We're all doing fine
And we're falling fast behind
I don't think we'll be the same again
We're losing our minds
We're all doing fine
Is there anyplace to hide?
I don't think we'll be the same again
We're losing
We're losing our minds
(c) Zebrahead, "The Walking Dead"
A stolen kiss
- Take cover, Jill, I'll handle it! - she would've protested against it, but she ran out of ammo. She had no choice but to obey, even if she didn't quite like it.
Jill rolled out of the way as Carlos started shooting fron his trusted AK-74. It seemed useless although; the monster looked invinsible,
with his size, leather clothes and his stoned, nearly pained expression, as it seemed to Jill.
She sit near the wall, trying to catch her breathing, and watching the Umbrella mercenary trying to kill her nightmare came true. For a moment Carlos's image went blurry - and she saw her battle comrade, her partner, Chris Redfield. For a moment she felt overwhelming happiness, but then she focused and it was Carlos again. She felt dissapointed a little; she was growing to like Carlos, but she terribly missed Chris, Christopher Redfield, her partner and best friend. Her very own Chris, in the closest way possible between best friends.
Carlos briefly glanced at her but then his gaze fell upon several grenades lying not so far fron the monster. He fired at them and quickly jumped out of the way so the explosion wouldn't hit him. He rolled to the wall where Jill was and layed against it, breathing hard and wiping sweat from his forehead.
He'd grown so protective over the woman he barely knew. And although she showed him already that she wasn't a typical damsell in a distress type of a lady, he still tried to protect her.
They'd grown close while those several hours in Raccoon, surrounded by the infected and haunted by that monster. Carlos still couldn't believe it was all Umbrellas fault, but only this explanation made sense anyway; Raccoon was the home of Umbrella, and the city was eventually destroyed by it's own inhabitants. Maybe it was the God's anger. Something like Sodom or Gomorra, he didn't know, he wasn't into religions anyway. He was a mercenary, it was only money that mattered.
But he wasn't such a cold-hearted bastard like Nicholai. Deep inside, as Jill discovered, he was a nice guy, pretty much like Chris. She compaired them to each other, by characters, by attitude, even by looks. Of course Chris was her best friend; but being a kind and friendly person like she was, she thought Carlos was becoming her friend as well. And he indeed was.
- Hey, you okay? - Jill touched his hand, feeling his muscles tense under her touch. He looked in her worried eyes, and smiled his usual bright smile at her.
- Relax, chika, I'm okay. I'm more worried about you. You're not injured, are you?..
Jill returned his smile.
- I'm okay, unless being numb counts. - she joked, rolling her eyes. Carlos chuckled and stood up, dusting himself off. He offered her his hand and she stood up as well, the smile still present on her lips.
Carlos carefully moved and cautiously looked from behind the wall, his AK-74 ready to shoot again if needed. In orange flames of fire and smoke he saw a dark figure of a monster he thought he killed.
Apparently, even an explosion wasn't enough for it. Carlos couldn't really figure out because of the smoke, but he though the creature was standing on one knee, his head down. Suddenly the monsters head lift up and Carlos saw weak red glowing where the monsters eyes were to be. Carlos backed off a little, cursing under his breath.
- What is it? - said Jill and wanted to peak from behind the wall as well, but Carlos grabbed her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. His touch was rough, but somewhat still amazingly gentle. It was although he was treating her like a steel pearl; on one hand she was delicate, like a jewel, and on another she was tough and unbreakable like steel. He couldn't figure her out, couldn't decide of a way how to act with her. She was a no ordinary girl, thats for sure.
Of course he'd net many different girls, unique in their own special way, but this was different. She was different.
- Look, he isn't dead, as much as I hate to tell you that. - He said, wanting to sound solid and firm, not like he really felt. He would've given anything to feel at least half of the firmness he thought he put in his voice.
But Jill knew that he was just disquising his fear. It was almost as if she sensed him - every millimeter of his soul, every inch.
- I know. - She said quitely. - And I know that it is my, and only my battle. He wants STARS. I'll give him STARS! - her voice slightly raised. Carlos smiled and shook his head.
- No, Jill. We'll defeat him together. That I promise you. - he said that wholeheartedly, meaning every word.
- Don't make promises you know you can't keep. - she said, looking him in the eyes. His dark eyes searched for her blue ones, looking for hesitation, searching for weakness - but none was found in her crystal oceans of belief and seriousness.
Then he softly pressed his lips to hers, closing his eyes, stil holding her by her shoulders. Jill didn't respond, but she didn't resist either. She knew they'll live, she had this faith in herself and her battle comrades since the Spenser Estate, but he had none of it. He didn't belive they would survive. And he wanted desperately to believe it, to find certanity that he wold see the dawn. And if she could help him find it by kissing her - she would let him. Just this once.
Carlos knew he was acting more like a teenage boy than a highly professional Umbrella mercenary. But he just needed to feel this warmth, needed to hang onto something, needed to think of something else than the horrors of Raccoon City. It wasn't like he was just egoistically using Jill to keep his insanity. He liked her, as a friend, and as a stunning woman she was. Even covered in sweat, dust, with filthy clothes and bangs under her eyes she was stil beautiful. He wanted to do that so much since they met; first because she was just gorgeous, and then because he was starting to fall for her. His relationships with other girls really never went above just likeness for the looks, but Jill was a different story. She was the first woman that didn't flit with him, that saw in him as friend, and not as a cute boy-toy with sexy spanish accent.
The kiss seemed to last eternity for him, he couldn't bring himself to let her go, to let go off of her rosy full sweet lips. She tasted like cherries and mint, a mix that drove him crazy indeed; no woman tasted better to him than Jill now. Maybe it was all because of he circumstances, but she was like an angel in this hell. And with every move of his lips on hers he could slowly feel her hope pour into him as well.
- STARS! - a throaty roar stressed the air. But Carlos still couldn't let go. Just... Not yet.
After two seconds that seemed like everything to him, he finally let go of her lips, licking his own and savouring her taste for one last time. She didn't look at him - there was no need in saying something or looking at each others expressions. Now they were connected on a much more deep level. It was as though they soul bonded.
Soulmates. Yes, that word could fit. For now at least.
Carlos checked the safety on his AK-74 as Jill found a clip for her Desert Eagle.
- Come on, let's go". - said Carlos, gripping his gun tightly. Jill nodded and they both ran into the unknown, as far from the monster as they could, knowing deep down inside themselves that the fight with the nightmare came to life was just yet to come.
Hello, this is me again, I just had that idea and I had to write it! Actually, I prefer more Jill x Chris than Jill x Carlos, but still, I enjoyed writing this. Usually thinking of a name for a fic is pretty hard for me but this one just appeared into my mind while I was... Err... I can't remember what I was doing xDD Anyways, tell me if you liked it =) I'll try to write something more like this then)
P.S.: Ah, yes, I rememner that mistake I did with the "Desert Eagle" in my All's fair for guns, love and cliches fic. I knew that it was "Desert", not "Deserted", it's just that my mind liked the second version and wickedly held onto it, making me forget the first but tr right one xD