Chapter 20: Cabin
Every caress was like a map. Every whisper a promise. When their bodies finally joined, it wasn't an explosion, but a deep, rhythmic pulse—much like the heartbeat of a world quietly rebuilding itself. They didn't make love out of necessity, but out of destiny. For everything they had lost, and for all that remained on the line. For that night when fear had transformed into desire… and that desire into fierce tenderness.
The cabin lay silent. Only the constant crackling of the fire in the hearth filled the air, casting dancing shadows on the wooden walls. Outside, the forest slept beneath a clear, moonless sky. Inside, everything seemed to have stopped—for the first time in days.
Rebecca sat before the hearth, wrapped in only a thin blanket that barely concealed the curves the hospital had failed to erase. Her skin, warmed by the orange glow, gleamed softly against the cool night. It was a softness that stood in stark contrast to the fresh scars from the fight. Tiny marks. Reminders of a nightmare that had only just ended.
Richard approached quietly, another blanket draped over his shoulders. He settled beside her, and for a moment neither of them spoke. The warmth between them was stronger than the fire's heat.
"What if there's no one else?" Rebecca whispered, voice trembling—not with fear, but with an aching truth. "What if it's just us against all of this?"
Richard met her gaze with a calm intensity. "Then we'll be alone. But together."
Rebecca looked at him, her dark eyes shining in the dim firelight. "Richard…"
He didn't answer with words. He simply pulled her into an embrace, and that gesture said everything. He drew her against his bare chest, feeling her heartbeat race against his own. He savored the warmth of her skin, the faint scents of smoke and sweat, and something else… something indefinable that felt like the very essence of life.
She surrendered to him, clinging to his solid warmth with a need that wasn't born just from desire, but from the urgency of holding onto something real—something that Umbrella, or any experiment, or the virus itself could never destroy.
Their lips found each other, first shyly, then with growing hunger. Rebecca kissed him with a passion that seemed to have been kindling long before this moment. He answered her, one hand sliding down her exposed back, sending a shiver through her.
The blankets slipped away. They were no longer needed.
Richard drank her in as if she were a discovery made anew. His eyes traced every curve of her body: the gentle rise and fall of her soft breasts as she breathed unevenly, the scars at her hips, her stomach drawn tight with anticipation. His fingertips followed the lines of her waist, then traveled up to graze her neck, finally drifting lower, eliciting a breathy moan that hung in the air.
Rebecca halted him for a moment, touching his face with a tender hand. "Take your time," she murmured. "I want to remember every second."
And so he did.
He explored her with patience and tenderness, with an intensity that seemed to melt every corner of her soul. His hands were strong but reverent; his mouth warm and sure. Each kiss spoke its own language. Each caress was a promise: that not everything was lost.
Rebecca arched under him as he entered her. The contact of their bodies felt like broken pieces finally fitting together at last. They moved in unison with the rhythm of the flickering flames—slow, steady, hypnotic.
This wasn't sex born of impulse. It was something deeper. A confession without words. A silent vow of, "I'm here… with you."
Soft moans filled the room, intertwining with the crackling of burning wood. They clung to each other like castaways to a shared lifeline—as if one another were the only truth left in the world.
And when they found release together, their bodies trembled as if the universe itself had paused its turning for one perfect second.
Rebecca curled up against his chest, spent and at peace.
"What if everything changes tomorrow?" she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.
Richard stroked her hair, eyes closed. "Then let them," he said softly. "Because tonight… tonight is something no one can ever take from us."
A single ray of sunlight peeked through the cracks of the cabin walls, painting golden lines on the rumpled blanket that still covered them. The fire in the hearth had long since died, but the warmth between them remained.
Rebecca awoke slowly, body pleasantly stiff but content. She felt Richard's breath at the base of her neck—steady and gentle—and one warm hand resting protectively on her waist. She didn't want to move. Not yet.
Gingerly, she slid one leg over his. The slight brush of skin against skin drew a low, satisfied sigh from Richard. Their fingers, still entwined, tightened slightly in wake of the touch.
"Am I awake… or still dreaming?" he murmured, voice thick with sleep.
Rebecca let out a small laugh without fully opening her eyes. "If this is a dream… let it never end," she whispered back.
Richard propped himself on one elbow and looked at her. His eyes lingered on her tousled hair, the way a few rebellious strands fell across her forehead. The morning light cast a warm glow over her, and for the first time since he had met her, her expression was completely serene.
"You're still beautiful," he said softly, "even after everything we've been through."
Rebecca stretched her arms over her head, arching her back just enough to reveal every curve, every scar, every little heartbeat fluttering beneath her skin. The gesture was innocent… yet deliberately provocative.
He smiled. "Even with the bandages?" she teased.
"Especially with them," he replied.
There were no more words after that—only a long, slow kiss warmed by morning and renewed desire. The day ahead brought no rush. No checklists or protocols. Only the quiet of the forest around them and two bodies rediscovering one another without fear.
They made love again, unhurried and gentle. It was different from the night before. No longer the burning finale of desperation and flames, but a softer, more complete intimacy. Deeper caresses. Whispered words in place of cries. Pauses just to gaze into each other's eyes and cradle each other's souls. When Rebecca trembled under him this time, it wasn't only from pleasure—it was from the tenderness of feeling safe.
Later, lying wrapped in each other's arms as sunlight filled the cabin, Richard finally broke the comfortable silence: "We need to try to reach out," he said quietly. "We can't stay here forever."
Rebecca nodded, suddenly more solemn. She sat up and started looking for their clothes.
There wasn't much to find.
They had been rescued with practically nothing. No radios. No weapons. Not even watches or ID tags. Just the civilian clothes they'd woken up in inside that underground medical room, and the emergency blanket they'd brought with them when they escaped.
Richard growled as he buttoned his shirt. "Umbrella made sure we left the hospital with nothing useful."
"Then we'll just have to improvise," Rebecca said, scanning the old cabin for something—anything—they could use.
They spent hours rummaging through rotting shelves, dusty furniture, and hidden compartments in the shelter. Just as dusk turned the room orange and shadows lengthened, Richard's hand struck something hard beneath a loose floorboard.
He pulled out an old shortwave transmitter, its metal shell rusty but intact. Most likely left behind by a hunter or emergency team long ago. A tired smile spread across his face.
"Tell me you know how to make this work," he said, offering the device to Rebecca.
She flipped it in her hands, feeling its weight. "Give me a couple of hours… and a little luck," she answered, reaching for the pocketknife she'd found in the kitchen drawer.
Rebecca set to work on the makeshift radio, tinkering with gears and wires. Richard built a small fire and took up watch outside with the only weapon they'd been able to scrape together: an iron bar ripped from the bed frame.
Time passed. The afternoon faded into an orange sunset, which in turn gave way to night. Finally, a crisp snapping sound came from the transmitter. And then… a burst of live static.
"I've got something!" Rebecca shouted, eyes wide with excitement. "Not for long, but I think I can broadcast on one of the old emergency frequencies. If anyone is listening…"
Richard hurried over and took the transmitter from her steady hands. He spoke clearly into the mouthpiece: "This is STARS Bravo. This is Richard Aiken and Rebecca Chambers. I repeat: we are alive. We need evacuation. We escaped from Umbrella facilities. Is anyone on this frequency?"
For a moment there was only static. Then, from the speaker, a voice—a whisper rising from the void:
"Richard…? Rebecca…? How… how is this possible?"
Rebecca froze. The voice was familiar.
"Elena?" she asked, astonished. "Is that really you?"
A tremor of relief and disbelief colored the reply: "Oh my God… we thought you were dead! No one has heard anything from you for days!"
Richard frowned. "Frost and Vickers got us out by helicopter. They were taking us to the outskirts of Raccoon City. What happened?"
Static crackled and then cleared again. The voice on the other end sounded strained, urgent.
"That helicopter… it never arrived. It disappeared in flight. The records were erased. Brad and Joseph… they're missing. They were searched for, but there's no trace. And according to the system, you two never boarded that flight."
A stunned silence swallowed those words.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Writing doesn't stop the hunger… but it sure leaves you too broke to eat.If you enjoy what I do and want me to keep creating instead of turning into the village square juice vendor (something I've seriously considered), your support on Patreon would be like a warm coffee for my soul… and maybe even food for my stomach.
Here's the link—no pressure, no drama, just love and a lot of worn-out keyboard keys: on my Patreon I upload 10 extra chapters every Saturday. They're in English, with some small narrative changes, but nothing too drastic.
👉 [patreon.com/Dalaraamater]
If you'd like to support me with a one-time donation instead of a Patreon commitment, here's my secret Ko-fi link. Every $10 milestone reached will unlock 5 extra chapters of the most-voted story here on Webnovel.
https://ko-fi.com/dalaraamater