Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Don’t shoot!” 

“Get down!” 

The girl ducked, covering her head with her hands while Leon shot the zombie behind her. He waited a second to make sure the coast was clear before reaching out to help her up. “Thanks.” 

“Anyti-” Leon’s voice trailed off, a thin red string catching his eye, trailing from her left pinky to his right. He sensed her gaze on him, but couldn’t look away from the thread. 

“Oh...”

“We can’t stay here,” Leon said, reluctantly tearing his eyes from the string. She slowly met his eyes, his mixed feelings reflected in her eyes: fear, awe, and bad fucking timing. “We need to get to the police station. It’ll be a lot safer.” 

Leon sat at the bar of a diner near the police station, treating himself to a post-first-day dinner. It was an average diner, the large bar taking up much of the space, with booths lined against the walls. There were a handful of families, old couples, and a young woman chatting animatedly with the waitress at the other end of the bar. 

Being so far away, he only caught bits and pieces of their conversation, something about a guy not calling her. For reasons he didn’t understand, the idea of her having a boyfriend stung more than if any other cute girl had a boyfriend. He pushed the thought away, forcing himself to look at the typical diner decorations covering the wall in front of him instead of her. 

“Here you go, hun,” the waitress said, setting his burger and fries in front of him, giving him an easy distraction. 

“Thank you, ma’am.” 

The waitress returned to Claire, loudly whispering, “What a polite boy. Cute too.” Before disappearing back into the kitchen. 

Leon’s ears burned with the compliment, not daring to glance over at the girl until he heard her speak up. “Sorry about Doris. She’s lost her filter in her old age. If she ever had one, to begin with.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Leon said, turning to look at her. A beat of silence passed between them, neither turning away, but neither sure what to say either. Every line Leon might have dried up in his throat. 

Saying she was beautiful would be an extreme understatement. She radiated cool confidence from her red leather jacket to the ease with which she took up the space around her. But the warmth in her blue eyes and the softening of the polite smile she’d started with alluded to much more. “I’m Claire,” she said, her words coming out rushed, the slightest blush dusting her cheeks. 

“Uh... Leon.” Goddammit, pull yourself together. 

Thankfully, the sound of a plate being set forcefully down on the counter drew them out of their trance, Doris setting Claire’s pancakes in front of her. “Thank you, Doris.” 

“Anytime, hun,” she said with a wink before disappearing back into the kitchen. 

“So, are you new in town? I don’t think I’ve seen you around,” Claire asked, taking a sip of her coffee. 

“Yeah, actually, moved in a couple of days ago. I started a new job today.” 

“Nice, what do you-” Claire was partway through her question when an old man took the seat directly in the middle of them, blocking their path. She leaned forward on the counter, half standing on her stool to talk around him. “What do you do?” 

“I’m a police officer,” he said, leaning forward too, though not as dramatically as Claire, only enough to get a glimpse of her around the man. 

“Cop, huh?” Claire asked something he couldn’t quite decipher in her voice. He was prepared for people not liking his profession, but her tone didn’t necessarily seem negative. 

“Do you two mind? I’d like to drink my coffee in peace,” the old man asked, glaring at the both of them. 

“Sorry, Mr. Hendricks,” Claire said, peering around at Leon again. “Would you...like to join me over here? That way, we don’t have to talk across the room?” 

“Yeah... I’d like that.” The whole situation felt like a dream as Leon gathered his plate and drink and sat to the right of her. “Hi.” 

“Hi.” Claire grinned, and Leon took advantage of the closeness to really look at her, appreciating the smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks and how her smile was slightly lopsided, every small detail clashing with the cool exterior. Her cheeks heated again as she looked down at her plate, meticulously cutting a piece of pancake. “So first day, huh? How’d it go?” 

“Alright, the station’s a maze. I’m pretty sure I got lost at least a dozen times, but almost everybody was nice and...” Leon’s voice trailed off as Claire took a bite, the fork still in her hand, and a thin red string hanging from her pinky that he followed to his own finger. 

“What?” Claire followed his gaze, her mouth falling open when she noticed the red string. “Oh.” 

X 

“How are you doing?” 

“Oh, you know, surviving.” 

Claire gripped the bars in front of her, and Leon did the same, the red string pooling between their intertwined pinkies. Neither brought it up yet with the more pressing concerns. Also, it seemed wrong to acknowledge the string when the chances of survival were so low. 

“Hey, let’s get through this. Both of us?” 

“And from what I’ve heard, he got super drunk and serenaded her during the bar’s karaoke night,” Claire said, stealing the last fry off his plate. 

“And that worked?” Leon asked. “From what you’ve told me, there is no way that worked.” 

Claire shrugged. “It’s what I was told.” 

They’d been sitting there for over an hour, the food slowly disappearing. Claire and Leon focused more on talking than eating. Neither mentioned the string between them, mentioning ‘soulmates’ on an impromptu first date too intense, even if they were literally fated. Though it made opening up easier.

Once they got over the initial awkward hump, talking to her felt like he’d known her his whole life. She told him about how she was visiting from school because her brother hadn’t talked to her in weeks, which was unlike him, and how she’d chewed him out for it when it turned out he’d been too busy working. While he told her about the academy and his decision to move to Racoon City. 

“Well, look at you two. Aren’t you awful cozy?” Doris said, materializing in front of them and taking their empty plates. She’d been suspiciously gone since Leon moved seats. Leon glanced at the red string tying them together on reflex, which Doris caught on to immediately. “Oh, how exciting! Don’t worry about your meals, they’ll be on the house today. The soulmate special.” 

“Thanks, Doris. We oughta get out of your way, anyway,” Claire said, shifting uncomfortably at the word.

“Yeah, thank you,” Leon echoed, getting off his stool, not wanting to talk to a stranger before they’d discussed it. He offered a hand to Claire, who took it getting off her stool. 

“Anytime! Now, I just gotta live long enough to see Claire bring her kids in like her dad brought her.” 

“Annnd that’s our cue to leave, lets get going, Leon. Bye Doris,” Claire said, turning bright red as she grabbed Leon’s arm to steer him out of the diner. “So sorry about her.” 

“It’s really fine,” Leon assured her, the pair standing on the sidewalk outside the diner, the early autumn air crisp but not unpleasant.  

“Good, wouldn’t want her to scare you away,” Claire said, putting her hands in her jacket pockets and shifting on her feet, neither of them knowing what to do next. 

The night evolved so quickly from seeing a cute girl to basically a first date with his soulmate. If she was any other girl, he’d most likely give her his number and call it a night, but the thought of leaving without at least kissing her was unbearable. 

Claire took a step towards him, their boots touching, and Leon looked down at the incorporeal string running between them. Maybe it was silly to be shy or anxious. If she was his soulmate, then the chances of a kiss being bad or unreciprocated were basically zero. He moved forward, bending his head down to broadcast his intentions, pausing long enough to give her time to pull back before kissing her. 

Even the gentle press of lips sent electricity through Leon, and by the way Claire’s lips chased his when he tried to pull away, her hands grasping at his waist. He was confident she felt the same. Leon cupped her cheek, tipping her head back to get a better angle, while his other arm snaked around her, pulling her closer, the soft sigh that escaped her lips the best sound his ears ever heard. 

Claire’s hands moved up his chest to link behind his neck, using it to pull herself closer to him, their tongues getting involved. He savored every small sound she made, the taste of her, the way her body felt against his. Everything clicked into place with every new piece of her he explored, and he wanted more. He wanted it all. 

The urge to pick her up and take her against the diner wall was strong, so strong he forced himself to pull away. Not typically one for sex on a first date anyway, let alone being arrested for public sex on his first day as a cop. 

“Wow,” Claire breathed, with her arms still linked behind his neck, their bodies flush against each other. 

“Yeah...”

“This may be a little forward,” Claire started, and his heart rate picked up more than it already was. “But I already didn’t want to stay with Chris tonight, but I really don’t want to stay with Chris now.” 

Leon pressed another brief kiss to her lips, keeping their faces close when he spoke, “Please, for the love of god don’t stay with Chris.” 

“I guess you twisted my arm,” Claire grinned, kissing him again, holding onto him tightly, getting as much leverage as possible while he pulled her close. It wasn’t enough though, his lizard brain aware that if kissing her was this good, other stuff could only be better. “You know we will have to stop at some point to go to my place.” 

“I know,” Claire said, falling back on her heels but still pressing kisses to his jaw. He bit back a groan while a family exited the diner, the mother blocking her kid’s eyes. “Ugh, I guess you’re right.” 

Leon brought her back for a bruising kiss, making sure it would hold her over until they made the short walk back to his apartment. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.” 

Her eyes darkened at the comment, her pupils blown as she pulled away, intertwining their fingers to keep them connected. “I’ll hold you to that, Rookie.” 

Chapter Text

"So are you guys like boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Claire shared a glance with Leon, the red string teasing her as he spoke up. "No, we uh actually just met... yesterday?" 

"Would've been one helluva a first date though." 

Claire woke up to an annoying ringing noise, her brain struggling to comprehend what was happening. Leon groaned behind her, the comforting warmth at her back disappearing when he rolled away to turn what she realized was the alarm clock off. 

“Sorry,” he murmured, flopping back on the bed with his arm thrown over his eyes. 

“For needing to wake up?” Claire teased, rolling over to cuddle against him, already missing the contact. 

“Yeah. You should get an immediate day off after...” Leon trailed off, removing his arm to look at her, the sheer magnitude of emotions his face held overwhelming. He looked at her like she was his salvation, and the scariest part was she understood. Claire’d heard the adults around her talk about soulmates her entire life, mostly good, some bad, but hearing about it and experiencing it were two totally different things.  12 hours in and she wasn’t sure she could live without him. 

“Unfortunately, you don’t,” Claire said, kissing his cheek. “And it would look bad to call out on your second day.”

Leon rolled over to where he was on top of her, his hands on either side of her head. “You sure? Because I’d much rather be doing this.” He bent down to kiss her, all her rational objections disappearing in his lips. 

Claire trailed her hands over his bare sides while they kissed, taking full advantage of being allowed to touch somebody so beautiful. “I’m sure, though I’m having a hard time remembering why.” 

Not getting carried away was a challenge, especially since they were already naked. But she wasn’t sure what kind of alarm person he was. Did they have an hour or 15 minutes? Just when she’d hooked a leg over his, ready to give in, the alarm rang out again, ruining her chance of morning sex. Leon groaned again, dropping his forehead to her briefly, before turning the alarm off for real. 

“You go get ready,” Claire said, sitting up with him. “I’ll go make breakfast.” 

“I’ll make it quick,” Leon said, giving her one last kiss before disappearing into the bathroom. 

-

Twenty minutes later, Leon joined Claire in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her from behind while she finished up the eggs, a small plate of bacon off to the side. “Man, I could get used to this,” he said, trailing kisses down her neck. 

“This is purely new girlfriend behavior,” Claire shot back, waving her spatula for emphasis. “A month from now, you’ll be lucky if I put pop-tarts in the toaster for you.” 

“Girlfriend, huh?” Leon asked, leaning to the side to get a better look at her, a teasing grin playing on his lips. 

“Um... yeah.” Claire tried desperately to conceal her panic. Normally, she wouldn’t call herself somebody’s girlfriend after one date, nor did she typically stay for breakfast, but said person had also never been her soulmate. A fact her brain still struggled to comprehend. 

“Good,” Leon said, simply kissing her temple and stealing a piece of bacon like it wasn’t a huge declaration. He moved around her, leaning against the counter. It looked like he might say more until he realized what she was wearing. “Is that my shirt?” 

“Yeah, I needed something to wear,” Claire grinned. She snooped through his closet looking for a shirt and stole the clearly well-loved The Clash t-shirt. “I can give it back if you’d like?” 

“Much as I’d love what that’d leave you in, keep it. It looks better on you, anyway.” 

“Thanks! Also, breakfast is ready,” she said, setting the pan aside. 

“Perfect, I’m starved.” Leon grabbed a couple of plates out of the cupboard, handing one to Claire and loading up his plate. They stood in the kitchen to eat, Leon pressed for time. “Do you have any plans for the day?” 

“Not much. I was going to bring Chris a peace offering before I head back to school.” 

“School. Right...”

It hadn’t dawned on either of them yet that despite the perfect morning; they weren’t in a position to fall into domestic bliss. Claire still lived three hours away. “Yeah... I could probably leave tonight though if you wanted to meet up after you get off?” 

“That sounds nice, yeah let’s do that,” Leon said, glancing at the clock. “Shit, I really gotta get going.” 

Leon shoveled the rest of his eggs into his mouth, then dropped the plate in the sink. “Sorry to rush out on you,” he apologized. 

“No need,” Claire said, putting a hand on his arm. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Tonight,” he repeated, kissing her goodbye. 

X

Claire showed up at the police station a few hours later with a box of donuts in hand and headed straight for the STARS office, keeping an eye out for a certain rookie as she went. She hadn’t actually told him who Chris was yet. Everybody treated her differently after they learned who her brother was, and she wanted to just be ‘Claire’ instead of ‘Redfield’s sister’ as long as possible. 

“You here to yell at me some more?” Chris asked when Claire stepped into the office. 

“No, I’m here with a peace offering,” she said, moving stuff out of the way so she could sit on his desk. “Donut?”

Chris eyed the box with suspicion while she opened the box for him, his expression darkening when he saw the surprise she left him. “You ate most of the maple bar? You brat.” 

Claire grinned, especially when Jill cackled from the desk across from her, turning to pay attention to the siblings. She had, in fact, eaten most of the maple bar (his favorite), leaving only a few bites left for him. “Come on, it couldn’t have been a full peace offering.” 

“Actually, it could have been,” Chris said, still taking the mostly eaten maple bar. 

“You want a donut, Jill?” Claire asked, leaning forward to offer her the box.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Jill said, leaning across the back of the chair to take a donut. “Thanks, Claire.”

“Anytime!” Claire said, sorting through the stack of CDs and other junk piled on Chris’s desk. “You know you should tidy up your desk sometime. What will women think?” 

“We already know he’s a mess,” Jill said, to Claire’s delight. 

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Chris asked, shooting a glare at Jill. “I figured you’d be back at school since you didn’t come home last night.” 

Claire debated on how honest to be with him, especially when his eyes honed in on the Clash t-shirt she still wore. Chris had clearly made his own, most likely correct, assumption, but before she could come up with an excuse, the reason for her not coming home stepped through the STARS’s office door. 

“I have evidence for a Barry Burton?” Leon said, his eyes focused on reading what he was holding.

“He should be in the office,” Chris said. 

“Thank you...” Leon’s voice trailed off when he noticed Claire, his eyes going wide. 

“Hey Rookie,” Claire grinned. “Surprised to see you here.” 

“Where I work...?” 

“Did somebody say my name?” Barry asked, stepping out of his office. 

“Yeah, Claire’s new boyfriend,” Jill chimed in, to everybody’s dismay. Leon looked like he’d seen a ghost, Chris’s eyes couldn’t get closer together as he scowled at Leon, and the teeny pit in her stomach at her brother’s reaction was now at least fist-sized. 

“What did I miss?” Barry asked, with a raised eyebrow. 

“Yeah, what did he miss, Claire?” Chris asked. 

“Um, this is for you, sir,” Leon said, handing the evidence to Barry. “I should... get back to work.” 

“See you tonight!” Claire decided to dig herself deeper into the hole. Chris owed her one, and it’s not like he could be mad about her literal soulmate. 

Leon’s face turned an adorable tomato color as he quickly exited the room. 

“You going to explain what just happened?” Chris asked, his scowl somehow deeper. 

“I’ll tell you if you actually make our weekly phone call sometime this year.” 

“It was three weeks, Claire, goddamn.” 

“Well, make the next one and I’ll tell you all about my personal life,” Claire said, hopping off the desk and setting the donuts down where she’d sat. “And until then, please don’t harass the rookie.” 

X

"I still have to go find Chris." The words burned on their way out. It was the last thing she wanted to say, but she knew what she had to do. 

"I know," Leon sighed, hooking his pinky with hers, a comforting reminder that they were tied together no matter how far she went. 

"I'll be back as soon as I find him. Plus, we're soulmates, right? It has to work out in the end." It was naive thinking, but she clung to the only lifeline she had.

"Right." 

“You know I was only told two things about your brother,” Leon said, the pair sitting on his couch, Leon’s arm around her shoulder. “That he was the Raccoon City PD’s golden boy and his little sister was off limits.” 

Of course, Claire thought with a bitter chuckle, not surprised. “You see why I didn’t tell you?” 

“Yeah I guess,” Leon sighed. “Were you planning on telling me eventually?” 

“If I didn’t run into you today, I planned on telling you tonight. Promise.” Claire held out her pinky to him, smiling when he hooked it with his. “Half the reason I went today was potentially running into you, the other half being to give Chris a half-eaten donut.”

“Half-eaten donut?” 

“Do you have siblings?” 

“No.”

“Than it’s a long story,” Claire said, not prepared to explain the complex politics of sibling wars. 

“If you say so.” 

Claire kissed his cheek. “I do.” 

She settled against him, resting her head on his shoulder. “You know this whole thing is so weird.” 

“Weird?” 

“Yeah, like I don’t even know your last name.” The thought dawned on her the night before, but she’d not wanted to offer hers, so she didn’t ask. “But I feel like I’d do anything you asked me to.” 

“Like stay?” Leon asked, a bit of hope in his voice. 

“If you really asked, maybe,” she admitted, looking up at him. 

Leon sighed, his answer clear in the way his shoulders sagged. He’d never ask her to. God, he was perfect. “Kennedy.” 

“What?” 

“My last name’s Kennedy. Leon Kennedy.” 

“Well, Leon Kennedy,” Claire started, moving to straddle him. She gave him a brief kiss, lingering in his space while she spoke. “At least school will keep us from moving too fast. Give us time to enjoy the process instead of jumping to the end.” 

In one fell swoop, Leon lifted her and turned them so was on top of her, pressing her into the couch cushions. “Oh, I’ll enjoy the process. In the meantime, there’s a spare side of the bed whenever you want it.” 

Claire struggled to think of a response as he trailed kisses from her jaw down her neck, part of her brain fighting to have an actual conversation, while everything in her wanted to give in to his lips. “Redfield.” 

“Yeah. I figured,” Leon laughed against her skin. 

“Fair,” she breathed. Leon’s lips dipped lower, his hand teasing the edge of the t-shirt, and she reluctantly took his face in her hands to slow him down. He gazed back at her, his eyes full of lust, his breathing labored, and it took everything in her to push forward. 

“It’s only a three-hour drive. Two and a half if I risk a speeding ticket. My last class on Fridays ends at two and I mostly spend my weekends catching up on homework anyway,” Claire rambled, needing to get everything out in one go so they could return to the task at hand. “I live in a campus apartment, so there are three other girls, but we all have our own rooms. I know you’ll most likely have to work weekends for a while, and while my bed’s barely a full, it’s always open if you want it.” 

Leon stared back at her, the lust still present, but something softer took over with a gentle upward curve of his lips. “Sounds like you have it all planned out?” 

“It’s all I thought about today,” Claire said, feeling extremely vulnerable with the admission, but oddly not worried about what Leon would do with it. “... outside of torturing Chris, of course.” 

“Of course,” Leon chuckled, his eyes crinkling with the wider smile. He took her left hand with his right, both of them taking a moment to admire the short red string dangling from their intertwined pinkies. He placed a kiss on her hand before leaning back down to kiss her. “Alright, Claire Redfield, it sounds like we have a plan.” 

“Sounds like we do,” she said, removing her hand from his to pull him back down to her, this time letting herself give in to the moment, content with the plan to move forward and that they could make this work. Together.