Chapter Text
Jill squeezes the pillow against her chest and stares at the cream colored phone nearby. The same phone that had been victim to a restless mind and nervous fingers for the past hour.
It was the middle of the night, and Jill Valentine could find no sleep. It was becoming a harmful habit, one she failed at controlling for the past few weeks. A combination of long shifts, cutting down her caffeine intake, reading before bed… nothing seemed to help as she would lay awake in her apartment, quietly begging for rest to come.
It was bleeding into her work, very much against her will. What was more obvious than a couple of mixed up reports and accidentally putting milk back into the cabinet and not the refrigerator in the station break room, was that her normal demeanor began to deplete. Irritated by small things, zoning out when Chris or Barry would tell her a story from the weekend that would usually have her in stitches, and turning down after-work gatherings she feared would keep her awake longer.
Wesker was giving her the benefit of the doubt before addressing it as a real problem, she knew. Giving her a chance to get help or solve the issue before he forced her to. It’s what she expected the man would finally address her with when he spooked her in the break room earlier that day,
“Jill,” for such a large man it always amazed her just how silent he could be. They always took their breaks around the same time, it wasn’t uncommon for them to use the short amount of time to chat… sometimes flirt… but his sudden presence never failed to jolt her, “should I expect curds in my coffee today?”
She had made a face at him as she stood at the counter while stirring her own, “It was one time– am I ever going to be free of the ridicule?”
Jill can recall the smirk on his lips and the snicker he made, “When it’s no longer fun to watch you pout over it.”
“Great. So, never, then?” She had looked at him over her shoulder, feeling her skin warm as he moved into her personal space. He collected what he needed for his drink, welcomed Jill’s inconvenient position that had forced him to reach around her and nudge her here and there.
Jill stood her ground, as always, happily remaining victim to such gestures. It was a common game for them. And of course, Jill had broken first, uncomfortable with the silence between them all while his body heat radiated against her.
“I-I’m figuring it out, you know. There won’t be anymore mistakes.” She had thought beating him to it might soften any lecture coming her way. Instead, it seemed to draw curiosity out of him.
“Mm, and what is there to ‘figure out’?”
“I’m just… having trouble sleeping.” Jill shrugged, her eyes low in hopes of avoiding the concealed gaze of her captain, “I guess I could take something for it but… I’m not really sure that will help.”
“When did this start?”
At the time it seemed like a trick question. His interest concerning more than welcoming. Afraid of giving him the wrong answer, she just shook her head instead,
“It doesn’t matter, like I said, I’ll figure it out.”
The last thing she expected was that conversation to prolong. Keeping things short, sweet, and vague with Wesker seemed to be the key to stay on his good side. Jill had mastered it, so when he had spoken again before she could step out the door, the formula she had perfected in her mind began to crumble.
“Jill.” She turned around with the mug in hand, her brows raised slightly, “Next time you can’t sleep… call me.”
Those words repeated like a mantra in her head, and have up until that very night.
“Call you?”
“You have my number, don’t you?”
For emergencies… to call in sick… to get him out of meetings that last longer than thirty minutes with Chief Irons… but for nothing more than that.
“Yes, but-.”
“Good. Call me.”
And so she did. Well, she tried… ten… twenty times as she sat in that bed. But it’s late. It’s her captain. Surely he wasn’t serious about his offer… right?
“Oh, what the hell-.” Jill finds the suffering of trying to make up her mind worse than the lack of sleep. And so she grabs the phone again and doesn’t allow herself to hang it up after punching in the now-memorized numbers.
She loses all breath as she listens to the ringing, holding the receiver hard against her head.
Two rings is all it takes before she hears his voice. The first instinct is to hang up immediately, and she almost does until she summons what is left of her courage,
“W-Wesker… hey. It’s Jill… um…” she swallows hard against her dry throat, “I can’t sleep.”
There’s a pause, and she swears she can practically hear the smile spread over his lips, “Get dressed and wait outside. I’ll be there soon.”
That is not how she thought it would go.
In fact, she didn’t even think he would answer. Now, all of a sudden, he was going to be arriving in just moments and Jill didn’t even have the mental capacity to fill in the blanks after that.
Were they going somewhere? Was she meant to host him? What idea does he have to help her with her problem?
The last thing she wants is to be late for the man who was known for publicly berating tardy members of the team. And so she slips out of her pajamas and into a pair of jeans and a clean shirt– notably one that wasn’t strewn out on the floor. A zip-up is surely not warm enough for the fall settling into Raccoon City, but she doesn’t bother searching for anything else.
She’s able to cram the rest of her routine into a handful of minutes; brushing her teeth and hair, washing her face and eyeing the perfume sitting on her sink. Would putting a small dab on her neck give her painful crush on the captain away? Surely not more than touching his arm when they talk or lingering in the department library where she knows he likes to frequent.
Once outside, she settles upon the top step of her building stairs. She pulls the jacket around her closer, studying the empty street lit by blinding neon signs and billboards. Just as she wonders whether or not this was at all a good idea, the roar of an engine is heard near the end of her block.
His car is unmistakable. The other S.T.A.R.S. members loved to observe it from afar. A 1970 Mustang. Jill had always found it laughable that the polished Englishman had embraced an American classic, and had regretfully thought of way too many scenarios of all the women he had surely grabbed the attention of with it. Something had always told her, however, that the car was not for show. The man was intentional, and there was no doubt that the car was too.
She gets to her feet when the car stops in front of her building. Wesker wastes no time in stepping out, and finds her eyes immediately. He’s dressed… properly dressed. Wearing tapered pants and a sweater; a black long coat tying the slick look together. Most alarmingly, his sunglasses are missing. To any normal person, that wouldn’t raise any flags considering it was the dead of night… but Wesker’s glasses were an extension of him. His grey eyes exposed to her feel far more unsettling than anything else.
He walks around the front of his car and opens the passenger side door, “Well well, punctual as ever, Valentine. Ready?”
Jill walks over to him, staring at the interior of the car before looking back up to him, “Where are we going?”
“Does that matter?”
She supposes not. He’s already there, and there was no denying him now.
Sucking in a shaky breath, she steps inside the warm car and quietly thanks her captain who closes the door behind her. Her heart rate quickens as she watches him walk around to the driver side, suddenly feeling breathless and trapped.
“Everything alright, Jill?” Were her thoughts so obvious on her face? Could he hear her heart thudding against her chest? The butterflies invading her stomach?
Jill swallows and nods, not that it is in any way believable.
“Did I interrupt something?” she attempts to turn the attention on him, observing his outfit which was certainly not the same one he had left the station in.
Wesker smiles and glances at her before pulling into the road, “No. This is what I wear to bed.”
“Ha-ha.” Jill deadpans, folding her arms to warm herself and wondering if he’ll give her a better answer than that. “Have you ever considered a change of careers? Comedians are a hot commodity these days.”
The only response he grants her is a scoff. She’s not surprised by that, but is a little disappointed that even while alone, he isn’t willing to let his infamous guard down.
The brunette’s fingers twist together on her lap, feeling like an utter schoolgirl as his cologne stains the inside of her lungs. She hopes the scent will etch itself into the threads of her clothes, and prays that the master tactician beside her can’t somehow hear those thoughts.
“I didn’t think you would call, Jill.” He breaks the short silence, keeping his eyes focused on the road.
Her brows furrow at the comment, trying not to read into what she feels was insinuated, “Was your offer just meant to be empty comfort?”
“No,” the blonde confirms, “I simply thought you might be too afraid.”
Blue eyes look his way, “Of you?”
“Of help.” His lip twitches a little, “I know that the Jill Valentine doesn’t fear her own captain, does she?” The way his lips curl around those words sends a shiver down her spine. Despite Wesker having mastered the art of intimidation, she’d no sooner sharpen the blade already at her throat by answering that question.
“I’m willing to try anything. I just want to sleep.”
“Anything?”
“Mostly anything.” She corrects.
“What are you so worried I’ll suggest?”
It’s her turn to bite her tongue. She can play his game, and she isn’t about to go willfully placing ideas in his head.
Her eyes drift to the windows, beginning to recognize less of the roads and scenery. Alarmed when she realizes that she had not a clue of where they were headed to.
“We’re leaving the city?” She tries not to sound as concerned as she is, but doubts it successful.
“Do you have somewhere else to be?”
“I just thought that when you said to call you… you might, I don’t know, give me the recipe to some sleep cocktail or… bore me to death reciting Irons’ taxidermy journal.” The very one even Wesker had found humor in when Chris had snatched it from their boss’s office.
Jill is at the very least delighted to win a chuckle from him, “Would you rather I have?”
“I’m not sure yet.” Jill admits, “I wish you would tell me where we’re going.”
“I know, darling. I only ask that you trust me, just as you’ve done before.”
Jill trusted Wesker with her life, there was no doubt about that. The amount of times he made sure that she and the rest of the team made it home when missions appeared bleak…
This, however, was different. This wasn’t her captain she was with. This was a secretive man who bantered with and tolerated her at most. Who drops pet names occasionally that stab holes into her resolve.
“My dad would love this car, you know. It’s beautiful.” She speaks some time later as they carve there way through empty roads. “I don’t think he would be driving it as politely as you are, though.” No, she knows her father would take full advantage. Tear up the car and the roads along with it to fully embrace its power.
“Heh, is that your way of telling me that I’m going too slow for you, Jill?”
“Ha, no… but… how fast does this thing go?” At the end of the day, she’d give anything to be in that car with her dad and watching him destroy it.
She doubts she’d ever deny Wesker of the same thing.
“You’re so certain you want to find out?” His hand moves over the gear knob, his eyes finding her own, “This could turn into a very different night.”
It’s a warning, one that Jill reads loud and clear.
The idea of it excites her, but the man is right. Encouraging such behavior might just see her prolong the insomnia. And as much as she knows she would enjoy every moment of it, she still just wanted one thing:
Sleep.
Her hand daringly moves to rest on his forearm to stop the disaster before it happens, “then I’ll indulge my curiosity another night.”
Wesker nods and moves his hand off the stick, “Sit back and relax, Jill.” His fingers move to turn up the volume on the soft radio playing, “We’ll be there soon.”
It was permission to try and find the rest she was looking for. She couldn’t quite tell him that being in his presence was having the opposite affect she was hoping for… but she did begin to feel her thoughts drift away as her head rested against the door.
The car was comfortably warm… the consistent sound of the road relaxing…
She didn’t want to close her eyes despite the welcome temptation to do so. To her surprise, she almost succumbs until just about an hour later when the tires are no longer on smooth pavement.
Jill sits up and watches as the man pulls into a parking area overlooking a cliff. There’s no view to see considering how dark it is, and even then the silhouettes far into the distance don’t seem to be anything spectacular.
When the car is put in park, his fingers turn off the engine and kill the lights. Flight or fight begins to kick in and Jill swallows hard before looking alarmingly at her captain.
“Close your eyes,” he speaks first, his voice soft, “and don’t open them until I tell you.”
It’s all absolutely surreal. Brought to the middle of nowhere in the dark being asked to close her eyes? Every part of her screaming to run.
“What are you going to-.”
“I’m not going to do anything. Just close your eyes and I assure you it will be worth it.”
She laughs nervously until she frowns and looks at him with deep concern, “You’re scaring me, Wesker.”
His hand is in hers then, and he squeezes his warm fingers against her, “Don’t be afraid. Mine will be closed, too.”
And so she gives in after another moment of hesitation. Her eyes close and the whole world feels as if it’s closing in around her and suffocating her. The silence is the worst part. They’re in the middle of nowhere, and the only sounds that could be heard is the engine cooling down and the soft breath of the man next to her. She’s waiting for something to happen, for him to do something to her. The fear of not knowing what happens next completely grips her, but she has to admit that the one thread keeping her sane is her hand holding on to his.
It feels like eternity that they sit there with their eyes closed, and Jill desperately tries not to fidget with impatience. Finally, Wesker shifts and speaks, “Ready?”
“Yeah…I think so.”
“Open them.”
She follows his order and looks to his silhouette beside her. She can hardly see his smile, but as he turns his head to look through the windscreen she follows along. And before her is a sky soaked with stars as clear as day. So vivid is the view that gas clouds could be seen littered across the clusters. Jill quietly takes in the sight, clearly at a loss for words.
“Our eyes need to adjust to the dark. It gets better over time, but a minute is sufficient enough.”
“This… this is incredible.” Gone is the all of the worry welled up inside of her. For the first time in the past twelve hours she is internally applauding herself for having made the call. “I’ve… never seen the stars like this.”
“Not many get the chance.”
She smiles and looks at him, still not quite able to see his features but knowing there is delight upon them, “Hey, come on,” she tugs at his hand before letting it go and opening her door.
Stepping out into the chilling air, she walks around the front of the car and near the ledge of the parking area where there is a couple of benches. Still marveling at the view above, she can hear the crunching of gravel behind her.
“Why didn’t you just say where we were headed? It’s a bit panic-inducing to bring a woman somewhere ambiguous in the middle of the night,” she chides him with a smile, turning to face him.
“Perhaps I wanted you to feel a little panic.” Jill is certain she can see the outline of horns on his head as he speaks.
“Evil.” She teases, crossing her arms and tilting her head back up to the view.
“Mostly it would have ruined the surprise… Heh…look at you…” he walks over to a bench and sits upon it, leaning back with his arms stretched over the top, “Your reaction is priceless.”
They both take in the sight together for a few minutes until Jill turns back around to look at his dark form on the bench,
“I’m not complaining… but how is this meant to help me sleep?”
“This part isn’t.” He answers with confidence, “the drive is.” Thankfully the man elaborates before she can ask him to, “A friend of mine… he has a little girl… and when she was an infant she would keep him and his wife up through the night crying. Restless. Couldn’t sleep. They tried everything… two geniuses they were and they couldn’t figure out how to get their child to bed. Then, one day, someone suggested that they take her for a ride in the car around the block a few times. They said it worked like a charm.”
Ah, mystery solved. She would have never thought a late night drive could help… mostly because she would need to be the one behind the wheel. Admittedly on their drive to this destination, she had been at her closest to falling asleep.
It seems the drive back may just be the answer she needs.
Jill approaches the bench and hopes she isn’t overstepping boundaries when she sits beside him,
“You’re not calling me an infant now are you, captain?”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He smirks at her, “but we’ve all got a child in us somewhere, don’t we, dear?”
“Oh yeah? And what does yours want?”
His lips twitch and his eyes move forward as if considering whether or not to answer.
“Many things.” A cryptic answer- not that she was expecting anything else… even if she desperately wishes he would give her something. Anything. The appetite she has for the man beside her feels agonizing now.
How many nights had she dreamed of a moment like this? Helplessly aching for him, nursing what felt like a ridiculous crush that would never amount to anything.
Yet here they are. Alone. Together.
“So, how does stargazing fit into your plan? Is the sky meant to be a crib mobile for me?” She teases him softly, her voice low and eyes unafraid as they watch him.
“Only the drive was meant to help you sleep.” He confirms, turning his head to meet her gaze with a confidence that starts to break her own, “This part was just about getting you alone.”
Oh, she must be dreaming now. Her heart and lungs stop and her mind feels as if it’s rebooting.
The arm behind her shoulders shifts and two large knuckles are suddenly tracing the shape of her cheek. Jill struggles to find any words, and perhaps she isn’t meant to. Instead she simply endures the tender touch and follows the whites of his eyes.
And then with no warning, his free hand grips her jaw- freezing her with fear and a little excitement. Her hands instinctively move to his arm, holding on to his strength and uncertain yet if it is to stop him or encourage him.
He had moved in closer with the touch, as if he was going to seal the space between them but he stops just as their noses brush together. Somehow she thinks he’s not waiting for permission. It’s more likely that the predator is marveling over the prey he’s caught… and knowing Wesker, reveling in his plan that she’s certain he would think was executed perfectly.
And when he finally presses his lips to her own, she is engulfed in flames. A thousand times she had wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Not one of her scenarios had ever amounted to this.
Jill tries not to panic, knowing she’ll need to follow his lead to please him. He isn’t as forceful as the hand on her face, and she is quickly learning that she quite enjoys the combination of that hand and gentle lips. Perhaps gentle is not the best word she could use, and she almost laughs at the idea that the word would likely offend him. Just as any first kiss, however, they both quickly learn the shape of each other’s lips, they both begin to fall into a comfortable rhythm, and the taste of each other settling in is just enough for both of them to crave more.
Feeling intoxicated by the sound of his breath, Jill is utterly surprised by the sudden sharp ache in her loins when he scoffs against her lips.
Wesker does the cruelest thing Jill can think of in that moment: he breaks the kiss. His thumb finds her bottom lip and presses down across it, observing her the same way she had just been looking upon the stars above.
“Take the day off tomorrow.” He burrows the knife further by removing his hand from her and leaning back against the bench. “I’m sure Redfield won’t mind covering for you.”
The brunette sits there completely appalled. He had just brought her dreams to life and killed them within an instant. She’s rendered completely speechless, staring at his profile as he looks out across the horizon carelessly.
As if she was no longer in control of her body, Jill gets to her feet and moves to stand in front of him, “Seriously?”
His lax form with his arms and legs spread out only enrages her further, but this is the smug Albert Wesker that she knows.
“You’re just going to kiss me like that and-,” how could she possibly explain to him how she feels in that moment? How could she get the point across while also giving away as little as possible?
“And…?” He questions with a tilt of his head, clearly amused by this reaction.
She could hit him right now. Throw him off this cliff and let the stars be the last thing he sees. But shame and exhaustion win her over instead, and so she backs down.
“Just take me home, Wesker.”
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
Repeating the words in her head was likely not going to work, and so she at least starts walking back to the car so that if she does break, he won’t get a view of it.
And like many times in the station break room, her captain gets the drop on her. She opens the door only to watch it be slammed back shut by a hand from behind.
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t walk away from me.” Jill turns around to see her captain’s looming figure towering over her. Trapped against the car with his hand planted next to her head. They both stare at each other, and Jill can feel her heart about to burst out of her chest. The tension eases a little when the man sighs and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, but is still met with a hand that gently knocks his away, “Heh… why are you upset? Did I end the fun too soon?”
Jill doesn’t answer, simply because she knows that he knows the answer. They both do. He did end it too soon. More than that, it feels like he’s playing with her. Like this night was for his entertainment only.
“I told you, dear,” his hand comes up again, still undeterred, and brushes its fingertips lightly down her throat, “this could turn into a very different night. I offered to help with a problem, not create another one. Not unless… you want me to.”
She despises the way his voice makes her melt, her legs feeling like jello, and there is suddenly a very real fear of her collapsing into the gravel.
“You really should give me a little credit, Jill. I am exercising a frustratingly large amount of self restraint.”
This within itself has certainly tired her out. She doesn’t have the strength to battle him– not that it would be required. Wesker, guarded as ever, seems to at least share mutual interest, and so she can at least be content with that for now.
“Let’s just go, please?” She knows how defeated she sounds, and she can’t tell if Wesker is bothered or intrigued by that.
Nevertheless, he frees her from her confinement and nods, “Very well.”
They both get into the car, and all Jill can think about is the ghost of his lips still over her own. She isn’t certain how long they both sat there before she realizes he hadn’t made an attempt to turn the car back on. When she looks over at him she’s a bit startled to see that he was staring at her quietly… as if he was waiting for something.
Perhaps it was the exhaustion, but once again she felt herself lose whatever control was left in her body. As if she were giving in to some unnatural force, she slowly leaned over the center console, watching Wesker carefully for any sign that she should back off. His eyes beckoned her forward, however, and when she was close enough he met her the rest of the way.
The kiss is different this time as he forfeits the lead to her, much to her surprise. Her hand slides over the side of his neck, feeling the muscles there stretch beneath her fingers. She welcomes his tongue that draws out a sound from her throat against her will. Wanting to earn herself a sound from him in return, she wraps her lips around the tip of his tongue and sucks gently before nipping his bottom lip.
To her disappointment, she doesn’t get the sound she wants, but she does get a a full hand of fingers threading into her hair and grabbing a fistful of it.
They stay there for what feels like ages, and even if the last thing she wants to do is stop, his words do ring out in her head. If she lets this go on, the night might take a turn she isn’t prepared for. It also reminds her of the singular point this night was meant to achieve.
Finally, the hand on his neck moves to his chest and plants itself there to ease him. She’s the one who breaks the kiss this time, but her head still rests against his own and he allows it.
“I think I’m ready for bed.” Jill whispers to him, feeling his hand come up to take the one resting on him. He brings her knuckles to his lips, his breath tickling the skin and drawing a smile out of her.
“I think so, too.”
She leans in for one more gentle kiss before retreating back into her seat. The car turns on, the lights just after. Her head rests back against the door and blue eyes close before the captain fully pulls out of the lot.
They close and sleep is as close as its ever been, just before his headlights glaze over the nearby sign:
UMBRELLA CORPORATION
RESTRICTED AREA
NO TRESPASSING