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Leon knew the moment he laid eyes on the omega he'd spend the rest of his life trying to prove himself to her. It doesn't matter the world is burning down around them. If he doesn't live to see the morning, he'll at least die knowing he'd found the one.
Ada doesn't pay much attention to him. though he is sure she's aware of how smitten he is. When she kisses him all he can think is that he would do anything for her. It didn't matter how impossible it was. He'd find a way.
Then the fall.
Leon wants to hate her for lying to him, but he can't, and he hates himself for that. He knows especially with that look in her eye as he tried to pull her up. He wasn't alone in his feelings, after all she couldn't shoot him. A part of him dies that night, the part that's not connected to the city or the horrors within. Instead, a part of his soul dies with the Omega that stole his heart.
Then he sees her again in Spain six years later and suddenly he wants to hate her all over again. Doesn't she know how hard it's been how he's been tearing himself apart thinking he failed her? But she knows, of course she knows she knows everything about him.
He just bites his tongue and thanks anything that's listening that he still has a chance.
oO0Oo
Ashley had admittedly fallen for him the moment he caught her as she jumped out the window. Not that she thought anyone could blame her, Leon was a handsome kind alpha who promised to keep her safe. And it didn't take her long to believe it especially as she saw him take down the village people with cold ruthless efficiency.
She'd be horrified in any other circumstance…well more horrified, but he was clearly fighting to keep her alive, so she allowed herself a small bit of comfort. It's rough with all the running and fighting, but he consistently keeps her safe and breathing even under the impossible odds.
And she falls more and more for the bravest man she's ever met. But of course, the parasite takes control, and she runs horrified at the fact she'd hurt him unwilling to chance doing it again. She finds somewhere to hide and tries not to shake out of her skin. She pays little attention to the tears that blur her vision as she stares at her hands in horror.
She doesn't know how long she's been there until she hears the door open. Nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound, then she sees Leon and nearly makes a run for it. But his eyes pin her to the couch and Ashley’s not sure she could stand now because of her shaking anyway.
He walks closer and starts talking and damn it all to hell if she doesn't feel better. He cares, he cares so much, and he's infected too. Jesus they're both a mess and she can't make his life harder because he doesn't deserve it.
He sits next to her, and her brain gets caught up in the unfamiliar scent of an omega. It wasn't any of the village people, they didn't smell like anything really besides rot and blood. And admittedly with being a beta her sense of smell was not as good as the other designations, but this was strong even to her. If she’d have to bet he’d actually been marked recently...
So someone else was here presumably, but Leon didn't seem frazzled or affected. She felt a touch jealous actually which was nonsensical because for one, Leon wouldn't care about whoever was here his mission came first. I mean clearly he was here even after being marked by an omega. And two, she had no claim to him she was simply a mission objective.
So, she just ignored the scent and didn't ask as she went back to following after him.
She doesn't put the pieces together, not when the mystery woman saves them. Or when Leon refused to let her stay strung up from where she obviously had been caught. It only dawned on her when the woman ran up next to her as Leon was starting to fight for his life. This was the omega she smelled on him, and that reason alone had her demanding she help Leon.
Forget all she done till now saving them. The fact she'd seemingly marked Leon at some point earlier tonight was enough. Clearly Leon was something to her, maybe a pawn or a tool, but she'd marked him and the way Leon had looked so alarmed at seeing her strung up? Even growling at the sight, which Ashley thought she'd imagined at the time, but now?
Well, you can call her a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them.
The woman eyed her for a moment but did in fact jump into the fray. She was just as deadly as Leon and together they finished off Saddler. Ashley ran over to meet them as soon as it was clear. She was missing a lot of the conversation they were currently having, but the barely concealed desperation in Leon's eyes spoke wonders as the woman walked away.
The sour scent that came from Leon said a lot even as he attempted to muffle it. The woman however was unmoved as she walked to the helicopter and asked if he was coming. And for a horrifying second Ashley thought he was, that Leon was going to leave her for this omega he clearly felt so much for.
But he denied her and she too seemed disappointed but unsurprised. Just climbed aboard the helicopter as it started taking off and threw down something Leon caught before she disappeared. Leon eyed it and sighed before the island shook with an explosion and they were off again.
Once they're good and free of the island, she dares to ask the thing that had been eating at her.
“Who was she?”
Leon doesn't seem to know how to answer as he thinks it over before finally settling on.
"She's a part of me I can't let go. Let's leave it at that."
It's clearly so much more complicated but she doesn't push. Just lets the both of them soak up the silence as they ride to some nearby island. As they step foot on land Ashley nearly collapses in relief. She looks back at Leon and sees him holding something.
She stumbles a bit closer and, oh it's the keys for the jet ski so that's what the mystery woman had thrown at him. And there is a bear on the keychain which is frankly adorable. He brings it to his nose and a moment later a small purr rumbles from him. Just like it had when he'd been comforting her in that room after she'd woken up after the parasite suppressor.
She lets him have a moment because frankly who the hell is she to say anything? The item was scented she could smell it from here, and the omega it was from had saved their lives. Hell, he deserved her had well and truly proven himself many times over. But she had a feeling he'd already done that well before Ashley herself had met either of them. There was history here that she was unaware of that much was clear.
Leon pulls back finally after a long moment and radios in that they're safe and off the island. Ashley just eyes the bear and spots a zipper on the back. She smiles to herself at the sight and once Leon is done, she dares to point it out.
"There's a zipper on the bear." She points at its back from where it's hanging off one of his fingers.
Leon freezes for a split second before he's digging into the bear with fervor. He fishes out a piece of paper that Ashley can't see well enough to read, but the purr that rumbles loudly from him is telling.
He folds it back up and puts it back in the bear before taking a steadying breath. She notes he doesn't put the bear away, and she doesn't draw any attention to it. Instead, she just follows him to where he collapses under a tree and joins him.
They are alive and safe, that's all that matters.
oO0Oo
Grace had noted the mating bite on Leon and hadn't thought anything of it. He was an older man and the way he'd just saved her life was more than enough proof he'd be a good alpha for anyone. So, it hadn't even truly registered.
It was only after they escaped Zeno in Pandora when it had really clicked for her in a real way. She'd watched him collapse, she hurriedly followed after trying to wake him. Then when that failed put him in a more comfortable position that wouldn't have him choking on his own blood.
She watched in growing horror as the black crept up his neck, and the realization she knew what was happening to him nearly had her puking. He was dying of the same thing she'd been sent to investigate and what a story it painted.
He'd been here at the beginning, a survivor of Racoon City, and now he was here again only this time the city was going to finish the job. This man had done nothing but save her life time and again and now she could do nothing but watch as he died.
She watched the black creep higher and…shit the mating bite. He had someone waiting for him, someone who…god did they know what was happening now? She fought back a gag as everything truly sunk in.
She'd failed to save Emily and now Leon, her savior, was dying in front of her faster because he'd decided he'd keep her alive. And someone else was going to lose the best alpha let alone man she'd ever met as she helplessly watched on. She just silently watched as the black crawled over his skin and waited for him to wake up.
She had no plans on moving without him and if he never stirred? Well…
Thankfully, an unknown period of time later that felt like years Leon groaned as he came to. She'd rushed over to his side worried, and immediately between hacking up blood he started trying to reassure her with his low rumbling spotty purr. She wanted to hate him for it, but it worked hitting her like a balm to an open wound.
The same purr he'd offered after he first saved her life, then when he'd met her in the water treatment facility as Emily lay in her arms bleeding. She wondered if there was some kind of training to know when best to use tactics like this to trick people subconsciously into relaxing.
She wasn't sure if it was her omega or her that was comforted by it and assumed it was probably a bit of both as she sat next to him. It was stupid he was dying she knew this, but it helped even if his small effort was probably taking more from him and he had to give. God she hated him for being so good.
They talked and the whole conversation felt like it had ripped out her heart. She didn't want him to die but she knew that it was probably inevitable.
Then she'd found him at the door on top of the stairs and for a moment she thought he was dead. But he wasn't, though he wasn't far off from it. She was the only thing keeping him from collapsing and no job in her life has ever been as important.
What followed was nearly too much to keep up with, but through some miracle and a bit of hope they were watching the building collapse around them. Somehow she'd saved his life, and now they were going to both die anyway despite it.
Leon however the stupid perfect alpha just refused to leave her side, and fuck her if it didn't make her feel like it was all going to be ok. Then the spotlights and suddenly Leon was back in protective mode as he prepared to fight once more. Despite the shaking that she could see as his body fought with him to just collapse in exhaustion.
It didn't take long for that to dissolve though as the people who zipped down said what must have been the magic word as Leon all but literally collapsed in relief. She was sure that would come later. From there it didn't take them any time at all to be back on the surface, and Grace had never been more thankful to see bombed out rubble.
Leon hadn't left her side, and she wasn't sure how to put into words just how thankful she was. She didn't know if she could be left alone right now in reality. They got patched up together before Leon walked her to a waiting helicopter.
He'd stopped dead 20 ft from it and Grace was worried something had gone wrong for a moment. Then the scent hit her. Familiar yet distinctly new but easily identifiable. She turned in unison with Leon and saw a woman making her way through the crowd easily. She was beautiful dressed in red and black her short hair streaked with gray.
Leon was moving not a moment later meeting her in the middle, his face burying itself in her neck. The woman grips the back of the man's neck with one hand while the other buries itself in his hair. They're both shaking and Grace has never been more thankful she'd listen to her intuition in her life.
They both pull back after a long moment before Leon is kissing her desperate and rushed which is reciprocated easily before he's pulling back. Digging around in his numerous pockets he fishes out a dose of Elpis and hands it over and…oh. Grace can't even find the words, her mind drawing a blank as the woman eyes it before injecting herself.
The two are walking back over a moment later and Grace has no clue what to say. Luckily she doesn't have to as the woman speaks.
“Thank you.”
It's two words but Grace knows with certainty that it is more than most got. The look in the woman's eye, that hard expression, the way she carried herself… Grace knew without so many words that this woman was a lot like Leon.
Perhaps that's why they worked she surmised as she looked between them.
She couldn't find the right words to express…everything, so just nodded.
Leon couldn't tear his eyes off of his mate and really that isn't a surprise. And the constant low purr coming from him was heartwarming. She'd spent too long hearing and experiencing suffering that it helped just experiencing genuine happiness. Leon alone had been suffering so much in the past hour. The sound of muffled wounded noises as she drug him into Pandora had been ringing in her ears since.
The woman kept a hand on her mate the whole while, which Leon seemed beyond content with as he leaned into the touch.
The woman looked around and seemed to weigh her options. “Well I'm not exactly welcome here and I think the two of you would love to leave, so how about you come with us?”
Grace didn't even consider any other option as she nodded along and agreed. The woman turned on her heel and Leon followed along like he was on some invisible leash. Grace just followed at his side.
“Ada, you know I have to debrief there's protocol.” Leon protested though it meant little in the face of him still following after her like a puppy.
“Yes well, I think Sherry and Hunnigan will understand. Besides, do you really think they're going to punish you? Their most valuable asset just got cured. I think they're going to be quite happy.”
Grace had mixed feelings about Leon being called an asset, but it wasn't exactly inaccurate. The man just sighed lightly and said nothing else as he moved to walk next to her and slung an arm around her waist.
Ada just huffed with seemingly put upon annoyance, but the content purr that sounded lowly from her undermined the act. Grace had once again never been more thankful she listened to her instincts.