The Simplest Things

Author's Note: Yet a second one of Drake/Vasquez one-shots. I'm debating over whether or not to make this one emo or not. You'll see when you read! BTW, from the first one, someone said I meant Drake and not Spunkmeyer. Erm, turns out you're right! According to research that was Drake who was rather close to Vasquez, not Spunkmeyer. Whoopsies! My mistake!

Full Summary: As their lips met for only once, a part of her screamed for more as they two of them braved together on a mission that sealed their fates for good. Vasquez/Drake, hints to Ripley/Hicks. Again, this is a one-shot.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyhting of Aliens whatsoever or the characters that go with it. And even if I did own it, honestly I wouldn't change a thing. Despite how sad Vasquez and Drake both died, there deaths were rather well-played. HOWEVER Aliens 3 needs a total re-write there. I thought the third one was complete shit the minute they told Ripley that Newt and Hicks died. What a waste of a film to kill off two great characters. Grrrr...

Rated: T, Just to be safe.

. / .

She was raised in a word of simplest things and learned never to expect much more. It was a family moral passed down from her family from generation to generation, and she was no given the burden of expectation to pass this saying down to her own children. If she was to have any. Her career in the military had to place her social life on hold, though for several times she would be seen, hanging as with 'one of the boys' at a club. Drinking, gambling, pooling. All of the usual, and the alcohol helped pour out her emotions. But she was always careful kept those thoughts of judgement to herself. She was always a woman with strong will and a hard armor shelled that was nearly impossible to get through.

Until he comes into her life. Or rather the other way around, despite being around the same ages of 35 to 36, her being a year older, she had been the student and he was the teacher laying on as much advice as he could give. He was so called as a 'Preppy Boy', coming from wealthy parents with high expectations, such as going to college with a successful career and standing out among others.

He had different plans, not that he expected for people to call him a hero As he had always said 'It's just a job.' and she had gained large respect to him for that. And she wasn't one of thosew typical type of people to easily gain respect from. She was rather a judgmental woman who knew and when not to speak or do something. As she had told him that it was practice, with years of experience, he figures it was from the advice he had given her through the years of trainging together. He chuckles as he remembers back to a time when she was a loudmouth Rebel, who when he first met with, threatened to rip off his balls if he made any smart moves on her. It was quickly by then he knew she was a unique woman, and not one to stand around and look pretty.

Even if she didn't wear make-up, she was gorgeous. Her Mexican decent in her flowed well in her accent, which sometimes sounded like a soothing lullaby to him. Her body, so formed out with grace and power, made her look something as powerful as a warrior. But it wasn't the inapropiate thoughts about her body that made him think about her. It was rather those eyes and that soft smile she would show on extrmely rare occasions. At a dark moment of time when he truly needed comfort, and she usually wasn't one to open up. But she did at those times and smiled for him, and suddenly the world would seem so much brighter even at times when it truly was not. But they didn't always have to face the facts. Sometimes they would both trail away into a world of much brighterness and warmth, with trouble nothing more than a lurking shadow that posed no threat at all.

Vasquez herself wishes she could stay there for forever. She always knew that reassuring smiles and winks don't always last forever. And neither would the luck she gained fomr combat near escapes would either. There were many times before where she had unnecessaeily braced herself for Death. Always prepared, but never ready was the best way to describe it. And it wasn't like she wanted to die yet either. Though for the time her future had started to grow dim, she always believed Drake was the new glow to her life. She just never gained the certain amount of courage to say that to him.

When she was younger, her mother would read her fairytales stories, and she would like to think of herself as a princess. Maybe not the typical one that was a damsel in distress, but more or less the type that still wanted and waited for handsome prince to come on her doorstep like love was as simple as that. She had told her mother that dream, and in response she heard her mother say 'You truly are still an innocent Jenette."

And sometimes, though it was always her looking out for her younger sister, Carmen. She sometimes swore to herself it was Carmen who had a certain type of courage that made her far more wiser than maybe Vasquez herself. Carmen would always be the one to dream, and encourage her as well to 'dream far, and you'll find happiness'. She had told those wors to her one night when they were young and staying up late one night; Both of them staring out at the stars and making wishes.

She always did shudder whenever someone had called her 'Jenette' the name she disliked to be called by others. For nearly twn years she had gotten so used to 'Vasquez' she almost would forget sometimes who she truly was, or at leats used to be. She never did truly think that she had presonally changed at all except for developing that strong armor she had up on herself. For everyone, it was impossibly to even try to crack her shield. No one had ever even successfully made a tint in it. (And if they did happen to do so, they recieved one hell of a yeling from Vasquez or beating. Sometimes if they truly were unlucky, it was both.)

Though Drake on the other hand, Drake didn't even have to try to end up more than just tinting Vasquez's armor. Rather more or less he had ened up cracking it and getting inside it himself, making himself the new shield instead at the rare time when she was weak and needed him. A soft plea that she would make in her eyes at those rare times, and he was willing to serve her well.

Though neither one embraced it, both wanted so much more than just friends. Rather it was't desire, but truly the word of love, but a word that they dare not to ever say. It pained Vasquez, but the armor she had on always seemed to make a wonderful coverage indeed. Drake on the other hand was not the type to push and was willing to go as far as to wait until he was old and gray in his ninties (if he even still had hair).

He would go to as far as the whole other side of the Universe for her. If only he could find th courage to tell her that. She was always a woman who was hard to impress, because she was one who was sued to giving up things for others. It would not have such an effect on her if somone told her they were to give up something for her.

The day before they're sne ton the mission that determines their fates, they were working out like they usually did. Along with bashing each other with dry sarcastic, witty humor. She jokes about his mother, he jokes about her looking like a man. But in reality and truth, in his eyes she is the most gorgeous being he ever laid eyes on. But he shakes that off his mind when he sucks in the courage to finally tell everything he's hidden for years. And suddenly it all seems like high school again with simple dates. He had said 'I love you' to many before but that was how he ended up with the reputation of a heartbeaker. Because all those times he had said 'I love you' to them before were neve really truly meant to be or said as in the way he wanted it. It was more of just an allusion in his young eyes.

But Vasquez was no illusion. And this wasn't high school, and this certainly wasn't a simple date. He sighed as life was so diffucult to dothe simpliest things, but he wasn't sure if he was supposed to blame life, Vasquez, or even himself. He only looks at her simply, then checks to see if anyone is around. He knows witnesses will not be apprecaited by her. She notices his odd face and furrows her face in confusion.

"What? What is it?" she asked cautiously.

He laughs for no apparent reason. It's more of an airy chuckle but still, he laughs and shakes his head. Trying to convince her it's nothing but he fails as she places her hands on her hips and raises a brow. She knew his emotions like an open book, one that had taken 10 years to learn every chapter, memorizing every word. She knew he was lying, and it did not take her 10 years to learn that. She tries to be patient and wait for a response, but recieves nothing. Not a thing period until she takes things into her own hands.

"Well God dammnit Drake! Tell me what's up with you?" she demanded, frowning impaitently. Drake licks his lips and raises his hand in the signature joke he does where he's surrendering to her.

"Don't kick my ass though, kay?" he asked,wanting to make sure she promised. Vasquez sighed and rolled her eyes, cussing in Spanish about how stupid he could act sometimes. But she nods and he takes a breathe to go forward with his little 'idea'. He takes a step forward to her, and then looks like he has regrets to the plan. She frowns and places her hands on her hips.

"Drake, what are you? A man or a wuss? Just tell m-" and she's cut off but one way she never would've thought possible.

At last minute he brings himself to courage and pride as he launches himself forward in thrust and his larger hands grab her face, and pulls her forward for a demanding kiss. At first, he shuts his eyes in fear and winces if she were to pull back and punch his face. She on the other hand has her eyes wide open in shock and a bit in anger. Never had Drake ever gone that far as to forcibly kiss her. But strange enough, the kiss actually felt...nice.

The tense in her body vanishes, and she learns to relax herself for the first time ever, as if she were letting her guard down and let emotions actually jump into her body, which freezes her with goosebumps. His hands are all over the place, as if scanning her about and one of his hand lost it within her short, dark, hair and knotted it up a bit. They were losing themselves in a dream practically...

But they were still alive, with lungs that demanded for air at a time they wished they hadn't. They both pull away, with Drake gasping as he tries to breathe correctly again whie she gapes at him for the longest time when another figure enters the room.

Hudson.

"Hey you two making out or something? Boss just called us in for a new mission, something about a search and rescue. Come on! Unless if you can't get up for specific reasons Drake.." he snickered, only to recieve a threatening glare form Vasquez, and she jumped, pretending to start a charge as Hudson ran off, scared. She smiled, and then proceeded to jab Drake at his arm.

"Ow! Hey, what was that for?" he asks a bit shocked as he rubs his arm. She rolls her eyes and huffs 'baby', and then smiles.

"Hey, at least I didn't kick your ass. Come on, let's go see what we have in store now." she said, leading the two of them out of the gym. He smiles dreamily, as if he were a schoolboy havng his first crush. He stays still for a moment, and then follows up behind as she leaves.

In the back of his mind, he knows that might've been his only shot to get close to her. But he wants to hope or a least try to think that there is more, a better chance with higher percentages. As a child, he would sometimes exit reality and enter imagination. Even now as a man, there were times where he wished he could escaped reality and not face the ruhtlessness of the others who had their doubts about him.

Imcluding his own concious, that was throwing negative thoughts at him that he tried to shake off his mind.

And with her, she thinks most of the same. Same doubts. Same chances. She wants to believe a small chance of a future, something she was willing to get on her knees and beg for. And she was not one to beg at all for something she wanted. After all, she had been raised by a family who had surrounded her with the simplest things and expect nothing more, nothing less. But there always was a chance for a future together, prehaps leave the military and raise a family after this mission. She smiles and gurantees herself of that high chance of a future.

Tragically, a future that was never to come for him and her.

Phew! Finally fnished! REVIEWS = LOVE!