PROMPT 5: MADE IN HEAVEN/ROOKIE COP

Synopsis: Leon and Claire face their angel and demon.

#Not beta read #Post-Resident Evil 6 #Post-Resident Evil: Vendetta #Post-BIOHAZARD: Heavenly Island

It was nearing midnight, but the city center was still vibrant with life. The endless light flashed from each corner of the city, no matter it from the commercial towers, residential buildings, or just the traffic from the street. On the occasions, some sirens could be heard coming from the vehicle of first responders in between those honking cars.

She saw a sea of people still walking on the roadside, cheering and talking lively to celebrate the coming weekend. Nonetheless, it felt so unreal considering how eight months ago the same city was under attack by bioterrorism, and now the city was moving at a usual pace as if nothing happened.

She was grateful that she moved to the outskirts near the neighboring state, a year ago, away from the city center. Living for a full five years in the metropolitan area provided her with enough reasons for her decision to move.

The commute to her workplace could sometimes be horrendous, but she figured if she wanted to keep her sanity she would trade with peace and quiet in a heartbeat. Plus, she did not mind driving, and when she did not feel like driving she just used public transport and got on with it.

Claire sighed in relief as she made her turn toward the tunnel that would lead her exit from the so-called The City That Never Sleeps. She cruised the road with slight contentment that she got to be home after a month away out of state.

Claire just landed this morning from her field assignment in the Caribbean. Instead of home, she straight went to her office to finish the after-report on what happening on the island. Before leaving the office, she made sure she had taken a brief shower and planned to just crash the bed upon arriving home. Her bag had to wait until tomorrow morning for unpacking, she thought.

At 11:50 near midnight, when she arrived at her regular parking spot in front of her apartment building, the space was occupied by a superbike that she was not familiar with. She did not want to think too much and nonchalantly discarded what just happened. She exhaled with relief when she found a parking spot just two blocks from her building. While she was wheeling her bag, she noticed someone leaning by the front door of her apartment building with his helmet in hand. Funny I did not see him prior.

As Claire got closer, she clearly recognized exactly who he was with the help of dim light by the threshold. She stopped at the bottom of the front staircase and just stared at the man leaning next to the front door of her apartment. No words were exchanged, just silence. Only the sound of the vehicle travels intervally from afar.

She exhaled a long sigh, she was not prepared for what was about to happen tonight. He quickly grabbed her bag when she tried to lift it to the top of the short staircase. Once they made the entrance to the building, he simply followed her with her bag until they stood before her apartment door.

It was the first time after a long time, under the bright light of the hallway she finally got to see directly at his blue eyes. She was once thought they were pretty and good-looking. Yet, the light seemed to diminish replaced by gloom and sadness. The dark circle under the eyes even implied the condition that he had been living right now. He shied away from her gaze and turned to the floor.

His face did not look lively anymore, with hollow cheeks and pale skin. Yes, he looked older than the first time she met him. However, she strongly believed the lines on his forehead were a testament to his wariness and the hard decisions that he had to make in life. His disheveled hair seemed unkept unlike normally does. His pink lips were chapped and started to discolor now, maybe due to his disapproving new habits. She smelled tobacco and a sour odor of alcohol in his person while she shifted closer in an attempt to open the door.

"Come on in." Her voice was soft and calm and the same time direct and commanding.

He did what he was told. He took off his boots while she locked the door. The apartment turned bright when she switched on the lights. This was the first time he come here, but his actions showed otherwise. Without looking at her for permission, he entered further and wheeled her bag alongside moving toward the living room. He put down his helmet on the coffee table and subsequently placed the bag next to the long couch that he had settled in.

Claire tossed the keys into the bowl at the shoe cabinet, as the other hand unzipped her boots. She went straight to the kitchen to get something to drink. He declined when she offered one. Arms folded she studied him by the kitchen counter.

Leon peeled off his gloves cause his hand felt pesky. He was hunching forward; arms placed on his lap with interlacing hands at the same time his fingers fidgetting with his nails, and eyes locked vacantly at her coffee table.

By looking at him, Claire knew he was nervous which translates that he came willingly instead of being forced. So, she decided to tackle the situation carefully because if not he would cower again from her. But how? She chewed her lips in hoping that could calm her nerves so she could start addressing the most important person in her life who had been sitting in her living room at 00:00 in the morning.

"How did you know I moved here?", asked Claire.

"Chris." His answer was precise and short.

"Oh, wow! I thought you abused your federal agent perks and just pushed whatever button to get my file." She grimaced at the words that came from her mouth. If this was their normal exchange, he would laugh it out. But reality was not. This was more cynical than a joke. Stop! This is not careful.

He squirmed in her seat. "I know you're mad at me.", said Leon apologetically.

Raised eyebrow unconvinced, "Do I?"

Now, you make it worse! She reminded herself and exhaled trying to regain her composure. "I'm sorry.", said Claire softly and added, "Okay, let's try again."

Claire asked, "What happened to you?"

To ease herself, she decided to keep herself busy. She wheeled her bag by his side and hauled it on top of the dining table to unpack. She could see clearly from where she was standing.

He pressed his lips together in thin lines and started massaging his hands. When he did not respond, she asked again. More like pleading. "What happened to you?"

She sighed concerned, "I can't get you if you refuse to speak. We have been over this, Leon."

He straightened his posture but still did not look at her. "I know."

"Thank you. But I need more than -I know-", said Claire. Leon pouted at her statement. "That look also not gonna get you to me. Try harder, rookie." It had been a while since he heard she used that nickname. Leon liked it, only from her cause it felt like an endearment to him.

She took off her coat and started unzipping the bag.

"I know you're mad at me." Still unmoved from his previous position, he repeated the same sentence that he said before. He wet his lips.

She nodded although she felt his reply a bit equivocating. "Huh... I'm mad at you?"

She corrected him, "No, I'm hysterically mad at you. What happens to -if we stick together then everything should be fine-" She kept her voice controlled. "That's what you said, not me."

Leon cleared his throat and unzipped his leather jacket. The current situation made him suffocate in discomfort.

Claire added, "But it didn't bother you. Because you knew that I can't stay mad at you until long enough for you to know." She noticed his whole body turned to her after she finished that sentence. She figured he was shocked by her evocative remark.

This conversation felt one-sided. Claire began to lose her patience. With her hand still gripping her clothes, she added, "And that's because you didn't care about what I feel."

He quickly retorted, "That's not true." He stared at her as she tossed a few of her dirty clothes in the hamper a little roughly than it should have been.

"Then why did you shun me down when you know you're not okay?" Between gritted teeth, she spatted that sentence to him.

He shied away from her again and with a sullen voice he said, "Claire, I'm so sorry."

"What did I do wrong to have you act the way you were?" She added in displeasure, "That you need Chris to get to you. Even Rebecca." She brought out the toiletries travel kit from the bag and placed it on the dining table.

That was just work. It was neither Chris nor Rebecca who brought him to her tonight. It was his conscious and his complete decision. Because he realized that he did wrong to Claire. That was what he wanted to say but instead, he could only utter, "It's not you, Claire."

"Then, what is it?" She paused and he peeped at her. "Or am I just one of your girls that you like to cuddle with?"

He turned facing her and frowned on hearing what she just said. "No." retorted Leon, his voice was adamant.

"Then what am I?" With a bewildered look on her face, Claire asked him.

"You're...my friend." Softly he replied and shied away from her again. That was the third time he had done that.

God! It was really hard if you trying to have a sincere conversation when the other person was not looking at you most of the time. She forsaken what she had been doing and walked in his direction. She took a seat close next to him. She cornered him, he had no choice but to look at her.

With deep furrows in her brows and holding his hand, she said passionately, "But you did the opposite of what friends do."

Leon's eyes were flicking, his face looked perplexed with his mouth slightly open trying to utter something but failing to do so. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, "Friends talk to each other, they lean to each other. You, on the other hand, try to carry your -whatever this is- alone."

He was about to reply to her when his eyes landed on her neck and then her arms. He saw it now, the bruises and the gash that she received from Zili's torturing. It was healing, but the remains from the burns and discoloration were still visible. Claire quickly stood up when he tried to reach her collar to study the bruises.

"What the hell, Claire!?" His voice was low and menacing. Finally, there was emotion in his voice. He stood up waiting for answers from her. This time it was she who shied away from him.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. The usual roughing from work." She glanced at Leon. She tried to convince him in the best possible way. In her heart, she cursed quietly. Because of the heat of the moment, she forgot about her injuries and removed the coat unconsciously.

She was about to walk back to the dining table when he swiftly grabbed her left arm. His face turned scowl when he heard she winched. Automatically she cradled her shoulder.

It registered to him now that she had been letting her left arm limp the whole time. Leon frowned as he said, "For God's sake, Claire. You're a civilian, you cannot be fighting like a soldier. That's what BSAA is there, to begin with. To back the civilian NGO like yours." That was the longest sentence he ever made since he set foot at her place.

She turned back to him ready to retaliate. She had forgotten about how to be careful anymore. "And left them to fend for themselves while I do nothing? I don't think so. I was not raised to be that. I had to do something. You're not the only one who has to make hard decisions, you know?"

She shrugged, feigning indifference, "Plus look at me. I not dead."

He glared at her and said, "Not yet." His voice was poisoned with anger.

She shook her head in incredulity, at how low his trust in her. "Is that how low my credibility to you that not even crossed your mind that I am capable of doing my job." Between gritted teeth, she spelled it out for him.

If he felt anger she decided to show her fury. Even with injuries she a force to be reckoned with. When she was mad, she was fiery like a hurricane. And she threw words like a spitfire that he would not have imagined before.

She sneered at him, "I thought you were proud of me."

"Why can you understand? All I did is to protect you." He was hovering over her to get her to understand. However, she misunderstood him and felt like he was domineering her. Their statures displayed intimacy if they were not fighting.

And so, Claire spat at him, "Stop protecting me. I'm not a FUCKING kid anymore."

Leon showed no sign of yielding, "You could have died. Do you know how many agents, trained agents in the field with me survived? NONE! THEY ALL DEAD."

They were yelling now. No more attentiveness, no more repentance. This became an argument that may break their mutual relationship if both refuse to find common ground. This was far worse than the dispute that they had in front of the White House six years ago.

"Since when do you peruse my life on what I want, what I am, and where I go, and whom I with?"

"FUCK! Since the beginning.", voiced Leon in frustration.

"Then, you should know exactly what my job entailed, so don't tell me off."

"Not when you are everywhere and being reckless!"

"Huh! You do realize that all this, that we fighting, is not just happening in one place. The whole world has been affected since they started the hysteria by nuking the whole city. You should know that better."

"Yes, I know better. Because we are the ones who clean the mess."

"You're not listening to me. THEY! The government. YOU!"

"I know that. We have flaws but we aren't the ones who started it. In fact, we are the ones who did the actual job by curbing the terror instead of making it worse."

"Actual job?! Just now you said that I don't know how to do my job and now is not important?" She clapped just to provoke him with a state of disbelief.

"Don't put words in my mouth." He refrained himself not to take the bait.

"Well, you said that yourself before so I've to shove it into you." Eyes looked straight at him, there was tension in her voice.

Leon huffed due to stubbornness, he explained, "All I want is for you not to put yourself in danger. I not telling you how to do your job and the value of your job. But you are a rescuer. We agreed on this. Not a fighter, like me, or your brother. We are trained to do this."

Promise and agreement, that even fumed Claire with indignation.

"No. no. no. Why are making this about me?! You are the one who disappeared in the first place. I didn't even know you were alive or dead! You did not call. You did not go home." She was pacing and her uninjured hand moving around expressing what she felt right now.

"Look at you wasted drawn in alcohol. Yes, just like Chris."

She fueled her speech with the demon that he has battling right now. She knew it was low of her to mention it and came to quick regret the moment she finished those sentences.

Leon gruntled, he did not need another remark about him and Chris being alike. "You cannot put me in the same as Chris. And he's your brother.", said Leon

She turned to him and folded her arms, "Well, you seem to act like him." The was coldness in the way she answered him.

"If I act like him, I wouldn't be putting Sherry's life in danger, would I?"

She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Oh come one. You're not a saint either."

He frowned at her remarks, "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you really need me to spell it out for you? You assisting someone who has been enabling what we fighting in the first place." Claire was appalled by it.

"That the big pharma, not someone who runs around and takes orders for some quick dough." convinced Leon, his eyes straight looking at her.

Claire's voice sounded low in disgust. "It's NOT a quick dough, it's professional. So, it's the same thing. You're just in denial of the whole situation."

He bit his lower lip. He knew a piece of truth about what she just said. Of course, she knew what happened, her organization monitored this kind of affairs. "You cannot speak of what happened because you're not there.", claimed Leon.

"I don't need to be there, because I'm fairly certain how it gonna played out. Yes, you cleared your name, you got the evidence of who was truly responsible for the death of thousands of lives. I'm happy for you." She paused, trying to regain her composure.

He shifted his weight to the other leg reflecting a sense of his disquietude about what she going to say.

"But what about the five lives who volunteered to fight this terror, and got killed whereas the perpetrator ran loose? Is it because they are just five and not a thousand? Or they are just mere people? Which one, Leon?"

She looked up and grasped his arms pleading. "Where is their justice?" Her quivering eyes looked straight at him, her voice turned coarse and about to whisper when she said those words.

It was not hostility he heard in her voice but a deep sorrow. Claire must known one of those five or maybe all of them since it was notorious that Terrasave and BSAA always work hand-in-hand with each other.

With flickering eyes, he answered, "I...tried."

It seemed that his answer did not impress her whatsoever. She pursed her lips and dropped her head in an emotional mixture of despair and abandonment. She let go of his arms and kept her line of sight away from him.

"I'm tired. I can't do this with you reeking of alcohol and whatever this is." Claire motioned her hand up and down trying to describe his appearance. She sounded defeated, she looked defeated.

Lifeless, when she walked away from him. She stopped by the bedroom door and talked over her shoulder, "If you wanna stay here you need to wash and get clean. If not the door is that way."

Leon was halfway trying to catch her until he got slammed by the bedroom door. He stared at the door dejected. To his dismay, she left him standing in desolation in the hallway. This was not supposed to happen. Suddenly, Claire stormed out and threw something into Leon's face. Quickly, she went back to the bedroom in the same manner.

He realized the clothes that were thrown at him were his. He accidentally left them at her previous apartment when he stayed with her during her recovery. When the clothes were thrown at him, his toothbrush nearly poked him in the eye. It must gotten out from the folded clothes by the momentum of her throwing. He knew her too well. If she wanted him to leave, she would not throw the clothes at him. So, he headed sluggishly to the bathroom.

Once he entered the bathroom, he heard the doorbell ring. Someone was at the door. The sound of the bedroom door swung open as he guessed Claire was on her way to attend the visitor. He just hoped it was not Chris or worse someone she was dating at the moment. He gazed at his reflection in the mirror and was ashamed about what he had become. As soon as he heard Claire's footsteps into the bedroom -only one trail of footsteps-, he decided not to waste time and started cleaning himself.

-*-

Leon exited the bathroom and found Claire lying sideways on the bed facing the window. Even the lamp in the bedroom was off, it was not so dark. The curtains were fully open, and the bedroom was bathed with moonlight and the light from the hallway. She already has changed into a solid tank top and sweatpants, ready for bed. He selfishly hoped that she did not fall asleep yet. He stood by the bedroom threshold, and called "Claire..."

She simply hummed to indicate that she was still awake. Leon said, "I'm -"

"Stop apologizing. It didn't make it better.", said Claire softly.

Then, he walked toward her and sat on the edge of the bed. "This's not what I pictured when I decided to come here.", stated Leon.

Clearing her throat, she asked, "Then, how did you picture it?"

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I knew that you wouldn't stay angry at me for a long time." He paused and added, "But that doesn't mean I didn't care about how you feel."

"So what is it?", continued to ask him. At this point, Claire did not hope for his answer. She just did it involuntarily.

He was stalling in answering her question. "It's just that I don't want you to see what is worst in me. The disruptive how I can be."

Claire sensed a generous dip in the mattress indicating that he was lying next to her on the bed. He mirrored her position and studied her arm and some parts of the back of her neck that were covered with gashes and bruises. Claire kept silent.

He added, "I don't want to disappoint you."

She slowly turned to him and was still mindful of her injured shoulder. She gazed him in the eyes under the dim light. Pretty blue eyes.

Claire responded to him tenderly, "That's when you're wrong. I completely understand that if you need time, but running away without explanation did not bring any good to me. But, most importantly to you."

She added, "Instead, you make the whole situation even worse."

Leon's heart wavered at her reply, "In my mind, I ought to be brave for you and Sherry. I can't have the mess that I am right now and the needs to be that."

"You don't need to. You've done so much for us, that it was impossible not to be grateful." Her velvety voice. Leon missed it dearly.

Claire cradled his face with her right hand, "I need you to be human. Be you. If you want to cry then cry, be angry then be that, and if you need space I can give you some. But don't just turn away like what you did. It was not disappointing, it was heartbreaking."

"I'm so sorry Claire", Leon grasped her hand and leaned on it. This time he truly felt the regret that he had been keeping for the past two years.

Her palm felt the roughness of his stubble. The pad of her thumb traced his cheek with a fathering motion. He closed his eyes as she said, "And I apologized for yelling at you earlier. I shouldn't say what I said to you."

He opened his eyes back, a bashful smile written on his face. "No, I deserved it."

"Yes kinda did." She chuckled, and he joined her. "You will get through this, Leon. Baby steps." She retrieved her hand but Leon boldly kept their hand held together.

He nodded in agreement. She was not finished and continued, "You don't need to keep protecting me anymore. I'm a grown woman for God's sake. Have a little faith in me."

He wanted to disagree that he would never stop protecting her, but instead, he chose to eat his words and asked, "How did this happen?" His thumb softly brushed the bruise and cut on the back of her wrist.

"Outbreak in the Caribbean, during the shooting of some sort of survival show. Things got a little bit hairy." She continued in a sorrowful voice, "Inez did not make it." There were tears in her eyes. She quickly moved to a sitting position and subsequently pulled her hand from his.

He stared at her while she adjusted the pillow to prop a little by the headboard after a bit she laid on her back. Looking vacantly, she was playing with her fingers as she continued, "She laid dead in my arm." She felt a bit embarrassed by the tears.

Leon never knew much about Inéz Diaco only to meet her at the airport briefly. That was the first and the last time he saw Inez; when bidding his farewell to Claire on the flight to Rockfort Island. From every time Claire talked about Inéz, he knew Claire was very fond of the young woman and cherished their bond more than just partnership. If he had known how distressed she was tonight, he would not tormented her with clashes and arguments.

He choked up with guilt again. He could not make the cue reply when she said, "No more sorry, I had enough hearing that from you."

Impulsively, he shimmied to her and hugged her by the waist. He decided if not expressed by words, he could do it by action. His actions looked childlike. She patted her damp hair to show her gratitude.

"You showered?" he felt so relaxed so he asked her randomly.

"I already showered in the office". Claire ran her fingers through his hair. She felt him slacken enjoying her gesture. She just wanted to get him to sleep, but apparently, he had a lot of questions at the moment.

"Who by the door just now? You not expecting someone do you?", asked Leon.

Even though he was not looking, she raised her brows and asked, "Why? Are you afraid someone might disturb your cuddling right now?"

He locked his eyes at her, a pout on his face.

She let out a little chuckle. "Afraid not, it's just the neighbors. They just got back when they heard the yelling by their door. When suddenly turned quiet, of course, it became concerning." Satisfied, he returned hugging Claire.

"That bike parked in front of the building is yours, right? You stole my parking spot.", said Claire playfully.

Leon replied, "Yes and no. That spot is public. Stop scamming me."

"Shit. Okay, can I take a ride?", asked Claire, trying her luck.

"No. I'll give a ride to you.", stated Leon.

Delight in her voice, she said, "Fair enough. Then I can show off my favorite red jacket. It has been ages."

Leon was glad that made her happy. He asked again, "The -Made in Heaven-? You still have that?"

"Yup. That's the one.", said Claire cheerfully. They were quiet for a moment, entertaining their thought.

Maybe it was true that Claire was just one of his girls for cuddles. She did not know what to feel by that, a slight hurt maybe. She admitted when she met Leon her feeling for him was out of admiration. And then when she found out about his selfless act to protect her and Sherry, admiration became affection. Eventually love.

Alas, her harboring feelings towards him slowly disintegrated when their relationship was leaning toward friendship and not a romance. And right now, it was crystal clear she must extinguish all hope and harboring feelings; and invest more in their future friendship.

He asked when he heard her chuckle, "What is it?"

She buried her heartache in the very secluded corner of her heart. And shifted her thought to something else.

"Nothing. It's just funny how you are the only one who cross path with her, every time you are in the field and not me. Every single time. It's not like we do different fields of work. But yeah. After all these years, not once.", explained Claire.

He groaned at her remark. He knew what she meant.

"Maybe, you just easy. That's all." Claire said nonchalantly.

"No, I'm not." He let go of Claire and laid on his back. He added, "In what term do you say I'm easy?"

She glanced at him just to see his reaction, "I don't know. Easy on everything, I guessed."

All she got was his teasing and mischievous smirk on his face. "Easy on the eyes too?"

Claire noticed his avoidance of staying on the topic. So, she ended the conversation and decided it was time to sleep. "Okay now, you are totally sleep-deprived. Just go to sleep." She pulled her pillow and returned to her original position facing the window.

She hoped all this would blow as the wind and she would carry on with her life with a new light in her heart. On the other hand, Leon was on cloud nine with also new light in his heart.

After tonight, he realized that he didn't want to be just a friend to Claire. Not only because she was too rare and dear to him, but also because he had fallen for her.

The truth was he always loved her. However, his insecurities toward the situation led him to dance around his feelings instead of acting upon them. Now, he was certain, he did not want pieces, he did not want halves. He wanted all of her. Because she was the reason that kept him going, she was the reason he lived. And in return, he hoped that his new self-discoveries would give her more reason to live too. At peace, that night he had the most peaceful sleep since before Raccoon City.

Note

This one is a bit chonky. I got carried away. I apologize to those who don't favor a long read. So...yeah.