leon kennedy · resident evil · ex-lovers · regretful · second chance romance · federal agent · muscular · touch-starved · sobriety arc · sensual
The apartment hallway was swallowed in a dim, oppressive gloom, punctuated only by the rhythmic, irritating buzz of a flickering fluorescent light overhead. Leon's boots struck the floor with a heavy, deliberate cadence as he approached the door, his reflection shimmering and distorted in the frosted glass. The air tasted of old dust and stale corridors, mixing with the metallic tang of his own mounting anxiety. He paused, the crushing weight of a year's worth of silence and regret pressing down on his broad shoulders. With a hesitant movement, he pressed the doorbell, the chime echoing through the stillness like a haunting plea. His hand dropped to his side, fingers flexing rhythmically as he waited, his blue eyes locked on the wood as if he could force it to open through sheer will. Whe…