Pleasant Surprises

Author's Disclaimer: As you would probably guess, I do not own the rights to Resident Evil.

Also, see if you can find a reference to a certain awesome action movie somewhere in this story XD

Claire Redfield stared blankly out the window of her apartment, taking in the sight of the winter dusk. It was only four in the afternoon, but the sun was already calling it quits early, departing from a sky of pinks and purples as the moon rose for its brief reign over the sky.
It was one thing Claire hated about the winter. Aside from the cold, and the bad memories the snow brought up. Okay, to be totally fair, Claire hated everything about winter. She was a summer girl through and through: born on a Southern July when her family was on vacation. Her mother's doctor had warned her about taking a trip to Florida so late into the pregnancy, but like Claire, Cheryl Redfield was a fiery spirit.
Claire sighed softly as she watched the sun go down. She could hardly wait for softness of spring to replace the rough texture of winter, or for summer's long and lazy days to replace the endless nights. What's more, she could not wait until tomorrow.
As the night enveloped the outside world, Claire retreated back into the warm illuminated sanctuary of her apartment. In here, summer never died, although her electric and heating bills suffered for it. Atop the small round table in her tiny kitchen sat a dish with the remnants of her apple pie snack, and a folded piece of paper.
The Redfield smiled and picked up the paper: an email she had printed out so that she could read it without staying on her laptop.
Dear Claire,
How have you been doing? I'm writing this to you because I've got some bad news.
I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to come out like we had planned. A big snow storm is coming through DC this weekend, so my flight might be delayed or cancelled. I just wanted to let you know so you don't worry.
I'm so sorry that I won't be in on time, Claire. Hopefully the storm will just pass and this will all just be a false alarm. I'm not so sure about that, though, since it's already starting to snow. With any luck, they'll have the runway cleared up by Monday, and then I'll be able to fly out there.
I love you so much Claire Redfield,
Leon.
The smile faded from Claire's face and was replaced with a frown. What the hell was she smiling about, anyway?
"At least he told me this time what's going to keep him this time." Claire sighed and crumpled the paper and tossed it into the trash can before collecting her dishes. "Not that he needed to. Right, Hershie?"
Hershel, Claire's black Burmese kitten rasped in response before stalking over to her master. Skitzo and Atticus, Hershel's parents, came in after their son and climbed atop the table before letting out low, whining moans. Claire knew that sound all too well and could not help but smile. "Okay, okay, I'll get you guys some food."
As Claire reached into a cabinet and pulled out the bag of cat food, her thoughts dwelled on Leon, his letter, and the last time she saw him in person.
It was Christmas when they last saw each other: the annual Christmas get-together everyone who survived Raccoon City had to remind themselves that they were still alive after all this time. Over the last few, though, the party kept getting smaller and smaller. Rebecca and Billy had started a family of their own, and now had to spend Christmas with their in-laws. Barry spent his holiday time with his daughter and fiancé, and so now that made it just a Redfield Christmas with Chris, Jill, and Leon.
Claire and Leon had spent the entire day together, drinking and laughing and talking about the good times. Claire missed having him around. After all, they had shared so many experiences, and it was nice to spend time with him when the only greatest danger was overeating and the potential for a tremendous hangover.
She remembered when they first kissed, it was like it had just happened. Leon had picked her up from the airport, and just as they were waiting at a red light… Claire crushed her lips against Leon's. She didn't know what drove her to do that, but every fiber in her being begged to kiss Leon, just as they had everyday since he had been there to help her out of that plane after Chris rescued her in Antarctica. What surprised her the most was that he kissed her back, and whispered the same words that Claire had whispered under her breath for every day since she realized it: … I love you.
Claire was so lost in her memories that she was blind to the fact that she was pouring far too much food into the three bowls. It took Atticus purring and Hershel rubbing against her leg to snap her out of it.
The littlest Redfield gasped and laughed, "Oops! Sorry, guys!" She said to her cats as she gathered up the excess food and poured it back into the bag.
Claire was still blushing when she left her cats and stalked into her bedroom in search of warmer clothing. Despite raising the thermostat, the apartment was still freezing. The boiler must have been broken, and of course, the super was gone for the weekend with his wife. She did not bother to glance at the calendar, or she would have seen the date was February 13th.

Claire's going to kill me.
That single phrase was the dominant thought in Leon Scott Kennedy's head as he stared out the window. His eyes were focused on the long blanket of clouds just under the plane, but his attention was far away.
Ever since that first kiss, Claire Redfield had never left his thoughts. For the whole two weeks they were together, they had never left each others side. They kissed, they laughed, and they even saw two movies together. Yet for every laugh and smile, there was a hint of bitterness and despair lingering in the background. They knew it would not last long, that eventually they would have to part ways. Even though they held themselves upright and showed no fear, the two old friends… now new lovers… knew they were doomed to be separated.
But it would only be temporary. They both knew that. They had spent the last few years denying how they felt, and now that they knew, Claire and Leon both began making plans to see each other more often. Since Claire had come to DC, Leon would now fly to Chicago, where Claire was working for TerraSave. If it wasn't for the fact the offices there needed her, she would probably have never taken the job. They had made plans to be together for Valentine's Day, but the coming storm had made it almost impossible to get a flight.
It took almost every credential Leon had to get a seat on the last flight out to Chicago before the storm overtook Washington. And now, he was flying, unable to contact Claire. He knew that once he touched down, Claire was going to kill him for making her worry.
And yet, he could not bring himself to wipe that smirk from his lips.
He had come well-stocked and prepared for the mission ahead. All the equipment he needed was stored above his head, nestled safely in the compartment. No one questioned him or looked for clearance to bring those goods on board, as everyone else on board must have been equipped with the same thing.
"First time flying?" The man next to Leon said.
Leon smiled, "No. Not at all."
"Same." The man said and set his head back. "You look nervous."
Up until this time, Leon thought he had been doing a good job hiding his nerves. Of course, some people were just better at reading Leon's poker face. "I'm that see-through, huh?"
"It's no big deal." The passenger said. He looked at Leon, "You know what I like to do when I land? Helps calm me down like you wouldn't believe?"
Somehow Leon knew there was no way he could avoid this. "What?"
"Whenever I land, I take off my shoes and socks and walk around the carpet barefoot." The man explained, "Making fists with my toes."
Leon tried his best to keep from raising an eyebrow. "Fists with your toes?"
The passenger shook his head and grinned, "Fists with your toes. I don't know why and I don't try to understand it. But trust me, works better than a shower and a cup of coffee any day of the week. Take my word on it, I've been doing it for nine years now."
The secret agent did not know what was more incredible: this bizarre piece of meditation advice or the fact Leon was actually considering it. "Thanks." Was all he said.
The man shook his head and smiled, "Don't mention it."
Leon let out a sigh and realized he had to make a call. "Mind if I get up? Need to use the bathroom."
The man graciously moved so that Leon could maneuver around him. Just as Leon moved past the man, his fellow passenger got a glimpse of Leon's gun, dangling in the holster hidden by the jacket.
From the way the passenger's eyes widened, Leon knew what he was thinking. "It's all right." He smiled, "I'm a cop." While not true, it was the closest thing he could say. "Trust me, I've been doing this for twelve years."

The kettle on the stove sang shrilly, begging for Claire to remove it from the fires below. Claire poured the hot water into her second cup of tea for the evening. It was terribly cold tonight, and the reports on the tv called for snow around midnight and well into tomorrow night, dumping about two feet on the city. Just what Claire Redfield needed to hear.
"Maybe we should move to Florida, eh, guys?" She says to her cats before sitting on the couch. Skitzo purred and climbed over to Claire. He nudged against her free hand, begging to be petted. With a warm smile, Claire obliged the fat cat and scratched his ears.
As Claire scratched her cat's ears she wondered what she could watch. Nothing good was on, and she had already watched all of her DVDs at least a hundred times. Now she just needed to watch one for the hundred and first time.
Without hesitation, Claire picked up Short Circuit and put it into the DVD player. It was a dumb movie, sure, but it was cute and Johnny Five was just so funny and adorable. Claire loved these kinds of movies, even though no one would expect it.
As Claire watched the movie, she found herself getting very depressed. These movies were not that good without someone to sit and enjoy them with. And the last person she enjoyed Short Circuit with, oddly enough, was Leon. She had no idea he was a sucker for these kinds of movies too until the day he caught her watching a few and joined in. Then she learned about his high school and college days watching Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
The smile quickly faded and she curled up into a ball, hugging Skitzo. Whenever she thinks of Leon, her heart flutters and she can't help but smile, even when he's over a thousand miles away. Of course, that's what happens when you think about the person you love.
"Am I a fool for loving Leon, Fatty?" She asks Skitzo, who just licks her lips in response. Claire laughed and moved away from Skitzo, "Hey! Not in front of the wife!" She laughed and looked over at Atticus, who was licking Hershel despite his protests.
Claire yawned and stretched her arms before a chill ran up her spine. It was almost midnight, and the snow was already coming down in sheets. "Yeah. Definitely Florida." She said. "Or maybe Georgia." With a long groan, Claire stalked into her bedroom to retire. "Maybe I'll just sleep through tomorrow." She said sadly.

Leon must have been crazy.
That must have been the thought of anyone who cared to look outside and see the lone jeep making its way down the road. Even with the roof up and the heat turned up all the way, the chill still bit deep into Leon's flesh, settling firmly in his bones. The wipers whipped at full speed, but every swipe left him with only a split-second view before the snow blanketed his field of vision. His only reliant window into the outside world was the glowing screen of the GPS.
"Arriving at destination, on right." The female voice of the GPS chimed happily. Leon always thought that was the sweetest thing anyone could hear at the end of a trip.
The secret agent managed to pull into the only free spot that was still visible. With a triumphant grin, Leon killed the engine and reached for the bouquet of pink and red roses resting on the passenger seat.
Leon Kennedy was taking a huge risk, coming like this. The horrible weather aside, Leon knew that Claire was just as likely to slap and yell at him about making her worry as she was likely to kiss him and tell the secret agent how happy she was to see him.
To Leon, so long as he got to touch Claire and breathe the same air as he, it did not matter.
Leon used the spare key that Claire had provided him to get into her apartment. She gave him that key two years ago when she accepted the job, and now he finally got to test it. A satisfied smile crossed his face as the door opened and he went inside, silently stalking the halls as he had been trained to do.
At long last, Leon reached Claire's apartment and silently slid the key into place. As he turned the key, Leon heard a definite click.

It was 2am, and Claire Redfield was definitely not asleep.
Sure, she was lying down, covered by her three cats, but Claire's eyes were opened and staring right at the ceiling, her ears tuned to the orchestra of wind outside.
Until she heard the click of her front door opening.
Claire snapped up, startling her cats and making them scurry off into a corner. Without a moment's hesitation, she reached into the holster hidden behind her nightstand and pulled out the Killer7 Leon had given to her for Christmas. Among other things.
Stealthily, Claire crept to her bedroom door and slowly opened it so not to make a sound. She watched as a figure holding a huge… was that a club?... as he stalked through the living room.
Worse, the figure was coming right for the bedroom.
With reflexes honed through years of surviving Umbrella's hellish labs, Claire leaped into the room and brought her gun on the intruder's forehead. "Hand's up! Drop your weapon!"
The intruder stopped and lifted his hands slowly before letting the parcel drop with a soft, gentle thud. The sound perked Claire's ears. It definitely did not sound like a club or weapon.
"Turn the lights on." Claire ordered. The man slowly walked over to the light switch and flicked it on.
Claire Redfield did not know which dropped faster and further: her gun or her jaw, as she realized that she was face to face with Leon Scott Kennedy.
Leon stood there, silent and with that same smirk he always had for her. Before he could even say "Hi", Claire Redfield sprinted across the room, pinned Leon to the wall, and crushed her lips against his firmly.
Leon moaned in shock and pleasure as he wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and kissed her just as fiercely. A low, longing moan escaped her lips and Claire broke the kiss, whispering, "I thought you said you weren't coming in…"
"I lied." Leon whispered and pulled her back, kissing hungrily. Claire licked his lips, causing the agent to shiver and open his mouth just enough for her tongue to slide in deep and swirl around. Leon moans loudly and plunged his own tongue into her mouth, earning him an even louder groan from his love.
Claire's hands worked on pulling the jacket off of Leon before removing the straps of his holster. The gun fell with a definite thud and Claire groaned, "Always come so well-armed?"
"Do you when you answer the door?" Leon asked and kissed her deeply. "Happy Valentine's Day."
"Happy Valentine's Day." Claire said back before pulling Leon into the bedroom. The secret agent followed, her willing prisoner and pulled his shirt off for her.
Claire groaned and watched as the cats retreated from the room. When the last one left, Leon sealed and locked the door. Claire let out a low, hungry moan as she sat on the bed, rubbing her thighs together slowly. How she ached for him right now… ached for his body to take hers over.
Leon came over to her slowly, every step making him more and more aroused. His pants felt so tight that they were going to burst. Claire moaned when she saw the bulge and whispered, "Take me…"
Leon undressed her slowly before mounting her naked body. The only thing in his hand was the unwrapped condom he had taken from his pants. Their hands cupped and fingers caressed as Claire took the condom and unwrapped it. "I love you."
"I love you too." Leon said and let out a low gasp as Claire dressed him. She laid down, inviting, wanting, yearning. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, Leon!" Claire gasped loudly as they met. They sighed in unison before releasing their passions upon one another.
The pair made love for hours, basking in the feel of their partner's passion and the strength of their desires. Every sound, every movement, every smell and sensation was engrained into their memories, each one a precious gift, a second that could never be taken away by even the passage of time.
At long last, the two came to a halt, sweating, heaving and gasping for air. They stared deep into each other's weary eyes, plunging into their souls and seeing only the pure love they share.
"Leon…" Claire whispered, a tear escaped her eye. She did not want this moment to end, even if it would eventually.
"Claire…" Leon kissed the tear away and buried his face against her neck. "I've got good news for you."
"Oh?" Claire asked before pulling his face up to meet hers.
Leon smiled, "I've got off for the next week… so I'll be here until next Monday, if you'd like…"
Claire gasped. He said that he only had off for the weekend, maybe until Tuesday at the most. Now… she had even more time to spend with her boyfriend.
"I'd like that…" She said and kissed him sweetly.
He returned the kiss and whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too, Leon." Claire whispered, as if she was afraid this wasn't real: but a dream she was having. She clung tighter to him, wanting and wishing for him to be real.
Leon smiled. "I'm real, Claire. And I won't be gone when you wake up." He kissed her lips before laying next to her. "When we wake up."
Claire smiled. She knew now, that everything was going to be okay. "Happy Valentine's Day."
Leon grinned, "Happy Valentine's Day."

Author's Note: Greetings, ! I know it's been a really long time since I've posted a story.
I hope everyone here has had a wonderful Valentine's Day, and I hope you all have enjoyed my little Cleon story. I'd like to dedicate this to my girlfriend. Happy Valentine's Day my love, I hope you know how much I want to be there for you. Always remember that no matter how far away I am, I'm always right next to you.