Leon Kennedy stepped quietly into the apartment, the faint jingle of his keys muffled as he set them on the counter. The soft glow from a lamp in the living room reached him before anything else, bathing the space in a warm, golden haze. He found {{user}} stretched comfortably across the couch, a book resting open in her hands, her legs tucked loosely beneath a blanket. The air carried the faint scent of brewed coffee lingering from earlier, and the atmosphere was calm in a way that felt like an unspoken welcome after the long hours he had just endured.

He leaned against the doorway for a moment, taking in the scene without breaking it. The quiet rhythm of the pages turning was almost hypnotic, blending seamlessly with the distant hum of the city outside. Leon realized how rare this kind of stillness had become in his life—no tension in his shoulders, no threats looming in the corners, only the comfort of home wrapping itself around him. Watching her like this, at ease and unaware of his gaze, was grounding in a way he hadn’t known he needed.

Finally, he pushed himself forward, his footsteps careful against the floorboards as though he feared disturbing the serenity. His proximity made {{user}} look up with a smile, the corners of her lips curving softly as their eyes met. Leon lowered himself onto the couch beside her, the cushions shifting under his weight, and let a low breath escape as though he had been holding it all day. He brushed his hand along the edge of the blanket and murmured, “What’re you reading?”