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New Year's Eve. A holiday Sherry never found appealing. Yeah, the booze was good, but the neverending feeling of being alone never left her. There she stood at a party that Carlos was hosting; She stood next to the drinks table, the punch bowl half empty and the snacks were almost gone. She didn't even understand why she was invited, she didn't know Carlos,but she knew of him. She looked around, looking at Leon who was currently chatting with Claire on the sofa. She uncomfortably bit her lip, watching the two with saddened eyes. She had been attached to Claire's hip this whole party, she realized that the woman probably didn't have any alone time with Leon to catch up. She knew Jill was here, but was currently down in the basement playing pool with Rebecca and some of Carlos’ friends he invited.. The blonde sighed as she poured herself another cup of punch. She quietly excused herself and stepped outside, a small gust of wind hitting her as she opened the door. The decorated door jingled as she shut it behind her, and she sighed. A puff of white air came from her mouth as she sipped on the punch. She pulled her phone out as her mouth pulled from the rim. She unlocked it swiftly and went to her contacts. Sherry swiped through until her thumb landed on a name and she paused. Her lips turned into a thin line as she hovered over the name ‘Jake’. The staring continued for a few seconds before she tapped on the name. “Maybe he's busy?” She thought. “ Of course he is.” her mind retorted. The phone rang for a few seconds, before going to voicemail. A frustrating sigh came from her as she hung up to prevent leaving a message, and she walked out a bit and sat on the curb.
Wind continued to blow as she stared at the shining moon above her. Its silver glow shining down on her face. For a moment, she wanted to cry.. but she couldn't. Crying is dumb. She put her cup down next to her feet, and rested her forehead on her knees. A soft sigh came from her as she just listened to the muffled music of the party. She couldn't believe she dragged herself here. She made a fool out of herself! A complete—
“Well if it isn't my favorite superhero.”
That voice..!
Her head snapped up immediately, her eyes focusing on the figure approaching her. Jake Muller.. waltzing in. Jake Muller in the flesh; Jake– “Are you just going to gawk at me or are you going to say hi?” His voice cut through her mind, and she got up immediately. “Jake! I-” she punched his arm. “Hey!?” He exclaimed, before being hugged. Jake rested his hands on her upper back “Missed ya’ too, SuperGirl.” The two held their hug for a few minutes, then Sherry pulled back. “I just called you!” She exclaimed “Wait! Why are you here!? Are you seriously free for New Year's ?” She asked. Jake chuckled at her enthusiasm, and nodded his head “Yeah, though I think the tradition is dumb. Seriously, dropping a ball at midnight? What's that all about? And what does it symbolize?” He flashed a moronic grin, the same grin she secretly loved. “Oh ha ha. It's just for fun Jake. I didn't know you were the fun police.” She teased, pulling away. She leaned to grab her cup “It's punch..! Cherry flavored. . Want a taste?” She asked, offering her cup. Jake shrugged and took a sip. “Mmh, that's-” he smacked his lips “that's good. Shit.” He licked his lips and shoved his hands in his pockets. Sherry gigged “You can have it. It's too sweet for me.” She said, Jake raised a brow as pulled his left hand out of his pocket and held the cup in his hand “Too sweet? For you?” He smirked as he swished the liquid around in the cup “You didn't backwash did you?” He asked, obnoxiously searching the cup for any flurries. Sherry laughed and nudged his arm “It's too late for that now! You already sipped it. Maybe you got a taste and that's why you like it even more?” She teased and he grimaced “Ugh, that sounds disgusting.. But a little bit of Sherry germs wouldn't hurt.” He said, downing the whole cup. “Where can I get some more?” He asked, wiping his mouth.
Sherry looked back at the door “Inside, but–”
“Oh right. Can't walk into a party I'm not invited to.”
“I'm sure they wouldn't mind, I could just ask Carlos–” she began to walk to the door.
“Nah. Let's get outta here.”
She paused and looked at him.. “What?”
“Let's get out of here. I got my bike, and you clearly hate this party. C'mon, go get your coat. You might have superpowers, but you aren't invincible to the cold, SuperGirl.” He replied, tossing the cup.
She bit her lip “Okay. Fine, but only for a little. I can't be gone for long, Claire is my ride and she'll be worried.” She said, hurrying to the house and opening the door. No one noticed her presence and she quickly snatched her coat and scarf off of the hook before joining Jake again. She was slipping her coat on and securely adjusted her scarf around her neck. “A violet scarf, huh?” He questioned, smirking. “Yeah, so?” She asked, and he chuckled “Nothing. I'm just surprised you remembered my favorite color.” As he made his way towards the direction of his bike, Sherry followed behind. ‘That is right. Jake told me he loves purple.. or, well, violet.. I wonder why?’ She thought. “Hey Jake?” She started, “why do you like the color violet?” She asked. Jake made it to his bike and climbed on. He adjusted himself “Well,” he pulled his keys from his jacket pocket “I like the color. I think it's nice..” he said, putting the key into the ignition. “Violet was also my mother's name.” The admission struck Sherry like a truck. She immediately felt bad. “Oh.. I..” he shook his head “Nah. Don't worry, it's fine.” He said, “Well? Hop on.” She nodded and awkwardly climbed on. Her arms wrapped around his broad frame and leaned close. She caught a whiff of his scent, it wasn't what she expected. He smelled fresh, like laundry fresh, Lavender? She liked it. She expected him to smell like sweat.. moss and.. well. Stinky in a way.
As they drove off, Sherry stared up at the moon again, thinking about him, how this would be their second time on a bike like this together. Despite the lack of protection gear, she felt safe. She always felt safe with him. Subconsciously, she had buried her face into his back even more. . She loved this.
—
They pulled up to a motel and Jake parked his bike. He whistled as he pulled out his motel and looked back at Sherry who was getting off the bike. “Im guessing this is where you're staying, huh?” She asked as she caught up to him. “What made it obvious? Parking at the motel or pulling out the key to my room?” His response was sarcastic. She rolled her eyes “Shut up and let us in. I'm freezing.” as he led her to his room and unlocked the door, they entered. Sherry was in first and Jake followed, shutting and locking the door behind them. The blonde instinctively went and checked the mattress for bedbugs, which made Jake confused. “Uh, what are you doing?” He asked. “Checking for bugs.” She said, checking under the sheet. “Just in case!” Jake shrugged off his coat and hung it on the coat hook next to the door. “Okay. Thanks. I didn't think of that. I've never done this before..” he admitted.
Jake walked to the fridge and opened it. “You know, I don't have an ID. The Bastard at the liquor store didn't even ask..” he pulled out two bottles of beer “Got lucky.” He said with a smirk as he angled the cap on the edge of the counter. He smacked down on, the cap tumbled to the floor and rattled on the tile. Beer fizzled up and poured down his knuckles. “Shit.” He said, pulling it back to look at the mess and then pulling it forward to lick it off his fingers and knuckles. Sherry had finished checking the bed when she caught him, and she laughed. “Jake..” she said, removing her coat and going over to hang hers up as well. “You know, I have a can opener. They're on my keys.” She said, going through her pocket and pulling her keys out. She walked over to him and he handed her the slightly spilled beer. “Ey, I got the job done. ‘sides, It's fun.” He grabbed the keys as she took the beer. He eyed the can opener and snickered. “What kind of red neck shit is this..?” He asked himself. Confused, Sherry cocked her head. “Redneck? Jake, I drink beer. I'm not a brute like you and open my beers on counter edges..” she said. “Honestly, the redneck one is you..” she said with a sly smirk as she sipped her beer. Jake rolled his eyes as he opened his bottle with the opener, and he sat her keys on the table.
Jake walked to the bed and sat on it. He sat his beer on the nightstand next to the bed and began to remove his boots. Sherry watched as the sound of his boots unzipping filled the quiet room. His boots slipped off and were tossed away from the bed. “Jake!” She said abruptly! She walked over and fixed his shoes. Jake laughed “What? I didn't want to trip over them!” Sherry huffed “Still.. it's nice to be organized..” she looked over at him as he grabbed his beer again “Yes miss OCD..” he teased as he opened the drawer. Inside was the remote to the T.V and the bible. Jake cocked a brow “A bible? Can't believe there's one in here..” he mumbled as he grabbed the remote. He closed the drawer and flicked the T.V on. Sherry joined him on the other side of the bed. “What, does the bible scare you or something? Do I need to do an exorcism on you?” A smug grin was on her face as she sat her bottle down. She unzipped her boots and sat them aside as Jake got comfortable. “I wouldn't mind.”
“Ugh, Jake. Gross.” She replied
“What? You said it.”
She huffed as she snatched the remote from his hands. A small ‘Hey!’ Came from him, but he didn't protest much as she surfed through the channels. She landed on one that had the ball countdown – it was in New York City. “Oh seriously? You and your weird time bomb. An hour ‘til midnight and you're really going to make me watch your ball drop.” Sherry reached over and sipped her beer again. “Sorry~ Besides you're a big boy. You'll be fine!” As the clock ticked down to midnight, Jake watched the performances and things the TV said. He saw all of the people there, it felt weird to him. “So Americans do this every year?” He asked. Sherry nodded “Yup. It's tradition.” Jake scoffed. “More like a ritual. Waiting for a dumb ball to drop..” he grabbed his beer and drank some. Sherry rolled her eyes “It's fun. Besides, people kiss, spend time with their families, friends.. I think it's a beautiful thing to do. They could be lazy like us and sit at home, but they decided to go out! Even when it's cold like this!” She said, Jake pulled the bottle from his lips. “Yeah, I guess.” more time passed. The two were tipsy and conversing with each other. Mainly reminiscing, but the convo was pleasant. Sherry was already on her second beer while Jake just started his third. The two had subconsciously moved closer to each other, Sherry's arm hooked around Jake's bicep. A pink flush was on her cheeks as she turned her attention to the television. “Oh! Jake! The countdown!” It was a minute until midnight. Jake shrugged as he looked at her. “So? What, you wanna kiss me or something?” He asked. The question caught her off guard. “What!? I didn't–”
“Well, you mentioned people kissing.. and maybe I'm missing something, but there's definitely something happening between us.” he said.
Sherry was confused. Where did all of this come from? It was definitely the alcohol talking.. but she couldn't deny that this didn't make her feel something.
“Well.. I just.. you know.. we can't do anything. I mean, I'm busy, you're busy, a long distance relationship would be hard! Also, you know.. whenever you go back to Asia.. different time zones..” she said.
The slight rejection made Jake clench his jaw before releasing it after a few seconds. “Well.. how about we just..” he shrugged. “Nevermind.” He turned back to the TV. As the countdown commenced. He accidentally turned Sherry out. He stared blankly at the wall above the TV, as Sherry cheered. “Happy New Year!” She said excitedly before frowning. “Jake?” No reply. “...Jake??” she rolled her eyes.”Jakov.” That got him. “What the? How do you know my name?” he asked, blinking as he pulled himself back into reality. “I have your file. Of course I know your name.” She sat her bottle down as she put her boots back on. “Ready to go?” He asked, following her lead and putting his boots on as well. “Yeah. Claire texted me, so we gotta be quick.”
—
As Jake dropped Sherry off at Carlos’ house, he looked at her. “C'mon. I'll walk you up there.” He quietly escorted her back to the house. He knocked on the door and Leon answered a few seconds later. “...Jake?” He asked, voice slightly slurred. “Yo.” He said. “Dropping off Super– Sherry.” Jake patted Sherry's back. “Seeya–”
“Wait!” A feminine voice cut through the air.
Claire came to the door. “Jake? As in Jake Muller? Wesker's son?” The name Wesker brought Jill over, she was slightly panicked but then relaxed. “Oh.” She said, slightly relieved. “It's just you.” Jake was confused “Uh, pardon my french but who the fuck are you people and how do you know me?” Sherry elbowed him. “Jake! Have some manners. This is Claire and Jill.”
Jake clicked his tongue and snapped his fingers. “Ah, right. Redfield's sister. Still ain't got a clue for Jill ‘ere.” Jill chuckled a bit. “That's fine. I knew your father. That's all.” Jake nodded “Right.. so.. I guess I'll go now. Nice meeting y'all?” Jake awkwardly stepped back before Sherry grabbed his hand. “Can he chill for a bit? He's lonely this new year.” They agreed, and Jake sighed. He wasn't the one for parties, or people even. Being along all your life doesn't really give you the proper people skills you need for moments like this. So there he was, standing in a doorway as he watched them mingle. Sherry walked up with a cup of punch and she handed it to him. “No backwash in this, right?” He asked with a gentle elbow and she slapped his arm. “Stop! I didn't even drink any!” She giggled as she looked at him, then looked above his head. “Oh.” She said, her voice meek and her cheeks red. “What?” He looked up and noticed the mistletoe. “Oh. Well shit.. ain't that the kissing plant?” He asked. Sherry laughed at his description, but nodded. “Yeah. It's tradition but.. we don't–” Jake shook his head. “No. I want to.” Sherry could feel her ears burning. “O-Okay! Fine! Yeah!” With one hand, he lifted her chin. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. She could feel the tremble in his hand and how chapped his lips were. Not that she didn't like that, it was just so undeniably him. She kissed him back and pulled away immediately once she heard teasing from Claire who noticed. He shoved a hand in his pocket. “So?”
“So what?” She asked
“How was it?”
“I'll give ittt.. an eight out of ten.” She teased, pulling him in by his belt loops. “Excuse me? Eight?” he smirked, his cheeks flushing as he hadn't expected to be pulled in. “Yeah.” She said, tilting her head. Her hands ran up his chest and slowly wrapped around his neck “So that means I'll have to try again, right?” He asked, leaning in a bit. “Mmhm..--” their noses touched before Leon cleared his throat. “Sherry. You're about to go. Claire's tired.” Sherry nodded “Oh! Right! Uh!” She pulled from Jake who was currently getting stared down by Leon. Sherry quickly put her coat and scarf on again. “Thanks for having us Carlos!” She yelled to him before looking at Jake who decided to also leave. “...Call me?” She asked, her tone hopeful.
“Yeah. . I will.”
They hugged and just as she pulled away, he grabbed her arm. She looked at him. “Happy new year, SuperGirl.” He said, letting her go and slipping past her. Sherry watched as he got onto his bike and turned the ignition on. The sound of the bike revving could be heard as she entered Claire's car. Jake sped down the street and she sighed, already missing him. As she buckled herself in, Claire couldn't help but tease her again.
“You likeeee him!” She teased.
“Stop Claire! You're embarrassing me!” She squeaked.
“I'm glad you had a good time though.” she said, turning her car on and driving.
“...Yeah.” Sherry said, leaning towards the window and closing her eyes.
“Yeah. I did.”