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The west gate of the facility had been breached. The blaring alarm announced the arrival of BOWs. “Attention. Attention. Containment has been breached —” Ada’s head was spinning, smoke filling her lungs. Shattered glass cracked and crunched under her back as she shifted, trying to pull herself to her knees. The sound of roaring flames came from just around the corner. She remembered now… Leon . Things were still fuzzy, but she could see his face in her memory… paling. Blood trailing down his chin from his mouth. Thick claws ripping through his side with a splatter of warm blood across the pavement of the facility. And before she could rush to his side there had been the gas explosion that had launched her, Leon, and the licker across the room. Things went black after that.
How long have I been passed out?! She gritted her teeth as glass dug into her skin, ignoring the pain. I have to find Leon. She crawled around a pile of rubble, keeping low to avoid breathing in too much smoke. Her lungs were already burning, the vision of Leon’s wide eyes and blood-soaked coat, flashing through her mind over and over again. Just beyond a bent support beam, impaled straight through the licker’s chest, Ada could make out Leon’s form, lying against the white wall of the facility. A smear of blood trailed down down the wall, straight to where he lay. He had been closer to where the explosion set off. She could see the deep cuts in his side as she drew closer, still glistening with blood.
“Leon,” she breathed, finally making it to his side. Please, still be alive. She checked his pulse, gently pressing two fingers to his neck. It was slow, and panic rose in her middle. She swore, shaking him gently, “Come on, handsome, don’t leave me now.” She patted his cheek insistently. “Leon!”
He twitched, eyes opening slowly, and immediately he gritted his teeth, throwing his head back against the wall. “H-hurts…” he choked, his body jolting, his hands trembling as he curled them into fists. There was blood on his lips. “Hhhh…. A-Ada…”
“We have to get you out of here. You need help,” Ada said, pulling bandages and tablets from a pouch on Leon’s hip. She wasn’t sure where her supplies had ended up. This would have to do, though she knew it wasn’t nearly enough. The gouges in Leon’s side were deep , blood coagulating on the floor beneath him. What herb or bandage would be enough to staunch the bleeding? She didn’t have a moment to waste though, despite the shaking in her bloodstained hands. Ada got to work, tightening to the bandages around Leon’s waist, despite his groaning in pain.
“A...Ada… Ada stop….”
“Open your eyes, Leon,” she demanded, “You can’t fall asleep. Don’t fall asleep —”
“Ada… l-listen to me…” he wheezed. His blood was already soaking through the bandages.
“We need to get you up,” she said, her voice wavering despite her best efforts. She slung his arm over her shoulder, practically dragging him towards where she knew there had to be an exit—based on her previous glances at a now-missing map.
Leon let out a shout of pain, and despite her best efforts Ada stumbled dropping him against a pile of rubble. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, and she blamed the smoke rather than the surge of emotions that welled up within her.
“We have to get you out of here, Leon,” she said. “We’re so close… just one corner away, and then—” He was shaking his head, his breathing irregular, blood dripping from the corner of his lips.
“Ada,” he said, his voice hoarse, “I can’t…” he choked, closing his eyes tight.
“I’m not leaving you here, Leon,” Ada hissed, “We’re both—”
“Ada… l-listen,” he began but she interrupted him.
“We’re both getting out of here! Come on, you’re… you’re a survivor,” she hissed, anger rising up like bile in her middle. “Get up! I’ll drag you out if I have to.”
“A….Ada… st-stop…”
“I know you can get up, Leon, you always do—” she was lifting him up, cradling him in her arms, trying desperately to pull him to his knees.
“Ada, listen to me! ” He gasped. The words faded into a violent coughing fit. He was wheezing, his breath shaky and unsteady. Blood was soaking into her shirt. Leon let out a soft whisper, resolve… acceptance written in his eyes. “I... love you.”
“Shut up,” Ada said, tears blurring her vision, “Shut up , Leon. I’ve got you.” She pulled at his jacket, positioning herself to drag him to the exit.
“Go…. Ada…”
She let out a hiss of rage, a lone tear rolling down her cheek as she pulled him down the hall with all her might. Stay awake, Leon! Stay awake! I’ve got you!
The long clean-up… the exhaustion pulling at her very being, emotional agony demanding she collapse. She wouldn’t have it. The facility was in flames, her blood-stained fingertips reaching out for nothing but emptiness. In the chill of her thoughts, she could still see his expression: begging, demanding she leave him. It wasn’t until she got home—shutting the world out beyond the safety of her apartment walls, accidentally smudging his blood on her carpet and the porcelain of her bathroom sink—that she sunk down against her bed and cried.
Ada gently traced her hand across Leon’s chest. The light of the rising sun was just touching his hair, turning it gold. He looked so peaceful fast asleep. She always woke up too early, and she liked to spend those moments of peace reveling in him. The way his lips twitched into a soft smile when he slept… he must have been having a good dream. Ada moved her fingertips gently along his skin, following the faint grooves of his ribs down to the faded, jagged scars that trailed across his side. Three, thick marks marring his skin.
Memories of that day flooded through her mind. Her smile dropped away, her chest tightening with anxiety. She let out a shuddering breath and rested against him again, embracing him, listening to the steady beat of his heart. He was warm, and safe, and alive. That was all that mattered. Warm, safe, and alive and here … in her arms. Leon. Her Leon. She had never expected she would deserve someone as endearing as Leon Kennedy. But here he was. And they had been through so much to make it to this very moment. Ada wasn’t one to really reminisce. But the memories she had with Leon, the moments in between the horrible things they had witnessed, they were the warmest, happiest she had ever been. Just like Leon’s character. Pure, sweet, adoring.
Now here he was, as peaceful and as handsome as ever. She couldn’t resist scooting forward just enough to press a lingering kiss to his cheek.
“You’re so beautiful,” she murmured softly, finding his hand and entwining their fingers, and settling in against him once more, closing her eyes and wondering if she might be able to fall asleep again.
There was a moment of quiet before Leon’s hold on her hand tightened, and she could practically hear the grin in his next words, “Did you just call me beautiful?”
Ada froze, and then gently patted his chest. “You were dreaming.”
“No, I’m positive now,” Leon said, sitting up just enough to look down at her. “You called me beautiful.” He was grinning from ear to ear, definitely ready to tease her, but she could see the faint blush dusting his cheeks and nose. There was only one way to fix this now.
“I did,” she said simply, wrapping an arm over his shoulder, looking up at him from where she lay. “But you liked it didn’t you?” She watched in satisfaction as he flushed bright red. She smiled softly, gently rubbing his shoulder, “My beautiful Leon.” He shook his head.
“I never said that—”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Ada sighed, pulling him down so she could kiss his lips. He steadied himself against the mattress with the palm of his hand, tilting his head and leaning into her embrace. “You like it when I call you soft and sweet… and beautiful, hmm?” she teased.
“You’re making assumptions,” he laughed.
“I know I’m right, beautiful, ” she purred, kissing his lips again. Oh, he was a mess now: red as a tomato, flustered as anything. She smiled victoriously. But it only lasted for a moment. She once again caught sight of the jagged scars across his side and her heart sank. How awfully close she had been to losing him—the only person she could ever hold dear to her heart. She gently pressed her free hand to the scars the licker had left behind. “It’s been a year,” she murmured. Realization swept across Leon’s features and he let out a soft sigh.
“Oh, Ada,” he said, moving to sit up properly at last, “Is that why you were awake so early?”
She glanced away, not wanting him to see the tears pricking the corners of her eyes. By now she should be used to the nightmares made from memories and the memories that may as well be nightmares. The stench of blood, the utter panic. The thought of losing Leon filled her with such dread, something she had never felt this deeply before. He knew how much it had somehow seeped past her armor, how much it had hurt her usually guarded heart.
“I’m here,” Leon said, reaching out to cup her cheek, smiling down at her from where he sat, “Aren’t I?”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“Come here.” Leon gently tugged her hand, pulling her up into his embrace. She leaned against his shoulder, breathing in the faint scent of his cologne and shampoo. “I’m not going anywhere. It’s going to take a lot more than one BOW for you to get rid of me, ‘kay?”
“Shut up,” she mumbled, hiding her smile against his neck. He laughed, turning just enough to barely kiss the top of her head.
“You’re stuck with me.”
She sighed, feeling relieved, and pulled away just enough to look him in the eyes, cupping his cheeks with both her hands and offering him a mischievous smile, “Good. Because I’m not ready to lose you, beautiful .”