ZRP-2: Chapter Two, Paradise in Hell

"I know. But for now, rest." Hibiki said.

Eve went with Sam, relaxing on top of her. "I love you...I love you so much." She said quietly.


Mira grinned. "I'd dump you and hook up with Hibiki if you didn't."

=I grin again, then take her into my embrace, flopping onto my back, kissing her passionately as I do so.=

Fuck the end of the world...

=I continue to kiss once again, my mind filled with passion=

(Sam)
=I just hugged her, my hands gripping her tightly as I pulled her against me=
"Eve, I love you. I love you I love you I love."

(James)
=Smiling again, my hand moved to behind her head and pulled her towards me for a kiss as once more I longed for the taste of her lips=

Mira kissed back, already unbuckling her jeans.

Hibiki went with the kiss, longing to be held against him tightly.


Eve started crying. But crying happily.
She could feel the mental exhaustion ending. The hard fight to remain in control, easier.
"Thank you." Was the last thing she said before falling silent, her soft sobs the only sound as she nuzzled Sam's neck.

(James)
=As stupid as it was....my other arm snaked it's way around her waist, and pulled her towards me, over me so that she straddled my hips. A flash of pain erupted from my abdomen, and I grunted into the kiss breaking it off as I inhaled through my mouth=
"Maybe....just to throw off temptation we stay in different beds?"

(Sam)
=Her face pressed against my neck, I felt a shudder run down my body from the contact. She may not have meant it, but I felt her lips brush against my skin and it felt good. But again I was slightly disgusted with myself for enjoying it. She was still too young for me to think that, but even then it didn't stop a small whimper from escaping me=

=I continue to kiss her passionately, my hands lifting up her shirt. My mind of course, was in heaven. I just wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as we had possible.=

Again...fuck the world...

Hibiki sighed. "Alright."
One last kiss, and she went to her bed.

Mira raised her arms to allow her shirt to be removed.


Eve nuzzled Sam some more. "I guess you won't mind me sneaking into your bed anymore." She said softly.

(James)
=To be honest, I guess I was hoping she'd stay with me. But I was right to have us sleep separately. Still, I looked back at her from where I lay, a look of longing and hunger on my face=

(Sam)
"Heh, no I will not."
=I planted a kiss on the top of her head just to reinforce the statement=

=I continue to kiss her again after I removed her shirt, and allowed my hand to travel lower, removing her jeans. At this point, I couldn't help myself. I was lost to the passion of the moment. But it felt worth it. Completely and utterly worth it=

Eve responded with a tighter hold, if that was possible, and a kiss to her cheek. Her smile never wavered.

Hibiki was on her back, eyes closed, obviously half-awake.

Mira went for Andrew's clothes now, smiling.

=I grin roguishly, allowing her to take off my shirt. Was I going to go back? Hell no. It just felt too damn good. It had been a few days, and by God, I was going to make the most of it. After she took off my shirt, I immediately removed her bra, and then just kissed her passionately=

(James)
=Exhausted, I soon fell into a light sleep, lying down on the bed. It wasn't long before I began to dream=

(Sam)
=Her kiss sent more shivers down my spine, and while I would have loved to return it, one kiss from me was enough for now. I just held her closer to me, hands rubbing her back gently=

For once, it wasn't mental exhaustion.
The contact, the warmth, the rubbing...it all relaxed Eve so much she fell into a happy...nightmare-free...sleep.

Hibiki glanced over. Asleep. Good.


Mira kissed back, swatting Andy's hands away from her assets.

=I grin, embracing her and going into a passionate kiss. Did the slap sting a bit? Not really. I just relaxed into the embrace, the passion of the moment overwhelming my senses. My God...this was the happiest I've felt in the past two years.=

(Sam)
=She fell asleep in my arms, and I was okay with that, turning us both so were on our sides. Shimming a little so our heads were level with each other, I took a moment to take her in while she slept. Even asleep, she was beautiful, and for the briefest of moments, I gave in to the yearning of my heart, stealing a quick, light kiss from her lips=
"Good night Eve. I love you."

(James)
=The dream started off normally. It was all during the present, and for all intents and purposes it was more of a subconscious image of what I felt should have been happening now if I wasn't so badly hurt: Hibiki and I, both nude and entwined together, bodies pressed together in the throes of passion. Then the dream took a turn for the worse when the door to our room was broken down, two soldiers from the compound standing in its place, a third man, well dressed (my image of Mr. Slate) walking in, gun in his hand. He put a bullet in Hibiki's chest before she could jump from the bed to her katana, and then put one more in my gut, the pain feeling all too real=

*(Dream) Mr. Slate*
"Now....watch her die."

=I woke with a start, sweating, clutching at my stomach as it flared in pain, white hot in its intensity=

Hibiki jumped up. "James! Are you ok?"
She was up and at his side in a flash.

Eve dreamed.
She dreamed of her and Sam at the beach. Just sitting there on a blanket, holding each other.
Watching the new dawn.


Mira just gave into the passion, very nearly ripping Andy's jeans off.

(James)
=I almost laughed through gritted teeth=
"Oh sure, now you take notice of my nightmare."

=Taking in a deep, shaky breath, I closed my eyes=
"I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that. Just....just had a nightmare was all. And the damn wound made it all seem so real."

=I simply allow her to take off my jeans, the passion of the moment propelling us both. And was I happy...Hell yes. I just wanted the moment to go on for the longest time. I then surrendered to the moment, my mind awash with passion. Right now, I just followed where the passion was going, my breathing getting a bit heavy, I simply smiled, allowing her to go further=

Hibiki nods. "Alright." She said, returning to her bed.

Mira shoved Andy onto the bed, grinning wildly.

(James)
=To say I panicked was maybe an exaggeration. But I did start a little when she left my side=
"Hibiki, wait..."

=Yes, I suggested we sleep separately, but the nightmare had me afraid. Afraid of not being close to her=
"Will you....will you please stay with me? Nothing else just...."

=God help me, a single tear rolled down my cheek=
"I don't want to be without you."

(Sam)
=Soon, I myself fell asleep, Eve still clutching me. God, if only such moments could last=

=I fall onto the bed, my grin matching her's=

Hot damn, did I miss that...

=I then pull her in with me, feeling her body fall onto mine. I then kiss her passionately, my mind a whirlwind of passion at this point=

Hibiki came back, smiling.
"Of course."

(James)
=As she got in bed next to me, I gripped her hand in my own. All I wanted was her near me. No sex, not even a kiss, just the gentle reassurance that when I went to sleep, she would be there. And when I woke, I would still be holding her hand=
"Good night."

--Next Day--

=It was early morning, maybe eight when I woke, my hand still entwined with Hibiki's. No nightmares this time=

Hibiki was still fast asleep, her chest rising and falling to her uneven breathing.

Eve was still against Sam, her brown hair masking her face from view...but besides dried tears, all they would see is the ghost of a smile that still lit up her face.

Mira was exhausted from the passionate sex.
That, and she was sore.
So. Sore.

=I try to muster some sort of energy after last night, but fail miserably. The only things I remember was the passionate moaning, the heavy breathing, and how GOOD it felt. Right now, my mind was blank, and my energy sapped after the long night of passionate sex.=

But, my God...I feel fantastic

=I once again try to get up, but the soreness and exhaustion stopped me. It felt good last night, but, my god, I felt sore as hell=

(James)
=Carefully leaning towards her sleeping form, I brushed my lips with her own. I didn't want to wake her, but after everything, it had become something of a morning ritual=
Now....now we get to work building bridges.

(Sam)
=My face had, unintentionally, leaned against Eve's. I was a bit of a restless sleeper, even when going to sleep happy. That I hadn't kicked her was a small miracle=

I opened the door, slowly, as I cleared the room.
I stepped inside, gathering whatever was left. Apparently, we were in a particularly dangerous area, so a lot of supplies remained, even after the two years.

Pavel: That should be enough, let's head back.

I nod, dropping the last few cans from the kitchen into my rucksack.

We step back outside, setting a jogging pace back to the base.

Abel awoke with a slight pain in his neck. When his eyes slid open he found himself resting his head on a table. He leaned up and groaned, seeing a small amount of drool on the table he quickly wiped it with his coat.
You should really try sleeping in a bed sometime.
"I know, right?"

We reached the base, finding bullet holes in the walls, and bodies inside.

"Vladimir?!"

I drop my rifle, letting it hang from the sling. I check for a pulse on my fallen friend, but find none.

I stand at a slight noise, Pavel at my back, and raise the rifle again.

Who's there?! Come out at once!

Yuri:Alexander? Mikhail, it's Alexander and Pavel!
Mikhail: Thank God. They came at us in force. They killed Vladimir, Ivan, Maksim and Nikolai.

"Shit, we need to get out of here before they come back. Take what ever ammo is left and move."

I return to Vladimir's body, and stroke my hand down his face, closing his eyes and walk to the door.

(James)
=Letting go of Hibiki's hand, I scooted away to the edge of the bed, the action making my abdomen twinge a little in pain, but nothing severe. Either I was healing quickly (a thought that was ridiculous, but hey, zombie apocalypse) or the injury itself hadn't been that bad to begin with. The wheelchair was close by, though still out of reach. It must have somehow rolled back a little=
Well, crap. Eh, might as well try....

=Moving my legs so that they hung over the side of the bed, I slowly stood up. More pain, worse than before but not crippling, and I found myself standing=
Now for the hard part....

=Lifting one leg, there was a small wave of pain again, and I clenched my teeth, swallowing (no jokes) the small moan of pain. But dammit, I walked to the chair, and sat down in it=
Okay, well that was a good exercise.

We check the street for remainders of our attackers.

"Clear.

Stepping out, AKs raised, we slowly walk to the road.

Mikhail: They shouldn't have been able to get to us.

"There were too many, Mikhail, numbers can overwhelm."

Mikhail sighs, and we continue on in silence.

I awoke with a start. Here I was again, in this bed. Boredom killing me. Yeah, I like being safe and having running water.
But the more I was away from Jennifer and sitting around here, the more hope dwindled for me and her.
Everyday that I've been here I've thought of her. Practically since dawn to dusk, actually.

She's probably forgotten about you. Thinks you're dead. I mean, who could blame her? You've been gone for three days.
Oh! Not to mention you fucking told her you were going off to war! War! And with the Shepherds no less!
You're a bloody idiot who threw away something that... I don't know... might've been special?

I laughed out loud into the empty room. That was just a little too much for me, especially since I can't handle many things easily.
So instead of crying or something, I laughed. It was true, I was an idiot. I am an idiot.

Besides, you couldn't do anything 'special' without completely fucking it up. You probably wouldn't get far with her.
I mean c'mon, you only kissed her once. Nothing else really. Oh! Right, you saved her life. Only with the help of Wrex.
You wouldn't have been able to do anything once the baddies were dead. She'd just bleed to death on your watch.
So, just think for a moment. She thinks you're dead for awhile now. You kissed her once. Once. And barely even fed her.
What does that make you? Nothing. You don't deserve to even be near her. She deserves better then you.

Eve blinked awake. "Nnnn..."
She then realized how close Sam was. Eve blushed, not moving.
Eve didn't want to leave this position...so she closed her eyes and feigned sleep.


Hibiki murmured in her sleep, rolling over.

(James)
=I wheeled over to Hibiki's side of the bed, gently pressing down on her shoulder to wake her=
"Hibiki, wake up. We need to get to work."

(Sam)
=Slowly, I began to wake up, my eyes opening at a sluggish pace. Eve's face was the first thing saw=

Hibiki groaned. "You should have woke me up to help you..."

Eve kept feigning sleep, not wanting to accidentally wake Sam.

(James)
"And miss out on my own physical therapy? Perish the thought. Anyway, we're going to need to speak to Clarissa now."
=I wheeled away from her, headed for the door=

(Sam)
=Smiling at the sight of her sleeping face, I lightly pecked the tip of her nose in an attempt to wake her=
"Morning Eve."

Hibiki groaned, sitting up. "Do I get a shower?"


Eve opened her eyes, her cheeks red. "Morning Sam."

=I gradually get up, my only sounds are the groaning from how sore I am from last night. I then muster some more energy, still kinda sore=

Now I know what James feels like...wow...

=I give Mira an small smile, exhausted=

Hey there Mira, you awake?

=I groan again, feeling sore in certain places=

"Yeah. Doesn't mean I can get up. Did you have to be that rough in those places?" She said, not moving.

(James)
"What, the bath from last night wasn't enough?"
=It was all but impossible to hide the teasing tone in my voice=

(Sam)
"Hey Eve...."
=Despite feeling it, I still looked down to make sure our clothes were still on. Good, didn't want this to be any more awkward=

"So, think we should go?"

"Nope. Only got two nights with you. I at least want three before we go save the world." Hibiki said.

Eve frowned slightly. "Not yet...Please?"

=I grin sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head=

Well...Sorry bout that.

=I keep my grin, stifling a yelp of pain as I got up=

Well...it was still worth it.

(James)
"Heh, well sorry but we've waited long enough. We need to get this over with now."
=I opened the door, moving into the hallway=

"You coming or not?"

(Sam)
"Alright, just a few more minutes. But we really need to go soon."
=Still, I held her closer=

Hibiki groaned, sitting up and retrieving her jeans and shoes, and katana, before following.
"Of course I am."


Eve smiled, snuggling up with Sam. "I love you."


Mira groaned. "I should have said no."

(James)
=To be honest, turning the wheels on the chair so I could move was actually taxing. Nothing exhausting sure but I could tell that if I kept it up for a few weeks, I'd build up a lot of muscle in my arms=
"So, how do we contact Clarissa?"

(Sam)
=My eyes closed, I whispered quietly=
"I love you Eve."

"I don't remember." She said, looking embarassed.

Eve closed her eyes too. "Just hearing you say that back...that's alone is worth fighting for..."

=I smile apologetically=

Am I forgiven if I make you feel better?

=I give her a look of pure apology=

(James)
"Maybe we just ask one of the soldiers here or something."
=We entered the lobby=

(Sam)
"Yeah...."
=It seemed to cruel to think, but I remembered James, Hibiki and Andrew. The kids that survived the caravan attack. They were also worth fighting for, just as much as Eve was=

"Depends on which one." Hibiki responded.

Eve nuzzled Sam, smiling.


"How do you propose to do that?" Mira shot at Andy.

(James)
"Well what was the name of that one soldiers you were with, the guy that guided you around.....Cooker....Trooper...Cooper, Cooper!"

(Sam)
"Okay, let's go now. We need to get out of the room, see what's up now."