Escape

A/N: This work of fiction takes place right after the events of Resident Evil 2. I will probably do "sequel stories" rather than sequential chapters if there is enough interest. I appreciate reviews and critiques, follows and favorite :D

They had been walking for hours. Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy were trying to put as much distance between them and Raccoon City as humanly possible. Sherry Birkin, probably the only child to survive the zombie outbreak, was trailing behind them, falling more behind with each step. Claire tried to remember the last time she had eaten anything; it must have been before she even arrived in the city. Leon was faring worse than the others, but was putting on a brave face. His wound dressing would need to be changed or he was at risk for developing an infection.

As the sun dipped in the late afternoon they came upon a small town and Sherry dropped to her knees in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness! I'm sooo tired," she moaned, sitting back on her feet.

"Don't give up now, I can see a motel right over there," Claire said, trying to sound cheerful and optimistic. Leon shot her an appreciative smile before they both helped Sherry to her feet. The poor girl had seen and experienced far too much horror for someone so young. To top it all off, her own father was responsible for the nightmare that became the G-Virus that nearly killed her.

They stumbled into town and went to the motel first. Claire went in to book them a room while Leon rested on a bench with Sherry. In and out in five minutes, Claire dangled their room key triumphantly.

"They only had one room available, but it's a king bed so we can all fit," she smiled, avoiding Leon's eyes. "Why don't you guys get settled and I'll hit the convenience store for some supplies. Any requests?"

"Candy!" Sherry sighed dreamily. "Anything would be great though, I'm starving."

"Food is definitely my top priority. Thank goodness I had my credit cards with me! Leon, you need anything other than first aid supplies?" Claire replied.

"Uh, no. Whatever you pick up is fine," he declared, wincing as he stood. He looped an arm over Sherry's shoulders while Claire went to the store. Sherry had a bit more energy now that food and rest were in sight. As soon as Leon had the door open, she bounded inside and made a bee-line for the bathroom.

"Taking a shower?" he called as he undid the laces on his boots.

"Yes! I stink," she shouted in response. "What should I do with my clothes?"

"We can see if there's a laundromat nearby. Just leave them on the floor for now."

He didn't want to risk getting blood stains on the bedspread, but he was damn tired and needed to recline for a bit. He chose the plastic chair next to the air conditioner and propped his feet up onto the vent.

Claire was back and inside the motel room when Leon woke up with a start. Sherry was wrapped in a towel and eating some kind of snack at the table in front of him.

"You snore," she informed him.

"I do not," he retorted, wincing as he rotated his neck. Claire had hit the mother-load at the convenience store, even scoring clean (but tacky) clothing for them all to change into for the night. She was arranging first aid supplies on the bed and came over to check Leon's temperature. He felt his cheeks heat as her delicate hand moved from his forehead to his cheeks to his neck.

"No fever yet, which is good. Take off your shirt and I can take a look at that hole in your chest," she instructed.

"Let's go into the bathroom. The lighting is better," Leon suggested, gesturing discretely at Sherry who was staring at them with worry.

Claire gathered up her supplies and followed him, chastising herself for being so stupid. They closed the bathroom door and rearranged themselves in the tiny space. Leon closed the lid to the toilet and sat while Claire set up her supplies again.

"I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I forget that she's still a little girl," she whispered.

"It's fine, I just don't want her worrying that's all," Leon replied, shrugging off his blue work shirt. As far as gunshots went, Claire had no experience treating them but she knew enough to keep him alive until they made it to a hospital. Leon stood abruptly and grimaced as he looked in the mirror.

"Maybe I should shower first?" he suggested, lifting an arm to sniff his armpit.

"You do stink," Claire agreed with a playful smile. "Go for it. Just holler when you're done."

She rejoined Sherry at the table and tore open a granola bar, finishing it in two huge bites. She washed it down with a coffee drink and forced herself to take a moment to let the food settle. Sherry had changed into a tie-dye t-shirt that came down to her knees and was climbing into bed.

"I bought toothbrushes so we can brush our teeth," Claire told her, reaching for a banana.

"I'll do it in the morning," Sherry promised, closing her eyes and ending the debate. Claire wasn't looking to fight her on it; she wasn't Sherry's mother. Annette Birkin had done a number on her daughter and her city and Claire didn't want to take after her in any way.

"Claire?" Leon called quietly. "Ready when you are."

Once again Claire washed her hands and tried to ignore the fact that Leon was only wearing a towel around his waist. She poured iodine over the bullet hole and dabbed away the excess gently. She knelt on the fuzzy bath rug and squeezed some Neosporin onto a medical pad before pressing it against the entry point. Leon bit back a cry of pain and groaned instead. Claire looked up at him, his hair wet and tousled from the shower. She bit her lip and apologized, covering the medical pad with gauze and taping it to his skin. She repeated the process with the exit wound, resting her hand on the curve of his back while she pressed the tape down.

"Okay, that's the best you're going to get from me," Claire said when she was finished. Leon stood and offered her a hand, which she took appreciatively. He pulled her up from the floor, murmuring a thank you before squeezing past her to retrieve some clean clothes. Claire followed him out and caught just a glimpse of his bare behind as he pulled on the boxers she bought. Sherry was sound asleep, facing the opposite direction of where Leon was dressing.

"There some food and drinks for you," Claire said, the warmth in her cheeks spreading to other more intimate parts of her body. "Have as much as you want; Sherry and I already ate. There're some different pain meds there, too." Leon sent her an appreciative smile as he pulled on the patriotic t-shirt she had found for him at the convenience store. Claire disappeared back into the bathroom, the image of Leon's toned chest and midsection permanently burned into her eyelids.

Leon surveyed the table of snacks in front of him, reaching for some kind of peanut butter protein bar. It tasted gross, but he needed the nutrients. He ate an apple next, followed by some pork rinds and washed it all down with orange juice. He was finally beginning to feel human again. While he was reviewing the different pain medicines that Claire had bought, she emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a skimpy towel. Leon glanced up as she bent to retrieve her change of clothes that had fallen to the floor when Sherry climbed into bed. Her full breasts were threatening to spill out of her towel and Leon felt his cock twitch. He crossed his legs and tried to focus on the medical warnings on the bottles in front of him, but felt himself drawn to watch Claire tiptoe back into the bathroom.

Deciding that getting under some blankets was the best course of action, Leon shifted Sherry until she was in the middle of the king-size bed. She groaned in protest, rolling back to her original position on the left. It took some manipulating, but Leon managed to shift her to the middle while simultaneously climbing onto the left side of the bed so Sherry couldn't roll backwards.

Claire came out of the bathroom with a towel on her head, still tiptoeing around so as not to wake Sherry. Leon rubbed his face tiredly and thanked her for picking up the snacks and clothing.

"I spotted a laundromat in town. I'll bring our clothes there in the morning so we have something decent to wear," she whispered, pressing the excess water out of her hair. "What?"

Leon blinked and realized that he had been staring. He was propped up on an elbow just watching her.

"Sorry, I think I phased out there," he lied. "That sounds good. About the clothes." Claire nodded and went back into the bathroom to run a comb through her hair before climbing into bed on the opposite side of Sherry. Leon turned off the lamp on his bedside table and closed his eyes. There were crickets singing outside, but there were no other sounds as they lay together. Five minutes in, Claire climbed out of bed.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Leon asked, pulling the blankets aside and reaching for his gun.

"Nothing, don't worry. I just feel…antsy. Like the adrenaline hasn't worn off yet. I'm going for a walk," Claire replied, slipping out the door. Leon scrambled after her, locking the motel door behind him. She had already made it to the edge of the motel parking lot, so he had to jog to catch up to her. Claire turned and held her hands out.

"What are you doing?" she asked. "I'm fine."

"You shouldn't be out here walking by yourself," Leon started before realizing how condescending he sounded. "I mean, we don't know who, or what, escaped Raccoon City with us."

Claire kept walking, heading towards a wooded area that was behind the now-closed convenience store. "Fair enough," she conceded. "I just need to move." Leon wished he had taken the time to put his boots on, but he hadn't realized that they would be taking a late-night stroll.

"We shouldn't really leave Sherry alone. What if she wakes up and finds us both missing?" he asked. Claire spun around and he nearly bumped into her.

"Then go back, Leon."

"I'm not going to leave you alone out here. You're still amped up after countless near-death experiences. I understand. Can I do anything to help?"

She looked at him and then paced in a tight ellipsis before stopping in front of him. She slid her hand behind his neck and pulled him into a kiss that wasn't timid or romantic. The shock wore off fast and Leon felt his hands settle on her hips as her tongue darted into his mouth. His whole body felt like it was on fire, so he broke the kiss and moved his mouth to her neck. She moaned as his teeth razed her delicate flesh, moving her hands to his cock.

He was already fully erect and straining against the cheap material of his boxers. Leon pressed closer to Claire's body so that he was resting against her. She slid to her knees and he groaned as Claire reached for his waistband and took him in her mouth. Leon's head rolled backwards as Claire worked at his cock with her tongue. He ran his hands through her damp hair, moaning as her throat tightened around him. Leon pulled away and lifted her from the ground. Her cheeks were flushed as he slid her t-shirt off and took a breast in his mouth. Leon slid a hand into her underwear and nearly came when he felt how wet she was. Needing to taste her, he lowered onto his knees and slid her panties down her hips before he took her in his mouth.

Claire moaned and bucked against him, urging him to move faster. Leon worked his tongue against her, lapping up her sweet juices before lowering her to the ground. He positioned himself in front of her.

"What do you want?" he asked hoarsely. Claire was biting her bottom lip, suddenly shy. Leon bent to lick her nipple, eliciting a shiver as Claire wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I want you," she whispered, and he slid into her gently at first. Her body arched and ached with need as Leon slowly pumped into her.

"You're amazing," he grunted, lifting her hips to slide even deeper still. She tightened her legs around his waist and pulled him into her, clenching around him with each powerful thrust. Claire sat up and shoved Leon back so that she was on top. Her tits bounced hypnotically as she pressed into Leon, rising up and down around his length. He let out a string of curses as he bucked against her, harder, faster.

She was so close to climaxing that when he slid a finger to tease her clit, she couldn't hold on any longer. Claire screamed when she came, her body tightening around Leon's cock in pulsating rhythmic bliss. He exploded into her with a satisfied moan, his hands squeezing her perfect ass while she held him deep inside her.

Claire collapsed onto his chest and they both laid on the forest floor, panting for several minutes. Leon could still feel her pussy pulsating when she slid off of him and onto the ground.

"Wow," Leon said after catching his breath. Claire was quiet beside him, her head resting in the crook of his arm.

"So that happened," she whispered, shivering slightly as a stiff breeze blew. Leon ran his fingers up her arm, the hole in his chest practically pulsating with pain.

"We should get back," he sighed to himself.

They dressed silently and headed back to the motel room. Sherry was still sleeping soundly but had moved to the left side of the bed again. Leon gave up on trying to move her and took the middle spot and Claire laid on the right. There was some space between them, so Leon wrapped an arm around Claire and pulled her into him. She smelled of pine needles and some kind of citrusy shampoo.

"Do you mind?" he whispered into her ear, his lips brushing it slightly. In response, Claire pressed into him and wrapped her arms around his. They were both asleep in an instant.