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It was dark, solemn, and cramped in the little area they found themselves in. They enter a few steps ahead of them that lead into a brighter room, one covered with books and a well-furnished desk. They didn't pay mind to the random literature and searched for anything useful. After they gathered everything, they entered the open door to their right.
It led to an elevator with only one floor to go. Leon silently reached forward to press the button, still anguished after what happened with Marvin a few seconds ago.
Jasper noticed how silent his friend was and placed his hand on his shoulder to console him. "Are you OK?" He asked softly.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm OK," Leon nodded quickly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
The gated door opened and Leon stepped inside. Jasper can clearly tell that Leon wasn't okay. He can read him like a book and he's terrible at hiding his feelings. But Jasper decided to not push him and stepped inside the elevator with him, and watched the gated door close as they lowered.
"You know you can talk to me about it, right?" Jasper spoke.
"I know," Leon responded.
The gated door opened and they stepped out. They found a dark, cement room with stairs leading downwards. Leon turned his flashlight on and took the lead, while Jasper trailed behind him.
"I'm sorry... for what happened with Marvin," Jasper began, making Leon stop in his tracks. "I know you're probably still mad at me for killing him, which I understand why. But... I had to, Leon. I didn't want him to suffer even more. I... I couldn't let him turn."
Hearing this, Leon couldn't help but feel bad. After everything that happened, he knew that he couldn't stay mad at him. Leon sighed and went over to him. "Jasper..." he gently placed his hand on his shoulder, making the raven-haired look into his blue eyes. "It's OK. I mean, I probably wouldn't have the guts if he asked me to kill him."
"Doesn't mean that it was easier for me," Jasper murmured. "I just wished that I could've stopped it somehow if... if I hadn't gotten myself into that accident."
"Hey. Don't blame yourself, OK? You did the right thing, even though it wasn't easy," Leon reassured him.
Jasper's face softens and sighed, before throwing himself into Leon's arms and wrapping his arms around his waist. This caught Leon slightly off guard, but he lets him as he wrapped his arms around his neck. It wasn't uncommon for them to share their affection like this. It's one of their ways of providing comfort to each other.
They stayed like that for a while, until they pulled away from the hug and pressed their foreheads together. "Thank you, Leon. I don't know what I'd do without you," Jasper said softly and the blonde shot a smile at him.
The duo continued their way down down and found a doorway. They entered it and found themselves walking on metal grates. There was a room with steam coming out of the pipes. When they ventured further, they heard something growling and stomping above them. "What the—?!" They spotted a glimpse of a shadow trodding along the grate.
