Disclaimer: I don't own Resident Evil.
A/N: Well I don't want to mention any names but someone fell off the face of the earth. And now they feel like a real asshole. It has been a looooong time since I have updated this story so I'm sorry if it's a little rusty. I really want to finish this story for you guys but at this point I know even my best intentions cannot be fully trusted. But I will try! Leave me a review or comment if you can. I'm hoping some fresh feedback will help light the fire under my ass to get this thing going again.
A/N2: This chapter's title is from Uncle Kracker.
"Hey Redfield!"
Claire looked up from the engine she was working on at hearing JD's booming voice, scowling at the interruption. "Yes?"
The man was smart enough to stop a safe distance away from the redhead. "You know how to play softball right?"
Her scowl tightened. "Are you asking me because I'm a lesbian?"
"Obviously." He replied with a cheeky smile, trying to get a rise out of his friend.
The mechanic took a deep breath, trying not to let her annoyance get the best of her. It took a few tries but eventually she relaxed enough to respond. "You know, it's really rude to make stereotypical assumptions about people right?"
"Okay I'm sorry! I didn't mean to actually offend you. But I do need to know if you can play softball."
Claire wasn't really mad at JD, she knew he was just messing with her. "I do know how to play softball." She admitted. "I was actually team captain in highschool."
The dark haired man's eyes gleamed with excitment. "What position?"
"Pitcher."
"Perfect!"
"JD you have five seconds to tell me what this is about..." Claire warned as she turned her attention back to the engine she had been working on.
"Okay! So you know I have four sisters," he began. "Well a couple of years ago they started to complain that we hadn't been spending enough time together so they forced me to join this co-ed softball league that runs May to September. Don't tell them I said this, but it is actually pretty fun. Anyway, last night our team's pitcher broke his wrist so not only are we short a player but no one else on the team is nearly as good..."
"JD," Claire interrupted, not sure if she liked where this was going.
"Will you join our team Claire? Please! I really want to win the championship this year and as it stands right now we don't have a hope in hell."
Claire sighed as she took in the hopeful look on her friend's face. "I don't know JD."
"Please Redfield! It will only take up a few afternoons a week and I promise guaranteed fun!" He pleaded. "Your sister can come to the games, it will be great. Please!"
"Okay, okay. Just stop begging. If you really need a player, I will help you out."
"Awesome, thanks Redfield. I owe you one." JD clapped her on the back.
"Yeah you do. And I don't want to hear any whining when I come to collect."
He simply grinned in response before heading back to his own work station.
"OW! Alice stop it!" Carlos begged. The man was pinned face down on the living room floor.
Alice could barely contain her laughter as she kept her friend's hands in a vice grip above his head as her knee dug into his back. "Never!" The evil grin on her face widened as she admired her work. "Hey, do you want to see something funny?"
"NO!"
Ignoring his answer, Alice proceeded to poke her prisoner in the side.
"OW! That fucking hurt! Let me go Alice, you win."
Finally taking pity on the man, Alice released him. She stood up, watching as he rolled over onto his back and glared up at her. The blonde shrugged, not even remembering what had sparked their good-natured wrestling match but enjoying her victory nonetheless. She reached down, helping him return to his feet. "That was fun."
Carlos rubbed the spot she had poked. "Maybe for you," he whined.
Alice shrugged as she began moving towards the kitchen. "It's not my fault after all this time you still haven't learned not to mess with me."
"Still, you didn't have to give me such a painful reminder." He pointed out as he followed.
Alice really enjoyed their banter. She hadn't been spending nearly the same amount of time with Carlos that they had enjoyed before she met Claire but was happy their friendship didn't seem to be suffering for it. Carlos had been the one constant throughout the blonde's entire life and she could not even fathom what her life might have been like without him.
"So," he prompted as he threw himself into a chair and began picking through a bowl of trail mix on the table. "Things with Claire are still going well?"
Alice nodded.
"Your three month anniversary is coming up right?" He questioned as if he didn't know, even though he himself had written it on the fridge calander the night Alice had come home from her first date with the redhead. She had not commented on it at the time, chalking it up to his usual unrealistic, overly romantic expectations. But now it was actually going to be a reality.
"Yes, next Thursday. But is three months really a thing? Because I'm trying not to think about it."
Carlos nearly choked on his pretzel. "What? Alice you can't just ignore it!"
"I'm not ignoring it, I just don't want to feel obligated to put any unnecessary pressure on myself."
"Uh A) not thinking about something is ignoring it. And B) you should feel pressured. Three months isn't exactly a lifetime committment but it sure as hell isn't casually dating anymore." He paused in thought and Alice hoped he would stay silent. But Carlos was never willing to keep his mouth shut when it came to matters of the heart. "Do you love her?"
Alice was caught off guard even though it was exactly the type of question her friend would ask. Carlos believed in love at first sight and soul mates, while she liked to live in the real world. "Love? Carlos I'm trying not to feel overwhelmed by the very idea of any sort of anniversary and you're going to sit there and throw out the word love?" Alice dropped her head down onto the table. She had actively been avoiding putting together thoughts that contained both Claire and love. The blonde knew without a doubt that she liked Claire, a lot. But she sure as hell wasn't ready to label it as love.
Love was perhaps the only thing Alice was truly scared of. Knowing that leaving yourself open to loving someone also meant leaving yourself open for them to hurt you. Something she had learned the hard way, and even though a lot of time had passed, she wasn't sure if she was ready to put herself in that position again. Or even if she would ever be ready.
"Alice I'm not saying you have to decide this second how you feel about her. But I want to make sure you're at least thinking about it. I mean, what are you going to do if Claire tells you she loves you?"
"Probably run away."
"No," Carlos stated firmly. "The old Alice would run away."
"I didn't know there was a new Alice in town." She rebuked, knowing her weak attempt at humour would not deter him.
"The Alice who had sworn off dating and the very idea of having a girlfriend." He clarified, clearly not amused. But after a moment his eyes softened and that brotherly smile appeared on his face. "Everyone has seen a change in you since you and Claire started dating. You've been happier than I've seen you in a long time Alice. This thing you have with her, it's a good thing. You can't deny it."
He had her there. She couldn't deny it, and she did't want to either. Alice had been happier since meeting Claire. Her daily routine had more joy and structure than she'd experienced in her entire adult life.
But there was always that negative cloud brewing in the back of her mind reminding her not to get her hopes up. Once upon a time she thought she had been happy and in love, and it had ended with her heart being smashed into a million pieces.
She nodded to Carlos, indicating that she would take his words into consideration and then retreated downstairs to her room, wanting to be alone with her thoughts.
Alice didn't know if she could allow herself to fall in love with Claire if it meant putting her heart at risk again. But Carlos was right, not that long ago she had scoffed at the idea of dating again and now she had an amazing girlfriend. It was as if a new Alice had emerged, one who was open to experiencing life again.
She picked up a photograph of the redhead from her bookshelf. K-Mart had given it to her two days ago, telling Alice she had taken it the day they had moved to Raccoon City. In the picture Claire was sitting on the floor surrounded by boxes. And even though Alice could tell the woman was exhausted, the amused smile she was giving the camera was the embodiment of everything she liked about Claire.
Alice had other pictures of her girlfriend but this one had immediately become her favourite. Taken during a time when everything in Claire's life had been turned upside down, the photograph showed a woman who had left everything behind to give her and K-Mart a fresh start. Would she had ever met Claire if her parents had not been killed in that car accident? Probably not. And as scared as she was at the thought of falling in love with Claire, the idea that she could easily have gone her whole life without ever knowing her was jarring.
With the hindsight she had now, Alice could see she had merely been coasting through life before. She had been avoiding life more than living it. Meeting Claire had sparked so many positive changes in her that she couldn't imagine ever going back. Life had become fun again. Whether it was taking K-Mart out for ice cream, or double dates with Betty and L.J, or just watching tv with Claire at the Redfield's apartment; Alice had not felt so alive in a very long time. And she knew her girlfriend was to thank for it. Alice put the picture of Claire back on the shelf for safe keeping. She looked at it for a few moments longer; wondering not for the first time, if she even had a choice on whether or not she fell in love with Claire.
The blonde was pulled from her thoughts when her phone began ringing. A quick look at the screen showed K-Mart's name.
"Hey K, what's up?" she greeted.
"Hi Alice! I know you and Claire don't have plans tonight but I was wondering if you could still come over? My history exam is in three days! I could really use your help studying."
Alice chuckled. "Of course, I am still your official tutor after all. I don't think I'd be doing my job if I didn't help you study."
"Thank you! Come by whenever you can, there's no rush."
"Alright, I'll see you in a bit. Bye K."
"Bye Alice!"
Alice was somewhat amazed at how much progression K-Mart had made in the last three months. She honestly hadn't thought she would be a good tutor but it appeared she had been selling herself short. The teenager had been completely clueless those first few study sessions and now Alice was certain the girl knew almost as much as she did on the subject.
"You are sure to ace this exam K-Mart." She told the younger blonde who beamed at the vote of confidence.
"Thanks Alice! "It's been a lot of hard work and I really couldn't have done it without you. Claire is going to be so proud."
It was at that moment that the redhead came through the doorway. "Hey," she greeted with a warm smile. "What are you guys working on?"
"Studying for my history exam. Alice is certain that I'm going to pass with flying colours," K-Mart looked to Alice who nodded in confirmation.
"That's great K!" Claire beamed at her little sister.
K-Mart returned the grin before asking, "How was softball?"
"Good." Claire had just come from her first practise with the team. "I haven't played in a long time, I forgot how much fun it is."
"Claire was such a jock in highschool," K-Mart explained to Alice. "But I don't remember her talking about how much fun it was in those days." The teen chuckled. "Claire is probably the most competitive person alive, it won't be long before she takes over that team."
"Hey now, that isn't fair." Claire pouted. "I'm not like that anymore, besides JD is the one obsessed with winning. That's why he begged me to be on the team."
K-Mart just rolled her eyes, clearly not believing that her sister's competitive side would remain dormant. She turned to Alice. "What about you Alice? What were you like in highschool? Play any sports? Claire told me about your funk band with Carlos, what else were you into?"
"Um, let me think..." Alice strained her memories, highschool felt like a lifetime ago. "Yeah we had that band in senior year... Carlos and I were still doing martial arts in highschool but I never got into it competitively... I did a lot of painting but never let anyone see it" she admitted. "I definitely wasn't the smartest but I made the honour roll a couple of times, but absolutely no sports for me."
"Why not?" Claire asked, she too was interested in hearing what the blonde had been like growing up.
"Well, for one I am not very good at any of them. I hate running and I suck at any type of throwing. The only sport I actually enjoy is basketball and even then I only like it from the sidelines or the comfort of my living room."
"You were like the total opposite of what Claire was like." K-Mart laughed with amusement. "What about dating? Claire won't let me date until I'm sixteen..."
"K," the redhead warned but the teenager ploughed on as if she hadn't spoken.
"...How old were you when you started dating? Did you always know you were into girls? Claire's been out since she was like four or something."
Alice was use to K-Mart asking a lot of questions, but they normally weren't about her so she was a little self conscious at being put on the spot. "I dated a little bit in freshman year. I didn't know I was gay then so I only went out with boys. My first and last boyfriend Spencer was a real douche bag so it didn't last very long. My first girlfriend I met in tenth grade, her name was Ada and she was star of the swim team. We broke up before the end of the school year, she was way too intense with her training, it was all she ever talked about. After that I told myself 'no more athletes.'" Alice winked at Claire. "But I guess that streak is over now."
Claire grinned at the blonde. "Well can this athlete talk her girlfriend into coming to her first game this Saturday?"
Alice made a face. "Um," she pretended to think and laughed when Claire narrowed her eyes at her. "Of course I will come. I have a feeling K-Mart can be quite the cheerleader and someone needs to keep her from embarrassing herself."
"Hey!" K-Mart protested with a scowl. But before she could argue further the most obnoxious ringtone Alice had ever heard rang out pulling the teenager's attention away. "It's Angie, I'll be in my room if you need me. Thanks for helping me study Alice!" K-Mart said quickly before answering her phone and leaving the room.
"I don't know how you managed to teach her anything," Claire said once her sister had gone. "Sometimes I think she has the memory of a goldfish."
"Learning is like putting a puzzle together, you can't see the big picture if you're missing a piece." Alice explained. "The way K-Mart was studying before, she could remember dates, places, and people but couldn't put them all together."
"So what piece of the puzzle had she been missing?" Claire asked. All she knew was that her sister's grades had vastly improved since Alice had become her tutor, Claire had never bothered to find out what Alice had done differently to facilitate the improvement.
"She was missing the why. History is stories about the past, and that is how they should be presented. Once K-Mart knew the significance of a person or event within the larger historical narrative it was easy for her to remember."
Claire dropped down on to the couch and patted the spot next to her until Alice joined her. "You're so smart Alice," the redhead narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Are you sure you weren't a nerd in high school?"
Alice chuckled. "Positive." Claire smiled and leaned into her girlfriend, resting her head on the blonde's shoulder. Alice adjusted their position to wrap her arm around Claire, pulling her closer.
"Would you really have not dated me in highschool for being a jock?"
"Mmm, yeah I probably wouldn't have dated you." Alice could tell the redhead was scowling without even seeing her face. "But I've never really been one for dating, even back then. I never thought there would be someone I liked enough to put in the time and effort required of a relationship. But that is the great thing about being an adult, you get to look back and laugh at all the stupid things you use to believe were true."
"Glad to know you won't be breaking up with me now that I'm back into athletics." Claire said with a bit of sarcasm.
"Well you still wanted to date me after finding out I am a history geek, so it's only fair." Alice quipped.
"It was a no brainer." She replied climbing into her girlfriend's lap with a wicked grin. "So..." she drawled playing with the edge of Alice's t-shirt. "Do you have any plans for tonight?"
"Hmm, it is Tuesday so you know I was thinking about hitting up a couple of clubs..." Alice trailed off as Claire's fingers slid up her sides, making it difficult for the blonde to concentrate.
"Uh huh, sure you were." Claire smirked.
Alice sat forward, wanting to be closer than they already were. "Do you have any other suggestions?"
Claire pushed her back into the couch, leaning in until their faces were barely an inch apart. "I may have a few ideas." She whispered, lips teasing the blonde's as she spoke.
As she stared into her girlfriend's eyes, Alice's mind briefly flashed back to her earlier conversation with Carlos. The way Claire made her feel was definitely scary, but also exhilarating. It was addicting in the best possible way. She mused maybe that was why people celebrated things as seemingly insignificant as three month anniversaries. There were too many thoughts floating around her brain today and she cursed Carlos for putting them there.
She held Claire's gaze until she couldn't stand it any longer and closed the distance between them. In her mind Claire was the best kisser she'd ever encountered, but that thought also made her wonder if her feelings for the redhead were simply clouding her judgement. Maybe kissing Claire only felt amazing because she already thought Claire was amazing? Fortunately all thoughts faded away as her girlfriend deepened the kiss, leaving Alice in a state of pure bliss.
"I like your ideas," Alice blurted when they separated, dazed from the kiss.
Claire beamed. "Good, because I have another one."
"What's that?"
"You start making dinner while I have a shower." She quickly pecked Alice on the lips and got up from the couch.
"Okay," the blonde automatically agreed. She looked up at Claire who seemed to be enjoying the effect she'd had on her girlfriend, prompting Alice to snap out of it. "But since I'm changing my plans will you make out with me again later?"
Blue eyes narrowed in mock suspicion. "Are you bargaining with me Alice?"
"Um...yes?"
Claire made a show of pretending to think it over for a moment before responding. "Alright, deal. You make dinner and I'll make out with you." Alice internally fist pumped. "Do you want to do it before or after we fuck?"
"Ugh," Alice spluttered, staring wide eyed at the redhead who waited patiently for a response. As if this was a perfectly logical thing to negotiate. "Um...both?"
Claire laughed. "I like your ideas" she replied, reiterating the blonde's earlier words. She pulled Alice up from the couch, kissing her again before ushering her towards the kitchen.
Alice watched her girlfriend disappear behind the bathroom door before turning her attention to the fridge. Making dinner in her girlfriend's kitchen, it felt so...domestic. Carlos was right. She and Claire definitely weren't casually dating anymore, but for the first time the thought didn't scare the shit out of her. And while it may have been slow, it was still progress and in her mind that was all that counted.
"I'm soooo bored." K-Mart whined.
Alice couldn't really blame the teen. The pair had been sitting on the uncomfortable bleachers in the park for almost two hours. Claire's team had taken a five nothing lead by the third inning and now the two blondes were just waiting for it to be over.
"It's almost over K, this is the last inning." Alice assured but when K-Mart only huffed in reply she opted to go with a different approach. "How about this, when it's done we'll stop for ice cream?"
The teenager immediately perked up. "Deal." They watched Claire strike out another batter, knowing it wouldn't be much longer. "Um, Alice?"
Alice didn't take her eyes off the game. "Yes?" She responded absently as her girlfriend got the ball back from the catcher.
"How many of these games will we have to sit through?"
She slowly turned her head and knew the pained grimace on K-Mart's face mirrored her own as she answered; "I have no idea." And as the young blonde face palmed Alice had a feeling there would be a lot of ice cream bribing in her future.
It wasn't long after that the game ended with the redhead's team easily emerging victorious. Alice and K-Mart eagerly descended the bleachers to meet Claire. She approached them with a wide grin and a dark haired man who Alice assumed must be JD.
"Great game Claire!" K-Mart congratulated with more enthusiasm than Alice had seen from her in the last hour.
"Thanks K, I'm still a little rusty but we have a great team."
"Hell yeah we do! The championship is ours this year!" The dark haired man shouted, pumping his fist in the air.
Claire rolled her eyes at him. "Ignore him when he speaks." She said. "This is JD. JD this is my little sister K-Mart , and my girlfriend Alice."
JD smiled broadly at them. "Nice to put faces to the names I hear all the time." He looked between Claire and K-Mart several times before commenting; "You two look nothing alike."
"Thank you," the sisters replied simultaneously.
Alice couldn't help but chuckle at the display. It always amused her how two people who were so different could somehow still be the same.
JD stepped forward to shake Alice's hand. "It's nice to meet you Alice. Claire wasn't kidding when she said you were hot. Ow!" He rubbed the spot on his chest where the redhead had just elbowed him.
"Like I said, ignore him when he speaks. Honestly JD, what would your girlfriend say if she found out you like to ogle people you just met?"
"You could ask her yourself if you want. She's coming to visit next weekend." His excitement was evident. "How about the four of us double date? Saturday night?"
Claire looked to her girlfriend for her opinion and Alice just nodded. They had gone on a few double dates with Betty and LJ which had been fun and JD seemed nice enough. So it didn't matter to her, leaving the decision up to the redhead.
Claire only had to take in the hopeful look in her friend's eyes before she agreed. "Okay fine, we'll go."
He slapped Claire on the back. "Yes! Alright, meet us at the bowling alley on Fifth at eight o'clock. See you Monday Redfield!" And with that he was off, jogging to catch up with his sisters.
"Fuck, I hate bowling." Claire muttered. "If he had mentioned that earlier I would have said no."
"Whatever Claire," K-Mart moved behind the two women and gently pushed them towards the park's exit. "Alice promised me ice cream and I think I've waited long enough."
"You promised her ice cream?" Claire asked with raised eyebrows.
Alice slung her arm over her girlfriend's shoulders. "Yep. And I think you've earned some too. I don't know anything about softball but I know a win deserves a celebration!"
