Leon landed on the wet grass softly, folding his wings against his back. The flight hadn't been simple. Every attempt he'd made at turning or banking caused him to lose his composure. In the end, he had to stay low to the ground and fly much slower than he would have liked. The rain had stopped completely and the moon shone behind white clouds, making the surface of the black water glow. Chris had been right; no one was around. He began walking along the edge of the water, looking out towards the bridge that crossed the large expanse. Over a year ago he'd suffered a bad car accident, one that would have made the lake become his tomb had he not been saved by Wesker. It had been the moment when his life was changed forever.

He heard a vehicle door closing and turned to see Chris walking towards him, a black car parked in one of the parking spaces. The brunet pocketed the keys as he approached, his eyes filled with mixed emotions. Leon still wasn't sure how to explain things to the older man. Without warning, Chris pulled him into a tight embrace. When Leon overcame the initial shock he returned it, inhaling Chris' scent. He smelled of shampoo and faintly of cigarette's, the familiar scent calming Leon immensely.

Leon pulled back, breaking the embrace and searching Chris' face.

"Leon. You do know your eyes are glowing, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I have something I need to tell you."

Leon went to slip on his jacket, his wings shining an onyx color in the moonlight. Chris stopped him, causing him to look up.

"What happened to your wing?" Chris looked like he was fighting the urge to touch it. Leon frowned.

"I was outnumbered by some zombies earlier. Guess I taste like chicken." His remark wasn't funny in the least, and Chris finally caved, forcing him to extend the injured wing. Leon kept his gaze on the ground while Chris assessed the wounds, his fingers trailing lightly over the black plumes.

"You should have said something on the phone. I could have patched it up." Chris forced the primary feathers apart, eyeing the spaces where several were missing and others were tattered or broken. Leon quickly pulled his wings back and slipped his jacket on, covering them.

"Chris, I'm not human anymore." Leon surprised himself by the words, and Chris looked equally surprised.

"What do you mean? You mentioned something like that on the phone. You look perfectly human to me."

"No, you don't get it. I look human, but I'm not. Wesker infected me with a larger quantity of the progenitor virus…" Leon's voice gradually got softer until his sentence fell apart completely. An array of emotions covered Chris' face; shock, disbelief, anger… but anger, or more precisely, rage was the most prominent one.

"HE WHAT?!" The brunet was trembling visibly and Leon had to look away. He hadn't seen Chris so angry in a long time. Chris grabbed his arms and shook him, as if somehow that would fix him.

"I wanted it. I did it for him. I can't stand being near him without touching him. I have all sorts of crazy powers now. I was testing them out earlier on the zombies when they surrounded me. I'm not even healing like I should be. I thought he would save me but he never came. He wasn't even home when I got back and I thought maybe he cared for me but now I don't know." Leon hadn't realized he was crying until Chris wiped the tears from his eyes. He looked away, embarrassed and flustered, but Chris forced him to look up at him.

"Leon, Wesker has never cared about anyone but himself. It would be unlike him to start now. The fact that you have the virus in you puts you on a higher pedestal than everyone else in his eyes, but he will never see you as an equal. You will always be a lab rat, an experiment with pretty eyes and unique abilities." Chris' words stung, and Leon knew he was right but he didn't want to believe it.

"But everything I did… I did for him. I thought he-"

"You thought he would love you?" Leon nodded and attempted looking away. He didn't want to hear the rational, painful truth anymore. He wanted to go back to living his beautiful lie.

"Wesker will never love you. It's been decades since he lost his humanity. The only emotion he's even capable of is anger. He doesn't know what it's like to actually feel things. That's what separates you from him. You have a conscience, an id and an ego. You are capable of human thoughts, feelings, and actions. Wesker is just a monster, plain and simple. He always has been and always will be. He doesn't deserve to have someone as kind and pure as you by his side. He's just going to try to taint you, and when you don't submit, he will throw you aside. I've seen this before, Leon. Wesker used to have a partner named Excella. She was much like him. Powerful, rich, perfect, and the head of a large corporation. She was in love with Wesker and he trusted her enough to let her administer the serum that keeps his virus in check. Once she revealed her plans to rule by his side in his new world, Wesker injected her with Uroboros and it rejected her. He didn't even care when she died and mutated. It's proof that he will always betray the people that get close to him. He betrayed alpha and bravo team in S.T.A.R.S., he betrayed Oswald Spencer, and he betrayed Excella. He will do the same thing to you."

Leon was completely taken aback. He'd never known about this. Of course, Wesker had a past, but he was short a great many details. Chris had every right to warn him of Wesker's intentions. The man hadn't exactly proved he cared for Leon in any way beyond that of scientific study.

"Is that all I am? Some genetically enhanced toy with pretty eyes and the appearance of a fallen angel?"

"Not to me." Chris stated confidently.

"Is it alright if I stay with you tonight? I don't feel like going back there." Chris nodded and they began walking towards his rental car. Leon looked up at the moon, wondering if Wesker would find out. If the blond had been too preoccupied to look out for him before, why would he do it now?

Leon kicked off his boots and Chris returned with a pair of sweatpants and a baggy shirt. Leon accepted with thanks, going into the bathroom to change. He draped his jacket over the sink basin and hesitated after removing his clothing. He wouldn't be able to wear Chris' shirt without tearing it, so he left it aside and just slipped into the pants. He tied the waistband, which hardly did anything as they were still fairly big on him, and made his way out. Chris was rummaging through the fridge and Leon leaned against the wall.

"Are you hungry?" The brunet asked as he produced a package of ground hamburger. Leon's eyes fell on the bloody meat, his mouth salivating. He shook his head and looked away.

"No. I haven't been since, well… I guess I don't need to eat anymore."

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know." Chris tore the package open and dropped its contents into a frying pan. The smell of it made his stomach churn and he had to brace himself by putting his hand on the wall.

"Hey, are you alright?" Leon opened his eyes, the brunet having kneeled down and was looking at his, concern covering his features.

"Yeah, sorry. Just got light headed. I think I might get some sleep, if that's alright?" Chris nodded and Leon made his way into the spare bedroom, collapsing onto the bed with an exhausted sigh. Why did he get so worked up over the blood? He felt weird just thinking about it and let his eyes fall shut. Trying not to think of Wesker was a task and a half, but eventually Leon succumbed to his need to sleep.

Hundreds of fingers clawed and tore at skin. The sound of teeth grinding and biting together sent shivers down his spine. He could hear the sounds of flesh being torn around him, but couldn't place from where. Fire lapped at the sky, filling the air with the smell of burnt carcasses. The smell was overwhelming and he covered his nose but it did little to help. The flames cracked dangerously, sending sparks raining down over him. The ground he walked on was covered in soot and blood and littered with thousands upon thousands of bones. They crunched underfoot as he looked around desperately, trying to make sense of the carnage. A high pitch wail sounded nearby as someone was met with their fate and he could hear sirens wailing in the distance. The entire scene was filled with so many noises they formed an overwhelming cacophony, causing Leon to fall to his knees and cover his ears, screaming.

"Leon!"

Leon was shook awake abruptly, sitting up quickly. He was breathing hard and drenched in a cold sweat. The remnants of the nightmare still clung to his skin. It had been a long time since he'd dreamed of Raccoon City, but this time it was different. It was twisted somehow, the scenery too different, and the details in far greater detail than ever before. He brushed his bangs from his eyes and looked at the concerned brunet that had been holding him moments before.

"You just started screaming. I thought maybe you were being attacked."

Leon sighed and fell back into Chris' hold.

"It was just a nightmare. No need to worry."

Chris frowned. He had a good guess as to what it was about, and massaged the younger man's shoulders firmly. Leon gave him a look but didn't protest.

"I used to do this for Claire. After what happened, she woke up most nights screaming. I had her come live with me for a year after the incident. This would help her get back to sleep."

Leon could already feel himself nodding off as his tense muscles relaxed from the brunet's ministrations. He let out a soft sigh and let his eyes fall shut, quickly falling back to sleep.

Leon awoke late in the morning and got up, dressing back into his own clothing. He made his way to the living room where Chris was drinking a glass of something amber, probably whiskey, and watching tv. Leon approached him and Chris offered him the glass.

"It's 3 a.m. somewhere. But definitely not here." Leon took a gulp, the liquid burning his throat and leaving a delicious cinnamon aftertaste in his mouth.

"Thank you. For last night. For everything," he handed Chris the glass. "I should probably head home."

"Leon, you don't have to go back." Chris stood.

"It's not really a matter of having to." He wanted to go back. He needed to confront Wesker. He stepped into his shoes and turned to face the brunet.

"Will I see you again?" Chris asked softly.

"I hope so. I'll keep in touch." Leon slipped on his jacket and walked out. He could feel Chris' eyes on his back as he walked. It wouldn't be smart to fly back during broad daylight. He stopped by an electronics store quickly to grab a charger for his phone and flagged down a taxi. He used a portion of the money from his jacket pocket and got the cab driver to drop him halfway. He began walking along the road, considering what he would say to Wesker when he saw him. How could you possibly abandon me like that, when I was perfectly capable of protecting myself? Why didn't you tell me where you were going and when you'd be back? Are you just using me? What am I to you? Will you dispose of me when I stop being entertaining, just like you did to Excella?

Leon turned and jumped the gate, following the long driveway. The mansion came into view and soon he was walking up the front steps and letting himself inside.

"Wesker?"

The blond appeared at the top of the steps and slowly descended, a smirk on his face.

"I was wondering when you'd return."

"Where were you? I almost got eaten alive." To his dismay, Leon's voice came out soft instead of sharp and accusing. He swallowed and glared at the man as he approached.

"I made a trip into town to retrieve a few things. I didn't think it necessary to notify you of my whereabouts."

Leon growled under his breath, but stopped when the blond produced something from his pocket and held it out for Leon to see. Hanging over both sides of his hand was a long, gorgeous necklace. It had a chain like design, each silver bracket interlocking with one another. It glinted in the light with what he assumed were diamonds and he looked up at Wesker in shock.

"I can't accept this."

"Of course you can. After all, it's the anniversary of your transformation." The blond appeared behind him and was clasping it behind Leon's neck. He looked down at the simple yet stunning chain; an item so nice was far above his paygrade and he never imagined himself wearing something so ornate unless it held some sort of sentiment. His stomach churned as he remembered how furious he'd been with Wesker, how he was going to accuse the older man about not caring for him, when he had been buying Leon a present. He sighed and turned back to face the blond, looking up at him. His eyes glowed faintly through the glasses and Leon forced a smile.

"Thank you. I love it." He touched the cold metal and absentmindedly bit his lip, unsure what else to say. All the things he'd thought of the prior night seemed wrong to ask now, and he didn't want to ruin the moment. His questions could wait.

"How did your training go?" Wesker asked as he turned and began walking. Leon followed by habit, his eyes on the floor.

"Not so great. My wounds haven't healed."

"Perhaps I should take a look." Wesker led him into one of the white sterilized rooms and he sat on the table. He pulled off his jacket and began unravelling the bandage from the wound on his neck. Wesker gripped the collar of his shirt and tugged it down, eying the wound. He was quiet for a long while as he produced a syringe and vial, turning Leon's arm up and extracting his blood. Leon watched him closely, hoping to find some sort of expression on the blonds face to indicate whether or not he was concerned for Leon's well-being. He found none.

"I will have to run some tests. Perhaps the virus is unstable." He set aside the tools and turned back to Leon, who had his eyes turned down. Wesker could see the man visibly trembling and raised a brow. Leon could feel Wesker's burning gaze on him but couldn't meet it. He couldn't quite explain why he was frightened to show the older man the extent of his wounds, but guessed it was something to do with how they flawed his overall appearance and abilities.

"What is it?"

"I-I'd rather not say."

Wesker pressed his lips together and stared at Leon. Something had happened to visibly shake the man, something to do with his wounds. He looked over Leon's shoulder, who tried hard to keep his wings out of sight. Wesker sighed and stood back, folding his arms over his chest.

"Open your wings."

"But why-"

"Do it before I make you do it."

Leon swallowed nervously and averted his gaze as he extended them, not fully but enough to show the damage that had been done. His left wing was missing several of the primary and secondary feathers completely, indicating they had been ripped out. Of the ones that remained, they were either tattered or broken, only few still whole. Even the smaller feathers had lost their velvety appearance and were missing clumps of down. His right wing wasn't nearly as damaged, but didn't look good either.

"I'm sorry," Leon quickly pulled them against his back and looked up at the blond, "how long do you think it will take for them to grow back?"

"A year. Two. Perhaps much less if we can activate your regenerative abilities. I will be in the lab." Wesker grabbed the blood sample and walked out. Leon watched him go, surprised he hadn't been scolded for being so careless. Perhaps Chris was wrong. About everything.