Jill taps into her very deepest reserves of strength as she opens the front door for him.

"Chris-"

"Can I come in?"

"Uh… yeah, sure."

She opens the door a little wider to allow him inside. Just as she closes the door, he has his hand on hers.

"I'm sorry. I'm a dick and I should have dealt with it better." He says it so fast his words synch up with the beat of her heart. "Holy Hell, Jill, you drive me crazy and I can't lose that…"

"You've got me Chris, Jesus-"

"No, you don't get it, I can't live without you and I know I fucking ruined it telling you how I feel-"

"Shut up." She says, taking his shoulders firmly, "You obviously aren't remembering that night correctly."

"I-… what?"

"Tell me what you remember." She says, voice soft and hopeful, a beacon of calm amidst the storm of nervous energy.

"I… I told you that I wanted to take you home with me and that wasn't okay."

She shakes her head, a nervous chuckle breaking out of her. "Goddamnit, Chris…"

"Don't laugh at me, I'm trying here."

"I can tell, but you're clearly forgetting the part where I told you I wouldn't kiss you until you could confess your feelings to me sober."

She's got a smile on her face that is very nearly painful. This fucking goof.

"You said what?" His eyes are the size of frying pans, mouth hanging open dumbly.

She moves her hand to his cheek and laughs again, "I believe my words were something to the effect of: 'if you can't tell me you want me when you're sober, I'm not kissing you'."

He stares at her, brain malfunctioning as he tries to formulate words. He finally manages a lame, "Oh… oh… o-okay."

"You in there?" She asks. In an instant his arms are tight around her waist pulling her body so close to his that she can hardly breathe.

"Jill Valentine, you're gonna kill me some day, and I'm going to love every second of it." He laughs.

"Me? This is your stupid, drunk fault." She smacks his chest playfully.

"Yeah, well, if you weren't so gorgeous and sexy I wouldn't have gotten so drunk, now would I?"

"Oh, don't try getting out of this one."

They're smirking at one another the air between them is warm and thick.

"What's that look?" She asks, moving her hand to his neck, fingers finding raised chilled skin.

"You're gonna be the love of my life." He tells her, voice tender and sweet, so low in his chest she can feel the vibrations of the words against her.

"Gonna be? What's holding you back?" She asks.

They lock eyes, hesitation holding their hearts back, but Chris swallows thickly, "Can I kiss you now?"

"Are you sober?" She asks with a laugh.

His motions are slow and purposeful, one hand threading through the locks of her hair, breath steady until he leans forward.

He feels like heaven, like this is the way things are supposed to be, and kissing him is the easiest thing in the world. He tastes like laughter, like summer breaks and Christmas joy wrapped up in one. She is shocked by how totally she's overcome by him. Chris Redfield makes her feel like she never has to breathe again, but will remain sustained for a lifetime.

She feels him start to pull back from her and can't stand the idea of ending their kiss, so she raises herself to the tips of her toes to continue the contact. Though surprised, he doesn't seem to mind, gripping her waist and the back of her head just a fraction tighter. It's been nearly two years since Jill's been kissed, but never in her life has kissing felt like this.

Romance novels can get fucked. Reality is so much better.

"I think I'm drunk again." He says when he manages to break away from her.

Jill lets out a laugh, "Yeah?"

"Yeah…" He smiles, "But I like it better this way."

"Hmm…" She sends her gaze around his face, he's even prettier up close, "What does that make me then?"

He opens his mouth to speak but can't find the words before he has to kiss her again. With tight breath and even tighter grips, they cease to exist separately. Jill's never been too keen on the idea of soulmates, but in this instant, she'd claim she always knew her perfect half was out there. Part of her is afraid of the power he holds over her, the other knows she's placed her trust in the right person. And what is love without a little bit of fear? Love…

"You're perfect." He manages to say once he's drunk enough of her to be able to speak again.

She shakes her head, "You're such a heartthrob."

He laughs, hand on her cheek, calloused and gentle as he pushes her hair from her eyes. "I know it's too soon for I love yous, but Jesus Christ…"

"Who says it's too soon for that?" She asks, surprised at her own words but standing firmly by them. "You're my partner, my best friend… Of course, I love you."

Chris nearly stumbles back at her words, "Wow, in that case, I love you too… Am I really your best friend?"

"Is that sad?"

"No, it's the best thing I've ever heard. Like… in my whole entire life."

Jill looks down at his chest, biting her lip she glances up at him, "So you're staying right? At least for a little bit?"

"Oh, you're stuck with me now, Valentine. It's going to take some serious leg work to get me out of your hair."

"You want to order Chinese delivery then?" She asks.

"You know my one true weakness." He chuckles, "Besides, you know… you."

She chuckles, taking him to her kitchen where she's got take-out menus. He reads over her shoulder, hands never once leaving the slopes of her hips. In the back of her mind, she thinks she should have changed, a mussed up uniform isn't exactly sexy or beautiful; but the way he kisses the back of her head like he just can't help himself sends chills down her spine.

After she places the order she turns to look at him expectantly, still unsure of what to do or how to act.

"So, are you going to show me that yearbook photo we discussed?" He asks with a grin.

"You're so gross." She chuckles.

"Are you?"

"Fine." She rolls her eyes, leading him to her bookshelf.

Pulling out the offending yearbook she presents it to him. They sit on the floor, twisting their hands together like stitching as they sort through pages upon pages of memories. The sight of the picture in question sends her into a spiral all over again, wondering if Wesker really has pictures of her in his own office.

"Oh my GOD, Jill!" Chris cackles.

"Just remember I was fifteen." She snorts staring at the photo.

"Jesus Christ."

"Would you have hit on me in high school?" She asks curiously.

"Hell no, for many reasons."

"Chris!"

"First of all, you were definitely adored by the masses based on the amount of signatures in here." He starts with a laugh, prompting her to shove him playfully, "Second, I was that asshole who didn't think cheerleaders were people. Third, you were and still are way out of my league."

"Am I?" She teases.

"You're settling, you know." He tells her confidently.

"Never."

She gets close to his face until their noses touch, then their foreheads, then their lips come crashing together like the tide to a shore. It's a desperate kind of want, the kind that is futile to ignore and ravenous for affection. Despite their youth, they kiss like they're making up for lost time.

And this is most youthful she's ever been, even when she kissed boys in her teens it wasn't like this. On the living room floor with a yearbook sprawled at their feet, hasty hands groping over clothing. A silent reverie of playful energy and pure emotion; it's the kind of moment media tries to encapsulate but isn't capable of portraying the reality.

The only reason she pulls away is when the delivery guy is at her door, hastily getting herself together Chris grabs his middle laughing on the floor.

"What's your problem?" She asks, grabbing her purse to pull out some money.

"You're cute."

"I'm a lot of things, cute is not one of them."

She opens the door, pays for delivery, and feels Chris's presence behind her before she even thinks about closing the door.

"You are cute." He says.

"Cute is for puppies-"

"Beautiful women can also be cute." He claims, following her into the kitchen like said puppy.

"Uhuh." She nods taking a seat at the small table with her plate of food, "So are you going to tell me what prompted you to come here? Not that I'm complaining, just curious."

He laughs dishing himself lo mien before joining her.

"I uh… I went home, Claire told me I was moping and I needed to tell her what was wrong. So I did, to which she said something like, 'you're such an idiot go win her back before you lose her forever' and here we are."

Jill reaches across the table to hold his hand, doing her best to hide the desperation she feels for some kind of contact. "Good old Claire… Can't wait to meet her properly."

"You'll love Claire, she's the only reason I'm still a person."

"Yeah?" Jill asks.

He nods, "I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for her, hell I don't know what I would have done if my parents were still around."

His admittance makes her feel something inside.

"Everything happens for a reason."

"Yeah." He agrees, leaving something unspoken between them.

They eat for a while longer, conversation light and teasing. It isn't until Jill mentions the topic that either of them entertains the idea.

"So, business as usual then." She says, recognizing she's just opened a can of worms she didn't intend on addressing so soon.

"I… I hadn't thought about that." He says, hand covering his mouth in thought.

"I meant… sorry, this isn't the fun stuff." She says ruefully.

"No, but I get it. We're allowed a personal life, outside of the office." He emphasizes. "I know we're close to the others, but they don't have to know every detail of our lives."

"I was more thinking that they'd force us to have different partners." She smirks, reveling in the shocked face he makes.

"Jill Valentine, I would never."

"Would never what, Chris Redfield?" She retorts.

"Are you implying that we mess around on the job?"

"All I'm saying is that if it happens, I won't complain."

He shakes his head, "You're a real wild card."

"Oh, like you're so straight laced." She teases.

"So straight laced, might as well name me Wesker's apprentice." The comment leaves her more uncomfortable than she wants to feel, and Chris notices instantly. "I'm not serious."

"No, I know." She nods, nervously sipping her drink.

"What's wrong?"

"I uh… he just freaks me out…" She wonders if she should mention earlier, but he beats her to the punch.

"What happened?" He asks earnestly.

She relents almost instantly, "He said that he had pictures of me from Friday."

"Like, he actually said that?"

"Yes! He mentioned that it was out of character for me, then said, 'don't worry I have photos' and just left."

Chris makes a grimace, "Ew."

"Right? Barry and Enrico think he was just teasing."

He snorts, "Does Wesker know how to tease?"

"Exactly! I've been on edge thinking about it." Jill feels relief fill her up at his validation.

"I mean, Wesker's a freak, but he has a woman already." Chris reasons in his own way, "I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it, but definitely unsettling."

"Ugh, he's so… I don't even know what."

"Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Jill bites her lip, trying to fight the smile spreading across her face. "Like I need protection."

"I don't want you accidentally killing our boss for looking at you the wrong way. It's my job to be the dumb one in this relationship, and I take that responsibility very seriously."

The mention of them being in a relationship nearly sends Jill into cardiac arrest.

"Is that what we're calling this?"

"We could call it a marriage, but it's a little soon for that don't you think?" Chris laughs.

"So, I'm your what?"

"Well, you're the only person I'm ever going to love like this, but for now let's stick with girlfriend."

They stare at one another for a precious moment before Jill speaks up, "Hm, boyfriend huh? Been a while since I've had one of those… not sure its ever been like this either."

"Can I take that as a compliment?"

"You can and you should." She chuckles taking his plate and putting them in the sink.

"Hey! Fortune cookies!" He's uncharacteristically excited about a fucking fortune cookie, but it's so sweet and genuine her heart almost bursts out of her chest Alien style.

"Cheers." She chuckles, clinking their cookies together before breaking hers apart. It takes her a second to come back to earth, because she's reeling from how the universe could possible lay this out any plainer for her.

It reads: The love of your life is right in front of your eyes.

She nearly busts out laughing but settles for handing it to Chris who has the entire cookie already shoved in his mouth. He swallows, gives her a grin, then hands her his own: Love, because it is the only true adventure.

"Someone on the other side has been waiting for this thing to happen for a while." Jill snorts, popping one half of her cookie in her mouth.

"The other side? You mean like my parents? God?"

"One of those." She shrugs.

Her mom is likely rolling in her grave, she'd have never approved of Chris and somehow that makes Jill more attracted to him.

She washes the dishes while he packs away the left overs, it's so strangely easy and domestic Jill fights not to comment on it; afraid to break whatever it is holding them together, or of stepping out of this reality. This is the world she wants to stay in, forever if she can manage it.

"Are you going leave soon?" She asks once the chores are finished.

"Am I being kicked out?" He returns the question with a snicker

"Course not." She shakes her head, "I just figured… we do have work tomorrow."

"I know I have to leave… but five more minutes?" He teases, eliciting a laugh from Jill.

"I am dating a toddler."

"Told you that you're settling, but it's too late to back out now – you're stuck with me."

"Yeah, okay, Jill Valentine doesn't settle for anything."

"Guess I better start being worthy of you then."

In the silence she approaches, rising to her toes to kiss him, "You are."