressing a soft kiss to the nape of your neck. He unhooks your bra, letting it fall to the ground, and lastly removing your underwear.

But he doesn't stare, he doesn't thirst over you in such a vulnerable state. Instead, his hands rub smooth circles against the skin of your arms, helping you step into the bath.

You sink beneath the warm water, letting it soak into your skin. Watching as Leon undresses himself, gently moving you forward so he can settle behind you. None of you speak, not a word shared between you. Just simply enjoying each other's company and presence.

His fingers thread through your hair, soaking it before lathering shampoo into his hands. His nails scratch against your scalp, cleansing away all the dirt and sweat hiding beneath your knotted waves.

Leon keeps you close to him, rising out the bubbles as your head rests back onto his shoulder. His touch is so gentle, slow, moving so lightly. He continues to massage your head, cleaning out your hair and wringing out the conditioner afterwards. The same type you used many years ago.

The smell wafts into your face, making you feel comfortable, reminding you of the past.

His hands smooth over your bare skin, washing away the marks, dried up blood and other remnants of the mission. Once you're clean, and after doing the same to himself, he pulls you even closer to him, letting you lean back into his chest. His chin rests onto the top of your head, breathing in the scent of your clean, floral scented shampoo.

Leaving a kiss at your temple, Leon helps you out of the bath, wrapping you into a soft towel as he does the same for himself.

He retrieves a brush from the bedroom, raking it through your wet hair, his hand on the top of your head to keep you stable.

Your eyes meet each other in the reflection of the mirror, sending butterflies into your tummy.

Once he dresses you into a pair of his own boxers and one of his shirts, he helps you rest into bed. Getting a glass of water, leaving it on the bedside table for you.

The covers move before the bed sinks, warm hands encase your frame as you lay on the unharmed side of your body.

One arm is draped over your waist, the other wrapped around your neck, holding you flush against him. Your back presses to his chest, feeling Leon's warm breath tickle the back of your neck.

You haven't felt this calm in a while, so at peace.

At home.

Taglist:

@princesssugarplumm @cupcakeyiny @radiantvader

[k3nnfield]

Lost Hope - K3nnfield

21. Volkow

⚠️​THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS VIOLENT THEMES⚠️​

Word count: 4,043 

You wake up to the sound of multiple firm knocks on the door. Your eyes flicker open slowly, feeling a comforting weight around your waist, with so much warmth engulfing you.

"Briefing in 30!" Helena calls out from outside.

With that your eyes snap wide, looking down at yourself to see Leon's arm wrapped around you. His hand splayed across your stomach, his head buried into the crook of your neck, your back pressed against his chest.

You can even feel his stiff morning erection through the pants of yours and his pajamas.

Part of you wants to throw yourself out of the sheets and scream out of repulsiveness, since this is the same man who crushed your heart with his words just yesterday. But the other part...wants to just throw yourself onto him, melt in his arms and stay there forever.

Do you move now?

Slowly or with speed?

Do you tell him what he's doing?

Do you wake him up whilst he's snuggled up into you?

Why is this so confusing?

With the quietest exhale you could release, you lift the covers off your body, very gently moving his arm, instantly missing the sensation but you continue moving until you're out of the bed.

You brush your hair before tapping his arm to wake him up.

He groans, covering his eyes with a hand from the brightness of the room.

"What?" Leon gruffles out.

"You gotta get up, briefing in 15." You manage to respond as emotionlessly as possible.

He lets out a huff, shifting himself out of bed and stretching his body. You peel your gaze away, walking into the bathroom with your clothes to get changed and brush your teeth.

As you do so, you just can't decide whether you tell him he was cuddling into you and holding onto you like a fucking lifeline or not.

It isn't a huge deal, it's not like he kissed you or made love to you right there.

Yeah, no point telling him.

You manage to put enough makeup on before heading out of the hotel room, keeping your hair down rather than tied back.

Leon follows behind you, not too close, purposefully keeping his distance from you. And it makes your blood boil.

Does he know?

No, how would he even know?

"Great, we're all here." Brian claps his hands as you both walk to the group.

Everyone is sitting or standing around the lobby area, and Leon makes his way to the far back wall, leaning his weight against it with his arms crossed over his body.

Brian runs through what everyone had found yesterday from back at the DSO; they hadn't been able to identify how many, if any, potential threats are waiting below the ground in the Lab.

But what they did find works excellently with the plan you came up with for you and Leon, where to enter the facility from and how to escape.

"After 12, we will make our way back to the location. And each team will split off into their positions to begin with." Brian continues.

"After I make the call, Leon and (Y/N) will make the first move into the Lab. Helena and Carlos will move to their original post to cover from above."

"Myself and Juliet will keep an eye on both of you, as well as the agents back at HQ tracking us through comms."

The team disbands again, each heading back to their rooms, with Juliet and Brian heading out of the hotel to find some food for themselves. There is still a good few hours until you all leave again, so you decide to find somewhere to eat too.

"Where are you going?" Leon calls from the same place he's been idle for the entire briefing.

"Food?"

"On your own? Without your officers? You're just setting yourself up to get killed." He pushes himself off the wall, walking in front of you.

"And what? You suddenly care now?" You ask, walking behind him as if he's some sort of bodyguard.

"This mission won't be doable if you get kidnapped or killed." He states.

You shake your head, roll your eyes and continue walking until you find a bakery. Your mouth practically drools from staring at the range of pastries, cakes and bread options through the window.

Leon watches as you walk inside, speaking to the cashier for what seems like forever to him, until you head out, salivating like a puppy with treats.

You have 3 bags, and you hand one over to Leon. He raises an eyebrow, peeking into the paper to see his favourite sweet treat.

He drags a long inhale through his nose, his ears turning a bright red before closing it again.

"That isn't a healthy breakfast." He grunts.

With that, you pass him another bag, and he opens it to see a range of croissants and filled bread rolls.

He nods his head, his eyes catching yours before you walk in front of him back to the hotel. You don't know why you decided to buy him breakfast, maybe it was your attempt at keeping things somewhat okay between you two. Perhaps it was an olive branch.

Or maybe, it was just you feeding your partner food before a heavy mission.

Yeah, that one.

After returning to the hotel room, Leon sits himself at the small desk beside the bed, taking out a laptop from his bag.

You sit on the bed, eating away at your breakfast, surprisingly, this is the first thing you can stomach and still crave more of.

The room is silent, you can only hear your own breathing and Leon's fingers typing away at his laptop. You don't even know what he's doing, if only he could communicate with his partner to keep you in the loop.

With a few more moments of nothingness, he clears his throat, standing up and placing the laptop in front of you.

Your eyes land on a map of the facility, with cameras, doors and exits highlighted.

"We will enter here." Leon points at one of the doors, one that was at the completely different side of the facility to what you planned, but he hasn't let you explain that to him.

"Wait. Hold on, I've already planned our route, I tried to explain this to you 2 days ago and you were a dick to me." You cross your arms.

"So what was your plan then?" Leon keeps his face straight.

"Enter here, it's not too far from the main area of the Lab, but not dangerously close, there is a ladder down into a transfer tunnel." You point at your choice.

"No."

"Fuck you mean no?"

Leon sighs, a hand rubbing over his face. "That's a death trap waiting to happen."

"And how do you know that yours isn't?"

"Because I do."

"Well that's convincing!" You exclaim sarcastically. "None of us are aware of what is in the facility, we don't know how many potential bioweapons there are, or where Volkow even is."

"But if we go with my plan it'll run smoother, there's a more direct route to the main area." Leon argues.

"But that isn't ideal since there could be anything down there waiting to kill us, and without any cover." You throw your hands in the air with frustration.

"My plan is safer, even Brian mentioned the same entrance that I've picked out." You try again, attempting to speak in a calm tone.

"I don't give a shit what Brian thinks."

"Leon. We are going with my plan, or I'll go by myself and you can do your own thing." You huff, leaning back against the headboard.

"The fuck you will."

"Good, then we have an agreement." You smile up at him, eyes shut.

"Which is?" He draws out, eyes narrow as he looks down at you.

"You will come with me, and we are using my plan."

He shakes his head, walking back over to the desk and dropping into the chair. Your heart hammers against your chest from the intensity of his stare.

You know there's something else he isn't saying, and it just doesn't make sense why he'd even listen to Simmons, let alone let him ruin your relationship.

For the next hour, you stretch and warm up your body for the mission, drinking plenty of water.

"Car is here, let's go!" Brian calls out from behind the door to the room.

You and Leon place your weapons and gear into your belts and holsters, walking out of the hotel and settling into the car with the rest of the team.

The drive is long, but you get to gaze at the countryside in broad daylight, looking at how the sun glistens off of the mountain peaks.

Brian goes over the plans once more, ensuring everyone is clear and aware of what they are doing.

You sit still, apart from your fingers tapping at your knees in a random pattern.

Carlos notices your chest rising faster and heavier, as well as your knee bouncing with your fingers dancing along them.

He places a single hand on your knee, offering you a warm smile, "It'll be okay." he mouths from beside you. You breathe in slowly through your nose, and exhale deeply with your eyes shut.

For the remainder of the drive, you rest on his shoulder, hugging yourself into his arm to keep calm and focused.

You can feel Leon's gaze burning at your skin.

But what you don't know is how fast his heart is beating against his chest. His fists clenching into his arms. He knows you're close with Carlos, he's been one of your only friends there for you this entire time, and he owes him a lot for saving you at the shipping docks.

But seeing you so close to him, when he can't be that close to you anymore kills him. He literally cannot draw his eyes away from you both. But you don't care, you keep your eyes shut and wait for the car to stop, this is the only reason your breathing has soothed and your heart rate has dropped back down to a normal level.

After another 20 minutes of driving in the middle of nowhere, the car rolls to a stop in the same place as yesterday. You all leave the vehicle one by one, retrieving any left over gear from the trunk before the vehicle drives off into the distance.

Brian leads the group once again, walking ahead as he stares down at the map on his phone sent to him by the agents back at home.

You walk with Helena and Carlos, mostly in silence as you half-listen to them chat away about some nonsense.

They've been on countless missions, so it makes sense that they are a lot more relaxed than you, that they are able to just speak about random things as if they aren't going to face death.

You hate feeling like this, like the scaredy cat of the group. Having to have Carlos comfort you like a frightened child. But how do they expect some random girl who unfortunately has abilities to fight bioweapons and come face-to-face with death so casually like this?

But luckily, none of the team complain, they don't have a go at you for being nervous, or staying quiet. They understand.

More importantly, they trust you. Even though you don't trust yourself.

Leon walks behind the team, his hands in his pockets as he stares at the back of your head. All he wants to do is just wrap you in his arms, kiss your face and tell you he's sorry, that he's going to fix all of this.

But he just can't, he can't risk Simmons actually hurting you.

"Okay," Brian calls out after stopping in the middle of the deserted land, you can just about see the nuclear bunker entrance ahead.

"We will split up here. All of you make regular updates into comms, do not attack unless necessary." He looks at you and Leon with those final words.

You hug Helena tightly, followed by Carlos who once again motivates you with his big smile, "You've got this. Show Volkow what you're made of."

You smile back at him, pulling away from his embrace and catching up with Leon who's already begun walking to your planned entrance.

"Are you going to stay silent this entire time?" You call out.

"Yep."

"This is childish, Leon."

"What's childish is your constant nagging and panicking."

Woah, low blow.

Leon instantly regrets what he said the moment his words left his mouth, but he can't take it back.

You gulp back the lump forming in your throat. He knows exactly why you're so scared of this, yet he's acting like a real dick about it. It feels so forced.

Both of you head to the same rock as yesterday crouching down for only 5 minutes before Brian clears you to go.

Leon lifts up the hatch buried under the dirt, revealing a dark hole with a metal ladder leading down.

"Entering the facility now." You speak into your earpiece.

Leon beckons a hand at the dark void beneath you, telling you with his motion for you to go first.

You stare up at him through your eyebrows, walking past to begin climbing down.

It feels like it goes on forever, the cold metal rubbing against the palms of your hands, clinking with every step.

Leon follows down above you, going slow enough to let you have some distance, thankfully.

The last thing you need right now is for him to step on your hands. Despite the fact that it won't hurt, you'll just lose your patience with him. It's only a matter of time.

Once you finally reach the bottom, your boots land into a shallow puddle, the squelch echoing through the tunnel from the blueprints.

Leon drops down after you, his boots thudding against the ground.

"Move, then." He grunts from behind you.

You huff, walking ahead and flipping him off with your middle finger. Making your way through a dark tunnel, which absolutely reeks of shit.

Your flashlight reveals a steel door ahead, which, if your plan is correct, will lead straight to the Lab.

A deep gurgling noise startles you, stopping you in your tracks and spinning around to Leon.

"What was that?" You whisper.

Leon is already spinning around, his gun pointed, eyes scanning everywhere. The noise sounds again, closer, louder.

The hairs on the back of your neck stand, you flip your head behind you just in time to spot a slimy, lumpy...thing stumbling right at you.

It releases a loud squeal, its hands reaching out at you with its mouth opening wide. It has what looks like 2 sets of mouths inside, sharp teeth circling its throat and insides.

Literally something out of a nightmare.

You kick your leg at its centre with a grunt, sending it backwards into the shallow water. Leon turns around, his gun shooting directly at its head with 3 bullets.

"What the fuck was that?" You ask.

Leon remains silent, staring at the mess of a bioweapon on the floor.

"A failed experiment." He kicks it once to check it is dead.

With that, you continue walking ahead, reaching the steel door at the end of the tunnel.

As Leon turns the door handle, you use your efforts to silence it successfully, the door swings open without making a sound, allowing both of you to enter the Lab undetected.

At least you think so.

The walls instantly make you freeze, your eyes scanning the area yet your body won't move. It looks identical to the original one from the last 3 years of your life.

"We've reached the Lab. Heading to the main area now." Leon speaks through comms.

You follow the map on your phone, heading left, focusing to keep yourself and Leon silent. His once heavy steps are now completely unheard.

You peek your head around the wall, hearing an excruciatingly loud screech from the end of the hallway.

Flipping back to the wall, your body slamming flat against the cold concrete. "There's something down there." You whisper to Leon.

"We should've gone with my plan." He whispers back.

"Oh shut up, these things are probably everywhere." You say as you poke back around the wall, spotting it making its way over to your spot.

You tell Leon through your eyes, waiting for it to approach closer before you attack it yourself, sending it onto the floor, kicking its head until there's nothing left of it.

"Christ, (Y/N). It's dead." Leon mutters as he pulls you away from it with your elbow.

You huff, continuing to progress through the halls, checking each turning, keeping your ears and eyes peeled for any danger.

Another screech echoes from behind you, Leon is already prepared. The gun aimed at the wall waiting for it to jump out. But another scream draws your attention, you turn your head in its direction.

The first bioweapon runs at you, and you take it down with ease, redirecting its launch for your body into the hard concrete wall. Once it's stuck, you shoot it plenty of times, ensuring it's dead.

Leon focuses on the one coming at him, shooting it and kicking it away from himself, but just as you watch him, another comes galloping down from the hall again.

You let out a dramatic sigh, waiting for it to get close enough for you to send it flying. You snap its head with your bare hands, shocked with how violent you have just become.

They keep coming, these lumpy, disgusting creatures flying and screaming at you from all directions. Multiple surrounding you as you take on 2 at a time, whilst Leon takes on 3.

Once the final creature lands on the floor, you lean against the wall, gathering your breath with deep inhales.

Leon wipes his hands on his trousers, reloading his gun.

After a few more beats of silence, appreciating the quiet halls with nothing attempting to murder you, another sound erupts.

A deep, eerie chuckle reverberates from down the hall, bouncing off the walls. Instantly making your blood turn to ice, goosebumps raising all over your skin.

Leon looks at you through narrow eyes, and you respond with a single nod.

"Is that him?"

"Yes."

The familiar tall frame of a man turns the corner, standing still with his hands collapsed in front of him. His hair remains slicked back, face stuck in an intimidating, polite smile.

"Impressive." Volkow speaks.

He steps forward once, then again, and again, until his face is completely revealed by the flickering overhead lighting.

You notice his dark eye bags, pale face, bony cheek bones and slimmer body. Something is definitely wrong with him.

"My beautiful weapon." Volkow talks again, "And look who it is," He points his eyes over behind your shoulder, "Leon Kennedy."

Leon stands protective behind you, a gun raised at Volkow, face taken over with more rage than you've ever seen on him.

"Don't tell me you've forgiven him after all these years?" Volkow looks at you with disapproval, making a 'tck' noise with his tongue.

He steps closer, and you do the same. "(Y/N) –" Leon calls out, but you cut him off by raising a single finger.

"Welcome home." Volkow smiles at you. "I knew you'd come back to me."

"I'm not here to come back to you." You spit out. "I'm not your toy."

Volkow's smile drops, the furious, dangerous expression you know all too well takes over. His ego is still just as easy to damage.

"I know you've been using my blood. I know you've been trying to create more of me but failed. And I know you've returned to the pathetic ways of Umbrella." You smile through your words, pleased with getting a reaction out of him.

"Silly girl." Volkow laughs deeply, shaking his head. "How naive of you. You think you know everything."

Your eyes stare right back at him, an eyebrow raised.

"You don't know anything."

"Please, do tell me what else there is." You respond with fake politeness.

Volkow chuckles again, his chest heaving with laughter. "Why would I do such a thing?"

You kick his leg, causing him to fall to a single knee, a groan escaping his mouth as his head bows down.

"Speak." You spit out, forcing him to look up at you now.

"How dare you, I made you who you are!" Volkow yells, "You should be thanking me for granting you with such strength and power."

"I didn't ask for this!" You shout back at him, gesturing your hands at yourself.

"I'm ashamed of what I've become." Your words hit deep in Volkow's chest, his eyebrows furrowing and face dropping even further.

"Yet you've been training so hard, working on your abilities for so long. Why is that, if you don't appreciate any of it?"

Your heart falters for a moment, breath hitching in your throat. You can even sense Leon's presence feeling heavier.

"How do you know that I've been working on my abilities?" Your voice is lower.

He responds with a smirk on his lips, remaining silent. You grab his arm, bending it the opposite direction, watching how his face extorts in pain and a painful yelp escapes his mouth.

"I have my ways." He begins, voice strained in agony as you let go of his arm.

"How else would you walk right back into my arms, if not for who is in charge of you?"

"What?" You mutter out in confusion.

"Think about it, 3 whole years, and not even the most pristine team of the DSO had found you. They called off the search after the first year!" Volkow grins up from below you.

They called off the search on you?

They gave up?

"And how do you know we called off the search?" Leon asks from behind you.

"Both of you, so pathetic." Volkow shakes his head.

And then suddenly it clicks.

Being stuck in Umbrella for 3 years, when you know damn well the DSO were more than capable to find you.

The DSO 'saving' you, keeping you as their own weapon, using you just as Volkow did.

Your officers follow you everywhere, making sure you are safe, for what you assumed to be at risk of Umbrella finding you.

Forced onto a mission, after finding out Volkow is somehow alive after all this time.

And then Leon, distancing himself from you with orders directly off Simmons.

"Simmons..." You keep your gaze glued onto Volkow.

"What?" Leon snaps.

"There we go." Volkow praises, his body weakening more and more by the second.

"Simmons covered all traces of your disappearance for me." He reveals, "He called the search off when the team got too close." Volkow's voice is weak but enthusiastic, as if this is entertaining for him.

Your heart thuds into your ears, blood burning with fury and betrayal.

"He took you in, after I had revealed that you escaped. He helped me free from the laboratory that you destroyed, and sent me far out into the depths of Iceland."

"He had you trained, to improve your abilities, not just for his own sake, for yours."

"For my own sake?" you scoff. "He told me he'd have me killed if I refused to join the DSO."

"Simmons knew you wouldn't. After all, you were left alone, no home, no life, nothing."

Before Volkow could speak any further, your fist met his face. A punch so strong his whole body fell limp to the ground.

You climbed over him, sending another punch at his face, then another, and another. Your hands and body are covered in blood as you keep going, screaming and yelling with every movement.

His face is completely unrecognisable, a pool of red bubbling out of his mouth and nose, dripping down into a puddle beside his head.

You push yourself up, landing your food onto his body, stamping onto his lifeless frame over and over and over.

"(Y/N)." Leon's stern voice calls from beside you.

Your eyes drain with tears streaming over your face, but you keep going. Your breath heavy as you cry, continuously kicking and stamping on Volkow's body.

"(Y/N)!" Leon shouts, pulling you away from him with your arms. "That's enough."

You sniff, using the back of your hand to wipe away your tears. You can't summon any words, your mouth opens, and nothing comes out.

Leon's heart snaps in his chest, his face softening. "Fuck it, come here." He mumbles, pulling you into his arms, his hand holding your head and waist.

Your tears soak his shirt, shaking against his solid chest, your hands enveloping around his body.

Leon's hands rub down your back, keeping you flush to his body, his hands gentle yet firm. Refusing to let you go.

"Simmons.." You whimper out into Leon's chest.

"I know. We will figure something out." He replies softly.

You don't even care that you're still in the Lab, that Leon has suddenly cracked from his cold and distant cover. That the rest of the team have no clue about Simmons, as far as you're aware.

Taglist:

@princesssugarplumm @cupcakeyiny @radiantvader