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Leon can't remember the last time he actually closed his eyes.
As he and Luis trudged through the village, he found his eyes drifting shut more and more frequently. It caused him to trip awkwardly over air a few times, which in turn earned him a funny look from his companion - a raised eyebrow, a twist of the lips that was somehow a cross between a teasing grin and an expression of genuine concern.
It's not even exclusive to this mission either. Ever since Raccoon City, Leon honestly couldn't name, held at gunpoint, the last time he slept a full night uninterrupted by snarling beasts or screams of terror. The fighting, the training, the missions, began as a welcome distraction from his insomnia.
Now he just wanted to rest .
The further they walked, the more his feet began to drag, until Luis was forced to completely stop in his tracks lest he leave Leon in the dust. He almost can't convince himself to continue, each step feeling like it costs him triple the energy it should. His own shoulders are weighing him down. Guns and gear that have never previously bothered him even remotely suddenly feel as though they are magnetised to the ground, his entire body weighing more than it ever has before.
He thought he understood exhaustion in the city, running around frantically kicking down doors and blasting holes in rotten faces without ever stopping to breathe.
But he was younger then, and the years haven't been all that kind to him. He's by no means an invalid, nor is he reaching an age where his limbs won't support him - that doesn't stop him from feeling it more than he did back then. There's something about the quiet, the waiting, the suspense of just walking calmly and never knowing where the next monster will be. Here, there is far too much time for his adrenaline to wear off, for the quiet to have him twitching and on edge. He almost wishes there would be another rush of mindless Ganados after his blood, at least then he could focus on parrying, kicking, blocking-
" Oye , yanqui, watch yourself!"
There's a sudden tightness around his shirt collar and before he's even recognised a threat, he's in the dirt, coughing as his rough landing upsets way too much sand into the air.
When the dust settles, he finds himself looking up at Luis, who's previously lighthearted expression has shifted into something more grave. Worried is what Leon would call it, though he can't imagine why. Everything is fine, they haven't seen any Ganados for miles now.
"Luis what the fuck?!" When he attempts to push back up to his feet, his chest meets the sole of Luis' boot, forcing his head back down into the sand when his arms don't have the strength left to hold him up. He coughs yet again, eyes watering with the force of it. Still, he's none the wiser as to what the hell is going on.
"Luis, I'm serious, stop dicking around-"
"So am I. When did you last sleep?"
The question feels so absurdly on the nose, that Leon almost stops to consider the possibility of Luis being a mind reader of some description. At this point, the only human he's found having fucked up powers wouldn't even shock him… maybe he really does need to sleep…
Luis clicks his fingers in front of him, snapping his brain painfully back into the present from where he had been quite happily trailing off into a random train of thought. He huffs, pushing uselessly against Luis' boot.
"C'mon, this isn't funny, let me up-"
"If you were working right you'd push me off no problem, sí?" Luis interrupts him yet again, still frowning like Leon had personally offended him.
He doesn't like it, wants the relaxed smile to come back, as misplaced as it always feels in their current surroundings. He makes a quiet noise in the back of his throat, torn between a grunt and a wordless complaint, and Luis finally seems to take pity, the furrow between his brows softening as he moves his boot and crouches down beside him, bringing them almost eye level.
"You just almost walked yourself directly into a well, Leon, perhaps you should be considering my words a little more." The use of his name does the trick, almost a shock coming from Luis and his constant supply of nicknames. Leon blinks slowly, genuinely processing what Luis asked him this time.
When had he last slept?
Two… maybe three days? It has been too many hours, that's for certain, his skull pounding with the pressure of still taking in stimuli in his frankly pathetic state. He physically shakes his head against the ground, some part of him hoping that would bring back his fuel, his drive to keep going. All it does is earn him a pitying look from Luis, who stands from his crouch and offers out a hand.
"Come now, Sancho, up you get. I know a safe house nearby, we can hole up for a little while. Ashley is a smart girl, she'll hold her own until we're in a state to head to her rescue as dashing knights!"
Leon can hardly even bring himself to grasp the offered hand, stumbling weakly when he's onto his own two feet again. He crashes sideways against Luis, who fortunately has enough body mass to keep them both upright, albeit in the slightly awkward position of borderline cuddling one another in the middle of the path.
Which, circumstances aside, is actually almost nice.
"Where's… where's this safe house of yours." Leon pushes himself away before he can cave into his baser instincts, pulling some hidden energy from deep in his chest to keep himself upright and moving forwards.
Luis still looks worried, but waves him on as he takes a few annoyingly stable steps forwards. He must've gotten a nap in at some point. Bastard.
They must have walked for a while, the surroundings around them shifting completely, the houses becoming more sparse the further they go: regardless, Leon has no concept of how long its been, his entire concentration focused on placing one foot in front of the other. Luis does him the kindness of slowing his pace significantly, but Leon is still borderline falling asleep on the spot by the time they stop again.
A zipping sound splits the silence, confusing him for a moment before Luis procures a key from one of his jacket pockets, waving it at Leon with a grin. He does try to return the expression, but imagines it came out as more of a grimace than anything actually resembling a smile.
Luis unlocks the door of a small, inconspicuous hut, nestled into the trees in a way that almost makes it appear invisible. When the other man steps into the doorway, the shadows of the trees seem to swallow him up, adding further to the assessment of this hut as safe. Leon steps in after him, pushing the door closed with a harsh but solid sound that settles his frayed nerves, makes it easier to release his next breath.
"Come, sit. I would say make yourself at home but, eh, it isn't much." Luis laughs to himself quietly and is already mid-way through kicking off his boots before Leon has even stepped away from the doorframe.
The plush rug before the dormant fireplace is practically calling his name, so he throws caution to the wind and does exactly what his gut is telling him to.
He strips himself of his boots and heaviest gear nearby, then lowers himself awkwardly to the ground with legs so stiff he's surprised they don't buckle when he crouches. Maybe kicking everything as a defence isn't the best plan, but that's an issue for future Leon. For now, he just flops back into the smell of old animal fur, a smell that is surprisingly inoffensive after practically bathing in filth for a living.
A low chuckle is his only warning before there's a rush of air beside his ear, Luis sitting down heavily beside him in a way that suggests maybe Leon had been wrong to assume he wasn't just as exhausted as he himself was.
"It is better to be down, oye?" Luis practically radiates body heat and whilst Leon is by no means cold, he still finds his body curling towards the source of the warmth completely against his own will.
To his surprise, rather than being forcefully pushed away, Leon is instead treated to another of those kind chuckles as Luis leans back on the old dusty sofa behind him, spreading his legs out in what can only be an invitation.
Leon only debates it for a second before ha shifts to pillow his head on Luis' thighs.
Usually, this would be where something more would be expected to happen, this sort of contact only usually means something is expected of Leon in return-
"Relax, cowboy. Nobody is coming barging through here. Sleep." Luis doesn't try to talk him into anything, use that smooth as honey voice to convince him to have some fun now that they're somewhere that has privacy.
Instead, Leon is treated to the wonder of long fingers threading through his grimy hair, a soft apology drifting into the air when Luis' fingers catch on a particularly tangled patch of blonde strands. His eyes flutter closed of their own accord, his entire body gradually losing its perpetual tension as Luis works magic on his scalp in gentle, circular motions. His companion is slow, careful, as though they have all the time in the world.
It soothes him enough that he allows his breathing to deepen, lost in the sensation of being protected by somebody else, rather than constantly having to watch his own hide, snapping his head around like an owl to ensure he doesn’t miss any potential threats. At some point, quiet humming starts to fill the room, easing him further into the arms of sleep.
He grumbles something half hearted about watching the door, knowing deep down that they were in no danger here. Even the wind is calm, no rushing through the loose slats in the flooring and trying to chase him back to wakefulness.
" Sleep , Leon. Ashley and I will both be here when you wake. We can come up with a plan once you are no longer a corpse walking, sí?" Luis is speaking in a tone clearly meant to soothe, rumbling deep in his chest even as his ministrations in Leon's hair never falter.
That is to say, the world fades into a peaceful black before Leon even gets chance to finish his "goodnight".