Disclaimer: I do not own RE... yet.
Prompt: "As good-looking as you are when you have a scowl on your face, I like it better when you smile."
Rarity of His Smile
It was a known fact that Jake Muller doesn't smile. Even his smug grins and vexing smirks were of rare fit.
In a way, Sherry couldn't really blame him for turning so cold and uncaring. He'd had a terrible life, had been alone too young and betrayed one too many times. It wasn't such a surprise that he ended up trusting the one thing that couldn't hurt him: cold hard cash.
So when Sherry met him, she knew what to expect. She tried being patient and prevented herself from losing her temper at his selfish decisions. She had to constantly remind herself of his history. His had been almost as bad as hers but unlike her, he didn't have anyone like how Claire was to her. Jake had no one but himself. She knew that was why the first time she saw him smile—laughed actually but she didn't like it one bit—was when their fifty million dollar deal was made.
But through the course of her mission, something had changed. She noticed that his attitude toward her did a one-eighty after they jumped out of the fiery helicopter, the event when he witnessed the power of her virus for the first time.
At first, he had looked at her as something akin to a J'avo, like he was expecting her to mutate any moment. She knew she was a freak, but amidst the pain and the fatigue that her healing had brought her, she barely minded his unnerving stare. Though when she told him how she had been tested on—not in so many words but the very first time she admitted it out loud to anyone besides Claire—the look immediately disappeared, sympathy and understanding flashed in his eyes just long enough for her to take notice. It was the time she gave him a second thought.
"Sorry, I…" he whispered, and she knew he felt uncomfortably guilty for bringing up the topic of her father by the way he readjusted his position and how a slight frown made its way to his usually hard features, "I didn't—I didn't mean to…"
"That's all right," she chose to smile at him to ease his concerns. Though she had to admit, the concern he showed had made her glad. He wasn't as bad as she thought. "Besides, I didn't walk out of it empty handed."
He took her statement as a joke, really smiling at her for the first time. It almost dazed her because she knew he was good-looking, even with the scowl that was ever present on his face, but seeing a genuine and light hearted smile emphasized his handsome face and made him look as young as he was.
"Yeah, you got super powers," he gave one last amused smile and if his words hadn't registered in her mind, she probably would've continued staring at him.
She was convinced that the frown on his face was permanent, because even when he smirked at her, his brows were still scrunched up like he was irritated.
After being detained in China, he didn't smile as much either making her doubt whether the smile she remembered was even real. But as they raced through the city to the rendezvous, she found more emotions from him than she thought he was ever capable of.
"You're worried about Simmons, right?" Sherry couldn't look at Jake, not when she knew of the possibility that she was leading him to a trap.
She trusted Simmons, he had been her guardian since the government took custody of her, but Leon had said the attack had been her supervisor's doing. It confused her to no end. Why would Simmons do that? Wasn't it her mission's purpose to obtain the vaccine for the virus? How could he do such a thing?
But Sherry knew that when it came down to either trusting Simmons or trusting Leon, she would undoubtedly choose her savior. That in itself made her want to cry.
"You're gonna be fine," his surprisingly soft and soothing voice made her look at him. His eyes locked on hers as he gave him a ghost of a smile she knew was meant to comfort her, "Okay?"
She didn't know how to respond. She was pretty sure this wasn't the mercenary she met six months ago. Maybe Jake wasn't that mercenary, not really, but he was this person that was trying to comfort her even with the possibility that she could be leading them to a trap.
"I want you to run." He almost smirked, scoffing as if he just heard a terrible joke and immediately, she knew he wouldn't like what she was going to say, "No matter what happens." He tried to avoid her gaze and she took a step closer to show him that she was not taking no for an answer, "Promise me."
Finally, they locked gazes. She could see how much he loathed her request but as she pleaded with her eyes, she soon found his resolve slowly crumbling to pieces. She didn't know she had such an effect on him.
With a displeased expression, he grumbled, "Fine."
It was hard for her to admit, but the selfish part of her was happy that he lied.
Jake didn't like being called cute, but when Sherry saw him getting shy as he asked for her number, she was convinced that 'cute' was the only word that could describe him.
"Can I have your number?" he asked tentatively as they both stood in front of the airport. She was confused at first, not knowing exactly what he meant until he showed the cube communicator—she didn't know if phone was the right word for it—that he had probably stolen back in the facility they had been held. She suddenly remembered she had a phone.
She had convinced herself that this would be the last time they would meet. She had been steeling herself for that final moment she'd see his face and hear his voice, and after being reminded that they could keep in touch almost made her want to laugh at herself. Instead, she marveled at the fact that he had been the one to ask her. He didn't want this to be the end either.
"You want my number?" a dopey smile was beginning to find its way to her face and she desperately tried to fight it.
He began to shuffle, a habit she found out he did when he was uncomfortable or guilty. In this case though, he was embarrassed. "Well, yeah. I told you… back in that underwater facility that… you know… you uh…" he began to rub the back of his neck before he let out a breath, "Look, just know that I don't want things to end here."
She smiled, because she understood. "I don't want that either."
When they finished exchanging contacts and it was time for her to go, she saw that smile again, "Take care, Supergirl."
Months later, Sherry was finally able to get Jake to the States. He had been helping the BSAA with the clean up of BOWs in the area. When things calmed down enough, she asked for Chris and Leon's help to find Jake and fix all the documents he'll need to migrate.
With the relative peace in their hands, she dragged him to the park for a relaxing afternoon. It had been a while since she went outside to loosen up. She'd been cooped up in the office for the past months because of the incidents in China and Tall Oaks. Today had been her first day off and she was determined not to waste it. Her companion didn't seem to agree with her though.
They lied on the grass under the protective shadow of a tree. She couldn't help but smile at how peaceful everything seemed. Jake on the other hand had been grumbling about the kids that had been playing in the park. She found it amusing that their harmless games vexed him.
"Maybe I'm just being bitter but it's still pissing me off," he had said, covering his eyes with the crook of his arm, "It's like they're showing me a childhood that I've always wanted but never had. I can't help it."
She understood, of course, because her childhood didn't include parks and picnics either. "Aren't you at least happy for them, knowing that you played a huge part in their happiness?" he let out an unintelligent reply. She merely rolled her eyes before closing them in an attempt to recall how she had felt when Claire and Leon had saved her back in Raccoon. She imagined those kids would've felt that way too if they knew what was happening. She felt a bout of joy knowing she had also helped in giving them that peace. "Jake, I know our childhoods weren't great, that we wish that things had been better than they were. But does it matter? Now that we're actually happy?" he didn't have an answer, "Are you happy?"
"Of course I am," he more or less grumbled. He sounded irritated rather than happy.
She turned her head to look at him. He still had his arm hooked over his face as he tried to ignore the noise coming from the children around the park. "Then why aren't you smiling?"
Her soft voice made him turn towards her. He tried not to look annoyed but only succeeded in putting his stoic face, the one she considered as the 'permanent scowl' he have. "Do people need to smile to show that they're happy?"
She guessed not; not when his eyes had suddenly brightened when they found her own. It was a better indication than any smile. He couldn't fake them.
She gave him a small smile, accepting that maybe he wasn't ready to show too much emotion yet.
"You know, I've smiled more times in the three days we were together on your mission than I did in four years after my mother died," he admitted quietly, putting his right hand behind his head to serve as a pillow while his left settled on his muscled stomach, "That's quite a feat."
"It's nice seeing you smile," she responded, rolling over to her right side to face him. She stretched out her hands, finding its way to his face and running soothing circles on the creases on his forehead to eliminate the frown. His eyes closed at her ministrations as she continued, "As good-looking as you are when you have a scowl on your face, I like it better when you smile."
He let out a chuckle, effectively making him smile as well. She couldn't help but mimic his expression, "You think I'm good-looking, hmm?"
She knew he was trying to tease her and make her flustered. Maybe she would've been if he had done that several months ago when she was still in denial about her feelings for him. But not anymore, not when she had finally admitted it to herself.
"Incredibly," she replied sweetly and she noticed him falter slightly. Her hands rested on his cheeks, lightly tracing the features on his face: his scar and the curves of his nose and mouth. "We didn't end in China, and I don't want us to stay like this. You know why, don't you?"
He took her hand—the one that had been tracing his scar—and kissed it once as he rolled on his side to face her as well. His other hand rested on top her other hand that was on his cheek. "I wouldn't come here if it wasn't the same for me. I just… I don't know how to do it properly."
"There's a proper way to do it?"
He grinned, and she thought it made him look younger. "Don't I have to ask you out on a date or something?"
"This isn't a date?" she smiled at his growing smirk.
"I have to give you flowers and gifts to woo you..."
"Nobody uses the word 'woo' anymore, Jake."
"And I'd have to ask your parents about dating you…"
"The closest people I have to parents are Leon and Claire. Leon obviously approves if he helped me get you here and Claire just couldn't wait to meet you this weekend." He gave another chuckle, bringing their hands together between them. Her smile widened as she watched him. "You're smiling again."
His mouth twitched to a smirk but she didn't mind this one. It was different. "Yeah, well, if you hadn't noticed, I've been doing that a lot when I'm with you."
She suddenly noticed that the noises seemed farther than they were several minutes ago. She was silently thankful that the people around them were kind enough to give them privacy. "But not with others."
He shook his head, scooting closer to her. "Have to keep my image up, Supergirl."
They seem to have the same effect on each other, she decided. She felt privileged for being the only person he willingly shows his rare smiles. "What makes me special?" she asked playfully as he closed their distance until a mere inch separated them.
"You saved me," he told her again just as he did back in the facility. He then brought one of her hands to his chest, holding hers firmly with his. She could feel the soft thump his heart made. "You saved this."
It was at that moment Sherry found out that if there was one thing she liked more than seeing the smile on his lips, it was feeling it against hers.
Author's notes:
Finally! I wrote a legit JakeSherry romance fanfic! :D
This idea just came while i was watching Jake's Campaign's cutscenes and I just can't help but complain about how rare he smiled. I mean really! I could count it in my fingers and i just think that...
Okay, I better stop before I start to rant-or worse, fangirl.
I did some minor editing but if you still see any mistakes, please tell me :)
Oh and i just have to say that i'm still surprised to find out that Sherry is three years older than Helena XDD I though Helena was in her early thirties or something haha!
Do you like Jake's smile too? X3
Hope you find this worth reading :)