Like a tattoo | leon kennedy x fem reader

chapter eighteen - getaway

The nightmares kept repeating.

Flashes of images of Saddler, Ramón, ganados, and monsters couldn't escape your consciousness. So much has happened; your brain needed time to process that you're not being chased anymore.

Your heart pounded, but you knew where the dream would turn for the worst, so you forced yourself to wake. Slightly out of breath and trembling, you grip your hand and realize Leon never left. He's sound asleep by your side, still holding onto your hand. At least, you thought he was.

He turns his head towards you and breathes in deeply, feeling slightly disoriented. He soon notices your hand gripping his as the horrifying images flash and won't stop flooding in.

A pounding ache encased around your head, leaving your eyes heavy. Your entire body was flushed and warm, trying to recuperate from the physical stress you escaped. Your body was finally running normally and recovering from the adrenaline.

"Y/n." the velvet voice calls to you as he cups your cheek.

"I-I'm sorry I woke you," you mumble, releasing your tight grasp from his hand.

"It happened again..." he whispers.

"Yes...but I knew it was coming this time..." you respond while he brushes the hair off your face again. You tilt your head to look at him, and he seems worse than earlier. His eyes were bloodshot and puffy like he'd been crying. His skin looked like it was pale and flushed at the same time. He was in the worst kind of condition. You put your other hand to his face. "You look exhausted, Leon..." you say softly. He takes a deep breath when your warm hand touches his cold face.

He's been exhausted for a long time.

"Your rest is more important than mine," he says in a raspy voice with his eyes barely open. But you shake your head.

"I need you, Leon...." you pause for a moment to collect the words. "...to rest,"

"I gotta look out for you too, ya know," you smirk.

He chuckles sleepily with a smirk. "Is that so?"

You nod.

"Fine." he gives up, turns his head to face the ceiling, and pretends to sleep. As you listen to his breathing, it slowly turns quiet and steady now. You know he wasn't acting anymore.

You smile, and you can finally rest easy...

....

Slowly lifting your eyelids, the daylight shines brightly through the clouds to greet the new day.

You tighten your hand and immediately notice something is missing.

"Leon?!" you cry, your voice still cold. You sit up and look at his makeshift bed to realize he wasn't there either. He wasn't anywhere.

You frantically look around and notice that his weapons remain at their designated spots, but everything else is gone.

Unexpectedly, he comes through the front door as softly as he can. Attempting not to wake you before he notices your alert presence.

A wave of relief comes by, but you notice something is off about him. His body language seemed uneasy and tense.

He doesn't look at you for too long...as though something caught his attention...something is trapping his mind from this reality.

"What's wrong?" you ask him and get up to stand to get a better look at him. Even though your entire body ached with every step, you couldn't simply imagine what he was going through right now.