SAVEGUARD ⟼ leon s. kennedy

xxxvi. one more

How did we go from that... to this?

He's rigid under my touch, all tense and unmoving, like a statue. But he doesn't stop me or move away as I trace my fingers up from my own marks to the fresh bruises he has. Instead, I feel him finally look at me again, but I'm too ashamed to look at him. All these bruises on his body are my fault.

When my fingers reach his ribs, he flinches, sucking air through his teeth, but he stays there, waiting obediently for my assessment, even though he must hate that I'm touching him.

"Definitely broken," I say, my voice low.

"Like everything else in my life right now," he sighs, tilting his head back and closing his eyes for a few seconds.

I quickly take a look at his lip too, hesitating before I lightly place a finger on his jaw to angle it towards the light. It's still bleeding, but not excessively. The cut on his cheek has already closed up.

"Leon," I say, and as his name tumbles out of my lips, the guilt takes hold of my tongue. I look down and feel the tears spill onto my cheeks, hot and rough. "Leon, I'm so sorry for all of this."

He doesn't say anything at first, but when I finally look at him, I see his face has softened. "Please don't cry, Clementine..." he says quietly.

"I should've been smarter," I continue, sniffling, my own tears choking me. "I almost got you killed."

"Stop crying," he mumbles as I'm wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "I can't handle it."

I look at him, already thinking the worst— he thinks I'm faking it. "I just need you to know that I didn't know anything. What Arthur said— I had no idea. I know you'll never trust me again, but I was just trying to find a way to corner him— I didn't think he'd knock both of us out."

Leon pulls his shirt back over his torso. "I knew I could choke him out the second I woke up. I just needed to hear him do his little speech. I needed that information."

"But—"

He looks me square in the face. "No offence, but your ex-boyfriend was never really a threat. Lunatic or not."

My cheeks burn instantly. I was hoping he'd let the whole ex thing go. "So you weren't scared?" The idea of him knowing he had the upper hand does make me feel better.

He walks past me back to the shelving unit, inspecting the top of it. "I was scared. Scared you'll get hurt."

I don't reply, because words are failing me, especially with the way I see him clutch at his side, walking slightly bent as if to accommodate the pain. Every time I look at the cuts on his face I want to cry.

He turns back to look at me, his eyes on my cheek. I see his jaw clench as his eyes trace the outline of Arthur's handprint. When he speaks, his voice is flat, strained. "That the only place he marked you?"

I shake my head, I can feel the bruises forming on my shoulders from how tightly Arthur had gripped me.

Leon sighs. He walks back to the table and picks up his bulletproof vest. "Take it."

"No—"

"Put it on," he orders, unclasping it and inserting my hand into the arm hole.

"This wetsuit is protective enough—"

He cuts me off, his jaw tight. "This is not the time for you to be acting like a brat. You are putting this on. I can't have you getting hurt again."

I stare at him as he secures it around my waist. "What about you? You have a broken rib."