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Leon had been running for what felt like hours now. The straps from his tactical vest were digging into his shoulders painfully, the weight of the guns it held pressing down on his aching muscles with each step. He still wasn’t used to running in combat boots, and probably never would, feeling blisters form and sting. His handgun was a reassuring weight in his hand. His t-shirt was soaked with a mixture of blood and sweat, sticking to his lithe torso. His hair was a mess of twigs and tangled strands, and he knew there was a smudge of dirt drying across his forehead. He was a mess, and felt like he would collapse if he stopped moving.
The sounds of infected people groaning behind him, chasing him, were also a good motivation for his neverending run. The sight of his rendezvous spot with Ashley was a relief. It had to be a few miles from where he was currently, down the hill and across a small patch of woods. He took a sharp turn to the left and started his descent down the hill, sending some of the people chasing him off the cliff with momentum.
They were all a safe enough distance behind him, but they would not let up on their chase ; Leon hoped the woods would help him lose them. He jumped over rocks and roots and entered the small forest, which had looked less dark and dense from above. The sounds made by his footsteps and his gear bouncing off his chest were muffled by the thick foliage and the trees, and he slowed down instinctively. He ducked right, stepping onto a discreet path that he hoped would lead his chasers astray. The noise behind him was more and more distant and sparse, but he didn’t stop moving. Burrs and thorns from the bushes caught on his clothes, low stooping branches scratched the skin of his arms, but he didn’t take notice of any of it.
He finally halted at the sight of a small cabin ahead. It was well-hidden, overcome with ivy and moss, looking ready to collapse under the bulk of greenery covering every inch of the walls and roof. A hissing sound from behind was all the motivation needed for Leon to propel himself forward and into the cabin, opening the wooden door carefully and closing it behind him. He found it had many locks, and the windows had blinds.
He backed away from the door, listening for sounds. He heard an infected round the house and walk away, then nothing. His instincts were screaming at him to turn his torch on, hair at the back of his neck standing stiff; Leon felt observed.
He turned around at the sound of creaking floorboards and noticed the faint glow of candlelight at the back of the room. A worn paper screen divided the room in two, and the light was coming from behind the screen. A silhouette passed in front of it, plunging the room in complete darkness for a split second, and Leon blinked. He held his gun at the ready towards the light, hesitant to shoot. The usual shuffling and groaning of the infected was absent. He could hear the person walk carefully towards him. Fatigue made him speak out.
"Who’s here?"
His gun was still pointed towards the light. He heard a sharp intake of breath slightly to the left and adjusted his aim accordingly.
"Mi alma," a dulcet voice sighed.
Leon reached for his torch and lit it towards the voice. A tall, fit man was shielding his eyes from the sudden brightness, dark, silky hair bunched up in a small ponytail, clothing decadently odd…
"Luis!" Leon exclaimed, knees buckling with relief. Luis stepped forward and gently grabbed the blonde by the shoulders, preventing him from falling to his knees. His hands were a warm balm of comfort on his bruised shoulders, and he barely restrained himself from slumping fully into the man’s embrace.
"Oh, mi León. You are exhausted. Come, you should rest a minute," Luis said quietly, tugging Leon forward. They walked slowly towards the light of the candle, and stepped behind the screen. The candle was resting on a small stool next to a filthy-looking mattress laid directly on the stone floor. It seemed as if Luis had been drinking, as Leon spotted an earthen jug full of clear liquid. The taller man twisted Leon’s shoulders slowly, intending to sit him down on the mattress. The blonde exhaled forcefully once he was sat, reclining his torso backwards until his back hit the wall behind him. Behind the pungent smell of sweat emanating from his own body and Luis, and the tang of blood on his clothes, the room smelled dusty and earthly, like the wet ground of a forest after thunder.
"I was almost at our meeting spot when I heard a horde of infected coming from the hill, so I hid in there," Luis spoke again, voice still soft. Leon looked at him, at the shadows falling across his face from the harsh light of the torch he’d dropped on the floor, and the softer hue of the candlelight. He appeared focused on Leon entirely, blue eyes keen and attentive. Leon remembered begging the man to leave with him and Ashley, to escape this nightmare. His gaze dropped to the blonde’s mouth when he parted his lips to answer.
"It’s a good thing you found this place."
Luis smiled. "It’s a good thing you found it, too. You look like you’ve been through hell and back again, mi Tesoro. Rest, we can go meet Ashley together in a few minutes."
Leon was about to protest, but Luis cut him off. "It would be dangerous for you to lose your footing or lose your focus if we have to run or fight off these monsters. Please, Leon, rest. Just for a few minutes."
Luis’ lilting accent and intonations were soothing, lulling Leon into compliance. He didn’t answer, settling on regarding Luis as the man rose from his crouch beside him to pull a dark blue handkerchief from his back pocket. He dipped it into the jug and wrung the excess water out before sitting down on the mattress gingerly, next to Leon. He scooted backwards until he was level with Leon’s face and turned towards the blonde, lifting the damp cloth to his face slowly. Leon said nothing and let the man wipe his face clean. The water was ice cold, making Leon’s skin break out in goosebumps. When Luis reached the cut on his cheek, Leon hissed, making the taller man retract his hand immediately.
"I’m sorry. Does it hurt?" Luis asked worriedly.
Leon stared and stared. He surprised himself with the warmth of hope that was spreading under his diaphragm, making him squirm uncomfortably. He hoped that this man would make it out alive, and that they would leave this hellish place with Ashley, the three of them safe and sound in the helicopter back to America. He hoped this man would stick around, be the exception that confirmed the rule in which no one around Leon survived long enough, or cared enough to stay. He was afraid, so afraid. He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he hadn’t been afraid. It seemed as if he’d been running for years now. After people, and from monsters. He was tired.
"…razòn, please answer me."
Luis’ gentle voice pierced through the thick fog of anxiety creeping in Leon’s mind. He focused back on the man’s features, and gathered a smile on his lips.
"Sorry, Luis. I think I fell asleep on you, a little."
The lie sounded weak even to his own ears. Luis lowered his gaze, almost…ashamed?
"I’m sorry. I didn’t even ask you if I could touch you, it must have made you uncomfortable. I understa—
"What are you talking about? I don’t mind you touching me, Luis," Leon interrupted. It was his turn to look bashful at his own words, and he fixed his gaze to the silver bands adorning Luis' right hand. The rings were simple, engraved with signs and writings that Leon could not decipher in the semi-darkness of the room.
The taller man lifted his head. "But…"
"I really was just zoning out, but it’s got nothing to do with you. In fact, you don’t have to take care of me…I’m being a burden. Sorry."
Luis sat back on his haunches, eyes never leaving Leon’s face. He lifted a hand to his face and sighed, shoulders slumping.
"I’m usually not this awkward, especially around beautiful men." —Leon blinked, what?— "It’s fine, mi León. You are not a burden. I can do this much for you. You’ve saved my life."
"You don’t owe me anything," Leon affirmed, almost resentful. Could one of his relationships not be based on debt for once?
"I know," Luis’ tone was firm, and confident. "I just mean that I can do this much, when you’ve done so much for me. And my reasons are not completely altruistic, cariño."
Leon eyed Luis curiously. A few strands of hair had escaped from the hair tie and were framing the man’s delicate features. His jawline and cheekbones were defined, accentuated by hollowed cheeks and deep set clear eyes, the blue of the irises lighter than Leon’s. The slight shadow of stubble on his chin and jaw made his bone structure starker. Luis was an attractive man, Leon noticed. The thought had crossed his mind on their second encounter, when the man had pulled him and Ashley into a house and helped them, exchanging flirtatious jokes and worried glances with Leon while they fended off a crowd of infected villagers. At the time, the urgency of the situation had had him wave off the intrusive thought.
The sting of the damp cloth on the cut on his cheek surprised his thoughts back to the present.
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I need to clean it, or it’ll grow infected and leave a scar. I’ll be gentle."
The handkerchief was wetter than before, and Leon supposed Luis had rinsed it off before focusing on his wound. His movements were slow and gentle, the soft fabric passing again and again on Leon’s cheek, cleaning off dirt and puss out of the cut, the cold numbing the area pleasantly. A knife identical to the one strapped to his back had done this. That knife had been a gift from the person who had cut him. Its weight was now, more than ever, a painful reminder of another person gone by in Leon’s life.
The caresses of the handkerchief went away, replaced by Luis’ hand sorting Leon’s hair out with tender strokes through the messy strands. It had been ages since he’d been touched that way, never during a mission, of course. Claire would ruffle his hair, and Sherry sometimes tied it into a small ponytail on top of his head when she felt playful and he felt like he could give her the world. Leon’s eyes dropped to Luis’ lips, stretched into a small, contented smile. Despite it all, the man was finding joy in petting another man’s hair. The hand stilled on Leon’s head, and the blonde lifted his eyes to Luis’. He was staring.
"Do you feel better, cariño?"
Luis wouldn’t make a move. The realization dawned on Leon as the man spoke. But Leon felt unmoored, and the large hand on his head was his only anchor. He knew he wasn’t dreaming up the affection in the man’s voice, and the tenderness in his touches. He knew the little names Luis gave him weren’t sarcastic, and that the warmth in his eyes wasn’t for show.
"I do. Thank you."
As he answered, Leon took ahold of Luis’ wrist next to his ear. He kept the man’s hand in place, and leaned forward, eyes never leaving Luis’. The man was taller, so Leon had to strain to reach his lips. Luis’ smile grew as Leon approached, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
The first touch of their lips was a dry, chaste peck, but the warmth of it took Leon’s breath away. They were both dirty and sweaty, and hadn’t slept in several days, but the only real thing for them at that moment was the press of the other’s lips on their own. Luis initiated the second kiss, angling his head and lifting his other hand to Leon’s jaw. He cupped his face and inhaled through his nose as he kissed Leon’s bottom lip. Their lips moved against each other, Leon quickly growing impatient and licking at Luis’ lips first, asking for deeper kisses. The man chuckled as he drew back, eliciting a quiet whine from Leon.
"Oh, hermoso… Open your mouth, mi alma."
Leon complied, parting his lips and looking at Luis from under his eyelashes. He felt hot all over. Luis licked Leon’s lips slowly, then dipped inside. The kiss was sensual, hungry. They barely detached for air, abusing each other’s lips and tongues and mouths ravenously. Leon’s hands were fisted into Luis’ vest lapels, wrinkling the silk. When Leon introduced his teeth, nibbling on the man’s lower lip, Luis laughed into the kiss, pulling away and leaning his forehead against Leon.
"You have no idea what you’re doing to me right now."
Leon’s lips felt raw, tingling at the loss. He whispered, "Please, Luis…"
Luis soothed, "Shh, cariño. I don’t want to have you for the first time on a dirty mattress in this shit hole. But believe me… This is hard for me too." He winked, "Pun intended."
Leon groaned, which made Luis’ laugh harder. "That was terrible."
"Maybe." He was still smiling as Leon put distance between them.
Luis couldn’t help but lean back in for a quick peck on the blonde’s lips, eliciting a slow grin from the man.
"Let’s be responsible adults and go meet Miss Ashley, hm? When we’re out of there, you’ll have a hard time getting rid of me, that I can promise."
Promises. These were just promises. But Leon’s hope, used up as it were, still held onto them. He didn’t want to fight it. It was one less thing to fight. He let his grin reach his eyes, and straightened up.
"I’ll hold you up to that, querido."