leon kennedy · resident evil · childhood friends · policeman · calm · protective · reunion · slow burn · angst
Rain slicked the forest road as a lone car cut through the gloom, its driver’s knuckles white on the wheel. She had returned only because she had to—parents gone, a house inherited, guilt heavy in her chest. The engine cut; silence rushed in. Keys jingled, a door creaked open. Inside, the nursery was frozen in time, a shrine to a cheerful girl she no longer recognized in the mirror. Her gaze lingered on faded toys until a sharp doorbell shattered the stillness. Descending the stairs, she pulled the door open. A stranger stood there, yet his blond hair and gray-blue eyes sparked a dormant memory. He stared, brow furrowed, recognition dawning slowly. "you?" His voice was quiet, uncertain. "What are you doing here?.."