189 days. It had been 189 days since Leon had seen Claire, he'd been counting with every bar and bottle he'd visited in his search for closure. Missions went south all the time, but not for them, not for her.

He felt regret, grief, remorse. Claire had asked him to join her, and he'd declined, since when had she ever needed him? Well, now he knew she had. Now it was too late. At first, he'd just shut down, then Chris had found him, but that had been only 58 days after the mission. He had plenty of time since then to realize it was his fault.

Leon knew she wouldn't have blamed him, but how could he not blame himself? The woman he... Well.. He couldn't bring himself to acknowledge his feelings now, even when she was all he could think of.

"Need a refill, pretty boy?" A female voice asked him. At first, he merely nodded, eyes still down at the sticky bar he found himself studying, memorizing the grain of the wood, until he realized the voice had been... Familiar.

His eyes shot up quickly, spotting the bartender's back as she poured two glasses of whiskey. He could barely croak out the name that had filled his mind for the last half a year, having barely bothered to converse other than to order drinks. "Cl-Claire?" His own voice sounded foreign, a stranger calling out for the woman he missed so much.

She turned, bringing the drinks over. One, she handed to him, the other she kept for herself. "You've looked better, what happened?" Claire leaned over the counter, bringing her face within inches of his own. Leon felt a pang in his chest, aching for the closeness that had been absent for too long.

"They... told me you were dead..." he said slowly, still unsure if he was hallucinating. He took in every inch of her that he could see, looking for any trace that she wasn't who he thought.

"Wouldn't be the first time they were wrong." she stated matter-of-factly. "I should have come to find you sooner, but it was a little harder than expected to get away from them. You of all people know how much a break can do for us in this line of work."

He reached out, touching her cheek. She was real, flesh and blood beneath his fingertips. He felt her smile, her own hand reaching out to touch his cheek as well. "Let's see about getting you cleaned up, yeah? This place closed hours ago." Leon glanced around, realizing she was right. He tried to stand up, stumbling against the surface, legs stiff from sitting so long, alcohol impacting his coordination. Claire rushed around the bar, taking hold of him, helping him out of the venue.

The car ride was silent, neither spoke again until they'd arrived at her hotel, and even then Claire only spoke to tell him that he needed a shower, tossing her trademark red leather coat on the bed before helping him to the bathroom. She was being patient, considerate, helping him wash his hair and back even when the water ran down her arms, soaking her tank top.

Leon could only bear the silence for so long, swallowing the stone that had formed in his throat before raising his gaze to meet hers. "I waited. I waited for so long and-"

Claire silenced him with a kiss, right there in the shower. she was standing halfway in the tiled space, seemingly unphased by her jeans also becoming soaked, hands gently cradling either side of Leon's face. Leon, to his credit, raised his own hands to her elbows, absorbing every second of skin to skin contact, desperate for more of her. It was almost as if he'd been living in a desert, parched for her sensation, her taste, and he'd just found an oasis. His fingers slid up to her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss, before sliding down to her tank top, pulling at the dripping fabric, needy for her. Claire obliged, stripping the fabric off as if it were on fire.

After the shower, the pair laid in the bed, filling one another in on everything they'd missed. Legs entwined, closer than they'd ever been before, a feeling of home despite the location. The time separated had proven to be too much for them, and they marked their reunion by confirming their love for one another for the first time. They'd both known for quite a while, though neither had ever said as much until now. But given their way, they'd now take every opportunity they could.