#free form

Crocheted Coral Reef by Tori Auerhan

I've been heading down a bit of a rabbit hole lately looking at incredible free-from crochet. Check out this gorgeous art work from Tori Auerhan. If you click through to Tori’s Instagram page (linked below) you will see some many amazing things, including a coral reef that glows in the dark! Inspired much??

You come into existence with a profound sense of greed.

You're not a wolf among sheep, not quite.

Even if that predator were to don the pure-white hide of the flock, its teeth would give it away, yellow and sharp.

You are far more insidious, a talkative student in a library, among other students.

Before you know it, you have multiplied, and now everyone is talking in this once-still place of scholarship.

Is my body a place of learning? Yes, surely.

Billions of chemical reactions, the beauty and complexity of cellular function, catalyzed in the medium of life.

by: cristalray

tags: lethan is real, comfort, domestic, dad leon kennedy, dad ethan winters, baby rosemary, married life, comfort reading, healing, lethan - freeform.

pairing: leon s. kennedy x ethan winters!

🧬: Resident Evil;

🛋️ synopsis:

That was all he needed.

And if he had that, he would have everything. He would have the world.

And Leon had that. He had everything. He had the world.

His reason to breathe. His reason to live.

Or, after exhausting missions, Leon knows where he will find his place.

🛋️ notes: speechless, honestly. i so in love with this ship, we needed a little domesticity and love. for more, lethan! thank you to everyone who read! ❤️

🛋️ inspired by: ~There's something Tragic, but almost Pure...Think I can Love You, but I'm not Sure...There's something Wholesome, there's something Sweet...Tucked in your Eyes that I'd love to Meet...~

He turned off the car, letting out a long sigh. It had been an exhausting mission on the border of Mexico, intercepting a group of bioterrorist smugglers trying to transport a new strain of the virus. There had been days without sleep, intense gunfights.

It was late into the night when he finally arrived home. The silence of the neighborhood contrasted with the chaos still ringing in his head. Agent Kennedy was needed and important; he knew there was no avoiding that. His mind hammered day and night, how he couldn’t give up and had to go back home. He stepped through the front door, tossing his jacket and bag onto the living room couch. The adrenaline began to fade, leaving a heavy fatigue on his shoulders.

Without thinking too much, Leon went straight to the bathroom. He turned on the tap and let the cold water run over his hands before rubbing his face. He felt dirty, as if even a shower couldn’t wash away the smell of gunpowder and blood embedded in his skin.

As he looked at his reflection in the mirror, a thought crossed his mind: I need peace. And them too. A lot.

With a sigh, Leon stepped into the shower. The hot water ran over his body, easing some of the accumulated tension. He leaned a hand against the tiled wall, closing his eyes. The silence of the bathroom was almost therapeutic, drowning out the sounds and thoughts away from your mind.

For a few minutes, he simply let the water do its job. Not thinking about missions, biological weapons, or everything he’d seen over the years. Just water, heat, and breathing.

After turning off the shower, he dried up quickly, took a towel and left the bathroom with heavy steps. Leon dressed in simple clothes he had found in the bathroom - a wrinkled gray T-shirt and sweatpants. Passing through the living room, he looked at the wall clock: 3:17 in the morning.

His footsteps echoed softly as he climbed the wooden stairs, the house enveloped in comfortable silence. All he wanted in that moment was a spark of peace.

The first thing he did was enter the first room down the hallway. The soft light of a pink lamp illuminated the room, with delicate shadows on the walls decorated with stars and cloud stickers. There was a shelf with toys organized almost meticulously, stuffed animals scattered on a chair next to it. The toy rug on the floor had various special toys scattered, mobiles, teething rings, and open books resting on the soft, cozy fabric. A gentle and unique scent, only a baby could have, lingered in the room.

In the center of the room, the white crib was strategically placed near the window. Leon approached it, his movements careful, as if any noise could break the tranquility emanating from the room.

Rose was sleeping deeply, her tiny fists clenched beside her serene face. Her fine blonde hair spread out over the pillow, catching the soft light of the lamp. Leon felt his chest relax, as if the weight of the mission finally dissipated.

“You’re my calm, you know that?” he whispered softly. Rose shifted slightly at the sound of his voice, her little hands opening and closing as if she wanted to grab him and hold her father, just like she often did. No one could take her or interrupt her moments with her father. She would cry every time he had to leave for the bathroom or take a call. How she looked at him with those sparkling blue eyes, threatening to cry whenever he left for even seconds. How after days without him, she didn’t want to let go of him, clinging to him for hours until she fell asleep. She loved him so much.

Leon stayed there, standing by the crib without hurry. He watched every little breath Rose took, her chest rising and falling peacefully. She was his peace, his calm. His rose in the garden amid the chaos.

A soft smile escaped his lips without him realizing. It was involuntary, but genuine. He always noticed how she seemed to relax unconsciously when he was near, as if, even in her sleep, she knew she was safe.

Rose gave a small smile in her sleep, such a tiny gesture that could easily go unnoticed, but Leon saw it. Perhaps she had sensed his familiar scent, that unique smell children always seem to recognize in their parents.

Adorable.

She was his girl, his princess, his little Rose. Nothing, absolutely nothing, would harm her as long as he was alive. A vow.

After a few more minutes in silence, Leon gently adjusted the blanket over her and took a step back, breathing deeply. The world outside was a mess, but here, in this room lit by a pink lamp, everything was in the right place.

Leon left Rose's room with quiet steps, closing the door without making a sound. Still immersed in the serenity he felt from watching his daughter sleep, he crossed the hallway and quietly entered the next room.

The atmosphere was cozy, with walls in soft shades of gray and heavy curtains blocking the streetlights. A discreet lamp illuminated the space with a warm glow. On the dresser were picture frames with happy moments — photos of Rose laughing, a selfie of Leon and Ethan on a rare calm day, both with genuine smiles. The familiar scent of clean sheets mixed with Ethan's perfume filled the air.

In bed, Ethan was lying on his side, his face softly relaxed on the pillow. His messy blond hair fell over his forehead, and his peaceful breathing indicated he was deeply asleep. The soft light highlighted the contours of his face, each detail so delicate. Leon paused by the bed, watching him with a silent affection.

He had never had anyone to come back to before. It had always been just Leon against the world, with no roots, no true home. But now he had Ethan. He had Rose. A husband and a daughter waiting for him. Now he had reasons to come back safe and sound. To come back and care for his family. Because he had a little blonde girl who welcomed him after exhausting days of missions, crawling across the floor to him, with a toothless smile, letting out cries of joy while calling for her "baba." And a man with such beautiful eyes, a calm and deep gray-green, like the sea on a calm day, with peaceful water, always shining with a silent welcome, as if everything was alright now that Leon was home, accompanied by a soft smile that said without words: "Welcome back."

That was all he needed.

And if he had that, he had everything. He had the world.

And Leon had that. He had everything. He had the world.

His reason to breathe. His reason to live.

And from then on, everything that had never made sense began to fall into place. The chaos, the pain, the never-ending battles — it all seemed to lead to that moment, where he finally found what he always wanted, even without knowing it.

Leon took off his shoes and carefully lay down next to Ethan. The comforting warmth of his husband beside him dissipated any remnants of the heavy day. He wrapped an arm around Ethan, pulling him closer.

He felt Ethan stir beside him, his warm body instinctively seeking his. The sheets shifted gently, and then a soft whisper made Leon’s chest warm:

“Leon?”

Ethan's voice was husky, soft from sleep. Leon didn’t respond right away; he just tightened his arm around him, and planted a kiss on his neck. Ethan let out a satisfied sigh, resting his head against Leon’s chest.

“It’s me, luv,” he whispered affectionately, his hand gently moving up and down Ethan’s back, calming him in a steady rhythm. Ethan’s response was to softly stroke Leon’s strong arm, slow and loving movements.

The silence in the room was broken only by the sound of their synchronized breathing. There was no need for words. Being there, together, was enough.

Leon closed his eyes — after planting a soft kiss on his husband’s forehead, finally allowing the fatigue to overtake him. He had found his place. And now, with Ethan in his arms and Rose sleeping peacefully in the next room, he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

Finally home.

ᝰ.ᐟ: i hope you liked it! i posted it on ao3 and decided to post it here too. thanks for existing, resident evil!

Lit Snow