Resident Evil CODE: Veronica

The Aftermath

Steve woke up to the sound of gunshots.

It took him a moment to open his eyes. Everything hurt. His right leg. His ribs. His head. When his vision finally cleared, he found himself laying on the floor in some sort of corridor, dimly lit and decorated with various paintings and wooden furniture. It was void of zombies or other fucked-up creatures, thankfully.

He took a big breath and hissed immediately as he felt an acute pain coming from his ribs. Were they broken? He really hoped not.

But how did that happen anyway? How did he get there? And Claire, where was she?

Steve could feel his heart racing, almost on the edge of panic. But then he heard more gunshots not too far away. As crazy as it sounded, he was a bit relieved. There was a good chance that it was the young woman he met on Rockfort Island the day before.

He now tried to remember the last events that led him to his current situation.
He and Claire had managed to get out of the Antarctica base. They fought this weird guy with the long arms and then they found a snowmobile! They were almost out of there when this huge tentacle went after them and lifted them up in the air. After that, it was total blackout. He did remember though waking up in a big lobby and looking for Claire. And yes… he thought he had heard something in the corridor where he currently was and then something big coming out of nowhere hit him hard. He must have lost consciousness for a second time.

Now that everything came back to him, he tried to slowly get up. Claire was in trouble and he had to help her. It wasn't a good idea, every fiber of his body hurt and that just glued him back to the floor. He grunted in pain and annoyance. He checked around him and didn't see anything that could help him. He was also weaponless.

Anxiety started to rise again. He couldn't defend himself nor Claire and he couldn't move. He didn't want to die, not after everything. And certainly not before making sure that his partner was safe. He tried thinking about a course of action, but the pain was making his mind foggy and he could feel himself drifting to unconsciousness. As his eyes were about to close, he heard the door at the end of the corridor opening, followed by quick footsteps and a familiar feminine voice.

"Steve!"

Her voice brought him back to reality. He saw his Valkyrie running toward him, a man clad in green clothes behind her, weapon ready.

Her fast footsteps echoed in his head and the next thing he knew, she was wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"Oh my god! I am SO glad that you're alright!" she uttered, her voice almost breaking.

Steve groaned in reply as he felt the pressure on his ribs. Claire immediately recoiled, horror in her eyes.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"I think I broke some of my ribs or something…"

"Let me check" said the man who was behind Claire, now leaning next to him and touching his side.
Steve hissed, shutting his eyes. The man just grunted and stood up. "It's fine, they're just bruised, not broken."

Both Claire and Steve let out a sigh of relief.

"Steve, this is my brother, Chris. Chris, this is Steve. We escaped from Rockfort together."

"Aaah…the infamous brother… glad you're here, man" chuckled lightly Steve, as he didn't want his ribcage to hurt too much.

"Thanks for helping my sister" smiled back Chris. His face however turned serious the next second. "As much as this is a pleasant reunion, we have to get out of here ASAP."

"What's the plan?" then asked Claire.

"You guys go to the jet I used to come here while I go activate the self-destruct system of this place. I saw that there's one. I'm not leaving without destroying everything related to Umbrella."

"Are you sure? What if you don't come back? None of us can fly a jet" said Claire, anxious.

"I know it's a risk, but we can't leave without doing something about it and Steve can't fight in his condition. You have to help him and bring him to the jet. Don't worry, Claire. I am coming back for sure." He smiled at her.

Claire heavily sighed, but Steve could see that there was nothing she could do about it. Her brother was right. She then wrapped an arm around Steve's shoulder. "C'mon, I'll help you stand up. Can you do that?"

"It'd be really lame of me to not do that when we're so close of escaping" said the young man, groaning lightly as he slowly let Claire lift him up.

"Don't jinx it…" whispered back Claire, making sure to support him properly with her arm.

Chris then told them to way to the jet and the trio separated. It was a hassle walking with his bad leg and ribs on fire, but he and Claire managed to get to their way to freedom without encountering too many undead. Claire was a true champion, holding him with one arm, and firing with the other. She also gave Steve a firearm. It wasn't easy but he was able to shoot a few times.

When they arrived at the jet, they realized there were only two seats. Claire took the initiative and made Steve sit down on the back seat, trying her best to not move him too roughly.

"What about you?" then asked Steve, frowning.

Claire shrugged and smiled. "I'll just sit on your lap, don't worry."

As she said that, they both felt the world shaking. And then heard an automatic female voice saying that the self-destruct system had been activated. Chris only had five minutes to come back. Steve could see sweat rolling down Claire's face.

These were the longest five minutes ever.

Claire was standing up beside the jet, biting her nails and waiting impatiently for her brother to appear from the elevator. Steve couldn't blame her. Unlike him, she had other people she cared for. It was at that moment that Steve realized that she could have just left him here, not even bothering to look for him. After all, her brother had come to her rescue. No need for this random guy she met the night before, whom she barely knew. But no…she had looked for him and she had seemed genuinely relieved and happy to see him alive. And that made Steve's heart skip a beat. Normally, nobody would have done that for a stranger. But Claire…she was different. And boy was he glad that he had met her. He just didn't know her reasons. Maybe she was just a really nice person. Or maybe she saw themselves as friends? Or maybe more?

Steve didn't want to go further in his thoughts. They were still at risk and it was still possible that the three of them would die right there in the explosions if Chris wasn't coming back right – fucking – now.

And magically, as if someone heard his thought, the elevator's door opened and the two teenagers saw the green-clad man running like crazy toward the jet.

Claire let out an excited squealing sound as she hastily jumped into the jet, making sure to sit down delicately on Steve's lap. The two of them barely fitted in the back seat, but at that point, comfort wasn't of importance. Chris jumped after her and quickly got the aircraft running and moving.

"Are you kids ready for a ride?" he grinned to them.

"Yes! GO GO GO!" both cried out back.

They could hear explosions behind them and the ground shaking. For a second, Steve thought they wouldn't make it. His eyes were closed shut and he had encircled his arms around Claire's torso instinctively. At least, if he died, it would be holding the most awesome girl he ever met.

Seconds passed, and he still found himself alive. He dared to open his eyes and saw through the window that they were in the air and far from the exploding base.

A huge sigh of relief escaped his lips (making his ribs hurt like a bitch, but he tried to ignore it) and then he felt Claire doing the same.

He then saw that his arms were still around her, pressing tightly her back against his chest, and he felt his cheeks going volcano red. But Claire didn't seem bothered by it as she exclaimed in utter joy:

"WE MADE IT! WOOHOO!"

At the front, Chris was chuckling lightly.

Claire then turned around and placed her hands on Steve's shoulders.

"Steve! We made it this time! We're finally free!" she grinned at him until her face changed when she saw his red one.

"You alright?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah! You moving around like that just makes it painful for me…" he tried to explain. He wasn't really lying, because it was hurting him like hell but he could endure. But he couldn't tell her that being so close to her was making things a bit…uncomfortable. He tried to discreetly unwrap his arms and then he saw on Claire's face that she understood. He didn't know what to expect from her – she didn't freak out when she fell over him after the plane crash in Antarctica – but it certainly wasn't a sly smile and her just turning around, her back still pressed against his torso. She even moved her legs and butt more comfortably on his lap, feeling her relaxing against him.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" she then whispered.

"Not…if you stop moving" replied the young man. He then felt her right hand looking for his, squeezing it firmly.

His heart skipped another beat. What was she doing? He suddenly felt too tired to figure it out. He decided to just enjoy the moment. He could always ask her once they'd be perfectly safe. And after taking a goddamn shower.

Steve had no idea where they were, but there was a diner, a gas station and a motel. A motel with a shower and a real bed! Even if it looked like the saddest motel he had ever seen, he'd had never been so glad to see the sight of it.

Chris got them a room while they stayed in the car. No wonder. He and Claire looked like shit. They were covered in mud, dirt and blood. They had bruises and scratches all over their body and they actually really stank! Their clothes were also ruined. Steve couldn't wait to take off those goddamn prisoner clothes, mostly the thing around his neck. And wash his hair. It had gotten crusty after being exposed to God knows what.

Claire's brother finally reappeared with a key and motioned them to leave the car and head to their room. They gladly did so, careful to not seek too much attention.

The room was nothing special. The sort of thing you'd expect of a motel in the middle of nowhere. It had two double beds, two nightstands, a tiny TV and a bathroom. Even if it looked like the crappiest bed ever, nothing could beat his excuse of a bed on Rockfort. He was actually looking forward to sleep as much as he could in that motel bed.

"Alright, so I'll go get some food and clothes for you guys. You really look like shit and I'm sure you're starving," said Chris standing in the doorway.

Both Steve and Claire looked at him, eyes wide opened and nodding their head frantically.

Chris just chuckled at that and left, leaving the two teenagers standing in the middle of the room, unsure of what to do first. Both were eying the bathroom with anticipation.

As much as he wanted to take his shower, he felt it'd be rude to go first so he just dramatically bowed down facing Claire.

"Ladies first."

Claire scoffed in reply. "I'd say to cut the sexist crap, Steve, but I really want that shower. You'll have to wait, boyo" she said as she walked by him and touched his shoulder, smiling. She then disappeared in the smaller room, the water immediately running.

Steve just sighed at the empty room. He wanted to sit down on the bed, but his pants were dirty. It wouldn't be really appropriate to just strip and lay around naked, even if the idea was very tempting. He decided to at least remove his boots and blue jacket, carefully as to not make his ribcage and left leg hurt too much. They were still sore. He then touched his choker. That thing was so annoying but it was impossible to remove on its own. He looked around for scissors but realized that motels wouldn't provide something sharp in their rooms. Maybe a knife? Did Claire still have the combat knife she was using on the island?

He looked for the bag she had been carrying around. No trace of the knife. Fuck.

The young man just sat down on the floor, sighing and looking defeated. It was crazy to think that they had actually survived that nightmare. He couldn't count the times he should have died by the hands of those monsters or that lunatic, Alfred. Maybe he was just super lucky, or maybe someone – or something – was trying to give him a second chance, maybe by Claire's side?

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the bathroom door opening and Claire sitting next to him.

"Hey" she whispered.

Steve jumped in total surprise. "WAH!"

That earned him a fit of giggles from the brunette. He loved the way she was laughing and his mouth suddenly went dry when he noticed that she was only clad in a towel. It was rather large, thankfully, but short enough to show her long legs (and the multiple bruises coloring them) and the upper part of her torso, one of her hands holding it firmly. Her hair was wet and slicked back. It was longer than he thought it was. Her cheeks were still red from the hot water. She was so beautiful.

Steve then realized that he was probably looking really silly with his mouth agape.

"Oh uh, how was it?" he grinned sheepishly, trying to not sound bothered.

"Blissful!" exclaimed Claire while putting both of her hands on each side of her mouth, to accentuate her contentment. Doing so also accentuated her noticeable cleavage that Steve tried very hard to not peek at, but temptation was way too strong. Before doing something he might regret, he just got up, pretending to stretch, really slowly.

"That sounds amazing! I hope you left me some hot water!"

"Hmmm, not too sure about that. I hope you won't be mad at me," replied the young woman, looking up at him, her bosom still very in sight. Was she aware? Of course she was, c'mon.

"Ooooh, you better not! Or you'll pay for this, princess!" he said, shuffling to the bathroom before he would lose his cool.

He only heard her say "Yeah, yeah" before he closed the door and leaned against it, sighing heavily. What was that back then? Was she flirting with him or something? Not that it didn't please him, but it was kind of…sudden and coming out of nowhere. Or maybe it was him who was misreading it? He'd have to see with her later on.

For now, he only wanted to clean himself and reduce his libido as much as possible. Her brother would be back sooner or later anyway.

Steve then proceeded to undress, with the exception on his goddamn choker. He took a moment to look at himself in the rather wide mirror. He did look like shit. His hair was dark and more than messy. His chest and arms were covered in bruises and scratches. He still had the bandage that Claire helped him put on his left shoulder back in the hydroplane. Alfred had grazed him with a bullet on the island. That son of a bitch. At least it was just a flesh wound, but it would leave a scar for sure. And it was still hurting every time he'd touch his shoulder.

He then continued to scan his body. His eyes traveled to his "tattoo" on his right forearm, his prisoner barcode. He gritted his teeth. The sight of it just made him go through all the events of the past weeks. His father's betrayal. His mother's death. His capture. His hellish time on Rockfort. His father's death. By his hands. By…his…hands….

He could feel his whole body tremble. Shaking.

He quickly jumped in the bath/shower and opened the water, letting it wash him.

"Fuck… fuck… FUCK!" he uttered through his teeth. He clutched his eyes closed, but no matter how hard he tried to keep them shut, tears were now falling and not stopping. His lips were trembling, and a long wailing escaped from them, uncontrollable.

Everything, all his feelings, the death of his parents, his sense of rejection, his loneliness, his love for them, his hate for his father, his instinct of survival, his affection for Claire. Everything set loose at once and Steve couldn't do anything about it. He just sat down in the tub, crying like no tomorrow, crying like he was the last person on Earth. The hot water was comforting but also hurting him. He didn't care. He just wanted to stop existing for a moment.

It took Steve a certain moment to calm down, but once he got out of the shower and dried himself, he actually felt… light? Refreshed?

He looked back at the mirror but it was all foggy from the hot steam. He just sighed and passed a hand through his wet hair to slick it back and wrapped the towel around his waist.

When he got out, he saw Claire sitting on one of the beds and watching TV with a really bored face. It lit up when she noticed him and he saw her eyes widening a bit as she looked at him.

That made Steve chuckle. "What?"

"Wow, there was actually a human under all that dirt and grime!" she grinned back.

Steve could tell from her eyes that it wasn't exactly what she was thinking, but he didn't bother pushing her.

"Sure there is! And he has the shape of Rambo!" he joked back, flexing his not-so-big bicep. He was in shape, but clearly not like Stallone. He immediately regretted doing it when he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.

"Ow!" he cried out, clutching his arm and sitting on the other bed.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Claire quickly moved beside him, worry in her face, and understood when she saw the bandage.
"Oh right, your shoulder…" she whispered, her hand tentatively stroking his arm.

"Yeah, it's nothing though, I was just being silly…" he replied as he looked in her eyes, her amazing blue eyes. He could see sadness in them, but also some sort of… longing?

"Poor Steve… you've been through so much…" she cut their eye contact, but kept on caressing his arm.

"Yeah… but I survived. Thanks to you." He hesitantly put his hand over hers. It wasn't the first time they had touched each other, but it was the first time that he felt electricity between them. Claire looked back at him and he wasn't sure if she was expecting something out of him.

"Claire… what am I supposed to do now?" he asked.

The young woman was a bit taken aback by his question, he could see it in her face. He knew that it could mean a lot of things. What was he supposed to do right now with her? Or in general, now that he was no longer a prisoner and free to live? But where would he go? What would he do? He was just seventeen, almost eighteen, but still. And with no family left. Would Claire and her brother allow him to stay with them? Could he continue the fight with them?

So many questions. He was just lost at the moment.

"How about you kiss me?"

"I…what?" replied back Steve, unsure that he heard right.

"You could start by kissing me and then we'll figure out the rest," smiled back Claire, delicately tucking away a strand of his red hair. "I like how your hair is pulled back. We can see more your green eyes."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Claire Redfield?" he nervously asked, looking straight into her eyes.

"Oh please, you wanted to kiss me in the plane when we were headed for Antarctica!" she smugly replied, lighting punching his chest.

"I what?"

"Oh, don't lie, I wasn't really sleeping you know" she added, getting dangerously closer to him.

"I really don't know what you're talking about…"

"You know…you should have just…" She was now sitting on his lap. He had no idea at this point how their towels were still magically attached to them. Claire's face and lips were inches away from his. His heart had stopped beating. She opened her mouth to say "asked" and then, there was longer distance between them. He felt softness and warmth.

She was kissing him, wasn't she? It took Steve a moment to realize it but once he did, he replied to it, his arms encircling her waist and bringing her body close to his. He could feel his own body taking on fire. And he could hear Claire sighing faintly in what he thought was relief? Satisfaction?

It was a gentle kiss, but it was what they both needed after everything and it was amazing. Comforting. Their clean and warm bodies close to each other, their skin smelling fresh and their heart beating in unison.

Steve didn't know where all this would lead him. But it was a good start. Claire wanted to be there for him, and that's all he needed to know. It would take time for him to grieve his parents and move on, but he'd have someone to support him, and that's all he needed to know.

They reluctantly parted after a while, their cheeks red and a small smile on their lips. They could see longing in each other's eyes, but there was a time for everything, as they quickly understood when Chris finally reappeared with bags of burgers and fresh clothes for them.

"Did I miss anything?" said the older man, looking at Claire and Steve who were both sitting on separate beds and watching TV.

"Not at all!" the two replied together.

The end.

Author's note: Hello! Sheenah here. This is my entry for a fanfiction contest on DeviantART. I had this idea in my head for years but never got to actually write it. So there it is! If some interest is shown, I could continue it. But I'd rather work on my other story, "Do you remember?", first. Hope you liked it!