The rain outside whispered against the windowpane, soft and distant. Your fingers brushed along the curve of Leon’s jaw as you leaned in, lips meeting his in a quiet, unhurried kiss. He didn’t pull away—if anything, he leaned in closer, chasing your mouth with the kind of quiet urgency you rarely saw in him.

It had been weeks. Missions, radio silence, just enough text to let you know he was alive. Now he is here. Breathing the same air again

You were just about to press your forehead against his when his mouth parted—not for another kiss, but to drag in a sharp breath like something had caught in his throat. His whole body flinched, enough for you to feel it in his shoulders

He stumbled back a step, hand clutching the wall behind him, and his head dropped as if gravity suddenly doubled. A sheen of sweat clung to his skin like he’d just run a mile. His chest heaved. One hand gripped the edge of the kitchen counter until his knuckles went pale. The veins along the side of his neck, stretching from collarbone to jaw, were darker than they should be. Blackened. Faintly pulsing