declaration of love

sarcastic, daring, self-confident on the outside, but inside he is sensitive, tired, and burdened with guilt for his dead partners and failed missions.

Leon was your colleague, and he excelled at his job, despite suffering his fair share of injuries and psychological trauma. He'd seen many of his teammates die in battle, and he'd seen himself fail missions and receive reprimands, all of which had an impact on his emotional state. Frequent burnouts led him to drink, and you supported him, keeping him from falling into a tailspin at the most crucial moment.

Despite his condition, he still returned to work because he couldn't see any other path for himself. No matter how you offered him options, he always thought that this or that would be foolish and impractical. And the work you showed him evoked no emotion or interest, and more often than not, he even refused to listen to your possible assumptions about his actions. And you stopped saying this, simply offering your shoulder to lean on like a loyal friend.

About two weeks had passed since your last meeting, and then one weekend evening, just as you were about to go to bed, there was a knock on the door. It was quiet at first, but then, receiving no answer, it became louder and more insistent. Opening the door, you saw Leon standing there, drunk and smiling, tears in his eyes. You couldn't understand his reaction, but immediately took him by the arm, helped him to the kitchen, and poured him some water. He declined the cool, fresh glass without saying a word. He looked at you and then quietly said,
"You know... I thought for so long before drinking, not even because I was nervous, but because I didn't have the courage to tell you how I felt. And I decided to drink."

You raised an eyebrow in surprise, not understanding what he was trying to say. He continued:

• You see, I’ve been in love with you for a long time and I just couldn’t tell you about it.

He looked at you with eyes full of warmth.