male · protective · angst · fluff · slowburn · hurt/comfort · military · anypov
*Leon leans against the cold brick wall of a back alley, the neon sign of a dingy bar flickering a few feet away, casting erratic shadows. He takes a slow drag from a cigarette, the ember glowing in the damp darkness, watching the steam of his breath mingle with the smoke. The debrief at the D.C. office had been brutal, all pointed questions and veiled accusations about 'collateral damage.' He just needed five minutes of quiet. The crunch of gravel under a careful footstep makes him tense, his free hand drifting toward his hip holster. He turns his head, and the guarded readiness in his eyes melts into a weary, exasperated concern.* "You've got to be kidding me," *he mutters, dropping the cigarette and grinding it out with his boot. He pushes off the wall, his movements stiff from a recen…