Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Resident Evil characters, Capcom does. (this doesn't include the OC's that will be mentioned along the way.)
The man was passing time on a park bench, his back hunched forward as he rested his arms on his thighs that are separated by a few inches away as he shows off a manspread. He had just finished another predictable mission easily, reporting back at the D.S.O headquarters and White House as they let him go for the day. Observing for a little while, the place was very much deserted due to the fact that the sun was setting, the typical time when everybody would go home and spend the rest of the day with their families, but Leon does not have that, not for a long time now after his parents were killed. So instead of watching television all alone in his quiet and messy condominium, he decides to sit in this innocent place instead, a playground. He has always found such a simple place like this so relaxing, comforting, in fact...looking at the area has got him wondering about the life that he would've had if the viruses never existed. He could imagine himself getting promoted from a rookie cop to a higher position, make money, find a girl, marry, settle down, and have kids. Although he might've still been an alcoholic despite such different circumstances. But nothing like how bad he is now, always drowning himself in liquor whenever he gets the chance and always fighting a war that he knows will never end. It was all very exhausting for him, and he is getting- older, he can't fight forever. He sniffs as he tries to toughen up from the thoughts.
He looks behind him making sure that nobody can see him so visibly vulnerable like this, and all he saw was nothing but his big bike parked behind the bench he is sitting on, he recalls the time the bad boy was returned to him. A man from a towing company brought it back to his place on a late afternoon, questioning how the motorcycle was brought back to him when he can't even recall the name of the bar he had supposedly left it at. The guy told him that a woman hired him to pick up the vehicle, but the man wouldn't name the woman no matter how or what he asks. Regardless, Leon knew it was Claire...despite her being mad at him, she still did something good for him, and that was over a month ago.
7 weeks ago to be exact, and it has also been that long since the last time he and Claire had talked to or ever seen each other, it also doesn't help that his last memory of her is a bad one, not exactly a despicable thing, he thought, but to him...it ended in the worst way possible. He had unintentionally slept with her, told her such unfortunate words, and there she ended her friendship with him, all of that when she only just tried to help him. Recalling all of the hardships and giggles they went through over the years as close friends, he just can't believe that it all ended in just one instant, that friend who was always there for him, who's one call away just disappeared from his life completely. Surely, they didn't see each other often even before that damned incident, but they text each other often, and it was nice to know that someone you trust will have your back in a time when you can't.
He has always seen her as a very happy-go-lucky girl when they were young, and she's never changed her positive attitude up to when she became who she is as a woman. To him, she is the sweetest, kindest, happiest person to ever exist in his life, and he admired her for that, due to the truth that he doesn't smile often, but whenever Claire is around and sees him with such a gloomy expression, she always tries to lighten up his mood by squishing his cheeks together and just two words, "Smile Leon!", she always says that excitedly, it was somewhat childish but he had to admit that he loved the act. He would never experience that again from her though, not when she had confessed her romantic feelings for him and Leon didn't see it coming, maybe he was just too blinded by another woman that he couldn't notice Claire's actions that meant a lot more than what he sees. But he will bitterly admit to himself that he could never love another person who's not Ada Wong. Friendship love is okay but romantically...no. He thought that it was probably best that Claire ended it then and there, but it still very much pains him the most, he cares too much about her, they've had a lot of memories together to just forget and let things go like that.
After the accidental "sex", Leon had tried to call Claire numerous times the same day, only to later find out that she had blocked his number, he would also contemplate on whether to call her brother Chris to ask for ways on how to reach out to the woman, but what will he tell him? That he had slept with his sister and now she's erased him out of her life...no, he can't possibly do that, he would be dead in seconds, Chris loves his sister to bits and his friendship with the man is nothing compared to the bond of the brother and sister, after all, blood is thicker than water.
There is one thing he knows though, he remembers her place so vividly, he visited it one time when Claire threw a small private party in the apartment in 2015 after the Alcatraz mission, she only invited her brother, Jill, Rebecca, and himself. It was a very simple home, all that he can say is that the interior designing she had done suited her vibe so well, so vibrant but not too bright, and plants of different colors are neatly placed in corners and table tops, mostly roses since it is Claire's favorite flower and loves the color red. His mind goes back to the topic in mind and will plan to go to the place when he's ready to face her- again.
Thinking about the one time back in 2006 when he didn't give Claire the chip, when they didn't meet eye to eye. She was so visibly disappointed in him that she didn't even utter a word before she left him standing there, eventually a week after that, she called him by phone, apologizing for her actions and reason why she wanted to have a copy of the thing and he told her that he understands her point before explaining to her his side as well, that he did not want her to be in danger and he will find a way to make things right by doing his own strategy, and they had reconciled ever since. He can also even remember her recalling and accepting the dinner he had offered her the week before and he rejoiced as if he had never been happy before when she said that.
She is a good friend, a very nice friend, she's always been an angel no matter the person and he was just lucky enough to be included as her friend, not just a partner, not just a co-agent, but a friend. The question is, did he ever act like a friend to her? sure he had saved her several times, talked, joked then and there, but if he was her friend, he would have realized that she had some feelings for him, but he didn't, instead- he had treated her like the kid she never was. He doesn't know her well enough, he thought and when he found out, he acted so childish and he is now facing the consequences.
Leon finished off those deep contemplations by sighing while leaning his back against the bench's backrest and wiping his palms on his face; soon after, he realizes that the sun is now fully gone and the orange-like surroundings he once had had been replaced by the purple hues of dusk. He decides that it's about time that he went home, so he gets up from the wooden seat he had been on for the past minutes and circles around it to go to his big blue bike, another thing that had reminded him of her. Claire had influenced him to be interested in such a vehicle type and also taught him the basics of riding one, and he quickly fell in love with it. He lifts his right leg to get on the bike, turning on the thing as its engine growls loudly, that sound is music to his ears, he turns his motorcycle around, and makes his way back home.
A week later, and Leon finds himself standing outside Claire's apartment, facing the door, he lifts his hand to knock, thud thud, he is not going to lie to himself but he is nervous, more nervous than when he faced some of the most monstrous creatures, he came unprepared on what to say to her if she does decide to open the door to him, but he is also expecting her to slap him across the place as hard as she can and he will accept it. Even though she might not ever accept him as a friend again, all he wants is to see how she is doing for the last couple of weeks. Has she been fine or did what happened between them affected her everyday like it does to him? He needs to get some closure from her.
"Looking for Ms. Claire Redfield?", a man about his age approached him and spoke to him from behind. He was just passing by the hallway and probably noticed him knocking on the door.
Leon looks at him and nods, "Uhmm...yes, I'm her friend.", really Leon? Friend?
"Well if you're her friend, you should've known she doesn't live here anymore. If you look at that sign over there, it says that it's for rent.", the stranger informs him, pointing at the signage and he follows with his eyes and there is indeed a notice, how ignorant of him to not see. But he was surprised, she had told him she had lived here since 2010, and now she's moved, possibly because of him?, "S-since when?", he asked, shooting up his head back at the man.
"Just last week, she rushed to move and somehow looked so stressed out.", he replies, "She's been my neighbor and friend for the longest time, she was the most outgoing and hospitable person in the entire building, so it was odd that she was like that when she left, she didn't even say farewell to me- us."
Leon stares at the man for a while, mouth half open as he nods, "Well, I should leave you to it, and if you find her whereabouts, please say that her old neighbors miss her- especially Archer Matthews- it's my name.", hearing "Archer", mention this, he narrows his eyes at him, he doesn't know why but he senses that he has a lowkey thing for Claire, as he blushed in front of him and he couldn't even hide it, and the man continues to walk away. Now Leon wonders if that stranger could be a possible past lover of hers, he had to admit, the man looked decent and it somehow made him feel...jealous?-in a way. But "Shit.", was all Leon could say about the situation.