An Unlikely Duo - A Way Out AU Fanfic

Changes for the Better (End)

Silence. What an incredibly deafening noise.

Needing to just fill the empty void, Leo spoke quietly to himself, almost whispering "Linda....Alex..." He sighed "Vincent...".

The sudden sound of a door unlocking and opening made Leo jump and hit his head on the cage's ceiling "AHG! Dammit!" He rubbed his noggin with his tied-up wrists, remembering when he hit his head in the same way about a week ago, when he was caged up in Harvey's helicopter with Vincent. Great, even that reminded him of his dead friend.

Before Leo could go back to feeling horrible, a familiar voice interrupted his solemn thoughts "Leo?".

"V-.....Vincent?".

"Yeah it's me, buddy. Where are you?".

Leo perked up, sitting on his knees "I-I'm over here! Get me the fuck outta this cage!". Happiness overwhelmed the Winged. His tall ears were pricked upwards, and the feathers on his wings and chest started to fluff up.

It didn't take long for Vince to make his way to Leo, and when he did, he immediately put the key into the lock. The bearded man laughed softly "You look like a big poofy chicken". Leo blushed, getting flustered "Just get me out asshole! I have a fuckin' muzzle on my face. I feel like a damn dog".

Vincent kneeled down, opened the cage door, removed the muzzle, and untied the rope from Leo's wrists. As soon as he was free, Leo leaped out of the cage and wrapped his arms around Vincent, giving him a big, friendly bear-hug. At first, Vincent was taken back a bit, having never received such affection from Leo. He paused for a moment and hesitated, but he soon smiled and gladly returned the embrace. When Leo pulled away, the two men stood back up "Heh, I never thought I'd miss that ugly mug of yours!".

Vincent rolled his eyes with an amused smile, and just as he was about to say something, Leo spoke once again. The Winged gently rubbed his own wrists, which had been slightly chafed from the rope "I uh.....thought you were dead" he muttered, and Vincent's warm grin quickly diminished "I-I thought that bastard Harvey killed you, a-and I thought...".

Leo sighed gently, not looking directly into Vince's eyes due to a hint of embarrassment "I thought I'd never see my family again". Vincent stayed silent, just looking at the taller man with soft eyes. After a few short seconds of complete silence, Leo looked at Vincent and faintly smiled, finally working up the courage "Just, ...Thanks for savin' my ass. I really owe it to ya".

Vincent smiled "It was no problem, Leo. A promise is a promise" he crossed his arms "Speaking of which, how about we get back to your family?".

Leo returned to his usual tough-guy attitude "Fuck yeah! I'm getting more and more claustrophobic the more time we stay in this damn place".

The two men wasted no time getting out of that Warehouse, and Vincent led the way to the Sanctuary. Heading to the main building of where the employees worked was a little nerve-racking for Leo, but he shoved those anxieties to the back of his mind. He knew that Vincent would protect him, and besides, his family is what mattered most right now.

____________________

"Dad!".

Alex ran out of his enclosure as soon as Vincent opened the door, and gave Leo a big hug. His father happily hugged him back and spun him around once "I missed ya, buddy! They didn't hurt ya did they?". Alex wrapped his fluffy wings around his dad and replied confidently "Nope! I was too strong for them!". Linda soon followed her son out of the glorified cage and gave her husband a gentle, loving smile. With an arm still wrapped around Alex, Leo pulled Linda in for a group hug, all three embracing one another with relief and happiness. "I'm so glad you're safe..." Leo muttered, feeling warmth in his heart.

Relief also washed over Vincent, as he finally felt content. He believed that he was truly a changed man, now being able to see the good in all creatures, no matter how monstrous. Even that Orthus back at the arena was just stuck in an unfortunate situation trying to protect itself!

After a few moments of joyful silence, Linda turned her head towards the preserve worker "So". Vincent moved from his thoughts back to reality and gave his attention to the female Winged. "What now? Are we free, or are you just gonna give us a head-start or somethin?".

Leo slightly opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't really know what to even say, so he closed it an just waited for Vincent's response. Vincent rubbed the back of his neck with his left hand "Well, nothing's really changed just yet, and my boss is only allowing you three to be released as a one time favor".

The family looked stressed and doubtful, but Vincent quickly attempted to reassure them "But I promise I'll work towards changing this place for the better. We'll make it a rehabilitation center rather than a tourist attraction, and we'll never lock up another Winged ever again".

Leo stepped away from Linda and Alex and stood in front of Vincent "You promise?" he held his hand up in front of the older man, a faint grin on his face.

A breath of amusement escaped Vincent's lips and he gladly grasped Leo's hand in a cordial manner "I promise".

____________________

1 Year Later

The cool, crisp air of late fall glided through Leo's feathers like gentle fingers on a harp. The brilliant gradient of red, orange, and yellow leaves accompanied the trees and light blue sky. It was a beautiful Thanksgiving afternoon, and Leo was sitting outside on the porch just enjoying the view.

One of his long ears lightly twitched at the sound of the front door opening and closing behind him, and he turned his head to see Vincent carrying two brown bottles "Carol's cutting the turkey" The scar-faced man sat next to the Winged, opening one of the beverages and taking a sip "What're you doing out here?".

Leo shrugged "Fall's the best time of the year. Might as well enjoy it before Winter comes and kills everything".

Vincent nodded "Fair point".

He took another sip of his drink, and he revealed the other to Leo. The Winged raised an eyebrow.

"Is this really the first time I'm offering you alcohol?" Vincent snickered softly.

"The fuck's alcohol?".

Vincent laughed and opened the second beer, handing it to Leo "Have a sip. I think you'd like it".

Seeing that it was just a drink, Leo thought nothing of it and took the bottle without hesitation, taking a sip. He immediately spat it out.

"That shit's disgusting! Ugh! You're just drinking that?!".

Vincent laughed once more "You kinda gotta get used to the taste".

Leo scoffed "What's the point of drinking it if it doesn't taste good?!".

"Well, it makes you feel good" yet another laugh omitted from Vincent "Oh Jesus, I wonder what you'd be like when drunk".

Leo wiped his tongue and lips with the sleeve of his sweater, trying to get the bitter taste out of his mouth "I'm not even gonna ask..." he stood up and put his hands on his hips "Let's get inside and eat that turkey. I gotta get this fuckin' taste out of my mouth".

Vincent stood with a smile "Lead the way, dweeb".

Leo's ears flattened and his chest feathers started to fluff up "Ay! I told you to stop calling me that!".

Vincent opened his mouth, but Leo instantly interrupted, knowing what the other was about to say "And don't you DARE call me a chicken, either!".

"Whatever you say, Winged" Vince continued to tease "Let's get inside before that turkey's gone".

"Great idea, ya filthy human" Leo teased back.

And thus, the two men returned inside to spend Thanksgiving with their families. Just a year ago, these separate families hated each other, but now, they were spending the holiday together.