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The first time Jill googles 'engagement rings,' she's wildly overwhelmed in multiple ways. First, what the hell are all these words about cut and clarity and eternity bands and halos? Second, god, she's really doing this, isn't she? Third, why the actual fuck do these rocks cost as much as a car? And finally, back to - she's really doing this.
She loves Claire. She's loved Claire in multiple ways over many years. What started as a friendship with Chris's little sister eventually turned into friendship with Claire herself, especially after their survival of Raccoon City. Jill prefers not to think about those missing years in the middle, but as she'd recovered, Claire had been steadily at her side. It was Claire who helped her dye her hair in the middle of the night, Claire who helped her find new clothes to cover up her scars and then find the confidence to wear her old ones again, Claire who would come over no questions asked when Jill woke up unsure of where or who she was.
Somewhere in there, that friendship had turned into something more. It wasn't until Alcatraz that they'd actually talked about it, made things official, but they're still going strong.
With Claire's lease expiring, the time had felt right for her to move in with Jill (and, by extension, with Chris, although he spends most of his free time at Leon's these days), and that had Jill thinking about their future. Their lives are unpredictable and messy and she's extremely aware of how quickly and how easily things can go wrong. If something happens, she doesn't want to have a single regret.
With that thought, Jill clicks back to her open tab. She's going to treat ring shopping like a recon mission, and she's damn good at those. Facts about Claire - she wears little jewelry, usually simple, these days gold. She doesn't care much about material things, usually, and any kind of large gem is definitely not her style. That's a few things to narrow down, then. Jill's halfway down another article explaining gem cuts when she's interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and she closes her tabs and slams the laptop shut just in time for her girlfriend to come in.
"Hey, darlin', I brought dinner. What are you up to?" Claire laughs at her probably-suspicious behavior.
"Mm, just some research." Jill stands up to kiss her softly, the familiar and soothing scent of Claire's perfume settling her nerves. "Hi." She undoes Claire's ponytail, running her fingers through soft red hair.
Claire sighs into their embrace, tucking her chin over Jill's shoulder as she exhales and relaxes. "Love you." She murmurs, and hearing that will never get old.
"Love you too. Long day?"
"Very. Come eat." Claire tugs Jill by the hand out to the kitchen, where a paper bag reveals two foil containers - eggplant parm and garlic knots, shared favorites from their local Italian spot.
"Is it a special occasion? Did I forget an anniversary?" Jill jokes, and Claire holds a garlic knot out.
"As if you'd forget. No, just in the mood for some comfort food."
"Go sit, I'll dish it up." She bumps Claire's hip to nudge her out of the way and sets about transferring the food onto plate-bowl-hybrids, the ones covered in little pasta shape patterns that Claire loves.
Claire does as instructed, grabbing cans of sparkling water from the fridge, one of which she cracks open as she sits down at the table, chewing on a garlic knot with a happy hum. The battery-powered candle in their centerpiece flickers to life on its timer, casting her in a pretty glow, and Jill smiles across the kitchen island.
Soft moments in their lives are rare, and even rarer is it for Jill to feel safe enough to let her guard down. Not only does she love Claire, but she trusts her entirely, and that may be the higher compliment of the two. Jill puts the plates down and kisses the side of Claire's head before she rounds the table to sit across from her, socked feet tucked against each other and occasionally touching hands across the table as Claire narrates her thoughts. Jill's thumb rubs across Claire's left ring finger, imagining what it would feel like with cool metal wrapped around it, and the swell of emotion nearly chokes her with its intensity.
Later, after they've started to clean up the kitchen (gotten distracted and kissed against the counter) and then actually cleaned up the kitchen and then fallen into bed together, Jill slips out from between the sheets where Claire's softly snoring, sprawled out in one of her old t-shirts, and takes her laptop and a cigarette to the back porch.
She knows as soon as she sees it that this ring is the one - a simple gold band with a subtly engraved design and some little chips of gems scattered about, just enough to give it some sparkle. They're lab-grown, not for cost but because Claire's ranted enough about ethics of diamond mining that Jill knows she'd never put one on her finger, and she presses add to cart and then check out with shaky fingers before she can talk herself out of it. You deserve nice things, says the version of Claire who lives in her head. She's heard the real Claire say it often enough that she almost believes it.
Jill stays on the porch long after the cigarette has burned out and she's dropped it into the ash tray that Chris is definitely not supposed to have out here, and for one silent, lonely moment, she mourns the bright-eyed version of herself who would've done this twenty years ago. But she's alive and has a beautiful hopefully soon-to-be fiancée inside and to have gotten here after it all - Jill doesn't really cry anymore, but the emotion presses behind her eyes and in the back of her throat all the same.
The ring goes to a P.O. Box, rented under a fake ID, because Jill knows better than to provide her real name or address to anything, but of course she's out of town when it's delivered. It's her first stop when she and Chris land back in DC after their push to clear out an arm of some bioterrorist organization, and he doesn't even ask questions when she disappears. He's been different lately too, and she makes a mental note to pin him down to interrogate him about it at some point soon.
The little cardboard box looks far too innocuous for what it represents, and Jill's hardly gotten back to the car before she's slicing the tape off carefully, popping open the revealed velvet box to see it, shiny and perfect in silky cushioning.
'yours, jv' the engraving reads, a promise she's making every day. Jill runs a finger over the texture of the words, and then tucks the ring carefully back away. She's already planned to hide it inside the box of beef jerky sticks she takes on missions, since Claire won't ever open it.
Now, all she has to do is find the right moment - and the right words - to ask Claire for an official forever. It can't be that difficult, can it?
It turns out it can be that difficult. First of all, Claire's on assignment across various west coast states and provinces, and then when she's scheduled to come back, Jill gets sent back out, and the pattern continues.
Finally, finally, they're both going to be home, and should be for several days, and Chris is on that training trip, and the timing finally works. Jill knows she has to do it before her nerves get Claire suspicious. She probably already is, knowing Claire and her slightly terrifying ability to perceive Jill's emotions.
She decides to make pizza for dinner while she waits for Claire to get home, premade dough split into two messy circles. Claire's is pesto and tomato sauce with whatever vegetables they have in the fridge and hers is the rest of the pesto and chicken, and the smell wafts through the house deliciously. There's five minutes left on the pizza when she hears Claire's keys in the door, and Jill quietly slips the ring box from its spot among the beef jerky into her pocket, thankful that her pants have pockets bulky enough to hide it.
"Something smells incredible." Claire drops her bag and kicks her shoes off, hanging up her jacket on the coat hook by the door before she comes padding in, wrapping her arms around Jill from behind. "Can I help?"
"Pizza. Just a couple minutes left, I got it, you wanna grab drinks?" Jill turns to kiss her quickly before they disentangle to do their separate tasks.
Claire smiles softly, pulling glasses from the cupboard and filling them with water - extra ice in hers. The pizza timer beeps, and Jill slides them out of the oven carefully with Chris's favorite oven mitts.
"You wanna eat at the couch or table?" Claire asks, cups in hand.
"Mm, couch is fine, we can watch something with dinner?"
"Sounds good." Claire takes the drinks in and unfolds a TV tray, and Jill hears the Netflix intro a moment later. "Reality or documentary?" She calls into the kitchen.
"Up to you!" Jill says, wrangling a pizza cutter through Claire's pizza and transferring a few pieces to a plate before doing the same to hers.
Claire's picked some ridiculous reality dating show and immediately starts making fun of the contestants as Jill brings in the food, and Jill loves her so much. She puts Claire's plate down and shoves half a slice of pizza in her own mouth, settling down to listen to Claire happily.
"Oh my god, what an idiot. That's the fakest apology I've ever seen and she's just going to take him back?" Jill rolls her eyes dismissively at the show. Several episodes in, she's a little bit emotionally invested now, as unwilling as she is to admit it.
"Right!" Claire laughs. "God. I wish my biggest problem in life was arguing about if having a conversation with someone counts as cheating."
"I mean, I can start useless arguments with you if it'd make you feel better." Jill offers, and Claire cackles.
"Oh, please do. Preferably in front of Chris, he'd be so confused." She nudges her knee against Jill's, still giggling, and Jill smiles back, hand pressing against her pocket.
What better time than this, when Claire looks so carefree and happy? She'd maybe hoped to do this more gracefully, but this is the moment, she's certain. She pauses the TV quickly and slides off the couch to kneel down, taking Claire's hand in hers. The laughter trails off as Claire blinks, confused.
"What-?"
"Shh, just, let me." Jill looks up at the love of her life, holding the box behind her back. "Claire. I'll keep this simple. I love you. Existing and living and laughing with you is the best part of every single day of my life, and I want this forever. Marry me?" She flips the little ring box open with a shaky hand, holding it out.
Claire looks stunned, but as she takes in the question and the gesture, her expression turns to the brightest grin Jill's ever seen and she nods frantically. "Yes, yes, oh my god, don't move I'll be right back." She pulls her hand from Jill's and goes tearing towards the bedroom, where there are shuffling noises and then she skids back around the corner, dropping to her knees in front of Jill. "I- have dinner reservations tomorrow, I was going to- fuck, okay, wait."
"Okay?" Jill would be nervous if not for the way that Claire's got tears in her eyes and looks like she's vibrating with excitement. She clears her throat and starts again.
"I love you more than anything, and it's a privilege I don't take lightly to be the one by your side through it all. I'd love to marry you, Jill Valentine, if you'll do me the same honor." And Claire holds out - a ring. A nearly identical ring in an actually identical little velvet box that trembles in her hand as Claire looks at Jill with tearful joy.
"Oh! I mean, yes! What?!" Jill can't hold back a laugh as they trade boxes, sliding the rings onto their fingers. "You- Claire." She reaches for her, falling into an attempt at a kiss that's ruined by how neither of them can stop smiling.
"I was going to do it tomorrow after dinner!" Claire explains when they separate enough to have a conversation. Her eyes are on her hand, where the ring fits perfectly, catching the soft lamplight. "I made reservations, but this - this is better. It's perfect. Come on, get off the floor." She wipes at her eyes and pulls Jill back onto the couch, shoves her around until they're tucked together comfortably.
"Well, it can be a celebration dinner instead. I can't believe we both- and the rings match." There's the same subtle twisting pattern engraved in it, but hers doesn't have jewels. The cool metal feels strange on her finger, her new jewelry the perfect complement to Claire's. It feels real now, and she flexes her fingers to watch the metal gleam. "It's beautiful, love, thank you."
"Thank you," Claire says, tilting her head up for a proper kiss. Jill sighs into it, the last of her nervousness dissipating at the familiar taste of Claire's minty lip balm and the comforting weight of her arms around Jill's neck. They fit together perfectly, they always have, and she slides a hand into Claire's hair, tugging lightly just the way she knows Claire likes, earning herself a pretty little noise, and then Claire's sliding off the couch, pulling her along towards the bedroom.
Later, when they've showered and stretched out on clean sheets, Claire sprawls on top of her again, and Jill kisses her head with a hum. The little gem chips on Claire's ring sparkle in the glow of their bedside lamp, and she taps her fingers along Jill's ribs, watching it.
"You wanna invite the boys to dinner tomorrow? It can be a celebration." Claire offers, eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiles. She's never been prettier to Jill than when she can see the tiny signs of age on Claire's face, proof that they've survived this world long enough to get their chance at a happily ever after.
"Oh, good idea. See how long it takes them to notice." Jill jokes, and Claire makes an amused noise.
"Oh my god, I'm going to. Don't say anything to them. Twenty bucks Leon notices first."
"I'm not taking that bet!" Jill laughs. "I've known your brother a long time. No way he notices before Leon."
"Mm, fine. Spoilsport."
Jill tugs her closer for a kiss in lieu of a response, rearranging their cuddle into something more comfortable for sleep as she clicks the lamp off.
"I love you." Claire says softly as they part, and Jill doesn't remember ever feeling this happy.
"Love you too." She murmurs, consciousness fading out to the steady rhythm of Claire's breathing.