Hello all! Once again, I am so, so sorry for not updating for so long. Shit's been crazy and I'm l̶a̶z̶y̶ uninspired. I'm off school for 6 weeks now, and I hope to get some writing done while I'm off (although I do have to go away for a while, so I probably won't be updating then). I hope this makes up a little for my month-long break, and I hope there are still some of you reading.

Kendra Iscariette: Haha, I'll take that as a compliment! I have to say, when my friend suggested it to me, I kinda squealed a bit.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Resident Evil or any of the characters.


"Hey, Claire! Can I ask you something?" a young voice piped up. The slight blonde to whom it belonged to approached from behind the redhead and plopped down on the large fallen tree which was being used as a makeshift bench. She clutched an open can of food in one hand, and a steel spoon in the other, waving erratically in the excited teenager's grip.

With brows furrowed in confusion and lips curled up in amusement, Claire nodded and uttered a quick "sure", glancing at her young friend before pushing another spoonful of soft canned meat into her mouth. The salty meat made her grimace slightly as its sliminess coated her tongue, but she repressed her queasiness, knowing none of them had any choice if they wanted to survive.

"When are you going to admit to Alice that you love her?" K-Mart asked innocently, then frowned and added, "Or have you already? Oh my god." The redhead coughed and spluttered as the shock caused her to choke on her food, eyes wide in surprise. Sipping quickly from her canteen and clearing her throat, she recovered enough to question the blonde.

"K, wha- where did you get that idea? Why would you think that?" she murmured, forcing her voice to remain level and trying desperately not to expose her lying by overdoing it. Claire's hands shook ever so slightly as she prayed the blonde wouldn't see through her; the teen could be extremely perceptive at times.

The blonde appeared to chew her answer over for a while, so the redhead kept eating, despite the anxious nausea that twisted in her stomach and crept up her throat. The leader wasn't entirely sure why she was trying so hard to cover up her relationship with the odd woman. She supposed it was something to do with not wanting to reveal any weaknesses that someone could possibly take advantage of, but right now, the redhead just didn't want to tell anyone without discussing it with her other half first; at first, Alice had been set on avoiding commitment, refusing to let anyone in. It had taken an age for her to eventually let Claire in and embrace the feelings they had for each other, and the redhead didn't want to risk scaring her away if the blonde wasn't ready for people to know.

K-Mart spoke again, attracting the Redfield's attention again. "I can tell when you look at her. You get this look on your face, kinda proud and grateful, but sorta worried too, as if you think she might disappear at any moment," the blonde paused for a minute to gulp down the sweet, syrupy fruit in the can she still held. Claire silently willed her to go on, needing to hear the rest of the girl's reasons. "And then there's the subtle not-so-subtle touches you guys exchange all the time." K-Mart must have noticed that the redhead was about to protest, as she continued quickly. "Yeah, don't think I don't notice those! Friends pat each other on the back, or hug each other around the neck. Friends don't usually gently touch each other's waists or, like, brush hands and stuff."

Claire shook her head, attempting to order her thoughts, but K-Mart kept talking. "It's not just you, you know. I mean, it's not one-sided. Have you seen the way Alice looks at you? And the way she acts around you! She's so closed off from everyone, but when you're there, there's a connection. She trusts you, Claire, even more than Carlos," the teenager said with a smile, becoming more and more sincere as she spoke.

The redhead knew Alice loved her, but hearing how obvious it was to people around them made her heart swell as she realised the strange blonde loved her more than the leader had thought. She felt her cheeks flush, and looked down in an attempt to hide the uncharacteristic blush.

"So are you gonna tell her?" the teenager asked excitedly.

"Tell who what?" a husky voice said as a certain blonde approached them, laying her hands tenderly on Claire's shoulders for a second before lowering herself on to the log. The touch wasn't missed by the younger girl, who met Claire's eyes with a small grin. Shaking her head again, the redhead turned to her secret lover.

"I, uh - it's nothing," Claire stammered, a light flush still covering her cheeks. Alice frowned slightly, more out of concern and confusion than annoyance at being left out. "Really, Alice. It's nothing," Claire reassured her, touching the woman's hand softly and looking at her with sincere eyes full of adoration. The redhead was sure K-Mart had the biggest smirk on her face, however, not a single fibre in her cared to put her right.