A/N: In the original version, there was some question of the back and forth between Jill and Chris about finding out who and what they are to each other. I explain that away here by reminding everyone that at this stage in their life they're YOUNG and FULL OF FEELINGS. So they go all over the place trying to decide if they're meant to be friends or lovers or partners or nothing. Like any relationship, they bounce around until they find their path together. So Jill gets a little break for being a scared girl trying to love a boy she thinks is too good for her. Stay with her, I promise she comes around to be what he deserves. Don't forget, Capcom gives us nothing to go on about feelings with these two - so I take liberties to make them who they are. The shell isn't mine, but the character inside is. Thank you, as always, for reading.

The Devil's Bargain

Eleven:

Funhouse

Raccoon City, 1997

She got home after midnight. It was pouring down rain and Manny didn't bother to walk her to the door. She ran to the front door and got soaked.

There was more than one reason she wasn't going to see him again. He was ok. But he was missing the common decency to walk her to the door and use an umbrella to keep her from getting wet.

She let herself in and saw Claire sleeping on the couch. Smiling, she covered her up with the blanket on the floor. Jill locked up the house and went toward her bedroom.

She kicked off her little shoes and caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror over her dresser. Her make was running in black streaks down her face. She wondered what she was doing. What was happening here? She'd lost her fight.

Why?

Since when was she the type to just give up?

She was failing at things here. She was disappointing her boss. Disappointing herself. She'd pushed aside the only friend she'd ever had. She was so lost.

Sighing, she left her bedroom. She went into Chris' and looked at him. He was sound asleep and twisted in his blankets and sheets. The window was open beside his bed and the roll of rain and thunder was soft and luminous. Lightning cast a streak of silver over him.

Jill closed his door behind her and crawled across the bed. She shifted the sheets and the blankets and curled against his back. She wrapped her arm over his waist and put her face against the warm skin of him.

He started to roll over to say something funny and he felt her shift a little. And she started to shake. And then he felt the wetness.

He froze, listening to the pouring rain on the roof. Thunder rumbled quietly. And he realized she was crying.

She was crying against his back.

He closed his eyes and held them. His hand came up and curled over hers against his chest. It killed him to hear her do it. He'd have cut off a nut to keep that from happening. He hadn't meant to hurt her so badly. She was his buddy, his pal, his best friend in the world.

She was the cat's pajamas and the coolest chic he'd ever met. She was it. And he'd blamed her for being the coolest chic he'd ever met. It was stupid. And he wasn't that guy either. He didn't do vindictive shit like that. He didn't dwell in regret and he didn't try to hurt people for being who they were. He rolled. He bounced. He was the guy who shook it off and kept going. And he'd hurt her for being the girl that didn't give a fuck about the rules.

He was a hypocrite.

And it was galling and humbling to admit it.

He rolled to face her. She made some sound and covered her face. Broken, he wrapped his arms around her. She whispered, hiccupping, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so stupid."

"Jilly Bean, you're not stupid. I'm stupid. I'm sorry."

"I'm letting everyone down." It was a soft little whisper on a heavy sob.

"Never. You hear me? Never. Jill…Jill…damnit…." He pulled he face up to him and kissed her. She made a sound and grabbed his face.

She tasted salty and sweet. He poured himself into her. He tried to give her all that need and want and strength in him for her. She made a sound and gripped his hair in her fingers.

He started to delve his tongue into her mouth, fast and hungry, and she shook her head. She shook her head and shifted. She held his face. He caught her eyes in the flash of lightning.

His hands moved, slow, he found her little panties beneath her dress and slid them down her legs. She rose and his hands found the hem of her dress. He pulled it over her head. She was in that little garter belt and thigh highs. She curled her hands around him and drew him to her. They kissed, soft and wet on their knees.

Jill held his face. He curled a hand up into her hair, shaking loose the little bobby pins that held it. It tumbled into a curly mess around her face. He skimmed a thumb over the tears on her cheek. Her make up was smeared, her hair was a curly mess, and she was beautiful. She was perfect.

He put that in his face. He let her see it. He let her feel it.

But he didn't say it.

He'd made her a promise not to say it.

She whispered, holding his eyes, "I'm sorry, Chris."

"No sorry. No more sorry. Not here and now." He slid his hand over her and dipped his fingers into her. She made a soft sound and was already moist and excited for him.

God she was perfect.

He knew he should get a condom now. Now…and didn't.

She must have sensed his hesitance because she reached for the nightstand and he caught her wrist. He shook his head. They watched each other in the warm darkness...and curled their hands together instead.

Her breath hitched twice at what it meant. She knew what it meant. He'd told her.

She pushed him onto his back and rose over him. He watched her, touched her, and she put her mouth to him and stole a piece of him he'd never get back. The rain was soft and quiet now and the sound of their bodies was the perfect compliment.

His thumb slid against the moist folds of her, stroking her clit while she gasped. She took him in her hand to rub him against her, teasing them both with it. It was like she was waiting for him to change his mind.

But he let her rub the head of his dick against her eager little cunt and he didn't stop her. He didn't tell her no. He wanted to feel her. He wanted to love her.

He just wasn't sure how.

She took the fat head of him and trembled, thighs quaking. It was a sharp angle with her on top, but here and now? It mattered to her to be the one who did it.

He watched her go, watched her move. She was pale and soft in the shadowed light. He cupped her breasts, holding them while she slid down and over him and took him into her body. Smooth, easy, he fit perfectly there inside of her.

She gripped handfuls of his chest to hold on as she sank down until she rested on his groin and he was buried in her.

Someone hissed, "Cheese and rice..." And it was him. Of course it was him.

It was kinda like losing his virginity in a way, because he'd never been inside a woman unprotected. He'd never wanted to. Not really. Not like Jill.

She was a girl. She was his girl. He just didn't know how to keep her.

Jill quaked over him, spine trembling, hands stroking and squeezing his chest as her body adjusted to him. Her mouth was an O of surprise and want. He dragged her down by the back of her neck to kiss her and she lifted her hips and slid back down on him.

She keened. She gasped and her hands clutched his face to kiss him. He whispered, hoarsely, "It's ok...it's ok, honey. We can stop."

Honey. Honey. An endearment. A soft one. A sweet one. Like this moment, honey. Honey when she was with him. She shook her head, rolling her hips. It pushed him against the walls of her body, stretching her, causing her pain and pleasure and turning her slick and sticky around him as her body welcomed him, pulsing like a fist.

"...no. No. Don't stop, ok? Don't."

He nodded, clutching her to him. She was shaking above him, quivering...but it wasn't all her either. Even that? Even that was both of them.

She gasped, high pitched, "How...how do I feel?"

What a question. He wasn't sure there were words for it.

She gloved his body and she was wet and slick and tight and everything he'd known she'd be. It wasn't desperate, it wasn't pain or slapping or screaming. It was deep and sharp and perfect. It pierced and bled where it stuck, the spear of this moment, the spear of this need. He sat up, spilling her into his lap a little more.

And he avowed, "...fucking perfect."

Maybe there were words after all.

They moved together. She made soft sounds of need now, gasps and little moans. Her thigh highs were smooth and silky against him. He gave her the sound of her name on a groan and she gave him the taste of her tongue for it. They curled and cushioned the want for each other.

And he felt her slide her hand around and put it over his chest.

He drew back to look at her. She had her hand over his heart.

Fuck.

He was done.

That was it. He put his forehead against her chest and his ear over hers.

She wrapped her free hand in his hair. They moved faster now, deeper, harder. She made a sound like a keen. He lifted his knees enough to drive her tighter on his thrusting body. The angle was perfect, gliding and grinding over that spot inside of her that made them both insane for it.

She watched him hold her and mold her to him. Her breasts cushioned his head as he listened to her heart race for him. Jesus. She was so scared of him.

Not him...but this. This moment. It scared her to death. She'd never wanted anything more than to matter to someone. But she was afraid he'd leave her in the cold if she did.

His hand slid between them. He stroked her in time with his thrusting. She gasped, gripping his hair. He shifted his legs enough that she was cradled against him, around him, and angled in a way that put him thrusting somewhere close to her belly button or something.

It brought her cry higher and more desperate. His thumb stroked, his mouth slid and suckled her left nipple, drawing it into his teeth.

And she fell apart around him.

Jill came, bowing, and rising and falling atop him as her body wrapped itself wet and slick around his shaft. He made some desperate sound and kissed her. He kissed her right over her heart. She felt the tears in her eyes.

She felt him tighten. She knew he was close. He was so close. He'd pull out, he was too much a gentlemen to cum in her. He'd pull out.

But he didn't.

His hands gripped her arms above the elbows to lift her and lower her on his body. When it wasn't fast enough, he bowed her back enough to angle her hips toward him and bound her hands behind her back with one of his. He shifted one hip in a way that braced her against the headboard and sandwiched her against his groin. She wasn't sure how, but the angle put him so far inside of her it felt like her skin would split and welcome him into her bones.

She wasn't able to stop her mouth. It made a continuous litany of ohohohoh and that keening noise that was high pitched and needy. Her body was so wet around him she wondered if someone had brought the rain inside.

He angled a kiss at her mouth and his voice was hoarse when he breathed, "I miss you, Jill. I miss you."

Jesus. Her heart choked a little mewl of want out of her and she gasped, "...show me. Ok? Show me."

He kissed her between her breasts, over her heart, and broke it while he healed it.

And he wasn't done. She felt him pulse inside of her. She felt him tighten.

Show me, she'd said, show me. He only knew one way.

He pulled her down against him and kept his mouth there against her chest as he cursed, ground inside of her body hard enough to make her gasp his name, and spilled himself there inside of her. He let go of her hands and she grabbed his face and he came in her.

It was the only way he knew to show her.

The surprise made her breathe his name and clutch at him. The spurt of him inside her was so hot, incredible, almost feverish. His hand shoved her left leg up at the knee to roll the feel of him there inside of her.

Shivering, Jill and rode his body a little harder for it with the excitement. Chris gripped her little butt and swirled her on him. Like what? Like he was mixing their juices or something? Christ.

It should have been perverted, but it wasn't. It was just good.

He was nuts for her.

Damnit.

He held her while they both came down together.

Now she'd run, he thought, now she'd run. It was her way. She pulled his face up to her and kissed him.

He shivered, holding on.

"I missed you."

He put his ear over her heart again. She stroked his hair. He said, softly, "...yeah?"

"Oh, yeah. Oh, yes. You came in me."

Shit. He lifted his head to look at her in the dark. "I did. Is that-"

She covered his mouth and shook her head, "I'm on the pill. I promise. And...thank you. I mean it. Maybe we don't fight anymore."

Jill let go of his mouth and he said, "No. No more fighting."

"You're my guy, Chris. I need you around."

"Looks that way, Valentine. I have that effect on the ladies."

She laughed a little and he leaned back to smile at her. "Stay with me tonight."

"Where the hell else would I go? This is my house."

She slapped his sweaty chest. He laughed and kissed her. It was smooth and soft and a little wet. He rolled her back beneath him.

"These fucking thigh highs. Torture. You wear that get up to kick me in the balls?"

"Maybe. Did it work?"

"Like a charm. I simultaneously wanted to fuck you standing and kick that guys ass."

"Perfect."

Chris settled between her legs and she wrapped her arms around him. They were quiet as the rain fell outside the windows and cocooned them inside together. Finally she said, "Still my best friend?"

"Always. Who else would I take baths with?"

"Claire is out there."

"That is the grossest thing you've ever said to me."

Jill laughed and lost her breath as he suckled on one of her breasts. He rubbed his nose between them, pushing them together to pillow around his face. She shivered, watching him.

"Chris?"

He looked up at her, face soft, "Jill?"

"...I don't know if we can just stay friends."

That was the weirdest confession a girl had ever given him. He didn't smile, but it was close,"Why not?"

"I have feelings for you."

Lord. THAT was almost like a Valentine version of "I love you." He nodded, and licked her breast again. She trembled a little.

"Whatever you want, Jill. I told you that."

She shivered a little, "You're ok with...maybe waiting to see what this is?"

"Sure. You're the coolest chic I know, Jill Valentine. You asking me to be your guy?"

"You're already my guy. I think I'm asking you to be…patient. And maybe to wait a little bit. I just...I'm scared. So maybe just...maybe you just wait a little bit."

They held eyes in the soft lightning strike that echoed with thunder close by. He shifted his body and slid into her. She was still wet from before. She gasped and her body closed around him.

Jesus. He wasn't kidding. Condoms weren't necessary at all when you were his girl.

She took that as a yes as he caught her hands, put them over her head, shifted her hips a little and watched her gasp and bow…and rode her into the mattress beneath him. Yeah, she thought as she went up and started making a soft cry, yeah that was a big yes.

It wasn't I love you, he thought as he increased the pace and heard the soft slap of their bodies together that thrilled them both, but it was close.

He was a patient man. He wasn't going anywhere.

And they had all the time in the world.

Sunday morning she woke up in his bed.

It wasn't raining any more. The sun had spilled bright and high into the room. She glanced at the clock. It was almost nine. It was also Umbrella Days all weekend. She wanted to go.

She rolled over and caught a look of herself in the mirror.

She looked…she gasped. Awful. Terrible. Her face looked like Pennywise from IT. She was terrible. Her makeup was everywhere. It was all over the pillow she'd slept on.

Jill rose naked from the bed and hurried to the bathroom. She could hear him and Claire in the kitchen laughing and cooking. She leapt in the shower to wash off.

In the kitchen, Claire said, "Better?"

"Better." He fried eggs, whistling.

"She slept with you."

"Looks that way."

Claire lifted her brows at him. He lifted them back.

"…gross."

"What?"

"Were you nailing your girlfriend while I slept on the couch?"

"Maybe."

"Gross."

Chris laughed and put the food down in front of her. Claire went to town on it. He laughed and watched her. She was the light in the dark for him. Their parents death had bonded them. Always at odds, it seems they'd forgotten that the day Jack and Siobahn had died. She flipped her hand and he gripped it.

"Don't be stupid here, Chris. I told you to go after her...but I honestly thought she'd shoot you down and you'd get over her. She'll hurt you if you let her."

"She's a girl, Claire. Not a grenade. I think I can handle it."

"You ever met any girls, big guy? We're ALL grenades."

"True…fucking…story. Speaking of which, who are you exploding on these days?"

"Josh in Bio. Sex on a fucking stick."

"….utterly disgusting. Keep it in your pants, C-Bear. Or I will barf."

"Can't do it, Chris. Can't do it. I have a hard on for him."

"What?"

"A total chic boner. I have one for him. Like Jill has for you. I want to rock his woooorld."

Chris shuddered in disgust and went to get dressed for the day. He considered carefully what to wear. He had about five shirts and a series of old jeans. He was a classy guy. Laughing, he threw on something and went to brush his teeth.

Jill was singing in the shower. He prepped her toothbrush and poked it through the curtain.

"Thanks dude."

"Yup yup."

Jill poked her head out at him. "You want to get in here?"

He considered for a moment. Claire was shouting obscenities at the zombie game in the living room. "Uncle fucker! What WAS that?! A giant POOP!?"

Chris kicked the door to the bathroom closed. "You convinced me."

Jill laughed as he got in the shower, still dressed. "I think you missed a step."

They were both laughing as he put her against the wall to kiss her.

Claire, in the living room, was speculative. She liked Jill, she did. She was as fun as she was mouthy and spunky. But this was gonna end badly. Her brother? BIG squish. He played it hard and fast and loose. He was all kinds of soft.

Jill was all kinds of dirty. She could see BAD GIRL written all over her. She was motorcycles and tattoos and blowjobs under the desk at work. She was a bad girl. In a good way, Claire should know as she kinda was one herself. But not the right girl for a big squish. She wouldn't mean to, but she was going to crush him.

So…it hurt her to do it, but she needed to break them up. Chris would survive it. But Jill was bad news. She was going to lead him down some ugly little path and get him fired…sorta like she almost had already. But she would get him fired and then drop kick him right in the fucking heart.

So she had to go. It was time. Chris was all heart in a big package. He was their Dad. And he was their Mom. And? He was Claire's world. Chris needed babies and trips to Disney World. He needed car pool and grandkids on the porch. Jill? She was one bad chess move away from the unemployment line and living her life as a roadie to some bad guitarist in a garage band. No. She would NOT see Chris get knocked down like that. She liked Jill. A lot. But she wasn't right for him. So Jill? She had to go. Claire shot the bitch on the video game as she rushed her and said, quietly, "Sorry Jill. See ya."

He took them to the parade. Fun was putting it mildly. They rode rides, they played games. Chris DESTROYED them at the shooting games. He tried to play fair and shot behind his back with one eye closed. He still killed them.

Claire got the giant Panda for his efforts. She had to carry it on her back like a dead body because it was so huge. The giant banana was still waiting to be won though. Jill slapped his hands while he was eating an ice cream cone and it splatted on the ground.

He lifted a brow at her, "You kidding me?"

"Nope."

"So that's how it is?"

"Is there any other way?"

She got a hot dog during one of their many trips back from the rollercoasters. When she took a bite, she choked on it. It was DRENCHED in pepper. She was choking and coughing as he slapped her back and laughed.

She attacked him and he caught her, picking her up against his body and pinning her hands to his chest. She was laughing and choking and coughing. And Claire thought…FUCK. Because his face said he loved her.

He loved the bad girl.

What a fucking idiot.

Jill went to the bathroom to rinse her mouth. Claire held his gaze. He lifted a brow at her. "What, C-Bear? I got foods on mah face?"

"You doofus. You bumbling butt breath doofus."

"Most people just call me Chris. But I guess that works too."

"You are going to get C-RUSHED here, you big dumbie. She's gonna steam roll all over your nuts and leave your dick in the dirt."

Chris laughed, he couldn't help it. His Claire, always so dramatic. And kinda gross.

"Is this happening before or after dinner? I'm hoping for a funnel cake for desert."

"Stop joking, dumbie. What are you doing?"

"Currently? I'm eating nachos. Which, is possibly a bad idea, given that we're about to go on a ride where you will LIKELY be behind me. But that could be a bonus too."

Claire slapped the nacho out of his hand. It hit the ground and he looked at it forlornly.

"That was just mean, Claire."

"Break up with her."

"She's not my girlfriend…exactly. So I can't. But why would I? I LIKE her. She makes me laugh. She's a little crazy, a lot of fun, and fucking dynamic in bed. Why in the holy hell would I stop seeing her?"

"She doesn't love you."

He stopped and looked at her. And now he tilted his head. "Did I say I was in love with her?"

"You are. Idiot. I can see it all over you. She can see it too. I bet your BOSS saw it on the VIDEO of you BONING her on his desk. Remember that? My sweet brother. My STUPID brother. I like Jill. She's a cool chic. She's also a bitch."

"Ease back, Claire," And he sounded good natured, yes, but he was firm now. The joking was gone from his voice, "Ease back. I understand your concern. But you don't want to start firing off insults at her."

Claire held his eyes. "You defending her?"

"Yeah. I am. She's a good person. Big heart. You don't really know her. So don't even pretend to get it. She's not playing me. She's had some shit go wrong in her life and she's trying to find her place in the world. I'm not looking to tie her down or hurt her. And I'm not looking for a mom to tell me how to deal with her. So you need to chill out, back off, and just enjoy the day."

They looked at each other for a long moment. Finally, Claire relented. Her brother, she thought a little, a big squish with balls of steel. He'd stand in front of you while bullets tore him to pieces if he loved you. He was protecting Jill Valentine from her. He was done. He was finished.

Fuck.

"You big softie. I'm going to be there when she breaks you."

"I'm tougher than I look, Claire. Don't worry."

Jill came running from the games section. She was holding the coveted giant banana. She held it up. "Guess WHO just KILLED it at the shooting gallery?! THIS GUY!" And she pointed to herself.

She did a little dance and pretended to hump the banana.

Shit. Well, Claire was right. He was in love with her. Big time. How could you NOT love a woman who was pretending to deep dick a stuffed fruit?

Claire was laughing. She dropped her corn dog in the trash. "That's it. I need a banana now."

Chris smiled at her and grabbed her hand. "Thank you."

"Prove me wrong, Christina. Prove me wrong." She ran toward the booths with the games to win a banana. There was no way in the world she was letting Jill Valentine beat her.