Dedicated to Cuderis: You are amazing. Its not a rumor, its not us being sweet, its fact. And the world knows it.

Once the plane landed in JFK airport, instead of being whisked away to Washington D.C, he separated himself from the mediocre escort agents and got himself in a taxi. He was telling the cheap smoke-smelling chauffer the directions of a specific location in just on the outskirts of the city of New York. This was necessarily the rough part; adjusting back to civilization after what massacre he had witnessed. But to be honest, this was his favorite part too, after every mission.

To go home.

Leon had plenty, big and small. Five to be exact, and the fifth one was his latest and cheapest purchase; it was a studio apartment right on the corner of Grove and Montcliff Street. But this apartment wasn't exactly an ordinary place. It was a shared anonymous location between him and a few of his friends. If it's one thing he had in common with them it was the life of a bioterrorist fighter and a fast paced loner. All of them were loners, wanderers, workaholics; they didn't have time to actually settle down in one place. So, they ended up purchasing a place to call 'Home' whenever they were in town. It was used as a getaway place, a 'fancy' motel, and a place to regain morale.

It was their safe house.

Accounting for total number of times Leon used it, he estimated the apartment was probably used only 4 times out of the 365 days, and that was just because he needed a place to sleep. The others quota? He didn't know, and he didn't care as long as everyone cleaned up after themselves, refilled the toilet paper and washed the sheets. Either way, not once did he drop in the place unannounced and found that the safe house was already occupied by one of them. But the friends did make a game out of it for humor.

All because Barry wanted to know who used the apartment more. He wanted to see who made the most check-ins in the apartment just so he could pin the cable and utilities bill on someone. So years ago, he bought a giant three sectioned white board for the apartment and made a chart leaving specific instructions why he bought it. The others found it stupid and later, it became a mass group chat that went on up till now.

Leon personally found it comforting and amusing when he found everyone was communication via whiteboard instead of actually calling everyone one up to see how it was going. He knew the others felt the same. Last time Leon was in the safe house was months ago, and before him it was Jill. Recalling the past year, Barry used it at least 10 times, Claire used it 6 times, Jill was 8, Rebecca was 9 times, and Chris used it twice. And last he remembered, their group chat was on the topic of beer. Whoever drank the last one, buys another case. Same rule applied to the cigarettes, the toothpaste, the spam and the peanut butter jars. To add on, the last time he was there, his favorite shirt was missing. The RPD training shirt he had was a little faded but he still held on to it for sentimental value.

A tired smile crept up at the ridiculous thought of how much had escalated.

"Hey man, we're here." Leon shook his thoughts and looked at the familiar old fashioned building once the taxi driver pulled up to the entrance. He paid and tipped the man after getting out of the car with no carry-on. Technically he had no luggage, all he had was his gun, his blade, his badge, and a few meds. He thanked and waved off the driver, leaving him to stare up at the building, hoping that the studio apartment was vacated.

"Home…" he uttered out a relief and walked right into the lobby, finding the security doorman asleep at the desk. Leon walked right passed him to the elevator and checked that the time was 11:15pm. It was late but he didn't care what time curfew was. Only thing he cared about was that comfy fresh linen bed in the apartment. Unconsciously, his hands rigidly rubbed together as he tried to soothe his anxiety when flashbacks of him shooting the President came back, killing Helena's sister, and all those innocents who were just going about in their daily lives. "Forgive me…" He said aloud as he was giving a moment of silence in the elevator. He didn't believe in God or any religious beliefs for that matter, but somehow, after every mission he found himself always thinking out loud. To someone, to anyone that he hopes would say back to him 'its okay'.

Once he heard the floor bell ring, he slowly walked out through the empty hallway searching for apartment F18, the corner apartment. He spotted the new door mat and lightly chuckled, knowing it was most likely Rebecca's doing for changing the old brown one. It had Helvetica font in giant lettering stating 'Oh shit, not you again…' Anything helped to make this place seem like a regular sanctuary to everyone. And when he reached the wide giant rustic metal door he smiled satisfyingly and took out his keys. Fiddling through it, he mentally kicked himself for realizing he had Hunnigan send it to Sherry after she was now a fully fledged agent – and especially having rekindled a family moment back in China. As much as possible, Leon wanted to keep tabs on her. Especially after seeing how that Jake kid reacted to her wellbeing.

However knowing Barry, he'd always plant a spare key on top of the door frame, since he always had a habit of losing it. But for Leon, it was just a matter of jumping high to get it since Barry was slightly taller. So he hopped, grabbed the key and inserted it to hear the sweet sound of unlocking the metal framed door. The faint scent of citrus filled in the air as he scoped the giant warehouse space. It was no regular home, but it was normal in his eyes. Everything was the same, just with some new additions, courtesy of everyone who ended up a resident here. Soon enough, Sherry was going to have to contribute as well.

The large kitchen was clean and he spotted the unopened peanut butter jars and the cases of spam next the refrigerator. There were cases of bottled water on the side of the counter, and bulk sizes of what looked like instant ramen cups. 'Ramen? That's new.' And what made this place different from every other average home was how they used the giant living space. Sure there was a small T.V placed on the wall, a regular wooden table with mismatched lawn chairs, there was a small workout space next to the weapons cabinets.

From afar, Leon noticed there was a new leather boxing bag, hanging next to the treadmill and the bench press station. There were also a set of gloves with a jump rope placed on the floor. The guys always did talk about getting a new punching bag, but Leon didn't think Chris would actually buy one for the place. The large whiteboard on the wall was dirty, still scribbled on with messages from the past few months, with minor erase marks. Leon's eyes darted to the tidied full sized bed shining underneath the large rows of windows. The bed was placed in a good spot; right behind the wall-large windows where the sun and moon peeked in. Especially at night, the apartment glowed because of the outdoor streetlights. But Jill didn't like how the studio was exposed, so she bought sheer white curtains to at least cover the place.

Little by little over the few years the place didn't seem too shabby. It was now at a decent livable space in exception of the choice of packaged food.

'Red sheets…? That's new.' Leon noticed and walked over to the dark colored bed, preparing to knock out. As he unbuttoned his shirt his eyes fell upon their weapons cabinets. Questionably, the doors and drawers were slightly ajar instead of it being locked. He furrowed his brows together, 'Those… weren't open before...'

Out of nowhere he heard a little creak in the floor from close behind, he instinctively turned around drawing out his gun.

His cheek barely met a passing fist across the face as he leaned back, avoiding a powerful blow. Leon was thrown back at the sudden disarm of his weapon and heard the shadowed stranger skid it under the bed, followed by a knee to his gut. Still fatigued from the flight and last mission, he hazily took the blow and grunted painfully only to allow himself to grab his blade from his side pocket. Before he could make the stab at the unwanted visitor, he was tackled, falling on the bed only to be hovered and constricted over. Leon opportunely grabbed the person's neck to stun him and flipped his knife, aiming to slice the throat.

"L-L-Le…on?"

The palm of his hand felt the constrained voice vibration from the throat, finding the voice light and high, more than deep and husky. His eyes fiercely trailed slightly up at the pair of steely blue eyes and his choke hold dissipated within milliseconds when he realized who he was attacking. "Claire!"

She desperately breathed in oxygen and coughed, dropping her blade to the floor, giving Leon the surprising notice that she was aiming for his heart. They both stood up from the bed to regain their composure. "Damn it rookie, you scared the shit outta me…" A smile managed to escape from her mouth as she calmed down.

Leon held his ribs but smiled back, feeling the mild bruising. "Its good to see you too, red. Just where the hell were you hiding?!"

"In the bathroom, getting ready for a shower. And then I heard the door being unlocked, so I immediately turned off the lights." He made a double-take at her and noticed Claire's Redfield… all of Claire Redfield. Lights may have been off, but his red headed friend was only in her undergarments; her bra and underwear. He couldn't help but let his eyes feast at her, not realizing that under all those reserved clothes Claire sported, that she had the body of a Greek goddess. The waist to hip ratio was perfect, those long legs not only gave her height, but were probably flexible and soft. God had made her an hourglass with a slender neck and a cute and sexy face. And the alter ego within Leon complimented the big man upstairs for it.

'Not cool… Not cool at all.' Chris' disappointing voice entered his head and Leon glumly looked away feeling guilty. He shouldn't, since Claire was an adult and may have been perhaps comfortable enough to expose herself, but him and Chris? It was just bro-code. He quickly unbuttoned the ends of his shirt and threw it at Claire, relying on his peripherals to see if she reacted to his polite gesture.

"Th-Thanks." Claire caught it and slipped it on, mildly flustered at the abrupt welcome. His shirt was slightly bigger than she thought but it at least covered herself up. The warmth and scent from the previous owner engulfed her, and tensed up the atmosphere on her part. She buttoned herself up in his polo and looked back at him and the wounds and poor bandaging on his back. It had seemed that there was more physical and emotional damage done to him than mental. "I heard what happened to Benford at Ivy college. I'm sorry…"

Leon met her eyes and sat relaxingly on the bed, rubbing his forehead as a he was feeling a migraine coming up. "… I ended up in China, cleaning up."

Was all he had to say and Claire understood. The silence and body language between them was enough to understand what had been going on in the past week. Leon knew Claire kept in close contact with the BSAA since Chris and Jill made her their emergency contact. Fearing for the worse to come, Claire closed her eyes and built up the courage to ask. "…Is… Chris…I mean is he -"

"He's alive. I've got word they found him in an escape pod." Leon assured her and debated whether or not to tell her about the news on Sherry knowing it'll only rile her up even more. But that was Claire's caring nature. She attaches herself immediately to the people she meets and helps. And in her eyes, Sherry will always be that little girl, even in Leon's. "Now Sherry-"

"You found her?! I've been searching for her ever since I heard that she's gone missing. Is she okay? Where is she?!" Claire sat down too scooting closer and closer, startling him.

And so he caught her up. From what had happened to Benford, to when he saw Ada, to when he fought alongside with Sherry, the friendly fight with Chris, and when he sentenced the lunatic Simmons to his death sentence. Just reminiscing the events of what happened, he really wanted to quit his job.

"I knew that asshole was up to no good. I was running a personal investigation on him. That's why I was here in N.Y.C to meet with a source." She gritted her teeth and clutched her fist at the built up anger inside. "I'm jealous you got the last kill though. Job well done, cop." He saw her wink and smugly chuckled before she stood up and stretched, letting Leon's shirt rise up, once again presenting her long legs and her underwear for a moment.

Leon shrugged it off and smoothly covered his face, letting his hair cover part of his vision. He's been with plenty of women no doubt, but a part of him felt in regards to Claire; he was confused on how to act with her. To look or not to look, to embrace her or to hug her. It was a constant struggle that his body and mind disagreed upon.

"Guess I have a roommate for the next night." She walked towards the kitchen behind the counter and turned on the light. Then she went in the fridge and threw him a water bottle to catch, grabbing herself one as well. The governmental agent couldn't believe that he stumbled on her coincidentally. It was probably bound to happen anyway at least once considering he's sharing the apartment with five other people who reside on different days.

But he admits, he was pleasantly surprised to know the one he ran into was none other than the lovely Claire Redfield. She was a friend of course; but he didn't label her as the years went on. The friendship between them was complex but nonetheless valued, probably more than his relationship with the infamous Ada whom he was attached to. But Claire would always be that girl he confided in… and coincidentally came home to.

"No one knows I'm here in N.Y. So I plan on staying till my Boss finds me. "Leon boyishly stated and twisted the bottle cap open taking large gulps of the cold beverage.

"What?... But I was here first… even though I am staying for one, maybe two nights." Claire playfully whined and leaned her elbows on the counter grinning at her temporary roommate. They exchanged flustered glances and tried to eliminate the awkwardness in the air. It was a first for them to actually have a 'hangout' outside of the battlefield. "I call bed. You can set up camp on the floor. " She quickly trotted to the other side of the full sized mattress and sat herself against the headboard.

"Wh-Whoa, wait a minute, red. I already left an ass print right here." Leon joked and patted the nice cotton sheets. "I'm usually the perfect gentleman, but not tonight. I just got in from a hectic battle and I haven't slept well in days. I think I deserve a good night's rest."

Claire narrowed her eyes and scratched her head as she thought of more ways to kick him off. Leon's eyes caught those pretty pink lips to distort and purse into a pout, making them look juicy and plump. And a tiny part of his alter ego wanted to bite into them. "You're awfully grouchy, cop. Fine. We'll just share it."

"Small space for a guy like me. But fine." He shrugged his shoulders and showed his signature smirk to tease her. She suspiciously raised a brow and placed a pillow on the left side of the bed to reserve her spot, next to the weapons cabinet. It was a first for Leon to share a common home with anyone in his life. His life was always on the go, but now here he was experiencing his first compromising 'argument' with his first temporary roommate.

"Fine…" The red head crankily stood up and headed to the bathroom, feeling defeated. As Leon watched her walk away slowly from behind, he can tell she was unbuttoning herself with his shirt. And since he's known Claire for so long, he knew this was her way of flirting to try and claim the bed for her own. "I take up a lot of space. I use all the pillows, I'll probably think of you as a warm body pillow. If you don't enjoy that, sleep on the floor." He couldn't contain a coy smile when that sweet voice turned dangerous and deep.

"I'd let you touch me any time, babe." He shot back to intensify the conversation and watched her walk away swaying those hips. He has never witnessed Claire react to a sexual innuendo or any for that matter. But he always wondered if she'd play along or just blushingly leave.

Claire dared not to turn around to see his smug face, knowing he got the better of her. That charm always managed to make her mildly swoon and Leon would always laugh about it later. But she childishly turned around anyway and stuck her tongue out irritably before heading inside. "You can't sleep on my new sheets Leon. I was here first, and you reek!"

And there it was. She cracked under his pressured pick-up line. It was her innocent nature in lack of dating skills, to not be smooth and calm with men. He just teased her more by unbuckling his belt in front of her, raising a brow. "Would you like me to shower with you then?"

And Claire just shut the door as a reply.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

Barry ( Nov 4. 2012) : New rule! Whoever drank the last beer buys the next case. And out of common courtesy please put it in the fridge already. P.S I bought more peanut butter for sandwiches. Buy your own bread.

Jill – January 26, 2013: Claire, I'm on my way to Europe, don't worry. I promise I'll find him, he couldn't have gone too far. And I ran out of clothes so I used yours. Rebecca, I got you more supplies from the BSAA pharmacy. Have fun doing your weird medicinal experiments. Barry, I know it was you who drank the last of my whisky, so to honor your beer code, buy me a new bottle of whisky.

Leon [ 3/13/13]: Everyone, I paid the bill for this place already…. What is Jill talking about? Finding who? P.S who has my RPD shirt?! How long has it been missing? I can't find it in my drawers. And there's two more beers in the fridge.

Rebecca/ May 30: Goodness guys! Leave all the errands to me! I restocked the fridge with plenty of beer and cases of water. I also bought ramen bowls to add to our 'healthy diet'. And to make this place a little homey, I bought us a new door mat! Thank you Jill for the medical supplies. I heard about what happened in Edonia Claire, and I'm also on my way to Europe for a volunteer retreat to do damage control. In the meantime, I went and did quick shopping for you and Jill when I went out today so you have plenty of clothes… if you ever stay here. Leon your RPD shirt accidentally got caught up in my laundry, so now its in your drawer. You're all welcome. Pay me back by letting me skip out on paying the house bill.

'Thank you Becca~' Claire looked at the whiteboard and shook her head at everyone. It was no wonder she felt that her drawer looked somewhat odd. It was filled with just her undergarments, and clothes that she's never seen in her life. It seems that she had to go shopping again because Jill borrowed them. But leave it to mama Rebecca to fix everything. "Seriously, why don't we use modern technology to keep in contact with each other?" She laughed and looked at her reflection in the small mirror at her new clothes and honestly she never felt more comfortable in her life.

"Hey, can you do me a favor?"The bathroom door swung open, revealing a shirtless Leon fresh out of the shower with wet hair and pajama sweatpants. It seemed that he didn't say it loud enough, since she was continuing to stare at the message board as if she was concentrating on what to write down her own message. He watched her for a moment, noticing her bed attire was a loose fitted shirt that exposed her left shoulder and nice dainty nike shorts. As he thought before, those reserved clothes she always wore never did her justice. However, her signature red hair was still tied up loosely with strands falling to the side. But then again, he's never seen a comfortable Claire at home in an apartment. Hell, even their initial encounter earlier in the night showed that they never let their guard down. He called out to her again. "Hey, Claire …"

She heard him the second time and flashed an apologetic smile. "What's up, cop?"

Leon held up a worn out old STARS medical case and pointed to his back. "I'm in need of your medical attention if you don't mind. Just replace some bandages for me please?" He considered it to be a treat to be taken care of Claire Redfield. During his missions, he'd always have to deal with doctors and nurses who just quickly patched him up and moved on to the next agent who needed to be fixed too. Leon still remembered the night where he, Claire and Sherry stayed in a cheap motel and bought gas station food for the night. She did a weak and painful surgery to get the bullet out of his shoulder and stitched him up. It was also that same night he had the best sleep of his life. When he fainted from the pain, Claire and Sherry slept next to him for comfort.

"I'm no nurse." Claire made a snooty reply as a joke and walked towards him to grab the med kit from his hands. And as she sat pulled out one of the lawn chairs from the table for him to sit on, she had a mischievous smile on her face.

"Role play as one. And I'll role play as your only patient." He chuckled and sat down, facing his back towards Claire.

She playfully slapped his bullet scarred shoulder as if it was a memorable physical joke between them. He read her mind that it was. "How is it… that you can make any situation sound dirty? It's wrong." She opened up the case and started to work wonders on his back. First applying the alcohol and cotton, Leon breezed through the stinging on the back; already feeling like a veteran of pain.

"It's a defense mechanism. You know how I am." Leon lowered his voice when he felt Claire's cool hands touch his back. He was honestly feeling more fatigued and relaxed than he was before. Maybe it was because of a good old fashion shower or maybe he just needed to sit down, but he felt soothed. He closed his eyes and reveled at the feeling of her slender fingers. His body was familiar to the nurturing touch and his bullet-scarred shoulder didn't psychologically ache as much as it did. And deep inside, a part of him knew it was because of Claire Redfield.

Claire stared at the bruising and the scabbed cuts Leon had. She even noticed the faint scars from the previous battles he fought. It looked bad to the point when if any person saw his bare torso, they would think he was beaten as a child. The redhead frowned; Leon was a good looking and charming man who was now haunted with a horrid job since the age of 19. Life was unfair. "We're getting too old for this Leon…" She broke the silence but continued tending to his wounds. He blinked his eyes open and understood the meaning and tone behind her statement. "…When is this all going to end?" No words came out of his mouth, he just listened since he didn't know what to say. He felt her emotion through her fingertips. With each cringed word, she lightly pressed ointment and a taped bandage against his back. He knew Claire all too well.

"That's the thing. It's not." Leon truthfully stated not wanting to bullshit her. Claire didn't enjoy the sugar-coated crap, she was comforted by the truth. In truth back then, he pictured himself as a detective in R.P.D at his age already with a wife and his first child, maybe with another baby on the way. In a nice house just outside of the city with a dog in a neighborhood that hosts block parties. He would've gone on in life not knowing the bigger picture outside the city; how there were all sorts of terrorism.

Yet here he was, a fighter, almost a 16 year veteran in this shitty and corrupt world. No wife, no kids, no house, just a Hunnigan and a badge strapped next to his gun.

"And now Sherry and her generation is caught up in this mess." Claire sadly stated as if she connected it to what he was thinking. "Being normal seems impossible now." Finishing up the last taped cotton, Claire looked at the front of the torso and caressed the old scar. He breathed out in relief and welcomed her touch, having the same train of thought. It was an unwanted mark that reminded Leon everyday why and how he wound up in this mess. For Claire, it was the people. The closest people she's met were all the fighters and survivors and surprisingly all stuck together to this day. When she accompanies Jill in one of the BSAA mixers in place of Chris, the new recruits always asked how and where they met. Simple. They shared Chris and they shared the Raccoon City incident. And when it came to dating…she purposely avoided it.

"Those affected by what happened in the past become a hero for those who are hurt in the present." Leon thanked her by grabbing the hand that healed him. "Sherry's in our generation, she just happened to be young when you saved her."

"When we saved her…" She corrected and sighed tiredly. He almost wanted to re-correct her, saying that she's the real hero since she saved him too, in more ways than one. A yawn escaped her as she walked towards the bed while unfolding the sheets, preparing to sleep. Leon glanced at the clock, '12:50am'. It was indeed late and after that comforting treatment Claire gave, he felt good as new. He stood up and checked to see if the front door was locked, kitchen lights were off, the curtains were closed, and if the cabinets were tightly shut before heading to his side of the bed. He finally let himself go by falling back on the soft cotton sheets, making the bed springs slightly creak at the sudden weight impact. He stared at the empty concrete ceiling and noticed the cracks and dim glow of the outside street lights.

"Night, Beautiful…" Leon scooted over to make room for Claire; who was loading a magazine in a familiar 9mm firearm on the end table. He tilted his head and out of curiosity, feeling he had some sort of connection with that gun, but he couldn't put a finger on where and why.

"Sweet dreams, Handsome" She placed it accordingly to her liking on the end table just in case if something pops through that door and plotted herself in bed next to him, sinking inside the sheets. And it struck him; that gun was his, way back when he was back in the RPD. He found it endearing, almost appreciative that she's taken care of it all these years. And it showed him how sentimental it was to her. Just like that, he made a secret smile to himself. There was a reason why he found her so… Claire. There weren't any words that described how she was; but you had to feel it. And whenever Leon found himself thinking about her, he would just smile.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

An hour had already passed by and even though I was physically tired, I don't know why I felt so wide awake. My mind wandered on about sweet nothings, and little did I know, the time read 2AM. And usually when I hit a soft cushion, I succumbed to everything and become one with the bed. But not this time, something was different. I felt cautious, a little anxious, and extremely vigilant. My eyes automatically adjusted to the darkness of the apartment, my ears perked up to the slightest noise in the silence, and I didn't dare move a muscle in bed. Claire was here, and I knew she was tired; I didn't want to be the reason why she woke up.

It was my first official first night back in civilization and should've been easier than this. After a long day of work I would just crash and do whatever in my apartment; in all four of them. But whenever I closed my eyes, I couldn't help but think what had happened back at that university, and what had happened in China, and whatever happened to Ada. Why was this transition of back to living in the normal, so difficult? This was my fault really. It was my choice to go on these missions; I could've said no. I could've retired early and just work as a field training officer in the government so I didn't have to deal with this decades-long war. Insomnia may be taking a toll on me.

"…Fuck this…" I perked up at the sound of Claire whisper and steadied my breathing to stay quiet.

Funny, she's awake too. Insomnia was contagious tonight.

I laid and kept my back turned to her and felt my bed partner shuffle out of bed and lightly walk away. From what I heard, she was shuffling through what may sound like a bag and then I heard her release a relieving sigh. And instead of going back to sleep, I felt Claire sit up from her spot and heard her head lightly thud against the headboard. Out of nowhere my eyes spotted a long dragged out gray smoke dissipating and emanating in the air from behind me, originating most likely from Claire. But I didn't smell the familiar scent of a Malboro stick. Instead, it was a flowery and citrusy aroma that calmed my nose and it was addicting.

I heard Claire suddenly make a light scoff and then there was a tap on my shoulder. I always knew I was bad at fake sleeping, which was why she caught me naturally. I foolishly turned around sitting up too, using my elbow to lean my head on. "Wanna hit?" She asked.

I looked at her thin mechanical device. "Electronic cigarette?" And I grabbed it willingly, pressing the button and placing my lips on the mouthpiece, inhaling the substance fruity substance. The taste was lighter, and my throat slightly burned less than a real cig, but it was a close substance that calmed the nerves.

"I'm taking really small baby steps to quitting." Claire said and grabbed it from me once I let out a dragged smoke. "Cant sleep?"

"Neither can you, so what's your story?" I backfired her question.

"Sharing a full-sized bed with a man who takes up 75% of the space on the first night is no bueno." A laugh escaped as she made the joke. I cracked a guilty gentleman's smile sat up against the headboard to reach her eye level. The street lights from outside provided us with an orange glow and we both sat still, enjoying the 2AM pause with each other. I couldn't help but turn to her, noticing how the orange glow befitted Claire's mood. Her red hair still tied up in a messy bird's nest of a ponytail. She handed me the electronic cigarette and I gladly took it, craving for more of that harsh citrus flavor.

That's when I realized that this was it.

This was her and I, together enjoying the company of each other instead of the undead. And I strangely found it great. There was no outbreak, no weird lickers, chainsaws flying about, blood splattered across the floor and no dead man's stench. If anything, this moment right now with her, topped everything. Doing nothing with a woman in bed, just smoking a cheap electronic cig in silence was now something I wanted to do to get away from everything. And it honestly wouldn't hurt if that woman happened to be Claire.

"Grab me a beer, will ya?"

I scrunched his face and laughed at her. Out of all the things to say to break the silence, she says that. Charming of her, really. Claire broke a loose grin and shrugged at me. "You were a guy in your past life." I claimed her as I got up from the bed to the fridge, grabbing her a cold Blue Moon. And in trade for the beer, I grabbed her citrus e-cig for myself. She twisted it open and took a swig of it. I found myself intricately studying at the way she drank it. A lady holding a man's beer instead of a cocktail was very… sexy. Her two slender fingers and thumb wrung around the bottlenecked beer, and she coolly took a big gulp as if she had a long hard day; which she most likely did. And just like that, I wanted to know what was going in that head of hers.

"Tell me, Leon…" she softly spoke, and I blinked out of my thoughts. "Why are you still fighting?" And those gentle blue eyes I was awestruck at, turned dull and dim. There was a cynical smile creeping up, as if she was going mad. I didn't like seeing this side of Claire. "Why are we… still in this game? I want to be normal now. I want to be free from this already. I mean, I lost a lot of people along the way, I'm surprised that I'm not dead yet. Maybe I was supposed to be dead at Rockfort, or Harvardville, but death let me live as a torture. Or maybe I'll get killed off down the road because of natural causes or substances like this" Claire laughed again holding up the beer and pointing to the e-cig. But she toned down when she realized how ridiculous and nutty she sounded. I was frozen with a baffled expression on my face and looked at her because she was dead serious. I never thought she would ever say those words, it wasn't in her nature to say it.

And it hit me.

She finally cracked.

The moment any of us had a breakdown, we would take a trip letting everyone know – via whiteboard – that we'll be going MIA for awhile. Everyone I knew had their moment of wanting to be dead; we wanted the easy way out thinking heaven sounded wonderful. And what's worse is the person who would knock some sense into us during our breakdown, was Claire.

A pain struck in me the thought of her being broken. If she broke, what would happen to the rest of us now? In my case, from the moment I saw her out in Raccoon city, I knew that we would stick together. Claire was a young intelligent girl who was more than just being book smart. She was street smart. And I found it commendable when this college girl came strutting in the city of dead causing havoc on her own just to find her brother, would end up walking out as a survivor, a hero.

I saw her down her beverage and dropped the bottle carelessly on the ground, making a loud clatter on the floor. She coolly sat back and took out a real cigarette and a lighter from the bed drawer, preparing to light it up. "Or maybe death wants me to kill myself."

I looked at her and couldn't help but feel anger overtake me. "… You have some nerve saying that to me." Before she lipped with the Malboro stick, I snatched it out of her hands and crushed it on the ash tray. I can tell she was surprised at my action. I scoffed and rubbed my head in frustration after hearing those words. I really didn't know what to say, but I couldn't help but feel more hurt and angry when she said that. The thought of Claire dead never passed my mind. She was always there… she's been there. It most likely didn't pass anyone's mind. If something happened to her, what would happen to the rest of us? What would happen to me? If I didn't get a dose of her, how would I end up turning out? Claire was an essential part of our family; our broken surviving family. If I didn't hear her voice or see that smile again, I'd hallucinate a figment from my imagination just to have be sane, ironically.

"…I need you." I stated the truth, but I had no verbal evidence of how to back it up. But I tried anyway once I got her full attention. "You're … really something." I ended up muttering the last part to myself. I wasn't sure if it was appropriate to say that.

"You need me?"

"Yeah…I do." My choppiness made me nervous, and I was getting more anxious when I saw a confused slightly shocked look on Claire's face. I don't understand why it was so difficult to express what I was feeling. It usually came so easy when talking to a woman. Claire was a woman- A very important someone who played a significant role in my life.

"Leon, its just me. If you have something to say, stop fooling around and say it." Her predicted impatience lightened the tenseness. I was relieved to see it. She was right though. It was just her, and she knew everything about me. But telling her all this… was harder than I thought. I've never actually formally expressed whatever feelings I had with someone before. But this was Claire, and I had to let her know that everyone needed her, that I need her.

"This is going to sound choppy, but you mean a lot to me- In more ways than one." I looked at her and saw that she widened her eyes. "You keep everyone grounded, you're the reason I keep going."

…That last part sounded better when that stayed in my head…

"When I first met you I thought I would have to play the hero and protect a civilian who needed to be saved. But to be honest I was scared shitless and it turned out, it was really me who needed the saving and it was you who protected me…" Flashbacks from the chaotic night in Raccoon city played in my head. I softened up at the thought of Claire taking care of Sherry and me. "And since then, I guess someone like you brings hope, a light at the end of the tunnel in all this crap. There aren't many people who survive and live to fight another day just to spread the word that this war will end. You're one of a kind. And I need someone- you specifically - in this shithole life." I noticed that she couldn't contain a chuckle. I broke out a smile thinking of the others too, and how they see Claire.

Chris still sees her as his precious treasure, Jill sees Claire as her long lost soul mate, Rebecca sees her as her partner in crime, Barry sees her as his golden ticket to free drinks at the bar, Sherry sees her as a motherly idol….

And as for me?

"…You're my piece of normal." I took a moment to think about what I just said. I didn't mean to say it like that, but it came naturally. The look on her face was unreadable and I couldn't tell if she was even listening or she just couldn't believe what I just said. Either way, it wasn't a happy or sad expression.

But she finally opened her mouth to speak.

"Knowing you, that has to be the sweetest thing you've ever said, cop." Even though she looked down at her hands, her face softened. And I was ecstatic to know that I made her feel that way. I felt a small amount of adrenaline run through my body, making me jittery.

I loved the feeling.

"Tell me more." She scooted closer next to me and leaned her head against my shoulder. I adjusted my position and placed my arm around her, enjoying the sight of Claire smiling, touching and being close to me. It was a happy drug that my body tingled and reacted to whenever her warmth and aroma was present. It was consoling and it's been long overdue since I had a genuine embrace. We were both damaged, and having a moment to being ourselves with someone special … made everything more loving and serene. Claire couldn't be more perfect for this; for me. She understood in more ways than one that this was what we needed. A period where there were no guns, no terrorists, no one. It was just us; a regular man and a woman physically confiding in each other. I lightly grazed my fingers over her exposed shoulder and arm to soothe her and found how soft and velvety her skin was. She reacted and just wrapped her arms around me, getting more comfortable.

I loved the feeling of her too.

It was right to be the only one to fix her broken spirit; she's fixed me so many times. And now that I realize it, it was the little things she's done that brought me back down to reality. But she also made me dream and hope for a better life. Now I want to be the one to give her that.

"This may not be the life you wanted, but you're incredible at what you do. There's plenty of people like Jill or your brother signing up for war, but you…. You mend everyone's hearts and give hope. Everyone needs a Claire Redfield to get them back up on their feet. You take the pain away and replace it with the feeling of having faith." I could hear her breath steadily and little did I know I was relaxed too. "I just wish there was someone who can do the same for you."

And just a little part of me wanted to take on the role of being her someone.

"You always were a sweet talker. I love it." I felt her smile up next to my chest as she rested. But I shifted uncomfortably, confused at her claim. This caused her to look up at me.

"I'm not sweet talking at all. I'm stating fact." I raised my brow. And she looked back at me with innocent surprised eyes. "C'mon Claire, this is you we're talking about." I brushed her bare arm for soothing. "Like I said, you're my piece of normal."

I saw her make a shy and blushed face at me. It was the most gorgeous look I've ever seen on a woman. The rosy cheeks, the pursed lips, the innocent eyes staring away… And…

… ?

…What was I thinking about?

"Thanks rookie." I felt her lips linger on mine. And I was overwhelmed with an exhilarating feeling.

There was a slight pause at the sudden contact with Claire's lips, but I succumbed to it, reciprocating the same content vibe she gave. I ended up towering over her as my hands roamed in her hair, her neck, and her arms as engaged in lip locking. She did the same, and I felt her tender fingers lightly scratch my back wounds. It screamed pleasure more than pain. I slowly pressed on for more access, more touch, more feeling and she happily welcomed it. My body helped itself to the citrus flavored lips, the red silk hair, the baby soft skin I wanted to grab and squeeze.

A goddess; she was a goddess.

"I'm guessing that was long overdue." Claire gently pecked my lips and then my forehead.

It was very long overdue and I questioned myself why I haven't done that back when I met this woman. But then again, Claire wasn't just some hit-it-then-quit-it kind of girl.

"What are you doing to me Redfield…?" I observed her now heated face as I grazed my hand over her cheek. It was as if she was casting a spell on me through physical contact and my whole self yearned to be hers. Our eye contact with each other was solemn, and when our foreheads lightly rested upon each other for a moment, I knew we were telepathically in sync.

"Its wrong, but I'm grateful I came to Raccoon when the city had gone to hell. I got to meet you." She whispered out making a guilty smile. I smirked, making her embarrassed and kissed her more ardently. Claire wasn't a sweet talker at all, so her stating truthfully – yet cynically – made me feel wanted as not just a person, but someone special. In her eyes I wasn't a stranger, a hero, hired gun, I wasn't a fellow survivor, I was just… me. "Leon Scott Kennedy." She wiped my bottom lip and looked straight into my eyes. Even hearing my name was hypnotizing and sexy as it came out from her mouth. I wanted her to keep repeating it. "Would we have met back then if there was no outbreak?"

I actually thought about it, imagining a utopian Raccoon City back in our young adult years. I imagined her back in the skin tight jumpsuit strapped with the STARS blade. "You'd probably cause havoc in the police station anyway if Chris was missing. STARS would've handled you and I would probably be given my first job as a cop on duty watching you rot in the cell."

She frowned. "Jill wouldn't have sent me to jail."

"Wesker or Barry would." I joked and moved the strands out of her face to get a clear view of her. And out of nowhere, she pulled a bold move on me.

I started getting heated when I felt her bare hands slide up under my shirt skidding slowly across my back, and my wounds jolted at her warm palms. It felt amazing even though it was a small skin to skin contact. "I would've seduced you into setting me free." She stated in a more quiet, sweet and devious voice. It was dark in the place but she didn't have to see that I was slightly aroused at her mood.

I agreed. "19 year old newbie seeing a red hot vixen in jail…? yeah I could see me slippin' up, making a mistake of letting you run." I reacted to her bold mood and played one myself. I kneeled up and removed my shirt, tossing it somewhere on the floor. "But, I would've enjoyed chasing you around the city just to put you back in jail." I hovered over her again and gently intertwined her petite hands in mine, locking them in place on the left and right side of her head. I leaned down to kiss her and I felt a smile creep up letting me know that she wanted me too. It was addicting to lock lips with her. It was a jolt, a vitamin that woke me up. I wanted more of it, and every time I lingered, she bit my bottom lip indicating that I may be overdosing on her.

What a tease. For the first time, I really didn't know how to handle a woman. This was Claire. She was someone I had an intricate bond with, my best friend, my family.

"As if you can contain me, Casanova." She had some nerve saying that to me when I had her in my grasp; my restriction. I just let out a smug look taking her statement as a joke. Little did I know she used and snaked her porcelain smooth legs to my sides catching me off guard. The desire in me grabbed her thighs and I couldn't help but now want to be ringed in them.

I found my heartbeats skipping around and picking up the pace as my hands were getting familiar with her legs. She wrung her arms around my neck and I suddenly found myself being flipped underneath her on my back. I grunted and I was silenced when Claire kissed me. I couldn't believe it, I was dominated within seconds. Usually it was the guy making the advances, usually I'm the one that turns on the intensity. Yet here I was, being the one that was toyed and taunted with.

My hands had a mind of their own and ended up under her loose shirt feeling her backside from the spine all the way down to the bottom. She didn't cringe at my action, but she slipped a little tongue. And I felt the emotional connection between us. I physically and emotionally wanted her. I wanted to know how many scars she had, I wanted to hear her chimed voice, and memorize the shape of her tongue. I wanted to measure the curve of her back, slowly counting the vertebrae, the ribs and goose bumps to the very end. I wanted to be fluent in her body language.

I just wanted her entirely.

"Play fair." I complained with a grin. "Shorts off." I heard her chuckle and she gave me one last kiss before cutely removing her shorts and throwing them off to the side. "Baby blue huh? The color always did fit you." I rested my hands on her thighs, admiring her long exposed legs. She leaned down to my face, presenting the beautiful curve of her back. I wanted to remove her blouse too, but I got a kick when she was the one stripping off her own clothes.

"Wait…." I pulled away from her, thinking of something to say before we went further. We were treading lightly with the fine line between us and we treasured each other. I didn't want to ruin that. I was already in heavy breathing and the room got a little warmer. Claire looked at me, most likely thinking the same thing. The silent pause brought us back to reality, thinking that we were probably doing something wrong.

"I know..." She sighed and nodded at my gesture. "I'm sorry. Things got carried away and I was just-... It's wrong and we need to stop. We need to forget -"

I stopped her, already knowing what she may say next, but I didn't want her to feel this way. I wanted to make her feel comforted, loved and satisfied. I gently held her face in my hands and stared at those beautiful eyes. They were sad, vulnerable, yet full of spark. She responded anxiously and placed one of her hands over mine. "Hey, I feel the same. I want you too." I admitted.

"But we really can't do this. I don't… want to lose something that was never mine, or can't be mine." It stung when those words came out of Claire's mouth, but she was just stating truth. I stared at Claire more, aching in pain. God, I wanted her. But I didn't want to hurt her. We lived in a world that did not allow us to have someone special. I couldn't keep a relationship intact even if my life depended on it. Danger followed me, and innocent lives screams out for Claire. I wanted to apologize for doing this to her; for being selfish for wanting her. But I dont regret the feeling. She gave me a peek of what I wanted my life to end up. She made me forget what role I play in the world, she made me feel good, emotionally…

Mentally…

And physically.

And I was the lucky guy who had her; even for a short time.

I grabbed Claire tighter in an embrace and kissed her. I didn't care anymore since nothing else mattered. This gorgeous woman was the one good thing that was happening in my life and if I wanted her, I wanted her. I felt her whole body pressed up against me, and she wrung all her limbs around me. My mind went wild when I heard her make a small moan as my hands felt all the crevices and curves of her body. I mean she was gorgeous, but not like those girls in the magazines. She was gorgeous for the way she thought. She was gorgeous for that sparkle in her eyes when she talked. She was gorgeous for her ability to make other people smile even if she was sad. She was gorgeous deep down to her soul.

"Forget about everything . We're just two normal people who are caught up with each other." It had to be said and I wanted Claire to know what I was feeling for her.

She agreed with a small accepting smile. Her shyness took over when I noticed she quickly slipped off her shirt and wrapped herself in the cotton blanket like a bath towel. It hugged her curves like a dress would. "Don't experiment with me, Leon."

I snorted at her joke and innocence, welcoming her to come back in my embrace. "I could say the same to you, Claire."

And she willingly crawled back in my arms.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/

"Hey… Don't fall asleep on me…" Leon whispered loud enough so that his lover can hear him, although he himself was drained from the incredible intimate moment they had. He continued to caress her messy bed hair all the way down to her bare back as she laid, pronated.

Claire tiredly snuggled her head into the pillow and opened her eyes and closed them. "I'm awake, cop. Don't worry…" He could hear the tenderness in her voice and it made him go crazy for her more. The orange streetlights made her glow in the red sheets and Leon mentally took a picture of her. The more he stared at her tranquil face, the more he questioned why couldn't he meet her normally back then, why couldn't he simply date her, make her his, spend the rest of his days in bliss without knowing what was going on in the corrupt world.

"Talk to me, red." He poked her forehead, not wanting to end the dreamland he had with her. As much as possible he wanted to spend every waking moment with her.

"Go to sleep, Leon." There was a sharp tone in her voice but she smiled at him anyway, completely smitten by his killer grin.

"You can't tell me what to do..." He ginned as he reminisced about what had happened moments ago. She turned out to be the bossy and demanding one between the two; the experimenting and dirty-talking one. But the one thing he couldn't believe the most was how much stamina she had. And Leon surprisingly loved every little bit of what she was. The dark and daring side of her was insatiable and with every quick breath and sound that escaped her mouth, his ears died to hear more of it. Knowing it was him that was filling her with ecstasy and passion made him feel like he was the one physically made for her body. As if he was born to be made for her. Of course he factored in the amount of long unspoken emotions and the chemistry they both had made everything more memorable and amazing. Everything was explained through action and was grateful she laid it out there. There was a whole new feeling and meaning in his relationship with Claire now. And after what had happened, it was confirmed there was a consummate connection.

"Don't tempt me. I know you're tired." A chuckle escaped her and she opened her eyes to make contact with his brown eyes. She scooted close enough until the tips of their noses were touching and placed her palm over his neck, caressing and soothing him to rest. Claire puckered up her lips to lightly kiss him and she ran her fingers lovingly through his hair. He snaked his free arm around her waist and she entangled her legs in his. "We need to sleep…"

"What we actually need, is a bigger bed." Claire laughed at his remark and brushed him off.

Leon gave in since his body was almost shutting down from the pure comfort of her. He hated himself for falling asleep knowing very well she may be gone in the next few hours. It wasn't fair. She seemed wide awake, ready to jolt out the door and go back to their shitty lives. It was inevitable and he had to accept it. The moment of normal had passed by too quickly and he was going back to cruel reality whether he liked it or not. He had been selfish enough for the night and he couldn't ask her to stay just for him.

But honestly, Leon was content with how things had played out. Sure he ran away to be alone and yet found someone worth never wanting to leave. The irony was that the woman was someone who had been in his life, stood quietly in the sidelines. Claire had been there for so long that he was stupid not to even notice the hidden relationship he had with her. But he knew he didn't deserve her. She was the type that deserved flowers on her doorstep and fresh coffee in the morning, she deserved love texts popping up in her phone and ice cream sundaes at 3am. She deserved honesty everyday and to be kissed every hour. She deserved to be reminded how gorgeous she was.

And Leon knew, he couldn't be the one to do all those, for her.

"Don't be a jerk by skipping out without saying anything." He bittersweetly looked at her one last time before he closed his eyes grabbing her free hand and kissing it. Even though he knew she probably would.

Claire closed hers as well with a smile, appreciating his open desire for her. "Don't be greedy now."

Debating whether or not to continue this on a sequel, or leave it as a one shot…. Hmmm. ANYWAYS! Leave a review, tell me what you think, and let me know if there should be a sequel.

Its been awhile, but I wanted to be part of Team Claire. I miss that lovely redhead :[ Bring our babygirl back RE. Shes a great example of a hero who doesn't wear a cape.