After a year I show up here again. I'm sorry! for the disappearance, really. The fanfic has been finished for a long time on the platform here in my country and I just forgot about it! I reread the comments and thought I should at least finish it. Penultimate chapter people, soon I'll bring the last one. Sorry about my english, i tried improve in this chapter.
She turned off the shower and stretched his arm in search of the towel, as soon as she felt the terry cloth, she pulled it out and began to dry his body, removed the excess water from his hair and wrapped the fabric around his body, going to the bedroom where the night clothes were already there was separated.
She opened the wardrobe, took out the vanilla moisturizer and applied it to her arms and legs, took the dryer that was in the first drawer under the main door of the furniture, dried her hair by combing it with the brush, decided to leave it loose and fasten her hair sides in the back with a clip she got from Sherry a few years ago, she'd be happy to know it was being used.
She put on the black dress and sat on the side of the bed to put on the heels, took a deep breath before getting up and trying to balance on the shoes so little used by her, Claire was not an elegant and high-class woman who was experienced in riding that machine torture, she didn't like it, but as she was going to a formal occasion she thought she could make the sacrifice.
She walked to the bathroom and opened the closet where she had basic makeup tools, applied foundation, compact powder, mascara, a neutral eye shadow, blush and gloss, looked at the final result in the mirror and found it satisfactory.
She heard the bell ring and walked calmly to the front door, looked through the peephole to make sure it was the person he was waiting for and smiled knowing it was him as he opened the door to welcome him.
He was well dressed as usual, a dress shirt and pants, a blazer and dress shoes too, his masculine perfume permeated her nostrils leaving her in ecstasy, she always loved the scent he gave off Leon.
"Goodnight." she replied feeling embarrassed for him to analyze her from top to bottom, giving him space to enter the apartment, while reaching for the bag on the side to complete the look.
She stuffed her wallet, keys, and a pocketknife into her purse and walked back into the room where Leon was standing in the same spot.
"I'm surprised you wear heels."
"There's always a first time, so where are you going to take me?"
"You'll see, shall we?" Leon went to the hallway followed by Claire who closed the door of the place and followed Leon to the elevator, they went down to the ground floor in silence, Redfield was feeling nervous, she didn't imagine that something like this would happen between the two of them, she was very excited and worried with what could happen, her crush on the blonde never dissipated, she was there like a little flame, that's what it always was, nothing more and nothing less.
They passed the reception and went to the visitors' parking lot, Leon took the car keys from his pocket and unlocked the doors, Claire was surprised to see the model of the car that Leon was driving.
"Mercedes E 500, you have a beautiful girl here." Claire spoke running her hand through the car admiring the beauty of the vehicle.
"Apparently it's still good with cars." Leon commented getting into the car, Claire opened the passenger door and got in right away.
"I always try to update myself on them and this one beats my Hilux for sure."
"The perks of working for the president." Leon put the key in the driveway and started the car starting the drive to the restaurant. It was a place luxurious and sophisticated enough to consider the food pricey in an absurd size.
"Do you have money to pay this?" Claire asked as soon as she saw the food prices on the menu. Leon chuckled at the way she asked worriedly. "Brought my credit card for anything."
The last sentence was the trigger for Leon to really laugh, Claire watched him without understanding the reason for the laughter, but she didn't even care as the beauty of Leon's smile made her forget any other thought.
"Don't worry about it Claire, the owner of the restaurant is an acquaintance of mine." Claire opened her mouth, understanding her friend's lack of concern, looked again at the menu without having any idea what to order.
"Any opinions? I'm really lost here." Leon called the waiter with a hand signal, the man approached politely.
"What does the couple want?" he asked positioning the notepad and pen.
Leon placed the order while Claire thought about the waiter's question, a couple, began to imagine what it would be like if they were really two completely ordinary people having a real date, getting used to having him always with them, sleeping and waking up and on special days going go to a restaurant like this and savor romance in a classic way.
"Claire." The redhead was startled by the call pulling her out of her thoughts, focusing her gaze on the blonde who was looking at her worriedly.
"Sorry, I got distracted." decided to be succinct and not give Leon any opportunity to ask what she thought. "How are you? We talked about me so much, what were you doing before you started looking for me?"
"I was on a mission in the Slavic Republic, a civil war was going on and there were rumors that BOW's were being used, I went to investigate."
"It must have been tense."
"And it was, I had to shoot a man to make him paraplegic, or he would turn into a zombie."
"Were you able to save him?" Claire asked.
"Yes, he teaches now, in a wheelchair."
"I'm sure he's grateful for everything you've done." Leon smiled, but Claire sensed something was bothering him. "What's bothering you?"
"You're still thin." the blonde commented avoiding the subject, Claire sighed seeing that she wouldn't be able to do anything and wouldn't force it either. She felt bad that he didn't trust her enough to talk.
"I got out of the hospital yesterday, I'm still getting my strength back."
"Do you have nightmares?" Claire this time just nodded, since the interrogation she hasn't verbalized much about what happened and Leon understood perfectly.
"Your meals." the waiter came putting the respective food in front of each one.
"Looks delicious." Claire commented trying to show animation. She took the silverware and cut a piece of the steak, putting it in her mouth and feeling how tasty it was. She thought of all the companions who had died and how much they deserved to be enjoying it too, but only she was lucky.
Leon could see that something was bothering her in the sad expression on her face as she savored the food.
"Didn't like it?" he asks getting her attention again.
"That's divine Leon, I haven't eaten in a place like this in a long time. Work consumes a lot of my time."
"Do you lived on the base what?"
"Pizza and coffee." the redhead responded by taking another bite of the steak and eating some of the salad.
"I don't know how your body didn't degenerate from it." Leon commented with a smile.
"I'm sure your food during missions isn't the best." Claire countered.
"Touché."
"Excuse me." the waiter appears with two glasses of juice and places an orange in front of Claire and a green in front of Leon.
"No wine?" Claire questions raising an eyebrow.
"You just got out of the hospital and I'm cutting down on drinking, I thought it would be good." the blonde responded by taking some of the juice.
"What's your flavor?"
"Lemon, yours is orange."
"Bon appetit." Claire responded by raising her glass of juice and Leon imitated the process, toasting the victory of being together once more.
"We got Claire, this is our normal date." Leon commented and Claire smiled as she remembered her last conversation with the blonde in Harvardville.
"And I'm grateful for making it real."
After that speech, neither of them dared to open their mouths, they enjoyed dinner in peaceful silence, deep in their thoughts. Leon looked at Claire seeing how fragile she was still, there was still a lot ahead that she would have to overcome, but he would be here for her, he felt special that Claire had told him everything that happened and how it affected her. The moment he thought about it, he remembered her question earlier and how he'd blatantly avoided it, Claire trusted him, but the blonde didn't return the vote to the redhead. He took a deep breath before speaking.
"Ada." Leon let go, catching Claire's attention.
"What's with her?" the redhead asked after she swallowed her food.
"I met her in the Slavic Republic." Claire dropped the silverware and took the handkerchief from her lap and wiped her mouth.
"Don't feel bad about liking her."
"She sells virus samples to the black market and that causes outbreaks. I should kill her."
"But you can't."
"I feel ridiculous." Leon mourned and Claire felt her heart sink to see her friend suffer like this, such a good man fell in love with his own sin. "I wish I had fallen in love with you in Raccoon."
Claire felt her heart speed up at the spoken sentence, her face flushed and she thanked God that Leon's head was down.
"We are not a couple, but we have a Leon bond, we have a daughter, forgot?" Claire commented making the blonde look at her. "We would give our lives for her and I would give my life for yours."
Hearing Claire say that made him feel more of a jerk, how could he not fall in love with Claire? Beautiful, faithful, strong and at the same time so delicate. Redfield would be every man's dream.
"I would give my life for you too. Thank you Claire" Leon thanked and the redhead held his hand showing support, the blonde felt his heart speed up considerably with the warm contact of her skin.
Leon might not have fallen in love with her in Racoon, but there was nothing stopping him from falling in love with her now.