Russian Beauty
Chris's first stop when he got to work was the break room to grab coffee. It was horrible, weak coffee, but it was coffee. He then headed for the large office room he and his team shared. He paused when he got there.
A new desk occupied the place besides his. The desk was mostly bare, except a few papers, a pencil holder with various writing utensils, and a cellphone. Sitting at the desk was a woman. The first thing he noticed about her was her aura. She seemed to emanate this veil of self assurance that, frankly, made Chris nervous. Her brunette hair was styled in a messy bun, held up with a blue rose pin. She was dressed in a black tank-top with a dark blue design up the side. Her bottoms were a simple pair of fitted jeans.
He suddenly felt extremely nervous at the sight of her. So instead of introducing himself and asking her name, he sat down at his own desk and acted like he hadn't noticed her.
She had other plans. She noticed he had entered and stood, walking over to the front of his desk. "приветствие, I'm Jillian Ealovega," she spoke, her Russian accent thick. She extended her hand.
He looked up and timidly shook it. "H, Hi. I'm Christopher Redfield." He gave her a small smile.
She smiled back. "I am new to STARS. I transferred from the NYPD. Before that, Russia."
He gulped, still nervous at his interaction with this woman. "It's... It's been awhile since we've had someone so pretty on our team."
She allowed herself a light blush. "спасибо. Er, thank you."
"What were you transferred here for?" he asked, fighting to steady his voice. It'd been a long time since a woman had such an affect on him.
"I am a breaking and entering expert. I also disable bombs."
"Oh, wow. You're twice what I expected our new member to be. More than twice actually. I knew we were getting someone new, but I didn't expect... Well, you."
She raised her eyebrows. "What is it you mean by that?"
He frowned and began to stutter, trying to fix his sentence. "No, no, no, I mean that in a good way. Like you're really pretty and you have two kinds of usefulness to the team."
She blushed again, taken aback by his compliments. "Oh... Thank you."
"Redfield!" Wesker spoke in his monotonous tone as he approached. "I'm glad you two have already introduced yourselves to each other. She'll be serving as your partner from this point onward. I expect you to introduce her to the others as well as show her around the RPD. Don't neglect your paper work either." Without waiting to hear either's reaction, he left the office.
Chris was speechless. She was his partner. That meant they would train together, go on missions together. He suddenly felt very lucky. Without knowing what else to do, he offered her his arm. "Want a tour?"
She smiled and looped her arm into his. "Once again, thank you, Christopher."
"You can call me Chris," he smiled, leading the way from the office.
In truth, Jillian Ealovega was not who she said she was. Her real name was Jill Valentine. She wasn't from Russia, or even New York City. Her roots were in the very same city that she was working undercover in; Raccoon City.
Her Russian was fluent, enough to fool anyone she met there. If someone came up to her, believing her to be the childhood friend, Jill Valentine, all she had to do was speak only in Russian. It would trick the person into believing they had made a mistake.
She had been caught off guard by Chris. He was her new partner and she'd work with him throughout her time in STARS. Her first impression of him was a good one. He had been respectful and even complimented her, though not in the way that suggested he wanted to sleep with her. It seemed more like a genuine thought than a petty compliment.
But she couldn't be distracted by him. She needed to get the files that her superiors had informed her of. That way they could arrest the right person and clean out the RPD and Umbrella.
It was frustrating to focus only on the mission. She had done so before. Most of her adult life had been focused on completing the mission, catching the bad guy. Nothing else. Frankly, it was stressful. The last time she had been with a man was far back in her memory. She yearned for the comfort of one. She yearned for more than that. An actual relationship would be nice. A steady boyfriend that would treat her right and satisfy her sexually.
But that was what Jill Valentine wanted. Not Jillian Ealovega. It'd have to wait until she was Jill Valentine again.
"Hey, Jill. Sorry I'm late." Chris sat down at the table across from her. He felt proud being the only one she allowed to call her Jill. To all the rest, she was Jillian. Sometimes even Miss Ealovega.
"It's fine," she answered in her flawless accent.
He gave her a smile. "How's your weekend been?"
She shrugged. "Average, I suppose."
"Did you do anything fun?" he asked before quickly placing an order with the waitress for a cup of coffee.
She shook her head. "No, not really."
"What'd you do?"
"I went grocery shopping, и stayed home to read and watched television," she answered. She had focused on shows that had Russian actors in them, in order to stay in character.
"Well, that's no fun." He looked over at her. "We'll have to make plans sometime. That way you won't spend your weekend alone."
She shrugged. "If you'd like to. I... am used to the weekends alone. Other than coming here on Sundays to see you."
"Then I'm lucky to see you every Sunday." He gave her a happy grin. "And we'll definitely have to make plans. Can't have you and lonely weekends so often."
She blushed, but hid it by taking another sip of tea. "What did you do for your weekend?"
"I visited my sister, Claire. She's in college on the other side of the city."
"Oh, I didn't know you had a sister."
He tilted his head in confusion. "I've never mentioned her before?" She shook her head. "Well, like I said, she's in college. I'll have to get you two to meet sometime. I think you'd get along."
"I'd love to meet her, Кристофер."
"What does Кристо-... Кристофе-..." He paused and decided to quit trying to pronounce it as she had. "What does that mean?"
She giggled. "I find it funny you can't pronounce your own name."
"That's my name?"
"да, it is." He had been around her enough to know that the "dah" (да) meant yes.
"Oh, that's cool. How do you pronounce your name in Russian? Or is it the same?"
She was surprised he seemed genuinely interested. "Well, it's Гиллиан." The sound was similar to Jillian, but with a G instead. Gill-ian. She took a napkin from the holder and a pen from her pocket and wrote her name on the napkin. "See? That's how you'd write it." Besides Гиллиан she wrote Кристофер. "And that's yours."
He smiled. "Awesome! I've always been interested in learning another language, I've just never put the time into it. Was it hard to learn English, Jill?"
She shook her head. "I've been learning English since I was a child. My school house back in Russia taught it." She went to crumple up the napkin that bore their names but he stopped her.
"Mind if I keep it? I kinda like how our names look together."
"Huh? Yes." She handed it to him and he slid it into his pocket.
"Thanks..." he mumbled. "You excited to go back to work tomorrow?"
She shrugged. "I suppose."
"I think Wesker is going to keep us late a lot this week. Which'll suck, but it could be worse."
A lightbulb went on in her head. Staying late meant a chance to find and photograph the files she needed. "да, it could be. We could be stuck there and Wesker could stay. We should count ourselves lucky he leaves."
Chris nodded. "Yes. Definitely."
"I'll make sure to make some coffee. Though I'll probably have tea. We'll need to stay awake to do paperwork."
"We do?" He said, half joking, half complaining.
"да, we do." She chuckled lightly.
"I told you we'd have to work late," Chris stated sullenly as soon as Wesker closed the door behind him. Jill couldn't help but laugh a bit as she rolled her eyes. "Don't laugh at me, Jill... I'm tired."
She smiled and stood. "I'll go get you some coffee, Кристофер."
"Thank you!" he called after her as she stepped out.
She would get him coffee, but it'd be after she took a short trip to the room that held the paper work done on every mission.
She knew the area she could find them. She had checked earlier on in the day. If she got the pictures, she'd be able to finish the mission within the month. That meant she could go back to being Jill Valentine. Maybe quit her job, find something better. Move somewhere quiet. She was sick of missions and protocols and snobbish superiors that thought she couldn't do her job right.
The filing room was empty of people. She slipped in, grabbed the file, and opened it. She was out within a minute.
She stowed her small camera back in her pocket and went to the break room. She grabbed his mug from the staff cupboard and hers as well. Tension was still built up in her spine from the risk of taking the pictures. She'd be arrested if she was caught and jail was never any fun.
Hands settled on her shoulders and she jumped, letting out a small yelp. "Jill?" It was Chris. "I came to keep you company. Paper work is boring."
She turned to him, putting a hand over her her heart as though she could calm it. "Моя добра, you startled me."
He gave her a small sheepish smile. "Sorry."
She chuckled. "It's fine." Without thinking about it, she closed the little bit of distance between them and hugged him.
He was just as startled as she had been at him showing up suddenly behind her. She wasn't one for contact, other than hand-to-hand combat during training. He knew that. So he savored the hug. He wrapped his arms around her slim frame, pulling her close. The hug lasted longer than it took for her to get the pictures. The tension melted out of her back in the long minute of safety in his arms, letting her relax again.
After the minute ended, she pulled away with a light blush on her cheeks and a small smile. "Uh, your coffee." She handed him his mug.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
She replied, "Вы приветствуем." You're welcome.
They both returned to the office with their separate drinks. They didn't speak, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence.
Around midnight, both dead tired, they finished the paper work. He groaned. "I hate that my apartment is so far away."
"Where is it?" she asked, standing from her desk and stretching.
"Outside of the city."
"Моя добра. That's at least a half an hour. Without traffic, " she pointed out. "I'm only a few minutes away. You could sleep at at my place tonight, if you would like."
His eyebrows went up in surprise. "Uh, yeah. If you're okay with it."
She nodded. "I trust you." They both ended up in her car to her apartment. Chris could barely keep his eyes open. He stepped inside right behind her. "You can take my bed. I'll sleep on the couch." She sat down on said object, supressing a yawn.
He shook his head. "I don't want to keep you from your own room." He sat down next to her and tried to motion her to her room.
"You're the guest..." she mumbled, head sinking to his shoulder.
"Your the host..." he replied, his own head leaning toward her.
There was no dialogue between them after that, for they had both fallen asleep.
The next morning, they would wake up cuddled together and embarrassed some. He would be laying on the couch, her partially on top of him. His hands would be resting on her waist, hers on his chest. Their faces would be centimeters away. But Jill wouldn't admit that it had been the best night's sleep she had gotten in a while.
Chris's attention was captured by the sound of Jill's voice, all in soft Russian tones. She was on the phone at her desk, working along as she spoke into the phone that she held buy her ear with her shoulder. He didn't pay attention, not wanting to eavesdrop, even though he couldn't understand it.
He glanced over at her just as she ended the call. "My mother," she explained. He nodded and went to speak. He was cut off.
"Ealovega. Redfield. You're booked for some time in the training area," Wesker spoke. "Get to it."
Both were taken off guard by the sudden order for combat training. Wesker always walked away before he could be questioned about his orders too, so there was no asking why.
Jill sighed and stood. "Let us go then, hm?"
Chris grinned and looked up at her. "дa."
She smiled at him. "You're catching on."
He shrugged. "I think дa is much easier than that thing you say that means "my goodness"."
"Моя добра," she filled in. "You'll get there, if you really want to learn."
"I do!" he answered earnestly. "I mean, wouldn't it be cool if you and I could talk inRussian to each other so the others couldn't understand? It could be a just us kinda thing."
Jill gave him a sad smile. "дa, it would." But she wouldn't be there long enough for him to learn it. She hated how attached she had become to him. She had sent the photographs in earlier that week. Next, her superiors would arrest the suspect and she'd be pulled from her undercover mission. That's how it always was. But this time, Chris was in the way. He was the one thing that made her desperately want to stay in Raccoon City. She had two months at most. Probably less.
The training room was empty, a blessing to the two. Usually there were others in there as well. Sometimes the whole of STARS would be in there at once.
"Hand to hand first?" Jill asked as she stretched a bit, preparing her body.
He nodded. "Sure."
They stepped onto the mat and Jill instantly turned into an unpredictable weapon, tensed and ready to strike. Chris was a bit slower, but he let his body fall into ready position.
Jill threw the first punch. It was less of a punch and more of a swing that was aimed at his face, but hit air as he ducked and landed a soft blow on her ribs. "Don't hold back," she hissed. He rolled his eyes. Her next move was another swing at his face, though it was a fake out. Her right hook collided with his arm. He wasn't able to get many hits in, but he managed to twist out of each hold she tried to put him in. She was getting frustrated. She caught him off guard with a low kick that swept him off his feet. She had him pinned in half a moment. Her hands held his wrists back about his head while she straddled him, rendering him defenseless. "Ha," she said, as her only gloat, still yet to realize how she had him.
He looked up at her, eyes searching her face. "Jill?"
"Yes?" she asked, smirk disappearing. A faint rose hue appeared on her cheeks, realization of the compromising position they were in dawning on her.
"Will... Will you go on a date with me?"
She gulped, the red on her face deepening. She forgot all her warnings to herself about getting close to him. In that moment, Jill Valentine swayed Jill Ealovega to want a relationship. "дa. дa, Chris. I will."
He smiled. "Awesome."
They walked out of the movie theater laughing. "I thought America was supposed to have good movies," Jill joked.
"Well, we aren't good at horror movies. Japan has good horror movies though. We have the crap remakes of those movies. I mean, The Grudge? Please. Ju-on: White Ghost/Black Ghost was the original and much better." He smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "We should watch that together. That way you can hold me through the scary parts."
She laughed. "I'd be glad to." She was enjoying her relationship with him too much. Two weeks of hand holding and phenomenal kissing. She didn't want to be pulled away from him by work. But she wanted to enjoy him while she could, too.
"Jill?" he asked. "... Do you want to come over?" His intentions in the question were clear. And she was perfectly okay with it.
"Yes," she answered. "That would be fun."
He grinned. "Great."
She stopped and moved to kiss him. He tilted his head and put a hand to the side of her face, gentle in his touch. She ran her tongue over his bottom lip and he opened his mouth. His taste was something that always overwhelmed her.
The kiss ended and they continued their walk to the car. It was a ten minute drive to Chris's apartment filled with small talk and dabs at innuendo. He had his hand sitting on her thigh the entire way there.
The apartment wasn't empty. Chris swore when he saw Claire sitting on the couch. "Claire!" he complained. "Why are you here?"
She looked back at him. "Well, love you too, bro."
Chris sighed. "Sorry, Jill," he mumbled.
Claire noticed the brunette. "Oh, I see." She smirked. "You and your lady friend want some time alone." She looked at Jill. "Jill, right?"
"да. Nice to meet you." Jill smiled at her boyfriend's sister.
Claire gave her a smile. "Nice to meet you too." She trained her eyes on Chris, standing up and walking towards him. "I'll visit tomorrow then." She punched him lightly on the arm as she opened the door. "Don't disappoint her!" Claire laughed as she shut the door, leaving Jill and Chris alone.
"Sorry about her," he said, pulling Jill against him in a hug.
She chuckled. "It's fine. She seems nice."
"She can be kinda annoying..." he muttered.
"Well..." Jill slipped her arms around his neck. "We're alone now."
He captured her lips with his. It had the affect that a spark had on a keg of gun powder. An explosion of heat between the two. Chris moaned when she pulled his lower lip out with her teeth. She let out a surprised yelp when his cold hands found their way to her torso, but practically purred when they were replaced with his mouth, hot on her side.
"Morning, beautiful," Chris spoke when he saw Jill at her desk.
Her reply came in Russian, meaning "Good morning, Grizzly Bear." She stood and gave him a kiss before returning to her seat. They had ignored the jibes from the rest of the team about the relationship they had.
Chris sat at his desk. His mind still strayed to the night with her a few days earlier, though not just in the usual way. Sure, he replayed some parts in his head. Kissing over her torso, her hands on him, their bodies pressed close. But one thing was different when they were having sex. He loved to make her make noise. Anything. A moan, a cry, or a whisper of his name. But that was just the thing. He had been looking forward to hearing her small moans with her Russian voice. But she didn't seem to have an accent when she spoke to him during sex.
But then again, maybe it was all in his head. He'd attempt to pay attention next time.
"Кристофер?"
He looked over at her at his name. "Yeah, babe?"
She rolled her chair over to him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I managed to convince Brad and Joseph to work late in our spots tonight," she informed. "Want to have dinner at my place?"
He turned his head to kiss her. "Sounds great," he answered with a smile. She grinned.
"Good. Though we'll have to improvise our dessert." She winked at him before rolling back over to her desk.
Jill only remained at her desk for a few minutes. She disappeared out the door in order to make some copies of the paper in her hand.
That's when Chris was ambushed. Half the team approached him, circling his desk. "So you've conquered the Russian beauty. You know. Jillian," Richard stated.
Chris rolled his eyes. "I haven't conquered her."
"Oh, so she's the top?"
The marksman sighed. "She's my girlfriend. I haven't conquered her. I've somehow convinced her to be my girlfriend even though I'm me."
"Yup. He's the bottom," Joseph stated.
"At least I have a girlfriend," Chris replied.
Joseph made a face. "So? I've had more girlfriends than you."
"Not something to brag about."
"It's not normal not to brag about your girlfriend," Joseph answered.
"Only if your compensating for something," Chris spoke smoothly. "Are you compensating for something?" Joseph blushed and, in a huff, left Chris's desk side. The marksman chuckled, then looked up at the remaining people at his desk. "That was the cue to leave."
"But we wanna know," Brad spoke up.
"Know what?"
"... Is it good? The sex?"
"Better than you could ever imagine," Chris ended with, kinda enjoying the jealousy on the other men's faces. "Now scram."
Chris nuzzled his nose against Jill's neck, letting out a deep sigh. They had just finished dinner and were snuggled up on the couch. "The guys are jealous of me," he told her.
"Why?" she asked in a small, lazy voice. She was warm and cozy.
He smirked and placed a small kiss on the side of her neck. "That I have you, a beautiful, amazing, sexy woman." He pulled away from her neck, brushing her hair out of her face. "I love you, Jill."
Her breath caught in her throat. "I... I love you too..." She kissed him, afraid that if she didn't, tears would fall. Jillian Ealovega didn't want this. Jillian Ealovega didn't want Chris. Jillian Ealovega didn't want love. But Jill Valentine did. She wanted to be lost with him, be surrounded by him. She wanted to stay in his arms, warm and safe. Jill Valentine wanted him.
She stole his breath with a long passionate kiss before moving down to his neck. He murmured her name, hands settling on her waist. Her breath was hot on his skin and sent a spark through him. Excitement built up in him.
He slipped his hand under her shirt, and then her bra, gripping one breast. The other hand went down to grope her ass. Her first moan reminded him to pay attention. He sat up and kissed her mouth and jaw. He managed to lift her off the couch, her legs wrapped around him. He carried her to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed.
He'd have to draw out each pleasurable sound.
He yanked her pants down and disposed of them. She clutched at his shirt, trying to convince him into more kissing. He obliged after tugging off his shirt. Her hand strayed down to press against the buldge in his pants. "Jill..." he muttered.
She distracted him with a deep kiss while she undid his belt and pushed his pants, along with his boxers, down.
He kissed down her torso and back up. Her name left his mouth again.
He hovered at her entrance, making her squirm. "Chris..." He pushed into her with slow precision. She bit her lip, nails digging into his back.
He started with a slow rocking motion, lighting up her nerves with each delve inside. Colors danced on the inside of her eyelids like Christmas lights. He whispered her name along with dozens of sweet nothings into her ear and moaned at her feel. He increased his speed, kissing her neck.
She could feel the tension building, building up to the point where she could barely hold it back. "Mm, harder, Chris... More!"
He was caught off guard by her sudden cry. He held himself half in, half out. "Jill? Where did your accent go?"
She groaned. "You're asking this now?"
"Yes," he answered, face red at the effort of holding his end off.
"Please, Chris... I need you..." She didn't have the strength to bring the accent back; she was using it all on him.
"Tell me."
She let out a growl of rage. "Later. Just... Please!" She ached for him.
"Promise?" She nodded, teeth gritting and breath gone. And just like that, they were back in motion, Chris drawing out more words from her. He rocked into her hard, causing her to cry out. A point was reached where they couldn't hold back anymore. They came together, hard. White was all Jill could see as pleasure flooded over her. He pulled out slowly, kissing a line up her collarbone as he did.
She cuddled against his side after he fell to the bed. He kept his face close to her, breathing in her scent. He was still breathless, but by the time he caught it, he couldn't ask about her accent again. She was asleep.
The next morning, he woke up to feel her playing with his hair. "Morning," she mumbled, quiet so he might not be reminded of his question. Her accent returning was not a pleasant conversation to start the morning. She couldn't blow her cover.
Dodging it, though, just brought it to the front of his mind. He held it back. "Good morning," he answered. He gave her a smooth kiss, pulling her into a hug. She sighed, going limp against him. They stayed there in silence, enjoying the close proximity of each other. Chris didn't bring up her loss of accent and Jill didn't either. But if he asked, she'd tell the truth. She wanted to maintain their relationship, not pollute it with lies.
"Hungry?" she asked, voice still thick with her accent. He nodded. "I'll make breakfast." Though he was still cautious about the reason her voice had changed, he acted unbothered by it. His eyes stayed on her as she sat up and stretched, breasts uncovered. He let himself reach out and trail his hand down her side. She gave him a small smile and stood from the bed to dress. His eyes remained on her, something she was fine with. Once dressed (without a bra or panties, he gratefully noted), she sat on the bed. "My turn."
He sat up. "What?"
"To watch you dress. You did for me."
He sighed, but smiled. They kissed before he stood. Her eyes did stay on him as he grabbed his boxers and shirt. After he was dressed (to a degree), she disappeared into the kitchen. He stepped into the bathroom, splashing some water on his face and looking in the mirror.
What if the accent thing was something big? Some huge lie that she had fabricated for some reason or other? Or if she was using him for something? But what if it wasn't something big? Some weird quirk that she had for whatever reason.
He took a deep breath. He'd find out.
He stepped into the kitchen. She was rummaging through the cupboard, looking for something or other.
"Jill?" he spoke timidly. She glanced back at him, fear in her eyes. She knew what was coming. "Why do you lose your accent when we're having sex?" Spoken aloud, it was a ridiculous question. But it needed an answer.
She inhaled, biting her lip. "Don't... Don't be mad." He didn't reply, just looked at her. She dropped the accent. "My name isn't Jillian Ealovega." He tried not to react to her actual voice, but couldn't help but jump a little at her statement.
"... What is it then?" he asked in a low voice, crossing his arms and looking at the ground.
She took in a shakey breath. "Jill Valentine."
"Why'd you lie?" He didn't look up at her, just focused on the floor tiles.
It wasn't going well and she knew it. "I'm undercover," she answered in a quiet voice. "I was placed on STARS do to suspected activity and corruption." She stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. He didn't pull away. "I'm sorry, Chris... I didn't want-"
"Was I just a piece of this to you?" He spoke low, anger and hurt in his voice.
"What?! No, I-"
"Did you use me? Just to complete your job?"
"Chris, no! I'd never do that to you! I may be called Jillian Ealovega, but I was myself around you. My real self. Jill Valentine. Chris... I love you." She put a hand under his chin, gently turning his head towards her so she could kiss him. He turned away. Her face turned to stone. "You said you loved Jillian Ealovega. Why is Jill Valentine any different?" She was suddenly gone from the spot in front of him.
Chris's head reeled with what she had said. He sat down on the kitchen floor, holding his head in his hands as he thought. She wasn't Jillian Ealovega. She wasn't Russian. He suddenly felt she wasn't his Jill anymore. He wasn't sure why though. She was, wasn't she? They had been dating for a few weeks. She claimed she had been herself around him. That should be good enough, right? He hoped so. He did love her. He was sure of that. That's why he felt so betrayed at the revelation that she wasn't the woman he had come to know.
He stood. His actions hadn't been the best, he realized. He should've heard her out.
Where was she? He hadn't heard the door open, but he hadn't been paying attention either. He glanced in the bedroom, but didn't see her. The bathroom door was open and it was empty.
He found her on the couch in the living room.
"Jill?" he whispered timidly.
"Ealovega or Valentine?" she croaked out, proof she had been crying.
"My Jill. I don't care what her last name is, just as long as she's mine." He came to stand behind the couch. She didn't move from where she sat in fetal position, scared of losing him yet hurt that he thought she'd use him.
"Well, if your Jill has a Russian accent, she's not here." The brunette spat the words as if they had a bad taste in her mouth.
He sighed and placed a hand on her back, rubbing gently. "I don't care how my Jill speaks. As long as she's mine."
She shied away from his touch some. "I don't know who your Jill is..." she whispered, staring bleakly ahead.
He stepped over the back of the couch to be able to take the spot besides her. "My Jill... Is a beautiful brunette with a freckle on the inside of her left thigh. She has amazing blue eyes. She's incredibly smart. She calls me a few different nicknames, many that have to do with bears. She makes the most amazing sounds in bed. We work together. She knows more than one language, but I don't care which she speaks to me." He paused, trailing a couple of fingers over her arm. "I also was just a horrible boyfriend to her and didn't hear her out. And I love her."
Jill squeezed her eyes shut, but let him pull her into his arms. "I'm sorry," she murmured.
"No, I'm the one that's sorry. I was horrible in the kitchen. I should have let you talk." He kissed her forehead. "But I'm all ears now, if you want to tell me."
She nuzzled against him, almost surprised by his caring. But then she wasn't. It was Chris. He was genuinely a good guy and actually loved her. "I did move here from New York City," she started. "But I wasn't Jillian Ealovega there. I was Juliana Espinoza. They thought Jill wasn't "Mexican enough". I never lived in Russia though." She sighed. "I've been working in this stupid... Agency since I was eighteen. I hate it. I can't even tell you the name." He rubbed her back in slow circles, listening to each word, enraptured. "I don't... I don't have a mom."
"Who's on the other end of the calls you take at the office? The ones you took in Russian?" he asked, curious. She had received phone calls, supposedly from her mother, while at the office. They were often short, completely in Russian, and quiet.
"The agency. They call to discuss the mission. I took them in Russian so no one could understand." She looked up at him. "My dad is a thief. I don't have any siblings." She sighed. "Do you want to know anything else?"
He shook his head no. "Not right now. You should tell me at your own pace."
She nodded. "Okay..."
He pulled her mouth up to kiss it. "I'll make you breakfast. You deserve it."
She shook her head. "I'm not very hungry. You can make some for yourself, if you'd like."
"Nah, I'm good." He kissed the side of her neck. "And you know what?"
"Hm?" She looked up at him, wiping the last of her tears from her eyes with the end of her sleeve.
"You're voice without the accent is sexy," he murmured, smirking. "Probably because I have to tempt it out of you while we're making love."
She couldn't help but smile a bit. "Chris," she whined, shoving her face against his shoulder.
"What?" he laughed, placing a hand on the back of her head and dragging his fingers through her hair.
Her voice came out muffled from his shoulder. "I'm not good at taking any kind of compliments."
He gently guided her face away from his shoulder and looked her in the eyes. "Well, you'll get better. You're a beautiful, smart, and amazing woman." She sighed and let her forehead fall to lean on his.
"That's needed, Redfield?" she asked in a low voice.
He smirked. "Completely necessary." He kissed her but she pulled away.
"So you're not mad at me for the... Ealovega thing?" she whispered, sad again.
He smiled and brushed her hair back out of her face. "Personally, I like Jill Valentine a lot better than Jillian Ealovega. She's a lot more open than me. She's just as wonderful, if not more. She's mine." He kissed her again. "And I've got the rest of today and all of tomorrow to spend with her. If she wants me here."
Jill nodded. "Of course I want you here. You're the only person that knows I'm me. Not a Russian woman who barely talks."
"Well, she's nice too. She's a part of you; how can she not be?" He pressed his lips to her cheek. He wanted to kiss away her pain and worry. "But I still like Jill Valentine best." He nuzzled his nose against her neck and let his fingers dance over her sides. The ticklish sensation was immediately reacted to. She yelped in surprise and tried to push his hands off. It was unsuccessful, and ended in her pinned to the couch, laughing as hard as she could as his assault continued. Finally he stopped and let himself fall limp on top of her, head lying on the flat area above her breasts.
Her chest heaved as she caught her breath. She ran her fingers through his hair, suddenly feeling so much better than she had been before. "So, Chris..." she trailed off, a small smile on her face. "If you're going to stay the weekend with me, what are we supposed to do?"
He pushed himself up, smirking. "I don't know. What do you have in mind?"
She couldn't help but giggle. "I think I've got something in mind, but..." With one sudden motion, she flipped him him off the couch and landed on top of him. "But for what I have in mind, I'm on top."
He groaned, his hands finding her waist and pulling her roughly down against him.
Returning to work was the last thing Jill wanted to do after a weekend with Chris, but return to work was what she had to do. She found, though, that with Chris beside her at night, she woke well rested. He fit the nickname of Grizzly Bear. He was a very cuddly one at that. He had to have her pulled close to him in order to sleep. She kinda liked that. She wasn't usually a very cuddly person, but she was with him. She felt warm, safe, and like herself. Jill Valentine.
It was with a sigh that she climbed out of bed Sunday morning. She was actually clothed, as she had fallen asleep in his lap, right after dinner while they were watching TV. She was sure he had carried her to bed after. They had plenty of fun together already, though. One night wasn't really a loss. Not when she could wake up in such a good mood. Not even the fact she'd have to put her mask back on and resume her facade as Jillian Ealovega worsened her mood.
Chris wasn't in bed, so she assumed he was either in the living room or in the bathroom, showering. The bathroom was empty (a shame, because she would've joined him in the shower). She did find him in the living room. He was sitting on the couch in his boxers, a towel around his shoulders. He was freshly showered.
She let out a huff when she saw him. "You already showered?"
He nodded, looking up at her. "Yeah. And good morning."
She rolled her eyes and sat down beside him, ignoring his greeting. "I was hoping we could shower together."
He smiled and pulled her against his still damp chest. "You have such an insatiable lust for me, my dear Valentine."
She grinned. "I have my reasons for that."
"Oh?" he said. "And those are?"
She rested her chin on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "One is I love you."
"And two is?"
"You're the only person that knows I'm Jill Valentine."
"Three?"
"You're my first."
He moved so he could look her in the face. "I am?" He would be startled if she was telling the truth.
She chuckled. "The first person I've made love with, yes. I've had sex before, but never so intimate as with you." She sighed, happy. "We actually care for each other."
He nodded. "I love you."
She smiled, a wistful turn of her lips. "I know. I love you too." He kissed her, an all too brief thing. After parting, she spoke. "Well, we've got two ways we can use the time we have before work. Sex or make breakfast. Both of which can be in the kitchen."
He laughed. "Your choice."
"Let's head to the kitchen, shall we?" They both stood, Chris grabbing her ass quickly, while he had the chance. She jumped, surprised though welcoming of the touch. Once at the kitchen, she pushed him back towards the counter. Her arms slid around his neck, his hands resting on her hips.
"So, did we come in here for sex or breakfast?" he asked in a deep, stimulated voice.
She smirked. "Guess." She went to kiss him, but her lips barely touched his when the phone went off. She sighed, hanging her head for a moment. Then she looked up at him. "Should I answer it?"
He shrugged. "It might be your mother," he answered, using mother as a synonym for the agency she was working for. She sighed, understanding his meaning, and nodded.
"You're right." She pulled away and grabbed the phone off it's hook. "Hello?" Her accent had returned, thick and commanding. Chris watched her talk, not really paying attention to the words, just staring at her, marveling at her. He did notice, though, that the call ended with a frustrated growl after an angry "fine".
"Who was it?" he asked.
"Wesker," she muttered, voice back to normal. "We have to be at the Raccoon City Bank in twenty minutes. Think that gives us time for something quick?"
Chris shrugged. "It'll take us over half that to get there."
She frowned. "You're right..." She looked up at him, a hopeful look on her face. "Staying here tonight too?"
He smiled. "If you want me to."
She rolled her eyes. "I always want you here. I thought we discussed this."
Jill sat down at her desk and started up her computer. She needed to check her email. She had sent in her reports a day earlier to the agency. Everything that happened to her during STARS had to be reported. She had informed them of her relationship with Chris as well. If she hadn't done so, but they discovered on their own, there would be hell to pay.
Her email was empty. Nothing new other than some spam. She deleted it and shut the computer back down.
She knew her times in STARS was coming to an end. A week more, at most. And then she'd be pulled from Raccoon City and sent halfway across the country. She wouldn't even be able to tell Chris goodbye.
Such a lovely month with him. A month curled up next to him, waking in his arms. Such amazing sensations. He was someone she wanted to stay with. She couldn't though, not with her current form of employment. They had been spending their nights together for the past two weeks, ever since he had discovered her secret. They'd go to either his or her apartment (she liked his more because the blankets smelled like him) and do anything from snuggle to make love. It all depended on the mood. Lately, she had been spending as much time with him as possible. He seemed to take notice, but hadn't said anything as of yet. She wanted her last week there, her last days there, to be spent with him. He made her. She was only Jill Valentine when he was there to be her other half. Her lunch brakes were spent in the chair besides his, her nights in his arms. They held back their affection during work. She'd speak small Russian phrases such as "я тебя люблю" which he knew as "I love you", and he'd reply the same. Sometimes they were able to catch a minute alone. Even then, they only gave each other a quick, passionate kiss before resuming their work routine.
Their days together were numbered.
The death sentence to their relationship loomed on the horizon and she couldn't do anything about it. Just watch it grow closer.
Chris's attention was caught by Jill's hushed tones, all Russian. She was seated at her desk, her phone at her ear. Her free hand gripped the desk hard enough to turn her knuckles white. As soon as she hung up the phone, he'd ease her hand off it and hold it in his own.
Her voice grew louder. She angrily threw her Russian voice at the person on the other end. He heard a few words he recognized, but most went to fast for him to translate the things he knew. She was angry and frustrated. He knew that much. But when a tear slipped from her eye, he grew angry as well. He wanted to force the phone out of her hands and scream at the person on the other end for hurting her, his beautiful lady, his Jill Valentine.
A word flew from her mouth that he recognized. Love. For a moment, he pondered if it could be something related to him. After all, they often said "I love you" to each other. But he felt that the assumption had plenty of errors, so he tossed it to the back of his mind.
Jill's voice grew in volume once more. She yelled into the phone, another tear being released from her eye. With a final yell, she slammed the phone shut and slammed it onto the desk.
Immediately, Chris was by her side. "Babe, what's wrong?" he whispered. He felt eyes on his back and was suddenly aware of everyone else in the room.
She remained in character. "My... Mother frowns on our relationship," she muttered. She seemed to disappear from the room. Her path from her desk to the door was quick and he followed behind faithfully.
Jill was in the parking lot by the time he could catch her hand. She collapsed against his chest. Sobs racked her body before she had time to register that she was still crying.
He held her there, afraid to speak. Without doing so, he lifted her up and carried her to his car. He placed her in the passenger's seat and buckled her in before taking the driver's place.
Chris drove with one hand on the steering wheel, the other in her hand or caressing the side of her face. The drive seemed to take an eternity before they reached his apartment.
She made herself walk. He was too good to carry the likes of her, or so she felt. He stayed by her side the entire time, begging her to let him carry her. She shook her head and kept moving until she found herself in his bedroom. There, she collapsed on the bed and curled up.
He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her eyes. "Jill..." he murmured. "Talk to me."
Her hands latched onto his shirt and anchored her there. "They hate us. They hate how I love you, Chris." He rubbed circles on her back and listened intently. He wanted to fix whatever had happened. "You compromised me and they say that's a bad thing. That you'll betray me and I'll be killed." They had pushed every insecurity into the light and acted like they'd end her, bringing out her fear so they had more control.
He frowned. "Never." She shook in his arms, either from his voice or from fear or from her sobs. "I love you. I would never let anyone hurt you." He pulled her face up to look her in the eyes. "You know that, right?"
She went still. His sight didn't waver. He kept is eyes locked on hers and waited. Finally, she gave a slight nod. "Yeah... I know..."
He kissed her and let her fall against him again. He was warm and solid beneath her, keeping her in that spot. Her job was the last thing on her mind. He was what occupied her. He was all she needed for those few moments, all she wanted.
Two days later, Chris woke to find the bed beside him empty. He sat up, wishing to find his woman. Her apartment was cold, so he shivered some as he stepped down the hallway. She was standing by the window in the living room, staring out.
Something was different with her. Her shoulder's sagged. Her expression wasn't sad, but it wasn't happy. He set a hand on her shoulder. She jumped, grabbing his hand and twisting his arm behind his back. He was caught completely by surprise, muttering "ow" before speaking. "It's just me, Jill..."
She let out a sound of pain and regret. "I'm sorry, Chris!"
"I'm fine, V."
She rubbed a hand down her face. "You startled me and with what's going on..."
"What's going on?" he asked, taking her in his arms.
"I've been fired. The agency doesn't like that I've been compromised. I feel like they're going to send someone to kill me. They aren't, but I feel that way." She sighed. "And I need to ask you something."
"What?"
"Do you want me here?"
His reply was immediate. "Yes."
She tried not to look too hopeful about it. "Are... Are you sure?"
He set his hands on her arms and rubbed up and down, sparking warmth in her limbs. "I love you. I always want you here."
Her lower lip quivered and tears built up in the corner of her eyes. "I love you too," she replied, smiling. She slipped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
"Why did you ask if I wanted you here?" he asked.
She didn't get a chance to answer. Someone knocked on the door and entered without waiting. "Chris!" It was Claire. She noticed Jill. "Oh, hey, Jill!"
Jill smiled. "Hi, Claire. How are you?"
The younger woman tilted her head to the side. "Where'd your accent go?"
Chris scrambled to cover the slip, forgetting she no longer worked for the agency. Jill stopped him. "It's okay, Chris. She can know."
Claire gave them a look of suspicion. "Know what? You didn't get her pregnant, did you, Chris?"
Both Jill and Chris jumped. "What? No, no, no! And... how would that affect my voice in anyway?"
Claire shrugged. "I dunno. Just tell me!"
"I'm, well, I was an undercover agent placed on STARS." Jill bit her lip. "That's the simplest explanation I can give you."
"Hm." Claire tipped her head to the side, thinking for a moment. "That's cool."
Jill sighed out of relief and smiled. She then smacked Chris's arm lightly. "You couldn't have reacted like her?"
"How'd he react?" Claire asked, leaning on the back of the couch. Both Jill and Chris looked away, Jill biting her lip. "Did you make her cry? Did you, Christopher?" She scowled at him. "Why the hell would you do that?!"
"Claire! It's fine. We..." Jill placed a hand on his chest and smiled up at him. "... Made up."
"Oh, ew. Ew, ew, ew." Claire shook her head and clamped her hands over her ears. "I don't need to hear or know anything about your sex life!"
Chris chuckled and Jill raised her eyebrows, turning her eyes to the younger woman. "I do believe you were the one who told him not to disappoint me when we came home from a movie and you were here," Jill pointed out.
Chris nodded. "You did, Claire. You practically invited yourself in to knowing about our sex life."
"Just because I want to be an aunt, does not mean I want to know how I'm made an aunt!" Claire exclaimed.
Chris and Jill gave each other devious looks. "You mean you don't want to know what position we were in?" Jill asked.
"Or how hard it was?" Chris added.
"Or how m-"
"I'm leaving, I'm leaving, stop talking, I'm leaving!" Claire ran from the apartment, leaving a laughing couple behind her.
Jill leaned her forehead on his shoulder, still laughing. "We might've scarred her."
"She'll get over it," he answered, smiling softly at his lover. "Now what were you going to say before she burst in?"
Jill looked up at him, taking a moment to think. "Oh, I remember... The agency gave me two choices... Be relocated and settle down wherever that is, or stay here. I haven't answered them yet... I wanted to know if you wanted me here."
He didn't say anything, but let his actions speak for him. He almost literally swept her off her feet, pressing a hand to the small of her back and kissing her. Her body curved to fit against his, her mouth opened to let him inside. When the long kiss ended, they were both breathless. "Stay here, please," he managed to say.
She smiled. "Yeah. I will."
Chris chuckled. "Good. Now, I know we've been together only for a month, but want to go practice making Claire an aunt?"
Jill hung up her phone and sighed. She was officially out of the agency, she was officially in a relationship with Chris, and she officially no longer had to have an accent in work.
That's be fun explaining to everyone.
She had a plan, though. She say it had been a social experiment funded by a collage out of the area. Chris would help her if she needed it. She was finally Jill Valentine, and that would help too.
Chris had gotten to work before her, mainly for professional reasons. There would be a new captain and whoever it was, most likely wouldn't take kindly to the relationship the resident bomb expert had with the marksman. Wesker had been one of the employees apprehended by the agency, along with a few more closer to the top. Something she wouldn't have to explain, luckily.
Jill stepped into the office. She'd let someone else talk to her first before explaining the whole no accent thing.
"Hey, Jill," Chris smiled.
"Hey, babe," she answered, sitting at her desk. "How's chicken sound for dinner tonight?"
"Good. I'll start it when I get home."
"Listen, you don't mind me moving in, right? I mean... I don't want to bug you." She bit her lip, half expecting him to tell her to get her own apartment, but that was just her fears speaking.
He raised his eyebrows. "Jill, I love how you're moving in with me. That just means I get to wake up with a pretty lady in my arms every morning." She smiled and blew him a kiss.
It was later that day when someone actually talked to her and freaked out a bit at her reply. It caught the attention of everyone else in the office and focused it on her. She sighed and stood up. "Shut up, everyone. I'll explain." She took a deep breath and felt Chris reach over and squeeze her hand. "First off, my name isn't Jillian Ealovega. It's Jill Valentine."