Leon was awoken by the knock on the door.
He wrinkled his forehead, and scratched his hair. Who the hell would be knocking on the door at this time? It certainly couldn't be Chris or Jill…he looked blearily at the clock across on the bedside table, over where the naked form of Claire lay, peacefully and blissfully asleep.
He smiled tenderly, and stroked her beautiful auburn hair.
Knock, knock.
For crying out loud…he thought, shrugging on a bluish bedrobe and storming downstairs, hair messy and in that style that screamed 'only just woken up'. He paced towards the front door, twisted the handle and wrenched it open…
"Who the…?"
His heart didn't just sink, it went into his mouth at the same time. It was a man. A young man with reddish hair, not too dissimilar to his own. He smiled, but not in a way that Leon appreciated. He just knew who it was from Claire's description.
"Steve" Leon said, icily.
"That's right" Steve said, eyeing Leon narrowly "Who the hell are you?"
"Leon Kennedy, and I want to know what you're doing here!" Leon replied sharply, not expecting Steve to be so discourteous.
"I'm here to see Claire" Steve said, "Where is she?"
"Asleep" Leon said, darkly.
Steve glared at him.
"Well?" Steve stated, hands on hips.
"Well what?"
"Go and wake her up…I need to talk to her!"
Leon felt his fingernails digging deep into the wood of the door, unable to contain his fury and disappointment. Like the condemned man being sent to execution, Leon walked upstairs to their bedroom. He gently shook Claire awake, hand gliding over her soft skin. His eyes welled up with tears as she gently awoke, rolling over and smiling at him…until she noticed his eyes glistening with tears.
"Leon…what's wrong?" she asked, softly.
"There's…somebody here to see you…" he whispered, only just managing to get the words out.
Claire looked confused as she pulled on her dressing gown and then followed Leon's lead to the front door.
"Who'd be calling at this time in the morning…" Claire began, before she saw Steve.
"Hey honey" Steve said, smiling wryly.
There was a very long silence. Then there was another very, very long silence. However, instead of Claire's eyes lighting up and her falling into Steve's arms, Claire said a little flatly
"You'd better come in"
This reaction surprise both Leon and Steve, who clearly had not expected such a brusque response.
"Um…sure thing" Steve said, walking puzzled into the lounge.
Claire turned to Leon, smiling gently.
"Leon sweetie, take a shower; me and Steve need to talk"
"Sure…tell me when you're finished, okay?" he replied.
Leon nodded, wiping a tear and running upstairs to the shower.
Steve and Claire sat in silence. There was no sound apart from the roar of the shower, but the lack of sound had clearly hit such an extent that the silence had become sound in itself, a light hiss. Both of them were clearly uncomfortable with the stale atmosphere that hung in the room, but Steve clearly wasn't giving up yet. He looked at Claire and began to speak, in a hopeful way.
"I…know this may come as a shock to you Claire…"
She looked up at him, face slack with emotion.
"It is a shock Steve, it is a shock…we can't pretend it's otherwise"
He smiled.
"I've missed you, Claire"
"I missed you" she replied, looking away.
He sat closer to her, placing his arm around her.
"Claire…I told you I loved you…and I do. I want us…to you know…try…?" he said timidly.
Claire edged away, pushing his arm off her.
"No Steve, I can't"
"Wha…" Steve was now less bewildered, and more cross "…Why not?"
"Steve it's different now" Claire said, in a speech she'd been rehearsing for the day he'd return from the dead, which he clearly had "I'm sorry, you can't just burst back into my life and expect me to fall into your arms like a damsel in distress, it doesn't work like that…not anymore…"
"Why not? I thought you…cared for me" Steve said, a little hurt.
"I do Steve, there's no indication that says I don't" she sighed "But…I didn't think I'd hear myself say this…I don't feel for you in the same way I once did. I've moved on, we've moved on. I might have loved you once, but…something changed me. The way I feel"
Steve knew what was coming, feeling a lump forming in his throat.
"Him, right? Leon? The guy at the door?"
"I did tell you about him once in Antarctica…" Claire said "…but yes, him. I thought you were dead, and I was so distressed and grief stricken…I realised that I'd fallen in love with somebody else. Somebody who stayed with me. Leon did. He looked after me; and he told me he loved me. He was with me all the time, always there"
"I would have" Steve cut in.
"But you didn't" Claire replied, "You might have…been injured, but you're here now. Sorry Steve, but if you wanted love…then I'm afraid you've come a few months too late"
Steve looked downcast.
"So you're saying no, right?"
"Yes" Claire sighed, smiling sadly "I'm really sorry. I love Leon, Steve. Trust me, there's a girl out there for you, somebody really special but…she isn't me"
Steve sighed.
"Well…at least you told me straight out" he said, with a heartbroken smile "…and I guess you're right, there is a girl for me…guess I just have to keep waiting"
"It's not that I don't ever want to see you again, okay?" Claire added, walking over and patting him on the back "But as long as we can remain friends, I think we'll survive"
Steve smiled.
"Yeah. You're right"
"Any girls you have an eye on right now?"
Steve chuckled.
"Yeah right"
At this point Leon walked in, fully clothed; he paused, looking at the pair of them, waiting for a cue to speak. Leon's stomach muscles were so tight they could have been used to hang washing on them.
"Uh…am I…?" Leon began.
"No, it's okay" Claire said, walking up to him and kissing him on the cheek "Me and Steve have sorted ourselves out now. All is well"
Leon looked at her, face hopeful and joy burgeoning across his face like the sun rising.
"Really…? You…you still want me…?"
"Leon" she whispered, cupping his cheek "There's nobody else"
She kissed him deeply, Steve watching them and sighing a little.
"So…uh…where should I go?" Steve asked.
Once they pulled apart, Leon said
"Well, you can bunk up here, or if you're uncomfortable there's a motel nearby"
"I'll take the motel for a few days, to think things over…ya know?" Steve said, with a smile "And…good luck, the both of you."
Claire smiled.
"Thanks Steve"
"Thanks man" Leon said, shaking his hand "Join us for Christmas, won't you? And if you don't bring a girlfriend along then I'll kill you"
Steve laughed, his first genuine laugh.
"Understood" he said, picking up his bag and walking towards the door…not altogether upset but heartbreak still lingered there.
"You think he'll be okay?" Leon asked, as Claire put her arms around him.
"He'll be absolutely fine; he'll need a little time to mend himself, repair his feelings, you know?"
"Yeah, I get it" Leon replied, nodding. He turned to her "Claire…I'm so glad that you chose me…I love you, Claire Redfield"
"And I love you, Leon S Kennedy" she said with a smile and another tongue-based kiss "And now…let's get ready for Christmas"
THE FINALE IS STILL TO COME!
Authors Note: There, that's the conflict sorted out! J I chose to give Steve a good representation here, and for Steve fans he might turn up with a girlfriend, original character but I'm just more partial to Claire and Leon! ^_^ The epilogue will be [ure Christmas spirit, even though Christmas finished four months or so ago! :D
P.S. For those out there who don't know, me and Chicky Tifa…well…we don't communicate anymore really, not in an argument but it just stopped really, and we lost contact. I don't want this discussed please, but I have moved on. I still regard her as a close friend, despite our non-communication. Okay? J I request, please don't put any of this in the review.