What Leon had come to learn was that he really could not catch a fucking break.
The rain poured hard on the doorstep, beating down on the young girl with a man's limp body slumped on her back. A vaguely familiar man, but he was so injured that it was hard to tell.
"Please help him," The girl gasped out, and Leon looked around to see if there was anyone in the vicinity that she could go to instead. But as he looked closer at her, his heart leaped up into his throat and he couldn't even respond.
I thought I was supposed to be finding everyone but why the hell are they all finding me? He bit his lip to stop himself from saying the girl's name.
Owen squinted as he looked at her over Leon's shoulder and his eyes widened, "It's you! Val, right? You're alive?" He asked in surprise.
"If we don't bring them in I don't think it's going to stay that way," Nia muttered, arms crossed as she peered from behind her friend.
"Let them in, we can trust them. They helped us get out of the castle and—Wait, holy shit, is that the guy? Is he alive?" Owen gasped. He ducked under Leon's arms and helped shoulder the man onto his back as well. Nia tapped the older man on the shoulder.
"Are you alright?" She asked quietly.
Leon took in a shaky breath and moved quickly, carefully piggybacking the man, stumbling slightly with the dead weight, "They're like us. Val, at least. I know them."
Nia's eyes widened and then narrowed, "Are you sure? Them? They don't act like it for sure…"
"What did you say his name was?" Fenix asked as he got closer to Leon. At this point, everyone else was beginning to make their way to the room as well.
"Oh, this is Hyunwoo," Val said without hesitation, and Leon completely froze.
Lumina gaped at Val, and then turned her stare to Leon, "No way. This—This is your Hyunwoo? I thought...The way you talked about him, I thought he was—" She didn't get to finish her sentence. Leon moved quicker than any of them had ever seen him move, gently laying the man down on the couch and falling to his knees next to him.
The man's head had been bandaged, masking most of his features and his dripping wet, waist-length dark brown hair clung to his frame, his eyes, his cheeks, but as Leon's shaky hands moved the hair out of the way, the choked sob that escaped him said it all.
He cupped the man's face gently, gently patting him as if to make sure he was real, "Hyun," He whispered, the tears falling so quickly that he didn't even bother wiping them away. He clutched at the man's shirt, burying his face in Hyunwoo's chest as he sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, please forgive me, I should have never left you, please…"
Val's expression had softened into a gentle melancholy one, "Oh," They said quietly. And then a little louder, "You're his Leon."
Leon didn't respond, too scared to let go of Hyunwoo, scared that if he let go of Hyunwoo he might never see him again. He couldn't stop whispering apologies, the guilt settling on him like a familiar friend. He froze as he felt a hand shakily make it to his head, patting him.
Leon slowly looked up to meet those familiar violet eyes.
"Oh, Leon," Hyunwoo's voice was raspy and worn down, but it still held the same softness and warmth it did back then. Leon's whole body shook with a sob and he didn't even register Risále's hand on his shoulder. Hyunwoo cupped his face gently with one hand, smiling gently, "You grew your hair out like you said you would. You look just as gorgeous as I remember."
"We're going to give you some time alone," Someone said, and Leon barely registered it as Risále, "We're going to talk to Val and try to sort this out. I think you both have some things you need to talk about."
As soon as he had situated Hyunwoo upright, Leon quickly moved away, pressing his hands into his own lap and looking down. He took a deep breath, "I—I'm sorry," He started again, "I'm so sorry I left...I—I was really going to come back. I didn't mean to leave you behind but then…They told me that if I came back for you—"
"Leon," Hyunwoo sighed, "It's alright. If you had come back, they probably would have killed me. Besides…I'm glad you weren't there when I figured out what'd really been going on here," And with that, Leon's head shot up.
"You...You know?" He asked helplessly.
Hyunwoo smiled sadly, "It was a little while after you left. Let's just say it wasn't a pretty sight. Most of all though, I just missed you so much."
Leon looked at him, shell-shocked and devastated, "You… You missed me? But why?" He asked, almost whispering.
Hyunwoo tilted his head adorably in confusion and—Oh. There come the feelings that never left—"I mean, I think it makes sense for me to miss my boyfriend?"
"You still think of me as your boyfriend?!"
Hyunwoo looked a bit worried now, "I mean, I assumed since we never broke up, but if you don't want to be with me, I understand—"
Leon sat up straight, shaking his head vigorously, "No! No, no, I mean, I still love you!" Whoops, that wasn't the first thing he meant to say but oh well, it wasn't a lie, "I just...I didn't think you'd want to be with me after I left…"
Hyunwoo sighed, cupping Leon's face with both of his hands pulling him closer, resting their foreheads together, "If you had to go, you had to go. I don't care about that Leon, I care about your happiness. I still love you as well, it's as simple as that."
Leon leaned forward, pressing his face into the side of Hyunwoo's neck. As the other man's arms circled around him, pulling him close, it really hit him. He had missed this so much. But he couldn't drag Hyunwoo along into his complicated feelings, at least not if the man didn't know the whole truth.
"I'm sorry," He whispered, "I'm sorry that we can't go back to the way we were before, or not entirely. I don't want to lie to you," Hyunwoo seemed to be beginning to move back but Leon tightened his arms around him, "No, I—Give me a second."
"Take your time, I'm not going anywhere," Hyunwoo said softly, arms resting loosely on Leon's waist.
Leon took a deep breath, "I...I love you, you know that right? I never stopped but I...I don't want to promise you something that might not be entirely truthful. Hyunwoo, I think I have feelings for another person as well," He forced the last part out of his mouth.
To his surprise, Hyunwoo let out a soft chuckle, "It's Risále, isn't it?" Leon's head shot up, "Leon, you were obvious, even back then. I don't think you knew you liked her. I don't mind, Leon. If you want to be with me and another person, I'm okay with it. Besides I.." Hyunwoo looked away, "You're not the only person who might have feelings for more than one person."
Hyunwoo looked up to meet Leon's eyes, but instead of any sort of betrayal or sadness, he only found happiness, "Who is it? You know I have to meet them now. I mean, I have to make sure that they know to never make you unhappy!" He said excitedly.
Hyunwoo laughed as he pulled Leon back in close to him, pressing his lips to the top of his head, "I really missed you," He murmured.
Leon blinked away the hot tears, finally smiling.
"I missed you, too. I won't leave you ever again, I swear."