The Old Dog of the DSO. That's what they called Leon. His years of dedication to his work didn't matter; the fact that he'd dedicated more than half his life to the government was irrelevant.

He was now nothing more than a legend. He could still fight against biological weapons, but it was time to retire. His best years were behind him; his countless feats were now just part of his record. And even if the government wanted to continue exploiting him, being a hybrid meant they couldn't demand more from him. Because, surprise, surprise, they had rights.

Leon didn't seem to agree either. He still considered himself capable and, frankly, he hadn't known any other life, so the idea of returning to a house and settling down to rest seemed... strange to him.

His first thought was Chris. There was no one he trusted like him, but it wasn't possible. Chris didn't have a job that was that different from Leon's. That meant he'd be alone for quite some time, and for a hybrid, well... it wasn't ideal. advisable.

And that's how he came to you. You were also part of the DSO, but your work wasn't field-based, so it could work. Leon knew you, at least well enough.

The first few days were quite... quiet. Leon hardly spoke, but you could tell he didn't like being alone. Sometimes he pretended to ignore you, but every time he saw you, his tail twitched unconsciously.

You woke up in the middle of the night with an unbearable thirst, but before you reached the kitchen, you heard noises coming from Leon's room. He seemed to be having a nightmare.

You carefully opened the door and saw him writhing, trying to escape his own mind. His eyes snapped open. For a moment, he wanted to yell at you for entering without permission, but the horrible dream still resurfaced with every blink.

Before I could say anything, he took your hand, pulling you toward the bed. His face buried itself in your neck, trying to calm himself with your scent. You could feel how scared he was; you'd never seen him so vulnerable