viralobsession :
The difference between Birkin and the gaggle of fools that Wesker was trying to herd around these days was Birkin had long stopped trying to question that very, exacting, unpredictability. He and Wesker had simply known one another for far too long at this stage that he would even go so far as to say the man was predictable in that unpredictability - it was one of very few constants that came with him.
Besides, he hardly had company these days beyond Annette that any visitors were a surprise. Or had he become so consumed by his creation that he hardly even noticed people here anymore?
Hm… ?
The scent of coffee wasn’t lost on the hunched figure, though it was just enough to stir him from the deeper depths of sleep. The familiarity of those footfalls was enough to not cause him to bolt awake, the sense of long suffering paranoia that was his long companion these days at ease. It wasn’t his wife - perhaps thankfully enough; he knew how tired she too had been lately and someone needed to go home to take care of Sherry - but initially he was genuinely too damn tired to actually haul himself upright in that chair to address an almost equally familiar pretense.
At first there was some nonsensical mumble, half uttered beneath the virologist’s breath, and a hand that waggled in the vague direction of the coffee’s scent… finally securing admittedly shaky fingers around it. It was warm. That was an odd sensation, feeling to penetrate through the occasional numbness, and he audibly snorted as his eyes finally opened from where he was still half-face planted. “The desk may very well be a better conversationalist right about now.”
That voice audibly cracked, raspy and outright painful, and he visibly winced and groaned as he finally tucked himself back upwards. “It’s late, even for you. Is something wrong?” Did something happened? Was his creation in danger? How did…
Shut up!
Oh right. Coffee. That was definitely absolutely a thing and as he sat back in the chair his free hand trying to ease the crink out of his neck from such an awkward positioning while he finally managed to take a much relished drink. There were definitively worst ways of being woken up at least - he had to give Wesker that much.
“everything is fine,” he interjects quickly to ease the man’s mind and waves his free hand dismissively. this sudden visit no doubt causes panic for the paranoid, but luckily wesker is somehow able to try and pull the conversation away from the usual talk of viruses and tests. it had become the only thing birkin could discuss and while it didn’t bother the captain, he did often reflect on their casual conversations. “i stayed over late at the office to finish up a few reports and couldn’t help but wonder how you were taking CARE OF YOURSELF.”
his tone holds exhaustion, heavy and lingering in each word. behind midnight shades, blue hues close for a moment of relaxation as he continues to speak. “yet here you are, drooling on important files and unaware of your surroundings. for such a paranoid man, will, i would think you’d be more cautious of who freely enters your lab.” a gentle scolding, if one would call it that from the mostly SILENT blonde. he takes another sip of coffee, opens his eyes to stare at his friend’s overworked form.
one would argue that albert wesker was a heartless man who only cared about himself ( this is true. ) and only himself, but he did have emotions despite how umbrella MANUFACTURED him to think and be-- mainly for alex and birkin. and right now, birkin truly looked horrible and not the confident, perky man he had known for many years. if the tables were turned, wesker doesn’t doubt that birkin would worry over his own health. ( such a shame that all of this would soon come to an end. )
“you’re no use to umbrella or more importantly, your research, if you don’t focus on taking care of YOU first.” wesker states, setting the coffee cup aside and giving birkin’s shoulder a firm squeeze before moving away from him and the desk. “you’re coming with me,” a small pause in his obvious DEMAND before he adds the next part in case there is a planned objection. “don’t make me use the CUFFS.”
