#lines blurred

The plan: Arrest William Birkin, use his research to cure the citizens of Raccoon City, and put him in jail. Simple enough, but Evan McLoughlin didn’t account for a single thing that happened that night. Didn’t account for Birkin being mad enough to infect himself with a virus of his own creation, one that he could only spread to his biological child, which he did, didn’t account for having to witness a romantic comedy between the rookie cop and FBI agent also after said virus—oh, wait, she wasn’t even FBI. McLoughlin had the sinking feeling that Ada wasn’t exactly on the up and up, but they didn’t really have any evidence beyond “she’s too pretty to be trustworthy.” Personal experience and all.

Maybe they were bitter. With this decade, this millennium coming to a close, the “heroin chic” look popularized in recent years was here to stay and likely would be for years to come. Being as thin and emaciated as possible was everything, and sure, everybody above a size 2 was getting screwed over, but Mcloughlin, an actual fat person, was plenty disrespected. There were rumors of first responders in the city leaving anyone who was deemed “too heavy” for dead, and judging by the number of undead who looked like McLoughlin, the signs definitely pointed to it being true. This was not just a natural consequence of having the bodies they did, and another major part in this mission was proving that It all felt so unreal, as if they were wandering a world made by a god who just did not look kindly on people like them. A simulation, the beginning of what some called an ideal world.

How appalling, to walk this world completely alone, a world lusting to exclude you. A world that would gladly let you die before your slimmer counterparts.

McLoughlin didn’t want to believe Leon fell for Ada for her looks, to the point where, when she and McLoughlin were both in danger, both their lives quite literally hanging in the balance, he went to save Ada first. But McLoughlin had seen plenty of this. It was also easiest for whatever and whomever you were least attached to to die, and die first. For instance, nobody had any qualms about putting down the infected dogs, but no matter what, Leon admitted he couldn’t shoot Lieutenant Branagh after his infection took over. Ada couldn’t shoot Leon.

But Leon could let McLoughlin die. Was this another situation, of “survival of the fittest” taking on a whole new meaning? Was this a case like those of the survivors good enough to be brought to shelters… versus everyone else?

McLoughlin thought so. And so while wandering around a little town outside Arklay county, just trying to find out where the hell to even go from here, the first thing she thought when she spotted Leon was I’m gonna put the fear of god into this selfish little beanpole.

He could see it on her face. She was pissed. Good. She stormed over to him, ready to give him a piece of their mind.

Leon’s own face was pale. “McLoughlin, I know I can’t expect anything from you—“

“You sure can’t, sweetheart,” McLoughlin said.

Leon sighed. “Can’t you just let me finish?”

McLoughlin rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

“I wanted to sa—“

“You’re not still thinking with your dick, are you?”

“Do you want me to explain myself, or do you want to be right?” Leon asked.

McLoughlin hated to admit it, but he had a point. Might as well face the music.

“I wanted to save you both,” Leon said. “I really did. I’m sorry if I made it seem like I thought your life didn’t matter. Because it does.”

She gave him a small smile.

“If you’re here, that means Ada must have survived the fall too, right?” Leon asked. “Do you know if she’s around?”

“No,” McLoughlin half-lied, recalling their… close encounter at the bottom level of NEST.

“Oh…”

Leon was crestfallen, and he couldn’t help but lean on McLoughlin for comfort. She realized just how long they’d gone without physical contact, and couldn’t help but hug him close. He was tall enough to rest his head on top of theirs.

“Agent McLoughlin?” he asked softly.

“Evan,” McLoughlin said.

“Evan? Do you… want to get dinner? I’m only gonna be in town for one more day.”

Leon was clearly nervous about something. McLoughlin didn’t pry, didn’t try to intimidate him, and they actually had a pleasant conversation. Leon openly discussed being heartbroken by Ada’s callous treatment of him, though, and McLoughlin actually started to feel for him. As someone who’d been used and lied to in similar ways before, it was hard not to sympathize with the poor guy.

“So where are you staying at?” Leon asked. “I assume you found a hotel, same as us?”

“I’m at County Line Inn,” McLoughlin said.

“So am I!” Leon said. “Why haven’t we run into each other?”

“Everyone kind of keeps to themselves. I turned my room into my new office, and I’ve been waiting on my organization to give me further instructions.”

“You’re not…”

“A mercenary? No. My mission was to extract William Birkin and take him into custody. Then we’d focus on curing citizens. Obviously that wasn’t going to happen, especially because I had to focus on curing him first.”

“I think he might’ve been too far gone.”

McLoughlin nodded. That was definitely a possibility. But what none of them were expecting was for Raccoon City to be completely destroyed in a missile strike. It was October 3 now, two days since the city was wiped off the map. There were still civilians in there. Some of them didn’t make it out in time. Others weren’t even given a chance.

“I know I’m in no position to ask you this,” Leon said. “But is it possible I could… help you with your work?”

McLoughlin considered it. “A little.”

“That’s good enough for me.”

The hotel room was already plenty full of papers and an investigation board was sprawling from the center of one wall. The work was minimal, the small talk was nice, and, just like with Ada, McLoughlin had to admit it.

Leon was beautiful.

Eventually the conversation shifted back to Ada, and McLoughlin felt the heartbreak too. Maybe it was just jealousy for Leon, which was also jealousy for Ada, but there was something to be missed about what could’ve been. Or maybe McLoughlin just hated being right all the time. Truth be told, when Leon asked “do you want me to explain myself, or do you just want to be right?” it was a relief to be wrong! Being right was too common for them now, to the point where they craved being wrong about something.

And it was clear they both wanted Ada to explain herself. But they had the explanation. They were right.

Leon was emotional, breaking down in McLoughlin’s arms as they sat on the hotel bed together. He buried his face in her chest, maybe a little too low, but he was upset. McLoughlin honestly didn’t mind being his rock, offering a shoulder to cry on. But she still made a face at him. He couldn’t see it anyway.

“I know what you’re going through, Leon,” she said. “I’ve been in your shoes. Too many times to count. You’ll live. You’ll move on.”

“Funny you should say that,” he sobbed. “I got dumped the day before work. Got blackout drunk, then I woke up hungover to a phone call from the chief telling me not to come in. I… might have been hoping for a rebound.”

“You want a rebound?” McLoughlin asked. “I can give you a rebound.”

Leon held onto her shoulders as they kissed, in a very rushed and clumsy way on his part, but the desperation was there. In McLoughlin’s mind, he was quickly becoming the cutest thing ever. Even the little moans he let out were cute, breathy and needy and music to McLoughlin’s ears. She found it easy to shove her tongue into his mouth and stake a claim on him, shove her warm hands under his shirt and feel him up, cool skin suddenly covered with goosebumps. They laid down, holding each other, Leon’s sounds drowning out anything else.

“Oh, you’re cute,” McLoughlin said.

She kissed his neck, pinning him to the mattress and straddling his hips. Leon was very receptive to it, but his moans when she sucked on his neck were just divine. He let her take the lead, undressing him, kissing him all over his body, putting a knee in between his legs for him to grind on, and he loved it.

“You’re a pretty thing, ain’t ya?” McLoughlin said. “For… an almost-cop.”

“That ship has sailed,” Leon said. “Believe me.”

“I was gonna say something worse, but then I changed my mind.”

“What made you change it?”

“I realized as much as I wanted to hate you, I can’t.”

“Aww, you’re a sweetheart after all.”

She put a finger to his lips. “Don’t push your luck, baby.”

Leon’s ears turned pink and he gave a curt nod.

Leon was all in on this. A surprise, yeah, but a welcome one. He eagerly had McLoughlin ride him, hold him by the shoulders and throw her head back in absolute bliss as she went to town on him. The low light in the hotel room added to the mood and illuminated her in such a striking way. The overhead light was behind her and she almost looked haloed in it, like her short, dark brown hair was so backlit the tips were starting to change color…

She reached her climax and collapsed, forehead resting on his chest before he could look at it any closer.

“I’m not quite there yet,” he said. “Can we…”

“I’ll take care of you,” she said, moving between his legs. “Just lay back.”

Leon moaned loudly as she sucked him off, his toes curling and his hips desperately trying to keep still.

“M-McLoughlin…” he groaned. “Not… gonna… last… much longer…”

She looked up at him, a mischievous look in her hazel eyes. Leon hid his red face with one hand and tried to hold off on finishing for just one more minute…

“Evan!” he screamed as he reached his orgasm.

Evan kissed him, having him taste himself and caressing his hair. “Cute.”

Leon had a big, beautiful smile on his face. “That was fun.”

“How’s that for your rebound?” Evan asked.

“Oh, right. That’s why we were doing this.”

“Guess you had more fun than you thought.”

The next morning, Leon said goodbye and went to meet up with Claire and Sherry. McLoughlin could go back to being McLoughlin, and everyone could move on.

Well… almost everyone.

It was a late night at the corner store. McLoughlin, in their usual leather jacket, was buying dinner, namely cup noodles and a bottle of soda. And some Oreos. As a treat. And who should appear right as she stepped outside, but Ada, who hadn’t been around in a week. McLoughlin figured she’d left town. Leon and company had to leave, very abruptly, extraction was still delayed, and there had been no sign of Ada up until this point. Maybe she was waiting for Leon to dip, but McLoughlin thought they were the only one still hanging around.

“Miss me?” Ada asked, walking slowly towards her. Her heels were now replaced with a practical pair of boots, and her cocktail dress with jeans and a t-shirt with an intricate floral design on it. She almost looked normal.

McLoughlin cleared her throat, trying to disguise her surprise. “No, not really.”

“What’s kept you around?” Ada asked. “I didn’t think you were still here.”

“I could say the same thing about you,” she said.

“I was hoping I’d get some more one-on-one time.”

“If you’re looking for Leon, he’s gone. Just left this afternoon.”

“I’m not picky.”

“He sure as hell is. The last thing he needed was someone breaking his heart, and what did you do?”

“Like your heart wasn’t broken too.”

“He would’ve saved us both if he could. He told me himself.”

Ada frowned. “So you don’t need me to help mend it?”

She leaned against the wall of the store next to McLoughlin. “A rebound, if you will?”

McLoughlin gave Ada a smug smile. “Right. Maybe we’ll all three meet up if you can behave.”

Ada scoffed. “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ada tilted her chin up. “It means somebody ought to teach you some manners. Interested? Because I’m staying in a real nice place just a couple blocks down. After all the fun we had last time…”

“So do you like boys and girls, or just anyone willing to do whatever you ask?”

Ada chuckled. “Oh, Evan. Yes.”

“You’re gonna take me to the hotel and what? Some sort of kinky roleplay?”

“If that’s what you’re into.”

McLoughlin just took a moment to think about their life choices, because this was not what they imagined this mission to be. How did it get to this?

“I need an answer, Evan.”

“I need you to say something too,” McLoughlin said. “If Leon’s not around to hear it, you at least owe it to yourself to admit to me that you fucked up. But I don’t think you can.”

Ada was quick to prove her wrong. “Alright. I lied to you and Leon, I broke his heart, I almost got you killed, and if I could do it all over again and make things right, I would. But duty calls. It was nothing personal. At least… I tried to not make it personal. I didn’t exactly count on having to deal with two of you.”

Evan nodded.

“I never wanted to get anyone hurt,” Ada continued. “By the time I realized I was in too deep, it was too late. We’ve all had secrets that got us in too deep. I’m sorry for bringing nothing but trouble.”

She looked genuinely guilty. Evan wanted to do a complete 180 like she did with Leon, but at the end of the day, the G-virus was going to be auctioned off if Ada had succeeded. Ada was just not Leon, for better or worse.

And that last thing. Evan almost related to that. But it was not the same. She just nodded.

“Good night, Ada,” she said, cupping her cheek and giving her a peck on the lips.

Evan walked away, but couldn’t resist turning right back around and walking right back into Ada’s arms. Ada’s lips were on hers once again as she backed her up against the wall. The slight height difference she had over Evan was lost a bit from the lack of high heels, but she was still taller, and she towered over her, holding her round face in her hands.

“Let’s see what it’s all about,” Evan said. “I think you could be good trouble if you got the chance.”