It was hard trying to find a word to describe their... relationship. With Sherry being sent on new assignments with as little as a few hours notice and Jake spending sometimes months at a time all over the globe, it wasn't exactly a conventional one. It had crossed both their minds that what they were doing was ridiculous. It could never work, not in the long run. Jake couldn't picture himself an old man sitting in a rocking chair with Sherry at his side bitching at him because the kids never called any more...

But every time he finished a job he went back to her. Like a moth to a flame. Although sometimes it felt more like a junkie crawling back to dealer. She gave him something his soul had been missing for a very long time, and no matter how much he tried telling himself otherwise, he just couldn't give it up.

Which was how he found himself lying beside her in the bed warmed by their bodies, their legs entwined as his hand softly drew patterns on her hip. Already he had forgotten everything. The fighting, the monsters. They didn't matter when the curtains were drawn against the cold December night and he had Sherry smiling at him like that.

"What?" he asked quietly, as if his voice could disturb the stillness around them.

"You just look so... I don't know. Relaxed." she told him.

Jake raised an eyebrow, "I'm always relaxed babe. Chilled to the core."

Sherry snorted in response and moved in closer as goosebumps began to appear over her exposed shoulder. Jake pulled the sheets tighter around her and let her body settle against his.

"That's what you want people to think. But I can see the difference, you know. Usually you're so instense, like you're just waiting for something to happen."

Jake felt his hand move of its own accord to his face and trace the scar marring his cheek. When Sherry's eyes lifted to see what he was doing he tried to disguise the movement and rubbed his hand over his short hair before rolling on to his back, making sure to pull Sherry with him so she was forced to hook one slender leg over his own. Running a hand over his naked chest Sherry let the silence dwindle before plucking up the courage to ask what she'd wanted to know since they first met. She'd wondered about that scar often, picturing the violence Jake must have been through in his life, that scar was like a brand against his skin singling him out.

"I told you about it, back in Edonia." Jake said suddenly, shaking her from her thoughts.

Sherry tilted her head against his shoulder just enough to catch the far away expression on his face. He didn't look at her. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling without really seeing it at all. How did he always know what she was thinking?

Edonia? Sherry quickly remembered a hasty conversation. Something about a jungle when he was seventeen. A man with a knife who didn't think he was worth a bullet. "What happened?"

For a few moments she didn't think Jake was going to answer her. Panic began to settle in her stomach. Normally, when she asked too many questions, Jake would just shut down and leave. Once when she had refused to tolerate his behaviour and physically blocked the door with her body he had completely lost it. She shivered at the memory of the anger in his eyes as his fist created a small hold in her bedroom wall. He hadn't come back for almost four months after that.

"We got ambushed. Some guy sold us out and they were waiting for us... it got messy. I was the last one left and had already taken a bullet in my leg. This dude was just standing over me, grinning, while he waved his knife in my face..."

Sherry wasn't sure what to say as Jake trailed off. Saying she was sorry was useless and wouldn't mean anything, plus Jake hated any sign of pity. Instead she lifted her head from his shoulder and placed a kiss across his jaw to his lips. She could tell his mind was elsewhere, still back in that jungle, by the way he kissed her back. Like everything else in his life Jake did everything with a preciseness and intensity that she found fascinating. She could feel him starting to pull away. Climbing on top of his body she settled herself carefully on top of him, unashamed of their exposure. In fact she revelled in it, the way she could feel his eyes drinking in every curve of her body. Her blood ran hot of the memory of their time together made her shiver. It was these rare moments she felt so naked with him, her soul bare, and yet completely and utterly safe. She wondered if he felt the same. If he would ever trust her like that...

"Again?" Jake asked, cocking one eyebrow at her with a smug smirk. "Give me a few minutes babe, you were right when you said you had more stamina than most people."

Sherry rolled her eyes. It had not been her intention for them to have sex again, she simply wanted to keep him there with her. Mind and body. Yet as his hand slid up her side and nestled itself in her hair to pull her mouth against his Sherry couldn't help the way her hips began to buck and seek him out. It didn't take long for him to comply. Sitting up Jake pushed the sheets away and trailed his hands over every inch of Sherry's body he could find. He barely noticed when her lips moved from his to his cheek, kissing softly against that mark that had always served as a reminder that trusting anyone would only get you killed. Wrapping one hand around her waist he began rolling his hips slowly, almost tortuously, as Sherry buried her face in his neck. He loved the softness of her gentle mewls possibly more than when she was crying out his name. This was the point when they were still in control, every move was purposeful rather than primal and animalistic. Usually Jake would want nothing more to forget himself in a woman for an hour or so, but with Sherry he tried to drink in every look, touch and taste. These were the memories that kept him going during long cold nights.

"I don't want you to go." Jake heard Sherry whimper into his ear. He grit his teeth at her words. God, he didn't want to leave. But they weren't exactly Mr and Mrs Joe Normal. Even as he rolled them over and felt her arms and legs wrap themselves tightly around his body he knew there were only a few more days left for them at most. Sherry's life was with the Government, he could never be that guy and she could never join him crossing the world looking for monsters. So just for tonight they made it count. Knowing it wouldn't last, knowing it couldn't work. Knowing that in a few weeks times they'd be right back here again.

A/N: Another piece requested by a reviewer. I was supposed to focus on the metaphorical nakedness of Jake opening up about his scar... but the real nakedness sort of took over. Damn my female hormounes. I blame Jake.

Disclaimer: I own no rights to the resident evil franchise.