Comfort

xxx

Then I see your face
I know I'm finally yours
I find everything I thought I lost before
You call my name
I come to you in pieces
So you can make me whole
~ Pieces, RED

xxx

Jill lay sleepily on the bare chest of her lover, a hand gently placed just on top of his shoulder. Her other hand was tangled within his hair, loosely gripping his short, chocolate-colored locks. She fluttered her eyes open, allowing herself a soft smile as she pulled the sheets over her, covering most of their naked bodies.

Jill could not get back to sleep, so she, silently and gingerly, pulled herself off of her lover, sitting upright in the bed. She looked around the room for nothing in particular, her eyes resting on a small photo frame on the nightstand. Jill picked it up and smiled at the memories it brought back- they were all from her wedding day.

An arm snaked around her waist from behind, grabbing her attention. Jill placed the photo back where it belonged and fell into the embrace of her loving husband. She snuggled closer, sighing happily.

"Morning, Jill." The tired man whispered in her ear.

She simply smiled back before responding, "Good morning, Chris."

The man by the name of Chris brought his hand to her face, moving a hair out of her eye.

Jill grinned, enjoying how it felt to be with him. She knew that, within a few hours, he would be leaving for a mission in Edonia.

"When do you have to go?" Jill murmured silently into his chest.

He looked at the clock. "In about 5 hours."

A few minutes of comfortable silence fell, both savoring the moment between the two. Reluctantly, Jill stated, "We should probably get up."

She pulled herself from Chris, looking on the ground for her clothing. She located her bra and panties, slipping them on gracefully, all the while Chris silently watched her. She noticed him staring and smiled. "What?"

He matched her smile. "You fascinate me."

"Fascinate?" She repeated jokingly, acting as if the word was foreign to her. Sitting down next to him, she added, "Don't you mean love?"

He propped himself up on his elbows, while teasingly stating, "You know what I mean."

She playfully slapped his arm. "Oh, shut up! You love me; just say it!" Jill got off the bed one more time, searching the clothes on the floor for a T-Shirt. She grabbed a navy blue V-neck and pulled it over her head. It was obviously Chris's, as it was too big for her. The bottom didn't quite reach her knees and it was unflattering to her figure, but she didn't care.

"I adore you." He remarked with a quiet chuckle.

"Really? That's an interesting way of saying it."

Ignoring that, he stared at her lovingly. "You look damn sexy in that." He complimented, a slight grin appearing on his face. "Even if I prefer you with nothing on."

"Oh, what a shame." She dropped her teasing tone for a second, then continued. "Come on- get up. I'll make us something to eat."

Groaning, he got out of bed and got dressed, as Jill finished getting ready and made them a simple egg breakfast. They ate together, talking and laughing and teasing each other.

After the meal, they watched some TV for a while, and, before they knew it, Chris had to leave for the mission. Edonia was in Eastern Europe, which meant he had to fly out from New York City, the place they called home. He didn't need to pack anything, so he was ready to go.

Jill pulled him into a loving kiss, preserving it for as long as she could. Eventually, they had to pull apart.

"God, I'm going to miss you." He said, his hands lingering on her waist. He had no desire to move them at the moment.

"I'll miss you, too." She placed her head in the crook of his neck. "Please be safe."

"I will." He kissed her forehead gently. "Jill, I-"

"I know, I know!" She cut him off, smiling to show she was just kidding. "You're still fascinated."

He laughed, holding her closer. The next words came out naturally. "I love you, Jill."

"I love you, too."

xxx

Jill twirled her wedding ring on ring finger, twisting it around aimlessly. It had been 6 months since she'd seen her husband, who suffered from Post-Traumatic Amnesia after losing all his men in Edonia and going missing. Eventually, they found him, and he agreed to come back and fight in China, where he, again, lost all his men. She sat at the B.S.A.A.'s private heliport, waiting for the helicopter carrying Chris to return.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, he finally arrived. Chris climbed out of the helicopter and Jill ran up to meet him, For a second, they only stared in each other's eyes, until Jill through her arms around her husband's neck, and he wrapped his tightly under her arms and around her shoulders.

Softly, she whispered in his ear, "I missed you."

"I know," He replied, kissing her neck. "I'm so sorry I left you."

"It's okay, Chris," she spoke quietly, "You're here now, and you're safe. That's all that matters."

Something about how she said his name always calmed him, reassured him. He loved that about her. It made him feel so safe, therefore he could always open up to her. "They all died because of me."

She pulled away slightly so she could look him in the eyes, his hands moving to her waist as she did this. "It's not your fault, Chris- it's Ada's. You know that!"

He sighed, not fully believing it. "I could have done something."

"Chris, you can't save everyone. They knew what they were getting into, they knew the risks. It was their choice to get into that! If it weren't for Ada, they would still be alive. It's not your fault." Tears formed on her eyes, so he pulled her in close, kissing the crown of her head.

"I love you, Jill," he said, kissing her briefly on the lips, before adding, "I need you."

She nodded, kissing him softly. "I love you, too."

He smiled weakly, but he looked into her eyes and knew it would be alright. He hadn't lost everything; he hadn't lost the person he cared about the most. All he needed was a little time and comfort. With Jill by his side, he could get through anything.