"Whaaaaat?" some will say.

"Is it Sunday already?" others will ask.

No, it's not Sunday. But it's my birthday and as a special gift to myself, I'm updating earlier!

Yeah, Xaori is getting older, but I'm happy to spend some of my time in this fantastic fandom. And you can't imagine how grateful I am for all your support. This has really become an important part of my life.

Important question: Will there be another chapter on Sunday too?
Important answer: YES, chapter 22 comes on Sunday.
Important question 2: This Sunday?
Important answer2: Yes, the day after tomorrow xD

And now, I hope you enjoy this one.
Resident Evil belongs to Capcom. I still belong to myself!

Just falling friends

"I'm glad you seem to feel better," she had told him.

Leon had sensed she was coming long before she really appeared in his hotel room; as beautiful as usual. It had been a while since their latest encounter. A very long while, which made their meeting even more special.

"Ada."

With a flirtatious smile she had approached him and had turned around so he could help her undo the zipper of her dress. She had never hidden how proud she was of her body. Some of her poses were too unnatural to be considered mere coincidence. She hid her intentions well, though; just ignoring his hungry looks when she'd allow him a glance on her curves from a different angle.

This time he had embraced her from behind, combing her hair out her face with his fingers and kissing her jaw, her neck, as his hands had lowered little by little over the different textures her shape offered. She had moaned in pleasure and turned around in his grip. Hands on bare skin. Breath on breath. His blue eyes on her hazel ones. Then he had kissed her.

He wouldn't kiss everyone like he kissed Ada.

She had dragged him onto the bed, had waited for his shirt to be cast onto the floor to push her fingers over his skin. Words were never needed between them. They understood each other perfectly with looks, touches and kisses. It was a personal heaven he had never been able to leave behind. Ada. No matter what she did for a living and how their different goals would never let him have her by his side, those nights with her had always been enough to fulfill his desire.

They had undressed, hungry for each other's body. Kisses traced their way from her lips down to her spot. He had tasted her essence, drunk from her fountain, even knowing Ada would never return that favor. Kneeling down had never been her style. He would just accept what she'd give him. Loyally. Willinglessly. Her pleasure his only goal, he would lick her to her orgasm.

The way he looked at her had always reminded her that she had a human nature. Yes, Leon made her feel human. She'd sometimes force him to look at her, only to feel truly loved. She loved his eyes, so full of desire and emotion. And she loved his body, strong and willing. She even loved his ridiculous hair. The more she thought about it, the less she could explain her feelings. Supposed to be cold and independent, she had known for half an eternity that the lie she had told him in Raccoon City had actually been true. She had indeed fallen in love with him. But she couldn't afford admitting it. She would keep it a secret until the day she died, to keep herself safe; to keep her job safe; and, of course, to keep Leon safe.

His lips had found hers again as he penetrated her with care but intensely. He had showed her how much he had loved her all those years. Loved her so desperately. Ada had always been different. Unlike all those one-night stands, she had received everything of him. And everything is what he gave her again, that night, making love to her on that bed in a hotel room somewhere in London.

He watched her breathe softly as she stared through the window. The night was mild and the sky covered with tiny, bright stars. What a perfect night for lovers to meet. He sighed. To meet and to part. Again. The stabbing feeling of loneliness came back to him as he watched her get dressed. A loneliness that had killed him a bit every single time he had found her gone in the morning. Now, he felt as miserable as any previous time. Maybe even more. His gaze stuck on her as she pulled her dress up.

"That was fun," she whispered smiling.

"As always."

Her look fell onto the glass of Scotch on the nightstand.

"Aren't you thirsty after this?"

He gave her a cold gaze.

"Oh, sure, the drink." He sat up and combed some hair strands out of his face. "I have slept long enough, Ada."

His statement caused her to arch a brow.

"You know?"

"That you were drugging me so you could disappear while I was asleep?" He looked up. "I knew it since the first time you did it."

"And even so-" She smirked.

"Yes," he said. "Even so I always drank again." Brows knitted. "I guess I wanted it that way. I preferred sleeping than watching you leave."

The spy offered her back to Leon, inviting him to pull the zipper up again.

"And now?" she asked. "Are you gonna watch me leave?"

As she turned around to face him, he looked into her eyes, remembering all the time he had been longing for having her close like she was now. Sixteen years. Sixteen long years believing to be that fortunate man who would get to see what nobody else would. Her good side, her tender side, her love. His hands shoved up her arms and stroked over her delicate skin up to her neck. Eyes closed and head tilted forward, he reached her lips again. Their kiss was shallow but passionate, underlined by the soft touch of her fingertips on his jaw. He breathed in her scent, letting his senses take control of his mind. A moment of clarity stopped him from fading away. He brought his forehead to hers and took her hand in his.

"Yes." He placed the makeup compact he had kept after Lanshiang in her palm and looked into her eyes. "And I don't want you to come back."

She pulled apart, arching a brow and smirking flirtatiously at his serious gaze.

"If this is a trick to get something I can't give you," she whispered. "It's not working."

"I know, and I don't expect you to take any action." He sighed. "Ada, what we had was amazing. But I've reached my limit."

She closed her eyes and smirked.

"Your limit of nights full of passion?" Her voice joined her seductive gaze. She opened the compact having a short look at her makeup in the small mirror.

"My limit of not getting more."

She clicked her tongue and ironically blew out a breath.

"Because of that Redfield girl?" The ridiculing smirk on her lips hit him. There was indeed something in his gaze that told her she was right about her prediction. Back in India she'd had to hold back a laugh when the redhead had ridiculously talked her into searching for Leon in the ruins. She had pulled him out of that heat chamber and tried to regulate his temperature with the little material she had available in that shitty underground lab. The delicateness she had treated him with had showed Ada how much that woman cared about Leon. About her Leon. And she'd found even something tender in her actions. But even so, Redfield had never been enough to be considered a real threat. She was just a little girl, even a tomboy, compared to herself, an explosion of curves and femininity, the center of so many fantasies. Unfortunately, Leon didn't want to be one of those lucky men any more, decided to end their relationship, and one if not all of the reasons behind his decision was Claire Redfield. However, he shook his head.

"It's because of me," he said. "I have to focus on other things." He looked into her eyes again. His hand reached for hers and lifted it delicately to his lips. "I loved every moment we shared, Ada. The good and the bad ones. And I wouldn't want to have missed any of them." He let go of her hand as if he sent a dove to fly away. "But I just can't go on with this."

She smirked, hazel eyes finding him. She could've fought, she could've asked, she could've even told him that she loved him, because there was indeed a part of her that loved him. She loved him so desperately that it hurt. But, above all, Ada loved her job and she loved herself. No, she wasn't the kind of woman who gave up that easily, but she was surely not going to beg him to stay with her. Shrugging, she turned around, decided to give him what he needed to make him see what he really wanted. He'd soon get tired of boring Claire, and she'd be there when that would happen.

"I understand," she said. "Sometimes you need to wear a piece of glass to truly appreciate the shine of a diamond."

He saw her walk to the window and pull out her hookshot, wondering where the fuck she had kept that thing.

She stepped onto the frame, allowing him one last glance under her skirt. "I'll be checking on you my dear. Just in case you change your mind." A wink and a blown kiss found their way over to him. A second later, Ada was gone.

He leaned out of the window, contemplating the beautiful view of sleeping London. He himself was surprised how well he was taking the break-up. He hadn't felt the urge to scream after Ada. Not even once. And he felt free, for the first time in many years. However, he still had strange doubts running around his head. He thought about pouring down the Scotch the spy had left for him. That would surely make him sleep and maybe he wouldn't even have those strange nightmares about Claire dying in his arms again. A dream he'd had way too often in the previous nights and weeks.

Claire.

Thinking of the redhead caused him a strange uncomfort. He hadn't talked for so long. Where had she been? Was she okay? He sighed. It was time for a call. He pulled out his phone, gathered some courage and hit the dial button.

"Leon."

"Claire." His voice came out defeated, weak.

"How are you?" She asked carefully. "I heard you finally went on vacation." That last word sounded chiding.

"I did." He let the information breathe through the line. "Damnit. I'm sorry, Claire. I-" He hesitated. This was harder than he'd thought. "I wanted to call you, but I couldn't. I wasn't in a good shape."

"That sounds like a pretty good reason to call," she whispered. She sounded unusually shrill. Was she crying? "I thought about calling myself, but-" She cleared her throat. "But I didn't want to bother you."

"Oh Claire, I'm so sorry." He heard her sigh.

"It's okay, really. I'm glad you're better. Chris told me about your encounter."

"Yeah." What else was he supposed to say about the time with her brother, or in what state he had found him? Better ask about her. "How are you?"

"I'm alright. I was abroad when the latest outbreak took place." A shy whisper occupied the line. "And now, I'm even better. I thought you didn't want to know anything about me anymore."

She fastened those words around his heart. Too tight. He swallowed.

"Claire, don't even think that. It was just because of the circumstances," he whispered. "I would like to explain everything and make it up to you. How about dinner?"

She blew out a breath.

"That's gonna cost you a bit more than just beer and hamburgers." Of course it would. He smirked maliciously. He thought about offering her pizza and tequila instead but changed his mind about that unfunny joke.

"I let you chose the place. Wherever you want. Even if it's the most expensive restaurant we've ever went to. If you get a table, dinner's on me." He smiled widely.

"Hmm. Maybe I accept" She giggled. "There is something I'd need to speak to you about."

"You know you can speak to me on the line as well, right?" He chuckled. "As long as we don't say things like Bomb and terrorism I don't think anyone in the government will be interested in surveilling our conversation."

"Oh my God!" She laughed out loud. "It's just something embarrassing I wanted to tell you personally."

"Are you dating another one of your brother's men?" He had to force the words out of his throat. Something about that idea bothered him. He even stopped breathing.

Her chuckle filled his ears melodically.

"No." He breathed again. "I know it's weird to ask you this after all the time we've barely spoken, but I wanted to know if you're free Saturday in three weeks."

"What for?" He asked puzzled. He felt something hammer against his ribcage. Oh, right. He still had a heart.

"Barry and Kathy Burton are celebrating their twenty-fifth anniversary."

"Twenty-fifth anniversary? That sounds like a wedding without a previous bachelor party." Claire laughed loud at his words.

"Yeah. It's something like that. You know, that place will be infested with couples. Chris takes Jill, Sherry comes with Jake; and Barry is even letting Moira bring her new boyfriend."

"And you don't want to go alone and you haven't found anyone else to come with you." He laughed.

"You idiot! You were my first choice. But I wasn't sure if you'd still do me a favor like that."

"Claire, you are my best friend, no matter what happened or stopped happening. I would move the world closer to the Sun if you asked for it."

"Well, that would be plain stupid. My pretty creamy-white skin would get a sunburn." She laughed. "So, what do you say? Are you available? It's just to avoid people try to hook me up with someone."

"What? Isn't Chris taking care of that?" He laughed sharply.

"I don't think so." A sigh filled the pause. "Chris is already defending Jill."

Leon felt the muscles on his face tense. Claire wanted him to be her date at something like a wedding.

"I'll be more than happy to come with you, Claire." He really was. "Saturday in three weeks, you said?"

"Yes, Saturday seventh."

"Okay. If there's no global outbreak, I think I can manage that." He smiled happily. However, there was still something bothering him.

"Thanks, Leon," she said relieved. "I owe you one."

He shook his head.

"You owe me nothing. It's a pleasure." He smiled. "Because the food is free, isn't it?"

"It is!" She laughed.

"I'm looking forward to it." He exaggeratedly claimed.

"Me too. I'll send you the exact time and place through email. Take care, Leon."

"You too."

He hung up and lay down on the bed with an annoyed smirk on his face. It had been a while since he'd last felt so happy and concerned at once. He could have slapped himself for being so incredibly stupid. He had known it perfectly, but hadn't wanted to admit it, hadn't wanted to see what his subconsciousness was trying to stamp onto his forehead with permanent ink. Weeks, maybe months, full of nightmares. And the sudden desire to get rid of the spy that had owned him completely for sixteen years. He smirked regretfully. Now, he finally understood.

He had fallen in love with Claire.

"Damnit."

That was chapter 21. And yes, Leon is an idiot. I knew it, you knew it, everybody knew he had feelings for sweet Claire. But it took him a while. Don't blame him. Something inside him tried to avoid problems.

Of course, I'd like to know what you think of the story so far, if the pacing is killing you too or if you're as afraid as I am that this will become a Disney romance... Oh! Look, another unicorn!

And again, thank you all so much for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing. You make me incredibly happy. And updating on my birthday means a lot to me.

This time Lastdragonborn274 could check and edit the chapter again. I think he's doing a pretty good job and I'm very grateful for his help. Also a huge thank you to my sis Sofistinha, who read this chapter and all of its versions a hundred times and whose honesty made it just perfect because I wasn't making Leon look very nice and focused.

Thebigticket21, thank you so much for your unconditional support even when you're so busy you can barely breath. I'm sure you'll succeed :D (also for your birthday wishes :D) There goes Ada. Sorry for not giving you a huge showdown, but I really think she's too proud to just fight Claire to get Leon back. But she'll be around, watching him.

And to Titoneitor2.0. Hahahaha they really behave like teenagers writing messages without sending them xD And all that on-off, now we talk and now we don't is just plain stupid (I admit that the inclusion of Vendetta slowed that down as well. I promise we're done with that.)

As I said, chapter 22 will be posted the day after tomorrow. Take care ^^