Warnings: no beta, OOCness, English is not my first language, inconsistent tenses, i am very bad at prepositions

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: i was so excited to write this because i knew this was gonna be good! and then i wrote it. and what i had written was vastly different from what i had imagined. there were parts that i liked, but it's still kinda disappointing. oh well...

Leon's hazard pay alone was enough to afford a small island in the Pacific, but the wiser choice would be to let his money grow. No matter how much money the United States government had deposited in his bank account, his money wasn't unlimited, and it was with this mindset that Leon purchased a six-bedroom farmhouse in Oregon.

He wasn't even thinking of buying it. He was two months into his retirement, touring America in his Jeep with his most favourite person in the world sitting at the shotgun seat, when they saw a FOR SALE sign hanging outside a somewhat derelict property near Mount Hood. They stepped out of the Jeep and stared at the overgrown lawn and dirty white walls of the farmhouse, and Leon envisioned how the place would look if it was cleaner and livelier.

"You could retire here," Ada said as she approached the property. "It's a bit of a fixer-upper, but this will be beautiful once it gets cleaned up."

"What am I going to do with all those empty rooms?" Leon asked as he followed her. They stopped right in front of the rotting fence, the farmhouse looming over then from a short distance away.

"You can rent them out. That way, you won't have to live alone."

"You're not going to live with me?" It was a sensitive topic, but he needed to bring it up. He was a forty-year-old retiree, and if he was being honest, he'd rather live alone for the rest of his life than not live with Ada.

"I'm afraid I can't," she said, and Leon would be lying if he said that he didn't expect that reply. They made an effort to see each other when their schedules allowed, and then they would spend a night at least and a fortnight at most together, but they weren't dating, they weren't in a relationship, and Leon wasn't entirely sure what they were. All he knew was he would give up his life to protect this woman and she would do the same for him, only that they didn't have to because they were damn good at their jobs.

And that wasn't a good thing sometimes; Leon had to fight through tooth and nail to get an early retirement, and Ada showed no signs of settling down.

"I figured as much," he replied. "But it doesn't hurt to ask."

"Ask me again sometime?" Gone was the usual teasing tone in her voice; Leon would dare say she sounded uncertain. Maybe they were in the same page after all about their choice for a lifelong companion.

He looked at her, at the way the afternoon sun highlighted the features of her profile. Her dark eyes shone olive, her black hair looked brown, and her lush red lips looked so inviting that Leon couldn't help but lean in for a kiss.

"I will," he said when they parted, "and you better give me an affirmative answer by then."

"I'll try." That was the best answer he was going to get from her. "You could turn this into an inn or a bed and breakfast to keep the cash flowing in. Not that you need more; your 401k is more than enough."

"And inn, maybe, but a B&B?" He snorted. "There's no way I can cook breakfast for so many people. Besides, I'm not that good of a cook."

He felt Ada hug him sideways. "I love all the breakfast you make for me," she said.

He wrapped an arm around her. "I'm no commercial cook. And what do I know about running a business?" He wouldn't lie—the thought of meeting people not related to any bioterror incident was very attractive. For almost half of his life, all he had ever known were monsters and mutations, the bastards who made them, and the people who sought to destroy them. All he had ever known was work, work, and more work, and when he took a break, he spent it alone in his flat or in a faraway city with Ada. His adult life revolved around his job, his social circle mostly consisted of people fighting in the same war as he was, and his free time was devoted to honing his skills so could fight better. It was all chaos and destruction, and maybe meeting people from different backgrounds would bring him a much-needed change of worldview.

"You can hire someone to cook and you can take care of the rest." She laid her head on his shoulder, and he ran his hand up and down her arm. "Or you could forget about this property and look for something smaller and secluded. It's your choice."

It was an equally attractive choice, being secluded somewhere, but that was the last thing he needed. He could use some company to keep the nightmares at bay.

"I worry about you," she continued. "You shouldn't be alone."

"Maybe I'll get a dog or two." He looked at the phone number written on the FOR SALE sign and briefly entertained the thought of owning and running a B&B. He couldn't decide, not quite yet, but the thought was already there and he was beginning to seriously consider it.

"I would visit you as much as I can," Ada said, "wherever you decide to retire."

He didn't say that he hoped she would retire with him; they already had that conversation a few minutes ago, and he was certain that he would have more opportunities to ask again in the future. So instead, he said, "You know my door will be always open for you. Or rather, my windows, because you never use my door."

He heard her laugh lightly. "Look at you, ending this road trip by becoming a homeowner. Or a business owner."

"Honestly? I'm more surprised that I'm not surprised that I didn't come to hate you after spending two weeks with you in a cramped space. I adore you more than I did when we first started this trip. So many couples have broken up because of taking a trip together."

"Is that what we are now, a couple?" The teasing tone was back in her voice.

"You know what I mean," he said, perhaps a little too touchily.

She chuckled, and then placed a kiss on his cheek. "So, what's it gonna be, Leon? Are you going to become a homeowner or a business owner?"

Inns were bigger and required more work. Maybe he could start small, if really was going down the path to becoming a businessman. Besides, guests at a bed and breakfasts stayed for no more than a night, and he would get to have quiet hours once they left; he wouldn't have to entertain the same people more than necessary.

And if he did a little bit more introspection, becoming a homeowner didn't appeal to him, not when the person he wanted to create a home with wasn't ready to settle down with him.

"Maybe I'll try a B&B," he said. "Who doesn't love a good breakfast?"

A little over a year later, after all the renovations have been finished and after the lawn had been transformed into a respectable garden, the decrepit farmhouse was now called River Blue Bed and Breakfast. Leon chose to run a B&B to meet people who weren't related to his old job, but ironically enough, his first guests were his comrades in the bioterror warfare. Which was his fault, because he wanted to invite his friends first before opening his business to the public.

"Love what you've done with the place," Helena said as she walked around the living room. "Very homey. Not what I'd expect from you."

"Thanks," Leon deadpanned. "I hired an interior designer."

"Really?" Sherry, who was examining the fish tank, said. "You didn't mention anything about that."

"And he didn't mention operating a B&B when he retires, yet here we are," said Claire, feeding the fish.

"Don't overfeed my fishes," Leon said as he took the fish food canister from Claire. "Anyway, you're all one hour late. Check-in is at four p.m.; it's now five."

"You and I both know that late check-ins happen all the freaking time," Chris said as he sat on an armchair. "Better get used to it."

"What's this?" Helena asked, eyeing a particular frame hanging on the wall.

Claire, Sherry, and Chris also looked at the frame. There was a sheet of white paper inside, with the calligraphy of foreign characters expertly written on it in with a brush and black ink.

"It's a Classic Chinese poem," said Leon. They all looked at him for more explanation, and when he offered none, his friends exchanged knowing glances before going back to what they were initially doing.

His looked around his living room. Claire and Sherry were busy observing the fishes, Chris was reading a landscaping magazine, and Helena was inspecting his house plants. He wanted to get away from B.O.W.s, but it seemed like the world of B.O.W.s wasn't done with him, especially with how the DSO still sent him messages about coming back.

"We don't serve dinner here, so you better go to town for that," Leon said as went over to where their overnight bags were. "Now, do you need help with these?"

Leon didn't fancy himself as a host. He didn't really invite people into his flat—except maybe Ada, who invited herself—so he didn't have much practice entertaining guests, but this was one of the reasons why he chose to open a B&B. He wanted to hear about the experiences of people who lived in a different world, because sometimes, Leon forgot that not everything should be about ridding the planet of bio-organic weapons. But how could he do that when the people he shared his breakfast with were all soldiers in this senseless war?

However, behind each soldier was a human being with a distinct personality. Much of their lives were influenced by the mere existence their enemies, but they had lives away from the battlefield. Leon couldn't say the same for himself, so he was pleasantly surprised when their breakfast conversation avoided the topic of B.O.W.s; it seemed like his friends supported his choice to step away.

"This is amazing," Chris said as he greedily downed his stew. "Where'd you get your cook?"

Leon could make a decent meal, but he was no kitchen genius. He put out a classified in search of a chef, and that was how he met his cook named Rock. Rock was an army veteran and was built like a tank—he was even bigger and taller than Chris—but he was an affable man. He also made the most delicious stew Leon had the pleasure of tasting in his whole entire life.

"He came in through the door with a bowl of stew," Leon replied in between sips. "Easiest decision I've ever made."

"Give him our compliments," Claire said as she tore her croissant with a knife. "This is so damn good."

"Why don't you compliment him yourself?" Leon suggested.

An hour later, after all smiles and compliments were exchanged, Leon waited with his guests in front of his property for their cab. He helped them load their bags in the boot, and before his guests left, they all gave him a warm, tight hug.

"You'll do well," Helena assured him.

"I have faith in you, Leon," said Claire. "You keep this place running, yeah?"

"I hope you don't get bored out here," Sherry told him.

"Wish I could retire too, but the BSAA won't let me go just yet," said Chris.

Leon clapped Chris's shoulder. "Better hand in your notice, then, and show them how serious you are."

"Take care of yourself," Chris said, which Leon answered with a nod. He had arms, ammunitions, and medicine hidden all over his property, not to mention the revolver he kept in his bedside table. If there was going to be a, god forbid, virus outbreak, Leon would be well prepared for it.

He herded his friends into the cab and watched the vehicle until it disappeared downhill. He wished the gardener a good morning before going back inside, where he saw Rock cleaning up the table.

"You don't have to do that," said Leon as he took the dirty plates from his chef. "I hired you to cook, not to clean tables."

"Let me help, just today," Rock replied, wiping the table. "I like your friends. They seem nice."

"They are."

"They also look like they've seen too much."

"They have."

"Like you."

He knew that Rock served in the army, but his cook didn't know what Leon exactly did before his retirement. They were both veterans, although they fought in different wars and fought different enemies. They both have been to hell and back.

"Like me," Leon affirmed.

Later that day, Ashley Graham checked in. The day after, Ingrid Hunnigan visited him.

And the day after that, his most favourite person in the world arrived.

Ada arrived at four in the afternoon. Leon carried her overnight bag for her, never mind that it was as light as a feather. He led her upstairs, past the guest rooms, and brought her to the part of the farmhouse cordoned off; it was Leon's private space.

"Where am I staying?" Ada said as Leon opened the door to a bedroom.

"My bedroom, of course," Leon replied as if any other answer would be preposterous. "Where else?"

Ada raised an eyebrow. "That's too forward of you, Mr Kennedy."

Leon pulled her closer to him by her waist. "What, you think I'll let you stay in the guest rooms when I have a king-sized bed in my room?"

She put her arms around his neck. "Do you say that to all your guests?"

He kissed her, soft and slow and sweet. "No," he said, brushing the hair away from her face. "Just my favourite guest—you." He leaned in for another kiss. "Fancy some light snacks?"

"I thought you only served breakfast."

"My cook makes the breakfast. But for my favourite guest, I'll serve you whatever you want."

After some tea and biscuits (leftovers from the batch Rock made that morning, not handmade by Leon), Ada walked around Leon's living room. She watched the fishes for a while, complimented his interior designer, looked at the paintings, and stopped in front of a particular frame.

"Song of Divination, huh?" she said. "I'm guessing you read that book of Classical Chinese poems I gave you."

"I…flipped through it," he admitted. "I thought that one felt fitting."

"I'm guessing this is where you got the name for the B&B?"

Leon stepped beside her, looking at the poem inside the frame. His friends and the locals thought that he got the name from the B&B's location—Hood River County—but really, it was from a poem by Li Zhiyi.

I wish your heart will be like mine, the poem said, Then not in vain for you I pine. He thought that it was oddly fitting, so why not use it?

"I think it's nice," Leon said.

Ada looked at him as if she knew something he wasn't telling. "I see that the view around here is spectacular. Care to show me around?"

"It's late, ma'am. I'll bring you to hiking trail tomorrow. How about I show you around the neighbourhood for the meantime?"

"I didn't know that was part of your hospitality."

"Anything for my favourite guest."

Bed and breakfast guests typically stayed for only a night and then a breakfast before leaving, but Ada wasn't just a guest. She wasn't even staying in the guest rooms; she was staying in Leon's bedroom, making her Leon's guest instead of the bed and breakfast's. So after they left the hiking trail, Ada returned with Leon to the B&B, and if Rock had questions as to why a guest stayed two nights in a row, he didn't voice them out.

Once breakfast was done, Leon waited outside with Ada for her cab, and when it arrived, she kissed him goodbye, saying, "I'll come by again next month."

"Can't wait," he murmured against her lips. "I already miss you."

She chuckled, shaking her head. She patted him on the cheek and said, "See you later, Leon," before getting inside the cab.

It would be another month before Leon saw her again, but he had a B&B to keep him busy.

The day after Ada left, Leon officially opened River Blue Bed and Breakfast for business. Word got around the local community and nearby towns, so he had a steady influx of customers, but he was aware that much of the advertising and marketing these days were done through social media, and Leon was a complete caveman when it came to social media.

"Seriously? Not even Facebook?" Cord, Rock's daughter, had said. Leon hired her as his part-time social media manager, and there was indeed an increase in guests.

"I'm not interested in social media," Leon had replied. He was a former federal employee; he knew just how much tracking and surveillance the government he served did on its citizens. Not to mention that he got the creeps thinking of the weak encryption social networking sites had on their messaging systems. If he was going to talk to his friends, he would use a secure line, thank you very much.

The increase in his customers was certainly a good thing. He got to meet several people from all walks of life, and talked to them about their experiences. He marvelled at how different their lives were, and though B.O.W.s had an effect on those lives, they didn't bring a devastating change to them, unlike Leon's experience. He lived vicariously through these people, wondering how his life might have turned out if he didn't go to Raccoon City on that fateful night. He would have fewer nightmares, that was for certain. He would also not get to meet Ada—

Ah, scratch that. He would get to meet her, one way or another, and she would still own his heart. He would still fall for her hook, line, and sinker.

Sometimes, Claire and Sherry would visit him. Sometimes, Helena and Hunnigan would. Sometimes, Chris would tag along his sister, and Sherry would force Jake to come with. Sometimes, Ashley would bring him snacks and delicacies from former President Graham.

And once a month, Ada would visit him, and he would list the entire B&B as fully booked for the days and nights she would be there so he could have her all to himself uninterrupted. He also gave Rock paid vacation days for those times, and his cook didn't complain nor ask questions. His daughter also didn't question about why Leon wanted his property off limits during that certain period.

It was his favourite part of his retirement, although it felt like he was playing house with the woman he longed to call his bride.

One of the changes social media brought to his B&B was this group of five ladies in their sixties. They lived in Underwood, Washington, and despite their age, they were still active hikers, even though they chose hiking trails that wouldn't be detrimental to their health. One such trail was located near River Blue, and being the new B&B in town, they decided to check it out.

These ladies would come to River Blue once a month, and then once every two weeks, and then once a week. In their later visits, they didn't even go to the hiking trail; they just stayed at Leon's B&B.

So over one breakfast, Leon finally asked, "Excuse me, ladies, I hope you don't mind my asking, but aren't you here an awful lot? Not that I don't want you here—I wouldn't turn away the business of such charming women—but aren't your husbands worried?"

The ladies snickered.

"The food is incredibly good," one lady—Maude—said before taking a bite out of her bagel. She was a retired teacher, and her husband was a retired fire captain. "But the sight of you is even better."

The ladies laughed again, making Leon blush. He already had enough teasing from one woman, let alone five.

"My husband enjoys it when I'm not in the house," Beth, a former nurse, said. She took a sip of her coffee and then added, "The house is quiet for a day and he can work on his car restoration without interruptions. But oh! He gives me the biggest smooches when I get home. I know he must have missed me a lot."

Dinah stirred her tea. "I'm a divorcee, so I ain't got no husband complainin'," she said before laughing. She used to be a clerk at a government office, but she was now a choir director for their church.

Audrey, a retired lawyer, took a sip of her stew before saying, "My Henry passed away ten years ago. I'm sure he would want me to enjoy as much eye candy as I can."

Leon's cheeks once again flushed.

"Bah, you two-faced wenches," said Ellen, a retired seamstress, before spreading more butter on her toast. "Just say that you're all competing for Mr Kennedy's attention and be done with it."

"Just call me Leon, please," said Leon.

"They're sizing you up, honey," Ellen added, "to see if you'd be a good fit for their daughters or nieces."

Leon choked on his pancake. He grabbed a glass of orange juice and quickly downed his food. "What?"

"You've done and spilled it, Ellen!" Dinah exclaimed.

"We've been coming here for four months!" said Ellen. "The boy is bound to get suspicious."

Leon was a grown-ass man, but he wouldn't dare contradict a woman of Ellen's temper.

"Leon, dear," Maude said, looking at him with beseeching eyes. "You are very easy on the eyes, and you have a successful business. I would love to have you as my son-in-law. My daughter, Vera, you would absolutely love her. She's a successful artist and has a large following on Instagram—"

"Shush, you!" Dinah interrupted, and said in a softer voice, "Leon, you must meet my niece, Abby. She's a mechanic and you both share a love for motorbikes, so I'm sure that you two would get along swimmingly."

"And my dear Marianne," said Audrey, "she's a piano teacher. Look, here's a picture…."

The moment Audrey took her phone out, Maude and Dinah did the same. They shoved their phones into Leon's face, each displaying a photo of lovely women of Leon's age.

Leon scooted backwards, holding his hands up in a defensive position. "Ladies, I appreciate your kind gestures, but unfortunately I'm not looking for someone at the moment…."

"See? You've intimidated him," said Ellen. "You come here under the guise of wanting to set him up with someone you know, when in reality you just want to ogle at him."

"Can't we do both?" said Dinah, and all five of them laughed. Despite their ongoing competition to snag Leon as an in-law, it seemed that their friendship was much stronger than any rivalry.

"I have to be honest with you, Leon," said Maude, spreading more cream cheese on her bagel. "My daughter is a divorcee and has a three-year-old son, so that might turn you off."

"Abby just broke her engagement," said Dinah. "She and her former fiancé were engaged for a year, but they were together for seven."

"And my Marianne has never had a boyfriend before," Audrey said, almost in tears. "I'm afraid she's well on her way to becoming a spinster…"

Beth, who was sitting beside Audrey, patted her back. From what Beth had told Leon before, her daughter had a lovely wife, and Ellen's son was happily married, so there was no need for them to introduce their children to Leon.

"There is someone out there for everyone," said Leon, meeting Maude's, Dinah's, and Audrey's eyes, "and I have already found my someone, so I'm afraid you're looking at the wrong place."

The ladies nodded in understanding before returning to their breakfasts. Talking to these women gave him a view of a world indirectly touched by bioterror; they were fortunate enough to have never been involved in any outbreaks, and have only heard of its horrors second-hand. He envied them, but he was also happy to see that all his work weren't in vain, because he had protected these people. These people lived the most normal lives they could under the given circumstances, and it was because of people like Leon. He had done something good. All that endless killing and fighting afforded these women and their families the peace that they lived, because Leon didn't give up.

He retired. He didn't give up. He was tired of his past life. He gave up half of his life to protect civilians. It was about time that he lived his life for his own.

That group of five ladies returned to visiting Leon once a month. His business was booming, his friends still visited him regularly, and still Ada spent a night or two with him every month. She usually sent him a message in advance about when she would be coming, but the month was nearly over and there was still no message from her. Leon shrugged it off, thinking that maybe she wanted to surprise him.

The calendar pages turned, the month changed, and she still didn't contact him. And then the calendar pages turned again, and there was still no message from her. Leon hadn't seen Ada for two months, and saying that he was getting worried was a huge understatement. Even Rock and Cord gave him questioning looks, although they didn't say anything, worried that they might be overstepping their boundaries.

When three months had passed and there was still no word from her, Leon resolved to find her, but how would he? Ada was a ghost who left virtually no traces; he would have better luck making contact with an actual ghost than tracking her down. He was itching to put his bulletproof vest on and take out all his weapons from hiding to go in search for her, worried that she might be in deep trouble.

Four months later, just after he woke up from another night of tossing and turning, he finally received a message from an unknown number, and it contained the coordinates to what Leon recognised as one of Ada's safe houses in North Dakota. He put Rock in charge of the B&B and told him to apologise to their guests for him, saying that he had some things to take care of. He would have taken the plane, but how else would he take his weapons with him? It would take too much time to obtain a permit to carry his guns to the plane; it was much easier to just hit the road, although it would take longer.

He didn't know if it was really Ada or not. It might be a trap, so he loaded his Jeep with as much gear and ammo his permit would let him and left the B&B in a hurry, but not without grabbing the breakfast that Rock had prepared for him. It was a twenty-four-hour drive, and Leon wasted no time in speeding away.

He arrived at the location on the evening of the following day. Ada's safe house was a secluded cabin a thirty-minute hike away from the foot of the hill, so he wore his bulletproof vest and carried as much weapons as he could. There was no one around; as far as Leon knew, Ada owned the land within a one-kilometre radius, so he didn't have to worry about civilians seeing him.

Finally, after half an hour, he spotted the cabin, with muted lights streaming from its curtained windows. He approached it slowly, careful not to make any noise. He crouched under a window, trying to see if there was a crack that would afford him the view inside. When he found none, he drew to his full height, held his gun at the ready, and knocked on the door.

"Who's there?" came Ada's steely voice.

"Ada?" Leon said.

"Leon?" she said. He heard locks clicking, and then she opened the door partially, the door chain stopping it from fully opening. And then, through the small opening, Leon saw relief wash over her face, and then she was fully opening the door and leaping into his arms.

But the hug went as quickly as it came. With a gun in hand, Ada checked the surroundings, and it was only then that Leon noticed the bandages on her left arm and right leg, and the yellow bruises marring her beautiful face.

"I'm alone," Leon said, stashing his gun away. "I wasn't followed. I'm not some rookie."

Ada's stance relaxed. She cast one final glance at the surroundings before dragging Leon inside the cabin, locking it, putting away her gun, and embracing him once more.

Leon's arms wound around her waist. "Jesus Christ, Ada, what happened? Do you know how worried I was? What happened to you?"

"Leon, I'm sorry," she said as she cupped his face. "I tied up some loose ends and burned some bridges. I had to make sure they wouldn't come after me."

"'They'? Who are you talking about?"

"The people from my world. I had to make sure that I'm completely free from them before I could see you again. I didn't want you to get caught up in my mess."

He brought a hand to her face, gingerly touching her bruises. "And you got these from those bastards?"

She smirked. "You should see the other guys." She placed her hands on his shoulders, her face becoming serious. "I've…been planning this since you casually asked me to live with you, before you bought your B&B. I thought right then and there how lovely it must be to retire and settle down—and most importantly, settle down with you." She looked way, a sad smile on her face. "I didn't think that it would be possible to leave the life I've known, but if you could do it, then so can I." She looked back at him, this time with a small but genuine smile. "And I did it. I've made my choice now. I'm going to retire so I could be with you."

Leon's throat became dry. The right words wouldn't come out, so he just buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. He wrapped his arms tighter around her, and he felt her arms wound around his shoulders.

Finally, he said, "And you didn't ask me for help?"

"It was my problem. I didn't want to involve you in that kind of world. You don't belong there, and you should never see it." She gently raised his head so she could meet his eyes. "I belong with you now, and I want to see you every day."

He kissed her. It started soft and slow, until all the worry that had been eating him away from the inside for the past four months came to the fore, transforming his kisses into something insistent, hungry, and desperate. And Ada surely felt it, because she returned his kisses with the same fervour, if not more.

They broke apart, gasping for air. She was smiling at him, and it looked so foreign on her face because he could never recall seeing her smiling so widely before. It was a pure, childlike smile without any of the trademark coyness that always came along with her—without any of the burdens she used to carry.

And it looked damn good on her.

"Would it be too much trouble if I became your permanent guest?" she asked, eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, that would be too much," he answered, and her eyes dimmed, the smile slipping off her face. He then added quickly, "How about you become a permanent member of my household instead?"

For a moment, she was too stunned to react, and then she was laughing, and laughing, and laughing, as light and free as she had never been, and it was sweeter than any sound he had ever heard.

"I'd love that," she answered, before pulling him down for another kiss.

After North Dakota, Ada came to Oregon and helped Leon run the B&B. A month later, the five old ladies visited again, and Leon introduced Ada to them as "my someone." She charmed the guests left and right, like what Leon had always thought when he imagined Ada running the B&B with him. She treated conversations like a puzzle, each question bringing the whole picture into completion. And really, if she wasn't a good conversationalist, Leon doubted that Ada would be one of the finest spies the world had ever seen.

But as charming these past few months have been, Leon wasn't content. He still enjoyed meeting new people and getting a glimpse of their worlds, but the moments that he truly enjoyed the most were the times when he and Ada were alone in the farmhouse, cleaning, putting things back into their proper places, and sweeping the floors and dusting furniture. Those moments were filled with comfortable silence, and after a whole day of entertaining guests and cleaning, they would retire to their bedroom and fall asleep in each other's arms.

And then they would wake up again and cater to their guests. Leon wasn't tired of hearing stories from people—from these people that he helped protect— but he was increasingly growing tired of hosting and entertaining them. His selflessness made him spend almost half of his life protecting these people from the nightmares that roamed the streets, and he wanted to be selfish just this once.

He thought that Ada might have been feeling the same way. She wasn't a people person, although she was very good at dealing with them, making it seem like she loved being constantly surrounded by people. It felt to him like she was treating this whole B&B-owner thing like a long-term mission, so he broached the topic one night before they went to sleep.

"I've been thinking," Leon said, "of selling the B&B."

Ada looked up from her book. She closed it, put it on her bedside table, and said, "Why?"

"I guess everything's a bit too much for me now," he said. "You were the one who suggested that I open a B&B so I wouldn't be alone. But I have you now. I won't be alone anymore."

"I thought you were enjoying this?"

"I am." He opened his arms in invitation, and Ada didn't need to be told to lay her head on Leon's chest. He ran a hand through her hair, saying, "But you're here now, and you're not going away again. I won't have to live alone anymore."

"You said you wanted to meet people unrelated to B.O.W.s," she said as she snuggled into him.

"And I have. But I think…I think this B&B wasn't really my retirement." He placed a kiss on her forehead. "I think my true retirement will begin once I settle down with you in a house somewhere."

"So what was this, then, a trial stage?"

"Maybe." He gently tilted her head so he could look at him. "But I think I was just killing time waiting for you. Like I always am."

She leaned up for a quick kiss. "Sorry for making you wait." She cupped his face and kissed him deeply. "You don't have to wait for me anymore. I'm here. I'll always be here from here on out."

She laid her head back on his chest, his arm wrapping around her shoulders. He said, "So? Where do you want to retire with me?"

She chuckled. "Let's go on a road trip again and decide."

The sale was finalised three months later. Leon sold the B&B to Rock for a discount, which the latter protested vehemently, saying it was too cheap.

"Consider it a thank-you," Leon had said as he handed the property deed to his former cook, "for all your and your daughter's help."

Rock had hugged him then, lifting him off the ground. He heard Ada snicker behind him.

"Thank you," Rock had said, "I will take care of this gift."

Rock said that he was planning on hiring his retired comrades, and on renaming the B&B to "Bridge Four Bed and Breakfast." Leon didn't complain. After all, Li Zhiyi's poem wasn't applicable to him anymore; Ada felt the same, and he no longer pined for her.

They had said their goodbyes to the five ladies and expressed their wishes for their daughters and nieces to finally find their someone. The ladies assured him that they would come back even if he wasn't there anymore, because Rock's cooking was simply out of this world, and he was an even better host than Leon. He didn't take offence to that, because it was the truth.

Leon had also informed his friends. Ada was there with him, proudly standing by his side. Things between her and Chris were still awkward, although Lanshiang was more than five years ago and her innocence was long since proven.

"Where are you two going to put down your roots?" Helena had asked.

Leon and Ada shared a look, and he answered, "Wherever the road takes us."

The road took them to Palouse, Washington, where they purchased a two-storey home in a vast farmland filled with trees, shrubs, and hundreds of canola flowers. One day, they would build a chicken coop, and maybe a barn. One day, they would plant fruits and vegetables, and maybe a greenhouse. One day, they would get a dog or two.

The master bedroom had an en suite bathroom, and so did the two guest rooms. Their living room had a fireplace, their kitchen had a cosy nook, and they had separate studies. In the backyard were a shed and a bunker, although their bunker was more like a panic room. Its walls and doors had layers and layers of steel, and there was also a communication system that could be operated with backup power. Their doors and windows were outfitted with steel shutters, and hidden in every room were a first aid kid, weapons, ammunitions, and food. They may have retired from hunting B.O.W.s, but they weren't sure if B.O.W.s were tired of them. Better safe than sorry.

As opposed to the B&B he used to own, this time, Leon expected to entertain only family and friends, and they wouldn't be visiting them as much as they did back then. He knew they were worried about him, what with him retiring early, but they didn't need to be worried anymore, because he was finally with the one person he had always wanted to be with.

A week after they moved into their new home, he carried a breakfast-laden tray to their bedroom. He adamantly told Ada to stay in bed because he wanted to bring her breakfast in bed, just for old times' sake.

He arrived at their bedroom to see Ada standing over a window, admiring the vast fields of canola flowers outside. "What are you doing?" he said. "Go back to bed."

"You ordering me now?" she said, smirking, before complying.

He sat across her on the bed, and then placed the tray over her lap. It was a proper breakfast-in-bed tray, complete with short legs and a small vase of canola flowers plucked from outside. On it were waffles, syrup, whipped cream, fruits, orange juice, water, and a napkin—very much like the breakfast trays he had served to their guests who wished to eat alone in their rooms.

She sliced a portion off her waffle and topped it with butter, syrup, and fruits, and then tasted it.

"I made that myself," Leon said proudly. His cooking skills had greatly increased during his time as a B&B owner. "How was it?"

"Very good," replied Ada, her eyes closed in satisfaction. She sliced another portion away and covered it with more butter, syrup, and fruits. She held out the fork to Leon, saying, "You outdid yourself this time."

Leon ate the proffered food, and then grinned. "Yeah, I did good."

With her thumb, Ada wiped away the whipped cream at the corner of Leon's mouth, and then kissed him once, twice, thrice, each one more lingering than the last. She tasted like strawberries and maple syrup.

"Good morning, Mr Kennedy," she said, smiling.

He took her left hand and kissed the ring on her left ring finger. "Good morning, Mrs Kennedy."

The smile she gave him was sweeter than any syrup in the world.

A/N: Rock and Cord are characters from The Stormlight Archive. It's my favourite series of books of all time.

The Song of Divination by Li Zhiyi is a real poem.