Authors Note: Alright, you were all warned this was a dramatic love story.. let the mess begin! And don't worry. Ada will be along soon ;)

After I have traveled so far
We'd set fire to the third bar
We'd share each other like an island
Until exhausted, close our eyelids
And dreaming, pick up from
The last place we left off
Your soft skin is weeping
A joy you can't keep in

I'm miles from where you are,
I lay down on the cold ground
And I, I pray that something picks me up
and sets me down in your warm arms

- Snow Patrol

The first night at his fathers house they take separate rooms, and for Claire it's actually something of a relief. Her realization as she'd watched him play that beautiful piece on the piano had shaken her, set in a mild panic in her stomach. It was definitely love. She was definitely in love with Leon Kennedy, and that was really.. really bad. Because she knew that it was likely something that would never be. Her stupid heart had betrayed her, she'd promised herself she wouldn't develop feelings beyond friendship. She'd told herself on new years eve that she couldn't let it become anything more.

But it was definitely more. She cared about him deeply, and she supposed most friends cared a lot about each other. But lately, when he was near, she felt more than just that. She felt crazy, physical things that made her want and yearn for him. She looked at him and her stomach filled with butterflies. He touched her and her heart would flip flop around like a fish out of water. She even found herself thinking about him in quiet moments, and not in a PG way. Daydreaming about him. His weight on top of her, between her legs, how he'd felt inside her. It made her tingle all over, and want it again.

But he didn't want her. He was adamant they were just friends. He'd told her that night that it couldn't be anything more.

So her own space was good. It was a chance to breathe and collect her thoughts, to tell herself off for these feelings. Give herself a pep talk.

It backfired, though. As the next day he noticed something was up, he noticed the change in her and the way she seemed to avoid getting close to him. It was a rainy, thundery day and they were stuck indoors, watching the storm ripple over the mountains and soak the grounds. They sat in his room – it had the best view in the house – and she lay on her side on his bed, her cheek propped up by her knuckles, watching him as he sat across from her and strummed his old guitar. She never would have imagined he was musical, but between the piano and this, she'd learned a lot about him in just a couple of days.

He seemed to be doing a little better. His injuries healing well and a couple of nights decent rest. Coming home had been good for him apparently. She supposed really, she could probably leave him now. Return to her own life, rescue her heart. Maybe she needed to meet someone else. But other men had always scared her, the idea of having to get to know someone, having to learn to trust someone new. It was all daunting to her.

She rests her head down on her arm, closing her eyes. The sound of the rain on the window and the thunder rumbling far away was so relaxing. The soft strum of his guitar, and the way he hummed 'Somewhere over the rainbow'.. peaceful.

Leon watches her, his fingers lightly plucking at the strings as he hums. She'd seemed distant today, maybe she was just tired. He didn't sleep too well in new places on the first night either.

After a while, he's fairly sure she's sound asleep. He sits up and carefully – quietly puts his guitar aside, getting to his feet and picking up a blanket from a chair, he covers her with it and then crosses his childhood bedroom. Picking up a whiskey flask from the inside of his leather jacket, he sits in the window seat and drinks, watching the storm and thinking. His body still ached, the after effects of what he'd been through still tormenting him. Alcohol helped a little, the burn of it centered him. Numbed the sharper pains. He tried not to drink too much around Claire, he didn't want her to worry more than she already did.

He looks down at the flask in his hand, fiddling with the cap. Another few days and he'd have to return to Nebraska and the base, go through his physical and psych tests. He wonders if he'll be cleared and if he is, where they'll send him next. What new horror will have sprung up while he was out of commission. What terrible thing was going to happen to him.

He blinks and knocks back another gulp of whiskey. He couldn't think like that. If he thought like that then he'd walk in to the next battle in hesitation and hesitation got you killed. He couldn't let this do anything more than motivate him. Better him. Take it as a lesson learned. Never underestimate your opponent. He draws in a deep breath and leans his head against the glass of the window, looking out at the mountains. What if he'd just slept through Raccoon City? Where would he be now if he'd obeyed his hangover and decided just to hell with it. Picked a new life path.

He was pretty sure he wouldn't know how it felt to be tortured, that was for sure.

A little shiver runs up his spine and he grits his teeth together, then swallows down another mouthful.

Ada. He hoped she was okay, wherever she was. Hoped she'd gotten out of that situation without ramifications. That saving him hadn't gotten her killed. He wanted so desperately to speak to her. If only he had her number or some way to contact her – to thank her. To ask her what the hell happened in Raccoon City. Why she'd faked her death, why she'd kissed him, why so many things. Had she really been in New York after all? Had she just run from him? So many questions. This beautiful mystery woman – he didn't even know her real name. But she was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever seen and if there was one thing he wanted more than anything, it was to thank her. For everything. He hoped he'd get to, some day.

On the bed, Claire suddenly jolts awake with a cry that makes him jump. Looking over to her with a frown as she clutches her chest and seems utterly panicked for a moment. He puts down the flask and gets to his feet, crossing over to her, concerned. He perches on the edge of the bed and gently rests a hand on her hip. It makes her flinch and look at him like – for a second – she didn't know who he was.

"Claire, its me.." he says gently.

She blinks, the fog of nightmares beginning to lift. A tear trickles down her cheek.

"Hey.." he frowns, "what's the matter?"

She looked so utterly lost. "Bad dream." She murmurs after a moment.

He understood. "Wanna tell me about it?"

"I was just.. on that island. And I couldn't.." she trails off. She couldn't find the words, and God did he know how that felt.

"Can I do anything?" he asks softly.

She reaches for him, an unspoken request. He goes gladly, tucking himself in behind her and wrapping his arm around her, encasing her in safety. She never felt safer than right there. She leans her back against his chest, he tucks his knees behind hers. His comforting warmth chasing the nightmares away.

His thumb lightly brushes back and forth over the back of her hand and she lies there gazing at it, her racing heart beginning to slow. For as many nightmares of his as she'd soothed, he'd done the same for her. How could she not love him?

She scrunches her eyes shut and tries to make it go away, unwittingly letting out a small mew of a sound as she does. She feels him move behind her, holding her a little closer. Thinking she was still suffering from her dream, when in fact she was trying to chase her feelings away.

"You're alright," he murmurs against her hair, "its over now."

She can't stop herself. She turns in his arms and brings her hand to his cheek, their eyes meeting for the briefest moment. An unspoken question that ends in a kiss. A kiss that moves quickly from comfort to passion. She's careful with him, he still nursed injuries but his strength was returning daily. Clothing comes away piece by piece until they're left in only their underwear. He moves over her, nudging her legs apart with his knees and kissing her neck, making her arch under him, moaning softly.

He can't help his slight chuckle as he returns to her lips. "Shhh." He whispers against them, kissing her, "don't wanna get caught." For the first time since he was a damn teenager he found himself having to be quiet so as not to alert his parent. Its a strange rush, like they were sharing a naughty secret. Her nightmares forgotten, his injuries set aside. Nothing but each other. And he doesn't make keeping quiet easy on her, as he journeys his way southward, ridding her of that final, flimsy barrier and tossing her panties somewhere across the room. He kisses along the inside of her thigh and she watches him, her breath coming in quick pants of anticipation.

He introduces her to a whole new sensation. Another first claimed, as he used his mouth and his tongue to take her to the edge. Her hands stroke through his hair, she bites her lip hard to keep from making a noise. But when it gets to be too much she ends up with one hand covering her mouth, muffling herself as he makes her see stars.

As she recovers, he gets them protected, and when she drops her hand from her face he gently takes her.

It's slow and gentle, savoring the good feelings that cancelled out the pain and the nightmares in both of them for now. She clings to him, moves with him, tucks her ankles behind his thighs and coaxes him on. They kiss, muffle one another's moans, and when it breaks she gazes up at him. Their eyes meeting as they move together. She was so in love it was scary – but she had no idea if he felt anything at all.

July 2002

Houston, Texas

Leon was cleared and returned to active duty one month after his ordeal in Russia. Claire had returned to Chicago for college and work when he'd made the trip back to Nebraska. They kept in contact – as always – but he didn't see her again for quite some time. His Superiors had him back in action and back in the field, fighting the fight. This time, he felt a little older and wiser, he approached his missions with a different kind of mindset. He was still bold and brave, but he had a newfound respect for chaos theory, and for never taking your opponent for granted.

In the year and a half since Russia, he took out three major black market dealers and took out an Umbrella stronghold building in Mexico. He spent a lot of time overseas, they stationed him for a while in England investigating more tendrils of Umbrella. He built his reputation, back on his game.

In July of 2002 he was sent to South America deep in to the Amazon Jungle with a muscle mountain named Jack Krauser. A special ops soldier that didn't know how to be anything but a soldier. It was an interesting learning experience, working with someone who's life had been dedicated to the cause a lot longer than Leon had. It made him wary of letting this war get too deep in to his head – Krauser was a hell of a soldier, but he'd lost some of his humanity along the way. Leon vowed that would never happen to him, if he stopped caring, then what was the point?

The mission was considered a success, the Bio threat neutralized – the bad guy taken out. But so often these successes came at great costs, to the people that lived in those places and to the men that carried them out. Leon returned to a military base in Houston, Texas in a state of reflective melancholy. So often the victims of these situations were innocents, the teenage girl he'd met on the mission left a mark in his mind. Nobody deserved that. But he feared that was one part of the war he'd never be able to put an end to. Monsters always targeted the vulnerable. Manuela's father may have had good intentions, wanting to save her from degenerative illness – but as always, the power that came with playing God did nothing but corrupt.

A fine line to walk. How far do you go to save the people you love?

Leon was lost in that conundrum as they disembark the chopper to the usual flurry of handshakes and pats on the back. He attends his debrief in quiet contemplation, and is then released for a two week leave. He had one thought on his mind. See Claire.

He digs out his phone as he heads to his hotel and looks up her number, giving her a call. Usually she answered swiftly, but this time it just rings and eventually switches to voicemail. He hangs up, he hated leaving voice messages and doesn't bother, instead he picks up his room key from the front desk and heads up, letting himself in and dumping his things down he sits on the edge of the bed and sends her a message instead. He hadn't seen her in six months, the last time had been pretty brief, a single night in Chicago before he flew to Washington. She had a place there now, a little apartment across from the college she was attending. They'd met up, had drinks and pizza.. and sex. He missed her.

That's not to say he hadn't been with other women in the interim. He had. But Claire was different. She was home. She meant something. Sex with her was an entirely different thing.

Leon gets up and showers, leaving his phone on the bed. When he returns with a towel wrapped around his waist, there's no returned message. It makes him frown. She usually responded petty quickly. He orders room service – eats and drinks. Still nothing. He wasn't one to chase, not really. But he had an odd feeling and worries maybe she'd gotten caught up in something terrible. After ringing her again, he calls Chris.

"Redfield."

"Chris, its Leon."

"Oh hey, long time. How's it going?"

"Just got back from some outbreak cleanup in the Amazon."

"I heard about that."

Leon nods. "Always something somewhere, huh."

"You got that right. What can I do for ya?" Chris asks.

"Actually, just wondered if everything was alright with Claire?" He asks a little cautiously. The man didn't know that they saw each other beyond just friends. It was rocky ground to walk on, Leon wasn't quite sure how he'd react if he found out.

"Claire? Sure, why?" Chris sounded curious.

"Just sent her a message, to see if she wanted to catch up. Heard nothing back – you know Claire, usually glued to her phone." Sound casual, Leon.

"Probably with that guy she's been seeing."

Record scratch. Leon blinks. "She's seeing someone?"

"Yeah, this freakin hippy dippy tree hugging art student or something. Long haired pretty boy. Fall down if you blew on him. One of those guys that lectures you on not using plastic coffee cups and shit."

Leon makes a face. "Oh." He realizes he's holding his phone really, really tightly.

"Spoke to her yesterday though so, unless the world ended in Chicago last night, she's alright. You don't have to worry about Claire she takes care of herself."

Leon nods. Swallowing down a bundle of jealousy lodged in his throat. "I know. Just.. cool. Alright. Thanks man."

"I'll let her know you called if I speak to her."

"Great."

"Take care out there, brother."

"You too man." Leon clears his throat and says his goodbyes, hanging up.

Claire was seeing someone? Seeing someone and not answering his calls because of them? His jaw tightens, looking at his phone. What kind of controlling asshole kept a woman from answering her phone when it was a friend calling? In a heartbeat, Leon's built an image of the other man in his mind, and it's an image of a villain. A villain that has his Claire.

He packs his things back up and first thing in the morning, he flies to Chicago.

He arrives at her apartment building in the late afternoon, pressing the buzzer and getting no response. It does nothing but fuel his concern. Had this man got her tied to the bed? Was he keeping her from doing anything at all? He sits on the concrete steps and taps his foot, jiggles his knee. Waiting for someone to come along and open the door so he could slip inside.

He's seriously considering just smashing the glass when suddenly.

"Leon? What are you doing here?"

He jerks his head up to see her standing at the foot of the steps, looking at him. "You didn't answer your phone, I was worried."

Her eyebrows lift. "So you came all the way to Chicago?" She laughs a little, coming up the steps to greet him. He rises to his feet and shrugs.

"Well, yeah. Why didn't you answer?"

She eyes him sideways and then leans in, kissing his cheek. "That's ridiculously sweet, but I'm fine. I just didn't have my phone charger with me, it's dead as a doornail." She sighs, opening up the door and letting them in to the building.

"Oh." He felt a bit dumb. "All night study party?"

"Kinda.." she says it hesitantly as they take the stairs to her second floor apartment. "How's the fight to save the world?"

He shrugs as she lets them in. "Going. Haven't been tortured in a while so.."

"That's not funny." She scolds him, setting her phone down on her kitchen counter and plugging it in to charge.

"Gotta see the humor in it or you'll lose your shit." Leon explains, leaning against the door frame as she starts the coffee machine.

"I guess. Where are you staying?"

"Marriott. Hows college?" he asks.

"Good. Between studying and work I get about an hours sleep a night." She laughs, "but it keeps me out of trouble."

The air was awkward between them, he could feel it and he didn't like it. This wasn't them. This wasn't how they were.

"I got a couple of weeks leave. Maybe we could go somewhere, do something?" He suggests. "Take a couple of bikes, hit the road."

She gets some mugs, clearing her throat. "I wish I could.. but.."

"You got classes at the weekend too?" He nudges a little.

"No.." She bites her lip, looking at him. "Leon, I'm seeing someone." She admits.

He folds his arms over his chest. "So we can't hang out?"

"I can't just take off.." she explains.

"Why not? Does he know about me?"

"Know what about you?"

"What we went through together."

"It's.." she sighs, "not really something we talk about."

"Oh."

"Well, do you tell every woman you sleep with about me?" She challenges him. It makes him smirk.

"Why would I let a one night stand in to my personal life? Would be different if it was a girl I was in a relationship with."

"But you don't do relationships." She mutters, looking away and pouring the coffee.

He chews on the inside of his lip a little. "Is that why you're seeing this guy? Cause I won't commit?"

Claire shoots him a look. "I'm seeing him because he's a sweet, kind man that I have a good time with. You know how hard it is for me to trust people, and I trust him. He's a good guy, Leon. It's got nothing to do with you."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"It does. I think you just want to be angry." She was possibly right. Leon lifts his hand to his mouth, chewing on the nail of his thumb. "You can't have it both ways." She adds.

"What do you mean?"

"You can't have me whenever you want, then just go fuck everything in a skirt while you're away and expect me to be waiting around when you get back."

It was a little like being slapped in the face, and his reaction isn't the best. He laughs. "Wow."

"Well, it's true. Isn't it?"

"I'm not expecting you to wait around."

"Then why are you mad I moved on?"

"Because you're telling me we can't even hang out now." He retorts.

She grits her teeth and looks away from him, the coffee making forgotten.

"You got some new guy and that's it? Everything we had is over?"

"What did we have?" She shoots back at him. There was something in her eyes that made him pause. He pushes away from the wall, moving over to her almost cautiously.

"Friendship. You're my best friend, Claire. I kinda need you." He says quietly, gently. Lifting his hand and gently taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger. She bites her lip and looks at him, her eyes watery. He wasn't quite sure why. "That all gone now?" he asks.

"Of course not." She whispers in return. "But I can't just take off with you."

Leon brushes his thumb over her lower lip. Oh yeah, he was making a move. Claire Redfield was his territory and whoever this guy was didn't have shit on him. Or so he thought.

"You don't want him." Leon murmurs.

Her breath hitches in her throat, and for a moment her resolve begins to crumble. The way he touched her still made her ache – still made her want. She could so, so easily end up in bed with him, where she always seemed to end up. But he didn't love her. He didn't want to commit to her, and she couldn't be his girl forever. "You don't want me." She retorts, bringing her hands up and pushing them against his chest. Moving him away. He frowns.

"I think I made it pretty clear what I want."

"And I want more than just sex." She says flatly. "I want more than a friend I sleep with. This wasn't supposed to get complicated, remember? I want a man that will love me, and be faithful to me. And you can't do that. I hear allll about your reputation." She laughs a little. "Even Chris jokes about it. Not a battle or woman you can't conquer, right?"

He looks away, folding his arms again.

"We're apart for months at a time, I know that. I'm not asking you to not.. see other women. You do you. We can still be friends. But don't ask me not to have my own life." She gently touches his arm, bringing his eyes back to her. "Right now, I'm with someone that makes me happy. And I can't run away with you."

He nods absently, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

"I can't just drop everything."

"I get it." He grunts.

"Leon.."

"I get it." He repeats with a shrug, "It's cool. Maybe we can just.. get a drink or something. Some time. Bring him along. Whatever." He begins to back away and Claire sighs.

"Don't be mad. You can't be mad at me for wanting to have a life, Leon."

"I'm not." He defends. He was. He was furious. But not with her. With himself. "I'm just gonna go, okay?"

She follows him as he turns toward her door.

"Leon, don't do this."

Sometimes in war, it's best to retreat.

And that's exactly what he does.

She calls him five times before she gives up. He ignores each of them. Leon had parked himself in a bar and was drinking his frustrations away. He was angry because she had a point. She did deserve a life, she deserved a man that could love her and be there for her, that wasn't gone all the time and sticking his dick in everything that moved. He could do that, he could be faithful. He could try. But it was still months away at a time, it was still not seeing each other for big chunks of the year. His wife would always be his job, would always come first because it demanded it.

Claire deserved so much more than that. She deserved to be happy. It just hurt that it wasn't him that could give her that happiness. Sometimes he cursed the path his life had taken. He supposed he was destined to be alone. What woman could love someone that was never there? Always at risk of death? It was a lot to ask of anybody.

But a part of him craved that connection and that stability. It must feel nice to know someone's waiting for you at home. Someone that loves you. Like his Mother used to welcome his Father home off of business trips. Always so happy to see him. Seemed like it was something he'd never have.

Claire could have it, though. She deserved it.

He quits ordering shots and just orders the bottle, setting up at the far end of the bar for the night.

"Woman trouble?" The bartender asks.

Leon laughs under his breath, twisting his glass in his hand. "Isn't that why most men drink?"

"I'd be out of a job if it wasn't." The bartender jokes, "you let me know if you need anything else."

Leon nods, knocking back another mouthful of Jack Daniels. His phone beeps with a text alert and he sighs, picking it up and looking at it. Another message from Claire. Offering him that drink he'd suggested, to meet her boyfriend. He grits his teeth. He couldn't imagine anything he'd rather do less than meet that hippie prick. Though of course, he was only going off of what super soldier Chris Redfield had told him. The guy was probably perfectly nice.

He pours another glass and ignores the invitation. Working his way through that bottle.

"Well if you change your mind, we'll be at Dustys until around 11."

Another message comes through. Leon finishes his glass and taps his fingers against it.

"So what did she do?" The bartender asks, cleaning glasses near by.

Leon's eyebrows lift and he refills the tumbler. "Moved on."

"Ouch."

"Well, when you can't give em the world.. they find it elsewhere." He offers out some drunk philosophy.

"I find if they're worth it, there's nothing that'll stop you giving them the world." The bartender says thoughtfully.

Leon pauses, gazing at the label on the Jack Daniels bottle. Soaking in the words.

"Mind if I ask whats stopping you?"

"Saving the world." Leon mutters, knocking back another mouthful.

"For real?"

He slowly nods. "How can you give them everything when you're always somewhere else?"

"You in the army or something?"

"Or something."

"I don't know. I do know plenty of women.. partners.. are willing to wait when their significant others are overseas. Thousands of them do it. I guess she just has to know no matter what, you're coming home to her. Trust, loyalty, all that good stuff." The bartender places his cleaned glasses back on the shelf and offers him a smile. "How much is she worth to you?"

Leon stares at him.

"I mean if she's moved on then I guess there's not much you can do. But if she's worth it, I feel like you'd find a way. And she'd be worth the fight. Just my two cents."

Was Claire worth it?

What a ridiculous question.

Leon throws money down on the bar and – drunk but determined - heads out into the rainy night. Finding a cab and asking for Dusty's bar which turned out to only be a couple of blocks away. He walks it instead, drenched by the time he yanks open the door in to the place. Shivering, he looks around and spots her red hair. She was sat at a round table with a guy that had shoulder length, rock star blonde hair. He wore a plaid shirt and jeans and looked like he'd just got done hugging a tree. Douchebag. Leon heads on over. Bumping in to their table in his drunken state, but its one way to announce his presence.

"Leon!"

"I need to talk to you." He looks at her. She narrows her eyes.

"You're wasted."

"I am not. You asked me to come." He defends.

"This is Alex." She introduces her boyfriend somewhat cautiously.

Leon turns a sickly sweet and insincere smile to the man. "Hi. I need to borrow Claire for a second."

"Uhh.." Alex looks a little cautious about letting this drenched, drunken man speak with his girlfriend. "Maybe you should do that when you're sober?"

"Don't you have a tree to go hug?" Leon retorts.

Claire instantly gets to her feet, grabbing him by the jacket and pulling him away. "Don't. Don't do this. Go back to your hotel and sleep it off."

He gently pulls her hand off of him. "I'm not drunk."

"You reek of alcohol." She shouts in a whisper, trying not to cause a scene, though they'd already drawn some of the bars attention. Alex was also on his feet.

"I drank but I'm not drunk." He insists, "hear me out."

"I think she made herself pretty clear, man." Alex speaks up and Leon glares at him. Claire grabs his chin, making him look back at her.

"Do not. Do this." She says very sternly.

"What, don't fight for you?" He shakes his head, "I thought that's what you wanted?"

"I don't want you to fight for me I want you to let me have a life."

"And what if I want to give you that life?!" He asks, his voice a little desperate. She blinks.

"Dude.." Alex speaks up.

"Fuck off!" Leon snaps at the other man.

Alex comes around the table and swiftly Claire is in the middle of them, looking at her boyfriend.

"Alex don't.. let me handle this." She warns.

"Yeah, Alex. I kill shit for a living." He snarls.

"LEON!" Claire snaps and looks back to him, pushing him back with one hand.

"Is that a threat? I'll have you arrested." Alex points at him.

"Try it!" Leon dares.

"Excuse me, we're going to have to ask you to take this outside.." the bar's manager arrives beside them. Claire rolls her eyes.

"I just need to talk to my girl." Leon insists with a slight slur.

"I'm not your girl."

"She's not your girl."

"Don't make us call security."

Claire grabs Leon by the arm and drags him outside into the rain, right there on the street, she yells at him.

"What are you doing?! You're acting like a maniac!"

"I just wanted to talk to you!" He retorts, swaying a bit as rain plasters her hair to her face.

"I don't know what else there is to talk about? Go home, Leon." She shakes her head.

"I came to see you, all the way to Chicago, because I was worried about you."

"No you came because Chris told you I was dating Alex." She folds her arms.

Leon flounders. "I wanted to see you."

She sighs, looking back to the bar and her boyfriend standing in the doorway. "Sleep it off, Leon. We'll talk tomorrow." She turns away, heading back toward the bar.

"I love you." He says above the rain. Claire stops in her tracks. "It took seeing you with him to realize it. Please.. talk to me."

Claire wraps her arms around herself, shivering against the cold of the summer rain. She bows her head.

"Claire."

"I can't.. Leon. Go back to your hotel." She glances over her shoulder at him and shakes her head.

She leaves him there in the rain, heading back to her boyfriend. Leon watches her go. Sometimes in war, it's best to surrender.

3am

Leon had gotten back to his hotel and cleared out the mini bar. He ended up passed out half dressed on his bed. He didn't often admit defeat, but what could he do? He couldn't force her to listen to him, couldn't force her to be with him, couldn't force her to accept the life he offered. His sleep was thankfully dreamless, the sound sleep of the hopelessly drunk.

It's a miracle he hears the banging at the door at all.

His head jerks up once he realizes what it is. A groan escaping him. Was he being thrown out? Was it the police come to arrest him for being drunk and disorderly? Just what he needed to go on his record. He hauls himself up and he realizes his jeans are half way down his hips with his belt undone. No shirt. Oh well, they'd have to arrest him like that.

His hangover already thumped between his eyes.

"Alright!" he bellows as another hammering knock comes. Heading over to the door he undoes the catch and opens it up.

"... Claire.. what are you...?"

Was he dreaming? Or still way too drunk?

She stood there, staring at him. He half expects to get slapped.

"I'm sorry." He murmurs, bowing his head and rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I'll leave you alone."

She shakes her head and steps through the door, looping her arms around his neck and pressing herself against him. It takes him completely by surprise but he gathers her up, his heart thudding in his chest.

"I love you too." She whispers against his lips. Kicking the door shut behind her.