arms come around a smaller waist from behind, crooked nose finding home in the space between shoulder and nape. it would be romantic if not for the way those scarred hands tremble, for how shallow each exhale feels. this is a man seeking reassurance that the worst is over.
IT'S BEEN LESS THAN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS SINCE THE COLLAPSE OF ARK, AND SINCE LEON S. KENNEDY WAS GRANTED YET ANOTHER LEASE ON LIFE. it wasn't the first time he's succumb the notion that his end was swiftly coming, but it was certainly the closest he's felt to it actually transpiring. numb on the cool floor of pandora, unable to drag in breaths without blood dribbling down his chin in a show of the decay eating him alive. he was mere minutes from never returning home. thankfully grace ashcroft knew better than to destroy their final piece of hope. he owes her more than just an eternal thank you, he owes her his future. sliding his wedding band back into place, over the stark white scarring that had replaced previous rot, only solidified that very thought.
[ where is chris anyway? ] no idea. . . but i'm sure i'll run into him at some point.
their kitchen is empty, save for the body gripping a mug of coffee like it's his lifeline, stiff form frozen against the gleam of the sun biting through the window above the sink. it feels warmer than usual. it's odd how quickly you can forget what it feels like to be alive, and not a cadaver in waiting. he is a person once more, with the bitter aches of survival- emerging from the wreckage, he had felt rejuvenated, better than he had in years. but as adrenaline melted away, as did his ability to deny just how much of a toll everything he fought though left behind. nearing fifty doesn't allow you to bounce back quite like his younger self.
though even with the cost of age, he prides himself on the fact that no matter what, it's nearly impossible to sneak up on him. not that he figured that was the goal here. he knows the other man far too well. instead, the goal is quickly revealed the moment the front door closes, and the sound of familiar steps takes over the empty silence of loneliness- something that had tried to take root without the companion, he made forever vows to, being there to combat it. he feels arms wrapping around his waist, the trembling hands of his lover cradling him. chris's breath is just as warm as the beam he's basking in, shallow or not, his body now angling itself to that anchor, eyes slipping shut, shoulders dropping like a marionette cut loose. this is what pure safety feels like.
" just like you to be fashionably late, " there's no heat in his tone, only relief. leon's hands slide down to find chris's own, pulling it away from his hip to drag it further up- releasing it once he's firmly settled it atop his chest, leaving the stubborn thump of his heart beating for the other man to feel. " luckily you didn't miss anything too crazy. pretty run-of-the-mill mission, " to hide behind sarcasm.
