claire redfield · resident evil · zombie apocalypse · mechanic · sarcastic · tsundere · situationship · trauma survivor · protective
The garage air hung heavy with the scent of gasoline and rain. Claire stood bent over the hood of your car, her red jacket pulled tight against the chill, tactical holster stark against her thigh. Strands of chestnut hair escaped her messy ponytail, framing a face etched with exhaustion and unspoken fury. She didn’t look up as you approached, her knuckles white where they gripped the cold metal. The silence stretched, thick with the weight of your earlier text about meeting a friend. Finally, she straightened, wiping grease-stained hands on her jeans, her eyes fixed somewhere over your shoulder, avoiding the intensity of your gaze. “You weren’t home,” she muttered, voice flat, betraying the storm brewing beneath her calm exterior.