FOREVER, PRETTY BOY → leon kennedy ✔

three

CHAPTER THREE
locked up tight.

...

Lucina dropped her head into her hands, taking a deep breath in through her nose... holding it... then letting it rush out through her lips.

She'd done the action exactly sixteen times since they'd stepped on the submarine, barely half an hour by then. Jason, who was the only other person in the small cafeteria, had been counting.

Lucina lifted her head for the sixteenth time, swiping her hair from her damp forehead. Her shaky fingers settled on her bouncing legs once again, and her eyes met his.

"Sorry." She murmured. Jason opened his mouth to respond, but didn't get the chance as the door swung open and Leon breezed in. He had a water bottle in one hand and a rag in the other. He stopped short, glancing between the pair, but deemed his personal mission more important than whatever was going on before he got there, so he moved to the nearest chair to Lucky and kicked it so he could face her when he sat.

"Here, drink this." He handed the water to her, and Lucky felt too exhausted to argue. The coldness of it alone made her racing heart begin to settle, anyway. After she accepted the bottle, Leon flopped into the chair before her and brandished the cloth. "Tossed this bad boy in the freezer for a bit. It's nice and cool."

Lucky swallowed her mouthful of water as she raised her eyebrows. "And what do you think you're going to do with that?"

"If you'll allow me..." He raised his free hand slowly, taking her chin between his forefinger and thumb. Lucky forgot to hate him and he turned her face towards his, then raised his other hand to touch the cloth to her forehead.

Lucky closed her eyes, relishing the relief it gave her. Moments before, she felt like the walls were closing in around her with each breath she took... and Leon waltzed into the room just to tear the walls down around her, just to let her breathe.

She took a deep breath and finally felt air enter her lungs.

"Better?"

She swallowed thickly. "With my eyes closed so I can't see the tightness of the room, yeah. This is better."

With her confirmation, Leon let himself relax a bit. As soon as he did, the door thumped loudly to announce Jason's leaving. The pair jumped at the noise and Lucky's eyelids instinctively shot open. Leon caught her gaze and smiled.

"You look great."

Lucky huffed, shoving his shoulder. "You're insufferable. I'm supposed to be angry at you, so... quit it." She grumbled, only half-joking. Leon's smile faltered at her words.

"Supposed to?" He inquired, sounding hopeful. Lucky's eyebrows drew together as she leaned away from his touch.

"Not entirely. I am pissed, and I have every right to be... but, I was never very successful in my attempts at forgetting and getting over you." She murmured, looking away.

Leon felt the remnants of his heart shatter into dust, but she wasn't done.

She looked at him again, her vulnerable moment gone. Her gaze hardened and she tightened her jaw. "So... when are you going to tell me why you left?"

Leon paused, then set the cold rag on the table beside them. He placed his palms to his legs, debating where and how to start, then he let out a sigh. "After that town in Spain... after I nearly died, and I saw what that was doing to you... I mean, I couldn't handle the thought. I thought... I thought 'what's going to happen when I do end up dying' and... I hated to think that you would be hurting for me--"

"Really?" Lucky snapped, rising from her chair so fast that it slammed into the table. She took a couple steps, wobbly but set on the idea of pacing. She ran her hands though her hair, then spun on Leon. "That's why you left?"

"What, not a good enough reason?"

"What happened to 'we're in this together'? I did die once, and you saved my life! That's how it was going to be... we would always be there for each other, and... and I would always find a way to save your life before I ever considered letting you die."

Leon shook his head. "You can't be sure of that-- there was bound to be a time when I wouldn't be there to save you, when you wouldn't be there to save me."

"I was willing to risk all of it for you." She stated, voice breathy as her lungs erratically demanded she take in as much air as possible. The walls were closing in again, boxing the pair in as they spilled their hearts out. Leon's eyes were wide, shock shown on every inch of his face... like he couldn't believe that was a truth. She scoffed, "I love you, Leon. I... I did back then and I still do. When I told you that I would go to the ends of the earth with you, I meant it... even if we lost each other one day. Because I was the luckiest girl on the earth and a moment with you was enough for a lifetime, but... but knowing you chose to leave? That hurt more than I could've ever imagined." The tears in her eyes were hot and stung, slipping heavily down her cheeks. The image of Leon sitting before her blurred in the tears, and she blinked them free so she could see him.

A part of her wished she hadn't.

Tears rimmed his eyes, which were already red. He swallowed the tightness in his throat and blinked a few times. She got through, it seemed... and reality finally set in.

"Lucky... I'm so sorry--"

She shook her head, averting her gaze and she swiped the tears from her face. "That's a couple years too late, Leon--"

The door swung open once again, revealing Shen Mei. Lucky wondered if she'd been there long, if she'd heard what they were saying... Lucky was surprised to realize that she didn't really care if she did.

"I need to take a moment... have a walk to f-fucking find some air." Lucky was already heading for the door, and Shen Mei stepped aside as the girl barrelled right past. She stumbled through the door and caught herself on the wall, shaky and exhausted.

After all those years, she finally knew the reason to Leon's disappearance... and she hated it. She hated it because she couldn't hate him for it.

He genuinely thought he was saving her by leaving. He was stupid, but never had malicious intent.

As always, he was looking out for her.

In less than a day, Leon had appeared out of nowhere and tore down all of her defenses against getting hurt again. When she looked at him, it was like she was falling in love with that stupid, selfless rookie cop all over again... and that's how she knew she'd never recover from him.