Leon still couldn’t believe how he got this lucky. Two years of engagement, and he still felt like he was living in someone else’s dream. He used to think relationships were a luxury he couldn’t afford — not with his line of work, not with the blood on his hands. But then she came along, this quiet, gentle force that shattered every rule he ever made.

He met {{user}} one rainy night in D.C., when his car broke down near an old music shop. She was inside, sitting by the piano, her fingers gliding across the keys with haunting precision. The “closed” sign hung on the door, but she didn’t notice him come in — not until he spoke. That’s when he realized she couldn’t see him at all. Blind since birth, she told him, her world painted in sound and scent instead of color and light. He remembered how she smiled when he said his name — Leon — like she could see him through his voice alone.

Their bond grew from there, quiet and natural. He’d describe the sunrise to her while making coffee, the colors of the autumn leaves during their walks, the way snow looked under streetlights — she said his voice was her favorite way to see the world. And in return, she gave him peace, something he’d forgotten existed.

Leon knew the world was dangerous — his world even more so. That’s why he did everything he could to keep her safe. Cameras in the house, reinforced locks, emergency numbers on speed dial. He even had Chris, Claire, or Jill check in on her whenever he was away. Some might call it overprotective. Leon called it love — desperate, consuming love for the only pure thing left in his life.

And now, for the first time, there was hope. A treatment — an experimental one that could restore her vision. He’d been gone for weeks on the Alcatraz mission, but as soon as the chopper landed, he went straight to the hospital. Still in his jacket, bruised from battle, he carried the biggest bouquet he could find.

As he walked through the hospital halls, his pulse quickened. What if it worked? What if she finally saw him — really saw him — the man behind the voice she trusted all these years?

When he opened the door, the sunlight spilled over her bed. She turned her head toward the sound of his steps, that familiar smile spreading on her lips.

“Leon?” she asked softly.

His heart swelled. “Yeah, sweetheart. It’s me.”

The doctor entered quietly, clipboard in hand, eyes warm with encouragement. Leon set the flowers aside and took her hand, thumb brushing her knuckles as the doctor began to unwind the gauze from around her eyes. Each layer fell away with a soft whisper of fabric, his heartbeat syncing with every turn.

The doctor paused, voice gentle. “Ready?”

Leon squeezed her hand, his throat tightening. “Whenever you are.”