Cleo could never forget the first time she met Ada Wong. Ada was enigmatic and oddly calm for the situation she was in. The situation being that she was trapped in a city filled to the brim with undead, vicious monstrosities. She told Cleo she was an FBI agent, and she didn't completely trust her story but she did trust her. Ada had an aura of authority and strength, so Cleo decided to super glue herself to her side. If anyone could get her out of this fresh hell it would be the FBI agent mowing down the dead effortlessly while wearing a cocktail dress and stripper heels.
Cleo befriended her, and she even started to fall for her, she trusted Ada right up to the point where she betrayed her. She felt angry and hurt, the woman who she had been surviving with all this time was just using her? She thought she meant something to Ada, and she thought that maybe once they got out of Racoon city they could become closer... She was heartbroken, to say the least. Despite her new negative feeling towards Ada, she was still torn apart when she "died" for the first time. She remembers how miserable she was; how she regretted not being able to save her.
...2 years pass...
"Oh...So it's true, you're not dead." Cleo said to her when they met again. This time they were in her living room, which Ada had stealthily snuck into. it was late at night, Cleo yawned deeply before continuing. "You could've knocked." She rubbed sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hand as her mind started to wake up and fully comprehend the situation. She slowly lowered her hand and stared at Ada, completely dumbstruck. "Oh my god- Ada, you're alive!" She rushed towards her and pulled her into a tight bear hug. Ada patted her back awkwardly, she would have to get used to Cleo's warm nature all over again. It had been almost two years since they had last seen each other, but their feelings hadn't changed at all.
" Okay, that's enough, quit trying to squeeze me to death." Ada gently pulled Cleo off of her by her hands, she held them in her own for a moment before letting go unwillingly. Ada would sit down on Cleo's couch next to her and explain what had happened, and cautiously told Cleo about her relation with Umbrella. Cleo wasn't surprised, but she was disappointed in Ada for associating with such company.
"This might sound stupid but... I think we can make this work, Ada, only if you want to though." Cleo looked her in her eyes and swallowed nervously, did Ada even like girls? Did she misunderstand the way Ada looked at her; did Ada just want a friend? Cleo's mind raced with senarios of how Ada could reject her. Ada smiled and Cleo instantly relaxed.
"Took you long enough, at least you figured out that I like women who take initiative." Ada ran her fingers through Cleo's mocha hair and placed her hand on her cheek before leaning in, stopping short of Cleo's lips teasingly. Her thumb grazed past Cleo's lips sensually. "But I hope you understand that I don't kiss on the first date, what type of girl do you think I am?"
...3 years pass...
They made it work, just like Cleo said they could. Cleo worked for the government to stop the influence of Umbrella and bio weapons, while Ada worked directly against her. And yet , despite being on opposing sides, they were able to put work aside and just focus on loving each other.. They were happy, they were the happiest couple they knew. They both had plenty of missions and jobs to do, but they cherished the time they had together. But, sadly, all good things come to an end at some point.
It was about 6 pm,and Cleo was clanging around pots and pans in the kitchen, trying her best to put together a good enough meal. Rain pitter-pattered on the roof and windows loudly. Thunder would occasionally strike, nearly scaring Cleo right out of her skin. Humming happily, she started to cut vegetables on her cutting board in tune with the sound of rain outside. Ada should be home soon from her mission She thought to herself as she bobbed her head subconsciously, smiling contently at the thought of her girlfriend of 3 years coming home to her.
There was a loud knock at the door, her head whipped up to look towards the sound. She smiled and made her way towards the door. Pulling the door open, she began to speak to her girlfriend. " Hey, Ada! You're here way earlier than I thought you would-" her smile faded when the person she saw wasn't Ada. It was Leon Kennedy, her co-worker and close friend, she could tell from the look in his eyes that something was wrong. He looked like he hadn't slept in a while, and his eyes had lost their usual boyish gleam. She gripped the door frame to keep from toppling over. "Leon? What's- what's up?" Her voice cracked as she nervously asked him, he didn't say anything at first. She fidgited with her nails while waiting for him to say something. Dread crept into her very soul, was Ada alright? Where is she? What happened to her? A million thoughts raced through Cleo's mind. She tried to calm herself down by telling herself that she was just being a negative Nancy, per usual, but she knew deep down that the news Leon had for her wasn't good.
"I think you should sit down, Cleo." He gently grabbed her shoulder and guided her into the dining room. She knitted her eyes at him, but decided to take his advice and plopped down in a chair. Leon sat down next to her and angled his chair to look at her head on.
"I don't know where to begin, Cleo, I barely understand what happened." He started. She swallowed anxiously and jittered in her seat, Ada has to be alright! She's always alright she told herself in her head. " She didn't make it, Cleo, she lost too much blood and there was nothing we could do about it. I'm so sorry, I know how much you loved her." Her heart stopped beating dead In her chest. Cleo's breath caught in her throat, she got to her feet and started pacing. She didn't understand how this could happen, Ada was supposed to be by her side forever. A dog, two kids, a cute little house in the suburbs! Who would she have those things with if not Ada? She could barely hear Leon tell her to sit down and take a deep breath. She took deep breaths as she walked, desperatly trying to calm herself down.
She stopped her stride and turned to face him. "You're joking, right? Right, Leon? This is just some sick prank? What the hell do you mean 'she lost too much blood'? I've seen her go through much worse than just not enough goddamn blood!" She screamed at him but soon calmed down. Sighing, she collapsed back down in her chair and looked at the floor with a downcast gaze. "I'm sorry, Leon, I- I think I need to be alone right now." He nodded and got up to leave, he patted her shoulder sympathetically as he passed by her. After she heard the door click closed, she put her head in her hands and cried. She cried because she knew she was alone now, the only woman she had ever loved was gone. No one could ever replace Ada, she was too perfect for a substitute. She would never find anyone to grow old with now, she felt like there was no point in even living without Ada. Her shoulders shuddered and her eyes burned as she wept for what seemed like hours, completely forgetting about her poor half-cut vegetables.
...3 months pass...
It was a cold night in September, Cleo wrapped her arms around herself and puffed hot air into her palms in a desperate attempt to warm back up. She was walking back from a late shift at the office she worked at to cover her college tuition. She had quit working for the government an decided to get a normal job and go back to school after... After what happened. She shook her head vigouresly to clear the thought of Ada from her mind, her hair wildly flew around her head and tangled in her earrings. She was already having a tough week, there was no use in making it harder for herself. Plus, Leon was off on a mission, so she wouldn't have anyone there to cheer her up. Her and Leon had gotten very close over the last few months, and she had learned to confide in him thoroughly. She might've fallen for him too, if only she swung that way.
She chose to distract herself with thoughts of puppies and new clothes. Little pit bull puppies and a new cocktail dress, that was her happy place. But cocktail dresses reminded Her of Ada and pit bull puppies reminded her of the rabid dogs from Racoon city, there seemed to be no winning for her tonight. It appeared that Cleo's past would never let her be. Her tennis shoes patted the sidewalk quietly, she pulled stray hair from her dangling earrings while she continued on her long trek home.
Cleo smiled to herself when she finally saw her house when she rounded the corner. It was a small, standard suburban home, the house she always dreamed of starting a family in. The woman next door to her had two kids and worked in real estate with her wife, Cleo was always so very jealous of their perfect little family. Jogging up the stone steps to her house, she paused in front of her front door to search for her keys. She sighed in relief when she finally found them tangled up in her messy half-torn chemistry notebook, she didn't know what she would do if she lost another set of keys. She pressed the cold metal keys into the lock but paused half way, she felt like something was off. "Worst case scenario... there's a murderous bandit who wants to bathe in my blood, standing right smack-dab in my living room..." She mumbled to herself before giggling into her palm and shrugging her suspicions off, " pfft, as if."
She quickly unlocked the door in one fluid motion, and hurried inside, away from the harsh cold. Shrugging her heavy notebook-laden backpack, she dropped her key ring on the counter. She hurried up the stairs to go to her room, but was interrupted by a sharp ahem on the third step. oh shit mom found out i'm failing chemistry with a 37 she thought to herself as she cringed, but realization soon hit her. I've been out of high school for 7 years... And I don't even live with my mom anymore... She slowly turned to the person who cleared their throat with a stupid, blank smile on her face and wide eyes. She almost fainted when she saw them.
There in the middle of her living room stood the young, beautiful Chinese woman wearing her usual stunning skin tight red dress. The woman smiled sneakily when Cleo's gaze finally met hers. "Cleo, Long time no see." The woman purred as she strutted up to her. Cleo stared at her in disbelief. Cleo blinked her eyes several times, hard and slow, so she could be sure that what she was seeing was real.
" Ada, what are you doing here... You're supposed to be dead...!" Cleo finally broke her silence, she ranted to Ada with tears welling up in her eyes. Ada tried to wipe away Cleo's tears with her thumb, but Cleo backed away, and stared at her defiantly.
" You need to tell me everything. Now." Cleo insisted stubbornly.
Sighing sadly, Ada spoke softly to her. "Cleo, you poor thing, I'll explain everything. Please, sit down." Ada motioned to Cleo's couch before walking over and sitting down herself. She crossed her legs elegantly and patted the seat next to her with a friendly grin.
After some convincing, Cleo finally sat down beside Ada as she explained how her death was faked. Ada had staged her death to escape her chaotic life, so she could finally be with Cleo fully. No more top secret missions, no more dissapering for months at a time, they could both just be a normal couple at last. They could be the picture perfect suburban wives with two kids.
" I know it was hard for you, thinking I was dead for so long, but-" Ada started to explain to Cleo, yet she was shortly interrupted.
" But what, Ada? You let me think you were dead for 3 solid months! Why didn't you just tell me what your plan was? I'm your girlfriend, after all, aren't we supposed to tell each other important things like this?" Cleo was frustrated with her, she had missed her so much but was confused as to why Ada let her feel like this. Ada swallowed slowly and nodded sympathetically before explaining further.
" You're a terrible actor, Cleo, don't deny it," Cleo forced herself to not say anything and let Ada go on, "If you knew I was alive you couldn't have cried at my funeral, or been so depressed you missed weeks of work at a time, you just couldn't." Cleo said nothing. " I hated not telling you, really, but it was honestly for our own good." She was right, Cleo knew she was right, faking a death is a delicate and intricate thing. Cleo couldn't fake grief like that, everyone would instantly be suspicious.
" Did Leon know about this? Did he lie to me?" Cleo interrogated Ada, who couldn't help but laugh at her question.
" Of course he doesn't doesn't know! No offense to him, but that man's a bit of a fool. In fact, I was going to call him in a bit to tell him." Ada laughed more, the question was really so obscure to her.
Cleo was silent. The reality of her situation hit Cleo like a bus going 600 miles per hour. Her beloved girlfriend, who was previously assumed to be dead, was alive... And the first thing she did was question her and push her away.
Cleo cleared her throat and wiped glistening tears from her eyes, "Ada i'm- I'm so sorry for how I acted it's just... I was so frustrated and I didn't understand, all I knew was that you left me. " She said the last part in a strained whisper, struggling to stop herself from sobbing. Ada smiled at her lovingly and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Shhh, it's okay, Cleo, I understand. It's okay..." Cleo hugged her back warmly, wrapping her arms around the other woman's slim torso snugly. After a moment, Ada pulled away from Cleo slowly, and began to gently comb Cleo's wild, brown hair away from her face.
"I hate it when you cry." Ada tucked a strand of Cleo's hair behind her ear.
"Why, does it make you realize you're shacked up with a goblin?" Cleo joked with her, just like they normally would. She wiped another stray tear from her eye quickly before it could make her mascara run any further.
"No.. I'm just jealous that you can still look so beautiful while feeling so unhappy..." Ada joked back in a tender, low voice. She finished pulling Cleo's hair from her face and rested her palm on Cleo's cheek, they locked eyes, "I love you so much, Cleo, more than I've loved anyone in my whole life." Cleo smiled and leaned in to kiss Ada delicately.
Cleo pulled away hesitantly and leaned her forehead against Ada's, "I'm so glad to have you back, Ada, I missed you so much." She kissed her again.
"I'll never leave you again, Cleo, I promise." They fell asleep peacefully, entangled in each other's arms.
...the next morning...
She woke up to an empty couch late in the morning, sunlight shone on her eyes and birds chripped happily outside. She had a blanket wrapped around her securely, which wasn't there the last time she checked. She looked around as she recalled the events that took place that night before. She panicked as soon as she didn't find Ada in the room with her, was it just a dream? Was she finally going crazy? She heard the clang of a coffee cup and the click and soon fwoosh of her stove lighting up. she crept on her tiptoes and peeked Inside. There she was, the love of Cleo's whole life, Ada Wong. She had changed into a T-shirt and jeans, and was now making coffee and cooking eggs at the same time. Ada was always multi-tasking like that, it's what Cleo adored about her.
This was all Cleo ever wanted, a domestic life with the woman she adored deeply.