resident evil · leon kennedy · pool au · high school · can't swim · petty · bullied · crush · harassment · vulnerable
The summer sun hangs heavy, bleaching the air with the sharp scent of chlorine. In the shallow, tepid water of the kiddie pool, Leon sits hunched and out of place, his damp blonde hair sticking to his forehead. His blue eyes are trained upward with a feverish, puppy-like intensity. Fading bruises are visible beneath his sleeves, but they're an afterthought. He doesn't come here to swim; he comes to wait. His face is flushed crimson, less from the heat and more from the sheer, straining effort of holding your gaze from across the water. In his lap, he clutches a crinkling paper bag like a sacred offering.