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Claire sighed as she watched her boyfriend wash her motorcycle with absolute determination. They had been together for a year and a half now, and Leon always offered to wash her bike whenever the weather got hot, taking the chance to clean his own jeep while he was at it. Which was an absolute treat for Claire; getting to watch her incredibly fit boyfriend take off his shirt and soap up the vehicles. Yeah, she felt lucky.
Sighing again, she remembered that she still didn't know how to bring up the fact that she was dating, and couldn't understand how Chris hadn't figured it out yet. She hadn't been hiding it; quite the opposite, actually. Whenever she dropped by the station, she always made a point to say she was there to visit Chris and Leon, and he hadn't even entertained the possibility that there was something going on between them? Everyone else already knew about the relationship.
Chris might be brilliant at almost everything else, but when it came to romance, he was completely clueless. She shook her head, recalling the day her brother simply told her that she should date someone "like Leon".
"All done! What do you think?" Leon sat down next to her on the steps.
Claire looked at the freshly washed vehicles, then at her boyfriend, soaking wet, right beside her. "I think you could quit your job as a cop and open your own car wash."
He kissed Claire's cheek and pulled her into his waist. "Nah, I prefer putting on a show just for you."
Claire turned to kiss him. "Alright, alright. And how do I pay for the service?"
Leon hugged her close. "For you, it's cheap. Just a few kisses."
"Not just one, but a few? Aren't you being a little greedy?" She teased, tapping him on the nose.
"That’s the price." Leon kissed her.
Claire tucked a few strands of hair behind Leon’s ear, admiring his face and his flushed cheeks. It crossed her mind just how lucky she was to have him as a boyfriend; Leon was such a sweetheart.
******
When Claire got back home just in time for dinner, she found Chris already cooking something for both of them.
"You're pretty busy on Sundays, aren't you?"
Claire smiled. "I’m just a poor working girl in her final year of college, I deserve a break."
He laughed. "I wonder where you go every Sunday."
"Oh, Leon washes my bike." She took a bite out of an apple she'd grabbed.
Chris looked at her. "Did you... and the rookie... did you use my name to force him into doing favors for you?"
"Oh my god, no! He did it because he wanted to." She laughed.
Chris looked at his sister, and suddenly, it clicked. He thought to himself that maybe poor Leon had a thing for his sister, but little did the guy know that Claire wasn't really into the "Barbie Ken" type. "Poor guy. You shouldn't lead him on. He's a good man."
She rolled her eyes.
Chris continued, "Anyway, I'm heading out on a mission. I'll be away for about five days."
"When do you leave?" Claire stepped closer.
"The day after tomorrow. Will you be okay on your own in this big apartment?" Chris looked at her.
"Of course! But I'm going to miss your pancakes." She pouted.
"Very funny, Claire. Very funny."
Claire smiled at him. "I'm serious, I'll miss them."
******
That night, the Redfield siblings watched an old slasher movie until Chris fell asleep on the couch. Headed for bed and dead tired, Claire took one last look at her brother slumped on the sofa. She didn't hate being alone, but a certain melancholy always crept in whenever Chris left for missions far from home.
When morning came, Chris had left some pancakes for his sister along with a short note saying he had already headed to the airport.
With the house all to herself, Claire started on a little deep cleaning. Luckily, her summer break had just started, so she only had to go to her internship and then she could spend the night with her boyfriend.
And that’s exactly what she did. After leaving her internship, she went straight to the police station, arriving just in time to see Leon escorting an elderly lady through the doors.
As soon as Leon finished his shift, he came running back to Claire like a puppy.
"Hey, need some help?" Leon smiled at her.
Claire smiled back. "Yes. Tonight, I need a certain someone for some popcorn and a movie."
"I can definitely help with that." He gently caressed Claire’s cheek. "See you tonight?"
She kissed his cheek. "See you later."
The moment Leon walked away, Claire turned around only to find her friend watching her with narrowed eyes.
"When the cat's away, the mice will play," Jill said, looking at her.
"What?" Claire blinked rapidly.
"I've got my eye on you..." Jill said, slowly walking away.
That night, Leon put on his best blue t-shirt and a leather jacket, grabbed the flowers he’d bought for Claire, and rang the doorbell. He was a little nervous; for some reason, even though they were dating, Claire still managed to make him inexplicably shy.
Without delay, Claire answered the door. She was wearing her usual jeans and a bright red off-the-shoulder top. Leon’s cheeks instantly flushed the moment he saw her.
"Wow. You look stunning."
Claire giggled. "You don't look too bad yourself."
Leon smiled and handed her the flowers.
Accepting the gesture, she decided to ask, "Want to grab a soda before we go? I want to put these in water."
Leon peeked past her, looking at the door he had never stepped through before—after all, Chris intimidated him a little. "S-sure!"
She opened the door wider, and the blond followed right behind her, sitting down on the living room couch. He waited for his sweet girlfriend while she poured him a glass of soda and placed the flowers somewhere everyone could see them.
"Well, shall we?" Leon said after draining the entire glass.
****
Claire held onto her boyfriend’s strong arm as he carried the popcorn and she guided them toward the theater.
The movie was pretty interesting. When Leon bought the tickets, he hadn't wanted to choose Star Wars and risk his girlfriend thinking he was a total nerd, and Claire didn't seem like a huge fan anyway. So, he chose the most sensible option for a date night: The Sixth Sense. The redhead seemed thoroughly entertained during the movie, entertained enough to be devouring the popcorn whole. This allowed Leon to quietly admire her plump lips, blue eyes with long lashes, and beautiful, silky hair. Claire looked so gorgeous he could have spent the entire movie just staring at her. It was during one of those long stares that he noticed his girlfriend was shivering.
"Claire? What's wrong?" He glanced at the screen to check if something was scaring her.
She looked at Leon. "I have to be honest." Claire had thought about looking stunning for their date; she wanted to make her man's jaw drop. But who would've thought that wearing a top with so little fabric at night would make her this cold?
"What is it?" He looked worried.
"I'm freezing..." She looked at him with puppy-dog eyes.
The blond let out a soft chuckle and began slipping off his own jacket, draping it over her shoulders.
Claire’s cheeks flushed as she snuggled into her boyfriend’s warm jacket. As a thank you, she planted a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."
******
After the movie ended, Leon drove his jeep back to Claire’s place once again, pulling up to the door to admire her while holding her hand.
"I don't want to leave so soon. You look so beautiful." His face turned red.
Claire kissed Leon’s neck and gave him that look. "Don't you... want to stay the night? You know, I'll be all alone in this house."
Leon swallowed hard. Of course he wanted to, but he didn't want to be the kind of guy who takes advantage of the situation when his nearly six-foot-six brother-in-law is away on a trip. He was a cop; of course he did things by the book. But spending the night with Claire was incredibly tempting.
She noticed his worried look. "You don't have to force yourself, but I’d honestly love to just curl up with you in my bed. And, well... you know, I desire my boyfriend too..."
When it came to his beautiful girlfriend, Leon was weak. Naturally, he gave in and kissed her with pure ferocity.
Claire unlocked the door, and they didn't break apart for even a second. By the time they reached the couch, she seemed even more eager, even biting Leon's earlobe, which drove him crazy.
It didn't take long for things to heat up, and the fire kept burning all the way to Claire’s bedroom, where they spent a very, very hot night together.
****
In the morning, Claire woke up first, finding herself sleeping on her man's chest. She sighed—and what a man. He really had been incredible the entire night.
Looking at his sleeping face, she decided to get dressed. She tracked down her underwear, threw on some sweatpants and a black tank top, and, slipping into her slippers, headed downstairs to start making breakfast.
"He said he eats anything, so, pancakes it is!" She started cooking cheerfully, until she heard a door open. Thinking it was Leon, she kept talking. "Already awake this early? I'm making pancakes for the both of us."
"How did you guess I was coming?" The voice belonged to... her brother, Chris.
Turning around, she was in complete shock. "C-Chris? What are you doing here?"
"It's my house, isn't it?" He dropped his luggage onto the floor.
Claire gave a forced smile. "Yeah. Yes. But shouldn't you be on another continent right now?"
"Wow, what a warm welcome. My flight was delayed, it's not until tomorrow night. So I thought I'd come home, relax, and take a shower," Chris said, already kicking off his boots and noticing a leather jacket tossed on the couch.
Claire’s mind started racing. She cared deeply about Chris’s opinion and didn't want him to have a bad first impression of her boyfriend. So, while he was in the shower, she would grab Leon, help him sneak out, and then schedule an official dinner to introduce him to her brother properly. It was simple.
"Why don't you go take a shower while I whip up our delicious breakfast?" She smiled.
Chris narrowed his eyes and started heading up the stairs. "You're right, I stink."
She blinked rapidly, praying that Leon was still fast asleep so her plan would work perfectly.
Heading upstairs, Chris was exhausted. He had spent nearly a whole day at the airport only to find out his flight wouldn't leave until the following evening. It was frustrating, and a hot shower in his own home would help fix his foul mood. Walking slowly down the hallway, as he neared the bathroom, he heard some groans coming from Claire’s room, followed by a loud thud. He panicked. Could it be intruders? Burglars? Damn it! He didn't have his pistol on him. All he could do was creep toward his sister's bedroom. He opened the door cautiously, ready to strike.
But in the end, he was the one who took a hit—an emotional one.
"What the hell is this?" He stared at the man sitting on his sister's bed, naked except for a pair of black boxer briefs.
Leon scrambled to his feet upon seeing him. What could he even say? That he forgot his clothes? "H-hey! Chris!"
"Rookie. You have exactly one minute to grab your gear and get out of here." He put on his fiercest, scariest face. "CLAIRE REDFIELD!"
The poor blond started scrambling to put on his pants and shirt, grabbing his car keys. Heavens, he was terrified of walking out that door, and he did it as fast as humanly possible.
Chris walked down the stairs slowly behind Leon. When Leon passed by Claire, he asked, "See you later? I think I'm getting kicked out by your brother."
She rushed over and showered him with quick kisses. "I'm so sorry."
But the moment Leon placed his hand on Claire’s face, he was instantly interrupted. "Didn't I tell you to beat it?"
"I'm going!"
And now, in that living room, only two people remained.
"He’s kind of cute, right?" She laughed nervously.
Chris sighed. "I'm surprised you brought someone here, behind my back. You could have warned me; it would've saved me from seeing the rookie naked."
"Huh? You're not mad?" She tilted her head.
"A little. Yes. You two need to be careful, but he's a good kid, and I'm sure you were the main one to blame."
She looked at him, offended. "How can you say that about your own sister?"
"Because I know you. That's why I said it. Plus, it was pretty hilarious seeing him that terrified, so it was totally worth it." Chris sat down and started laughing.
"You are evil."