Every step Ashley took felt wrong. She had been following behind Leon for so long, it was odd to take the lead. He always kept his gun next to his cheek and took every step with caution. She knew as she had been watching him from behind while she cowered like a child. She relied on him to keep her safe but she did not feel safe now. He had gotten slower, a result of the many injuries he had suffered protecting her, and he asked her to walk in front of him so he could keep an eye on her.

Part of her thought he was just resting but another part of her felt like he was using her as bait. His arms were covered in bruises from fighting off ganados that sprung around every corner. He was desperate to save ammo so he always knocked them down and stabbed them rather than using the gun he clung to so religiously.

It had been a while since they had seen anyone else, but if there was someone waiting around the next corner, it was Ashley herself that would be grabbed and she would have to rely on Leon to save her, if he felt like it. Glancing over her shoulder at the shuffling secret service agent she wondered what it would take to convince him to stand in front of her again.

She resolved herself to at least try talking to him about it. When she stopped walking, she expected him to say something, or at least stop as well. Instead he kept shuffling. She looked at his eyes to see if he was focused on something. It had happened before, where he practically ignored her while keeping an eye on a danger in the distance.

What she saw, shocked her. Leon’s eyes were completely red, bloodshot with veins almost bursting. She knew they were both infected with Los Plagas but he had hidden it well. He did not cough up blood like she did, at least not when she was looking. And he did not zone out and walk in a straight line like some sort of zombie. This was the first time she had seen it affect him so seriously.

As he continued to approach where she had stopped, she felt the desire to turn and run, but she also knew she would not survive if she left him behind. He was the only thing standing between her and death. She stood her ground and waited for him to reach her, putting on a weary smile. “Are you okay, Leon?” she pretended not to know what was happening.

“Mr. Kennedy?” she asked when he ignored her. When he reached where she had stopped, he leaned forward and rested his head on her shoulder. She blushed as she patted his back. It felt cold with sweat soaking through his shirt. “It’s alright, we can wait here,” she cooed softly.

He did not react to her voice, and instead just rolled his head so he was breathing directly on her neck. She winced as she tried not to react. Suddenly a sharp pain shot through her whole body, from her neck to her toes. His teeth were as dull as a normal human’s and did not break her skin, but the bite still hurt immensely. “What are you doing?” She batted at the back of his head, trying to get him to release her.

When he stood up, she saw his red eyes again and she could not stay standing. She dropped to her knees and pressed them together, trying and failing to keep control of her bladder. She stayed on the ground for a long while, waiting for Leon to attack her again. However, he did not move. He just stared down at her as she wiped tears from her eyes.

When she looked up again, she found her face right at his waist. She turned her head and blushed. It was not like she hadn’t already tried to glance at it before. She had been thinking about men a little differently ever since she had been kidnapped by the large ex-soldier known only as Krauser. He had been sure to have some fun with her body before turning her over to Lord Saddler.