Fate Averted

“Billy!”

Rebecca's child-like voice reverberated painfully in her own ears as she spied the body of her companion, drenched and unmoving. Immediately, she feared the worst.

With a horrified gasp, she fell to her knees before the unconscious convict, gently probing his heavy jawline for any sign of a pulse. Her breath escaped her when she found none.

“Come on, Billy, wake up!”, she whispered desperately, feeling an all-too-familiar sting in her eyes.

Her brain, while normally driven by complex calculations and formulas, was baffled by her reaction; why was she so concerned for this man's wellbeing? Their first meeting was more of a one-sided Western face-off, with his 9 mm pistol aimed directly between her beautiful grey eyes. Why should she care what happened to him?

But the softer, gentler part of her vital workings, her heart, told her this man was more than just an escaped convict with a sour attitude and an acidic tongue to match. Something in the way he asked her “Are you alright?” struck her as more than just a courtesy; it sounded genuinely to be born of concern. The way he helped her to her feet when she was thrown clear from an enormous, T-Virus infected centipede, the way he looked into her eyes...surely there was something other than scorn for her age and her gender.

There was, at the very least, respect.

Rebecca assessed his situation; he had no pulse, and there was no breath on the back of her hand as she brought it to his slightly open mouth. She'd have to go in manually, so to speak.

She parted his lips and titled his head back, to open his airway. Taking in a deep breath, her mouth sealed over his and she exhaled, breathing fresh life into his nearly lifeless body.

She broke away and gently pressed his sternum rhythmically, reintroducing a pulse.

Feeling for breath, she was startled to find there was none. She replicated the breathing portion of CPR, hoping that she wasn't too late.

Before she placed her lips over his for a third time, his head jerked and what sounded like a liquid retch escaped his throat. A small plume of water ejected from his mouth as he started to cough.

Rebecca quickly propped him up, resting his back on her knee, clutching his broad shoulders.

“Easy, easy, it's okay, you're safe”, Rebecca spoke in a soft, sweet tone, gently rocking his huge body on her knee.

Billy took a few moments to catch his breath without coughing and craned his neck to see Rebecca peering at him, worry spread across her angelic facial features. His customary scowl softened.

“Rebecca...what's going on? Where am I?”, he blurted suddenly, still a bit hazy of his surroundings.

“You were unconscious, she explained slowly, as if speaking to a patient. I found you here and I revived you.”

Revived, Billy mulled the word over and over in his mind. Revived...she must have...

He let a small smile creep into his lips. It wasn't a sarcastic grin or a wicked sneer, it was a soft smile, born of not only respect, but of appreciation for the young woman's kindness.

She willingly placed her mouth over his, offering him some of her own life essence.

I'm probably looking into this too much, he thought. She didn't do it because she likes me, she did it so she wouldn't be alone in this place. Still, it's the first time in a while anyone did anything willingly for me.

In any case, he was still immensely grateful.

“Revived”, he breathed the word softly, almost incredulously.

Billy's cerulean blue eyes locked with Rebecca's metallic grey and brightened.

“Thank you. I thought I was done for.”

Rebecca nearly gasped; was this really Billy Coen thanking her for her assistance? Were these Billy's sullen eyes that gazed deep into her own, shimmering with a new light? Was that Billy's deep, handsome voice, laden with smooth sincerity?

She let a light blush of red tint her cheeks as she took in what he said. Seeing this, Billy gave a soft chuckle.

“You're cute when you blush, you know that?”, he smirked, reaching out to touch a reddened patch on her cheek, smooth and round like a baby's, but shaped to fit the young woman's slender face.

Rebecca appeared to be taken aback. Billy withdrew his hand, worried.

“Did I offend you?”, he asked, his face suddenly morphed to form an expression of guilt.

“N-no, y-you didn't, I was just...surprised”, Rebecca responded, turning a deeper shade of red. Was he flirting with her? Did he...like her?

“Rebecca, I...uh...”, Billy's words became lost like meaningless thoughts in one's mind.

What exactly was he trying to say?

I appreciate what you've done for me?

I'm lost in your beautiful eyes?

I've never felt this way about a woman before?

I love you?

Love? No, this wasn't love, he sighed. Just infatuation, a fleeting feeling, a wave of happiness likely to crash soon. But...

“What is it, Billy?”

He was shaken back to reality by Rebecca's soft voice, the voice he suddenly craved.

Just do it, Coen, he thought. Do it before it's too late.

Without any prior warning, he seized Rebecca's thin face in his hand, covering her lips with his, expressing how he felt when words were nothing but letters and had no further meaning.

“Oghmygod”, came Rebecca's muffled scream.

He broke away for a split second, quieting her with a soft 'shh', gently caressing her cheek with his other hand, feeling the soft, downy skin. After allowing a little time for Rebecca to catch her breath and himself to catch his own, he reconnected, leaning further into her when she didn't object.

Instead of breaking free, she leaned further into him, orally absorbing his essence where words were useless. She slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes.

A few moments later, and they split apart slowly, their eyes locked, their hearts entwined, however momentarily.

Much to each other's amusement, their faces were both entirely flushed, even their ears were rosy and warm. No words would form from the other's lips; no words could describe the feelings that they shared after sharing each other's lips, giving the other a bit of themselves.

“Oh, my God”, Rebecca breathed.

'What's the matter?”, Billy asked, gently touching her chin, tilting it to look at her face, her beautiful face. His expression became even more worried when he saw Rebecca's morph into something he never saw before. It scared the hell out of him.

“That...was...amazing”, Rebecca practically choked out, her young face full of vibrant wonder and adoration.

She snuggled into Billy, nuzzling his face with her own. He gladly returned the gesture, adding a small purr.

“Billy..., Rebecca started, her voice a disappointed moan. We've gotta go...if we're--”

“No 'ifs', Rebecca, we're getting out together, Billy said firmly, slowly finding the strength to rise with Rebecca's aid. I promise.”

Rebecca nodded accordingly; he'd kept his word so far, and now she was convinced.

Billy drew his pistol and took point. He turned around and gave Rebecca a roguish wink, followed by an equally mischievous smile.

“Let's get outta here, doll face.”