Words to Live by [Leon Kennedy]

fifteen. risk & reward

September 29th.

All Leon could see was her. All he could feel was her warm blood soaking his hands, the sticky sensation dizzying his head. Clutching her in his arms, he could only stare down at her contorted face. Desperation clawed at his heart as a thought echoed: I'm going to lose her. He was paralyzed, unable to move or think, trapped in his body as the world exploded.

"Joey, we...we have to go!"

But he didn't move.

Leon's heart lurched to his throat as the bridge collapsed at a slant, gravity tearing them apart. Josephine was pulled to the edge, her fingers scrabbling for purchase. "Joey!" Leon's voice was raw with panic.

As she slipped over the edge, his arm shot out instinctively, catching her wrist. The sudden weight ignited a searing pain up his injured shoulder, but he held on with everything he had.

Josephine's eyes snapped to his, wide as saucers. "Don't let go." Her voice was barely audible.

"Never," he vowed. "Give me your other hand!" He strained to pull her up, his fingers digging into her wrist so hard it'd surely leave a bruise.

Sweat began to bead across Josephine's blanching forehead as she summoned every ounce of strength to lift her wounded arm.

"Hold on. I think I can—"

The bridge ruptured once more, sending tremors through the structure. Her stomach plummeted into the pit of darkness as her duffle bag slipped from her shoulder. In a desperate move, she snagged it with her free hand, a sharp cry escaping her lips as the weight of it sent a searing ripple of agony through her shoulder.

Josephine forced herself to look down at the black abyss. Then her tear-filled eyes met Leon's, and she shook her head. His face was gaunt and bloody, and his hair tangled in his lashes. Josephine's arm trembled as she tried to hand him the bag. "Take it," she said.

Leon's brows furrowed in horror. "No. We're going to get you up first!"

"Take it!" she screamed, her voice raw with urgency. "Save who you can save—"

"Shut up! I've got you!"

God, couldn't he see she was trying to be selfless for once?

His eyes pierced through her, as if his sheer willpower could break her resolve. "You're going to have to let it go because I'm not leaving you." He gritted his teeth, muscles straining as he tried to pull her up once more.

A tear fell from Joey's eye as she looked up at him. "I'm not letting go," she rasped.

"Neither am I."

Blood began to trickle down her arm, slicking her hand that grasped the bag. Her grip faltered, the bag slipping as her strength waned. Desperation surged through her as she tried to lift it once more. "Leon, please..." she pleaded, her voice cracking.

"Let it go, Josephine!"

Ignoring his command, Josephine mustered every ounce of her remaining strength and lifted the bag within Leon's reach. His burning eyes flicked between what he desired most and the black bag, hesitating. The facility quaked again, sending a shudder through the unstable ground beneath them. 

Josephine's grip faltered, and the bag slipped.

In that split second, Leon made his choice. He gripped Josephine's free hand with lightning speed, his fingers intertwining with hers in a vice-like grip.

"No!"

He pulled with all his might, his feet digging into the metal grates until she collapsed onto his chest, her flushed face only inches away. And he flinched. In her eyes, he saw a flash of betrayal. But it vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving an unbearable ache in his heart.