Love is Punishment

Author:RichRider

Disclaimer:I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters. They belong to Capcom.

Preview

She moved swiftly out of his sight knowing that his fierce blue eyes would make the figurative butterflies in her stomach float. It was a dreary day out. The clouds were covering the Sun's warm rays which Sherry desperately wanted to feel to drive away the cold chills running up her spine. The best place she could find to hide from Jake was behind the water fountain formed as a statue of a water bearer. Knowing Jake all too well, Sherry knew that hiding wasn't going to last her very long and that she will have to face Jake about their hidden feelings for each other. Unless she runs away...

Jake took his time walking up the cobblestone steps until he reached the top. Since he knew Sherry all too well she was probably hiding somewhere near the water fountain. The ex-mercenary casually walked over to the fountain with both hands shoved down black jeans pockets pretending not to see Sherry who peaked around the corner of the marble monument just now.

Sherry spun around, pressing her back against the smooth marble fountain and placing her right hand over her heart which was beating roughly against her chest.

"Crap... I hope he didn't see me," she said. The worry was evident in her tone.

When she moved her hand away from her beating heart, her fingers lightly brushed against the diamond heart necklacke around her neck. Guilt began to wash over her knowing that keeping and wearing such a gift would only provoke Jake's feelings further. Hurting him, pushing his feelings aside, and watching his face turn from one of strength to sadness only tore at her heartstrings further. She couldn't face him now. Now wasn't the time. She needed to get away and return back to Leon and Claire whom she assumed were probably already up and wondering where she and Jake have gone.

His footsteps were getting closer and Sherry moved around the fountain as quietly as she could to make her escape. Jake stopped midway, his expression changing from one of calm to irritation, and turned back around to catch Sherry before she could escape him. She walked backwards keeping her crystal blue eyes glued to her hiding spot, anticipating Jake's appearance, until she was met with a rude awakening. Sherry crashed into his hard chest, gasped, and twirled only to be met by his intense stare. If she wasn't on edge at the moment she would've stared back to admire the way Jake's eyes could have such an odd affect on her. But she avoided his look for now and cleared her throat.

"What is it Jake?" She asked but already knew what he was going to say.

"What do you think you're doing?" questioned Jake in a rough tone.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied. The argument was coming right now.

"Don't give me that bull. Don't hide from me either!" Jake scolded.

Sherry knew she would be lying to herself if she said that his last sentence didn't touch her heart in the slightest. But he was making this more difficult for her than she needed it to be. She didn't have any other options. She needed to go back.

"This is my job Jake. You know why I became an agent. I wanted freedom. I wanted to get away from all of the experiments. But I have to go back to D.C. I was going to tell you on my own time but I didn't know Leon was going to bring it up last night." Sherry explained, hoping with all of her might that Jake would understand.

All Jake did was sigh through his teeth and glared out in the distance at the trees rustling in the wind. Washington, Washington, Washington... it was all that continued to play over and over again in his stressed mind. It was sickening to him already knowing that Sherry will just go back to being the government's guinea pig and pet agent to fight off B.O.W.s whenever the time will arise. He sighed once more, peering down at the stone pavement underneath his black sneakers, and tried to find the right words.

"What about me? Don't you care about how I feel about all of this?! You don't have to go back and be their slave anymore!" He called out, looking at her this time.

Sherry's cheeks began to turn a pink color and she had the painful urge to let a few tears fall out. She held them back. "What am I supposed to do then Jake?"

"Stay with me!" He stated. His tone was softer this time but you could still hear the anger.

All Sherry did was stare at him in disbelief and it made the stining in her eyes even worse. She swallowed hard, trying to get rid of the lump forming in her throat, and shook her head. "I can't do that. And you know damn well why. Leon, Claire, my suspension, our pasts... don't pretend those aren't reasons."

Jake said nothing and only stared at her eyes, which were on the verge of tears, until he noticed the necklacke. His gift to her. She was wearing it and it was evidence enough for him to know her true feelings. He inhaled, took a step forward, and reached his right hand out to touch her hand but she gently pushed it away. "Don't Jake."

A single tear escaped from her left eye and she quickly swiped it away. She didn't dare to look up at Jake and brushed passed him to leave the area and get back to Leon and Claire. Jake stood in his spot, speechless to say the least, hearing her trail off away from him. Sherry sensed that he turned around and felt his eyes follow her down the cobblestone steps. She wanted to avoid him now at all costs, not wanting the hurt to get any bigger, but she knew he would start to chase after her. Sherry picked up her pace and was practically running away from him now.

Jake moved forward, speed walking his way down the steps and then jogged down the path to the wooden bridge. Sherry was almost halfway down the bridge when Jake called her out. "Stop right there!" He ordered in a demanding tone.

She did stop in her tracks. Not only his eyes but his voice as well had a strange affect on her will. The young agent wanted to keep going at her pace, wanted to run away and ignore the problem. But could she really run and avoid his feelings forever? Was she really scared of hurting him? Or was she afraid of entering a relationship with him knowing that the obstacles would ruin them? Sherry inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled, brushing a strand of her blonde hair behind her right ear before turning fully around to look at him. He marched over to her, the fierceness in his icy blue eyes making her feel almost weak in the knees, and stopped. Jake was a mere five feet away.

"Who the hell cares about any of that?! When I believe in you. When I want to be with you. When I... when I love you," he poured out. Those words were kept inside of him, locked away, refusing to come out until now for far too long. She needed to know it. Jake wanted her to hear it and he just didn't give a damn right now.

Sherry was stunned, shocked, and felt completely overwhelmed. He loved her. Never in her life did she expect Jake Muller, of all people, to say those words to her. The fact that he wanted her, loved her, and believed in her made the pain worse. She wasn't just afraid of hurting him. She was afraid of losing him. The part of her that was overjoyed to hear his love was now warring with the part of her that wished she never heard it. All she could do was let her tears fall now. What would happen next was another thing she never expected from Jake. He closed the gap, grabbing her right wrist with his left hand to lock it in his grasp, cupped her left cheek with his other hand... and then melded their lips.

The young blonde was stunned once again but she closed her eyes and accepted his kiss, his love for the moment, and allowed her tears to trickle down her cheeks. She dreamed about this. Now it was a reality.