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Ada hate drinking. Alcool, expensive wine, cheep beer, all of it. Even though she can handle her alcohol pretty well, she can't stand the idea of losing control over her body. And honestly? It doesn't even taste good.
Yeah, okay, maybe she drinks sometimes during a mission or an event when she has to, but even that is rare.
She has never been drunk, never. Well, unless she was deliberately drugged. She knows she can't match Leon's tolerance, but she knows exactly where her limit is.
So when she got home after a month-long mission and the place was heavy with the smell of alcohol, Ada closed the front door behind her and let out a sigh. She already knew that Leon was probably completely drunk, drinking to the point of self-destruction after a bad mission.
She had heard that the events in Europe hadn't gone exactly as planned, but the damage wasn't catastrophic.
She didn't even bother to take off her heels or her jacket. She clicked her heels against the floor to make sure she was heard while she searched for Leon in the apartment.
Once she was in front of the kitchen table where her husband sat, she stopped to take in the scene before her. She felt angry or annoyed. Not toward him, at least not completely. But because he wouldn't even be able to defend himself properly if someone came to attack him. He was completely defenseless.
''So, you don't even greet your wife after a month? I expected a better welcome." She glanced toward the bottle.
Leon sighed, not looking toward her yet.
"What did we say about the alcohol, Leon?" Ada wanted to speak in a sharp tone, but she did everything she could to keep her voice as neutral as possible.
"Don't need YOU to lecture me Ada" Said Leon finally looking right at her.
Ada raised an eyebrow. Obviously, he was angry. Or rather, frustrated was the better word for it.
"Well, I didn't even lecture you, at least not yet. And that doesn't answer my question either. ''
As he was about to refill his glass, Ada stopped him with a grip on his hand. Leon didn't budge, keeping a firm grip on the bottle.
"So what? You're gonna drink until you completely black out, then continue the next day? I get it you're angry, but stop that shit Leon." Ada said, her voice less controlled but still calm.
"Just leave me alone would you? I'm just trying to not think about killing myself." Leon said sardonically, his voice cracking slightly as he raised it way too loud.
"Oh? So killing yourself slowly is a better option? Bravo Leon, you're super intelligent. So everyone who died during this mission died for nothing then?" Ada said, her frustration boiling over. She absolutely loathed seeing him this broken.
"It was so avoidable..." Leon whispered. "They are dead because of me!" Leon shouted at Ada, standing up abruptly.
Leon’s frame was significantly larger than Ada’s. Even in her heels, she looked small standing in front of him.
Ada didn't reply after Leon’s outburst of anger, letting the silence settle in.
But Leon ended up sitting back down, refilling his glass with the bottle, which was now empty.
"Yelling at me and continuing to drink isn't going to fix anything, Scott Kennedy" She said crossing her arms.
Ada let out a sigh.
She was tempted to keep going, to tell him that those people were only dead because of their own weaknesses but she knew pushing him while he was this state was not the best idea. If they had a real fight now, they'd both say things they would deeply regret later.
Turning away, she started shoving the empty bottles from the table, the floor, and the kitchen counter into a trash bag despite Leon’s protests.
A single bottle was left on the table, sitting right beside Leon. Ada eyed it, her voice cutting through the silence like ice. "Throw that away. Now." Leon sighed, the fight draining out of him and dropped the bottle into the trash.
She hauled the heavy bag stuffed with a mix of full, empty, and half-drained bottles out onto the balcony. Then Ada checked the clock on her phone. It was already past midnight. She sighed, it was going to be more complicated that she had expected.
Returning to Leon's side, she knelt down to meet his level, searching his eyes placing her hands on his knees. "Get up now, let's get some sleep, okay? And if you protest you sleep outside. Got it?"
"Nahh can't sleep, too early," said Leon, waving vaguely in protest.
"I'm damn tired so get up rookie." said Ada, standing up.
The moment Leon stood up, his head started swimming and he couldn't walk a straight line. Ada caught him by the shoulder to keep him from face-planting, guiding him all the way to the bedroom. He was pure dead weight.
Ada scanned the bedroom. Had he even slept in this room these past few weeks? It was neater and more tidy than the living room.
After getting Leon settled on the bed, she headed to the closet to find him a clean, cozy T-shirt and to finally kick off her own high-heeled boots, which were starting to hurt her a lot.
With the shirt in hand, she turned around to find Leon exactly as she’d left him. He hadn't moved a muscle. His stare was completely hollow, empty as if he were dead inside. Ada’s heart clenched. She dropped the T-shirt on the bed beside him and stepped closer.
"Hey honey" Ada said delicately, cupping Leon’s cheeks with both hands. "It's okay." Continue Ada. Seeing him like this was breaking her heart. "It's over now, okay? It's not your fault and it's never been your fault. You did your best."
He gave a slight shake of his head, and Ada felt her fingers grow wet with one tears.
"I'm tired Ada... I'm so tired of failing everyone" Leon choked out, his voice trembling. "The youngest was only twenty-two."
And then, he finally broke. The trembling finally turned into ugly crying, and tears began to stream down his face. Ada didn't say a word, because she knew no words would ever be enough to soothe him. She just pulled him into a tight hug, and Leon buried his face in Ada's chest.
Slowly, his heavy sobs began to quiet down, turning into ragged, exhausted breaths. Ada gently shifted them, pulling him down onto the mattress with her. Wrapped in the gentle comfort of Ada’s arms and her soothing words, Leon finally let his eyes close, drifting off to sleep.
After making sure Leon was deeply asleep, she gently slipped out of his arms and made her way back to the living room. On her way, she picked up the last bottle she had forgotten earlier and walked out onto the balcony.
Stepping outside, she tossed the bottle down next to the overflowing trash bag and lit a cigarette.
She inhaled deeply, letting the smoke fill her lungs before blowing it out. It was a "habit" of hers, something she only did when she was tense or a little stressed.
Nothing too bad.
She started drawing up a mental checklist of what she needed to get done tonight. But her thoughts kept drifting back to Leon.
He was really at his lowest, but he would get better, it was just going to take a little more time. She made a mental note to decline any missions that would keep her away for more than two days for a while.