Tangled In The Web Of You

Claire woke up with a splitting headache, and quickly ended up in the bathroom, throwing up profusely. Chris heard her and frowned, it deepened as his sister was ill was for a good few hours, and he was concerned. How can a person throw up so much? Jill was resting, and he was apprehensive about becoming a Father. Part of him was terrified, the other part was excited beyond measure.

Claire finally came downstairs after not vomiting for half an hour, so she chanced going downstairs. Chris put down a glass of water and some ibuprofen in front of her and she waved her hand in thanks.

"Hey sis, feeling any better?"

Claire sighed.

"No, I should be considering I emptied my stomach several times over. Not sure if I should eat or drink anything, in case my body rejects it. How are you, and Jill?"

Chris gulped some water down before speaking, his throat had dried up, and he knew why. He needed to tell Claire about the message Wesker had sent to her, but he couldn't find the right words.

"I am okay, Jill is unhappy. She wants to get out and walk and do exercise, like she always did, but she can't. She hates that her belly gets in the way, and her feet feel so sore that she can barely stand. I want to help her, and I can lift her, but she says it makes her feel weak, and that my gesture of love is nothing more than me saying that she can't do it by herself".

Claire shook her head.

"She has always been self-reliant, but deep down, I think she knows that you mean well, and that you want to be there for her because you care. So, becoming an Auntie, I knew you'd be the one to have kids. Me? It seems that will never happen".

Chris sat down opposite her.

"I'd ask why not, but that would be a silly question".

Claire shrugged.

"Wesker and I are through, even if we did marry, he can't have kids, nor does he want them. And I am not ready to go out and look for someone new. I know I am not old, but I am not getting my hopes up either".

Her brother sighed.

"Claire, I have to tell you something".

"Hm?"

"Wesker got in touch on your phone, but I deleted the message. I shouldn't have done it".

Claire's eyes widened, and began to water and it made Chris only feel guiltier.

"Okay then. Did you listen to the message?"

He shook his head.

"Okay. I suppose I'd better phone him then. He may well have grovelled to me, that'll be something".

Chris raised his eyebrows.

"I thought you were through with him?"

Claire nodded.

"I am. But we do need to sort things out, smooth everything over instead of just ignoring it and leaving things unsaid. I will call him".

Claire took some ibuprofen and then walked outside with her phone. Chris went to check on Jill.

Wesker had purposely made sure that he had been near his phone since he called Claire yesterday. When it rung, he smiled a genuine smile, but he knew that the call may not go the way he wanted it too.

"Claire".

"Wesker, we need to talk things over. I don't wish to ignore you and leave tensions. Can I come over?"

Wesker felt his chest constrict.

"Yes. I am free all of this week, I made sure of that".

Claire smirked.

Too late for that.

"Okay, I'll come over tomorrow morning".

"I shall see you then. Goodbye Claire".

He hung up and Claire felt like crying again. His tone was sharp, almost like he was going to shout at her. It was him who didn't bother to show up for their date, so why was he acting like he was the one who was hurt? It baffled her.

The next morning, Claire woke up shaking, and she tried to scream, but it came out as a squeak. She was having a panic attack and Jill had heard her noise. She walked in and sat on the end of her bed, watching Claire panic worried her immensely. She went to get Chris but Claire made another sound against it.

"I'll, just...worry him".

Jill sighed and sat back down. Claire calmed down some time after and decided to see Wesker, despite her anxious state.

Claire arrived at Wesker's home, and he picked up on her nerves.

"Good morning Claire. Are you okay?"

Claire paced, and started letting the anxiety overtake her again.

"No, I'm not. What was with your tone yesterday? Acting like it was you who was wronged. I was, not you".

Wesker let his unreadable mask slip for a second, and it turned into one of confusion.

"I do owe you an explanation and apology. I was working, and the time slipped past me. That has never happened before. I understand that that is no excuse, and I am truly sorry".

Claire listened but didn't stop her verbal onslaught of anger.

"No it isn't an excuse. You should have called me, let me know instead of leaving me outside, to get cold, and end up drowning my sorrows. No excuse whatsoever. And to think, I wanted to marry you. Tch, I am stupider than I thought".

Wesker's eyes flashed concern.

"Claire, you seem to have forgotten that we have had two years together, and those years were meaningful, and I certainly did not make any mistakes. I make one, and you cast me aside? Throw away what we had?"

Claire balled up her hands.

"And what? I made mistakes? How many times will you throw the, 'I'm perfect, you're not' bullshit at me? It is demeaning, makes me feel like dirt, and you seem to stop caring about me. Yes I know that relationships go through bad patches, but the way you are sometimes, it grates on my patience and sanity to a certain degree. You annoy me, make me stress about everything, whether I look 'good' enough to be with you is the main thing. Whenever we go out, you get stared at like you are god, and I get stared at like I am some filthy tramp that shouldn't be anywhere near you, let alone be your fiance. Then they spy my engagement ring and they laugh. Wesker, they laugh. Don't you know how badly that makes me want to cry? I don't care if it's childish to cry in your opinion, if I wish too, then I will.

"Claire, you should not care about what they think. If they do not have what happy people have, they get jealous, and will potentially set out to break other people's happiness, and try to steal it. Have they stolen me from you? No. No one could ever take my attention and affections from you. No matter what they look like, or how they dress, they do not matter. You matter to me. That is why I have postponed my work, and research, all for one more chance with you".

Claire couldn't look at him now, she didn't want too. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.

"They shouldn't matter, but they do. I still love you, you know that. I can't turn the love off like a light switch. God, I hate you too, I fucking hate you sometimes. We are supposed to be married soon, but I can't bear that thought. What will the difference be? Nothing but a piece of paper saying, 'I love you', with fucking rainbows and unicorns on it. Yeah, cause that will sort everything out, won't it? Makes everyone a big, adorable gooey mess of happiness. Fuck that".

Wesker's shook his head and his mouth dropped.

"Claire, stop swearing. If you wish to facilitate an argument with me, that will not work. Marriage will strengthen what we have, but clearly, the foundations are already crumbling. So in this instance, I say we call off the wedding. I do not wish too, but I believe you do".

Claire relaxed her hands and sat down.

"No, maybe, oh I don't know! I can't shake this negativity. Or the feeling that something bad is going to happen to us. Everything is getting me down lately. I shouldn't take it out on you, but keeping it in won't do me any good either. I am going to be an Auntie very soon, and perhaps, a wife. I should be overjoyed, but instead, I am unsure".

Wesker sat on the arm of the sofa. She moved closer to him.

"Stop making me love you".

He tilted his head.

"Dearheart, if you love me the way I am, then why would I stop being me? Surely you would hate that".

Claire laughed bitterly.

"Stop being smart".

She looked into his eyes, which now held a serenity to them that she had not seen in a long while.

"Why do I love a man who tried to kill my brother several times? Anyone else would run, and they would be smarter for doing so. Stop loving me, I'll only hurt you, and I know full well that you don't take getting hurt lightly".

Wesker didn't reply. He kissed her forehead, then her nose, then moved her head up slightly.

"You could never hurt me".

He whispered that, before leaning down. Claire didn't stop him, so he kissed her softly. She sobbed into the kiss, before throwing her arms around him and burying her head in his chest.

Claire felt many emotions: Sick, scared, elated, and love.

She still loved the tyrant. Why, she couldn't comprehend. She felt glued to him, but she wanted to be.

She chose to be.