Forever
-chapter eleven
Close your eyes, give me your hand, darlin
Do you feel my heart beating?
Do you understand?
Do you feel the same?
Or am I only dreaming?
Is this burning an eternal flame?
Now believe, it's meant to be, darlin
I watched you while you were sleeping
You belong to me
Do you feel the same?
Or am I only dreaming?
Is this burning an eternal flame?
~Bangles, "Eternal Flame"
Carlos Oliviera stumbled out of his room, half dragging himself in the general direction of the kitchen. He looked somewhat like the zombies that he himself had fought against some time ago, heavy bags under his eyes, his hair disheveled and messy, his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt half tucked into his pajama pants. He shuffled past the hallway, and was greeted with the sight of Leon Kennedy, who sat on the couch watching cartoons on the t.v. His girlfriend, the ever talkative Claire Redfield, was asleep on the couch next to him, her feet on his lap, snoring softly. The S.T.A.R.S. second in command toasted the glass of orange juice in his hand towards Carlos to acknowledge his presence, a good morning smile on his face.
"Aye, Chico! Good night's sleep?"
Carlos looked at Leon with some annoyance in his eyes, but he managed to get something vaguely resembling a smile to his lips. Leon was happy, almost irritatingly happy to Carlos. He pushed his feelings aside and answered.
"Si... si Leon. Very good night sleep."
...Carlos blatantly lied. He fell asleep after his head hit the pillow following yesterday's events, but had woken up at midnight and couldn't sleep since. His body was weary and wanted to sleep, but his mind was wide awake. Something plagued his mind, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it; it was as if he had some nameless, faceless burden on his shoulders, and he had no idea how it got there.
The heavy weapon specialist turned the corner to go to the kitchen, leaving Leon and his cartoons behind him. As his tired, weary eyes looked into the kitchen, he was instantly blinded by a fierce, radiant light emanating from the kitchen table. He lifted a hand to rub his eyes, trying to get them to adjust to the brightness. Carlos tried his best to focus, and eventually he realised what it was that was causing him to so recoil.
Jill Valentine.
The young woman was sitting at the wide table, her long, creamy legs crossed, flipping idly through a fashion magazine and eating a bowl of frosted flakes at the same time. Carlos watched with rapt facination as a stray lock of chocolate hair fell into her eyes, and she brushed it away, tucking it back behind her ear in a smooth, soft motion, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. A bright, happy aura radiated from her, as if she was an angel plucked down from heaven to test the breakfast cereal made by humans and make sure it was up to God's standards.
She wore what looked like a football jersey that reached up to mid-thigh...
Carlos almost wanted to go back to his room and hide underneath his blanket when he realised Jill was wearing Chris' jersey, meaning that....
So the S.T.A.R.S. Captain had beat him again. As if the schooling he had received from him during their little football game the week before wasn't enough, Chris had just claimed the ultimate prize; the voluptuous Jillian Chelsea Valentine. Chris had marked his territory; he set up protective fencing, put up "beware of dog" signs, pissed on the proverbial tree stump.
Several choice four letter words instantly reverberated in Carlos' mind, but he pushed it aside; if anyone was to have Jill, at least it was Chris. Chris would take good care of her, that much was certain. Maybe he deserved her more than Carlos did. Chris had sacrificed much during the Umbrella Crusade and gained very little. Jill, at least, would constitute a big piece that was rebuilding the puzzle of Chris Redfield's life. He was almost happy for Chris.
Almost.
Carlos had hoped for a time that Jill would be his; following their last escape from Raccoon, they had grown very close, but nothing ever happened between them. They lacked that defining spark, that one moment when all becomes clear and love is the only place to turn. When Jill had finally tracked Chris' hideout down, she wept when she saw he wasn't there.. and Carlos was there to hold her in her arms, a shoulder to cry on. She buried herself in Carlos' chest, while he gently stroked her hair and whispered words of comfort.
Carlos hoped this was that moment...but nothing more happened. She gave Carlos a thank you nod, blue eyes filled with tears, and walked out of the room. Neither of them spoke of it ever since. The young man hoped for more opportunities like that for them to get closer...
But in came Chris, found alive after Antarctica, along with his sister Claire. Jill instantly fell in love with Chris; maybe she was in love with him before Raccoon's demise and before Carlos met her, he didn't know. But he did know that once they were re-united, they were destined to be together. Merely a matter of time. It was just something about them that defined destiny and fate.
She was vastly different from Carlos anyways, underneath the skin. Where she was patient, he was hot headed, where she was outgoing, he was lazy, and where she was serious and down to earth, he was aloof and carefree. It wasn't that Carlos wasn't attracted to her, and her to him; they were two choice human specimens afterall, Carlos noted, a young man and a young woman in their prime. Maybe Carlos just confused love with lust. That was a dangerous conclusion, but he knew it to be true. He had wanted her body, her looks, Jill had wanted much more, the companionship and thoughtfulness she had evidently found in Chris. Carlos couldn't provide all that.
And so Carlos lost Jill to Chris. But he shook his head and forced that thought out of his mind, because he never really had her. He tried his best to act normally, and announced his presence to what was once the object of his affection.
"Allo, Jill! Good night sleep?"
Jill, her mouth half full with frosted flakes, swallowed before answering, almost choking on the cereal. A surprised look appeared on her well carved features. She moved her legs under the table as if to hide them from Carlos' eyes. She stiffened up, as if Carlos was some high ranking officer within the S.T.A.R.S. that had caught her slacking off. Carlos almost expected a salute to be offered to him.
It was funny, because following yesterday's events with Chris, Jill had forgotten all about the young South American man. She had forgotten he existed; all she cared about and saw was Chris, and to see him again gave her a jolt.
"Good morning, Carlos. Yeah... I....I had quite the night's.... sleep."
"I see dat Chris let you 'borrow' his jersey." Here Carlos made quotation marks in the air with his fingers.
Jill looked down at herself, as if she hadn't realised she was wearing the blue Dallas Cowboys jersey that was obviously Chris' possession. When she had finally put two and two together and realised that Carlos had concluded the obvious, she struggled to stammer out an excuse. She hadn't expected Carlos to be awake this early, and she had hoped to eat a quick breakfast, then dash back to her room and change before anyone but Leon saw her in Chris' jersey...
"Well.. umm... Chris... me... we... "
"Hey, you don' need to tell me what happened, chica. I know. You two are in love, and lovers do need to... express demselves every once in awhile. Trust me, I know." He finished with a wink.
Jill's cheeks turned a bright shade of red before answering. She had history with Carlos, and she wanted to set things straight to make sure he didn't misunderstand something.
"Th.. thanks for understanding, Carlos. We... we're in love, Chris and I."
Carlos nodded, bringing a hand through his messy hair. She had confirmed it.
"Dat's good, dat's good... all da best to you two."
"Thanks, Carlos. Really. It means a lot to me."
Carlos nodded, before reaching into the refridgerator and pulling out the pitcher of freshly-squeezed orange juice. Without thinking, his mind still numb with Jill's confession, he took out a glass and bowl from the cupboards. He pulled the box of corn pops from the top of the fridge, and poured some into the glass. When he had finished, he poured the orange juice into the bowl.
Carlos turned, and walked out, his mind heavy with thoughts.
"Uhh, Carlos?"
Carlos turned to see Jill giving him a wierd look.
"Si, chica?"
"You forgot your breakfast."
Carlos turned to the counter, and realised he had left the room without his breakfast, which was still on the counter. He almost laughed, but didn't, when he realised he had poured cereal into the glass and orange juice into the bowl. He picked both up regardless and headed out for his room.
"Gracias, senora." he said, without looking back.
Jill considered him for a moment more, before turning back to her magazine and breakfast. Then Chris walked into the room, demanding all of her attention.
* * *
"Hey love."
...Jill greeted Chris, as he appeared in the doorway that Carlos had walked out from mere minutes before. He was wearing a sleeveless white t-shirt now, along with his ever-baggy pajamas. Jill admired the way the shirt let Chris' well defined arms show, and she dreamily gazed at her boyfriend for awhile before snapping back to earth.
"Hey there. I see you're having an affair with my jersey."
Jill looked down at herself and giggled.
"Yes well, it's a little too baggy for me, but it'll do. It's so much more comfortable than yourself."
"But can it do the.. things I can do?"
Jill giggled to herself, before giving Chris a smirk and sticking out her tougue.
"Naughty comments have no place at a breakfast table, Chris."
Chris nodded.
"Yes ma'am."
He leaned over to give her a kiss, and Jill moved up to receive it...
Just before Rebecca Chambers walked into the room.
Chris hurriedly grabbed the two salt and pepper shakers and put them in the middle of the table, along with a napkin, hoping the young medic would fall for his little charade.
"So as you can see," he began, "if this pepper shaker is you, we can have the enemy from both sides in a heartbeat, forcing them to split their fire and thus expose themselves to our own fire. Classic pincer tactics."
Jill pretended to play along with Chris' facade.
"Yeah, I see it.. but what if Charlie decides to barricade this entrance?" she said, pointing to a side of the napkin, "then we'll have our hands full here..." she finished, pointing to where the salt shaker stood next to the box of frosted flakes.
"You two can quit it, I know what you guys were doing." Rebecca said, weariness obvious in her voice. She shuffled over to the seat next to Jill, and flopped down on the seat, not bothering to arrange herself in a straight manner on it. She let out a long, loud yawn. She looked like quite the mess.
"Well good morning to you too, Miss Chambers." Chris chirped.
Beccy looked at Chris. On any other day, she would have giggled along with him and made an equally witty comeback, but she didn't feel like it today. She gave Chris somewhat of an icy stare. She wasn't into it today. Chris was happy, she wasn't. No one deserved to be happy more than herself. She was almost jealous of him. Beccy wasn't thinking of it when she voiced her thoughts.
"Stop being so happy, Chris."
"Since when is that a crime?"
"Since I... when you.... shaddup, Chris. Why are you so happy anyways?"
Chris gave Jill a look and a smile. Jill, blushing, tried to look away but couldn't hide the sly smile she wore. She tried to play with her frosted flakes, not thinking about the last night's events, but she failed miserably as her smile still dominated her face.
"I have my reasons." Chris said, before rising, giving Jill a quick kiss on the forehead, and then going into the living room for a second to retrieve his PSM magazine. He flipped through the pages, before settling on an article on Grand Theft Auto III.
A stray lock of hair fell into Beccy's hair and she blew it away.
"Something wrong, Beccy?" Jill said, asking the obvious.
"I dunno.. that's what's wierd. I dunno what's wrong."
"I don't see any Tyrants or zombies around," Chris said, after pretending to look around for mutants and virus-carriers, "what could possibly be eating you?"
Chris was trying to cheer the young medic up, and Rebecca acknowledged that.. but right now it seemed more annoying than cheerful. She quite simply wasn't in the mood. Jill, on the other hand, giggled like a schoolgirl.
"Hmmm..." Jill said, contemplating something, "I have an idea, it should definately cheer you up for sure."
Chris gave Jill a look, as if to telepathically ask if she was going to say involved Carlos and the discussion they had regarding Beccy and Carlos. Jill seemed to know what he meant, and shook her head a little, as if to say 'no.'
Beccy finally turned to Jill, and as if it took her all the effort in the world, asked "And what might that be?"
Jill carefully swallowed her mouthful of flakes before brushing her hair back and answering. She took her sweet time, but her eyes lit up when she said the magical word which girls all over the world crowd around and scream as if it were some sort of battle cry and they were valkyries rushing into battle. A word worshipped and flocked to by women, and dreaded by boyfriend and husband alike.
"Shopping!"
Chris groaned.
"What the? We went to two or three malls on the way here for 'essential' shopping... what could you possibly want that you haven't already bought?"
"Geez Chris, not like our going shopping is doing you harm."
"Hey, my foot's tired from having to drive you girls. And then I have to sit around for three hours while you guys try the same dress in the same store that you don't like because it makes your ankles or pinky finger or earlobes look fat, then you end up buying the damn thing anyways! And that's just the first store! And what do I get back? Not even the Snickers bar or the Gatorade bottle I asked for while I was waiting!"
"Whoa Chris, did you have a bad childhood experience with shopping we should know about?" Rebecca inquired. Chris made a face back at her.
The three sat there for awhile, the older girl eating and the guy reading, before Jill came up with something.
"Fine Chris, you don't have to drive us to the mall again."
"Thank God." he stated, looking genuinely relieved. He had some fishing to do. And as of now, the others didn't realise that he had managed to hide his Gameboy Advance inbetween his pairs of Super Mario boxers...
Jill turned to Beccy, smiling, as if to make small talk.
"I'll get Carlos to drive us... hey Beccy, didn't you say there was a lingerie shop at the mall we passed on the way here? I'd love to try something new, but it's hard to put on sometimes and I need someone to-"
Chris jumped straight up in his seat, dropping his magazine, then he bolted out of the kitchen towards his room.
"I'll drive! Be outside in ten minutes flat!!"
* * *
"So you see Beccy, guys are like lawnmowers; they can be frustrating sometimes, but if you push them right and give 'em a lil fuel, they'll gladly do all the work for you."
Jill said, after adjusting the strap on her shoulder bag to make it fit comfortably. She wore a white tube top very much like the blue one she was famous for, along with very loose and baggy white track pants. Beccy noticed that Jill's attire was getting increasingly more revealing, and he wondered if it had something to do with whatever she and Chris did last night, but she shoved that thought aside. It was both intruding on their privacy, and it hammered in the fact that Chris and Jill had each other, and she was alone. She nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't really understand what Jill had just said.
"Couldn't agree more." Claire agreed, appearing at the doorway to Elena's mansion with a rubber band in her hand. She was pulling her hair back in her trademark ponytail. Like Jill, Claire's attire was fairly modern and revealing as well, making Beccy, who was dressed in a conservative green shirt and jeans, look like an old maid. But then again, Beccy realised, Claire and Jill had the body for their clothes... they were... voluptuous, was the word that came to Beccy's mind. If Shakira herself were plucked out of her music videos and put next to Claire and Jill, no one could tell them apart.
They belonged in a fashion magazine, not on a counter-terrorist strike force like S.T.A.R.S. Next to them, Beccy looked and felt pretty awkward...
She hadn't noticed it before, but she was actually the most conservative of the three of them, and it stuck out. Why hadn't she noticed it before?
"We all here?" Chris said, who was leaning on the Pathfinder the team used, flipping through his magazine. He wore a grey turtleneck that clung to his frame, revealing the definition in his body, along with his usual baggy jeans, and bright khaki colored shoes. He too, belonged in the same fashion magazine as Claire and Jill. He wore a shoulder bag as well, with a pocket on the strap for his cell phone.. but his cell phone was in his pocket, and unbeknownst to the girls, his bag's pocket actually held his Gameboy Advance. He learned from his previous shopping experience with the girls; at least now he had something to keep him occupied while they spent countless hours in the dressing rooms.
Beccy stared at him for awhile... he was so handsome. It made her feel worse, for three very beautiful people were around her.. making her feel pretty insecure about herself.
But why was she feeling so sorry for herself all of a sudden? She tried to find the reason, but couldn't. She was on vacation; she was supposed to be happy, and so she decided to try to make herself happy.
She forced on a smile, as the four of them jumped into the SUV and drove towards the direction of the nearest shopping center, Claire barking out directions to her older brother.
* * *
"You know, I always wondered when this would happen." Jill said, as she and Chris walked hand in hand, just behind Claire and Beccy, who were talking to themselves.
"You mean shopping? But you always go shopping... what are you wondering about?"
Jill smiled and softly punched him in the arm.
"I meant us, walking around in a mall, hand in hand, boyfriend and girlfriend. I always wondered when we would happen."
Chris smiled as he realised what Jill meant. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"Well it's happening, so no need to wonder now. Just live it out."
Jill blushed somewhat, before smiling warmly at Chris. It was true; they were together now, and she could stop dreaming or wondering when things were going to happen between them, because she knew that they would happen. It was just a matter of time. She squeezed Chris' hand slightly, and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Oh my God! 75% off!" Claire exclaimed, as she spotted the yellow and pink sign displaying the 75% off in a store window. She dashed into the store, grabbing Beccy by the wrist and pulling her along with her. Within a few seconds, the two girls had already disappeared into the clothing store.
"Geez, so immature, those two girls." Chris said. He turned to Jill, only to realise that she had already let go of his hand and was already half way to the store herself. He watched Jill run to and disappear into the same store, and he sighed to himself. If this were an anime, he noted, a giant sweat drop would appear next to his head.
"Wait for me!" exclaimed the flying white blur that was Jill Valentine.
The S.T.A.R.S. captain sighed again, before leaning on the rail that kept mindless shoppers from falling into the first floor. For a few minutes, he watched the people on the first floor go to and fro, minding their own buisness. He watched as a young girl, probably both no more than sixteen, dashed into some clothing store, dragging her boyfriend of the same age behind her. The boy had a tired look on his face, as if he had just been through hell and back, and was carrying several bags full of clothes the girl had bought. He obviously hadn't gone shopping with his girlfriend before.
Chris giggled to himself, before pulling his treasured Gameboy Advance from his "cell phone" pocket and turning it on. He was prepared, the boy wasn't.
"First timer." he said softly, smiling.
Author's Note:
Yes, I know it's been more than a couple of months since my last chapter was put up, and I said that I'd have it out in less than a week. First off, I want to apologize to everyone who was waiting for this story to continue. Certain personal things got in the way of me finishing this particular chapter, but in the back of my mind I always wanted to return to this, just because it was my first story I've published and I really love the characters. It means a lot to me. However, this doesn't mean that I'll be writing a lot more from now on; it just means that this story isn't dead. I will be adding more chapters in the future, but due to the presses of school, relationships (I am 16, afterall :P ), etc, I won't be setting any deadlines for myself like I have previously done. So be sure that this story will continue from here, but as of now the next chapter could be released next weekend or next month, for all I know. You can be sure, however, that I'll try my hardest to keep it going for as long as I can and as fast as I can.
Special thanks to Darkness, Chris'n'Jill, Mayumi, and everyone else who's given me supports and kind words. Thank you one and all.
shameless plug: go read my Final Fantasy Tactics and my Street Fighter Alpha stories! :)
Quote of the Day:
"Hope is a good breakfast, but a bad supper."
-Francis Baker
-chapter eleven
Close your eyes, give me your hand, darlin
Do you feel my heart beating?
Do you understand?
Do you feel the same?
Or am I only dreaming?
Is this burning an eternal flame?
Now believe, it's meant to be, darlin
I watched you while you were sleeping
You belong to me
Do you feel the same?
Or am I only dreaming?
Is this burning an eternal flame?
~Bangles, "Eternal Flame"
Carlos Oliviera stumbled out of his room, half dragging himself in the general direction of the kitchen. He looked somewhat like the zombies that he himself had fought against some time ago, heavy bags under his eyes, his hair disheveled and messy, his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt half tucked into his pajama pants. He shuffled past the hallway, and was greeted with the sight of Leon Kennedy, who sat on the couch watching cartoons on the t.v. His girlfriend, the ever talkative Claire Redfield, was asleep on the couch next to him, her feet on his lap, snoring softly. The S.T.A.R.S. second in command toasted the glass of orange juice in his hand towards Carlos to acknowledge his presence, a good morning smile on his face.
"Aye, Chico! Good night's sleep?"
Carlos looked at Leon with some annoyance in his eyes, but he managed to get something vaguely resembling a smile to his lips. Leon was happy, almost irritatingly happy to Carlos. He pushed his feelings aside and answered.
"Si... si Leon. Very good night sleep."
...Carlos blatantly lied. He fell asleep after his head hit the pillow following yesterday's events, but had woken up at midnight and couldn't sleep since. His body was weary and wanted to sleep, but his mind was wide awake. Something plagued his mind, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it; it was as if he had some nameless, faceless burden on his shoulders, and he had no idea how it got there.
The heavy weapon specialist turned the corner to go to the kitchen, leaving Leon and his cartoons behind him. As his tired, weary eyes looked into the kitchen, he was instantly blinded by a fierce, radiant light emanating from the kitchen table. He lifted a hand to rub his eyes, trying to get them to adjust to the brightness. Carlos tried his best to focus, and eventually he realised what it was that was causing him to so recoil.
Jill Valentine.
The young woman was sitting at the wide table, her long, creamy legs crossed, flipping idly through a fashion magazine and eating a bowl of frosted flakes at the same time. Carlos watched with rapt facination as a stray lock of chocolate hair fell into her eyes, and she brushed it away, tucking it back behind her ear in a smooth, soft motion, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. A bright, happy aura radiated from her, as if she was an angel plucked down from heaven to test the breakfast cereal made by humans and make sure it was up to God's standards.
She wore what looked like a football jersey that reached up to mid-thigh...
Carlos almost wanted to go back to his room and hide underneath his blanket when he realised Jill was wearing Chris' jersey, meaning that....
So the S.T.A.R.S. Captain had beat him again. As if the schooling he had received from him during their little football game the week before wasn't enough, Chris had just claimed the ultimate prize; the voluptuous Jillian Chelsea Valentine. Chris had marked his territory; he set up protective fencing, put up "beware of dog" signs, pissed on the proverbial tree stump.
Several choice four letter words instantly reverberated in Carlos' mind, but he pushed it aside; if anyone was to have Jill, at least it was Chris. Chris would take good care of her, that much was certain. Maybe he deserved her more than Carlos did. Chris had sacrificed much during the Umbrella Crusade and gained very little. Jill, at least, would constitute a big piece that was rebuilding the puzzle of Chris Redfield's life. He was almost happy for Chris.
Almost.
Carlos had hoped for a time that Jill would be his; following their last escape from Raccoon, they had grown very close, but nothing ever happened between them. They lacked that defining spark, that one moment when all becomes clear and love is the only place to turn. When Jill had finally tracked Chris' hideout down, she wept when she saw he wasn't there.. and Carlos was there to hold her in her arms, a shoulder to cry on. She buried herself in Carlos' chest, while he gently stroked her hair and whispered words of comfort.
Carlos hoped this was that moment...but nothing more happened. She gave Carlos a thank you nod, blue eyes filled with tears, and walked out of the room. Neither of them spoke of it ever since. The young man hoped for more opportunities like that for them to get closer...
But in came Chris, found alive after Antarctica, along with his sister Claire. Jill instantly fell in love with Chris; maybe she was in love with him before Raccoon's demise and before Carlos met her, he didn't know. But he did know that once they were re-united, they were destined to be together. Merely a matter of time. It was just something about them that defined destiny and fate.
She was vastly different from Carlos anyways, underneath the skin. Where she was patient, he was hot headed, where she was outgoing, he was lazy, and where she was serious and down to earth, he was aloof and carefree. It wasn't that Carlos wasn't attracted to her, and her to him; they were two choice human specimens afterall, Carlos noted, a young man and a young woman in their prime. Maybe Carlos just confused love with lust. That was a dangerous conclusion, but he knew it to be true. He had wanted her body, her looks, Jill had wanted much more, the companionship and thoughtfulness she had evidently found in Chris. Carlos couldn't provide all that.
And so Carlos lost Jill to Chris. But he shook his head and forced that thought out of his mind, because he never really had her. He tried his best to act normally, and announced his presence to what was once the object of his affection.
"Allo, Jill! Good night sleep?"
Jill, her mouth half full with frosted flakes, swallowed before answering, almost choking on the cereal. A surprised look appeared on her well carved features. She moved her legs under the table as if to hide them from Carlos' eyes. She stiffened up, as if Carlos was some high ranking officer within the S.T.A.R.S. that had caught her slacking off. Carlos almost expected a salute to be offered to him.
It was funny, because following yesterday's events with Chris, Jill had forgotten all about the young South American man. She had forgotten he existed; all she cared about and saw was Chris, and to see him again gave her a jolt.
"Good morning, Carlos. Yeah... I....I had quite the night's.... sleep."
"I see dat Chris let you 'borrow' his jersey." Here Carlos made quotation marks in the air with his fingers.
Jill looked down at herself, as if she hadn't realised she was wearing the blue Dallas Cowboys jersey that was obviously Chris' possession. When she had finally put two and two together and realised that Carlos had concluded the obvious, she struggled to stammer out an excuse. She hadn't expected Carlos to be awake this early, and she had hoped to eat a quick breakfast, then dash back to her room and change before anyone but Leon saw her in Chris' jersey...
"Well.. umm... Chris... me... we... "
"Hey, you don' need to tell me what happened, chica. I know. You two are in love, and lovers do need to... express demselves every once in awhile. Trust me, I know." He finished with a wink.
Jill's cheeks turned a bright shade of red before answering. She had history with Carlos, and she wanted to set things straight to make sure he didn't misunderstand something.
"Th.. thanks for understanding, Carlos. We... we're in love, Chris and I."
Carlos nodded, bringing a hand through his messy hair. She had confirmed it.
"Dat's good, dat's good... all da best to you two."
"Thanks, Carlos. Really. It means a lot to me."
Carlos nodded, before reaching into the refridgerator and pulling out the pitcher of freshly-squeezed orange juice. Without thinking, his mind still numb with Jill's confession, he took out a glass and bowl from the cupboards. He pulled the box of corn pops from the top of the fridge, and poured some into the glass. When he had finished, he poured the orange juice into the bowl.
Carlos turned, and walked out, his mind heavy with thoughts.
"Uhh, Carlos?"
Carlos turned to see Jill giving him a wierd look.
"Si, chica?"
"You forgot your breakfast."
Carlos turned to the counter, and realised he had left the room without his breakfast, which was still on the counter. He almost laughed, but didn't, when he realised he had poured cereal into the glass and orange juice into the bowl. He picked both up regardless and headed out for his room.
"Gracias, senora." he said, without looking back.
Jill considered him for a moment more, before turning back to her magazine and breakfast. Then Chris walked into the room, demanding all of her attention.
* * *
"Hey love."
...Jill greeted Chris, as he appeared in the doorway that Carlos had walked out from mere minutes before. He was wearing a sleeveless white t-shirt now, along with his ever-baggy pajamas. Jill admired the way the shirt let Chris' well defined arms show, and she dreamily gazed at her boyfriend for awhile before snapping back to earth.
"Hey there. I see you're having an affair with my jersey."
Jill looked down at herself and giggled.
"Yes well, it's a little too baggy for me, but it'll do. It's so much more comfortable than yourself."
"But can it do the.. things I can do?"
Jill giggled to herself, before giving Chris a smirk and sticking out her tougue.
"Naughty comments have no place at a breakfast table, Chris."
Chris nodded.
"Yes ma'am."
He leaned over to give her a kiss, and Jill moved up to receive it...
Just before Rebecca Chambers walked into the room.
Chris hurriedly grabbed the two salt and pepper shakers and put them in the middle of the table, along with a napkin, hoping the young medic would fall for his little charade.
"So as you can see," he began, "if this pepper shaker is you, we can have the enemy from both sides in a heartbeat, forcing them to split their fire and thus expose themselves to our own fire. Classic pincer tactics."
Jill pretended to play along with Chris' facade.
"Yeah, I see it.. but what if Charlie decides to barricade this entrance?" she said, pointing to a side of the napkin, "then we'll have our hands full here..." she finished, pointing to where the salt shaker stood next to the box of frosted flakes.
"You two can quit it, I know what you guys were doing." Rebecca said, weariness obvious in her voice. She shuffled over to the seat next to Jill, and flopped down on the seat, not bothering to arrange herself in a straight manner on it. She let out a long, loud yawn. She looked like quite the mess.
"Well good morning to you too, Miss Chambers." Chris chirped.
Beccy looked at Chris. On any other day, she would have giggled along with him and made an equally witty comeback, but she didn't feel like it today. She gave Chris somewhat of an icy stare. She wasn't into it today. Chris was happy, she wasn't. No one deserved to be happy more than herself. She was almost jealous of him. Beccy wasn't thinking of it when she voiced her thoughts.
"Stop being so happy, Chris."
"Since when is that a crime?"
"Since I... when you.... shaddup, Chris. Why are you so happy anyways?"
Chris gave Jill a look and a smile. Jill, blushing, tried to look away but couldn't hide the sly smile she wore. She tried to play with her frosted flakes, not thinking about the last night's events, but she failed miserably as her smile still dominated her face.
"I have my reasons." Chris said, before rising, giving Jill a quick kiss on the forehead, and then going into the living room for a second to retrieve his PSM magazine. He flipped through the pages, before settling on an article on Grand Theft Auto III.
A stray lock of hair fell into Beccy's hair and she blew it away.
"Something wrong, Beccy?" Jill said, asking the obvious.
"I dunno.. that's what's wierd. I dunno what's wrong."
"I don't see any Tyrants or zombies around," Chris said, after pretending to look around for mutants and virus-carriers, "what could possibly be eating you?"
Chris was trying to cheer the young medic up, and Rebecca acknowledged that.. but right now it seemed more annoying than cheerful. She quite simply wasn't in the mood. Jill, on the other hand, giggled like a schoolgirl.
"Hmmm..." Jill said, contemplating something, "I have an idea, it should definately cheer you up for sure."
Chris gave Jill a look, as if to telepathically ask if she was going to say involved Carlos and the discussion they had regarding Beccy and Carlos. Jill seemed to know what he meant, and shook her head a little, as if to say 'no.'
Beccy finally turned to Jill, and as if it took her all the effort in the world, asked "And what might that be?"
Jill carefully swallowed her mouthful of flakes before brushing her hair back and answering. She took her sweet time, but her eyes lit up when she said the magical word which girls all over the world crowd around and scream as if it were some sort of battle cry and they were valkyries rushing into battle. A word worshipped and flocked to by women, and dreaded by boyfriend and husband alike.
"Shopping!"
Chris groaned.
"What the? We went to two or three malls on the way here for 'essential' shopping... what could you possibly want that you haven't already bought?"
"Geez Chris, not like our going shopping is doing you harm."
"Hey, my foot's tired from having to drive you girls. And then I have to sit around for three hours while you guys try the same dress in the same store that you don't like because it makes your ankles or pinky finger or earlobes look fat, then you end up buying the damn thing anyways! And that's just the first store! And what do I get back? Not even the Snickers bar or the Gatorade bottle I asked for while I was waiting!"
"Whoa Chris, did you have a bad childhood experience with shopping we should know about?" Rebecca inquired. Chris made a face back at her.
The three sat there for awhile, the older girl eating and the guy reading, before Jill came up with something.
"Fine Chris, you don't have to drive us to the mall again."
"Thank God." he stated, looking genuinely relieved. He had some fishing to do. And as of now, the others didn't realise that he had managed to hide his Gameboy Advance inbetween his pairs of Super Mario boxers...
Jill turned to Beccy, smiling, as if to make small talk.
"I'll get Carlos to drive us... hey Beccy, didn't you say there was a lingerie shop at the mall we passed on the way here? I'd love to try something new, but it's hard to put on sometimes and I need someone to-"
Chris jumped straight up in his seat, dropping his magazine, then he bolted out of the kitchen towards his room.
"I'll drive! Be outside in ten minutes flat!!"
* * *
"So you see Beccy, guys are like lawnmowers; they can be frustrating sometimes, but if you push them right and give 'em a lil fuel, they'll gladly do all the work for you."
Jill said, after adjusting the strap on her shoulder bag to make it fit comfortably. She wore a white tube top very much like the blue one she was famous for, along with very loose and baggy white track pants. Beccy noticed that Jill's attire was getting increasingly more revealing, and he wondered if it had something to do with whatever she and Chris did last night, but she shoved that thought aside. It was both intruding on their privacy, and it hammered in the fact that Chris and Jill had each other, and she was alone. She nodded in acknowledgement, but didn't really understand what Jill had just said.
"Couldn't agree more." Claire agreed, appearing at the doorway to Elena's mansion with a rubber band in her hand. She was pulling her hair back in her trademark ponytail. Like Jill, Claire's attire was fairly modern and revealing as well, making Beccy, who was dressed in a conservative green shirt and jeans, look like an old maid. But then again, Beccy realised, Claire and Jill had the body for their clothes... they were... voluptuous, was the word that came to Beccy's mind. If Shakira herself were plucked out of her music videos and put next to Claire and Jill, no one could tell them apart.
They belonged in a fashion magazine, not on a counter-terrorist strike force like S.T.A.R.S. Next to them, Beccy looked and felt pretty awkward...
She hadn't noticed it before, but she was actually the most conservative of the three of them, and it stuck out. Why hadn't she noticed it before?
"We all here?" Chris said, who was leaning on the Pathfinder the team used, flipping through his magazine. He wore a grey turtleneck that clung to his frame, revealing the definition in his body, along with his usual baggy jeans, and bright khaki colored shoes. He too, belonged in the same fashion magazine as Claire and Jill. He wore a shoulder bag as well, with a pocket on the strap for his cell phone.. but his cell phone was in his pocket, and unbeknownst to the girls, his bag's pocket actually held his Gameboy Advance. He learned from his previous shopping experience with the girls; at least now he had something to keep him occupied while they spent countless hours in the dressing rooms.
Beccy stared at him for awhile... he was so handsome. It made her feel worse, for three very beautiful people were around her.. making her feel pretty insecure about herself.
But why was she feeling so sorry for herself all of a sudden? She tried to find the reason, but couldn't. She was on vacation; she was supposed to be happy, and so she decided to try to make herself happy.
She forced on a smile, as the four of them jumped into the SUV and drove towards the direction of the nearest shopping center, Claire barking out directions to her older brother.
* * *
"You know, I always wondered when this would happen." Jill said, as she and Chris walked hand in hand, just behind Claire and Beccy, who were talking to themselves.
"You mean shopping? But you always go shopping... what are you wondering about?"
Jill smiled and softly punched him in the arm.
"I meant us, walking around in a mall, hand in hand, boyfriend and girlfriend. I always wondered when we would happen."
Chris smiled as he realised what Jill meant. He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles.
"Well it's happening, so no need to wonder now. Just live it out."
Jill blushed somewhat, before smiling warmly at Chris. It was true; they were together now, and she could stop dreaming or wondering when things were going to happen between them, because she knew that they would happen. It was just a matter of time. She squeezed Chris' hand slightly, and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Oh my God! 75% off!" Claire exclaimed, as she spotted the yellow and pink sign displaying the 75% off in a store window. She dashed into the store, grabbing Beccy by the wrist and pulling her along with her. Within a few seconds, the two girls had already disappeared into the clothing store.
"Geez, so immature, those two girls." Chris said. He turned to Jill, only to realise that she had already let go of his hand and was already half way to the store herself. He watched Jill run to and disappear into the same store, and he sighed to himself. If this were an anime, he noted, a giant sweat drop would appear next to his head.
"Wait for me!" exclaimed the flying white blur that was Jill Valentine.
The S.T.A.R.S. captain sighed again, before leaning on the rail that kept mindless shoppers from falling into the first floor. For a few minutes, he watched the people on the first floor go to and fro, minding their own buisness. He watched as a young girl, probably both no more than sixteen, dashed into some clothing store, dragging her boyfriend of the same age behind her. The boy had a tired look on his face, as if he had just been through hell and back, and was carrying several bags full of clothes the girl had bought. He obviously hadn't gone shopping with his girlfriend before.
Chris giggled to himself, before pulling his treasured Gameboy Advance from his "cell phone" pocket and turning it on. He was prepared, the boy wasn't.
"First timer." he said softly, smiling.
Author's Note:
Yes, I know it's been more than a couple of months since my last chapter was put up, and I said that I'd have it out in less than a week. First off, I want to apologize to everyone who was waiting for this story to continue. Certain personal things got in the way of me finishing this particular chapter, but in the back of my mind I always wanted to return to this, just because it was my first story I've published and I really love the characters. It means a lot to me. However, this doesn't mean that I'll be writing a lot more from now on; it just means that this story isn't dead. I will be adding more chapters in the future, but due to the presses of school, relationships (I am 16, afterall :P ), etc, I won't be setting any deadlines for myself like I have previously done. So be sure that this story will continue from here, but as of now the next chapter could be released next weekend or next month, for all I know. You can be sure, however, that I'll try my hardest to keep it going for as long as I can and as fast as I can.
Special thanks to Darkness, Chris'n'Jill, Mayumi, and everyone else who's given me supports and kind words. Thank you one and all.
shameless plug: go read my Final Fantasy Tactics and my Street Fighter Alpha stories! :)
Quote of the Day:
"Hope is a good breakfast, but a bad supper."
-Francis Baker