Resident Evil - Was It A Dream?

Resident Evil: Was It a Dream?

His shoes lightly trekking across the carpeted hallway, Leon Kennedy kept his head up and his eyes figuratively peeled for room number 803. He still had a few minutes left before his 20-minute deadline was up, but he knew it wouldn't do him well to be late at all.
Nor would it suffice for Ada Wong.
A call in the dark had alerted him to her presence, and it was because of that call that he was here; he'd been made aware she was in D.C. enjoying herself after parting ties with her shadowy employer and passing on information that would prove invaluable to Leon's report for an upcoming mission to be taken on by his compatriot, former S.T.A.R.S. member and BSAA co-founder Chris Redfield.
This had very much surprised Leon, as well as the fact that she'd remembered his birthday and put to rest the years-old question of why he'd seen or heard nothing of her in the six-year period between the Raccoon City disaster and his first mission in Spain, now almost four years past.
Now, after the call had ended and a text message giving him the room number and hotel name, as well as telling him not to be late, here he was - prepared for whatever might happen, and trying to convince himself to believe it.
Keeping himself relaxed and his breathing deep and even, Leon raised a hand to gently knock on the door, only to find on the first knock that the door had already opened a crack. He caught the barest glimpse of ebony hair and a pair of brown eyes before they ducked away and the door swung open completely.
What Leon saw, as surprising as it was to him, took his breath away.
He didn't think he'd be up for many surprises tonight, even if it was his birthday, but the sight of Ada Wong in a strapless scarlet dress, a gilded butterfly in mid-flight across the slitted left side, did  his mood a powerful lot of good. He could smell a floral, beguilingly sweet perfume emanating from her.
As he admired her, he became aware of Ada's almond gaze traveling over him - plum dress shirt, slim jeans, dark shoes, and a black leather jacket with two flapped pockets on either side and two horizontal stripes around the middle of each sleeve.
"Nice jacket, Mr. Kennedy", Ada coyly complimented. "But I'm not too sure about the coffee scent though. It's not quite you."
Leon couldn't help but laugh. "Like I said, it's been one of those nights, Ada."
"Well, good thing I come prepared", she smirked, allowing him into the plush hotel room and turning around to pick up a small bottle and toss it to him. Leon deftly caught it with one hand, looking down at it to see it was cologne, branded with the name and number of another certain secret agent from across the ocean.
"Very cute", Leon wryly stated with a smirk before taking a small spray to his fingers and rubbing the cologne into his wrists and behind his ears before spraying it across his neck and chest. He just closed the nozzle when he felt Ada gently rubbing her hands up his front, spreading the leather jacket open.
"Well...it is your birthday, handsome. And as it turns out, I've got something special planned for you."
"Oh? And what might that be?" Leon replied, his voice a rather husky growl.
"A surprise, for now", she teased, leaning up to whisper in his ear. "We just need to get there, don't we?"
Chuckling lightly and knowing what she was implying, Leon pulled out a small keyring, a few keys dangling from it along with a keychain of a generic-looking car. "As long as you don't mind me driving. I don't get my car out often enough anyway", he stated, offering her his arm with a light grin.
Chuckling lightly, Ada hooked her arm around Leon's, and together they walked down the hall and into the elevator, both of them mildly surprised to see it open before them almost immediately. They stepped in, Leon hitting the ground level button before the doors shut again.
As the elevator began to descend, he felt himself being pushed against the wall, one of Ada's soft hands spread over his chest as the other came around his neck to pull him into a deep, heated kiss. Leon let himself be taken by it and return it, his eyes drifting shut as a flash of heated relief seemed to flood from Ada's lips to his own and throughout his body.
But, before he could raise his hands to her waist, she gently pulled away and moved back to take his arm again at the same time the elevator doors opened, the lobby waiting beyond them.
"You just love teasing me, don't you?" Leon whispered through his teeth as they strode through the spacious room and into the warm, dark night.
"I don't hear you complaining about it, handsome", Ada replied, a sly and seductive tone in her voice. "If you're a good boy, there'll be plenty more where that came from."
Then she saw the car that Leon was walking her to - a '67 Chevrolet Impala, its dark blue paint job shining under the warm glow of the streetlights and the hotter glare of scattered neon that distracted from the last orange slivers of sunset. Ada couldn't quite believe what she was seeing - the car gave off a masculine, beastly feeling with its hard lines and design; yet she knew if she looked inside, she'd find well-kept leather upholstery and plush seats inside a spacious cabin just behind an engine powerful for its time which still packed a punch against modern cars today. On a second glance, she found the lines of the car had an almost hidden sleekness to them that also eased the tension she first felt from it. Overall, that second glance helped her to feel that this car could be tamed, much like its driver. It was this last thought that intrigued Ada the most, even as said driver opened the door for her.
"Why, thank you", she complimented as she stepped inside, taking in the soft roof of the cabin and the smooth leather and wood of the dash as she shut the door behind her. The car's scent was even paradoxical - vanilla, but with traces of pumpkin and ginger. All in all, Ada felt both on her toes, yet completely composed inside the Impala. The only thing that seemed only remotely out of place was the modern-looking stereo system just beneath the original radio and tape deck and the iPod touch plugged into the aux port.
The driver's door creaked open, and Leon swung himself inside, turning the key even as he closed the door. The engine growled to rumbling life, yet the car remained steady as a rock, like a predator surveying its scenery before attack.
"Quite a car you've got here, Mr. Kennedy", Ada finally said, running her hands over the windowsill of the door. "Yours?"
"My dad's. He loved to work on cars in his spare time, and he always let me help out with this one - which surprises me, considering this car was always his favorite. Thankfully, a friend of his kept it up until I showed up in Peyton and got it back."
Ada nodded in realization, turning to look at Leon. She knew everything there was about his family, up to the car accident that had taken their lives years before Leon joined up with the Raccoon City Police Department, planning to find the driver that had unintentionally killed them. In a way, even though she wasn't happy about it, Ada owed it a sort of thanks - without that accident, she and Leon never would've met. And where would we all be then, I wonder?
Leon depressed the clutch and shifted into first, and the car moved smoothly over the pavement of the D.C. street, the buildings and streetlights gently passing by. Keeping her gaze on him, Ada couldn't help but feel completely calm now, seeing Leon handle and drive the Impala as if he knew its every move and growl, keeping a deft hand on the wheel and letting his feet work the clutch and gas as he shifted gears again. She knew he was a man of many talents - their encounters together more than ample proof - yet everything he did continued to surprise her, along with his genuine and brave manner and easy smile with sarcastic humor. It seemed to be needed for her sanity, especially considering her recent exit from her former employer. She was sure that he wouldn't let her off easily, if a gunfight could be called that.
All of that went through Ada's head in a second, before her gaze flashed to the iPod sitting in the holder in front of the stereo. "May I?"
Leon looked to where she was before replying, "Sure. Code's 092998."
She rapped the code in, a wry smile coming to her face as she recognized the code's significance, and the iPod opened up to a picture of the Capitol building. She tapped the Music icon, looking through the artists. Some of them, Ada was sure had been passed to him by his parents, like AC/DC, Queen, and Frank Sinatra, but it wasn't until she ran across a certain hard rock song by a different band that her curiosity was piqued.
Only one way to satisfy it, she thought. Ada clicked it, and she was promptly greeted with a hard hitting drum beat and distortedly loud guitar before a woman's voice sang over it about how she'd catch the man she was after in a way only she knew how. It wasn't quite her sound, yet the message more that suited her. And somehow, Ada felt this song was just meant for her to find.
Leon seemed to think so, letting out a chuckle as he stopped the car at a light that had just turned red. "I had a feeling you'd pick this one."
"Just a feeling?" Ada asked, smiling seductively over at him. He returned her gaze evenly, replying, "Just a feeling."
Then Leon's gaze flickered past Ada to something outside the window, an eyebrow arching humorously. Ada turned to look out the window, seeing a young boy and girl, both barely 18, sitting in a modern yellow Camaro. The boy, in the driver's seat, had been flashing a certain finger Leon's way right up until Leon himself reached for the dash and flashed his DSO badge their way. Now she saw the boy's face take on a look of humiliation, his girlfriend laughing lightly.
Thinking of how to further put them in their place, Ada tilted forward to turn the volume up, the sound of metal blaring louder from the classic car's speakers. Then she straightened up, almost ignoring Leon's quizzical look, and flashed a warm smile with a teasing wave in the boy's direction before leaning against Leon and nuzzling his neck.
Shuddering softly, Leon reflexively let an arm drift behind Ada's waist, holding her there and feeling her toned, beautiful form against his as her teeth nibbled across his collarbone before sharply nipping at the base of his neck, earning her a low moan from him.
"Nn...what was that for?" Leon asked, concentrating on the light.
"I thought you knew, handsome..." Ada's gaze flickered to the young couple in the lane beside them as she whispered into his ear, nibbling the lobe, "Love bites...but so do I." Her hand moved to the gear shifter, Ada noticing that Leon was depressing the clutch just before she shifted the car back into first.
She had just moved back over to her seat before she was lightly thrown back against it, Leon hitting the gas hard enough to speed down the street, leaving the newer car and its slack-jawed driver and angry girlfriend in the dust.
He let a light smirk come to his face even as he felt the tips of Ada's fingers against his cheek, she spreading her arms against the seat back. "You tease."
"Hey, now...if it makes you feel any better, you're behaving well so far", Ada replied, a cheeky tone in her voice and a smirk to match on her face. "Besides, we'll be getting out in another couple of blocks."
"Oh?" Leon looked around down the street, noticing the houses beginning to thin out, more and more trees taking their place, until just past a crowd of them lay what looked like a very classy nightclub, neon glowing on its outer borders that gave it the air of a 1920's speakeasy. Only appropriate, Leon thought, that it should be called the 18th Amendment.
"This is it?" Leon asked, turning left from the street into the spacious parking lot, noting only a few cars parked outside its front door.
"This is it", Ada affirmed. "No worries, handsome. You'll be fine with me."
"Will I indeed?" Leon arched a brow conspiratorially at her before getting out of the old Impala and walking around to escort Ada out as well.
This time, Ada took Leon's arm and led him inside the building, he managing to keep up after a slight moment of surprise at the change of lead. "Wondering why I brought you her?"
"Only a lot...why are we here?" Leon finally asked, looking up at the arched main entrance as Ada pushed the door open.
"Well, considering the fact that it is your birthday, and me being here after...parting ways with Wesker, I figure there's plenty to celebrate, don't you?"
Shrugging lightly, Leon gave her a light nod. "Fair enough, I suppose. And not that I don't appreciate it, but why here?"
"Because its one of my favorite spots in town..." She turned back to him with a mischievous smile, pulling him inside. "I want to show you around...and I want to see how well you dance."
Leon barely had time to register that last statement, a fresh set of nerves coming in as he looked around.
The room inside was a large, spacious one - a bar running the length of the room took up the left side of the wall, a smooth ash wood floor spreading from it to the middle of the room, where it met with plush carpet on which dark tables and chairs sat expectantly. Hanging from the ceiling and casting a warm glow across the room were a few old-fashioned chandeliers, furthering the Prohibition-era atmosphere if it contained a few subtly modern touches. The smell was smooth and not unpleasant, a whiff of old style cologne mixing with the scent of the ash wood. At the back of the room behind an alcove sat a young male DJ in a dark dress shirt switching from the music on his computer to the mixing equipment in front of him. The music itself was jazzy, a light yet percussive bass thudding beneath the horns.
All in all, even considering the few small groups of people sitting at the tables, Leon decided that he liked the place so far. It certainly suited Ada, at the very least.
Speaking of her, he'd noticed that Ada had strolled over to the bar and was signaling him over, a bottle of champagne and a couple of glasses sitting on the bar in front of her. Leon moved over to join her, leaning against the bar as he sat down.
"That for us?"
"No, the bartender just left it there for me to steal", Ada commented wryly, starting to pour the golden liquid into the glasses, offering one of them to him.
Taking it, Leon shook his head with a chuckle. "Sassy much?"
"Yes, and you love it anyway", Ada fired back, turning to him with a smile.
"Well, that and all the times you've helped me in the past - Raccoon City..."
"Spain with Jack Krauser and you rescuing Ashley..."
"The info for my report..."
"And now, I've essentially kidnapped you, Leon", Ada finished. "However must that feel?"
"Almost like you're just taking me out for my birthday, amazingly enough", Leon answered. Then he began to laugh a bit more, the champagne wavering slightly in his hand.
Ada arched an eyebrow at him. "And just what's so funny about that, Mr. Kennedy?"
"Ah, nothing. It's just..." Leon took a deep breath as he regathered himself before answering, "First we end up having an actual conversation, and now here we are on a date, celebrating my birthday."
She thought about it for a moment, unconsciously scooting closer to Leon as she nodded lightly, stating, "That's fair enough. I guess I've never had time for that before."
Then Ada's gaze met hers, and Leon noticed a depth in her eyes that he hadn't previously noticed before. It was as if her almond eyes alone were inviting him into her head, maybe even her heart after long enough.
"But you've been working so hard lately, even forgetting about today, Leon. More than anyone else, you deserve at least tonight." With that, she held up her glass in front of him.
Leon responded by gently clinking his glass against hers, raising it while saying, "No less than you do, Ada", and taking a sip of it through his teeth. "Hey, isn't this...?"
"I wondered if you'd catch that", Ada smiled, her old teasingly sensual tone coming back to her voice. She'd chosen that particular champagne for its personal significance to her - it was the same champagne she'd brought with her during "that night" she'd found him in Paris, alone in his hotel room.
Leon let out a soft humming sigh before slowly draining his glass and setting it back down. "Still, this isn't as delicious as the woman sitting in front of me."
"Sweet-talker", Ada said, rolling her eyes. Yet there was no stopping the faint blush of pink that rose to her well-defined cheekbones. "What were you toasting to earlier?"
"Us and tonight, I suppose", Leon replied after a second's thought.
She nodded lightly, answering, "We do have tonight, at least."
Ada reached for the bottle, pouring another half-glass for herself and Leon before raising her glass. "Well, here's to us then. May we get what we need, what we want--"
"But not what we deserve?" Leon chuckled, his glass clinking against hers.
"Depends what you think you deserve, Mr. Kennedy", Ada fired back with a wink. "Like I said, I personally think you deserve tonight."
Then Ada pushed herself away from the bar, hopping off the chair. "And I want to make the most of it."
"How so?" Leon wondered, peeling off his leather jacket and letting it hang on the chair's back, fully revealing his plum dress shirt.
Then he noticed Ada's offered hand, followed by her answer of, "I want to see if you're as sweet with your feet as you are with your words, handsome. Think you can do that?"
At this, that fresh set of nerves crept back up on Leon once again. He'd never really set foot on a dance floor at any point in his life, let alone with someone else. Not to mention, this was the woman who had haunted every aspect of his life ever since that fateful September night in Raccoon City when they'd first met - he a young and awkward rookie cop, she already an experienced spy and assassin. And yet, even though some of that awkwardness remained in him, and she still did what she did, something had changed within them both because of each other...something Leon knew that he couldn't live without and didn't want to let go.
And now, here she was once again, igniting that feeling in him once again, making him feel like a schoolboy with all eagerness and nerves.
"I dunno how good I'd be on my feet", Leon confessed, but Ada merely shook her head.
"I can help with that, you know. Samba isn't that difficult", she chuckled.
Somehow, the mention of that particular dance style reminded Leon of something that shattered his nerves - an old song his mother loved; its smooth and clapping rhythm with its steel drums and acoustic guitar echoed inside his head.
And he knew it'd be perfect.
"Only if I get to pick the song", Leon amended, taking her hand and letting her lead him to the alcove where the young DJ sat. Ada knocked on the desk just in front of his face, catching his attention.
"What can I do ya for?" he asked in a light tenor voice, blond locks barely starting to fall over his eyes.
Leon leaned in, softly giving the young man his request, and when he saw the young man's face light up at the song and the $5 tip, he knew the odds were in his favor.
"And it's ready to go right after this song's over", the DJ promised. "You know, I get the feeling that this song's perfect for you two."
"Oh? And what song is that?" Ada asked. The DJ shook his blond head in response, a chuckle from his mild face before saying, "He asked me to keep that a surprise, ma'am, but he said you'd love it too. No worries."
Turning to lead Leon back onto the dance floor, Ada looked up at him as her other arm wrapped gently around his waist.  "I thought I was the one surprising you, Mr. Kennedy."
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to keep you on your toes, Ms. Wong. And besides, you wanted to samba, and I think I've got the perfect tune for it", Leon replied, a twinkle in his eye as they moved together, the jazz fading away.
"Well? What is it then?"
He looked up and pointed at the speakers at Ada's words, and as if on cue, the soft vocals and strumming guitars came in, leading the clapping rhythm and baritone voice that he remembered from his youth.
Once she realized what it was, Ada began to lead them through their dancing, arching an eyebrow. "Elvis, huh?"
"An old favorite", Leon shrugged, following her step for step, watching as hers bounced down and her hips swayed with the rhythm, matching her as best he could. "I thought it fit for tonight too."
She turned them in a circle around each other, watching him closely. "Maybe just a bit too well for now", Ada poked, her seductive manner betraying the light tone in her voice as she pulled him closer.
"Maybe", Leon acquiesced with a laugh, "but hey, it's now or never, right?"
With that, and one last laugh, they focused on their dancing. He may not have known it, but Leon was doing a remarkable job of ballroom samba - his steps bouncing down and back as Ada's came forward, their sets of hips moving as if reflecting each other, their eyes never breaking contact no matter where or how they moved - closer to each other, then away again; side to side as their hips swayed; their legs bending and straightening every first two beats, then they turning into each other's bodies at every last beat before the chorus came back.
Just as the music quieted before the last refrain, Leon reflexively caught Ada's leg as it bent upward toward his waist, then turned and held her at an angle above the floor, feeling her arms reach around his neck.
"Got ya", he whispered with a smile, knowing that the moment couldn't last. Suddenly, Ada pulled her leg away and swiftly moved around and behind Leon, taking his arm and turning him around before pulling him back, one hand balling into the back of his dress shirt while the other gently caressed his cheek.
"No, handsome...I've got you", she replied with a sly wink, feeling his heart beating against her own, the heated air almost palpable between them and ready to explode.
Then another song, slower and mellower, came on through the speakers, settling the intensity of the feeling. Instead of an imminent explosion, it now felt more like a peaceful campfire, albeit one that still carried an intense heat waiting to be loosed.
But they couldn't let it happen here; that would be taking things too far. Even with that thought, all of the feelings that Ada was going through seemed to rush at her in that particular moment - the feeling of escape from her dangerous superior, the light fear that ran through her of what he might do to make her job harder, the feeling each day being the potential last, whatever she was feeling for Leon...
In Leon's head, he couldn't believe that she, the woman who had haunted his dreams and held his heart like a hand grenade, was in his arms again. Even with the danger they found during all their time together, he owed her more that he'd admit - saving him in Raccoon City, aiding his escape from Spain, providing the info that would help Chris with his mission...and now, of all things, she was helping him celebrate his birthday for the first time in forever. He didn't quite know what to make of all this himself.
Whatever was happening with them, tonight they couldn't figure out how to stop it.
The first thought that ran through their heads was, "I want to get out of here."
What they said was, "I want you."
The words hung there, a quietly strong gust breaking the silence between them. They knew how dangerous even that small admission could be, how life-threatening. It surprised Leon to hear it as much as it did Ada when she said it, another barrier between them crossed.
Yet, it added to the thrill of the night, and they both decided they didn't want anything else. With anyone else.
"You ok to drive?" Ada whispered huskily, her hand hesitantly moving to his side. Leon nodded, his own hand dropping to her waist. "You want to leave?"
This time she nodded, and he led her out the door, grabbing his jacket on the way out. The couple raced out to the Impala, Leon unlocking the car and tossing himself in as fast he could, watching Ada following suit, her dangerous beauty captivating  him as she moved.
Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Leon pulled her close as soon as she shut the door and kissed her hard on the lips. He could feel her mild surprise before her hands found his cheeks, returning the kiss for just a few seconds before pushing him away, the seductive tone in her voice punctuated with a shudder. "Easy, tiger...not until we get back to your place, hmm?"
With a sigh, Leon moved back to his seat and shifted into first, the Impala peeling out of the lot and back to the street toward the city proper. He cranked the window down, letting the chilled air blow into the car and past his face, which slowly broke into a smile.
He barely noticed it happen until Ada spoke up. "What are you so happy about?"
Leon looked over at her, still smiling, and replied, "So far, this is the best birthday I've ever had... I've just never taken the time before to enjoy it, but now that you're here..." He stopped his rambling, finishing simply, but affectionately, "Thank you...for everything."
Ada returned the smile with her own, gently rubbing his thigh as she leaned over to lightly kiss her cheek. "Like I said before, Leon. I'm always looking out for you. Even when it comes time to stop doing what you need to do--"
"And do what you want to do?" Leon suggested.
Ada chuckled as Leon finished her thought. "Something like that, yeah", she answered.
Just then though, a chill that had nothing to do with outside came over Ada - a chill from past events when she'd cut ties with her employer. The flashbacks that had threatened her before in the club rushed back to her again; she could remember everything fully - the hot flashes of bullets as they whizzed past her skin, the inhuman speed of her enemy as he dodged almost every shot, the blossoming pain from his punches, the exhilaration of evading him for the final time and making her escape as he lay wounded from the last bullet in her clip-
"Hey, you alright, Ada?" Leon's concerned voice snapped Ada out of her flashback, and she felt a latent heat in her face as if she expected to see someone following them, sent by Wesker. But then she focused further, and the tumult in her head settled back down.
But she wasn't what Leon would call alright. Not yet. It usually wasn't like her to feel the way she was, yet with him there, and she practically snatching him to help them enjoy each other's company so shortly after what had happened with her...it all compiled on her too much too soon. She couldn't not admit it any longer...could she?

"Who said anything was wrong?"
The question rang out to Leon's ears as he leaned against the couch in his apartment, Ada sitting on the edge seat beside him. The rest of the ride and the walk up to his place had passed in silence, and it was only when they got inside Leon's apartment that he repeated his previous inquiry.
"No one...I could just see it in your face, like someone was angering and scaring you all at once", Leon replied. "Wesker?"
Ada's head twitched lightly to one side, as if trying to shake it off. "Who else would it be?" she asked rhetorically, her tone harsher than she meant it. Why couldn't she just stay strong, at least for her own sake? She shouldn't be acting like this!
"Ada..." Leon gently put a hand on her shoulder, but Ada shrugged it off and went over to the sliding door, looking into the night through the double-paned glass.
She let out a shaky breath, crossing her arms. "I know that I can watch my own back without anyone else's help...even if it's against someone like Wesker...especially him."
"I know you can. That's one of the things I love about you, Ada - you're strong, you're independent, you're smart--"
"So why cant I--" Her voice trailed off, unable to finish the thought.
Ada heard as much as felt Leon come up behind her, but still keeping his distance just in case she were to lunge out at him in anger. "Why can't you what?" he asked.
Slowly, Ada let out a shaky breath, her head hanging as low as the rest of her barriers crumbled, and she whispered, "Why can't I stop feeling scared?"
She couldn't relax, not even with Leon's hands gently rubbing into her shoulders as she continued, "There are rumors that he's in Africa, you know...and when I heard about that mission, I thought you'd be the one who'd have to go, and...I was worried..." She blinked away already forming tears, hating herself for breaking down, especially in front of him. That was the worst thing that she could've done, professionalism be damned. And even then, she'd spent a great deal of her career running from this mission to the next, objective to objective, unfeeling and uncaring toward most of those who got in her way. Nothing could've stopped Ada Wong...except when the life of the only person she ever managed to fully care about was on the line.
It was then that she realized, maybe danger wasn't the only thing she'd been running around. Maybe it was her own indescribable emotions that she'd been dodging too. And now they were knocking at her door, threatening to break it if she didn't answer.
Leon, on the other hand, seemed to know how to help calm the figurative incessant pounding down. "I know...and I told you, I'm not going over there. Even if I were, Chris won't be alone in Africa, and he can take Wesker himself. He's done it before." He leaned in close, whispering soothingly into her ear, "I'll be fine, Ada...I'm not going anywhere." His soft lips brushed against her cheek, his hands rubbing down her arms. "I'm not there, I'm not in any danger, nor will I be for the time being. I'm here...right here with you."
Letting out a soft groan, Ada let herself finally loosen up upon hearing Leon's words, still mentally kicking herself for letting her outer shell crumble the way that it did. She couldn't believe that now, of all times, would be the time he'd see her all the times she thought of him by herself.
"This isn't fair", she groaned. "I'm supposed to be looking out for you, Leon. I'm supposed to save you..."
Leon chuckled softly at her words, kissing her cheek again. "And you've done an amazing job of it so far, Ada. If it weren't for you back in the Umbrella lab, that Tyrant would've killed me. Or Jack Krauser and Saddler back in Spain, or when the island was about to self-destruct..."
At that, Ada finally let out a soft laugh. "Even if I caused it?"
"It couldn't be helped then, you said. And besides, we're both only human; we can't watch our own backs all the time. Not even you, Ada. I love the fact that you're strong and smart enough to be able to do so, but you can't always do it by yourself. And you don't always have to either."
"I know", Ada finally conceded, turning to finally face Leon, her moist brown eyes looking up into his concerned blue hues.
"You've saved my life a few times already, Ada...I think I owe you at least one time back, don't you think?"
Ada let out another soft laugh, stepping closer to him, her hands on his chest. "Another birthday request for the woman who's done all that?" she teased.
Leon smiled lightly, his fingertips gliding over her bare shoulders just above her dress' top. "You've saved my life plenty of times, Ada. Just this once", Leon whispered, "just for the hell of it, let me help you. Let me save you."
At this, Ada dropped her gaze and looked down at one of Leon's hands, speechless. She'd lived her whole life using people for her own goals, excelling in the realms of espionage and assassination while using them as tools. She never thought she'd need, let alone deserve anyone else. And now she was afraid that if Leon were to look in the one place she kept hidden, he'd find only nothing there.
Yet, here he was, the one man who'd found a way into her heart, melting away a shard of the ice that coated its insides.
The one who she would finally fight for when he couldn't do so himself.
The one who sparked indescribable and unnamed feelings that burned like wildfire inside her.
Leaning into his shoulder, Ada slowly wound an arm around his back, drawing in his musky scent as her other hand moved through the back of Leon's blond locks and his arms wrapped tighter around her waist. There they stood, holding each other, two bone-weary survivors of a long and bloody war against hellish monsters, or long separated lovers finally reunited.
"Thank you, Leon", Ada finally whispered. Her words were met with a small chuckle from Leon before he replied, "It's what I'm here for."
They drew away enough to have their gazes lock once again, he reaching up to gently brush her tears away, before Leon continued, "You know, I think that's the first time you've ever thanked me now."
"Well...if it makes you feel any better, I'm not quite done. It is still your birthday, after all, and you've got a present to unwrap."
"You?" Leon guessed.
Ada nodded in reply, her warm and tender smile taking on a seductive manner once again, her eyebrows elevating suggestively.
"Just a couple more things though?" Leon asked.
"What?"
"Well, for one thing, I just realized we don't have any pictures of us together. Maybe we could fix that?" Leon requested, pulling out a sleek, slim phone from his pocket.
"Aw, and here I am, not ready for that", Ada pouted playfully with a soft chuckle. "Sure, Leon...for your special day, I can do that. How do you want me?"
Leon drew her close to him, an arm around her waist as hers moved to his back. "Just as you are right now, Ada", he promised, activating the phone's camera and pointing it at arms length away from them. With a click and a flash, they were captured like that: both brightly smiling, his head leaning against hers, her hand on his chest as they held each other.
"One more?" Leon asked, seeing Ada nod before he got the phone ready again, and feeling a warm amount of surprise as Ada leaned up to kiss his cheek just as the picture was taken. Another romantic moment, more spontaneous, was captured.
"Gotcha", Ada stated teasingly, rubbing her hand over Leon's chest.
"You know, I might have to punish you for that, Miss Wong", Leon fired back.
"Oh? Then what's stopping you?" she challenged, her tone alluring and sexy.
At first, Leon wanted to rise to the bait and do as he'd promised, but then he thought about it again. His thoughts ran back to all the nights they'd spent together, all the times she'd driven him wild for her before she finally took him and he took her after, and he realized that he didn't want that this time.
He wanted her, yes. But it was more than just that kind of desire for her that he was feeling.
Leon let out a light sigh, the tension  slowly leaking from his body, and kept his gaze locked on Ada's beautiful face as he spoke.
"Well...honestly, I don't want to have my way with you..." He kissed her cheek softly as he spoke. "Or dominate or control you..." He did the same with the other cheek. "I just want you....no. I need you. All of you, at least for tonight. Please...Ada?"
At his blunt but caring honesty, Ada was caught off-guard once again, and she could feel something inside her heart growing for him. It was scary, overwhelming...yet not unpleasant and very welcome. She could tell what it was the beginnings of, but she also felt she could wait another time to tell them to Leon. She would sure they had plenty of time.
There would be plenty of times. For now...
"For all of me...of us...I think we can manage tonight", Ada whispered, her lips finally meeting Leon's, pulling him close and deepening the sweet, loving embrace. It was as if the floodgates holding their feelings back had finally opened up, allowing the flood of affection free reign over them.
Still kissing each other, Ada's hands balled into the fabric of Leon's shirt, pulling him with her as she walked toward his bedroom door. They moved slowly to the bedroom itself, Leon's hands finding the zipper and laces that held Ada's dress together, and she moved away for just a moment as the laces came undone. Her gaze held his, wondering if he were ready for this.
His own eyes, looking over her as if she were the most beautiful woman on Earth, answered back.
The zipper was pulled down, and the dress fell away from Ada's toned, gorgeous figure, leaving her only in a set of rose red stockings and a garter belt to match the lace panties that went with them.
Leon let out a soft, shuddering breath. "Lord have mercy", he whispered, helping her remove his shirt and drop it next to the dress. Ada's hands lightly moved over the scars that dotted his torso, one hand remaining over his chest as the other ran up to his shoulders.
"I missed you, Ada."
Ada's heart began to race faster at Leon's words, catching the husky tone with which he whispered them. She reached up for him again, kissing him as they fell to the bed, wrapping herself around him.

Some time later, Leon and Ada blinked their eyes half-open to find their bodies still entangled with each other, the sheets a rumpled mess around their legs. The sounds of each other's voices and the feeling of their bodies passionately locked echoed through their minds.
Through the dreamy haze, they picked up where they left off only a few hours before, the mild exhaustion adding to the illusion.
"This a dream?" Leon mumbled tiredly, holding Ada's hips as she moved in rhythm with him.
"Feels like one, doesn't it...?", Ada replied, her voice misty as she held Leon close, her nails dragging down his back. "And if it is a dream...don't let it end, Leon."
"Mm...don't you let it end either, Ada", he whispered, his arms tightening around her back as they continued without words.

She left at some point during the early morning hours, letting herself have enough time to leave Leon a note, sealed with one last kiss.
It was this note that Leon found when he woke up, the sound of falling rain against the window echoing through his bedroom. Reading it, he couldn't help but feel a bit sad, even with him having seen this coming.
-I missed you too, handsome. I'm sorry I had to leave like this again, but who knows who may be after me. I don't know where I'm going for sure, or where I'll be. But I'll let you know when I get there. I promise, I'll always see you again somewhere down the road.
-Love, Ada
-PS Check your phone. I promise, the pictures are still there.
"Check my phone?" Curious, Leon reached for the device, unlocking it and heading to his pictures. True to her word, Ada had left both of the snaps that he'd taken still in his phone.
But there was a new one - Ada holding the camera in front of her, a seductively playful smile on her face, and he asleep on his side with the red mark of her lips printed firmly on his cheek.
Leon couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, looking at the rain falling outside, hoping that wherever Ada went, she would be alright.
In the end, he always knew.
"Women", Leon chuckled, shaking his head as the rain continued to fall, the sun peeking through an opening in the grey overcast.