A/N: Spoilers for Resident Evil 0, and a couple other Resident Evil's. The story takes place in a hotel in Pennsylvania, where Sherry, Leon, Barry, Carlos and Rebecca are all preparing to fly to France in a few days (Chris, Jill and Claire are already in Paris). Rebecca goes down to the store to pick up some necessities when a familiar song starts to play…
Disclaimer: All things Resident Evil are Capcom's; "Eyes Like Yours (Ojos Asi)" belongs jointly to Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Pablo Flore and Javier Garza. TRL (yes, it's still around, much to my dismay) belongs to MTV Studios. Sierra Mist and Dr. Pepper belong to their respective owners, Hershey's bars belong to Hershey's and Doritos belongs to whoever the hell makes Doritos (and whoever that is, I love you).
Darker Than Ebony
Oh, you know I have seen
A sky without sun
A man with no nation
Saints, captive in chains
A song with no name
For lack of imagination
Rebecca stood in the chilly hotel store, rifling through the shallow bin brimming with beauty products marked 'CLEARANCE' in bold red print on the tag. The pimple-faced boy behind the counter adjusted the volume knob on the radio and Shakira's voice filled the small room. Becca smiled and mouthed the words to herself as she examined the price tag on a bottle of shampoo. She was old enough to have missed the full brunt of the majority of the pop diva craze, but young enough to still care about the music on TRL.
The beat to this particular song was catchy, and the cashier found himself watching the nearly imperceptible sway of the customer's hips. Becca dropped the shampoo back into the bin and strolled slowly casually down one of the aisles, stopping at the soap section (Sherry had specifically requested soap and shampoo, as the stuff the hotel provided was simply unusable). The section had the sharp, bitter tang of soap and left a sour taste on Becca's tongue.
She stood on her tippy-toes and pulled a brightly packaged box of soap from one of the top shelves. She sniffed it tentatively - it smelled like dried flowers - and examined the label. It was written in Spanish, in an elaborate curvy script, and Rebecca had no idea what it said. She took French in high school. But she knew someone who was quite fluent in Spanish…maybe he could translate it for her…
Ya he…
And I have seen
Darker than ebony
Ya he…
And now it seems, that I
Without your eyes could never be
The thought of Carlos brought a faint blush to her pale cheeks, and she smiled. He was definitely a flirt, but he had the most beautiful eyes. Those eyes, though - they looked just like Billy's. Warm, liquid, soft…beautiful. The blood drained from her cheeks and she shoved the soap back onto the shelf. Where was Billy? How was he doing? After the Spencer Estate, she'd told Captain Wesker that Lieutenant Koen was dead, killed by a zombie on the train. But he was alive. She knew it.
When she'd first met him, Rebecca thought he was a murderer, but she knew better now. Billy would never kill people like that, in cold blood. A little over a week after the mansion, she'd received a letter from him in the mail. She didn't know how he'd found her address, but she didn't complain. Basically, Billy said he was alright and leaving the country, that he couldn't have made it without her, to keep his dogtags safe for him and to please send not forget him.
He didn't write 'thank you' anywhere, but that was okay. She'd heard him say it, on that grassy slope, a whisper carried by the wind straight to her ears. Rebecca had cried that night, clutching the tiny metal tags in her hand until the edge bit into her skin and drew blood. He was okay. He'd make it fine. But would she?
My one desire, all I aspire
Is in your eyes forever to live
Traveled all over; the seven oceans
There is nothing I wouldn't give
Came from Bahrein, got to Beirut
Looking for someone comparing to you
Tearing down windows and doors
And I could not find eyes like yours
She still had the tags - at the moment, they were hanging round her neck. She could feel the warm metal caressing her skin beneath the shirt she wore. Rebecca picked up another soapbox, still listening to the song in the background.
Came from Bahrein, got to Beirut
Looking for someone comparing to you
Tearing down windows and doors
And I could not find eyes like yours
No, she'd never find eyes exactly like Billy's. Carlos was the closest Rebecca could ever find, but his were just a shade lighter - mocha to Billy's espresso. And there was a different quality to them, too. Carlos had long, thick lashes and a lover's mouth, with smooth olive skin accentuating his features. His eyes spoke of stolen kisses and forbidden trysts. Billy's were candid, usually only half-open - the opposite of Carlos's wide-eyed, lovelorn gazes.
Billy's face told exactly what he was. A little harsh, strong, honest…
Oh, I have just seen
A woman of means
In rags and begging for pleasure
Crossed a sea of salt
Just after I rode
A ship that's sunk in the desert
Becca turned and began to search for some appropriate shampoo, preferably lavender scented, when unexpectedly her eyes filled with tears, and the emptiness in her heart struck her like a blow to the stomach. Billy was gone. She'd never see him again.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she grabbed a bottle of lavender shampoo, and then one of the matching conditioner and began to walk down the aisle. She'd do anything, anything, to have Billy back again. The friendship they'd formed during those brief hours was one to last a lifetime, so strong even Umbrella couldn't break it. There was never anything between them like that, whenever he called her 'doll face' or 'sweetheart' it was in jest, but Rebecca was suddenly, unshakably sure that she loved Billy, as a comrade, as the brother she'd never had...as the friend she'd needed in Raccoon. And she missed him.
Ya he…
And I have seen
Darker than ebony
Ya he…
And now it seems, that I
Without your eyes could never be
She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and wiped away the wetness on her cheeks before starting for the register again, hoping her eyes weren't too red. Along the way, Rebecca picked up a couple of sodas and some junk food (Sherry would appreciate it, and Becca needed an outlet). Upon reaching the register, she dropped her purchases on the desk: shampoo, conditioner, soap, a Sierra Mist (Becca's personal favorite), a Dr. Pepper, two Hershey's bars with almonds and an extra large bag of Cooler Ranch Doritos.
The boy - PAUL, his nametag said - scratched at one of his zits before ringing up the purchases.
"So, you staying here long?"
"No," Rebecca replied with a weak smile. "We're leaving for France in a couple of days." She handed him a twenty-dollar bill.
"France? Have fun, I hear it's nice. My sister went there once. Here ya go." Paul placed the items in a thin plastic bag and dropped the change and receipt in her hand.
"Thanks. Have a nice day." Rebecca began to walk away, holding the bag in her left hand. With her right, she fingered the tags beneath her loose shirt.
My one desire, all I aspire
Is in your eyes forever to live
Traveled all over; the seven oceans
There is nothing that I wouldn't give
Come from Bahrein, got to Beirut
Looking for someone comparing to you
Tearing down windows and doors
And I could not find eyes like yours
Becca would remember Billy forever, and she'd keep looking for him, too. She knew that wherever she went, she'd look at people's faces, their eyes, and try to find him. Maybe someday she would.
Rebecca left the store and strode past the desk in the lobby, heading for the elevator. As for Carlos, what was so great about him, anyway? Sure, he was kind of cute, but his personality lacked a little. He was such a smart-ass, and he always had to be better than everyone else. His eyes weren't like Billy's, either. More attractive than Billy's…but different. Not as comforting. She definitely wasn't attracted to Carlos. Really, why had she ever liked him?
Came from Bahrein, got to Beirut
Looking for someone comparing to you
Tearing down windows and doors
And I could not find eyes like yours
The last strains of the song died away, and Becca turned a corner, nearly running into the man who was walking from the opposite direction. Carlos.
"Hey, Becca, where you going?" He looked genuinely pleased to see her. Becca looked down at the carpeted floor, trying not to look at his face, telling herself he wasn't that hot, trying to forget why she'd liked him in the first place.
"To the room, that's all. Had to get Sherry some stuff."
"Something wrong?" Becca gulped and looked up, right into his eyes, those beautiful eyes made of melting milk chocolate.
"No...nothing at all." She smiled, and remembered.
Disclaimer: All things Resident Evil are Capcom's; "Eyes Like Yours (Ojos Asi)" belongs jointly to Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Pablo Flore and Javier Garza. TRL (yes, it's still around, much to my dismay) belongs to MTV Studios. Sierra Mist and Dr. Pepper belong to their respective owners, Hershey's bars belong to Hershey's and Doritos belongs to whoever the hell makes Doritos (and whoever that is, I love you).
Darker Than Ebony
Oh, you know I have seen
A sky without sun
A man with no nation
Saints, captive in chains
A song with no name
For lack of imagination
Rebecca stood in the chilly hotel store, rifling through the shallow bin brimming with beauty products marked 'CLEARANCE' in bold red print on the tag. The pimple-faced boy behind the counter adjusted the volume knob on the radio and Shakira's voice filled the small room. Becca smiled and mouthed the words to herself as she examined the price tag on a bottle of shampoo. She was old enough to have missed the full brunt of the majority of the pop diva craze, but young enough to still care about the music on TRL.
The beat to this particular song was catchy, and the cashier found himself watching the nearly imperceptible sway of the customer's hips. Becca dropped the shampoo back into the bin and strolled slowly casually down one of the aisles, stopping at the soap section (Sherry had specifically requested soap and shampoo, as the stuff the hotel provided was simply unusable). The section had the sharp, bitter tang of soap and left a sour taste on Becca's tongue.
She stood on her tippy-toes and pulled a brightly packaged box of soap from one of the top shelves. She sniffed it tentatively - it smelled like dried flowers - and examined the label. It was written in Spanish, in an elaborate curvy script, and Rebecca had no idea what it said. She took French in high school. But she knew someone who was quite fluent in Spanish…maybe he could translate it for her…
Ya he…
And I have seen
Darker than ebony
Ya he…
And now it seems, that I
Without your eyes could never be
The thought of Carlos brought a faint blush to her pale cheeks, and she smiled. He was definitely a flirt, but he had the most beautiful eyes. Those eyes, though - they looked just like Billy's. Warm, liquid, soft…beautiful. The blood drained from her cheeks and she shoved the soap back onto the shelf. Where was Billy? How was he doing? After the Spencer Estate, she'd told Captain Wesker that Lieutenant Koen was dead, killed by a zombie on the train. But he was alive. She knew it.
When she'd first met him, Rebecca thought he was a murderer, but she knew better now. Billy would never kill people like that, in cold blood. A little over a week after the mansion, she'd received a letter from him in the mail. She didn't know how he'd found her address, but she didn't complain. Basically, Billy said he was alright and leaving the country, that he couldn't have made it without her, to keep his dogtags safe for him and to please send not forget him.
He didn't write 'thank you' anywhere, but that was okay. She'd heard him say it, on that grassy slope, a whisper carried by the wind straight to her ears. Rebecca had cried that night, clutching the tiny metal tags in her hand until the edge bit into her skin and drew blood. He was okay. He'd make it fine. But would she?
My one desire, all I aspire
Is in your eyes forever to live
Traveled all over; the seven oceans
There is nothing I wouldn't give
Came from Bahrein, got to Beirut
Looking for someone comparing to you
Tearing down windows and doors
And I could not find eyes like yours
She still had the tags - at the moment, they were hanging round her neck. She could feel the warm metal caressing her skin beneath the shirt she wore. Rebecca picked up another soapbox, still listening to the song in the background.
Came from Bahrein, got to Beirut
Looking for someone comparing to you
Tearing down windows and doors
And I could not find eyes like yours
No, she'd never find eyes exactly like Billy's. Carlos was the closest Rebecca could ever find, but his were just a shade lighter - mocha to Billy's espresso. And there was a different quality to them, too. Carlos had long, thick lashes and a lover's mouth, with smooth olive skin accentuating his features. His eyes spoke of stolen kisses and forbidden trysts. Billy's were candid, usually only half-open - the opposite of Carlos's wide-eyed, lovelorn gazes.
Billy's face told exactly what he was. A little harsh, strong, honest…
Oh, I have just seen
A woman of means
In rags and begging for pleasure
Crossed a sea of salt
Just after I rode
A ship that's sunk in the desert
Becca turned and began to search for some appropriate shampoo, preferably lavender scented, when unexpectedly her eyes filled with tears, and the emptiness in her heart struck her like a blow to the stomach. Billy was gone. She'd never see him again.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she grabbed a bottle of lavender shampoo, and then one of the matching conditioner and began to walk down the aisle. She'd do anything, anything, to have Billy back again. The friendship they'd formed during those brief hours was one to last a lifetime, so strong even Umbrella couldn't break it. There was never anything between them like that, whenever he called her 'doll face' or 'sweetheart' it was in jest, but Rebecca was suddenly, unshakably sure that she loved Billy, as a comrade, as the brother she'd never had...as the friend she'd needed in Raccoon. And she missed him.
Ya he…
And I have seen
Darker than ebony
Ya he…
And now it seems, that I
Without your eyes could never be
She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and wiped away the wetness on her cheeks before starting for the register again, hoping her eyes weren't too red. Along the way, Rebecca picked up a couple of sodas and some junk food (Sherry would appreciate it, and Becca needed an outlet). Upon reaching the register, she dropped her purchases on the desk: shampoo, conditioner, soap, a Sierra Mist (Becca's personal favorite), a Dr. Pepper, two Hershey's bars with almonds and an extra large bag of Cooler Ranch Doritos.
The boy - PAUL, his nametag said - scratched at one of his zits before ringing up the purchases.
"So, you staying here long?"
"No," Rebecca replied with a weak smile. "We're leaving for France in a couple of days." She handed him a twenty-dollar bill.
"France? Have fun, I hear it's nice. My sister went there once. Here ya go." Paul placed the items in a thin plastic bag and dropped the change and receipt in her hand.
"Thanks. Have a nice day." Rebecca began to walk away, holding the bag in her left hand. With her right, she fingered the tags beneath her loose shirt.
My one desire, all I aspire
Is in your eyes forever to live
Traveled all over; the seven oceans
There is nothing that I wouldn't give
Come from Bahrein, got to Beirut
Looking for someone comparing to you
Tearing down windows and doors
And I could not find eyes like yours
Becca would remember Billy forever, and she'd keep looking for him, too. She knew that wherever she went, she'd look at people's faces, their eyes, and try to find him. Maybe someday she would.
Rebecca left the store and strode past the desk in the lobby, heading for the elevator. As for Carlos, what was so great about him, anyway? Sure, he was kind of cute, but his personality lacked a little. He was such a smart-ass, and he always had to be better than everyone else. His eyes weren't like Billy's, either. More attractive than Billy's…but different. Not as comforting. She definitely wasn't attracted to Carlos. Really, why had she ever liked him?
Came from Bahrein, got to Beirut
Looking for someone comparing to you
Tearing down windows and doors
And I could not find eyes like yours
The last strains of the song died away, and Becca turned a corner, nearly running into the man who was walking from the opposite direction. Carlos.
"Hey, Becca, where you going?" He looked genuinely pleased to see her. Becca looked down at the carpeted floor, trying not to look at his face, telling herself he wasn't that hot, trying to forget why she'd liked him in the first place.
"To the room, that's all. Had to get Sherry some stuff."
"Something wrong?" Becca gulped and looked up, right into his eyes, those beautiful eyes made of melting milk chocolate.
"No...nothing at all." She smiled, and remembered.